Watching Your Back in the Workplace

Do you ever feel like you have to watch your back at work? Call me naive but I’ve usually felt pretty comfortable where I work, up until recently.

Maybe I’m paranoid, maybe I’ve been watching too many legal dramas but I can feel something is up. Maybe it’s because I know I’ll be done soon since I’m going back to school in January (I haven’t announced it at work yet). Or maybe it’s because I have a tendency to get gut instincts when something is not right. No matter which one it is, I can still feel it. Talking in hush tones, the changing of conversation when I walk into the room, and the attitude of some co-workers. I know that there have been comments made about me to my employer, things that someone should just take up with me. ‘Co-worker A’ said that I “am always looking up the weather” on the internet. Which made me almost LOL in the middle of my annual staff review. First of all I live on an acreage out of town, so yes, naturally I check the weather, especially in the winter so I know what things are going to look like on the way home and it only takes me about 90 seconds. I rolled my car on my way to work last year because of bad roads so shove that in your pipe and smoke it. Secondly that same person ‘co-worker A’ has 10+ minute phone conversations with her sister, about NOTHING or gossiping, while at the front desk. *roll my freaking eyes* Like give me a damn break. I always feel like they’re out to get me…

I started at this job when I was nineteen. That was 5 years ago and a lot has changed. I have changed. They know me as a naive and quiet 19 year old and wouldn’t really stand up for herself. I’ve become someone totally different but I can’t be that person at my current job. I hope that makes sense. I really want to give them a piece of my mind, not in a disrespectful or rude way, but enough to get my point across.

I have one co-worker in particular, who is so in my business and so far up my ass, she’s pretty much coming out my mouth. I can’t stand it anymore. Anything that I’m taking care of or are responsible for, she comes and takes over. Or moves things around on my side of the desk or in the filing cabinet under my desk. I just want to scream “FUCK DIRECTLY OFF!” and “Don’t worry about what I’m doing, focus on yourself!”.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate my co-workers. Outside of work I think they’re all pretty decent people. I used to always thing everything was personal, but now I get it. It’s the damn office politics and I’m so sick of it. Even some of the shit my bosses pull. it really makes me roll my eyes. Aren’t we all adults, can’t we all just pull the sticks out of our asses and stop being so ridiculous?

Now maybe I have less patience because I know I’ll be done soon (end of December let’s go!), but I’m really getting fed up. The stress of it is pretty silly,I shouldn’t let it get to me. Instead of having a cigarette at the end of a crazy, hair-pulling day, I should go for a run and do more yoga. *deep breathe* It actually feels good just to rant about it on here.

My advice, and the advice I plan to follow when I start school and get into my new career is: stand up for yourself and don’t take bullshit. Also: Not everyone who gets you into shit is your enemy and not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend.

Cheers.

Health and Fitness App Recommendations

Nowadays there’s an app for everything, however, not all apps are created equal. I’ve tried out quite a few over and here are a few that I really love and actually use on a regular basis.

 

1. MyFitnessPal

I’m sure most of you have heard of this one before. It’s a way to track your eating and exercise all in one. It gives you a suggestion of daily caloric intake and keeps track of where you are at for the day. There is a HUGE database of food, just search the name like… “Kraft Creamy Poppyseed dressing” for example. I honestly waited way to long before getting this app. I thought tracking my food would be terrible and that I would hate it… It turns out I actually really enjoy it! It keeps you accountable and you really pay attention more to what you’re putting in your body. Best of all, it’s FREE! 😀

2. GorillaWorkout

This is a handy app I use quite frequently. You choose your level of fitness from 1-4 and then it will give you a circuit to do based on that. They generally only take about 15 minutes to do, but really get your heart rate up and your muscles working! Great to mix things up or if you’re in a hurry! They are all body weight exercises, meaning you don’t need any equipment to do these. There are also over 40 exercises all with video demonstrations if you’re unsure what to do. 😮 Also FREE!

3. Yoga Studio

Yoga is such a great thing. If you’ve never tried it, you really should. This is one of my favourite apps. It’s only $3.99 and totally worth it. There are lots of pre-made yoga routines on here, over 60 if I’m not mistaken, all fully voiced over with video. You can also build your own with the sound/video clips to really personalize your workout. So easy to do anywhere and always handy if you get it on your phone or tablet. Must check this one out!

4. Instant Heart Rate

Surprisingly accurate and FREE!! Just place your finger over the camera lens and in a few seconds BAM! You have your heart rate. It even has a way to label them (is. Exercising, resting, just woke up, etc) I keep it handy on my phone to use during and after my workouts, or even if I’m feeling stressed 😛

 

I hope this helps you in your fitness routine. Enjoy and happy sweating! ❤ If you have any app recommendations for me, please send them over!

 

Recipe: Green Tea with Fresh Ginger and Lemon

 

 

 

One of my favorite beverages (and treats)!! I drink this everyday because it’s SO GOOD, and bonus: good for you! We all know green tea is amazing for us, and boosts metabolism! Ginger is wonderful as an anti-inflammatory, stomach and an aphrodisiac. 😉 Lemon helps rid the body of toxins, is rich with potassium and also supports healthy liver function.

 

What you need:

– your favorite brand of green tea

– fresh ginger root

– fresh lemon

– honey to taste

– boiling water

 

 Add all ingredients to your teapot, except the honey. Allow to steep for about 4 minutes or longer if you like. Pour into a mug and add a little honey. Mmmm! You can also enjoy this iced if you like! Perfect for any weather. Happy steeping! 😉

 

 

Wildstar ♥

Since this is a post-whatever-the-hell-I-want blog, it’s time to talk about…. GAMING! More specifically, Wildstar. I started getting REALLY hyped for this game about a year ago and then finally got into beta in December. It’s a title that has all the things you loved from the great MMORPGs of the past, and adds new, exciting content and mechanics. It really is the game I’ve been waiting/looking for YEARS for. If you haven’t already heard of Wildstar (Where the hell have you been!?) check it out here.

