by Samantha on August 11, 2010
So I’ve always loved Iced Tea, because it is refreshing and seems to have enough caffeine in it to help me get through my day, but for the last year I’d say that level of love has gone to obsession. After weeks and weeks of making sure I had a Black Iced Tea from Starbucks each and every day to satisfy my cravings I had to come up with a cheaper way to still enjoy it. A venti at Starbucks is roughly 3 dollars each time and if I want more than one a day, that adds up big time! Since I didn’t know how to make it, of course I used Google to help me in this department. After reading all the suggested ways to make tea, I found an incredibly easy way to make it! If you’re absolutely obsessed like me, the following is a walk through.
What you’ll need:
- Tea bags or leaves of whatever flavor you’d like. I bought 100 bags of Lipton for less than three dollars.
- Medium sized pot to boil water
No, really that’s all you need!
Directions:
- Boil pot of water and add at least three bags of tea or leaves.
- Let the tea bags/leaves sit in the water for 5-8 minutes.
- Serve hot, serve over ice, or fill up a pitcher and let it refrigerate.
Obviously you can probably guess how much tea I’ve been drinking these last couple of days. If you happen to have any other iced tea or even hot tea recipes you’d like to share I’d really appreciate it! Enjoy!
[Flickr credit]
by Samantha on August 8, 2010
I hate summer more than any other season, because of the heat. One of the main reasons I had considered moving to San Francisco in the first place was because of the cool weather. I’d rather have the chance to bundle up than to try to peel absolutely every article of clothing off in attempts to feel cool. Although, I’ve made an exception to this season because of America’s favorite pastime. Baseball.
Baseball and I have a history like most fans of it. I’m sure most of you can remember your first game or how you came about to be a fanatic. As most of you know, I grew up in Los Angeles County. Home of the Dodgers, but I … I was raised an Angels fan. (Number 15, Tim Salmon, was my favorite.) You can only imagine the crap I got from friends saying I wasn’t a true inhabitant of Los Angeles, because I was a fan of the team located in Orange County. Don’t get me wrong though, if the Dodgers are on I’m a fan, but if the Angels are against the Dodgers it’s a whole other story. I started out listening to my dad whistle and yell at the screen after the Angels (known as the California Angels at the time) were either winning or were a disappointment. We would spend hours watching and I was able to tell you every single player by first and last name. My dad would call out for the score of a game while he was outside doing yard work and I would repeat the score, how many were on base, who was on deck, etc. I could be given the name of a city and be able to tell you what team it was. Lately, most of what I hear are cheers for the boys in red to hit another home run, because they’re pretty good compared to what I remember growing up. Some call baseball boring and not their sport, but out of every sport watched in my house from football to golf, baseball will always be my favorite. You couldn’t get any better than a game at Angel Stadium at 7PM in the summer heat sitting there alongside the three boys of my family (Dad, Corey, and Aaron), eating peanuts, yelling “CHARGE”, and getting up for the 7th inning stretch.
When I look back now, baseball is what brought my family together and reminds me of the good times throughout my childhood. These days I will still catch a baseball game on television if I’m unable to attend a game and of course no matter where I am at or how many name changes they have, I will always be an Angels fan. So even if I have to sit in weather that makes me feel uncomfortable, miserable, and sticky, I will tolerate summer for a baseball game.
by Samantha on July 1, 2010
For being unemployed and doing odd consulting jobs here and there to make ends meet while collecting a random check every two weeks, I really haven’t been too productive lately. Unless you count catching up on television shows, recovering from being sick so often (another blog post in itself), and personal projects something useful. It has given me a lot of time to rest which has made me ready to go out there and fully work. I also wouldn’t consider working on an internship soon much of a job except for maybe the experience and networking, because it is such a short time frame.
Anyway, onto more important thoughts like television. (I’m actually kidding that’s why this blog post is entitled UNPRODUCTIVE thoughts.) I’ve always been completely confused as to how people get so many shows in and have all kinds of time to keep updated, but since I’ve had a lot of spare time lately, the DVR is looking pretty empty. Even a week of spare time and just lounging around the house can put your DVR to a very high availability percent of 80. Which means I’m stuck watching useless stuff or discovering a new show in which I HAVE to start from the beginning. No really, I can’t start a show in the middle of a season let alone at the second season. Who does that?! How the heck would you know random sexual acts on True Blood were a reoccurring theme and what the term “Fang Banger” meant?!! Since I am a normal person who starts from the beginning, I know these things. Really. This is where thanks to the Xbox 360, Internet, Netflix, and downloading in general deserve a thank you for contributing to saving my boredom when it comes to having too much free time.
You’ll be happy to hear that even after all this TV talk I actually do fit in work on personal projects, exercise, and things for school, so I am actually keeping my brain working and trying to maintain a healthier lifestyle. Also, for having so much free time I really should start writing more, but then I’d be filling it with so much randomness. Which might actually be a good thing since this is obviously a personal blog, but we’ll see! Well, June has finally ended with the brother’s 21st birthday and I’m now looking forward to the beginning of July. California summer, make me proud!
by Samantha on June 13, 2010
Finals are over with at Stanford, friends graduating this year just passed, and good things seem to be happening around me right now. I’m in a state of bliss which was all but forgotten for a while due to the amount of items stacked high on my table and the stress that it has put me through. After all has been said and done I’m taking on this summer and hoping to do a few things along the way. I decided that if I was going to make this summer epic at all I had to start writing down a list of things I wanted to get done, so that I could make sure to enjoy it to the fullest:
1.) Get a tan.
