6 Degrees of Separation

So I’m sure most of you know of the concept of 6 Degrees of Separation, or if you don’t, well, I guess we’ll forgive you and I’ll give you the handy-dandy Wikipedia link.

Of course I’ve heard about 6DoS. But never really thought about it.

Until recently.

Sometimes you never know what commenting can lead you to learn!

Thinking, “Hm, that’s interesting she feels that way, I gotta ask…

“What if we had class together once?” I so innocently asked at the end. Because as two UCLA alums, that’s definitely how we would’ve gotten to know each other, right? CLASS!

Without thinking too much about it, I click through my other internet pages.

AKA: Facebook.

Ah, more planning for the Surprise Birthday Party for a friend.

I read through the messages, and come across one that catches my eye:

Wait a minute.

Wait a minute!

A girl named Vyvy? That’s funny, I read a blog by a girl named “Vyvacious”.

Mistaking a comment as being about strippers?!

Vyvacious has a pretty dirty mind!

But it can’t be! That would be so coincidental!!

So I ask:

And so we’ve figured it out.

We’ve met on WordPress, been commenting on each other’s posts for months.

And we share some of the same friends!!

So this weekend, both Vyvacious and I prepared to celebrate our friend’s birthday.

And we prepared to meet in person.

This is what WordPress Badasses look like!

As with many of the blogs I read, I often found myself thinking as I read Vyvacious’ blog, “Man, I bet if we ever met in person, we’d totally get along!”

And you know what? We did.

And just like that, blog friend became real friend.

Talk About Your Emotional Gamut

I guess this is what it must feel like to be pregnant.
Or hormonal.
Or like a girl who’s learning stick shift.

The last week has been my first week driving the stick (name still to be decided).

Alone

And man, it got driven a lot. Several hours worth of distance every day.

And during those hours: my emotions swung everywhere.

And most days went a little something like this:

Get out of the driveway.
Cheer!
Wait at the stop sign to cross two lanes of traffic.
Fidget, body tenses
Make it to the freeway safely.
Happy!
Shift onto the freeway, guy behind me tailgates as I shift too slowly.
Wince
Navigate the freeway.
Ecstasy!
Have to get off the freeway for some reason (gas, destination, etc.).
Get to stop sign/stoplight.
Nervous

Light turns Green.
stall
Anxious
Restart, let foot off clutch.
stall
The car behind me honks.
Start panicking
Somehow get the car started.
Get through that intersection.
Get stopped at a light.
Stall
Another car honks.
Burst into tears

Most of last week I stalled at least 3 times a day.
And burst into tears at least once a day. (I swear I don’t cry that much!)

It all culminated into Friday, I jumped in the car, headed off to work.

I was parked a bit differently and was going to have to navigate a bit more to get out of the driveway. Now, our driveway is relatively flat at the top, drops off on one side, and the drive is a good 70O angle. So I didn’t want to go off the edge, and I didn’t want to be trying to navigate the steep drive.

When my turning angles weren’t quite what I wanted them to be (damn you geometry!), I tried to go back to start over.

I turned too sharply, and the right front tire went over the edge.

Cue the tears.

If only I was this adorable when I cried! Ah, lost youth…

A quick phonecall to my dad – a turn of the steering wheel, and the right wheel was able to grab onto concrete and pull me back onto the driveway.

Completely shaken, I took my dad’s car. Loving the automatic, and not having to shift, I was able to calm down.

But just as many of you claimed I would, I missed the shifting. I can’t say I missed the control, which I hadn’t gotten yet, I didn’t even miss the gas mileage, which I hadn’t calculated yet.

I can’t honestly tell you what I missed. But when my mom suggested I stop driving the stick, I couldn’t do it. It wasn’t just the desire to learn (or ‘stubborness to learn’ I guess I should say), but there’s something about the car that I liked.

So I returned to the stick.

And for three days now I’ve been relatively stall free! (Only twice in three days!)

I can HEAR the engine changes. I’m starting to understand the shifting.

It’s falling into place!

But my emotions are still all over the place. No more crying – but panic. That’s definitely still there.

You’ve Got Mail

I don’t know about you, but I love opening my mailbox and finding mail for me. You know – letter and/or postcard mail. Anything with handwriting on it.

