Today, I suppose you could say that I'm having one of those days. I've only been awake for a little over an hour, but...yeah, it's definitely one of those days.
I woke up initially at 05 and I figured I'd just hit snooze a couple of times. Well, I accidently turned the alarm off. So, of course, I wake up again at 0630 and have a heart attack, get dressed and run to my car 14 miles away.
Lucky me, I put on a dress this morning and it got tucked up under my back pack. Yes. The guy at the front desk of my building definilteygot a full on shot of my butt and didn't say anything! On the brightside, I felt like it was a little too breezy, so I checked to see what was amiss and saw my bum hanging out. Awesome. Just...Awesome.
I really feel that there is no need to write more about this day.
The skirt bunchied up bum thing kinda takes the cake...
On This Day In History
On this day in history, something pretty damn big happened.
If you can't tell from the photograph, it was the March On Washington where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his speech known today as "I Have A Dream". A huge event in the civil rights movement.
I won't exhaust the topic or give some big analytical something or other all about it, but I would encourage you to watch the speech here and take a look at how far we have come.
I hope that people actually take the time to click the little Google homepage and reflect on that gigantically important moment in history that was the March On Washington.
I think it doesn't really matter if you're black or white, liberal or conservative, you can take something away from what he has to say.
"I have a dream that one day, this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed. we hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal"
I Am Soo Not In Kansas Anymore
Oh. My. Gosh.
What a life this is going to be...
You know, I knew that it was going to be different living in Nevada. I knew that the culture here is different and the lifestyle for most people is different. But the first thing I noticed when we stopped overnight in Mesquite was this.
BAM! Mini bottles of liquor for $1 at the Wal Mart!
Say whhhaaaaat?
At home in Utah, they aren't even allowed to carry Smirnoff Ice or Mike's Hard Lemonade in the grocery stores because it's "too appealing to children". You have to go to the liquor store just to buy bitch beer. Pardon my language, but, I call 'em like I see 'em.
Las Vegas is...Over whelming to say the least. Salt Lake is a fairly big city, but I know it. It's home. And I don't live in the City, I live in the burbs...So now that I'm living just a little ways off the strip smack dab in the middle of a big ol' city, I am really feeling the shock.
I just moved into my dorm room on the UNLV campus. Talk about enormous. I am lost and I am just sitting in my room. My little, tiny, white cinderblock room.
I cannot believe that this chapter in my life has finally begun. I am scared out of my mind but...I am going to do it anyway. What other choice do I have really? I haven't got one. My dorm room is...small. But it is basically what I expected. It's nothing special. But it's mine.
Please, no comments on my perfect corner, I know they look great ;)
I am going from Soldier Girl to College Girl real quick...and let me tell you...I am so not in Kansas anymore.
Airborne and Wander-lusting...
It has been a while since I have joined in on the Sunday Social, so .......here it goes!
Head over to Ashley and Neely's blog to join in.
1. What is something you've always wanted to do but are afraid of?
This might sound cliche, but really want to sky dive. Not only that, I want to go Airborne...But as far as I know, they aren't really looking to throw Chemical Soldiers out of airplanes.
2. Where do you see yourself in five years?
I will hopefully have my bachelors degree in Anthropology/Art History/History or something. Maybe I'll be working some exciting job in a Museum where I get to travel or teaching.
Maybe I'll be married? Or at least in a relationship. With who? Your guess is as good as mine.
3. What are you looking forward to before the end of 2013?
I have a lot of excitement in store for me this fall. I get to see a friend come home from deployment, I have some exciting Drill weekends in store, I'm starting college, and I'm going to be living in a new place, making new friends, and having new adventures.
4. What are your hopes for your blog?
Oh man...my bliggity blog. I hope that people continue to latch onto the things that I have to say. I feel like very...helpful life lessons can be taken from my blog. Maybe I'm just full of hot air, but I think I have learned a lot and I have really come a long ways. I think that other could really learn from me if they tried to.
5. Do you always see yourself living in your current town/city?
NO! Although Salt Lake will always be the place that I call home, I have got to be somewhere else. I have got some serious wanderlust eating away at me. If I don't get out and go see more places and experience new things, I just might go crazy!
6. What is your morning routine?
As of right now, I really don't have a morning routine. I'm not working, and I haven't started school yet, so basically, I just get up when I want to. If I have something to do, I'll take a shower and get ready. If I don't, I'll take a shower and not get ready. I deal with my school monies sitch., and I babysit my most adorable lil' niece and make her wear sunglasses...
