Wow.
Yeaaaahhh.
So I started this Blog around 6 months ago with the idea that I'd be updating every week, coming up with new ideas of things to post, etc... and now, 6 months later, I have 3 posts. Good job Steph! >.<
Normally, a complete lack of activity like this suggests that I've hit some sort of slump, and don't feel like writing blogs about things I used to do, or wish I was doing. This time, it was pretty much the exact opposite. My life seemed to hit turbo-drive. I started working a lot, coaching track, working out, getting shit straight mentally, and pretty much getting my whole life back on track. I met a lot of new people, made some friends, and lost a few, but lived and learned. Everything in the past few years that I've experienced has seemed to culminate in the past few months, and I'm not disappointed in the slightest. I'm excited to take on new challenges, and put myself into situations that make me push myself.
It's my favorite time of the year... It's Summer and Fall! I get to spend the next few months out in the sun. I'm twenty two years old for god sakes, and this year is going to be full of adventures. Starting this week even, I'm going on two hikes. One 5.4 miles round trip(just a little guy) and the second is around 8 miles I believe. you can bet I'll be bursting to talk about them somewhere! I want to take as many different friends on these hikes as possible. I'm out to create memories, and I want to have as many people in my memories as possible!
I'm gonna try this again. Maybe I'll get it right this time.
-Steph
Any Questions or Suggestions?
PLEASE post them in a comment here for sure, but you can also send me an email.
Please include the word 'BLOGSPOT' in the subject so that I don't block you as spam!
Stephanie_88_06@msn.com
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER! Click Here for my profile
Friday, July 30, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
MAN THE TRENCHES!
One big thing you'll learn about me, is that I'm a plugger. If given the opportunity, I'll plug fields, events, teams... I love Northwest paintball, and the people surrounding it. I really appreciate a well run event, and I think large scale multiple day events are an important stepping stone to getting more people enthusiastic about the sport. That said, it's time again for Warpaint Paintball's SUPERGAME!
Alright big scenario paintball lovers in the PacNoW... It's that time of year again to start piling together your camo getups and camping gear. Supergame, hosted by Sniperzden paintball in St. Paul Oregon(Click Here for driving directions), is back for it's 39TH EVENT, and it's looking like it will be the biggest yet!
My first Supergame was #37, in the beginning of May, 2009. Pulling into the field, it looked like we were going to be in for a long weekend. The forecast all weekend was set to be rainy and cold, with a little sun break on Sunday. My friend and I didn't arrive untill the sun was starting to go down on Friday, so we got right to setting up our tents. I was instantly struck by how much camping space there was. On the same property as the field, there's acres of orchard space. Big tall leafy trees, planted with enough space between them to pull a truck or RV, and definitely enough room for hundreds of people to camp.
It was really great to have our own team designated area, where we were all right next to each other. We also had a few teammates staying in a hotel, so additionally, there was plenty of room for them to show up in the morning and park in our area.
When you pre-register, you can sign up for a camping spot for yourself, or as many people as you're bringing with you. My scenario team had over 20 people, and we were accomodated nicely. On the other hand, if you're not the sleep-on-the-hard-ground-in-a-sleeping-bag type, or if the feild accomodations fill up, you have other options. Nearby Champoeg Park offers tent sites, RV with full hookups, Yurts and more... and it's only 3 miles from the field. There are also Shilo Inn Branches in both Newberg and Salem that offer discounts for Supergame players. For more information pretaining to camping, and how to get your accomodations reserved, CLICK HERE.
Friday night was the night game. As fun as it is to play in the dark, I really wouldn't recommend it if you haven't taken some time in the daylight to walk around and explore the field a bit. It's an enormous field, and it's really easy to get turned around if you don't know anything about the field. If I remember correctly(which I probably don't), I think the entire field is about 60 acres... although I think it's more... I know at Supergame 37, I ended up playing in a creek bottom... literally thigh deep in a creek. TOTALLY would not have done that if I had known a little bit about the field. If you're unsure however, I still recommend buying the three day pass, that includes the night game. Whether you play Friday night or not, it still works out to be cheaper than if you pay for Saturday and Sunday independantly... Plus, you have the option to play Friday if you want(not to mention the Friday night feast avaliable free to all who paid for a 3 day pass).
Saturday was another story. In the full daylight, you got to see just what you were up against. Red Army vs. Yellow Army is definitely not your average Saturday woodsball game. With this year's head count expected to far surpass the 1,000 player mark, each team should be rostering north of 500 players apiece. Don't get intimidated. There are players of all skill level playing for each team. From seasoned tournament players(including former pro player Greg Hastings, and even a few of our own DBS kidz, local rising stars in the Division 1 PSP division), to the 13 year old kid from down the street who's never picked up a paintball gun in his life, and everyone in between. There's even a special band called the Renegades assigned by Dan Bonebrake to swap teams and help if one side starts finding themselves outgunned. Each side also has extra weapons in their arsenal: TANKS! Only able to be taken out by someone toting a rocket launcher, these beasts charge the opposite teams front line, carving a clear path for the attacking team to fill in behind.
With each hourly objective changing to a different base, you definitely get to play all types of different terrain, but if you prefer, there's always something going on in all areas of the field... so you don't have to go far to get into the action. There are 7 bases spaced throughout the entire field, and every hour, to get points, each army tries to take control of said base. Whoever has control by the end of the hour gets the points. Then, it's on to the next goal. Players are always moving, and tactics are always changing.
