The Grand Finale

Shew! It's hard to believe that our blogging adventure is now coming to a close. I realized that I actually kind of like blogging. I doubt that I'll continue to do it for my own pleasure, but it was definitely a fun project. The only thing that I didn't particularly like about blogging was having writer's block. Some days I just had no idea what to write about. It was awesome how we could use our free writes as blogs as well. The one thing that I really enjoyed about blogging was expressing myself. I feel as if I showed my true colors through a lot of my entries. As a result of this project, I feel as if I write much more fluently than before. It was nice to have the satisfaction of knowing that you were just writing to write. No one would be sitting there evaluating each and every one of your grammatical and spelling errors. It was relieving to just type what you felt without holding back. I've always been in favor of expressing myself through writing, but I think this project helped me realize how much I really do like it. I feel as if I should have commented on other people's blogs throughout this time period, but I didn't really get around to it. That's another thing about blogging, it's not very time consuming. I could work on an entry for maybe 10 minutes or so and then be completed. The leisure part of blogging was definitely one of the things that I enjoyed the most. I'm pleased with my progression in this blogging project. I feel like blogging really helped me with my voice and fluency. It was a great idea for a project, and I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did. :)

What if money grew on trees?

If money grew on trees, wouldn’t the world be amazing? Would we even have celebrities? I mean, there would be no such thing as “rich” people. No one would have to worry about bankruptcy or poverty. We would constantly be growing trees right and left. Most people would want to live in a forest for their whole lives. If money grew on trees, does that mean that animals would thrive off of money? Would money have any nutritional value to herbivores/omnivores? If money grew on trees, we would rarely want to hire a landscaper. Everyone’s front yards would be filled with overly grown trees. If money grew on trees, would our paper be made out of money? Maybe the paper we decided to use would be worth various amounts of money. If money grew on trees, we wouldn’t have much of an economy. No one would need to work the old fashioned way for their money, they could just go outside and pluck off a few hundred dollars from a tree limb. This “what if” idea is clever, but getting boring. This phrase is overly used today, and it’s becoming very unoriginal. Everyone is so stressed about money. I think an even better “what if” statement would be..”What if money didn’t exist?” That idea is even harder to wrap your mind around. If money didn’t exist, how would we consume goods? Would everything just be a free for all? If we didn’t have money at all, who would need employment? Thinking about this is beginning to give me a headache. A dollar’s worth is gradually decreasing and decreasing over time. Fifty years ago, a trip to the grocery store might cost you $30. Now-a-days it’s the least bit shocking to spend an average of $100 a week. The concept of money absolutely stumps me.

Favorite Piece of Furniture

My absolute favorite piece of furniture in my place of residency is my bed. My bed is a glorious place. I tend to multitask while sitting on my bed. I do not only sleep there, but I also do homework, listen to music, sit on my laptop, read, and write. I have had the same bed since I moved into the house that I currently live in. My bed is full size, and it’s everything that I need. I wouldn’t mind having a queen size bed though, that sounds even more luxurious. Not many people have slept in my bed besides myself. I’m pretty sure only my best friend has slept in my bed with me. I don’t really like the thought of having other people’s germs swarming around in the place where I sleep. Thinking about other people’s dead skin cells/aromas being in my bed, makes me nauseous. I enjoy having a clean living area, and I tend to keep it that way. Beds can be a disgusting place to reside. Some people, unlike myself, don’t really care about the cleanliness of their sleep area. Some could probably go six weeks without washing their sheets, or even thinking about the matter. It’s gross to think about, but there really are bed bugs that live within your sheets. They may be microscopic, but believe me, they’re there. There was actually a news story that I was watching this morning about the topic. They were discussing how the case of bed bugs has been rising more and more within hotels. How disgusting does that sound to you? Not only do I not like to think about sleeping where a previous stranger has, but thinking about bugs crawling beneath me is even worse. They showed a clip of these bugs, and they were not pretty! There were some bugs that were as big as my thumbnail. That really isn’t that big, but to think about sleeping with a bug like that, um nooo thank you!

Who I Am

One specific quality that I enjoy about myself, is I’m a very laid back person. I once used to take everything to heart, and I would give everyone “a piece of my mind”..and then I started to realize that that isn’t always the best solution. I have learned to let a lot of things go, and to just stay out of drama. Although, I’m sure just about every teenage girl goes through their “drama queen” phase during their middle school years. I definitely went through mine, and I couldn’t be any happier that I am out of it. In my opinion, when a person can’t let the slightest comment or remark go, then there is a problem. If someone takes every little snark or insult to heart, then their life will be very unpleasant. It’s not that I’m completely careless about anything and everything, but I’ve taught myself to care about the things that will impact my future. I’ve learned to brush off the insults and rude comments that some people choose to send my way. I’ve definitely noticed that it has made a difference in my life. Ever since I decided to start become more of a laid back person, it seems as if drama doesn’t follow me anymore. People now know that I don’t take things very seriously at all, and that I’m a very forgiving person. This doesn’t necessarily mean that I let people walk all over me, but if that’s honestly what a person’s cruel intention is, then I’ll let them think that they’re accomplishing their goal. I feel as if the more forgiving, and relaxed you are, the better you will feel about yourself. I mean I think that there are appropriate times when you should stand up for yourself, but not all the time. I love being a laid back person, and I would recommend it to anyone :)

