things I've learned as a liberal arts undergrad in an MBA program

Not too long ago, I decided I needed to stop bingeing on Netflix when I get home from work and think instead about being productive. After about a year of thinking about it (while bingeing on Netflix... multitasking), I applied to an evening MBA program, was accepted, and embarked on this adventure.

I work at a nonprofit, so I sometimes feel like a bit of an odd duck in a sea of engineers, accountants, project managers, business analysists...

But I'm enjoying it, meeting different people, and learning a lot through formal coursework and beyond.



1
Compound interest. Seriously, guys, this is something that, if you were a foolish awesome undergraduate English major like me, you need to get a handle on before you even think about it. Not for the sake of your Finance requirements; for your own well-being. Because it is not a cheap undertaking, and student loans are no joke.

2
Shark Tank. It's a thing. Everyone is talking about it. MBAs and aspiring MBAs love Shark Tank like middle-aged ladies love Dancing with the Stars.
By the way, it airs on ABC on Friday nights. Nerds.*
Until a few months ago, I thought everybody was talking about Shark Week. It turns out, the two are unrelated.

3
What "supply chain management" means. I sometimes wonder what this area has been previously called, and how it came to be known in its current iteration. There has to be something better to call it.
"Finance"?
Got it.
"Marketing"?
Got it.
"Supply Chain"?
Um...
The other day, I learned there's a debate over the difference between "supply chain" and "operations" management. I didn't realize that was a thing either, but it all hurts my brain.

4
"Triple bottom line" is a fancy way of saying you have retained your humanity. People, planet, profit.

5
Speak up. Be the alternative voice. Surprise: you're well-rounded and smart. But... don't get crazy. You also don't win any friends or change any minds when you try to discuss how McDonalds' sustainability efforts are a farce because it is the U.S.'s largest consumer of industrial beef, which is really bad for the environment.
Easy, tiger.

6
"Networking" and "work" can be fun if you enjoy the company you are in. It can also be miserable if you do not, but you gotta take the good with the bad, ya dig?

7
Don't talk about taxes. Unless you are talking about the injustice of them.

8
Free food. On the first day of a quarter, a free** dinner, no matter how mediocre or lukewarm, brings me life-affirming joy.



Probably to be continued...


*My latest Netflix binge is Star Trek: TNG, so there's that.

**Considering the program fees, these are really more like the most expensive meals I've ever eaten... But they just feel so right.

OGs, NBD, and Wedding in SD

This past weekend in San Diego, I had the great honor and pleasure of attending the wedding of one of my "Original Gs"... That's "Original Girlfriends," of course, from the friendship-bracelet-making, awkward elementary school years. It was an intimate, personal, so special ceremony and celebration. We don't see each other often, because our lives have made us different people than we were 20 years ago - as they should have - but despite that, we have shared some memorable events in the years since third grade.

Anyway, so the bridal shower was a few weeks ago, and another OG looks at my right knee and says (in an appropriate way; it's cool), "I can't believe you still have that scar!"

I didn't learn to ride a bike until college, really, and even then I never got confident enough to not fall off and gash my knee open to the point of needing several stitches... a few weeks before a trip to Vegas we had planned in honor of OG #2's university graduation... in May.

Blood. Loss of consciousness. Dad and brother freaking out. It was not a pretty sight.

Even after I was patched up and bandaged, I was so embarrassed by my war wound that I insisted on long pants to hide and almost bailed on the trip. I didn't, (looking back, it mustn't have been THAT bad) but it was MAY in VEGAS. So I got sick of sweltering in jeans and finally embraced my frankenleg.

Back to the bridal shower: I begin to affirm that yes, I do, and yes it was atrocious, and yes it's still pretty bad... when she says "You ROCKED those stitches!"

Um, what's that you say? Because all I remember is the shame.

--

Anyway, the moral is: Rock the stitches and the bandage and the scar that follows. It's not a big deal. Or maybe it is, but honestly who cares, let alone in six years.

Or the moral is: Teach your kids to ride bikes when they're young. Even if they're stubbornly resistant and hopelessly clumsy.

--

Ps. It should be noted that we rented and rode bikes all around Pacific/Mission Beach on Saturday. I did not crash once.

Like. A. Boss.

Pps. What an awesome couple and beautiful wedding. I'm still shining from the gratitude and joy at having been included in such a special occasion.

Are you serious with this view, cocktail hour?

"We go together like..."

