Remember December

Christmas break began on Tuesday when my boyfriend, Jason, our friend, Hugh, and I drove down to the Rogue Valley to stay with our families for the week. It has been a nice, but busy, break. Dad took me shopping so I could get my Mom some orchids for her birthday which was on the solstice. Shopping with my father is a lot like running in a race but in full clothing and clutching a purse. The man walks faster than a CEO who is late for a meeting in NYC but much sweeter:) He bought me a pair of gorgeous black boots for my birthday next month. What a great Dad!

My grandma flew up from L.A. for the holidays and noticed a five pound increase in my weight the moment she saw me. What are the holidays without a little verbal abuse? My cousin flew into Portland and came down with my sister and her boyfriend on Christmas Eve. We all opened our pajamas(tradition); mine are fuzzy and zebra striped bottoms with a purple top. Snoftness!

We woke up this morning and opened presents after rallying some late sleepers. My parents got me so many things I have been needing such as pots and pans, a vacuum, a coffeemaker, and some other little goodies. Jason gave me a Flip Video Camera which is something I have wanted for quite some time. I gave him his present which was a Playstation 3 with Arkham Asylum. He was so surprised and excited! I love making his day:)

I have already gotten to see some old friends and family as well as spend time with my puppies! Tomorrow we will go shopping for my new laptop and once I have it set up I will be uploading the videos I shot from tonight. Unfortunately while I am excited to return to Eugene with my loot what awaits me there is far from appealing. On Monday morning I will be getting my last two wisdom teeth pulled so be prepared of a lot of lame, swollen, and pathetic videos.

On another note, I am ready for 2009 to end. It truly was a horrible year. We lost a close friend, almost lost one of our dogs, paired with so many unexpected bills, trials and tribulations. The only good thing I can be optimistic about is the fact that I am here, writing a blog. Basically, I made it. Which just goes to show how resiliant we humans are. 2010 WILL be better:)

I want to thank my family and friends for a great holiday. I also want to thank Courtney in particular, for staying at our apartment and watching our kitten, Ickis, while we were away. Thanks Courtney, we love you!

Well it's time for me to get some sleep. Wish me luck on Monday! Send me lots of love! Hope you all had a wonderful week and travel safely.

~Kylie

Photos!

I love to take photos! Here are a few photos that I am not able to edit due to my laptop situation but that I really like! Take a look:

My friend Courtney on the swings near Skinners Butte Park!






And my friend Aaron and his super cute little boy, Jalan!
















I always love to hear feed back. Tell me which ones you like, and maybe why you like them. Same goes for ones that you think could've been done better. There is always room for improvement. Happy holidays everyone!

~Kylie

10 Reasons to Appreciate Your Call Center Job

Drinking: Peppermint White Mocha
Listening to: Owl City "Fireflies"
Watching: my cat run around like he is on kitty crack!

10 Reasons to Appreciate Your Call Center Job

Anyone who has ever worked in a gray cubicle of abyss has a special appreciation for shows like The Office or more on target, Office Space. We appreciate it but we are also envious, praying that a weird boss or diabolical scheme blows in the door to break up our monotonous days. Unfortunately that rarely happens. Instead we are confined to bathroom pauses and break rooms that provide bad coffee. We have headsets wrapped around our heads almost like a ball and chain tightly clamped around our ankle. I understand how difficult it can be to look on the bright side of this situation but there are a number of skills you are expanding with each and every unbearable call.

1). Oh the things you’ll learn.
My first favorite thing about working in a call center is the wealth of knowledge you pick up just from speaking to people on the phone. In a matter of minutes, and before any news station can reach me, I know there is an ice storm in Lexington, Detroit has a foot of snow, and there is a Firestone Tire in Vacaville, CA. This seems like pointless information but you never know when you will need to know how far Denver airport is from the city of Denver (10 miles!).

2). SpelChek
Airports all have three letter codes so they are easily accessible but it’s always useful to know how to spell Kahalui (airport code OGG), or Tallahassee (airport code TLH). This knowledge is also helpful when it comes to peoples names or city names. When a customer tells me her name is Carol I always ask, “is that with an ‘e’ at the end?” When a customer asks for a rental office in “Worster Mass” I used to say, “huh?” Now I know that it’s just pronounced different and that it’s spelled: Worcester, Massachusetts. The best one? Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

3). NATO phonic alphabet
Some of you may have heard people refer to letters like this: “A as in Alpha, B as in Bravo.” This is called the NATO phonic alphabet and is super helpful if you are speaking to anybody on the phone. Letters like E or C sound very similar and can be hard to decipher so this system was created to help spell things correctly over the phone . You can go with the standard “C like Charlie, D like Delta,” or you can make up new fun ones like “E as in Elephant, F as in Famous, H as in Happy.” This is useful information whether you are a pilot or some poor sap who is calling in to make a reservation for a rental car over Christmas.

