Worst Week Ever (Next Week Will be Better!)

I'm not exaggerating, this was one of the worst weeks I've ever endured. I mean honestly, I never thought that I would let myself be so affected by someone's words. If you know me well, you know that I'm a sensitive person to begin with. I almost always know when you're joking around with me versus when you're being real with me.

The reason I say this is because I had a person in authority (a tenured teacher in the Education Department, specifically) tell me, through email no less, exactly what she thinks of me. I have her for two classes in a row, and I have been struggling a little bit with the first class. I knew I needed help, so I e-mailed her asking if there is anything I can do to help redeem my grade, and if she had any advice for me that would help me out. She said,

• you are unprofessional
• you are careless
• you don't listen
• you are unorganized
• you will get fired once you are hired for a job and your boss sees how unprofessional you are

I mean, what am I supposed to think of that? It's not like I'm not here e-mailing you, asking for help or anything! It's not like you don't have me for another class (which I have an "A" in, by the way) and haven't seen me succeed. I mean, there is nothing in this e-mail whatsoever that was caring or constructive in the slightest. I know that I definitely have had some shortcomings in this class, I know that I could've given more effort if I had really, really wanted to at times...But how does that justify her in telling me that I am basically worthless in the Education field and that I should give up while I'm ahead??? If I wasn't meant for a career in teaching, then somebody should've given me that snippet of advice a hell of a lot sooner than the semester before my final internship.

I know that I'm no honor student. But I stayed up all night one night slaving over a paper for her class because I knew that she was going to be hard on me. I made it perfect. It was golden. And what did I get for it? A note that said, "Unacceptable" and "Follow directions" when the directions were followed to exact specifications. I don't know what I can do to give me a good grade in that class except bust my butt and hope that she thinks it's good enough for her.

Many thanks to the friends who had to listen to me cry off and on all week, even though I didn't really tell many of you. It was such a painful ordeal that I didn't really want to rehash the story over and over again, so in some cases, I just didn't tell it. I mostly tried to keep to myself this week, I had a lot of deep reflective thinking to do. I mean, you can't be told something like that from a professor in authority and not take it to heart. This has really shaken me to the core, and it will probably take me awhile to recover from it. But I am determined to have a better week next week.

By the way, that teacher is retiring next semester. If only I had been so lucky.

Spring Forward

I have to admit, as much as I hate that I lost an hour, I really am quite fond of the time change. So we're about a month early, it does seem a bit weird. However, I couldn't be happier about the fair weather and the extra hours of daylight! We're beginning what is my absolute favorite time of year...pretty weather, fresh air, sunlight, spring break, and my birthday. Hooray!

I'm definitely ready for Spring Break. Yeah, I'll be working, but it is going to be way nice not to have to go to school for a whole week. Last week was CRAZY. Everyday was: "Get up. Class. Work-out. Go to work. Go to class. Go to meeting. Do homework. Go to bed. Start over." Every day! I'm hoping that this week will be less hectic.

Even though life has been crazy lately, I'm trying to find time to sit back and really enjoy it. Pretty soon this phase of my life will be over, I'll have a real job and real responsibilities. Well, I have real responsibilities now, but you know what I mean. I look back at High School and think, "Wow, I didn't know how good I had it." I was just thinking, one day I'll be rushing around doing stuff and I know I'll stop and think back to college and think the same thing.

Busy and Burning Calories

I thought I was busy when I worked out at Dry Gulch. Well I was, but now I'm a different kind of busy. An "I'm focused on this work because I will be doing it for the rest of my life" kind of busy.

I went to bed at 9:00pm last night, which is unheard of for me. I woke up at 7:00am to go to my internship. It sounds early, until you think about how many hours of sleep I actually got: 10!!
Losing weight is hard. Dieting makes me grumpy, so I don't. I have just been making better choices on my food, eating smaller portions, and I've given up pop for awhile. So since I'm not really dieting, I've greatly increased my exercise regimen. I've made it my goal to burn at least 500 calories per day through exercise. That burns 3500 calories per week, which is exactly 1 pound of body fat burned in all. It takes at least an hour of cardio (for me) to burn 500 calories, and by the end of the week I've only lost a pound?!? Oh well, that's 3500 calories of exercise more than before. Besides, I can already tell a difference in my body and how I feel. Maybe inches go before it shows up on the scale.

I was so active in High School. I was thinking about it the other day. When I got to college, it was like I just stopped being active, almost altogether! I guess it just took me 3 years to wakeup and realize that, yes, I am now significantly overweight, at least for my body frame. So now, even though it's tough, I'm going to lose the weight, once and for all!
My internship is going great! I love the school, the kids, and the teacher. It's a fourth grade classroom, and I'm really comfortable with the material and subject matter. Plus, the kids are getting into literature that I really enjoyed, both then and now. It makes me wonder...do I want to teach fourth grade? Hmm...

