Blog 13

I am just like one of the guys. That is what I have always been told. I can hang out with them and they do not even realize that I am a girl, until I talk or do something that is considered a “female” trait. I like sports, hunting and fishing, riding quads and motorcycles, and working on cars. Since the majority of the people I hang out with are guys, I hear them talk about a lot of things. Some things are about women. Some things are about their significant others. A good friend of my boyfriends has recently started seeing a girl. Ever since I have known Austin, my boyfriend’s friend, to me he has been a “man whore.” He is one of the nicest guys I know he just does not have the best luck with women.

This girl that he has been seeing is a little airheaded granted everyone has their “blonde moments” but this girl is really bad sometimes. Another one of their friends, whom I have never really liked, I have always found him arrogant and sexist. After this girl had left they started talking about her and saying whether she was “good enough” for Austin or not. The one friend whom I have never liked said, “Well without her head I would say she is an eight.” I usually try to keep quiet during these conversations unless I am personally asked what I think about it. But this time I was unable to keep my mouth shut! Why is it that guys have to pick apart women? Why can’t they just be fine or perfect with how she looks? And why isn’t her personality enough? Guys rarely ever say anything about her personality it is always her looks! Drives me crazy!

Blog 12

So the other day I was listening to 98.9 the Bear and they were talking about sports. I always listen to the Bear in the mornings on my way to work. But this particular morning, they were talking about women in sports. I thought it was such a good topic for a blog, since it was something that we had talked about earlier in the semester! As I continued to listen the topic turned more towards women in “men’s” sports.

One of the radio personalities had said that no woman could compete on the competitive level that men participate in. He had went on and said that if a woman trains just like a man, she would still not be up to that physical competitive level that they are. By this time I was just thinking what an ass. How can women technically be not as physically competitive?

As the conversation went on, they decided that there were only two sports that men and women could compete on the same level. They were soccer and tennis. While tennis is a noncontact sport and soccer is a contact sport, probably just as physical as football or basketball. I obviously have never played soccer before on a professional level, but I have played it on a club/travel level. I have played with both men and women. And sometimes the women are more physical then the men that I have played with. It just depends on the game. Basketball is the same way. I only played basketball through high school, but when some of us from the team would meet some of the boy’s basketball team at the YMCA it could get a little physical from both sides. Sometimes yet again, more from the girls that are playing then the guys.

Maybe I took what they had said out of context, but from my point of view there should be no reason that a woman could not compete with a man in any sport that they choose!

Blog 11

I have a lot of guy friends. I always have. I get along better with men then I do women. I work with all men; I do a lot of “man” centered activities. My boyfriend is an amazing man that I love very much and would do absolutely anything for. Lately he has been very jealous. When I was down at Purdue he never let on that he was jealous even if he was.

So the other day, a friend of mine, who is a male, came up from Purdue. He lives in Roanoke so it is not like he came up just to see me; he was also seeing his family. We got together for lunch. An innocent lunch, I paid for my own he paid for his own. It should not be a big deal right?!
Wrong! When I got back from lunch, we ended up getting in a huge fight…over nothing. Well to me it was nothing, to me it was innocent. To my boyfriend, it was a big deal. He said that he trusted me but that he thought my friend liked me. That he did not trust him. I asked him if it would have been any different if it was a girl that I had went to lunch with, and he said that it would have been different. It should not have mattered since they (male or female) are still my friends. And even though I do have more guy friends then girl friends, my guy friends respect my boyfriend enough not to try anything.

I wish he would understand that! After our fight we discussed things and everything is a lot better now! I told him that he needed to realize that I was in love with him and not anyone else and that no matter what anyone else did I was not planning on leaving a long relationship (I think we are going on six years or something like that) for something that probably would only be a fling and on top of that, I do not see my friends that way. They are after all…just my friends!

