HELLO!
I've moved. Kind of.
I feel like this blog is my baby...I've been nurturing (and occasionally...okay, more often than not, neglecting) it for...what, four years? Five?? Either way, that's a long time. And I'm kind of emotional about leaving.
So I'm not. Not entirely.
Sorry, I'm not making any sense. I started a new blog. You can now find me at jessigenco.wordpress.com. But I'm going to keep this one up because I mostly used it to document my life so I still want access to that stuff, but also if I feel a rant coming on, I'll head back over here. So if anyone found my absurd outbursts amusing, they'll continue here as needed.
The reasoning behind this move is that this blog started to feel too disjointed. I started it as just kind of a silly comedic sort of thing (which I liked, but it was hard to maintain regularly), and then started ranting, and then changed it into a lifestyle blog. So when I started lifestyle blogging, I didn't feel authentic, even though those types of subjects were honestly what I was interested in writing about (even if I'm not as good at it as I am at humor writing). On top of that, I'd still rant occasionally, and the type of people who want to read lifestyle blog stuff don't want to read crazy rants (and vice-versa). It just felt like two totally separate blogs.
So I decided to separate it. Except I don't plan on using this one regularly at all anymore. I'll just use it if I need to scream about something. I've been considering moving to wordpress for a while now, because I like their clean design a lot better, and if I decide to start blogging more regularly, I can upgrade more easily that way. I've also been wanting to change the name of this blog, but that seemed like a weird thing to do. So I just started fresh instead.
I literally JUST put my new blog up, so please be patient while I work out the kinks/design elements. And full disclosure, I might change the name of THAT blog in the upcoming days. We'll see what happens. Thanks for sticking around, and I'll meet ya over there.
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Saturday, April 18, 2015
Can we not, PLEASE.
Heeeey. Hey hey. Still here. Just hanging out. And I have a (mildly) entertaining post to share, but first, I need to rant briefly.
I just read this article about fast food workers demanding to make $15 an hour, and I've had it up to here (picture me holding my hand up to my eyeballs) with these types of debates. Do fast food workers deserve $15 an hour? Maybe, maybe not. Probably not. However, I'm SO SICK of hearing the argument, "Do fast food workers think they deserve to make more than dental assistants?!! How about emergency medical technicians?!!!"
Hang on. Stop calling other people idiots for a second, and think about what you're saying.
Fast food workers don't think they deserve to make more than the people who arrive in ambulances and save your grandmother from having her remains eaten by her cat after falling in her hallway. Well, maybe some of them do. And they're wrong. But that's not what this argument is about.
The argument is about the fact that everybody deserves to be able to afford to live. And living has become very, very expensive. Nobody, no matter what their job involves doing, should have to work 40 hours a week and still worry about how they're going to keep their electricity from being shut off or how they're going to pay for their next meal. Just because fast food workers are saying that they deserve to make $15 an hour doesn't mean that they think dental assistants deserve to be making less than that. Nobody's saying that. At least nobody with half a brain. This is about wages needing to be raised in general, not about fast food workers thinking they deserve to make more than the guy suffering through your halitosis while scraping 6 months worth of grime off of your teeth.
I understand your point. I honestly do. If you raise EVERYONE'S wages, cost of living will just become higher, and it perpetuates a vicious cycle. I get that. Someone has to make the least amount of money. This isn't communist China. But maybe if you're trying to make a point, stop being an insulting asshole. Working in the fast food industry might not be an important job, per se, but neither is being a professional athlete or a fashion designer. And for the love of all that is holy, stop saying that fast food work is easy. Working in the fast food industry is among the most miserable, dirty, thankless jobs out there. It's awful. You're on your feet for hours and hours at a time, getting screamed at by the worst of the worst in society, scraping god knows what out of god knows where, you smell like fryer grease 100% of the time (and so does your house and your car, most likely), and you have to deal with constantly being looked down upon by people like the asshole that wrote that article and 80% of the people on my Facebook feed. All of the people complaining about fast food workers demanding a pay raise are the same people bitching that people on welfare need to go out and find a job (newsflash: the majority of people on government assistance HAVE jobs), and now that they have, you're demeaning them for the type of job they have and are saying that they need to find a BETTER job or quit bitching. That's pretty shitty and elitist, guys. And I'm a shitty, elitist person.