An Event to Remember

An event that comes to mind is when my High School choir took a trip to Breckenridge, CO. I had never been to CO and I was absolutely thrilled to go. It was only the chamber choir who went on this trip, which made it even better. There was about 30 of us, and a few chaperones here and there. My best friend was in chamber choir as well, so that made the trip about ten times better. We were given the opportunity to ski on our first two days that we were there. Kayla and I skied the first day, and then shopped all day the next. The choir took this trip on Spring break, so it was about the middle of March. It was very frigid up there in CO, that’s for sure. The choir did super well on our songs, and my teacher was very pleased about all of it. The bus ride there and back was so exhausting, though. Just think about being on a bus with about 30 High Schoolers for sixteen hours. Ugh! It wasn’t too bad since I had Kayla by my side, but it was still very interesting. After being in Colorado, I started realizing how much I love it. I’ve never really been a big fan of hot weather as it is, but taking a trip there made me realize how much I prefer cold weather. It was extremely chilly on the mountains, though. I remember after skiing for about two hours, I felt like was going to collapse. I honestly can’t remember another time when I was more exhausted. The next day our legs were so, so sore and achy. We were only there for about four days, but it was definitely a trip to remember. :)

View from Afar

The other night I invited over a couple of my friends, Corey and Kara. I didn’t really notice at first, but as time passed I began to take note that they were not too fond of one another. It’s already clear to me that Kara is an independent, straight forward kind of girl. Corey on the other hand, is more of a social, yet disrespectful kind of guy. He’ll say just about anything to get a few laughs. After Kara had been speaking for awhile, Corey made the comment of her having a “man voice”. I thought that was ridiculous. Kara is one of my favorite employees at Qdoba, and never have I thought such a thing. Now, Kara, being the strongwilled girl she is, responded appropriately. She calmy said, “I don’t even know who you are, so don’t say things like that to me. Please don’t talk to me for the rest of the night.” I was actually very proud of her for standing up to him like that! Corey just kind of brushed it off and did his own thing for the rest of the night. About two weeks later, they worked together at Kansas. Honestly, this thought humored me. I didn’t have much time to warn Kara about what was coming her way, but man I sure wish I would have. The two were constantly bickering at one another. Kara would make a comment and Corey would bounce right back with another one. As time passes, Kara just shut her mouth. Corey would say things and she decided to not say a word in return. Kara is a very bright, girl, and I really respect her for making that decision. Corey is the kind of guy have it his way or the highway. Whenever Kara stopped replying, you could tell this was annoying him. Overall, the two don’t speak to this day. Although this is unfortunate, I think it’s for the best.

In Someone Else's Shoes

Well, I the other night I met this girl named Kara at my friend Casey’s house. Before she came over we were all having a good time, just hanging out and having fun. I didn’t particularly like this girl, that’s for sure. She seemed very independent and headstrong to me. I made one little comment and she thought it was the biggest deal in the world. I told her that she had a manly voice and she responded by telling me to never talk to her again that night. I just kind of blew it off though, because it’s not like I want to date her or anything. About two weeks later she and I worked together at Kansas. It was a Sunday night, and let me tell you, it sure was busy. We were just about as busy in the evening as we were that morning. Kara obviously knew what she was doing. I mean, she has worked at Qdoba for about six months. She knew all of the procedures and she made sure that I was doing everything how it was supposed to be done. I didn’t strain the beans one time, and she thought it was such a big deal. At Battlefield, that is definitely not at the top of our list of priorities. There wasn’t even enough beans in there to fill up three burritos! I guess I should have strained them though because when she was taking the bus tub to the back, beans spilled everywhere. If I were to have strained them, none of that would have happened. Oh well though, life goes on. I don’t need her in my life, and I’m definitely not bummed out about the situation. She doesn’t make or break me!

Conflict is Not Fun!

So, a specific confilct of mine that comes to mind automatically is an employee of Qdoba. I work at the Qdoba on Battlefield, and he works on Kansas Expressway. Keep in mind that I have only met this boy about three times in my life. The first time I met him was at my friend’s house a couple of weeks ago. Now, there are just some boys that I just cannot stand to be around. Believe it or not, he was one of these boys. The minute I met him he began to make fun of things I was saying. He was mouthing off smart remarks right and left. I told him that I didn’t like him and I would appreciate if he stopped talking to me for the rest of the night. I had forgotten that I would be working with him in about two weeks. A couple of days ago, he and I worked one shift together. This was obviously before I transferred to the Qdoba on Battlefield. The entire night he and I were quarreling. I worked at the Qdoba on Kansas for six months, and I definitely knew what I was doing. He just came waltzing in, acting as if he was the King of Qdoba. He was not only continuously stryaing away from his designated position on the line, but he was also sassing off to me while doing this. He wasn’t following the procedure that I have been taught since day one of my training. Before he left I informed him that I was very happy that I was never going to be working with him again most likely. You see, he transferred from Battlefield to Kansas and I transferred to Battlefield from Kansas. So, hopefully that will put an end to this conflict!

