A Note to My Future Self

Dear Jess,

I don't know when you're reading this, but I'm gonna say it's probably at a time when you're feeling like things are crashing down.  Why else would you start going back and rereading blog posts? Come on, you've done it before and I know your sort of predictable.

Let me let you in on a little secret.  I'm writing this letter to you, future me, when things are crashing down.  Just this week I found out a family friend has a mass in his lung.  My body is being weird and I've been sleeping a shit ton even since I've been faithfully taking my medicine.  This week, my poor memory has been frustrating me a lot more than normal and I have no idea how to strengthen it.  Today, I first found out I passed my classes this semester with flying colors but then found out that I'm academic probation because of my choice to leave my other school mid semester to spare failing out.

It's been a rough week.

You're probably having a rough week.

Here's the thing though. I can mope around and do nothing or I could wipe away the tears of frustration and anger, and kick some ass.  Not literally, of course, unless there's someone who does actually need their ass kicked, then I will do it.  If we let every bad day or bad week run our lives, what would be doing with ourselves? What would we accomplish?

I'm not saying that we need to become a hard and heartless person who doesn't let anything phase us, because that's not who we are.  We're the ones that keep pushing, even when we want to give up.  Remember the first time you walked up the stairs at home after having your hip replaced? Yeah, you'll never forget will you?  You pushed against the want to sit on the ground in the front of the house for the rest of eternity.  Sure you were hopped up on pain meds but you pushed through the pain to do it.  It's so cliche say to you, but I'm doing it anyway because really this is just me talking to myself: if you can get through that year of your life and accomplish so much, you can keep going.

Now, I know this is just a bunch of words building encouragement up to go on and do whatever has you down, because really in a way that's what this ending up as...but on a final note, you don't give yourself nearly as much credit as you deserve.

Just take a step back from it all and breathe.  It'll all be okay.

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Online Window Shopping

Notes from Jess: The five logos I used all came from their respective store websites.  No copyright infringement was intended.  

Honestly, I haven't window shopped online or in person in a really long time. I just don't have much time to do it!  Today though I'm reminded of my favorite places to go drool at because the challenge prompt is to share five websites we go window shopping at.

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The most often visited one on this list is by far Gander Mountain.  True fact, if I get lost in Wichita (assuming I don't have my GPS with me) I can usually always find my way to Gander Mountain.  I'll go inside, go to the bathroom, browse on the way from the bathroom to the customer service desk and then ask for directions.  They're used to my face but that's mostly because I have a) spent so much money at this store over the years b)have gotten lost often c)I go shooting here (it's the only indoor range in Wichita I shoot at now) d)I bring my friends to browse at night after we go to dinner and may have tore apart a display or two before e)have argued about ammunition prices and the limits to how many boxes can be bought per person per visit per day.

I window shop here because I like to be able to see what's on sale before I get to the store.  I'm all about making sure I don't overspend so if I know exactly what I'm going after I can get in and out in under 10 minutes.  That's how well I know this store.  Plus, I window shop at Gander because I miss doing outdoorsy stuff all the time like I used to.

I just found this website and love it for all things home and kitchen.  I absolutely love window shopping for kitchen items.  For some reason it's the number one thing I love to shop for, just ask the lady at the one kitchen store in the mall.  I guess you could say that Wayfair is my weakness. I love kitchen and home stuff.

It's probably a really good thing that I'm currently not living on my own because I'd probably use most of my paycheck ordering online everything under the moon that I would think I could possibly use in my kitchen.

Window shopping on Overstock is fun for me.  I start looking at things I thought of when I pulled up Overstock in my browser and then from there I go to another item.  From there I go to another.  Oooh, that's pretty! Click, click, click. Two hours later and I've hypothetically bought a new wardrobe and shoes in every color of the rainbow.

I can seriously spend forever on Overstock.  

This one is one that I don't often window shop at but I love to when I do.  The clothes are just really pretty and lovely to look at.  I've never ordered anything from here but I have friends who have and just adore everything that they've purchased.

I once came super duper close to ordering a pair of lilac oxfords from ModCloth but chickened out because shoes hardly ever actually fit my big feet and I didn't want to let myself down having to send them back.

I regularly window shop here similar to the reason I do at Gander.  I like to see what's new and what's on sale so when I go to the mall I don't have to go through the whole store.  Going to the mall kind of freaks me out because of all the people, so the sooner I can get out and home the better.