Rain plagued players all day long; pouring, then sprinkling, then clearing for a few precious sunny moments. It wasn't till about 4:30 that the sky really opened up and let loose what I lovingly call 'the monsoon'. I've lived in Washington all my life so I'm no stranger to rainstorms all year long, but rain I've seen on the magnitude of what happened for that five minutes I can only count on one hand. I was getting ready to go back on to the field after refilling my pods, and I was standing under the covered area field-side deciding what I wanted to do. Suddenly, the rain intensified, and I was unable to see across the field. It was literally an opaque wall of water. Everybody on the sidelines stood with mouth open, and hanging onto the poles of pop-up tents to keep them from blowing away in the sudden watery onslaught. After a few minutes of Mother Nature's rage, the skies cleared, and the sun broke out once more. Dan, the event organizer, decided to call the day then, which was probably a good idea. It was only 30 minutes before the end of the day anyways, and everyone was soaked. It was a good call, and no one was particularly angry about it. I think everyone was ready to dry out for the night.
Sunday opened with sunny skies for the first time all weekend, and it stayed that way. Now, apart from when my SPPL team won first in our division at the Oregon event 3 months later, Sunday was probably my favorite day of scenario paintball I've had to date. The rain from the day before had left the field a muddy mess. Not so muddy that you couldn't run for fear of injury, but muddy enough that if you wanted to slide into your bunker, it didnt take much to make you slide for miles. In my opinion, a recipe for some great paintball! The format for Sunday is slightly different.
It's 5 hours of play, and instead of the objectives changing every hour, EVERY base has the opportunity of scoring points at the hour mark, as well as multiple times throughout. At every base flag there's a ref, and with every ref there's a huge tub of Mardi Gras beads. Every time one side captures a base by raising their respective flag color, players from that team have 30 seconds to get inside the designated neutral zone, and cannot leave said zone untill the ref releases you. All players in the zone will get handed a necklace, and the necklace counts as one point. If you hold the flag at the end of the hour, every player in the neutral zone gets two beads. As soon as all players have their beads, the ref will count down, and the players will become live again. You have to be careful though. Although the opposite team cannot fire upon neutral players, they can still move in around you... so it's not in your best interest to move all your players to bead collection. Its a good idea to leave a few players on the field to hold off the other team who will, no doubt, want to take advantage of the opportunity.
I liked this day because there's always action, and there's always points at stake. If Red and Yellow army come out of Friday and Saturday with equal points, Sunday can literally come down to a difference of one or two points, so every victory and loss is vital. As an added bonus, every necklace turned in earns you a raffle ticket that goes into a drawing for the $40,000 pot of prizes!
Now, some of you may be thinking about showers, and wet gear, and things like that. I feel you pain. Nobody likes to camp wet and cold. No worries. As you can see from the directions I linked you to above, the field is only a few minutes from I-5. At the exit, there's a few gas stations, as well as a restaurant and truck stop. The Diner has American style food, and is actually a pretty good value. They have a pretty extensive menu, so you can find something to eat no matter what you're craving. The Truck stop also has LAUNDRY MACHINES AND SHOWERS *gasp*! The Laundry machines are quarter opperated, so you can wash and dry a few loads of wet muddy clothes for only a few dollars.
The showers, on the other hand are a little more pricy. It costs ten dollars, which can be an offputting price for most people. Personally, I think it's totally worth it. Not only do you get to clean up and get warm and dry, but these are probably some of the best showers Ive ever been in. Its a closed room, about 5'x8', and there's NO TIME LIMIT ON THE HOT WATER! I literally sat in there for an hour before I decided I was clean. There's also a sink and wall outlet, and the facility provides you with soap, shampoo, towel, and washcloth. I also cheat a little bit, and wash all the mud off my dirty clothes and cleats in the shower, and then tote them down to a dryer machine so that I can skip out on washer costs.
That truck stop is probably one of the most conveiniently placed establisments I've ever used.
Any Questions or Suggestions?
PLEASE post them in a comment here for sure, but you can also send me an email.
Please include the word 'BLOGSPOT' in the subject so that I don't block you as spam!
Stephanie_88_06@msn.com
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER! Click Here for my profile
Alright big scenario paintball lovers in the PacNoW... It's that time of year again to start piling together your camo getups and camping gear. Supergame, hosted by Sniperzden paintball in St. Paul Oregon(Click Here for driving directions), is back for it's 39TH EVENT, and it's looking like it will be the biggest yet!
My first Supergame was #37, in the beginning of May, 2009. Pulling into the field, it looked like we were going to be in for a long weekend. The forecast all weekend was set to be rainy and cold, with a little sun break on Sunday. My friend and I didn't arrive untill the sun was starting to go down on Friday, so we got right to setting up our tents. I was instantly struck by how much camping space there was. On the same property as the field, there's acres of orchard space. Big tall leafy trees, planted with enough space between them to pull a truck or RV, and definitely enough room for hundreds of people to camp.
It was really great to have our own team designated area, where we were all right next to each other. We also had a few teammates staying in a hotel, so additionally, there was plenty of room for them to show up in the morning and park in our area.
When you pre-register, you can sign up for a camping spot for yourself, or as many people as you're bringing with you. My scenario team had over 20 people, and we were accomodated nicely. On the other hand, if you're not the sleep-on-the-hard-ground-in-a-sleeping-bag type, or if the feild accomodations fill up, you have other options. Nearby Champoeg Park offers tent sites, RV with full hookups, Yurts and more... and it's only 3 miles from the field. There are also Shilo Inn Branches in both Newberg and Salem that offer discounts for Supergame players. For more information pretaining to camping, and how to get your accomodations reserved, CLICK HERE.
