Notes for "The Bachelor"

So I'm not gonna lie...last night's Bachelor finale was ridiculous. For those of you who didn't watch, Jason (the Bachelor) chose (and proposed to) Melissa, then came to the "After the Rose" show, broke up with Melissa and asked Molly (the runner up, if you will) to try things again. Oh goodness...

I didn't know where to begin, so I have put together some notes for dear old, desperate Jason...

• The Bachelor/The Bachelorette is not conducive to finding true love. You tried with DeAnna, Melissa, and now Molly (yes, sadly I have watched this all unfold). While some may applaud your ability to "put yourself out there" in the hopes of finding love, I say you need to face the facts...fantasy dates and dream vacations are not reality. It may be time to try another approach.
• NEVER propose to a girl when you admit, several times in fact, that at that time you proposed you had fallen in love with TWO girls. If you are honestly in love with 2 girls, which is hard for me to fathom, I'm pretty sure you shouldn't have proposed to either of them. I can't speak for all women, but I know when I have someone propose to me, I better be the only love interest in his life.
• Never dump a girl, let alone your fiance, on national television. It is not fair to her. And I do not care if ABC decided to take away the studio audience (note to ABC, this was a pitiful attempt to show some sort of decency) because of the emotional gravity of the situation. Maybe you should have considered the fact that millions were still watching on television? Just a thought. Heaven forbid anything happen without TV cameras to take it all in.
• Do not kiss a girl 30 minutes after you dump your fiance. Not very classy and certainly not respectful in any way to the girl you previously wanted to spend your life with. Give her a full hour at least (note sarcasm).
• Oh the tears...seriously Jason? I know you've had a tough road to finding love, but the mass amount of tears that were flowing last night are not helping your case when it comes to your next love quest (yes, I am predicting this will not work out, but I could be wrong).

I'm done ranting for now...unfortunately there is another hour of the show tonight to finish out this drama. More ranting may be necessary...sorry.

The Dreaded Question

It happens all the time, the dreaded question. Sometimes it can come out of nowhere, but the majority of the time, you can see it coming, you know you will have to face it, but you still hold on with some sliver of hope that the subject will be evaded.

I'm sure most of you can figure out exactly what I'm talking about when I refer to "the dreaded question." It's those few short words every single person hates to hear strung together...

"So, are you dating anyone?"

Mind you, this question can come in many forms (some do manage to get creative with it), but no matter how the question is phrased, it does not get any easier.

It's not that I don't appreciate people wanting to know what is going on in my life, the worst part about this question is the reaction. Once you reply "no" to this question, there are a few responses you will get, which I (along with my sister), have divided into 5 types.

The first type of response that comes to mind is the "advice-giver." Now those that respond this way do have the best of intentions, but their advice can usually can be wittled down to two things...you are either doing too much or not enough. It's just that simple.

The second reaction we will refer to as "thin veiled disappointment." It's the small reaction you can almost miss if you aren't paying attention. The look of dissatisfaction that briefly passes across their face, which is quickly followed by some prompt response in an effort to backtrack out of the conversation.

Thirdly, we have the "awkward silence." I never quite understood the phrase "silent but deadly" until now. It's the moment where apparently no words in the English language (or any language for that matter) can account for the fact that you are not dating anyone. Awesome.

The fourth reaction is "encouragement," whereby the asker proceeds to follow-up their question with kind words meant to ensure you retain at least a portion of the dignity you held at the beginning of the conversation, telling you that "you'll find someone soon," "it'll happen when you least expect it" and one of my personal favorites, "you're still so young, you have plenty of time."

Finally, we have the person with "rescuer syndrome." I give this person credit because even though they did bring up a somewhat awkward subject for the single person, they are quick on their feet and manage to change the subject seemlessly, allowing for the minimal amount of attention given towards the topic at hand.

Well, that's all I've got for now. I'll let you know if I discover a sixth :)

Morning Dilemmas

7:30 - Initial alarm clock goes off.
Last Night's Reasoning: It may be my day off, but I can't sleep the day away. I would like to be able to go to sleep at a decent time before work on Tuesday.
This Morning: 7:30am? Seriously? I don't think so. That was definitely wishful thinking on my part last night. I'm just gonna roll back over and sleep a little longer...

8:30 - More of the Same.
There is no way I slept an hour, it felt like 5 minutes. Let's think this through...I can still make that workout class I was planning at 9:30am. Actually, I can still make that workout class AND get a little more sleep. Now, what's the latest time I can wake up and make it out of bed and to 24 hour fitness...

9:10 - Loud Noises!
2 Alarm Clocks are blaring on either side of my bed.
Well, I really should get up. If I move quickly, I can make that workout class...who am I kidding, I don't "move quickly" at any point in the morning. Who goes to these early morning workout classes anyways? They must be out of their minds. I will just have to workout on my own, apart from the crazies...oooh, and this way I can "get up" but can stay in bed as long as I want

9:12 - Ellen v. Bobby Bones
The first serious dilemma of my day off has come. I may have managed to sort through the sleep/workout dilemma earlier this morning with flying colors, but now comes the true struggle. Ellen comes on at 9am in Austin, and I love Ellen! Plus I never watch it now that I work...BUT what about Bobby Bones??? I am a loyal listener of his morning show everyday on the way in to work and he is on until 10am, just like Ellen. I can't just abandon Bobby, Amy and LB! What to do???

