" T-DAY

My mother informed me last week that since it was just going to be the four of us this year that I would be learning how to cook the turkey and mom’s famous stuffing. I made sure to warn her that depending on the previous night’s activities I may not be of much help. Thankfully I took it easy Wednesday night, mainly due to the fact that there were so many people out you couldn’t get a drink even if you wanted to.

8:15 AM - My alarm goes off

8:35 AM – I get out of bed, reluctantly

9:06 AM - I challenge my mother to a race to see who can break up the bread for the stuffing fastest. Last year she won by a lot. This year I inform her that I have been knitting, often. She declines the contest stating that we have enough for the stuffing. I could see the fear of defeat in her eyes.

9:21 AM – Turkey is in the oven, time for breakfast, which I don’t have to cook. Woo Hoo

11:19 AM – Apparently I’m not cooking the entire dinner, just dressing the bird. Good to know. I set the table instead.

12:03 PM – The turkey looks good despite the fact that I haven’t had much interaction with it. I’m super hungry and the aroma in here isn’t helping any. (What’s there to snack on?) Let’ just eat now people.

12:35 PM – The turkey is done. It’s golden brown and I’m super hungry, now comes the gravy making…always a scary process in my house. I hope it comes out ok.

12:44 PM – I’m asked to make the green bean casserole. I like this, and sneak as many of those fried onion things as I can before I’m told to stop. Also, here’s a tip, the original recipe called for a splash or two of Worcestershire sauce.

12:53 PM – I have my first (and by first I mean first ever) Rob Roy. A holiday tradition in the Harkins household is the Rob Roy, a powerful drink otherwise known as a Scotch Manhattan. The Rob Roy is an unspoken but understood right of adulthood for the Harkins family. I’m honored to be able to partake. It’s not too bad, a little strong but I get two cherries, and lots of ice.

1:30 PM – Tension mounts as the gravy is almost done and there are three people in a relatively small space while the final touches are being done and food is being put on the table. My brother is getting a lesson on how to properly carve a turkey, something every man should know apparently.

1:45 PM – WE FEAST!

2:23 PM – I’m stuffed, everything was amazing this year. Gravy came out very well too. Maybe it was the addition of the Rob Roy. Hmmm. I’d really like to take a nap but we are heading to my grandfather’s house in half an hour and that’s not enough time to nap like I’m thinking of napping.

3:02 PM – I hear the closet door open and I wake up not knowing where I was. I guess there was time to nap after all.

4:30PM – I realize I’m thankful for one more thing. I’m thankful for the time I get to spend with my grandfather. He’s a pretty cool guy, I’m glad I’ve been able to get to know him.

9:30 PM – I tried so hard not to have a “late night” snack this year. I even ate an apple in an attempt to hold me over till morning before I ended up at the kitchen counter turkey, gravy and rolls in hand.

10:30 PM – Bedtime, finally

All in all, it was a pretty good day. We laughed a lot and ate a lot, two things I absolutely love to do.

- Harkins "

" HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Being that it is Thanksgiving, I thought it would be appropriate to share some of the things that I am thankful for this year.

My Family : Sure it's the cliche answer but I'm serious. As annoying as it can be living with them, they did welcome me into their home when I needed a place to go and I'm very thankful for that.

My Friends : They are the ones, new and old, who have helped me through some trying times this year, opened my eyes to new ideas, pushed me to do things I never thought I would do and literally have shown me the world. I'm so thankful to have such wonderful people in my life and I hope that they know that.

The Community : I have met and gotten to know so many people in the community over the past four years and they have all shown me what a wonderful place this is to live it. At times the drive and enthusiasm to make Auburn a better place just fills the air and that inspires me to continue working in the community.

My Job : With the economy the way it is I'm thankful to have a job. And I'm thankful to have had the opportunity to learn so much while I've been at The Citizen, especially from my former boss, Rick.

Snow : We've had lots of snow so far this year and I'm super thankful for that!

YOU! My blog readers! Thank you for reading about my crazy life and sticking around for my posts. I promise more to come!

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday, safe travels, and many memories!

- Harkins "

" Thank you plasmatronix! I completely understand your concerns for career opportunities here. I think a lot of us are thinking the same thing.

I have to believe though that there are and there will be positions here but if people decide not to retire as early due to recent market issues, then we are out of luck because new positions probably won't be available either.

