The first Pixar review! Toy Story!

Next up: A Bug's Life!

The Pixar Precap

I'm going to be honest with you, dearest homies. I got a little carried away with this post. I recommend grabbing some popcorn. Which is perfect, because this post is all about movies!

So yesterday I went to California Adventure, the theme park that accompanies Disneyland at the Disneyland Resort. It was my second time there, and we had a great time. California Adventure is very Pixar-inspired and includes "Cars Land" and "A Bug's Land." Thus during yesterday's visit I was overwhelmed with an urge to watch all of the Pixar movies in order.

Before I start, I thought I would offer my current rankings of the 13 Disney/Pixar films, and then I will rate them all again at the end of my adventure.

I don't know why I torture myself with these ratings blog posts. You'd think I would learn after trying to rate all of the Parenthood characters. But alas, here we go, from least favorite to most favorite:

First up in the "Can't comment/insufficient research" category, these films do not get an official rating this time around:

Brave and Cars 2. Haven't seen 'em.

Moving right along to the official countdown...

11. Wall-E

Ugh. Where to start?

Despite the fact that

a) the giggling stopped for me about a third of the way through this film,

b) the scenery was dreary, and

c) the robot being all alone and watching a schmaltzy romance tape during an apocalypsy time was depressing beyond belief (and this is kid friendly in what way??),

my major and overall complaint with this film is that Pixar movies are not a place for social commentary, and this film decided to put -- gross and glaring -- social commentary at its center.

THAT IS WHAT CNN IS FOR.

Do your kids watch CNN? I didn't think so. Would you be somewhat horrified if you discovered your children were watching Hardball, or The O'Reilly Factor, or Politically Incorrect? Duh.

So, Pixar, tell me, why would use a cute little robot like Wall-E to introduce children to topics that are way too intense for them? All the garbage and grey and brown colors in this film invoke panic in me, and I am pushing 28. Then again, I could be faint of heart compared to most, because I could never handle The Lorax as a kid.

I think that a Pixar film is not the time or place to present a message about obesity and wastefulness, etc., at least not in the way it was done. Kids and parents alike come to Pixar films for a break from the rougher things in life, not to have them smashed in their face.

Also let's keep in mind that the "rougher things in life" for kiddos are scraped knees and the occasional utterance of "No candy before dinner." If you're going to teach them a lesson, take baby steps. Tell them why it is not good to waste things or eat too much candy, rather than show them how the entire world is going to screw itself over. They will learn that in adulthood. We all did, didn't we? And we did so without the help of Wall-E.

I, as the parent that I am not, would rather spend time explaining to my (pre-prenatal?) children why Cookie Monster is eating carrot sticks, or take them to the park, or just feed them beets and tomatoes like my parents did so that when they hit 27 they'll still like those things and thus hopefully won't end up in a spaceship looking and acting like blobs.

10. Cars

I saw the beginning of this movie while babysitting. It did not transfix me.

But even though I've only seen part of it, I am quite confident that had I seen the whole thing I would still rank it higher than Wall-E.

I see a lot of you are now unsubscribing from this blog and defriending me on Facebook as you read this, so let's move on before I lose the rest of you:

9. A Bug's Life

I thought this movie would be funny. It wasn't really.

That's mostly my beef with it.

I like the bright colors. I am hoping I will warm to it a little more this next time around.

8. Toy Story 3

Yeah, I went there: I didn't even put this wildly popular film in my top 5. Losing friends right and left today, Bailey.

Basically, I have theories on why this film got so much hype, and I think it has less to do with the film's storyline and overall "That movie was awesome!!!"-ness, and more to do with, if we're being honest with ourselves, two major things:

a) The first two Toy Story films were released four years apart. Then it was another 11 before the third one came out.  This was the first Toy Story movie to be released in more than 10 years since the previous one.

b) Toy Story 3 hit theaters in the 3D era. This is not for everyone, but a lot of people are pretty jazzed about 3D, so the marketing team had some extra pull with viewers in that respect, I think.

The film was well done, to be sure. Clever. I laughed. I liked it when Barbie told Ken he had a "nice ascot."

But I think that when people heard there would be a Toy Story 3, they weren't so much expecting it as they were probably just surprised and thus excited because, certainly, the first two Toy Stories were extremely creative and unique and new to the world of entertainment and animation.

