Okay, not really. But as of January 18, 2015, I could actually burn them.
For the past three years, I've carried debt due to circumstantial situations. For a while, I pushed off focusing on paying it off because it wasn't only my debt and seemed way to daunting to try to tackle myself.
But it bothered me because I've always been a saver and very good with money. And I work hard for that money both my full-time job and through freelance, but two years ago (without going into much detail) my situation changed.
Out of principal, I didn't feel like it was my responsibility to be the one paying it off. But after months of excuses and adding it to a #30before31 list, I made up my mind to just get rid of it if it was bothering me. Then the money that I would get back from my ex could go toward other things besides the debt. It would me having to say no and picking up some extra freelance jobs, but I knew it would be worth it.
So I finally did. And now I can finally can start saving and paying off my other debts. And it feels so good. So maybe I will burn those cards. Or more likely I'll just stick to burning toast and using my debit card.
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Sunday, January 25, 2015
#30before31 It's the Small Things
After an incredibly fun [and toasted] weekend in Kansas City, I'm back on the work couch in my apartment in Chicago and remembered that I was able to check off another #30before31 from my list this weekend.
The idea is to buy a stranger's lunch or drink in order to brighten their day. On the flight to KC, I remembered I had 3 free drink tickets that were set to expire Jan. 31 (next week) so my friend, Kattie, and I naturally ordered a cocktail each to enjoy.
I was left with one free drink ticket and didn't know if I'd be up for a cocktail on the flight home. I hate to see free drinks go to waste, so I gave it to the flight attendant to pay for the woman's drink diagonal from us.
"Are you sure you don't want to keep it just in case?" my friend asked. And normally I probably would have and then I would have thrown it out or it would have expired. But this time I didn't.
That tiny, tiny act of kindness took literally zero effort but the woman was beaming as she thanked me from across the aisle.
Just goes to show that even the smallest things can make an impact if we just stop for a minute and think of others in our crazy, hectic lives and pay it forward.
The idea is to buy a stranger's lunch or drink in order to brighten their day. On the flight to KC, I remembered I had 3 free drink tickets that were set to expire Jan. 31 (next week) so my friend, Kattie, and I naturally ordered a cocktail each to enjoy.
I was left with one free drink ticket and didn't know if I'd be up for a cocktail on the flight home. I hate to see free drinks go to waste, so I gave it to the flight attendant to pay for the woman's drink diagonal from us.
"Are you sure you don't want to keep it just in case?" my friend asked. And normally I probably would have and then I would have thrown it out or it would have expired. But this time I didn't.
That tiny, tiny act of kindness took literally zero effort but the woman was beaming as she thanked me from across the aisle.
Just goes to show that even the smallest things can make an impact if we just stop for a minute and think of others in our crazy, hectic lives and pay it forward.
Sunday, January 18, 2015
#SalvagedItSaturday
And all the other ingredients somehow cancelled out the burnt flavor.
#SalvagedItSaturday
#Laterpost
Friday, January 16, 2015
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Luke's KC Crew | #GreatIdeas Series
This is installment #4 of my 30 "Interesting Idea" Posts #30before31 challenge. The challenge is to think of or find an interesting idea that would solve a problem or fill a gap. One that I have, one that I've seen in the world or one that one of my talented friends or colleagues have put into action.
I stumbled upon KC Crew about 2 years ago when a friend and I were looking for a softball league to join with friends. The only option that we could find in downtown KC was KC Crew, so we signed up. KC Crew offers a wide variety of sports over multiple season, all culminating in an "end of the season" tournament.
A few softball seasons later, I was surprised to discover that KC Crew was the brainchild of my former co-worker and peer, Luke Wade, a developer at VML (the company I also worked for in KC).
Luke grew up a sports enthusiast, playing almost every sport as a kid, playing football in college, rec sports for his fraternity and playing soccer when he was stationed in Iraq. So when he moved to downtown KC, he was ready to join a sports league. But after extensive research he was shocked to discover that the closest sports league was out in the suburbs. After hearing his friends and colleagues complaining about the same thing, he thought why not be the one to solve the problem?
He had the programming and graphic design skills to create a logo and build a website, initiative to start the league and connections to play. So in January 2012, he launched the KC Crew website and started a league.
"For the first 6 months, I left my day-job at 5pm every day to ump all the leagues myself. I never thought it would turn into this" he admits.
At the end of 2012, KC Crew had 1000 players and at the end of 2014, their participants have tripled to almost 3000 players. The league brings revenue to local bars who agree to sponsor specials before and after the game and they also do non-league charity events throughout the year to raise funds and awareness for organizations in the community. And what's so refreshing is the mentality of everything being really fun offering softball leagues, karaoke leagues, beer die leagues and events like Beer Olympics and a zombie End of the World Pub Crawl (which I am sad to say I missed every year).
