October 30, 2002

I’m in my third year of college in Johnstown. After a semester at the Hiram G. Andrews Center, I transferred over to the local community college with plans to achieve my associates degree. From there, I wanted to transfer again to a four year school in hopes of getting my bachelors degree.

A college transfer fair was going to be held at the Greater Johnstown Career and Technology Center, which the community college used for a few of its classes. I was planning to go there and talk with some college representatives to look at my next school.

In this blog, I will be opening up a six pack 🍻 of questions related to my academic experience. Twenty years ago I started the second leg of academic journey at Slippery Rock. Back in 2013, I celebrated the ten year anniversary of my time in college. I finally appreciated what I had after so many years of questioning myself.

Why did you feel like attending a four year college?

It was in my original plans when I started school at the Hiram G. Andrews Center in the Fall of 2000. I knew I was good enough to get a Bachelor’s degree. I had to go to a Community College for that dream to come true since their credits would transfer.

It’s 2023. Looking back at it now, was the experience worth it?

I had regretted it for a long time because I felt like nothing came of it. I didn’t appreciate the jobs I had early in my post-academic career and didn’t care how much debt I took on to do it again. Homecoming for me was always about recreating the good old days of college.

If I went back and graduated again, I’d be back at Kings with more debt. Even if I stayed a little longer at the Rock and graduated magna cum laude, I was probably still going to work at WIS.

Getting back to the question though, the experience was still worth it. If I didn’t go for my degree, I likely would have regretted it more. You have to try it out and see what happens. I think we’ve done pretty well.

What schools were you interested in?

In addition to Slippery Rock, I was also interested in IUP (my cousin started there in 2004). Other schools I liked were Edinboro, California, and Clarion. Those three schools have merged to become PennWest.

I got back from the transfer fair and reviewed my material that night. It didn’t take long for me to be sold on Slippery Rock.

Were there obstacles to getting into Slippery Rock?

As a matter of fact, there was. I was accepted at the end of March but by then housing was quickly getting filled. We weren’t sure if I’d have a place to live; however, it all worked out in the end.

If I could go back 20 years and change things, I would have made more of an effort into getting a job to help pay for college, driving sooner, and getting more work experience. That ended up hurting me in the end.

When you went to career fairs, which companies really caught your eye?

In 2002, I attended a Career Fair at the Community College’s downtown location. I was actually interested in summer work at Hersheypark and thought about applying. It didn’t work out and I actually went home for the summer that year.

In 2004, when I was at Slippery Rock University, I attended the WestPACS Career Fair at the Expo Mart and I just worked a summer job at the now defunct Park Classic Diner. Believe it or not, that was one of my first real jobs. While I talked to companies related to my field (Finance), Eat’n Park also caught my eye. Part of me wishes to have stuck around, learned more about the restaurant business and see where it would go.

Final question: Are you happy with how your life has turned out?

For a long time I wasn’t and wanted to go back and do it all over again. Eventually, you learn that everything happens for a reason. It took me several years to appreciate what I had in college and a few more years after that to really let it go. The late 2010s finally saw that turning point come around as I began to embrace new traditions. I’ve adjusted to a different way of life post-pandemic and have come out of it a better person.

I’m excited to begin a new term as President of Greensburg Toastmasters in July 2023 and see where it takes me.

I don’t read or hear about it but I know I’m inspiring people every day.

Yes, I am happy with how my life has turned out.

I was inspired after watching last Friday’s episode of Pittsburgh Today Live and seeing all the custom made creations that the hosts made. I knew I had to get down there at some point and try my hand at creating a waffle.

This morning, I did just that and treated myself to brunch at Waffles, INCaffeinated. The chain has five locations in the Pittsburgh area, including the one I went to in North Huntingdon. Located just up from Sheetz and down from Walmart, the place has a nice seating arrangement and really nice decor (very Vera Bradley like). I was seated by the window watching the rain come down.