4). Valuable information
Chances are when half of your customers are asking for a Dodge Charger instead of a Chevy Impala they know something you don’t. I had a customer who called in to make a reservation because his Scion was in an accident. I was (and still am) thinking about buying a new Scion so I asked him if he liked it. He detailed all the things he loved about his car with me which will come in handy when I go shopping. Same goes for car insurance, just open up your ears and the least you will get is some helpful information.

5). Fake it til you make it.
Personally, I hate that saying, but a call center is a good place to practice putting your customer service face. Honestly any customer is going to try to pull one over on you so they come out ahead which in this case means with a lower rate. They are willing to say things like “I was told this” and “I’m entitled to that” and will use tears or nasty words if they are pushed to that level. Beat them at their own game and kill them with kindness. Your future employers will love you for it.

6). Mistaken Identity
People don’t like to listen. They hear what they want to hear. So when I say “my name is Kylie, how may I help you today?” And they say, “what’s your name? Carly?” I always respond, “yes sir/ma’am what can I do for you?” If they aren’t willing to listen closer there is no point in correcting them. Plus when they get pissed off because I give them a weekly rate of $600 and ask if my name is Kimberley so they can make a complaint, I say yes. That way they will never find me again:)

7). Personal Appearance
I don’t know about everyone out there but there aren’t enough hours in the day for me to do everything that I want to do! Luckily when you are on a hands~free headset and sitting in an inconspicuous place the possibilities are endless. Pluck your eyebrows, file your nails, eat your lunch, floss your teeth, balance your check book, do some calf raises or bicep curls with a training manual etc. These are things that I wouldn’t normally “make time” for but are easily accomplished during an eight hour shift!

8). Practice your skills!
A call center job gives you the opportunity to become a wiz at crosswords, sudoku, writing, and reading. Sharpen these skills so your brain doesn’t turn into swiss cheese after 5,000 calls.

9). People watch
If your call center has windows then you are likely to be in a people watching area. This can pass the slow times very effectively.

10). The best thing about working in a call center is...tolerance.
That’s right, if you are in a call center job and you can tolerate it for a year or more you will be more prepared for your next job than any of the other applicants. Why? Because sitting on the phone day in/day out while customers scream at you has to be one of the hardest things to do. The most important thing is to keep a good attitude. I know it isn’t your dream job but being positive is the only way you will stay alive. In a single day I can get my homework done, read the newspaper, speak to someone in France, and sharpen my typing skills, all in under three minutes and 30 seconds.

Tips for Staying Warm this Winter!

Listening to: Postal Service on Pandora Radio
Watching: My kitty cat sleep next to the heater
Drinking: Tension Tamer Tea
Eating: My tongue

As every single Oregonian knows right now, IT'S COLD! With high temperatures of 30 degrees it seems to be the main thing everyone is focused on and complaining about this December. Not the economy, not finals week, but the cold air that bites at every piece of exposed flesh with razor-sharp accuracy. So what do we humans do? We cope... How? Well read on my friends, read on.

Kylie's 15 Tips for Surviving a Cold Winter

1). A major issue with winter is the fact that it dries out your skin. This may not seem very important but when your skin is moisturized and exfoliated(dead skin is removed) it becomes much more flexible and less likely to crack in the freezing temperatures. However if the idea of putting lotion on after a shower is enough to make you cringe here is a suggestion: mix regular ol' cooking oil with 5 or 6 tablespoons of sugar and rub it all over yourself in the shower. This will exfoliate AND moisturize and you can do it all with hot water to keep you warm.

2). Another moisturizing tip, keep chapstick on you constantly! You will thank me later.

3). If you are like me and have several ear piercings, or if you like earrings in general. Try to take them out before going outside. If you leave them in a mere 15 minutes outside will start to become excrutiating.

4). The parts of our bodies that lose the most heat include: feet, head/ears, neck and hands. Try to bundle up all of these body parts if you will be outside for ten minutes or more. Big, cushy boots(cheap ones are at Wal-Mart for only $15), scarves, hats, and ear-warmers are all a good idea. Gloves help too!

5). Most people prefer something hot to drink when it's cold out and will end up spending quite a bit on sugary, high-fattening drinks from local and popular coffee shops. I try to limit myself to one or two cups and then switch over to tea. It's much better for you and you can still find comfort in the hot cup clutched in your hand. Another thing I like to do is put a bisque or puree-type soup(ex: tomato) in a coffee cup. Mmmm!

