youthmystique

When I started to hear about Swine Flu in the spring, I didn’t think it was a big deal. Now kids in our nearby school districts are getting it. President Obama has declared a national emergency. The idea is getting a little scary now.

The main thing to keep in mind is if you have symptoms of the flu, don’t go to work and school. It’s irresponsible to spread the flu whether it’s Swine Flu or the regular flu. Experts say it’s too early to be the regular flu.

A girl my fiancé works with came to work with the flu. When I heard about that, I was ticked off. When you work in food service, you should have better sense. She said this is the second time she has had it. Can we say moron? I know she doesn’t have sick days, but it’s common sense that if you don’t feel good, you aren’t going to get better by working and exerting your energy.

One would think that this “disease” would affect elders rather than young people, but Web sites say babies, children and those up to 30 years old will be affected the most. Being 25, I am in that category.

I have been washing my hands even more than I usually do and I have hand sanitizer at my desk. I’m trying to do all that I can to prevent the spread of germs.

For more information about Swine Flu, visit http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu

We live in a society in which when we want to relax, we turn on the TV.

I am somewhat guilty of this too, but I don’t really think I watch that much TV. Thursday night is when I watch The Office and Project Runway.

Although reading books makes you think and seems like a lot of work, it’s still a great pastime.

After college, I started to get into reading again. I didn’t read as a hobby in college because I was already reading items for other classes.

Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and Twilight series books are testaments that people still like to read. The key thing nowadays is staying ahead on your reading before the movies come out. Then when the movies come out, you can pick them apart. Or in some cases be pleased with how the movie did a good job of following the book.

Going to the movies is a great way to get out of the house and is great for date night. But if you want to go on an adventure from the comfort of your own home, then books are great!

I say books are still in.

Right now I am reading “Marshmallows for Breakfast.” What are you reading?

Well, it’s been some time since I updated my blog.

My theme of my blog is to concentrate mostly on issues that affect young people. I am now 25 and consider myself a young person. I don’t always feel like it though.

What do some young people do? Get married. I am not there quite yet but slowly getting there. I became engaged last year and I will be getting married not this fall but next fall. I have my dress and I’m pretty excited about that.

If you are getting married, go to David’s Bridal. They have a great variety of styles and decent prices.

We just booked our photographer. We are using the same one my brother and sister-in-law used. I feel pretty confident in that choice because they did an awesome job. We decided to get a videographer from the same place. Several people I know don’t remember their weddings. My fiancé and I would like to remember ours.

Wedding planning is stressful and exciting. Everything is so expensive but there are ways to be frugal. Time always helps that.

I didn’t focus on New Year’s resolutions this year but my main goal is to clean and organize the bedroom.

Due to laziness, a busy schedule and complacency, our bedroom is such a disaster. Unfortunately, my fiancé is one of those guys who just throws his clothes on the floor rather than putting them in his hamper. I have some of my clothes on the floor but not too much of them.

I guess what inspired me was unpacking all of my Christmas presents. I started throwing away tags and gift bags that I wouldn’t be able to reuse. I had a lot of old plastic bags in one corner of the room so I needed to throw those out. It’s starting to look so much better at that section of the room.

I also have a horrible habit of throwing the dress pants I am going to wear again on my desk or chair. That is a tough habit to break. I hate seeing piles of clothes places but oh well, guess it’s something I have to work on.

I don’t know if I have enough motivation to dust today. I am horrible because I haven’t dusted the dressers in months. It’s just that on my days off, I’d rather be having fun or relaxing instead of cleaning.

I keep on thinking if I do get laid off, at least I’ll have some time to clean the apartment. There is sunshine behind every rain cloud I suppose.

So how often does everyone else clean? Do you vacuum  and dust every week?

Photo credit: www.ahajokes.com

In church a long time ago I was taught that Sundays were supposed to be “The Sabbath,” the day of celebrating God’s work. This meant going to church and having some time for reflection.

I admit I don’t go to church anymore. I believe in God but since I was forced into religion it has left a bad feeling with me. Maybe I will go again someday. I will get married in a church.

My mom, grandmother and aunt all go to church. My mom doesn’t exactly follow the “do nothing but think about God on Sunday” rule. She irons clothes, mows the grass, washes and waxes her car.

One time, our cousin came to visit on a Sunday. He saw that my mom was getting ready to mow the grass and said something like “You know today is Sunday. What are you doing?”

I don’t think it’s being a bad Christian by doing work on a Sunday. I believe it is good to pray and to think about God but it doesn’t always have to be on Sunday.

