End Of Year Post

Well, since we're down to less than an hour left in 2010, I'd thought I'd do some kind of year end thing, so I stole the questionnaire from Absolutely Narcissism. This year was kinda...well, I guess it was a good year. I got married in 2009 which is really tough to beat short of having a baby. I did get a motorcycle in 2010 though. Anyway, on with the show.

1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?



I helped serve Thanksgiving dinner to a bunch of African refugees.

2. What countries did you visit?

Does Mississippi count as a country? It is very different from Ohio.

3. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?

A newer more reliable vehicle.

4. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

1) Being even happier in my marriage than I was last year.
2) Straight A's every quarter.
3) Scoring in the top 15% of all English Content Praxis Exam test...takers.

5. What was the best thing you bought?

Motorcycle. I would also say iPad, but Hubby bought that, not me.

This is my motorcycle. His name is Jeffster.

6. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Hubby, he started college after being out of high school for 12 years and made it through the entire year with a 3.2 GPA. I'm so proud of him.

7. Whose behavior made you appalled and disgusted?


Westboro Baptist. Of course, this will apply pretty much every year until they finally drink the kool-aid.

8. What song will always remind you of 2010?

Bad Romance by Lady Gaga

9. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Sleep and work out.

10. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Work and eat junk.

11. Did you fall in love in 2010?

Ummm...with my motorcycle and my iPad...so no. I fell in love in 2008 and just keep falling deeper. :)

12. Who was the best new person you met?

Yeah, not a fan of questions like this. But I will say that my Young Adult Literature professor was a huge inspiration for me as far as being the kind of teacher I hope to be. 

So that's it folks. Happy New Year to everyone, and I hope y'all have a fantastic 2011! 

Still Alive

Hello blog readers. I just thought I'd post a quick update to let you all know that I am indeed still alive. I got sick last week and then I was just distracted by Christmas and then we went through another drama with our kitty Jack. That is a long story that I might explain some other time, but suffice it to say that it was very stressful and expensive. He is doing ok now though, we are hoping to pick him up from the vet this afternoon.

So yeah, I am posting this from my handy dandy new iPad. Hubby got it for me, but even more awesome than that, he sent me on a little treasure hunt to find it. It made me feel special. If you read JumbleMash this may sound familiar. Our Christmases were eerily similar.

So anyway, I hope to be bringing you some more awesome drawrings and comics and stuff now that I have he awesome capabilities of the iPad. For now, I must go eat some lunch.

Toodles!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Things on Facebook that bother me

So, I know there are numerous versions of the "Things that suck about facebook" lists out there on the interwebs, but this is one is mine.

The Politician

We all have them in our news feed. They're the people that post nothing but political stuff. All. Year. Long. They use their facebook status as a podium with their own personal seal on it. And most of them are completely unreasonable. It doesn't matter which camp they fall under. Every person I know that focuses this much on politics are very very biased in their beliefs. You'll find them saying things like, "Obama is an un-American socialist terrorist nazi who is ruining the country," or "Obama is the coolest raddest most intelligent president that ever was. He is our savior." I disagree with both of these camps because I am very much not into politics and therefore tend to ride the fence a lot.

The Religiocious Person

I'm not talking about people that simply quote Bible verses or people that are simply honest about their faith. I'm talking about people that tend to inject religion in politics in an un-cool way. I am a Christian, and I'm not just one of those Christians that say I'm a Christian because I believe in God and leave it at that. The story of my relationship with God is very long, and I may share it someday, but not now. My point is, I have no tolerance for intolerance. People who think something like the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell or the beginning of gay marriage means that "this homosexual steamroller will crush all decent men, women, and children who gets in its way" because homosexuality is a sin can bite me. Yeah, it might be a sin, but so is lying, adultery, anger, gluttony, and so on and so on. 100% of the time, the person spewing judgment is guilty of one of these kind of things at some point. Unless Jesus is on facebook. Then that's a different story. Do you know that the divorce rate for Christians is the same as it is for non-Christians? Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

The Lovey Dove

I love my husband. Very much. And when he does something totally awesome like give me flowers for no reason or make me a wonderful dinner or not take his uniform off in the living room, I might post about it on facebook. This accounts for maybe MAYBE 10% of my status updates. So those people who post nothing but crap about their significant other. . . I want to punch them in the face. I've always felt this way. I used to think it was out of bitterness over being single, but now that I'm married to a wonderful man that makes me very happy, I realize it's just effing annoying. Can you imagine if that's how you operated IRL?