“Never regret what once made you smile. Just learn from the tears that followed.”

Personally, I think that we should all try to live by this quote. I understand that it can be very difficult to not regret things, but it is possible. I also enjoy the quote, "Always forgive but never forget." Whenever we make choices in life, it is most likely because we want to make them, not because we're being forced to. We all go through phases in our lives, and we have to accept that. I know that I have made some foolish mistakes in my life, but I don't know anyone who hasn't made at least one. If we dwell on our decisions, it makes it complicated for us to prosper. We have to learn from our mistakes and move on. There's no possible way for us to go back and change the choices we've previously made, so we just need to accept them. The past has passed, no matter what think we can do about it. I know for a fact that I have dated many boys whom I would not even think about talking to these days. At one point in time I used to dwell about that constantly. Now I understand that I am worth much more than what I once thought I was. Confidence is everything. I now understand that the more confident I am, the better I will feel about my choices. I try my best to think about the aftermath of the choices I make as well. I try to ask questions like: "How is this really going to turn out?", "Would my mom be okay with be doing this?" and "Is this worth it?" Even just asking yourself simple questions like this before you make a choice can greatly effect the outcome. In my opinion, this quote doesn't necessarily mean that you literally cried from something that made you smile. I feel as if it's talking about disappointment in general. If you feel disappointed by someone who once made you feel like you were on top of the world, take it as a lesson. I try my best to learn from all of my experiences. I was just recently let down by someone who I thought I meant a lot to, and I'm trying my hardest to accept the fact that it's over. I now realize that I never deserved to be treated how I was by this person. I know that I can find a person who will treat me like an actual human being. I'm proud of myself for coming to this realization finally. I've made the decision to never put myself through anything like that again. I am a person of value and I deserve to be treated like one. Overall, no matter what the case is, we should all try our hardest to live without regrets. The more we regret, the more we will fret. The less we worry, the happier we will feel. :)

A New Change

So, starting tomorrow I won't be working at the Qdoba on Kansas Expressway anymore, and I'm thrilled. I've worked at Kansas for about 6 months now, and I am definitely ready for a change. It's not that I'm quitting Qdoba, I'm just transferring locations. I will now work at the one on Battlefield, near Buffalo Wild Wings. It will almost feel like it's my first day tomorrow, without that nerve wracking feeling. I mean, I'm sure I'll be a little flustered, but I'lll be just fine. :) Don't you wish that you could start every job already knowing how to do everything? Ha ha. That's how it will be for me tomorrow. I'll know all of the procedures, but yet I'll be at a completely different location. It should be interesting! I've actually only had 2 jobs in my life. I have a lot of friends who have had more than 5 by now. I think it's probably a positive thing to have a low number of jobs though, ya know? I believe that the less jobs you have had, the more committed you are to your employers. Although, businesses certainly look for experience when looking at a resume. You don't necessarily have to have much experience to be a Qdoba line-worker, but I believe that my previous restaurant experience served me well. The only other place that I've worked is Colton's Steakhouse. I was a hostess there for about a year and a half. Honestly, it was a pretty good first job for a 16 year old. It gave me the luxury of having my own personal money, and taught me a lot of responsibility as well. In most cases, no matter what the job is, responsibility will be needed. After I quit Colton's I took about 4 months off from a job. And just let me say, that was quite a change. Not having a constant income sure did take a toll on my personal life! Overall, I'm pretty pleased with who I've become as an employee, and I can only hope to prosper even more as time goes on. :)

The Table

So, today I went to a church called The Table and I absolutely loved it. It's this quant little church off of commercial street that's held in a winery. I also went to James River this morning as well. Today at the table the sermon had to do with miracles. Various people of the church came up front and shared stories with us that consisted of miracles. There was a boy whose mother had diabetes and a type of emotional disorder for many, many years. He spoke about how God healed her heart and molded her into the amazing person that she is today. Another person spoke about how her father had a flesh eating disease that gave him a life expectancy of just a few months. She and her family had many people praying for them each and every single day. After a period of time her dad was informed that the disease had cleared and he had been healed. The doctor himself even thought that this was a miracle. One more person spoke about how his best friend and brother passed away in the same year. Just think about that if you will. How lost and deserted must that boy have felt? I can't even imagine the pain he went through. He spoke about how all of this caused him to stray away from God. He felt so abandoned and disappointed by the Lord that he gave up Christ for 2 years. He didn't want anything to do with the church or God. As time passed, he started standing on his own two feet again. He realized that God was always going to be there for him no matter what the case. He realized that the most foolish decision he had ever made was to stray away from the Lord. After he started becoming more involved once more, his life started to look up. He began to accept what had happened, and to view life with a more optimistic view. I believe that no matter what a person is going through, God will never leave their side. You just have to acknowledge his presence in order to feel comforted. Overall, these miraculous stories greatly inspired me on this beautiful Fall day. :)