6). Take your vitamins! It's the time of year for catching colds so try to protect yourself before it gets you!

7). As far as your home goes you can save money with electric blankets, window coverings, and portable heaters.

8). Winter weather is a great reason to snuggle under a blankie with someone!

9). Long Johns should be your outfit staple!

10). When it's too cold to drink a beer make some hot-buttered rum or Mother's Milk.
Mother's Milk is milk and white chocolate chips heated up with Vanilla Vodka and marshies on top. So yummy!


Hott Chocolate and Vodka by =2SadEyes on deviantART

11). TAKE THE BUS!! Unless you have my father's Ford F350 to travel in there is no need to chance sliding on icy roads. Plus busses are pre-heated and free for students!

12). If you have Comcast turn that Yule Log screensaver on! Even though it's not emmitting any heat just having a fire on your TV makes it feel warmer. Mind over matter people.

13). Keep your pets indoors people! I know they have fur but they would much rather be snoozing on your lap than curled up in a gutter, don't chance it.



14). Make sure you read your apartment's tips on keeping your pipes safe. Ex: disconnect all hoses from spigots, leave facets dripping slightly, etc.

15). Slippers and robes folks, slippers and robes. I bet those snuggies don't look like such a bad idea now huh?

If you have any suggestions or corrections to make please comment! Hope everyone is having a fabulous winter!

~Kylie
We still need to decorate our tree...

Jason bought us a beautiful Noble Fir yesterday! It ended up being bigger than we intended:)

Complete and Utter Electronics Meltdown

Sooo it is the weekend before finals and I am sitting at home on Saturday working on my paper. After eating some leftover pasta for lunch, I come back to my paper when my laptop decides it's not going to turn on. I leave it alone for a minute and come back to it only to find that the screen is still not coming to life. After I leave it alone for a few more minutes it finally decides to turn on. Then out of nowhere the screen goes bat-sh** crazy and won't let me do a thing! Okay now I am panicked...

After an hour and a half on the phone to HP tech support, Geek Squad, my sister, and mother I have concluded that there is definitely something wrong with my laptop and it will not be an easy fix. The most important matter at this point is getting my homework off of the computer so my classes this term aren't compromised and then worry about the laptop later.

Luckily my amazing boy paid Geek Squad to take all of my documents, photos, and music(46gb) off of my sick laptop and put them onto a brand new My Passport portable hard drive. My wonderful parents drove all the way to Eugene so that they could take my laptop to their computer repairman and give me my mom's laptop for finals week.


My mom is taking the laptop to her computer guy because the HP tech support guy suggested I take it to Geek Squad because it would be easier while the Geek Squad guy suggests going through HP so it's quicker. Don't these guys want my business?

Anyway we will have to wait for the diagnosis but in the event that it's something serious(like a motherboard issue) it would be more efficient to simply buy a new computer so now I am at a fork in the road(a fork with 500 tines) which one do I choose?

This is where you guys come in! I need advice.
Here is what I mainly use my computer for:
~Storing photos, writing, music, and schoolwork.
~Photoediting
~The internet
I don't play a lot of computer games, or take my laptop to class.
I usually use HPs which I love. One day I want to spend a good amount of money on a MAC but right now I am looking for something affordable and reliable. At this point I am leaning towards a desktop because I have had so many gosh darn problems with my laptop.

If you have advice on where to buy a computer, repairmen in my area, or what types of computers work best for what I use it for PLEASE COMMENT. I am really lost and upset about the loss of my favorite tool and I need you guys to help me! Thanks for your time and I look forward to hearing from you~

Surprised Kitty Video!

Such a cute little kitty video from youtube! My cat is cute too but I don't have any funny little videos of him:)

Update!

First and foremost Ickis is feeling better! Now he is turning into a little piggy and has the cutest round belly from eating so much. He isn't quite as bony and gained the 10 ounces he lost back with interest! I just weighed him and now he is four pounds!

Here are some funny photos that I took of him last night. He was yawning:)



FINALS are HERE! And I'm actually doing okay. I have two finals today in Journalism: Media Professions and Comparative Literature: Orientalism. Then next week I have a final on Tuesday in Grammar, a final on Wednesday for Media, and a final on Thursday for Economics. Yikes! It looks like a lot when I type it all out but I know I will do just fine. The only one I am truly worried about is Economics but how hard can it be?

