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Wednesday, December 29, 2010

New Meaning for Happy Holidays

The hustle and bustle of the holidays is almost over, and I can thankfully say that I have survived my first holiday as a store manager. And, I'd like to think that I did better than survive considering my store made it's month with 3 days to spare! I'm one proud boss lady.

In between my nine and a half hour shifts, things have been pretty hectic. Baking, sewing, and shopping trying to make Christmas perfect for my friends and family. And it was. Absolutely perfect. I enjoy giving gifts more than receiving them, so I searched hard to everyone's perfect gifts. As for my loot, my Dad really outdid himself this year. It has been a couple years since I have actually spent more than 2 days with my Dad, and I've been missing him more than usual with everything that has been going on in my life. So, his gift to me was perfect- in February we are going on a cruise! When I opened the card I broke down with tears of joy. I have SO needed a vacation and to spend time with my Dad. It was the perfect gift, and I can't wait! I may have already started packing :)

While among family, I can really judge how I'm feeling. The past few times I've gone home I felt down, under the clouds, and wanting to be nurtured back to health. But it was different this time. I came in and felt like myself, or my perception of myself at least. It was then I realized that I've felt above the darkness for a couple weeks now. I'm not sure what exactly is leading to my success, but I have a feeling it is one or a combination of the following:

Busy bee: I haven't had time to think because of how busy i've been the past few weeks. My world has been absorbed by work, Christmas, and planning. As in my last post, I stated that I need hobbies to fill my free time with, and these couple weeks have been one of the variables that have shifted to prove this hypothesis.

Work Satisfaction: I hate being last, or even worse- not reaching my goals. I aim to be number one, and I'm good at being number one. And the past few weeks my store has been on top. We have been churning out great numbers and my store is feeling more like my own. It is a great feeling, and I'm proud of what I have accomplished.

Carl: All I can say is that I'm very, very lucky. It's not easy to sorting through my messy life, but the nice thing is that he is the one inspiring it in me. He is wonderful and such a great person, I can only wish to be on the same level as him. I could be having the worst day, and all he has to do is look me in the eyes and everything goes away. He puts things in perspective without having to explain, he has been so patient- a truly perfect partner. I have laid out this self-betterment plan for myself, but a large part of it is so that we can make the most of the time we have together.

These holidays have been the best I've had in a long time. I truly feel blessed.

Here's to already starting the year off to a good start!

Saturday, December 18, 2010

'Tis The Season


Last night I hosted my first party. Being that my house became a winter wonderland overnight, I decided to share it with a bunch of my friends!

After rushing home from work I started my "running around like a mad man" routine. First step,: put baked brie in the oven, step two: clean the house from last nights movie marathon, step three: panic because there are 23 other steps! Luckily I work best under pressure, so by the time Carl showed up most everything was done. I was then placed on the couch with a Shirley Temple while Carl and Oliver took out the trash and put the finishing touches on the cheesecake bites.

Around 7:15 my guests started to arrive, and I was so proud of how my house looked! My dinning room table was filled with yummy things, paper chains flowed across the ceiling, my tree shown in the corner, while my fake flame crackled away on the TV. It was a really cozy atmosphere.

Soon my house was filled with about 13 of my favorite people, and after a vote we all settled in with our plates of cookies and watched Elf.

Later in the night the crowd dwindled down to a good core and we watched Home Alone, one of my favorites, but I was so embarrassed when I didn't make it all the way through and sleep got the best of me. All in all, it was a wonderful night that went off without a hitch. I am so thankful for all of the great people in my life, and I'm so glad I was able to share this with them.

After my first party being a success, I will definitely be having more. SO fun!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Lazy Day 2010

For months now, Carl and I have been wishing for a day that we could just lay around all day instead of doing all of the things that keeps apart throughout the day. This past Sunday, that day happened.

