Crazy

The Strangest Disaster of the 20th Century


link via defective yeti

More Reading

I read four books this weekend.

My friend Amber always said I should read Sarah Dessen, but I never have until now. This weekend I read Keeping the Moon and Someone Like You (which was made into the movie How to Deal). They were both pretty good. I actually liked Keeping the Moon better, since I am someone who still has self-esteem issues. Someone Like You was harder to like because since I had seen the movie first kept imagining Mandy Moore as the main character and Peter Gallagher as her Dad.

Next I read Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer. This was a fantastic book! It is the diary of a teenage girl. It starts out with normal high school stuff and then you read that a meteor is scheduled to hit the moon. Everyone watches as it knocks the moon closer to Earth, causing flooding, earthquakes, and volcanoes. She must then survive with her family in their New England home. Thanks to my source, I heard Susan Beth Pfeffer is writing a companion book with the tale of a boy in the New York projects and how he survives the same ordeal.

Finally I read The Road by Cormac McCarthy. So haunting and traumatic. I guess I am used to a Jericho post-apocalyptic world where everyone bands together to help each other survive, but this was the opposite. A father and son are traveling to the coast in a barren wasteland trying to survive and evade capture by bands of people who have turned to cannibalism to survive. But the story is really about the love between the Father and son.

I cried while reading all of these books. Wow, I am such a cry-baby.

It all goes back to AMC

I sometimes like to think about what a different person I would be like if I had decided to go straight to a four-year university after high school. I was completely registered and then decided that I should drop out because I was in love and we were going to move to Minnesota and be together forever. Yeah, that relationship lasted another six months before it fizzled, and I was left wondering what the hell I had done.

I love my life now and the person I have become. I can't even fathom how I would be different if I didn't go through what I have the last six years. I also like to go back and think about how I got here:

My father loves movies. All growing up he got me into great movies like Army of Darkness, Clockwork Orange, and To Kill A Mockingbird. All during middle school, I went to the movies every weekend with my friends.
1998 This love for movies caused me to get my first job at the local AMC Movie Theater, also because it was the only place that hired 15 year olds. I met Kerri and Laura there, who became my close friends.

2001 I met the above Minnesotan at Laura's apartment the summer after high school, which caused me to drop out of college.

2002 I got a job as a hostess at Red Lobster after that, because Kerri worked there.

2003 July. Kerri and I became friends with a server named James. We hung out at his house a lot and I ended up meeting his friend Ashley, who had moved here from Fort Collins. She became a close friend.

2003 October. Ashley and I didn't have jobs, so she suggests we go to the temp agency Manpower. I got the job, she didn't. I was hired on by the company I was temping for and am still there.

2004 October. I hung out at Ashley's house a lot and on Halloween she had a party. A local band named John Denver's Last Flight played. Ashley started going out with the bass player, Matt. I met the guitar player Brad, but thought he was too drunk and too loud.

2004 December. Brad and I had become friends and I had a crush on him.

2004/2005 New Years Eve. Brad and I make out. We have been together since.

School

By December I will finally be done with my two-year Associates Degree from Mesa Community College. It has only taken me six years! So in Spring 2008 I should be starting at ASU.

I have been really struggling to pick a major. There are so many choices and I'm not sure what I would be good at or love doing. But something was recently added as a choice and I think it may be my major: A B.A. in Sustainability. It is actually not even going to be a undergrad major until Fall 2008. I am so excited. Here is some tidbits:

B.A. students will be able to:

• Understand the concepts and methods of environmental economics, sociology, anthropology, environmental politics, ethics, design, and human geography relevant to the sustainability of environmental resources and social institutions.
• Apply these concepts and methods to developing sustainable institutions for water, land, air, and urban management at the local to global level.
• Evaluate the sustainability of environmental institutions, legal frameworks, property rights, and culture.

I am really interested in the environment and helping to change things, but I did not want to go into the science part of it. I think this is perfect.

Kid Nation: CBS Promo

When I heard about this on NPR, I wasn't so sure. But after watching this promo I think this looks great. I can't wait.

Congrats

On Friday my best friend Amber graduated college with a BA in Elementary Education. I am so happy for her and excited to see her shaping young minds. I know she is going to be the best teacher and I don't think there is any job that is more important.

I had so much fun on Friday finally meeting her Grandparents and drinking with her family. I still find it weird drinking with "grown-ups". I feel that I am doing something wrong and that I am going to get in trouble. Maybe by the time I'm 30 I will feel differently.

