Finals

All my finals are due in a few days.

My dog is rolling around on the floor wanting me to play with him.

—-I can’t, buddy. Momma’s got to finish her papers.

God, I hope I’m doing this social media campaign correct.

My art project pretty much rocks.

So does Green Mountain Gringo Salsa — Mild.

LED lights are much prettier on a Christmas tree than regular lights…now that we have LED lights.

My battery powered lights on my wreath burn out waaaay too fast!

Someone…please…come mop my hardwoods.

And fold my laundry. I’ve been too busy doing school work and the undone chores are driving me crazy!

This semester pretty much flew by.

I need a spring internship. One credit hour. Where is this internship hiding?

I just got really sleepy.

I am 30 years, 1 month and 27 days old.

I don’t eat a lot of meat but I have been lately – and my body isn’t happy about it.

Ronnie and I should live in California. They seem to have healthier restaurants.

I am avoiding writing papers.

I guess I should get back to work…

Lesson Learned

I vow to never again get involved in something that is in any way related to anyone that I am close to or that I know when it comes to journalism or PR.

I say that now, right!? I learned a valuable lesson this week. Well, several.

- Just because there is an issue doesn’t mean you need to write a story about it or help an organization that you have no real connections to. They will attempt to take advantage of you when your resources are actually limited.

- Sending an email can be dangerous. People will copy and paste what you say and take it out of context. They don’t care! If it sounds like it helps them they’ll rearrange it until it fits.

- People can be lazy. Especially those that didn’t step up when the time was right – those people will step up after the fact and try to change what has already been changed for them because they were too apathetic when the time WAS right.

- Those with an issue about a decision a company has made, or anything along those lines, likely have not studied the history or bylaws of the company and/or make things up along the way to cover their lazy asses.

- Don’t join a cause on Facebook just to look at the content. Those people will think you support it and jump all over that fact attaching your name to their cause. Only join a cause if you FULLY SUPPORT the mission.

- Watch your actions in the present because when you are up to fight a cause those skeleton in your closet will jump out and keep you from moving ahead with your battle. Those that interview you will dig to get the  truth about you as a person. Background checks are a bitch.

- When interviewing it is amazing how people hang themselves by telling too much, being  incorrect, giving incomplete stories, and just plain crazy reasons/justifications.

LESSONS LEARNED.

Second Life? I’ll Just Keep My Real Life

I signed up for an experimental journey into the world of Second Life an online world of suspended reality where you can be anyone you desire. The funny thing for me is that I dressed my avatar pretty much along the lines of how I am in “real” life.

I visited a few worlds and am currently stuck in a land with some other avatars and cannot seem to get out! Is this a glitch or a worm in the Second Life world? I don’t know because it’s just frustration.

To think that people sit around and play this all day is beyond me. I don’t have time to manage a second life – no pun intended! I have enough going on in this one. I’ve heard that people rush home to attend social functions on Second Life – I’d rather rush home to get ready for a real party.

I’m sure this game plays an important role in someone’s life out there and I just don’t have time to be Lolita Venenbaum and Nicole Edmondson.

I LOST MY SMILE TO TWITTER

I am a frequent social media network surfer – avid user of Facebook and a former user of MySpace (before the hookers took over).

In a social media class I am taking this semester we were asked to team up with another university and research a topic together. Mine is on relationships. I have gracefully (or not!) failed at this twitter relationship. I will not walk away from this assignment having not learned anything. I have learned that I am a much better ‘team player’ when I am able to (be):

•  face to face
• verbal  – give me a phone  or an email conversation 
• write more than 140 characters
• not public – ie. public for everyone to read my conversation

I’m sure the list will continue to grow.

There are various things in my life where I am a “self-starter”or a “go getter” (yes you should have used the hand motion there) and this assignment has caused me to stand back and observe and agree with my fellow classmates that this is not the best assignment. That is probably extremely wrong in the eyes of my fellow twitter partners and at this point I don’t care. Judge me/hate me for not participating, note my non participation ,  but the time line and the method of communication was just not something I am finding an interest or a success in.

