Reflection

My Fall semester is slowly coming to an end, and I have to admit that I am ecstatic! Everyone needs a break every now and then. This Winter break could not have come at a better time for me. I am getting overwhelmed with work and managing my time. I am working very hard to stay on top of my school work and reading, but it is getting to become stressful and difficult to accomplish everything. I am a little scared for the next few weeks because I do not have many days off, and I have a list of things coming up for school that need to be fulfilled before the semester ends. My school jobs are as follows: complete study guide for Political Participation, complete study guide for Middle Eastern politics, work on group presentation for Small Groups, create presentation for 100W, and finish reading Political Participation book and write 5-page paper, write 5-page paper for 100W. All of this needs to be done on top of working with only a few days off in the next two weeks, and not neglecting the people in my personal life. I honestly just can't wait for this semester to be done. Overall, I can say I'm pretty happy with the way my semester worked out. I am actually glad that I did not have a job for most of it. Prior to taking my 100W class, I was told that it would probably be one of the hardest classes I would take, and that it would take up a lot of my time. On the first day of school, I was a little intimidated about having one paper due each week. As the semester went on, I really got the hang of the way that the class worked, and I was easily able to deal with the one paper a week. I am glad to be ALMOST done with my 100W class for San Jose State University. I hope my next few semesters at SJSU will go just as smoothly, that I will score very well on the LSAT, and that I get into Santa Clara school of law!

Vocab Words:

abaciscus (noun): architecture. a small abacus.

avuncular (noun): of or pertaining to characteristics of an uncle. avuncular affection.

Thanksgiving

I have been looking very forward to Thanksgiving for a number of reasons. First, my older sister will be home for the holiday. Second, I will have a break from school and work - at least for two days. Last, I will be able to see my boyfriend's family that I have not seen in a while. The one downside, and it is a big one, is that my mother is having foot surgery the day before Thanksgiving : ( The only reason she scheduled her surgery before Thanksgiving is that she is a teacher. This way she will have a few extra days off work, without having to actually miss work. My sisters and I will be cooking Thanksgiving dinner at my house, then I will be going to my boyfriend's uncles' house later in the evening. I do not think my mother will even have much of an appetite, so our dinner will be somewhat smaller than past years. Also, the night before Thanksgiving is supposed to be a very popular night to go out on. I am assuming this is because everyone is home for the holiday, and friends get together to go out. I want to see all my friends that are coming home and I know everyone will want to get together, but there is one person that I have had a fall out with right before he left for school in August. This is my friend, or ex-friend, Drew, whom I have not spoken to in about 3 months. I saw him once on Halloween and tried talking to him, but he decided to be immature and completely ignore me. The story of what happened between us two is long, but he was in the wrong as many others and I claim. He will not apologize to me and I, of course, will not apologize for anything because I did nothing wrong. He simply stirred up commotion while my friends and I were out one night, and the issue has remained unresolved. I thought that time would heal the drift that has occurred between the two of us, but judging from Halloween, I am assuming this to be wrong. I am not looking forward to seeing him on Thanksgiving. To top it all off, he is now dating my old best friend from high school. She has changed SO much, that I no longer consider her my friend. I think this makes the situation with me and Drew worse. Drew and his girlfriend have a sad relationship, based on drinking, partying, and sex. I am a mature person, who believes I have a good family and boyfriend. I am going somewhere in my life and I do not need to associate with people like the two of them; therefore, I am not looking forward to seeing how my pre-Thanksgiving awkwardness will unfold.

Vocal Words:

Dumbledor (noun): a bumblebee

Bant (verb): to lose weight, diet.

Oops. . .

