Confessions of World Traveler Jane (temporarily confined to America)

#1 Reason to have a Boyfriend

2012-02-06T20:58:00.001-05:00

Moving Day.

Seeking out new lover by Saturday. Any takers?

The #brohouse

2012-02-05T13:47:00.002-05:00

Six months ago, I moved into a house with 3 guys (now 4 guys). Prior to that I was living with two easy-going, clean and friendly guys. We live in a gorgeous house and I have a private roof deck. Win-win situation. Right? Wrong. My roommates are all grown men who have no cares about the pot that has mold growing in it, the garbage disposal that was broken (and also moldy) for 4 months, the leaks in the hallway, kitchen, bathroom and their bedrooms. I wouldn't say I'm the cleanest person ever, but these boys have made me rethink that statement. Here's a play by play of our interactions yesterday

11 am - I finished eating breakfast and making coffee. Roommate #1 says, "What are you doing up? Go back to bed!"

11:30 am - I get an email saying come sign a lease tonight! Hooray! Nice, clean apartment! I send an email to the bros that I'm moving out...in a week...but will find them a new roommate.

11:50 am - come downstairs to leave for brunch. On my way down roommate #2 stops me.
"Have you been downstairs yet?"
"Yeah...why?"
"We have a rainforest down there."
"What do you mean?"
"Just go down there."

11:52 am - Water is flowing out of a crack in our ceiling in to three pots on the dining room floor. There are wet dog prints everywhere and roommate #3 is on the couch eating breakfast. I crack up laughing and ask if he has any interest in taking over my room (he is currently crashing on roommate #2's couch). He says he needs a few hours to think about it.

11:55 am - Roommate #4 comes downstairs and asks if any of his food got wet (his food that is piled all over the dining room table). Roommate #3 says "No not really but whoever's avacadoes those are have toilet water all over them." Yeah, they were mine.

Not sure how many times I heard, "you picked a good day to move out."

4:50pm - I stop back home to pick up my checkbook before signing the new lease. Upon entering the door there is a ping pong table twice the size of my bed in our living room. I ask, "Where did this come from?" Roommate #2 explains, "My girlfriend's dad was going to throw it away so I said we'd take it. We can use it for beer pong or whatever..."

1:15 am - I return home to go to bed. Ping pong table is folded up. I leave roommate #1 my rent check, and pray to god that roommate #3 will take my room so I don't need to try to sell anybody on this house.

Nice Girls in the Workplace

2012-01-29T11:47:00.002-05:00

In the three weeks I have gone to three different work retreats, so I've had a lot of time to think about what's working and what's not. Among many things I've realized I should say "please don't speak to me like that" more often. I make excuses for a few people's rudeness because they are in a tough situation. In an urban schools you are often verbally, emotionally and occasionally physically abused, and to me that seems like a good reason for a "get out of jail free" pass for your own strong words. In the past 6 months I've worked with two people who were particularly disrespectful to me - their boss. I eventually said you can't speak to people that way eventually, but only after they became repeat offenders. One recently complained while my boss mediated a conversation about this topic, "Do I really have to say "Hi" to her (me) every time she walks in?" while rolling her eyes. IS IT THAT HARD TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR BOSS? When those words came out of her mouth I nearly lashed out yelling, "You b**** you just wait the next time the principal wants you fired, I'm not going to stop her." That of course did not happen. I stayed calm and spoke to her about how it's difficult to advocate for her when she approaches me with an attitude. Nevertheless this got me thinking about being "too nice" to her.

My old students used to say that I was "too nice" and that is why they misbehaved. I'd like to think I learned my lesson, but that doesn't seem to be the case. At my job, one of our main values is empathy and I feel as though letting somethings slide is me being empathetic to their situation, right? Next thing you know, I'll be reading Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office. At least the other 14 people I manage are respectful towards me. That helps soothe my "Will I ever be successful?" panicked thoughts. Need to start thinking less about "pushing them into the challenge zone" (seriously these are things I think about) and more, "Mess with me. See what happens."

2012-01-16T21:17:00.002-05:00

This is feedback I got from someone I supervise:

"I think that her heart serves her very well in her work with (organization name), and if she continues to let it guide her through the second half of our service year, I think she will sow many seeds of happiness. Focus less on maintaining rules and a professional appearance – be by the book when you have to, but above all else, follow your joy!"

That cracked me up. In case you wondering, I manage the next best-selling self-help book author.

Why sleeping alone is quite fantastic

2012-01-16T18:02:00.003-05:00

I have recently begun advocating for single living. A friend of mine was quite depressed on New Year's Eve when he was not seeing anyone and recently a girl has chosen his roommate over him (yikes). I told him about how fun being single could be, and really, who needs to date when you work a ton? I wish I had presented the following list instead...

1. So many sleeping positions - middle of the bed, diagonal, X, whatever works for you
2. Being able to sleep with your mouth open and not feeling like anyone is judging you.
3. If it gets cold, you can burrito yourself with blankets. If it gets hot, you can toss them off to the side.
4. You can press snooze as many times as you want and no one will be disturbed
5. Your bed serves many more utilitarian purposes. My personal favorite is using it as a desk for my laptop.

Having a snuggle buddy may be great, but they're missing out on the luxury of single sleeping.

My Dream Road Trip with Paul Simon

2012-01-05T22:36:00.002-05:00

A road trip seems like a mythical adventure to me. As a kid who grows up digging music, the road trip is the ultimate mixtape challenge. You need a soundtrack for every mood and obviously the "cruising" mix part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc. I always dreamed that I would take cross country adventure stopping at various kitschy fun spots along the way - tasty diners, dinosaur themed roadside attractions, city landmarks. In my mind I would take this journey with someone who I could get along with for weeks of adventures - probably a boyfriend. Now as I am older and wiser, I think that going on this kind of journey would be more of a test of our love than an idealistic adventure.

Now, my adventure would probably have one singular destination for the sake of maintaining a good attitude and more importantly the mileage on my car. My dream co-pilot would be the man, the myth, the legend - Paul Simon. Paul isn't my boyfriend (he's definitely too short for me), but I feel he's my old buddy. I wouldn't take now 70 years old PS though. I would take Paul Simon circa 1990 when he hadn't grown totally exhausted by playing and replaying one of the greatest albums of all time - Graceland. He's the ultimate story teller, and that's how we're already bonded. We would definitely journey together to a music festival. We wouldn't even need the Encyclopedia Britannica equivalent of mixes because he could play tunes on the road! We'd make a canny pair - I would try to live tweet our journey #Simon&Horstmann asking him to play all of my favorite songs and he could be bored by some aspects of our road trip ("Graceland? Been there. Done that. A roadside dinosaur themed amusement park? Jackpot!") but I think he could commit to narrating his past adventures, getting me into cool hangs outs and probably more real trouble than I've ever been in. Is 1990 Paul Simon the kind of guy who does drugs? Possibly... Would he like me more because I could be the more responsible half of the pair? Possibly...

My dream of the ultimate road trip is ever evolving. I think one day it will really be my dream flight (like the time Liz Lemon flew with Oprah in the seat next to her) but for now, I think this would be an amazingly fun time.

This will do for now - the blog of my reality, not of my dreams

2012-01-04T23:02:00.006-05:00

I miss blogging. While it is mostly self-involved, I feel that I have some entertaining anecdotes to share with you and tidbits that hopefully bring joy to your life.

I read a lot of blogs. By read, I mean I frequently look at well dressed people's photos of themselves and products that I can't actually afford. The act of reading is pretty limited. But I love it. I said it. I love spending 30 minutes a day looking at pictures of chic people. I know I'm not the only one. There's a reason why Pinterest has become the latest craze. Everyone loves looking at pretty pictures. This is not a pretty picture blog though.

Reasons why:
1. I don't own a pretty picture kind of camera. My camera is nearly ten years old now, and I have open the lens with my finger.
2. Even if I owned that kind of camera, I am not creating super-cute photo-worthy outfits daily. In fact, most days I slip into khakis, a tshirt, and an ill-fitting bright red jacket/fleece/vest. The fleece even has a big stain on it, but is irresistibly comfortable.
3. I HAVE A JOB! These bloggers. Oh these bloggers. Do they work? Do they work 55 hour work weeks? Because I do. That leaves me with little time to cook up seasonal recipes, create lists of my favorite shimmery things that I found after skimming hundreds of shopping sights, or like I've already said, take multiple photos of my daily brand new outfit with links to where you can get each piece.