My first job was working at Burger King for 2 years, and it was pretty terrible. It's not just about twirling your hair around your finger and pushing buttons. My current job (where I make well over double what I made when working in fast food) is about 50 million times easier than working in fast food was, and honestly doesn't require that much more intelligence. And yeah, I was a hard worker, and there are shitty fast food workers who are lazy and don't give a damn about their jobs. But there are shitty workers in almost every industry, and the majority of people I worked with at Burger King were hard working people who were just trying to get by.
Listen, I'm the first to admit that I'm a bleeding heart liberal, and I'm not saying I necessarily agree with the fast food workers here. I'm just really, really tired of everyone being so terrible. I don't know when it became socially acceptable to just constantly spout hateful sentiment and completely uneducated opinions on social media, but that's basically all I see on Facebook these days, other than get-rich-quick scams and annoying self promotion. If you have an opinion, that's awesome. Definitely share it. But know what the fuck you're talking about first, and maybe try not to insult other people just for the sake of being a dick. People will take you way more seriously.
I just read this article about fast food workers demanding to make $15 an hour, and I've had it up to here (picture me holding my hand up to my eyeballs) with these types of debates. Do fast food workers deserve $15 an hour? Maybe, maybe not. Probably not. However, I'm SO SICK of hearing the argument, "Do fast food workers think they deserve to make more than dental assistants?!! How about emergency medical technicians?!!!"
Hang on. Stop calling other people idiots for a second, and think about what you're saying.
Fast food workers don't think they deserve to make more than the people who arrive in ambulances and save your grandmother from having her remains eaten by her cat after falling in her hallway. Well, maybe some of them do. And they're wrong. But that's not what this argument is about.
The argument is about the fact that everybody deserves to be able to afford to live. And living has become very, very expensive. Nobody, no matter what their job involves doing, should have to work 40 hours a week and still worry about how they're going to keep their electricity from being shut off or how they're going to pay for their next meal. Just because fast food workers are saying that they deserve to make $15 an hour doesn't mean that they think dental assistants deserve to be making less than that. Nobody's saying that. At least nobody with half a brain. This is about wages needing to be raised in general, not about fast food workers thinking they deserve to make more than the guy suffering through your halitosis while scraping 6 months worth of grime off of your teeth.
I understand your point. I honestly do. If you raise EVERYONE'S wages, cost of living will just become higher, and it perpetuates a vicious cycle. I get that. Someone has to make the least amount of money. This isn't communist China. But maybe if you're trying to make a point, stop being an insulting asshole. Working in the fast food industry might not be an important job, per se, but neither is being a professional athlete or a fashion designer. And for the love of all that is holy, stop saying that fast food work is easy. Working in the fast food industry is among the most miserable, dirty, thankless jobs out there. It's awful. You're on your feet for hours and hours at a time, getting screamed at by the worst of the worst in society, scraping god knows what out of god knows where, you smell like fryer grease 100% of the time (and so does your house and your car, most likely), and you have to deal with constantly being looked down upon by people like the asshole that wrote that article and 80% of the people on my Facebook feed. All of the people complaining about fast food workers demanding a pay raise are the same people bitching that people on welfare need to go out and find a job (newsflash: the majority of people on government assistance HAVE jobs), and now that they have, you're demeaning them for the type of job they have and are saying that they need to find a BETTER job or quit bitching. That's pretty shitty and elitist, guys. And I'm a shitty, elitist person.
My first job was working at Burger King for 2 years, and it was pretty terrible. It's not just about twirling your hair around your finger and pushing buttons. My current job (where I make well over double what I made when working in fast food) is about 50 million times easier than working in fast food was, and honestly doesn't require that much more intelligence. And yeah, I was a hard worker, and there are shitty fast food workers who are lazy and don't give a damn about their jobs. But there are shitty workers in almost every industry, and the majority of people I worked with at Burger King were hard working people who were just trying to get by.