Nightmare On Elm Street

I watched this nasty horror movie last night with my friend Tanner. I am definitely not a big fan of scary movies, so this was not a very fun activity for me. I hadn't seen any of the movies until last night, and I'm perfectly fine with that. Gore movies are so stupid in my opinion. I don't understand how directors come up with nasty ideas for movies. Movie like Halloween, Friday the 13th, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and of course last but not least, Nightmare On Elm Street. I just can't even fathom how these people work up the ideas to create such nasty motion pictures. Whenever I watched Halloween 2 this summer, I just about threw up. Gory movies are my absolute least favorite types of movies to watch. I don't understand how some people legitimately enjoy watching people get cut and stabbed. How can a normal human being think that is entertaining? Honestly, I think it is just sad and disgusting. In the movie, Nightmare On Elm Street, there is gore in almost every scene. Scary movies like Paranormal Activity, The Grudge, and The Eye still scare me definitely, but they don't have much gore at all. The way I see it, the less gore there is, the better the movie will be. :) I've never been a fan of scary movies though. I've always just been a big scaredy cat I suppose. I tend to overanalyze so many things in scary movies. I also have a bit of a photographic memory in a way, so it's super hard for me to erase the images that I see in these movies. I tend to think about them the most when I come home to my dark house, ha ha. :/ I also strongly dislike haunted houses. I get so terrified even when I'm with a large group of people. Overall, I do not like anything that is affiliated with fright or terror. Once all of the Halloween junk is over with, I will be very happy. :)

You Again

So, tonight my Mom and I went to go see the movie, You Again, with Jamie Lee Curtis and Christina Applegate. It was pretty good actually. The story line is that Mani (Christina) was bullied severely by a girl named Johanna (J.J for short) in high school. Her brother, Will, winds up getting engaged to Johanna as time passes. Mani's high school nightmare slowly starts inching its way into her life as an adult. Mani's mother also has a high school nemesis who is ironically Johanna's aunt in the movie. Overall, the four ladies quarrel through out the entire movie. They are each presented with various cruel high school memories and stories during the movie. In the end, the four decide to make a truce and to put things in the past. The movie was sort of cheesy in a way, but it wound up being pretty cute in the end. All through out the movie they showed Mani getting bullied by Johanna. It brought me to think about how much kids are being bullied these days. Not only are they being pushed around in school, but cyber bullying is becoming a big issue these days as well. It's so sad to hear about these poor kids who are so easily influence by these sick people online. It's pathetic how these people have enough time on their hands to sit around and torture these kids. Bullying is bad enough in person, but when people are communicating online, words can be even more hurtful. If someone is bullying another person via internet it is much more likely for them to say more personal comments. When you don't have the risk of being caught by a teacher, you're more likely to be more crude probably. In this movie, Mani wasn't bullied to this extent at all though. It just brought me to think about all of these awful things that are happening in the world around us today. In the end, it was nice to know that the four women sorted out their differences and put all of the bullying to the side though. :)

The Doctors

So, one of my all time favorite shows is The Doctors. It's on Monday-Friday at 2:00 p.m. I used to be able to watch it almost everyday in the summertime, but now I rarely get to. :/ There is never a time when I watch this show and don't learn something new. I absolutely love when they talk about skin solutions/remedies on the show because I'm an aspiring dermatologist. :) I like it when they discuss topics that are very personable and relevant to people around my age as well. These trained professionals know exactly what they're doing, which is very comforting when they are giving advice on the show. I also think it's very cool how they interact with the viewers on the show. They respond to some emails, phone calls and letters by sharing them on the show for viewers at home to hear. They also engage in procedures, remedies and treatments during the show. The Doctors deal with problems concerning people of all ages. From newborn babies to the elderly, The Doctors can help you. There are so many beneficial facts that you can learn in one episode. I have learned many skin, hair and nail remedies through the show. There are so many things that The Doctors discuss that I wouldn't even think twice about on my own. They truly care about the health of their viewers. I wish I had more time to watch the show everyday, but even every once in awhile is better than nothing at all, right? :)