D'AAAAAAW

Cute details abound.

We clean up OK.

Bonus: I managed to spend a weekend in San Diego without completely blowing my budget, so... great success.

I still exist!

Hey there!



I still exist!

Meh, these things happen. It's the circle of life, and it moves us all... away from our constructive internet endeavors and onto Buzzfeed or whatever.

Inspired in large part by a couple friends who are carving out time in their days to create conversation on the internet, I am going to try to update this more often. For now...

Reading...

So much.

First, a recap: when I haven't been looking at gifs of the cutest animal bffs or other top (#) lists of the (superlative) (adjective) (category), I have been working my way halfway through an MBA program. I'm already halfway there! Because I hate myself love to learn, I'm taking summer school, just for funsies. But seriously, a supply chain elective popped up over the summer: Sustainability and Social Responsibility, and I couldn't pass that up. So...

1. a bunch of HBR cases.
2. just finished volume one of Saga. Volume two is on hold at the library. Since I started this MBA program, it's been hard to get into and finish novels. I've found that this sporadic and unpredictable time is a great opportunity to pick up graphic novels and comic series I've been meaning to look into but always take a back seat to the mile-long list of novels I want to read. Though by no means superficial or childish, they're easier for me to digest (#3 below is an exception...), and the lengths of chapters are more standardized than novels' chapters. I can read a novel and finish a 5-page chapter, then unwittingly commit to a 35-page chapter. I know what I'm getting into here.
3. just finished The Watchmen. I can now believe the hype. Super complex and overlapping story lines, really poignant and interesting social insights delivered and philosophical questions raised. My only complaint is that the female characters are a) few and far between and b) kind of one-dimensional.
4. Lean In. I multitask books pretty hard.
5. the first book in a fantasy series on one of the aforementioned "# superlative adjective category" lists of what I should read while waiting for the next A Song of Ice and Fire / Game of Thrones book. Acacia: the War with the Mein. Which reminds me: GRRM, I'm talking to you:



Eating...

Smoothies for breakfast every day this week. Thank you, beautiful bf.

Watching...

The Mind of a Chef (aforementioned beautiful bf's fault). It's (pretty intentionally and unabashedly) a younger version of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations; it's even narrated by Mr. Bourdain. I enjoy the travel and culture aspect, but they cut up a lot of meat on camera, of which I can only take so much.

Props to...

The Phoenix Public Library system for having everything I want and keeping this town on the map in this area with the best of them. Seriously, I can't say enough good things about Phoenix's library system. A major reason I live where I live is because of proximity to the central branch, which is awesome.

Can't wait for...

San Diego so soon for a wedding, a long weekend (!!!), and maybe even a surfing session. My arms hurt just thinking about it.

Matey gets laid off

It's true.

Thursday, around 11:15 in the morning, right when I was warming up and making the "just one more thing before lunch" bargain with my rumbly tummy, I was called into an office with two "VP of Important" titles and the Something-or-Other of Employee Relations.

"Something, something, strategic reorganization, something, 15 positions, something, something, your position was among those determined to be eliminated."

I am now among the thousands of Americans who have been laid off. It's an interesting feeling.

I'm not worried yet, just drinking wine and making snacks for my best friend's bridal shower tomorrow. I have some options and a severance, which is better than most in this situation can claim.

Speaking of options.
I was offered a position at the organization. It's different than my current position and maybe not what I would choose.
I was offered the opportunity to apply for a position closely related to my current/former position, but it's not a sure thing.
Destruction is the beginning of creation. Adventure time.

The Cheesiest

I must begin this post, as I have begun several, in lauding the genius of The PPK. Isa Chandra Moskowitz is absolutely brilliant when it comes to vegan comfort food. 

One of the comfort foods I miss most is dip. I'm only a little embarrassed by the degree of happiness Velveeta and Rotel queso and all the sour cream possibilities give me. I've long argued that the perfect meal consists of dip. Just dip. When no one is looking, The only thing I dip is a spoon.

I made this cashew queso a few weeks ago, and though it makes about a quart, between the man and I (let's be honest, mostly me) it was gone in just a few days. So good. I decided to make some adjustments for a cheese with more cheesy bite and less queso spice. Then I tasted it when it was about done and wanted to eat it with a spoon without any judgment. So this happened:

Broccoli Potato Cheese Soup
1 c cashews, soaked in water for at least 2 hours or overnight
2 c vegetable broth
2 Tbsp white miso (see recipe note)
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 c sauerkraut
3 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
2 tsp salt

2 c almond milk

2 c vegetable broth

1 c broccoli, chopped as small as you want

1 c potato, chopped as small as you want

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Drain cashews and blend with 2 c veggie broth, miso, and cornstarch. Blend for about 5 minutes, until the cashews are as fine as possible.

