Just Because You're An Adult, It Doesn't Mean That...

 Photo Credit: sodahead.com

You don't get pimples.
Sure, you get less because you're no longer going through puberty, but you'll still get them.  In fact, my 40-something-year-old former coworker can attest to that.  He came into work one morning and and said, "I woke up this morning and BAM! I see this!"  He then pointed his finger at the top center of his forehead.  "It's not that big," I said as I continued to stare at his pimple. In fact, it was not big at all...it was gigantic.  It took two whole weeks for that thing to disappear and two weeks of me reminding him he shouldn't pop it.

You're always right.
Adults are human too!  They make mistakes and their opinions and thoughts are shaped by the same things as kids-- experience and information learned from others.  For example, teachers tend to be knowledgeable about what they are teaching in school because they have taught a particular subject matter for years and have also spent years in school learning about how to do this.  But, they don't know everything nor can they solve or answer every question you might have.  When I was in high school, one of my classmates corrected my teacher on a math problem she did in class.  In the beginning, she did not admit she was wrong, but after solving the problem again, she realized he was right. 

You're experienced.
What does this mean?  Experience can be anything, from say, going to a club or bar and drinking alcohol, all of which I've never done myself.  I know of some adults who have never been in a relationship before either. Basically, adults can be just as naive sometimes as kids.  They can be scammed by a con artist or they can lack understanding of such things as other cultures.

You're responsible.
Think of this: DUIs, child abuse, arriving at work late, and being in debt due to overspending. Do the recent foreclosures ring a bell?  Adults are the main culprits behind these things.

You're old-fashion. 
So adults might not be super hip or with the current times, but you would be surprised by how many can name a few song titles off of Justin Bieber's album.  Most at least know he exists and think of how many older artists younger kids know of?  Not that many or any at all.  Adults aren't dinosaurs, even though some of them do look like it!  I would have to say my closest coworkers were people who were at least 7+ years older than me, some were double or triple my age, yet I loved working with them and sometimes had more things in common with them than I did with coworkers around my age.

Age doesn't = conservative.  My grandmother is living proof of this.  She's very modern and open to the idea that sometimes people go through a few boyfriends or girlfriends before they find the right one to marry; whereas my dad equates too many boyfriends to that idea that you're a skank. Keep in mind, he didn't just come about this way of thinking when he became an adult, he believed this even as a kid.

You're mature.
Adults can be just as childish or even more juvenile than kids.  They are prone to pathetic and immature acts sometimes.  I whine like a kid to my boyfriend when I don't get my way. I still own and adore my stuffed animal collection. What can I say? I'm a stuffy lover.  Then there's my mom. When she gets mad at my siblings and I, she'll give us the silent treatment and refuse to talk to us even though we're trying to create a discussion to solve the problem.

So there you have it...isn't it amazing what I used to think adulthood would be like as a kid?

Is there anything else that can be added to this?  Do you have any of your own examples?  I'd love to hear what everyone else thinks.

Book: The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

 "This will not be a funny book. I cannot tell jokes because I do not understand them." Christopher Boone

I got teary-eyed a few times reading this on the train, which I'm sure freaked out the stranger sitting next to me. The book I was reading, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by British author Mark Haddon is set in Swindon, Wiltshire and follows the life of the story's narrator, Christopher Boone, a 15-year-old who is gifted in math,yet autistic.  The story is written from a first-person perspective and the first chapter begins with Christopher finding his neighbor's dog, Wellington dead on the front yard.  He gets arrested by the police, who think he has committed the crime.  Though Christopher is eventually released, the death of Wellington causes Christopher to go on a search for the murderer.  It's a mystery he can't seem to let rest, much to the distress of his father.  However, the more Christopher discovers, the more problems he faces and the more the reader learns about Christopher's life. 

Some of the characters in the book:

Christopher Boone- 
Though Christopher has a knack for math problems, he lacks social skills and despises people touching him. He is also very naive and is curious about the world around him.  He loves to learn, but his learning is hindered by his quirks.  For example, he only eats certain kinds of food that are a specific color and the colors of the cars that pass by helps him to determine whether he is having a good or bad day.