Blogging

I honestly can't think of much to blog about, so I'm just going to blog about blogging. It's awesome how some people blog for fun each and every single day (without being graded for it) and don't get tired of doing it. In a way, blogging seems to be very relieving for a lot of people. Just to recap the events of the day and to vent a little makes it all a bit better. A movie that reminds me of blogging is Julie & Julia. You know, the one with Meryl Streep? Julie blogs each day about her recipes and what she created that day for dinner. She greatly admires Julia (Meryl Streep) for the fantastic cooking that she did when she was Julie's age. Julie eventually cooks everything that Julia did out of her cook book. The movie switches back from Julie and Julia's experiences with cooking and life in general. Overall, Julie & Julia is a very cute movie :) I remember having to blog freshman year in high school, and I loved it. I guess whenever you don't have a job or car there's more time to blog though, huh? Our teacher strongly encouraged the class to avidly commented on one another's posts. It was so much fun to get the opportunity to use laptops in general. I'm lucky enough to have my own laptop to blog on these days, but back then it made blogging even more worth while. Blogging is a great way for people to share and communicate with one another about their lives. I think that blogging is an interesting concept but it seems to be quite a hit. It's kind of a depressing way to look at it, but blogging may be the only place where someone can release their thoughts and emotions. Hopefully there's at least one person in this world that everyone can vent to, but that's not always the case. Although blogging is a very wide known hobby, I think I'll just stick with doing it to receive a good grade. :)

Breaks

So, I have thoroughly enjoyed being off from school for four days. It has been absolutely spectacular. Shockingly enough, I actually didn't have a mountain of homework to complete over break either. I had the opportunity to nap, hang with friends, go see a movie, wash my car, and just relax. I love breaks in general. I would like to say that I'm looking forward to Christmas break (which I partially am) but it is not going to be too much fun. Over Christmas break I'm getting my wisdom teeth taken out:/ I'm terrified just thinking about it! I don't like IV's or anything of that matter. One time I had to get my blood taken and I cried the whole time, ha ha. It was no fun at all. I'm not sure why it bothers me, but it definitely does. Hopefully my entire Christmas break won't be miserable, that would be awful. I think it's almost impossible for Christmas to be a bad time though. I absolutely love Christmas time and everything that is affiliated with it. It's so much fun to look at all of the lights, go to Christmas shows in Branson, go shopping for people, and of course, open presents. :) Christmas is hands down my favorite holiday of them all. It's just such a jolly, exciting time of year. I think it's so cute to see kids getting so excited about Santa and his reindeer paying them a visit. Although I'll be looking like a puffy chipmunk most of the time, I still hope that it's a great Christmas break!

Jersey Shore

So, I've decided that Jersey Shore is the most outrageous, degrading show of our time. It disgusts me how this show has such great reviews from our nation. The show consists of drinking, hooking up with people, getting into arguments, tanning, laundry and working out. How is that entertaining?? Every time this show is on at one of my friend's houses I want to run out of the room almost. These people say cuss words in almost every single one of their sentences. The girls wear skimpy, skimpy clothes. The guys rarely even where shirts because they're so conceded and vain. The girls are just as bad though! These girls have the lowest level of self-respect that I have ever witnessed through television. They consistently hook up with guys that they meet at bars down town in New Jersey. They don't even know these people, yet they have sexual relations with them. It makes me sick that so many teenagers are drooling over this ridiculous show. There are kids out there who almost look up to these outrageous people. The examples that these stars are setting are nothing but bad news. If I was a parent at this point in time, I would never let my children lay eyes on this show. There is so much explicit material on this show that it's not even funny. If you like this show then I apologize for my rude post, but I just had to say it. Overall, this is hands down the worst show that I have seen in my entire life so far.

What if?

1. What if clocks had eyes?
2. What if cats could talk?
3. What if the mannerisms of females present day were changes to male’s mannerisms?
4. What if electricity was never invented?
5. What if people didn’t wear clothes?
6. What if school was conducted outdoors?
7. What if all celebrities went bankrupt and people in poverty gained their income?
8. What if fast food wasn’t created?
9. What if all chairs had wheels on the bottom of them?
10. What if the sky was purple?
11. What if Martin Luther King never gave his speech
12. What if Adam and Eve had never eaten the forbidden fruit?
13. What if eye glasses floating in front of your face instead of resting behind your ears?
14. What if obesity was the new “thin”?
15. What if there was no such thing as hospitals?
16. What if there was no hate?
17. What if there was no such thing as time?
18. What if newborn infants had the same intellectual capacity as the elderly?

If Adam and Eve had never eaten the forbidden fruit, our world would be incredibly pleasant. There would be no sin, hate, guilt, adultery, vanity, jealousy, anger, or lust. Our world would be simply wonderful. We wouldn’t have to worry about being murdered, kidnapped, abused or betrayed. We would only have predicaments such as, “Which amazing friend will I choose to hang out with today?”..or “I wonder who is the nicest person that I know?” Our world would be full of fear. I’m sure many, many people would love the thought of this idea just as much as I do. If this were the case, so many people’s lives would be changed. Some may not have to worry about that certain relative who chooses to take out their own personal issues violently on them. Some may not have to worry about their crazy ex lovers hunting them down due to jealousy. Some would never even have to think twice about walking downtown alone by themselves. Some wouldn’t have to fear their significant other cheating on them after being married for multiple years. The action of lust would not exist. People would love one another for who there are, not for what their physical appearance is. We would not have to worry about anything basically. This fantasy of mine will most likely never become reality, but hey, a girl can dream.

