[ What I've Learned ... ]
... from being a waitress
* There's a right way to ask for something, but most people have no idea what it is.
* When leaving a tip, do not try to put it in the server's apron pocket.
... from college
* Sometimes grades don't reflect a person's understanding of the material.
* Even really great teachers don't know everything.
* If there's a way to inconvenience someone, chances are the people who make the class schedule has mastered it.
* When registering for classes, become very familiar with what classes you need, when they are offered, whether or not they have prerequisites, etc.
... from life
* Being self conscious is a waste of time: people don't pay as much attention as we think they do.
* There are many things that we don't really need.
* Most of the things you worry about never happen.
* People say "impossible" when they simply don't want to try.
* Actions really can speak louder than words.
* A kind word can make someone's day.
* Being single is not a curse.
* No matter how much I care, some people just don't care back.
* Money is a lousy way of keeping score.
* Talking can ease emotional pains.
* It takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.
* If you give someone $20 and never see them again, it was probably worth it.
* You can do something in an instant that will give you a heartache for life.
* It's not WHAT you have in your life, but WHO you have in your life.
* Our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for ourselves.
* No matter how thin you slice it, there are always two sides.
* It's a lot easier to react than it is to think.
* You can keep going long after you think you cannot.
* Either you control your attitude, or it controls you.
* Patience takes a whole lot of practice.
* When I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
* No matter how bad your heart is broken, the world doesn't stop for your grief.
* The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything, they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.
* To have character is to be big enough to take life on.
* You shouldn't waste your time on someone who isn't willing to waste their time on you.
* Giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they'll love you back. Don't expect love in return; just wait for it to grow in their heart, but if it doesn't, be content that it can grow in yours.
... from horror movies
* When leaving a group of friends to venture off into the night, never say "I'll be right back." You won't.
* Do not search the basement or attic, especially if the power is out.
* When you have the benefit of numbers, never pair off and go alone.
* If you are searching for something that caused a loud noise and find out that it was just the cat, get the heck out. Expeditiously.
* Should appliances start operating by themselves, do not check for short circuits. Again, just get out.
* If you find a town that looks deserted, there's probably a good reason for it. Don't stop and look around.
* When running from a monster, DO NOT look back.
* If you drop your flashlight into a hole, under a door, or anywhere you have to reach into blindly, don't. Your arm will most likely be eaten.
* If a strange man moves in next door do not, repeat do not, invite him into your house, nor let him see you peering at him.
... from quotes and sayings
* Those who dance will be laughed at by the ones who can't hear the music.
* It's just as easy to fall in love with a rich man as it is with a poor man.
* Forgive and forget: relive and regret.
* The only fool bigger than the one who knows it all is the one who argues with him.
* We are each so much more than what other people reduce to measuring.
... from songs
* Where the sun always shines, there's a desert below.
* You've got to know when to hold 'em. Know when to fold 'em. Know when to walk away. Know when to run.
* You can't always get what you want.
* Tough times don't last. Lovers do.
* Everybody plays the fool.
* It's a beautiful day; don't let it get away.
* Don't worry; be happy.
* Sad songs say so much.
* If this ain't love, baby, just say so.
* Almost doesn't count.
* Don't forget your second wind.
* Sometimes love just ain't enough.
* Some people are easy on the eyes, hard on the heart.
* Stand by your man.
* What a fool believes he sees, no wise man has the power to reason away.
* It's gotta come from the heart if you want it to work.
* It's a great day to be alive.
* Don't let 'em get you down; don't let 'em push you around.
* Never run away.
* You've got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything.
... from watching Alias
* Some people can get their wigs to stay on really well.
* Know your employer.
* Sometimes the truth hurts. A lot.
* A tight dress is really all a girl needs to crash some very "swank" parties.
* Only an American would come to someone's door without telephoning.
* If you find a high-tech listening device, telling it your name and phone number is not a good idea.
* College can be more painful than torture.
* Sometimes "I'm sorry" just isn't enough.
* When in doubt: smile and fake it.
* For clandestine spy meetings, you can't beat a bloodmobile.
* She who fights and runs away lives to fight another day.
* Never underestimate your enemy.
* Company policy prohibits employees dating: does anyone really care?
