Wednesday, September 26, 2012

things that make you go ugh..

Okay, I really need to be more consistent with my blogging. It's kind of a problem.

Today Jeff Foxworthy has inspired me. Yes, the "you might be a redneck" king.
He does a segment during several of his shows called "things that make you go ew". I'm changing it to ugh for the purpose of this not being a gross post.

1. Amateur "Photographers". Just because you have an iPhone and Instagram does not mean you are a photographer. Just because you can push a button on a camera does not mean you are a photographer. Photography is an artform. I am not a photographer and I never claimed to be, just like I never claimed to be an artist. I guess with the ease of creating a Facebook page for a business comes a bunch of quacks.

2. Getting called the wrong name after introducing myself. This happens at work ALL the time. I have to say "(name of company), this is Samantha" when I answer the phone. Getting "Hi, Lisa" or "Hi, Amanda" in return really ticks me off.

3. Driving in Memphis. We were named the worst drivers in TN. I believe it. What should be a 15 minute drive to work takes 45 minutes because people have NO IDEA how to drive. There are always cars broken down in the middle of the road or crashes or people on their phones not paying a bit of attention.

4. Political posts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Newsflash: Nobody cares who you're voting for. My opinion is not going to sway anyone else's vote so why post about it? I was taught when I was young to never talk about politics, religion, or abortion with others. These are too sensitive of topics to bring up with people you barely know or don't know at all.

5. Inconsiderate neighbors. I live in an apartment. I hope I never have to live in one again. Thank God I live on the top floor or else things would be a lot worse. My downstairs neighbors think it's cool to have parties at midnight on a Tuesday. Hey old farts, it's time for bed. Some of us actually work. And another thing, don't mess with my dog. Little Bristol mostly keeps to herself when she's outside. She does her business and then wants to come back in. When I'm walking back up the stairs with her, what makes you think it's a good idea to bark at her? How old are we? 2? Even my 3 year old cousin knows not to mess with strange animals.

6. Bad customer service. I am an avid online shopper. It's just way too convenient not to partake in but occassionally you get a lemon of a store. I ordered a necklace from veryjane.com on July 31. After contacting the shop about not receiving it on August 28, I was told it was on it's way. It finally arrived to me the first week of September, complete with a broken chain and 13 beads broken off. Needless to say, I had a few choice words with the seller and was told I would receive a prepaid envelope to return the necklace and she would send me a new one. I have still not received the envelope and have given up hope with this one. $20 down the drain. On the flipside of bad customer service, you sometimes get excellent customer service out of it. I ordered a Tennessee Vols sweatshirt from a store online and they sent me the wrong one. I contacted them that day saying I received the wrong item and they got back to me within 12 hours. I simply filled out the return form on the packing slip, sent it back with the prepaid sticker provided, and received the correct sweatshirt 3 days later. I wish that would magically happen with my necklace.

Does anyone else have any pet peeves?
Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

if I could write a letter to me..

I've seen a TON of these posts lately and I think it's a really cool idea. I'm going to write a letter to my 17-year old self. stay tuned.


Dear 17-year old, senior in high school, freshman in college Samantha,

I wish this was real and my 23-year old self could actually tell you all these things. It would save you from a lot of heartache and stress. Let's start with your love life.
That boyfriend you had in high school that you thought you would marry..yeah, you won't. You'll actually break up with him on Valentine's Day during your freshman year at UT. It actually won't hurt as bad as you think it will. It's for the best. I promise. He's a loser with a capital L and has done absolutely nothing with his life.
You remember that guy, your best guy friend who has wanted to date you for 3 years? You date him for a year. It was really hard being 5 1/2 hours away from him and you both were not mature enough to handle the distance. This one absolutely breaks you. He tries to get back together with you the entire summer after and you just don't have it.
You go back to school for your junior year and meet a guy who will end up proposing to you after a year and a half. You think it's exactly what you want but it's not. You break off the engagement after 3 months and have the time of your life for a month before you move back home.
You move back home and the first thing you want to do is see the one that broke you. This time it has a happy ending. He is 22 hours away but you are both mature and ready to handle the adjustment. You two are engaged and getting married very soon.
Let's bounce back to school. You start your freshman year at UT not knowing anyone. You decide not to join a sorority or an athletic team and just focus on your studies. You never had to study in high school but by God, you need to study now. Those late night movies and classes you slept through lead you to lose your HOPE scholarship after just one year. You decide to rush the next fall and that is one of the best decisions you ever make. These girls quickly become your best friends and motivate you to be a better person. Your grades are AWESOME this year but that one bad grade from before keeps you from getting your scholarship back. Moving into your sorority apartments is great for your social life, not so much for your academics. It's way too easy to sit and watch Real Housewives with your sisters instead of walking 25 minutes to class. Your senior year is stress on stress on stress but you get through it and you come out with a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing. Didn't see that one coming, did you? You were set on being a teacher but it just isn't the right thing for you.
You'll struggle to find a job & actually work retail again for a little over a month. You'll go back to the credit union until you land a full time job your good ole neighbor told you about. It's absolutely not what you want to do but it allows you to move out of Bartlett and into your own apartment with your puppy. (Yes, you have a puppy named Bristol.)
All things considered, you're happy and that's really all that matters. I don't have all the answers of course. I mean, I'm only 23. Check back with me in another 23 years and maybe I'll be able to tell you a lot more about life. It's been real. Love you! (P.S. Never drink hunch punch. It's NEVER a good idea. You'll thank me, I promise.)

Monday, September 10, 2012

hello, fall. i've been waiting on you.

Today is full of random thoughts. My head is completely spinning so I thought I'd share :]

1. I'M ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!!!!! I went to visit John in CT on August 31 for Labor Day weekend and he asked me to marry him..at 4 in the morning on Saturday..no makeup..pajamas..watching tv. It was the most perfect proposal ever. No frills or fancy food. Just us. I couldn't have asked for anything better.
2. Building on #1, we're getting married the end of November/early December. We're not sure when he'll be graduating from A School yet. We're just going to go to the courthouse and have a party/reception after :]
3. Work is stressing me out. It's always something at this place. In the 10 months I've been here, I've been handed responsibility after responsibility and it can be a bit overwhelming.
4. My little Bristol is perfect as usual. She has really become clingy to me and she's starting to get separation anxiety. I bought her a Thundershirt originally for her fear of thunder but it also helps with anxiety. I don't know how it works but it sure calms her down. I would highly recommend it.
5. Can we take a sec to talk about this gorgeous weather?? Fall is my favorite season by far. My Vols are playing some great football, Pumpkin Spice Lattes are back, my apartment is full of almond biscotti and pumpkin patch candles, and I can turn off the air and open the windows. It's amazing. I can't wait for the leaves to start changing.
6. My air compressor in my car went out for the second time in 3 years. My daddy was definitely not happy but thankfully it was not my fault. $860 later, my air conditioning works again :] Thanks, Daddy!

Have a great week everyone!