The weekends are really the only time my parents have time to do yard work. They shouldn’t be criticized for that.

Sundays usually mean doing laundry for me. Luckily I did that on Friday so I don’t have to worry about it today.

For me Sundays are all about waking up late, having brunch and relaxing. I used to drive to the office on Sundays to catch up on work. Not anymore. I’ve gotten better at what I do so I don’t have to do that anymore.

I go grocery shopping sometimes on Sundays. Seems like everyone has the same idea I do with that because the store is always full.

Everybody has their different opinions about what they should be doing on Sundays. Do what you think you should do. I’m not going to say it’s bad to do housework or what you feel you need to get done. Work consumes our lives during the week that it’s basically necessary to catch up on errands during the weekends.

What do I want for Christmas? Well, a lot of people want material things  like an Ipod Touch or a high definition TV. All I want is to enjoy my family for more than a couple of hours.

I love my job. I wouldn’t work overtime and put so much effort into if I didn’t. Problem is since I have moved away from home, work has taken up weekends and holidays.

My parents’ and my brother’s job has also taken up holidays and weekends. It’s hard for us to plan a family gathering where everyone is going to be there because of our crazy schedules.

Life is so short I just wish I had a little bit more time off to spend it with the people I really care about.

The last time our family was together was Thanksgiving so I am excited to see everyone again. I always look forward to the holidays just not the running around and rushing.

I started to decorate the apartment with Christmas stuff about a week ago. My inlaws (or future inlaws) came over so I wanted to bring our little fiber optic tree out of the closet.

I like snowmen decorations a lot so I have like three of those. One I received as a present last year during a work Christmas party.

I’ve grown to like Thanksgiving a lot more than Christmas because of having to figure out what to get family and friends.

Some people are so easy to buy for like my sister-in-law. It’s almost like shopping for me. Haha But on the other hand, buying for the men in my family is difficult.

It’s also kind of difficult to get into the Christmas spirit when the economy is so bad.

The other day when I looked out the window, I started to feel that Christmas spirit. Many of our neighbors have their houses decorated. It’s neat to drive or walk around the neighborhood to see the lights. (It’s also free except for that gas part! That’s a plus!) Seeing those lights is like a glimpse of hope. Even though times are tough, people are still lighting up their lives with Christmas decorations. It’s enough to put my Grinch-like attitude aside for a few moments and try to see the beauty of this time of year.

Although I complain a lot about my tiny apartment, I love the independence it gives me.

I had a good taste of independence during college of course. I chose a college that was four hours away from my parents. Sure it was annoying to drive that far for breaks and holidays, but I had to get away from my old life.

I love my parents and everything but everyone needs to grow up and have independence.

After college, I lived with my parents for a year and a half to save up money. Then I moved on to a new job and a new place.

It was more exciting than scary for me. It’s great to live in a place in which you don’t have to check in with your parents. I can make meals when I want to and be messy.

I can use my own decorations and have pets that love me instead of follow my mom around.

I think it will be even better someday when I live in a bigger place or get the first house. I hope nothing stops this independence.

I found out another positive part of volunteering today: networking.

Ever since I joined a local club, I’ve been meeting a lot of new people. At first it’s difficult to remember names, but I’m getting there.

Of course networking takes time and it’s hard when you work more than 40 hours a week. Volunteering may lead you to meet a significant other, help you make friends or find news about job openings.

In today’s society, it’s all about who you know. Sure, you have to be professional and competent but it helps to get to know people in leadership or management positions.

Volunteering is also a great thing to add to a resume. You can definitely tell a potential employer about fundraisers or other events you were involved with. A lot of employers encourage you to volunteer too. I know mine does.

I don’t know about you, but I am a slacker when it comes to Christmas cards.

My mom is all organized when it comes to sending the cards out. She’s smart enough to write them out the day after Thanksgiving.

I have received Christmas cards from friends, so I know it’s not only a Mom thing to do.

I already sent out a few. As I was writing them out (while my mom was writing out hers) I realized that I didn’t have all of the addresses I needed so that was annoying. I guess I’m so busy with work, blogging and other things that cards have slipped my mind.

Some people send really neat cards with long letters on how their family is doing. They are more like newsletters than cards. Those are the kind that are neat to get.

I love getting Christmas cards and other nice cards. It’s nice to get mail that isn’t a bill.

Hopefully I will get the rest of my cards sent out soon. And hopefully they get sent out before Christmas.

How is everyone else doing with their Christmas card lists? And Christmas shopping? I have a good handle on my Christmas shopping for once.