2.) Take a vacation – and not just one, at least two or three.
3.) Make a trip back to Monterey and home again.
4.) Take the camera everywhere it can possibly go to record such information. Pictures are worth a gazillion words.
5.) Start a new project and complete it.
6.) Find time to catch up with old friends and make new ones.
7.) Have at least one epic road trip.
8.) Throw a party.
9.) Remember to have fun at all times.
10.) Repeat number nine continuously. <3
Obviously this list isn’t at all complete, but a rough draft doesn’t hurt. Here’s to having an amazing summer and hoping yours is too!
by Samantha on May 17, 2010
Last week I was already on Tuesday and wondering how the hell I was going to complete all my midterms that were due by Friday. I hadn’t studied and thought I wouldn’t do very well. After stressing about one in particular, because it was a subject I can’t stand, I decided to get it over with and not worry about it. Surprisingly, I pulled off a 94/100 and immediately thought I deserved a drink after all that worrying. 
Although I didn’t manage to get one due to other awesome plans, I was able to enjoy my weekend and be available to the possibility of having a great weekend. My weekend was fantastic! …Until I woke up today and realized I had roughly five (now four because I decided to waste half of today) days to complete a damn paper! It isn’t a very long paper being only seven pages, but when it is something I don’t want to write about and due when someone else wants it done, writing doesn’t seem to flow from my fingertips onto the keyboard as easily. Which is why I’m writing about the not wanting to do the damn paper instead of actually writing the paper. I already know which of you are going to laugh at me being lazy, but thankfully the above picture does not actually demonstrate how much I’ve written. I already have a rough outline written down on paper and pulling together articles I’m using for support. Anyway, eventually I’ll get my shit together and complete this by Thursday. Wish me luck, I’m going to need it!
by Samantha on May 14, 2010
Among the many apps I have on my iPhone, I’ve been testing out this one called Sleep Cycle which is supposed to be able to do exactly what it says. Determine what your “sleep cycle” is depending on your movements throughout your sleep and inform you of how many hours you slept and at what times you woke up. This is all based upon different levels throughout your sleep state. Which are awake, dreaming, and deep sleep. Then it uses a 30 minute window that ends at your set alarm time so that you are sure to wake up at your “lightest sleep phase”. The accelerometer within your iPhone can determine your movements when you put the phone face down on your bed which I placed on my mattress next to the pillow that I would sleep on. It is interesting hearing the weird noise that comes from the phone to test it out before you actually set the alarm, because it will in fact detect even the slightest slow movement.
I was very skeptical of how it would be able to determine me tossing and turning at night versus me actually awake in the morning, but it seemed to have worked! After a total of 19 nights trying this out, I can remember the next day based on the graph exactly when I actually woke up and when I was still asleep. In particular, one morning I remember waking up at 8, 9, and then 10 AM (I remember checking the alarm clock next to my bed each time) which the Sleep Cycle was actually able to detect. You can see one of the examples of the graphs above which demonstrates each time I woke up (it was obviously a horrible sleep) and how much time I had slept for, including my average of all nights.
I recommended this to a few friends who are trying it out to see exactly how it works and are particularly interested in how much sleep they actually get. We like to compare our sleep cycles via Facebook or email which is an option as well. If you want to try it out I bought it for 99 cents in the app store. Enjoy!
by Samantha on May 5, 2010
After receiving a box a few weeks ago full of delicious jerky, not being able to wait to share this with you, and the help of Janie at House of Jerky.com, I joined Andrew from BenSpark and Scott from ScottySnack to host a Beef Jerky Giveaway! If you haven’t already heard of House of Jerky then chances are you haven’t tried their jerky yet and we’re hoping to fix that right now!
The Scoop on House of Jerky:
After (having the privilege of) trying the House of Jerky Jr. Variety Pack which includes 10 amazing flavors and a weekend full of jerky tasting, I can happily say, you have got to try this! I particularly enjoyed the taste of the Hot Jerky and Buffalo flavors myself, but upon tasting all 10 flavors I couldn’t help but love all of them. The House of Jerky website is full of all types of jerky to fill your heart’s desire. And if you’re a jerky fan like me, they even have a Jerky of the Month Plan which allows you to enjoy it regularly! Check them at at HouseofJerky.com and follow them on Twitter at @HouseofJerky - let them know Sam sent you. 