With that being said, I just really love how well the clothes from Lane Bryant fits.  I do most of my "I need to look professional" shopping here because of how broad my shoulders are I can't ever find blouses or blazes that fit properly.  Good quality clothing for a decent price.  I love this place, in person and online.

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What are your favorite places to window shop, in person and/or online?

Non-profit Organizations, My Dream Job

A few days ago I was talking with a friend of mine who just recently graduated high school in May.  Our conversation lead us to talk about our dream jobs.  The job or jobs we feel in our heart that we're made and/or destined to fulfill at some point in our lives.  The timing of this conversation was pretty perfect since today's prompt is just about that, dream jobs.

I used to think that my dream job would be ideal. "Ideal" meaning that it makes sense with everything that I'm currently doing to prepare for my future career.  I've come to realize in the past couple of months that there are jobs that I want to have at some point because I think it would be fun and would give me experience that I really yearn to experience for myself instead of just reading about it.  Then there are jobs, like the ones I'm going to mention today, that I feel in my heart and soul that I am meant to do at some point in my life before I die.

I'm having troubles writing this post because I find it difficult to articulate sometimes the feelings and thoughts that I have towards this subject.  It does put me at ease knowing it's difficult to find the right words because I know that means that this is something that I'm truly feeling I must do from the heart and not something that I've forcefully thought about and put into my head.

My dream job, you ask? To work within a non-profit organization that specializes in working with veterans and/or their families.  Why?  Besides the already mentioned obvious answer that I just feel it in my heart, but because I feel there is something that I need to do repay all those who have served for my country and those that stood behind them when duty called.  Granted, I don't know if I'll ever feel like I've repaid all those who have served but it's a good start, I think.

I do admit that this may sound like a broad concept for a dream job but for me, I somehow know that  when it's my time to be in this 'dream job' I'll know exactly where I'm supposed to be.  I think it'll be like a metal detector, my heart leading to me to the metal or in this case to the place where I should be.

I say that I don't know where this dream job will lead me right now, and that's completely true.  But I have a couple of organizations that I've been keeping my eye on mostly just because I am proud of the work that they do and if the opportunity arose, I wouldn't turn down being apart of the wonderful work that they do.  Above all, these two organizations are ones that I often spread the word about whether it be on Twitter, Facebook or in a conversation with someone.  Both of which I can also see a possibility to use the skills that I have been, and probably will be still, perfecting in the hospitality industry to help further the cause of the organizations, like event planning for instance but I'm not too focused on that aspect to be honest.

Got Your 6

I found Got Your 6 a few months ago when I was roaming around the internet looking for a little bit of everything related to an ALA project I was working on for District Convention.  Some how or another I stumbled across their website and I was immediately captured by their mission and their call to respond.

"The goal of the campaign is to bridge the civilian-military divide by creating a new conversation in America, so that veterans and military families are perceived as leaders and civic assets."

For more information about Got Your 6 visit their website here or follow them on Twitter.

Wounded Warrior Project

Chances are if you live in the US you've heard of this non-profit.  This non-profit has been one of my favorites for years because I believe so strongly in the work that they do to help better veterans' lives and in a lot of cases their families too.  Above all, the WWP makes sure that no vet is forgotten.

"The greatest casualty is being forgotten."

WWP's mission is very simple and straight forward: to honor and empower Wounded Warriors.  They follow this mission by helping in a variety of areas including the reintegration process for vets returning home to helping vets get jobs or to go to school.

For more information about the Wounded Warrior Project visit their website here or follow them on Twitter.

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What is your dream job if you could do absolutely anything you wanted?

A Very Harry Potter Blog Post

If you weren't already aware that this weekend on ABC Family was Harry Potter weekend, you've now been informed.  I bring this up today because of a few reasons: 1) I totes forgot until I started going through Pinterest and saw some Potter related pins that reminded me that I was going to watch this weekend. 2) Today's prompt for #BlogEveryDayInJuly challenge is to share my day in pictures, but I don't actually have an operational camera currently 2.1) My day has been really boring thus far and it's not going to get much better because of the mound of homework I have to do. 3) Pinterest is fun. 4) Because of said amount of homework I'm not going to be able to watch the marathon on ABC because I can't watch Potter and do anything productive at the same time.

So, here are some of my favorite Harry Potter themed pins from Pinterest! You can see the pins on Pinterest if you click on the photo that should take you to my Pinterest boards.

