Archive for the ‘General Information’ Category

  • 24 Jan

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    Woot! More Blogs for me to Ignore!

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    So I’ve actually been spending a lot of time with my blog lately, though you wouldn’t necessarily know it… To begin with you can see that this isn’t the same theme that was up here on my last post (sorry Evan Eckard… it really was a nice theme!). I’m easily bored and distracted by the “look n’ feel” of my blog so I’ve been playing around. Hopefully this theme will be here for awhile.

    I’m also taking a class this semester on Social Media as it relates to business. I didn’t realize it but this is actually something I’m pretty interested in, and as one of the assignments and my new quasi-un-imposed hobby I started a blog to talk about my thoughts on the matter. Visit http://jen583a.wordpress.com/ and you can also follow me on a separate Twitter account: http://twitter.com/techtalking/.

    Finally, my lovely and charming friend Twanda mentioned a new “thing” wandering the blog-o-sphere: Project 365. The idea is you take a photo every day for a year. I’ve created a new blog for this endeavor: http://www.jenreally.com/365photos/. And yes, I realize that I post rarely so this may not really happen every day but I’m working on it…

    I have lots to talk about related to work and school. And even a few things to say about life and the new year. Sadly I have more ideas than time, at least for now, so I’m not promising a stunning revival of sharing. But you know, that’s what RSS is for. So stay tuned and we’ll see what’s coming!

  • 20 Jul

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    Long Days

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    I’m going to skip the guilt for not posting this time. For the record I did post, and a pretty good one at that, about a month ago. But seeing as it dealt with work, and in a pretty negative way, I decided it was neither the time nor place (yeah, censorship!) and took it down after about 15 minutes.

    Which actually ties nicely into my gloomy post for this evening. I’ve noted several times of the past few months that this year sucks. At first I thought it was just me feeling sorry for myself for turning 30, but there’s a lot more to it than that. Aside from work troubles I’ve been sick three times this year. The family dog unexpectedly got sick and died, and two weeks the neighbors dog died- surprisingly painful events both. And yes, I realize the world doesn’t revolve around me: a friend of my brothers drowned on July 4th weekend; another friend’s mother is in a coma after falling down the stairs. I have friends who’ve been in car accidents and another who had a family member commit suicide. I know several people without jobs, many buckling under the strain. Under the circumstances I’m delighted my family has only lost a dog (I know that sounds sick, but it’s true).

    I do believe that life ebbs and flows and I suspect humans have had a pretty good time of it lately. One has to make it through the bad times to enjoy the good. I’m trying to remember that I can appreciate the good anytime: I have a good job making decent money; a nice house; great friends and family; my health. And this too, shall pass. In the meantime I’ll struggle through an uninspired workday, hug my brother extra hard, take pleasure in fun evenings with friends, pet my terribly needy cat and be grateful for all of it. It’s also so fleeting.

    Sorry for the gloom. I’ll try to be a little more perky next time…

  • 18 Mar

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    Something to Look Forward To

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    So to preface this post, I’ve had a little to drink tonight. And I think there’s some rule about don’t drink and post but I’m FAR too wise to listen to such silliness.

    Went out with some friends this evening. It’s so nice what a little alcohol and some good company can do with an evening. Anyway, among our ridiculous suggestive comments, stupid ideas, happy/dirty/forgotten memories and frustrated work stories was a discussion on travel.

    Now these are some of the same people I went to NYC with this past New Years and we had a great time. What’s more, we traveled well together (I thought. Wait, you don’t agree? … Huh. Awkward.), so it seems like something we’d want to try again. Our next plan is for Las Vegas (potentially over the 4th of July) and beyond that, the NC mountains sometime this fall. These wouldn’t be long trips necessarily, but they’re already such a nice thought out there on the horizon (a happy dent in my crappy work/school life) that I can’t help looking forward to it, even without any real details to attach to the idea.