In the morning we went and had breakfast with the Sidekicks, who had stayed at his house the night before. After an 821 breakfast burrito and a quick stop at Blockbuster we nestled in for the day. We rearranged some furniture and turned my living room into a blowup-mattress filled, cozy fortress. After getting settled and popping a Cheerwine, we began our Star Wars marathon. Boy was it glorious. The past few weeks we haven't really been able to see each other, so a day dedicated to all the things we love was one of the best days ever. I am still relaxed from our lazy day.

I hope there will be a few more lazy days in our future, possibly involving Indiana Jones or Harry Pottter!

Friday, November 26, 2010

Best Day Ever 2010

Last weekend, being the last weekend before I'm chained to my store until January 2nd, Carl and I took a little trip to Natural Bridge! Natural Bridge, VA is about 3.5 hours away from RIchmond, down hilly highways lined with quaint towns and cud chewing creatures. At about 9am we hit the road, armed with hoodies and bagels, and a vague idea where we were headed. The weather was absolutely perfect, 65 degrees and a tiny bit overcast- perfect driving weather.

We rode into town around 12:30, and first stop was Foamhenge. For those of you who remember my DinosaurLand post, this was built by the same man. Seriously, he is brilliant. Here we discovered that the creator had two different theories about how Stonehenge was built: 1) many tired, muscular men dragged the stones up the hill and arranged them as such, or 2) Merlin waved his magical fingers and the stones flew in from all over the planet. We chose to believe theory 2, considering there was a full scale Merlin sculpture at one end of Foamhenge to help with the imagery. So fun, and so delightfully tacky.



A few miles down we found Natural Bridge. Meandering down close to 200 steps and down a short walkway the bridge almost smacked us in the face, and it was gorgeous. For a few moments we really couldn't find the words to explain what impact it had, just "Dude...whoa." Walking under it you can't even imagine how tall it is. The idea that water and the elements crafted this amazing piece of art blew our minds. Still can't find any words, just go visit one day.

Onward past the actual bridge, the park had a habitat set up depicting how a certain indian tribe lived way back in the day. Here, Carl learned of my fear of historic actors/townies/people with too much of a grip on the past. Spooky. No likey. Yes, I admire enthusiasts, but how do I know that they aren't just crazy people who don't know what year it is! Buh. Anyways, moving on. The rest of our time in the park we walked around enjoying nature, taking in some fresh air, and enjoying a little peaceful time together.

After a grilled cheese and Mr. Pibb lunch at an Elvis themed diner called the 'Pink Cadillac,' we drove to Lexington, VA. Lexington is a small town home to VMI and Washington and Lee University, and boy was the town adorable. Almost everything was closed except for an ice cream shop (which had amazing pumpkin ice cream!) and a used book store that looked like it broke close to every fire hazard. Chock full of historical books, poetry, and first editions, Carl (the english major) and I geeked out and spent about an hour unearthing some treasures from the boxes and stacks of books strewn around the store. Apparently there was some method to the madness, but we never quite caught on to the organizing the 21 year old store had in place. I managed to find a recipe book put together by the womens choir in the 1960s, filled with some amazingly homey recipes by the way, and a post card from Natural Bridge from 1940! And Carl of course left with a stack of about 6 books, but he could of definitely left with about 12 more if we had the time to stick around.

That night on the drive home, as the highway became dark and the little farms studding the country side faded away, I really started to feel the stress leave my body. All I needed was a little time away from everyday. After we got home, we met up with some friends to catch Scott Pilgrim at the Byrd. Which has quickly become one of my new favorite movies.

Seems that lots of fresh air and a nice drive filled with pretty scenery and sing-a-longs does a body good! :)

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Yan' Can Cook!

What an eventful couple of weeks!
My health kick is still in full force, thankfully. In order to maintain my goal, I needed to know how to cook. Wraps and pasta just aren't the best way to get healthy, and they do get old after a while. Noticing my struggle and knowing my horrible eating habits, my good friend Deepa offered me a fun night of cooking lessons!

A couple weeks ago we met up at her house and sat me in the kitchen for an initial pep talk on what we were going to accomplish that night. We were going to chop, cut, broil, steam, and saute veggies. But first, we needed to get our tools. Luckily, the day we chose was also the day of the farmers market! There we found zucchini and squash (which have quickly become my go too veggies, love them!) The problem when Deepa and I get together is that a) we are highly easily to distract, and b) love to shop, therefore we took a minor detour and went to a couple stores including target to get me a steamer basket!