I do think that as Auburn evolves over the next couple years, there will be more opportunities here, but it will probably be a waiting game but those of us who are around will certainly reap the benefits.

- Harkins "

" I'm so sorry about your cat. Losing a pet after having her as a companion for that long is always difficult.

I agree that nice housing in downtown Auburn would be great. My husband and I definitely would have considered buying a condo/loft type place in downtown Auburn when we were looking last year (we are 30 now). It would be fun to live within walking distance to groceries, restaurants, and shops.

I think that career opportunities are a concern for young professionals. My husband works remotely for a tech company in the DC area. Auburn is set up really well for remote work like this...lots of high-speed internet options, stores that supply needed business items, reasonable distance to the airport for business travel, and a low cost of living. I do worry, however, that it would be very difficult to find similar work with comparable pay that is based in this area. This area is also great for those (like me) who are constantly working to further their education. We have such great colleges and universities in the area. I've been working on becoming a psychologist and have attended Cayuga Community College, Syracuse U., and SUNY Oswego. They are fantastic schools that offer so much to the area and Auburn is in a great location for educational opportunities. "

" AUBURN IS AWESOME!

On Wednesday night I attended the city’s Comprehensive Plan meeting. There was a fantastic turnout, about 80 people showed up. What was even more exciting was the fact that there were so many young professionals there!

I can’t tell you how encouraging that is! Not only did we show the city that young people are interested in how Auburn progresses, but that we are willing to take the time to participate in it too.

A lot of emphasis was placed on downtown housing. As I’ve said before I truly believe that downtown housing is key to the future of Auburn. I for one would be so excited to live downtown and I can’t wait until I find a good opportunity. From the other yp’s at the meeting it sounds like they would like to live downtown too.

Another great point was brought up that if you want yp’s to be in the area and stay here we need a career to follow. And that means jobs, jobs, jobs.
I think that businesses downtown are coming along and I’m excited about that but we do need more places to hang out and socialize especially as single young professionals. And with the more people that I talk to, the more I find out that not everyone wants to go to a bar. That’s why places like Auburn Public Theater and the Riverbend coffee are so important for Auburn.

The fact that the city is asking the public to participate in such an important process shows that they are not only dedicated to this project but open to new ideas and are really interested in creating a place where all of us are excited to be. And that’s just as exciting as the process itself.

- HARKINS

P.S. If you we're able to attend one of the meetings but have things you'd like to see addressed by the city, email your ideas to: sselvek@ci.auburn.ny.us "

" MUFFIN

November has never been a good month for me and today hasn’t exactly helped its cause.

My parents gave me, and technically my brother too, a kitten when I started the 3rd grade so that I would have something to come home to for the five minutes that I would be home alone between when the bus dropped me off and someone came home. I was instantly attached.

Since then she’s been my blanket when I’m sick, a confidant when I was upset, and an absolute joy to have around. She was a great cat, very curious, she loved to explore and she had a purr so loud you could hear her in the next room.

Today she will be put to rest after almost 20 years of life. She’s sick and not doing well and now it’s only a matter of time. I was hoping she would have died in her sleep so that I wouldn’t have had to make the decision whether she should live, albeit suffering through the last days, or if she should be put to sleep. My father thinks its best, and it probably is. I can tell that she doesn’t really know what’s going on. I still don’t like the idea of it though.

But that’s a part of life I guess, at least I know she had a very good life.

- Harkins "

" YOU’VE GOT MAIL

Despite the fact that I’ve sworn off romantic comedies, I found myself watching a brief portion of You’ve Got Mail on TV this weekend. They were at the point where Kate, the local bookstore owner, was speaking to Joe, the bookstore chain owner, on AOL Instant Messenger. She was saying that she was having a problem and it was about business. He, being the business maverick, offered some advice. He wrote something to the extent of: “You’ve got to fight. Fight to the death. It’s not personal, it’s business. Repeat that every day, every time you feel you’re nerve going away, remember it’s not personal, it’s business.”

That left me wondering, is it ever really just business? Can you really completely separate your personal side from your business?

Ultimately every decision you make regarding your business will affect someone, employees, stockholders, your family, other business owners. Even if you make a decision based solely on what’s good for your business that doesn’t mean that it’s good for those who are affected by it.