I definitely enjoy the class. Just didn’t enjoy the project.

(Love you Dr. T!)

Be well,

Nicole

History of Publix

General Information

-Founded by the late George W. Jenkins in 1930 in Winter Haven, Fla.
-Largest employee-owned supermarket chain in the United States
-One of the 10 largest-volume supermarket chains in the United States
-2008 retail sales of $23.9 billion
-Current employee count of more than 138,500

Store Locations-1,013 supermarkets in:

-Florida – 727
-Georgia – 178
-South Carolina – 42
-Alabama – 39
-Tennessee – 27

Distribution Centers
-Boynton Beach, FL
-Miami, FL
-Deerfield Beach, FL
-Orlando, FL
-Jacksonville, FL
-Sarasota, FL
-Lakeland, FL
-Lawrenceville, GA
Manufacturing Facilities

-Atlanta, GA – Bakery Plant
-Deerfield Beach, FL – Dairy Plant, Fresh Foods
-Jacksonville, FL – Fresh Foods
-Lakeland, FL – Bakery Plant, Dairy Plant, Deli Kitchen, Fresh Foods, and Printing Services
-Lawrenceville, GA – Dairy Plant

Publix dominated the grocery market in Florida for years until it expanded throughout the southeast.
The first store outside of Florida opened in Savannah, Georgia, in 1991; and distribution and manufacturing facilities in Lawrenceville, Georgia, soon followed. Stores were soon opened in South Carolina (1993), Alabama (1996), and Tennessee (2002).

When I was a kid my parents owned a condo in Panama City Beach. We would spend several months breathing the salty air and swimming in the warm azure waters. I also have a memory of grocery shopping because, of course, when you’re on vacation you get to buy the really good foods that mom won’t always let you at home. Where did we shop? Publix! Way before Tennessee had been conquered by the grocery giant. I’m glad we shopped there because I always thought the Winn-Dixie was gross. It’s no lie – it was dirty.

Publix – “Where shopping is a pleasure.”

Flogging Hummus

It’s interesting to me that I’ve had blogs before and written freely in them – even had a bit of a following – and when I have to write one in class where I am assigned entries I feel a tinge of writers block and a general lack of desire to write at all. The whole freedom of blogging seems to be undone. I suppose somewhere outside of college I will be assigned writing as well and I ‘better get used to it. Eventually that will not be sobecause I will have the freedom to write what I choose.

It has been a frustrating week and I cannot step away to gather my thoughts – I must gather them as events, life, school, everything unfolds. It’s a new learning experience. Honestly, I’d rather tell everyone to fuck off but that just won’t work lately. Perhaps this is the last frustration of my 20′s or the one last hoo-rah to seal up the decade of enormous stair steps. I will be thirty one week from tomorrow. I do look forward to the turning of the page – it’s just strange to think that I am thirty….30…twenty plus ten….forty minus ten for christ’s sake!?!? Age is weird…I’d like to abandon age. Humans limit themselves so by the rules and laws of time and place. In Bali, for example, they greet one another by saying, “Where have you been and where are you going?” Not a “Hello.” “Good day”…or a “Hey ass hole!!!” At least “Hello” is paying attention to the present time.

I could go off on a major tangent here and I shall digress.

In other blog news…I went to Publix tonight. I eat Sabra’s Supremely Spicy Hummus like it is going out of style. Typically with rye Wasa crackers or more recently baby carrots…I know you were dying to know how I eat my hummus. Sometimes on an Amy’s veggie burger…ooh…more information!

Alright, back to my trip to Publix. I went in and said hello to everyone like I always do, grabbed my well oiled cart and jetted off on my normal path. I grabbed the peanut butter. I swung a hard right and then a hard left as not to hit the old lady bending over looking at the meat case and there it was in all it’s glory…the hummus case. OH MY GOD!!!! They are out of my hummus. They have Ronnie’s jalapeno hummus but no Supremely (delish!) Spicy (YES!) Hummus. They have plenty of the other flavors like lemon (gross), garlic (eh…), spinach and artichoke (yawn). I want my spicy. I grab the jalapeno and a spinach and artichoke because I have to and an Athenos brand (it was not pleasurable to the taste buds at all).