I dream of writing about the hilarity that happens at my job at urban schools in DC or when I talk to guys, but there are rules (written or unspoken) about confidentiality. I'm not ready to lose my job for my blog. Nor am I ready to share with my mother who has this blog as the homepage on her web browser what happened on my last date. I wish I could have a blog as honest and snarky as The Frenemy or humbly stylish as Kendi. I have thought long and hard about creating a blog with a theme and purpose and consistent postings. That thought process has taken far too long though. The three reasons above (mostly reason #3) are obstacles that stand between me and my new super blog. You missed out on amusing things like when someone I manage told me repeatedly he hated me, or when I dressed as SuperJane (my own superhero for Halloween), or when I resolved that in 2012 I would work harder to learn people's names, but more importantly, not kiss anyone whose name I didn't bother to catch (I would mostly like to blame noisy bars for this one). Think of all the things we could laugh about on the world wide web! This hiatus cannot last forever.

So we're back to the same sporadic but seemingly must-tell confessions of Jane - the character-building adventures, adorable puppies and babies, songs worth sharing, and notes on the books I'm reading, the races I'm running, and the folks I live with who don't know about this blog.

Nomad Jane

2011-07-11T01:28:00.003-04:00

World Traveler Jane has become a bit more of a nomad. In an ever-evolving possible position/location switch (with the same company), I have given up my apartment. I'm drifting between DC, Philly, and Boston, mostly without a computer. As usual, to find out more about the random thoughts that pop into my head, check out my twitter. My phone comes with me everywhere so the tweets flow freely unlike blog posts. Also, I've taken on another secret work twitter (2 so far) so I'm tracking tweets about the good people who volunteer several times a day. WTJ says, "Tweet tweet tweet," and "Better watch out - I really will take you up on that couch offer." Not sure which people dread more.

My new favorite word

2011-06-14T07:29:00.000-04:00

empower (v) 1. enable (someone) to do (something) 2. make someone stronger and more confident
(from Oxford American Dictionary)

I want to be empowered and empower others. Support others because people have supported you along the way. I found myself using it quite a lot, but I don't mind it. It's a good word.

Eat Any Other Food You Want!

2011-06-13T07:24:00.001-04:00

Over the weekend I went to an exhibit at the National Archives about how the federal government affects Americans' diets. It was interesting and informative, but my favorite part of the exhibit was the propaganda from around WWII. From a pamphlet about how to have high morale - "Have low morale? Snap out of it!...That's what Hitler & co wants to do - lower your morale." This was another favorite of mine - "In addition to the basic 7...eat any other foods you want!"

You don't know me!

2011-06-12T11:15:00.002-04:00

My google reader has decided I'm a young mom who loves decorating and redecorating my home and posting endless photos of my babies. No more niece photos for this blogger! Don't you know I follow the hilariously bitchy blog The Frenemy, and spend my free time perusing the Thought Catalog? If you saw my oh-so-college plastic drawers in my room, you would wish some young mom blogger would come in and throw them out the window, and replace my $14 ikea shelves with something that has little knobs that are "vintage," which is code for "Try to replicate this - you can't!" Needless to say, I took a lot of offense to this judgement made by google. I liked it better when it mostly suggested that I like photos of puppies and cupcakes - very accurate.

Healthy Living

2011-06-04T18:52:00.002-04:00

I recently came to the realization that this is probably the healthiest I've ever been in my life. I was definitely more in shape at 16, but never ate things that were good for me. I have room to grow to be healthier, but I am very aware of how I treat my body in terms of how often I exercise, what I eat and drink, and the damage I do to my body (oops are booze bad for you? yes.) I could exercise more, eat healthier, now do any damage, but I don't know how happy I would be if I did that. I'm pretty proud of myself.

Just one day after this epiphany, it was national doughnut day. Krispy Kreme was giving one free doughnut to every customer. I went twice. I did have quinoa with veggies for lunch though. You can only be so healthy on national doughnut day.

2011-05-31T23:53:00.001-04:00

Being home and that funny feeling inside

2011-05-30T20:50:00.007-04:00

I was home for the long weekend, and for the first time in a while, I wasn't home for a specific event, and found myself at a loss for what exactly to do. I felt as though I was my 16 year old self. I considered what to do with my time -- sit down in my parents' basement and watch hours and hours of Gilmore Girls and the OC? Have an AIM conversation with everyone I know while carefully crafting my multicolored, lyrics filled profile? Being home is simultaneously comforting and stifling - feeling as though I should be spending time with the same people, doing the same thing as I did when I lived at home and sometimes it' sort of nice to do that. It's interesting to think abut what has and hasn't changed in the past 6 years and what might change in the next 6 years. The funny feeling might be the same one you get when someone asks about your five year plan during a job interview -- perhaps aptly described as the question asked to me many times this weekend, "So what do you want to do?"

Other things that give me a funny feeling inside:

My new interest in Sara Bareilles's songs "Uncharted" and "Many the Miles". I don't know why this makes me feel funny. Maybe it's the fear that I will start liking her music so much that I will end up at her concert and that will feel like I'm looking at a mirror of my musically talented self.

My twin

This beautiful still photo of this sony commercial featuring bouncy balls rolling down San Francisco streets makes me feel a bit giggly inside. I can't decide if the photos or video are more beautiful.

In order to be funny

2011-05-22T22:47:00.002-04:00

After an accumulation of recently reading/watching funny ladies (in the past 8 hours alone I read an article about Chelsea Handler and watched Bridesmaids), I have come to the conclusion that funny women are inevitably a little bitchy and aren't afraid to publicize their embarrassing moments.

Lady parts + sassiness (euphemism for bitchiness) + letting other people laugh at your expense = one funny woman

Who the f likes ketchup packets?

2011-05-21T13:00:00.001-04:00

Seriously. I don't know why ketchup packets exist. They are possibly one of the worst things to ever happen to the great food genre known as condiments. Each packet holds enough ketchup for approximately 4 french fries, maybe 6 if you ration. Inevitably the ketchup is a little watery, and after making a mega pile of ketchup with 10 packets, you barely even want it anymore because who really wants to work that hard for ketchup? I'm not sure why restaurants even stock these anymore. Everyone should have little cups for me to pour a plentiful amount of ketchup in to. Consider me officially a ketchup snob.

Run in with the Ex

2011-05-20T19:51:00.002-04:00

I just ran into my ex boyfriend on the metro, and while I was heading home to do something distinctly uncool - go babysit, he was off to a date. I felt momentarily sorry for myself, but when he stood up, I noticed that he had ass sweat. And I didn't tell him about it. Hope his new lady digs that.

Weekend Bliss

2011-05-18T07:48:00.001-04:00

I'm tired of rain. Where is the sunshine? And the happiness? Waiting for me this weekend - that's where. I definitely prefer a rainy work week and a sunny weekend. I will now look at this photo and take comfort in knowing that it's only days away much like tropical beach scenes that college kids hang in their dorm rooms except the Sunday Times is much easier to obtain than a vacation in Maui.

Why I'm a bad roommate

2011-05-17T22:12:00.004-04:00

'Cause I take pictures of your stuff so I can laugh about it on the internet. Let's be clear - I don't do this to all of my roommates, but this is too good to pass up. Also, I must say, they are very good roommates - very nice guys. This is just material for my imaginary upcoming book, "A liberal girl's guide to living with conservative guys."

The Reagan art mentioned in a previous post

From a magazine that arrived in the mail - "A Serious Hang with the Last Solid Dude" - what does that even mean? Who gets paid to write those taglines? The journalism class at an all boys prep school?

This sticker is on our front door. It's unclear whether this is a scare tactic or true, but I'm leaning towards it being factual. If that's the case, I only feel less safe rather than more safe.

I would feel better about this post if I knew that they were photographing my kale and organic milk in the fridge and the "keep calm and carry on" poster in my room - identifying me as a liberal hipster, but I'm pretty sure they are not. I minored in anthropology - this is ethnography in the making. Or still a breach of privacy.

One of these things is not like the other

2011-05-12T07:51:00.000-04:00

Oh and my bike was stolen and shortly thereafter returned during our blogging break.

For some reason they decided to take off the back brake. In an effort to get their friends to flip over the front handle bars? Who can say?

Where have I been?

2011-05-11T22:54:00.000-04:00

Running a four day long work event - that's where I've been. The event required many long days and nights of planning, and now many days of recovery. The event was a big success though, and the President of the organization I work for called me the MVP, and I think that's a success unto itself. Since we last spoke I moved.

I have developed a new theory - Craigslist roommates are a method of developing social tolerance.

