Monika Wojciechowski (pronounced Wa-chow-ski). its Polish, and i think she simplfied the "jcie" for us Americans). Monika is one of the Asst. Directors I work for at the International House. She makes work great. apparently, she thinks i'm a bit bossy..but its all in fun--me bossy?? This semester I have gained a plethora of work information and experience from her. I like her a lot. She is very talented and great to work under. If I could, I would totally be her personal assistant. And unfortunately, i don't have a picture of Ms. Monika.
My mom deserves a shout out these days for just being a wonderful momma. She is a wonderful friend and i am really lucky to have someone so special in my life such as her...soon we will be able to hang out and do momma/daughter things together. only 2 months!!
Trisha Campbell is another special friend who is very dear to me-who sadly i dont have a picture of! We met through Upstream, I was her awesome Upstream leader and she was my little freshman..and now, she is all graduated and preparing to be married! I'm so excited for her and this new season she is entering into and am so blessed by watching her trust the Lord. She is always quick to keep up with me, giving me an encouraging note that says "I'm praying for you!" or giving me the fun news about her upcoming wedding.
relationships are extremely important.
we were made for relationships & community. first and formost, is our relationship with the Father, Creator, Almighty. then comes our family..not just blood-but those people who put the something special/little things of greatness into your everydayness.
i think all too often we forget this and take for granted how important people really are to us & how much we need them. I think as we dig down into the routine of oursevles-the people that mean the most to us dont get those gold stars and ribbons they deserve for the little things they do. The Lord has really impressed that upon me lately. not only do i need to intentionally love and rejoice over the people who invest in me, but i really need to be intentional & selflessly be apart of my friends/family lives..even if i dont live in a 50 mile radius of them.
so, hopefully over the next couple of days/weeks i'll be blogging about some people that are important to me and know how to do friendship well.
[and this is not to say that if your pic doesn't make it on the blog that youre a bad friend :)]
if you dont know Valerie, you should.
she is one cool gal and amazing friend.
i love her to death.
what makes val so cool?
well to name a few,
1. if there was an "American Car Singing Idol"..hands down the winner is Val.
2. she has Sr. boots
3. she knows everything!
4. she's a professional recommender (at McAllister's)..for real, go to McAllister's with her and she can tell you exactly what you should get-i've never been steered wrong.
5. she's like a CareBear (...most of the time)-always sincere, caring & genuine. she listens, prods & is intentional .
Next is the oh-so-talented Mr. Eric B. Lee (and yes, the picture was stolen from facebook...)
what can I say? eric is gifted at many things. He's an extraordinary person.
He..
1. can build 3-D cookies
2. plans amazing parties
3. is wonderfully gifted in all the arts (theater, music, etc.)
4. cook delicious meals
5. is one of those guys you wish was your big brother-because he's sincere, honest, sensitive and reliable & open-all those great qualities that "truly amazing/ideal" big brothers have.
lastly, theres Fran.
Francesca DiMarco is one lovable Italian.
She is one of my favorite people here in Greenville.
Kind and hospitable like i've never seen before. The world's best host, right up there with Tracy Smith.
Fran is an encouragement to me & makes me laugh all the time and she has a sweet new pad.
Its been great hanging out with her and I will miss her when I leave Greenville.
so i'm completely bored today..nothing to work on so i'm going for a record 2 posts in one day...inconceivable!
so since i have a bunch of free time at work maybe i'll blog..
it is quite surprising to me that my first post dedicated to the horrible movie theater in town is coming now, when i've been in greenville for 7 months and have had many a problem and frustration with this theater...after taking my management class i have a keen eye for HR problems
i don't think i would have such a big problem with the way management or how the theater is run except for the fact they take advantage of the fact theres no need for improvement because they are the only theater in town...
Greenville is labeled the largest, AND fastest growing city in Eastern Carolina and their cinema is the only one around a 50 mile radius.
It is a 'college town'.
You would think they would cater to these statistics...nope. they offer 4, sometimes 5 (only if its a new, popular release) showings 1:00, 4:00, 7:00 & 9:00, give or take a few minutes...& they only open 30 minutes before the first showing & no theres not a purchase with your credit card inside..(thats way to hightech!) so that means long lines, especially on Saturdays-i have to leave an hour before the movie starts to catch the previews!
I still haven't figured out the target audience for the scheduling of movies, so I really can't describe it, but an example of its randomness
Stranger than Fiction was in the theater for only a week, while Night at the Museum has been playing since Christmas. Facing the Giants was released 2 months after its original release.
