Bucket List

A “heart smile” is the feeling of utter bliss. It is what I imagine it feels like to be on ecstasy but instead of taking a pill, you get high off of what is in front of you, what you are experiencing. A lot of people get this feeling from a very anticipated kiss from a long time crush. Me, I get this feeling from experiencing something I've set out to accomplish. (Side Note: this feeling is not to be confused with indigestion)

I currently live my life differently than I imagine most people do. For me, a career is not one of my top priorities right now (probably because I am not 100% sure what I want to do for the rest of my life yet). Finding someone to be in a relationship with is DEFINITELY nowhere near the top of my priority list. I live life based on my bucket list. Sure, there are experiences and opportunities that come my way that aren't necessarily on my list, but I know will enhance my life so I take them. However, I live to accomplish the goals on my bucket list. This list gives me direction and helps me understand if I'm on the right path or not. Nothing feels better than scratching something else off that list. I am the type of person that can be perfectly content working a minimum wage job as long as I am working towards striking things off that bucket list of mine. I figure that if I settle down with a big girl job, I might not have the time to do the things on my list. I also fear that with a big girl job, I might lose focus on what is really important to me.

I am constantly adding to my bucket list and I will continue to add to it until the day I die. I am always discovering new things that I want to experience. Some of my goals are small and easy to accomplish while others take more time and determination but in the end a goal accomplished is a goal accomplished right? Sometimes, instead of adding things I WANT to do, I will add cool things that I've ALREADY done and cross them off so it gives me more motivation to keep livin' the dream.

Want to make your own bucket list? I suggest using an actual piece of paper and a writing utensil instead of a computer (there are these things called pens that you hold in your hand and when you touch it to paper and move your hand in certain motions, it makes words and shapes). If you have it written on a piece of paper than you can bring it anywhere and even take pictures of you crossing something off while you are doing it! Start by writing down some big things you've ALWAYS wanted to do. Then write down some smaller ones that can be easily achieved and therefore motivate you towards tackling the bigger ones. Write down a few cool things you've done in the past and cross those off so you think to yourself “hey, look at all this cool stuff I've done. Maybe I'm not so boring and maybe I CAN accomplish the rest of these things.” Don't worry about prioritizing it or putting it in any type of sequential order. Don't worry about making it neat or making sure you use a ruler to cross off finished tasks. Don't worry about spilling stuff on it and NEVER make a new copy. In my opinion, the dirtier, the more wrinkled, and the more abstract the list looks, the more its been through! Make sure to take pictures if possible when doing the things on the list! I started making a scrapbook with all my bucket list pictures. It'll be a great memoir to look back on when you are older. Actually, you should still be adding to it when you are older!

Now, I really don't talk about it much but when I was in Grade 6 I was diagnosed with an extreme case of Social Anxiety Disorder and bipolar depression, which I have learned on my own to handle very well. Back in the sixth grade, I couldn't do normal everyday things without having panic attacks or feeling incredibly sick and frightened. Going to school was out of the question. I couldn't even eat at a restaurant. I was even too nervous to go eat dinner at a relatives house. My constant nervous feeling resulted in me not wanting to eat, which landed me in the hospital. I'm not exactly sure how or why this all started and it isn't something I want to talk about in detail, not in this blog anyway. I actually don't think much about it. I hate to say I am embarrassed but I just can't believe I used to be that way seeing as how I am today. Anyway, As part of my therapy, I had to start with a small list of fears I wanted to overcome. Some people are afraid to swim, some people are afraid of heights but I was afraid to do anything in public. I can't remember the exact list but I know “eat at a restaurant” was on it. I remember my family and I went to McDonalds and I was so very nervous. I sat at a table by myself while my family sat at a separate table. I finished my meal and was very proud of myself. I know how incredibly odd this sounds that eating at a McDonalds was a huge victory for me, but it was a goal I set out to accomplish, one that challenged me. I think it was shortly after that success that I started getting better, gaining confidence, and believing in myself. I never wanted that feeling to end which is why I live by my bucket list. Look at me now!

