Brief notes...
1. Want a true glimpse of Central Illinois local color? This weekend, TLC's What Not to Wear would like to introduce you to Ed, a 37 year old who works at a "large company outside Chicago". A good two to three hours outside but that's just details to Clinton, Stacy, and pretty much anyone from outside the Midwest. Anyways, here are airtimes for anyone who is interested.
2. Go Illini! I can't let a day go by without that. This area hasn't had a sports team to be proud of in so long, and I can't get enough of it. The team seems to be jelling at the right time -- keep your fingers crossed for no injuries and some luck!
3. Hiatus is going well so far. Got through an exam, did some more unpacking, having open houses for the old place, putting in the overtime so work isn't crazy. Once the stress level gets dialed down a bit, I hope to be back to posting a few times a week at least. In the meantime, there are great sites to peruse in the blogroll at right. Thanks for stopping by!
Random thoughts on life, faith and current events, direct to you from a twenty-something conservative chick deep in the cornfields of Central Illinois
Friday, February 25, 2005
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
First True Hiatus
I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. Well perhaps not that much...because I don't really have much time for it. Basically in the past few weeks, I have had to take stock of my priorities...because time is in such short supply for me that I can hardly keep my eyes open. Here's what's important to me right now, in no particular order
Where does blogging fall? Unfortunately, right now it's after everything on this list. I really do enjoy my blog, but I am a perfectionist. I hate making posts that I don't consider high-quality, and I am too tired to produce that kind of material right now. I don't have time to fully understand all the ramifications of recent developments in the Middle East or the new Social Security proposals, and those are some of the few political topics I have an interest in at the moment.
Hence, my first true announced blogging hiatus. While I don't want to close up shop here at Illinigirl, I cannot commit to posting regularly at this point in time. I've tried to keep up some semblance of regularity since November or so, but it's not working. At least for the next couple months, I will only be posting when I feel inspired. (Hopefully about Illinois's long run into the NCAA tournament if there is any justice in this world). I will keep reading my usual blogs and possibly commenting, and I look forward to rejoining the blogging community in an official fashion sometime soon.
(I am hoping for this to be a relatively short hiatus though, so I'd appreciate anyone who has pity on a busy girl and doesn't remove any links to my lazy blog quite yet. For what it's worth!)
I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. Well perhaps not that much...because I don't really have much time for it. Basically in the past few weeks, I have had to take stock of my priorities...because time is in such short supply for me that I can hardly keep my eyes open. Here's what's important to me right now, in no particular order
- Work: Extremely busy and extremely frustrating lately. I could put in 50 hour weeks for the next 2 months, but life is not leaving me the time.
- Time with my husband and family: Always seems to be in short supply, need more of it
- Faith-related activities: Still has dedicated time (Sunday school, Disciples) but I am shortchanging my personal devotions
- MBA classes and homework: Keeping up with the reading and assignments, but that's about it
- Getting the house fixed up: We have a basement full of boxes that says it isn't going well. Our living room got curtains last night though, hooray!
- Selling the old condo: We have spent a ton of time on fixer-upper activities but not enough time marketing this baby. Meanwhile two mortgages loom.
- Watching Illini basketball: This is a once-in-my-young-lifetime kind of season, and one of the few things that gives me pure, unadulterated joy in my life right now. I can't stay away from it.
- Staying in contact with my friends: Not doing very well at this lately
Where does blogging fall? Unfortunately, right now it's after everything on this list. I really do enjoy my blog, but I am a perfectionist. I hate making posts that I don't consider high-quality, and I am too tired to produce that kind of material right now. I don't have time to fully understand all the ramifications of recent developments in the Middle East or the new Social Security proposals, and those are some of the few political topics I have an interest in at the moment.
Hence, my first true announced blogging hiatus. While I don't want to close up shop here at Illinigirl, I cannot commit to posting regularly at this point in time. I've tried to keep up some semblance of regularity since November or so, but it's not working. At least for the next couple months, I will only be posting when I feel inspired. (Hopefully about Illinois's long run into the NCAA tournament if there is any justice in this world). I will keep reading my usual blogs and possibly commenting, and I look forward to rejoining the blogging community in an official fashion sometime soon.
(I am hoping for this to be a relatively short hiatus though, so I'd appreciate anyone who has pity on a busy girl and doesn't remove any links to my lazy blog quite yet. For what it's worth!)
Congrats
Before I run out of here for awhile, I wanted to send out congratulations to Kevin Holtsberry on the arrival of his adorable daughter Ella Hope, and to Jeff Utech on his impending bundle of joy. And of course, my thoughts are with my old buddy Iowa Wine Guy whose bouncing baby boy is due in a few short weeks.
Hooray for babies! We love babies! (Perhaps a bit too much for a 27 year old who is not planning on having her own for approximately three more years, but that is another story for another day. Let's just say I would advise young ladies to get their masters degrees out of the way earlier before the maternal instinct kicks in.)
Before I run out of here for awhile, I wanted to send out congratulations to Kevin Holtsberry on the arrival of his adorable daughter Ella Hope, and to Jeff Utech on his impending bundle of joy. And of course, my thoughts are with my old buddy Iowa Wine Guy whose bouncing baby boy is due in a few short weeks.
