Monday

Today was Monday. It was also a good day. In fact, it was one of the best days I have had in awhile. I just had to post about it so I can remember how it was.

First, I walked into work and everybody said, in unison, "There she is. Good Morning!"

Then, I found out that I was on my own in my department, which is my preferred way to work.

Next, I found out that my job is not only paying for my leadership and community training class that I was invited to, but they're paying for my time so don't have to use PTO time.

After that was lunch when I realized that the city if finally repaving the road I work off of.

The meeting I was running after work went smoothly and was fun.

Finally, I came home to dinner in the oven. My boyfriend had gone doing and was making dinner for us.

Now thats what I call a good day. Tuesday, bring it on. Let's see what you have in store.

Google+ Hangouts Are Pretty Cool

I have had the opportunity to participate (and manage) a couple of Google+ Hangout video chat meetings for a not for profit organization where I sit on the board.

Hangouts have these special effects that can really liven up a meeting! The photo above is a photo that I took during a meeting, well after the meeting when there were only a couple of us left playing around with the special effects.

I really think Google has finally created a good social media network. There is a lot to do between Communities and Hangouts. I still have not explored it as much as I could.

Once I learn some more, I will incorporate it into my lesson plans for my social media training classes for my business Cloud Media Marketing.

A lesson on gmail is already in the works!

-Kayleigh

Things to be Grateful For

I have a Tumblr that I keep up. It is very simple. Each post consists of a list of 5 things that I am grateful for.

I call it Grateful ForThe Small Things.

It is a great exercise for anyone to do and I encourage others to do it too. Having started almost a year ago, I now have a list of over 400 things that I am grateful for.

Check out the blog and if you have a Tumblr, follow me!

Books I have read in 2013 - The Great Gatsby

What can I say that hasn't been said already about this book?

The Great Gatsby has been on my reading list for some time now and since there is a new movie coming out, I figured now was add good a time as any (if not better) to read it.

The story starred off a little slow, but by the time I finished reading, I wished it was longer. Even a couple of weeks after I have finished reading, I still think about the book and its characters.

Books I Have Read in 2013

Brisingr (Inheritance, #3) 
by Christopher Paolini 

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Coming to the end of a series is always bittersweet. I finally found out how the story concluded, but since it was so great, I did not want it to be over. 

In this third book, Eragon and his companions finally get to confront the villain. The only part of this book that did not surprise me was that Eragon was able to find a way to defeat Galbatorix. I was a little surprised that he did not get the girl (Arya) in the end.

Besides those two points, Paolini was able to keep me guessing. I did not know what would come next.

I looked forward to the times when I was able to read this book, which says a lot about it. 

Such Great Neighbors

So my neighbors put up a chicken coop on the back side of their property against my apartment property. It has been up for about 2 months now without anything in it. 

I was walking the dog during lunch and I happen to see a chicken out from the chicken coop. I don't have the best eyesight, and I really believe what I had just seen. So I take two steps past the curb, still well within my side of the short shrubs that mark the property line, to take a look with the dog, from a distance I hear "hey! Excuse me! Private property!"

Now, I would have shouted back, "This is really cool" or something to that effect but, I am not a loud person, and I'm also battling a cold, so I just walked away.

I would have thought a neighbor would have been nicer than that.  If I had started a chicken coop, I would have assumed people would be interested. I would not be shouting across my yard to my neighbors and pushing them away. 

In fact, I would want my neighbors to like me and to know what is going on in front of them. That way if anything were to happen they would be more likely to help me out and not ignore me. Now, if I happen so see anything wrong with the coop, I will simply ignore it, since they obviously don't want anything to do with anyone around them. 

So much for love thy neighbor and such.

Books Read 2013 #3

The third book I have finished in 2013:

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green  (Goodreads review)  read in January, 2013

When I picked up this book, I had no idea what to expect. I was visiting my sister, who had this book on her desk and recognized the title from a "best of 2012" book list. I asked her about it and if she would recommend it. Her response was without hesitation, "Yes!" We chatted for a couple of minutes about it and I decided to borrow it. My sister is 16 years old, but it never occurred to me to ask if this was a YA book or not. She just seemed to enjoy it. That being said, I am in my mid 20's, but still enjoyed this book. As I mentioned, I had done no research or heard anything about The Fault In Our Stars. I had simply recognized the title and needed something to read at the moment. A couple of chapters into the book, I realized that it was a little young for me, but I did not mind. I found the writing to be interesting and engaging. It was an easy and quick read. I did not regret picking it up. I had never read about "cancer kids" and therefore found the story to be a bit refreshing. Even with such a grim plot - young adults with terminal cancer - it was not too depressing. It did challenge some of my ideas about life and death, even though I had come to terms with my lack of believe in an afterlife long ago. From the many quotes that I pulled out of this book and posted to twitter, you can safely assume that I found John Green's words acceptable if not, at time, inspiring. Now for the real question - Would I recommend this book to others? The answer, for the most part, is yes. I believe the younger high school-aged crowd will relate to and find more meaning in it than the rest, but if you are looking for a quick easy read, then why not?