They love me! They really love me! Well, at least Kaylee does. She gave me a blogger award! ☺
I'm super stoked because Kaylee is way awesome, and the more I talk to her the more I love her. I'm thinking that a road trip/meet up is a definite must in the future. Anywho, I guess I have to share some pictures/stories about my life, so without further ado...
This is one of my favorite pictures of me. My Aunt Bonnie, the family comedian, had this wig and decided that I needed to wear it. And check out how stinking cute my mom was looking!
Here I am looking super cute and super 80s in this ginormous wicker chair. We have a nice collection of pictures just like this because my parents were too poor to pay for professional pictures. Why they thought a wicker chair would be an optimal backdrop, though, is beyond me. (I wish my hair was still this blonde.)
Please excuse the awful quality, but I'm pretty sure that this is the only picture known to man of me and the little sister being lovey with each other. Also, please excuse the massive buck teeth. This was taken pre-braces.
I don't really have anything to say about this. Just bask in it's awesomeness. (That's me on the bottom left. People were constantly mistaking me for a boy. I don't blame them.)
This picture was taken for our church directory. Once again, bask in the awesomeness. I can't get over how 90s this is. Ugh, that vest...
This is me and the sister at the Frankenmuth River Place. The store we were at had the best collection of unique glasses, and we couldn't pass up the photo op. Also, check out how freaking pale I am. I blend right in with my white coat.
Our family is really into Halloween, so I couldn't resist putting this one up. I am crazy in love with that old lady mask of mine. I wear it almost ever year. The little sister was clearly less than thrilled to be a part of the family bonding time, but the fact that they even got her in the photo is a miracle in and of itself.
So maybe I'm on the fast track to becoming a crazy cat lady...
Well, that was a little piece of my life. Hope you enjoyed. Now is the part where I nominate two other bloggers who I find crazysexycool. First is Lorraine from Late to the Party. She's my brown twin, so I have to share the love. Prepare to be blown away by her comic genius. Second is Alison from Literary Crap. I used to read my heart out as a youngin', but as I got older my (self-diagnosed) ADD grew worse and worse, and my ability to sit through a book became less and less. Alison's book reviews make me want to become a reader again.
30 DAY MUSIC CHALLENGE Click here to see the entire list.
Day 13 - A song that is a guilty pleasure:
At first I wasn't sure where to go with this. Do I add a song that's cheesy, but that I still love? Do I add a song that goes against what I believe, but that I still love? Then it hit me. Brown Skin by India.Arie. "I can't tell where yours begins, I can't tell where mine ends." Not only am I not black, but I'm so far on the lower end of the white spectrum that it's not even funny. I always feel slightly embarrassed when I sing along (and sing along do I ever), but it's just so dang good.
I don't get to see my mom very often (she works 3rd shift and sleeps all day) so I like to go grocery shopping with her every week, partaking in a little mother/daughter bonding time. I was especially excited to go today because, instead of going to Walmart like she usually does, she went to our local grocery store. Our local grocery store has the BEST fresh doughnuts.
When we got back from shopping, I found the doughnut, poured myself a short glass (I'm lactose intolerant) of milk, and got down to business. I know what you're thinking... "Why are you drinking milk if you're lactose intolerant??" I absolutely can not eat something sweet without having milk to wash it down, even if it's just something like a candy bar. It's a trait I've inherited from my dad. Plus, I'm just fond of dairy products, in general. As long as I consume it in moderation, I'm usually ok. Maybe a small amount of discomfort, but usually ok. Today, on the other hand, made me want to die.
As a result, my entire day was ruined. Maybe I'm being a bit dramatic, but I've certainly had better days. I finished my glass of death and decided to go back to bed until it was time to get up for work. I assumed that I would have gotten plenty of sleep and would wake up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day. Again. Instead, I slept miserably and woke up feeling even more exhausted than I did in the first place. Exhaustion = Grumpy McAngry Pants = bad night at work. Everyone and everything got on my nerves, leaving me in a state similar to this...
I'm pulling my hair out, just in case you thought that might be a set of mini pigtails. I also tried to be a little more true to my (lack of) skin pigment with this picture. It's still a bit too dark.
Luckily, I came home to my sister inviting me to accompany her tomorrow while she gets her second tattoo. I'm pretty stoked about it. If I can't afford another of my own, I might as well live vicariously though her. And we always have an awesome time on our outings, you know, since we're twinners separated at birth and everything.
30 DAY MUSIC CHALLENGE Click here to see the entire list.
Day 12 - A song from a band you hate:
This is pretty hard for me since there isn't much that I hate when it comes to music. There are some bands that I don't love, but I can tolerate most. There is one band, though, that makes me want to vomit every time I hear them. Steely Dan. I EFFING HATE STEELY DAN. My dad adores Steely Dan and constantly listens to them, as my disgust grows with each passing second. As hard as this is for me to admit, they do have one song that I don't mind, but it's slightly easier to come to terms with because for years I thought it was Santana. So here it is. Enjoy. Or don't. Trust me, I won't be heartbroken.
