Cell phones are all the rage, and having the best looking phone with the most features seems to be a status symbol. Although I do appreciate my cell phone for emergency situations, I think that the use of cell phones in general in public is a very rude trend. In case you haven’t noticed just about everywhere you go, you hear someone ringing. These are not just normal rings either; they range from classical tunes to popular music songs. Most are very obtrusive, and most people don’t even have the common sense to shut them off when they are at a show or in a meeting.

I have noticed that lately more and more establishments are putting up signs asking people to turn off their cell phones or at least to not use them while they are receiving service at a window. I think that they should not have to tell people not to do this. People should realize that carrying on two conversations at one time is just a rude practice and should be avoided at all costs. Doctor’s offices, hospitals, and even pharmacies have put up these signs and even when you go to shows there are reminders to shut your phones off. I don’t want to watch a movie while listening to someone talk on their cell phone, if you don’t have time to go to the movies because you are so important then please just stay at home. I can see if you are in the grocery store and need to call home and check on something, but don’t do your entire grocery shopping while carrying on an entire conversation on your blue tooth, this is just rude. I think some people do it to seem like they are more important than they really are. If your life is running you to the point where you can’t be away from the phone for a few minutes to get some of life’s tasks taken care of, then you really need to take a look at that. For the most part, I just think that people don’t realize how rude it is to be waiting on someone and have them paying you no attention at all.

Take yesterday for instance, I was at the bank and this guy came in. He was on his cell phone when he entered the bank. No, we are not an establishment that has signs posted about cell phones, so we just have to deal with it. As he stood online he continued to talk and continued talking as he approached my window, he smiled and mouthed hello, so as not to let the person on the line know that he was carrying on another conversation. He handed me his 4 transactions and I began processing them. One check he had forgotten to sign, so I had to wave the pen in his face and point to the check so he could sign it. He was receiving back $2000.00 in cash, so I wanted to ask him how he wanted it, but I couldn’t, as now I am left feeling like if I interrupt his conversation then I am being rude. I count out his money, which I put mostly in large bills. Then he counts it, still on the phone and actively talking, and starts waving two one hundred dollar bills in my face which I go ahead and cash out for him. Then he mouths the words thank you at me and off he goes. How Rude!

Posted by Kate on Saturday, May 10, 2008 @ 10:23 AM

Did you ever stop to help the homeless? Did you ever read their sign and stop and give them a few dollars? Did you ever wonder what they were going to do with the money you did give them?

Well recently Josh and I began working with a local church group to try and help the homeless population in our community. I thought it was not only a really good way to get involved with a local church, but also a good way to give back to our community. As I have told you, Josh and I are truly blessed, we have each other and some money put away, my job pays well and is going really well and his is also. Well, I really felt it was time to find a way to help others and this is a wonderful group.

We get together at the church on Sunday around 3 o’clock and begin preparing out Sunday meal for the homeless. We usually try to make a one pot meal, as it is easier to serve to the masses and covers all of the basic food groups. We sometimes make stew, chili, or soup. It is a great group activity and we are making some nice friend through this bonding experience.

Anyway, going out and helping feed the people who are homeless gives you an opportunity to really get to know them as people. I think I am gaining a much better perspective on the homeless because of this initiative. I never really understood why people were homeless, now I am gaining a better understanding. Many of the people we deal with are transient, but there are some who stay in our town. There is one man in particular that I have grown quite attached to over the past few weeks. His name is Joe and he is an older black man. He fought in Vietnam, and after he returned home from the war he said it was awful. He has excruciating pain that he visits the VA hospital for Morphine every week, even as he lives homeless on the streets. The man has shown me his gut as he has been totally ripped apart from his war injuries, it is really quite gruesome. He has problems with his leg and walks with a limp. He has a street companion, her name is Sara, she is a white girl about 25, overweight and she has been on the streets since she was about 15 or so she says. The one thing about homeless people is you can’t always be sure what they tell you is accurate or true, so you just must function on your basic instincts. Sara and Joe travel around together and take care of each other. Josh and I have really grown attached to these two and decided to give them a few hundred dollars to try to help them get back on their feet. Well, our next visit downtown revealed something that just astonished me. Joe and Sara had rented a hotel room with the money we gave them, and Sara had bought herself a new purse. That is right…I said a new purse? I just could not get over how these people could just blow the money we gave them, and then I realized that they were really on the street, because they had no idea how to manage money or their lives. It made me think about ways we could really help the homeless.