I love this character and I think Haddon did a marvelous job of capturing a special needs kid.  It was an eye-opening experience to be able to feel and understand what life might be like for a boy who isn't "normal." I couldn't help but think about all the special needs students I used to work with.  They require a lot of patience, but there's something about them that makes you love and appreciate them for who they are. 

Ed Boone (Christopher's father)-
Ed runs his own business and has one employee working under him.  He is known as the patient one in the family because he knows how to talk and work with Christopher. However, his relationship with his son takes a hit when Christopher accidentally finds something he shouldn't have, which leads to an escalation of problems.

Even though Ed is not perfect, I like him.  He truly cares about Christopher and puts his son's needs over his.  I like how he is always concerned with making sure Christopher's food is prepared properly and knows what Christopher likes to watch on TV.   However, his main flaw is that he is unable to talk about his emotions, which causes him to end up hiding secrets rather than facing the truth.

Judy Boone (Christopher's mother)-
Judy is a dreamer and she wants more for her life.  She's a caring mother, who loves Christopher, but she's also impatient with him and has a hard time dealing with his social problems and other specific needs. 

I think Judy is a very confused person because she feels helpless at times and she admits this, as she knows Ed has a better relationship with Christopher.   Yet, at the same time, she's selfish because she doesn't want to deal with the reality of her situation.   

Mrs. Shears (Christopher's neighbor who's dog Wellington was killed.)-
Mrs. Shears helps out the Boone family when Judy is gone and is living by herself since her husband left her.  

I really don't like this character.  She knows Christopher has special needs, yet she acts like a maniac ready to accuse him of killing her dog.  I had the impression that she had never met Christopher prior to that interaction, but the novel explains that she has been at the Boone house before to help cook for the family.  She's just lousy in every sense of the word, no wonder her husband left her.  

Mr. Shears-
At the beginning of the book, Mr. Shears has already divorced Mrs. Shears, so he only shows up sparingly later in the story. From the little that is known, he seems to be very outspoken and has a hot temper.

I won't go into any details that will spoil the storyline, but I find Mr. Shears to be just as unlikable as his wife.  Definitely a match made in heaven. Also, similar to his wife, he does not treat Christopher kindly.

Mrs. Alexander (Christoper's elderly neighbor)- 
A sweet old lady who befriends Christopher during his search for Wellington's killer. Even though Mrs. Alexander is kind to Christopher, he still considers her a stranger.

I love how nonjudgmental Mrs. Alexander is towards Christopher, offering him snacks and trying to make conversation with him.  She plays a pivotal role in the story, accidentally sharing some secrets she shouldn't have to him. 

Siobhan (paraprofessional who works with Christopher at school)-    
Siobhan tutors Christopher in school and helps him to talk and write about his problems. She is the inspiration behind him writing this story.

I don't think parapros get enough respect for the work they do.  Many times, they are working with students in small groups and one-on-one, which helps them to foster a strong relationship with their student.  They know the kids sometimes even more than their parents.  I love it when Christopher thinks of going to see her at school when he runs away from home.  It shows how safe he feels around her.

Overall, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a heart-breaking book that will tug at your emotional strings, welding you to cry, feel sad, angry, and exhausted.  It's a simple story, but one with a unique narrator, who takes you along a journey that leaves you questioning your understanding of those who are considered different.  

Poem: My Friend

Photo Credit: The Middle Road

Watch out!

But you never did
I told you many times where this would lead
I guess you never heard my screams
Echoing through the walls
I even warned you when I grazed your shoulder
During those sleepless nights
But all you felt was the sudden chill in the air
And all you saw were the tree branches tapping against the window sill

Did I not whisper in your ear that He was coming?
Ahh, so it's true you never listened when I heeded you then
Too busy with your life
Too stuck in your modern ways

How long has it been since we last spoke?
Have you forgotten me already?
Have you not ever slowed down to wonder where I have been?

Those days of you and I alone all seem but a distant blur
You left and abandoned me, never to come back
I was alone, watching you but unable to communicate
Without those memories, I was no more
I was merely a shadow

You had dismissed me as a childish past
But now you know better

We were the best of friends
Sharing our secrets, laughing at life
But now we are but strangers
Such a shame don't you think?

Your daughter, I loved her too
Just as I did you
I thought we could start anew
With her, I became young again
Stronger than I had before
The memories of you and I clearer than ever

But it's all been taken away now
I warned you did I not?
And now my friend, all that remains here is you.