KC Crew has been so successful that Luke was able to quit his day job and make owning KC Crew his full-time job, along with getting involved in other initiatives that support the community.
His vision for KC Crew is expansion & rethinking. He's excited to unveil new software that will change the way people organize their teams and make his job easier and less manual on the back-end. He hopes the new technology will allow to him start leagues in North Kansas City, Waldo, the 'burbs and even expand outside of KC.
I wish the best of luck to Luke and am inspired by his initiative to solve a problem and bring fun/commerce to the KC community in an incredibly fun way. In fact, I can honestly say that some of my best memories of KC were with friends on that softball field playing in a KC Crew league.
I stumbled upon KC Crew about 2 years ago when a friend and I were looking for a softball league to join with friends. The only option that we could find in downtown KC was KC Crew, so we signed up. KC Crew offers a wide variety of sports over multiple season, all culminating in an "end of the season" tournament. A few softball seasons later, I was surprised to discover that KC Crew was the brainchild of my former co-worker and peer, Luke Wade, a developer at VML (the company I also worked for in KC).
Luke grew up a sports enthusiast, playing almost every sport as a kid, playing football in college, rec sports for his fraternity and playing soccer when he was stationed in Iraq. So when he moved to downtown KC, he was ready to join a sports league. But after extensive research he was shocked to discover that the closest sports league was out in the suburbs. After hearing his friends and colleagues complaining about the same thing, he thought why not be the one to solve the problem?
He had the programming and graphic design skills to create a logo and build a website, initiative to start the league and connections to play. So in January 2012, he launched the KC Crew website and started a league.
"For the first 6 months, I left my day-job at 5pm every day to ump all the leagues myself. I never thought it would turn into this" he admits.
At the end of 2012, KC Crew had 1000 players and at the end of 2014, their participants have tripled to almost 3000 players. The league brings revenue to local bars who agree to sponsor specials before and after the game and they also do non-league charity events throughout the year to raise funds and awareness for organizations in the community. And what's so refreshing is the mentality of everything being really fun offering softball leagues, karaoke leagues, beer die leagues and events like Beer Olympics and a zombie End of the World Pub Crawl (which I am sad to say I missed every year).
KC Crew has been so successful that Luke was able to quit his day job and make owning KC Crew his full-time job, along with getting involved in other initiatives that support the community.
His vision for KC Crew is expansion & rethinking. He's excited to unveil new software that will change the way people organize their teams and make his job easier and less manual on the back-end. He hopes the new technology will allow to him start leagues in North Kansas City, Waldo, the 'burbs and even expand outside of KC.
I wish the best of luck to Luke and am inspired by his initiative to solve a problem and bring fun/commerce to the KC community in an incredibly fun way. In fact, I can honestly say that some of my best memories of KC were with friends on that softball field playing in a KC Crew league.
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Technology: 1 | Megan: 0
Currently our office is going through an email migration in phases. This morning I discovered that I have not been receiving emails from a handful of people internally since last Saturday. And yesterday, a few more people got added to that list on Tuesday.
But I had no way of knowing that the emails were not going through because they were getting my emails and I was getting external emails and some people's internal emails.
So really I'm just playing a high stakes game of email roulette. Not knowing what emails I'm not getting and what I am...
But I had no way of knowing that the emails were not going through because they were getting my emails and I was getting external emails and some people's internal emails.
So really I'm just playing a high stakes game of email roulette. Not knowing what emails I'm not getting and what I am...
Monday, January 5, 2015
Q's (AKA: Quinton Lucas) | #GreatIdeas Series
A few months ago, I realized that I have a lot of friends that have turned a problem into a solution or brought an idea to life. So, I thought why not ask them about it?
So far I've gotten some great stories and I hope to get a lot more. And hopefully I can do more with their stories than just feature them on my little blog.
Anyway, for the first installment in the #GreatIdeas Series I'm highlighting, Quinton Lucas, KU law professor (yes, despite my Mizzou affiliation we are still friends) and politician currently running for City Council [3rd district at large] in Kansas City. Oh and of course, a kick-a** trivia teammate.
Q is a HUGE KC supporter (and I don't just mean a Royals fan - even though I swear I saw a Facebook post at every game this playoff season), but ever since I've known him, he has supported countless causes, organizations and people who want to improve the city. And he's just my age.
The latest thing that he's been working on getting off the ground is a prison education program in Kansas. The idea was inspired by his experience while teaching inmates at a maximum security prison in New York through Cornell where he saw the positive impact of the program on the inmates.