I think that it would be much better to implement a system of education for these people to help them get on their feet themselves. Much more effective than just throwing money at them would be to teach them the steps they could take to get out of this situation on their own. I think in the future, I would like to try and put together a program like this for the homeless. I am not upset about the money that I gave this people, as for me it was just another lesson learned.

Posted by Kate on Monday, April 28, 2008 @ 9:17 PM

Tonight I was driving home from work, it was almost dark, and I was driving down the highway, and to my surprise I saw walking across the grassy median of this road two men carrying a little child heading toward the busy highway. I was of course concerned as this was an odd thing to see, and it was quite cold out, so I was wondering if they needed help. I stopped on the left shoulder, and the two young men explained to me that they were at a gas station up on top of the hill when they saw a car go off the road and roll down the embankment. They ran over to see if they could help and as they did this woman was carrying this child and when they took the little girl from her, she dropped to the ground. They were in need of help. I held the little girl and tried to comfort her and the boys showed me where the woman was. By this time, many other people had stopped and someone who stopped right after me had called 911. It was very cold and I took off my jacket and laid it over the woman and other concerned citizens did the same. We reassured the woman that her child was okay and told her not to move, someone had brought over a flashlight and the woman was complaining that her head hurt. I told some of the other bystanders that I was taking the child to sit in the car until help arrived. I was trying to keep her warm. She said that nothing hurt and she was relatively calm. Then help arrived, if you could call it that.

The paramedics came and whisked the child away from me, and she immediately started crying, they were very abrupt in checking her out. When they had taken the child they wouldn’t let me near her, so I went to see how her mother was doing. When I got over there, the paramedics were shinning a flashlight in the woman’s eyes as they were looking her over. She kept asking them to stop, but they didn’t listen. She said that it was hurting her eyes, but they just kept on with how they were doing things. I tried to cover her eyes, and all the bystanders who had been there were told by the police to go. They were extremely rude and uncaring, not only to the patients but to the people who had tried to help them as well. I was really surprised at their attitudes, almost like leave me alone, I can’t really be bothered with you, I am not a people person.

Well, it took a little while, but I was finally given clearance to get my coat back, as were others, and we talked amongst ourselves for a few minutes about the night’s events. We all said that we hoped they would be okay, and we were glad that we could help. We all however, were also in agreement that the police and paramedics were down right rude and were truly in need of an attitude adjustment.

Posted by Kate on Saturday, April 26, 2008 @ 9:24 PM

I am really glad that the weather is finally starting to turn nice. I am really not a cold weather person, and I have never understood people that are. I would much prefer to be dying in 100 degree weather than to be freezing at 10 below. I don't like skiing (well not snow skiing, but water skiing is a lot of fun). I am not really sure why people have a preference to one or the other. Some people actually like the cold weather; however this is really hard for me to understand. I love the beach, the sun and the waves at the ocean. I love the way it feels when the sun beats down on me and warms my skin.

My idea of a perfect vacation is a trip to Cancun, Mexico or to the Bahamas or Bermuda. I love to just bake in the sun and play in the water. I think there is nothing more wonderful than watching sunset on the beach, or having an oceanfront room and listening to the waves crashing on the shore all night long.

About 2 year ago, I took a trip to Myrtle Beach in February, which you would not think would be a good time to go. It was awesome however. It was warm enough to go down by the shore and get your feet wet. We did not go completely in the water on this trip, but it was comfortable enough weather to wear your swimsuit and a sweatshirt and walk along the beach.

The great thing about going to places like this in the off season is that it is not a zoo. It is a nice, relaxing, slow paced environment in which you can kick back and just enjoy. No crowds or heavy traffic. No waiting for a table at the best restaurants and best of all the hotels are rather empty which means you don't have to worry about disturbing your neighbors or about them disturbing you. Well, maybe that is not the best thing, as the truly best thing is the price. You can get cheap flights and awesome accommodations for about half the price on the off season.

It is a little difficult to predict the weather, but if you have a flexible schedule, you can make your reservations after you check on weather.com for the month long forecast. It is not an exact science, but during the off season, most hotels are not fully booked even if you only reserve a room the day before your trip, you will probably get to stay where you want and still for the cheaper rate. This is a method I use a lot when I travel, well except at spring break, but at spring break you expect it to be a zoo, that is what you are planning for.

I am mostly the quiet vacation type looking for a nice relaxing way to spend time with my family. The teenage spring break thing has been replaced with a more grown up idea of a vacation, at least for me.