I have been so busy with school and work that I forgot to publish my post for last week. Therefore, this is my post that was supposed to be due by Monday, November 16, 2009. I recently wrote about getting a job at Nordstrom. My job has been fun, but it has also been very hectic. I feel like I have no free time. I go to school, I work, and I do homework on my days off. By the time I get off work I am usually tired from running around all day long - getting people clothes, putting clothes away, gift wrapping and making boxes, etc. When I see my boyfriend, after a long day of work, I usually pass out within an hour and a half or so. I feel bad, because I know that he wants to spend time with me and vice versa. I am just so burnt out after a long day of work, or school and work, that when I get to the end of my day I do not want to talk, and I just want to sleep. My boyfriend has been very understanding of this, and has actually really been taking care of me when I do see him. Lately, my boyfriend has been doing small things for me that really show me he loves me. For example, the other night was the Christmas tree lighting in Santana Row. My boyfriend bought me coffee, took me to watch the performances and the tree lighting, and then to dinner at Maggiano's, in Santana Row. I absolutely love eating at Maggiano's. My boyfriend ordered my favorite meal for me, and we had a wonderful dinner. My boyfriend also goes to school, does MMA and kickboxing, and is very into working out. The two of us know that our schedules are both very busy, but we still make some it a point to spend as much quality time with each other as possible.

Vocab Words:

Atrophy (noun): degeneration, decline, or decrease as from disuse.

Kerfuffle (noun): commotion, disorder.

EXCITED : )

I got the job at Nordstroms! Yaay : ) I am excited to be a working woman making some money, once again! I attended an open interview last Monday for Nordstroms and interviewed with two hiring managers. Both managers expressed that they liked me and thought I would be great for the job. One of the managers I interviewed with manages a department I wanted to work in more, but her position was seasonal. The other manager manages in a department which attracts a little bit older women and her position was permanent. I was torn on which position I would want more, because either I would be temporary and work in a department I liked more or I would be permanent and work in a department I liked a little less. Of course, I had decided that I would take either job, because the first manager told me it would be easy to keep my job if I worked hard and made my sales goals. The first manager just called me and offered me the seasonal position in the Point of View department! I gladly accepted, and I start work tomorrow! I will have to get back into the swing of working and going to school at the same time. I was actually planning on starting my 100W paper 5 tomorrow, but I will be training from 9am-5pm, and I'm sure I will be exhausted by the time I get off. My new manager, Brittany, said that I could stop by the department and pick up my schedule tomorrow after training. I am excited and scared to see how much I will be scheduled. I like to believe I am a hard worker and very organized so I know I can balance this job along with the many other things I do. Nordstroms is a commission-based store so I am hoping to sell a lot, hence make a lot of money! I can't wait to see how this journey goes. I hope I like it as much as I'm making myself think I will. . . : )

Vocab Words:

secularism (noun): a system of political or social philosophy that rejects all forms of religious faith and worship.

monarchy (noun): supreme power or sovereignty held by one single person.

Happiness : )

Lately, things have been going wonderfully for me. This past weekend I went on my weekend getaway. I drove to San Luis Obispo on Friday with my boyfriend and a few of our friends and spent the night there, then on Saturday we drove to Santa Barbara. First of all, the downtown shopping is amazing! Although I really didn't buy anything but two beautiful rings, I absolutely loved it. On Halloween night, we went to Isla Vista. I really do not know what all the hype is about that place. I'm glad I went to experience the whole So Cal thing myself, but seriously people get drunk and walk down the street. . . why? I came back home on Sunday and it definitely felt good. As fun as trips and vacations are, I always love coming back home to my own place. Today, I went in for an interview at Nordstroms. I absolutely love that store as a customer, so I figured I would apply for a job (at least seasonal). I do not want to work in retail year round. Unfortunately, I have been looking to be a receptionist or assistant to a receptionist or lawyer or something in a law firm but have not found anything fit for me on Craig's List or by word of mouth. Every post I see either requires a Bachelor's degree, full-time, or specific hours that I could not do because I will be at school. Therefore, I have decided that I will not mind working retail but continuing my search for the job I want at a law firm to at least expose me to that type of environment. I know I did so well on the interview today. One of the two managers I met with told me to expect a call from HR soon because she wanted me to work in her department. This is a little exciting because 1) I will have a source of extra income, and 2) I will get a discount at my favorite store. I just have to be careful to save and not spend everything I make. I can do it though!