Let's start with this - they didn't recycle before I moved. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME. In my opinion, recycling should be the standard for educated young people who definitely cannot claim ignorance. Now I know though, upon meeting potential roommates, asking whether or not they recycle is a must. When I left my roommates a note about our new recycling bag, and that they should "feel free to contribute to it!" One said to me, "You're so good." No! You, sir, are so bad! Do you have a conscience? Do you litter too?

I think this glimpse into our lives says a lot about who we are, but I think we'll get along fine. It seems they have already accepted my title as the liberal hippie (in comparison to them) and I have accepted them as my conservative but not tea party friends. They don't seem to physically cringe when I listen to NPR in the morning. The other night I told one that it was my first time cooking tofu, and he said, "Really?" He proceeded to cook up a steak, and I told him it had a nice musk. We have an Andy Warhol-like print of Reagan in a cowboy hat in our staircase. I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried folks! Social tolerance is thriving in this household, and should continue to do so as long as we avoid talking politics. If that does happen though, I'll be sure to transcribe it for your amusement.

Office Treats

2011-04-27T23:27:00.006-04:00

Oh Harris Teeter (the local grocery store), you really know how to win a girl's heart.

Cupcakes with fun rings at the office!

This helps compensate for the madness that is event planning.

Note to self: a wedding cake and wedding ring may or may not compensate for planning a wedding. I'm leaning towards not considering a cupcake and blinging plastic ring don't compensate for conference planning. Check back in with me for ten years and I can report back on the former.

Single Lady Jokes

2011-04-24T22:25:00.002-04:00

Last weekend, a boy told me, "I hate goodbyes," and "Don't ever let go." Then we watched the Titanic sink the distance. Maybe not, but we did laugh about his corny lines. You should too.

Things I don't think I'll get over

2011-04-21T23:24:00.001-04:00

Men wearing necklaces. Will that ever be attractive? I think not.

Positive Energy

2011-04-19T22:31:00.002-04:00

I've started writing somewhat corny but very positive emails to a big chunk of our staff to help mobilize people to get involved with a 3 day long conference that we're organizing. I get some joy out of writing them (In an email about getting external guests to register: "If someone can get Oprah to show up, then I'll get everyone (company name) branded autograph books!") and people report that they both inspire and motivate them. My work optimism has become a bit contagious, and writing these emails even puts a smile on my face at the end of the day.

Similarly, I went to Boston this past weekend for my birthday, and was ecstatic to see and hear from all of my friends and family. Birthdays are usually no big deal for me, but this year I felt like I was radiating love. Sometimes life is confusing - you try to make decisions so that you can be happy, but it's hard to ever really know what will make you happy until well, one day you feel like you're radiating love. This weekend I realized that there are a lot of people who I love and care about, and there are a lot of people who love and care about me. If you could bottle up all of that positive energy I think it could carry you through just about any situation.

While it may be corny, I think people, in a guilty pleasure sort of way, enjoy it because who doesn't like feeling light and fluffy inside? Just like everyone secretly loves the Shiba Inu Puppy cam or Rihanna's S&M even though the lyrics are inappropriate.

DIY Bike Tune Up

2011-04-11T11:00:00.000-04:00

I decided to attempt to try to save some money this Spring by avoiding the annual bike tune up. What exactly do they do when they "tune up" your bike? Check your brakes? Tighten a few things up? I can do that, and I'm certain I'll notice if something is wrong with my brakes. The second time I rode my bike in Boston (very distinct from suburban biking experiences), I fell off my bike from clenching the brakes too hard while crossing a high traffic bridge. I'm happy to say that I now know how to gauge whether or not my brakes are working, and well, you shouldn't clamp down on the brakes when a car get too close to you. Today, I greased my chain, adjusted the seat, tightened up a few things, and put air in my tires. I went for a nice long ride and it rode like a dream despite some off-roading into grass and gravel. I think my bike and I will be just fine without a spring tune up, but I have a feeling that won't be official until it's too late. Hoping my DIY bike tune up won't bite me in the ass somewhere down the line.

Battle wounds from the bike tune up - permanent grease mark, and knuckle gash from wrestling with some rusted parts

Bossypants or a Proclamation of my love for Tina Fey

2011-04-10T23:20:00.003-04:00

I read Tina Fey's new book, Bossypants in just under two days. I would insert a photo of the cover, but it features a picture of Fey with man hands, and it's a bit frightening. So let's all imagine a glamorous photo of Tina Fey, not like her most recent covershot of InStyle (featured below) because that was similarly frightening.

Bossypants was like reading an extended 300 page episode of 30 Rock, or like looking into a crystal ball of what my life would be like if I were more interested in acting. I'm sure that as much as Tina Fey (and I) would like to think we're a little less socially awkward than Liz Lemon, it's just not true, so why not laugh about it? When I read a chapter titled "Climbing Old Rag Mountain," I nearly died because Tina Fey stole that chapter from my life! In fact, dare I say it, I think that my disastrous spring break adventure at Old Rag mountain was probably a little more amusing than hers. I was charmed by a middle school photo of Fey with really bad bangs, and when she describes how she thought she was looking really, really good. Don't you worry - ask my sister to show you my 4th grade mugshot in which I have some intense static going on, she will gladly share it with you. I too thought I was looking really really good. I felt a personal connection with Tina Fey and her Philadelphia upbringing, but I think Bossypants would be a good read for any ladies who love 30 Rock. For the gentlemen though, I don't know that you would have the same interest level in the ins and outs of a magazine photoshoot, balancing work and parenting, and empowering the ladies of SNL.

There isn't much of a story line other than "This is why I am who I am," and "One time this funny thing happened to me," but I was okay with that, just like I'm okay with laughing out loud while reading on public transportation. If you do read Bossypants and aren't okay with that, then I suggest that you only read it in the privacy of your own home.

Things I learned from Running a Race

2011-04-07T22:23:00.002-04:00

I ran in the Cherry Blossom 10 mile race this past weekend, and was pleased with the results. I ran an 8:26/mi, and felt great afterward. While I maybe could have pushed myself a teeny bit harder, I was happy with my time and the fact that I could walk home at the end and not feel like my legs were going to give out. If you have never run a race before let me enlighten you about a few things:

Any "rules" are really just suggestions. Bag check will close at 7:15am, you must strip down to your running clothes by then = Lie. No headphones = Lie. (Am I convinced that I could have gone faster with music? Yes. Was I tempted to steal someone's ipod from them? Yes. Did I love when someone in the crowd played "Don't Stop Believing" and the Rocky theme song when I only had a mile left? Yes. Proving that I definitely would have run faster with a Jane megamix)
Running a race is similar to be a cow among herded cattle. Trying to get ahead of someone else at the start of a race is like being a biker on a crowded street. I dodged and weaved, slowed down behind people, and occasionally cut someone off. Unlike being a biker on a crowded street no one yelled, honked, or gave me the middle finger.
Running with someone else is nice, but only if they are constantly pushing you to go harder and faster. Running with someone else is not nice if you feel like they are holding you back. I had varied moments of wanting a companion and the joy of setting your own pace. Not having a companion was particular helpful when dodging and weaving.
Running expos are where it's at for cheap sneakers. By running expo I mean if there's a marathon in your town, find out where registration is and go there, the local mecca of sneakers. (See post below. They had $20 shoes too.)

So there you go - the four things I wish someone told me before I ran a race. Now I have imparted my wisdom to you. Ultimately, I found the race to be very fulfilling. It was a very tangible way for me to feel that something good can come out of a tumultuous year. Plans to run a half marathon in the fall are underway.

New Kicks

2011-04-02T22:07:00.007-04:00

I discovered these sneakers for only $40 each (half off!). I spent quite some time deciding between these two and anther set of gray and purple Pegasus sneaks. The Pegasus were eliminated because I decided they didn't provide enough running support. And it's a little tough to tell, but one set is gray and the other is fuchsia. Seriously bright fuchsia. When I put them on the sales guy told me they were the last set they had in all 4 of their stores, and I was like yeah yeah, well maybe a lot of crazy people shop at your stores. And then they grew on me. I realized I had some sassy kicks on, and then, everyone ooh and ahh-ed and asked me where I found them, and I had to have them. Of course just one wouldn't cut it - what if I wanted to wear a red shirt to work out in? The blue and orange were my back up choice, and I bought them anyway because why not for $40?

I can't wait to get moving in these kicks.

They even have cool insides.

And so my sneaker collection begins... I promise to get rid of my raggedy ones once I break these in.

It's been several hours and I'm still not over it...

2011-03-31T23:08:00.004-04:00

Everyone knows sunglasses are best used for two things: hiding your tiredness and keeping your identity hidden. Must be exhausting to have a secret identity, eh, Boo, or should I say, Qiu Qiu?