Some business people are known to be able to make the hard decisions, are assumed to stomp the little ones in their way and do whatever it takes to get to the top. All in the name of “it’s not personal, it’s business.”
Can’t it be said though, that saying “it’s just business” is really just a way to make yourself not feel guilty about doing something that you know is wrong?

I think no decision comes without consequence to someone. However in business you have a responsibility to make the best decisions to keep that business alive and profitable while protecting the interests of those around you. I think you can’t ever forget about how your decisions and your actions affect those who you work with. Because in my opinion it’s never “just business”, for many it is personal too.

-Harkins "

" M&M’s

Sometimes I like to stand at my desk and work. I find that it changes things up a bit during the day and I think that I am more productive when I work from an upright position too. But one of the best things about standing as opposed to sitting is that my coworkers kind of freak out. It’s not common around here for someone to stand while working, especially for long periods of time, so when I do everyone wants to know why.

So today I was standing for a little bit this morning, working on a few e-mails and a friend of mine here came over to my6 desk. He said “I bet you a large bag of M&M’s that you won’t be able to stand up at your desk for the rest of the day.” I said “you’re on” and we laid down the ground rules of said bet. Basically no sitting while he is in the building.

Now, I believe that in roughly two and a half hours I will be the proud owner of a large bag of Dark Chocolate M&M’s. That is if my legs don’t give out first.

- Harkins "

" GO VOTE

What truly impresses me about this year’s presidential campaign has been the ability to motivate millions of young professionals. Motivate them to take a vested interest in the fate of our country. They’ve been motivated to volunteer, to donate their Facebook profiles, and to actually vote in this election. I hate to say it but to have that kind of impact on my generation is a feat in itself.

Don’t get me wrong we want to be involved, we are interested in politics, but more than all that we want to be heard. We want to feel like our voice matters and our vote counts. We’ve finally been able to find that with this election.

About a month ago I was out in Syracuse at a bar, just hanging out with some friends. For a moment I found myself drifting away from the conversation with my friends and I noticed the other conversations happening around me. They were talking about the election; everyone around me was talking politics. I never thought I would see the day where so many of my peers would be talking politics in a bar over a few beers.

But really that’s exactly what needs to happen. We need to keep the conversation going. We need to continue to have this vested interest into what our local, state and national government is doing. Because no matter who wins this election, we are the ones who lose if we go back to blatantly ignoring what happens with our government.

- Harkins


“It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us …that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” - Abraham Lincoln, The Gettysburg Address "

" iPod

How professional is it to use an iPod or similar device while at work?

Perhaps your job involves a lot of data entry and the music helps you get through the day. Maybe the tunes help you write a story or sort through a pile of paperwork. Or maybe you just need to drown out the din of your coworkers.

Is an iPod really any different than a radio though? Both transfer music from one source to a listener, they just use different means to do so.

I’m sitting here typing names and addresses into a database, a necessary evil of my job as a marketer. I’ve got my headphones and I’m listening to music through an internet site called Pandora.com. I only have one ear bud in though because I need to be able to hear when people need me or if the phone rings and I can’t do that when I’ve got both ear buds in.

But I’m sitting here thinking about how it must look. I’ve got a button down shirt on with a sweater over it, I think I look pretty professional and then there is a bright white cord hanging off of my head. Does having earphones and personal music sources make it look like that person is disinterested in working? Or perhaps that they are concentrating that much more on what they are doing? Is it more a sign of the times than anything else?

Frankly, if I had my own office I wouldn’t need a personal music source because I would be able to listen to the radio with the door shut, not bothering anyone. And if that’s the case, does that action seem any less professional? If not, then why would using an iPod seem that way?

Maybe it’s the occasional dancing in my chair and lip syncing along with the music that’s a bit more unprofessional. :-P

- Harkins "

" PARTY TIME...EXCELLENT

After a practically summer-long party, I think it’s time to slow down. It’s getting cooler out, my favorite TV shows are back on, and I’d like to cuddle on the couch with a blanket and my knitting. So when I went home “early” the other night, I could understand why people would be so confused, even a little upset. For as long as they’ve known me, I’ve been game for going out and staying up way too late. Well now I’m a little more interested in hibernating for the winter and it’s a change.

I warned them that I wouldn’t be going out so much. I don’t think that they really believed me.

