It doesn't seem real. Other than the fact that people are saying goodbye and that I've eaten more than usual, my mind still has not comprehending that I will start a new job on Monday. I've been in the routine of working seven days a week for almost a year. Now I am thankful to have a Monday through Friday job. If there were an illusion to my feelings it would be like me going to off to college and leaving my friends behind. It's good because of all the new stuff I'll experience, but sad because I will miss the people. I'm nervous, but also trust in my abilities. I've always lived hoping that I made a difference in the world. The generosity of my co-workers is only proof that so far, I've succeeded. Onto the next!

Today Show Taping Recap

Today I had a totally fun experience being apart of the Today Show taping at Universal Orlando. I also got my mom involved and to see her excited for something was worth getting up before dawn. Due to the terrible storms in Oklahoma, I had my doubts about the "fun-ness" of the event, but it blew my expectations. The whole thing was very organized and I can say that the staff was SO nice!

We lucked out and were able to be placed exactly in the shade of a palm tree and positioned on the far side, but right in front.

Mom shook hands with a lot of the talent too. What fun!

Arriving home, Dad DVR'd and we watched frame by frame. We were actually on TV for a hot second and my friend Christian was on a bunch. I'll try to get some screen caps later.

I lived 23-years in New York and never went to a Today Show taping, so I'm glad I did this one. I'm thankful that my mom got to join me and she had a blast. Hooray!

Starting Challenges

With less than 30-days until my trip to Alaska, I find myself needing to finish things. At work, I've taken on pretty much a new job, so time is short and I come back quite exhausted.

I began a 30-day writing challenge to really start moving my book forward. It was going well until yesterday, when my mom got sick and I was too tired to write. I made it five days. I'm still going to write something everyday that is not work-related. I can envision seeing my name at the top of the New York Times Best Sellers list. I also see myself at book signing and writing professionally for a living. These are all within my reach, I can feel it in my heart.

I also feel the need to read more, which is a huge challenge because of lack of time. I've always felt that you cannot write effectively unless you read avidly. If you ever feel the need to see what I'm reading you can follow me on GoodReads. I will strive to make time for myself. Today, I had a technology free and nag free hour, so rather than meditating, I did the thing that makes me most happy. I ate, a lot. For an entire hour, I ate everything I could get my hands on. This sort of concerns me because it's definitely a sign of emotional eating, but it felt so good.

Also in my various pursuits, I'm trying to think of ways to make my work environment a more positive place. I've been reading a lot about The Secret, The Power, and The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.  All these books have the main message of changing the way you think to be more positive. There is nothing to gain from having a negative attitude, so why do it.

I'm going (rather ambitiously) change the way I think and hopefully bring that positive atmosphere and positive way of thinking to my office. I admit it is going to be a challenge, I'm dealing with 20-something underemployed people, who have to deal with getting yelled at all day. I'm also totally going to write about it. Stay tuned.

Woolite Everyday

One of my biggest pet peeves is clothes that close their color and look worn within a month. I don't have a lot of money and really think about the things I buy, so it's important. I received a sample of Woolite Everyday to try.

In my wash, I had some older clothes and a new dress. The dress was a dark purple. I probably should have used a color catcher, but I was also worried about pilling. So I threw it in anyway and used the sample.

I also gave samples to my work friends. We all wear business casual, so using Woolite Everyday would be useful. Funny a couple people declined saying that they did not want to use the product. Other people already used it and love it.

So my dress came out just fine, none of the color bled and it wasn't pilly. I love the smell too. Great product.

I need a vacation

I think I'm sick again. It's weird because I *knock on wood* do not have any runny nose or coughing. My ears hurt terribly and my right tonsil is swollen and angry. I'm guessing it's my mono, which comes back about once a year. It would explain why I can sleep so much and still be tired. Of course the only respite is to rest as much as possible.

I'm trying to plan a relaxing vacation. My dad does not want to leave Charger, so any plans we had are no longer an option. So now I'm thinking, I want to go somewhere I've never been. Alaska is becoming an interesting option. I've always wanted to see wild killer whales. I can really foresee this happening. I work way too much to not get any enjoyment out of life.

Many time when I get complaints from people who say "Oh I'm going to blog about my negative experience..." I often write them off, because I think that no one truly cares. That may be so, but I find myself looking at blog site like CruiseCritic.com to figure out the best value for money. Being a blogger myself, I know it's the future of news and journalism.

I also launched my homepage. When I finish my novel I'll buy a .com, but for now:

http://kmoy126.wix.com/home 

My Big Fat Gypsy Theme Park

Here's a little call to action that I wrote for work. If you are a "gypsy," no apologizes.

How to Stop Theme Park Scammers: An Exposition

It is important to note that not all people are categorized as professional criminal families, or commonly known as “gypsies.” The degree to which people complain depends upon the frequency and legitimacy of their claims.  Some people may just be “serial complainers,” while others complain “professionally.”