Friday night was the night game. As fun as it is to play in the dark, I really wouldn't recommend it if you haven't taken some time in the daylight to walk around and explore the field a bit. It's an enormous field, and it's really easy to get turned around if you don't know anything about the field. If I remember correctly(which I probably don't), I think the entire field is about 60 acres... although I think it's more... I know at Supergame 37, I ended up playing in a creek bottom... literally thigh deep in a creek. TOTALLY would not have done that if I had known a little bit about the field. If you're unsure however, I still recommend buying the three day pass, that includes the night game. Whether you play Friday night or not, it still works out to be cheaper than if you pay for Saturday and Sunday independantly... Plus, you have the option to play Friday if you want(not to mention the Friday night feast avaliable free to all who paid for a 3 day pass).
Saturday was another story. In the full daylight, you got to see just what you were up against. Red Army vs. Yellow Army is definitely not your average Saturday woodsball game. With this year's head count expected to far surpass the 1,000 player mark, each team should be rostering north of 500 players apiece. Don't get intimidated. There are players of all skill level playing for each team. From seasoned tournament players(including former pro player Greg Hastings, and even a few of our own DBS kidz, local rising stars in the Division 1 PSP division), to the 13 year old kid from down the street who's never picked up a paintball gun in his life, and everyone in between. There's even a special band called the Renegades assigned by Dan Bonebrake to swap teams and help if one side starts finding themselves outgunned. Each side also has extra weapons in their arsenal: TANKS! Only able to be taken out by someone toting a rocket launcher, these beasts charge the opposite teams front line, carving a clear path for the attacking team to fill in behind.
With each hourly objective changing to a different base, you definitely get to play all types of different terrain, but if you prefer, there's always something going on in all areas of the field... so you don't have to go far to get into the action. There are 7 bases spaced throughout the entire field, and every hour, to get points, each army tries to take control of said base. Whoever has control by the end of the hour gets the points. Then, it's on to the next goal. Players are always moving, and tactics are always changing.
Rain plagued players all day long; pouring, then sprinkling, then clearing for a few precious sunny moments. It wasn't till about 4:30 that the sky really opened up and let loose what I lovingly call 'the monsoon'. I've lived in Washington all my life so I'm no stranger to rainstorms all year long, but rain I've seen on the magnitude of what happened for that five minutes I can only count on one hand. I was getting ready to go back on to the field after refilling my pods, and I was standing under the covered area field-side deciding what I wanted to do. Suddenly, the rain intensified, and I was unable to see across the field. It was literally an opaque wall of water. Everybody on the sidelines stood with mouth open, and hanging onto the poles of pop-up tents to keep them from blowing away in the sudden watery onslaught. After a few minutes of Mother Nature's rage, the skies cleared, and the sun broke out once more. Dan, the event organizer, decided to call the day then, which was probably a good idea. It was only 30 minutes before the end of the day anyways, and everyone was soaked. It was a good call, and no one was particularly angry about it. I think everyone was ready to dry out for the night.
Sunday opened with sunny skies for the first time all weekend, and it stayed that way. Now, apart from when my SPPL team won first in our division at the Oregon event 3 months later, Sunday was probably my favorite day of scenario paintball I've had to date. The rain from the day before had left the field a muddy mess. Not so muddy that you couldn't run for fear of injury, but muddy enough that if you wanted to slide into your bunker, it didnt take much to make you slide for miles. In my opinion, a recipe for some great paintball! The format for Sunday is slightly different.
It's 5 hours of play, and instead of the objectives changing every hour, EVERY base has the opportunity of scoring points at the hour mark, as well as multiple times throughout. At every base flag there's a ref, and with every ref there's a huge tub of Mardi Gras beads. Every time one side captures a base by raising their respective flag color, players from that team have 30 seconds to get inside the designated neutral zone, and cannot leave said zone untill the ref releases you. All players in the zone will get handed a necklace, and the necklace counts as one point. If you hold the flag at the end of the hour, every player in the neutral zone gets two beads. As soon as all players have their beads, the ref will count down, and the players will become live again. You have to be careful though. Although the opposite team cannot fire upon neutral players, they can still move in around you... so it's not in your best interest to move all your players to bead collection. Its a good idea to leave a few players on the field to hold off the other team who will, no doubt, want to take advantage of the opportunity.
I liked this day because there's always action, and there's always points at stake. If Red and Yellow army come out of Friday and Saturday with equal points, Sunday can literally come down to a difference of one or two points, so every victory and loss is vital. As an added bonus, every necklace turned in earns you a raffle ticket that goes into a drawing for the $40,000 pot of prizes!
Now, some of you may be thinking about showers, and wet gear, and things like that. I feel you pain. Nobody likes to camp wet and cold. No worries. As you can see from the directions I linked you to above, the field is only a few minutes from I-5. At the exit, there's a few gas stations, as well as a restaurant and truck stop. The Diner has American style food, and is actually a pretty good value. They have a pretty extensive menu, so you can find something to eat no matter what you're craving. The Truck stop also has LAUNDRY MACHINES AND SHOWERS *gasp*! The Laundry machines are quarter opperated, so you can wash and dry a few loads of wet muddy clothes for only a few dollars.
The showers, on the other hand are a little more pricy. It costs ten dollars, which can be an offputting price for most people. Personally, I think it's totally worth it. Not only do you get to clean up and get warm and dry, but these are probably some of the best showers Ive ever been in. Its a closed room, about 5'x8', and there's NO TIME LIMIT ON THE HOT WATER! I literally sat in there for an hour before I decided I was clean. There's also a sink and wall outlet, and the facility provides you with soap, shampoo, towel, and washcloth. I also cheat a little bit, and wash all the mud off my dirty clothes and cleats in the shower, and then tote them down to a dryer machine so that I can skip out on washer costs.
That truck stop is probably one of the most conveiniently placed establisments I've ever used.
