Bandwagon Angel Fans

As I stated in a previous blog, I am a Los Angeles Dodger fan.  I have been a fan since before I was born and I will always love them – during the good and bad times!

This past weekend I went to the “Freeway Series” during inter-league play between the Los Angeles Angeles of Anaheim at the Los Angeles Dodgers.  I have known for years that the Angels have been gaining more and more fans,  but this past weekend was the first time I’ve seen them play against my Dodgers.

No matter what many of these fans say, many of them are bandwagon fans!  That’s right – they are fans that have jumped on the bandwagon since the Angels started winning – just this past decade.  I wonder if they will all stick around to the time that the Angels are having a losing season?  I’m going to say that a good amount of them will lose interest if and when the team starts having a few bad seasons.

The thing that I find most funny about this is that I know a lot of Angels fan that were never fans in the past.  Acquaintences, friends, and family – I know many people that starting being Angel fans in the past few years.  I always tease them about being bandwagon fans and they all deny it!  Come on – just admit it.  It’s okay – you like supporting a winning team.  There’s nothing wrong with that – it’s your own preference.  It’s not for me – I will always support my team no matter how they are doing, but if you want to support the winning team, that your proragative.  Just admit it.

Dodgers Stadium

I have been a Los Angeles Dodgers fan since before I was born. When I was a brand new baby, my parents had little Dodger shirts for their little girl to wear. I have cheered for the Dodgers year after year – during the good and bad years!

I’ve gone to a few of the Dodger games this season at Chávez Ravine to cheer on my Dodgers. However, before this season, I had not been to Dodger Stadium since 2000. I have been a bad fan, but it’s because I was living in the San Francisco Bay Area and didn’t visit Southern California much… and when I did, I spent that time with family. But, I’m back in town now and plan on going to a few games a season.

Since returning to Dodger Stadium, I have noticed how overpriced things are at the Stadium. I admit that I don’t know what the prices were when I was younger because I don’t think I ever paid for anything when I attended games before. But, now that I’m adult, I’m amazed at how expensive things are at Dodger Stadium. When I lived in the Bay Area I attended quite a few Oakland Athletics games and I can tell you that Dodger Stadium is much more expensive!

$15 for parking? We’re at the stadium for probably four hours at most, and it’s $15? That’s a little ridiculous. And, the $15 is not going to much security. I’ve seen a few broken windows in the parking lot after the games are over.

$5 for a Dodger Dog? Dodger Dogs are world famous, but $5 is pretty expensive for a hot dog!

$12.50 for a beer? Sure, they’re bigger than a 12 oz bottle of beer, but still. $12.50 for beer is pretty expensive! At least they have a little bit of a variety with Corona, Coors, Bud, Miller, Heineken, and more.

$9.50 for one ounce of liquor if you want a mixed drink. I caved once when all of the girls wanted to get a mixed drink that tasted just like punch since one ounce of alcohol is not much at all!
I love watching my Los Angeles Dodgers at the stadium, but it’s so expensive to buy anything at the game! I always say that I’ll eat before the game, but it just never happens. I’m just going to complain about the prices because I’m going to continue going and spending money – they’re nothing like eating a Dodger Dog and drinking a beer with 50,000 other Dodger fans. I will complain because the Dodgers have a beautiful stadium, Los Angeles usually has wonderful weather and the Dodgers have some of the best and most enthusiastic fans in major league baseball! GO DODGERS!

House Hunters

House Hunters is a television show on the Home and Garden Television (HGTV). The show follows an individual or couple looking to buy a new home. The individuals that are looking for a new home is matched with a realtor that shows them three different options, usually in their price range. The segments at each home shows all that it has to offer by showing every room in the home (including closets) and the outside areas.

At the end, the person(s) that is looking to buy the new home tells the television audience what they liked and disliked about each property and then tells the audience what location they ultimately decided to purchase. The camera crews then visits the new homeowner a few months later and shows all of the great things that the person has done with the property – from decorating to adding a new bathroom to the home.

