With an endless barrage of Steak and Shake and Pizza Hut coupons, bills and ads, checking my mail is uneventful. Yet recently, a wedding invitation broke the monotony. My best friend of 15 years is getting married, but he’s not alone. Five friends are tying the knot this year. Not only that, people are having kids and buying homes! » Read More

From an early age, we’re taught some essential lessons: how to tie our shoes, say “no,” count to 10, and – let’s not forget – turn on the TV. Yet, perhaps the most important lesson is the distinction between right and wrong. As we mature, these principles don’t change, but our interpretations certainly do. The lines get hazy, and for some, the two become downright indiscernible. » Read More

It’s 7:10 a.m. I just flicked off the TV and convinced myself to get ready for work. As I get up, whatever molecule of eagerness to tackle the day I summoned suddenly evaporates. My shoulders are a bit heavier, and there’s a nagging anticipation in my stomach. No, it’s not a result of the oversized bowl of Apple Cinnamon Cheerios I just ate, but rather yet another dose of bleak economic news, courtesy of [insert preferred news outlet here]. » Read More

Although my car’s stereo is blaring, I’m not paying any attention. The A/C is set towards the chilliest end, but I don’t seem to notice. Tonight, traffic is especially tight, and cars’ headlights seem brighter, harsher. However, my eyelids are dropping and shoulders slumping. Three cups of coffee later, I don’t even notice I’m driving 20 mph below the speed limit.

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With the diploma mounted, storage unit purchased and U-haul rented, I ventured back to Bloomington for a final visit: emptying my apartment. However, the day before that dreadfully labor-intensive morning, I met my former COUNTRY supervisor for a “business” lunch.

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“So…what’re you doing after graduation?” asked my roommate’s parents—at graduation.  It was a legitimate question, timely too (being commencement and all); however, it was one to which I still didn’t have a great answer besides “eating at Red Lobster.”

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Lunch, although arguably the best part of any work day, is a meal with a high risk of repetitiveness.  Get too complacent and you’ll end up like me, plagued by the monotony of ham and cheese sandwiches.  Luckily, a recent week provided no hint of lunch doldrums.  As part of its dedication to cultural diversity, COUNTRY featured a different ethnic food each day of the week.

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It was Friday around three o’clock, and as usual I found myself in a quandary.  With my lunch a distant memory and dinner still a daunting three hours away, I was struggling to keep up my momentum of afternoon productivity in the face of concentration-shattering hunger pains. » Read More