It's that time again my friends.
Ready yourselves.
Prepare for Battle.
Supergame 39 will be one for the books. If you've ever thought about trying paintball, or even if you're a long time player who's considered it in the past, Supergame 39 will not be an event to miss. With Yellow Army scoring victory in May 2009, and Red Army bringing the pain in August 2009, both teams are going to fight to prove they have what it takes. Now it's time to ask youself:
Do you?
I hope to see tons of new faces on the field this year.
For more information, and for pre-registry, please visit the Supergame website at http://www.supergame.tv/index.html
For some awesome pictures of Supergame 37, check out this album from Washington's premiere Commercial, Portrait, and Sports Photographer, Jimmy Hickey! Click Here!
-Steph
PLEASE post them in a comment here for sure, but you can also send me an email.
Please include the word 'BLOGSPOT' in the subject so that I don't block you as spam!
Stephanie_88_06@msn.com
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER! Click Here for my profile
Friday, February 12, 2010
Ooohhh Valentine's Day
Red heart shaped boxes filled with crappy chocolates.
Pink as far as the eye can see.
White teddy bears wearing red 'I love you' shirts.
Commercials for flower bouquet delivery.
'I love you' cards in the mail from your grandparents.
February 14th and the days leading up to it are the bain of any fully single person's year. I'm not talking about the people who are 'technically' single, who have a valentine or future boyfriend all lined up to take them out this Sunday. I'm talking about the people who will sit at home playing video games, reading, or burning pictures of exes. Valentine's day pretty much sucks for us. Especially those of us with baggage. I, myself, got out of relationship last year right after Valentines day, and since it's coming around to that one year mark, people will find me to be extra cynical. This year, I'll probably hate the holiday of love. I love it when I'm involved. I hate it when I'm single. So goes the roller coaster of life.
I'm determined to have the most fun an extremely bitter person can have on Valentines day. I'll be going out with some co-workers and new friends, and I will be playing in a beer pong tournament for a chance to win a hundred bucks. Good music, good drinks, and good friends lead yo good times, so I think this year won't be a total bust. I know it will be better than last year at any rate, when I didn't even get a 'Happy Valentines Day' text from my boyfriend hahahaa.
I've started at Red Robin, and I'm having a lot of fun. The people are great(even though Ive already sortof been asked on a date by one), and I love the environment. The only thing I hate is the whole 'Happy Birthday' singing and clapping fiasco. I feel like a damn sideshow. Oh well. Seeing as that's the only negative that Ive found so far though, I don't think it'll be too shabby.
One thing that's good for sure is that work leads to income, and income leads to paintball. I'm so excited to get back out on the Washington paintball scene again. It's been way too long. It'll be the perfect time too. Doodlebug Sportz indoor will be reopening relatively soon, and I know everyone up here can't wait for that. Their old indoor place was fantastic, and I can only imagine a fresh start will improve upon the already excellent level of paintball that the Northwest has come to expect from the franchise. PSP Phoenix is in March, and I can't wait to see what they bring to their new division this season. I may be down in the Phoenix area for the first day od the event, so hopefully I'll be able to spend some time watching our NW teams paint some faces!
I've started drawing again. I don't have a whole lot of stuff in my sketchbook, but the things I have I actually like. I'm nowhere close to being an artist, and I'm by no means refined, but I like to draw, and it's relaxing. I mostly draw animals and things like that. Never people. Im terrible at drawing people. Maybe I'll post a few drawings up here someday, or as I go. I'd definitely like to start posting some type of pictures into my blog.
Damn, this is a reeeaaaallllyyyy scatter-brained blog. I went into it having a clear idea of what I wanted to write about, but now I feel just sortof lost, an like it was failry anit-climactic. Oh well. Better luck next time. Next Blog will most likely be about LOST... be prepared lol
-Steph
Any Questions or Suggestions?
PLEASE post them in a comment here for sure, but you can also send me an email.
Please include the word 'BLOGSPOT' in the subject so that I don't block you as spam!
Stephanie_88_06@msn.com
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER! Click Here for my profile
Pink as far as the eye can see.
White teddy bears wearing red 'I love you' shirts.
Commercials for flower bouquet delivery.
'I love you' cards in the mail from your grandparents.
February 14th and the days leading up to it are the bain of any fully single person's year. I'm not talking about the people who are 'technically' single, who have a valentine or future boyfriend all lined up to take them out this Sunday. I'm talking about the people who will sit at home playing video games, reading, or burning pictures of exes. Valentine's day pretty much sucks for us. Especially those of us with baggage. I, myself, got out of relationship last year right after Valentines day, and since it's coming around to that one year mark, people will find me to be extra cynical. This year, I'll probably hate the holiday of love. I love it when I'm involved. I hate it when I'm single. So goes the roller coaster of life.
I'm determined to have the most fun an extremely bitter person can have on Valentines day. I'll be going out with some co-workers and new friends, and I will be playing in a beer pong tournament for a chance to win a hundred bucks. Good music, good drinks, and good friends lead yo good times, so I think this year won't be a total bust. I know it will be better than last year at any rate, when I didn't even get a 'Happy Valentines Day' text from my boyfriend hahahaa.
I've started at Red Robin, and I'm having a lot of fun. The people are great(even though Ive already sortof been asked on a date by one), and I love the environment. The only thing I hate is the whole 'Happy Birthday' singing and clapping fiasco. I feel like a damn sideshow. Oh well. Seeing as that's the only negative that Ive found so far though, I don't think it'll be too shabby.
