by Melissa | Blog Post, Uncategorized
November 3, 2009 – a day that will live in infamy.
Well, actually no, that’s the day I closed on my first house in the Frogtown neighborhood of St. Paul.
I had been living in St. Paul for almost 2.5 years and was getting sick of a) paying rent b) not having the space to do what I wanted/needed and c) not being able to have a pup. I kind of started the house hunt on a whim, but I am very glad I started when I did. The house I ended up getting was love at first sight – I walked in and knew that it was going to be mine. It felt like home. I never thought I’d be a big geek about this style of architecture, but I learned quickly through my house search that bungalows were what I needed to focus on.
After some trials and tribulations and waiting and seeing, I finally was approved for the loan, heard back about some other programs and I was on my way to being a new homeowner.
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by Melissa | Blog Post, Uncategorized
Note: I normally won’t post about politics or work, but I needed to share my thoughts on this event.
To put the weekend’s tragedy in perspective, the young Giffords staffer killed, Gabe Zimmerman, had a job similar to mine and the jobs of many of my friends. This could have just as easily have happened to me. No one, regardless of their political beliefs, deserves to be faced with incivility and violence in their line of work.
I think that, without pointing any fingers and blame, we can all agree that this is a lesson that freedom of speech is not freedom from consequences. This applies to anyone, regardless of political persuasion. Everyone needs to tone down the violent rhetoric and imagery, which I’m sure is not something you’d want today’s youth to see or adopt in their lives. Civil discourse is needed at times like this. We need people calling for it from all sides.
I’m going to offer an action item for you all: consider writing a note to the local office of your US Senators and Representative thanking them and their staff for their service, regardless if you voted for them or not. These staffers serve all people in the district and/or state, so represent you as well. As someone who has received many kind notes and messages from people over the past few days, their thoughts and support have been helpful with putting recent events in perspective. If you want assistance in figuring out where to direct a message, I can help you out with that.
by Melissa | Blog Post, Uncategorized
Thank you.
Two simple words that we really don’t say often enough and truly mean it. Often times we seem to utter these simple words as an afterthought, a p.s., a common courtesy that ends most interactions. How often do you go out of your way to thank those who truly impact your life? People that give and sacrifice their time, their ideas, their support, their love, or their talents to make our lives a little bit better.
Make it a goal to tell those in your life that you are thankful for what they bring to your life – everyone needs to know they are appreciated.
For those of you I know that may be reading this, know this: I am very thankful for what you add to my life and am honored for what you have given me. It has made me and will continue to make me a better person.
Life is a journey, and every journey needs companions – to make the road traveled a bit easier, more fun, and (in my opinion) full of laughter and smiles.
As is my traditional way, I also have a song to help explain fully my thoughts on this. Enjoy.
by Melissa | Blog Post, Uncategorized
So, November 2 happened. In the words of Forrest Gump, that’s all I have to say about that. I took some time after that to relax, do some stuff for me, injure my shoulder, rest, reflect, think, work, and do stuff around the house.
It is interesting to look back over the last 12-18 months and reflect on things that happened. I’m not talking about just with the elections, since that’s not what I want to focus on here, because let’s be honest, I get enough political talk in my day-to-day interactions.
Instead, it has been interesting to see the changes in myself: my world view, my habits, my social network, my support network, my living situation, my goals, and my priorities.
A quick run-down: (more…)
by Melissa | Blog Post, Uncategorized
I’ve always been a big fan of animals and have had pets most of my life. When I was little there was the standard string of carnival goldfish, a parakeet, a gecko (that phase didn’t last too long), hamsters, in addition to Snickers the cat (that ended up living for 20 years!) and Comet, my Golden Retriever. As I grew up and eventually moved away from home for college and then later to start my career, I knew that I would always have pets.
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