Say that tomorrow it was announced that "Wayne's World 3" was coming to theaters. We would probably freak out a little bit with excitement, but do we need a Wayne's World 3? Not really. And I say that as a LOVER of Wayne's World and Wayne's World 2.

Another fine example: The third Mighty Ducks film. Why? The series peaked with D2. Obviously.

So my point is, briefly, don't mess with a good thing.

I think me writing all of this is successfully barring me from ever getting hired by Disney or Pixar. And as I'm losing more and more friends, let's move the mood "up" (har, har) to some films I'm a little more positive about:

7. Up

I thought this movie was going to be uber sad, and I actually had to be convinced by a friend that it was going to be OK if we watched it.

I liked this film. I recall the snipe stuff was funny. And that "Good afternoon!" bit is irresistible.

6/5. Ratatouille / The Incredibles

The reasons for these being tied are complicated, so I will try to keep my explanation brief. Basically the contest here comes down to a battle of wit and visual aesthetics.

Ratatouille I expected to be funny. It wasn't too funny. As with A Bug's Life, I came wanting a laugh and didn't receive many. I find this is similar to experiencing an almost-but-not-expressed sneeze, but worse.

However, once I realized and resigned myself to the fact that this wasn't a guffaw film, I zoned out and just enjoyed the pretty colors, all the oranges and blues. Then, once I saw parts of the movie again, while babysitting and whatnot, I discovered I liked it better than the first time, probably in part because I had accepted the lack of humor.

The Incredibles, on the contrary, was very funny. I remember laughing a lot when I saw it in the theater with my brother and my friend Sarah. Sarah and I were in college at the time, not always a stress-free time in a coed's life. That said, I recall leaving the theater with that feeling of great catharsis and endorphins one needs as a student or when dealing with, well, her twenties.

I've only seen The Incredibles all the way through, however, the one time, so I can't really speak definitively on how much I love it, and whether it would fall ahead of or behind Ratatouille. You pickin' up what I'm puttin' down?

4. Toy Story 2

I think that when I conclude re-viewing the Pixar lineup, The Incredibles and/or Ratatouille will likely surpass Toy Story 2 in the rankings, but for now TS2 is going to come in at No. 4.

I liked TS2 in the theater. I think I was a trifle skeptical of whether it would live up to its predecessor, and was pleased to find that it did. I don't know of any recent urge, however, to watch this film.

I think this movie is funny. The introduction of the Woody's Roundup characters was a nice addition to the family of talking plastic friends.

Oh, and the scene with the (precious beyond precious) old man fixing the broken Woody toy is definitely notable as one of the most mesmerizing scenes in all of the Pixar movies. And I think we all at least metaphorically clutched our chests or gasped when he painted over "ANDY" on Woody's boot. Powerful.

Seriously, just thinking about it I am getting borderline goosebumpy and teary. I am overtired, but still.

3. Toy Story

This is the original. It blew us away. We loved it.

I got excited when seeing the commercials, and even so it exceeded expectations. Because none of us knew what was about to hit us when we sat down to that film. None of us. It was just too new and fantastic. Thus, Toy Story deserves a high spot on this ranking.

2/1. Finding Nemo / Monsters Inc.

This is a battle of wits. I can't decide.

Nemo is the only Pixar film that I saw twice in the theater.

But both Nemo and Monsters had me cracking up and enjoying myself start to finish.

And when it comes to entertainment, if you want to win me over, you should probably:

a) get me giggling like a maniac, and

b) throw in a pretty rainbow of colors,

of which Nemo and Monsters offer both. Treat me like the child that I am, and you will earn a high spot on my Pixar ranking list.

I decided to try my hand at video editing

This is the result. Let me know if you think I should keep my day job.

Overachiever or over lazy?

I honestly have not thought of myself as a workaholic, ever, really.

On the rare occasion that someone calls me an overachiever, I get mad. How dare they.

But right now, I'm wondering.......

Let's look at the "evidence" that may prove the plaintiffs are somewhat, maybe, teensy-weensy a little bit right. Shall we?

I have three freelance writing projects I'm working on right now.

I occasionally record a podcast with my friends Rosie and Deniz.

I write for this blog. You may have heard of it. It's called The Daily Bailey, though it is--by and large--not a daily publication.

I am working on a piece to submit to a writing contest, and have other writing contests on my radar. And, organized in a spreadsheet. Whatever.

I make Flip videos with my antiquated recording technology, expecting them to come off to an audience as funnier than they actually are.