* Sometimes bad things happen to good people.
* Sometimes bad things happen to bad people.
* To make any office feel more personal, add a candy jar.
* Throwing your pager into the ocean might make you feel better.
* Never break up with someone while you are a passenger in their car.
* Try not to take your work home with you.
* Try not to assume the worst about members of your family.
* When setting a trap, you may have to use the good stuff as bait.
* Rarely is it a good thing that the boss wants to talk to you.
* Sometimes it is necessary to work with people that you don't like.
* Before knocking someone out, secure their bottle of Coca Cola.
... from watching Angel
* The handsome man doesn't always rescue the damsel in distress, but she doesn't always need him to.
* We all have a dark side.
* Beware of beautiful women in dark alleys.
* Beware of handsome men who insist that they don't bite.
* Some humans are monsters.
* A cry for help is when you say "help" in a loud voice.
* We should all smile more.
* Sometimes the journey is taken simply because it must be taken.
* Next time you're looking for something, try hitting the last place first.
* Angel is pretty much a girlie name.
* A bomb can ruin a perfectly fine office.
* If someone tries to shoot your own personal back, it's personal.
* Sex has consequences.
* You can overcome your past, but it's a rocky path.
* Brooding is such a waste of time.
* If nothing we do matters, then all that matters is what we do.
* If you're a warrior slated for the coming apocalypse, you're gonna want a hair gel with hold.
* It's not that vampires don't photograph; it's that they don't photograph well.
* Outward appearance is no way to tell about a person's inner self.
* Three good things to avoid: dancing, dating, and singing in public.
* Don't confuse who you are with what happens to you.
* If you lie to your friends, be sure it will come back to haunt you.
* It's possible to be creeped out and comforted at the same time.
* When the leather pants come out, there's going to be trouble.
* Some people just should not have (a lot of) money.
* Sometimes you only get one second chance.
... from watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer
* You can't trust guys.
* Sometimes you can't trust girls either.
* On an English make-up exam, you don't get credit for speaking it.
* Seize the moment, 'cause tomorrow you might be dead.
* It's funny how the Earth never opens up and swallows you when you want it to.
* 'Hunk' can mean a lot of things. Bad things.
* No speaking up. That way leads to madness and sweaty palms.
* If you lurk, you can learn things.
* It's a statistical impossibility for a sixteen-year-old girl to unplug her phone.
* If dropping hints doesn't work, drop anvils.
* The mystery that is men goes something like this: they grow body hair, they lose all ability to tell you what they really want.
* Tact is just not saying stuff that's true.
* There's no use arguing with someone wearing her Resolve Face.
* Generally speaking, when scary things get scared: not good.
* You wanna talk fun? Public bus. You meet the funnest people.
... from watching MacGyver
* It's funny what pops into your head when you're trying to work.
* Old Alexander Graham Bell has a lot to answer for.
* Herpetologists say that everyone has an inner fear of snakes. Including herpetologists.
* Just when you're getting ahead, somebody always changes the odds.
* Always be prepared.
* Taking something that doesn't exist probably isn't breaking the law.
* An "interesting" life is not always a good thing.
* Someone with an armored van probably didn't win it in a raffle.
* What others don't know can help you.
* Some people still go out into the wilderness in search of their dream.
* A person might be willing to break the law in order to uphold it.
* Every family's got its problems.
* Enough is enough.
* Some freaks believe that people are "big on aliens in Alabama."
* Seaweed's not considered to be the best lure for fishing.
* The past is a strange country.
* Some people lack artistic tastes.
* When flying a jet, you don't have a lot of time to admire the scenery.
* No matter how good you are, sometimes you still need help.
* A password may reveal some self-esteem issues.
* No good deed goes unpunished.
* Maybe it takes a con to beat a con.
* Remember the age when it was cool to be bad? Dumb age.
* Wanting to get caught is kind of a dumb plan.
* You don't need a gun to be dangerous.
* Luck is often worth more than skill.
* You don't always know what you think you know.
* Even good-looking people have problems.
* A lavish party can be an invitation for someone to hack into your computer.
* When you make a friend, you take on a responsibility.
* If you're afraid of the answer, don't ask the question.
* The decisions we make shape our lives.
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