My blog and I suffer when I do not blog

Wow this limited Internet access thing is getting a little old :S on the bright side I have been able to focus a little more on my goals that I am trying to reach I have completed some bags and taken pictures, that I will be posting soon (well eventually) provided I get the website issues taken care of. I feel like it has been months since I have last blogged. I have much I would like to blog about, work, new people= new drama; so much tension there you could cut it with a knife, and how did I manage to get loosely mixed up in it??, my real and not just figurative progress I have made with my project, small little baby steps, but steps nonetheless. I have only had time to read a small selection of my favorite blogs, and am hoping for the day when I can have unlimited Internet access again and am able to read some of your blogs and vent on my own blog whenever and wherever I want. Right now I have to dash, as I have a lunch date with a friend of mine who I have not seen in years....Updates coming....eventually.

Tornado Watch

I am experiencing a whirlwind of emotions right now, boring stuff, but I will post it anyway as I am taking advantage of these few rare moments when I can blog.

1. I have just been blessed with another nephew, my bro and my sister-in-law have just had a little boy yesterday, to add to the little girl they already have.(This adds to the 2 nephews and 2 neices that I have thru my older sis) He is so adorable, he wighed 6lbs 10oz, but my sister-in-law said he was a more difficult delivery then my niece (that does not surprise me as my younger brother has always been a real pain lol like father like son). So I am happy about that.
2. I also am happy because I have actually made real progress with my bag(s) construction last night, I can see some light at the end of the tunnel, if only I can keep myself on track and not divert from my current direction, I will be that much closer to my giveaway contest and actually displaying them on the websitethatIneedtofinishbutcan'tbecauseIhavelimitedaccesstotheInternet.
3. Now for my frustration: work as usual is the main source; too much drama there, and I am having to try and pick up an extra day or two, because I am going through a financial crisis (what else is new) and have one day left before my license will be officially suspended for not having any insurance on my car :( because I can't afford the freakin payment right now arrrggghhh! The worst thing about working a crappy job is when you try and get those extra hours (not overtime mind you, the company shuns this, and will threaten termination if you do incur the O.T.) you end up killing yourself and when you get the paycheck you see maybe an extra 10 to 15 dollars after taxes! So those are the main culprits for my anguish right now, but I will try and drudge through as usual and keep the hope that I eventually things will get better. Once you've reached rock bottom, you can either stay there, or claw your way back up.

What I learned online today: The challenge

So many cool and different things I have learned online recently, you know how I really prefer facebook over myspace, well I have just found even more reason to love it, I have found 2 very good blogging groups there. Also thanks to one of my blogging/facebook contacts-thanks shaz , I have realized the benefits of the Mashable blog site. It is the#1 blog about the most popular social networking sites. I signed up for it sort of by accident before, and really didn't give it much of a second thought, but they actually have very valuable info for utilizing the social network sites to the fullest, as well as keep you informed of all the new applications, and on top of all that gives some good info for bloggers often as well. Facebook has become such a popular social networking site, that Stanford University has designed a course about it . Gotta love the Ivy league schools, "Oh the things you can think, if only you try." Next item- Blog Rush , oh yes people it does work, I find myself scrolling down to the bottom of my page and checking the post titles, I have found 2 really good blogs through Blog Rush already. One of those blogs you can view here and the other is a Piece of Shirt , no that wasn't a typo. A piece of shirt is a blog about...you guessed it shirts, well t-shirts to be precise. The reason I like the blog is because it has links to really cool t-shirt sites. Two of them in particular are Johnny Cupcakes his story about how he started is another inspirational entrepreneur story, for those who have ideas, but are too fearful to give them a try. After you read his story though, be sure and check out the t-shirts! The other really cool T-shirt store is Threadless Chicago they have a really unique approach in that some of their fans are able to design some of the shirts. It goes like this, you have an idea for a cool t-shirt you submit it to them, and they post the ideas for everyone to vote on, if your design is made into a shirt, you get $2000 dollars + a $500 dollar gift certificate, and membership into the alumni club. In addition if your design is reprinted, you get an additional $500 everytime they reprint. If you are not artistically inclined, you can enter an original slogan and possibly win $200 dollars. Some bloggers who I think have the creative aptitude either though their ramblings, or their artistic display are Bent Objects , Kartoen , and The Ranting Monkey , I would mention Basic Instructions , but they already sell their own line of t-shirts. So if any of you happen to read this there is a challenge for you I would be interested to see what you could come up with. Moving on-I was considering moving my blog to another blog format, but I may change my mind after I check out some of the blog layouts that have been graciously formatted for blogger by Blog and Web . I may try to change the layout soon, and this time I hope I do not lose my links, I will take some different precautions this time so hopefully... Finally my new fav. online tool is Sketchcast.com. It is this really interesting widget that you can embed in your blog posts, or send your visitors to your channel, to view you sketches. You can record your voice into it, if you have a microphone, while you draw. Click here to see what I mean. I tried to embed mine in a post, but it did not work for me.

