Graduate Student Orientation Fun

I'm lying. It wasn't that fun. But there were some funny things that happened and that I noticed that I thought perhaps you would find amusing.

The clip I included below is my story of what happened to me when I went a little early to the orientation to get my student ID card. (I apologize if you've already heard it. If so, feel free to skip listening to it.)
It was interesting. But on to the main event!

I went into the room where orientation was and of course it was all decked out in UTD colors (green, orange, and white). They even had balloon towers of the colors. I picked a table that was towards the back that no one was sitting at so I could eat my lunch quickly without disturbing anyone before it started. No one was really talking to each other, but I loved how all the nerdy kids with their laptops out all gravitated towards the front and center of the room and sat at the same table together. (Have I told you about my theory about where you sit in a room/class says what kind of person you are? Remind me, and I'll tell you some time.)

The orientation was supposed to start at 2:30; it didn't start till almost 3 (freakin' ridiculous). The guy claimed he was waiting for the other people that signed up. Here's what I say to that, buddy... This is for graduate students. If they still haven't learned how to be on time and show up to something, they don't deserve to have us wait for them to come.

Oh! Speaking of the fact that it was for graduate students... one of them brought their mom. Their MOM to GRADUATE student orientation. Ummmm, really? Granted I can't be for sure, but seeing as they looked alike, one was older looking than the other, and there was only 1 packet between them, it had to have been her mom. Who brings their mom to graduate student orientation? Isn't that only a 1st year of college freshman thing? That mom and/or daughter really just needs to let go. Seriously.

Once the presentation finally started, they covered the basic, essential things. Financial aid, registrar, library, counseling/student resources, etc. Interestingly, the number for the campus police ends in 2222, which was the same number for the BYU campus police. Is this a universal college campus police number? But, I digress. So after the New Student Orientation director dude finished his presentation, he had the Dean of Students come and do her spiel. She was really boring, and the majority of her speech had to do with warning us about safety and telling us we need to be careful about what we put up on Facebook. She went on and on about security and how they don't want another Virgina Tech, which only makes me wonder... Is there something you're not telling us about your campus? Is there something I should've known before applying to this school? Cause, I mean, obviously this security thing is an issue for you and your campus if you keep going on and on about it.

Finally after she quit talking, they had a token faculty member talk, I'm assuming to get us really pumped about starting grad school. WEEEEE!!!! Yeah... no. Aside from all the bragging he did about himself and how he occasionally does TV news pieces for ABC and CBS, how he writes columns/articles for several newspapers (he's a chemistry professor... I doubt very many people read them), and how he is so dedicated to his work and his students that he stays up till 2 in the morning researching and answering emails, he tried to give us advice and help us picture what these next few years of grad school were going to look like. He quoted Batman and then told us that we need to be superhero grad students. (He claims he was inspired and got this wonderful idea because of Iron Man 2.)

After he stretched his analogy out as much as he could, he then told us we needed to really get to know who we were. He told us that we needed to go on a date with ourselves. He continued, "Go to your favorite restaurant and prop up a mirror in front of you because you'll want to look at yourself." While I'm sure he was not being literal, I thought it was funny that he went on about the date with ourselves. I think most people would have just stopped at the "go on a date with yourself."

All in all, it was kind of a waste. The only good things were that I found out that as a UTD student I can get a free DART transportation pass for any DART rail or bus in the metroplex, along with other discounted/free activities (man do I love being a student again), and there was a cute, very nice guy that sat next to me during the orientation. We talked for a little bit before and after, but since Clifton is a grad student in public affairs, I will probably never see him again. Such is my life.

Well, I've got a few more months before I'm sleep-deprived and stressed about homework, so I'm going to live it up this summer while I can. You'll soon find out how I'm going to do it.

Yeah, I know...

I'm slacking. I apologize. I've been focusing on other things, and everything that is kind of "less important" is on the back burner. I haven't blogged, my Hulu queue has 20 shows that are each an hour that I still have to watch, and I have about 4 books that I've started and haven't finished. I have borrowed a TV on DVD season from a friend that has been sitting on my chest of drawers for a few months now and I have yet to be able to sit down and watch it.

But, in my defense, I have lined up several blog topics, some personal, some random, and some thought-provoking, and not to worry dear friends, they are in the works. Some of them require some more research on my part, which is why they have yet to be posted (and because I've been otherwise preoccupied).

So, basically... I'm sorry. But, posts are on the way. In the meantime, I recently saw this infomercial, and yes it is for real, and yes, it is ridiculous:

I know you're dying to buy yourself some padded panties to help your "booty pop." Aren't you?

I Just Have Three Words...

I GOT ACCEPTED!!!!!!!!!!!




Ok, so I have a little more than three words, because I'm sure y'all are like, what the heck is she talking about? Back in January/February I completed my application for a Master's program. What and Where? Well, I'm getting to that...

It's at University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), and it just so happens to be right down the street from where I work. Yes, I am going to keep working while I'm going to school; it's going to be FUN! Upon completion of this program, I will receive a Master of Arts in Emerging Media and Communication. It's basically a mix of technology, communications, and a light smattering of humanities classes that cover how the internet, social networks, podcasts, youtube, etc. can be used to disperse media. It sounds freakin' cool (at least I think/hope so), and I'm excited to get started.

It took a while to finally get my acceptance, but I finally realized I had been accepted after my advisor kindly reminded me that I should check online through their student center to see my status. I believe registration for classes opens up on Monday, and I've already looked and decided what classes to take (I'm going to try for 3 this semester. Let's hope I don't die.)

All three classes are at night once a week (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights) and they go till 9:45pm. Ummm I realize I'm pretty used to staying up late, but I'll be honest, this is going to be hard. Hopefully, I'll be ok, and I won't be too sleep deprived. If I start turning into a zombie, I'll let you know before I reach the stage where I'll desire your brains.

Today, I finally received my official acceptance letter in the mail. It said: "The UT Dallas Committee on Graduate Studies congratulates you on your admission to the graduate program in Emerging Media and Communicati for the 2010 Fall semester" (emphasis added).

Yeah... "Communicati"

That's the school I'll be going to!!! YAY!

Excuse Me While I Sell Out...

Some of you may know that I am a "BzzAgent" and have been for some time. Basically, what that means is occasionally I get free stuff and promote those products and report back on what I told people, what they thought of it, what I thought of it, etc. It's free to join, and for the most part I like it (although, I'm pretty bad about remembering to report back and promoting things...).

