Two Words: Full Time (or is that one hyphenated word?)

Turns out that having a full time job takes up, well, the majority of your time. How about that.


You may have been wondering why I haven't posted in about three weeks. More than likely, you didn't even notice. Nonetheless, I'm back to give you a brief explanation:
   My job is full time!
   REJOICE!


When I was offered the position, I was told it would begin part-time and once I was producing quality work they would be happy to move to full-time. In my mind that meant a few months. Instead, it was like a few days. I had a handful of 4-hr shifts in the office and then "The Summit" happened.

Of course, I knew this Summit was planned as I was being interviewed but I didn't assume that I would be involved. It's an event they put on twice a year, one in April (nyc) and one in October (sf). You can imagine my surprise when I got an email after just a few days of working there saying, "Please be at the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco by 1pm tomorrow."

Uhhhhhhh.... what was that, now?


So I spent three days at the Ritz, all dressed up and fancy, and even got to stay one night (FO FREE) in a suite bigger than our apartment. I couldn't help but think: "Two weeks ago, I was unemployed and a total anxious mess. This morning I woke up in the Ritz- Carlton."       Neat.

Gratitude has been the main word in the Goude vocabulary (or the Lexi-Goude, if you will) in the past few weeks. Gratitude over being in such a beautiful place, gratitude over being in such a loving and fun marriage, gratitude over receiving a paycheck. A real, professional, grown up, sizable, earned paycheck. Hallelujah, people. God Provides.

I know it kinda looks like the Capitol Building, but this is the outside of the Ritz in San Francisco. 

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California Love

I'm out of Wedding Season shape.

There was a (extremely long period of) time in my life where going to other people's weddings was my life. I mostly* enjoyed it. What's not to love about weddings? Free food, beautiful venues, happy couples, reunions with friends, and sweet dance moves.

Last night, I went to only my second wedding of the year.  I honestly can not remember the last time I went to only two weddings in a year. Five is average, but I've survived double digit wedding seasons on multiple occasions. I'm a pro. And yet, no matter how part of your routine it is, you always feel like death the following morning. I didn't have a sip of alcohol at last night's fantastic festivities and I still had to open my eyelids with a crow-bar this morning.

What a beautiful wedding! I can confidently say that it's ranked in my top three, excluding my own of course, and any family weddings because that's just not fair.  It was so quintessentially "California wedding": set in an absolutely exquisite mountainside private residence with an outdoor ceremony and reception on the patio. Perfect weather, perfect sunset, and excellent food (key to a great wedding). But always most important, our dear friends looked so in love and so joyful. Congratulations to the newlyweds!

I should come up with a rubric for my wedding rankings.

*when I wasn't bitter and whining over the fact that I wasn't dating anyone. That never helps, I assure you

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And The Angels Sang...

HALLELUJAAAAHHHH!!!

Dearest friends,

I am ecstatic to report that yesterday was the first day (more like afternoon) of my new job! Through a kind and very random reference by my new friend Brianna, I applied, interviewed for, and am fortunate enough to have been chosen as the new
Operations Analyst at Tiburon Strategic Advisors.
It sounds so fancy, doesn't it?

Tiburon is a little town right down the road. I don't have to get on the 101 (major north-south highway), I don't have to wait in city traffic, and I barely have stoplights on the way in to this beautiful little town. It's incredible. The views are incredible. Just like pretty much everywhere else around here!
The office itself is situated in a professional park just across the street from the bay. You can see the city and watch the fog descend then lift. There's plenty of people watching to do as well, as the ferry that arrives in Tiburon takes bicycling tourists back to the mainland.

Speaking of that, never in my life have I seen so many people on bikes. They are everywhere! There are huge companies that rent out bikes to tourists (my favorite of them being named "Blazing Saddles"), give them a semi-readable map, and send them on their way. We see these folks on this side of the bridge looking utterly lost just trying to find their way back to the ferry. Maybe this is your cup of tea, but not once while I was on vacation have I thought: "You know what would make this the best? A 12 mile bike ride with thousands of strangers through a crowded city I've never been to."
Not once have I thought that.


The period of finding a job was less than desirable, I must admit. As I previously posted, I was sure I would have a job before Ryan started classes. That was 4 weeks ago. But is there any reason to dwell in the suck of that situation? No! As cliché as it may sound, I learned a lot during that time of waiting. Perseverance, trust, faith, budgeting (definitely budgeting), and ways to encourage others who are in the same boat. I'm grateful to everyone who encouraged me through this process and I'm sure it won't be the last time I will need encouragement. This new position is sure to be challenging, with a lot to learn and a lot to do. I am incredibly excited about the opportunity to be challenged in such a professional environment.