Joe: Hey Betty, how's it going?
Betty: Oh great. I love my boyfriend Adam so much. He's the best thing that ever happened to me. I <3 you baby!
Joe: Ummm. I don't know how you vocalized <3 but kudos. Did you do anything over the weekend?
Betty: Oh, yeah, I spent the weekend with my awesome bf Adam. I love him so much. He's so awesome. He's the best. I <3 you baby!
Joe: So how's school going?
Betty: Oh, I quit school. It was getting in the way of spending time with my super rad lover, Adam. OMG he is so great. We've been together for 2 months, 1 week, 4 days, and 15 hours. 10/3/10 - Best day ever!!! I <3 you baby!
Joe: Don't you have anything else to talk about?
Betty: Oh, I can tell you how spectacular by boyfriend Adam is. He's amazing. I couldn't imagine life without him. 10/3/10. I <3 you baby!!!

STFU!!!!

The Oversharer

99% of the time, the oversharer is a parent. You get to read things like, "Yay! Little Hanky just pooped in the potty for the first time. It was only a wee little marble sized turd, but he finally did it!!" Because everyone really wants to know how big your kid's poop was. I'm fortunate enough to not really have much of these in my news feed. My facebook friends all seem to have that social filter installed.

The Vague Emo

"You have ruined me! I can't believe you did this to me! I don't know if I will ever recover from what you've done to me! My life is over!" So...who the hell are you referring to and what the hell did they do? Do I ever ask this this question? Absolutely not because that's exactly what the poster wants: attention. If it wasn't a cry for attention, we'd never know about it. They'd address this junk directly to the person and in a private message or an e-mail or *GASP* a phone call.There's also the direct version of this, when someone actually calls the other person out by name. This is just awkward for everyone. Don't do it.  There are actually many different flavors of vagueness though - mystery happy statuses, mystery countdowns, etc, but this one annoys me the most.

So these are just the top examples. There are others. But I'll just leave it with these for now.

Crazies

On a certain level, crazy is not something to joke about. Crazy is a real thing, and I have experienced it first hand. A lot. But there is a different kind of crazy. A more personal kind of crazy. What I mean is, everyone has ideas about things that people do that are crazy and those ideas usually differ from person to person. So I'm here to share with you my idea of "crazy."

Even within my own personal brands of crazy, there are still different flavors of crazy. For instance, hoarders. If you've ever watched the TV show, you know what I'm talking about. I think everyone hoards to a certain extent. I still have the softball glove I used in little league, but that has a lot of sentimental value. I'm talking about the nutsos on that show that will keep something like a broken dresser drawer because they can use it to drain oil into the next time they change the oil in the car. It doesn't help that that particular drawer is just one thing in a giant massive shit heap of crap littering your yard, your garage, and your house to the point of needing rock climbing equipment to get up to the second floor. You might think I'm exaggerating, but I'm really not. I saw it with my own two eyes.. Why anyone would rather hold on to some useless piece of crap than to keep their house from getting demolished is beyond me, but that's why the show exists. To help those crazies.

Then there's another kind of crazy that might still seem sane to many people - lotsokids. Hubby and I do want to have kids, just not right now and not more than 2. Well, maybe 3, but definitely not more than that. That's about all I think we can cope with. So people who willingly have 6, 8, 12, or even 19 kids. . . I call that crazy. Why anyone would subject themselves to that kind of mayhem and money suck is something I just don't understand.

Then there's a group of people that take crazy to a whole new level: Alaskans.

I guess you could include Northern Canadians, but I cannot speak much of them because I have not been to Northern Canadia. I have been to Alaska, though. Let me tell you something. Alaska is beautiful. It's the kind of beauty that I don't think can really be appreciated unless you see it for yourself. There's something pretty amazing about looking out over an expanse of land reaching in all directions for about 100 miles and not seeing one single man made structure. Check it.

However, I will only step foot in that state between the months of May and September and here's why:

I went there on a business trip in mid-September. The temperature was usually in the 30s. The first day I went into work it was around 32, so I wore my big poofy winter coat, gloves, scarf, the whole bit because 32 is cold to me. Especially when you consider I had just left 70 degree Ohio. When I walked in, they looked at me like I was the strange one. Everyone was wearing a light jacket if they had anything at all. But before I even made it that far, I saw several people riding their bikes around. The kicker was seeing the bike with one of those little trailers behind it. You know, the things you force your little kids into. So those poor tots were riding around exposed to 30 degree weather against their will. Nuh-uh. Not me. As soon as I'm old enough to swipe Daddy's credit card and get on Priceline.com, I'm having William Shatner find me a one-way ticket to warmth and getting the hell out of dodge.