Hello, Fall?

What happened to Fall?! Honestly, this weather is kind of bumming me out. I was starting to really look forward to the cool, Fall days ahead of us. Surely they'll be here sooner or later, but I'm sick of Summer weather, that's for sure! Fall is the best season in my opinion. It's so hard to believe that Halloween is coming up before too long. I'm not sure if I like Halloween or not. I'm a big scaredy cat, so haunted houses are definitely not my forte. Halloween movie aren't really my thing either, so maybe I don't like Halloween after all? I love, love, love dressing up in costumes for Halloween though. Being a completely different person for a night is a blast. Last year I went downtown on Halloween, which probably wasn't the best choice, but it was fun! Some people really get wrapped into the whole Halloween thing. I think it would be so spooky to work in a haunted house. I get scared very easily, so I would constantly be freaked out. The last haunted house that I went to was in Branson. Let me tell ya, it definitely gave me a fright for the night. There was a girl in my group that had to go to the emergency room because she has a panic attack due to being scared by a clown. I'm surprised I didn't have a panic attack, I was almost in tears practically. I'll be the first to admit that I'm a weenie though, ha ha. Overall, Fall is still the best though. I'm so, so ready for the temperatures to drop again. The clothes are even cuter in the Fall, in my opinion. You can wear leggings with almost anything and look stylish. All of the boots, purses, and accessories are so much fun in the Fall. Now don't get me wrong, I agree that the sunshine has been pretty enjoyable lately, but Summer's time is up. Move out of the way Summer, Fall is coming through!

Be Cool To The Pizza Delivery Dude

This was my definite favorite out of the "This I believe" essays that we were assigned to read. This honestly sounds an essay that I could have possibly written. Sarah Adams has an awesome view on life in my opinion. The statement, "Coolness to the pizza delivery dude is a practice in equality" really stuck out to me. She's absolutely right. No matter what your ethnicity, your occupation, your background, your vehicle, or your style, you deserve to be treated with respect. A quote that particularly describes this is, "There's a difference between being two-faced and not liking someone yet respecting them." I back this quote up 100%. I'm sure we all have a few people in our lives who we dislike. Although we may not agree with their lifestyle, views or idea, they deserve our respect. Treat your neighbor how you would want to be treated. I strongly believe that this is the way to life. I try my hardest to respect each and every person that I meet. This doesn't mean that I have to be best friends with them and call them up on the weekends, but I should at least acknowledge their existence. Each and every day people are disrespected for foolish reasons. I don't know about you, but when I'm disrespected I feel very offended. I try my hardest to brush things off and go on my way but at times that is a very challenging task. Disrespect shows a sign of immaturity in my opinion. The way I see it is the more you disrespect a person, the more insecure you are about yourself. It completely disgusts me when people have to put others down to feel worthy of themselves. That's absolutely ridiculous. Every single person on this Earth is of value, no matter what the case.

The Flu

Now that October has rolled around, the chilly weather is back into action. Fall means cooler weather, and cooler weather can mean sickness. Obviously sickness seems to be more common in the Winter months, but I've noticed people already coming down with some junk this Fall. I think that everyone should get a flu shot no matter what the case. I'm definitely getting one this Fall because my sister is having a baby in November, which means I need to be as healthy as possible. :) Even if you don't have a niece or nephew on the way to stay healthy for, get a flu shot for yourself. I don't know a single person out there who just absolutely adores being ill. I would hope that no one would! Having the flu is such a miserable, awful feeling. I dread being sick, and I'm hoping that it will happen very minimally this season. I don't like it when my close friends or family is sick either. :/ Hopefully being immunized will help everyone stay happy and healthy. If any of you are wondering where to get vaccinated, I know for sure the Walgreen's almost always has them. That's where I have gotten mine the past 2 years, and I'm sure that's where I will be getting it this Fall. I think it's very important for those of us who are constantly around people. We're around a lot of people at OTC, our jobs and possibly even our own homes. Think about all of the things that you touch in one day ; door knobs, keyboards, cell phones, steering wheels, gas pumps, shopping carts, T.V. remotes etc. All of which are swarming with germs. Flu shots can be extremely effective if people will just get out there and get them. I believe that the more people get vaccinated, the less likely we will all be ill during the cold weather months of 2010. In conclusion, I'll be getting my shot soon, will you?