Blog 10

As I have said before, my boyfriend’s family raises show pigs. Since I have known his family for so long pigs are like second nature to me. I could not count how many different pig shows I have been to or how many times I have been asked by my boyfriend’s dad Mike what I think is right and what I think is wrong with certain pigs at the shows almost as a test to see what I have remembered and what I have forgotten. Show pig sales are taking place this month more readily because a lot of the county fairs are coming up. They had theirs a couple weekends ago and we have another one in Columbia City this next weekend.

At the most current one, a man, that I have never seen before came up and started asking me questions about some of the Duroc’s and York’s that were in the far pins. So we walked over and asked me which pigs I thought were the best. I tell him all of them, obviously. Then I ask him which he would rather show a gilt, barrow, or boar. You can tell at this time he has no idea what is going on, but it seems that he does not believe me that I know what I am talking about either. I tell him boars are very hard to show, that you have to be very careful with them because they can get very aggressive when with other boars. I suggested a gilt would probably be the best for a county 4-H. I also tell him that it is his own personal choice which one he chooses. That most judges will look at the legs and the shoulders and hams on any show pig. He says thank you and then walks away.

As I was making my rounds answering questions to some of the individuals I had went by and heard the guy that I was helping previously say that I did not know what I was talking about “because I was a girl.” I went and said something to my boyfriend Jesse and asked who the guy was. Jesse did not know either so I went and talked to Mike. Well come to find out the guy lives down the road about five miles and did the same thing to Kathy, Jesse’s mom, last year. Mike said that he has a “thing” against women because when he was younger everything he did he was beat by a woman. Kudos to us! :)

Blog 9

I am trying out a position doing electrical invoicing and billing. I have been working with all males. I find it kind of funny because they all call me sweetie, dear, or kid. Which I am younger then all of them and some of them even have kids around my age or a little older. It probably should bother me being called sweetie or dear though. But I call everyone sweetheart of dear as well. So I guess I do not think of it in a demeaning or sexually harassed manner. A friend of mine came in to go to lunch one day last week, and heard one of the guys say that. It was not in a way that it meant anything, nor was it when they were saying bye. I had done something or needed help with something and it was something like “What do you need help with sweetie?” She said that she could not believe I was okay with them saying that. I said I guess I do not even pay that much attention because I do not even realize it sometimes. My friend works at a cafeteria that feeds pretty much only men. I guess one day, one of the guys that always comes in to get lunch said “Thanks, sweetheart.” She said that she could not even say “Your welcome” back because she was laughing so hard. I guess the men that work there say it to her all the time as well and she never realized it until she heard it from an outsider’s position.

Blog 8

I have been working at an office doing accounts recievable. I work with all men. I think that I have seen one woman besides myself. Anyway, one day, one of the men asked me what I did for fun, he was an older gentleman, and I told him that I liked to hunt, fish, ride four wheelers, and rebuild cars. At first, I think he thought I was joking, because he kind of laughed, and then he saw that I was serious. He then started asking me things like, what do you hunt, what have you rebuilt, etc. Almost like he still did not believe me like he needed some sort of proof. So I then went into detail that I hunt white tail deer, racoons, any type of water fowl, and fish anything that I can get my hands on. That I have rebuilt a ’78 CJ7, that I am working on rebuilding an ’88 half ton Chevy, and am looking for another CJ7 to rebuild again. He just kind of stared at me like he could not believe it. I started laughing and asked if he needed something. He said no, that he just could not believe that I actually enjoyed doing stuff like that and that it was not my boyfriends hobby that I picked up on because “I am a girl.” Those were his words, “I am a girl.” I just kind of stared at him like you need to become a little more informed buddy. Girls and women do things just like men do, we are not incapable of doing them. It just surprises me so much how men just kind of stare at you when you tell them things that are particularly a “male” activity, but that you do it. Why do they think that women cannot do it?!