After we got that bit of shopping out of our system, we got down to business. Back at her house she developed the plan of action for our dinner:

-Cook up brown rice
-Steam carrots
-Saute onions, zucchini and squash
-Add tofu
-Roast beets (I had never had beets before!)
-Make mocktails (uh, yumm!)

Throughout the whole cooking adventure, she was explaining what to look for in veggies, different ways to cook them, adding spices, and switching veggies in and out using the template she had set for me. I don't think I had ever learned that much in one night. I am SO thankful for what she taught me. After she declared dinner ready she grabbed a plate and portioned out scoops of our yummy dinner. I felt full, healthy, and felt like I could easily do this at my home!

I got a chance a few nights later where I recreated almost the same dinner to help me retain all of the great info. Yummy!

The skills definitely sunk in, because this past Sunday I decided on making us a big Fall breakfast. I made pumpkin spice french toast, veggie bacon, and sweet potato hash (!!!! so yummy). I think I surprised Carl.

Who know you could teach an old dog new tricks! Hopefully more of my cooking adventures will be posted on here soon.

More news to come!

Friday, October 15, 2010

h2..oh?

We are 60% water. I was 60% black tea.

I've never been the caffeine chugging, coffee craving, morning person that most people I know are. Every morning, I would bring/buy a glass of tea and sip on that at work. Come home and have more. My rationale was, "well, it's make with water! Whats the difference?" Turns out, a lot.

Another one of my "Get Healthy 2k10" ideas was to hydrate those cells! This did not mean, drink more tea!
Before Carl went one tour, I was concerned for his hydration health, so out we went to by Nalgene bottles. I used mine for a few days, forgot it at work for a while, and went back to tea. Carl lost his on tour. We fail. Well, now with this health scare/health turn around thing, I've cleaned it out and armed myself with a few helpful things:

1) Neon green Nalgene bottle- yes, the color has nothing to do with health, but it helps me remember to take it with me! It's adorable, and now it is decorated with a Sundials sticker (D'awwww).
2) Britta FIlter- Granted, for the Alkaline diet, it works better with alkalized water (??) but I dont have he money for a $200 filter. Now we just need to get in the habit of filling the Britta up so I don't have painfully watch each water droplet purify while i'm running late for work.
3) Refrigerator accessories!- It's sadly true, but plain water isn't very thrilling. Add a little bit of lemon? FANTASTIC! My fridge is now stocked with lemons and a lemon keeper! It's cute, and allows me to cut up a bunch of lemon, and then grab-n-go in the mornings! Plus, lemon DOES help wake you up. Go citrus!

The first morning after I drank just half of the suggested amount of water, I woke up refreshed and not as lethargic as I have been. I haven't had tea in about 2 weeks, and I have been keeping up on my water intake, already my skin is looking better as well. Double win!

This upcoming week I will be getting together with my good friend Deepa to discuss cooking techniques and recipes! You have no idea how excited I am (she is a great cook too!).

Those servings of fruits and veggies are within my grasp! I feel it!

Sunday, October 10, 2010

The Initial Stock Up

Rarely have my hands grasped at those colorful pump items commonly known as vegetables. As mentioned in my last post, the fresh produce isle and I are acquaintances at best. It's not that I don't like veggies, it just that 1) i'm picky and 2) I have no idea how to cook. For most people, having either/or of those problems is not detrimental, now having both? Kiiinda' screwed.

My capabilities in the kitchen must involve flour and sugar in order for me to create something close to edible (though, It should be noted I made a small jag into chili last year, so not all hope is lost). My goal upon entering the mounds of produce was to leave with an assortment that would not end up congealing in the bottom of the fridge like most of their previous friends had gone to die. After a tour of the goods, celery, spinach, lemons, avocados, and grapes made it into my basket. Pretty good for a first round. If we are supposed to eat a rainbow, I tackled the bottom half, better then what I have been doing, that must count for something, right?