I really like watching this show for quite a few reasons:

• This allows me to dream of buying a new home.
• The shows gives me great decorating ideas
• The show gives me great ideas about revamping my own home
• It allows me to see what the housing market is like in many other cities because I really think that we’ll move out of Southern California some day

There are a few things about the show that I’m not sure about…

• Suzanne Whang is the “host” of the show, but we only see her for a few seconds at the beginning and the end of the show. Is she really necessary?
• The realtors have to show the homebuyers more than three homes. There is no way that they only show them three buying a home is a huge decision and a lot of money – I’d want to see more than three house before making a decision.

All-in-all, House Hunters is great and I love watching it. If you haven’t seen it, but you’re now curious, it’s on HGTV at 10pm nightly… and many re-runs all the time!

Ghost Hunters

My fiancé started watching Ghost Hunters on the SciFi Channel a few years ago. He always talked to his friends about this show, but I thought it wasn’t for me. But, sometime last year he pulled me into the show and I have been addicted since!

The television show Ghost Hunters is a reality show that follows The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS). TAPS was created by Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson many years ago after both of them had experiences with paranormal activity (ghosts). Today, TAPS is composed of at least 6-7 individuals that travel throughout the United States to investigate ghost and paranormal. TAPS members visit the possible haunted locations and look to debunk the strange experience and try to find explanations for the things that they experience, such as hearing strange noises, cold spots and shadows.

Ghost Hunters use many pieces of equipment when doing their investigations.

• Thermal Imaging Camera – looks for changes in temperature
• EMF Scanner (Electromagnetic Field) – Searches for changes in energy in the room
• Night Vision Camera – Gives them the ability to see everything in the dark as they do all of their investigations in the dark
• EVP Recorder (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) – This device catches sound and noises that humans cannot hear with the naked ear
• Plus, many more pieces of equipment

The investigators use all of the equipment during the show. At the end of the show, other investigators watch and listen to all of the hours of investigation and try to find proof of hauntings. Some of the things that they have seen and heard have been amazing! One of my favorite episode was actually from last week at Fort Delaware – look for it on YouTube if you’re curious. 🙂 At many instances, there are clear shadows and/or full body apparitions – Fort Delaware is definitely haunted!

I have never had a personal experience with ghosts, but I do believe that they exist. The reason for my belief is because many people that are close to me have shared their experiences with me. They have told me stories of being grabbed in the middle of the night, doors being locked multiple times and actually seeing shadows. I know and understand that some of the experiences are not from ghosts, but coincidences, but I do believe that some of them have experienced true hauntings. It’s just so interesting to me!

The reason I like Ghost Hunters so much is because they don’t go to every location and find ghosts and hauntings. Their main reason for visiting a location is to debunk the experiences… and there have been many times that they have proved that a location is NOT haunted. That is why I believe a lot of what they show on the television show because they’re not like other “ghost” shows – Other “ghost” shows always show “proof” that there is a ghost, but on many occasions, TAPS has proved that there is No Ghosts!

My one complaint about the show?

Jay and Grant say that their day jobs are working as Plumbers at Roto-Rooter.

1. Ghost Hunters has been on television for four years – I’m sure they are making enough money from the show that they don’t have to have a “day job.”
2. It’s so fake – when they show Jay and Grant working at their “day job,” it always shows them working together. Do small household plumbing jobs really require two plumbers? I don’t think so.
3. If they did work at Roto-Rooter and were going to actual homes and business to fix a plumbing problem, would they really allow a television camera to foll them? Again, I don’t think so.

I love the show – I just find their “day job” annoying.

Ghost Hunters is a very entertaining show and I really love watching it. Wednesday’s has become Ghost Hunters night in our home as the SciFi Channel runs many hours of the show! So, if you’re interested, check out the show on the SciFi Channel on Wednesday night!

Atkins Nutritional Approach

On Monday, June 23, I started the Atkins Nutritional Approach again.

The first time I started Atkins was back in August of 2007.  I did wonderful on the diet.  I was able to limit my carbs to only 20 a day and the weight just fell off.  In a few months I had lost 20 pounds!  After I hit the 20 pound mark, I started easing off of Atkins until I was eating carbs-galore!  Luckily, in all of that time between August 2007 until now, I never gained any weight!  What a relief.  People have told me that Atkins works great to lose weight, but as soon as you are eating “regular,” you gain it all back – I guess I was lucky!