My server took really good care of me and explained the options when it came to designing my own waffle. The menu was massive in terms of what you could order. It’s not just about the waffles. You could also make your own omelet or crepes. If making your own creation isn’t your forte, there’s other things you can order. You also have a nice selection of beverages, from coffee and tea to water and soda (or pop). Looking at the menu, I even noticed the latte art in one of the pictures. This place is channeling its own inner White Rabbit in a way.

Waffles INCaffeinated has a monthly feature and this month’s was an Oreo-waffle hybrid, called “Waffle’s Favorite Cookie”. Infused with Oreo and Peanut Butter, as well as vanilla ice cream, bananas, and Oreo cheesecake spread and drizzled with chocolate, this dessert waffle will satisfy your sweet tooth.

For Lent, a North American cod sandwich on potato brioche and topped with the works (spinach, sliced tomato, melted Swiss, and spicy mayo) makes for the perfect lunch. It’s not just about the waffles.

Locations include North Huntingdon, Beaver, and four locations in the Pittsburgh area, including the South Side location which I plan to visit with my “fashionable sister” Sara at a future time. Pittsburgh locations also include Downtown Pittsburgh, Upper St. Clair, and Wexford.

Pittsburgh Today Live mugs are also being sold at all locations and I bought myself one as well. The show and the waffle challenge are what inspired me to come here and eat brunch this morning, and I will definitely be back for a sweet waffle and maybe even a craft beer (or one of their amazing custom coffee drinks)

Sorry, Sara, I didn’t see any mimosas on the menu but everything else looks good.

This past Saturday, the District held its second Divisional Speech and Table Topics contest. It took place at the Faith Lutheran Church in White Oak. Representatives for the contest were from Bettis, Moon, South Hills, and Pittsburgh. The latter being the oldest club in District 13, having started in 1939 and predating the district by only a few years.

A few hiccups at the beginning did not stop this contest from ending up a success. To quote Division A Director Dana Mitnik, “Oh the joys of a hybrid contest!”

Trying to get the audio up and running was a challenge as we were getting feedback, plus some of our online attendees weren’t able to hear our in person participants. After toying with the audio, everything went smoothly. 3-2-1 Let’s have a contest!

I won’t discuss the winners for the sake of those competing against them. I enjoyed Rick Hays’ speech about Ireland 🇮🇪 and loved the Irish ☘️ music that he had playing in the background. Rick is a member of Pittsburgh Toastmasters 144 and was participating online via Zoom.

The table topics question for the contest was “What Brings You Joy”.

In Greensburg, we are getting our slate of officers together for 2023-24. While some are keeping their roles for next year, I will be leading the club as President. While I’ve led Greensburg and Achievers before, I’m excited to take charge next year and look forward to leading my home club to success.

I’ll have to make sure I set a good example for the club by giving more speeches and motivating my fellow members

There’s been a lack of quality content on the blog this month and for that I’m sorry. I’ve been either busy (going to the gym or working) or haven’t been up to providing content due to mental health issues. March is a weird time of the year. We’re just two years removed from my health scare but I’ve been doing a lot better since.

It’s contest season in Toastmasters and right now we are halfway through the division round of our International Speech and Table Topics contests. I attended the Division A contests, which I’ll highlight more in my Toastmasters Tuesday segment which begins this week.

Dues are due this month in our clubs and that’s also one of the things I’ll talk about in this week’s Toastmasters Tuesday. How many paid members you have can affect your club’s standing but it also has other impacts. So it’s important to get it done as soon as possible. March and September are key months in the Toastmasters year.

We’re starting to get our slate of officers in line in our clubs for the upcoming 2023-24 Toastmasters year. The district is also electing their officers as well for the dignitary positions, which I will highlight this Spring following the conference.

I’ll tell you more on Tuesday what my plans are for both of my clubs in the new year as well as how I will serve them. I belong to Greensburg, which is my home club, and Laurel Highlands, which I joined in early 2022. I joined Toastmasters in 2011 and achieved my DTM in 2019.

Upcoming events include the District 13 Spring Conference which will be held April 14-16 at the Doubletree in Washington near the Meadows Casino, and Summer TLI (Toastmasters Leadership Institute), which will be in June. I’m also hoping to attend the Fall Leadership Symposium.