Hooray for babies! We love babies! (Perhaps a bit too much for a 27 year old who is not planning on having her own for approximately three more years, but that is another story for another day. Let's just say I would advise young ladies to get their masters degrees out of the way earlier before the maternal instinct kicks in.)
Monday, February 07, 2005
That's entertainment
This is how busy our household is lately: we DVRed the Superbowl. DVR is our new toy. We pay five dollars extra to the cable company each month, and we never have to wonder where our shows are again. Of course, the little 30 hour box is approximately half-full at the moment. Whenever I get around to watching the end of the Illinois-Michigan State game, that will make a dent in things.
We did watch part of the Superbowl though. Saw a couple cute ads, but which one impressed us the most? Which ad left my thoroughly non-alcoholic hubby commenting that he wanted to run out and buy some beer? The Anheuser-Busch ad honoring following our returning troops through the airport. As Michelle Malkin puts it, "simple, elegant, inspired, and inspiring".
Michelle has up some great commentary on this ad, along with a testimonial from an airline employee at Dallas Fort Worth airport who sees this happen on a regular basis. Read about it, watch it, and crack open a Bud if you so desire. Not that we buy much unless we're entertaining, but Casa Illinigirl will be voting with its wallet and purchasing Anheuser-Busch products when possible. Kudos to their marketing execs.
(Hat tip to Spoons for the Michelle Malkin link)
This is how busy our household is lately: we DVRed the Superbowl. DVR is our new toy. We pay five dollars extra to the cable company each month, and we never have to wonder where our shows are again. Of course, the little 30 hour box is approximately half-full at the moment. Whenever I get around to watching the end of the Illinois-Michigan State game, that will make a dent in things.
We did watch part of the Superbowl though. Saw a couple cute ads, but which one impressed us the most? Which ad left my thoroughly non-alcoholic hubby commenting that he wanted to run out and buy some beer? The Anheuser-Busch ad honoring following our returning troops through the airport. As Michelle Malkin puts it, "simple, elegant, inspired, and inspiring".
Michelle has up some great commentary on this ad, along with a testimonial from an airline employee at Dallas Fort Worth airport who sees this happen on a regular basis. Read about it, watch it, and crack open a Bud if you so desire. Not that we buy much unless we're entertaining, but Casa Illinigirl will be voting with its wallet and purchasing Anheuser-Busch products when possible. Kudos to their marketing execs.
(Hat tip to Spoons for the Michelle Malkin link)
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
SOTU Slacker
Apparently I really have fallen off the political wagon, as I didn't realize that the State of the Union was tonight until I returned from class. WLS coverage on the way home was very positive. I'm hoping to record a re-reun this evening and comment later, but until then The Corner, VodkaPundit and InstaPundit have some interesting commentary.
Apparently I really have fallen off the political wagon, as I didn't realize that the State of the Union was tonight until I returned from class. WLS coverage on the way home was very positive. I'm hoping to record a re-reun this evening and comment later, but until then The Corner, VodkaPundit and InstaPundit have some interesting commentary.
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
Where do we draw the line?
Ben Kepple has up an interesting analysis over at his site on a recent news story: a company in Okemos, Michigan that fired all its employees who wouldn't quit smoking. Basically
Kind of an interesting questions, because I did a case study on an incredibly similar situation at my MBA program orientation last fall. You know what's interesting about that? Ninety percent of the students couldn't believe that a company would think about doing something like that. Perhaps these employees should just go find other employers with more libertine policies, but the whole thing just sort of creeps me out.
With sky-rocketing health care costs and the drive towards wellness at all costs, this is an important question to examine. I hate smelly co-workers and people taking "smoke breaks" fifteen minutes of every hour as much as the next guy, but where does your right to privacy intersect with you employer's right to tell you what sort of behavior is acceptable? Where will we draw the line? While today it's private corporations doing this sort of wellness compliance, it could soon be the government making decisions about whether you can ingest any nicotine or how many grams of fat you can eat each day.
(On the other hand, perhaps I'm just paranoid. Had a pretty much terrible day and I'm swamped at the moment, but thought I'd stop by and say hello. But speaking of Michigan, go Illini! Thank you for offering a bit of solace in my day. My MSU loving co-worker shall have the Illini mat out in our aisle for a good couple months!)
Ben Kepple has up an interesting analysis over at his site on a recent news story: a company in Okemos, Michigan that fired all its employees who wouldn't quit smoking. Basically
Kind of an interesting questions, because I did a case study on an incredibly similar situation at my MBA program orientation last fall. You know what's interesting about that? Ninety percent of the students couldn't believe that a company would think about doing something like that. Perhaps these employees should just go find other employers with more libertine policies, but the whole thing just sort of creeps me out.
With sky-rocketing health care costs and the drive towards wellness at all costs, this is an important question to examine. I hate smelly co-workers and people taking "smoke breaks" fifteen minutes of every hour as much as the next guy, but where does your right to privacy intersect with you employer's right to tell you what sort of behavior is acceptable? Where will we draw the line? While today it's private corporations doing this sort of wellness compliance, it could soon be the government making decisions about whether you can ingest any nicotine or how many grams of fat you can eat each day.
(On the other hand, perhaps I'm just paranoid. Had a pretty much terrible day and I'm swamped at the moment, but thought I'd stop by and say hello. But speaking of Michigan, go Illini! Thank you for offering a bit of solace in my day. My MSU loving co-worker shall have the Illini mat out in our aisle for a good couple months!)
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