Thanks for the excitement, everyone! Thanks for reading :)

Sincerely,
   kg

A view from Tiburon

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Why I Don't Like HIMYM

Some of you are probably all ready livid with me just after reading the post title, but hold on! I'm about to share an amazing revelation I had the other day.

(Ok, "amazing revelation" is probably too strong a phrase for this. It's more like a personality vs pop culture theory that I think is pretty interesting.)

I haven't advertised the fact that I strongly dislike How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM) because I respect the right to opinion, and frankly, I didn't want to argue about something as silly as sitcom preferences. People (myself included) have some very strong opinions when it comes to what they find funny. For example: I grew up watching Seinfeld with my family, and I think it's hilarious. But I 100% understand how people could find it stupid or pointless. I really do! George Costanza can be utterly annoying and the situations they put themselves in are completely avoidable. However, I enjoy it and it makes me laugh.

When it comes to HIMYM, people are appalled that I don't think it's funny. I've seen several episodes and I'm always stuck waiting for it to be funnier. There's usually the "You have to watch it from the very beginning" argument but that won't change it for me, I promise. Want to know why?! It has to do with my personality and particularly, my StrengthsFinder results. (If you haven't taken this test, I'm not going to say you have to but I will say that it's one of the most helpful and accurate assessments I've ever seen) I realized this as I was talking with Ry, who loves HIMYM, knowing his StrengthsFinder results are different from mine. His top result is Connectedness, meaning he easily finds and deeply enjoys the nuances and connections (hence the title) in life. No where on my "Top 5" list does Connectedness appear, however Activator does. Activator is all about action and potentially, impatience. (I was bummed when I read that because I knew they were so right... I am often impatient because I want things to happen RIGHT NOW. Hesitation is not part of my nature. If we've made a decision to go out for a walk, we're walking right now. The description in the link above could not be more applicable to my personality).

So back to TV show preferences. Ryan loves HIMYM because everything in the show is connected to something else in the show. I can't stand it because all they ever do is talk about something that has all ready happened. The entire episode could be spent on the same topic or in the same bar, never having moved or taken action. This is why I enjoy shows like Grey's Anatomy  because although they do have plot lines that extend through seasons, every episode they are doing something (ya know, like saving lives and stuff). It's high action. HIMYM is high connection. And this theory can be true of so many of the shows we like or dislike. Think about it!

After that realization, I felt one of those "mind blown" moments. A mystery of the universe solved. Personalities. TV Shows. It all makes sense. So I won't make fun of you for not liking a show that I like, it's all about your unique personality! Go you!

But if you hate on Brooklyn 99's first season, I won't know what to say to you. I don't care who you are... that show is funny.

(and of course "Friends", that's my favorite)



What show can you absolutely not get enough of? Which preferences showcase your personality?

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Holiday Chatter

Is it ok that I've all ready started a Christmas list?

I'm typically not one to begin the season before December 1st (unlike places such as Starbucks... ugh) but when you live in such an affluent place but can't afford any of it, you easily dream.  Thus, I've put all of my "I'd like to rush out and buy this immediately, but can't" items on my Christmas list.
That I've all ready started.

This year, I'm really excited to add some less traditional items to the list. Ryan and I have recently started getting involved with an organization called Hands Producing Hope. Not only is their vision inspiring and their work benefitting real people, the product is adorable. I encourage you to check it out for yourself and grab some swag for you and your friends this season. (Like this one- it's beautiful!)


It's been a few days (ok a lot of days) since I've gotten to write. I've been attempting to focus on the job search, and if you're interested in an update, here it is: I'll know more by the end of the week.

Riveted? I know you are.
It's like a suspense movie: Will she or won't she get the job? What will happen? *enter suspenseful music here, similar to any network TV crime show but not quite as intense*
   

In other holiday news, September 19th is National Talk Like a Pirate Day and Krispy Kreme is giving away free donuts. I don't see the correlation, but I doubt anyone in America cares. If you go to a participating location and simply talk like a pirate ("Aaarrrrr!" seems easy enough), you receive just one measly donut. You and I both know that will be gone in 3 seconds.
 IF you instead choose to go all out and dress head-to-toe in pirate costume (it specifies "No Weapons", however), then you get an entire dozen of deliciously glazed warmed sugary goodness.

Make the right decision, everyone.