The first few listed items were quickly snatched, but once it got to the avocados I froze up. Some looked super dark, some pretty green, some super mushy, others rock hard. Ehh....eenie meenie miney moe.. Well, not exactly but it wasn't far off. I looked to other for guidance, recalling some people manhandling them. I ended up choosing the happy medium, i chose right. SCORE!

Do any of you remember the Simpsons episode when Marge and Lisa are at the grocery store and Marge tries a grape to see if the bunch is sweet? I do. I remember Lisa insisting that it is stealing and that her mother needed to pay for the prematurely eaten grape. Every time I pick up a bunch of grapes I recall this episode, and laugh. Then, walk briskly away as I notice people noticing me pausing in front to the red-seedless display with a glazed look.

So far, 3 days into my "Get Healthy 2K10" adventure, I'm feeling fairly optimistic. Only a few cheats (cappuccino this morning, and cheese fries last night, FAIL!) For breakfasts I've been having egg, spinach and cheese wraps. Almonds or 'ants on a log' (!!!!!) for a snack, and a turkey, avocado, hummus wrap for lunch (i'm trying to stay away from bread, being part italian, you can not even imagine my pain). The only problem is that I usually only eat two meals a day. This needs to change. Anyone know of any super easy, idiot proof dinner ideas?

One thing that is already showing signs of progress is drinking loads more water. I am limiting my tea intake to once a week, and i've never been much for sodas, until Carl introduced me to Cheerwine, (can we talking about awesome?!) but those will be limited as well. Just from drinking more water I already feel less 'womp-womp' and more 'wohoo!'.. my vocabulary often fails me, be warned.

Tasks on the to-do list:
-More food ideas
-Wean self off of sugar
-Talk to an herbalist (?)
- Ignore the Cheetos that my Grandmother gave me on my last visit

Thursday, October 7, 2010

I WILL Get Healthy

It is safe to say that the past couple years have challenged me mentally and physically. Death, other family tragedies and sudden change have all tested my ability to continue afloat, and unfortunately these years of stress, poor nutrition and poor choices, have all been put in the spotlight after being diagnosed with a health problem within the past month.

My initial reaction lasted up until a few hours ago honestly- sheer terror. After loosing my Mom 3 years ago to cancer, anything medical related makes me freeze. Granted, it's not a walk in the park for anyone, but the pain my Mom and family went through is still entirely too fresh in my mind.

I was alone when a physicians assistant told me what was going on in my body, and I wanted to run/ deny it. One bad fact and my brain runs rampant with worry. Luckily, I have an amazing support group of people who know my gun-shyness and took it upon themselves to do research and help calm my fears. One act of support lead my boyfriend, Carl, to talking to one of his best friends. At first, I was a little nervous having my private business spread further than just my immediate family and chosen few friends, but I was very lucky that he did. Turns out his friend's lady has had a relatable experience and she wanted to help.

Being super shy, and a somewhat private person, I didn't immediately jump on the opportunity to talk to her. I was still processing my emotions, I didn't even know what questions I would ask her! Today she reached out. We chatted on Facebook for about an hour about her experiences, some resources that she respects, and made it comfortable for me to ask any questions/ air out concerns.

She told me more or less of the following: Get healthy and don't worry. My eyes darted over to the oatmeal chocolate chip cookie batter that was staring at me with an angelic glow from my kitchen- damn.

A few months ago my Dad came down to visit and he then critiqued the condition of my house. The problem in that is that my home is who I am, if you walk into my house you are more or less getting an insight into who I am. It's a very personal space! After he left, I realized that my home, and body, have become an extremely messy situation. I decided it is time to take care of myself. Step one was to clean my house, step two go to the doctor, which is what has lead me here. Already on the "Let's get better!" kick, i took well to some of the ideas that she gave me.