Listen, I'm the first to admit that I'm a bleeding heart liberal, and I'm not saying I necessarily agree with the fast food workers here. I'm just really, really tired of everyone being so terrible. I don't know when it became socially acceptable to just constantly spout hateful sentiment and completely uneducated opinions on social media, but that's basically all I see on Facebook these days, other than get-rich-quick scams and annoying self promotion. If you have an opinion, that's awesome. Definitely share it. But know what the fuck you're talking about first, and maybe try not to insult other people just for the sake of being a dick. People will take you way more seriously.
Monday, March 16, 2015
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
My Skin Care Routine
My skin has had its ups and downs. Growing up, all the way until adulthood, I had virtually perfect skin. I never had any problems at all as a teenager - no acne flareups, no nothing. Due to this, I didn't really have to develop a skin routine out of necessity, to the point of where I didn't really do anything. Then, in my 20's, all hell broke loose. I started getting terrible hormonal breakouts around my forehead and chin every month, and every time it would happen I'd be left with a ton of awful looking acne scars. I tried all sorts of (cheap, I was broke) acne medications and skin products, but nothing really worked - or it would work for a while and then its effectiveness would plateau off. Luckily, the worst of my skin problems just seemed to go away on their own around my mid twenties, and I've had pretty average skin ever since. I still get some acne right before the time I get my period each month, usually around my chin/mouth area, but nothing terrible, usually. I have combination skin -my skin tends to get patchy and dry around my mouth and my forehead, and oily around my t-zone. I've been waffling around with my skin routine for the past few years, tying both drugstore and high end skin products and face washes, but in the past several months I've settled into a pretty consistent routine that's left me with solidly clear, smooth skin. Here are the products I use on a weekly basis, if you're interested:
1. Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash - this is a classic, and it just works. I cleanse with this twice, daily. I've been toying with the idea of ditching the acne products for something more aimed towards maintaining youthful appearance, but I'm not quite comfortable enough to do so yet. I've tried tons of products, including several that are much more expensive, and I always go back to Neutrogena. Plus, the ultra-refreshing scent doesn't hurt. I used to use the regular formula, but switched to the exfoliating scrub because my skin was a little flaky from the winter.
2. Eucerin Daily Protection - another drug store wonder. I use this as my daily moisturizer (both in the morning and at night), and it's the perfect balance between light and quenching. It also provides my daily sunscreen.
3. Serious Serum - this got, like, life-changing reviews on Amazon. And while I haven't found it to be life-changing, per se, it's pretty solid. I use this as a nightly spot treatment, and I've actually noticed that if I dab it on a spot I can feel a pimple coming on, it often never surfaces or disappears in about a day. And I'm still pretty prone to acne scars, and this stuff does one of the better jobs I've seen at making them fade.
4. Aquaphor - if you don't use Aquaphor, it's time to get in the know. It's a miracle worker for anything that's dry - I use it on patchy spots, but I know lots of people who also use it on dry, cracked lips and hands.
5. Murad Clarifying Mask - I actually don't use this weekly, more like when I remember to, but it's pretty great. After I rinse it off my face feels baby smooth and nice and tight in the best way possible.
6. Mitchell and Peach Fine Radiance Face Oil (in Flora No. 1) - this came in my beauty subscription box one month, and I'm still getting used to it, but it's very effective. Every few nights I'll switch my nightly moisturizer out and apply this oil to my face with a cotton swab. I really feel like it quickly balances the oil production in my face and restores moisture while zapping extra oil, as odd as that seems (I've read that when your skin is dehydrated it produces more oil, so moisturizing regularly will keep oil at bay). I REALLY hate feeling greasy/oily though, so the sensation takes some adjusting for me, and the scent is almost kind of patchouly-like, which isn't really my jam. If I ever bought this, I'd probably try a different scent.
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Weekend Wrap Up
It probably goes without saying that this was a (delightfully) hectic week. I don't think I've ever received so much attention in my whole life, for any reason. Now to get down to planing a wedding (gulp). I'm not going to lie, I'm ready to get through the whole wedding planning thing and get on to the honeymoon planning. We have a weekend packed with wedding and birthday celebrations, and I'm pretty excited to kick all this celebrating off.