 *************

Halloween is fast approaching, so I decided to write a poem that suits the occasion.  One thing I like about blogging is that it challenges me to try new things and pushes me to write out my thoughts.  This is my third poem here, and I'm surprised I have gotten that far.  I might not know how to write poetry and I might not write the best poems, but I'm satisfied that I have at least attempted something that was once very foreign to me. 

Book: Live Wire

Harlan Coben is a writer of mystery and thriller novels who has had a few #1 New York Times bestsellers.  And yet, somehow I have never read any of his books until now. As an author, Coben has recently dabbled into young adult writing with his novel Shelter, even though he's mainly a writer for adult readers. Live Wire, the 10th book in the Myron Bolitar series is one example of his many adult books.  

Live Wire centers around  the character Myron Bolitar, who is the owner and agent of MB Reps, an agency which represents athletes, writers, and actors.  He's an understanding agent, one with a heart that is always looking at his clients best interests, such as Suzze T, a retired tennis star.  Suzze is pregnant with her first child with Lex, a member of a well-known rock group called Live Wire.  Because she is close to Myron, she wants him to be her child's godfather; yet she also wants Myron to find out who wrote "Not His" on her Facebook page and look for Lex (who has disappeared since the posting went live).  However, what seems to be a simple request turns into much more as Myron's search becomes more like an investigation, with new problems arising when he runs into his sister-in-law Kitty, who he has not seen for many years.  Her sudden appearance brings back a rush of negative emotions.  He wants to know why she has returned and where his younger brother is.  But those answers don't really come that easily when he realizes Kitty has some dark secrets she doesn't  want anyone to know about.

Live Wire is an easy read with a straight to the point plot that has twists and turns that keep the storyline moving.  Each new information learned is connected to a past discovery and somehow in the end, everything comes together.  My coworker used to tell me that was one of the reasons she loved reading Harlan Coben books.  "He keeps you guessing and he surprises you at the end," she once said.  I remember how her eyes used to light up as she talked about his books, a true fan I might add.

I haven't read other Harlen Coben books to judge, except a few pages of No One There, which seemed to be more interesting than Live Wire.  In fact, when I came upon other reviews for Live Wire, some readers mentioned that they felt the book was the weakest of the Myron Bolitar series.  Lucky reading for me right?

The plot in itself was decent, but I admit that it was hard for me to say I enjoyed it because I really couldn't relate to the 34+ year-old Myron, rock music, and drugs.  Everyone I know who reads Harlan Coben books are around my parents age or older, so maybe that's the reason why?  I sometimes felt Myron was actually older than he was portrayed to be, yet at other times I felt he was immature and sometimes flawed to the point of annoying.  I know his character likes to live in the past (e.g. He still holds onto his childhood home.), but the way he talks paints in my mind a pathetic man. 

Some examples:

Pg. 6  "Seventeen, whatever."

Pg. 23 "Why? Am I too chunky?  By the way, seriously, do these jeans make my ass look big.  You can tell me."  -- From a scene in which Myron is trying to get into a club to look for Lex.

Moreover, the sexual nature in which Myron describes women he finds attractive also made me feel as though this book was more meant for guys with raging hormones than a female reader.  The most pathetic part was Myron's buddy Win, who has two lovely Asian lady "friends" who happen to have the names Mee and Yu.  Some jokes are made in reference to this to add humor to the story, but somehow it just felt flat and insensitive to me.  Did this book seriously come out in 2011?

Finally, the biggest issue I have with Live Wire is that problems that occur in the story are solved in an effortless manner. From Myron's cell phone that has special features which ensures that Win will always be there to save him from harm, to the fact that Win is insanely rich and seemingly powerful enough to fix EVERYTHING.  Perhaps I should have viewed this book simply as a fun read, but there were issues I had with it that made it less than thrilling for me, and I couldn't overlook the flaws that kept reappearing time and again. 

Growing Up

Photo Credit: Benefitnet.com

The worst part about growing up is that eventually we all become adults. With adulthood comes responsibilities. Gone are the days of having parents pay for everything and not having to worry when or where the next paycheck is coming from.  Sure, there's the wonderful aspect of independence, but that means there are bills to pay for and when you marry, a husband and kids to care for.   