The reason I bring this up, is that recently I was asked by BzzAgent to promote the upcoming movie "Babies." Perhaps you've heard of it? I remember seeing a trailer for this movie when I saw some other movie at the theater. I remember being intrigued and thought it might be something interesting to see. "Babies" is a documentary that follows 4 babies in different parts of the world (US, Tokyo, Namibia, and Mongolia) as they are born to when they learn to walk. Here's the trailer (click on picture then click "Watch Trailer" It won't let me embed.):


It looks cute doesn't it? Ideally enough, it comes out the weekend of Mother's Day, so I'm sure it'll get plenty of attention and plenty of balling audiences to view it. I hear that there actually isn't much dialogue in this movie, just so you know. I think it'll be really interesting to see what life is like for these babies in the other countries, which I'm sure will get many people to come see it.

But, the point of the movie is that despite the differing location of these babies, they still experience the same challenges and have the same developments because they are all human. The same applies to us; we all may be in different places, but we are still human going through the same inherently mortal trials that we will all have to face at some point in our lives.

I, know, pretty deep. Well, before you think I've gotten too intellectual, I'll end with a funny Jimmy Kimmel clip about the movie. Enjoy!

The E Files--Part 8: Now What? (The End?)

We last left Agent Mattie thinking she had finally completed what she came to the alien world to do. She had learned about the new online dating world, participated in it and even interacted with the species! While it was a bit disappointing, she was still hopeful that she learned enough for it to be worth it. But, she had one more great adventure in this new world as we will soon find out in the concluding episode of The E Files... finally:

So I continued to receive a few matches a week from eHarmony (and of course plenty of other emails saying I should subscribe... DELETED), and I would go and check out their profiles and then move on. I don't quite know why I kept my profile open (or have it open still). I suppose because it's fun to see what other people put up on their profiles to attract people. It's almost like a mating ritual of sorts...

SIDE NOTE: I was watching Ripley's Believe It Or Not today (another side note: I heart Dean Cain.), and apparently there is this tribe somewhere that carries canoes on their backs. And because of this, they started developing a huge bump on their back/neck (kind of like a hunch back sort of thing, but it's kind of shaped like a football not so much Quasimodo style). AND the bigger the bump, the more attractive that male is to a mate since it's a sign of strength. Crazy, yes? ....but I digress.

With my more or less apathetic attitude toward my eHarmony profile, I kind of forgot about it except for the email reminders occasionally. So, I was surprised to see a few weeks ago that 1) eHarmony was having another free communication weekend and 2) one of my matches was requesting communication! On top of that, he was requesting info the very first day of the free weekend (not the last like "looking for friends" boy did).

I kindly replied to his 5 close-ended questions and then asked him 5 of my own, since it was free communication weekend, after all. He was another one who had cleverly disguised his email in his profile, so I did what anyone else would do, I plugged it into Facebook search... and TA DA! His profile came up... he too went to BYU and funny enough we had 3 mutual friends. He seemed nice enough, again not gorgeous, but cute. But, I didn't want to get my hopes up because I figured it'd turn out like the last time.

Then the next day, I received his answers to my questions. Well, with eHarmony, you have to go through a series of "get to know you" type questions before you can actually email each other. You can skip to it, but... big surprise, you have to be a paying member. So I got to experience all of the steps of eHarmony's communication process! Next step, send him my "Must Haves" and "Can't Stands."

Basically, eHarmony gives you a bunch of statements, and you have to pick 10 (each) of the things that your partner HAS to have/do/be or things that you absolutely hate so therefore if they have it/do it/are it they need not continue. Personally, I saw this step as a little pointless, but I guess it could be helpful to others. I only have a few major things that I'd like in a relationship/partner, so most of the time I'm ok with compromising or letting go of a few things. After all, isn't that what a relationship is about anyway?

The next day I receive his "Must Haves" and "Can't Stands," and the next step is 3 open-ended questions. So, I picked three that I thought were pretty good. I asked him if he was afraid of anything, if he could have 3 wishes what would they be, and then I even wrote up one of my own. I could tell from his profile and what I could see on Facebook that he was a photographer and was really into it, as in what he does, studied, and wants as a career. So my last question I asked him to tell me more of what he likes to photograph.

I received his answers later that day, and I started thinking... man he is REALLY into photography. His answer to my own question was that he liked to do documentary type photos and then gave me a link to his photography website (nope, not linking it). Then to the wishes one he said that he'd love to be a really great photographer, influence people with his photography, and travel the world with his photography. Ok... I get it dude, you're really into photography. But, is that all? Please tell me you enjoy other things... please.

Then, I thought his answer to the fears one was hilarious. He basically said that he didn't really fear anything (sounds like a typical guy, right?) but that he guessed that there are times when he is more aware of his surroundings and is a little more nervous or anxious so he guesses that's when he is "afraid." (Yes, he used quotes.) And along with his answers came his 3 open-ended questions for me. I forget what they were, but I will say my answers were pretty darn good and were not all about photography.

Sunday, the last day of the free communication weekend, I receive the "holy grail" so to speak of the eHarmony communication process. I had gone through the gauntlet, and in the course of 3 days had achieved the end, the eHarmony email. He sent me the email saying, "You seem pretty cool." (Well that's because I am, dude, is what I thought to myself as I read this.) Then he asked if it would be okay if we communicated through email outside of eHarmony since he wasn't a paying member so couldn't keep this communication up.

I sent him an eHarmony email back saying that was perfectly okay since I wasn't a paying member either. I told him that he seemed cool too, and I gave him my email address.

THE END.

HAHA. No really, that's the end. I have not heard from him. I figured since he asked and I gave him my email address that he would email me. Not the case. So, because I was curious with what the deal was, I emailed him (remember he had creatively put his email in his profile?). I asked if he still wanted to email or not since I hadn't heard from him or if he had met someone and is now engaged and so doesn't want to have anything to do with me. Apparently it's the latter, because I still haven't received an email back.

AND interestingly enough... I went to eHarmony to see if I could gather something from there, and I noticed that I have a "Closed communication" message from him. Great. He probably did the same thing I did to him, plugged my email into Facebook and thought... "Nope." But then, when I go to click on it to see what his excuse was as to why he closed communication, it turns out he has since deleted his profile, so nothing shows up (this is why I can't tell you what questions he asked me because I can't look it up.)

I'm not really sure if eHarmony automatically sent a "Closed communication" message to me once he deleted his profile or if he closed communication before he shut down his profile. And funny enough, I have another match who deleted his profile too, so I had a closed communication message with him that I couldn't see. Anyway, not sure what exactly happened, but all I know is is that he had my email, I emailed him, and I have yet to receive any response. Yeah... the end of my last great adventure kind of anti-climactic huh? Sorry. :(

Now what? Well, my profile is still up, and I still get the occasional match every once in a while. I really doubt anything is going to happen, but it's a fun distraction when I'm bored. I'm thinking maybe I'll loosen up my settings like eHarmony wanted me to and allow someone who drinks once a week or more to be matched up with me, because then... my matches will be endless! Or not. I'll probably leave it up until I get tired of eHarmony sending me match emails. Who knows... maybe I'll actually get a response out of one of these guys once the free communication weekend ends and they figure out what I look like?