It’s a short list today so I pull her on into the express lane.” Bleep….bleep….bleep….bleep bleep…..”

I look down at the screen in front of me and it reads: “Sabra Hummus 2for5.00″  ….WHAT!!?!?? This stuff is $3.99 every time I buy it and $4.99 at Kroger.

 

 

I swiftly turn my head to the cashier and exclaim, “Wow! How did I miss that? Will I be on sale tomorrow because you all are out of my flava!?” OK, I really said “flavor” but looking back it would have been funny(ish).

He replied with a crooked smile, “No. However we can do a rain check for you that will honor the sale today.” The ceiling of Publix opened up into a brightly lit fluff of clouds and chubby little cherubs as I replied with jeweled eyes, “Yes, I would love that. How doth thou go about doing that?”

Before I knew it a manager approached me asking me how many I would like to have on my voucher. My mind was so clouded with the joy of the prospect of buying my favorite hummus on sale that I only said four. My in-laws are coming this week to help us move. My darling deal on a few weeks stock on hummus will be gone by Sunday.

Bye Bye Old Publix :(

Ah, Publix. Such a happy place to be. Same familiar faces when I walk in always greeting me and asking me if I’m finding everything alright.

WILL THIS BE THE SAME AT MY NEXT PUBLIX!?!??!!?!??

We are moving to Nashville, from Murfreesboro, exactly two weeks from today. New Publix to familiarize myself with. I wonder if it will be the same size. Will they have the things that we buy? Here’s a little secret. My fiance and I eat a lot of Vegan fare. We aren’t strictly vegan- there is still fish and the occasional bird in there. However, I don’t eat anything dairy and because of that Ronnie stays away from it too. Make cooking easier and keeps the cheese out of the fridge. Oh, I like dairy – it doesn’t like me

Here’s the rest of the secret: Since I am going to be living closer to Whole Foods I will be buying a lot of things from them as well. Whole Foods: My part-time lover.

Last night, as I went to CVS to pick up a prescription, it dawned on me. Why have I NEVER used Publix’s Pharmacy? Why do I do my groceries at once place and get my prescriptions from another. It could really save me time, and perhaps a little money, if I did it all in one place. I can’t take complete credit for this thought – it was really Ronnie who pointed out the disharmony.

So, as we move from Murfreesboro and into our new Nashville home I am going to try something new. I am going to use the Publix Pharmacy.

Be Well

Let’s go…Publixing? Does that sound correct?

I’m a woman. I use a plethora of various products. From mascara to running shoes; gasoline to Kitchen Aid appliances- the list is endless. To focus on something in particular is the question with which I am faced. What do I use most often? Where do I go? 

The first thing that comes to mind is Publix. Oh, my. I am sure my fellow classmates would deem me an old woman if they knew what my focus was on a grocery store. Quite honestly I have loved grocery shopping since I was a child and I would saunter through the aisles with my father. My father LOVES to grocery shop. He loves to discover new foods and the best part: it’s a social excursion. I remember finding it strange that my dad talked to everyone that worked at the grocery store and that he looked at practically everything in the store. He even knew what was “coming out soon” and what the specials were. My father is a Publix fan as well – it was Kroger when I was a kid. We didn’t have Publix. Still, today, when I go to the grocery with my father everyone says hello and everyone knows what I’ve been up to. Thank you, dad , for loving me.

Guess who loves to do the same thing today? Yup, I do. I went through a few of those awkward teen years where I quit going to the store because it took too long and I wanted to go hang with my friends. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever suspect that I would grow up and love to do the grocery shopping. My refrigerator even looks like the grocery store with all the labels facing the same way. My dad didn’t do that much so I don’t know where that trait comes from and it is just something that I do.