One thing that's good for sure is that work leads to income, and income leads to paintball. I'm so excited to get back out on the Washington paintball scene again. It's been way too long. It'll be the perfect time too. Doodlebug Sportz indoor will be reopening relatively soon, and I know everyone up here can't wait for that. Their old indoor place was fantastic, and I can only imagine a fresh start will improve upon the already excellent level of paintball that the Northwest has come to expect from the franchise. PSP Phoenix is in March, and I can't wait to see what they bring to their new division this season. I may be down in the Phoenix area for the first day od the event, so hopefully I'll be able to spend some time watching our NW teams paint some faces!
I've started drawing again. I don't have a whole lot of stuff in my sketchbook, but the things I have I actually like. I'm nowhere close to being an artist, and I'm by no means refined, but I like to draw, and it's relaxing. I mostly draw animals and things like that. Never people. Im terrible at drawing people. Maybe I'll post a few drawings up here someday, or as I go. I'd definitely like to start posting some type of pictures into my blog.
Damn, this is a reeeaaaallllyyyy scatter-brained blog. I went into it having a clear idea of what I wanted to write about, but now I feel just sortof lost, an like it was failry anit-climactic. Oh well. Better luck next time. Next Blog will most likely be about LOST... be prepared lol
-Steph
Any Questions or Suggestions?
PLEASE post them in a comment here for sure, but you can also send me an email.
Please include the word 'BLOGSPOT' in the subject so that I don't block you as spam!
Stephanie_88_06@msn.com
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER! Click Here for my profile
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Lost, Employment, and a Good Samaritan
Alright, Tuesday for me was an excellent day, so I'm going to blog about it! Three things happened on Tuesday for me that just made it stand out above a lot of the days I've had in the past 8-12 months:
1. The final season of Lost premiered! Now, I'm super excited, and sortof sad at the same time. Lost has been a phenomenal show to watch. I like to think I've watched my fair share of TV dramas, as well as a good variety of movies, so it really does take a lot to surprise me. Whatever I'm watching, I can usually figure out the ending by about half of the way through. Most of the time with movies, the storyline is written well enough that even if the ending is predictable, it can still be a good movie. In an hour long television show though, if a show makes a habit of being predictable, I lose interest. So here we are starting the sixth and final season of Lost, and I'm still managing to be surprised, as well as have a plethora of new questions or theories with EVERY episode. It's really thought provoking, and forces you to think outside of the box. I won't go into my theories or anything here(as I'll be posting a specific Lost blog in a few weeks), but I am purely commenting on how great it made my day to look forward to a brand new episode of my favorite show... a TWO HOUR episode at that!
2. I GOT A JOB!!! One of my best friends Becca(who I was spending the day with before we settled down for Lost that evening), who I know and worked with at Applebee's now works at the Red Robin located on Bothell Everett Highway. I mentioned to her that If she heard of any job opening that she should keep me posted, because I would love to work with her again. I don't know how she did it, but she managed to get me an interview. It was probably just perfect timing(i.e. someone just quit, or something like that), but since we were spending the day together anyways, we set it up for that afternoon, and we took a trip down there. One very successful interview later, I was shaking managements hand and agreeing to come in for orientation on Monday at two-thirty. I'm super excited to be starting work again, and even more excited that it's in restaurant work with two of my former Applebuddies.
3. After getting back to Becca's apartment, eating some fantastic enchiladas with her and her family, and watching Lost, I headed home around 11:30. Now, I was in a fantastic mood, and feeling like I needed to indulge myself a little bit. Generally, I really dislike chocolate and ice cream, and I'm a pretty darn healthy eater when I'm not out on the town or with friends. But I have one weakness: Fudgesicles. I don't know why, considering they're made out of two elements that I dislike, but I don't want to argue with frozen deliciousness. I also have a very special place in my stomach for extra buttery popcorn(my favorite brand being Jolly Time Blast-o-Butter). I decided that a late-night Safeway run was entirely in order.
Upon walking around Safeway for a bit, I also grabbed a few things I was wanting that happened to be on sale(coffee, avocados, bagels, cream cheese, etc.) when I went to checkout, the total came to about fifteen dollars. having only 4 dollars in cash on me at the time, I used my debit card, which I had used for gas earlier in the day. I entered my PIN number, and was told it was 'incorrect' 3 times before I gave up. There was a guy in line behind me, and I didn't want to make him wait while I called the number on my card. I told the cashier to clear my purchases, to ring this man up, and we could just re-ring my things when I got off the phone. I called my bank, and the automated service helped me straighten it out. I got off the phone as the man I had let pass me was grabbing his groceries and walking out the door. Turning to the Cashier I said "Sorry about that! We can ring that stuff up again now!" She cocked he head to the side and said "Ma'am, that man told me not to clear your items, and to just keep going. He paid for your things for you." Shocked, I thanked her, grabbed my bags, and rushed outside to try to find and thank the man. I saw him pulling out in an old truck, and I waved. He nodded at me and smiled.
That was one of the coolest things that's ever happened to me. Some guy in his mid-late twenties just paid for my groceries. I wasn't upset, or freaking out, or even without the money to cover it... I was just having a problem with my card. And he just did it without wanting anything in return; even a thank you. I had an encounter with a true good samaritan... in Lake Stevens of all places! It may seem like a little thing, but I was super pumped about it, and it was a great ending to an awesome day!
So yeah, that was the three awesome things that made my day on Tuesday! Remember sometime that if you're in a position to help a random person, even in a little way, that it could be a gesture that makes their day. If I'm ever in the position to help a person like that man helped me, I will. No thanks required. Sometimes just knowing that you were kind to your fellow man is payment enough. Kindness is contagious people! Anyways, that's all for now. Peace out !
-Steph
Any Questions or Suggestions?
