How to Bake Delicious Cupcakes for your Manager's Birthday!

So, your manager (or someone else in your designated place of employment) is having a birthday.  The office is bringing a potluck lunch.  What should you bring?  CUPCAKES!!!  Not only are these yummy treats a great portion control snack when you inevitably sneak one on your drive in, they are also super easy and fun!

Step 1: Gather all necessary ingredients.  Needed: Cake mix, 3 eggs, 1 cup water, 2/3 cup oil.  Store brands are acceptable.  As are regular brands.  I happen to have a small budget though.



Step 2: Mix all aforementioned ingredients until concoction is smooth.




Step 3: Prepare cupcake mix in cupcake pan.  Fill the paper cup half full for cupcakes that look like mine.  Fill the paper cup 2/3 full for bigger cupcakes.  I like to spray the inside of the paper liners for an easy removal.



Step 4: Bake soon to be delicious goodness in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.  Test 'doneness' by poking the center cupcake with a knife.  If the knife comes out smoothly (aka no batter on the knife) then the cupcakes are done.

Step 5: Let Cool.

Step 6. Add sugar.  I mean icing.  Which is made out of sugar.  Anyway, add LOTS of it.  Please note that the brand name icing may or may not have been on super sale.

Step 7: Decorate cupcakes with Happy Sprinkles! (as if anyone could eat a delicious cupcake and not be happy!)

Step 8: Bring yummy delicious cupcakes (that you taste tested first) to your office party!

Think Positively!

I promise!  If you take a negative event in your life, and find the right way to think about the event, there will be a positive view you can take!  Thanks to the awesome positivity of one of my friends, KT, I always try to find the positive in every seemingly bad situation.  Thanks KT!

Here is a list of negatives:
     1. Overdrawn Bank Account
     2. Failed Relationship
     3. Sick, therefore missed school/work/you-name-it
     4.  Car Wreck
     5.  You are always seeing your shadow

The Hard Part: Finding the Positivity!

     1. You overdrew your bank account.  I've done it.  You've done it.  Your neighbors's nephew's best friend has done it too.  The good thing about an overdraft though, is that it means the people or companies you promised money to (via check writtem or debit card swiped) were paid and you do not owe any additional fees for having the item returned unpaid.  A second positive is that hopefully you have learned your lesson regarding money management!  Forgetting about a check you wrote can be an expensive error--possibly $25 to $36 dollars or more PER TRANSACTION!  Basically, keeping an eye on your finances is very important!  Use Online Banking frequently and match ALL of your shopping/dining reciepts to the charges against your account.

     2. Just like a bank overdraft, everyone seems to have had their heart broken once (or a dozen) times!  While the heartache may capture you now, just remember (I know this cliche) there are more fish in the sea!  Dating is a bit like an audition process for your future spouse/companion/helpmate/partner-in-crime.  If a relationship is not meant to work out (even after you try to make it work) then it is better to find out early!

     3. An unexpected illness has caused at least one sick day for all of us too!  Whether you missed school or work or an exam or whatever, tell yourself it happened for a good reason.  This is where I insist you ask yourself a "What If" question.  What if on the way to school/work/exam/whatever I was in a car wreck (or other injury causing accident).  Accidents do not usually make for good days.  Take your sick day and make it have a positive twist by telling yourself that nothing further negative happened by staying home!

     4. Car wrecks are accidents.  They are not something anyone plans (or so I hope!)  As long as you are able to survive the wreck, whether you walked away unharmed or needed medical attention, your survival is the most important thing!  Your life is irreplacable, where a car salesman can be easily found.  Sometimes wrecking your car can be a good thing, if you think of it in the right way.  You could end up with a newer, better car as a result.  For this positive to exist, several other things need to occur.  First, collision coverage is a must!  The day of a wreck is a bad time to realize you forgot you took collision off of your car insurance! (I know because I did this! Consider the lesson learned!)  Second, don't wreck on purpose!  I don't know who would make plans to wreck a car (besides a demolition derby contestant).  Insurance companies could get you for fraud (not a good thing) or worse, you could seriously injur someone in the process!  Don't wreck on purpose!

     5. If you are always seeing your shadow, then you may want to make the physical effort to move your neck into a position such that you can see the sun!  If you look toward the sun, then you will never see your own shadow!  All you need to do is make an effort to see the good things in life instead of just all the negative things in your past.  You may see your glass of milk/soda/adult-beverage as half empty today (the pessismistic viewpoint), but with a little effort to finding the good in all the seemingly bad things you encounter, your glass of milk/soda/adult-beverage can be seen optimistically as half full!  Remember, April showers bring May flowers!




Feel free to comment below if you have any other seemingly negative events that can be thought in positive ways!

Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks

My DOD is awesome!  And learning to use social media!
Thanks to my sister for the photo!

As a recent college graduate living in the technological world, I am quite savvy with my use of social networks.  I have active profiles on Facebook, Google+, and Blogger.  As the child of a parent with a 'Golden Buckeye" discount card, I cannot say the same for my DOD (Dear Old Dad).  However, he is one (self declared) Old Dog that CAN learn new tricks!

DOD is an awesome dad.  He is even hip too!  Whenever we are both in the same proximity (I live in Cincinnati and he lives in a Columbus suburb) we go hang out at a local drinking establishment for a (as in singular) delicious adult beverage.  I don't say this to make us sound like alcoholics.  These adventures are few and far between, but fun.  In fact, I hardly ever go with anyone but DOD.  Including my sister, I think we may be some of the only people that will go to the bar with their dad.