Posted by Kate on Friday, April 11, 2008 @ 1:51 PM

I am working on a surprise getaway for Josh and I. I have already arranged for the time off from work, and have arranged for him to have time off from his job as well. I need a really romantic vacation. We have both been working so hard to try and save money. I really want to take him to Bermuda. I hear that Bermuda is beautiful and we both love the sun and sand, so I think this would be perfect for us. I have checked out several of the hotels and they offer some incredible deals. My absolute favorite, which is supposed to be a five star resort is the Pink Beach Club and Cottages.

These cottages are just beautiful and the sit over looking the beach (which by the way has pink sand instead of white). The rooms are set up with four poster beds and are beautifully decorated. The people of Bermuda travel using bikes and motor scooters and buses. I know Josh would really get a kick out of riding all around Bermuda on motor scooters.

I have looked into Bermuda, and although somewhat touristy, the towns are filled with the people and shops of this incredible place. A friend of mine went here a few years back with her father, and said that they saw some of the most breathtaking views that she had ever seen. She said it is really hard to believe that the water there is the Atlantic Ocean. She has been to the Atlantic Ocean on the East Coast of the US and said that the water there is so much cleaner and bluer, she really doesn’t know how one side of it can be so clean and the other side so dirty.

I know this will be such an incredible experience for Josh and I. I have heard that the people of Bermuda play drums on the beaches and the air and nightlife are filled with reggae music. What an incredible trip it will be!

So far I have booked us some cheap flights, but I want to check further into other hotels in the area before I make a reservation. It can be difficult to find accommodations in another country. I mean all you can really go by is what they say and the pictures they show. The internet although a great resource for information, is not always accurate. I know I must be careful, but I have gotten some information about resorts from a local travel agent as well. I definitely want the best accommodations for the money and a few of the extras. Like for instance the resort I was just telling you about, the Pink Beach Club Cottages, they offer in room spa treatments. What a great way for us to spoil ourselves on our holidays! And I like the fact that they are done in the room because I know that there is no way that Josh would be seen in public, even in a foreign country, getting a spa treatment. It just wouldn’t happen.

Posted by Kate on Monday, April 07, 2008 @ 8:46 PM

I absolutely love my job. I love dealing with the money and the people and everything. This week, the head teller quit unexpectedly and so they had to move the senior teller up to her position, and guess what? They want me to train under her for the senior teller position. Not only a promotion, but a raise too! I know that I will be able to do this, but I worry a little about the reaction of the older employees with more seniority than me. I hope that this will not affect my relationship with them. I really think that if I work really hard, and treat them with respect I can make this work. I just don't want to step on anyone's toes. I mean right now we have a really great working relationship and I just don't want to mess that up. They seem to like me and we all get along really well, we even go to breakfast together at a local place every Friday morning. It is a little ritual we created to keep us going through our long days on Fridays. It is our busiest and latest day, so it is kind of a way of rewarding ourselves for our hard work at the beginning of the day. Occasionally, we go out after work, but this Friday tradition has been a great way to bond together as friends and co-workers and dig our heels in for the day ahead.

I love making my own money, and with my expenses being so minimal, living with my parents and all, it has been easy to put aside a really nice chunk of money and still get a few nice goodies for myself and my boyfriend. I have even acquired a few credit cards for myself. Just last week I got a credit card from a local jewelry store and bought this incredible ring for my boyfriend. It is a gold ring with black onyx and has his initial on it with a diamond. I know that he will flip when I give it to him for his birthday. To be honest with you, I really can't wait to see his face. I love giving gifts and with my new found financial freedom, it really makes it nice to be able to afford to spend a little more. I know better than to go crazy, I mean I am still a planner and am really looking forward to our future together.

I know that he wants to marry me, but I am just not sure that would be the best thing right now. Last week I went to a baby shower for one of my friends I graduated with. She is way pregnant and will be marrying the baby's father after she has the kid. I just can't envision being at that point in my life yet. I am not quite ready to be a wife and mother yet. I would like to live a little and experience a little more of my life first. I love Josh, but I just am not ready to move to the next phase yet. He is a great guy, but there is a lot I need to do for myself before I get to that place.

Posted by Kate on Wednesday, April 02, 2008 @ 7:17 AM

Working with the public is not always the easiest of jobs. You must always have a good attitude and try to smile through even the rudest people. I try to keep a smile on my face, but sometimes it is difficult. Some people are so rude and over the smallest of problems, it sometimes gets to me. I mean I have to wonder if some people were just so badly mistreated as children that they don't even know how to be nice and polite to others. I grew up in a relatively normal environment and sometimes have difficulty understanding these people. This is one of the reasons that I try not to sit in judgment of others.