The Social Network

So, on Tuesday night I saw the movie, The Social Network. I really, really liked this movie. At first I wasn't quite sure what I would think about it, but overall, I enjoyed it. It was interesting to see how Facebook was developed. Mark Zuckerberg is now the youngest billionaire in the world, and he deserves to be. I'm not going to sit here and give the movie away to everyone, but let me just say that it was one heck of a process to develop Facebook. Those Harvard students sure know what they're doing! Justin Timberlake did a very good job in the movie as well. I had no idea that he could act as well as he did in The Social Network. He played the guy who developed Napster a few years back. If I remember correctly, Facebook was fully developed in the year 2004. Mark Zuckerberg spent so long making final touches to the site. Even today he seems to be making additions to Facebook. It was first called "The Facebook" to begin with, which I though was very interesting. Justin Timberlake's character gave Mark the idea to knock off the "The" and just leave it as "Facebook". I think Mark's buddy had a great idea there. Evidentially Mark though the same as well because to this day the website is just "Facebook". One of the main things that really stuck out to me in this movie was the dialogue. It was so fluent and intense in each scene. I absolutely loved the word choice that Mark Zuckerberg had in the movie. He was such an intriguing character. His best friend, Eduardo, was also an intelligent young man. Hence why he was the co-founder of Facebook. Overall, the movie was extremely entertaining and I highly recommend it to everyone from my generation. :)

“The most important thing in life is to find yourself. Know who you are at all times, and stand by that for the rest of your life.”

If you don't know yourself, then who do you know? Getting to the point where you know yourself perfectly takes a lot of time I assume. Personally, I don't know myself perfectly. I wonder who honestly does though? I think there comes a time in all of our lives whenever we have epiphanies. We realize that, "Hey, that's not me." We all have different viewpoints, outlooks and reasonings. Knowing what each of yours are is the hard part. When we mature in life, all of these things tend to change. We most likely don't view things the same now as we did when we were 10 years old. All of that is part of finding ourselves. We have to figure out our likes and dislikes, our wants and needs, and our do's and don'ts. Once we've discovered all of this, we have to stand by it. We have to stand up for what we believe in and not back down for anything. We have to know what's right for us, and what will bring us the most happiness. Personally, that's a problem for me. I tend to overlook what will make me happy in the long run. Sometimes we get too caught up in the current moment to realize how we'll be effected in the future by it.

I feel like this is why we need to find ourselves. We need to know what's best for us and stand by it. With all of the input from the world around us, it's hard to focus solely on our own viewpoints. In the end, hopefully we will all be pleased with how we lived our lives. Maybe by then we will know ourselves perfectly. Possibly we will have found everything that we could ever find about ourselves. I guess only time will tell :)

“Never wish you were somebody else because there are people out there envying you for who you are.”

I think this quote is beyond amazing. I can't say that I've never wished that I was somebody else, but I try my hardest to not do so. The way I see it is that you might as well love yourself how you are, because you can't become someone else. Your eyes, nose, ears, beauty marks, and toes are just how they are meant to be. Everyone is unique in their own way. We are made to be individuals, not duplicates of one another. Although, I realize that it can be extremely tough to not envy a person for having something that you do not. Whenever this situation comes about, just try and think to yourself, "Do I honestly need that?" "Is that envy really worth the frustration that I'm causing myself?"

Most likely there is at least one person out there envying you for who you are as a person. Whether you think so or not, there is probably one person out there who wants to be more like you. Either way, we should all love ourselves. It's definitely not an easy thing to do, but we should at least try our best. We are who we are and we can't change that. I think we should all try to envy less and appreciate more. Envy the people around you less and appreciate the skin you're in more. No matter how much you dislike a certain feature about your body, it was made to be that way. We are all unique creations, and we should be much more appreciative than what we are. This kind of traces back to my previous post about being thankful for the things in your life. Not only do we need to appreciate those around us more, we need to appreciate ourselves so much more than what a lot of us do today. We need to be filling ourselves with positivity and not pessimism. So overall, I believe that we should all start to love ourselves a little more each day and stop wanting to be in any other shoes but our own.

"A real friend is someone who walks in when the rest of the world walks out."

Personally, I don't think this quote could have been said any better. These are the types of friends that I would consider a blessing. Friends that can see through your flaws and weaknesses, yet they love you the same. My own best friend is definitely one of those people. It's very comforting to know that no matter what you do, or how bad you mess up, someone will always be right besides you. Whereas there are some friends who only show up when the rest of the world is with you. Friends that are only there for you whenever they can receive something in return for their advice or sympathy. I understand that there is a difference between being a friend and a casual acquaintance, but that line needs to be drawn beforehand. There is nothing worse than discovering that one of your (what you thought was) real friends is merely an acquaintance. Having that feeling of disappointment and sorrow is awful. So take a look at the friends around you. Who would truly stand by you in a storm? Who would stick up for you whenever everyone else was backing down? I consider my mom to be one of my realest friends. I know for a fact that she will never give up on me. She will never desert me in a time of confusion or uncertainty. I know that she will always give me great advice, and not false hope. It's an awesome feeling to have the certainty that you have at least one real friend in this crazy world. I think that I partially agree with the phrase, "Friends come and go but family is forever". In a way, this is completely true. Yet in another, it can be absolutely false. I know for a fact that my best friend is here to stay. But then again, I know that my mom is going to be here for me forever as well. It's just interesting to take a step back and look at the friends you surround yourself with. Hopefully those friends are the ones who would walk in even when the rest of the world is heading for the door.

