The Mayonnaise Jar & Two Beers

This coming Friday is my last day at work and as I look to the week ahead I realize that I am still bitter and upset. To get my mind off of things I started messing around on the internet and I ran across one of my favorite stories of all time.  I originally saw this about 10 years ago but every time I read it I love it more and more.  Even though it isn’t entirely relevant to what is going on in my life at the moment, tonight it helped me keep things in perspective.  To remember the important stuff that holds life together.  Doesn't mean that I am ready to call the guy that decided to lay me off and sing Kumbaya, I’m still pissed and probably will be until I get a better kick ass job.  But for now this helped and I wanted to share:

The Mayonnaise Jar & Two Beers

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him

When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full.

They agreed that it was...

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.

The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full.

They agreed it was...

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.

Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more if the jar was full.

The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand.

The students laughed...

'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else---the small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.

The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

Spend time with your children.

Spend time with your parents.

Visit with grandparents.

Take time to get medical checkups.

Take your spouse out to dinner.

Play another 18...

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.

Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter.

Set your priorities.

The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented.

The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.'

The beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of beers with a friend.

That's Life

Sorry that I haven’t posted in a while.  I’ve been a little out of sorts.  Not really sure what to talk about.  So here is a post to let you know that I am alive and still blogging.  I have fallen off the wagon with the jogging and eating right.  I am not proud of this by any means.  Any of you that were actually inspired by my earlier progress I apologize.  Life got in the way.  I’m not using it as an excuse.  I don’t even know what I’m doing.  I’m feeling a bit lost.  I have had a horrid couple of weeks.  I was stressed out when my work announced that it was going to lay people off.  That was 3 weeks of pure torture.  Just waiting and wondering.  Then a week ago Joe’s dog, Tiger, got worse.  He had been struggling for over 5 months to breathe normally.  The vets had tried everything - steroids, antibiotics, 2 surgeries, and countless examinations.  I can’t share this story with you without admitting I was not a very good dog mom.  I can never make that right.  That makes me sad.  I was NEVER mean to Tiger and I never wanted anything bad to happen to him.  I made sure that he had what he needed and that he had the best care that we could give him.  But I was usually complaining about all the noise that he would make or grossed out by how much he shed.  Looking back that was extra lame.  He was a good dog, so friendly, great with kids, always a happy little guy.  The last few months are when he and I actually started to bond.  But it was too little too late on my part.  Last week he was having so much trouble breathing that he was choking.  We rushed him to the emergency vet but after they took some x-rays the vet suggested that it was probably time to put him down.  That was like getting a ton of bricks thrown into my chest.  It was one of the hardest things that I have ever had to deal with.  I’m pretty sure it was one of the hardest things that Joe has had to deal with too.  It was so tough for me to see him so upset. Our furry friends become family and its so hard to say goodbye.  We stayed with Tiger to the very end.  R.I.P little buddy

2 days later……I get “the” call from my boss.  My stomach did 17 flip flops before I could pick up the phone.  I knew why she was calling, I knew what she was going to say - I was getting laid off.  I had 3 weeks to sit and think about what would happen if I got that call, what Joe and I would do, and how we would pay our bills.  And as lame as it sounds I was still not prepared to get the bad news, still surprised that my name was on the list.  I have had 5 days to process it.  It’s not any easier then it was the day that I found out.  I am in the “angry phase”.  I have been here for the last 4 days and not really seeing any end in sight.  But I think that it’s ok to still be upset.  Don’t worry I’m not going to blow up the building, I’m not that pissed,  just mad/hurt that it was easy for a VP to decide that it was better for the company if I was no longer a part of it.  There is good news - I met some really awesome peeps while I was there, some of which will be lifelong friendsJ

So to recap:

• This post is not a feel sorry for me post but one that reminds you to be nicer to everyone and everything because when they’re gone you will miss them and wish that you would have been a better person
• Corporations suck that lay awesome people off a week before the holiday season
• I am in need of a J.O.B. so if you have any ideas hit me up
• I am not in possession of explosives and have no desire to blow things up, specifically my office building
• I have cool freinds

 

Lash Extensions – The Aftermath

If you read my last post you know that my work is going through some tough times and is going to lay people off.  Since know one knows who is on the chopping block yet I thought it would be a good idea to try and cut out some unnecessary spending just in case.  First thing to go were my lash extensions.  They were fun for the last few months and I loved them but not a necessity.  Let me give you a rundown of the aftermath.  Once I was ready to go in for my 3 week fill I emailed the lash place to see what was the best way to get them off.  I was told that I could go in to have them removed or I could just wait until they all naturally came off.  I opted for letting them fall off on their own.  I started doing all the things that they tell you not to do when you first get them on.  I started wearing mascara and washing my eyes with my regular facial cleanser.  This method seemed to get all of them off in a few days.  I was warned by my lash lady that my lashes would seem to be shorter and sparse once the extensions came off but that is because I was use to seeing myself with the extensions.  I was fully prepared for this.  I was prepared that some of my lashes would be shorter or that I would see less than I remember.  I was NOT prepared for the fact that ALL my lashes are shorter and are way sparse.  I did a little Google research and general consensus is that it’s going to take a few months to get my lashes back to normal.  So for now I am wearing some natural looking falsies.  I have too.  If I don’t it looks like I have no lashes.  Not a good look for me.  Bottom line – extensions are great if you can budget $55 every 2 to 3 weeks for the rest of your life.  But if your like me and that is not in the cards just buy some of my favorite MAC lash primer and plump them up yourself J 

Since I didn’t get any suggestions from you on blog topics or questions that you want me to answer I will stick to regularly scheduled program.  But seriously if you think of anything please let me know – would love to hear your ideas, answer questions, or what you think about the blogJ