They're not funny, except to my friend Courtney.

Last night I started messing around with Windows Live Movie Maker and I think I have opened a new can of broadcasting/writing/Internetting worms...a can that might be able to actually make my Flip footage somewhat worth watching.

I have at least four (from what I can think of off the top of my head) in-the-works cross stitch projects going right now.

I read basically every night. Except lately, because my attention span has wandered off somewhere and I am too distracted to go look for it.

I keep up with several YouTube channels and shows, including Ellen, My Drunk Kitchen, Go On, Gilmore Girls, Everybody Loves Raymond, Hot in Cleveland, and other TV Land favorites....

I make a point to insert as much sarcasm as I can muster into every seam and crack of Facebook. This in itself could be a full time job.

I also regularly go hiking with friends, hang out at the gym a time or two each week, practice my dance moves for me myself and I at home. You know, the usual for any single person without a boyfriend or a job. Just kidding. I so totally practice my dance moves whether I am attached to a kissable boy or job or not. I can't let my gift to the world get rusty.

Sigh.

I guess I just want to let you all know that while I might have all this stuff going on, I am in fact quite lazy.

Quite.

For example, it takes me forevvvvvvvvvvvver to leave the house each day. And it's not because I'm primping. It's because I'm doing any number of things instead of focusing on just one. Primping would actually be means to an end, but I am usually checking my email, removing cobwebs from the ceiling, washing approximately three dishes, etc.

I consider making a pot of coffee an accomplishment. If I set the coffee maker the night before to brew the next morning, forget about it. That'll have me patting myself on the back for a month.

I make huge, disgusting messes out of both my living quarters AND my car. Several people can bear witness to this. But if you want their names and numbers, you're going to have to wait, because I will be too busy with YouTube to gather all that information for you.

ATTENTION! (By the way, any potential employers who may be reading this: I WILL work hard for you. Promise. I might have strange ways of working, and recuperating, but I do get the job done. And clearly (apparently) over-extend myself a bit. Which shows dedication and passion. Right?)

I often don't eat until mid to late afternoon. On one recent day the first caloric item beyond coffee to enter my bloodstream came around 3 p.m. Currently it is 2:09 p.m. and all I have eaten are three tiny baby (but delicious) scones.

You'll be happy to know that I don't forget about showering and personal hygiene in all of this. On gym days, I take two showers a day. I have an obscene amount of scented lotion at my disposal. I actually put a moratorium on such as a potential gift from family members this past holiday season.

I mean it. I sent out an email announcement requesting to not receive any scented lotion.

I also have several perfume bottles, that admittedly are less often used than the lotion. Sometimes I take webcam pics of the really old stuff that still smells good after, ahem, 14-15 years.

No joke. This stuff was a party favor at a birthday party I attended in seventh or eighth grade. And it still smells just fine.

Anyway, friends, I think I've rambled on long enough about all this. And now that it's 2:17 I should probably seriously consider getting some lunch.

A bientot,
Daily B

P.S. Update: Now that I'm done editing this post, it's 2:33.

Sharing

A Christmas or two--or three--ago, my brother Patrick was trying to get rid of some things that were cramping his already cramped condo.

He now lives in a much more spacious home, but at the time this was a fairly regular practice for him. I remember on one occasion he offered up a bottle of Windex. I would have been a taker, but I had traveled to his place via train and we were going to spend the next day walking around in the city, and I didn't really have the spare room in my backpack.

Blah blah.

I tell you all these details so that you don't think the reason I didn't take the Windex was because I would be embarrassed to carry a bottle of Windex around Chicago all day. Because I would not be embarrassed. Just inconveniently weighed down.

Well on this Christmas some years back, Patrick was going through his usual show-and-tell of items (items that he had carted nine hours by car. We're talking desperate to get rid of things, friends), seeing what people could take off his hands. During his presentation he came to a popular book by the preacher Don Piper.

"Does anyone want '90 Minutes in Heaven'?" he asked, casually.

Dad immediately shared his thoughts on the matter: "I'd like more time than that!"

Lies my Taxes told me (2013 Edition)

Congratulations! You've filed your taxes. Now let's review what we've learned from this year's experience before we head into the misery of next year's filing.

1. A 1099-MISC form will do two things for you:
 
       a) Take your money.
       b) Lead you to come up with 1,099 miscellaneous reasons why you hate the 1099-MISC form.