Losing 20 pounds was not my goal back in 2007 – I actually wanted (and needed) to lose more.  So, that is why I have started Atkins once again – I have 15 more pounds that I would like to lose!

It has been very hard these past few days on Atkins.  I have had so many cravings for things like bread, pasta, rice, pizza, fruits, etc.  I can have all of the meat that I want, but I have to stay away from those carb-filled foods.  And watching television does not help.  Have you ever noticed that when you’re dieting, it seems as though they play more commercials for food and restaurants?  It sure seems like it to me!

In addition, being on Atkins has taken all of my energy away.  Not only did I cut most carbs out of my diet, I also cut out most of my sugar intake.  That’s part of the Atkins Nutritional Approach.  You never realize how much we depend on sugar until you start depriving your body of it – I’m exhausted!

The first few days have been rough, but because I’ve done Atkins in the past, I know that these bad feelings of cravings and exhaustion will go away in just a few days.  My body will get use to not having sugar and will start feeling energized again.  The cravings… well, they might not go away entirely, but it won’t be as bad in a few days.
It’s day three of being on Atkins Nutritional Approach.  I’ve already lost a few pounds – just a few more weeks and I’ll be at my goal weight!  I can’t wait!

Portland, Maine

What is there to do in Portland, Maine? I had to ask myself that question last week as I was attending a conference in Portland. And more importantly, what is there to do after 5pm since my day was taken up by the conference?

I realized very fast that there are really only two things to do in Portland, Maine after 5pm: eat and drink.

Portland, Maine is a coastal city with many restaurants, bars and pubs. There are many historical buildings in downtown Portland, but after dark, the place to be is at one of the eateries or bars in the city.

While we were in town, we visited two great bars:

Bull Feeney’s – 375 Fore Street, Portland, Maine

This is where “Lobsters Love Guinness” as they proclaim outside of the restaurant! This was a really nice little restaurant and bar with an extensive whiskey list. The food was great, even for those of us that don’t like seafood! The atmosphere is very comfortable and becomes a great bar later in the night.

Fore Play Sports Pub – 436 Fore Street, Portland, Maine

This was my favorite place to visit when we were in Portland, Maine. The people in this pub are so friendly, even to us California people (that visited on the night of Game 6 of the NBA championship! (Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers)). It was a fun atmosphere where everyone was so friendly. They offered much great advice on things to see in the city, made great drinks at a reasonable price and made great memories! They also served jello shots!! I have never seen a bar serve jello shots – so much fun! This is one of the best bars I have ever visited! If you’re ever in Portland, Maine, I definitely recommend that you visit Fore Play Sports Pub!

Other than those two places, we didn’t find much else to do. We did do a little site seeing while we were there and took many pictures of the very old and beautiful buildings in the city. We also took in a Portland Seadogs game – the Double A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.

One complaint about Portland, Maine:

I don’t think they believe in street lights, street signs and street lines. Almost every night that we went out, we somehow got lost.

1. There were not many street lights, and the ones that we did see, they were dim.
2. Many of the streets in the city are not labeled and if they are, it is very small and not well lit!
3. Many of the streets had very faded street lines, so it was hard to stay in your own lane. I saw so many people drive into the wrong lane, almost getting into accidents.

Portland, Maine is a beautiful city with very friendly people. We had a good time, but I’m not sure there is anything there that would persuade me to visit again. It was a “once in a lifetime” thing, I think 🙂

Glassdoor

I recently discovered a website called glassdoor.com. Glassdoor.com allows anyone to write and share reviews, ratings and salary details about specific jobs and employers. There have been articles about this new website in the Associated Press, USA Today, CNBC, and BusinessWeek – just to name a few.

The website just opened to the public on June 11, 2008 and there have already been 32,000 reviews covering almost 7,000 companies! Check it out and share your thoughts on your current and previous positions. Don’t worry – you can post anonymously.

This is a great website to visit when you’re searching for a new job. Just type in the name of the company that you are interested in applying and find what employees are saying. As I searched the website, I’ve found some very honest and specific reviews of company culture… both good and bad reviews. We all have different work behaviors and needs and the reviews on this website will help us to figure out if a particular company is right for us! The website also allows it’s users to post their salaries for specific jobs – this will come in handy especially when you are applying for a job that has a negotable salary. If you know what the employees are already getting paid, you’ll have a better idea of what number they will accept!