Despite nearing his second retirement, DOD is still as hip as ever.  Don't let his age fool you!  As evidence, he even has his own (new) Facebook account!  I think it is so cute that he keeps updating me with the number of friends he has.  At the last update he gave me, DOD had finally surpassed 50 friends on Facebook! 

DOD rocking out at the Paul McCartney concert last summer!
Thanks to my sister for the photo!

For this past Christmas, my sister bought my dad a new laptop and I helped my mom pick out a new Kodak camera.  The camera is a touchscreen too!  Needless to say, DOD loved these gifts!  He has put them right to use--I even gave him a lesson last week in regards to creating a photo album in Facebook and tagging people in the pictures!  The pictures aren't recent from Christmas, but they are from a concert my sister took him to last summer for his early birthday present!  They both love the Beetles and saw Paul McCartney Live at Great American Ball Park!  We'll see if the Facebook lessons stuck soon enough when he tries to post more recent pictures!

Sofar, Facebook is the only profile that DOD is keeping, but I'm sure that may change.  I've sent an invite for Google+ but I'm not sure he knows what to do with it yet!  Before long, I think I'll have him set up with his own blog too!

To help him keep his life updated in the world of social networking, I showed him how to subscribe to my blog!  If he could figure out how to do it, so can YOU!  It is super simple!  If you use blogger, you can follow me by scrolling down a little on the right column.  If you don't use blogger, then you can subscribe via email, also in the right column.

New Year's in Memphis: A Victory at the Liberty Bowl!

Bearcats are #1!  I'm super excited for my
first field interviews and the victory!

I'll admit, I sometimes wonder how much a certain event will cause affect to the rest of my life...Really, how will my experiences carry with me through life?  Will a four day trip to Memphis have any lasting effect?

To better answer this question, I should better specify that the four day trip was to the 2011 New Year's Eve Liberty Bowl and that I was going as the official UC Band Videographer.  That changes the context of the trip a little bit.  This trip was not the first time I traveled with the band in that role-->as a four year member, it was definitely not my first band trip!  As you can see below, I traveled with the band to Pittsburgh in early November as the UC Band's Videographer!

Starting quarterback Zach Collaros rushing past his
Vanderbilt opponents at the 2011 Liberty Bowl.

I suppose that since our memories are one of our most precious commodies, that an experience of any variety can have a lasting effect.  Some just might serve a better meaning later...Only time can tell :)

Eventually, you will have the awesome opportunity to see a video of the trip--Subscribe via email on the right hand collumn and you'll get the alert when the video is ready.  I have lots of awesome footage (5 full tapes worth!) and my goal is to edit a piece that the band will be able to appreciate in an awesome DVD format!  The only problem right now is I don't have a firewire cable!  The finished product will be available both here, YouTube, and Facebook soon enough though!

President Williams helping the
Bearcats celebrate Victory!

The most exciting part of the trip for me though was the game!  Not only did the UC Bearcats return victorious, but I conducted my first field interviews!  I was able to interview both the starting quarterback, Zach Collaros, as well as the President of the University of Cincinnati, Gregory H. Williams.  The UC Band photographer has pictures for me too!  I'll share them once they are available!
Of course, since I am:
          1) a long time band person, and
          2) I was traveling with the band, I had to ask questions about the band! 
Both Zach Collaros and President Williams said good things!  Zach is even friends with one of my friends from band because they went to the same high school!  As a video to be a memoriable keepsake for the band, I'm sure the inclusion of two big names recogizing the band will only add to the band's experience and memories!

Overall, I had a GREAT time in Memphis!  I suppose the true test to how the experience will effect me will be to let time play itself!

So...Job Please?

Now that I am a 'big girl' --you know, a college graduate and all-- I am on the hunt for my first 'big girl job.'

The search is rather frustrating...

Idealy, I would like to have my start in the world of talk shows.  I absolutely loved my internship with Daytime Columbus last spring.  My problem, is that I am having a difficult time finding entry level jobs with many of the talk shows.  That was my concentration of primary interest for the past few months.

What's next though?

One thing I had noticed in searching for talk show production jobs was 'related experience' in reference to news.  I have therefore officially begun to search for an entry level production position.  What I have found is that many stations are hiring for/continously accepting applications for production assistents (or something very similar by a different name).  Unfortunately, all the positions I have found are part time.

While I have always said that I am willing to move to where the job takes me, especially now so I can get the experience I need, I am hesitant to pack up and move to a different city for a part time position.  I already have a part time position.  I won't lie and say the pay is great, but it is above minimum wage and I am able to pay all of my bills without calling my Dad for help.

I did interview with a local station in Cincinnati recently for one of the above aformentoned part time jobs.  I think the interview went well.  I was given the follow-up writing assessment, which has been compleated.  Now I just wait.  I was told one week ago that I will not hear anything for two weeks.  The position is a 'News Content Specialist" position.  As it was explained to me, it is a glorified production assistent.  I'm completely OK with that.  I feel that I am a competent writer, I have confidence that I do good work in a professional manner, and I have previously completed the other tasks mentioned.  Something just felt right about that job.

I suppose that if I am not supposted to have that job, then it wasn't meant to be and I will find one later that will be right.  Until then....   :)