...and throw a day or two of work in the mix. I'm not sure why, but I haven't felt like blogging much lately. Maybe it's the fact that I'm so consumed with other social media outlets that I'm bled dry by the time I make my way over here. I don't know. Whatever it is, I don't like it. I'll tell you what I do like, though, and that is blogs with cartoons/doodles/comics/drawings, etc. I was talking to Kaylee earlier this week about my (lack of) drawing skills and she ensured me that with time and practice I will indeed become the best artist in America go from a 3rd grade drawing level to a 4th (MAYBE EVEN 5TH!) grade level. I think she's a liar (not a mean liar, but one who lies to make others feel better about themselves), but expect to see more doodles around these parts in the future. I suck and I know it, but I have fun doing it, and hopefully you'll have fun making fun of my "work".
30 DAY MUSIC CHALLENGE Click here to see the entire list.
Day 11 - A song from your favorite band:
I fell in love with Florence + the Machine a little over a year ago and she very quickly became my new favorite, a title long held by Fiona Apple. It makes me sad to bump Fiona to second place, but it's a close second so she shouldn't be so offended. Anyway, it's WAY too hard for me to pick a favorite Flo song so I'll leave you with my top three and let you decide. If I could only ever listen to three songs again for the rest of my life, it'd most likely be these three. You can't just listen, you have to feel/experience them. So, so, so, so good.
I've recently found a few Tumblr pages that I wanted to follow but, being the elitists that they are, Tumblr only lets you follow/like/comment on pages if you yourself are a member. I was pretty irritated, but then I decided if I can't beat 'em I might as well join 'em! And you know what? I'm kind of digging their set up. This will always be my main blog, the one with substance (I hope), but Tumblr is more constructed for quick, easy sharing. They're like the love child of Blogger and Twitter. I know that I spam everyone's Twitter feed like crazy get slightly out of control with the frequency that I tweet. I figure Tumblr can be an outlet for some of my thoughts and I can chill out substantially on the Twitter front. It's pretty win/win. If you'd like, you can check it out here.
In other news, winter sometimes brings up thoughts/regrets of the year of college that I attended. (Yeah, yeah... I'm a college dropout. *hangs head in shame*) I attended NMU, and although I'm pretty used to crappy Michigan winters by now, nothing could have prepared me for a Marquette winter. Feet of snow, blistering winds, a skin freezing advisory... (It's a real thing, I swear.) One huge non-regret, though, that I could have NEVER prepared for was when I participated in the annual Arctic Plunge. Freezing does not even begin to describe what I felt that day. Actually, I didn't really feel much. Thirty seconds, tops, in the water and I was numb, numb, numb. When I exited the lake it felt like my shorts had ridden up to underwear territory, but as I tried to yank them down my hand just kept sliding down my thigh. Even though it was beyond cold, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Well, except for the whole falling down and gouging a chunk of my ankle out part. I still have the scar. Stupid frozen sand.
A few years ago I was searching YouTube to try and give my friend a better idea of my experience, and wouldn't you know, I found a video of the exact time that I participated. Keep an eye out for me on the right side of the screen when we all take off. I'm in the red shorts and grey t-shirt. Also, keep an eye out for how I ever so nicely drug my roommate down with me during my "incident". Enjoy!
30 DAY MUSIC CHALLENGE Click here to see the entire list.
Day 10 - A song that makes you fall asleep:
From experience, I know that any song from The Knack (with the exception of My Sharona) makes me fall asleep. We used to get a lot of free vouchers for lawn seats at DTE Energy Music Theater, and The Knack featuring some other horrendous bands, was one that I wish we never would have wasted our time on. I've attended quite a few concerts in my 25 years on this Earth, but I've NEVER been to such a snooze fest! Awful. Just awful. I could leave you with some crap, but I'll be nice and share the only song of theirs that I can tolerate.
Well, 2011 has ruled so far. Maybe that's a bit of a premature assessment, but I can only imagine if God has done so much in one day, that the entire year will be packed with greatness. Bad too, of course, but lots of great.
I thought I'd share with you some resolutions I've made for this year. (Stereotypical, I know, but maybe I'll follow them a bit more closely if I actually write them out. I'll feel more compelled to stick to them, also, if I feel that there are other people potentially holding me accountable.)
Superficial Resolutions:
Drink more water.
Eat healthier.
Exercise.
Move out of my parents' house.
Meaningful Resolutions:
Overall, to grow closer to God. To build a better, less fleeting relationship.
Read the Bible in a year.
Overcome some of my everyday, unfounded fears.
Be more willing to share my faith.
So there they are. Nothing exceptionally profound, but they are all things that I need to work on, and then some. Hope everyone had a great New Year's and continues to have a beautiful, blessed year. ♥
30 DAY MUSIC CHALLENGE Click here to see the entire list.
Day 9 - A song that you can fall asleep to:
I'd have to say M83's entire CD, Before The Dawn Heals Us, but in particular the songs Moonchild and Lower Your Eyelids To Die With The Sun. It's hard for me to explain the feeling they give, almost ethereal. Listen for yourself. I dare you to not fall in love.