Publix is my favorite grocery store. The people are friendly, the store is super clean and the store is laid out in a way where the aisles aren’t incredibly long it is consistently organized. The perfect store for me. Now, I know what you’re thinking, “This chic is an OCD nut!” On the contrary. I love things to be organized, yes. I am also an artist so I have that crazy mixed with order. The whole thing can be described as “organized chaos.” A term I picked up from on of the restaurants I worked at years ago. Yes, it is all pretty much organized, and it may be switched around behind the curtain and congealed into something new and exciting. OK, so I’m not that exciting but it’s fun to think I am.

Publix. How I love thee. There is one located about a mile from my home now and guess what I looked for when we settled on our new house: the Publix. I should run over there and take a look at it sometime…nope, calendar is full. Guess I’ll have to do that when we run low on groceries at the new house.

Be well.

Edit this entry.

Wheeeeeee!

Hello, there. Welcome to my blog. My name is Nicole and I run through life with flailing arms. I am a busy girl and this blog is going to focus on the humorous moments, the ups, the downs the ins and outs and life of being busy.

 

A few years ago I was not busy at all. My life consisted of waiting tables in the evenings, going out for a beer afterward, going to concerts, and on and on. My days were spent going to lunch with a friend or to a Pilates class or doing a lot of nothing productive. Gosh, what a difficult life.

 

While I enjoyed the luxury of doing whatever I felt, I grew tired of that predictable routine and decided I wanted to DO something with my life. So, I did. I’ll blog about that adventure (moving to the mountains of North Carolina for a year) in another blog.

 

For now, I will tell you what I am busy with and what all you are going to hear me talk (or bitch) about.

 

1. I am almost 30 (October 8^th – email me and I’ll give you a mailing address for my card) and decided to return to college last year to finish my degree after being laid off twice. I am a senior majoring in public relations. I will be graduating this year as well.
2. I am getting married on May 22, 2010 which means wedding planning and lots of it.
3. I am 2009-2010 chapter president of my school’s organization called Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). Which means lots of events, planning, fundraising (again- shoot me an email and you can mail your donation – I’m serious!).
4. I am moving. Yes, moving. Just sold our house in Murfreesboro and moving to Nashville. This means my commute to class will go from eight miles to thirty miles (each way) to attend class. The move happens October 7^th. I am excited about this move! I love our new house and can’t wait until we get to cozy up into our new lives there.
5. Back to the “turning 30” point on October 8^th.  This is a monumental age for me. Perhaps you can relate. My 20s were filled with a lot of lessons, tears, and tons of growth (some of it was pretty painful). I look to my 30’s with a smile J
6. I am currently in training and running the ING NYC Marathon in New York City on November 1, 2010. This consists of running upward of 40 miles a week.
7. This one is a recent addition: We have a new puppy. Ronnie (my fiancé) and I just got him on September 12. He is a 10-week old Goldendoodle named Isaac. This addition to our family adds a lot of love. Isaac is quite smart and already knows his name and what to do when he needs to go potty – this is thanks to Daddy for sure – so he is not something to “do” he is someone to enjoy.

 

All of these things I do I enjoy. I am blessed with a loving man (husband in eight months), a great family and the opportunity to finish my college degree. I asked for all these things to happen in my life and here they are – all at once. The best part about it is that I am happy.

Editor

On a “blog side note” I really wish I had an editor. I often type the way I speak or talk – unless it is something that needs to be polished or professional. I am POSITIVE some of you people will point out some errors. I know one long time friend that will do such a thing!

Please apply for the position of ‘Nicole’s Editor.’ I pay in cookies…or whatever it is you like that I can buy in bulk at Costco. Ha! There’s a blog topic for the future. Costco and how stupid it is that people, women in particular, think they need to buy 20 bars of soap,  a 10 pack of toothbrushes, or a case of Ramen noodles? Is the world ending? Are these women afraid that these things are going to be suddenly difficult to attain? More on that later.