Blog 7

My boyfriend just bought a new mustang convertible. It is a manual and I love it. To my surprise a lot of people cannot drive sticks; I grew up on a farm where it was mandatory to know how to drive a stick at the age of like five. I begged and begged the other day for him to let me drive it to work. I work at a local high school, where needless to say some of the kids drive like idiots and he was worried that something would happen to it. It is not nice enough out yet to put the top down but I cannot wait until it is. As I was driving it in the parking lot this kid did a double take. I hate when people stare. I think it is rude. Since I saw him staring I decided to reeve the engine and really make him stare. He did. And then when he saw me get out I think his mouth about hit the ground. I think this is funny because if it would have been a guy get out of the car he probably would have came up and said "Nice car blah blah blah." But because he saw a girl get out of it, it was like he did not know what to do. Or even think. Why do guys think that a girl cannot have just as much fun with cars as they do? And why do they think that certain cars are automatically "male" driven?

Blog 6

I hate cars. No, I take that back. I hate mechanics. No, yet again I cannot say that either since my boyfriend is a mechanic. I will say this. I hate car dealerships and that includes the mechanics that work in those car dealerships. Why you might ask? Well, I just bought a 2007 Chevy Malibu with like fifteen thousand miles on it. It should not be broken with it being only a year old and not even close to having a lot of miles, right? Yeah, wrong! I took it in last week because it was making a popping noise when I turn, both left and right. Two days later, they call and say that it is fixed. They said they replaced the outer tie rods and the intermediate shaft. And that fixed the popping! WRONG! I am going to say this again, I HATE CAR DEALERSHIPS MECHANICS! I called back saying that there was still a popping when it was in park and when I turned the wheel to the left and to the right. That I wanted it fixed! By now, my blood is boiling just thinking about it. They tell me to bring it in and to show them! I HAVE TO SHOW MECHANICS HOW IT IS MAKING A POPPING NOISE! I keep telling myself to be calm!

So I took it in last night. The guy, I am guessing the lead mechanic, asked me to show him. So we walked out to my 2007 Chevy Malibu (I am repeating this because what the guy says next is going to make you laugh) and turned it on, left it in park, and turned the wheel back and forth. AGAIN POPPING NOISE WAS MADE! The stupid (I want to use a not nice word) guy tells me that the 2007 Malibu’s are SUPPOSED to make that noise!

OK, HERE IS WHERE I AM NOT GOING TO BE NICE (well I am going to kind of be nice, but I really do not want to be)! 2007’s OF ANYTHING ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO MAKE ANY NOISE WHAT-SO-EVER! I DON’T CARE WHO YOU ARE! YOU CANNOT EVEN REMOTELY TELL ME THAT THEY ARE! IT IS A YEAR OLD! NO FRICKEN WAY!

He tells me that they will have a look at it and see. I go home tell my boyfriend, Jesse (reminder: he is also a mechanic) what the guy said. Jesse said he would go back with me and if it was not fixed that he would do the talking and make sure it got fixed in a not so gentle manner. :D

Makes me wonder if the mechanic just does not know what he is talking about or if it was because I am a girl that he treated me that way. I guess we will find out when they call back and tell me if they fixed it or not!

Blog 5

The other day, my boyfriend, Jesse, and I were doing some waling because it was nice out and we both like to take nice long walks. We were just talking away and then the subject of cars came up because he has been looking to buy a Mustang. I was joking around and said, "How about a convertible?" He looked at me and said, "Ya, that's just what you need to be driving around in." I asked what he meant by that and he just said that he did not need guys hitting on me because of the car that I drive. Well after that it turned into a heated conversation about why I would not be able to drive it because guys would hit on me, but for him to drive it was perfectly fine. He continued on saying that "seeing a girl that was gorgeous driving a manual Mustang convertible would drive any guy crazy. And they would stare and make cat calls. He did not want to loose me because of some other guy. I pretty much laughed at him on this comment. I told him that he knew he could trust me and that i did not want any other guy. He seemed content with this response because he stopped walking and pulled me in for a hug and a kiss. When we were finally walking home he told me e was sorry and that he loved me very much. I love my boyfriends very much even when he tries and pulls stupid things like that. NO DOUBLE STANDARDS FOR THIS GIRL! If he can do it, you better believe that I will do it too, or at least attempt to try and do it!