This is a quote from my sister Jessie, who happens to be 4.5 years younger than me. She's on crack, but that's why I love her. I know what she meant, though. We're so similar with regards to our little quirks and sense of humor. It's still hard to believe sometimes, because the two of us were mortal enemies when we were younger. If we got into a fight my mom would make us sit by each other on the couch, bodies touching, for extended periods of time. And if we were in big trouble we had to hug! Haha! Now we're super close. Well, not that "I tell you ever aspect of my personal life" close, but more like "We're sitting in complete silence and randomly burst out into song at the exact same moment, the same part of the song, and both take it up an octave" kind of close. Because we do that. A lot. I like to quote her frequently on my Twitter. She cracks me up so often, I just couldn't deprive the world my 70+ followers of her fabulous humor.
Jessie and I may have very similar personalities, but when it comes to looks we couldn't be more polar opposite. Jessie is a tall, skinny, cute brunette, and I am a short, fat, blonde who has the potential to be cute if I shrunk to half my size. I have tiny ankles, though, and Jessie has cankles, so I've got that going for me.
I'm not really that fat, nor do I look like a penguin, in real life.
My littlest sister, Melissa, and I have only started to get close again recently. From the time she was born, up until about the age of 4, we were attached at the hip. We used to watch marathons of Friday the 13th together when I would babysit. (And the award for Best Babysitter goes to...) She grew up and became that textbook bratty little sister, among other things that I won't get into, and it really wrecked our relationship.
Unlike Jessie and I, she and I are more similar in looks than personality. She doesn't have cankles either, so hooray for us. We've got a lot of patching up to do, but we've made a start and that's what really matters. My favorite thing to do with Melissa is make her laugh. She doesn't do it often, so it's a real accomplishment when you can break through that plaster mold she refers to as her face. Jessie and I together can really get her going. Good times are had by all.
A rare picture of the three of us getting along.
The three of us may not have always been best friends, and we may never be, but we have built substantially on our relationships this past year, and everyone's lives much greater because of it.
During 8th/9th grade, I was more than obsessed with The Miseduaction of Lauryn Hill, specifically the song Everything is Everything. I would lock myself in my bedroom and practice the song's rap over and over and over. I would even try to remember where to take big breaths so I didn't mess up anything. To this day I remember ever single word of the song, and I even still try sometimes to rap it as perfectly as possible. (And actually, I'm not too shabby, if I say so myself. You know, for a white girl.) I still remember when the video premiered on TRL,
and Carson stating that it was some sort of amazing, ground-breaking piece of work. Not so ground-breaking anymore, but great nonetheless.
First and foremost, I AM SO HAPPY TO BE BLOGGING AGAIN! My sister had the only actual computer in our house and it was loaded with viruses so she didn't want anyone using it anymore. Then the neighbor put a password on her wi-fi that we were stealing borrowing, so then I really couldn't do any blogging. Christmas came around, though, and I got my laptop that I waited an eternity for, and all is right with the world again. Well, kind of... I got to work tonight and about had a heart attack.
For the past several months I've only been getting scheduled two days a week. It sucks. I make just enough to pay my bills. I've been holding out, though, because #1 I live in a tiny town with zero job opportunities, #2 I don't have a vehicle to find a job in any surrounding towns, and #3 One of my coworkers was supposed to be moving so I figured I'd pick up more hours when she left. I guess she still plans on moving, but it's been slightly postponed. Yay for me. Now the boss apparently decided that we needed another worker and she's taking one of my two days a week, leaving me with one day a week. ONE DAY. It's mindblowing.
I don't go above and beyond and work my butt off,
I certainly wouldn't want something like this to happen.
but I do my job and I do it well. If he's dissatisfied with my performance then he needs to get a backbone and just fire me. If that's not the case, then he needs to grow a brain and realize that a person cannot survive off of four hours a week. Oh, what's that? I didn't mention that I only work four hour shifts? I only work four hour shifts. I hate to admit it, but I've been thinking tonight that I might try to get a job at Mickey D's.
It's most definitely not my first, second, or forty-eighth choice, but I have to do something. Four hours a week on minimum wage is not going to cut it. Oh my goodness, I am going to be stuck in my parents' basement for the rest of my miserable life. Lord, help me now. Ask and it shall be given, right??
30 DAY MUSIC CHALLENGE Click here to see the entire list.
Day 7 - A song that reminds you of a certain event:
When I graduated my best friend (at the time, but that's a story for another day) and I sang I Hope You Dance by Leann Womack while another classmate accompanied us on the piano. It was particularly special because the three of us also sang for Girls' Trio in Academic Track when we were in eighth grade. (Academic Track is like the Olympics for nerds, consisting of music, art, and and testing categories.) It was such a fitting end to our high school careers, almost mirroring where we were four years earlier. When the song was over, my friend and I bear hugged on the stage for what seemed like an eternity. It was super cheesy and everyone loved only one person hated our performance. Seriously. A kid in our class told me that he liked it, but his mom said that she didn't, and that Leann did a better job. You think?! We were 17 year old girls and Leann Womack is a professional, a woman with a developed voice. Whatever. I'm not bitter. I swear.