No purses yet, but some other things I have for sell for anyone interested.

• Update: If you click on the word sell it will take you directly to the listings.

Online Learning; the good, the bad and the severely disturbing

I think if I were to retake the blogging test now I would not score as low as before :S I really will try to take a few days off. On another I.VAC. I have much work to catch up on with the production process of the bags. But before I go....

• Things I learned today are: 1. I Really Love Widgetbox.com! Not only can you get some really cool widgets, and make widgets, but you actually find alot of cool websites through them as well. The site is so User-Friendly as well. I have listed them in my flash box (flash box to the right side of page) of my favorite things because I really, really, like their site.

• 2. I usually don't see all the Internet-hype videos until the last minute because....usually I'm just not that interested, I don't watch alot on TV and I really do not like watching the majority of the trash that people post at Youtube. One of my contacts suggested that I see this particular video on Youtube and I relented today. The video I saw today was the Brittney Spear's Plea video. (I had seen the buzz about it online, but really was not interested in watching it) I must say it is completely annoying and yet funny. I agree that we are a society in which we are too engrossed in "celebrity" life and that many magazines viciously attack and invade the personal lives of individuals in the limelight. At the same time a "celebrity" should also expect that that type of thing comes with the territory. Personally I could care less what most celebrities do, I have my own life to deal with. But that is not why the guy made the video, he made it for his own personal agenda. What makes the video so annoying is the fact that the guy is clearly either crazy and obsessed, or an attention seeking overreactive person himself. Which after watching it once more, I came to the conclusion that it was both. This guy is clearly out for attention, and he is getting it, because many people are viewing his video and making parody videos in response thereby giving him increased ratings on Ytube. Which is giving him the attention he so strongly craves. Proof of this is the follow-up interview he did with Jimmy Kimmel--- pretty disturbing . I think after seeing the video, I may have nightmares now :(

• Finally the last thing I learned today (relating to online that is) was that there are alot of blogs out there that are pretty interesting, but I think I have enough in my link list, I don't want too many more as I will not have time to keep up with reading all of them all the time. So I will try to only add a few if I come across any more good ones. I may post a link to another blogger's site from time to time, but I can't add too many more to my link list, as it will take up more space. So when appropriate I will still give linkage, just not a permanent place in my links list.

Decisions, decisions and acting upon those decisions--Back To School

Well I have decided that I will try to return to school in January for the spring semester, (with the summer semester being the latest) at just about any cost. Whatever it takes, I will try and go back GOD-willing. I have to give myself a deadline now or it may never happen. I made this decision after I had to go and apply for a second, albeit seasonal job earlier in the week. I said to my mum, "I can't do this anymore, I have to bite the bullet and figure out how to get back in school." I am just sinking further and further into dead-in jobs and even though I can't really can't afford the tuition right now (I was trying to work more to be able to afford going back), it is not helping that I am taking on these dead-end jobs that are not even able to cover most of my expenses.

Besides that every night I go into work at Wally World it is just depressing. I hate the way the management talks to the associates; they talk down to us. They feel that their position gives them warrant to treat people like crap, and they think you don't know much, if anything at all. Sometimes I want to remind or inform many of my overnight assistant managers that I too was once in their place at my previous retail job. I was an assistant manager, and a darn good one if I do say so myself. My old boss and many of my old co-workers would vouch for that. I didn't make the associates feel like peons either. I was always willing to get down in the trenches and do the same work that the regular sales clerks did, as well as keep up with my other managerial duties. My main reason for leaving was because I was paid crap for all my hard work. At Wally World some of the management are some of the most laziest, conceited, and corrupt people working there. It takes everything for me to have to go to work some nights.

On another note, I have an interview with the seasonal job place on Monday, and it is a strong possibility that I will get the job, considering I passed the 2 assessment tests and the fact that they would probably hire a monkey if given the opportunity. This is mainly because during the "holiday season" they are overwhelmed. So I will be back into my mode of working two jobs again...aah it was fun having some free time for the past 2 months, but it is back to business. The good thing about it is that it will only last through the end of this year.