Here is my bucket list so far:

1. Bungee jump

2. Skydive
3. Be on top of a mountain
4. Get on the Student Representative Council
5. Get an Executive position on the Student Representative Council
6. Travel Europe
7. Graduate College
8. Do an overseas mission with Habitat for Humanity
9. See the Great Wall of China
10. Go horseback riding
11. Swim with dolphins
12. Drive across the Unites States
13. Have a summer romance
14. Live out West
15. Visit out East
16. Sit on the edge of the Grand Canyon
17. See the Hoover Dam
18. Write a book
19. Play with a chimp
20. Start a blog
21. Drive down Las Vegas Blvd
22. See the Hollywood Sign
23. Go to Cancun for spring break
24. Go to Austrailia
25. Go to the Chicago Aquarium
26. Work on a cruise ship
27. Eat a Philly Cheesesteak Sanwhich in Philadelphia (I will be accomplishing this in a few days)
28. Ride a camel
29. Go on the Empire State Building
30. See the Statue of Liberty
31. See the Sea Lions at Pier 39 in SanFran
32. Kiss/touch a sea lion
33. Live on a farm
34. Party with real cowboys
35. Get a tattoo
36. Go glass blowing
37. Sing karaoke
38. Do the Edgewalk in Toronto (this is being booked soon)
39. Drink coffee in Seattle
40. Watch a baseball game
41. Meet a famous person
42. Flash someone
43. See/climb a pyramid
44. Go to Marine Land
45. Do something very spontaneous that leaves a lasting impression
46. Take a risk for love
47. Have a cool job I like
48. Climb the Eiffel Tower
49. Go whale watching
50. See the famous Arc in Cabo
51. Win and award
52. Go camping
53. Go skinny dipping
54. Get my Indian Status card
55. Ride in a Trolly in SanFran
56. Fall in and out of love
57. Go to the Winter Carinvale in Quebec/get a picture with Bonhomme
58. See the Rocky Mountains
59. Attend a fancy dinner
60. Finish the Detroit Free Press Half Marathon (I am currently training for this)
61. Go taboozing
62. Visit the World's Largest Truck Stop
63. Visit Buffalo Bill's grave
64. Be in the newspaper
65. See the “painted ladies” in Sanfran
66. Find the “Full House” house in SanFran
67. Become a volunteer
68. Go on a vacation by myself
69. Attend a function where nobody knows me/make friends
70. Go to the movies by myself
71. Be in a fashion show
72. Read 100 books (currently working on this)
73. Drive a boat
74. Go fishing
75. Go to the Titanic Exhibit
76. Go scuba diving
77. Bathe in a waterfall
78. Go hiking
79. Climb a tree
80. Swing on a swing set past age 21
81. See Alcatraz
82. See the Golden Gate Bridge/drive across it
83. Ride in a gondola
84. Tour the Celestial Tea Factory in Colorado
85. Visit the Chelsea Teddy Bear Factory
86. Eat at the Cheesecake Factory
87. Visit the first ever Starbucks
88. Put my gum on the gum wall in Seattle
89. See the Space Needle
90. Drink Patrone
91. Tour the Jelly Belly Factory
92. Visit Ground Zero
93. Meet a Rockette
94. See the set of SNL
95. See the big Christmas Tree in Times Square
96. See the Liberty Bell (I will be accomplishing this in a few days)
97. Visit Jersey Shore (I will be accomplishing this in a few days)
98. Buy something from the Shore Store (I will be accomplishing this in a few days)
99. See the Jersey Shore house (I will be accomplishing this in a few days)

100. Have a drink from Jenkinsons (I will be accomplishing this in a few days)

101. Get paid to write (currently working on this)

Thank-you for reading:)

Love, Chelsea xo

Here are just a COUPLE of the MANY photos of me doing thing son my bucket list.

                                                                  Meet a famous person

                                                         Go to Cancun for Spring Break

                                                                Be on top of a mountain

                                                                   Go horseback riding

                                                                Have a summer romance

                                                                        Ride a camel

                                                                   Swim with dolphins

                                                                See the Hollywood Sign

                                                                See the Space Needle

                                                              See the "Full House" house

                                                         Visit World's Largest Truck Stop

                                                                   See the Hoover Dam

                                                               Visit Buffalo Bill's grave

                                                           Drive down Las Vegas Blvd.