Saturday night, Sarah, Juliet, and I took Lilli out to Tsunami Sushi to celebrate her 21st. It was so fun, I really had a great time, and I'm pretty sure Lilli did too! Those three girls mean so much to me, and it was nice to have me, Sarah, and Juliet together again. Lilli was such a nice addition to the trio, she fit right in! I can't wait until the four of us can go and hang out again.

I know it's still 9 weeks away, but I'm already getting a little sad about the semester ending. I really love this internship, my room at school, and Tahlequah in general. It's going to be so weird to move home again...

A Day in the Life of a Thrifty Agent

(These are real-life phone calls we receive everyday. This list is compiled by Katie Shoemaker, Rick Poindexter, and Lacey Maybee)

CUSTOMER: Hello! I want to rent a car, but first I want you to know...


a. that I'm using cash

b. that I'm 18.

c. I want to pick up in Miami and drop in L.A.

d. I want to pay for it now.

e. I want to pay for it, but my daughter's going to rent it and I won't be with her. AND she's stranded and has no way to get home.

f. I need a ride from my house!

g. I am completely freaking insane.

h. I would like a specific car, and I want it guaranteed.

i. I don't know what days or times I want to go, just give me a price.

j. My parents are old...so you tell me which type of car they would like.

k. I've been on hold for the las 30 minutes and I don't want you to transfer me again.

l. I am going to say my telephone number really fast so you don't understand me.

m. I'm old and dumb. I don't really understand anything that you say, so I need you to repeat everything 3 times.

n. I'm going to hang up on you.

o. I'M GOING TO SCREAM AT YOU.

p. Even though I got a better quote from Budget, I am still going to sit here in dumb disbelief
and try to make you feel like an idiot. Even though I should just call Budget and leave you alone.

q. I should get a discount for being a complete idiot!

r. I rent here all the time and I've never had them withdraw a hold. Is that new?

s. Well I've dropped off there before...how do ya'll expect to run a business if ya can't let your
customers do a one-way?!

t. They gave me a confirmation number, but I didn't think that it was important so I didn't write it down.

u. i dum. sorry

v. I would like to pick up in Orlando, Orlando FL, that is MCO.

w. YA'LL GOT ANY HUMMERS???

x. I would like to speak with the location, I just spoke with them. I would like to speak to Sarah Brown, she works at the location.

y. What's a Chrysler Sea-breeze? Or "What's a Kia Real?"

z. "BDG475." I take it you're a Bluechip member.

- "I get the same car every week. They know me at the location."

-"Is this the same as Dollar?"

-"Is that quote in dollars or pesos?"

-"I would like for my 17 year-old to drive."

-"I got my driver's license suspended for a DUI. Can I still rent a car?"

- TSR: "D as in David..."
CUSTOMER: "You mean 'D as in Delta.' You should use the phoenetic alphabet."
TSR: "Ok..."

- (inarticulate screaming)

- CUSTOMER: "I didn't get to pick up my car today, but now I want to rebook for tomorrow. I also would like to change locations, and I want the exact same rate."

- "Why can't I have the number to the location?"

-"What's the point of reserving the car if you can't guarantee the type?!"

-"I'm blind and want to rent a car."

-"Can I sell the Thrifty car for crack and split it with you?"

-"I ran into a house with your car and I don't have insurance."


Feel free to add any of your own. The world is too small for this many idiots...

The Saga Continues

I'm seriously trying to go to bed right now.

I just started another blog--like I needed another one. It's http://makerofshoes.blogspot.com, just in case you wanted to check it out. But why would you need to, since you are reading the exact same thing here. (Xanga? MySpace? Facebook?) When did the internet become so impersonal? ;-)

I don't want to get myself in trouble here, but I feel as if my loyalty to my company is waning more and more by the day. Stupid corporate. I hate how the world is run by super-rich, global tycoons dead-set on pinching every last bit of money that they can. Can we not just keep American jobs in the U.S.? Correct me if I'm wrong, but Dollar Thrifty prides themselves on being an "American" company, based in the heartland. I can't bring myself to terms with the fact that some jackass can sleep at night knowing that 250 people are going to be out of jobs just so that his multi-million dollar company can save a little bit of green. I'll tell you what it really means, more money in his pocket. Yeah, that's right...little old "Ebenezer Dollar Thrifty Tycoon" has no problem cheating 250 useful employees out of their jobs--most of whom could never even dream of seeing the amount of money that he makes in one year. It's not like we're rolling in the green, for the love of the lord.

I'm just sick of dealing with it. And then today I find out that 21 paid time-off hours that I earned during the overtime incentive can't even be redeemed until after May 1st. I just don't get it.

Oh well. At least it's a job. I just hope that I can keep it before my job gets handed to some guy over in the Phillipines, who, coincidentally is probably named "Bob" or "George" or some other generic American name.

Or at least that's how he'll be trained to answer the phone.

Valentine's Day

"Valentine's Day is a day invented by greeting card companies to make people feel like crap." -- Joel Barish, c/o "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"

Have a happy Valentine's Day.