I think that too many people, especially those with a strong religious background, tend to be judgmental over others and their actions. It is something that I have thought long and hard about. I really think that the only person who can pass judgment on us is God himself. I think that as other human beings, we all have our flaws. Only God can truly tell what we hold in our hearts and minds. Also, God is the only one who can really assess where we came from and what we have had to over come to get to the place that we are at. I think that it is his job alone to judge us and our actions, not the job of other imperfect beings.

For instance, if you took two children both relatively similar to each other, and you raised one in a beautiful home with loving parents and all their needs met and the other one was stuck in a closet until they were 8, then wouldn't you expect that their outcomes and attitudes might be different? If you think about it that way, wouldn't you be more able to except that the child from the closet has less chance of success than the child from a good family, with loving parents? Let's say now both children are grown and they each murder someone for an Ipod. Would you not think that this behavior, no matter how awful, could have been a result of 8 years in a closet? And on the other hand, if a person who was locked in a closet with no love and support for 8 years can turn it around and become a decent human being and a productive member of society, would you not give that person more credit? I guess I try to think that no matter how a person behaves I don't know where they have come from or what they have been through, therefore, above all else I must treat them with kindness, love and understanding. We can't see the person's past, or the love they were given or denied, but perhaps with kindness, we can change their attitude toward one of love.

I wish more people were in sync with this philosophy, however, at the end of the day, it is truly my behavior that I am accountable for, and no one else's.

Posted by Kate on Tuesday, April 01, 2008 @ 8:42 PM

When I was at work yesterday, I met this fascinating lady. This woman is at least 70 years old (perhaps even older than that) and a widow. Well, if you have ever dealt with the public, then you know how older people love to talk. It was pretty slow at work, so I stood at the teller window and chatted with her for a few minutes. She proceeded to tell me that she just went back to school. I told her that was great, and asked her what she was going for. She told me she was going back to school for archeology. I couldn't believe that out of all the things she could be going to school for, archeology is what she was studying. I don't think that I had ever met anyone who was in school to become an archeologist. It was hard to believe that she would be going on digs and stuff at her age, but her smile was so bright; that I honestly knew that she had chosen the right field.

I just hope that when I get older, I have her drive. I think it is incredible, that instead of thinking that her life was coming to a close, this woman was grabbing life by the horns and making a new beginning so late in life. It just goes to show that you can do anything that you set your mind to. A motivation for us younger people who may be still dragging our feet through life.

Posted by Kate on Saturday, March 08, 2008 @ 9:45 PM

I just got my first real job about 6 months ago. I got a job as a bank teller and I really love it. Now they are putting me through school at night, so that is a real plus. My family didn't have tuition money for me to go to college, and unfortunately my grades weren't the kind that earn a scholarship. When I was in high school I was working at the local mall as a clerk at a card store. I got a promotion relatively quickly, and became an assistant manager. They couldn't offer me all the hours I wanted, so I went looking around and found a teller position at a local bank. During the interview they told me about their tuition assistance program and that made me want this job even more. Now I am working during the day and going to school at night. I just started off with a few classes in banking and finance to see how I liked it. So far so good. Not a bad deal for a 19 year old. I hope to continue and advance with this company and make this my career. Banking offers a lot of different avenues everything from loans and mortgages to being a branch manager, or even higher up executive. The opportunities right now seem endless, and I am making some great friends both at my job and at NIU.

These days there are not too many good opportunities for people without a career. I don't want to be one of those people who just keep working and getting .25 raises every year for the rest of my life. Many people are finding that if they don't have a career, they can not get ahead in this society. They barely make ends meet, and can't even afford to take a vacation. I want a nice house and kids and when my kids get older I want to be able to pay for them to go to college. I have a boyfriend and we are pretty serious, but I have told him that I don't want to get married and have kids too soon. I want us to wait and save and be really secure before we start a family. I think that he would like to get married sooner rather than later, I will keep you posted on that one. In any case, we are both still living at home with our parents, and I think that this is the best way to keep saving. Once we move in together, we will have all those additional living expenses to shoulder, and that means less money we can put aside. Well, I am hoping that my career will take off; so far I think that things are going pretty well and my 6 month review was excellent. In my review, they told me that they are going to start cross training me for a customer service position. I think this job is what I have been looking for.

Posted by Kate on Wednesday, March 05, 2008 @ 9:42 PM