                                                   See the Sea Lions at Pier 39 in SanFran

                                                 Sit on the edge of the Grand Canyon

                                                          Take a trolly ride in SanFran

                                                                       See Alcatraz

                                                           See the Golden Gate Bridge

                                                       See the "painted ladies" in SanFran

Observations at Work

-Most customers at the place I work at tell me they are on a diet and need to check the nutrient facts of our products before they purchase them, yet they ask to look at things like cake and pie. They seem to gravitate towards the soups we offer, which are stuffed with salt, bacon, fat, etc. But they think that because it's soup, it's healthy.

-I have the ability to make screaming children be quiet. Today at work, I stopped about 4 children from crying by offering them free samples of cake. Their mothers looked at me like I was Jesus.

-Our debit machine has a sign taped onto it that says “insert chip” with a big arrow pointing to the bottom of the machine. 99% of customers try over and over to jam their card into the top of the machine; there is no chip slot on the top. Most of the time I let them try a few times and laugh to myself, then direct them to the bottom. Customers usually respond with, “oh, I'm supposed to shove it in the bottom” and it takes every bit of strength I have not to say “that's what she said.”

-The front door at work makes a super high pitch beeping noise while it is open. Most people are oblivious to this and stand half inside, half outside the door while they look at the flyer posted in the front window, the beeping noise contributing to my hearing loss the whole time.

-While customers are looking down at the advertisement on the counter and I am waiting to help them I see how long I can stare at them until they look up and catch me glaring.

-90% of the time I can guess what customers are going to ask for before they ask for it. It is a gift and it amazes me every time.

-I like talking to customers, learning about their personalities. Many of them are regular customers and its fun developing a relationship with them. Today one of my favourite regular couples came in and they usually buy spicy chicken breasts so I said “spicy chicken breasts are on sale today!” and they were pleasantly surprised that I remember what they usually buy. A little personal touch goes a long way.

-I'm not sure if it creeps me out or if I like it when strangers call me by my first name once they read my name tag.

-This is going to sound weird and I really can't explain it myself but when there are lots of boxes in the freezer, this cardboard-ish smell emits and I'm addicted to it. Kind of like some people love the smell of gas.

-I secretly hope nobody eats our free samples so I can eat them all at the end of the day.

-Some customers have trouble understanding that it is a better deal to buy a 21 pack of cabbage rolls for $15.99 than 2 packs of 10 cabbage rolls for $8.99 each. I'm not sure why it is so hard to understand this.

-Once upon a bad haircut, a cute boy who works next door came in to buy food and this is how out conversation went:

CuteBoy : “I like your haircut.”

Me : “I look like an Asian boy”

CuteBoy : “I happen to check out Asian boys all the time”

-I constantly dance and sing at work while stocking shelves, vacuuming, mopping, etc. Constantly.

-I once received a phone call at work from a strange man. The conversation went like this:

Me : “Thank you for calling, Chelsea speaking”

StrangeMan : “Do you still have chicken breast left?”

Me : “Yes we do!”

StrangeMan : “Ok, I am coming to get some soon. Do you know what I look like?” (he is saying this is a very creepy, what he probably thought was playful way)

Me : “Um, no I don't. I can't see you.”

StrangeMan : “Take a guess.”

Me: “Uh, brown hair?”

StrangeMan : “Yep, what else?”

Me : “Glasses?”

StrangeMan : “No, what colour are my eyes?”

Me : “Brown?”
StrangeMan: “Nope, Blue. I will be there in an hour Chelsea. Remember, the brown haired guy with blue eyes. I will bring you a treat.”

Me: “Oh darn, I am off in half an hour.”

StrangeMan : “Oh no, well next time then Chelsea”

Yea I have no idea who that was but it was odd. I'm kind of disappointed because I like treats.

-99% of the time I spill something on my uniform while on my way to work or at work and look like a slob.

-I used to have a name tag that said “Trainee” and some people thought that was my actual name.

-If ever a young couple comes in and looks confused, 99% of the time it's because they don't normally shop there but their parents got them a gift card for Christmas.