PLEASE post them in a comment here for sure, but you can also send me an email.
Please include the word 'BLOGSPOT' in the subject so that I don't block you as spam!
Stephanie_88_06@msn.com
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER! Click Here for my profile
1. The final season of Lost premiered! Now, I'm super excited, and sortof sad at the same time. Lost has been a phenomenal show to watch. I like to think I've watched my fair share of TV dramas, as well as a good variety of movies, so it really does take a lot to surprise me. Whatever I'm watching, I can usually figure out the ending by about half of the way through. Most of the time with movies, the storyline is written well enough that even if the ending is predictable, it can still be a good movie. In an hour long television show though, if a show makes a habit of being predictable, I lose interest. So here we are starting the sixth and final season of Lost, and I'm still managing to be surprised, as well as have a plethora of new questions or theories with EVERY episode. It's really thought provoking, and forces you to think outside of the box. I won't go into my theories or anything here(as I'll be posting a specific Lost blog in a few weeks), but I am purely commenting on how great it made my day to look forward to a brand new episode of my favorite show... a TWO HOUR episode at that!
2. I GOT A JOB!!! One of my best friends Becca(who I was spending the day with before we settled down for Lost that evening), who I know and worked with at Applebee's now works at the Red Robin located on Bothell Everett Highway. I mentioned to her that If she heard of any job opening that she should keep me posted, because I would love to work with her again. I don't know how she did it, but she managed to get me an interview. It was probably just perfect timing(i.e. someone just quit, or something like that), but since we were spending the day together anyways, we set it up for that afternoon, and we took a trip down there. One very successful interview later, I was shaking managements hand and agreeing to come in for orientation on Monday at two-thirty. I'm super excited to be starting work again, and even more excited that it's in restaurant work with two of my former Applebuddies.
3. After getting back to Becca's apartment, eating some fantastic enchiladas with her and her family, and watching Lost, I headed home around 11:30. Now, I was in a fantastic mood, and feeling like I needed to indulge myself a little bit. Generally, I really dislike chocolate and ice cream, and I'm a pretty darn healthy eater when I'm not out on the town or with friends. But I have one weakness: Fudgesicles. I don't know why, considering they're made out of two elements that I dislike, but I don't want to argue with frozen deliciousness. I also have a very special place in my stomach for extra buttery popcorn(my favorite brand being Jolly Time Blast-o-Butter). I decided that a late-night Safeway run was entirely in order.
Upon walking around Safeway for a bit, I also grabbed a few things I was wanting that happened to be on sale(coffee, avocados, bagels, cream cheese, etc.) when I went to checkout, the total came to about fifteen dollars. having only 4 dollars in cash on me at the time, I used my debit card, which I had used for gas earlier in the day. I entered my PIN number, and was told it was 'incorrect' 3 times before I gave up. There was a guy in line behind me, and I didn't want to make him wait while I called the number on my card. I told the cashier to clear my purchases, to ring this man up, and we could just re-ring my things when I got off the phone. I called my bank, and the automated service helped me straighten it out. I got off the phone as the man I had let pass me was grabbing his groceries and walking out the door. Turning to the Cashier I said "Sorry about that! We can ring that stuff up again now!" She cocked he head to the side and said "Ma'am, that man told me not to clear your items, and to just keep going. He paid for your things for you." Shocked, I thanked her, grabbed my bags, and rushed outside to try to find and thank the man. I saw him pulling out in an old truck, and I waved. He nodded at me and smiled.
That was one of the coolest things that's ever happened to me. Some guy in his mid-late twenties just paid for my groceries. I wasn't upset, or freaking out, or even without the money to cover it... I was just having a problem with my card. And he just did it without wanting anything in return; even a thank you. I had an encounter with a true good samaritan... in Lake Stevens of all places! It may seem like a little thing, but I was super pumped about it, and it was a great ending to an awesome day!
So yeah, that was the three awesome things that made my day on Tuesday! Remember sometime that if you're in a position to help a random person, even in a little way, that it could be a gesture that makes their day. If I'm ever in the position to help a person like that man helped me, I will. No thanks required. Sometimes just knowing that you were kind to your fellow man is payment enough. Kindness is contagious people! Anyways, that's all for now. Peace out !
-Steph
Any Questions or Suggestions?
PLEASE post them in a comment here for sure, but you can also send me an email.
Please include the word 'BLOGSPOT' in the subject so that I don't block you as spam!
Stephanie_88_06@msn.com
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER! Click Here for my profile
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
First things first
Alright, so a few months after I register for a Blogspot, I actually get around to posting my first blog. I'm willing to bet that the majority of the people who will be reading here already know who I am, so I figure we can skip the awkward introductions. Even people who happen to stumble upon my blog I think will get to know a little about me relatively soon by reading here anyways. I'm not going to go into too much detail here, but I figure I'll at least fill everyone in on what I've been up to, what I'm planning to get myself into, and what you can expect to read about if you find yourself reading past this entry.
WHAT I'VE BEEN UP TO
2009 was not the best year for me, but I wouldn't go back and change it for anything. I learned a lot about myself, what I love, who loves me, and what I will and won't stand for from the people in my life. The topic that you guys will probably read about most often from me will be paintball. I love the sport so much, and it's a huge part of my life. 2009 was the year that I really uncovered my love for tournament style paintball, and it's become what drives me every day. I was unemployed for the majority of the year. I don't think it's any secret that the economy pretty much sucks right now, and this last year decided to claim my employment it's victim. You win some, you lose some. I turned 21 in July. I know it's not a huge milestone, and besides good times with great friends, it wasn't even a huge event. It was, however, the last age milestone that I will reach until I'm 30(which, lets face it, is nothing a woman looks forward to). There's nowhere I can't go now, so by society's rules, I'm now officially an adult. For the sake of time, and boring you kind folks out of your ever-loving minds with tons of details, that was last year for me in a nutshell.