One of these ideas was alkalization. I Googled it and found an article asking "Are you an acidic person?" I immediately thought of those online surveys helping you to determine if you were a romantic or a cat lady. Luckily, the article was far more informative and broke down the aspects of alkalization, and let me tell you, it makes sense! It is all about the Ph of ones body, and food contributes to this. Certain foods have higher Ph levels and if the body becomes over saturated, causing an acidic body, which can cause health problems. Ah ha! Therefore, lower Ph foods/alkalizing foods will lead to a healthier functioning body as well as reducing the acid in the body. Hello, I'm Catie and I have an acidic body.

Not 15 minutes after I said goodbye to my very inspiring friend, I grabbed my purse and ran to the grocery store.

Walking through the doors of Kroger I felt confident, I now hold the key to being able to control the happenings in my body a little more. I felt like I had a secret that no one else knew, food can make you healthy! (Shhh!) Well, the only problem with that is that I have picky-eater tendencies. Very picky. As a child I think I was nothing short of a nightmare with a taste for bread. Dating a vegetarian, i've been slowly trying to let go of these immature taste buds and upgrading for, I dont know... green things?

This past behavior has left some marks. My confidence subsided when I walked to the middle of the veggie department and though, "huh, what do I do now?" Luckily I had armed myself with a list of acceptable fruits and veggies and went from there. I felt highly out of place. I passed by shoppers wondering, are they looking at me? Do they know that i'm a rookie? At the check out one of the ladies asked me what I was making, taking note of all the veggies she was shoving into bags. "Nothing! I'm getting healthy. Today is the initial stock up." "You go girl!"

Feeling less run-over, and more empowered i'm currently drinking a gallon of water with lemon and have an avocado turkey wrap in the makes.

I WILL get healthy, I have to.
I will keep you all updated on my progress and adventures in healthy food.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

In Record Time

I'm a very lucky girl.

Last week Carl gave me a record player! I have always been so fascinated in record collecting, and i've grown fond of laying around while the pops and cracks of vinyl spin away in the background. Last night, we brought over the remaining component, and he surprised me with his copy of Lemuria's- The First Collection, as well as two 6" s: Sundials- First 3 Songs, and a Friendly Fire/ Tenement split!

I can't wait to get it all set up and start my vinyl collection.


Sunday, August 15, 2010

Dino-score!

What a fun week!
Last Monday, I rushed home after work to find my well traveled beau home from tour. It had been 3.5 weeks since I'd last seen him, and it is safe to say that I missed him! So this week we have been catching up on some summer fun times. Adventures to the river, Maymount and lots of tour stories.

Friday was my day off and we went on a little road trip! While he was on tour we started a list of things to do when he got home. One of our ideas was to go to Dinosaur Land! For those who don't know, Dinosaur Land is kind of the best/tackiest/funnest place ever. It is a small park close to Winchester featuring upwards of 20 hand made dinosaur structures. Needless to say by my mention of the word 'tacky,' but the dinosaurs are far from accurate interpretations. While we were there we found out that Dinosaur Land was built in 1964 (!!!). Such a fun time.



After Dinosaur Land we drove to Lovettsville VA to have dinner with his family (boy was I nervous!). What a gorgeous place and a great family! I had tons of fun, and felt very welcome. After dinner we took a look at his Mom's boyfriend's collection of vintage cars (*jaw dropping*) and watched Shutter Island. It was nice to get away for a bit, and I can't remember the last time I've had that much fun. I am one lucky girl.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Where Did the Posi Go?

After the happenings at this weekend's favored West Cost fest, it's forcing me to question why we are supporting/ allowing things like this to happen? When was it that our punk family tree was infected with testosterone fueled violence?

For those who don't know, this past weekend in Santa Barbera, CA, the Sound and Fury hardcore festival played out. The line up included bands such as Sick of it All, Cold World, The Rival Mob, Bane, as well as many other Richmond natives (congrats BTW, boys). On Sunday night, in the middle of a set, someone rolled in through the crowd on a motorcycle putting many in harms way and wrecking tables of the touring bands' merch (aka band's meal tickets). This situation escalated quickly as multiple brawls broke out simultaneously in response. As VCStar.com reported, many of the patrons found the disturbance thrilling and thought it a triumphant end to the fun packed weekend.