Blog 4

Even though I know how to change my oil, I always take it some place to get it done. It is just easier since I work full time and am also a full time student with a social life. So it just tends to work better that way.
I took it to get changed, with it being a new car with only a little over three thousand miles and according to the dealer they had it changed right before I took it off the lot I still wanted to get it changed. I do not really trust dealers. I pulled it in the shop and told the men working there that I wanted an oil change and that is it. I went in after work so I had on a pair of heels and a business suit type outfit. About ten minutes later one of the men came out and said that I needed a new air filter (mine was dirty) and that I should think about having a transmission flush done (that my transmission fluid was a little discolored). I pretty much laughed at him and asked him how he figured a new car would need any of that. He kind of stammered and stuttered a little bit and then came up with the line, “If you do not want them to do it that is fine.” I laughed again and said, “No, I do not want it done. I am not stupid; I work on cars for pete sakes. Don’t treat me like some invalid that does not have the slightest idea when a transmission flush should be done or when my air filter should be changed.” He did not say a word after that.
After that, I will not go there again. I will do it myself. It makes me wonder if my boyfriend had taken my car in if he would have been treated the same way.

Blog 3

My dad bought my a new twelve gauge this past fall. I needed a new gun since I did not want to use my mussleloader. So he bought me one. I shot it once, man did it kick. For those that have never grown up around guns or ever shot one before; when you pull the trigger on a gun it recoils. This recoil makes the gun "kick." Anyways I went to a place called Bebers to get a scope put on it. When I walked in Bebers was packed, there were probably a dozen to a dozen and a half men there. No women. I did not walk in with my gun at first, so I was immediatly stared at. I walked over to the gun counter where the scopes are and made sure that they had the scope I wanted. Not even the man behind the counter said anything to me. They did; so back out I went to my truck to get my own gun. When I came back in the men that were just staring at me before were now either smiling and/or nodding in what seemed to be approval. I even had a younger man come up to me and start hitting on me. The man behind the gun counter then waited on me. He also sited in my gun. He told the man in front of me that he could not do it. Weird huh?!

As I was driving home, I started to think about the different reasons and ways that I was approached/not approached each time I went into Bebers. The first time I walked in no one really paid attention to me besides staring at me like "what is she doing in here" or "she should not bein here without a man with her." The second time I walked in, this time with my gun. They all seemed to approve that I was there. That it was ok that I was there.

Funny how a gun in my case, or another object in another, can change someones mind about why you are in a certain place, like Bebers.

Blog 2

This summer I worked at a predominately male steel mill, Steel Dynamics INC. Even though the majority of the people were male there, I loved it! I worked on the grounds crew with five old men, and three guys that were my age. At the beginning my boss, who meant nothing by what he always said (I know his wife and she would not stand for it if he was serious) but he would always tell me that I had “women’s work” to do around the shop. His “women’s work” consisted of sweeping the shop, cleaning the table off and cleaning out the fridge in our break room (which was in the shop). Every time he would say that I would fire something back like well Nick (one of the younger guys that I worked with) better grab and broom and get sweeping if there is “women’s work” to do. After this come back a few times they finally stopped looking at me and saying there was “women’s work” to do. He instead switched to the guys that I worked with and said that. It really became quite funny.
The big thing that did kind of bother me though, was when it came to things, which required lifting. I am sure that they did not purposely mean to exclude me. But they still did none the less. We would always get loads of grass seed and have to unload them…I was not the one that they would call; it would be Jake or Ryan. I never said anything to them about it so I guess in a sense it is my fault for not standing up for myself. And then I guess it was not really their faults either, because there were some things that I was not able to lift that I tried to do.

Blog 1

This is a test blog. Just wanted to get it all set up and working.