WHAT I'M PLANNING FOR 2010
I have some goals as to where I'd like to be in the paintball industry by the end of 2010 and 2011, but I don't think we'll talk about them just yet. They sound sort of ridiculous to me, purely because I know they are lofty, and the chances that I'll achieve these goals in a year or two seems pretty impossible. But, at the risk of sounding cliche, there's nothing wrong with shooting for the moon because even if you don't quite make it, at least you'll still be amongst the stars. I'll just keep my fingers crossed, and see where I end up I guess. Apart from the physical side of my paintball-related goals, you can expect to see blog entries, possibly a regular video blog to correspond with what I post here, and who knows what else. If there's anything I can do to help make paintball move more into a position to be recognized as a mainstream sport, I'll be doing it... even if it's just a blog or Youtube channel that makes people want to go to their local field to check out what the hype is all about.
I'm going to be coaching for the Lake Stevens High School Track team this season, and I'm really excited about it! I've been playing team sports since I was 6 or 7 years old, and I never had a doubt in my mind that I would coach 'when I grew up'. I can't wait to be a part of the athletic program that helped shaped me as an athlete and a person. If I can make a positive impact on at least one person's life, and maybe even help in teaching them the lessons I learned about commitment and perseverance that will help them succeed in all walks of life, the season will have been a success in my eyes.
Due to my obvious financial issues from my lack of steady employment over the last year, I'm living at my Dad's house. If everything works out the way I'm hoping it does, I will be moved out by September(keep your fingers crossed for me!) I'd like to branch out and go it alone if I have the money to, but I'll most likely have a roommate. Anyone local gonna be looking? Haha just kidding... that's a long ways out. A lot can happen between now and September.
There's a strong possiblility, if time, money, donations, and civil unrest allows, that I will be going on a mission to India sometime in the Fall. Now, I'm Agnostic to the core, and have my qualms with religion, so this mission will not be about 'spreading the word of God' for me. If there's one thing that I agree with Christianity about, it's the fact that you should show love to all people. When I'm around kids, I light up from the inside out. Many of my friends have joked about me looking like I want to 'steal a baby, or something'. Children our the future of our world, and the experiences they have when they are young can speak volumes to who they become. I want to go to these orphanages and show these children that someone out there loves them, and wants to hug them and spend time with them, and make then feel vauled. Especially in a middle eastern environment, where the stereotypical white american is generally hated.
As more develops in these opportunities, I'll be keeping you posted. For now though, these are my big, set in stone plans for 2010. There may be things like trade schools or college on the horizon as well, but I think the jury's still out on that one.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO READ HERE
Well, I think I pretty well covered what I'll be writing about in this blog, but I'll go over them again as well as add a few things:
Paintball-What I'm doing, what's happening on the national levels, gear reviews, field reviews, and hopefully, I'll be able to get the readers involved with things I write about, and offer up things to you can use. One goal for sure is that I'd like to get a few(at minimum) interviews up here from local players, as well as players in the Pro and Semi-Pro divisions. Who doesn't want to read that, huh?!
Myself-I know a lot of you may not care about the mundane little things that happen in my life, but I'm sorry, I'll tell you about some of them. When I run out of things to talk about, it's really easy to talk about myself. So hopefully I can get a few readers out there to post up some suggestions about things they wanna read.
Pop Culture- Hey, who hasn't fallen prey to watching an episode of Jersey Shore, or hearing some secondhand celebrity gossip on the radio? Don't get me wrong, this will not be turning into a tabloid blog about Lindsay Lohan's terrible haircut, or anything of the sort(frankly because I DON'T CARE)... BUT, my Favorite show(LOST) is about to enter it's 6th and final season, and, I'm sorry, but I can't help writing about it. There may be a book or two that I give reviews on, one for sure being the new Dan Brown book. I'm skeptical, but we'll see. He's my favorite author, but I'm tired of reading about Robert Langdon and these Masonic religious symbology conspiracies. Deception Point and Digital Fortress were really good Dan! BRANCH OUT! I will be throwing in at least one blog on music too.
Hunting- I'm an avid hunter. Mainly all I have time for in the fall is deer and elk, but every year, I walk away with some great stories, even if I don't fil my tag. I love it, and I'll have some fun things to post from my trips in the fall. Maybe I'll even have a few fishing blogs.
I think those cover the basics of what you'll be reading from me. Like I said in the 'paintball' blurb, I do hope to get a few readers here, so suggestions are always welcome! TELL ME what you want to read about, and I'll do my best to get an entry up for you.
Well, I think this first entry is probably 5 times longer than I planned for it to be. Hopefully I didn't ramble too much. I'll make this ending short and sweet. I look forward to seeing what happens with this new little internet indevor, and I hope you, the reader, want to come along for the ride. Talk to you all later!
-Steph
Any Questions or Suggestions?
PLEASE post them in a comment here for sure, but you can also send me an email.
Please include the word 'BLOGSPOT' in the subject so that I don't block you as spam!