Are you kidding me? When did riots become cool? What has created such a violent scene? Is it the context of the songs? Is it a tough-guy complex? Is there something to prove? And if so, who are you trying to prove it to?

I doubt it.

With popular hardcore bands out there like Pulling Teeth who sing about social change, such as combating homophobia, or other bands like Earth Crisis, promoting veganism and making others aware of animal cruelty, why is the scene still so ignorant in common sense? It makes me mad to no end that I know that when I return home from a hardcore show I will be a few bruises richer. That being said, I'm not a stage diver, not a dancer, in fact, no where near the pit; i'm just a 5'2" blond girl who happens to get a thrill from heavy bass riffs, fast, throaty vocals, and have been known to silently head bang to a breakdown or two. For others, broken noses fingers, and black eyes? - Just another day at the office.

Having friends in touring bands, they are always shocked to report that other scenes ( whether it be in a different state or attendance at a more mixed genera show) are so much more respectful, supportive and not nearly as coldly aggressive.

During the height of their hardcore/punk scene in the 1980s, DC was churning out bands such as Bad Brains, Fugazi, Dag Nasty, and Minor Threat. The enthusiasm that this scene exuded to the rest of the country was astounding. One of the first, and most influential punk movements of the century, and these bands are still holding strong and staying current. The scene then was far more peaceful then the imagines we picture when someone says 'hardcore show' now. So much respect.

It's frustrating because the impression modern punk and hardcore gives people turns even some of the most faithful DIYers and punk enthusiasts off. Many old school patrons have stopped going to shows because they don't want to deal with the abuse and find militant crews unnecessarily proud, and rather annoying.

Call me a hippie, I don't care, but having come from the DC area to a more macho scene the difference is disappointing. It's safe to say that I would be much more apart of the music scene if things were different. The mentality of the scene isn't enough to turn me off though, and I will not stop showing my support for many of the talented bands out nowadays, I just want to understand so I can do what I can. There is no reason that we can't spur a social change within our scene. PMA and posi are all apart of my life, and it's a shame that our scene is losing integrity because of a few bad seeds.

Sound and Fury Articles can be found here:
http://www.punknews.org/article/39199

And here:
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/jul/26/no-headline---nxxsoundfury26/?partner=RSS

Summer

There is no doubt that it is officially Summer time. Richmond's infamous heat and humidity have struck us with record-breaking highs, making the mean temperature in my house 88+ degrees.

I don't do heat.

Hearing my somewhat defeated tone, my Dad texted me one morning, "I'll be in Richmond at 2pm with 2 new a/c units, where will you be?" Amazing. If there was a father of the year award, he would win it, hands down. By the time I got home, the house was cool and he had cleaned my apartment. With all that is going on, it was so nice to be taken care of for a change.

So now, my outlook on the rest of Summer is much more positive.

I have the best family ever.

P.S. I am going to have to change my motto, no longer a Successful, *Single*, Sober girl. Just Successful and Sober ;)

Monday, June 28, 2010

How can you tell if your car is dying?

Does it develop a nasty cough? Does it become lethargic and tend to sleep a lot? Or does it come in the form of omens when 3 people in 4 days speak randomly about how your car is on borrowed time?

With all my misguided quirks, i'm assuming the latter- thus, being thrown into Super-Thrifty Catie mode. The majority of my expendable income will soon be making it's way into my savings account/ emergency I-need-a-new-car fund. Which, will be hard considering I have just accepted the fact I MAY have shop-a-holic tendencies. Luckily, the car that I'm intending on purchasing after my beloved Volvo's demise is typically under $9000 used for a decent year's model.