Bad experience-So I get all excited about the new Will Farrell movie..cause it looks really good & I love books, etc. etc and so the week it comes out I check the listing...not showing; no big deal, it will probably come out later, so it finally shows up on the movie times & i plan to go see it before i leave for thanksgiving (which is just in a week...i show up-its gone! GRRRRR
The customer service is horrible. The employees know [fleeting generalizations] nothing, & the theater is run inefficiently.
Most every time I go see a movie..which is almost once a week. There is some problem-with the movie, a dirty theater, the times, or ticketing whether it happens to me directly, or I overhear a problem with someone else & the popcorn is yucky...
Bad experience-Children of Men comes out and for my Friday/Saturday studying break/reward I plan to go see it..so Friday morning I look up the times 1:20 & 4:10. I head up to the theater (which it takes about 15 mintues to get there..and i know this is lame, but thats one of the farthest places i travel to here in greenville)..and stand in like for 15 minutes, and posted on a 8.5 x 11 piece of paper in Times New Roman 14 pt font says "Children of Men" will not be showing until Tuesday due to theater remodeling...GRRRR, you think the bad story would end there..so the next week rolls around and i've caught up on all my reading and homework, so I call on Wednesday thinking I could catch the 4:00..so I call this time & they proceed to tell me that is still not showing, should be up and running on Friday. Friday comes & I had planned to see another movie that had come out..so when I'm at the theater, it says that Children of Men is still showing so i make sure that the times arent going to change for Saturday and am looking forward to a 2 movie weekend..head up to the theater early on Saturday and what do you know...they are no longer playing Children of Men...double GRRRRR.
I have come to learn that "opening nation wide" doesn't necessarily apply to Greenville.
Breach, hasn't been released & doesn't look like its coming any time soon..sad day...I don't get to see any of the good ones..but I'm sure Stomp the Yard will be playing long into the summer, along with Norbit & Ghost Rider.
on the upside, apparently theres another theater being built, but i don't think i'm gonna be around when it finally opens.
So unless I give up going to see movies-i can't boycott Carmike.
so i wrote another post that i thought about posting, but its sitting in my draft box, because i really dont know if its public worthy...but in leiu of what happened in class tonight..i think it might just stay in the draft box or just get deleted...anyways..the setting for my dilemma is this:
tonight in class there was definitely a heated discussion about a topic that takes a little too much time to go into (orientalism..just google or wiki it) anyways, comments were said, some people probably said too much too passionately and some comments could have been clarified better as to not hurt feelings/offend or disrespect the guest professor..who i think got a little more than she bargained for...back to class, many left frustrated, worried and a little irritated. my point: discernment or discretion. As educated adults, we, you would think should know when and how to comment on something that is appropriate and intelligent has compared to something that is irrelevant or inappropriate...needless to say..this has left me wondering if my "frustration" in my draft box..my venting session put to paper, really needs to be shared or if it shall remain just an outlet of my feelings...
my conclusion: after rereading everything i wrote in the "draftbox article" & processing my thoughts today & tonight, i realized while I feel my opinions and thoughts are valid, clear and applicable & appropriate-..it doesnt live out ephesians 4:29 well. while I was in Columbia a couple weeks ago, Danny & Laura's sunday school teacher taught on the foundation of communication...and that was his princple verse "do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, only that which is edifying to others, that it may give grace to those who listen". that has stuck so close to me these past weeks....which I will admit, that last week, I was not walking well in it..more than once my filter was off & I was responding with "I didn't mean it like that...did i really say that?"
anyways, thats all
and no, i'm not gonna tell you what i wrote about-quit being nosy
grace & peace,
alisha
so i just finished a 10 mile run in less than 2 hrs...
...and now i cant move-stratch that, i move like an old lady.
now im gonna curl up under the warm blankets and read my lovely book on liberation theology.
cheers.
alisha
So after many weeks of searching and waiting, browsing & debating whether i give in and order online...the last of the Christmas moolah was spent today on this wonderful pair of girly crocs! yeah for Great Provisions outdoor store. you made me one very happy gal!
got a little story for ya ags...
Everybody says change is a good thing right? Well, I would say yes, except if you are an 100 yr old university.
So when computers, record filing and admissons programing got big, ECU customized their own program, ECUMVS to meet all their computing needs, then they created the onestop.ecu.edu to meet the needs of expanding technology to accomadate registration, parking permits & forms of online paymen, etc.....well, in 2006, the wonderful administration at ECU decided that everything was outdated and we're moving to a new system...BANNER. All we as students and faculty heard all fall semester was how wonderful Banner is, how easy, and efficient and amazing Banner is, Banner is going to revolutionize the campus-all we need is Banner...yeah yeah yeah.