Vacation

It is not fun being back at work after five days off. Last Tuesday was the last day of the semester. Thankfully I finally finished Eng 101 after about 5 tries. I obviously know how to write, but I am just lazy and always dropped the class. This time, the professor was a very lenient grader. I did not really try at all and sometimes I didn't meet the length requirement but I still got A's on all my essays.

Then on Wednesday through Friday morning I was in Sedona staying in the Forest Houses. I have been going to these since I was little and I even think about getting married there. It was great to relax and read, read, read. Since last Sunday I have read five books and they were all fantastic. I get a lot of good book ideas from bookshelves of doom. On Sunday we went to the library to get books for the Sedona trip and by Monday night I had already read Midnighters #2: Touching Darkness and Poison Study. So I had to go back to the library on Tuesday to get the sequel, Magic Study. So then by Thursday night in Sedona I finished Magic Study, The Society of S, and The Handmaid's Tale.

Now I am reading Oryx and Crake and Peeps. I love that with all this reading I have been watching TV less and my DVR list has a lot of great shows waiting to be watched. I finally watched the two-hour Grey's Anatomy last night.

Blah Blah Blah

I am watching the third season of Arrested Development and their new lawyer is Charles in Charge and his name on the show is Bob Loblaw. So this morning a co-worker was telling a story and said, "Blah, blah, blah." and I said, "Oh, you watch Arrested Development?!" and she had no idea what I was talking about.

Dr's

I switched Doctors because my old one never tried to get to the root of problems and just tried covering the symptoms. So yesterday I had to get four immunization shots; Tetanus, Hep A and B, and Gardasil(HPV). Then I had a pap smear. The thing I don't like about a vaginal exam is that they always sit there and talk to their nurse like nothings going on. Your hand is in my vagina, I want you giving it all of your attention!

Now I have to go give blood so I can have my cholesterol and blood sugar tested. Yay for actually taking care of my body!

Nightmare

I had the most horrible dream ever last week. I won't go into details, but my younger sister got kidnapped by drug dealers and I didn't have my cell phone and realized I didn't know anyone's phone number. Oh, and Anthony Hopkins was there as the owner of a cell phone store. I woke up crying and had to call my sister to make sure she was ok.

I remember growing up, before cell phones, I had to know every phone number by heart. Since getting a cell phone I have lost all of that knowledge. I don't even know my father's address. So I actually went out and bought a address book. It is by Angela Adams and is very pretty. If I know you, expect an email from me asking for your pertinent information.

and don't do drugs! (except weed, does that even count anymore?)

oh, and while I was buying that address book, I also got the best button. Happy Monday!

Thats Pretty Underground

So funny. Thanks to Electrolicious for the link.

the best

Have I ever told you that I am very lazy? If left to my own devices, I would go home everyday and sit in front of the computer or tv all night, barely getting up to eat something. Anytime that I do exercise or go out during the week, I feel much better than if I would have sat at home; but the next time I have the choice to stay home, I never remember that. I have called out of work before, just so I could sleep in.

So my live-in boyfriend, Brad*, bears the brunt of this. I wait until he has gotten up, and then I am suddenly ready for that refill; he makes me wake up in the morning, he does the dishes (i cook); he cleans the cat box (i will gag); he convinces me to go on our semi-nightly walk; he pretty much does anything for me that would require me to get off my ass. I count my lucky stars for this, and I wonder if he will ever get sick of it.

*if you didn't notice the hyper link, this is Brad's comic website. Go visit him.

the devil and daniel johnston

I just watched this last night. Great, great movie. I've never met anyone that intense.

100th post

This is a great time waster.


Create Your Own PaloozaHead - Visit Lollapalooza.com

I look funny! Great link from Amber.

Love and Marriage

Brad and I were at my great-aunt’s house yesterday with some family and I told my great uncle that me and my boyfriend have been together for 2+ years. Then he gave me the look, and I knew the next question was going to be, "So when are you going to get married?" I loathe this question. But I gave him a look and he said, “What?” and so I said, “ I’m waiting for the question.” Everyone laughed and I thought they got it, but then Brad gave me a look. I realized then that they thought I meant, "I am waiting for him to ask me to marry him. Silly boy, he just can't make a commitment!"