Personally, I am angered by professional criminal families. People work very hard for what they earn and these types of families unjustly receive things for no reason. These costs are ultimately passed back to those who work the hardest.

So how can you tell the difference between someone with a legitimate complaint and someone who is trying to rip you off?  It simply comes down to proof.  Working in a theme park, we have several ways to verify a Guest’s claim. Do they have tickets or receipts? Did they interact with specific people?

While the M.O. might vary, the general story comes down to:
[redacted as proprietary information]

Contact with these guests will occur either via telephone or outside of the parks.  Upon questioning, the story will be riddled with inconsistencies.  When you decline compensation, sometimes these guests will escalate quickly and request to speak with a Manager, ultimately to get what they want. They may attack your attitude and create a scene to escalate the situation further.

Change needs to happen from the top down. No compensation without proof; and no picking up compensation without matching ID. Many times, these families use aliases to keep us off their trail. The names will change quickly, but ultimately the rule of matching ID must stand.

Let the people who legitimately experience an issue be compensated appropriately. Stop the cycle of crime through vigilance and sticking with our policies.  

Orlando Science Center: The Crosby Observatory

John and I decided to have a date night and visit the Orlando Science Center's Crosby Observatory for SkyWatch.

I never been to an observatory in Florida, but spend a lot of time staring at the sky when walking the pup at night. Being an Aquarius, I also have a natural fascination with the stars.

As a former OSC volunteer, I love the dedication to education the science center offers. The observatory is on the sixth floor and features a powerful, 10-inch lens refractor telescope.

Upon exiting the elevator, guests encounter a board with the rising and setting times of each of the planets and the moon. Planets come into view at night depending upon the season. Tonight, we were scheduled to see Jupiter. We were immediately greeted by a very knowledgeable OSC volunteer. (I regret not remembering his name). He took us up a spiral staircase to view the telescope. After a brief introduction, he pointed out a bright spot in the sky. Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system and is one of the brightest objects in the sky right now.  We peered through the lens and saw Jupiter with its red and white lines very clear. We also saw four of its moons lined perfectly. We had a very in depth conversation with the OSC volunteer. You can definitely tell how passionate he is about space.

Next we went out to the patio. Not only does it have an amazing view of Downtown Orlando's skyline, but more OSC volunteers set up smaller telescopes for additional viewing. Unfortunately, a thick set of clouds rolled in and we had to cut our trip short. I definitely want to return in the Spring to see Saturn.

I highly recommend SkyWatch to astronomy enthusiasts. It makes a great date night location and also gets points for being highly educational. Admission included access to the rest of the Science Center too. 

SkyWatch occurs on Fridays and Saturdays on the first and third weekend of the month. Weather permitting. The cost of admission after 5:00 PM is $23 for adults and $16 for youth (ages 3-11). Student discounts available. 

LSAT Notes to Self

Logical Reasoning accounts for 50% of this test. You can finish the section in a timely manner. Be calm and read slowly, actively, critically, and carefully. Find the conclusion if there is one and use it to answer the question. Pace yourself. If it's a long passage and it's tough to get through, skip it and complete shorter ones.

Analytical Reasoning (Logic Games) suck. It is only a game if you like to torture people. With that said, get over it. Start with a good diagram and follow through. No excuses for not making deductions. Read the Stimulus and first rules before diagramming. List questions are easy, do not give away those points.  Be certain during what If questions.  Use the past diagrams as possible outcomes.  Work quickly (time is of the essence).  Do not fret, if it's taking too long, then jump it and move on.

Reading Comprehension.  Make notes. Read carefully, slowly, and understand the whole. Try to find passages that work for you. Find the author's point of view and conclusion early. If there is evidence presented, determine it's role.

Writing Sample.  Do not blow this off, because it may be your saving grace. IRAC. That's what they want to see. Pick a side and defend it, do this by stating and proving why one side is much better than the other. Be the defender/ publicist. Do not spell words wrong.

I think my feelings regarding this test are best summed up by P!nk's "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)", as this test is my bad boyfriend. 

I think I've finally had enough, I think I maybe think too much
I think this might be it for us (blow me one last kiss)
You think I'm just too serious, I think you're full of sh-t
My head is spinning so (blow me one last kiss)

Just when I think it can't get worse, I had a sh-t day (no!)
You had a sh-t day (no!), we've had a sh-t day (no!)
I think that life's too short for this, I'll pack my ignorance and bliss
I think I've had enough of this. Blow me one last kiss

37 Full Days Left....Each time get better. Do not settle for mediocre. I must go in 37 days from now knowing that I did everything that I could to prepare. I will cut myself a break maybe once a week because I work full-time and go to school full-time, but other than that it's all about time management.

When did I become a crazy dolphin lady?