Over the last month, I finally began to take advantage of my gym membership and start going to Planet Fitness regularly. It’s been three weeks and I’ve seen a change in my exercise routine, as I’ve gone from mostly sedentary to a more active lifestyle. I told myself in 2023 that I wanted to work out more. I bought some new Skechers and some new activewear (with more on the way) and on February 20, made my first trip to the gym since before the pandemic. I felt that getting there was the first accomplishment. #smallvictories #everyonestartssomewhere

I’ve seen improvement over the last few weeks as my time and my calories on the treadmill and elliptical have gone up. We’ll up it to 45 minutes very soon. I also time my workouts on my Apple Watch. Very rarely have I closed all three rings but it’s happened a lot more often since I’ve gone to the gym. One of these days, I’ll sit in the massage chair, or do a hydromassage. But still, no tanning beds for me.

While I’m more dedicated in the last few weeks to working out, however, my other interests have suffered. So far, this is only my second blog post of the month. I just haven’t had the time as I’ve been exercising, working, and finding time to rest. I also have my twice a month Toastmasters meetings and want to try committing to those as well. That’s why budgeting my time every day, every week, every month, is paramount to my success.

This week, I’ve committed four days to the gym. I did so this morning, and I will go again tomorrow as well as Thursday and either Friday or Saturday. Tuesday and Wednesday I’m committed to my Toastmasters meetings. Next week is fair game as I have no Toastmasters meetings. When the weather gets warmer, I want to open myself up to spending time outdoors.

Going forward with the blog, I will soon be back to getting out regular content multiple times a week. On work nights, look for smaller posts and, on my nights off, I’ll post longer content. I still plan to reach 500 blog posts this year as well as go to Delaware for my beach trip.

Well, it was a warm February to say the least, plus it was one of the least snowiest. I hope that’s not a sign of what’s come in March. Anyway, onto this recap of last month.

Looking back at Feburary, it was a stressful one for my family as Benny went back into the hospital week before Valentine’s Day. I don’t like to go into detail in the blog out of respect for my family but he has improved since this most recent hospital stay. I’ve been to Children’s Hospital a few times to see him as well. All this stress weighs on my mom as she worries about my aunt and thus it’s brought down to me.

I had a good report at the doctor on Valentine’s Day. My blood pressure was 130/80. Better than it was two years ago when I was at heart attack/stroke level. The medication has done its job.

One of the big highlights was not using my gift cards like I originally planned, but returning to the gym and scheduling a regular exercise routine. I’m going Thursdays to Mondays, keeping Tuesday and Wednesday open for meetings and blog prep. For now, I’m only doing cardio and running on the treadmill as well as stepping on the elliptical. The latter really works up a sweat and gets my heart rate going.

After having not gone to Planet Purple much since I’ve had my membership (because I used my car so much traveling to job sites at WIS and could never made time) and not at all the last three years (due to COVID), I’ve definitely made up for lost time. I’ll be looking at some new Spring fits (maybe today) and some activewear. I keep saying that but now I’m ready.

Last night marked my first back to back church attendance since September 2021. There are reasons why I walked away and I don’t want to keep defending myself forever. I said things a little differently then and I worried I wasn’t welcome but since I made my return to Cornerstone in December (when Deb invited me to the Christmas show), I realize that was me overthinking things and being insecure.

Gender nonconformity and non-binary is staying. In a weird way, it gives me the confidence to keep this blog going. It’s its own good luck charm.

I got my food reviews done for February. I went to Kings for breakfast and Chili’s for dinner. I’ll blog Eat’n Park and Kings this month since it’s now Lent and I want to try some seafood options. That means Whale of a Cod is coming.

I finished Queer Eye and just went back to The Office and started Parks and Rec on Peacock. I plan on watching Bel-Air as well.

Did I do what I get what I wanted out of February? No, but I had a very productive month, for what it’s worth. Grade: B

Just like that, February has come and gone. We will be in March this week and that means it’s time to look ahead to the new month. We are going to be closer to Spring but still not out of Winter just yet. Here’s a look at what will coming up this month.