- The Animal Print Shop has the sweetest prints of pretty much any animal you can imagine. I'm torn between this one and this one.
- Okay, this is kind of dumb...but look who's (kind of) #1!
- Ha.
- Research for our trip to Portland this August.
- I think one of these puppies will be my next investment.
- This is exactly how my review of 50 Shades of Grey would have read if I was a lot funnier.
- This is just wonderful.
- I got sick of waiting for spring, so I ordered this.
Monday, March 2, 2015
Pictures from the weekend
Well, I'm back from a little blogging break. No worries, nothing was/is wrong...it was just a combination of feeling kind of uninspired, writing-wise and being busy and not feeling like coming home after a long day (of writing) and writing more. I decided I'd rather hold off on blogging a bit instead of forcing myself to pound out a bunch of crappy posts. I missed writing though, and honestly I like having a place to document my day to day life to look back on...so I might not post quite as much as I had been, but hopefully my posts will be better quality since I'm not going to pressure myself to write on a schedule.
Anyway, I thought I'd ease myself back in with some pictures from this weekend.
Anyway, I thought I'd ease myself back in with some pictures from this weekend.
Some fresh flowers to get me into a springy state of mind (even if it's still freezing and wintry outside)
My dinner Friday night was a strawberry tartine with marcarpone and honey, inspired by Joy's post on Cup of Jo (really pushing that spring thing).
This would be...MY ENGAGEMENT RING!! Yep, Jeff proposed to me on Saturday evening. It was such a fun evening, leading to a funny, imperfect, sweet proposal. It was 100% us and couldn't have been more perfect. It hasn't really hit me yet I don't think, but every once in a while I'll get a rush of excitement...we've been together forever, but now I OFFICIALLY get to spend the rest of my life with my very best friend. I'm over the moon.
A little celebration brunch Sunday morning
Our dining room on a snowy afternoon.
Lazy Sunday latte.
Thanks for hanging out while I went MIA. I promise not to yap about wedding planning 24/7 (I don't even know where to start), and hopefully I'll be more inspired once it starts warming up and I thaw out a bit.
Monday, February 23, 2015
Tough Love
I've been taking a break from blogging (as you've probably noticed), but I've been noticing a pattern lately (or rather, again) of relentless negativity on social media, and I feel the need to address it. It's really...kind of upsetting. Sad. And unnecessary. And it's mostly with people around my age (I grudgingly give a little leniency towards younger people, as they have a tendency to be a tad dramatic), which I find to be alarming. By no means do you need to have your entire life figured out by 30 - or even have your shit together - but if you're still throwing your hands in the air and crying defeat over every little bump in the road by the end of your 20's, I'm afraid you're in for a tough life.
I refuse to believe that the number of people I'm acquainted with with truly terrible lives needs to be counted on more than one hand. I understand that shitty things happen, and sometimes you'll come across shitty people. But dudes, we're grownups. You learn from these things and move on. If every person you encounter is letting you down, then you need to start encountering different kinds of people. If every job you've had turns out in some kind of a disaster, it's not the job that's the problem.
Look, I'm not trying to be some kind of Mary Poppins motivational speaker nag. I'm just saying...okay, maybe I am. You want a better life? Quit your bitching. Do something about it. Change things. You're not helpless, or powerless. Don't just let things happen to you. You want good luck? You have to make good luck happen.
I'm always talking about how lucky I've been. And it's true, I've had several fortunate things happen to me. But you know what? I would absolutely not be where I am today if I went through life with a shitty "whoa is me" attitude. Several years ago, my life was kind of a bummer. I was broke, I was lonely, I was physically in a place I didn't want to be. And I know that if everything seems like a mess, it can be hard to get out of that hopeless state of mind. But listen to me. YOU HAVE TO. You just have to. Because no one wants to help someone who won't help themselves. No one wants to be around someone who's just going to complain about how the world is plotting against them all day. Grow up. Get rid of the losers in your life. Don't BE one of the losers yourself. And don't just talk about it on Facebook (actually, scrap the 'just'.) Get rid of them, get rid of their friends, get rid of anyone like them. Find new friends. Find a new love interest. Or actually, don't. Learn how to be self sufficient, and then maybe think about letting someone in. And sorry, but if your family is bringing you down? Distance yourself from them. This is your life. You're in charge. Don't hang around negative people. They're bumming you out, and you're bumming everyone else out.