Sure we’re young, we like to have fun, and we have the energy to stay up all night and then get up for work in the morning. But at some point I think that every young professional needs to be able to say, “Hey, I need to tone it down a little. I need to take a break.”
But how do you balance that need to take care of yourself with spending time with your friends? Especially when you are someone like me who wants to spend time with them and doesn’t want to disappoint people, but also really likes having that alone time to recharge the batteries.

I really feel like this summer was my way of getting back that part of college that I felt like I didn’t get to participate enough in. And that was great and just what I needed, but now I feel like I’ve got to “grow up” again and realize my limitations.

Does that mean I’m lame? Or boring? Not at all, in fact when someone says something like that to me for going home “early” I now think maybe they are really the ones with the guilt, not me.

- Harkins "

" COUGH, COUGH

It’s cold season here at 25 Dill Street and I’m quasi-sick.

I woke up Sunday not feeling well at all. I could barely talk because my throat was so dry and scratchy. I got better throughout the day and Monday I woke up feeling a lot better but still coughing and a very dry throat. Today isn’t much better, but not any worse.

I really don’t like this kind of sickness where you feel ok during the day and as soon as you lay down at night you can’t stop coughing. It really wrecks what could be a good night’s sleep.

One of the things that I have become rather interested in the past couple years is natural remedies. Right now I’m treating my cold with a teaspoon of honey every day, green tea with triple Echinacea, non-mentholated cough drops and lots of homemade soups. It seems to be helping so far. My plan for tonight is to boil some water and then add a few drops of rosemary oil, put a towel over my head and breathe in the steam.

Even with all of these precautions I’m still a little worried that this cold may end up getting the better of me.
So, I’m trying to take it easy this week, get to bed early (even though I can’t sleep) and not be out so much.

What do you think? Are natural remedies worth the hassle?

- HARKINS "

" ONE PERSON

Isn’t it funny how a random stranger can instantly change your life or how you think?

A friend and I were sitting in a booth at the bar this weekend and it was close to closing time. We had been catching up on the good, the bad and the boys (or lack thereof) in our lives when this woman came over and sat down. We had no idea who she was. She had been dressed up for Halloween, a witch, and let’s just say, seemed to have had a good time that night.

While we didn’t tell her much, she was keen to tell us a portion of her life story. I think she was speaking more about her own problems and things she’s learned from that but what she said to us was spot on to what we had been chatting about earlier. Her words resonated with us and were probably just what we needed to hear too. I wonder if she somehow knew that.

We hear all the time how a smile can brighten someone’s day, but do we ever think about how our dangerous lane changes while going up Genesee Street hill affect a stranger’s day? Or what about helping someone with their groceries? Or the snappy remark made to a friend?

It’s just amazing to me how much affect we have on the world every day and we don’t realize it. That thought certainly reminds me to think twice before I act.

So thank you random woman, you certainly helped us look at a different side of things, and made for an interesting end to the night.

- HARKINS "

" SOMETHING BETTER

Bottled water will make you sick.

That’s the latest scare tactic headline. I actually kind of hope it works. Between the plastic used to make the bottles that is dumped into our landfills, and the fact that many times it’s not any cleaner than tap water, oh and that pesky problem of chemicals leaching into the water from the “convenient” plastic bottle it’s hard not to be scared of it.

It just makes me so upset that we can continue to allow chemicals to be used in common practice that are known to be cancer causing or extremely harmful to human health. For example the government has known for over 50 years that PVC’s are a carcinogen and yet they’re used all around us.

If we know that something is going to make people sick, or even has the potential of it and we can regulate its usage, why, why, why let it continue to be used?

Let’s be the innovators that this country should be and not for the sake of profit. Let’s innovate because it’s the right thing to do, because it keeps our families safe and protects the only environment we have to live in.

There’s got to be a safer way to package a beverage that doesn’t allow for chemicals to be leached into the liquid that it’s carrying. There are better ways to clean your home so that chlorine bleach doesn’t get into our water supply. And there are better options than bottled water, much less convenient, but better.

- Harkins "

" SILVER BELLS

From chorus and the violin at Owasco Elementary to proudly playing my clarinet in the Maroon Vanguard Marching Band and church choir at Canisius College, music has always been a part of my life.