Kind of funny how in the last 6 months i've moved to a salaried position, starting paying for my own health insurance, and started talking about buying my own car (again). When did this surge into adulthood take place? I sure don't feel like an adult.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Truths XXIX

Missing someone is a really good feeling.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Moving Along

Needless to say, i've been running at full speed for the past couple weeks, and it has started to catch up with me. I believe the proper term would be 'burnt out.' Feeling a little down and homesick, my Dad came to visit me yesterday before he embarks on a week long trip to visit his brother. Even though at some points throughout the day I was having a hard time keeping my eyes open, he told me that he hasn't seen me this happy in a long time, and I would have to agree with him. Making progress at work, sunshine and some special people in my life are making all the stress accompanied by rebuilding a store just something in the background.

I am so looking forward to this summer.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Vitamin D

What a great weekend!

Friday night I went out to First Friday's for the first time with Carley, Travis, and Dashley. It definitely comforted me to find that Richmond still has a very vibrant art scene. My everyday life is lacking in the arts (other than music), so being reminded about what Richmond is all about made me a little more proud of our city. We went to the senior photography art show, which was very impressive! One of the seniors had done a series on ordinary objects that she held on to after her father passed away, and how much more they meant after they are gone. Let's just say I related a little too closely; art has never hit me so hard.

Work on Saturday was slow moving, but it was worth it, because the store ended 112% to budget and complete! Which means we may have won a district wide competition= we get cupcakes! Woohoo! I got to train and push some of my newbies and they ended up showing me what they were made of, proud boss lady moment.

Sunday was my day off, and it was one of the best i've had in a while! Woke up early, went and ran some errands, then went out for tea, which lead to adventures to the river, soaking up some vitamin D, listening to music, and hang outs. My cheeks still ache this morning, not because of the sun either.

This week has gotten off to a great start, and I have much to look forward to, starting with my tattoo on Wednesday!

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Oh My Robots!



Will be buying on yayday.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Fashionably Paranoid.

"She wiped down the faceplate of the alarm clock with the corner of her sheets, and she sat up in the partially skewed 11am light. The well-loved timepiece had started to cloud with a few familiar shaped, lip-balm imprints; the hands almost seemed to be cutting through a cherry flavored fog as they counted down her day.

[...]

The stories, myths, and fables, had left a deep imprint on her that no one would be able to alleviate with rational argument. She was blindly convinced, but for now, it suited her. Everyone needs a quirk."

Monday, March 22, 2010

Tattoo Feedback

Time after time these certain lyrics have been applicable to my life, and I think it's about time to get them burned onto my person.

My idea:

Front of my right arm, right above the bend of my elbow get 'A lot of heart' in script
and on the front of my left arm, right aove the bend of my elbow 'A little luck'

what do we think?
If you saw this on someone, what would you think?

This will be my first in your face tattoo, so I want to know peoples opinions.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Truths XXVIII

I'm the girl that makes men realize they love someone else.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

7 words, 7 Syllables

"Your Mom would be proud of you."

I will never be able to hear these words and keep my composure.

Monday, March 1, 2010

The Truth Hurts

Over ambition + lack of patience = too many loose ends.

It is a horrible, horrible feeling when someone close to you shines a light on a fault. It's a hard pill to swallow, but I'm thankful that they love me enough to tell me.

I've got some work/healing to do.

Friday, February 26, 2010

Ride Into the Danger Zone

I did it!
Starting Sunday, I will be the new store manager! I started only ten months ago, and only five months ago I was promoted to my assistant manager position. Two times in less than a year?! Crazy.

My experience in this particular store has prepared me to dominate this position, but I am still terrified. I will not fail. I will kick butt. Plus, It is fairly re-assuring to be told by my superior that my only area of opportunity is to be more confident in my abilities and knowledge.

This is a new, big step in my life, and for once, I am not resisting this change.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Good Luck

"Oh, I loved you but let me go.
So many years ahead,
might as well greet them with a lighter load."

Something just makes me so happy about this band/ song.

Good Luck- "1001 Open Hands"

Monday, February 8, 2010

Birth of a Gamer



It's not so secret that my familiarity with video games compares to that of a 2 year old, and even then, they could probably crush me (damn Baby Einstein). When everyone was geeking-out on Mario and a lovable Ape, I was glueing pieces of paper together and skinning my knees. Little did I know my lack of participation in this sport would come around and bite me in the arse.

