Emoticons as punctuation

Because you seem interested...

It's 2003- I was about to graduate from High School. I had a job working as a cashier at Maceys grocery store. I had just gotten a cell phone and I was 17 (!). Can you believe that?! 17?! AND I had to buy it with my own money. What kind of a dark age did I grow up in?! I bought the little beauty pictured above. Don't be jealous of my snake-playing days... and check out that background. Pretty sure I had a heart. Menu + * to unlock... those were the days...

Over the next year and a half I could count on one hand how many text messages I had recieved- mostly they were from Cricket telling me about a new promotion they were offering. I had unlimited minutes for $30 a month. Crazy!

I traded that phone in later for a free Motorola flip phone from TMobile. (I can still hear that ringtone "Hello, Moto!") I picked that phone out based on the quality photos it was rumored to take... nothing compared to now.

2005 and I started in the interpreting program at SLCC (one semester and I decided I didn't want to be an interpreter... someone upstairs laughed at that decision and said "Watch THIS" as He made me an interpreter anyway... Good thing I love it now. Story on that later.) Anyway... back to the point: I started getting more texts. That is how the Deaf community communicates long distances and oh how I wanted a Sidekick. It's little black and white, flipped out screen was the phone I wanted to lug around (not kidding pretty sure it weighed like 17 lbs- okay not really but it was big. I had one for about 3 days that I bought off of eBay. Bad news. It didn't get service after that 3 days and it was back to my flip phone.

I was with that flip phone until it died, right before I left on my mission and it died. I went to a cheap Nokia until I left- At that time I literally paid for 400 text messages that I didn't use all of. Not kidding.

I remember going on my mission and not even thinking that texting would be that big... right.

On my mission I not only learned spiritual stuff, but I learned the rules of texting. There were 4 missionaries and we were put in groups of 2. Because we were working in a Deaf Branch of the church, we were connected to each other and the members of the branch by texting and email. We had a few Sidekicks that kept us "in the know". I learned a few things:

1. Always finish your conversations and respond ASAP. If not- people think you died.

2. Sidekicks are not as cool as I thought they were.

3. Emoticons may be used as puncutation. For example: The text "Sure" can be taken as "I guess I can do that, if I have to" or "I'd love to"... by adding a :) It means "I would love to with a smile on my face!"

Returning home, I had already gotten in the habit... I was a texter. I ended up with unlimited texting- but held off on getting email on my phone until I had to for work. I never thought I would rely so much on texting... but I'm really glad it's around. :)

 

Vacation

I decided I need a vacation.

When I was younger, I very much disliked going on vacation for more than 2 days.

I missed my house.

I missed my friends.

and I missed my life.

Now, what I wouldn't do for a free trip to just Idaho or Vegas. The Guide Dog Puppy that we finished raising in December, is currently waiting for his new blind "partner", so we might get a short, mini, drive-up to-Oregon-and-back-in-3-days vacation... but we don't know until about 1 1/2 weeks before.

So...

Next week is spring break. (I know, early, right?)

I need a vacation.

I decided 2 days next week, I'm just not doing anything. And by anything, I mean anything for work.

I'm shutting off my phone... (okay, I lie. I can't shut off my phone. I would be lost.)

I'm not getting dressed until 11 am.

and I'm not thinking about work.

That is my resolve!

(Unless they call me and they really need me and I have the chance to earn extra money because I just had my car fixed and it was really expensive and car places make me angry.)

Nessicary, nescissary. Nesisary.

There's something about a day off that makes me want to conquer the world... But then I remember that I have no motivation for that so I lay in bed until it's necessary that I get up.

Now is not the time to get up, so I am sitting in my bed wasting time. There are no new statuses on Facebook, there's nothing more to read on any news websites, all caught on blog reading... So here is my back-up time waster:

Blogging.

Nothing new and exciting to write about, so here are some old and not so exciting things to write about.

10 things about me that happened a long time ago, that might have been exciting at the time, but now they aren't:

1. I chipped my tooth once in a swimming pool. I just got it fixed like last year.
2. I used to not like avacados, but now I do. Actually I love them.
3. I won 2nd place in the State Geography Bee in 4th grade and all I got was a stinking pass to go skiing. I sold it for $30. (A lot of money for a 10 year old!)
4. I still haven't gone skiing to this day. Probably should have used the pass. (THIRTY DOLLARS!)
5. I decided long ago that I don't like animal movies. If the movie has an animal as a main character it always gets lost/hurt/dies and I can't handle this. Most people are surprised by this fact since they think I'm a "dog fanatic". (Also an untrue statement. Obviously they haven't met a real dog lady.) I still haven't seen "Marley and Me" and never will.
6. I was in a spelling bee and was outed on the word "maybe". I always spell it correctly now but i can't spell "necessary" to save my life. I have to Google it every time or use a different word. (Used it like three times in this post FYI.) 
7. I didn't like when my mom did my bangs like "poodle bangs" (all poofy as was custom in the early 90's) so one time I did my own bangs with the same small curling iron but refused to "poof" them. Don't worry that it was picture day. Those pictures are buried deep in my parents basement. Bad ideas of a 10-year-old...
8. Before I started raising Guide Dogs for the Blind, I wanted a pug. I wanted to name it "Busta" like Chris from *NSYNC. Don't judge me... You liked them too.
9. Growing up, I told people I was going to marry someone rich. That didn't happen... But I still like him. I think I'll keep him.
10. I got my ears pierced when I was 8. The day I was baptized. I wad so worried that when I went in the water my piercings would close up... It's fine. They don't.