Vocab Words:

stymie (noun): a situation or problem presenting such difficulties as to discourage or defeat any attempt to deal with or resolve it.

accretions (noun): an increase by natural growth or by gradual external addition.

TOTALED CAR!! : (

I have always been known to have bad luck. All week long I had been planning to spend my Friday at the King library, working on my second 100W paper. This morning I woke up to a cat's non-stop meowing. I opened my window and saw a little gray and white cat suck on the ledge outside my window. I was able to locate the cat's (Scuddle) home number and gave his mother a call. My dad came home from work to help get the cat down safely and return him home. While it felt good to rescue the little cat, it delayed my study plans. I was eating breakfast when my younger sister called me. I answered my phone but I could not hear anything she was saying and she could not hear anything i was saying. I called her with my home phone and she said she wanted to come with me. I waited about five minutes for her to get home, we took my dog on a walk, then wen to get coffee. At Starbucks, the barista made me the wrong drink, so she re-made the one I had actually ordered but still gave us the extra drink. We decided to take it to my mother, since she works down the street. This delayed my plans once again. After dropping off the coffee, we were finally on our way to school. I drove onto 85S then 87N. I was driving in the middle lane of a three-lane freeway. Just a mile and a half before our exit, I noticed a small, crappy, black car to my right was merging into my lane without using his signal. I honked my horn but he continued to drive towards my car. In an attempt to prevent an accident, I tried turning my wheel to the left but this made my old '98 VW Beetle go haywire! I spun around once, hit the cement center divide, spun around again, hit the center divide once more, spun halfway around and finally stopped horizontal to the traffic coming on the freeway. I was in shock at first, seeing the low-life that caused my accident drive right off. I was also surprised that my airbags did not come out. The coffee my sister and I got before hand spilled EVERYWHERE: my hair, my face, the ceiling of the car, seats, and windows. The whole front end of my car was smashed in, the front headlight was hanging on by one wire, liquid was spilling out from the front end, and smoke was coming out of my hood. I was SO angry! Luckily I did not hit any other car, another car did not hit me, and most importantly my sister and I were okay. Someone stopped behind me and called the police. My phone was not working, and my sister's was dead, so I was so thankful when the man that had stopped let me use his phone to call my dad. My dad arrived at the scene, and we had to get my car towed. Now I am car-less while my little bug is sits in an auto shop. I know it is totaled, which is terrible because I do not know when I'll get a new car. I'm positive the guy that caused this accident looked in his rear-view mirror and saw my car uncontrollably spinning around. I hope he doesn't sleep tonight, knowing he caused such a bad accident. My day has since been filled with contacting the insurance company and soon going to get a rental car. I am in no mood to do homework now, and feel like my day has been completely wasted! : (

VOCAB:

vehement (adj): characterized by anger, strongly emotional

peremtory (adj): positive or assertive in speech, tone, or manner

Halloween

Last year, I did not do much for Halloween. I stayed in with my boyfriend and my sister, handing out candy to the little trick or treaters. For this reason, I want to make this Halloween all the more exciting. Like most other people, I have never been to Santa Barbara, but this may be the special year! I have a friend who just moved down to Santa Barbara for school, and he has invited everyone from San Jose to go down for Halloween. Although the invite is very nice, and I would be with all of my friends there; my first choice would be to stay at a hotel. This is just because I think my friend's house will be a mess with people all over, nowhere to sleep, and waiting for the shower and bathroom to get ready. Currently, my boyfriend, two friends, and I are on the search to find a good, cheap hotel in Santa Barbara to stay at for Halloween night. Usually people going down South for Halloween book their hotel room way in advance. Our plans are a little last minute, so I'm hoping to find something we are looking for. I think it would be a very fun time, and an experience that everyone needs to have at least once during their college career : ) If we go down to Santa Barbara, I think we are planning on going downtown to the bars, since my friends and I are all at least 21 years young. As for a Halloween costume, I think I am pretty set on that. I my boyfriend and I to have matching costumes, and for us to be milk and cookies. Now this is not going to be a full-on milk carton and cookie costume, it will be much more stylish! I'm planning on making our costumes, because I think they always come out better. This will ensure that nobody else will have a costume that looks like mine, seeing as it will come straight from my imagination! I hope our trip works out and that it is a lot of fun. The one thing I'll worry about while away is homework! I will just have to slave away and get as much done as possible, before Halloween weekend. . .

