I Graduated..... a Month Ago

Okay, so I'm fiiiinallly writing about graduation. I'm slowly getting caught back up on blogging here, and I still have some very exciting things to share. Coming soon I promise.

First things first:

1. I found the cat a home!!!!!!! One of my co-workers is taking him. She is coming to get him sometime this weekend. I'm so glad that he will finally have a home.

2. Ryan is in Europe- he has been since a couple of weeks ago. I'm officially jealous and itching for a vacation. But, I'm so glad I have a job- that I'll just have to wait until next year. For now, a few weekend trips will have to suffice, as will living vicariously through his pics.

3. I'm making my "summer to-do list" and I can't wait to share when it's finished.

As for graduation.... it was one crazy family/fun-filled weekend. It reminded me how lucky I am to have people that surround me who love me and support me. Everyone- and I mean everyone- came in on Friday. My mom and dad flew in Friday. Krob, Kim and Moose all drove in on Friday, along with Moose's puppy, Meeha. Kim's parents came in too. Since JFred lives in Austin- just a few blocks away from me, some people stayed with her. Moose and his dog-child stayed with me. My parents stayed in a hotel, and Ryan's family lives here.

By the time everyone made it to Austin (my parents insisted on getting a rental car and had a small snafu with directions) we were all hungry because it was time for dinner. So we headed to eat, and then it was time for bed.

I had to be on campus to line up at 8, so Ameera and I drove together. When we got there, I ran into Ryan's family. So funny. Now, since the J-school was so small, we all kind of found each other in the College of Communications line. They sat us all down in the auditorium by college, and we listened and watched several demonstrations about how to place our hoods over our arms... funny how we are all grad students- but no one could get the hood placement quite right.

Dean Rodriguez came in to give us a speech before we proceeded into Bass Concert Hall. She talked about how we were all Masters now. I like the sound of that ;) Apparently Ameera, Eva and I are the only fun ones- and the only ones with decorated hats..... so it made it easy for our fam+friends to spot us.

Tracy Dahlby, the director of the J-School, and one of my fave profs- was at the graduation to congratulate us all. It seemed like forever before the finally got to the College of Communications. They literally hooded everyone on stage- and made everyone pose for pics on stage as well. Awk....

When it was finally our turn, we all got hooded on stage, shook Tracy's hand, posed for pics... and then the real fun began :). In case you want to see the hooding, here is a link to a video that Eva's fiance recorded of she and I walking. If you listen closely- you can hear Moose yell "Sic 'em bears" at the end.

Then, it was off to Z-Tejas for a graduation lunch. I begged my mom to beg them for the patio- since it's so pretty, and they set us out there all by ourselves. It was really nice. I was most excited about my cake, which I had made at Polkadots. It's a bakery by my apt.... and their cupcakes are delicious, but their cakes are even better.

 After lunch we all just hung out for awhile. My fam came over to my apt and we all went to Toy Joy- which was fun for Steve-o!!!! Then we headed over to Ryan's parents' house, and they had dinner (a delicious dinner) for us- well mainly for my parents- haha- but the kids were invited too.

All in all- it was such a fun weekend- and I'm so thankful that everyone came to share in the festivities with me. It was a hard, but fun two years, and it was all totally worth it!!!!!! I wouldn't trade it for the world. Enjoy the pics!

Lately....

SO much has happened lately that I literally have not had time to fill you all in. There are so many exciting things that I have wanted to share, but I had to wait... and I'm still not sure if I can share them yet, so I'll save that for a later post.

I'll start with this:

I've been adopted. Yep, you heard me right. There has been a stray cat wandering around my apartment complex for at least the past three weeks, and it has adopted me. Now, if you know me, you know I have a soft spot for animals.... and I'm a sucker. I'm a sucker for cute little faces- especially ones that need me. And this little cat needed me. But it needs a forever home even more. So if you know anyone that would like a cat- or if you want it- please send me an email or leave a comment.

Here's the story. A few weeks ago, I heard meowing outside my door. My neighbors heard it too, because when I peeked my head outside, they were feeding the cat some tuna. I had an internal debate with myself. I wanted to do something, but I can't have a cat. And I knew if I did something- that I would probably get suckered in. So- I gave it a bowl of water. I thought that would be the end of it. Oh no, my friends- just the beginning.

I was at the grocery store the next day, and decided I should probably buy some cat food just in case the cat showed up again. After all, I couldn't let it starve- right? Sure enough, it was waiting for me at my door when I got home- so I gave it the food.

This is a good time to note that this isn't just a stray. He loves on you. He was someone's pet (which is even worse). I think he is either very lost- or his owners (probably a student) left him. Either way- the poor guy tries to sneak inside my apartment every chance he gets.