For now, I'm content with my life for the moment. It was a good, fun experiment, and it helped me realize a little more about men, since according to my mom I am rather inexperienced/immature when it comes to that subject(but, sad to say, she's right. I am.). I had a recent frustrating experience with a guy (not online), and so I'm kind of ok with just hanging out with my awesome friends. I'll get lonely again soon and wish I had a date/boyfriend, but at this point in time, I am A OK.
Experiment completed.

THE END

The E Files--Part 7: That Was Fun While It Lasted

Last time on E Files, Agent Mattie had made contact! She was on to something with the alien species, and she was thinking maybe the experiment had not been a total loss after all. After communicating briefly with this male, Mattie waited for him to make the next move/effort to continue communication. Would he make contact again? Let's find out:

After deciding that if this guy wanted to talk with me, it would be up to him, I kind of wondered if he actually would or not. I knew he was on vacation watching the Olympics so he was busy, so I tried not to think about whether or not he'd ever text me back.

Then, on Sunday (so 4 days after we had first texted each other) as I'm getting ready for church, I receive a text message from him: "Hey Mattie! I'm back from the Olympics. How r ya?"

I'll be honest, I was kind of giddy, which looking back was rather silly of me. I was at least surprised that he actually texted me back, which to me meant he was at least somewhat interested. I think I replied with something like I was doing great and then asked him what events he saw and how it was. He replied with:
"It was fun but I'm glad to be on my way back home. USA-Norway hockey, short track speedskating last nite, a medals ceremony."

I then, trying to be funny, asked if he had to listen to those annoying commentators like I would have to while watching it on TV.

He answered: "Yeah no." and then he added, "Hey do u have pix messaging? I still don't know what u look like."

Oh. Ummm. So he didn't see my picture on my profile then. When I got this text, that's when my giddyness left and instead I was rather crestfallen. I had really thought that maybe things would be different, maybe this guy was different. I had thought that since he had sent me questions after the free communication weekend that he had been a paying member and that he had seen my picture. Apparently this was not so.

I, however, had seen what he looked like because I had used my crafty, ingenious ways to look him up on Facebook. After seeing his pictures, I thought he seemed ok. He wasn't hot or anything, but I was willing to see past that because I am a good person. Yeah he might not have the looks of a model, but from his profile and the limited communication I had had with him, he seemed like a decent fellow. I should have gotten my clue after looking at his Facebook albums though. Why? Well, you'll find out.

So, after getting his request for a picture, I realized that the whole thing was too good to be true. I knew that once I had sent him my picture he would think, "Oh. Yeah. Well it was nice chatting with you" and close communication. Then after debating on what I should do--Should I lie and say I didn't have picture capability or that I was somewhere where I couldn't take a picture (which would only prolong the inevitable)?--I decided he was going to figure out what I looked like sooner or later, so I might as well send it.

It was then that I realized something. Yeah, I may not be the hottest girl ever, or even a really cute one, but there was obviously something about my personality that appealed to him or else he would not have sent me those questions. So if after receiving my picture he decides not to continue talking to me, it was his loss, and I wasn't going to let it bother me. He wasn't someone I wanted to waste my time with anyway if that was the case. So I sent him my picture.

Well, it was good that I had made my realization because as it turns out he was the guy I didn't want to waste my time with. He told me thanks for sending it and that he was there to make friends. I replied that I was on their for friends too and asked him another question, and I haven't heard from him since.

Which at first is kind of sad (cause obviously he lied about being friends first cause he would have tried to keep texting a little bit then), but it is okay and probably for the best. Why waste time and energy on something that will not end up being anything (which might have been his reasoning for not texting back)? I'm okay with how things turned out because I started this whole thing to find out more about it as an experiment anyway. I guess I had a tiny little hope that maybe something would come out of the experiment, but in a way I'm glad that I didn't invest much more of my hope in the whole thing anyway.

I did have fun though while it lasted. It was fun to get matches and read funny profiles. It was even fun to actually talk with someone for a little bit even if nothing resulted from it. But, the question remains, now what?

Stay tuned for the concluding post of The E Files. It has Agent Mattie's final thoughts, and one last great adventure, for you see, another free communication weekend occurred, and she made contact with another of the male species, and it goes a little further than with this guy...

The E Files--Part 6: An Interesting Turn of Events

Previously on E Files, Agent Mattie was feeling a bit down after receiving many rejections from her matches. She was ready to call her experiment quits. She had gotten a good laugh or two, had gained some new experience in the alien world of online dating, and had learned what she could about the species. The free communication weekend had ended, and she figured it was time to shut down the experiment. Little did she know what was about to happen next:

I'll be honest, I had fun reading all the profiles. Yeah, it was kind of disappointing to be rejected, but it was an interesting experience. With the free communication weekend being over, I figured I'd close out my account because I sure as heck wasn't going to pay money for an actual subscription. But then I thought, maybe I'll just keep it open and see if I get any more funny matches.

Then, the day after the free communication weekend ended, I get an email from eHarmony saying that one of my matches wanted to communicate with me and that he had sent me questions.

At first I got really excited, and then immediately after I thought, "Well great. I can't answer him back." I still didn't think it was worth it for me to pay the money to answer his questions, so I was sort of at a loss for what to do. After reading his profile again, he seemed like a nice enough guy, and I didn't want to leave him hanging. I didn't know what to do.

But then, I noticed that he had creatively left his email address in his profile (you can't put your actual email address or else eHarmony will delete it for you; it's for your protection). So I decided I would email him the answers to his questions and just explain that I wasn't a paying member so I couldn't respond through eHarmony. Here's what I said (and you can see what questions he asked):
"I'm sorry, I don't have a paid subscription, and the free communication weekend just ended. But, I didn't want to leave you hanging wondering why I never answered the questions. I hope it's okay that I'm emailing you with the address you had on your profile. Here's those questions:
1. What best describes your parents' relationship towards each other:
* married and loving
* married but distant
* divorced and civil
* divorced and abusive
* Other:
2. How trusting are you?
* sometimes I'm too naive
* I trust people and am able to forgive them when wronged
* I trust people until they prove me wrong, then it is hard to trust again
* people are dishonest by nature, you need to be careful
* Other: I think it's more of a mix of the 2nd and 3rd options. I am a very trusting person and can forgive someone when they've wronged me. But, it's always hard to build that trust again, and especially if it's happened multiple times, it makes it that much harder to trust them.
3. Which sort of date sounds like the most fun to you?
* attend a lecture on a topic that appeals to both of you
* go bargain hunting at a local flea market or antique shop
* go bowling (Although I will say all of them sound pretty fun, it just depends on what I'm in the mood for. But, bowling would have to be the most fun.)
* visit a local comedy club
* Other
4. How often do you exercise?
*Never
*Once a week
*Two or three times a week (More like 4 times a week)
*Every Day
*Other:
5. What's your philosophy on travel?
* When are we leaving? My bags are packed.
* I like to take a couple big trips each year.
* I generally plan one trip each year to a domestic destination.
* I'm not a big fan of travel. I like to stay close to home.
* Other: I'd love to travel all of the time, but my monetary funds have suggested otherwise. I usually try to go on at least 1 out of state trip a year (and then take a few mini "stay-cations" if I can, too).
Anyway, I hope this helps. You won't hurt my feelings if you never answer me, I just felt bad about leaving you hanging without any answers to these questions! I'm open to any others if you have more. If I don't hear from you, it was nice to sort of kind of meet you at least by reading your profile and for sort of kind of chatting through 5 close-ended questions, and good luck with your search.
~Mattie from Texas"