Cook the onion, sauerkraut, and garlic until soft, but don't overcook it. Blend with the cashew mixture until the consistency is smooth. Add the mixture to a large pot with the potato, broccoli, salt, almond milk, and remaining vegetable broth. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until the broccoli and potato are soft. Add the lemon juice toward the end. Season to taste.

This was pretty much the most wonderful cure for my cheese cravings that I've had as a semi-vegan. I'm pretty confident when I say I'd choose it over The Blue Box. Coming from me, that's really saying something.

A vegan who sins

Well, new job means no time, as evidenced by the two-month hiatus. Two months isn't that long.

Day 17 and on: Success. Mostly.

I had a conversation at happy hour a few weeks ago about how flexible you can be with a very strictly defined diet like veganism, and how realistic those strict definitions are. Maybe it's just because I'm more conscious of what I'm eating, but it seems that's the trend among everyone else, too. Everyone is thinking about not just animal products and processed foods, but gluten and GMOs and local and live/raw. It gets really complicated as you try to do more of the right things, and it gets darn near impossible to do all the right things. You could make a part-time job of your diet without even trying very hard. That's not real life.

So, here's the analogy we came up with. You can be a good Catholic and still miss Mass sometimes and covet things. You can be a good Muslim and have a tattoo and alcohol.  
It's not really about the sins. It's about the good things you do. It's the intent.
The person I talked this all out with eats meat on the weekends only, which is awesome. Even my die-hard omnivorous friends are celebrating Meatless Mondays. It's about being mindful.

So, I'm perfectly happy and confident being a vegan who sins. I love eating less cheese... but I like eating a little cheese once in a while.
We had a cute date night yesterday and ended up at the Sugar Bowl. What beats coffee and ice cream (and pink) after a cute date?

It's about keeping it real and having your heart in the right place. That feels good.

Day 2 and Day 1: The First 48

My meat/egg/dairy-free diet debuted yesterday for Sunday football at the boyfriend's favorite bar (just a few hours in, vegan diet inspires me to peacemaking and compromise).  My lumberjack of a man who loved bacon when I met him and secretly still does (don't we all?) has been mostly vegetarian for a year and started testing the waters of this experiment a few days before I did.

Whenever the vegan (or vegetarian, for that matter) topic comes up, there's always the "But what about..." conversation.  Is there dairy/egg in the dough of your cheeseless pizza?  Is there any non-vegan hot sauce?  Can you still eat honey? (The consensus was no one better dare take away my honey.)

There may have been milk or egg in the dough of our cheeseless pizza, but if there was, it was a long shot and unnecessary.  My beer may have been not vegan.  How does this work; do I ask for a list of ingredients for everything that might have animal somewhere along on its path to my plate?  I'd rather not.

"When it comes down to it, you're cutting out 99.9% of what you should, and the rest is kind of inevitable."

I've shied away from the word "vegetarian" for the past year or so because then you launch into the lacto-ovo-pesca-convo, which is exhausting.  I just quietly order the meatless option and call myself a "I don't really eat meat."  With vegan, it's a little harder.  I want to talk about it, but I don't want to invite contention.  I want to make a lifestyle choice and be proud of it, but I don't want to make a statement.  When I see groups leafleting the horrors of factory farms, I'm reinforced in my decision because it really is an awful industry, but I also find the whole scene a little amusing.  Like giving small plastic fetuses to kids at my Catholic high school or picketing Planned Parenthood with graphic posters.  It's either proof or propaganda; awful or amusing.

Today I ate...
Cocoa vegan overnight oats
Wrap with hummus + tomato + roasted green chile
Wee hmong cucumber (cute, crispy, sweet)
Apple
Tortilla with almond butter and agave nectar (not because I can't eat honey, because I CAN and I WILL... anyway...)
Daiya quesadilla (lots of tortillas today)

I didn't feel like mid-morning and post-lunch naps, and I didn't feel hungry.  I feel ready for bed but not exhausted,  despite having woken up at 5:10 for Ultimate Booty Body Camp.