2. Even your longtime and trusted friend, TurboTax, can let you down, and make you want to break things.

3. Starting taxes early will still land you at the post office after dark on April 15. Future generations of America, listen to me. All that stuff you're hearing about procrastination being bad, preparation being responsible: forget it! For several years past I have started my taxes dangerously close to April 15. And every year I have survived. This year I started in February and it has been hands down the most stressful tax season of my life so far.

4. Buying ice cream and taking it out for dinner--I mean, calling it "dinner"--when you're finally, finally done, takes the edge off.

5. So much, in fact, that you have to enjoy that hot fudge sundae right there in the parking lot before you even head home from the drive-thru.

6. So very much, in fact, that when this song:


comes on the radio, while you're sitting in your car wearing a portion of your outfit from the workday and a portion from your wardrobe's pajama department, enjoying that sundae, you can't listen to it at a decibel that is normal for your Corolla, but rather must turn it up loud enough to supply sound to, oh, a school bus.

7. So very, very much, that when two men walk by your car, they smile and chuckle at the fact that there is some crazy person in the McDonald's parking lot whose car is rattling from insanely loud 60s music.

8. So very, very, very much, that when they pass your car and keep looking over their shoulders curiously (but obviously still very much amused), you:

        a) wave. And
        b) say, "Don't even care!" through a wide open trap filled with delicious fudgy ice cream that will not ask you questions about your filing status (Single! Stupid IRS, why have you not committed this to memory?!).

I mean, SERIOUSLY, how irresistible does that song become 1:15 minutes in? Pretty damn irresistible, that's how much. In a hundred years when I get married, we'll be dancing to it. Get ready. But not too ready, that's in a hundred years.

I'm not even kidding, I let that song play twice just now, and I am literally still bobbing back and forth while typing this.

Which makes it hard to type.

But not impossible.

....Several minutes later after I have proofread and edited this post, I am STILL bobbing around.

And now I've thrown in a finger snap.

I'm waiting for a man...

...who makes me smile the way my mom is smiling here, with her man (and her grandbaby).

She's so beautiful, and her smile is just unbridled. Gorgeous. Love it. Want it. 

Crafting, Gifting, YouTubing

Hey Kiddos,

So you already know this, but I am a cross stitching freak.

I have to say, I love it. It combines my love of math/counting and colors. And I love giving my projects as gifts. The video below shows you the project I made for my nephew's baptism, as it came together.

It kind of looks like a jigsaw puzzle being slowly assembled, no?

Enjoy.

Much love,
B

Since there isn't a category for appliances...

Bought a coffee pot today.

Primarily with gift card money.

Less than $8 out of my pocket.

How to categorize on Mint.com, which tracks my spending trends?

"Home Improvement."

Ellen? Are you reading? I have two Internet stars to appear on your show

Below are the real contents of an email message that actually exists. I sent it to my brother Riley this evening. Still awaiting a response on this. I assume he and I are on for my great plan(s) below.

I'm not entirely sure why I'm sharing it with you other than to show you how ridiculous I am. Please see sections in brackets to decode things written in brother-sister speak.

Sent to Riley Friend Francis, Tuesday, April 9, 2013, 7:46 p.m., Pacific time:

"so i just had a great idea, that i thought would be a great surprise, but then i had another idea that might be better, which involves you, so i'm going to tell you.

my first idea was to make my own episode of 'my drunk kitchen' for you. 

[Riley loves "My Drunk Kitchen," and keeps telling me that the star of the show (host? I want to call her the host, because it's kind of a cooking show) reminds him of me.]

then i decided we could make an episode together. of course i JUST realized that i would be the only one drinking, but we could cook with alcohol, too. ooh! and you could drink ROOT beer and we'll be the BREWERS in the kitchen!

[Our last name is Brewer. I used to hide that from you readers, but since I have links to my journalism clips over there in the right margin -------> , well all you smarty pants can figure out my last name.]

we are doing this. i just need to get a job, followed by an apartment with a kitchen. because if we did this now, well, a) you're not here, and b) i have a microwave, 

[I'm very grateful that I have a microwave. Seriously, I am so blessed and have everything I need. If I didn't have a microwave, it would be a lot of cereal and yogurt around here. Which it is, anyway, because I like those things and they are easy to "make."]

so we would be microwaving weight watchers meals and clinking our bottles together. and then just sitting there looking the same,

 [ ]

which i guess would draw in viewers.

ooh! ellen! and the original drunk kitchen girl! boom! we are going to have an audience! 