Now for the most part, the questions were understandable. The exercise one was a bit odd, and I kind of knew what he was getting at. But, I figured he had seen my profile and still wanted to know me more, right? Well, surprisingly enough, he answered me back: "Mattie, Thank you for the email! I really appreciate it. I don't have much time, as I'm heading to bed so I can get up early and catch the train to the Vancouver Olympics tomorrow. So, if you'd like, text me at [his number] and I can reply there since I'll be out of town for a few days. Sleep tight!"

I didn't want to text him as soon as I read the email, so I waited a day until I did (I didn't want to seem desperate). Then I texted him and basically said I didn't want to interrupt his trip at the Olympics, but I just wanted to know if he was at least going to a hockey game. He responded that yes he was, and I texted back that that was a relief because it was just not worth it if he didn't. He texted back with a "Hahaha" and that was the end.

I decided I wouldn't text him back because if I were at the Olympics, I wouldn't want some random guy I didn't really know to be texting me the whole time. So I figured, when and if he wanted to text/call me back, he would. Until then, I'd go about my normal life and see what happened.

He did text me back, but that's a story for the next post. :)

The E Files--Part 5: The Rejections Start Rolling In

With Agent Mattie's new and improved profile, she knew that soon the males of the species would be sending her messages and wanting to communicate right and left. She knew her tweaks would have gotten someone's attention, and she was hoping that it would be what she needed to really carry on with her experiment. But, alas... perhaps she had been wrong in her theory:

By the time I had my 2nd profile, I had received at least 25 to 30 matches, and most of them seemed like they had potential. However, I'll admit, I was afraid to send them a message because I didn't want to seem forward. Hey, I'm new to this online dating thing, I don't know what the protocol is! So instead, I went about my daily life and occasionally seeing who else eHarmony and sent me.

Then I got excited because it said I had some communications!

Yeah... closed communications messages.

For those that aren't aware, if you come across a match in which after reading their profile you can already tell it's not going to work out, you can "Close Communication" with them. Basically, they get taken off of your "matches" list, and they cannot message or contact you. When you decide to close communication, eHarmony gives you a list of explanations as to why you didn't think they'd work out. You can't write your own, you have to pick the given ones. While some are pretty understandable excuses: "The distance is far too great." or "Based on statements in their profile, I'm not interested." etc., some are kind of random, odd, and when I received some of them, a bit mean.

I received lots of "Other" messages. Ummm I guess that's ok. I gave out some of these too because I didn't want to be mean by saying they were not interesting people. Some of the matches I received seemed like great guys, just not for me. So, I wasn't too upset by receiving "Other" as an excuse. I was, however, upset when I received these:

"I have too much happening in my life at the moment" and "I am taking a break from dating" both seem ridiculous. Why did you even sign up for eHarmony then?

"I am pursuing another relationship." Ok, I kind of understand this one, but come on! Just close your profile then, why keep looking at greener pastures, when you seem perfectly happy in the one you're in.

"I want to pursue other matches on eHarmony." I think this one probably hurt the worst out of all of them. I mean, I realize that there are better options out there besides me, but I just don't like how it's phrased. I don't know, maybe I'm just being too sensitive.

This last one I think was the most confusing to me: "I think the difference in our values is too great." Ummm... what? I know I put down that eHarmony should only match me with other LDS people, and this guy, from his profile seemed really nice and everything. If he is in fact LDS like he said he was, I'm not sure what the difference in our values is because I thought we had the same values. It was odd.

Anyway, the majority of the reasons I got were "Other" and "I want to pursue other matches on eHarmony." Well FINE, Abe from Provo! I didn't want to talk to you anyway! Yeah, you too, Ben from California! I'll just see what these other matches have that you don't. Meanie.

LOL, I'm okay, I promise. I was a tiny hurt at first (I mean, who loves getting rejected?), but I understand that I'm not exactly what some guys are looking for. I was expecting it to happen and work out that way, which is why I went into this as an experiement. It was a learning experience, and I would see who was out there and if I could get a few laughs.

Once the tinge of sadness left, I too started closing communications with people. It actually felt good. Why do I have to sit and wait for them to reject me first? If I know I'm not going to like them, why keep them in my matches? My only question was, would I get anything else besides a "Closed Communcation Message"?

The E Files--Part 4: Setting Up My 2nd Profile

Giddy with excitement from her many matches, Agent Mattie was starting to understand how the males of the alien species worked. After many good laughs from reading the many profiles, Agent Mattie realized her own profile may be amiss:

Once the initial shock of hilarity wore off after reading these profiles, I started reading more carefully to see if there was potential with these guys. Now because I had set all my preferences to be that I'd be matched up with another LDS guy, I started noticing a trend with all of their profiles. Almost all of them were quite explicit in their dedication to the Church and the gospel.

This isn't a bad thing, but I started wondering if maybe my profile wasn't as great as I thought. Maybe I needed to be more like them and really be more obvious about the fact that I was a member of the Church. I had a few friends that told me I shouldn't have given in to the peer pressure, but it was too late.

I decided that I needed to change my profile, not entirely, just some tweaking. I wanted to make my ad as appealing as possible, and if this is what these guys are looking for, than I can definitely provide. So here is my new, updated profile (click to enlarge): It's not too drastic of a change, right? It's still me being honest about myself. I just chose to share something else about me.

Now that I had a better, improved profile, I would appeal to someone enough for them to send me a message. They had to... someone had to... right?

The E Files--Part 3: The Matches Come Rolling In

Previously on the E Files, Agent Mattie had completed her disguise and was now a part of the alien online dating community. Now as one of them, she had to wait until the leader, an abstract machine, had found her matches, a typical custom of the species. Let's see what the leader has uncovered for Agent Mattie:

Now that I completed my profile, I let eHarmony work it's magic and do all the heavy lifting to bring me my potential future significant others. At first, I only got three. Wow, out of the thousands of people on there, there's only three for me? Apparently I'm really difficult to be compatible with.