Stephanie_88_06@msn.com
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER! Click Here for my profile
ADD ME ON MYSPACE! Click Here to see my profile
WHAT I'VE BEEN UP TO
2009 was not the best year for me, but I wouldn't go back and change it for anything. I learned a lot about myself, what I love, who loves me, and what I will and won't stand for from the people in my life. The topic that you guys will probably read about most often from me will be paintball. I love the sport so much, and it's a huge part of my life. 2009 was the year that I really uncovered my love for tournament style paintball, and it's become what drives me every day. I was unemployed for the majority of the year. I don't think it's any secret that the economy pretty much sucks right now, and this last year decided to claim my employment it's victim. You win some, you lose some. I turned 21 in July. I know it's not a huge milestone, and besides good times with great friends, it wasn't even a huge event. It was, however, the last age milestone that I will reach until I'm 30(which, lets face it, is nothing a woman looks forward to). There's nowhere I can't go now, so by society's rules, I'm now officially an adult. For the sake of time, and boring you kind folks out of your ever-loving minds with tons of details, that was last year for me in a nutshell.
WHAT I'M PLANNING FOR 2010
I have some goals as to where I'd like to be in the paintball industry by the end of 2010 and 2011, but I don't think we'll talk about them just yet. They sound sort of ridiculous to me, purely because I know they are lofty, and the chances that I'll achieve these goals in a year or two seems pretty impossible. But, at the risk of sounding cliche, there's nothing wrong with shooting for the moon because even if you don't quite make it, at least you'll still be amongst the stars. I'll just keep my fingers crossed, and see where I end up I guess. Apart from the physical side of my paintball-related goals, you can expect to see blog entries, possibly a regular video blog to correspond with what I post here, and who knows what else. If there's anything I can do to help make paintball move more into a position to be recognized as a mainstream sport, I'll be doing it... even if it's just a blog or Youtube channel that makes people want to go to their local field to check out what the hype is all about.
I'm going to be coaching for the Lake Stevens High School Track team this season, and I'm really excited about it! I've been playing team sports since I was 6 or 7 years old, and I never had a doubt in my mind that I would coach 'when I grew up'. I can't wait to be a part of the athletic program that helped shaped me as an athlete and a person. If I can make a positive impact on at least one person's life, and maybe even help in teaching them the lessons I learned about commitment and perseverance that will help them succeed in all walks of life, the season will have been a success in my eyes.
Due to my obvious financial issues from my lack of steady employment over the last year, I'm living at my Dad's house. If everything works out the way I'm hoping it does, I will be moved out by September(keep your fingers crossed for me!) I'd like to branch out and go it alone if I have the money to, but I'll most likely have a roommate. Anyone local gonna be looking? Haha just kidding... that's a long ways out. A lot can happen between now and September.
There's a strong possiblility, if time, money, donations, and civil unrest allows, that I will be going on a mission to India sometime in the Fall. Now, I'm Agnostic to the core, and have my qualms with religion, so this mission will not be about 'spreading the word of God' for me. If there's one thing that I agree with Christianity about, it's the fact that you should show love to all people. When I'm around kids, I light up from the inside out. Many of my friends have joked about me looking like I want to 'steal a baby, or something'. Children our the future of our world, and the experiences they have when they are young can speak volumes to who they become. I want to go to these orphanages and show these children that someone out there loves them, and wants to hug them and spend time with them, and make then feel vauled. Especially in a middle eastern environment, where the stereotypical white american is generally hated.
As more develops in these opportunities, I'll be keeping you posted. For now though, these are my big, set in stone plans for 2010. There may be things like trade schools or college on the horizon as well, but I think the jury's still out on that one.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO READ HERE
Well, I think I pretty well covered what I'll be writing about in this blog, but I'll go over them again as well as add a few things:
Paintball-What I'm doing, what's happening on the national levels, gear reviews, field reviews, and hopefully, I'll be able to get the readers involved with things I write about, and offer up things to you can use. One goal for sure is that I'd like to get a few(at minimum) interviews up here from local players, as well as players in the Pro and Semi-Pro divisions. Who doesn't want to read that, huh?!
Myself-I know a lot of you may not care about the mundane little things that happen in my life, but I'm sorry, I'll tell you about some of them. When I run out of things to talk about, it's really easy to talk about myself. So hopefully I can get a few readers out there to post up some suggestions about things they wanna read.
Pop Culture- Hey, who hasn't fallen prey to watching an episode of Jersey Shore, or hearing some secondhand celebrity gossip on the radio? Don't get me wrong, this will not be turning into a tabloid blog about Lindsay Lohan's terrible haircut, or anything of the sort(frankly because I DON'T CARE)... BUT, my Favorite show(LOST) is about to enter it's 6th and final season, and, I'm sorry, but I can't help writing about it. There may be a book or two that I give reviews on, one for sure being the new Dan Brown book. I'm skeptical, but we'll see. He's my favorite author, but I'm tired of reading about Robert Langdon and these Masonic religious symbology conspiracies. Deception Point and Digital Fortress were really good Dan! BRANCH OUT! I will be throwing in at least one blog on music too.
Hunting- I'm an avid hunter. Mainly all I have time for in the fall is deer and elk, but every year, I walk away with some great stories, even if I don't fil my tag. I love it, and I'll have some fun things to post from my trips in the fall. Maybe I'll even have a few fishing blogs.
I think those cover the basics of what you'll be reading from me. Like I said in the 'paintball' blurb, I do hope to get a few readers here, so suggestions are always welcome! TELL ME what you want to read about, and I'll do my best to get an entry up for you.
Well, I think this first entry is probably 5 times longer than I planned for it to be. Hopefully I didn't ramble too much. I'll make this ending short and sweet. I look forward to seeing what happens with this new little internet indevor, and I hope you, the reader, want to come along for the ride. Talk to you all later!
-Steph
Any Questions or Suggestions?
PLEASE post them in a comment here for sure, but you can also send me an email.
Please include the word 'BLOGSPOT' in the subject so that I don't block you as spam!
Stephanie_88_06@msn.com
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER! Click Here for my profile
ADD ME ON MYSPACE! Click Here to see my profile
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