[Riley and I might kind of have this embarrassing-yet-not-so-embarrassing-because-we're-probably-not-the-only-ones dream/wish/hope that Ellen will discover us for looking alike and then invite us on her show. At least, I think we both have this desire. Otherwise I am projecting it onto Riley so that we can share it. Like the adorable twins who aren't really twins that we are...Ellen. Ellen? Are you reading? We're heeeeeeeeeeeeeeere! I can get to your studio in a snap, and Riley just needs a plane ticket, which I'll pay for.]

we will make money off of youtube ads and can quit our jobs. although you probably wouldn't want to.*****

[A) I wouldn't want to quit my job, either, if/when I get one. But I think most of us love the idea of YouTube paying for our groceries. B) Did I mention I don't have a job...Ellen? Are you reading? Do you have any jobs for energetic silly people who love to write?!]

do you like how many tangents i have had during this message? 

love,

smist"

That's not a weird request, right?

I just asked a guy in Starbucks to watch my computer while I used the restroom.

He looked at me as if I had asked him to go steady with me.

Errand woes

Sometimes customer service doesn't hit the nail quite on the head. Or at least not at the right angle or with the desired amount of force.

When I go to my bank, which will remain here unnamed, I usually get frustrated. In fact, most of the time I kind of hate going there. It is a chore to get over with.

One of the last times I was there the line was short and the teller said she liked my name.

If you want to get on my good side, compliment my name. Works like a charm.

But most of the time, I feel my bank has good intentions but lacks the best delivery.

Let's start with the bullet proof glass between the tellers and the customers. Now, don't get me wrong, I am not suggesting that they take the glass down. The tellers' safety is so much more important than my princess desires for a perfectly comfortable bank experience. Seriously, they should keep the glass up.

Nonetheless, it makes me feel uneasy.

My bank also doesn't have drive-thru lanes, other than for ATMs. Now, I don't know that I've seen many, or any, banks with drive-thru lanes since moving to California, so this could be a regional, or safety, thing.

But in the Midwest, we have these drive-thru lanes at banks, and California: they are great. Consider this my suggestion for the suggestion box. But again, if this is a decision made for safety issues, then you may leave drive-thru lanes absent from future blueprint plans.

My main qualm with my bank lies in its over-the-top enthusiasm, which thus lacks authenticity. On one visit there, the teller who assisted me said that it was her goal to offer me excellent customer service and asked if she had been successful.

Statements like that should be reserved for telephone surveys, and they should be administered by robots. When it is a human standing in front of me, no. Just, no.

When you walk in the door to my bank, an employee standing near the line immediately greets you. This is a nice touch, but honestly the lines are so slow most of the time that I'd rather have that person jump behind the counter and open another teller window.

Another time a teller was so focused on his script that he asked me twice how my day was going. I like to reserve that kind of conversational fumbling for first dates, thank you very much. There is no reason employees should feel so much pressure to please in such a formulaic way that natural conversational abilities are taken from them.

Others might disagree with me on this, but I tend to think that I am extra attuned to reading people's emotions--their nervousness, discomfort, calm, etc. So maybe I am extra sensitive to this bank's practice, but to me it seems glaringly obvious. And honestly, I think if they reworked their practice, it would increase customer satisfaction. Be more genuine and less scripted, and I bet your customers will feel the difference.

Case #2 of customer service missing the mark occurred this morning.

The grocery store where I usually shop tends to go in the opposite direction of my bank, aiming for expediency over customers' desires. Granted, I will say that several of the cashiers are very friendly, and genuine. This I appreciate a lot. And one of them asked me if I was a dancer, and I swooned with delight at that.

However, where this store misses the mark is in its pushiness to usher customers to the self-checkout lane.

People. There is a reason I am not a big fan of Red Box. And smartphones. And texting. And automated everything. Or having someone tell you, when you call a business with a question, to report to their website for the information you're looking for...THAT is one of my biggest pet peeves in modern society.

I like human contact. Not all the time, obviously. I live alone for a reason, and evenings are generally my time, when I hang out with embroidery thread and chick flicks instead of actual in-the-flesh human beings.