-Most people don't know how to eat a free sample without getting crumbs all over the floor and counter, which I am responsible for cleaning up at the end of the day.

-My favourite thing to sample is mini cream puffs because its impossible to bite them in half without the cream squirting everywhere and its fucking hilarious. One time a middle-aged lady in a fancy fur coat took a bite and the cream squirted all down the front of her coat and she didn't notice. Another time a lady took a bite and the cream went dripping, she caught most of it in her hand but half of it was on her face and she didn't realize. I didn't say anything because a) it's awkward to point that out to a stranger, b) it was so entertaining and c) I was challenging myself not to laugh in her face. I've also seen cream drop on crotches and nestle in moustaches. Funny, funny stuff.

-We used to have a juice machine with free samples of juice, but we don't anymore. It's funny to see how upset children get when they realize it isn't there anymore.

-Sometimes I get the cutest kids in the store. One offered me 8 million dollars if he could have the toy truck we have for a decoration. One little boy said to me “hey, you are funny. I'm funny too. So, I think we should close down the store and decorate it like a wedding and get married.” I almost took him up on the offer because I figured that would be the only time a man would propose to me. I had another little boy tell me he was in love with me because I gave him a free magnet. It's always nice to hear you are loved. I had one little girl who introduced herself to me with a handshake. She was five. One little boy pointed at me and in an angry voice said, “YOU'RE FIRED” so I said “okay, see ya” and I walked out the door and walked down the street. I ended up coming back and he felt bad.

-People come 20 minutes before opening and even though the open sign is off, all the lights inside are off, and the hours are clearly posted in the front window, they knock and yank on the door as if the store will magically open.

-I'm convinced that one night when I take the trash out, a raccoon or a homeless person will jump out of the dumpster and attack me. This is an actual fear of mine.

-Sometimes if I am working by myself and it is dead, I do sit ups in the kitchen.

-When a little kid is staring at me and their parents are distracted by shopping, I make funny/scary faces at them and try and guess if they will a)cry or b)laugh.

-When customers ask what kind of shrimp we have, I always laugh because I sound like Bubba from Forest Gump... “battered shrimp, breaded shrimp, garlic shrimp, shrimp rings...”

-I don't understand when people ask “is it good?” about products that are obviously going to be good, like apple pie. How can an apple pie NOT taste good? I'm honest when they ask for my opinion but when its about things like that, what do they expect? “No actually, we only use the apples with worm holes and bruises. We make sure not to wash the dirt off of them and we definitely made sure we scratch our ass and not wash our hands before their made.” Its an apple pie, of course its good.

-People like to complain about stuff they get for free.

GreedyCustomer : “Oh no, my FREE pizza only has 5 pepperonis. Can I trade it?”

MyHead : “Are you fucking kidding me? Why don't you send your “pathetic” 5-pepperoni pizza to Africa where it would be a blessing. Asshole.”

Me in Real Life : “Of course, no worries!”

-Some people who return products are hilarious. Some have legit reasons for returning (freezer burnt, weird taste, etc), but some excuses are ridiculous. Ex: “I need to return this french onion soup! It is watery!” Um, yea soup is usually of a watery texture. It's great when you politely appologize and offer to give them their money back but they insist on ranting some more. “It looks like sewage water! Its brown! Might as well just drink form the sewer!” Again, french onion soup is SUPPOSED TO BE BROWN and please help yourself to the sewer outside if you prefer.

-Sometimes when I am alone at work and it is quiet, I look at myself in the mirror and sing “I'm too sexy for my fleece,” referring to my fleece uniform of course.

-Many customers butcher the pronunciation of products. Examples below:

Quesadillas = Quest-a-dilly-as

Shanghai Beef = Shrang-ou-lah Beef or Sri-Lanka Beef

Spanakopita = spank-a-pita

Malfalda Noodles = Alfalfa Noodles

Hors d'oeuvres = Whore doves

Chateaubriand = Chant-a-brand

Filet Mignon = Fill-it Mig-non

Louisiana Wings = Lose-anna Wings

Chicken Kiev = Chicken Ky-vee

Nanaimo Bars = Ni-oh-me Bars, Nana Bars, Nom-mo-mee Bars

-We have a Show and Tell policy where we open boxes and allow customers look at the product before they can purchase it. I've had several customers ask me if they can “take a look inside my box.” Not laughing in their face is hard.