Stop blaming the economy and the government on everything. I'm bored with it. Empower yourself. Be responsible. Stop calling out of work. Have a good attitude and work hard, and you'll be successful. That's it. People suck these days. Responsibility and good attitude is a shockingly precious commodity. Don't have a job where you can advance? Go work somewhere else that you can. Can't get a job? Why can't you get a job? Fix whatever's causing that. Go back to school, or don't. I'm a firm believer that if you work hard you can make a very reasonable living without a college education, but by all means if you feel that getting a degree will help you, go for it. Take advantage if your workplace offers tuition reimbursement.
You hate where you live? You have no opportunity there? Move. Oh, you have family? That's cool, they'll still be your family if you move. Don't whine about where you live if you're not willing to do anything about it. Where you live is literally 100% in your control.
Men/women suck? Um, yeah. People are the worst. Be celibate. No? That's silly? Okay, stop dating assholes. Everyone you date is alike? Lucky you! You get to choose who you spend your time with. You're not 20 anymore. Don't be an idiot. If you break up with someone every other week, don't marry them. Why would you marry someone you clearly can't maintain a relationship with? That's literally what marriage is. Maintaining a relationship. FOR LIFE! If you can't stay with someone for more than six months straight, why on earth do you think a shitty ring will cause you to do so? It won't. Don't have a child with someone you don't even like as a person, and then expect this person to be a good parent. That makes no sense. Stop it. And then when you do it, stop complaining about it. You knew this was going to happen.
Finally, stop airing your dirty laundry on Facebook. WE ARE ADULTS NOW. Adults! What good is going to come of announcing every bad thing that happens in your life to casual acquaintances? No one is going to take you seriously. People seriously do use social media to screen job applicants now. That's a well known fact. If you sound like a whiny teenager, no one is going to hire you. Quality people aren't going to want to associate with you. You're adding to what is apparently already not working. Cut it out. Believe me, I know that writing things down helps when you're upset. Start a blog. That way only people that want to read it will, and maybe you'll actually get some constructive feedback. Or hey. Be old school and write in a journal (if you can do that...personally, my hand cramps up after about 5 words these days). Open a word doc and write in that. Whatever! Just don't use Social Media. You know better, I know you do.
Please rest assured that this is not directed at any specific person. I just read about the 40th sad sack Facebook post in the past week and just about lost my mind. This is also not at all why I've been taking a blogging break...though QUITE annoying, this isn't anything that I'm normally extremely preoccupied with. And I know I got a little rant-y there, but my original intention was to just say...hey. It doesn't have to be so hard. Life is legitimately wonderful. Stop lamenting the negative and take a minute to appreciate the positive. If you enjoy the good things you have, life is a pleasure. If you dwell on the things you wish were different and don't even attempt to change them, life is a huge drag. Don't waste your time. Quit being a martyr. Why? I just don't understand why anyone wouldn't want to be happy. It's flabbergasting to me.
Love you guys, for real! Pretend this post is coming from Grooby. You can't be mad at that face! I mean, come on.
I refuse to believe that the number of people I'm acquainted with with truly terrible lives needs to be counted on more than one hand. I understand that shitty things happen, and sometimes you'll come across shitty people. But dudes, we're grownups. You learn from these things and move on. If every person you encounter is letting you down, then you need to start encountering different kinds of people. If every job you've had turns out in some kind of a disaster, it's not the job that's the problem.
Look, I'm not trying to be some kind of Mary Poppins motivational speaker nag. I'm just saying...okay, maybe I am. You want a better life? Quit your bitching. Do something about it. Change things. You're not helpless, or powerless. Don't just let things happen to you. You want good luck? You have to make good luck happen.