Cornell's prison education program's goal is to provide valuable education and structure, expand inmate's future opportunities, and prepare them for getting back in the workplace. Through the program, inmate students are offered a variety of classes taught by Cornell faculty and graduate students.
Q noticed there wasn't anything like that in Kansas City and thought there should be. So being a well-connected and enterprising guy, he reached out to the Missouri Department of Corrections and pitched his idea, but it was rejected. Determined to not let that stop him, he took a shot at reaching out the Kansas Department of Corrections and they were interested!
He believes this program is really a win-win as it is almost no cost to Kansas taxpayers, a low-cost alternative to other "recreational" prison programs and most importantly - gives inmates a better chance at making a life for themselves and being a positive member of society after their sentence is over. Ultimately improving the city. Quinton hopes that someday this program will become as big (or bigger) than Cornell's program - that there both graduate students and prisoners alike who want to participate in this program.
I admire Quinton's way of seeing something that happened in one place and asked, why can't we have that here in KC? And figured out a way to make it happen. And something that could definitely impact the city long-term.
Not only has Quinton been a good friend, but someone who will do great things for Kansas City (and trivia teams) for years to come.
So far I've gotten some great stories and I hope to get a lot more. And hopefully I can do more with their stories than just feature them on my little blog.
Anyway, for the first installment in the #GreatIdeas Series I'm highlighting, Quinton Lucas, KU law professor (yes, despite my Mizzou affiliation we are still friends) and politician currently running for City Council [3rd district at large] in Kansas City. Oh and of course, a kick-a** trivia teammate.
Q is a HUGE KC supporter (and I don't just mean a Royals fan - even though I swear I saw a Facebook post at every game this playoff season), but ever since I've known him, he has supported countless causes, organizations and people who want to improve the city. And he's just my age.
The latest thing that he's been working on getting off the ground is a prison education program in Kansas. The idea was inspired by his experience while teaching inmates at a maximum security prison in New York through Cornell where he saw the positive impact of the program on the inmates.
Cornell's prison education program's goal is to provide valuable education and structure, expand inmate's future opportunities, and prepare them for getting back in the workplace. Through the program, inmate students are offered a variety of classes taught by Cornell faculty and graduate students.
Q noticed there wasn't anything like that in Kansas City and thought there should be. So being a well-connected and enterprising guy, he reached out to the Missouri Department of Corrections and pitched his idea, but it was rejected. Determined to not let that stop him, he took a shot at reaching out the Kansas Department of Corrections and they were interested!
He believes this program is really a win-win as it is almost no cost to Kansas taxpayers, a low-cost alternative to other "recreational" prison programs and most importantly - gives inmates a better chance at making a life for themselves and being a positive member of society after their sentence is over. Ultimately improving the city. Quinton hopes that someday this program will become as big (or bigger) than Cornell's program - that there both graduate students and prisoners alike who want to participate in this program.
I admire Quinton's way of seeing something that happened in one place and asked, why can't we have that here in KC? And figured out a way to make it happen. And something that could definitely impact the city long-term.
Not only has Quinton been a good friend, but someone who will do great things for Kansas City (and trivia teams) for years to come.
Friday, January 2, 2015
Cigar Challenge #30before31
So one of my #30before31 challenges was to smoke a cigar. And what better time to do that than at 2am on NYE in 5 degree weather?
I was able to get it started (yay). But keeping it lit was another story, especially in the subterranean weather with the wind wiping around us.
After several puffs and two re-lighting attempts, I decided that it wasn't worth risking frost bite and left the cigar with a willing party.
So I didn't smoke the whole thing, but I did at least half. So that counts in my book. And I didn't light anything on fire or burn anyone. So again, a win.
Here are 3 things I learned from this experience:
1. Cigars taste just as bad as cigarettes
2. And give you just as bad hangovers
3. They apparently make women seem sexy (but probably not ones in a giant parka)
4. I'm lucky to have friends who will rally behind me when I want to try something new (even if it means standing outside in 5 degree weather)
I probably won't be smoking one again any time soon, but am glad that I gave it a try.
I was able to get it started (yay). But keeping it lit was another story, especially in the subterranean weather with the wind wiping around us.
After several puffs and two re-lighting attempts, I decided that it wasn't worth risking frost bite and left the cigar with a willing party.
So I didn't smoke the whole thing, but I did at least half. So that counts in my book. And I didn't light anything on fire or burn anyone. So again, a win.
Here are 3 things I learned from this experience:
1. Cigars taste just as bad as cigarettes
2. And give you just as bad hangovers
3. They apparently make women seem sexy (but probably not ones in a giant parka)
4. I'm lucky to have friends who will rally behind me when I want to try something new (even if it means standing outside in 5 degree weather)
I probably won't be smoking one again any time soon, but am glad that I gave it a try.
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