This email to my sister aptly expresses my emotions:

BOO IS LIVING A DOUBLE LIFE! Boo, facebook star, and lady charmer has two identities – one on facebook and one on the daily puppy. He keeps his title as Boo for the stupid folk who don’t quite know how to pronounce Qiu Qiu and who dabble in their love of puppies on facebook, but not anywhere else on the internet. Qiu qiu is his daily puppy title for the real puppy lovers, and to set him apart from a dog whose owner does not love him enough to give him a real name and instead calls him “boo”. Evidence can be found here.

Kirbee Krimpet would never participate in this kind of fan deception.

Cosmic Jane Connection Letdown

2011-03-29T00:17:00.000-04:00

I stumbled upon I Totally Meant To Do That by Jane Borden at my local bookstore, and felt as though the book had found me. It was love at first sight. The book tells Jane's story of her move from North Carolina to New York City, and although I did not grow up in the South, I know the feeling. After all, I did join the BU radio station upon arriving on campus - the irony of purposfully dishelved hair was a stark contrast from the irony of popping your polo shirt collar at my all girls prep school. The cover compared Borden to my (and anyone who has a sense of humor and can relate to things the hilarity of poop stories and sibling rivalry) all time favorite comedic writer David Sedaris. Additionally, she wrote for SNL, and the most important detail - HER NAME IS JANE. I'll admit it - I'm not a die-hard Jane Austen lover. In fact, I couldn't finish Pride and Prejudice and ended up watching the 6 hour bbc version to complete my summer reading, but really, who didn't? Regardless, I find that I have a deep cosmic connection with most people named Jane (even though 90% are at least three times my age). There aren't many of us so we have to create a Jane persona. If my name were Katie, then maybe I would find myself one day acting like Kate Moss and the next acting like Catherine the great. Instead, I have to meet the expectations of Jane Eyre, Jane Austen, and Jane Goodall.

I had the same expectations for Jane Borden, and she let me down. She was not the female Mark Twain (deceiving claim from the back cover) nor the up and coming David Sedaris. I found joy in her liking of baked goods (enough to feature cookies on the cover), and could relate to her feeling of adulthood purgatory. I laughed out loud just once in the very last chapter where she described a moving mishap in which she hired some brothers to move her furniture in their minivan from Brooklyn to Manhattan not so dissimilar to the time when my movers turned out to be 50 years old, and I forced them to carry my couch up four flights of stairs anyway. I wanted to laugh out loud from page one though. If this book calls out to you from the shelf in the same way it called out to me, hold out. Because I bet your name isn't even Jane, so you don't automatically like the writer, but then again your name isn't Jane so you probably don't have exceedingly high hopes of Jane Borden being the precursor to the greatest and possibly funny or at least mildly amusing book one day penned by World Traveler Jane.

Why I love teaching high schoolers

2011-03-28T22:06:00.002-04:00

I thought this article was so funny, and also reflects why teaching high schoolers can be so funny.

Here's an excerpt:

“True power can only come from the dark side,” Vader reminds our hero as three assassins armed with light sabers enter to pound home his point.

“Classic Vader,” my stepson chuckles. “That’s like the 20th time he says that in the game.”

He fights the assassins off with some fancy saber work, then runs away from them anytime his life-power, charted by a red line on the screen, starts to dip dangerously low.

“I just gotta mind-trick these guys. It’s no big deal,” he tells me. Suddenly Dave Matthews stops and raises one hand, and the assassins start attacking and killing one another. No need to exert yourself by taking on your foes directly — eventually they’ll destroy one another all by themselves.

Read the rest on the NYTimes here.

I know Spring has Sprung...

2011-03-23T23:59:00.002-04:00

Because my wardrobe says so.

Floral shirt says, "Hello Spring! Goodbye cold weather!" Weather says, "You only get to have one warm day for every 5 cold days, so wear your cute spring clothes, but don't get too comfortable in them."

I bought this jacket from H & M over the weekend, and want to wear it all of the time now. However, I would warn that it's more of an accessory than a staple piece since it's so light weight. Or maybe I'm just annoyed that it's not warm enough for me to actually wear it all of the time.

Needless to say, I'm delighted about the blooming flowers, and ever improving weather, and not delighted about the way blogger always decreases the quality of my already not so good photos.

Loving your body, Loving your behind

2011-03-22T00:11:00.003-04:00

I recently bought some new underwear, and I loved this little tag on it. I like my bum, but this positive messaging tells women that not only is it okay to like your bum, but you should love it.

My Dear Blog Readers

2011-03-14T00:29:00.002-04:00

I have thought about you often in the past two weeks, and yet felt I had nothing of substantial worth to write about recently. Not to say that everything that goes on this blog is substantial but I hope it is of some worth to you - most often humor whether you're laughing at or with, it all depends. Nevertheless I will share with you some thoughts that I considered notable, but not whole post worthy:

a brief rant about the time that a bar lost my debit card, assumed I lost it, found it and called to apologize, and proceeded to shred it two days later (one day before I came to pick it up)
purchasing sneakers/the appropriate time to replace sneakers/long distance (or what I consider long distance, but marathon runners do not) running dilemmas
photos of sights of spring, but the photos were never taken
my embarrassing liking for Seal's Crazy. Luckily, this interest is quickly fading, and being replaced by other songs.
my thoughts on Waiting for Superman. Did I cry a little? Yeah. Did my 3 months of teaching in DC public schools change me? Scarred for life. There's a correlation.

Here's hoping this week brings more blog worthy happenings.
I will potentially post a video that I created for worth that I thought would be viral, but when I saw the finished product I changed my mind. Viral in the circle of Jane's friends and family and blog readers though, but who are we kidding? My blog readers consist of my friends and family and no one else. Whatever it features children dressed as super heroes and adults - it's not my fault they weren't able to execute my incredible vision for cuteness and hilarity like Joey, the Blackhawk's junior reporter does.

That's my Niece

2011-03-01T21:20:00.002-05:00

She's just crying because she's tired of trying to convince people that she actually likes anyone other than me. It's exhausting to please people all of the time.

Tomorrow I'm going to dispatch Jelly, the dog/baby fetcher to go to Philly, get Nora and bring her back to DC.

A Song Worth Sharing

2011-02-28T22:22:00.002-05:00

The Morning Benders - Excuses

Makes me wanna drive to the beach or Niagara Falls. Maybe I will reshare during the summer for road trip tunes.

Grenade Passion Pit Remix

2011-02-21T21:53:00.002-05:00

In the past week I have forced a co-worker, family and friends to listen to Passion Pit's remix of Bruno Mars's Grenade. Now, I will share it with you as well. I would have posted a link with just the song, but if you go to this blog, then you can actually download it. Enjoy.

This guy...

2011-02-21T17:50:00.002-05:00

Last week when I was running an event some guy kept on talking to me in the middle of it, but I kept writing him off because well, I was running the event. A few staff members had walkie talkies on so we could troubleshoot and keep an eye out for members of congress who were coming and going, and he kept asking me about what I was saying to my "secret service." Well, my friend, it's really none of your business. I didn't actually say that, but I certainly did think it. At the end of the night when my walkie talkie came off, he came to talk to me again and revealed that he worked for a paper on the Hill before I had the chance to write him off again. I knew that staff from the paper would be coming so I turned up my charm and talked about service, awards, budget cuts, etc. Turns out that he was just there with his friend enjoying the free food and booze and not even writing the article. Nevertheless he gave me his business card and frowned when I told him I didn't have one (because it doesn't exist yet, but I'm working on that).

Fast forward to 4 days later when I looked up his website. First of all, he does a cable access show, and that is not swoon worthy. Second, the first thing on the website is that his question was featured on the O'Reilly Factor -- not him reporting, just him asking a question at a public forum. If you're trying to get a lady, I would play it cool with the public access tv clips and simply go for the phone number. Business card or not though, I am not calling this guy.

Venturing into the Twitter Universe

2011-02-20T16:02:00.002-05:00

I won't lie. Twitter could be my favorite form of social networking. I know I spend too much time on Facebook so why wouldn't I love another time sucker like Twitter? At least I'm more informed about worldly happenings instead of solely the happenings of people I know (or knew at one point) via Facebook. Recently I have been working a lot and haven't had the time or energy to write a blog post, but a 140 character tweet, I can do that! Plus I follow a whole bunch of service organizations so I can be in the loop about what's happening in my field, and then impress people with my knowledge of all things volunteering.

