My two cents and five cent bottle deposit

I shared this with a fellow PR colleague, who then sent it onto someone who is blogging about the beer summit. Thought I’d put in my two cents:

I think the whole scene was not about diffusing racial profiling opinions. True, there was discussion on the subject, but ultimately, Americans and the press were more concerned with the types of beer the men drank and the silver bowls that held the beer pretzels. This leads me to think that the beer summit was more of a PR stunt than anything (and I hate using the word “stunt”). With Pew Research showing a drop in Obama’s job approval rating by 7 percent (according to the Times), Obama’s public relations gurus knew they needed to do something to instill more into the citizen image of the man who is to give the nation “hope”. (These are not completely telling statistics in my view, since the AP also said Obama’s approval rating jumped up 11 percent among minorities just prior to the summit). I voted for Obama, but I think that this type of summit may not have been the most prudent use of press time. Any old day, a handful of men can sit around brews and discuss an issue, but it’s best to actually make sure the issue’s message rings out clear, not the fact that Obama chose Bud Light and Biden had a non-alcoholic brew. I think more reactions came from the national beer brewers than any other group, wishing more of the chosen beer had been American-made. But if Crowley wanted Blue Moon, why should he choose anything else? If I am at an event and I would like a glass of Moscato that is made in Italy and not from the local Iowa wineries, why should I choose otherwise? It's too much celebrity concern and not enough about the issues. But props to Obama for trying something and at least getting out there.

Scrambled brains and bands

I woke up, on my own, far too early, considering my alarm clock was already set for an unreasonably premature waking hour. I’m thinking this needs to desist; it’s not very good for my 9-hour work day. My current iPod playlist likely doesn’t help, switching from Fall Out Boy’s “Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying” to Mozart’s Piano Sonata #15 in C. It feels my neuroticism, too. Haha.

Anyway, I am excited for the concert on Sunday, called River Riot, in Council Bluffs that my roommate, Erin, and I are going to. Featured bands are Blink 182, Fall Out Boy and Panic! At the Disco, all of whom I love. I am also going to the Iowa State Fair on Saturday after I take my practice LSAT. Should be a fun experience and great people-watching, if nothing else. Today is the opening day of the fair, and it’s sure to be sweltering as most opening days seem to be without avail. As always, the fair is bound to “bring out the best” of Iowa, with mullets on both sexes, too-tight tube tops, unnecessary skin revealing … I think you get my point. So many fried foods on a stick, too, including Twinkies, Snickers bars, and pineapple. There’s a reason that Smash, a Des Moines shirt company, introduced a new tee last year that said: “I went to the Iowa State Fair and all I got was type 2 diabetes. It’s not the place to go if you’re concerned with your caloric intake, but they did introduce a “salad-on-a-stick” at the fair last year; I doubt that went over well.

Hot days and birthdays

At work today, I went to the Iowa State Fair before it began to deliver hymn songbooks to the First Church for the annual Hymn Sing my internship company, GuideOne Insurance, sponsors. I am sooooo excited for the fair to begin, especially for the people-watching.

Tonight is also my friend, Pat's, 22nd birthday party. I expect a good time. My roommate, Erin's, friend, Libby, came into town, and we're all getting dressed up to have fun. Anyway, best get going to have fun :) I have to go pick up another friend, Randi, from work so that we can start the festivities :)

Testing (and) the waters

This morning, I got up semi-early for a Saturday and walked to the library to take a practice LSAT test. While this was not the most fun experience ever, I managed to increase my previous practice scores by about 5 points :) I hope I continue to see an improvement for the next six weeks until I actually take the exam on September 26. That's when one 4-hour test will determine my law school future.

Last night, I went on a walk with a good friend, Randi, twice around Gray's Lake. It's always great to get out in the fresh air and talk to another person about things that are on your mind, especially when they can relate to you and your weird "girliness". I am also going back to Gray's later on today (when it's not so flipping hot outside) to paddleboat. This is one of the few times this summer I have actually gone out and enjoyed the summer this year, so I am grateful for the weather and comraderie.

I am also considering possibilities for vacations in the next year or so. With law school approaching next year, I have realized that if I don't travel in the next 9 months or so, I likely won't for a long time unless I study abroad the summer after my 1L year. Thus, I applied for my passport on Tuesday and cannot wait to book a ticket for an adventure! I am not impulsive and rarely have made it out of the Midwest (in fact, I have never been out of the country), and I thought in the past that traveling was an expense I could afford not to partake in. I now have realized that I do not want to be bitter that I have not gone anywhere 20 or 30 years from now, so my upcoming, yet-to-be-determined travel plans I am now considering investments in myself. And I am excited!!!

On that note, I will go back to watching "Trailer Park Boys", a crude "guilty pleasure" Canadian TV show that I was introduced to a few months back.

Out of focus

This morning, I woke up and got ready for work, not really concentrating on anything in particular. Get to work, and I’m instantly drained, despite the constant intake of Diet Dew and coffee. Want proof? Already this morning, I have spilled yogurt on myself, forgot my car keys/umbrella/work badge and made three separate trips in the rain from my garage back to my apartment.

After my emotional roller coaster from my boyfriend leaving the states for a year to LSAT pressure to work and my upcoming senior year, my life is not easily set in focus. Wouldn’t it be nice if your mind worked like a well-tuned camera, going macro to micro and zoom at the simple twist of a lens or press of a button? Not to mention the cameras with auto-focus. Hell, I want to be a camera. Things are made so much clearer and simpler, and you see reality from whatever angle you choose.

In lieu of this idea, I need to focus more on the things I need to accomplish right now instead of worrying about things in a year or a month or even three weeks. I need to stop worrying about things I have no control over, and start taking over the parts of my life I can control. This started with me standing up to my mother and applying for my passport on Tuesday. I am going to live my life and be happy with it. Derrick once told me that he lives his life so that at the end of each day, he can say that if he died that day, he would be happy with his life and his day. I need to make an effort to do the same.

Here’s to focus, to clarity and to the proper development of me as a person.

The day after our independence

So, the 5th of July ... not as enticing as the 4th. Yesterday was a lot of fun ... I played "grill master" for 5 hours, enjoyed some delicious burgers and drinks (on my list of new interests include: Sparks energy beer, Jagermeister and Lo-Carb Monster, amaretto and Diet Coke).

I also got to see some fireworks, which were less than impressive, but fireworks nonetheless.

Today was spent buying donuts for people already going to breakfast (my bad apparently), studying for logic games on the LSAT (just a month and a half away -- ahh!) and catching up with friends online.

Tomorrow it's back to work, as usual.

Running on caffiene and ambition

So this morning, there I was, running on 2.5 hours of sleep and caffiene that was too hot to be sipped. I have an unexpected drug study appointment today, thus the early morning work. I am so tired and I have to power clean tonight, so energy drinks may be in order. Good thing I am going to coffee around 5 p.m. tonight with a friend so that I can continue my caffiene intake (of which I may need an I.V. drip).

I suppose this is what I should come to expect for law school - living off of caffiene, ambition and grocery store specials. Maybe I should invest in an espresso machine or, if nothing else, a carton of 5-hour energy shots (I may need to try one of those for the first time today).

My boyfriend had me scared last night. He told me that he was traveling six hours to visit friends from high school in Missouri. I thought he was hinting at visiting ex-girlfriends for the "final goodbye" (if you know what I mean) before he leaves for a vacation in Guam and then a year stay in South Korea to teach English to sixth graders (God help those poor children and his grammar). The truth is that I was thinking of the wrong school in Missouri, so my worries were just paranoia or something of that nature.

Well, best get going ... coffee is ready for consumption!