In other news, the sky is blue....

Another Yahoo! article -

A new study of 3,000 women conducted by Superdrug found that one in three women refuse to go out in public without wearing makeup. As in, they can't even run out to the grocery store or to pick up their kid without makeup on. Really? Nearly half of all women say they prefer to wear cosmetics than to show their bare face. But what's the most shocking of all: one in ten women polled said they would never ever let their partner see them without a full face of makeup on.

As a girl with freckles (eww) and NO eyebrows, I dare to ask: Are there women who actually leave the house WITHOUT makeup? Not to sound like Elle Woods, but taking care of yourself is key.

I'm just sayin'!

It's time to get educated, y'all.

I came across this article on Yahoo! today, which backs my theory that it is far too easy to obtain a college degree these days.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110118/ap_on_re_us/us_college_learning

The article refers to the "academically adrift" students of today, stating that nearly 45% of 2300 students who participated in the study showed "no significant improvement in the key measures of critical thinking, complex reasoning and writing by the end of their sophomore years."

Not only does the college experience provide "limited learning" for many, but also limited skills. There are many students and recent grads who are unable to articulate, unable to pick up a telephone and place a call without sounding like a train wreck (it's easier to hide behind email!), and unaware of how to carry themselves in professional settings. Their (or is it there? just kidding) writing skills are pathetic and heaven help if they have to *gasp* give a presentation.

Should colleges and universities be made responsible for producing a capable workforce? Or is it up to colleges and universities to weed out the students who do not demonstrate academic performance? Has it really become this easy to just coast through the system?


Am I a trader to my generation? Perhaps.

A few notes related to the post-college world of job hunting and career climbing...

1) A college degree will never, ever be worthless. The person holding the credential holds the key to success, or lack thereof.

2) It is completely necessary to conform. Don't like the rule about wearing a black suit to the first job interview? Get over it. Your mother is the only one who appreciates your "uniqueness." Everyone else expects you to fit in.

3) Having an entitlement attitude will get you nowhere fast. The world doesn't owe you crap -- college degree or not.

Whew. Thanks, Yahoo!, for afternoon provocation.

Big Week in Rescue Dog Land!

Hi All!

While the above photo was somewhat of a success, it didn't go without a little struggle.

The past few days with Jack have been full of fabulous and wonderful milestones! So very exciting. We adopted Jack about 6 months ago, and he has made so much progress. For some reason, the past week has really been good.

Jack has started taking treats from us. He is no longer a "secret eater." Also, Jack has started PLAYING! It is so fun to see him running around like a normal dog! I have caught him playing with toys a couple of times, and he even has started holding his tail like a normal shih tzu. These probably don't seem like huge milestones to most people, but for us they are huge. We couldn't be more proud of our pup and hope he continues to gain trust and happiness!

Dream Inventory

Recently at work, our staff of five was asked to fill out a sheet of paper with 50 goals/dreams for our personal and/or professional lives. I was stumped around number 8...not for lack of ambition, but because many of my hopes/dreams/goals just seem too simple to put down on paper. At any rate, I was able to dig deep and come up with 50 items for the list. Some of them are significant...others just plain silly. I'll share a few of my favorites.

1. Run a 1/2 marathon. (This one was a fail for 2010--we'll try again).
3. Pay off student loan early (HA.)
16. Pay for our kid(s) to go to cllege anywhere they want to go (Assuming we have kids).
18. Stay married for life
26. Write a children's book (I already have the story line all planned out).
32. Become a master gardener
40. Have home or garden featured in Southern Living Magazine

It's Been a While. Let's talk about Relevant Irrelevant Folks

http://www.usmagazine.com/moviestvmusic/news/mysterious-white-powder-sent-to-bristol-palin-at-dwts-20102011

According to the ever reliable "Us Magazine," someone mailed a package of mysterious white powder to Bristol Palin at the Dancing With the Stars set.

Well, hell. If the Palins aren't the biggest bunch of attention whores on the face of planet Earth, I'm just not sure who is. This is clearly something Mama Palin did to get Bristol even more press. They are obnoxious.

I'm just sayin'.

3 Life Lessons

1) Never buy a used Volvo from a Nissan dealership. Moreover, if the salesman is wearing a tacky University of Georgia football tie, steer clear.

2) Always have a rain plan.

3) True friends lift you up when you need it most. I was reminded of this last Friday when I received a sweet text message from a dear friend who knew I was going through a difficult time. To my friends, I say thank you... you all rock! :)

P.S. - And to the rude bi-otch who keeps commenting on my status updates on Facebook--get a life. You might have seen me on Facebook, but shawty you don't know me.

So I married Clinton Kelly

So I married Clinton Kelly.

This morning, I was getting dressed for work. I thought I had a pretty easy day coming ahead, so I dressed slightly more casual than normal. (P.S.-I love the flexibility of my job).

Anywho, the scene is the bedroom I share with A-Bunn. He walks in (after I was finished dressing, of course) and asks, "Are you wearing a SKORT?!" To which I replied, "Yes...and?"

"Jess," he replied,"Skorts are SO 1990."

Maybe Allen is right. But in my defense, I'm not wearing a "business in the front, party in the back" skort, circa 1990. This is a skort that is truly well-disguised as a skirt.

I never realized that Allen is a fashion expert.