So naturally, being the sane person that I am, I asked the Alaskans a lot of questions about the weather, because to a "mainlander," Alaskan weather is actually a very fascinating subject. Most of the discussion was about things that happen at -40 degrees. Things like ice fog. According to wikipedia, "Ice fog is a type of fog consisting of fine ice crystals suspended in the air. It can happen only in cold areas of the world since water can remain liquid down to -40 °C (-40 °F)." What this means is, any liquid turns solid which includes things like the exhaust coming from your car. Imagine walking through that in solid form. Eugh. There's also square tires. At -40 degrees, the tires on your car freeze and therefore keep the flat shape at the bottom when it's sitting immobile. Makes for a bumpy ride until they warm up. If you go to any house, driveway, or parking lot, you will find outlets. Lots and lots of outlets because all cars pretty much have to be equipped with engine block heaters, oil pain heaters, and the like. Because at -40, even antifreeze freezes. So without the engine heaters plugged in, your car won't start.

That to me, folks, is a special level of crazy of which I will never ever enter. No way. The coldest temperature I've ever seen in my life is probably -7 or thereabouts. And I already want to move to a warmer climate.

There are lots of other flavors of crazy, but I'll save that for another day.

Top 5 Canceled Shows You Need to Watch

With the age of DVDs and now even digitally streaming media via sites like Netflix Instant Watch and Hulu, it's easier than ever to watch older shows that are already canceled. So I thought I would share a few of my favorites with y'all.

1) Firefly

This is by far my favorite canceled show ever. In fact, it might be my second favorite show ever right behind Chuck. It's kinda like a Sci-Fi/Western hybrid and it's got Nathan Fillion who oozes with awesomeness. It's got a great story to it. It only lasted for 14 episodes, then a full-feature film was made a few years later called Serenity. It's available on DVD, Netflix Instant Watch and Hulu Plus, so go watch the goram show now without delay!

2) Arrested Development

This show is hilarious if you possess a certain kind of sense of humor. I happen to have that kind of humor, so I love this show. It lasted for 3 seasons and there has been talks of a movie being made for quite some time, if Michael Cera will ever agree to it.

3) Journeyman

I doubt any of you have even heard of this show. It was on NBC and launched the same time as Chuck. Journeyman wasn't as fortunate though and it was canceled after just 13 episodes. It's about a man who involuntarily travels through time at random. He just disappears from wherever he currently is and lands in another time period as himself. It gets interesting a couple times when he crosses paths with himself. It's also great if you like music of the 80s and 90s.

4) Avatar: The Last Airbender

Ok, so this show wasn't really canceled. It had a specific story to tell and they knew the amount of time it would take to tell it. It's 3 seasons long, and yes, it is a cartoon. If you've seen the movie by M. Night Shyamalamadingdong, ignore it. From everything I've heard, it's a far cry from the show. The show has such great humor that was apparently lost in the movie, so you definitely want to give it a shot. I was skeptical when Hubby suggested it to me, but I ended up loving it.

5) Alf

I'm not sure if this was actually canceled or not, but the point is, it's not on the air anymore. I'm quite certain all of you know what Alf is, so I'll spare you the explanation. But seriously, it's one of very few shows from my childhood that I still enjoy now. Most of the shows I loved when I was a kid are painful to watch now. Alf is not. In fact, it's probably even funnier to me now than it was back then because I understand a lot more of the jokes.

So when you have some free time, vacation, sick, whatever, look these shows up and watch them. All 5 of them are available on Netflix or hulu and can probably be found elsewhere.

Things About Christmas That Are Great Vol. 2

So, Hubby thinks I'm a bit strange with all of my Christmas decorations. When we first met, he was quite the grinch, but he's warmed up a lot since then. He still thinks my level of Christmas decorating is a bit absurd though. What can I say? They give me the warm fuzzies. Thing is, I never full understood my own fervor for Christmas decorations until very recently.

You see, just about every decoration and ornament either has a memory attached to it, or suits my (now our) personality in some way. Let's take a walk down Christmas memory lane, shall we?

These two ornaments I just bought 3 days ago. I like the piggies on the motorcycle ornament because the motorcycle looks exactly like Hubby's. I don't like it, though, because I do not ride on the back of Hubby's bike. I ride my own. More on that in another post. Anyway, I like the beer one too even though I do not like beer myself. It's the thought of it that counts. It's also punny.