Luckily, my mom had this adorable addiction to greeting cards. As in, I’m pretty sure that Hallmark is still in business because of her.

For instance, since I was a little girl going away to camp – my mom has sent me letters and mail. 4 years in college – I’d get letters at least every 2 weeks.

And then last year in Greece, I got all kinds of mail from mom, friends, etc.

So now, I’m home. Living with mom. So mom doesn’t send me mail (understandabe).

Any chance I get for mail, be it a facebook event of “Who Wants a Postcard From ”, to offers of random Christmas cards from bloggers (Thank you to the wonderful Madams Jen and Raurasaur for their amazing Christmas cards!) I take it!

So naturally when I heard about a way to guarantee mail to myself, I jumped on that bandwagon!

Or rather, mail wagon I guess I should say.

Postcrossing

It’s a pretty simple system. You sign up with your address. You request addresses for people around the world. You send them a postcard. Once they’ve received your postcard, your address is released to someone else in the world.

And voila! You’ve just gotten a beautiful postcard from some nice person somewhere in the world!

I’ve gotten cards from Russia, Germany, Taiwan, China, Ukraine, Belarus, Finland, etc etc! You can watch your stats, see how far your postcards have traveled, how many you’ve sent, how many people like them (I know how much us WordPressers like stats!).

It’s fun, it’s fast, and it’s a way to give and get a bit of cheer through the mailbox!

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Driving to the End of the Year

As 2012 came to an end, and many were looking back at the year, I spent the last days of 2012 looking forward.

At the road in front of me and concentrating really hard on the ‘sound of the engine’.

Actual New Years Eve I spent working. The night shift. And then the night shift had the opening day shift on New Years Day. Brilliant Managerial scheduling really – we were all ready to work from having passed out from exhaustion rather than from drunken partying.

Driving a stick, Day 2
My dad drove us out to a little town nearby. (And when I say ‘little’ I mean population 1,000.)

Lots of back roads, no people. The perfect place to practice.

Needless to say as I got behind the wheel I was petrified.

“There might actually be someone else on the road! What do I do if someone else is driving on the road too?!”

My dad just patiently looked at me.

Oh right. I know how to drive, just not the mechanics of the stick shift yet…

I pushed in the clutch, and started the car.

And everything about day 2 went better!

Having actual space to get the car moving to practice shifting gears? Awesome! I was no longer just starting, stopping, starting, stopping.

I was starting, GOING, shifting!

For over an hour I was able to drive on the roads, not only shifting, but also practicing stopping and starting as I hit stop signs.

I even went on the freeway – jumping off and on at exits to practice shifting faster. (Let’s just say: I need more practice…)

And the next day went well too! (Though it was a rough start – it was the first time I drove with shoes on. I really am a better driver without shoes – my feet are more sensitive to the minute changes in the pedals.)

The end result: when we first got the Oldsmobile, it was meant for my dad to take up to San Jose, for his work commute. But since he claims, “I’m comfortable enough to manage,” the car will be staying in San Diego for me to drive. (I am especially rejoicing as the truck I’ve been driving gets 18 mi/g. Ooph that’s been hurting my bank account!)

Next week will see me driving the stick shift. Alone.

Eek.

Reverting to 16 Years Old

Day 1
“Why are you wearing flip flops?” asks Dad.
“Well, I drive barefoot.”
“Your feet will get tired.”
“I’ll handle it.”

Dad and I jumped in the car, and he drove us to the church parking lot.

“It’s like I’m 16 and learning to drive again!” I joke.
“Well, you are learning to drive. A stick shift,” says my ever-logical father.

I lol’d. This is me. Viking hat included.

He starts the process of explaining how the clutch works – what it does for the engine. Technical talk to fill up my brain.

I push in the clutch, and turn on the car.

“Ok, push the accelerator and let’s bring it up to 2,000 rpm. Listen to the engine, hear what 2,000 sounds like. Then slowly let off the clutch.”

I listen. I let off.

We jerk.

“Ok, let’s do it again.”

We try that for a while. Lots of jerking.

“Ok, let’s try something different.” He puts on the e-brake. “Let off the clutch, we’re looking for the slip. Feel the slip of the clutch.”

