On the Job

I can hardly believe it's nearly the end of my second week of work already!  Yes, I'm only working three days this week because of Memorial Day - but two weeks have almost gone by.  

It has been a great experience so far.  I am working at a chiropractic office for the doctor that my family and I have been going to since he opened his doors 11 years ago.  It's a small, very comfortable, friendly place to work - as "The Boss" says 'We are the exact opposite of a stuffy medical office.  We are here to make people feel welcome and heal them, not give them a prescription."  This attitude really creates a great, fun environment to work in.  And  - while it does tend to make scheduling appointments and work hours a little crazy - I think it is really neat that The Boss plans when the office is open around his kids baseball games, or other important activities, so that he won't miss out on them.  Many people would just say "Sorry kids, but this is when I am working."

My time has been spent in learning the ropes around the ship.  To date, I've learned how to greet and check patients in, answer the phone, schedule appointments, handle payments,straighten magazines, where the staff's private stash of butter mints is located, how to do stim and ultrasound therapies, always bring a snack with because I invariably end up starving in the middle of my time, no jeans or sandals (yeah... no one told me the dress code so second day I wore  both. ;-) ) and - my favorite yet so far - processing x-rays in complete darkness.  Really, I did enjoy it.  I was nervous I'd mess something up because there can be absolutely NO light in there, not even a light from your watch if it has one, but it was fairly straightforward and I was told I did an excellent job!

Right now there are six other staff members besides myself. I'll give them names so if I refer to them in the future you'll know who I'm talking about.  There is Mrs. Boss, office manager and - obviously - The Boss's wife.  Future Doc, he's been working there for about 2 years, and he'll be leaving in July to go to chiropractic school. Very friendly and knows the names of every single person who comes in and they all love him. Woody - because for some reason he reminds me of him - is the kid who'll be taking Future Doc's place.  Definitely a teenage boy, but nice and easy to get along with.  Dolly Parton, the lady I'll be working the most with once I finish training.  Very nice lady, really friendly, sort of looks like Dolly Parton only not as sacry-old-lady-trying-to-look-young.  I guess it's more that they have the same hair color than anything.  Anyhow, very nice lady.  Then is also Dolly's daughter, whom I only met today, so no name for her yet.  Last is the Captain, the lady who has been training me.  She's strict, particular in how things get done, but as long as you work and don't use your cell phone behind the desk she'll like you and is easy to work with.

Then of course, there are the patients themselves, but I'll save them for later when I have more stories and experiences to share.

It's Been a While....

This re-blogging start up was a bit of a fail I suppose... didn't get out too many posts before I let it drop by the wayside!  Really though, I didn't have a whole lot to talk about, I thought, and my blog had originally been created as a place to share stories of life at college and when I wasn't at college anymore I thought - what is the point?

But the itch to write things again has come back, and there have been a several times recently when I've watched or read or seen something and wished for a place to share my thoughts on it.

So here we go again!  I'm not going to say "I'm back" until I've gotten out at least 8 posts but... I'm potentially back!

Top Ten Memories of 2011

I was thinking of different ways to do an end of the year and I decided in writing up a whole summary of the year, I'd list my top ten favorite memories of 2011 with photographs and captions.

#10

NCC Sesquicentennial Homecoming -  Before I left North Central I got to be a part of the 150th Homecoming celebration. Going to the dance, helping prepare for the parade, going to all the fun events that took place.

#9

Breaking Dawn Midnight Premier - First time going to a midnight movie premier, and had a blast with all the girls on my dorm floor!

#8

Visit from my sisters - Megan and Teresa came up for a sleep over at school in the fall... this picture is a pretty good indication of the silliness that went on! A long walk, staying up late and giggling hysterically over nothing, our friend Theresa joining us later on for a trip to a mall, playing with puppies and another sleep over.

#7.

Murder Mystery - This year at ReginaCon Paul and I were asked to write up the murder mystery.  It didn't go quite as planned, but it was still so much fun to write and plan and act out... and then throwing in a surprise plot twist by dying. ^_^

#6.

"Scroogily Ever After" - At ReginaCon I had a chance to act out a skit in which The Doctor gave Regina Doman the inspiration for her Fairy Tale Novel series. I played Regina Doman alongside Paul, my friends Elena and Meg and Regina's husband Mr. Andrew. ^_^

#5.

Swing Dance at ReginaCon - Spent some great times with wonderful friends, lots of laughter and dancing and great memories... particularly dancing with a certain young man.

#4.

The Shadow of the Bear Movie Premier - Getting to see the product of the hard work put into this fan film, selling tickets, going out for pizza with cast members and friends and getting lost in the parking garage and then downtown Minneapolis at midnight or 1 in the morning.

 #3.

Visit from Paul in August - our first time getting to see each other as girlfriend and boyfriend... getting teased by my siblings, going up to the lake house for the weekend, going on our first date, so many wonderful memories.

#2.

Visiting Paul in Rhode Island - Spending a whole week with my boyfriend, and especially the day this picture was taken.  Monday is our weekly anniversary, so he took me to see the ocean for my first time, we went out to dinner, exchanged our Christmas gifts and had a beautiful time... and got nearly blown into the ocean as we were taking this picture. ^_^

#1

My favorite memory of 2011... the day I got a letter in the mail, from a certain young man named Paul, asking me if I would consider being his girlfriend.  I'd liked him for so long, and very recently realized I'd fallen in love with him, and somehow, he'd fallen in love with me too and that day he made my dreams come true. <3

A toast to all the wonderful memories of 2011... and may 2012 be just as wonderful.