These two ornaments I got last year. I got the polar bear because Hubby is a polar bear. Seriously, the amount of body heat he emits is astounding. I get home from work and I'm freezing cold. All I have to do is crawl into bed and cuddle with him, and I'm toasty within about a minute. The heart one I got because it was our first Christmas together as a married couple. So now, when I pull this out every year, I get to think about that Christmas. :)

This one my mom got me 2 Christmases ago. Love it. To say that I'm a fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean universe is an understatement. It even talks although it says generic pirate things instead of actual Captain Jack Sparrow quotes.

I've already told you about how much my Grandma loved Christmas. One of my aunts gave these to everyone in our family two Christmases ago. I couldn't make it to the family Christmas dinner that year, so my mom gave me mine on Christmas Eve, about 2 hours after Hubby had proposed to me. I lost it. It was kind of a little reminder that she was there for that moment even though we couldn't see her.

Since I'm going in reverse chronological order, next would be the tree as a whole. I already told you I got it on the cheap because I worked at Target, but the reason I had to get a tree that year is because I left the pole to my previous tree in the shed at the house I lived in before. We even snuck over to that house to try and retrieve the pole, but the shed was locked. Woops. So anyway, it's not the highest quality tree ever, but it's the first one I ever bought. All previous trees were inherited from my mother.

The fireplace is brand spankin new for us, so that's not where the memory is. It's the green garland with the white lights intertwined in it. My mom came up to visit my junior year of college which was the first year I lived off campus and therefore the first year I could really decorate for Christmas. We bought all the makings of this garland for like 10 bucks total from The Dollar Tree and I've found some way to use it every year since.

Yep. This is a University of Tennessee ornament. Back in my days of junior high and early high school, I was fairly determined to go to UT for college. Unfortunately, as that day got closer, reality set in and there was no way I could afford the out of state tuition. Anyway, this ornament was a gift from my mom because she was always supportive of my goals.

As previously stated, my mom and I would occasionally make our own ornaments. I remember doing this a couple of times, but these are the only ones that are still surviving. So every time I pull these out, it reminds me of all the Christmas fun I had with my mom. Good times.

I actually made this particular ornament myself. It's a little doggy sticking his head of a stocking. Isn't that adorable? I made it in 5th grade which makes it 16 years old. I'm amazed every single year when I pull it out and it's still completely intact.

No, not the kitty. I have year-round memories with him. The focus here is the tree skirt he's laying on. I LOVE that tree skirt. I always have. My mom got it Christmas of 1992 which now makes it 18 years old. This old tree skirt has a lot of memories attached to it. Some good some bad. There was even the year my dad had claimed he threw it out with all the other Christmas stuff, but he was lying. I retrieved it ASAP, and I haven't let go of it since. It's my goal to have this under my tree every Christmas until the day I die.

Finally, we have reached the oldest Christmas decoration I own. This little bear ornament is from Christmas of 1991 which makes it 19 years old. Someone in my family had these made for each of us with our name and the year written on it. I remember that Christmas rather distinctly. My aunt, uncle, and cousin were in from Las Vegas. A long lost cousin came with us, and my mom's car blew up or something like that so we had to stop at a weigh station which at the time I thought was spelled way station and my uncle from Vegas came to pick us up and asked "who wants to ride with me in the car that might blow up?" or something like that. See? Memories.

So there's my second post on things about Christmas that are great - the memories attached to the decorations. And now, a couple gratuitous shots of our kitties.

Emo Christmas Kitty.

These are all for me, right?

Four Things

Totally copying from Ingrid's blog, but I like this idea.

{4 shows I watch}

1) Chuck - Best. Show. Ever

2) Big Bang Theory

3) Glee

4) Mythbusters

{4 things I'm passionate about}

1) Hubby

2) Family

3) Friends

4) Education

 {4 phrases I say a lot}

1) Lame.

2) Good times.

3) Kitty!

4) I'm not pregnant.

{4 things I've learned from the past}

1) Credit cards are the devil.

2) There are a lot of people worth loving.

3) There are people who you think are worth loving that might not be.

4) God is good.

{4 places I'd like to go}

1) England - I've been there before, but I want to go with Hubby.

2) Italy - MMmmmm. Italian food.

3) The Caribbean - I'd really like to take a cruise.

4) New York City - Two reason: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and good food.

{4 things I did yesterday}
   

 1) Took my car to the shop.

2) Christmas shopping

3) Ate at Steak and Shake. MMmmmm.

4) Wrapped presents.

{4 things I'm looking forward to}
 

1) Christmas parties!

2) Finishing my masters degree...in a year and a half.

3) Moving away from Ohio...in about 2 and a half years.

4) Trip to Vegas for Spring Break...if we're still able to go.



{4 things I love about winter}

1) 6 week break from school.

2) Christmas.

3) I've got nothing.

4) See #3.