I finally have my exercise schedule down. Just getting out of the house when I could be sleeping, and driving there, is its own victory. With Tuesdays and Wednesdays usually reserved for Toastmasters meetings, I figure working out Thursday through Monday makes more sense. For now, I’ll make good use of my time at Planet Purple and save the walks outside for the weather warms up.

Adding to that, I’ll begin to eat more fruits and veggies on my breaks at work. I can pick up fruit from the produce end cap at Giant Eagle, plus I can go through a bag of carrots in a week. I’ll still buy my Marie Callender bowls but eat them in moderation or have them for lunch. Might be time for more apples as well. I’ll eat what’s in season.

If time allows, I’ll be in attendance at the division speech contests. Division C will hold theirs on March 11 in Punxsutawney at the Cobblestone Inn and Suites. The contests will be hybrid so I can watch them online if I want to. The hybrid option comes in handy now that I’m finding time to exercise again and getting back to church. The division contests will run on Saturdays through April 1.

It’s back to church for me after a year and a half long hiatus. Before we get into it, let’s just say I was dealing with a lot of stress in 2021 on top of all the good things that occurred. Things were changing at WIS as the news of the merger was getting more and more closer. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to stick around any longer. I kept it on the down low as I didn’t want anyone to think bad of the company. Eventually I needed to take time away from church as I was trying to adapt to my new routine at Giant Eagle. I went online a few times in 2022 but like a retired football player, it was good to be away from the game (in this case, church) for a year before beginning my studio career.

I went back to Cornerstone at Christmastime when my friend Deb gave me a ticket to the Christmas show. She attends the church services on Saturday nights and recently, started working with my sister. I visited early in February and then went back on Saturday night. It’s fitting that I’m back and the sermon series has us studying the book of James. This Saturday will mark my first back to back church attendance since September of 2021 (just as the changes in my life were beginning to take place). I want to say I’ll stay through Easter but I know it’s safe to say that I’m back for good. I’ll still make other church visits as well.

March will also include some spring cleaning as I get rid of some clothes I don’t wear, while using my gift cards to buy some new jeans (or pants) and activewear. Now that I’m a week in and have a plan to exercise falling into place, it’s time to do some serious shopping. Also, I’m going to use my Amazon gift card and find a webcam for my laptop so I’m able to attend online Toastmasters meetings when the situation calls for it.

As for TV, Queer Eye is done and you’ll see my top ten episodes next week on this blog. It’s back to Dunder Mifflin and so I’ll be watching season six of The Office on top of reading my Office books and listening to the podcasts. I’m also starting Parks and Recreation as well as Bel Air season two, so it’ll be Peacock for me for the foreseeable future.

This week I finally started the exercise routine I was talking about doing. Exercise is the number one answer when it comes to New Year’s Resolutions. It’s also the number one answer to resolutions most people don’t keep. The gyms are packed right after New Year’s and then by February 1 they’re like, what happened?

It was great to get back into it after having not been to the gym regularly since before COVID (I went once last September but it was a fluke visit). I’ve walked occasionally at the local parks and I will do that again once the weather gets warmer (Twin Lakes and Mammoth Park as well as Cedar Creek are all on my list). I’m on my feet every night at work stocking shelves and walking from aisle to aisle.

Critics will lament that the numbers aren’t good and that I should be doing more. Going off the comments I got last night, just going to the gym and doing something is a huge accomplishment. The fact that I’m up and moving is more important. Most people want to reap the benefits now rather than later, and naysayers will run with that.

Remember that everyone starts somewhere, success requires patience, and all great things really do take time.

I have a plan in place for next week as I put more time in on the treadmill and the stepper. I will do more cardio and exercise some of my core muscles as well. I’ll also get on the exercise bike (mostly to wrap up my gym time).

Tonight’s James the Food Slayer takes me to Chili’s in Greensburg in Greengate Center. This is the area formerly known as Greengate Mall (still well missed blue locals even 20 years later). I will be grading tonight’s experience and then to close, reminisce a little bit on the old mall. I’ll also post food pics.