10/1/10

Crazy Definitions

1. 1. Compete- going out and trying to win against an opponent
2. 1. Relaxing- laying around without a care in the world
3. 1. Responsibility- being accountable for your actions
4. 1. Partying- having fun with your friends and meeting new people
5. 1. Yar- the pirate way to say "yes"
6. 1. Seriously- no way, can't believe it
7. 1. Shwasted- not in your normal state of mind
8. 1. Furry- small, adorable animals
9. 1. Insanity- crazy/awesome
10. 1. Goober- goofy or weird
11. 1. Cranky- bad mood or upset
12. 1. Feisty- wild, energetic or crazy
13. 1. Stubborn- independent, doesn't accept what other people think or do
14. 1. Persnickety- special attention to detail
15. 1. Fall- end of Summer
16. 1. Brown- big, glossy eyes
17. 1. Despise- feelings shared between best friends
18. 1. Maganda- beautiful
19. 1. Jumble- a massive clutter
20. 1. Contrary- one who is intentionally being mischievous or deviant
21. 1. Nuisance- a person, event or item that is of annoyance to someone
22. 1. Flabbergasted- being extremely surprised or shocked
23. 1. Euphoric- the state of being the surpasses happiness
24. 1. Twit- a pregnant goldfish
25. 1. 1. 1. Fearless- not being afraid of anyone or anything, letting yourself try something new

Are you a cat or a dog?

Take a look at your personality. Are you viewed as a more reserved, independent person? Or are you more outgoing, bubbly, and social? In my psychology class sophomore year, we were asked this question. I definitely replied with saying that I was a cat. My best friend on the other hand, is a definite dog. A "cat" person (such as myself) tends to be more of an independent, type A personality. "Cats" don't necessarily need to be around people in order to be content. In my case, I think I could honestly go through an entire day without speaking to anyone. I realize that this would be very unhealthy/odd, but I think I could do it. "Dogs" are much more outgoing, social, and up-beat than cat personalities. Dog people absolutely love being around others. They love the idea of being within a big crowd, just socializing and having fun. Even though most cat people could tolerate a situation like this, it doesn't sound very intriguing to them. It's interesting to see how "dogs" and "cats" wind up connecting with one another. For example with my best friend and myself. She and I are complete opposites, yet we're inseparable. We are living proof of the phrase, "opposites attract". I think whenever I was younger I started out as more of a dog person and then somewhere along the way, the "cat" within me came out. I think that as you get older, we all become more of cats. In a way, we need to become cats in order to make something of ourselves. We can't always rely on the help of others, and expect to have someone there for us at all times. Cats tend to do their own thing, no matter what the case is. They either like you, or they don't. Now don't get me wrong, I know that there is a happy medium between liking or disliking a person, but hopefully you're catching my drift. Although, if you're a dog, I hope you don't think that I'm just sitting here degrading your personality. If we didn't have dogs in the world, we wouldn't have any diversity and that would be very boring! So either way, if you're a cat or a dog, embrace it. Know who you are and stand by it through everything.

10/1/10 (Short Story)

Francesca’s Day Out

Once upon a time there was an elephant named Francesca Deweese. Francesca was so sick and tired of the field where she and her family had been staying for the past few weeks. Due to the amount of elephants in her family, they were all turning into one huge jumble. Francesca’s family was a definite nuisance to her. Relaxing was not an option in the Deweese family, and she had just about put up with it for good. Due to all of this insanity, she decided to go on a journey of her own for a few hours and discover what the world had to offer her.

Francesca made the decision to be fearless on this expedition. She knew that she could handle the enormous responsibility that came along with this journey. On a normal basis, Francesca was known as a feisty, stubborn elephant. She decided that she was going to put that behind her for today. She made the choice to be an independent, mature elephant on this adventure. She was not going to compete with other animals along the way.

Today, Francesca was feeling a bit shwasted. She figured that she was feeling this way way because of the leftovers that she consumed the evening before. She tried her hardest to endure through this odd state of mind and to continue on her journey. As she traveled, she decided that she wanted to have some fun and start partying. She found a few other furry, safari animals to join her, and they had an absolute ball. They were dancing, singing and saying, “Yar!” to one another. Francesca was so happy that she came up with the partying idea. Before the party she was feeling very cranky from being shwasted, but now she felt like a brand new elephant who was ready to conquer the world beneath her.

Now the Francesca was more relaxed, she started acting like a contrary goober. She was acting so goofy that she almost forgot about her adventure! Along the way, Francesca saw many different sights. She saw a mother lion and her cub, a bird making a nest, antelopes running through the field, and a twit swimming in a nearby pond.

Francesca’s journey was finally coming to a close. She saw the sun setting in the distance and she knew that it was time for her to make her way back to her family. Francesca was absolutely euphoric. She was so pleased with how her adventure turned out. She made so many different new friends, and had quite a few new experiences. Francesca was flabbergasted by how much fun she had all day. She was very pleased that she chose to go on the adventure, and she couldn’t wait to tell her family about every little detail.