Reunited with Questions

fun.

Thankfully after the Olympics, I got too busy flying back to work to take a peck at the poor post-Olympic commentary. (Try a quadruple salchow before you can call people "failures," journalists!) With figure skating off TV for a while, I went into a mild depression until the anticipation of last weekend: my first big school reunion.

I skipped my high school reunion a few years back. Fortunately, my duties with Hens on Ice were a legitimate excuse to miss a poorly organized luncheon with people I probably still don't like. But college was different since my overall experience was a great one, making dear friends, learning some things, and drinking Natty Ice. So my coop of friends and I decided we'd make a big flap at our 10 year reunion. (I know, you can't believe it! For the record, I went to college as a child.) 

We flapped onto campus Saturday night ready to party like it was 2008, but our college reminded us it wasn't by hosting the party in a building that didn't exist 10 years ago. (Thanks.) And in a flash, the party seemed to wind down. I woke up that Sunday morning feeling strange. Maybe it was the combination of beer, wine, and Jell-O shots. Maybe it was that my expectations for my first big reunion weren't realistic. 

What I Learned from Irmageddon

It's been over a week of recovery since the horrendous Hurricane Irma. The Hen got the true brunt of her wraith as her eye passed over the coop around 1 a.m. Now that I have power, Internet, and one less palm tree, I've been reflective of her visit. Death and destruction aside, I think I maybe learned a thing or two from her unwelcome trip.

Thirsty?

When a hurricane is coming, people lose their god damn minds over bottled water. Yes, PLEASE be prepared for the worst and hope for the best. But one full week before the storm, every store in Florida was out of water. All I overheard out in public for days was people talking about water, and how there was none. In their panic, 99% of these people forgot about that old-timey treat called "tap water." They also forgot that stores still sold a variety of containers that could hold such tap water. Instead, much of the public complained driving from store to store, bought cases on the black market for $75, or just hoarded every last bottle they found (if they were lucky). A for effort in preparedness; F for critical thinking. Our plumbing was also unaffected without electricity, and I enjoyed some lovely tap water during the apocalyptic winds.

LinkedIn or LinkedOut?

Does anyone still use Linkedin?

Better yet, does anyone gain meaningful connections and job prospects through Linkedin?

These are some tough questions in today's online world. If the answer is "yes," then I'm probably using Linkedin in all the wrong ways.

Cute, blonde, and/or professional?

I remember first learning about Linkedin and creating an account in my early 20s, like many people my age. It seemed like a great idea at the time, having a professional social media presence so my Facebook could focus on drinking and cat photos. I also felt productive, networking (whatever that means) without really doing anything. I didn't have a great use for Linkedin when I made my account in college, but I was convinced that this would be an important and handy tool in the professional job world.

Are My Room Decorations Trendy or Humiliating?

Britney demands height order.

Now that the 15 minutes of attention for "Pretty Girls" seems about over, it's time to dust off these writing wings and get clucking for my first article since getting home from my most recent Hens on Ice scholastic year. Since this is my 4th tour with the skating birds, I've already covered some juicy topics about getting off the road for a hot minute. There are big pros and cons with such a lengthy tour with the same group of crazy loons, but I did that. I found some weird stuff in my room while trying to unpack, but that's been done too (in 2 parts!). But instead of crying, retiring, and squawkingwriting about not writing. Thankfully for you, I've realized again I'm a bit more insane than I'd originally thought.
at you to just read those old articles, I'll do better than

The Rudeness of Strangers

Hey! You look like shit!

I was recently insulted by a virtual stranger. I didn't realize it at first since it was masked with a smile in an otherwise polite conversation, but her words were neither compliment nor pleasantry. In a different tone, it would have been obvious, but it took a few sentences and a polite chuckle for it to
sink in.

When we're insulted by someone we barely know, we never respond how we'd like because it's so unexpected. We have the perfect responses after the comment stews in our mind for a day, and we know exactly what we'd say if we were in that situation again. But we never are, so we just have to take it. But The Hen is here to cluck about some of those times where I was accosted by some jerk stranger or acquaintance.