I sometimes wonder where my childhood went. It flew by so quickly, that I feel as though I didn't have enough time to embrace it for what it was. The lazy, hot summer days in which I went around the house doing simple nothing.  The days in which I biked around the neighborhood because I couldn't drive and my parents were too lazy to take me anywhere.  A quick stop at a friend's house, another stop at the local 7-Eleven for some overpriced ice cream and my day was set. 

I remember when I was in the 4th grade talking to my friend about what it would be like to go to college and how it exciting it would be if we could dorm with each other.  We sat on the lawn grass and spoke about how wonderful being an adult would be; we could buy all the french fries we wanted and sleep as late as we wanted to. Instead of looking towards the future, I should have lived and been content in my current state.  But, being a typical kid, I wanted more. I wanted what I couldn't have and I always thought that things could only get better as you get older.  Life was organized, just the way my teachers and the books I read taught me.  You go to college, you get your dream job, and you get married and have beautiful babies who love you just as much as you do them. Was I so naive to believe that?

Now that I am an adult, I know adulthood is not as amazing as I had imagined it to be.  But of course, it hasn't been terrible either.  I have more control over what I choose to do and I've learned many things that have helped me understand the world around me.  I've also learned about myself through the many relationships I have formed and experiences I have obtained in various settings.  Yet, somehow, I don't really feel like an adult.  Does that make sense?  I sometimes feel like I should know more than I do.  At other times I feel  as though I'm still the same girl in high school, just a little bit more knowledgeable.  I still love bike rides and doing immature things, such as racing my boyfriend down a flight of stairs to see who would win.  Heck, I even played freeze tag and patty cake with a bunch of five and four-year-olds a few weeks ago.  And you know what?  I had a ball doing it!  I'm not in denial of my adulthood. I know I have changed a lot over the years too, both physically and mentally.  Maybe it's the idea that I'm still learning and trying to find out who I am that makes me feel I haven't completely grown up.  

Open Source Software

Written by: Noteforself 

Photo Credit: custom-build-computers.com

I bought my newest computer over the summer at Costco.  It is an HP laptop that was on sale for $450. It has a 17 inch display at 1600×900 resolution, and it came with Windows 7. The first thing I did when I got home was to create the recovery disks.  That used up 4 DVDs. If I had a USB stick with at least 19 GB of space that would have worked too, but I didn't. For anyone who knows computers, 19 GB to reinstall your operating system is simply ridiculous; there is way too much bloatware that the hardware manufacturer is putting on your computer. That being said, making recovery disks is always a first priority when you get a new computer; you will need it in a year or three when your computer gets slow and you need to reformat it.

In my biased opinion, the software that comes preloaded on a computer is often bloated and slow.  Besides the operating system, I usually remove everything else and, instead, install open source software.  Open source software are software that have source code available, in case you want to modify or learn more about the software you are using.  The source code is the written text that makes up the software; the hardware, the physical computer, reads the text and runs the software.

Below are some open source software that I use.  I believe they are smaller and faster then the software that comes with your computer.

7-Zip 
If you ever download a file that is compressed into a 7z, BZip2, Gzip, Tar or other formats, you can use this program to uncompress it.  You can also use this file to archive your files.

ClamWin Free Antivirus 
This is my anti-virus program.  I use it when I want to check to see if my files and folders have anything dangerous in them.

TrueCrypt 
I use this to protect my sensitive documents.  It would create an encrypted file, and I would store all my important things in it.

Gimp
This is my image editor.  I do basic cropping and resizing of my images.  Since I am not a graphics artist, it fulfills my basic needs.  For 99% of computer users, this makes an excellent Adobe Photoshop replacement.

Sumatra PDF 
This replaces Adobe Reader; it's a simple PDF reader.

Notepad++ 
I use this instead of the Notepad that comes with Windows 7.

LibreOffice 
This replaces Microsoft Office.  Hands down, this is the best alternative to it, and it's completely free. However, you can still pay to show your appreciation by sending money to The Document Foundation so they can continue to work on this software.  LibreOffice used to be call OpenOffice. Anything Microsoft Office can do, LibreOffice can most likely also do.  It comes with Writer (word processor), Calc (spreadsheet), Impress (presentation), Draw (build diagrams and sketches), Base (database) and Math (equation editor).  It can save in different formats and open many formats, including but not limited to past and present Microsoft document formats.  Additionally, you can save your documents in PDF format.
I highly recommend LibreOffice.  To me, it is on par with Microsoft Office.