Tonight I ordered the three course meal deal. With this you get a drink, appetizer, and entree. This deal starts at $10.99. For my drink, I ordered the mango iced tea and for my soup, the chicken enchilada soup. For my entree, I ordered the 6 oz. Sirloin. This came with steamed broccoli and loaded mashed potatoes (came with bacon bits and green onions).

When I paid the check, I was given the option of taking a survey to discuss my experience. As I walked into the restaurant, the hostess quickly seated me. It helped that it wasn’t busy. I was given excellent service and taken care of. I was happy to order the meal deal since I already had the mango iced tea in hand. They even gave me the option to pay my check at the table so I was able to get in and get out.

Service: A+

Lots of great options on the menu. First page has all the popular drinks and even what goes with the meal. If you’re calorie conscious they have it listed with what you order. Be prepared to drop at least $20 if you’re eating solo. Eating out is more expensive than it used to be but that’s the way of the world post-COVID due to higher costs. That as well as supply chain issues and people still being wary of eating out amongst crowds.

Menu: B

My food came in a decent amount of time. I wasn’t waiting forever and my server was patient to give me time as I pored over the options. My drink was well-filled and the mango tea was very flavorful. The appetizer (the chicken enchilada soup) was filling and I almost had to ask for the recipe. The entree was good but the portions could have been a little bigger for the price. However, I get it that a good steak dinner will cost you. Overall though, I was still pretty satisfied.

Quality: A-

Closing off the blog, I wanted to look back on this land that used to be Greengate Mall. People have posted pictures that highlight where the mall stood in comparison to what is there now. For example, Walmart should be where JCPenney once stood. Many great memories were made here when it was Greengate and I wish they’d have kept it up a little more over the years leading up to its eventual demise. At least it wasn’t left to rot away like Century III is.

I remember that day very well. It was months in the making. I planned out my shopping trip and got inspiration from my adopted family. I was also inspired by one of my former WIS coworkers who also had a cute Coach purse.

Today’s Fashionable Friday is all about my love for designer bags or, I’m not ashamed to say it, purses. This all started in early 2021, as I was eyeing up a cute bag I was interested in buying. Coach would always show up in my sponsors on Facebook (one of the few sponsors that doesn’t annoy me). I would get on to the website, preferably Coach Outlet, and do some online shopping. Before long I was wowed by some of the bags I saw. It didn’t take me to know what I wanted to buy.

I had some inspiration behind my interest in Coach. It’s not that what sparked my interest, but who sparked my interest. I worked with someone at my old job who carried a Coach purse and she got me hooked. This is the same girl I had an innocent crush on during my final years at WIS. I started posting pictures of the bag I was interested in purchasing and my adopted Momma and fashionable sister encouraged me to buy it.

While talking on Facebook, I thought about what to say if anyone raised an eyebrow as to why I was buying something like that. Sara told me,, “Don’t be ashamed. Be proud. Fashion is nothing to be ashamed of.” Paula fell in love with my bag when I showed it off at Sara and Rob’s wedding in May of 2021. My non binary journey was just getting started around this time.

Since then, I’ve purchased a few more bags and I do have a Michael Kors set in mind. It’s a 3-in-1 that includes a tote and two clutches. What can I say, I’m spoiled. A Pittsburgh foodie who I follow on Facebook encouraged me to buy it, which I will someday. If I go to the Spring conference, I might just do that.

I also own a Coach crossbody bag (which I gave to my Mom when she retired from her job in the Summer of 2021). Sara and her mom also bought me a little furry pink crossbody with a chain strap as part of my 40th birthday present. I’m going to get a rattan purse for the summer (fingers crossed we’ll still be able to go to Delaware this summer). If anything, it’ll be nice to take with me on other upcoming summer adventures which I’ll post to the blog.

I had to step away from my love of bags when I was interviewing for new jobs in the Fall of 2021 as I departed WIS for Giant Eagle. Fortunately, I’ve come to learn that Giant Eagle is an LGBTQ friendly company to work for. Also, my mother is starting to turn a corner and has become a little more accepting as of late. I know I have the rest of my family (blood and adopted) as a support system.