When it rains- I lay awake feeling sorry for the poor thing. Needless to say, I've been giving him food and water the past three weeks. I've called all of the shelters in town- and they are all "over- capacity." That makes me mad. I understand they can't take in all the strays off the street. This isn't just a stray- he would be the perfect pet for someone that has time for one. So for now, he just sleeps on the third floor of my complex and comes by to say hi and eat every day.

His situation got a little worse this past week- and it's probably my fault. Since I've been feeding him, I've started attracting other (feral) cats. Oh balls- I've turned into the cat lady..... great. And these feral "thug" cats are beating the poor little guy up. I found myself last Friday night at 1 in the morning chasing them off with a broom because they had him cornered under the stairs. Don't judge- I felt bad for him. So for now, I'm feeding him and giving him water, but what he needs is a home and sometime to love him.

Here is his precious little face (he was squinting a little):

He needs a home, will you give him one???

Counting Sheep

The first day of my big girl job has left me tired, yet fulfilled. And tonight- my bed has never looked so good. After an impromptu trip to Temple, a new stray cat friend and early hours- I'm tired. So once I recharge- I'll blog more about my first day on the job.

xoxo and Goodnight!!!

Delicious Way to Start off the Day

Every one of us has that place. That special little diner or coffee shop tucked away in some hidden neighborhood somewhere. It's your go-to place. It always has good food- and in my case, good coffee. It has charm, and part of that charm is that you can only get it in one place because it isn't a chain. You crave several items off of their menu- and tell everyone you know about it.

So, I'll let you in on my secret: Upper Crust Bakery in Austin on the corner of 45th and Burnet. And their cinnamon rolls come HIGHLY recommended (homemade and delicious in every way). So if you live in Austin and have never been there- pay it a visit- you won't regret it.

As for me, I'm about to start off my Sunday in the best way I know possible: with a warm cinnamon roll, a latte and some good conversation!

On the Car...

Sorry for the realllly long previous post. After all, I have been MIA for awhile, so I'm just trying to get everyone caught up.

I did things a little backwards. If you know me at all, you know that once I get an idea in my head- I kind of have to follow through with it. I have actually had this idea in my head awhile now- several months. I decided I needed a new car- and by this time this happened- the wheels were turning full force in my head. I have had my trusty Honda since high school. (really???). So it was DEFINITELY time for a new car.

I started shopping around over Christmas break, and went to go test drive some cars with the fam. I had it narrowed down to a Lexus IS 250 and a Toyota Highlander. Call it lack of experience in the adult world or impulse buying, but in my head, I knew I would get a job, which would translate into me paying the car payments. But when I saw the price of the brand new versions of these cars- I realized it would be better to buy a slightly used model.

The more I thought about it- the more I wanted the Lexus- if I'm paying for it- why not get the one I reaaallllly want? And the price for the Highlander model I wanted- was comparable to the price for the Lexus. So, my dad told me to come up with a set price that I would be willing to pay for the total cost of the car including tax, title and anything else. Once I did that, I started combing through autotrader and carmax.

I'm picky- and I know I wanted red with a tan interior. Ryan said I could probably find a red one, but my dad said I should be more flexible. Decisions decisions. After months of combing through car ads, I found one a red one, with tan interior and LOW miles in California. Outside of my price range, but I showed it to my dad and he thought he could talk the guy down. They went to look at it last weekend, my dad was able to talk him down into the EXACT price I was willing to pay- and it was mine. Thank you, Steve-o the negotiator. I mean- I'm not bragging, but I got a goooood deal. It's a 2008, in the color that I wanted with the interior that I wanted, tinted windows, air conditioned seats and it only has 12,000 miles on it. Barely used. My dad even managed to have the guy do an oil change, new tires and new brakes- all in my price range.

Okay- so maybe it was sort of an impulse buy. I bought the car before I had a job. And let's just say, the check I wrote for the down payment was the biggest check I have ever written in my life. It was painful for my bank account, BUT really rewarding. I have gone to school full time and worked at a paid internship- and lets just say- it finally paid off. I was able to use that money to put a nice sized down payment on my car, which means that my monthly payments will be slightly lower.

When I first bought it, I felt guilty- I'm 23- do I really need a car this fancy? But, to put it lightly, I have worked my ass off over the past two years: going to school full-time and working/saving money. The guilt quickly wore off, and now that I have a job to make the car payments (Steve-o and Joanne were graciously willing to take over car payments until I found a job, but now they won't even have to make one), I can fully enjoy my first big girl purchase. 

Steve-o will be driving it out here soon- and I can't wait!!!!! 

On the Job....