These are the pictures from my desk at work. I won’t even show you pictures from my house, but let’s just say that we have a room just full of dolphins. I do not know when this happen, maybe it always was, but when did I become the crazy dolphin lady. People go to stores and they buy me dolphins. During Christmas time, people buy me dolphin gifts. This has occurred for as long as I can remember.

The Origin: When my brother and I were younger, during our Summer breaks from school, our parents would drive us all around the East Coast taking us to different aquariums. Any time we went on vacation, we would also go to aquariums. Possibly, the earliest memory I have is my dad holding me over a dolphin tank to feed them fish when I was 3 or 4 years old. My mom would always buy me books about the ocean and dolphins. 

When we were younger, our family use to have a friend that swore up and down that she was a dolphin in a past life. At the time, Chris and I thought she was crazy, and I thought how could anyone be that crazy. Fast forward 20 years, and it's now me. While I don't think that I was a dolphin in a past life, I seem to be at that similar level of crazy.

My brother and I can visually identify and probably tell you a couple facts about a majority of the fish in the known world. I’m better with marine mammals, but my brother can ID most fish. It’s a shame that neither of us studied Marine Biology.

I think I like dolphins because they’re intelligent, beautiful creatures. They can be mysterious or show-offs. Plus, they live in the sea.

So I guess that I’m a crazy dolphin lady. I’m sure if they could live in bathrooms I would have a bunch of them in my house. I do have one request to anyone reading this. No more dolphin gifts. I really have no use for them. What would be useful is money. If you don’t want to give me money, at least give the dolphins some money : The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society.

One of my favorite things: Empty Theme Park

This past week I've been working from 6:00 AM until 2:00 PM or 3:00 PM. Why, you may ask? I'm not too sure, but I love it. As some of you may know, I'm not exactly a morning person, but I'm always glad once I actually get started. This morning I arrived at 5:30 AM to a completely empty theme park, except for one security guard and a few roaches. I took a breath and found that as absurd of a life I have, it is amazing.

I think very VERY few people have the opportunity to walk through a place alone that is empty and most importantly silent. It's a very underwhelming experience to have silence now or days. As I walk, I imagine that if there was an apocalypse, that emptiness would feel exactly like it does in that moment. Theme parks are usually filled with screaming children, music, ride noises, and every noise pollution possible, but there is a point where all that turns off and it's just a regular place of business.

Again, you may be thinking WHY 6:00 AM. There have been days when I show up, and there are people (tourists) waiting to get in, frantic that it's 5:45 AM and they do not have their tickets.  I appreciate their enthusiasm, but I also truly like that they have to wait outside until 6:00 AM - thus giving me a moment of surreal peace.

That's what it is! Peace. A moment where you can think about yourself and how you feel in the universe. Maybe that's why people like to go camping or to far off places, to feel like a single soul in the universe, rather than just another number or face in the crowd. Inner peace. Namaste.

Beef by the handful!

I can cross "throwing objects at a high velocity at other humans" off my bucket list. I lived a life long dream by riding a Mardi Gras float and throwing beads at a throng of people. I mean thousands of people. I trained humans to jump for plastic beads.

It was a lot of fun just throwing things at people. I just took my pent up aggression and threw beads to all the people in the far back. It was amazing and a great work out. I feel like, if everyday was a parade, people would be happier. Angry people could be put on a float and throw things at other humans.

In addition, I can technically cross off "Parade performer" from my bucket list. Although, I was not a pie, I was a parrot.

Work tips from a dolphin with a big head

It's a miracle, but some how I managed to get all the deadlined tasks done. I learned a few things this weeks about getting things done with as much detail as possible:

1. Don't multi-task! I know it's so tempting to do. I'm a huge multi-tasker, but it turns out that you get things done faster and with greater accuracy when you focus on one project at a time and complete one project at a time. Planning well is essential for getting things done on time. 
2. Do not start a project late at night or when you're exhausted. One of two things will happen: You will either fall asleep on your project, thus causing you to have to delete it anyway and start again, because your face was on your keyboard and hit a lot of letters. Or you will get so awake and into your project that you won't sleep, then you're exhausted the next few days, bringing you back up to subpoint one. 
3. At work, do not do attempt to do a side project unless you're done with your main work. I had to stop and explain to people so many times, why I was researching, that it took focus away from what I was doing. While these people are just nosy, it breaks the concentration. 
4. Don't work anywhere or anytime your mother is awake. She will need something or want attention. The same things in point 3 will occur, except to someone with a lesser amount of understanding. 
5. Pray it rains. It is so hard to focus when it's a beautiful day outside, the birds are chirping and you just want to work outside. 
6. Take time away from the projects to focus on yourself at least an hour or two. You'll become too consumed with the details if you work, work, work. When a project is done, and you've checked it over. Hand it in. You have done the best you can do, and move on to the next. 

That's all I got. If you have addition please comment!