Now you can keep tabs on every noteworthy thought I have: http://twitter.com/#!/janehorstm

Talked to my Dad yesterday and mentioned that Michael Nutter tweeted at my sister, but he didn't get what exactly that meant. I may be unlocking the door to the twitter universe for my parents via this post. I may live to regret this. If this post gets deleted, we'll all know why.

Valentine's Day Loot

2011-02-19T15:16:00.003-05:00

My most epic Valentine's Day definitely occurred at the ripe young age of 15, but this year came pretty darn close. At age 15 I had a boy standing in the rain with flowers and chocolate, and well, that kind of stuff only happens in movies or Valentines Day 2005 in Bryn Mawr, PA. This year, I was showered with thoughtful notes and gifts! I received homemade cards, flowers, cookies, and chocolates. I have been working my bum off at work recently and we are in a bit of a frenzy because the House Republicans have voted to eliminate government funding for service programs. How will we stop that from happening? Any way possible including running three days worth of events in a two week span (luckily 2/3 are already done). Needless to say, Valentines Day got my week started on the right foot and these little gifts have kept my spirits high!

I love dinosaurs, but a dino shaped sandwich, what could be cuter/cooler?

The top row was a passion fruit chocolate that changed my life forever.

Day 1 of Tulips

Day 4 of Tulips. Hello Irises!

Some did not get photographed, but were still appreciated. Or perhaps appreciated so quickly that I didn't get a chance to photograph them (macaroons). Sorry folks, my thoughtful friends and family aren't up for grabs, but I'm sure you're anxious to befriend them now. This V-Day was like Christmas!

Reason #423 I'm glad I left my Teaching Job

2011-02-13T16:26:00.002-05:00

A teacher may or may not have impregnated a student. Unclear if it's true, but I wouldn't be surprised if it is. You can also add that to the long list of signs that your school is dysfunctional.

The best kind of Brunette

2011-02-12T21:37:00.001-05:00

Is in a jar from Le Pain Quotidien. Le Pain is good...not great. It's a bit overpriced, but there are two things that make it worthwhile - the Belgian waffle tastes like it's straight from Belgium and the spreads can be lathered on to anything and everything you order. The have a delightful 4 berry jam, but you can get good jam a lot of places. The spread that has won my heart though, the brunette, is unique. Le Pain offers a white chocolate, hazelnut and dark chocolate spread. The brunette is the praline variation. It has a teeny tiny hint of a cunch, and taste that is not too sweet like your average praline flavored goodies, but also not like spreading a chocolate bar onto your bread (like the other three spreads). I highly suggest it, but be forewarned, it is $10 a jar.

Worth every penny.

All the rage in Hollywood

2011-02-09T23:47:00.002-05:00

My boss went to the SAG awards last week (working for a non profit can get you to high places, or at least so you know people in high places) and she brought back a goodie for me and another girl in our department. Can you guess what it is? She said, "I guess it's all the rage in Hollywood." So of course, I put it on and then made my sister put it on too.

I was dying laughing because...

I just worked 11 hours and a little happiness at the end of that is a good thing. Side note: I also used that long work day as a reason to force my office mate to listen to my running mix so we could have some fun while working late. "You Make My Dreams Come True" at 8:30 pm in the office? Yes please!
I know people who wear this lipstick seriously.
The red BU gear that we both happened to be wearing really brought our rouge lip color.

If you want a good laugh maybe I can lend it you -- that is, if I don't use it all up myself. This could become my new everyday look.

Fierce Even at a Young Age

2011-02-06T19:40:00.003-05:00

Last night a bartender asked me if I was 14. I pulled out this look. Then I came back behind the counter and kicked him in the shins.

Okay so only the first sentence actually happened.

So what if this is corny

2011-02-05T18:54:00.002-05:00

Adventures of WTJ

2011-02-02T23:41:00.002-05:00

Filled out an exit survey for my teaching job. Good thing they gave me 4 months to collect my thoughts. Seriously. I only used a double exclamation point once - "More support for new teachers!!"
Started a twitter in order to be the official tweeter of an organization my boss runs. Current fears: company will get sued for lobbying, can't delete things people tweet at me "ie/it's not volunteering if the government has to pay people for it", my responses for those evil tweets aren't PC - "you try doing a year of service with no income? what's that? you wouldn't? yeah, i opted to rack up my volunteer time in college when my parents could provide me with an income." I'm sure the list will grow after I talk to the man at headquarters who has already told me that twitter and facebook are too "free-wielding."
The trailer for Judd Apatow's newest project Bridesmaids came out. I laughed.
Mark Bittman aka the Minimalist retired his column last week, and now is going to write an opinion column for the times. I opted not to write about his retirement (too heartbroken), but his new column is notably funny.

Markkkkkkk - things I loved from his first column:
"We should provide food education for children (a new form of home ec, anyone?), cooking classes for anyone who wants them and even cooking assistance for those unable to cook for themselves." True...I opt to jump from house to house living with someone who is great at cooking so I can maintain my status as an "instant gratification eater" in which I like it when my meal is instantly ready to jump into my mouth!

"It’s probably too much to ask that “vitamin water” be called “sugar water with vitamins,” but that’s precisely what real truth in labeling would mean." HAH! I have a feeling this column will bring out the wittier side of Mr. Bittman.

Then here's another gem of his that I just love because it justifies some of my bad habits - this one is using frozen vegetables (not always! but yes, quite often).

This post quickly became more like a recap of the last two hours of my life. Numbers 5 and 6 - I brushed my teeth and changed my clothes and if I had an emotion cardiogram I'd be back at a neutral state.

Pretty Picture

2011-01-30T22:58:00.004-05:00

This guy Julian posts a new picture with a quote everyday on his website, 365Quotes. They're quite delightful and beautiful pictures. This one is my favorite, and yes, I did in fact look through all of his pictures. While it's probably not something you want to see first thing Monday morning (bad timing...), we've all had these kind of days.

My New Three Compliment Rule

2011-01-30T12:38:00.003-05:00

If there's a big book of obscure rules about dating then I'm going to add rule number 586, or something like that, called "No More than Three Compliments."

Men of the Universe --
You may think ladies lovvvvee compliments. In fact, I'm sure many do, but not this lady. Don't go overboard. Any more than three compliments is overwhelming. I don't think that you're being insincere, or maybe you are; nevertheless, the lady runs out of things to say in return. Thank you doesn't seem appropriate the 4th time, and what if I don't want to compliment you back? Maybe I don't have more than three nice things to say about you. Maybe I do, but I think 3 is plenty. I don't want to boost your ego too much - like you're doing to me. I get it - you think I have a great personality and I'm attractive. Nevertheless, I don't need check in every half an hour throughout the night that you still feel that way. I would like to post lots of examples, but I fear that men of the universe will stumble upon this blog and know that I post about them. Similarly embarrassing to the dog owner watching me compliment his dog yesterday, except this time feelings will be hurt.

Here's a fun example though:
Man: Compliment about my beautiful eyes -- first color then my pupils being really big (Really, big pupils? Does that even count as a compliment?)
Me: Maybe my pupils are just dilated cause we're drinking (If I'm not a charmer, then I don't know who is).

Moral of the story: Don't overdo it, or I'll have to write down a long list of snarky comebacks to compliments.

Men of the universe -- this is the girl you're falling for. Sass is love-able, right?

Couldn't resist...

2011-01-29T16:50:00.002-05:00

Eating a piece of a cookie in the locker room of the gym.
Petting this little pup on my way home.

Joe (the puppy) was loving it, and so was I. After repeatedly saying, "Aren't you a happy puppy?" I walked 10 more steps and saw that his owner was out in the yard the whole time (hidden by a bush in my line of vision). Opps...did I almost just steal your dog? Nope, but I certainly did take a bunch of pictures of him to post on my blog.

KaBOOM

2011-01-28T11:09:00.000-05:00

Jane is making it happen with a real career. Who can resist this?

Happy dance in the metro after a meeting with the boss. EVERYBODY DANCE NOW(why don't I have that song on my iPod?)

I saw this coming - from my 10 miler's website

2011-01-27T23:53:00.001-05:00

Warnings

For everyone’s safety, running with a dog, baby stroller, racing stroller, or headphones is NOT permitted.

ughhhhhhh...I can't remember the last time I ran without music. This will be harder than I thought...

Unforgettable things

2011-01-27T08:43:00.002-05:00

I watched the movie Heartbreaker, and they sang "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" and now I can't get it out of my head.
I ran 7.33 miles in an hour earlier this week, and I STILL can't get over it. Makes me consider going for a half marathon...

Snowy Night in DC

2011-01-26T21:20:00.004-05:00

When it snows in DC, it's an emergency situation. There were cops everywhere and three fire trucks in Dupont Circle, but not a fire to be seen. However, if they need to hose down the snow, or attack it with some axes, they're prepared to take action!