If I really really really really like a song I have to know the words to it. I will replay it over and over just to get all the lyrics right. Although that usually ends with me not listening to the song for a while, but at least I know I’m prepared should the situation pop up that I need to lyrically duel someone.

I think in our day and age though it’s hard not to get away from music. We’ve got radios and cd players in the car, iPods in our ears and headphones hooked to the computer. To have a gathering without music playing in the background is torture for some. Let’s not even talk about the cruel and unusual punishment of a car ride without music.

As much as I love it, I have to wonder, have we been trained to be constantly listening to something so that the silence is so unbearable? Or more importantly have we inadvertently been trained to ignore the sounds of the community around us?

I like going to lunch right at noon because I can hear the bells ringing from St. Mary’s church. I turn off the radio and just listen. It reminds me of college, because at my nice Jesuit institution they also rang the bells at noon. I think it’s absolutely beautiful, music to my ears. And unfortunately I think I’m probably one of a handful of people who actually heard them.

- Harkins "

" WHAT IS IT ABOUT OCTOBER?

I just turned to msnbc.com for a little mid-morning news break and the breaking news headline on top read “Dow Jones industrials fall below 10,000 for the first time since Oct. 29, 2004”. And then I thought wasn’t the stock market crash of 1929 on October 29th too? So I went to the ever handy Wikipedia, which confirmed the date. I also learned though about the Crash of 1987, also known as Black Monday happened in October on October 19th, 1987.

If you read the article (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3683270/) it states that world financial markets are all feeling the cash crunch and governments all over are trying to bail out their financial markets. Here in the US the $700 billion bailout plan may not go into effect quickly enough to help banks in the short term. Investors are backing away, putting their money into low interest but secure accounts and the anxiety seems to be rising.

What does all this mean for young professionals though? If we’re smart we’ve started putting money into a 401K or similar account for retirement and now those funds might not be doing as well as they once were. Yes, our money is there for the long haul but what happens if there is another huge stock market crash and it takes 10 years to get out of it? Is that still the best place for our money? How do we as young professionals protect what little that we have now, so we make sure we have enough down the road?

I think it’s probably safe to say too that while young pro’s all around the country are aware of the financial crisis, they probably aren’t thinking that it can really affect them. Or they won’t pay too much attention to it until it does affect them. And I guess my question is, if the bailout plan doesn’t work or things go south, how will that affect our long term debt like school loans or mortgages?

I really do think that by the time we need to worry about our retirement money and such, the market should have straightened itself out and we will have invested wisely. Until then I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, and try to make it through October.

- Harkins "

" HOME

At the beginning of the summer I moved back in with my parents. This was supposed to be a temporary move and it is, just not as temporary as either party would have liked. So far I’ve justified my staying at home by the fact that it would be nice to put some money into savings and paying off some credit cards, the pool was open and the fact that moving is a pain in the you-know-what!

Now I have an opportunity, actually a couple of opportunities, to go in on an apartment with a roommate. And while money isn’t so much the issue, I mean I can pay for the apartment. But once I get the apartment I’m then putting the money towards the apartment and not the bank account. Plus I’ll have extra food costs, heat & electric, cable tv, and other things to pay for.

Yet, in my own place I would be able to come and go as I please (not that I don’t already, but still). Most likely I’d be closer to town so I’d save on gas and time commuting. I could make whatever I wanted, when I wanted. I could start crazy sewing projects that last all day and take up the entire room I’m working in. I could probably even leave the ironing board up for longer than five minutes while I go to change my outfit. Oh and most importantly I wouldn’t have to say “I live with my parents”. And think of how much fun a roommate would be too!

But really as cool as it is to live on my own or with a roommate, as the case may be, I’m not sure it’s the best move right now. Maybe I can work on getting everyone to move in January. A terrible month to move in, but it would give me some time to work on saving what I need to and time to find a place too.

All in all, it’s hard being a young professional who decided to move home for a bit. It’s even harder being the only one of your friends who lives at home. There is a negative connotation that goes along with living at home. When I tell people that I live with my parents they kind of give me a look like, I’m so sorry. And everyone tells me to stay at home as long as possible even though what I really want is to go out on my own.

Really it isn’t so bad though, I get fed pretty well, no rent, it’s warm and laundry is free. Sorry guys, I think I may be staying for a little while longer.