So How Does This Giveaway Work Already?:
The Beef Jerky Giveaway will run from now until Friday, May 7, 2010 at 11:59pm PST. To participate is simple – simply leave a comment stating what type of jerky you would want most from House Of Jerky – Beef Jerky, Buffalo Jerky, Venison Jerky, Ostrich Jerky or Turkey Jerky. Then, once the Giveaway has ended, a handful of persons will be randomly selected to receive a Free House of Jerky Sample Pack of their choice jerky! Pretty easy, right? Alright now, go on and submit your entry!
by Samantha on April 13, 2010
Currently, I am knowingly putting off brainstorming for one of my papers, because I have no clue what I want to write it on. I always feel like when writing is forced it is always a harder task to get the deed completed. I have the next two days to decide on a topic, but for a subject I’m really not that interested it, of course I had to result to asking friends to help me brainstorm with me. I have a few suggestions and I suppose I could look into them, but what better way to procrastinate something I don’t want to do and with exercising my writing skills in an update!?
Yesterday I completed my first three quizzes/tests of the quarter. They were allowed to be taken online and had a timer of 30 minutes for each. And I am happy to announce that I actually aced all three! I was actually pretty surprised, because I sat there for a few questions pondering if I had actually got some of the answers right, but went with what I have learned in the past and stuck with my first answer. What I have learned though is that I pretty much got lucky with these three, because I had already known the material prior to taking the class. Knowing these were basically “introductory” chapters I need to crack down and start reading the material for the next three chapters, because shortly a midterm will be due and I don’t want to worry about that for sure.
Another thing I have to mention is that I still haven’t learned exactly how to study, because once again, I’ve never needed it. Amazingly, I really hate that about myself, because I feel like I should be and that everyone else is busy reading, note taking, repeating information repetitively, and whatever other tricks they have. Then here I am just sitting or reading through the lecture and going straight to tests. I guess I keep thinking that maybe I’ll surprise myself by failing a test or it is just the need to be constantly busy. So hopefully I find another way to approach the whole feeling very student-like while not getting much done or finding out ways to be more productive with my spare time of no studying.
Anyway, back to being lame at picking a topic and brainstorming for this damn paper.
by Samantha on April 8, 2010
I can’t believe I’m about to publish a very semi-personal post about my oddities, but there is something that has been bothering me lately. The amount of anxiety I have before an interview. Of course you think that is normal, right? Yes it is, but when you’re experiencing a very high amount of anxiety at that moment, you feel like you’ve got a big problem on your hands and no one can fix it. Thus, you feel very… not normal and like you’re walking into the unknown.
I can’t tell you how many interviews I’ve been on in my lifetime, because I’ve had a great amount of jobs for my age. The experience I’ve gained throughout the years has a lot to show for it. Although, no matter how many times I’ve heard the same question, an interview is never the same for me. Of course there is the fact that not every company is the same and not every person you interview with is going to be cool and laid back like your previous boss where they made you feel at ease. That makes sense, because you’re here for an interview, which is basically a chance to sell yourself and prove that you are what this company needs.
So there I am sitting in my chair, when the interviewer asks, “Why do you want to work for Company X?” You remember that you prepared for this prior to the interview, but all of that is shot out of your head at lightning speed, because you can’t prepare for an interview. You really can’t, no matter what anyone thinks. This isn’t a multiple choice test and no answer is actually right or wrong. This is what makes me nervous. The unknown. You don’t know what is going to happen, if you are saying the right things, or if the person interviewing is understanding the message you are trying to convey about yourself. Knowing this is always going to happen in an interview makes me very anxious prior to interviewing up until the first five minutes in the hot seat. How does one get over that? I do not know.
What does all this tie into? I am scheduled for a few interviews within the next couple of weeks. You are probably saying, but you just got a new part-time job, right? Yes, but it never hurts looking for bigger and better things that might have come along the way that you can gain more knowledge and experience from along the way.
by Samantha on April 7, 2010
**Excuse my love of run on sentences and fragments. Don’t judge me.
I sit down to start my homework today that I’ve been putting off, because everything else has got in my way and getting back into the groove of school is just not an easy task. And EVERY single possible thing that could have went wrong, went wrong. No, really. Let me break it down for you:
Laptop open and ready to have massive amounts of knowledge passing through it? Check. Printer hooked up to laptop to have thoughts printed and ready to brainstorm all over, because you like writing rather than letting your keystrokes do all the work? Check. Allergy pill taken to make you stop thinking about the fact that spring is stupid and makes you sneeze every time there is a breeze? Check. Steady flow of Bon Iver, Passion Pit, and Temper Trap coming through your earphones to get the flow going? Check.
Ok, I’m ready.
Print first set of notes which to write upon? Fail. Hm… Fix all settings you know of? Check. Print? Fail. Ok, hmm… all ink levels are high, printer is hooked up correctly, set up correctly, and ready? FAIL!?! What the? Ok I’ll write everything I guess even though my hand will probably fall off mid-lots-of-unnecessary-lecture-writing. So I go look for a pen, but do I have one? Apparently not. I’ve been so much of a non-student these days I have no writing materials, including the fact that half of my stuff is still packed up in who the hell knows where. I go ask someone nearby for a pen and what do you know? They have one. I get all situated again and the pen has no damn ink. Seriously. You can’t make this shit up. Homework fail. Enter… Sam’s sad face pondering what to do.
After all this, where am I? Showing my homework who’s boss of course…
…by sitting in my room with a grumpy face, articles in my Google Reader, and watching Netflix through the Xbox.