9:12 - 9:15 Serious Strategy Session

9:15 - Why Can't You have it all?
In order to not hurt Ellen or Bobby's feelings, I have managed to have both on at the same time. Some may think chaos would ensue, but I luckily have mastered my volume skills, and subtly switch back and forth between the two as needed without actually turning either one off. Thank goodness for commercials that don't overlap too much.

9:34 - First Phone Call
Who in the world would call at such a time? Bobby is in the middle of, no doubt, an intelligent discussion that will no doubt change my life (discussing Jessica Simpson's onstage breakdown), while Ellen is interviewing John Mayer. Could there be a more inconvenient time?
I look at the phone and realize I do not know who it is. Some stranger picked up the phone at 9:33 and decided that would be a great time to call me. Just wonderful...I will not pick up. If it's really important, they'll leave a message.

9:36 - Voicemail
I'm not sure who called me, but they have managed to take up the last 2 minutes of my morning, not to mention Bobby and Ellen's time, how dare they do such a thing! Now I have to check out who called...apparently it is someone from the Chevrolet dealership. Nevermind the fact that I visited the Chevy place over a month ago, clearly this was the best time to call and check in on me. One word...delete!

10:00 - It's Over
Well, no more Bobby/Ellen. Unfortunately I have discovered that morning tv/radio inevitably goes downhill starting at 10am. Guess I have no other choice than to get out of bed. I guess I can manage...I could get used to these lazy mornings :)

To My Lifelong Friend

I have some amazing friends. Friends who I would not trade for the world. To be honest, I have never needed to have a ton of friends or people around me, and often I can be slow to let people in. However, there are those people in my life, my best friends, who I can say anything to, who love me right where I am, and I realize I am incredibly lucky to know these people.

Today, I was fortunate enough to hang with my one truly lifelong friend. I am so lucky to be able to claim that I have literally been best friends with her since the day I was born. While we may be busy living our separate lives, she is someone who I truly cherish every moment I have with her. So Julie, this blog is dedicated to you.

Julie, you are one of the strongest and most courageous women I have ever met. I truly admire you for so many things. I love that we have known each other our entire lives. I love that we can sit and laugh over 22 (almost 23!) years of memories, and it never gets old. I love that no matter how long we go without talking or seeing each other, we always pick up exactly where we left off. I love that you can make me laugh like no one else can, that I can forget anything and everything that's going on when I'm with you. I love that I know I can talk to you about anything. I love that you support me and are excited for me in everything I do. I love to watch you with your kids, so composed and loving, constantly putting them above your own needs. I love your infectious personality, your ability to lift the spirits of everyone around you and make them want to be around you more.

Most of all, I just love you for exactly who you are. You are an absolutely irreplaceable best friend. I can't wait to see where life takes us. I know that no matter where we go and what we do, we will always be a part of each other's lives. All I can say is thank you. Thank you for being who you are and loving me for who I am. Thank you for sticking by my side for all these years. You have blessed my life in so many ways, and I am looking forward to what's to come.

Confessions of a Workaholic

Hello, my name is Rachel Isenhower, and I am a workaholic.

There. I did it. It's officially out there.

Whew, that wasn't as scary as I thought it would be.

I remember starting my job 8 months ago and having no clue what I was getting into. I had fun making friends in the office and enjoying the little perks that came with my first job...first official business cards, the name plate on the door, a DOOR for goodness sakes (I never realized quite how valuable this would really be).

Well time has flown by and things have changed, but I honestly can admit that I truly love my job, which I feel very fortunate to be able to say. Despite enjoying what i do, the truth of the matter is, I work too much.

If you're not convinced of this fact, and I'm sure many of you already are, below you will find my "10 Confessions of a Workaholic"...if this doesn't prove it I don't know what will.