But then, as the weekend progressed I got 6 or 7 matches a day. I'll admit, it was kind of exciting to see I had new matches. It was fun. Some of them seemed okay, some seemed interesting, others were misspelled (therefore I couldn't stand it), and most were downright hilarious (both intentional and unintentional).

Because I'm sure you'd get real bored real fast, I won't share every detail of every profile of matches I received. After all, you didn't sing up for it, I did, so it's my job to go through all the dreck to find you the real hilarious gems. Like this one: Eharmony asks, What is one thing you are most passionate about? This guy (who actually lives pretty darn close to me, so I'm not saying who or where exactly) replies "I am most passionate about women who are physically attractive and easy-going..." (and then adds that the most important thing he is looking for in a person is "that she is physically attractive, kind, and easy-going, all equally important." Really dude, that's what you're most passionate about? Then he goes on to add he's also passionate about "a hobby I have of editing and cleaning up rated R movies." Ok, that's it. I can't do it. You are definitely not my match.

Another guy was really passionate about the things he's passionate about. He used an exclamation point after the end of every sentence. He even went so far as to CAPITALIZE several WORDS! Ok, calm down. Another guy basically wrote his entire green eco-friendly agenda as his passion. Got it, you want to save the world one florescent bulb at a time. (Same guy wrote his best friends knew he came to college young. What are you trying to subtly say, huh?) Another wrote that he wanted me to know that he "originally is from France. I moved to the States when I was 13." Is this supposed to impress me? Because, really it's just coming off as pretentious.

On to the next set! Then one guy, who seemed really artsy and into theater, claimed that his best friends know that he used to be "addicted to parking illegally?". Ummmm Ok. Didn't know that was something you could be addicted to and is it because you loved the thrill of being a criminal? I don't know, I just thought it was something really weird he put that he was trying to be funny with, but instead it was just odd. Another person said (when saying what he does in his free time) "And I'm not ashamed to admit it, I love to watch TV and movies when I'm at home." Is watching TV and movies a thing to be shameful about? Isn't that what most of the American public does? Also similar, a guy wrote that he still used the terms boyfriend and girlfriend no matter how out of date his friends say they are. Since when is the term boyfriend and girlfriend out of date? I must have missed the memo.

I do admire the honesty of some, like this guy who said he is "passionate and loving even though on the surface [he] seems hard, cold, and uncaring." (He was in the military... it makes sense, but I'm sure its tough to get past that hard, cold, uncaring exterior.) This same person said: "I am a fortress that very few will ever be allowed inside. You might one day be given access. But understand that the things you don't know about me could fill the Grand Canyon." Wow, dude. Nevermind, I think I might just move on then...

I thought it was funny when they didn't understand or answer the questions correctly. Like, for instance, the question was what is the first thing people notice about you? The guy answered, "I always notice someone's smile. It really expresses their personality." Ummm, not the answer I was looking for. Then there was another person when asked who is the most influential person in your life answered, "leaders of the church." All of them? You can't just pick one? To the same question another wrote, "Does God count?" Yes, I'll give you that one, but just this once. In the spot asking what other information that he wants you to know, one put, "of course." Kind of in the same vein, another just babbled on, trying to cover his tracks: "I haven't always possessed a desire for learning about the scriptures, and spiritual things; I mean, I always was to a certain degree, because I'm a deep thinker and it's always been on my mind. But, since my mission I've really come to have a hunger for things found within the word of God. Sounds cheesy to say, but hey, I'm trying to be honest here." (This same person also had a passion for video games and how they tell a story and he wanted to do it as a career. No thanks, pal.) One guy remarked he couldn't live without "the girl of his dreams!!!" Ummm seems like he's been living okay so far.

There were several mistakes and typos going on in these profiles, and for the most part I could forgive most of them because I understand that no one is perfect and sometimes you mistype things. However, there are a few things that were unforgivable, like with "JOnathan." Ok, maybe his name is really spelled that way, or he was trying to emphasize his nickname, but for some reason I highly doubt it. If you can't even type your name right, things are not going to work out well between us. (eHarmony tried to help out by saying that both JOnathan and I were a Cancer which is something we could talk about! Oh goody!!!) Then there was another one who wrote: "I must say the freinds who I have chosen to be around me. They are always freindly and want me to go after my dreams." Once, I could probably let it go, but twice??? No way my friend. No. (This guy had several other mistakes too, like "esay" (for easy) "somtimes" and he didn't even capitalize his name.)

What I thought was funny was what a few guys said was their "Occupation." Like JOnathan, who claimed his occupation was an "Engineer in Education." What exactly does that mean? He's learning to be an engineer? He's engineering education? Then there was another one who said: "I will explain when asked" Ummm, are you a spy? Or are you unemployed? What is there to explain? Then there was another guy who said "I have a good, solid career." Oh yeah? so solid you can't say what it is you do?

Then there were a few guys who were actually pretty funny, intentionally. Like one who said he wished more people would notice "that I'm a really thoughtful and sensitive guy, then again what guy makes that apparent?" Hmmm very true. One guy said he couldn't live without Rosco his mule (which is a tossup between intentional humor and unintentional). Another said that he wished more people noticed his "really beautiful hazel colored eyes." To the same question, another said "how absolutely devoted I am and the cute, fun, and sweet ways I show it. :)" The same person said "One time my family went on a trip to some sort of park or animal reserve and an elk came and licked our window!! Seriously!! I have the craziest adventures!" LOL... ok, if you say so. Another said that people notice "how nice I am. Sometimes I think it is a curse." Curse niceness! There was one guy in particular that made me laugh the most, and his I'll share with you in its entirety (click to enlarge):

The E Files--Part 2: Setting Up My Profile

Last time on E Files, Agent Mattie was entering an alien, unknown world of online dating, and her first task was to pass the grueling entrance exam to appear like the aliens themselves. It's only by pretending to be one of them that Agent Mattie can really learn more about their mating rituals. The next step, now that Agent Mattie was in, was to make herself a profile, to be included as part of the alien community:

Luckily some of my profile was filled out when I took that test. But then, it asked me to include some more info and answer more questions, you know to make sure I really was invested and putting myself out there. Since the profile is basically my advertisement to the world, I had to make sure it looked good, but at the same time was me.

This was hard to do. At least on Facebook, for example, I can really be me because I'm talking with friends and family and putting up links and photos so you get the sense of how I am. With my eHarmony profile, I tried to be me as much as I could, but I didn't want to lay it all out at the beginning or else they wouldn't want to get to know me, right?

So I did my best trying to explain myself in the limited space I was given, answering the questions as truthfully as I could, but at the same time putting my style and personality in the writing. I think what I came up with was pretty good (click to enlarge):
My profile lets people know I'm fun, religious, family-oriented, smart, funny, and ready for a challenge.