-Harkins "

" AN APPLE A DAY…

I’m healthy!

It's wellness check day here at the office and I’m one of the many who are participating in this free wellness screening. I even got a flu shot today, which my mother is very excited about.

By participating in these things our company offers discounts on health care and whatnot, so it works out pretty well. Plus I’ve been doing this for 5 years now so I can track my numbers pretty well from that. Assuming of course I can find all the papers.

In any case, health care for some young professionals can be an issue. After college, our parents are no longer able to claim us on their health insurance and we must go off on your own. If you are lucky enough to find a job with benefits right out of college this may not be such an issue, but what if you don’t? How long can you go without health insurance? It’s expensive to purchase on your own. Even with benefits available at your workplace a young professional may not be able to afford them with school loans to pay back, rent, food, etc and may just opt out.

I’ve seen too many friends not go for medical care when they should have because they don’t have insurance or because what they have isn’t going to cover all the expenses and they can’t afford it. In these situations they’ve been more concerned with the fact that they couldn’t pay for the treatment than the fact that they probably needed medical care. That’s so scary to me.

Why should we have to choose between appropriate medical treatments and food on the table and a place to live? Of all the things when you are sick or in pain, you shouldn’t have to worry about being covered for medical treatment. That goes for everyone not just young professionals.

But as a young professional how do you make the decision to see a doctor or not to see a doctor? Where do you draw the line and how do you justify either choice? I know if I decide to see the doctor and they tell me it’s just a cold, I feel like I wasted the visit and the co-pay.

I’ve have the mentality that if you need to see the doctor, you should see a doctor and you’ll find a way to pay for it later on. I can’t imagine the angst involved with feeling like you have to refuse necessary medical treatment because you can’t pay for it.

-HARKINS "

" GENIUS

“You’re desk is atrocious!”

That’s what Heather said to me yesterday.

Last week Rick alluded to the fact that it would take me at least 3 weeks to clean my work area.

Do you think that having a messy desk can impact your career? Even if by all other standards you are a star employee, would a messy desk be grounds for termination? Or is a messy desk just an outer sign of your inner genius? It’s been documented that Albert Einstein was notorious for a messy desk.

While I obviously don’t practice what I preach, I can see how a messy work area can be viewed as unprofessional. However it can also be said that cleaning your desk is taking away from time that you can be doing something else more productive.

I would like to think that there are people out there who keep immaculate work spaces yet don’t get much done. Plus wouldn’t you want to see your employee’s desk with at least some folders and work laying on it? At least you would know that they are getting things done. Or I guess they could just be pretending to get things done too.

In any case, I do think it’s prudent to keep in mind how your desk looks to others, especially as a young professional trying to climb the corporate ladder. Now that I think about it though, I wouldn’t come to work in a wrinkly shirt yet I will leave folders and papers strewn all over my desk.

Hmm, I think I’ll be coming in early tomorrow to clean my desk.

- Harkins "

" WILL YOU REMEMBER?

I was at the Buffalo General Hospital waiting for an appointment with an allergy doctor when I first heard the news of the World Trade Centers. I was a sophomore in college and as I sat in the waiting room of this tall, old building I could hear the rumble of the a/c kicking in. Each time I heard that noise I worried that it was a plane about to hit the building. I drove back to my dorm room where friends were glued to the TV and that’s where we all stayed for the days that followed. I remember watching the beginnings of the Iraq war with my roommate. The gunfire and explosions were like fireworks on the night vision screen that was being broadcasted. That weekend my friend and I were taking the bus to Jamestown to visit our friends. As night fell there were memorial candles and lights all along the highway. It felt wrong to be traveling towards a weekend of fun when so many were others were deep in sadness.

We’ll all remember where we were when we first heard the news, how we felt, and how we reacted on each September 11th from there on in. But will we remember all of that on November 4th? Will you remember how you felt when you knew that our country was attacked? Will you recall the decision to go to war, and the divide that occurred? Will you be thinking about how Obama and McCain would react if, god forbid, there is another attack on American soil? Will you be thinking about what each candidate will do to keep our country and our people safe?


