http://passionistablogs.com

That's my NEW blog URL! Please update your feeds and blogrolls, because I'll be abandoning this one soon. Thanks :)

Finally!

I'VE MOVED!! Please update your blogrolls, links, readers to my new blog

Thank you to all my readers, that are still reading. Please note that this site will be taken down. I don't have a set date but I plan on removing it soon. I hope you like the new page/layout/title everything.

Instant Gratification

Kids today! At the risk of sounding like an old lady, I really don’t get where kids and really our society is headed right now. Sure there are exceptions to every rule but in my daily experience I’ve been finding a trend. A pattern of behavior that has made me notice how different the times of yesterday seem from today.

In short, people are selfish. Is it just me that thinks this? I was having a conversation with my coworkers about this very topic and all the evidence was just mounted on the idea that people really care about themselves more than others. It really upsets me as a person who prides themselves as being empathetic.

Take, for example, the sue-happy culture we have today versus twenty years ago. If something happens to someone that causes injury, the first thought is who they can sue to get compensation. It doesn’t matter if that person is your friend or even family.

I am an advisor to some undergraduates in college so we work pretty closely together. At nearly every meeting someone has something to say about their problems, usually personal, and how that has been affecting their work. While I understand everyone needs to vent sometimes, this is almost a weekly occurrence. Everyone has problems and we should be respectful of that regardless if they choose to talk about it. It really shouldn’t be an excuse to not get your work done.

My coworkers agreed that they’ve experiences selfish attitudes from their own children or grandchildren. I’ve even seen grown men and women mad over the fact they didn’t get something they wanted from their parents. One acquaintance in particular counts the presents she gets for Christmas and was mad her parents didn’t get all the expensive gifts she wanted because they are well off. If you feel jilted by your parents and you’re over the age of eighteen, take a step back and realize they took care of your ass for longer than you may have lived right now.

We’ve all been in situations where we’ve felt it’s all about “me, me, me” but it’s the pattern of behavior in society that just doesn’t sit well with me. And when I think about it, it’s not any one person’s fault. Media has long bombarded us with images of “the good life” and the “American Dream,” which somehow always consists of being rich and having no worries. It seems like people nowadays are trying extremely hard to get that life and in some cases think it’s owed to them. Let’s face it, daily life is getting easier for a lot of us with technological advances making chores simpler and providing easy access to almost everything we need.

We live in an Instant Gratification society. You don’t have to get out of your chair to get homework done, watch TV, order your groceries, do your banking, or even meet people. Many can’t remember what it was like to live without a GPS, Mapquest, or even a cell phone. Where children younger and younger are requiring the same luxuries that we never imagined would exist. My eleven year old sister has a cell phone, whereas I felt lucky to have my own TV at that age.

What are we doing to our children who watch tweens on TV with more expensive clothes and purses than I could ever dream to afford? Don’t even get me started on “My Super Sweet Sixteen.” We tell them that when they get older they can be whatever they want, what if their dream then is to be a Candy Girl? I believe that some of these kids who don’t necessarily get the picturesque life they once dreamed of feel wronged somehow. I have seen those kids turned adults complain about how unfair life is.

Maybe what we need to be shown on TV is what is really going on in Iraq, what poor children in third world countries look like, what happens to victims of poverty that get sold into sex trafficking. Surely, those are things many of us could not stomach. Would we finally feel lucky then?

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What do you think of our instant gratification society? Am I just an old lady complaining? Or is their actually some evidence for this behavior?

Picture Monday: Self Portrait

Today's Picture Monday is taking a different approach. I normally just pick a category and show off my photography skills (at least in my mind). However, I did not even take the pictures for today.

Lately I've been making a routine out of going to the gym, something I haven't done since my freshman year of college, and even then I was just tagging along with my roommate. Still, I have gone through spurts of fitness enthusiasm only to have my motivation fade away with the change of seasons, or a new tv show starting...whichever.

Almost every day in the locker room there is someone changing and as I don't check out females, I politely avert my eyes. Well the other day a girl about my age was changing right in front of the doorway and hard to avoid. Although I didn't get a long look at her, I saw enough that made me totally jealous. She had a smoking, toned, and perfectly tanned body. And it hit me, that's what I'm working to attain.

Less than a month from now LL3 and I are going to VA Beach for Memorial Day weekend. I have to be beach ready and not a lot of time to do it in. So to self motivate I decided to do the unthinkable. Not sure if you've guessed it but it involves posting pictures of myself on the internet with my bikini on. So without further ado, this is how I look now (try and ignore the pasty white skin).





My plan is to post another picture before or around the time of my trip so I better have something to show for it or risk public embarrassment. Will this work? I don't know, but it's worth a try!

The Other Man

I have to let you in on the other man in my life. You may have seen his cameos in some of my pictures and I was remiss not bring him up, because he is truly important. Meet Sterling.

Isn't he gorgeous? He likes lounging on the end of my bed, where he has left a little circle of fur. He also enjoys destroying my blinds, turning on my stove, and locking me out of my apartment, and yes all of those things actually happened. Despite the love I show him, including allowing him to drink water out of the shower, he still tries to escape every time I enter or leave my apartment. Even with his little quirks, I couldn't picture my life without him.