Vocab Words:

explicate (verb): to make plain or clear

concomitant (adj): concurrent, existing or occurring with something else.

Animals

I am such an animal person! I find animals to be such helpless creatures and I think that no animal should ever have to go hungry or homeless. Animals cannot communicate their true feelings, wants, and needs to people. They just have to go with the flow, even if they are in a situation that is unhealthy. The other day I was driving home from school, and while getting off the freeway I saw a homeless man asking for money. With him, was a poor little dog. My heart broke, for this dog is forced to live with a homeless person, standing in the daytime heat waiting for money and sleeping through cold nights on the street. I just wanted to steal the dog and give him a better home! I felt more for the animal than for the guy because animals cannot talk to humans and we would never know if the dog is suffering and wishing he were somewhere else, although I am sure he was!! I have two animals: a dog, and a cat. I know my animals are so lucky to have the home they do. My animals are always fed, always have water, and are constantly loved by everyone in my family. My family sometimes give the animals more privileges and freedoms that we have. My cat pretty much sleeps wherever she wants, and my dog is often treated to good home-cooked food. I am thankful to have the animals that I have because they bring so much happiness to my family. I wish all animals would have the loving home they needed. Whether the home may be with a human family or out in the wilderness to roam freely.

Vocab Words:

marauding (adj): engaged in raiding for plunder.

compendium (noun): a summary, epitome, or abridgment.

Jobless. . .

I have always had a job while going to school. In the past few years, I have worked at the following places: two private schools, running an after-school program; a hair salon, working as a receptionist. I was able to keep a steady job for the past few years, until recently when I was cut from the after-school program I most recently worked at. My parents do not push me to have a job, but I like making my own money to spend on extra things that I want. Of course, after losing my job, my mother told me not to look for another one and just enjoy school and my free time. At first I was okay with this. Slowly, I found that I would sometimes get bored after school, or that I would procrastinate doing things. I feel I work much better when I am on a strict schedule. I like when I have to plan my day and cram everything in, rather than go to school, come home, relax, and do homework when I feel like it. I have also noticed that I tend to get headaches more often. I feel this is partly from the more time I have to sleep in on weekends, and partly from the more time I have to do my online shopping! I am truly a person that needs to have multiple things going on. Knowing this, recently I have been looking for a job. Although I have not been looking too hard, I know that I really need to step up my game. I recently applied for a receptionist position at a massage clinic but did not get a call back. I feel I have a lot of experience in various areas that could be beneficial to any job, which is why I do not know why someone would not want to hire me. I know it is always good to follow-up and give the employer a call, so I am planning on doing that sometime this week. I am also going to fill out an application for Nordstroms. This is my favorite store. I know it will be hard to work at Nordstroms and save my money at the same time, but I love the environment. I think working at Nordstroms will be a very fun place to be at during the holiday season, because I enjoy holiday decorations and helping people shop for gifts. While my savings money will last me a little longer, I hope to find a job soon. I would love to find a job now that I can keep throughout Winter Break!