- HARKINS "

" WANTING WHAT YOU’VE GOT

I had such trouble getting dressed this morning, as I do many a morning. But I got thinking today that wouldn’t it be nice to have the clothes that I want in my closet when I want them. Like today I really wanted a brightly colored, short sleeve, cardigan sweater to go over a black button down shirt. Random I know, but when I get an idea in my head it I’m likely to get stuck on it.

So without the pieces needed to assemble my “dream outfit of the day”, I settled on a pretty green skirt, the black button down and a ¾ sleeve white cardigan. The outfit is cute but it isn’t want I wanted.

Then, as I was making the coffee this morning I had a thought.

Wouldn’t it be even nicer to want what I have rather than to have everything I want?

I think my parents and close friends would confirm that I have more than enough to dress myself every day for a month and still have clothes left over. So my daily dressing dilemma has nothing to do with a lack there of. Nor do I think that purchasing anything more will solve my problem. (Although I will tell you that Marshall’s has huge markdowns right now.)

All in all I think this is quite the lesson for a young professional (and a teenager and a college student) to realize. We’ve grown up in a society that runs on instant gratification. We get what we want, when we want it, and if we don’t then it’s a problem.
So, how do we transition from getting everything we want to wanting what we’ve got?

Certainly as we move from the young, “wild” stage of life to settle down with families and early nights one would expect us to tame our spending and sacrifice our desires for a house, or for the children, or so you can put food on the table.

It’s something that I think you can hear a number of times, and yet you won’t really understand until it hits you. I also think it can be a lesson that gets learned the hard way, and one that’s absolutely worth learning.

Like Sheryl Crow sang, “It's not having what you want, It's wanting what you've got.”

-HARKINS

P.S. I swam really well in the Escape from the Judge this past weekend! My goal was to swim the mile in under 30 minutes and I came in with a time of 29mins 40secs, and that included a 50 yd dash when you got out of the water! I think I placed 36 out of 190 too! Now I’m super ready to do more open water swims and compete more often. I did find an open water swim in Roanoke, VA on September 21st, but I just have to figure out how to get there… "

" JUST KEEP SWIMMING SWIMMING SWIMMING

I don't necessarily follow my sport. Not for lack of interest, but mainly I'm just so much on the go that sitting down to watch anything sometimes needs to be planned in advance.

I was able to catch some of the most amazing swim races in history though. I can not tell you how exciting Michael Phelps's swims have been for me. To watch him be so close and to see him touch out a competitor by .01 seconds is insanely crazy. It makes me want to get in the water and train again and get back into actual competitions.

Now, I know I'm no Olympic athlete...yet, but I still love to race. So much in fact, that this month has been named the Harkins Summer of Races month.

First I competed in the Great Race a couple weeks ago. My friend Jessica and I canoed our way to victory and by victory I mean that we finished. :)

This Friday I'm going to run in the Downtown Auburn Mile. Let me just say that I'm not so much a runner, so we'll see how this goes. Although we do have a little competition going here in the office as to who will do the best, so I think that's a little motivation in itself.

Then, the race that I have been looking forward to all summer (and not preparing nearly enough for), the Escape from the Judge. It's a one mile open water swim next Sunday on Skaneateles Lake. They take you out on a boat, and you jump off and swim to shore. I sure hope it's going to be warm that day because I'm competing in the non-wetsuit category...eek!

Then I may even swim the next day in the Swim Owasco, a one mile swim on Owasco Lake. This swim ends with a pancake breakfast, which I think is totally worth the swim, but that's just me.

So I've got a busy next week and a half as I try to prepare a bit more for the swims ahead. But I know I'll have some motivating images of the recent Olympic swims to help me reach my goal.

GO TEAM HARKINS!

-HARKINS "

" BLITZED, BOMBED, & BUZZED

One hundred college presidents have joined forces to lower the national drinking age from 21 to 18. They are arguing that teenagers are more likely to drink underage now with the law being 21 years old than they would if the age was lower.**

Yet those who oppose the law being changed think that there would be more fatal injuries resulting from more teenagers experimenting with the new found freedom and that the issue of alcohol abuse and underage drinking should be dealt with first.

But really, how do you deal with underage drinking? Does getting caught with a beer as a 19yr old really deter you from drinking more? I would think that the thrill of being a 19yr old and not getting caught can actually be reason to try it again. To say “Hey remember that time we had the blow out party and the cops came but we jumped out the window and ran home, that was so cool.” That’s a better story to tell your friends than “Remember the time the cops came and I showed them my id”.