But, generally speaking, when I go to the grocery store, I don't mind spending five minutes of my life chatting with Roger or Susie while my items are whisked across the barcode scanner. Especially when they ask me if I'm a dancer. I'll go through the line five extra times for those kinds of comments.

Today I was at the grocery store with a box of granola bars and some bananas. I was waiting for a human-operated checkout line, when I was--big surprise--whisked over to the self checkout.

This bothered me a little bit, but what really got me was the employee's insistence on teaching me every step of the self checkout process.

True, when I caught glimpse of my reflection in my cotton mini skirt and tennis shoes on my way out the door this morning, I said out loud to myself, "I look like I'm going to school. Elementary school." And if memory serves, a new friend guessed me to be around 24-years-old (about 4 years junior of my actual age) just this past weekend.

But. I don't think I look so young that I can't figure out how to use a self checkout. I did have one question (how to ring in fruit), but other than that I was good. Yet I received instruction on how to press every button, where to put my items after scanning, "Don't forget your bananas." The whole interaction was just rushed and irritating.

Maybe the employees are used to seeing 20-somethings with just a few items become frustrated at parents with small children and whole cartloads ahead of them. Intentions here are good, I'm sure. But I think I've actually told employees before that I am fine to wait for a regular line, when they ask me to use the self checkout. Because I am.

My interaction today was around 10 a.m. on a Thursday morning. We're not talking rush hour, folks. So calm down. Let me wait for my human cashier if I so please. And keep track of how many times you've asked me how my day is going. Unless we're on a first date, in which case you get a pass.

Sweet, caffeinated memories

I am in Starbucks, rockin' out to my classical Pandora music station. I am rocking out privately, via headphones, but every once in a while I pull the buds out of my ears to make sure my musical party is in fact private. It's been long enough since my retirement at Starbucks that I can generally come in here and feel like a customer, but occasionally, like today, I reminisce of times when I was on the other side of the counter at Starbucks. Come back in time with me, will you? Once upon a time, in a time called 2009 (or thereabouts)...

A man who was sitting at the much-coveted table with a cushioned bench seat was working on his computer. He had his headphones in. He was being a good little worker bee. And suddenly: Jock Jams were being broadcast from his booth, much to the enjoyment of the caffeine-hyped baristas, who--duh--began to dance.

Eventually the man realized the sound was being fed outward to the public rather than only to his ears. Though embarrassed, the good sport made a joke. And then, sadly, fixed his blunder which had spread happiness and cheer to those of us in our aprons and who now missed the tunes. I recall Lynn specifically expressing her hope that they would come back. 

Another 'Bucks memory I recalled earlier today comes from a shift early on in my career as a java slinger. 

Background info/coffee lesson for the day: I worked at a drive-thru store, and several of us would wear headsets so that we could work as a team to take outside orders. For example, if I was talking to someone outside, asking for the details of what exactly was desired in a latte, while hustling to the back room to get more cups (kind of a key ingredient in the coffee business), someone else could be standing at the register and punching in the order. Then, when it came time for me to announce the cost of the order, my coworker could press a button on the headset making her only audible to me and the other baristas but not to the customer, then tell me $7.35, and then I would repeat the price to the customer. 

High tech, eh? And you thought making coffee was a simple affair. I believe at no other job have I multi-tasked the way I did at Starbucks. 'Tis not a vocation for the weak, my friends. 

During one of my first shifts, while I was just a baby barista and before I had made my break into blogging, my hilarious friend Tahlia, a veteran barista, was wearing a headset. I don't remember if she was taking a drive-thru order or just listening in, but the person placing an order must have been a little snippy, because Tahlia said, just to us inside, "This guy sounds like he needs his Frappuccino down his pants."

I thought this was so funny that I told my mother, who laughed. And today, nearly five years later, I still can laugh out loud just thinking about it. Like I did this morning, and again just now, while typing about it. 

The battle of Broke

If you're working to improve your self esteem, I would recommend not being unemployed.

Just a suggestion.

Every day it's a battle, friends. Sleep late, feel bad about it. Worry about money, feel bad about it. Eat snacks, feel bad about it.

But I mean it when I say that I am so blessed. So, so, so blessed. I have everything I need, amazing people in my life. Sunshine, enough money to eat, shelter. Animals close by to pet. Attractive gentlemen who come across my path every so often. A God who loves us.

But yes, generally, self esteem while job searching: not great.

Keep on truckin'.

I hope you all enjoyed this mediocre post. Loves.