Vocab Words:

1) obfuscate (verb): to make obscure or unclear

2) idolatry (noun): the religious warship of idols

Love

I have always been a very focused and dominant person. Growing up, I never liked my parents to help me with homework because I wanted to figure everything out on my own. I did not like many of my jobs after a while because I got tired of people telling me what to do. When I got into arguments with my sisters, I was never the one to be told I was wrong, but I was also never the one to go crying to my parents. Now it may seem that I was spoiled, self-centered, or a destructive child, but I was anything but that. I just liked to have control of my own life in many different aspects. In high school I was on the dance team, leadership, and yearbook committee. This kind of person would be a top pick for many high school boys, but I went in and out of high school without being in one real relationship. This was not because boys did not like me, but because I felt like if I had a boyfriend many of my freedoms would be out the window. On my high school senior trip to Hawaii, I met someone I had heard of through my friends many times. I had actually even gone to elementary school with this guy. We met one night while out partying and continued a friendship after coming back from our trip. The night I met him, I knew I had some kind of connection with him like I had not had with anyone else. Shortly after we came back from our senior trip, we immediately became the best of friends! We would text, talk, and hang out all the time. A year past and although we were very close friends we had not become more than that. My guy friend had told me a few times throughout the first year that he thought he could be the best boyfriend for me, and with my mentality I shut him down, more than once. Events occurred in our relationship that quickly made me realize I could never lose this person in my life. I talked to him about being in a committed relationship and we decided to give it a try. Just like we were inseparable from the night we met, we became "one" after becoming boyfriend and girlfriend. This Wednesday will mark the two-year anniversary of being with my boyfriend. I feel so lucky to have him in my life and truly feel he is the one for me. He has helped me change in only good ways. I am now much more open to help from other's, and a lot more calm when things happen with my sisters. On Wednesday, we will be going to Monterey for dinner to celebrate. My boyfriend is a big Sharks fans; for our anniversary I bough him an authentic black Sharks jersey and tickets for us to go to two games. I cannot wait to spend time with my boyfriend in Monterey, and cannot wait to give him his gift!

Vocab Words:

munificence (adj): extremely liberal in giving, very generous.

ascertain (verb): to find out definitely, learn with certainty or assurance.

Alone Time & Sisters

I am the middle child of two sisters, and am two years apart from each of them. I love having sisters, but sometimes things get crazy. With four women in the house and my dad being the only male, what else could someone expect. My older sister goes to graduate school down south at Cal Sate University Northridge, so she is not home much of the time anymore. Although I only live with one sister, this past weekend was especially nice because she went out of town to visit in Northridge. I was the only child home with my parents, which really does not happen often. I got some much needed time in with my mom! On Saturday, we went had lunch and went shopping. This was really fun because if I ever do anything like this with my mom one of my sisters is usually there also. I felt spoiled because during the day, my boyfriend called me and said that two of our friends asked us to go to dinner. Not only did I have a nice lunch with my mom, but I had a great dinner with my boyfriend and our friends later that night. On Sunday, I spent the day relaxing and cleaning my room. As much as I love my sisters, it felt nice not to have either one of them home for the weekend. This upcoming weekend will be much different than the last. My older sister is coming home to visit so I will be busy spending time with both of my sisters. Spending time with my sisters is a must when we are all together. Although, my sisters and I can definitely argue, (especially my older sister and I) we do have a lot of fun together. I feel very lucky to have sisters because they are truly my life-long best friends.

Vocab Words:

egregious (adj): extraordinary in some bad way.

flagrant (adj): shockingly noticeable or evident; obvious.

movies

I love watching a good movie. Although the movie may be good, I tend to fall asleep often when watching movies at home, at night. If my boyfriend and I rent a movie from Blockbuster, it is a must that we stop by Starbucks. Even then, I can sometimes fall asleep. I did, however, watch a movie the other night where I could not even lay down. The movie was very exciting from start to finish. The movie we rented was "Taken." (I do not know how to underline on this thing)

Taken was about a girl who went to France with one other girlfriend for the Summer. The girl's dad was a retired bodyguard, I believe for the President. The day the girls arrived in France, they were kidnapped by a group of guys who were known to kidnap young traveling women, drug them up, and turn them into prostitutes. As the girl was on the phone with her dad to inform him she had arrived, through the window, she saw the men in the house taking her friend. They soon came for her, but the father had heard some evidence through the phone to help him locate who one of the individuals was. He flies to France and the remainder of the movie is his journey to find his daughter and her friend.