Certainly I think that the education about the ramifications of drunk driving have helped some people to stay away from drinking or at least stay away from their cars. Have you seen those memorial walls? I’m not sure how anyone can walk away from that unaffected. I mean showing anyone a fatal car crash as a result of drinking and driving really drives the point home (no pun intended).

But when you’re trying to tell someone (especially a teenage someone) why having 30 beers in one night isn’t a good idea, it’s not so effective. They don’t want to listen. Maybe we should start showing pictures of kids who died because they drank too much. Maybe we should create ads of their peers with tubes down their throats because they had to have their stomach pumped and place them on the back of bathroom stall doors.

Really is there any responsible drinking though? Even if you let your underage child drink in your presence aren’t you really teaching them that getting completely wasted is ok if someone has your car keys?

And the thing is how do we lecture our children, friends and family on the dangers of drinking and on the dangers of drunk driving when most of us have had our fair share of crazy drunken nights or nights when we shouldn’t have operated machinery? Doesn’t that seem a little hypocritical?

Looking back, I don’t think I could responsibly drink a Capri Sun when I was in high school let alone a vodka cranberry. And while I don’t ever remember actually having my parents talk to me about alcohol or drinking and driving, I do remember having this fear that if I was caught with any of that then there would be hell to pay. And that was more than enough reason to stay away for me.

Frankly, I don’t think that we can change the law back to 18 as the drinking age and expect the problem of alcohol abuse to just go away. It needs to all be part of a larger cultural shift where we all stop putting so much weight on alcohol as a stress reliever, automatic good time helper, get you laid, freaking crazy night, you’re not cool without it kind of beverage.

Unfortunately I don’t think that’s going to happen until we stop making news about every drunken celebrity and we stop bragging to our friends about how super drunk we were last weekend. And if that’s not going to be the case then there’s no point to changing the law.

I guess the only responsible drinking is not drinking at all.

- HARKINS

** http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26271328/?GT1=43001


Another article I recently read on the subject:
http://www.glamour.com/health/articles/2008/08/totally_wasted_and_proud "

" Nickel & Dime’in It

If you are a young twenty something, living on your own with hefty college loans and eating ramen noodles for dinner, should your parents be obligated to help you financially? And is it better for them to let you get yourself through it or for them to pick you up when you fall? As a young professional should you just let your parents carry you along? Should you even go so far as to expect their help?

Newsweek contributor Melody Serafino asks if “adulthood means financial independence… why do so many of my peers still live off of their parents?”** As a young pro in a big city, she manages her own money, pays her own bills and lives in an apartment that she pays for. Her friends lead extravagant lifestyles and rely on their parents to help them pay for it. Melody’s take on this is that her parents have helped her enough through college and now as an adult she should be able to live on her own without the help of others.

I know people on both sides of this, some that rely on their parents every time they can’t pay a bill and yet still continue to live outside of their means. And I know people that meticulously plan each dollar they make and would never dream to ask their parents for as much as a penny.

I do think that as young professionals this is the time of life that we need to get it together. We aren’t in college anymore and we should be expected to take on our own finances. That may mean a number of financial potholes along the way, but isn’t that how we are supposed to learn?

- HARKINS

** http://www.newsweek.com/id/147767?GT1=43002 "

" GREAT NEWS!

On Friday the Suburban Newspapers of America announced the winners of their 2008 Advertising and Promotions Contest and the promotion that I created last year, Patsy-fied, won 1st place in the Best Public Service/Community Event Promotion Category!

I can't even tell you how excited I am about this! We entered the contest but I wasn't expecting much because it's a national contest and there are so many great things out there, and then to receive 1st, all I can say is WOW!

And my fellow advertising folks also won 2nd place in Best New Special Advertising Section for Go Green and 3rd place for Best Homes Publication or Homes Special Section for FL Homes.

On top of that the editorial department won five awards in the New York Associated Press competition. I'd like to give a shout out to my friends Alyssa Sunkin, David Wilcox, Amaris Elliot-Engel and Chet Susslin for their awesome work! Congratulations!

Plus today is the first day of being a morning publication. Did you see it? The paper looks great today! Lot's of color, a slightly updated look and tons of local coverage! Just what we like to see!

-Harkins "