I feel it. We take off the brake, and try to let go of the clutch, and push on the accelerator; simultaneously.

The engine dies.

“That’s ok. Again.”

The engine dies.

We keep trying. As the engine dies for the 250th million time, hot tears spill down my cheeks. I pretty much am a 16-year-old-frustrated-at-learning-to-drive-and-not-being-perfect-at-it again.

“Don’t get frustrated,” my father calmly says.

Yeah, I’ll work on that…

“Ok, pull into a parking spot. Right, good. We’re going to go in reverse. Now the engine power is lower in reverse. You can’t let go of the clutch, you have to slip the clutch. Let’s just go in reverse for a while.”

And it finally starts to make sense. I feel what slipping the clutch is! I’m going backwards, the car’s not dying!!!!

“Ok, good. You feel it? Right. Let’s go forward now.”

And now, I can go forward! We’re not dying! Sure, I’m jerking at least half the time, but I’m not killing the engine!

“Ok, let’s go out of the parking lot. We’ll turn up the street and go up to the Smith’s house the next street up.”

Attempt to pull out of the parking lot: successful
Going up the hill: successful
Turn onto the next street: successful

“Let’s stop, we’re going to practice e-brake stop and start to go up a hill.”

I stop on the hill. Pull the e-brake. Clutch and accelerator. Release e-brake. Engine dies.
Repeat. Car rolls back.
Repeat. Engine dies.

“Maybe this wasn’t the best idea,” dad ponders.

We eventually, eventually get over the hill, and then safely back to the church lot.

Dad takes over from there and we drive home.

That night is filled with dreams of clutch failing on steep hills at a stoplight with cars behind me…

Accident Update

Turns out the driver who hit me at the end of November wasn’t insured.

But that’s why you get your own insurance, to take care of things like that.

As I wait for my insurance to finally come through (they’re usually really good – guess they’re all just gone during the holidays…), good luck came through again.

While looking for a new car (and by “new” I of course mean “not new”) I’ve been checking ebay, autotrader, Kelly bluebook, etc.

And I was flabbergasted by how much the cars were! What happened to all those stories of people who got pretty good cars (aka: it got them from point A to point B) for under $1000?! It didn’t seem like it was going to be possible!

Then my mom heard about a teacher at school who was selling his car. A 2000 Oldsmobile. 150,000 miles. $750.

Who doesn’t love the dramatic glamor shots?

My parents tried it, they liked it.

The best thing about it? (And why couldn’t I try it?)

It’s a stickshift.

Why am I so excited?

One of my life goals: learn to drive a stick.

When did this become a really important life goal?

When I tried to rent cars in Greece, and we couldn’t because none of us drove a manual. Ooph.

I’m definitely a “things happen for a reason” person. So while I lost my first car, I gain another. And an added plus: new skills.

Tomorrow I learn how to drive a stick.

Tomorrow you might want to stay off the roads…

A Family Holiday

It’s Christmas Eve, and many families will be gathering tonight and tomorrow around the center of the family decorations. The center of the holiday spirit in a home.

The Christmas Tree.

Now there’s many types of trees: you’ve got your real trees, your fake trees, your big trees, your small trees.

But my tree – well, I think my tree is pretty special.

For one thing, it’s old.

If my tree had rings! … But who am I kidding, my tree can’t get more blinged-out and shiny than it already is.

Why?

You see, my tree – my tree is made of aluminum.

“ALUMINUM?” You say!

Yep. Nice, shiny, SHINY aluminum.

“Aluminum? So your tree is basically made out of soda cans?”

But contrary to what you might think – it’s actually quite beautiful!

When the sun shines in the windows, it catches the branches in a blinding display of light.

And at night, we turn on the rotating spotlights – and the tree changes colors. Blue, yellow, red, green.

This tree was my Mom’s childhood tree. It’s been in our household since before I was born.

I love having the tree every year.

And every year I love it more.

Because for me, the tree is a connection to family.
For the members that aren’t with us any more, or who can’t join us at Christmas, they’ve been there at some point with the tree.
A little bit of them is there and present.

Wishing all of you a wonderful holiday – full of happiness and full of love!