Now, all I had to do was wait.

The E(harmony) (Pro)Files--Part 1: The Personality Test

As some of you may recall, I received an email on Valentine's Day weekend advertising that eHarmony was free for 5 days. Well, not really. I misread it, and it was really free communication for 5 days. But, I thought, what the heck. I was curious, and I figured I'll sign up and see what happens. If anything, I'd get some pretty entertaining material like a friend of mine had.

The first step of setting up an eHarmony profile is taking the personality test that helps eHarmony's algorithm match you up with the most compatible people for you. You know, they match on "29 dimensions of deep compatibility." Now that I've taken this test, I think it's a load of crap. Maybe it's just me, but some of these questions were ridiculous:

1. "True or False: My house is often cleaner when I have company coming over."
Ummm... don't most people clean when they know someone's coming? Pretty sure I don't know anyone who says, "Company's coming! Quick make a mess!"

2. "True or False: I generally want to come out ahead."
Doesn't everyone? I really don't want to be matched with someone who wants to come out behind because he clearly has no ambition or goals.

Then, there were preference questions, and I felt a little odd answering a few of them. For example, it asked me what race I would prefer to be matched up with. I felt a little racist putting "Caucasian," but honestly, I don't see myself with a little Chinese man. So, to make up for my glaring racism, I put that it wasn't that important to me that this guy should be white.

There were, however, a few things that I said were really important to me, like the fact that I wanted to be matched with another LDS person (or at least one that claimed to be) and someone that didn't smoke or drink at all. However, eHarmony, I guess, felt like I was being too restrictive on the drinking one and told me this:
Sorry, eHarmony, I don't care how many more matches I'll get if I say I'm okay with someone drinking once a week or more; there's a reason why I have it set that way in the first place!

Anyway, so I finally manage to get through the compatibility/personality test after a couple hours. No, seriously, it took forever. There were 10 freaking sections. I felt like I was going through an extensive background check/vetting process, or an intense employment application or something. I had to take several breaks just cause I couldn't stand staring at the screen and answering questions anymore. It was crazy, but I had completed the test and was signed up to be a member of the eHarmony community.

The next step was setting up my profile...

A Brief Interruption for an Announcement

I know I said in my last post that the next few posts were going to be my adventures in the world of online dating. But, I had a blog-worthy announcement that merited an interruption of said series.

Today is Ash Wednesday, (no that's not my announcement)and although most of you (and really even me) don't care about this, it marks the start of Lent. Well I don't observe Lent (which mostly entails giving something up for the days between now and Easter), never have, but I decided that this year it coincided nicely with my decision to be healthier.

So, for the first time in my life, I decided to "observe Lent" in the fact that I will give up something for a month. What is it?

Sweets.

That's right folks, I've decided to give up sweets for a month (although my Catholic friend says Lent is actually 46/47 days and you can cheat on Sundays, but I'm going to do it my way). I'm not exactly doing it in the spirit you're supposed to for Lent, but I figured, if other people in the world can give up something during Lent for the sake of the Lord, then I can too.

Yeah, I'm praying I last more than a week.

*And now back to your regularly scheduled posts.*

As we near the end of that Hallmark holiday...

Quick, send out those Chinese New Year cards while you still can! It's ending soon.

Oh yeah, there was another holiday today as well, Valentine's Day or Single's Awareness Day, whatever the case may be. I actually wasn't too upset this year being without a significant other on this most ridiculous of holidays (after 23 years, it's the norm). I hung out with my friends, ate chocolate, and for the most part avoided the sappy-ness of the seasonal sections of stores. Although, I, unfortunately, was unable to avoid the cheesy human interest/Valentine's Day mentions during the pairs figure skating of the Olympics.

However, in a moment of weakness, and really pure curiosity, I decided to act on an email I received; I filled out an eHarmony profile. Yeah, I did. I received an email saying it was free for 5 days (I found out later that it was just free communication for 5 days, not a free membership.) and decided, why not? I've always wondered what fun entertaining things I'd find on here, and thought I'd try it.

I've always been weary of online dating; something about having to tell your children that you met their father online just isn't something I've ever wanted to have to do. I've known plenty of people that are perfectly happy and some even married having first met online. It's helpful and works out great for some people, but I just don't think I'm one of those. So, me signing up for eHarmony is for pure entertainment and experimental purposes, not that I actually want to meet (or even talk to) any of these guys.

So, the next few series of blog posts will be my experiences, adventures, and observations about the brave new world of online dating. Oh, it's going to be fun.

In other news, Happy President's Day tomorrow!

2009 Wrap-Up: Resolutions Revisited

If you'll recall, in January 2009, I decided to become a better person. With my list of goals that I wanted to accomplish, I made the resolution to learn or do something new every month. While I did succeed in most of my other resolutions (such as reading some new books thanks to my awesome book club), I didn't do too well in others (like finishing my parents stockings I started in middle school, perhaps they're not meant to be finished?). But as most of you might know or have guessed, I did complete the one I was most excited about last January. Let's take a look back:
January: Sew a Skirt
February: Dancing and Flirting
March: Taxes
April: Changing a Tire/Car Maintenance
May and June: Cake Decorating
July: Make a New Dish
August: See a Musical
September and October: Calligraphy and Photography
November: Speed Reading
December: Origami
I am so glad I made this resolution. Not only was it something that I actually completed and kept doing the whole year, but I also learned so many great things I might not have otherwise learned. Through accomplishing this resolution, I discovered several things about myself. I discovered that most things can be accomplished if you have a kit or a great teacher. I discovered a new talent/skill that I really enjoy doing (cake decorating), and I discovered that if I really set my mind to it and have a plan, I really can succeed and accomplish anything.

In my resolutions post last January, I wrote about how I never liked making resolutions because I always gave up a few months into the year. But, now that I have actually been successful in keeping up on a resolution for a whole year, I feel like I can do anything. Ok, maybe not anything, but I now know it's not as hard as you think to be consistent and to keep a resolution all year long.

Having completed my year of doing something new every month, I realized that having a plan and excitement for a resolution really helps to keep it all year. Last year was great, and I achieved many things. I can't wait for what this next year has in store for me. There were several things I had put on my list to learn that I wasn't able to get to (like painting and juggling), which I will try to do this year.

And while last year was really fun and easy, I've decided that this year I need to continue to be better by being more observant of others. Last year, I kind of focused on me learning new things, (and I did have a service-oriented goal too, but it kind of fell by the wayside), but now I need to focus on helping others. It's going to be hard, but I think I can do it. I'm more confident in my abilities now that I was successful last year. I am also trying to be more healthy too, but since I started doing that last year, it won't be listed in my new year's resolutions. Come to think of it, I don't really have a list this year (which might set me up for failure, so I'll work on them).

