Haves and Have Nots

So, as I hang around still looking for a job and disregarding much of the world around me, I have a few things I want to speak up about.

Haves:

I am not one of those people that will openly praise one brand over another. Most of the time, I couldn't care less. One of my pet peeves are those commercials that openly bash on another company... it makes me HATE you and not want to buy your product, as if I would have in the first place. I think me buying something should depend on how creative your commercial is, and slamming someones else's hard work is not creative. Anyways, despite all this I want to give a shout out to this dish soap. "Dish soap? Really? This is what your life has come to?" I know this is what you are thinking. Yes, really. I got this soap at the dollar store because it was a dollar and smelled great even in the bottle. Can i suggest to the redolence center of your mind the greatness that was experienced while doing dishes. It was like a permanent lime snowcone to my senses. Delight!!

Have Nots:

Refinishing furniture. Or refinishing anything really. People who do this for fun end up on my crazy list right next to people who wax their legs. How is this fun?!

I refinished a chair that had been sitting in my room for years with a pile of potential upholstery fabrics on it. It sucked. I guess people who do this for fun have better tools than I do (i.e. two hands and some steel wool.) What a crock!

Oh Boy!

I don't think I can even catch up for the summer. Way too much happened and was awesome. But I have plenty of time on my hands now, so its time...

"What has brought me to this place?"

1- I passed my RN boards!

2- I spent a week in Idaho being a private nurse.

3- I got my first nursing job!

4- I quit my first nursing job!

5- I am slowly looking for another job and waiting for my body to return to normalcy after graveyard shifts destroyed it.

But now I wonder: "Where is this post going?"

Answer: Nowhere. And so I am done, but hope to be back soon.

What's in a name?

This morning I woke up and began reading Anne of Green Gables. In it is a very talkative little girl, who if she doesn't like the name of something she imagines a new name for it. For some reason this set me off- names. The book was written by M. Montgomery. So I started to wonder: if i were an author would I use my real name or a pseudonym? What makes a person use a pseudonym? Is it fear of pride? Do they not want their next door neighbor know they are an incredibly famous author that has sold millions of copies and been on the NYTimes bestseller list dozens of times? But then if you do author under your real name, is it because you do want the glory? It all became very confusing in this morning's light.

I decided if I wrote a book, my author name would be Dana Lee. It is half pseudonym and half real name. My name. Well, that is a story all in itself. When I was born, my name was Amber Lee Dana. (But that only came after I wasn't born on my due date of Dec. 25th and had the name Holly Noel. That is a kid's worst nightmare right there.) So for the first three months of life, I went by Amber. Meanwhile, I have a cousin named Rickey. My grandpa didn't like that because its a boy's name. So, after three months of this other name, my mom decided I wasn't an Amber but a Randi and my name was changed. The picture of the name change: my birth certificate says Amber crossed out and Randi typed in above it. How official does that look? And so I joined the boy's name club. (Recently I found out my mom had an ex-boyfriend named Randy. I don't think I feel good about that.)

However, to throw into the mix is the fact that my last name is Dana. A first name. So, I am forever going by either Randi or Dana because nobody can get it right. (Except when have you ever seen Randi as a last name? I don't get the confusion.) At least my new pseudonym would carry on the confusing tradition.

Randi. Once i read up on my name in a book my sister has. It tells all about names based on the first three letters in the name. So there I was listed with Randal (a nickname of mine, but don't even get me started on hiding behind nicknames too.) Anyways, the book was right on!! Scarily accurate. Randi I am meant to be. However, this is a secret fear of mine... with a first name of Randi, I feel I can never go to England. How can I approach someone and say, "Hi, I'm Randi"? Its never gonna work out. Farewell London trip of my dreams. UNLESS!! I use my new pseudonym!!

U.E.P.Y.

So, I realize I suck at the whole blogging thing. Lets be real. It should be left to those creative types. But here is a little catch up action:

<- my class minus Chuck.

I did it. Graduated and survived. But now the real question is how long can survival persist? It seems to be indefinitely. I have moved home. Home to a house that doesn't have room for me. My mom likes to always celebrate national pack rat day (May 17th.) And now my days are filled with pseudo-studying for my national boards test, wedding planning (not for myself) and a newly acquired habit of water aerobics.

U.E.P.Y. are the top letters that stand out in UNEMPLOYED. Oddly enough, I have been unemployed for over a year (since I counted nursing school as a full time position.) But in the two weeks since graduation, I have felt the weight of that word pressing on the space around me more than seems nice. And I have had it thrown in my face more than once. I liked the respect of being a nursing student. And everyone seemed okay with me not working. Its all changed in a very short amount of time. I miss school, I think.

This Too Shall Pass

Good Work OK Go! I love the creativity and can only pray that I can be on an awesome domino effect team someday too.

Cracked Up

You would think that entering the last week of my professional undergrad career, I would have something demanding and pressing to be doing. But alas. I can't imagine what I should be doing... I am sure it is not what I am doing. NOT watching the last disc of How I Met Your Mother season 4. I said that is what I am NOT doing! NOT!! Okay, I am. But I am not sad about it. I feel that its okay. A night off, if you will. A night off from the incessant stress that has been plaguing my life.
Remember all those dreams of growing up and graduating from college and being extremely successful that you had when you where a kid? What happened to those!? Too bad parents are trained to build up you hopes and dreams. If they weren't I am convinced they would tell you how life really is. And that truth is: graduating sucks. It seriously isn't what it's cracked up to be. I am just hoping my coping mechanisms don't fail me and I blank out for what is one of the most important days of my life, or so says my parents.

New York State of Mind

So, I created a blog. Then once I did, I had nothing to say. For my first post I wanted something GREAT or life altering, but honestly, nothing is happening. So, rather than hanging around, waiting for life to get awesome, you get the run of the mill.

Life is always in a state of change. Serious change. I am graduating from college in 3 weeks. Do I have a plan? Not exactly. Unless hanging around in my pj's for weeks while I study for my boards and applying for any job I find counts. School is really all I know. And I am good at it. Really good at it. So the thought of leaving it behind... kinda just makes me want to pee my pants.

3 of my friends are getting married, not to mention my brother. 2 friends went on vacation this week. 1 went on her first date in years. 1 just broke up with her boy. And I just read a blog about a best friend's dog that made me cry (well, tears were brimming which I count as crying since it doesn't happen often.) Life is always in a state of change.

So, how do I feel about all this. Pretty good, I think (minus the moments when I check if my pants are wet.) I am ready to take change, look it in the eyes and do whatever it takes to be a grown up... i guess.