Goals

Goal #1: Stop watching so much TV, and invest my time in something more meaningful (like reading and learning to be a better cook)


Reality: I love TV. Pathetic as it may be, I look forward to some of my shows (CSI, The Office, Ugly Betty, Project Runway, Gilmore Girls reruns, Heroes). I think the realistic goal is to only watch the TV I really love, and to stop watching the junk (America's Next Top Model, The Hills, etc.). I can do that.


Goal #2: Improve my housekeeping skills. Specifically, to develop a weekly schedule: clean the whole bathroom, clean the floors, clean up the yard, and change the bedding, every week.


Reality: Hard as it may be to believe, I really have gotten better about this in the last few years. I'm especially good at getting my laundry done weekly. The truth is, I'm a happier, more relaxed person in a clean environment. So that is my motivation to complete this goal.


Goal #3: Update Jeremy's and my wardrobe. Since he lost so much weight, and all my work pants have "issues," like too short, or saggy crotch, or too big.


Reality: I'll probably just pick a few pieces here and there, since the stark reality is that I can't afford the full Banana Republic/JCrew wardrobe that both Jeremy and I would love. Here we come, Old Navy.

Whoo-Hoo WaMu Friday

Washington Mutual went under yesterday, being bought out by JP Morgan Chase. I worked as a teller for WaMu for about a year and a half, and it was an okay job. It was job #2 of 4 in Pullman, and of the four, I can probably say it was the 2nd best job I had here, mostly because of the people. I love those WaMulians!

But as a result of my working there, all but one of Jeremy and my personal financial accounts are at WaMu, including checking, savings, mortgage, and a Roth-IRA. So it was a little scary when Jeremy shouted from the living room "WaMu collapsed!!" Of course we are protected, all our money is safe, and we are now JP Morgan Chase customers.

Long story short: I heart the FDIC.

The death of a theory

As you saw in my last post, I needed a hair cut in a dire way. My theory for the last couple of years is that "a haircut is a haircut, whether it costs $10 or $40."

So when I moved to Pullman, I tried Fantastic Sams (because that's where my mom always took us as kids). These places are usually franchised though, so you never really know what you're gonna get at your local "economical chain salon." I only went to the Pullman Fantastic Sams once, because I sat there the whole time thinking I was going to contract some horrible disease from dirty scissors.

The only other cheap-haircut option in Pullman is SuperCuts, which for the most part, has been pretty respectable. I never have to wait too long, and the ladies are always friendly. Plus, they sell great products and offer a "Buy 10, get 1 free" punchcard. I'd say I've been there about six times now (apparently I don't get my hair cut enough, since I've been here over four years) and have had about three good experiences.

The last two times, though, are enough to break my theory of cheap haircuts like a Michael Phelps swimming record. Every time I go, I try very hard to explain exactly what I want, and every time, I end up with something completely different. Both the ladies who've botched my hair have been very kind, and given me relatively cute haircuts. The problem is that these cute haircuts were definitely not what I asked for.

Yesterday I asked the girl to cut one inch off the longest layer of my hair, and to give my layers a very short trim, just to get rid of the dead ends. I ended up losing almost four inches of hair in some places, and I left there with a completely different shaped haircut than I wanted.

So I am officially in the market for a good hair stylist in the greater Moscow-Pullman metropolitan area - someone I can develop a relationship with, who will listen to me and actually understand what I'm asking for. I guess my days of the $10 haircut are over.

Just a few things

I don't feel like I can form cohesive paragraphs today, so I'm doing bullets.

* Yesterday I did a back handspring at cheer practice. I was scared, but it went well and made me feel young.

* The weather is GORGEOUS. I don't remember the last time it was so warm in mid-September. I love it. I'm hoping it holds until Saturday (game day).

* I made it back safely from Texas (the storm came in about 90 minutes after we left).

* My brother-in-law is okay, but his apartment in Houston still doesn't have power.

* Today I appreciate my parents more than ever, the fact that they are healthy and happy, and close to me. I'm trying to help a friend through the sudden death of her mother, which is an emotional rollercoaster.

* I need a haircut (see photo).

I don't like Ike

Hurricane Ike is headed straight for Waco, Texas, where Jeremy and I are going tomorrow. They have moved our football game from Saturday afternoon to Friday night, in the hopes that we'll get it in before the storm hits.

That's good, except it means that in one day, we have to:
- Fly to Texas
- Prepare for a football game
- Play (cheer) a football game
- Fly back to Pullman

Ugh. I think tomorrow will be 6 a.m. to 4 a.m. I CAN DO IT!

Working with college students

I have a few observations from my year of working with college-age ladies and gentlemen. I hope this post doesn't come off as negatively sexist, but I KNOW that working with my guys and girls are two very different things.

Last year, since my cheer squad was not a stunting group, it was mostly ladies, with a few guys thrown in for good measure. The dance team (obviously) is all-female. This year, on the other hand, I have a huge group. In all, I'm working with 26 ladies and 17 guys. So it's a big group.

At cheer practice, twice a week, there are 12 guys and 12 girls. If I need to do some paperwork, or distribute something, or have a conversation with one athlete, it's interesting to see what happens to the rest of the group. The ladies will drop into something productive (usually) like stretching, or rehearsing dances. The guys, on the other hand, will completely lose it and start running around like monkeys. They usually end up trying to tumble (when they don't know how) or trying to jump up to try and reach the ceiling beams.

This is not to say the guys aren't hard-working. I know they give it their all at every practice, but the attention-span is just not there! Two minutes of down time and they are no longer focused on the task at hand. This is partly my fault as coach, not keeping them in line 100% of the time at practice, but I'm learning, and I think I'm getting better about keeping the whole group on task. I just can't help but acknowledge the stark difference between Monday practices (guys and girls) and Tuesday practices (ladies only). Oftentimes, we finish early on Tuesdays because the ladies are so much more on task that we accomplish everything more quickly.

All that being said, college cheerleading would not be what it is without men involved (as we established last year). This year has come with a whole new set of challenges for me, but I am truly loving every minute of it. I was nervous about having a whole team of guys, but I really appreciate them for their hard work, and what they contribute to our team - a sense of collegiate spirit and athleticism.

Also, the girls are terrible at running those huge flags! I'm glad to say that although our football team has looked far less than stellar for the last two weeks, the cheer squad and dance team have really stepped it up this year, deserving all the praise they've been receiving. Here's to my kids for working so hard and adding an entertainment value to games that are somewhat... lackluster. Go Cougs!

When the organization slips

I can always tell how busy I am by the messiness of my desk at work. Here's how it looks today:

I used to be SO GOOD about making lists, checking off tasks, and keeping an organized workspace. And when things are less crazy, I'm still good at it. But this time of year, I tend to try to do a hundred things at once, which obviously isn't working for me.

So here's my promise to be better. I'm going to organize my desk NOW. Because I know I'll be less stressed/more calm the second I can see beyond the top of the pile. You should organize your desk too! Then we'll all feel better.