    But speaking of trips and details, I’ll be heading to NYC again in less than a month. My best friend from high school, the man who swore he would never marry, is getting married. Congratulations, Mr. Darcy.
    I’m trying to drag one of my friends along for moral support and to distract me. It will, after all, be just shortly after the big 3-0 and I feel there may be a little self-pity involved, something I’d like to avoid. It’s an odd trip- no real plans, aside from the wedding, and quite possibly I’ll be by myself, just me a million other people.

    So stay tuned for my travel stories. Also, just bought me a Mac Mini and already the masses are curious about how it’s working (it was just shipped! Give me a few days!) so I’ll post about that soon. Well, “soon”.

    P.S. If you’re reading this post and thinking: “That spoiled baby is traveling and buying Mac Mini’s and all kinds of stuff!”, you are right, I am a spoiled baby. A spoiled baby who did an itemized federal tax refund.

  • 27 Feb

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    Hey you!

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    Welcome! I’ve moved.

    In July of 2005 I started a blog on Google’s Blogger site. I generally ignored it an occasionally jumped on to share a few random (and mostly silly) thoughts. Somehow I managed to stick with it, however marginally, for more than three years.
    I’ve recently decided to get own domain (it was LONG overdue) and I naturally turned to WordPress to make my blog super-fantastically awesome. And here you are.

    Who know, maybe I’ll actually post more now…

  • 25 Sep

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    101 Posts

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    I missed it at the time but “Poli-ticked Off” was post number 100. I can’t believe I’ve been doing this for so long- or that I’ve managed to stay on this one blog the whole time. It’s very amusing, and somewhat depressing, to read my old posts. I’m not really sure how far I’ve come, but it is kind of nice to have a record of the path. So happy 101. Thanks for reading!

    In other news I dropped my fall class today. Work continues to be very busy; our CIO has big plans which sadly seem to require large amounts of work from my unit. Doing school work, and completing my “incomplete” from my summer class, was just too much. I’m kind of ridiculously excited to be free so I definetely think it’s the right thing to do. It’s putting me way behind on my master’s program though.

    Preseason hockey has begun (Go Canes!) and it was a lovely 64 degrees today, though rainy. NC State beat ECU in football last weekend, I’ve already bought my Halloween costume and the new season of “The Office” premieres tonight. I love fall!

  • 20 Jul

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    10 Things I Learned on Vacation

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    1. Wisconsin is huge.
    2. Contrary to popular belief, one can go two whole weeks without a phone, email, web browsing, TV, etc. It’s true.
    3. Cheezees (aka: Cheesy Poofs, Cheetos, etc.) are the perfect vacation food (unless you’re 4 and get queasy while riding up a twisty mountain road…)
    4. I do not sleep well in the car.
    5. The water in Canada is cold, but it really does feel good when you get in. Honest!
    6. Chicago has traffic jams. At 2:30. AM. On Sunday morning.
    7. Apparently I can spend 17 days with my family and not want to kill them.
    8. Mosquito’s suck. A LOT.
    9. Strawberry muffins are fabulous (at least those from the bakery in Nestor Fall, Ontario- there’s only one– you can’t miss it really).
    10. Dog hair sticks to everything.

    Had a great time. Also glad to be back, or at least glad to NOT be in a car.

  • 11 Mar

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    The mean reds

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    It’s 11:45pm. Not that late really but since I’ve been trying to fall asleep for almost an hour the time has gone by agonizingly slowly. I’ve read, had the TV on, TV off, played mind-numbing games on my cell phone, and lain in the dark thinking of soft sandy beaches. I’ve tried thinking of nothing. It’s all been spectacularly unsuccessful.

    I’m thinking about work, and all the stuff I haven’t done. Thinking about school, and all the stuff I haven’t done. Thinking about my pregnant cousin and all her crazy stress, thinking about my office NCAA tournament pool that I’ve done nothing to prepare for, thinking about my weight and the fact that I gained three pounds last week in NY (despite being sick while I was away- not the best trip ever), thinking about the fact that I’m supposed to get up and go to the gym in, uh… less than five hours.