So brad and I were talking later and we decided that I should have said, "No, we are not planning on getting married for a long while; we are just going to continue living in sin, and we may even have a child out of wedlock. Oh yeah, and we don't believe in the Christian God!" And then we would back out slowly, run to the car, and never return. It's funny how little my extended family knows me. I don't do much to rectify this, but it's just interesting.

Zomburrito

Brad and his friends made a movie last fall. It is finally on youtube. It is great, you will laugh. I get a shout out in the credits because I made the dummy. Can you tell who Brad is?

Mr Fred Rogers

I haven't really thought about Mr. Rogers since growing up. But it is a given that when I have children I want them to watch his show. I saw this video yesterday:
Mr. Rogers talks to the US Senate via Soulemama
And it made me cry out loud. He talked about how he ended the show each day with, "You've made this day a special day, by just you being you. There's no person in the whole word like you and I like you just the way you are." I think more children need to hear this.

I bought this book for my Dad for his birthday, but never ended up giving it to him. So after watching that video I started reading it. It is filled with little quotes by him and I think everyone should read it. He was such a wonderful man, filled with kindness and love for all of his "neighbors".

Sorry

I have been a bad blogger. Not that I updated it much before but it has been a while. I blame azpunk.com I go on there everyday now and comment on current events and make fun of things. So that doesn't leave much for here. But there is something that I want to keep blogging about. I am slowly changing the way I live. I am becoming greener, I want to leave less of an ecological footprint. I have been researching it and doing little things for a while, but the documentary The Future of Food sent me over the edge. I was crying during that movie, I was so angry for the farmers and because of the corruption in big business that affects all of America. Everyone should see this movie!

This also has to do with losing weight. I have never been able to lose weight on my own, I have no discipline. But since we got together over two years ago both Brad and I have gained at least 30 pounds each. I'm used to fluctuating and have several different sizes of jeans, but Brad doesn't. And since he is cheap, he doesn't want to have to buy new pants. So he has decided to lose weight, not for health reasons but mostly because he doesn't want to buy bigger pants. This is great news for me because he keeps me motivated and disciplined. We are going on walks almost everynight and eating smaller portions.

Since I am trying not to eat GMOs that limits what we can eat also. Try finding bread without corn syrup in it; it is hard! Also, I have not been able to give up my coke/dr. pepper addiction, but at least it is in cans and not plastic bottles.

Thanks also goes to Ballsy Blog for providing great links and ideas on her blog.

Here are some of the things I am doing right now and what I plan to add:
Eating mostly organic, non gmos, and local when available. That means no corn syrup or soy lethicin. (plan to join CSA with local farm soon)
Natural Conditioner (will add shampoo when current runs out)
No bottled water, or plastic bottles at all
Added a trash can for aluminum to recycle
Added a box for paper to recycle
I am weaning myself off magazines. I can go to the library and look at them.
I am researching gardening right now and plan to start a compost and tiny veggie garden on my patio.

I will add more when I think of them.

Fun

You know what I did yesterday after school? Played video games. All day. It was fun. I played both Marvel: Ultimate Alliance and LEGO Star Wars. Isn't that exciting!

Oh wait, I did take a break to watch Star Trek Enterprise. I looked at pictures of T'Pol in real life and I like her better as a Vulcan.

Last weekend I did have lots of fun. My friends' band Parkway Wretch played on Friday at a bar, and then at a house party on Saturday night. I like house parties better than bars. It is easier to talk to people and the beer is cheaper.

We left pretty early though because Brad was drunk and tired. I think I am going to have to start drugging him with stimulants so I can stay out later. I'll admit, in the past it has always been me who has wanted to leave. I didn't want to make friends and I wasn't that in to the local scene. But now that I have convinced Brad that staying at home and watching TV is better, I am changing my tune. I want to talk to new people and go to more shows.

Up this weekend, Parkway is playing at The Vaudeville in Tucson. So road trip!

Blah

God, school is bullshit. I'm sick of it. I started with 4 classes and now have 2. Why am I so lazy!

I have a major case of the blahs. I am sick of work, I am sick of school, I am sick of doing anything. I want to be productive by knitting, sewing, cleaning; but all I do when I get home is watch tv. I never go outside unless it is going to my car. I want to do more activities, but growing up the only things I did were go to the movies, go out to eat, hang out with friends at home. That is all I do now and that is only once or twice a week. What else is there?

Blaaaaaaahhhhhh!