We have been in the age for a while now where we embrase the things of our youth, but now we're being social about it. Video games are a way of the party. Every normal human being is doing it, so last night I bit the bullet, thanks to some encouragement and a microphone thrown in my lap by Carley. After the initial uneasiness of showing my true, musical colors, you know what I learned? Video games are kinda fun. Also, since the revival of social video gaming, with the introduction of new and snazzy gaming systems, I am not too far behind my peers. So, being only a few semesters behind, I say "Rock on, and show me a good bass riff!"

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Lingering

"Oh how your ghost, undyingly, whispers in my ear
it's teeth chattering, unable to push you through the
hippocampus, past..."

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Truths XXVII

I need to learn how to relax.
I need to accept that in some situations I'm doing the best I can with the resources that I've been given.
Mostly, I need to learn how to appreciate a snow day and not feel guilty about it.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Brushing off Ashes

"But East and West will pinch the heart
That can not keep them pushed apart;
And he whose soul is flat-the sky
Will cave in on him by and by."

-E. St. Vincent Millay

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Toughie I

Over the course of my life i've come across a few people who have made a deep impact on my person. These people I'm specifically referring to tend to be the strong, silent type. I admired those who showed their love and adoration through actions, reminders, and their presence. I enjoyed the distance they had from the situation, where they weren't throwing around words or loosing their meaning. They were there, they had feelings and ideas just like everyone else, they just didn't advertise it as loudly. I loved that they could be interpreted, and I always hoped that they had some quiet joke with themselves as they watch people try to unravel them.

In normal human fashion, I chose to try and emulate these qualities I so adored. This was possible firstly by the fact that my father is one of those people who had these traits. His inner strength and calm demeanor, he has protected me and guided me while still maintaining a hands off approach, letting me develop into yours truly. Through this, he has also remained something that I can only describe as a 'classic.' His image has not changed in my mind, and I can forever look back onto this and say "That, that right there is my Dad." I aim for this.

The trouble (and I say trouble, not problem, this could never be a problem) in this is that I am also very much my mother's daughter. She could befriend a wall, and get to know all of it's entire connecting surfaces. She had a personality that was hard to ignore, but you never wanted to. You knew who she was from the first time your saw her smile, and some days I'd kill for that trait. And here is where the conflict lies...

Truths XXVI

Hindsight truly is 20/20.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Weekender

It's quite spectacular what a few days away can do for the soul. New air, fresh experiences, much missed smiling faces, new directions. I am looking forward to making new habits, it's time to get back to being the best I can be.

To Do:
-Pick up where I left off on my book
-Amp up my domestic tendencies
-Put my all in at work so I can move/move up
-Ride out my new found motivation

Friday, January 8, 2010

Truths XXV

Just because my system is clean, doesn't mean I don't have vices.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Eventful Life

Someone is testing me, someone has GOT to be testing me. Maybe it's my shining optimism that has jinxed me. Anyways, it's safe to say the last few days have been crappy.

After getting home from work on the 2nd, I realized the General was acting weird. So off we went to the hospital. After a few hours, they discovered he had developed crystals in his urine. This required them to put him under, insert a catheter, and flush out and rebalance his system. After plunking down 2 months rent at the vet, I went home and General stayed in the care of the hospital.

I felt a little better when I remembered the fact that I had pet insurance, something I got once I realized I housed one adventurous kitty. But, true to form, once I got home and did some investigating I saw a big "LAPSED" mark next to my policy ID (Why it lapsed wasn't my fault, and they will be hearing my angry voice in the morning). After that bit of information, the freak-out session began.

This morning I had a little better grasp on things- the General was "comfortable," it was a new day, and the guilty feeling in my stomach had subsided. Helping me take my mind off things, Bernadette came over and we watched two terribly cute movies, 500 Days of Summer & Paper Heart. Later on, while I went to return the movies, I hopped in the car and the car wouldn't go. Ugh.

Everything is under control now, but I am in dire need of a break. This has all been a little too much.

But! tomorrow is another day! Woohoo!