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Lessons From a Blueberry

Things That Are Dumb

1. Traffic with absolutely no cause

2. Everything Kanye West says

3. Expectations

We played this game in the car the other day, asking each other ,”What are some things that you think are undeniably dumb?” Not surprisingly, being an opinionated individual, my list went fairly long. But these were the top three I settled on.

When there is no rhyme or reason as to why people hit their brakes, it is dumb. You know what I’m talking about. You’re stuck in bumper to bumper traffic, inching along for a few feet only for it to magically evaporate two minutes later. WHY?! Why did that happen? Can anyone explain? No. It’s just dumb.

Does the second point really need any explaining? Ok, moving on.

Expectations. We all have them. Whether they be about relationships, situations, movies, sophomore albums, job opportunities, or politics… we have expectations. And typically, when something happens to alter them, it hurts.

I’m not going to pretend to know how to fix that hurt in my life or yours, but I do think it’s helpful to be aware of your own expectations.

I had pretty high expectations heading in to this week. I had a second phone interview with an impressive and fun tech company in the city and I felt like I really rocked it. I expected to get an on-site interview.

I didn’t.

And I was (am?) incredibly disappointed.

One of the professor’s at Golden Gate gave a short devotional message before our new student orientation last week. As he was sharing scripture from the book of Isaiah, he profoundly said, “Disappointment is inevitable. Discouragement is a choice.”

If you’ve read the book of Isaiah, you can agree that he found out a few things about disappointment. (If you haven’t read it, I would suggest you not to start there. It takes some more heavy duty studying, trust me)

I’ve been holding on to the words of that professor. If I become discouraged every time an expectation is altered, then I am in for some serious heartache in whatever is left of this life I’ve been given. What is a sure way to keep your heart from being discouraged? Always being thankful. There is never, ever a moment where we don’t have many things to be thankful for.

I'm going to come clean about something right now. I hear that the blogosphere is the place to do that so here we go: I really, really, really like VeggieTales. I have for years. It's adorable, clever, hilarious, and shares great messages. So whenever I think of being thankful, one of the episodes of VeggieTales always comes to mind: Madame Blueberry has a ton of stuff but is consistently unhappy. It's not until she comes upon a little girl saying grace over a piece of pie that she starts to understand that stuff won't make you happy. "A thankful heart is a happy heart," the little girl sings. And even as I type those words, I get a little misty (I told you I like VeggieTales) wondering if my heart is as content as that little girl thanking God for what she has. 

What are you thankful for today? 

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Shower Resonance... and other things that are different in California

Written: August 11, 2014

As I got ready for my first Skype interview this afternoon, I was belting in the shower in order to calm the nerves and I realized I needed to readjust… because even the resonance in my shower is different on the west coast. I had gotten used to the feeling and sound of my Blacksburg shower. I would sing full musical numbers while washing my hair and know the feeling of how every note rang. But here, like most things, it’s just… different.

I’ll be honest: I’m not loving it all just yet. You probably think I’m lying because you may have seen the amount of pictures I’ve all ready posted. But let’s all just be honest and agree that things that are posted on social media aren’t always the things that are “real.” So yea, the golden gate bridge is lovely, and yea, the weather is fantastic, and yea, we’re doing all this cool new stuff in the big city… 

but my shower sounds different. And the weather is different. And the people are different. 

 I miss my people.

There’s a bunch of unspoken rules here, and if you follow the rules, then everything will be OK. For example: Dogs should be treated better than humans. Buy organic (unless you’re poor, like us). And never, under any circumstances, forget to recycle. They will hunt you down if you toss that aluminum can in the wrong receptacle. I've warned you.

Don’t get me wrong: This is a beautiful place and I’m glad to be here. I am truly glad! There’s so much to see, and we have barely scratched the surface. I’m sure this is just the beginning stage of any life change where you’re a little uncertain about it all.  You’ve been there. It’s all a little weird at first.

“Weird” has been our Word of the Month.

The stress of getting a job hasn’t helped things, that’s for sure. For about the first 10 days we were worry-free.

And then we had to pay our credit card bill.

Without income

… since May.  

It was an unpleasant feeling, much like the one you get in your stomach when you smell something you know you don’t want to eat. But we paid it, and we continue to survive. We continue to enjoy and explore and yes, eat. We are wise (and possibly stingy) with our spending until a job does begin, but is that really the worst thing? We have had great role models to follow when it comes to “living simply,” and I believe that we sure could be doing a lot worse. I am grateful and I will continue to be grateful.

But back to singing in my shower… it’s just a little off.

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