My one main goal has always been to become a better person, and helping others will definitely help me achieve this goal. Here's to being nicer, kinder, and more helpful to others in 2010! Let's hope I can keep it up. I'll post a list/goals to accomplish this resolution soon because everyone needs a game plan. What's yours?

December--Origami

Awhile back I bought an origami kit. It comes with everything! Even a bone folding and scoring tool! Pretty sweet, I know. The book that came with it, though, just had a few animals in it (and some modular stuff), and it didn't even include the traditional crane! (Something I really felt I needed to know how to do.) So I went out onto the internet, fountain of knowledge, and looked up the directions on how to make a crane (and various other patterns). Let's just say there are pretty much a bajillion different ways to fold paper into a crane. Every site I found had a little step that was different, granted it did end up with the same result.

I didn't necessarily make a 1000, but I made alot of cranes (and a few other things): That's supposed to be a gorilla (it was from the book that came in the kit). (The ones on the right were the only ones I made; the top left my dad did, and the bottom left came with the kit...)

Origami is pretty easy as long as you have really good instructions and diagrams so you know how to fold it. Some are a little more complicated and involve scissors and glue and different pieces (like the gorilla). (I tried making a unicorn and I gave up because I just couldn't understand what the picture and directions were trying to tell me to do!) Origami is fun, and talk about easy, cheap Christmas tree ornaments!

This Ain't My Scene

Most of you have already heard this story from me, so I apologize for the repeat. If you haven't heard, please enjoy the next bit of nonfiction:

Recently (ok like a few weeks ago), I attended a New Year's party with a few friends of mine. I just barely made the age cut off of the 23 to 45 year olds that were invited to attend. A friend had asked me to accompany her, and since I had dragged her to an 80's YSA dance the night before, I thought it was the least I could do to get dressed up a little and go with her to this party.

When we arrived, there were probably 20 people there, including the live band of 5. Luckily, we found some other people we knew and talked with them. As the night progressed, I continually felt like the youngest person there (and in all reality, I probably was). I was enjoying talking with my friends, but it wasn't the best atmosphere for talking because the band's volume was really loud in such an enclosed space. There was some food, a few board games, a pool table, a couch, and a big screen TV tuned to some football game. Ok, now that the scene has been set, here's what happened:

My friends and I were sitting on the couch, a sectional to be exact. So, at the end was my friend Jane* (*Names have been changed for their protection), then Erin*, then me, then the corner of the sectional was empty, then Emily* (who I came with) and Reese*, and then some random dude we didn't know who was messing with his iPhone. We were chatting about random things when this man, who looked to be about 35, comes and stands in front of us (Jane, Erin, and I) and proclaims,

"There are too many girls sitting in a row, so I'll have to sit right there," as he points between Erin and myself.

"Umm ok," I say. "Do you want me to scoot over?"

"No, no. I have to earn my spot," he says as he proceeds to sit right next to me, at the corner of the sectional. He introduces himself, let's call him Bob, and we do the same, each of us shaking hands as we do so. After intros were made, he then turns to me and asks Jane's name again.

Then he says, "Excuse me, sorry," and gets up to stand in front of Jane. "Sometimes I have these urges. Will you indulge me for a moment, and let me snap your nylons?" He then tries to grab Jane's tights on her leg to appease his "urge." He of course can't grab it, so Jane helps him out (which i have no idea why) by lifting it up a little for him to get a hold of. He thanks her and comes and sits back down next to me.

Now at this point, I'm really dumbfounded and a little creeped out by this man who obviously has no self-restraint with complete strangers. But, then, I'm even more shocked as he continues,

"Sorry, sometimes I have these inclinations. Like for example, when women wear low cut blouses and their cleavage is showing and they're really pushed together, you know? I just want to come by and shove something in between there, like a credit card or something. Or if they are kind of far apart, maybe like a pen or something," he says, while illustrating what he's talking about with his hands the whole time.

Now, I'm really creeped out by this perv because he's talking about shoving things in women's cleavage to 3 women he has never met. I think all three of us were a little shocked and didn't know what to say. So, to ease the awkward silence a bit, Erin starts talking about how she has some friends that like to throw things at people in restaurants or something.

"Oh, okay. I'm glad I'm not the only one," he remarks, to which I'm thinking in my head, Well you're the only one stupid enough to say it out loud to three females. And to save himself, "But, you guys are okay cause you're not wearing anything low cut, so you're not tempting me." (Oh, what a relief.)

He then asks if we're of the "Mormon persuasion" (we all say yes), and he says, "Oh, good, then we can talk about "insider stuff." Now throughout this whole time, I was convinced he wasn't a member because he reeked of smoke (not just his clothes, his breath, too). So I was thinking, maybe he's drunk (or high) and stumbled in here from the apartment complex. But, he is now trying to convince us he, too, is Mormon.

So as to explain his smoke smell, he tells me, "Oh,do I smell like smoke? We went to this restaurant. Well, I guess it was a kind of a bar restaurant, and they let people smoke in there." I can smell it on your breath. You're not fooling anybody, pal.

More awkward silence.

Now, I really want this guy to leave, and I'm tired of smelling cigarette smoke, so my arms are crossed, and I'm staring at the TV in front of me with my lips pursed together. He then turns and looks at me and tells me,

"You look like the cure for boredom. But, you're holding back and keeping you're cool."

"Yup. That's exactly it," I say in my most sarcastic, dripping-with-malice type voice.

"Well, here's what we're going to do," he tells me as he jumps/squats in front of me. He has his arm out in front of me (about a foot away from my chest, actually; although, my arms are crossed, so there was a barrier) and starts to reveal his plan. "We're going to pretend like it's the horse races and you're in the pen, and we're going to let you out. Then, you're going to go crazy and bust out and get the party going!" Ummmm....

"No, that's ok," I say, curtly.

"No, come on. You can do it, but you got to get real close to the gate you know like the horses do, so we can let you out," he says while he pats his arm, clearly telling me he wants me to press myself to his arm. Excuse me? Are you serious? do you really think that I am stupid enough to not see what you are really getting at and follow your idiotic, perverted "plan"?

"No, that's ok," I say again. "I don't want to scare anybody."

"Oh. Okay," he replies, looking a bit disappointed and sits back down on the couch. Now, I've had it, but I really am quite comfortable on the couch, so I look for a way to get him to move on, as opposed to me having to leave. So, I point over to where people are starting to dance,

"People are dancing over there, you should go and check it out."

"Well, I don't want to leave you guys."

"No really, that's ok," we all say, with all of us saying something about how we're tired and will stay on the couch.

"Oh, okay. Well, I will go, but I will have a sad face on because you guys won't be over there." Then, finally, he walks away.