Sterling is not my first cat, but after two pet deaths, he is literally more like my son than my pet. And those of you who are not cat people, I swear he would change your mind. He is super affectionate, as soon as people enter the apartment he lays on his back begging you to pet him. He is not afraid of people and you know how they say curiosity killed the cat? Well Sterling is oblivious to that idea.

I think he'd also make a pretty good boyfriend, because his first thought every morning? It's me. He always wants to sleep next to me and as soon as I wake up he gives me kisses on my lips. Yeah, rough cat lips aren't the most comfortable thing in the world.

He has his faults, but what guy doesn't? All I know is Sterling is loyal as hell so I know no matter how much time I spend with other guys, I can always go home to him and he'll forgive me for being away so long. Check out that innocent face (definitely a ruse).



Do you have/had a pet you can't live without?

Blog Swap: LilySpeak

I entered my first Blog Swap for the 20 something bloggers. I'm pretty sure I didn't even know what a Blog Swap was, but it's pretty self explanatory. Lucky me I got partnered with the lovely Lily Speak and I'm loving her blog. She is honest and to the point and I'm glad to have her as a new blog friend.
While I slacked off in writing my post, beacause hi, I didn't even remember that I had to check back to find out who my partner was. But I crunched late last night and got it in just in time. She has written a very relevant post for us twenty somethings, something I have pondered a lot as I go through this quarterlife crisis. I'm sure you can all relate to her feelings. So thank you to Lily and I hope you enjoy it.

You can read my Blog Swap post here

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Where are we supposed to be right now?

As a (two weeks shy of) 26-year old woman, this question rears its unnecessary and ugly head from time to time, when I suddenly believe I'm supposed to know the answer to that.

I always realize that I really don't have to answer that because there is no right answer - of course - but occasionally, when face-to-face with other women in the same shoes (Converse sneakers, in my case), I find myself subconsciously taking stock of my career choice, my living situation, my relationship status and wondering if I'm where I'm supposed to be right now.

This came up again last night over dinner with my girlfriends. Typically, when they talk wedding plans, household repair projects, and joint bank accounts, I thank my lucky stars that these aren't concerns of mine right now. I do have to admit, however, that I did feel a tinge of jealousy when they all admitted to active sex lives that included getting laid 5+ times a week. Ok, THAT was nice when it was true for me as well...

Anyway, I have some amazing women in my life: my younger sister, my three roommates, and 5 solid girlfriends spanning high school, college and beyond. However, of these nine women, I'm the only single one. Seriously. They're varying degrees of long-term relationships, engagements, and a couple are already married.

Taking stock of other adult mile-markers, my friends and I are split about 50/50 between those of us that rent and those of us that own our homes. I'm a very happy renter. When the dishwasher breaks, I call the landlord. When the plumber comes, I don't pay a dime of those repairs. This, I like.

As for careers, they vary; my best friend is 26 and is a Very Important Person in her PR firm. Another friend is a Fancy Pants Decision Maker for a major bank. My little sister is a tenured elementary school teacher with a Master's degree already. I'm a cube monkey in the marketing/advertising field.

So where am I supposed to be? At 26, am I supposed to be buying a house with my boyfriend/fiance/husband, working my way up a corporate ladder? Sometimes it feels like that's what's expected, but I've never really been one to follow the "practical" route.

Instead, I'm the zany one indulging whims of card-making, wine-tastings and weekend trips, of a tiny bit of disposable income that I can spend on funky makeup and new sneakers because I am not indebted to a bank for a mortgage, and holding a decent job that keeps me from 8-5 - no earlier, no later - leaving me time for such hobbies as yoga, blogging, and drinking beer on my back porch with my kickass roommates (and their boyfriends).

So where, at (two weeks shy of) 26 am I supposed to be?

Right here.

Picture Monday: Let Them Eat Cake

I had nothing planned for today's Picture Monday, mainly because I've been trying to take care of some other blogging business. But I did plan on making a cake this past weekend and well got pushed back today. See Saturday was the Cherry and White Game at Temple University. While I don't go there anymore, LL3 and I are big fans of the football team so it only made sense to check out their scrimmage game and see the new recruits in action. I am also trying to practice my cake decorating for future endeavors and practice makes perfect. Here is my actual step by step Cherry and White cake!

While I've started a new from-scratch baking kick, for these purposes I used a box:

My decorating supplies:

After 30 minutes my cake is done.

I prepared my blank canvas:

Let the real decorating begin, it's really about the framework:

My first border was way too tight, exhibit the messy:

I got it right after that first side though:

I was trying to use all the tips and I used 3 to make the flowers (I love making leaves).

Check out how much I did...but still not complete.

Gotta have the notorious Temple "T"

A football inspired cake would not be complete without:

TADA! How does it look?

Looks god enough to eat to me! YUM.


My creation didn't last long, but I have the pictures to prove it now.