Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Making Lists

I have been restless this week. I am not sure why. Most likely because I have lots of ideas and thoughts running around in my head. I can't sleep when that happens. I have woke up at 2:30 am every night this week, lets hope not again tonight. Monday, I couldn't fall back asleep. I got up, went downstairs, sat at the kitchen table, and by the light of my Macbook I wrote everything down.

I am a list maker. Always have been. There is something about the physicality of writing out a list by hand, and then crossing off each item when it is complete. I have all the technology I need to just type up a list and leave it on my desktop or put it on my calendar in my iphone, but I would much rather scrawl it out on a post-it and stick it on the dashboard of my car so I won't forget. Ask my husband. It drives him nuts. Right now I have 3 new invitation ideas on a post-it stuck to the fridge. I have scraps of paper in my purse with very important things written on them. To him it looks like clutter, but it is my way of thinking out loud and not forgetting.

I like the look of a list. It gives a nice order to things. If I am freaking out because I have a million little projects to get done by a certain date, and even though it is all recorded in ical, if I make a list, it will get done. I especially like to cross off each item when it's completed. I look forward to it because it gives me that sense of accomplishment. It's like when you go to Costco and you buy a 3 pack of Soft Scrub. You put them on the shelf in your laundry room, and one-by-one, as you use a bottle up, you go down for the next. Each one feels like you are getting closer to the end, and when you use that last bottle up 6 months later, you feel that you have accomplished something, AND, of course, you probably saved $6.00 for buying in bulk rather than buying from Kroger.

So, as I was up on Monday at 2:30 writing the last blog post, it got me thinking about all of the other jobs I had in college. 10 to be exact. I began listing them in my head, but then that got to be distracting, so I wrote them out so I wouldn't have to keep track of them in my head anymore. So, if you are curious...

Jobs That I have Held in My Non-Professional Career
(In no particular order)

1. Seasonal hire at Hudson's Department Store - Jewlery Counter
Pros: Discounts on merch.
Cons: Standing on your feet for 4-6 hrs during holiday season.

2.Bagel Haul Deli (one of the best Jewish delis EVER)
Pros: Free bagels and new dills!
Cons: Starting at 6am after being out late the night before.

3. College Pro Painters (yes, I painted houses)
Pros: Got a killer tan
Cons: I think I was paid $6/hr for climbing to the top of a 30 ft., fully extended ladder.

4. Parking lot attendant
Pros: Occasionally my friends would drive through and bring me beer disguised in slurpee cups. Oh, and ample time to do the State News crossword.
Cons: Working until 12 am on a Saturday night, well aware that a sweet dance party was just getting started at my apartment without me.

5. Student Assistant for the Department of Management and Budget
Pros: Got to drive the Director's state vehicle (a Jeep Cherokee, I am sure you are all wondering) to get gassed up and washed. Oh, and 10-ish years ago, it paid $12/hr. I wonder if it still pays that well?
Cons: Had to do such mind numbing tasks such as pull the staples out of 500 copies, remove the page that someone f'ed up, put the correct page in, staple and repeat.

6. Abercrombie and Fitch (for about 2 minutes)
Pros: None.
Cons: Worked with a bunch of DBs, choked on cologne and spent all of my earnings on their clothes. I was REQUIRED to wear 3 A&F items at a time! Ridiculous.

7. Tasty Twist (the best ice cream establishment in East Lansing)
Pros: Worked with a bunch of my friends. Free ice cream
Cons: Strictly a cash biz. Had to make change in my head, and I am no math star. Hence, why I am in a creative field.

8. Waitress at a local bar/restaurant.
Pros: Lots of dolla, dolla bills on hand.
Cons: Working late, while my friends went out. Carrying those giant trays on your shoulder.

9. Babysitter for 3 year old triplets with unfit parents.
Pros: Beautiful children and if I could have, I would of adopted them all.
Cons: Where do I start. I quit and called Protective Services. Enough said.

10. Designer for the State News
Pros: I got to do what I love
Cons: I can't think of any

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