I found this movie to be very interesting and entertaining. The movie brought some of the stories I have heard on television shows about girls who are taken while vacationing and never seen again. I think this movie probably helped parents and young teen girls more aware of the real dangers that can face them when vacationing. With the popular "senior graduation trip," girls and people traveling alone need to be aware of the possibilities they face when traveling to unfamiliar areas.

I enjoyed this movie thoroughly and was very proud that I stayed awake for the entire time! This was probably because it was only an hour and a half : ) but it was still an accomplishment for me.

Vocab Words:

1) Chastise (verb): to discipline or criticize.

2) Infidel (noun): a person that does not accept a particular faith.

My Birthday!

Last Thursday was my 22nd birthday! I had a good birthday, but it seemed to just fly by. I went to school for my two classes on Thursday. After school, I met my two sisters for lunch at the Olive Garden. . . I LOVE their soup, salad, and breadsticks! Lunch was yummy! I then went home and got some rest, knowing I was planning on being out late that night. Soon I began getting ready. My mom, dad, sisters, boyfriend and I then went to dinner at the Cheesecake factory. I chose this location because it has such a large menu that I figured there was a dish to match anyone's appetite. After dinner, my boyfriend, sister, and I met up with my friends to go out. My sister drove and less than a minute after we got into the car, she was pulled over for only having her parking lights on and not her headlights. I know she would have realized her big headlights were not on if she drove just a little longer. Anyways, this put her in a bad mood and it was definitely evident in her attitude.

We go to the bar we planned on going to in Los Gatos, called 180, and it was absolutely DEAD! This was a bummer, because although I was with my friends it is more fun to go out and have other people there too. We decided to change our plans and go to a different location in downtown Campbell. This bar we went to is called "The Spot" and it was much more lively than the first. We stayed here for the rest of the night.

Overall, I would say my birthday was a success but I did not feel like I did anything extra special. This was the first year I felt like my birthday was not as fun as it was when I was younger. I have already decided that next year, seeing as my birthday will be on a Friday and I will be turning 23, I am going to go on a weekend getaway with my boyfriend. I think it will feel different, special, and be a lot of fun! Unfortunately, I have to wait another year for it!

Vocab Words:

Vicisssitude (noun): a change or variation occurring in the course of something.

Polity (noun): a state or other organized community or body.

First Week of School/A Little of my Life

I have officially finished my first week of my fourth year at San Jose State University. I must say that this year is very different than any other. Students trying to add classes, budget cuts and furlough days, and higher tuition. Luckily last semester I was a note-taker for someone in my class and received priority registration. I am very happy because I was able to get all my first choice classes! I have a larger workload this semester with 3 upper division Political Science classes and an upper division Communications class towards my minor. I have no doubt that I will do well in my classes because I am a dedicated person, but it will take more time management and focus.

I used to work part-time, at a private elementary school running an after-school program, but this year I was laid off because of budget cuts. . . what is our world coming to?! For now, I am a full-time student and actively looking for a new job. I am hoping to obtain a position at a law firm to gain some experience for my future career goals. I have held a steady job since I started college, but for now my unemployment will allow me to mainly focus on school.

Living through my first week of school, has given me a little insight on what I should expect for this semester. My main goals this semester are to get straight A's, find a job, and to have fun! I hope to blog about accomplishing all of my goals throughout this semester.

Vocab Words:

1) Cognizant (adj): aware (usually followed by "of"). She was cognizant of how much clothes she truly had.

2) Culpable (adj): deserving blame. He was culpable of breaking the glass and offered to buy a new one.