Santa Doesn’t Always Fly In a Sleigh

An early morning departure saw me sitting in the Charlotte airport, devouring a Cinnabon, and wishing I liked coffee.

When they announced our flight would be late (of course), the grumbling passengers settled down to wait, and to chat.

And that’s when he introduced himself.

Santa Clause

And his wife!

A lovely couple that lives in Charlotte, they spend their year waiting for Christmas.

For Christmas, their house becomes the talk of the town – and “Santa” dresses up (in his own homemade suit!) and goes visiting hospitals, malls, families, you name it, he visits it.

And his wife does it all at his side. She’s there every step of the way!

But the best stories he had to tell? Well this guy plays Santa all year long. When he goes on plane rides, children will ask him if he’s Santa.

“I listen to the conversations they have with their parents. Like this one boy, I heard his mother call to him – so I got his name. Then she had mentioned they were going, ‘home to Detroit’. So when the little boy came up to me and asked who I was, I said, ‘Well James, don’t you worry, I won’t miss you in Detroit!’”

Needless to say, kids go nuts!

On another flight some kids were whispering together and pointing and looking at him. Suddenly the flight attendant walked up, sat on his lap with a, “Santa, I already sent you my letter. Just wanted to give you the heads up!” and walked away.

Stories like this always make me so happy! I imagine how excited those kids must’ve been to “have Santa on THEIR flight!”

And I got to end up with him and his wife on mine.

Sure, they doesn’t have flying reindeer, but what they did have was a giving spirit.

What’d they give to me? An invitation that anytime I’m back in Charlotte I simply must come over for dinner and a visit.

What better gift could you ask for?

Mistletoe Tradition

When I saw this, I just couldn’t stop smiling. And pretty much giggled for the whole video. So I just had to share it:

I think one of the things I noticed, that I loved, was that after the kiss, everyone laughs/giggles/chortles. Even the surveyors.

Lesson learned: Kissing strangers = funny.

Success: Thy Name is “The Interview”

Yes, I give that sly look. Works every time.

So of course since getting back home a goal has been to, ya know, Get a Job.

So I started the search the day I got back.

Wow, that’s quite early I hear some of you say. Didn’t want to rest a bit?

Yes, yes it was. BUT! I had an employee referral from the Holland America cruise I had just gone on, and a guaranteed interview if I submitted my application in a timely manner.

So I submitted and waited.

Dancing in my seat – already imagining my blog turning into the “overseas adventures of Jillian”.

2 weeks went by. Nothing. So I called the company.

“Hi, I would like to speak with the hiring manager.”
“Oh, you can only send an email.”
“All right, to whom?”
“Oh, we’ll make sure it gets to the right department. Just put the job title in the subject line.”

I sent a follow up email (while also emailing my ‘employee referral’ about “What’s up?”) with the typical, “I applied for such and such job with a referral from so and so and would love to know if you’ve accepted my application, blah blah blah”.

The response: ”Thank you for your interest in Holland America, if you’d like to apply please visit the HA website at…”

So much for that ‘guaranteed’ interview. Dead end it was looking to be.

The next 4 months followed applications to every cruise company, multiple travel companies, several jobs in Hawaii, etc. Follow ups, calls, you name it.

I took secretary tests, math tests, and personality tests.

I would score exceptionally well on these tests. But then get rejected.

The problem I was running into, and all the rejections I got, were because I lacked experience.

I was running into the current economy’s catch 22. Can’t get a job without experience, but can’t get experience without a job.

Thank you Google – you understand!

Even the age old, “It’s who you know” wasn’t working for me – in most cases, just as I was about to have a foot in the door, the door shut because the company decided not to hire.

I knew, I just knew though that if I could get in there, get in person for an interview, I’d be golden.

So finally, last week, I filled out an online application for restaurant position.

When I called the restaurant I was informed that on M-W from 2-4, if you’d filled out an online application, you could come in and request to speak with a manager.

I was in that store faster than you can say, “I finally got an interview!”

I dazzled, I shined, I blew up his mind!

Or rather, I showed that I was a good candidate.

Specific examples for all the questions. Confident, calm, friendly.

And what I knew to be true was true.

When I finally got my in person meeting, I finally got offered a job.

Say hello to another member of America’s workforce!