Elevator Etiquette

I ride an elevator everyday. It's not something most people think about, just another way to get to where you are going. Normally I don't think anything of it, but a few things happened today that really just got on my nerves.

Now before I hop on my soap box, let me give you a little bit of background information. We have two main elevators in the building (no one likes to use the other elevators because they're old and on the other side of the building) and one of them is currently broken. That means that everyone who wants to ride the elevator to their committee meetings or the legislator's offices has to wait for the one elevator, walk to one of the smaller elevators, or take the stairs. You would think, working with a bunch of adults, this would be no problem.

You'd be wrong.

The first incident happened as I was waiting to get on the elevator. I had a meeting on the third floor. While I was waiting for the elevator to arrive, more and more people began to crowd around the doors. When the car finally arrived, people began to push to get on the elevator.

This is where my pet peeve begins. Proper etiquette would dictate that you wait your turn. If you arrive late and know that others have been waiting long, let them go first. This doesn't happen any more. The attitude now is push your way on; who cares about anyone else.

Thus leading to my next irritation. Using the elevator to go up or down one floor. Now I know I am guilty of this on more then one occasion. Yes, I too get lazy and hate the stairs. However, when you have a broken elevator, you can see a line (mob) waiting to get on, and you are physically able; TAKE THE STAIRS! Guess what, you will probably get there faster and everyone can use the workout.

Finally, the last episode didn't happen until my meeting was over. I left the hearing room and decided to take the elevator back down to get rid of my computer. The elevator had stopped on my requested floor and I was getting ready to exit, when a woman who had been waiting for the elevator to arrive, pushed her way in and cut me off. Now I don't know about you, but when I was little my parents trained me that you wait until everyone has gotten off the elevator before you get on.

When did manners become a lost art? When did etiquette become such a rare occurrence that it shocks us when we see it? Everything today is about me, me, me. We are totally unaware of those around us. We see this same behavior everywhere; people drive like idiots, use inappropriate language in public places, and the biggest one of all, talk on cell phones in public places. (ie. retail stores, restaurants, theaters, etc.)

End of soap box! :)

Pack in the WAC

Reno doesn't have very many sports teams. In fact, I believe the University is about it. The result is the city gets very excited about the Nevada Wolf Pack.

Last year the Men's Basketball team made us all very proud; they kicked butt in the WAC (Western Athletic Conference), and became a national name in the NCAA's 'sweet sixteen'. Even though they lost, they came home to the people of Reno as champions.

This year they're at it again.

According to the Associated Press, the Nevada Wolf Pack is ranked 25th in the nation!! This is a first for the University. Added to that, the Pack seems to be one of the only teams in the WAC this year who are consistently winning at 12-2.

February has been a great month for the Pack, let's hope the momentum carries over to the Madness of March.

'The Nevada Lincoln'

In the Nevada Assembly chambers there is a portrait that hangs behind the speaker's podium. The portrait is of Abraham Lincoln. It was purchased and displayed in 1915 in order to show Nevada's appreciation to the President and to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Nevada.

When it was unveiled, Governor Boyle announced "The portrait, suspended where it is, should inspire legislators to give to the people the best that is in them when enacting legislation" (NVLCB, 1999)

In the 1950's, teenagers had made their way into the chambers to do some target practice. They were never caught and President Lincoln was shot, three times. Since then it has been cleaned, restored, and continues to hang in its rightful place.

The Nevada Government has shown their appreciation to President Lincoln in many other ways, (Lincoln County, Mount Lincoln, Lincoln Peak, Lincoln Creek, Lincoln Hall) but none so curious and fascinating as the 'Nevada Lincoln'. Happy President's Day!

(Research from NVLCB, 1999)

Sir, yes Sir!

So I promised I talk more about the story of the miserable boy, Jason, at boot camp, well here it is.

Jason was five weeks into basic training, when the day came for him to prove he could swim. (As a Marine, Jason must take a swim test.) He refused to get into the water. As a result the drill instructors tried to order, persuade, one even hit him, in order to get him in the pool. The next day, Jason died.

Here's where things get interesting. On the day of the swim test, there was a news crew filing Parris Island. They caught everything on tape. As a result, Jason's parents are considering a wrongful death suit and the military, mainly the Marines, are once more under scrutiny. Since this story broke, the media has brought back several stories of recruits dying during basic.

How does this happen? During the swim tests, instructors are placed in the water with the recruits in order to ensure things like this don't happen. This is definitely one story I want to hear more about, unfortunately there aren't many details now. Of he did drown, I want to know how; if he didn't I want to know how he died. Was foul play involved? I would like to be able to say no, to be able to have faith in those instructors. However, humans do many stupid things without thinking them through.

Though they have suspended the instructor who struck Jason, the Marine Corps will not confirm or deny that Jason drowned only that their investigation is still pending.

Life's Not Fair!