So I picked up some emergency food for the family. Three burgers (one with blue cheese and mushrooms - yum yum!) and two kinds of fries means even if we're snowed in for days we'll be so full that we definitely won't have to eat the dog.

When it snows, Jelly and I do not go for our nightly walk. Instead we jumped around a bit and I chased her around the front yard. While I was out there I snapped this wintery photo...

And then to warm up I had this... With a little bit of brownie batter/cookie dough still melty in the middle!

Have I mentioned that I think snow is the only redeeming part of winter? Probably because all of the above comes with it.

If I only I had swagger like this

2011-01-25T23:28:00.002-05:00

Puppy Belly Rubs

2011-01-23T22:52:00.003-05:00

Belly rubs epitomize dog-human companionship. Look how happy everyone is! Doggie love is like that.

Mr. Yuck says,

2011-01-19T18:57:00.002-05:00

"Why is their pork in my vegetarian pad thai? That defeats the purpose of my civil disobedience against factory farmed meat."

My Proposed New Year's Resolution

2011-01-19T00:18:00.003-05:00

I felt as though I had settled on a New Year's Resolution. I'm not usually one to make "new year's resolutions," but in reality I like to make resolutions. Make decisions, ideals, goals, plans, and stick with them. Just because one happens to coincide with the month of January labels it as a decision for the "new year," and I suppose I'm okay with that.

Move on. You cannot change what has happened in the past, you can only embrace each day as it happens in the present. I have thought about this a lot, and I am working on it, but now I'm REALLY working on it. This guy managed to come up with 1000 awesome things that could happen any day at any time, and steal my resolution and label it as his 565th optimistic lifestyle accomplishment. And me? My awesome things for today include - oreos being on sale, attempting to beat an old man while walking on an icy sidewalk to work only to realize that we were going to the same building, and he proceeded to hold the door for me, and laughing out loud on the treadmill at a hilarious montage in How I Met Your Mother (ignore the subtitles in this video). So life is about being happy and not dwelling on things that didn't go as planned including this morning when I was so sure I would walk faster than that man and we both were equally slowed down by ice on an uphill street.

Charmer Josh Ritter

2011-01-18T23:25:00.002-05:00

Just as I couldn't resist an all-request concert by Ben Folds (especially at the Sydney Opera House), I am charmed by Josh Ritter's decision to give people shout outs during his concerts just before and on Valentine's Day. If you're going to the show, you can write in a request here.

Josh Ritter - Girl in the War

Although he won't be taking song requests, I'm sure he will be proclaiming lots of love messages. Lucky for me, I don't feel too badly about missing the show, since I will be working on Valentine's Day prepping for an event that I'm running the next night. My friend from work said last year they were there till 2 am on the eve of the event...yikes.

Realities of Charter Schools

2011-01-16T22:36:00.002-05:00

Only 17% of charter schools significantly outperform traditional public schools. -Time's "A Call to Action for Public Schools"

This percentage is incredibly small, and I wonder if it's a statistic that many aspiring teachers know about. Before I started teaching, I thought charter schools were life-changers, deal breakers for kids who may or may not make it to college. I'm not sure what exactly "significantly outperform" implies, and how much is significant; however, charters have the freedom to do whatever is best for the future of its students, so their results should be significant.

Here is what I've decided could've have improved my first year as an urban teacher:

someone else in my room; preferably a co-teacher or tutor
a undergrad course in classroom management in an urban setting (which could be taught to both elementary and secondary teachers)
a course in urban schools including observations at both a thriving and failing school
a class set of books at a reading level two years younger than my students grade level
a personal assistant to call parents, cook my meals, grade homeworks, or at least enter grades into my grade book
a classroom decorator
a treasure chest of lesson plans and worksheets

While I cannot turn back time, I realized that in college I spent lots of time supporting teachers, and in turn supporting students. Mostly, I was able to give individual attention and help to kids who needed an extra push in academics or behavior. I'd like to dedicate the next few years of my career to supporting teachers (which will most likely positively impact the students - also a good thing). I might have been able to hack it as an urban teacher, but I can officially say I've been in their shoes, and know that they need a few more people looking out for their best interest - for the sake of the kids in the classroom. I wish I could say that I don't feel guilt about how my teaching negatively affected my students. Supporting other teachers is a bit of penance, but the kind of penance backed by passion and a smiling face.

I don't love DC.

2011-01-13T23:44:00.001-05:00

There are a lot of people here whose personalities I'm not crazy about. There. I said it.

What my brother in law came home with today

2011-01-11T21:05:00.001-05:00

The Cover

Page 1

If this were a tumblr... (Another Inspiring TED talk)

2011-01-04T23:08:00.002-05:00

I would repost this ... two of my friends posted this TED talk on facebook about being caring and confident.

Makes me want to put a post it note on everyone-I-know-and-love's mirror that says, "You are a wonderful contributor to this world."

The excitement of holding a newborn

2011-01-04T23:05:00.003-05:00

We look seriously, seriously excited. I hope everyone is this psyched up when I have a child even if it is their millionth niece/nephew. This encapsulates everything that is good about family.

Recently Discovered Favorite Things

2011-01-02T16:40:00.002-05:00

The TV show Parenthood - In case you haven't noticed, 30 Rock and The Office are on hiatus over the holidays. They are undoubtedly the funniest shows on TV right now, but Parenthood is a good replacement. Lorelai Gilmore aka Lauren Graham plays everyone's favorite single mom yet again, and the guy from Coach is the patriarch, and Dax Shepard somehow plays a charming guy not just that guy who was once on Jackass.
Trader Joe's Shelled Edamame - I've been eating this as a snack at lunch recently. It's frozen, then you add a little salt, and put it in the microwave. Yum!
I had a lot of dislike for Passion Pit for a while mostly because I find the singer's voice a little too high pitched, but I have an affinity for this song Ampling Alp by Yeasayer. It sounds strikingly similar to Passion Pit, but if that's your cup of tea then you'll definitely like this song. Similarly, I have taken a liking to just about every new single by LCD Soundsystem.
Boston. I came up for a 3-day visit, and was wondering why I was so hot to leave. True it is very cold, and this may be biased because I have a lot of fabulous friends there who I haven't seen for quite some time and a lot of great food I have been missing for 7 months. It is very pretty though. The public gardens are uniquely wonderful in that the prettiness is jam packed in one block. Every other lovely park usually takes up at least two.
Good. This website is full of interesting articles, anecdotes, and statistics. I tend to vear towards the education and food sections, but there's something for everybody. I get the daily good via email too.

Thoughts on Tackling Life

2010-12-29T00:08:00.005-05:00

"People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously.

This is how character is built."
-Eleanor Roosevelt

I know I'm a bit tougher at the end of this year than I was last year. I'd like to think my character developed and changed. Plans fell apart, but I learned how to make the best of situations. I adapted because just like Darwinism - it was necessary for survival (just one gem of information I learned after a course in human evolution). In reality, nothing went as planned, and that is hard to face and accept. Nevertheless, I am still chasing down my dreams - being happy, finding the people, places, and jobs that evoke happiness. Me at my finest - smiling face, goofy, wanting to have a dance party, but also able to take care of business, connect with others and make big things happen.

In high school, we spent a semester in religion taking a morality course, complete with a textbook that focused on addressing the questions of "Who am I? and Where do I fit in?" I didn't hold on to much about how this related to Catholicism (Perhaps Jesus asked himself these same questions), but I think they were doing the best to reach out to adolescents who don't think about much else. It's hard to believe I'm still asking myself the same questions 5 years later, but finding your niche in life is a little trickier than it was in high school.

I like this picture. On graduation day, I thought I would be moving to Philadelphia to do Teach for America, and while there were a number of variables in my life, I was ready and excited about the unknowns coming my way. There were a number of things that scared me, mainly leaving, or should I say separating from all the people I had gotten used to seeing so regularly, but as time went on that definitely wasn't the worst thing I faced in 2010. I want to feel that way everyday. You know the HERE WE GO kind of feeling. You never know what the future has in store for you, but it can't all be bad. LET'S DO THIS 2011 STYLE. Or something like that... I have high hopes that the future holds all good things. Cause if I watch enough romantic comedies (in fact I watched 3 in just two days thanks to a blizzard in Philly), then the fact that things always work out in the end will be true, not just something that happens in movies.