In a way I could kick myself, because my progress with my bags has slowed down, and I am somewhat confident that if I just complete my first round and market them a little, I can have a little success. Not necessarily on a grand scale, just a small humble one is fine with me. I have a few people who have been waiting for quite some time for me to launch the project. I can be such a procrastinator at times. I have to speed the process up back again, but time will be even more scarce now if I get the second job. I just have to re-evaluate and re-focus myself. I feel like I desperately have to get my situation in order.

I can't stand the fact that I am not able to repay my parents and do something big for them. I hate to see my mother not doing exactly what she loves to do, or my dad who has been in a position where he could not work for the past couple of years (he has an respiratory illness which makes it hard for him to go back into the construction industry). My mother has her degree in a field that she is interested in, but her job was not completely fulfilling her passion. She would love to open up a youth counseling center, and or her own restaurant as she loves to cook. I really wish that I could be able to fund her dreams. That would make me extremely happy to know that I could do something for her, that would not be able to compare to her efforts in raising me and my siblings, nurturing us in her womb and giving birth to us, but hopefully it would express my love and appreciation in a small way....Wow I am getting teary- eyed just thinking about it. That is one of the moments that will go into my list of moments in my life that will make/or have made me cry tears of joy. You know maybe I don't show it enough or express it enough, but I really love you mum. She still has not seen or read my blog, but one day I hope to let her read it, so she can understand how I feel.

Saying goodbye to my dear Samsung, while going on I. VAC.

I am going to go on a I.VAC. for the next few days. but before I go....

Today I became sad at the thought of my cell phone/mobile phone. Why you ask? because I no longer have service on my mobile phone :( I can't afford to keep it right now. I know this is a little superficial, however I had the same mobile number for years, and I had finally settled with a company I like; you know the one that features that Welsh actress as their spokesperson. (Ok clearly I am talking about T-Mobile in case you didn't catch that)

[Conversation with cell phone provider: me-"But if you leave how will I cope? What will I do?" cell phone provider-"Frankly W. we don't give a d*#!mn"]

I really didn't abuse my phone usage either I would use it mainly for emergencies, and I would talk long distance with some friends, but I wasn't the type of person you see on the cell phone talking about nothing. I hate to hear this conversation: "Hello?" "Nothing, I'm in the store (on the bus, at the library, in class, at the movies, having dinner with a friend, at work)" This is followed by a five min. conversation about nothing, and then the recipient hangs up, only to repeat this conversation again 2 mins later with a new caller. Or my favorite conversation: "Hello?" "Nothing I'm in line at the store" *1minute of silence* "say something!" *3 sec. pause* "No, you say something"

Oh and my personal favorite is the type of people I encountered when I was working my other retail job. The type who wanted to run a conversation on their phone, and complete a transaction with you at the same time. Then five minutes later they want to come back to your line and refute something on their receipt that you told them was not on sale while they were having their conversation on the phone. But of course even though they nodded their head that they understood, in reality they were too preoccupied with the phone conversation.

Well that was not me. I was a responsible user :) Nevertheless I won't be any more, at least for a while until I can get on track. *sniff* I'm going to miss you my dear little Samsung *sniff Ok as I said this is a bit superficial, but I am not really a superficial kind of person, so please grant me at least this one moment...

On other note... I am trying to make a video interview with some ordinary folks that I will eventually put on Yahoo Videos GOD-willing, the topic of which I will mention later if I ever finish the video and editing it. Don't expect great things out of this though, because I am not some bigshot movie-maker or anything, or even a wannabe one either. The problem is some of the folks that I have interviewed so far are not giving me detailed honest answers. why do I say this? because I have talked with some of them off camera and they have made the complaints and things to me, so I thought I could capture some of that. I haven't so far but I am hopeful someone will give me the gritty truth.

I will refocuse my attention to my bags this week and I have a couple of other obligations regarding sewing promises I made to other people. So i will bid adieu....

Too much hype? Maybe, but don't sweat the technique.

I just figured I would say this. When someday, hopefully soon, I am able to start selling some of my designs online, I am not predicting that I will be the next Isabella Fiore. Not everyone will like my designs. That's why there are so many designers out there, because different people like different things. I just hope I will have enough people who like them, that want to buy them, so that I can make a little extra money on the side. I am humble in my aim, and if it turns out better than I expect, then that is great; if not then I know I have tried to succeed at least.