Thank you for reading!:)

Love, Chelsea

                                                               Picture of the Day

                  I die laughing every time I look at this. I mean, my face is a vision of beauty.

Resurrected Blog #1

So, I had a different blog before I started this one. I decided to start a new blog because I wanted to be more careful about my punctuation and spelling. I also wanted a blog that was more PG, but slowly this blog became somewhat inappropriate. I can't help who I am and how I write.

Anyway, I will post some entries from my old blog in here, beginning with this one.

Written June 18^th 2011

Tonight, I am writing you from my couch in my pyjamas on a Saturday night. Do not feel bad for me, I had plenty of better offers tonight but I felt this was the best option. I did however go for a walk with my friend Jenna in my 70's gym shorts and my graphic tee with a monster on it that reads, "OMGRRRR." Why don't I care more? Anyways, we had a nice chat about boys and such. It was lovely. I am wiped from last night's events, Relay For Life. I was lucky enough to be part of the St. Clair team. We dressed up as Super Heroes and I was adamant on being a dinosaur. So I was Curasaurus, the cancer curing dinosaur. If only it was a real breed. I wore my costume mask while driving around the city and people were looking at me weirdly, I wonder why.

I am in a music mood right now. When I get in these moods I usually find a song I love, play it about 10 times and then move onto another song that I play 10 times and so on and so fourth. Tonight so far I've been jamming out to You and I by Lady Gaga, Good Life by One Republic, Fresh Feeling by Eels, Almost Lovers by Fine Frenzy (I went emo for 10 minutes there), and Thirteen by Ben Kweller (so good).

So I've been watching all those wedding shows on Slice today and I found myself Googling wedding dresses, then I realized what I was doing. This isn't me. I don't give two toots about this crap. I don't even have a boyfriend for crying out loud. I don't want to choose between a sweetheart neckline or A-line dresses (oh God, I'm using bridezilla lingo). Anyway, after I realized I am being a doofus I asked myself "what am I doing with my life?" If I had a my dream boy and a stable job then I wouldn't feel so bad for Googling wedding dresses but the brutal fact is, I don't. It's probably a good thing anyway, as much as I was yearning for settling down a bit and being stable, I'm probably not meant to be tamed yet. I'm probably not even meant to be in Windsor. The longer I stay here, the more confused I become as to whether I am in the right place right now. Most of the time I hate it here because basically the only thing to do here is go to bars and I am almost over that phase. A lot of people here have a grim outlook on life or focus too much on lame drama. Then there are times when I will be volunteering or doing something of worth that makes me think that maybe there are more opportunities here than I think. I really don't know. So I applied for some cruise ship jobs and took a gander at some jobs out west. Most people tell me that this is running away from my problems but these people are just plain annoying.

SIDE NOTE: BRB...going to Greekfest with Mom...

Greek Fest was fun! Mom and I had some drinks and some fresh honey balls and talked about boys and life. It was nice. There was also a couple having sex in a porta-potty there so overall, successful night. Back to my blog...

I feel that if somebody is living in a place that they do not particularly like it is due to one of two things a) job  b) in love. Well, I didn't get the job I wanted and I am no longer with the one I'm in love with. So, at this moment I am having a difficult time justifying being in Windsor. I'm sure I will figure it out but I really hope I do soon. I could never leave my dog Casey anyway.

UPDATE

Well, since writing this entry I've become more okay with living in Windsor, for now. I've been volunteering for quite some time now with the Alzheimer's Society and it has made me a happier and mentally healthier person. The Society has even given me a few marketing projects to work on and I've written a few articles for the newspaper about my experiences. I've also starting becoming serious about competitive and leisure running. I've been in several races and have even placed, winning medals. I'm now training for the Detroit Free Press Half Marathon. I have a lot distracting me right now, until I set out on my next adventure.

As far as the relationship thing, I could not be further away from having or wanting one. I like it that way.

Love, 

Chels xo