Last night I was watching Countdown and an interesting story caught my attention. It was about this boy who decided he wanted to join the military. Five weeks into basic training he decided that we wanted to go home. He was miserable! Apparently during basic the instructors were singling him out and wouldn't stop picking on him.

Want to know why they singled him out?

They did it because he was the weakest member in the group and he knew it! Well duh! Of course you're going to be singled out. Did he expect to be told that he tried his best so that was okay? The whole purpose of basic training is to improve whatever skills you may already have, present you with new ones, and teach you how to work in a cohesive group environment. It is not to coddle and say 'well you tried.' If those instructors did that they would have failed to train their recruit with the skills necessary for him to survive in a war. If you shoot at someone and miss they are not going to look at you and say 'well you tried' and let you capture them; he's going to shoot you back and you'd better hope his aim is as good as yours.

We see this mentality on American Idol too. Kids go into the audition rooms expecting to be told that they are the best thing ever. Then they are surprised when Randy, Paula, and Simon don't agree. Most of them can't even accept the constructive criticism the judges try to give, instead they blow off the opinions of experts and go on thinking their dilusional thoughts. It doesn't help that their parents wait in the hallways yelling at the cameras that their kid deserves the chance to prove themselves and that the judges don't know what they are talking about. Hello! That's what an audition is, a chance to prove you've got what it takes. If you don't make it, you go home, practice, and try again next year. Oh, but that requires too much work.

How did this life should be easy mentality get so out of control? I was always told the life wasn't fair and life wasn't easy. I was rejected many times before I was accepted. I have worked hard to get where I am and I know that still I have a long journey ahead. That's the beauty of being in my twenties.

(I know there is more to the military story and I will address that in another blog tomorrow!)

Rob, Arnie, and Dawn

I have about an hour commute every morning.

It's really not a bad drive, once I get out of the city the traffic flows pretty well. It can however, be mind numbing at six in the morning. I have found the best thing to get me going in the mornings are Rob, Arnie, and Dawn.

Who are these people you ask?

They are the DJs on the morning talk radio show Rob, Arnie, and Dawn and they are hilarious. Rob is the snob who thinks he knows everything and isn't afraid to let people know that he is right and they are wrong. Arnie is a pig. He thinks women are only good for two things and should only speak when spoken to. (and never of course about sports, The Simpsons, etc.) Dawn is the estrogen of the group. She goes out of her way to be politically correct, is obsessed with her weight and health food, and has the most annoying laugh. The combination is strangely attractive.

I have been listening to their show for about four years now and I am obsessed. They will talk about anything from the trivial to international news. They make me laugh, groan, and cry, but most importantly I am never bored with the three of them in my car.

My Friend Miranda

Miranda is one of my very best friends. We met at the University of Nevada, Reno 4 years ago when she became my roommate. I had just gotten rid of the roommate from (well I think you can guess) when the following semester Miranda joined the third floor group at Manzanita Hall. (we were the 24 hour quiet hall and of course we were anything but!) My first impression was that she was quite, shy, and hated everyone named Jessica.

Boy was I wrong!

Miranda is anything but shy. She has a wonderfully energetic personality. When she enters a room, she commands attention. In short, she's sassy and spunky! I could go on and on about the adventures I have had with Miranda, I am never bored with her.

The reason Miranda is on center stage is because today she turns 23 and I wanted to wish her a very Happy Birthday!!

A Night of Romance

Can you think of a better day to read and talk about romance novels?

Now I have to admit I'm a bit of a junky, but I can't help it. I just love them! My absolute favorite author is Linda Howard. She writes romantic suspense and is phenomenal. Ms. Howard is not afraid to delve into the unknown. Over the years she has written about psychics who can see into the minds of murders and those who see dead people, single women who write lists about men, a woman spy, a woman butler, a woman assassin. The list could go on and on. Each one unique, each one featuring a very strong female lead.

Suzanne Brockmann is another all time favorite. She also writes romantic suspense, and features my absolute favorite kind of man...One in uniform. (Navy SEALs to be specific) Suz pushes the envelope in different ways. When she wrote Harvard's Education, she was one of the few Harlequin authors to write a romance where the couple was African American; in the long awaited Gone to Far her couple was interracial. Most recently however, Suz has delved into a very touchy subject. In her most latest book to hit stores, (and the bestseller lists) Hot Target, she had a secondary romantic plot line featuring two homosexual males.

There are many other authors that I call automatic buys; J.D. Robb, Lori Foster, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Nora Roberts, Jennifer Cruise, Cherry Adair, Rachel Gibson, Amanda Quick, Elizabeth Lowell, and Jayne Ann Krentz. (These are just the romance writers!) Each of these women write smart and sassy books where the women are strong and the men are gorgeous, often cocky; the combination is totally irresistible.