So January rolls around, slowly and gradually systems are being edited, redisgned and changed to run under Banner (and nobody is jumping for joy) The general consensus at least in our offices is that "we hate Banner" and heres the great climax of my story: guess what happens...security breach!
yes the world had access to over 65,000 persons personal data- here's a snippet of from the press release sent out almost 3 weeks AFTER it happened.
"It was a result of making a series of modifications to our systems to transition away from the use of Social Security numbers as unique identifiers on a portal on our web site that allows staff and students to perform a number of tasks such as purchase parking permits, check course availability and examine job openings.”
Personally identifiable data was potentially accessible by unauthorized users from Jan. 22 through Jan. 29, officials said. It included names, addresses and Social Security numbers. Credit card numbers for 21 individuals are believed to have been viewed, and those persons are being notified by telephone in addition to receiving letters.
Other information, such as parking data, automobile insurance information, job applicant data for faculty and administrator positions, student judicial incident reports, student housing records and graduate program application information, also was possibly viewed.
The vulnerability was discovered when an ECU student, who had been using the portal, unintentionally viewed a screen that contained names and other information. He reported the
situation to university police and the web site was secured within 15 minutes of
the initial report.
That means my info was possibly available to the world for a week straight...unbelievable...Banner is awesome! Luckily, I have not been contacted, nor have received the aformentioned letter, but I will be keeping a close eye on things. I'm reminded of those citibank commericials..ya know the one where like an old lady is talking but really shes a man lifting weights because of identity theft..anyways.
Thanks & gig'em Banner! [sarcasm included]
today i did my first "long run" for half marathon training.
i was really excited and proud of myself,
i ran 6.5 miles in 1.5 hrs.
the big day is April 28th...i think i'll be ready.
the Lombardi Latest....
well, its about 2:30pm on Thursday and all my papers (for this week) are completed, I still have some reading to do for class, but i've got 4 hrs..so I thought to myself.."why dont I take a break and blog?" because I know all my faithful readers are anxiously awaiting to read about all the cool, important things going on in my life right now :o)
my spanish research is underway..can i tell you how cool interlibrary loan and the worldcat is? I mean ive always known what they are, but acutally using them-for example, getting one of only 3 copies of a book that is located in Spain, for free!..thats pretty amazing...not that im using that specific book..all the ones I'm looking at are in like minnesota or illinois, not so exotic, but still-my professor has a book that there are only 2 copies of in the entire world.
Let it be known that I began laundry last night, and if you know me very well you know that I love to fold clothes, but absolutely despise putting them up...so im very pleased to announce that there are no clothes (dirty or clean) scattered about my bed, dresser, chests, floor or desk. All clothes are in drawers and on hangers-gold star for me!
Since its been a little bare photowise at alombardi.blogspot.com Ive included some random pictures from break [of which I know I never got around to posting about after my first week] & fun changes for me (ie..my straight hair and studious glasses)
so after christmas tour de texas in a nutshell: from college station to denton, traveling all around the Metroplex to austin and la grange and everywhere in between, I had a great time getting pedicures with Libby (notice the design on big toes) , iceskating with caley, dinner & scavenger hunt with friends for New Year's and the most awesome wedding after party ;o)
most of you that read this are on my email list, but by if for some chance you did not know, my dad's quadruple bypass surgery last Friday went amazing and he is at home recovering. I haven't talked with him in a couple days..everytime I call he's sleeping, but mom says he's doing good and walking regularly! please keep him and mom in your prayers.
the countdown to Spring Break has begun..because well in officially a month from today, one of my most favorite people in the universe is coming to see me..yea for inclusion into my North Carolinan life! So far Dad and Mom are the only ones to see me in my new environment. not that Greenville is a booming, way exciting metropolis, but at least the new Sheetz will be open by then..plans possibly include the beach and roadtripping to DC.
Another big development these days is my whereabouts come May..after much prayer, consideration & even completing my homework assignment on it, I've made the decision to come back to College Station as long as TAMU accepts me as a non-degree seeking student..which I've gotten the go ahead, im just waiting on paper work now. Dont know the when or how, but i'll get there sometime :o) it will be great to be back in Texas!
So there ya go..i shouldnt have to post for another week..content and photos..2 points for me!
grace & peace,
alisha
i am alive and kicking..and made it back safely from columbia...
HOWEVER since it was a "No school weekend" I am completely swamped and almost drowning in all my school work.
a real post is coming faithful readers, just be patient..i've got some stuff to blog about!
so until then,
have a wonderful day!
alisha
within 2 hrs the snow was all gone..and the day completely wet...what a disappointment!
the rains are suppose to continue for awhile...oh well.
so all of you in Texas wont think this is a big deal..
but its snowing! and its coming down :)