No work for a week and a half = East Coast Travels Playlist

2010-12-22T23:12:00.003-05:00

I'm Coming Home - Diddy Dirty Money
Drunk Girls - LCD Soundsystem
Love Lost - Temper Trap
Can't Go Back Now - The Weepies (I feel as though this song aptly wraps up my feelings at the closing of 2010)

The best aunt gives the best gifts

2010-12-19T22:20:00.003-05:00

My lion cub niece

Wait till you see what I got her for Christmas. This is just the beginning of the adorableness.

Book Review - Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer

2010-12-18T10:28:00.003-05:00

I just finished Jonathan Sfran Foer's book Eating Animals about his to decision and the facts about well, eating animals. Apt title. I thought it was such a delightful book. Foer is a story teller, his other novel Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is one of my favorite books ever. Unlike the bible of all converted vegetarians, Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma, which is quite informative, Foer tells his story along with many other people's stories instead of the story of a cow. These stories create some of the most memorable moments in the books -- his own wavering vegetarianism, breaking into a farm with a girl who is invested in finding the truth about farming, a vegetarian (vegan?) farm owner. The book is easy to read while simultaneously presenting a compelling and interesting case against factory farming and eating animals in general. Although I was already avoiding factory farmed meat while reading the book, it makes you more aware of your actions and how they effect the people in your life as well as the farming industry. You can read the first few pages on Amazon, and now it's available in paperback, so why wouldn't you invest in it?

Also, this book has compelled me to make it a life goal to work at a farm for a day...maybe more, but let's not push it. Good thing my high school happily supports one.

Follow up: Good Deed Gone Wrong

2010-12-16T22:59:00.002-05:00

That was the shirt I was planning to wear to bed, and I still plan to wear it to bed. Having a bed that smells faintly of brownies can only be a good thing.

Good Deed Gone Wrong

2010-12-16T22:16:00.003-05:00

I would explode brownie mix all over myself when making thank you brownies. Also, what kind of retired chef doesn't own a brownie pan? My landlord/sister - that's who.

Last time I tried to make bite sized brownies in a muffin tin, my roommate and I had to stab them out with a knife. We were left with muffin tins with knife holes in them, and so many scraps of destroyed brownies that I made a huge heart shaped brownie out of them. Hopefully that won't happen this time.

Just another cooking mishap with Jane.

A message to my future husband

2010-12-14T00:00:00.003-05:00

I hope you read this insightful article from the NYTimes about cheating and being cheated on. Then let's promise never to have an affair.
Love,
Your future wife

My first official race

2010-12-13T00:07:00.003-05:00

I'm very pleased to announce that I secured a spot (via lottery) to race in the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run this April. Add that to the list of reasons why I will justify an overpriced gym membership.

Glimpse into my Life - Roomies at Bed Time

2010-12-07T00:30:00.004-05:00

Snapshot of my knees

A fluffy tail up in my pillow zone

Payback for our shortened walk this morning? Or just a desire to be close to her adopted big sister?

Life Lessons: A Bad Idea

2010-12-02T18:49:00.001-05:00

Riding the metro backwards while reading about factory farmed animals. Leads to vomitous feelings.

Life Without an iPod - A Social Experiment

2010-12-01T19:28:00.002-05:00

Solution #1 - Sing "What Christmas Means to Me by Stevie Wonder" repeatedly in my head

On Deciding Where to Live

2010-11-30T21:28:00.005-05:00

After my trip to Denver, I thought that maybe I wanted an adventure more than I wanted steady employment in a place where I may or may not live forever. I want to live somewhere fabulous and delightful just temporarily because while my family lives in the Northeast, I wouldn’t say that the Northeast particularly fabulous or delightful. This is mostly due to the weather, and one might say “dirtiness.”

So I started looking in to my other options. Denver was so beautiful – I hiked in the mountains and enjoyed 77 degree weather in November, but Denver doesn’t have a lot of jobs available right now, and that’s sort of a necessity for living. I lovvvveeed Australia – friendly people, gorgeous weather and career contacts have already been made. However, those career contacts have taken quite a bit of time to get back to me (the Australian way of life includes slow email responses),
and I know that getting a visa will also take quite a bit of time. A girl I knew from BU is now teaching in Quito, Ecuador, so I emailed her – asking about her experience and thoughts on the matter. She told me about how they will probably be hiring for next year, everyone at the school speaks English, and there are plenty of Americans living nearby. I thought how delightful! I could be a teacher in Quito - an adventure AND employment!

Last time I checked, you can't find a view like this in the States (Thank you Blogger for decreasing the quality of my photos. You can't tell, but the water is verrrryyy blue).

So I started to think a little harder about it before I asked for all of the details and possibly an effort to put in a good word with the principal. Am I an Ecuador kind of girl? Or better yet am I even a South America kind of girl? I volunteered in Ecuador (in a different city) and spent most of my trip being frustrated and homesick due to my poor Spanish skills, the work I was doing, and the poverty. However, I taught in Australia and didn’t want to leave. With the exception of the weather, Ecuador and Australia are very different places -- especially Guayaquil, Ecuador versus Sydney, Australia. I like nature in spouts (ie/ hikes, outings to the rainforest, snorkeling), but not in a lizards live in my bedroom sort of way. I like the sounds of a school where everyone speaks English, but that doesn’t mean that the rest of the country will speak my language. I
love the sunshine, but being sweaty hot while laying in bed because AC doesn’t really exist in Ecuador is not something I would look forward to.

In reality, Australia is just like America, and I liked that about it. Ecuador is not. My comfort level was incredibly high in Australia. In fact, I might have felt more comfortable in Sydney than I would in other American cities. Needless to say, I am mildly looking in to working in Australia; I am not looking into working in Ecuador; I am still working in the Northeast of America. Employment is an adventure whether or not I go to the beach on the weekends, and I think I may be a northeastern kind of girl. I can be cold and bitter, or warm and delightful – just like the weather. And if the weather really starts ruining my life, I can relocate to Southern California and fulfill my life long goal of being a dirty hippy.

Last time I checked, you can't ice skate in Sydney, Australia (especially not on a baseball field because baseball doesn't exist). Annnnddd you can't wear coats that double as sleeping bags.

Wearing your hair down - a daily style deal breaker?

2010-11-29T23:47:00.003-05:00

Monday through Friday I almost always wear my hair pulled back in a bun or pony tail. I know it's not very stylish, but it's practical. I prefer to exercise in the evening so I take a shower at night, and I don't find it necessary to shower again 12 hours later after doing nothing but sleeping. Plus I save time in the morning by sleeping instead of fussing with my hair and I definitely won't fuss with it at work.

However the past two days at work, my hair has been down and straight-ish. Emphasis on the -ish because I slept on it so it got a little less straight and a little more wavey. And everyone complimented me! I thought it was looking fine but not great...

(I obviously didn't wear my cut off sweatshirt to work.) However, in comparison to my daily teacher bun, it's a big improvement on the style front. I realized that all stylish ladies wear their hair down, and I can do that too. I just need to find a work place wear wavey bed hair is a bit more acceptable. The New York Times decided that Alexa Chung is fashion's "It" girl and she rocks bed head all the time. Too bad my work place isn't a runway show, and my wavy bed hair often looks more like a hot mess than fashion forward.

Now I know why older people have shorter hair -- quicker to blow it out for insta-work appropriate hair. For now, I'm just a wavy haired fashionista on the weekends.

My New Niece!

2010-11-26T18:13:00.004-05:00

"Hi Auntie Jane, It's me - Baby Nora. Just calling to say that you are my favoritest aunt of all aunts even if we live a few states apart."

Look how charmed I am by her.

You can look forward to many more delightful pictures of Nora. You can tell she lovvveeess hilarious photo shoots. Posing with an iPhone on day one? That's talent!

Acela Train to Philadelphia

2010-11-24T13:03:00.002-05:00

I am wearing a suit (well the jacket is next to me) and therefore get to ride an Acela train, and I'm also LOL-ing to a book with a mildly inappropriate title (Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner). However, the child next to me just announced that his baby sister has diarrhea and that's mildly inappropriate too.

Here's to hoping he can't read yet!

As if I didn't already want to move back to Australia

2010-11-18T23:17:00.001-05:00

"How is your teaching going? How is it over there in America? We still miss you so much! Year nine was my best year by far, especially term 4! It was so much fun."
--One of my students from Australia

Think they're hiring? Just gotta get my Australian teacher's certification first.

Highlights of my day - Job Perks

2010-11-16T18:19:00.004-05:00

Found out my boss's son works for the NHL and they were talking about how he gets lots of tickets - Could I be the Capitals' new biggest fan? I don't see why not...

Tasted a heavenly slice of cake from Cake Love - who knew a store bought cake could be so good?