At first the whole thing is almost surreal; did that guy really say and do those things? Then came the realization--it was all real, and that now I feel icky, and I need to avoid this person the rest of my life. The whole time Emily and Reese casually looked on, but apparently Reese was dealing with her own weirdo (the guy on the phone, who asked about her bra). But, she didn't hit the jackpot like I did.

So, after that interesting occurrence, we stayed for a little while longer. When Emily was ready to go, I was more than happy to oblige her. It was fun to talk with my friends, but I'll be honest, I felt a little out of place. As we were leaving, Bob decided to sit next to Reese this time. But, unlike me (who tried to save her), Reese told him off gently instead of letting him keep going. I obviously could learn a thing or two from her.

The party wasn't my scene, but I came back with a hilarious and extremely awkward story, so it was totally worth it, right?

A few pictures to pass the time...

I realize that my last couple posts were intellectual/philosophical, or as my mom said, "boring." So, I realized I needed to put something up before you thought I had gone all existential on you and left the blogosphere to take up handwriting letters. This is not true. I'm currently working on several posts to finally wrap up 2009 (sorry for the delay), but I have not had a chance to finish and put them up. So, in the meantime I figured I'd put up a few pictures of what I've been doing for the past few weeks, cause a picture is worth a 1000 words, right?
The awesome black and white play I went to with some friends.
A birthday cake (Buzz) and a Thank You cake (camera) for our family's photographer and her son. The photographer took these (and others):My brother Caulin's birthday cake (the pic on the cake was another one taken by the photographer).
The next cake looks like a boring old cake, huh?
Until...

That cake I made for a coworker after she showed me this blog (whose cake and pictures are alot better looking than mine).

And those are some of the things I've been up to while I've been away. More blog posts forthcoming.

The Art of Letter Writing

The following was inspired by a piece by Garrison Keillor called "How to Write a Letter":

I feel and fear that the art of letter writing is a lost one. And, it is my duty as a creative-artist type person to try to revive it, or at least not let it die and fade away into oblivion to be forgotten by almost all of the future generation. Yes, if we had really wanted to know up-to-date information of each others' lives, there are plenty of other quicker, more efficient means of doing so than writing a letter. There's email, facebook, twitter, blogs, texts, phone calls (another near-dying means of communication) in which we could learn of each others' lives as they happen.

But, letter writing has nothing to do with that. Yes, perhaps in a more primitive time when the only means of communication was by messenger, the letter was a vehicle of transferring prevalent information. But, really, since the telegram and beyond, there wasn't a real need any more as letter as conduit of information.

Granted, some use it still to inform like for those in third world countries or those cut off from modern conveniences and technologies... like missionaries. But, for the rest of us in the modern, internet-connected world, what is the need for writing letters?

We have so many ways to stay connected to each other that we have lost the very connection that these new technologies were meant to improve and keep in tact.

Which brings me to my point... letter writing. We must go back to the basics, the more primitve, early means of communication to repair the damage done by our own ambition.

Those that have gotten a handwritten letter before can vouch for the giddy, child-like joy and glee you feel when you receive such a thing in the mail. It's almost like waking up on Christmas morning and seeing just what Santa brought you. A letter is something tangible that you can keep forever and show your posterity that people loved and cared enough about you to take the time to sit down and write you a letter.

I don't know about your parents, but my parents lived about an hour away from each other while they were dating. So, to keep the "flame alight," so to speak, they wrote letters. My parents have a box of letters and cards they had sent to each other, and looking at them now helps remind me that my parents were young once, too. I just got to say, it will be incredibly hard to show your kids the facebook messages, emails, and texts you exchanged with their father while you were dating. It's not like you can store them in a hat box in the closet.

How we get to know our ancestors are through their letters, their journals, and their keepsakes that they left behind. How will our future posterity know us? By searching for our abandoned blogs and long forgotten online profile pages? Unless we go and print all of our emails and blog entries, how will anyone know about us? What if the internet isn't around in the future, or at least what we know now as the internet?

To leave our mark on the world, it can't be through our Twitter feed. We must again take up letter writing. Even if it's a short, quick note with only a few lines. The person who receives it will know you cared enough about them to do it and will understand why it had to be short. You'll feel good about yourself as you stamp and mail the letter off.

Why? Because you will not be forgotten; your life will be remembered through the letter, and others you send like it, and you will leave your mark on the world.

Besides...I got to use up these Christmas stamps I have left over from sending cards!

Happy New Year's!

It's the first day of 2010, the start of a new decade. Feel any different?

Yeah. Me neither.

I have to say though, looking back on the year, and for sure the decade, I have changed a lot! You have, too; you know you have. I think sometimes we think that in a year we should have been a whole new person, a better person than what we thought of ourselves at the beginning of the year. For the rare few, this actually does happen, but for the rest of us, we come to the start of a new year and feel like the past year was a waste, which is not true, but this new year will be different.

The truth of it is, things happen, life happens, and the goals we made for ourselves in order to achieve the idyllic vision we had of what we would be at the end of the year get adapted or abandoned. It's ok. As humans, we are susceptible to this. We have huge lofty ideas of how things should be or how they'll change, but when it comes down to it, we get lost and more often than not fail.

But, most of us will find our way again, get back on track, and try again because most of us are also really stubborn and resilient. We "won't take no for an answer," and "if at first we don't succeed, we try, try again" because "failure is not an option." It is this trait in us that forces us to make the same goals every year because this year will be different. This year, we'll quit smoking, unlike all the times and years before; this year, we'll loose those 20, 30, 60, 80 pounds, unlike the several attempts we've made in years past; this year, we'll find that special someone, we'll find that better job, we'll be that better person because this year will be different.

And maybe this year will be different for you, but it's up to you on whether or not it actually happens.

For 2010 for whatever goals you've made and resolutions you've resided to accomplish for this year, the key thing to do is have a plan, and then follow up with that plan and adapt it to whatever life throws at you. We tend to make one huge goal that we can't possibly achieve because it is just to hard for our finite selves to grasp. Make a plan, write it out, have a mentor or motivator that will keep you honest, put a reminder wherever you will see it. You might not want to do it now, but your future self will thank you for keeping them on track.

We all fall, we all get behind, but we shouldn't get down on ourselves and completely abandon our goal and give up and say, "Oh well, there's always next year," because we'll never do anything great for ourselves if we turn around and head back to the beginning at the first sign of trouble only to do the same thing the next year. Really make this year different and commit to whatever your resolution is and revisit your progress every month not just at the end of the year.

Don't worry. You can do it because this year will be different.

(Steps off of soapbox)

I will soon be posting my December skill and my recap of 2009 and the decade with a visit to that 2009's resolutions and what I learned and achieved. I'm hoping to get these posted before the end of January, but we'll see. I'll also be posting a whole new set of goals for 2010, so be on the look out because this year will be... awesome! (You thought I was going to say different, huh? Ha ha! Tricked ya!)