1. Getting in to work early or staying late is part of my regular routine. It's amazing what you can get done outside of the hours of 8-5. I actually enjoy getting in early or staying late...you would be amazed how much you can get done when you're not interrupted.
2. It is normal for me to head into the office on a Saturday or Sunday for a few hours...even if it's just to straighten things up so I feel better when I come in on Monday to start the work week.
3. I have, on occasion, skipped lunch entirely to get more work done (and here comes the true confession...I have even been tempted with a trip to Chickfila and still turned it down).
4. My home page on my laptop is no longer ESPN, it is now Cvent, our online registration system for our events. (When you are faced with strict budgets and meeting attendance numbers, you'd be a little obsessive about how many people were registered too.)
5. This is a big one...I have regular encounters with the cleaning crew (due to #1 and #2) and we are even on a first name basis now. I'm quite proud.
6. I panicked a week ago when my BlackBerry stopped receiving my work emails...you would've thought the world was coming to an end.
7. I get excited about organizing my events into pretty binders. I also am thrilled at the fact that I have a ginormous dry erase board covering an entire wall of my office, which I have taped off into a grid and which maps out all of our events for 2009. It makes me smile everytime I see it (almost as much as the BB&B towel section...if you don't get this last comment it's ok, I only reveal this to a very few)
8. I am pretty positive my office has to order three times as many Diet Dr. Peppers as they previously did before I started working there...thank goodness for the refrigerator stocked with caffeinated drinks, it's a wonder what those sodas can do for you when you start fading :)
9. I have managed to convince myself that having 7 days of vacation left over from 2008 and having to use it by the end of February is a problem. I know, I'm crazy...there's just so much going on it never seems like a good time to take off. Plus it seems easier to go to work than to have to play catch-up.
10. Since starting 8 months ago, Christmas was the first time I took off time and didn't even open my laptop or work on an event. It really was a relief, and something I definitely need more of (yay for my next vacay...Boston 2009!).

Well, it's out there now. While I do think it is good to be devoted to your job, I'll be the first to admit it's probably not the healthiest lifestyle. I really do believe I have finally come to the point where I realize that I cannot let my job take over my life, like it probably has slowly but steadily done over the past 8 months.

In the end, while I do love my job, that's all it is...a job. I do believe I need to work hard and invest myself in my workplace for multiple reasons, but at the same time I can't let my work define who I am. I'm thankful to have people in my life who remind me of this.

So, now that it's out there, I guess it's time to find out if admittance is the first step to recovery. Only time will tell!

It's That Time of the Year Again

It's that time of the year again...that oh so sweet time when college football seems to consume every weekend. Where every Saturday begins with Kirk and the boys on College Game Day and ends with a Sportscenter recap. It's a beautiful thing, college football season.





The season inevitably begins with the hope that UT will pull off a miraculous run which will culminate in another national championship. Where all UT fans, including myself, seem to think and almost believe that all of the prior season's shortcomings may have been resolved. In all reality, it will be the typical season in which I find myself yelling at the tv, wondering why Greg Davis still has a job, and trying to figure out what happened to our pass coverage while of course wishing this entire time that Vince Young could return and bring back the glory days. Those glorious days where we only stayed at UT Football games a little past halftime and then left since the game was a blowout and raced to the nearest tv to watch one of the other ranked teams struggle with their opponents...those were the good old days.

Despite the fact that the season will most likely not end up with UT going undefeated, I can't help but get excited about every college football season. I look forward to the Saturdays to come over the next few months, Saturdays filled with rivalries and upsets, Saturdays where all I do is turn on the tv and watch game after game. And even if the college football season turns out to be lackluster and disappointing, college basketball season is just around the corner...I will always have March Madness :)

The Taste of Victory

I want to be great.

What else can you say after watching Michael Phelps in the Olympics? Being ordinary is no longer good enough. I watched this twenty-three year old break world records. I watched him win by a body length, and win by a fingertip. I watched him do the improbable, to many the impossible. I watched him win on the world’s biggest stage over and over and over again. I watched Michael represent his country on the gold medal stand 8 times, and 8 times I tried to imagine what it would feel like to have that kind of success, to have such a lifelong dream fulfilled.

I think the majority of Americans (or at least all true Americans) sat and watched and cheered for Michael as he won his races, and secretly all hoped that we could experience just a bit of his success. That maybe, just for a moment, we could discover a talent, an ability, a characteristic that would propel us to such an extraordinary level of greatness. That all eyes, including our own, would be opened to that one special thing that would forever separate us from those around us, that our unique greatness would be realized and celebrated.

I can’t help but sit back and think about Michael’s overwhelming feat, and I keep wondering…is it enough? Sure this kid is going to take some time off and bask in the glory of this unbelievable achievement, but will it be enough? I don’t think so.

And that’s what I love about him. I think he realizes this profound accomplishment is a reason to celebrate, but I also think after a few weeks or a month or so, he will be right back in the water, pushing towards some new goal. He won’t bask in the glory of these Beijing Olympics for too long. Sure, he’ll enjoy his SI cover and his ESPN classic moments and the loads of endorsements that will continue to pile in, but this kid is not going to stop. He is going to continue to do what he loves, knowing that he can always push himself a little further.

So while the rest of America sits in amazement, he will toil away. Which leaves me asking myself, what am I working for? Is there anything in my life that I approach with the same intensity and outright passion Michael shows for swimming?

Many people say that the victory is not near as sweet without the struggle, and I believe that. I believe that we have to fight for what we want and who we want to be. 1 Timothy 6:12 says…

“Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

My fight may not break headlines or cause the world to take notice of me. It may not bring me fame or fortune. But if I truly believe the words of 1 Timothy 6:12, I will push myself farther and harder, welcoming the struggle I have been called to.

Michael Phelps’ gold medals and numerous wins are no doubt impressive. But I believe my God’s victory is something that is truly untouchable. Michael’s feat may someday be out done. But HIS victory will stand forever, HIS greatness cannot be matched.