Life Is Rough

This past week has been rough.  Maybe it was the whole week I was gone from reality of working part time, doing online classes part time, working on my little side projects with the ALA that made this past week so rough as I got back into the swing of things.  Regardless of what it was, it was a very rough week and I don't feel guilty at all for not being able to blog like I wish I could have.

Today's prompt: write a letter to your readers.  I think I can manage that, tonight earlier today I wouldn't have even bothered thinking I could handle such a simple task.

Dear Readers,

There probably isn't many of you, but that's all right.  I want you to know that life is rough, but you've probably already figured that much out.

5 Things That Make Me Happy

Notes from Jess: This post was written ahead of time and scheduled to post today due to traveling back to Kansas and the unknown whereabouts of stable wifi.  This post is a part of the #BlogEveryDayInJuly challenge.  

I don't know what it is with the number five recently but I just really like the number.  Today's prompt: five things that make me happy.  Now, remember, these are in no specific order.

5 Things I Miss From High School

Notes from Jess: This post has been written and scheduled ahead of today due to traveling and the unknown whereabouts of stable internet connection. This post is a part of the #BlogEveryDayInJuly challenge.  For more information about this challenge and how I'm going to complete it this month, you can check it out here.  Also, lovely credit to Jeane and Jem for the for the challenge button and for hosting/starting/inviting everyone to the challenge this month!

 Today's prompt is "things you miss" so I decided to do something a bit themed today and since I was scrolling through photos the other day.

Every Life Has a Story

Notes from Jess: This post has been written and scheduled ahead of today due to traveling and the unknown whereabouts of stable internet connection..  This post is a part of the #BlogEveryDayInJuly challenge.  For more information about this challenge and how I'm going to complete it this month, you can check it out here.  Also, lovely credit to Jeane and Jem for the for the challenge button and for hosting/starting/inviting everyone to the challenge this month!

When I looked at the prompt for today, I knew exactly what I wanted to share.  The prompt is to share a video; it took just a search on Google and a link to the YouTube video to get it sorted.  I have so much love for this video.

The first time I saw this video was in my Intro to Hospitality and Tourism class.  We were discussing how a genuine smile to a guest can totally brighten and make their day.  This then lead to the conversation that each person is different and that we have no idea how they're day has been.  I thought about the time I talked with one of my guests just about something that was going on around town.  We weren't very busy at the time and before she left with her ice cream she thanked me for being so kind and conversing with her when I had work to do; she told me that she had been having a really bad day and that a simple conversation (and some icecream) helped brighten her mood.

How the Blog Got It's Name

Notes from Jess: This post has been written and scheduled ahead of today due to traveling and the unknown whereabouts of stable internet connection..  This post is a part of the #BlogEveryDayInJuly challenge.  For more information about this challenge and how I'm going to complete it this month, you can check it out here.  Also, lovely credit to Jeane and Jem for the for the challenge button and for hosting/starting/inviting everyone to the challenge this month!

Back again for day three of the #BlogEveryDayInJuly challenge!  Today's prompt is to explain/talk about how our blogs got their names.

As I mentioned in the About Pro.Ramblings page, originally this blog was named My Dirt Road Diary.  I changed it because it didn't feel like it fit; I felt like I was putting my self in a specific category to blog in with stuff about country music and the country living life and the like.  I have nothing against making content related to that stuff but I didn't want to feel like if I posted something related to academics or something completely random that I wouldn't feel discouraged against hitting the publish button.  In short, I wanted to feel like I could publish whatever I feel good about writing, with no restrictions.

That brings us to Procrastination Ramblings.

Basically, I just didn't know what to rename this blog so I went with the first thing that popped into my head.  Since this blog started from me procrastinating (probably mowing the yard) and I figured I'm pretty good at rambling. So there it is, broke down and explained.  It's, in my opinion at least, not a very interesting tale but I'll let you decide on that.

Selfie Time!

Notes from Jess: This post has been written and scheduled ahead of today due to traveling and the unknown whereabouts of stable internet connection..  This post is a part of the #BlogEveryDayInJuly challenge.  For more information about this challenge and how I'm going to complete it this month, you can check it out here.  Also, lovely credit to Jeane and Jem for the for the challenge button and for hosting/starting/inviting everyone to the challenge this month!