On Becoming A Soldier
Right before I left for training, I posted some advice to future Soldiers. When I posted that, I wasn't even really aware of what I had gotten myself into and what it really takes to be a Soldier. Reading it now, it still have some good advice in there. But there are many other things I would like to tell people who are considering becoming a Soldier, or heading off to basic training.
Now that I have actually been through basic training and I really do know what it's like, I've got a few new words of wisdom.
1//There are a number of things that you will hear repeatedly in training.
Move with a purpose
If you are told to go somewhere, run. You are no longer on your own time.
Pay attention to detail
Listen to your instructions. Don't get all high speed and do things you weren't told to. They don't always like initiative! Maybe they didn't want you to do whatever you though was overachieving
Don't get complacent
And for the love of all that is holy, do not get complacent. Right when you start to relax and think you've got it down is when you start to make mistakes.
2//Make Friends.
My bunk mate was my best battle buddy and I am so glad that I met her. We helped each other through some tough times during basic and it made it so much easier to have someone to lean on when it was getting hard to stand. Not only that, I she has become a life-long friend.
3//Sleep
Don't think you're super man and can stay up all night. Go to sleep. Chances are, you're going to get sick and you're going to be hungry and tired. Sleep! Life will be so much better if you just go to bed when the lights go out.
4//Don't be a shit bag.
There is no way to sugar coat this. Don't be a Blue Flacon. Don't ruin crap for you battles...just mind your business and take care of yourself. That's not to say that you shouldn't help people out when you get the chance, but just...don't be a shit bag Soldier. No one will like you!
5//Write letters call home, and keep your head up.
Basic training doesn't have to be hard. Personally, I found it pretty easy to get through, but the experience is different for every body. Just do your best and remember your warrior ethos.
Poor College Student
You know, I never really thought I'd be one of those college kids. One that has zero money and lives on Ramen Noodles type of kids...
I got my hours cut at work...all my financial aid is impossible to get a hold of. I just bought a car, and, well, I'm 20. So I don't have whole lot saved up
So, I'm not allowed to eat anywhere except my school's DFAC, and I'm definitely going to have to to have very inexpensive fun.
But I still want to be able to do fun things every now and then. So, In an effort to make my life easier in the long run, I'm giving this "No-Spend" trend a shot. I'm doing it to try and create better spending habits and to keep better track of where my money is going.
Join me and Ashley from American Honey for a whole month of only spending money on the essentials!
Keep your eye out for "No-Spend Spetember".
It's going to be...ineteresting!
Life Is Calling
Today, I had a fun post about my family planned, but when I got to work, I had am email from my manager that changed my mind.
I’ve really only talked about exactly what I do in this post. But I’ll tell you a
I assist people who are deaf and hard-of-hearing (mainly hard-of-hearing) make phone calls. My official job title is “Communications Assistant.” My job is to listen to the hearing user and type out what they say so that the deaf or hard of hearing user can read along with the captions while using the hearing that they are able to. They have special phones called “Caption Call” phones that display the captions right on the screen.
One of the main reasons these phones exist is because the Americans With Disabilities Act mandates it.
The American Disabilities Act mandates Telecommunications Relay Services
“Title IV of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 mandated a nationwide system of telecommunications relay services to make the telephone network accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing or who have speech impairments. Title IV of the ADA added Section 225 to the Communications Act of 1934.”
I work for a company called Caption Call. It started as a third department of Sorenson Communications and grew so large that it broke off and became it's own company.
We also provide Video Relay services with ASL interpreters. Until recently we also provided relay opperating allowing deaf/hard-of-hearing users to send an IM and have an operator make a call on behalf of the deaf/hard-of-hearing user. This department was recently dissolved due to serious cut in our compay.
Recently, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has implemented new regulations that will make the phones harder for people to use them and limit their ability to recieve them which is a violation of the ADA.
A couple of things that the FCC is trying to do is charg our customer $75 for their phones.
It is already required that they pay for regular phone service and for broadband internet. Many of our customer are on fixed incomes because they are elderly and have a hard enough time affording the internet to make the phone work.
How much did you pay for your landline phone? It probably wasn't $75...
And this is only the tip of the iceberg. To learn more about what the FCC is doing to not only impede business but cause communicating to become more difficult for our customers visit keepcaptions.com.
Contact you local government and encourage them to take action. The ADA states that state laws can add more protection to those with hearing loss. Help us take action and protect the people who need this service.
The following video, although it may come off a little cheesey, describes exactly why I work at CaptionCall...
Life is calling.