One of the many awesome things about Wildstar is; you can have your own housing plot! Insanely customizable with things like…

 

A Lopp party..

Or a hot springs!

Or even a bar, big screen TV, bed, animal rug, hookah, wine, beer mug, plants, pillows, posters, lights, candles, cheese and bananas. (To name a few)

It’s a fantastic game to play with friends, in fact you’ll have way more fun if you do! If you’re looking for a group to play Wildstar with (or other games for that matter), check out my guild, The Guardians. They’ve been around for over 11 years, I’ve been there for 3 of them. 🙂 Sometimes we even have naked chua parties. 😉

 

You really just need to check it out. You’ll be hooked in no time! Oh, be sure to join Rowsdower server when you do. 🙂

See you on Nexus!

Recipe: Healthy, Natural Trail Mix

I adore trail mix! It’s an amazing snack to always have handy. It’s super portable and is a healthy pick-me-up through-out the day or while travelling. I’ve looked at store-bought ones but they’re all filled with SALT and HYDROGENATED OILS, not the mention expensive and usually filled with candy. I decided I would make my own, that way I KNOW what’s going into it. One stop at Bulk Barn and I was set!

 

You can tweak the ingredients to your own liking but I find this mix to be fantastic. I also eye-ball most of the measurements in this recipe, so more measurements I give are approximate.

 

What you will need:

2 cups natural unsalted almonds Lower risk of heart attack and bad cholesterol!

2 cups raisins High in fibre and a great source of energy!

1 cup natural unsalted cashews Full of ‘proanthocyanidins’ which lower cancer risks!

1 cup natural unsalted peanuts Great source of energy and amino acids!

1 cup dried cranberries Packed with vitamins C, E and fibre

1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds, husked and unsalted Great source of magnesium!

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (at least 70% cocoa) High in “flavonoids” aka antioxidants

Handful natural unsalted pine nuts Rich in vitamins A, C and D + protein!

Handful husked unsalted sunflower seeds Full of vitamin E, magnesium and copper!

Handful banana chips Packed with iron and potassium!

Mix all together and store in an airtight container. Carry with you in your purse, car, gym bag. Have some by your desk at work! This is a great snack to help curb your appetite and quiet those afternoon munchies.

 

Enjoy this delicious and nutritious snack. Let me know what you added to your homemade trail mix!

TehMartiniTalks 2.0

TA-DA! I’ve finally finished re-vamping my blog! Welcome to the TehMartiniTalks 2.0, it’s a brand new, fresh start! Now when I first created this place, it was meant to be for gaming talk/videos, however, I see it being more than that now. I am a gamer, but I’m also a real person, not some bot that types jibber jabber.  I have trials and challenges, shenangians, laughs and more to share! I want to talk about my other interests, and my other passion: fitness.

What I want to do with this first post is kind of go over what got me here.   Last year, in 2013, I was diagnosed with MS (Multiple Sclerosis). I have no family history of MS, but my grandma volunteered for the MS Society of Saskatchewan for years when I was younger, so I know what it’s all about. I’d had symptoms and issues in the past with fatigue, memory, brain “fogginess” but I never knew why. Finally in August of 2012, I developed Optic Neuritis, a way that MS commonly truly shows for the first time. From there I saw specialists, had MRIs done and eventually was diagnosed.

For the first 9 months or so things were rough… I didn’t know how to listen to signs that my body would give me, I didn’t know my limits. I felt like I was sick all the time when really, it was my body trying to tell me to take it easy. The fatigue had become incredibly hard to deal with. I had a lot of issues sleeping which didn’t help the problem at all. When I was seen for the second time at the MS Clinic I brought these concerns up and the doctor told me that to help combat these issues, exercise and keeping healthy was essential, also to quit smoking! I used to love going to the gym and working out when I was younger but with the way I was feeling it seemed like quite a feat…

I started by quitting smoking, after trying for years I finally just decided I was done. It’s a stupid habit, it stinks, it’s BAD for you and it’s very expensive. I picked up an e-cig from a local store to help me adjust and that was that. No more smoking. Next I deciding to do something I’d always wanted to try; I signed my mom and myself up for a yoga class. If you’ve never tried yoga, you really should! Never mind the stigmas, or pre-conceived notions, it is amazing. I felt amazing when I was doing it, I wasn’t straining or doing anything strenuous yet I could feel my muscles working! I felt so calm yet energized afterward. I started really feeling better, physically and mentally. From yoga I transitioned into using an elliptical and doing circuits to finally buying my own treadmill earlier in February. Nothing fancy, I got it used from a wonderful South African couple about to start a family and needed more space. It soon became my new baby and was the best $300 I ever spent.

I want this blog to be not only about the game worlds we live in, with levels and achievements, armor and loot, dungeons and boss fights. I want this to be about the real life journey and struggles we go through. Leveling up IRL if you will. “Martini” used to be a name I called my characters. She was spunky, spirited, strong-willed and beautiful inside and out, everything I wanted to be. Through all of the experiences in the last 2 years, I’ve come to be more like her. I’ve started to become the person I wished I was strong enough to be. This is TehMartiniTalks about anything and everything. I’ll talk about fitness, working out running, recipes, rants/raves, gaming, random shenanigans, and maybe… cats. Anything goes! 🙂

Here’s to reinventing yourself, may you always be the best version of you. ❤