    And those are the not-so-dark-and-depressing thoughts. Somehow all the stupid little things I have to worry about seem to be a catalyst for the big concerns that can usually be ignored. The combined mass is, well, it’s keeping me awake for one thing. I can’t shut off my brain. I feel like I need to take a giant step back from everything. And wasn’t my vacation supposed to help me do that? Damn it!

    I hate to post this sappy, whiny crap and I’m pretty sure I have a rule against posting this late at night for just this reason. Now I need to re-read this tomorrow to make sure it doesn’t say anything too stupid. Great– something else to do.

  • 14 Feb

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    Be mine!

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    Oh good it’s that Hallmark-hyped holiday again. Sweet Valentine’s Day, how do I hate thee? Let me count the ways…

    1. Months of candy and hearts to remind us the day is coming
    2. The mass of crappy romantic movies on every channel for the entire week
    3. The kind inquiries by friends who suddenly remember you’re single
    4. The rude inquiries by creepy people who suddenly remember you’re single
    5. The wondering if you’ll still be single this time next year

    I could keep going but you might think I’m bitter and depressed so I won’t. Happy Valentine’s Day everyone.

  • 23 Jan

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    More people have read your shirt than my blog

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    I’ve had several blog-related discussions in the past week. A couple of people informed me that they’re reading my blog or have asked for the URL so they can (Hey HyperWife! Safe trip home, Mr. Darcy!). I don’t know if blogs are back “in” or what, but I think that brings my readership to five!

    I also had a discussion with a friend, let’s call him Viddy, about how lame and silly and self-absorbed blogs are. The truth is, I agree with him and I’m constantly trying not to be excessively lame (I’m trying now- read my older posts at your own peril) or self-absorbed (recent “year-of-me” posts not withstanding).

    But if you’re here it’s probably because you know me and you’re (at least mildly) interested in keeping up with what I have to share. I apologize now and forever more for lame and self-absorbed posts (yeah, yeah- this is one) and I’ll try to be more interesting.

    Recent News: works sucks, I’m trying to learn to say “no” to people (don’t see ’27 Dresses’ in the theater), I’m currently starving on Weight Watchers, thinking about taking up painting as a hobby and would like to kill some reindeer (long story, not really planning to hunt animals).

  • 21 Jan

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    The Island at the Center of the World

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    Once upon a time I bought a book in my favorite little bookstore in Manhattan (The Strand, a few blocks away from Union Square). The book was about the history of the earliest settling of Manhattan, by the Dutch. I agreed to let my brother read it first and therefore have only just finished it, nine and a half months later…
    The early part of the book was a little slow. It detailed the very early history of the settlement (including the eventual city of Albany and several NYC boroughs) so it took awhile for me to get into the book. But as the city filled in and more of the names became recognizable the book became much more rewarding.

    The Dutch were very open people and a century before English settlers were fighting for fundamental freedoms, the Dutch were giving many of them- most importantly, freedom of religion and a welcoming attitude to foreigners. This early legacy helped to create an attitude that lead millions of immigrants through Ellis Island, but also helped to form our earliest declarations of freedom.


    I know I’m going on a bit- I apologize. The point is, there was a section in one of the last chapters that mentioned 9/11 and did a great job of driving home the point that the heart of this small town lay within a mile or two from where the towers fell. New York, or the New Netherlands as they were known then, was able to build a settlement free from religious persecution (almost) and open to all types of people. More than 300 years later that land was attacked by people who still didn’t get, or couldn’t accept the fundamental principles that formed New York. They weren’t attacked for their ideals in 1661 (the English took over for the trade routes) but they were in 2001.

    I’m going to NY in a few weeks and I’m hoping to go to Ellis Island and perhaps the NY City History Museum (yes, there is one). I’ll give you a review if it’s any good. Going to see ‘Wicked’ too- can’t wait!

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