I'm always talking about how lucky I've been. And it's true, I've had several fortunate things happen to me. But you know what? I would absolutely not be where I am today if I went through life with a shitty "whoa is me" attitude. Several years ago, my life was kind of a bummer. I was broke, I was lonely, I was physically in a place I didn't want to be. And I know that if everything seems like a mess, it can be hard to get out of that hopeless state of mind. But listen to me. YOU HAVE TO. You just have to. Because no one wants to help someone who won't help themselves. No one wants to be around someone who's just going to complain about how the world is plotting against them all day. Grow up. Get rid of the losers in your life. Don't BE one of the losers yourself. And don't just talk about it on Facebook (actually, scrap the 'just'.) Get rid of them, get rid of their friends, get rid of anyone like them. Find new friends. Find a new love interest. Or actually, don't. Learn how to be self sufficient, and then maybe think about letting someone in. And sorry, but if your family is bringing you down? Distance yourself from them. This is your life. You're in charge. Don't hang around negative people. They're bumming you out, and you're bumming everyone else out.
Stop blaming the economy and the government on everything. I'm bored with it. Empower yourself. Be responsible. Stop calling out of work. Have a good attitude and work hard, and you'll be successful. That's it. People suck these days. Responsibility and good attitude is a shockingly precious commodity. Don't have a job where you can advance? Go work somewhere else that you can. Can't get a job? Why can't you get a job? Fix whatever's causing that. Go back to school, or don't. I'm a firm believer that if you work hard you can make a very reasonable living without a college education, but by all means if you feel that getting a degree will help you, go for it. Take advantage if your workplace offers tuition reimbursement.
You hate where you live? You have no opportunity there? Move. Oh, you have family? That's cool, they'll still be your family if you move. Don't whine about where you live if you're not willing to do anything about it. Where you live is literally 100% in your control.
Men/women suck? Um, yeah. People are the worst. Be celibate. No? That's silly? Okay, stop dating assholes. Everyone you date is alike? Lucky you! You get to choose who you spend your time with. You're not 20 anymore. Don't be an idiot. If you break up with someone every other week, don't marry them. Why would you marry someone you clearly can't maintain a relationship with? That's literally what marriage is. Maintaining a relationship. FOR LIFE! If you can't stay with someone for more than six months straight, why on earth do you think a shitty ring will cause you to do so? It won't. Don't have a child with someone you don't even like as a person, and then expect this person to be a good parent. That makes no sense. Stop it. And then when you do it, stop complaining about it. You knew this was going to happen.
Finally, stop airing your dirty laundry on Facebook. WE ARE ADULTS NOW. Adults! What good is going to come of announcing every bad thing that happens in your life to casual acquaintances? No one is going to take you seriously. People seriously do use social media to screen job applicants now. That's a well known fact. If you sound like a whiny teenager, no one is going to hire you. Quality people aren't going to want to associate with you. You're adding to what is apparently already not working. Cut it out. Believe me, I know that writing things down helps when you're upset. Start a blog. That way only people that want to read it will, and maybe you'll actually get some constructive feedback. Or hey. Be old school and write in a journal (if you can do that...personally, my hand cramps up after about 5 words these days). Open a word doc and write in that. Whatever! Just don't use Social Media. You know better, I know you do.
Please rest assured that this is not directed at any specific person. I just read about the 40th sad sack Facebook post in the past week and just about lost my mind. This is also not at all why I've been taking a blogging break...though QUITE annoying, this isn't anything that I'm normally extremely preoccupied with. And I know I got a little rant-y there, but my original intention was to just say...hey. It doesn't have to be so hard. Life is legitimately wonderful. Stop lamenting the negative and take a minute to appreciate the positive. If you enjoy the good things you have, life is a pleasure. If you dwell on the things you wish were different and don't even attempt to change them, life is a huge drag. Don't waste your time. Quit being a martyr. Why? I just don't understand why anyone wouldn't want to be happy. It's flabbergasting to me.
Love you guys, for real! Pretend this post is coming from Grooby. You can't be mad at that face! I mean, come on.
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