VLC 

MPC-HC 
Both VLC and MPC-HC are multimedia players.  You can use them to watch most video formats.

ImgBurn 
This software is to burn CDs/DVDs.  It's simple and works well.

Firefox 
Chrome 
Please don't use Internet Explorer; it can be unsafe.  I would recommend either Firefox or Chrome.They are both good in terms of speed and security.  Additionally, they are updated often to keep pace with technological advances.

In brief, whenever I reformat my computer, I would install the above programs.  Using these programs would also ease you into Linux if you ever want to give Linux a try in the future, because these programs are also available on Linux.  Before using any of these software, please read the instructions; I don't want to be held responsible for bad experiences.

As you can see, I embrace open source.  First, it's free.  Second, I have access to the source code, which allows me to modify it.  (If I knew how.)  Third, the open source software that I use are faster and  smaller than the software they replace. Without open source, Google, Facebook, Amazon and other  technology companies would not be what they are today, and I feel that the world would be a grimmer place.

If you have any interesting open source software, please let me know.  I'm always curious.

Short Story: Starting Over Part 2

Barbara sat staring at the manila envelope on her laptop.  She had come home determined to finish what she had set her mind on, but it was easier said than done.  Could she really muster up the strength to do this?  Just throw all those memories away after all these years?

"Stop laughing!"

"It's funny though," Michael said, clicking on the mouse to zoom in closer to a picture of Barbara, so he could see her teeth clearly. "Look at those amazing set of rabbit teeth!"

"You know I feel insecure about them," Barbara pouted, folding her arms across her chest, "You're such a jerk."

Michael continued to smile, zooming in even closer, "Definitely Facebook worthy." 

He maneuvered the mouse over to the Explorer icon.

"No!" Barbara shrieked, pushing his hand off the mouse, "I won't talk to you anymore if you do that."

"Hah! You say that, but you'll be calling me as soon as you leave here.  You're too weak." Michael said, flashing her his devilish grin again as he closed up the picture and turned off the computer.  He then got up from his chair and pulled Barbara in his arms, "But I don't like to try my luck with you being so stubborn sometimes."

Stubborn.  That's what Barbara was.   Yet, Michael put up with her because he had cared about her.

"Do you love me?"

"You know the answer, so why do you have to ask?"

"I just like to check sometimes, just in case you don't love me anymore," Barbara said puling the car into the parking lot at Harold's, the local grocery store.

Michael sighed.

Insecure.  Barbara was that too.  She tried not to be, but after being cheated on by her last boyfriend, she had never been the same since.  He had broken her heart and she felt as though she could never love again until she met Michael.

"Do you remember when we first met?"

Michael tapped his fingers on his chin for a few seconds and looked up from where he was sitting at the dining table, "Oh, I remember that day.  Man, you were pissed with me!"

"Well, besides that part where you offended me by saying I had an old lady's name," Barbara said as she swatted him  with her left hand, "Do you remember anything else?  I remember you wore a blue dress shirt with stripes and you had a black backpack on.  You wore glasses that day, those old big black round ones...you looked so cute then."

Michael's face cringed up, "I hated those glasses! They were so big and bulky. I can't believe I used to leave the house with those on.  And you found them attractive? Hah! I'm surprise you remember what I even wore then since you didn't seem to like me at all."

"Oh," Barbara responded, "Don't get me wrong, you annoyed the heck out of me.  I noticed you coming from afar though, before you opened that mouth of yours!"

Michael laughed as he moved his eyebrows up and down, in a twitching motion, "So was it love at first sight?"

Barbara never admitted it to him, but it was.  There was something that drew her to Michael the moment she saw him.  Something she could never explain.  Glancing once again at the manila envelope, Barbara took a deep breath and moved it away from her laptop.   Might as well look this up on the computer and get it over with, she thought. The local post office in her area had closed due to budget cuts and she needed to find the next closest one to her.  If Barbara was going to send this envelope, then she might as well have it sent there as fast as possible...before she changed her mind.