Farewell, until we meet again

Dear NCC,

Well, we've officially broken off our relationship with each other.  I wish I could say that it was an easy break-up, but honestly it hurt to leave you.  It was your fault you know, but I don't blame you for being more expensive than I can handle right now.

I just wanted to know that the time I spent you seriously rocked.  Really, last year was awesome.  I had a great time living in Peter and Paul and getting to know some of the most amazing people in Naperville.  We had some fun times... movie nights with a bunch of people crowded in the small rooms, holding raids on rooms (like the time a group of us dragged most of Maddy and Monique's things out into the hallway), dance parties in the laundry room/lounge in the basement, having a big movie night in Ali's room the night of the blizzard before heading out to go to the park in the middle of a white out, creating random dance videos... and many more great times.

The stuff I did outside of dorm life was pretty awesome as well.  Getting to help out with "The Phantom of the Opera" in the fall and "Elephant's Graveyard" in the spring, working in admissions for winter term with my super cool admissions buddies, working for events like the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and The Vienna Boys Choir, getting to be part of the College Scholars program and meeting all the wonderful people involved with it (especially Professor Hamalis) and going to events like the retreat, free dinners at the nice restaurants in town and the winter chocolate party.

We even had a bit of a summer romance... I saw you a couple of times a week while I worked in admissions, gave tours and tried to persuade people to come to school here as we died in the heat.  And the summer mailing... I think it was 19,000 envelopes that we labeled and stuffed.  It was insane, but so much fun.

This year you weren't as kind to me with the scheduling, I was more stressed out than last year, but we still had a good time.  Living on Seybert 3rd at North End *North End!* with the awesome people from Peter and Paul and other places that we'd dragged in to live with us.  Going to see Breaking Dawn at midnight, running up and down the halls and getting yelled at by 2nd floor, attending the Sesquicentennial Homecoming festivities... I have some very good memories of those times.

But for every thing there is a season, a time for every purpose under the sun.  We just weren't meant to be together any longer, and so our paths have parted.  I don't hold it against you, and I hope we can still be friends.  I do plan on visiting you very often.  As for what lies in my future now... I'm not really that sure, but looking back over my brief past with you, I can say with certainty that you played a large part in shaping who I am today and I will always remember you with great fondness.  Who knows, maybe we'll get back together again some day. Even if we don't, you'll always be the school I love.

Sincerely yours,
Amanda

Once Upon a Time there was a Grimm...

Now matter how old you are, you're never too old for fairy tales.  Re-writes of fairy tales as novels, modern twists on classic favorites, live action movies... fairy tales never lose their wonder or appeal.  And this fall, fairy tale lovers, you are in luck, because on TV there is not just one but two fairy tale inspired shows for you to enjoy.

Crime shows are probably one of the most popular genera of tv shows out there.  Grimm feeds into that genre, but Nick Burkhardt isn't your ordinary cop and, as the show's tagline reads, these villains aren't your ordinary suspects.

NBC's new television drama Grimm taps into both the crime and the fairy tale worlds.  Nick, the main character, discovers when his elderly aunt comes to visit, that he is the last of the Grimms. The Grimms are, it turns out, hunters.  Hunters of supernatural creatures who threaten the world.  The fairy tales written by the Brothers Grimm aren't just innocent tales to entertain listeners, they are veiled warnings about the monsters that are out there.

Each episode parallels a different tale - such as "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Goldilocks and the Three Bears".  Living up to their name and the threatening premise, these modern adaptions are anything but innocent fairy tales.  It is part crime show, and with that does come some very intense scenes and a bit of violence and blood.

The main cast is done very well, and you get the feel of Nick's struggle as he tries to deal with and uphold his family legacy, while keeping it from his best friend and partner Hank and his girlfriend Juliette.  Nick isn't totally alone in his adventures, when things with supernatural creatures get a little tense, Nick calls up his reluctant sidekick Eddie - a reformed "big bad wolf" - who not only adds insight into the supernatural, but some pretty hilarious moments to lighten the mood as well.

Overall, while younger viewers may use caution when deciding whether or not to watch, older fans of fairy tales and cop stories will enjoy the suspense and action that is Grimm.

I'm new to the world of television shows, and while I've discovered many entertaining and very enjoyable shows this fall, the crown jewel of them all is Once Upon a Time.

ABC's Once Upon a Time (OUaT)  has closer ties to fairy tales then does Grimm.  You see, the character's lives don't just parallel fairy tale characters, they are fairy tale characters.  The main cast? Snow White, Prince Charming, an Evil Queen, Rumpelstiltskin, a Huntsman, a young boy named Henry who is the son of Emma... the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming.  The premise?  On Snow White and Prince Charming's wedding, the Evil Queen cast a curse upon the couple and everyone in attendance.  They would lose everything they held dear and would be doomed to a world where the only happy ending was the Queen's.  Seeking the aid of Rumpelstiltskin, Snow White and Prince Charming discover that their unborn daughter is the only way they can be saved from the curse.  The evening their daughter is born, the Queen casts her curse and sends everyone to the world with no happy endings: our world.

There is nothing to dislike about this show.  The characters are amazingly well developed and each has an intriguing back story that is told through flashbacks throughout the episodes.  Each person, even the most minor of characters, is well developed and completely believable.  The costumes are gorgeous and very well designed (with the possible exception of the Queen's guard...).  The plot lines of each episode are engrossing and leave your jaw hanging at the end, each time, without fail.  The soundtrack is fantastic as well, and really adds to the drama.

Having a 10 year old boy as a main character and the very close connections to the fairy-tales keeps this show clean and one that can be appreciated by younger viewers as well.  So if you love fairy tales and you love good stories and characters, do yourself a favor and begin with Once Upon a Time.