Today's prompt is to share a selfie.  Pretty simple and easy, I'd say.  I've added in a couple extras just for funsies.

This was taken a bit over a year ago in a locally owned coffee shop.  I don't remember why I was dressed up that day but I just love this photo.

Now that I think about it, I don't even know where that shirt is.  I know where the blue one is but not that green one....

 Throwback to January 2013 on my 19th birthday! My family and I went out to eat at a Japanese steak house and I brought along my life long (now of 15 years) with us.  After dinner me and A hit the town for a little bit of fun.  We ended up at Gander Mountain and me, being the crazy one I am, just had to try on some waders I had been eyeing.

This is a throwback to the fall of 2012 when I went to visit some high school friends at their college.  We ended up at WalMart and of course, I wanted to try on a onesie.  I miss my long hair.

Well, now you have seen some of crazy Jess!  I'll see you, same spot tomorrow for another day of the  #BlogEveryDayInJuly challenge.

Goals!

Notes from Jess: This post has been written and scheduled ahead of today due to being consumed by preparation for long distance traveling.  This post is a part of the #BlogEveryDayInJuly challenge.  For more information about this challenge and how I'm going to complete it this month, you can check it out here.  Also, lovely credit to Jeane and Jem for the for the challenge button and for hosting/starting/inviting everyone to the challenge this month!

Today's blog prompt for the #BlogEveryDayInJuly challenge is goals! No, not those goals. I don't watch soccer/football so if that's what you think this post is going to about then you're gonna be greatly disappointed.  But seriously, I don't know anything about soccer except what the ball looks like. Instead, this post is about goals in life.  That's right those goals.

So yeah, I guess I'll start with goals for today.

• Finish my reading my book for class. 

If all has gone well, I should be somewhere near Laramie, Wyoming right now.  We've come to visit my brother for a week and as much as I wish I could just throw everything out the window school wise, I can't skip an entire week of both classes.  Besides, those books are expensive and I need my laptop.  I'm reading The Spirit to Serve by Marriott's Way by J.W. Marriott and Kathi Ann Brown.  I still have a few weeks left to finish reading it but I've been reading for thirty minutes every day that I work.  I sit in a booth in the back and read before I clock in.  I just want to finish the reading and start the paper!

Normally I don't set goals just because I get too obsessed with making sure I hit them.  It's gotten to the point in the past that I will literally forget about every other priority in my life for goals that I set.  At some points, it's been an unhealthy thing to do so I don't set goals often.

One major goal I do have though and I've been focusing on but not on the overly obsessive level is graduating with my associates in hotel management and a certification for restaurant management by 2016 (I'm shooting for a graduation date in December 2015).  That's cramming three years into two years and I'm pretty set in wanting to do it this way because I feel like I wasted a lot of time last year when I left mid semester from my old school and then had all of the summer and fall off from school.  Making up for lost time I suppose, and I'm just really excited for my education in the hospitality field so I want to jump start things so I can get into a bachelors program soon!

Another goal, obviously, I want to improve on making healthy lifestyle changes.  I mentioned last month that I was diagnosed with prediabetes and with that means a diet change and moving way more than I used to.  This goal doesn't have a time limit because it's one of those ongoing things.

What are your goals for today? Do you have any long term goals you're working towards currently?

Tomorrow's challenge post will be short and simple, see you then!

#BlogEveryDayInJuly Challenge

Jeane and Jem are hosting a challenge the month of July.  It's just what the title of this post says, they're going to be blogging every day in July!  Jeane's post here has a list of daily prompts and a nice little button show off.

I'm planning on blogging the first week in July even though I'll be on the road and in who-knows-where Wyoming.  I decided that I'm going to attempt Jeane and Jem's challenge, though I won't be following all of their prompts.  I plan on mixing them up a bit and doing which ever ones I feel the urge to do.  As I've mentioned before (I think) I have issues committing and I can't automatically just crank out decent quality of posts on the daily. So they're my disclaimer, I'm going to attempt the challenge, but I'm not planning on doing all the prompts on all the right days. Hollandaise*? Good.

Also, I guess I should note that I'm going to write and schedule posts for the first week of the challenge since I'll be traveling and stuff.  Some days I'll post twice, once with the scheduled post and then whatever I decide to blog about during our trip. Looks like it might be a bit busy around this spot of the internet!

*Culinary humor right there. I couldn't help myself. I said hollandaise because I didn't know how to spell capisce. Capisce?