Since class is ending I wanted to share something important that we have been learning about. In my Media and Communications class we study the affect of journalism on media, media on people, and vice versa. One of the points we spoke about yesterday included Lord Haw Haw, Axis Sally, Hanoi Hannah, and Tokyo Rose. They are all people who became broadcasters and used their propaganda to push one-sided information onto American soldiers and in some cases, citizens. I had heard of Tokyo Rose but the others were news to me.
They would tune their radio signals into enemy area where the broadcasters would tell soldiers that their wives and girlfriends were cheating on them and that they were going to die if they didn't stop fighting this war. Hanoi Hannah was outspoken about Vietnam, Axis Sally, Tokyo Rose, and Lord Haw Haw were all speaking for WWII. All of them were tried for treason(except Hanoi Hannah because she wasn't born in the U.S.).
Why am I telling you this? Because we can learn from history and know that if a major war is going on history will repeat itself. Without further ado I bring you Azzam the American!


From the New Yorker:

Adam Gadahn, the first American to be charged with treason in more than fifty years, was born in Oregon, grew up in rural California, and converted to Islam at the age of seventeen. He is now twenty-eight. No one who knew him before his religious awakening ever thought that he would join Al Qaeda, and many people who knew him after he did are still perplexed. And yet, in a short time, Gadahn has become one of Osama bin Laden’s senior operatives. (He is believed to be hiding in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan.) He is a member of Al Qaeda’s “media committee,” and his responsibilities are thought to include those of translator, video producer, and cultural interpreter. Primarily, though, Gadahn is a spokesperson, a role he performs with tremendous conviction. He has addressed the United States in five videos, most of which reach a wide audience on the Internet and, in some form or another, have been discussed on the evening news. Last year, shortly before the fifth anniversary of September 11th, Al Qaeda’s leadership featured Gadahn in a video titled “An Invitation to Islam.” The video began with an introduction from Ayman al-Zawahiri, Al Qaeda’s main theoretician, who referred to Gadahn tenderly as a brother and as “a perceptive person who wants to lead his people out of darkness into the light.” Zawahiri implored his Western audience to listen to Gadahn, even to follow his example. Al Qaeda had never before given one of its members, let alone an American, an endorsement so intimate and direct.

There is a certain stylistic uniformity to all forms of propaganda, but the personality of the propagandist is never far from the surface. Bin Laden’s murmuring voice belies the contempt in his words. Zawahiri speaks in the confident, rhythmic clauses of a master strategist. Adam Gadahn, though he tries to adopt the composure of a statesman, exudes the zealotry of a convert, and of youth. Sometimes his syntax is so baroque, his sentiment so earnest, that he sounds like a character from “The Lord of the Rings.” “The call has gone out,” he proclaimed in one video. “The era of jihad and resistance has dawned in all its glory.” Mostly, though, Gadahn sounds angry. In 2005, with his head wrapped in a black turban and his face covered with a black veil, he warned, “We love nothing better than the heat of battle, the echo of explosions, and slitting the throats of the infidels.” Last July, while discussing civilian casualties in Iraq, he said, “It’s hard to imagine that any compassionate person could see pictures, just pictures, of what the Crusaders did to those children, and not want to go on a shooting spree at the Marines’ housing facilities at Camp Pendleton.” In a feature-length Al Qaeda documentary that was released on the Internet on September 11, 2006, Gadahn referred to the United States as “enemy soil,” and celebrated the September 11th hijackers as “dedicated, strong-willed, highly motivated individuals.”

* from the issue
* cartoon bank
* e-mail this

“An Invitation to Islam” allowed Americans to observe Gadahn at length. For nearly forty-five minutes, he urged the people of the United States to discard their myriad religious and political beliefs, adopt an uncompromising form of Islam, and “join the winning side.” This time, he wore a pristine white robe and a white turban, and he was seated in what appeared to be a modern office; beside him were a flat-screen Compaq computer monitor, a neat row of books, and a full glass of tea. Gadahn has brown eyes, a prominent brow, and thick brown hair. His skin was tanned. A long beard of tight curls puffed outward along the sides of his full cheeks. He is nearly six feet tall, and is thought to weigh more than two hundred pounds. Gadahn cannot keep his body still when he speaks. He points his finger upward, or wields a copy of the Koran, or swipes his hand in front of his chest to dismiss an erroneous idea. “Time is running out,” Gadahn said, waving an arm up and down. “So make the right choice before it’s too late and you meet the dismal fate of thousands before you.”

Read more: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/01/22/070122fa_fact_khatchadourian?currentPage=all#ixzz0YY594RRl

Why am I telling you this? I assume if I haven't heard of it there are other people out there who haven't. To be honest this person is expressing freedom of speech. I don't agree with what he says or does but I do agree with his right to say it.