I've been referring to this "in between" period of my life as my "funemployment" stage. An optimist probably 'til the day I die, I was living in lala land and I don't think it hit me that I didn't have my "big girl job"until I walked across the stage at graduation. I mean- let's be honest here- people with master's degrees should be able to find a job- right? The key word here being "should." Maybe when journalism was in its prime and we were all blissfully ignorant about the actual state of our economy, but not now. It's scary and it's sad.

It's sad because there are some very intelligent, college educated people out there who have found themselves unemployed- mere victims of the economy. Then you have your whole new wave of college graduates about to jump into the workforce every May and December. So what you have is a big problem- too many unemployed/college grads and not enough jobs. You have fresh talent competing with seasoned professionals- for the same jobs. Not looking good for the newbies. On the other hand- this could mean tough luck for the seasoned professionals- because they charge too much. Realistically speaking, companies are looking to lower their operating costs, so it might make more sense to hire the recent college grad who will take just about any salary. That being said- people are having to be more innovative and flexible than ever when looking for jobs right now.

I have kind of known all along that I would like to stay in Austin- either that or go back to California. So I did the math in my head. Austin's economy is faring WAY better than Cali's- and I probably couldn't afford to live in California anyways ( I would probably be living with my parents- love ya'll- but I'm sure you wouldn't want me back at home either). That left me with one option: Austin. Lucky for me, Austin is actually riding this economic wave fairly well. We have new businesses still popping up and the older ones haven't been hit as hard. God bless Texas!

So, I met up with my Career Counselor in March. We went over my resume, re-did my resume and then I started networking like crazy. I started reaching out to old bosses from past internships, I started talking to employees from the companies I have interned with here in Austin and I met with another old boss to discuss my options. Come April, I had gone on several job interviews- one with Facebook (because I thought it would be fun) and one with San Antonio magazine (not sure if I would move to SA). I also had the editor of the magazine I am interning at right now- tell me I could freelance for her and that she would send my resume out to all of the companies on my "job wishlist." Okay- so in April I was feeling pretty confident I could secure a job by graduation.

Then school happened, and my master's report was in full swing by this time. So, kiss any free time/job hunting time goodbye. I had to put the job search on hold. Oh well- first things first right? I think it's important to mention that I was not strictly tied down to a journalism job. Yes, my master's degree is in journalism, but we learned a TON of skills that can be translated to many professions. Especially helpful when my background is in PR and I have some marketing internship experience under my belt.

Long story short: Once I graduated, I resumed the job search. I also think it's important to note that I was selective. I wasn't taking anything that jumped out at me. Let's be honest- I want to ENJOY my job. I would read through the descriptions, decide if that particular job would make me happy and either apply or discard. I came across this job, it's a woman-owned Austin start-up and they had a position open for a writer. Not just a writer. Someone that can wear a lot of hats, someone that has a creative side, someone that can use XY and Z programs annnnd someone that can write. Yes please.

So I applied, didn't think I would get it, got called in for an interview, went in for the interview and got good vibes from the woman interviewing me, decided I reallllly wanted the job, hoped, wished and prayed that I would get the call. And Wednesday morning, bright and early, she called me and I got it. I start next week- and am excited for the experience. I think it will be perfect for me. I can use my writing skills- I'll be writing for some of their clients like Adobe and IBM- as well as some of my creative side- in storyboarding and implementing new ideas. Annnd the icing on the cake: they do a TON of work with non-profits. The CEO makes it a point to support some of the local non-profits with both manpower and funding. 

My ultimate goal is to help people, to make a difference, to make someone's life a little easier. And I can still do that. I can do that through my freelancing, I can do that through volunteering and I can even do that through my job. I do have mixed feelings about the end of my funemployment, but I'm excited for the next chapter in my life (which came in it's own time). Thank you Jesus. 

Kira's Bookshelf

The Help

By: Kathryn Stockett

... and I like what I have read so far. Once I finish it, I'll give you a better description. Thanks to Kim for a great graduation gift :) 

Oh Yeah...

One more (BIG) thing I left out:

I GRADUATED!!!!!!!

That being said, there are so many reasons to celebrate- including one life:

My Aunt Claudia passed away on the same day I graduated. And the past two days have been a celebration of the wonderful (yet all too short) life she lived. While our entire family is SO happy she is without any pain and suffering, it is hard to ignore the the inevitable void that will forever be present without her.

So Aunt Claudia aka Moosie, I love ya, I miss ya and thanks for all the laughter, the fun and the memories!!!!

When Did We Grow Up?

I know I know, I've been a neglectful blogger lately. I have some pretty good excuses though, and promise to catch you up on everything I have been holding out on lately. But before I do that, I have some pretty exciting news that I have been dying to share!!!

Over the past week I have:

1. Bought a new car
2. Got my big girl job
3. Have been looking at houses with the potential new roomie

When did we grow up? Seriously.