Guess is better get up now... Breakfast is calling...

It happens...

My blogging has been neglected...

Not really. I have a several drafts that have been drafted and a few ideas that have been idea...ed? But nothing has really come of it.

So here I am to apologize, to say "I'm sorry" to all those who have high expectations of my once-a-month-blogging self.

Cleaning for people you like

"We buy things we don't need, with money we don't have, to impress people we don't like, who don't come over to get impressed." ~ Mary Ellen Edmunds

This statement is a true statement...

I just have a few amendments to add to this:
 "...We clean things because people are coming over and we think they care or look at it, but they really don't." ~ Mickelle Smith

This morning I have friends coming over...

These friends are coming over to do crafts... (Yes, I'm turning domestic.)

They are coming over to MAKE A MESS... and what am I doing this morning?

Cleaning.

Yes, that's right. I don't even have kids... The cleanliness lasts about a day at our house... And I'm just saying it's not always the fault of the cute boy that lives with me. I'm sure it's all in a person's perspective though... Anyway...

I started by putting away our laundry (why, yes, it is in our living room in stacks.)... and by putting away I mean putting it in another room that no one will see... then I noticed that there were blankets everywhere and folded those. Then I cleaned up the toilet paper shreds from the hall... The puppy decided there were not enough decorations and wanted to craft for himself. (Seriously, he could probably just be the Charmin puppy. Running through the hall like that. With a roll of toilet paper in his mouth.)

Following the toilet paper clean up, I went to sweep, then noticed there were dog nose prints on the stainless steel appliances (Stainless= LIES! ALL LIES!), had to clean those up, then I noticed the counters had spots on them, (They are grey and brown flecked tile... Really, Mickelle! Really?!), then I noticed my black canisters had four and sugar all over the outside so I had to clean those... That's when I realized maybe my ADD was getting out of hand.

So what if my canisters have spots on them (they don't anymore, by the way.), So what if I only dusted in front of the pictures leaning on my piano, and so what if I didn't sweep underneath the couch (probably will... I'm just saying.)... They are coming over to make a mess... and I"m pretty sure they won't be saying "Wow, Mickelle! You're canisters are sure looking nice today!"


... although, if they wanted to... I won't be unprepared.

Those canisters sure do look nice...

Inappropriate Sleeping

Why is sleep so great?
For real?
And why does it sound the best at the most inappropriate times?
For example:
In currently in North Carolina for a work conference.
Great.
It's actually pretty interesting... But I'm pretty sure I feel like I'm going to pass out by the end of every lecture. By the time I trek back up to my room on the 9th floor (yes I do take the elevator) for my lunchtime nap... I can't sleep... Until about 5 min before I have to go down again and I feel like I have to sleep or die.
It's a problem. For real.

Education ridiculousness

Sitting at work and thinking about all the things I SHOULD be doing really brings to mind the things I COULD be doing... like blogging.

Here's the latest ramblings in my head:

School started this past month. Not like I'm in school right now, but I work at the school, so it's a big deal.

Basically I go to classes all day with the Deaf students and interpret the lectures and class discussions.

I love my job most days... most days.

Working at the school makes me slightly miss it. I'm thinking about going back and getting a Masters in Education or Professional Communication. I get a good deal on tuition, working at the school and we don't have kids so it would be a good time.

You wanna know what's stopping me?  Really.. it's kind of ridiculous and embarrasing.

I look at the requirements to apply (no. the requirements to get in... to APPLY) and they scare me.

First off- the GRE. I have a dislike for standardized tests. They just don't appeal to me- especially ones you have to pay in the neighborhood of $200. (Thus why I haven't taken my National Interpreter Certification Test... there are 2 parts and EACH PART is about $300 each. Makes me want to vomit!)
I just can't do it...

Next- The essay. What do you even write about? Where do you start? I can do an interview because I can read their body language and see how things are going... but writing? I don't think I can do it. Nervous!

Lastly, I have to go to class. Silly I know.. but again, I already work here. Do I want to commit to spending at least 6 more hours here a week? Not sure...

Anyway... there are my reasons. I can get over it.. I just have to decide how bad I really want it... and if I don't- I should probably get on the National Certification- eh?