So if you find yourself at a loss of what to do today, here is my suggestion. Fill the bathtub with warm water, throw in some bubble bath, pour yourself a glass of your drink of choice, and relax with a good book.

Charitable is Fashionable

When did it giving to charity become a fashion accessory?

During the last Tour de France, Lance Armstrong and the good people of Nike marketed plastic, yellow, jelly wrist bands sporting the words 'live strong'. The proceeds from the bands went to cancer research and became the "must have" accessory. They became so popular people would volunteer to be on waiting lists for months or offer to buy the one on your wrist just to show they had the accessory.

For years now, The Body Shop, has been selling the 'until there's a cure' silver bracelets for AIDS research and though the original model is still available, they have come out with a trendier version. Yes, a brightly colored jelly bracelet!

The trend however, did not stop there. The next to hit the scene was the pink bracelet for breast cancer; then the cool camo colored ones to support our troops. Even the tsunami would not be left out. At participating gas stations you can pick up the bright blue band to show your support for the survivors. The fad of the jelly wrist band can be found for many different causes and has made philanthropy cool.

There is no doubt these "newer versions" are geared toward the 13 to 30 demographic with their brightly colored hues. In malls all around America, people sport multiple bands at a time. So has the fad of having the wristband overshadowed the real causes the bands were created to raise money and awareness for or is making charity a trend to only way to get the new generation to care?

Well whether you buy it for the fad or to give a little to some very well deserved charities, just be careful. Make sure you buy from a site authorized by the charity, that way you make sure your money is really going to the right place.

Test Time

Since early November, I have been taking a real estate class to prepare for the licensing test. The class is 90 hours, or ten weeks/9 hours a week. The class is split into two different sections, 45 hours of law and 45 hours of principles.

My teacher, Don, was great! My class finally ended on Wednesday of last week, but I still had a midterm and a final to complete. The midterm was easy, it was all on NRS, but the final made me nervous. There was so much to study and so much to know, I have afraid I had forgotten to study something important. As it turns out I was worrying for nothing, I passed with flying colors!

Next step was the licensing exam, AGGHHH. Thanks to my mother's pressure of 'just do it', I signed up to take the test. Even though I had passed the class and the final, I was still apprehensive about the exam. There is a lot of pressure to pass the first try and for me even more because my mother passed the first time, in two different states!

Well, the test was this morning and............I PASSED!!!!!

T.V. On DVD

I am obsessed with T.V. I watch the Today Show or American Morning in the morning, (it depends on what time I have to be up) prime time, and of course The Daily Show to fall asleep. I have a very definite routine.

I hate it when I have to miss them, but work and life often interferes and I miss an episode. :( Now with most of my shows it's not a life tragedy if I miss an episode; however, there are some (Alias, The West Wing) where every episode is important to the story line.

Some of my favorite shows share the same time slot and the networks make me choose which show I am more desperate to watch. It used to be that you could just watch one show during the regular season and then switch to the other during the summer repeats. This plan doesn't work anymore because the networks now air separate shows just for the summer.

Now, thanks to the good producers of all those DVD's, all I have to do is go to Borders and I can play catch up. It's great! But that's not all. The absolute best part about T.V. on DVD is that I can watch my favorite shows that have been discontinued whenever I want. Shows like Firefly, Dark Angel, and Sports Night that are fabulous, but discontinued before they were really given a chance to reach their full potential.

What can I say, I love my T.V. on DVD!

Camp, Camp, Nevada, Camp

The time has begun for the Nevada Legislature to begin a new session. It is always interesting to watch the dynamics in the building. I have always said it's like going to summer camp. Everyone knows everyone and for this first week is happy to see the usual suspects again. Like every camp there are new campers, (freshman) they exist in every category: press, lobbyists, legislators, LCB, etc. It's a blast!

If you are not familiar with the Nevada Legislature let me give you a little lesson. The Nevada Legislature meets every other year for 120 days in Carson City, Nevada. It is, of course, broken into two houses the Senate and the Assembly. (the difference in the atmosphere between these two houses is amazing) In Nevada, we have 21 Senators and 42 Assemblymen and for all the trouble the constituents and the press may give them, you have to give them credit for the amount of work they produce in such a short period of time. When you think about it 120 consecutive days is not very long at all.

One of my favorite things about the Nevada Legislature is that they are open to the public. This means that anyone can go the the capitol or the remote building in Las Vegas and testify on a bill that may be important to them either personally or professionally. In fact, there are times when legislators prefer to listen to a regular citizen rather than a paid lobbyist. To me, this verifies that the legislature is the people's government! :)

Welcome

I always have so much to say to everyone and sometime I forget to tell some people and tell others multiple times so I have come up with a solution. Thanks to my mother, Betty Kincaid, I have introduced to the world of blogs and I am hooked. What a great way to make a conversation all about me! :) Comments are strongly encouraged (especially if you're writing to tell me how right I am!)