Makes up for my rude awakening to a very rainy day and the end of pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks. In case you were wondering, the caramel creme brulee latte is dare I say it, way too sweet, and if it's way too sweet for me then it's likely to send the rest of America into a diabetic shock.

Girl Talk's New Album

2010-11-15T19:16:00.003-05:00

Girl Talk's new album All Day is available online for free. I'm sure it's good, but I can't actually download it -- I think the server is overloaded. You should probably download it in a few days so that it will actually download for me. I was planning on listening to it today, but I guess I'll have to save it for another run on another day.

My new house's theme song: I wanna get drunk

2010-11-14T19:00:00.002-05:00

I moved into my sister and brother in law's house two weeks ago, and we have taken to listening to this song pretty regularly:

I wanna get drunk - DJ Felli Fel

If you love Van Halen's "Jump" then you're guaranteed to enjoy this song. It's amusing and catchy at the same time. It doesn't matter if you want to get drunk after listening to it or not, you can always have a brief dance party.

A well traveled young person vs. a classy lady traveler

2010-11-10T23:26:00.003-05:00

Current luggage for all trips less than a week and a half:

Luggage I desire for trips less than...4 days (depending on how lightly I can pack):

The life of a world traveler is full of hard decisions about what to bring and what your luggage says about you. Don't worry the bottom two are from Target so everyone can appear more classy than they actually are. Check out their "weekender" bags.

Thoughts on my future employment: 4 hours of flying and 4 and a half pages of scribbles later

2010-11-09T11:03:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I flew from Denver back to Philadelphia and spent a lot of time reflecting on what I want to do with my life and where do I go from here. I didn't have any paper so I started making lists in my planner - four and a half pages of lists. I want to work for a company that I believe in and do a job that I enjoy -- not just the painfully boring job that pays the bills. I have accepted that I might not make any money in the next six months and if that's the case then I better do something I love, or at least something that interests me a lot.

So I made a list of things I love, jobs I want to do, what I'm looking for in a job, people who I want to work with, and a personal mantra. It helped me align my current/realistic goals and how will achieve them.

Plans on the horizon: unpaid internships at City Year or the Smithsonian, Americorps Vista programs, City Year Corps member, fellowships at schools (I would like to do one like the MATCH corps, but I'm not crazy about living on BU's campus a year after graduation or possibly at an all boys school in Chicago) or after school programs (Citizen Schools), writing letters to organizations (Girls Leadership Initiative) about how I would cut off a few toes to work for them even though they aren't hiring, and continuing to apply for jobs that I stumble upon on Idealist. Feel free to weigh in on any options.

FYI - Week long hiatus

2010-11-04T01:30:00.000-04:00

I've realized that I have a tendency to find things that make me happy and never let go of them.
Example:

My friendship with BL

Spending the week in Colorado so I can hold on tight to the most positive influence in my college career, BL. She is the guru of all things good and I am just trying to figure out how to be more like her everyday.

No posts till Tuesday!

New Job: Mark Bittman's Protege

2010-11-04T01:14:00.002-04:00

Or maybe just adopted child? Another piece of genius from the NYTimes most prized possession (other than the Sunday Styles section).

Mark Bittman's The Food Matters Cookbook

DC Moving Adventures: The View from the Driver's Seat of a Pick Up Truck

2010-11-01T23:20:00.004-04:00

Moved some stuff and had some fun - the joy rides of 2 hours with a pick up truck from zipcar.

New plan - small business owner

2010-10-31T12:04:00.002-04:00

I'm taking Bagel Rising all over America. I'm tired of waiting in line for bagels, and then being disappointed. NY and Bagel Rising are the exception to the rule.

Well, How did I get here?

2010-10-31T11:41:00.003-04:00

Explaining to people what I'm doing with my life currently makes me think, "Well, how did I get here?" Today, I am moving in with my sister and her husband. Tomorrow, I will continue to work as a receptionist. Hoping that soon I'll get to talk about my awesome new job instead of explaining why I left my crumby last job.

By the way, Matt and Kim's new song "Good for Great" is delightful. Looking forward to their new album.

Packing Up Notes

2010-10-28T23:06:00.003-04:00

Found this note on the back of a postcard my mom sent me shortly before graduating from college: "Remember life is what you make of it. Is it an apple or a hot pepper?" I remember laughing because of the bizarre but true message, and then I hung it up. I did the same thing upon finding it 6 months later, and hung it back up on my inspiration wall.

The image on the front of the postcard is Matisse's Vegetables.

Sharing Guilty Pleasures

2010-10-28T21:45:00.003-04:00

I won't lie - I've danced around my room in my underwear on more than one occasion to Katy Perry's Teenage Dream. Maybe you will want to do the same. Maybe you will laugh at the thought of me doing that. Either way, I feel as though I should share this guilty pleasure.

I know the song is corny. That's why I feel guilty about liking it. I'm working on finding a free version of Ke$ha's We R Who We R so that I can dance around to that song too. Look forward to that!

Got a Job Offer

2010-10-25T18:12:00.002-04:00

for a job that I have very little interest in doing.

This blog should be called Confessions of a Recent College Grad. Life is confusing for a 21 year old who has already made a series of decisions that didn't turn out well.

Life is good.

2010-10-25T00:24:00.002-04:00

In the past 2 days, I came home and...

celebrated the next generation of Horstmann women.
saw Phoenix play an amazing concert. If you're not sure about this claim you should definitely go see them if you can or at least start listening to them (Phoenix - Lasso)
booked a flight to see my very best friend from college.

Unemployment will be bad at some point in time, but this is not that point.

Hello Normal Living!

2010-10-21T23:38:00.003-04:00

While I might not have been able to handle my 80 6th grade students, my week without school has shown me that normal office jobs are so much easier. Dare I say it - relaxing!

This week I have:

worked 25 hours as a receptionist (back to my pre-teaching temporary summer employer)
finished grading as of 20 minutes ago
networked like crazy - coffee, dinner, phone calls, emails, still no job, but making contacts and getting the scoop on organizations
seen people other than co-workers and children - madness!

My networking outfit screams, "I'm still going to improve people's lives even if it's not in the classroom." Feels good to well rested, working, but not too hard, and smiling again...

Just when I thought Life had kicked my butt, I'm making a comeback.

Goal - Employment by Thanksgiving. Let's see what happens.

Oh Google Reader Suggested Items

2010-10-20T23:09:00.002-04:00

You know me too well. A dog in a superman costume - why doesn't Rufus already own this costume? Love it. Getting tired of searching for jobs. I'm going to start searching for puppies to love soon.

Not. Don't worry I know that I don't have any aspect of my life together and therefore I would not make a good puppy mom.

Frequent Driver Miles

2010-10-17T14:40:00.001-04:00

Dear UHaul,
This will be the third time I have rented a truck from you in past 3 months. Can I get a buy 2, get one free deal? The grocery store does it all the time. Paying $130-$160 is not okay with me.
Thanks,
J

Quit my job and

2010-10-16T11:30:00.002-04:00

Celebrated by:

going out to dinner
sleeping for 11 hours
going for a Saturday morning run

It's fairly amusing how I'm desperately trying to shift back in to a normal life in which I do things for myself instead of for school. Happy times start here!

The emotional roller coaster continues

2010-10-14T18:40:00.003-04:00

Sometimes I feel like I have cried more in the past six months than I have in my 21 years of living (not counting infant crying).

Since the school year started, work has been piling up -- grading, lesson planning, parent phone calls, behavior referrals, and then everyday I came in to the classroom and found myself shouting and repeatedly asking kids to sit down, be quiet, read, write, take notes, listen to me, get in line, move their seat, pull out a piece of paper, call home, not to touch my things, and not to touch each other. After just 10 weeks of employment, I've given up on taking on these tasks. I don't feel like I'm giving up on these kids because in reality I don't think I was invested in them or their futures. Most of me feels like they're better off with a teacher who can manage them better and who is better at teaching younger kids.

However, I do feel like I am giving up on the people who have invested in me and my future including myself. There are so many people who believed in me and my ability to teach, and here I am quitting. I thought I would be a great teacher and so did they. Professors, advisors, and fellow teachers gave me advice, observed me, wrote me recommendations, and now I feel as though I have let them down. I have been defeated by urban education, and it has scared me enough that I no longer have confidence in my knowledge or abilities.

It's upsetting to quit an unfinished job and to admit defeat. It's hard to think back to three months ago when I was so excited to be in an urban school and to be helping the kids there, and to tomorrow when I will remove myself from the situation completely (even if only for a few weeks). Nevertheless there is a great sense of relief that will come when I leave the building tomorrow afternoon.