It’s been less than a week and this website already has had so much traffic! I have a feeling that this website will definitely continue to grow and will become a great tool when anyone goes out to find a new job!

My Bucket List

I recently watched the movie The Bucket List. This movie stars Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson and their characters talk about their Bucket List – the things they would do before they “kick the bucket.” The movie got me thinking about what it is that I want to do before I die. I know that I’m pretty young, but it’s good to start thinking about these things now so that I can start working on my list now!

• Get married our own way – a small wedding with just those few people we want there. No 200 person wedding for us!
• Start our family – I can’t wait to have children
• Start my own business so that I will be my own boss!
• Buy a high end camera and truly start enjoying my hobby of photography
• Travel more of the United States and see the places I haven’t see yet:
  • Grand Canyon
  • Yosemite
  • Yellowstone
  • New York City
  • Florida
  • Mt. Rushmore
  • Maui
  • Kauai
  • The big island of Hawaii
  • Alaska
  • Chicago
  • Pennsylvania
  • Colorado

• Move to a bigger home… or rebuild the home that we’re currently in – I love our neighborhood!
• Visit the world
  • Italy
  • France
  • Spain
  • Japan
  • China
  • The Philippines
  • Australia
  • Slovenia
  • Ireland
  • Scotland
• Write a book – when most of my friends in Elementary School were asked what they wanted to be when they grew up, many said things like teachers, moms, etc. I always said I wanted to be a writer. I put that dream aside a long time ago, but it’s something I really want to do in the future.

That is my current list of things that I want to do before I “kick the bucket.” I know that my list will grow as I get older, but if I start my list earlier in life, I can start marking some of my goals off the list!

Power Trip

Do you know someone that loves to show their power?

It drives me crazy when people that have a little power need to prove that they have power to the whole world.

There are a few people in my work life that have a little power in the workplace. Some days those people love to be friends with everyone. That includes wanting to hang out after work, go to lunch, and talking about personal life and problems. But, just a day later, those same people will try to prove to everyone in the office that they have power over us. Sometimes it is small conversations in the privacy of an office, while other times it will be in front of an entire group of colleagues. We never know what person we’ll get when we go into work.

I understand if a person in the workplace were using their friendship to not get their work done… but that is not happening in this workplace. I can actually say that I work in an office with some of the most productive people I’ve ever met – and some of the most talented people I’ve never met. So why do these people feel the need to show their power on a continual basis?

I think I’ve come to the conclusion that these people show their power when they are feeling inadequate about something in their life… and it’s unfortunate that the rest of us have to suffer the consequences.

A few of us have had a few conversations about this issue with those in question, but they just don’t see this behavior and have pretty much told us that we’re crazy. So, I’m going to have to live with this treatment for a little longer. I continue to try to distance myself from those in question, but they keep pulling their way in.

I just don’t know how much longer I can take it. Luckily the people in question are actively seeking new employment! Let’s cross our fingers that they get new jobs 🙂

Life Goes On

“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life — It goes on.”

~Robert Frost~

The above quote has become one of my favorite quotes. I only discovered this quote a few years ago, but it has definitely reminded me when we’re down, things can only get better.

I first discovered this quote after my first quarter of college when I received my less than stellar grades. In high school, I was almost a straight A’s type of student. I didn’t even have to try when I was in high school and I would receive excellent grades. Then, college came along and it was different – it was hard! After my first quarter of college, I had received 2 F’s! It was devastating for someone that had never failed in anything! I cried and cried for days. A friend of mine introduced me to Robert Frost’s quote.

When the quote was first introduced, I didn’t believe it. It didn’t help me at all when she shared the quote. But, the next time I hit a low point, I remembered the quote and how I had bounced back to what I thought was the end of the world when I received my poor grades! Since then, Robert Frost’s quote always comes to mind when I hit a low point in life.

Now that I’m older and constantly working with students, I often use this quote. But, I’m the one that gets to share the quote with those that are feeling bad. I know it doesn’t always help them at first… but they always come back months later thanking me for sharing this thought. Just like me when I was in college, they are young and think that everything bad that happens is the end of the world… Now, Robert Frost’s quote is helping them to realize faster that everything will be okay!