A late Christmas wish.

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."
Hebrews 11:1, ESV

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I read the following through Clever Girl Goes Blog.

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"My name is brandy. And I have a blog.

And a plea.

I use my blog to showcase the crazy I meet everyday, share the stories of the kids I teach and document my love for tequila, dairy products and the abdominal muscles of Ryan Reynolds. Rarely do I talk about personal issues on my blog- as personal as the dude that I adore (who I actually met through my blog- single ladies, let that be a very good reason to blog, the possibility of meeting someone as wonderful as my man), but I need your help. And it involves my dude.

He's a guy who made math comics for my class, so they would love learning about addition. He's the kinda guy who sends my friends gift cards when they are having hard times, who remembers every story I ever told him, who was the first person I celebrated with when I got a teaching job. He's the guy who sent flowers to me at school- dozens of my favourite pink roses just because he loves me. He's a guy who has spent a year patiently explaining (and re-explaining) everything there is to know about football during the important games when silence is preferred. He's made me word puzzles and comics and stayed up late playing Scrabble with me (even though I beat him almost every time). He's listened to me cry about school and family and jobs. He is everything I never knew I needed and everything I always knew I wanted.

The holidays have hit us hard. He's recently been told he may have something called multiple myeloma- an incurable cancer, that gives a person an average of five years of continued life. Though this news has came as a shock, he continues to be exactly who has always been- spending his time worrying about me, rather than worrying about himself. He's the most selfless individual I know- (he stayed late on Christmas Eve to work, so his co-workers could leave early) and a post like this would never be something that he would promote or encourage but when I'm overwhelmed and feeling helpless, the blogging community has always given me tremendous support and comfort, two things I desperately need at this time.

As I write this, the future is uncertain and we aren't sure what's happening. He'll need to see an oncologist soon, to verify what's going on in his body. My hope is that everyone who reads this think positive thoughts and if you are a person who prays, could you add him to your list? (You can refer to him as 'brandy's hot awesome dude'). If you don't pray, please keep him in your heart.This cancer is only a possibility and I believe that the prayers and positive thoughts of people can make sure it never becomes a reality.

I want to give a big thank you to the blog owner who scraped their original blog plans and graciously put this up. My goal is to get as many people as possible to see and read this post. If you are reading this and want to help, copy and paste my plea into your blog or send a link through twitter, so more people can keep him in their thoughts. I would be so very grateful (even more grateful than I am to my friend who first showed me the picture of Ryan Reynolds on the cover of Entertainment Weekly. If you haven't seen it, google it. You. Are. Welcome).

I realize this all sounds dramatic, a Lifetime movie in the making- but this is life. Right now. And I'm throwing away any hint of ego and am humbly asking for you to pray or think kind thoughts. If you are able to pass this on, thank you and if you know anything regarding MM- please email me (my email is on my blog). This isn't a call for sympathy or a plea for pity. It's just one girl hoping you can think positive thoughts for the person she adores. If my current heartache provides you with anything, let it be with the reminder that life is short, love is unbending and no one knows what could happen next. Maybe it is silly, but I really do believe that positive thoughts can make a huge difference. Thank you for reading this and if you haven't already? Please tell someone you love them today.

I did."

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To go, or not to go....

Recently I was invited to a New Year's Eve party through Facebook by an acquaintance from college, whom I will refer to as Double H. I was both surprised and flattered by the invitation, seeing as how I have not spoken to him in over six years (and before you ask, no, he did not merely invite everyone on his friend list). While it could be fun to go to the party, let's face it - I am not nor have I ever been socially savvy. I am more than a bit nervous about showing up to a party by myself where I know a single person that will be in attendance, and barely at that. To make matters slightly worse, I noticed today that one of the invitees is a guy I winked at on match.com, whose response was "thanks for the wink, but I don't think you are a good match for me." Thank goodness he is currently listed as not attending the party, as I can only imagine how awkward it would be to run into him should he recognize me! (I shudder at the thought.)

All possible and likely embarrassing catastrophes aside, attending the party could result in several positive scenarios. First and foremost, I would be venturing outside of my comfort zone, which I feel is important for me to do if I am going to continue to grow as an individual. I mean, I could actually have fun! Not only that, but it would provide the potential to cross off the following two items from my 30 Before 30 List:

27. Hold a conversation with a stranger.
30. Make a new friend (one not connected to someone I already know).

Knowing I will most certainly chicken out at the last minute if I plan to go by myself, I have thought about emailing Double H and simply being honest about my apprehensions, and asking if he or anyone else would like to meet up before the party and arrive together. Would this be completely and totally lame? Another option would be there is an Indiana Ice hockey game that evening, so I could ask Double H if he or anyone else would want to catch the game before heading to the party. What do ya'all think? What would you do if you were me?

....and much hilarity ensued.

I just finished reading one of the most hilarious blog posts of all time, written by one of my favorite authors, Jen Lancaster. Whether or not you are a fan of Twilight and are anticipating the upcoming release of the movie New Moon, I daresay you will find it as hilarious and gut busting as I did. All you need do is click the link below.

New Moon... the Jennsylvania edition

Go on.... Do it. (You know you want to.)

You can thank me later.

Only in my dreams....

The new 2010 Lotus Evora.


Yes please.

Honest Scrap Award.

A few weeks ago now, I was given the Honest Scrap Award by Steph at The Adventures of Jon and Steph. The rules for this award are as follows:

• List ten honest things about yourself that your blogging friends do not know about you.
• Give the award away to seven bloggers.
• Let the seven bloggers know they have received the award.

Without further ado, here is my list! :-)

1. Whenever I am driving by myself, I almost always sing along with the music to which I am listening. I can just imagine the things people must have thought when passing me or pulling up next to me at a stoplight. :-D However, I rarely sing when there are other passengers in the car. Despite being in choir for several years while I was growing up, there are few people around whom I am comfortable singing.
2. One of the things I am complimented on most often is my handwriting. Believe it or not, I have also been told that my handwriting is so neat it is hard to read. Go figure.
3. I often think I should have chosen a career in editing. No matter what I read, I am extremely aware of misspellings and grammatical errors. I have been known to correct such mistakes, even when I am reading a book for pleasure.
4. For my 29th birthday this past July 4th, I asked for My Little Ponies. That's right - I said My Little Ponies. (Don't judge.)
5. It is no secret I loathe Britney Spears and think she is a complete trainwreck. Therefore, it pains me greatly to admit I own her most current CD, Circus - and LOVE it.
6. I readily admit my biggest fear is losing a loved one. However, I rarely reveal a second fear that weighs just as heavily on my heart - the fear that I will never meet someone with whom to spend the rest of my life.
7. Since moving out on my own, I have lived in three different apartments. Not once have I fully unpacked and made my apartment into a home. Currently, my lease is up in less than two months.
8. At several different jobs I have been referred to by bosses and coworkers as a machine, not only for the sheer number of hours that I work, but because of the speed with which I am able to get things done. I go back and forth between being proud of this fact and being saddened by it.
9. I own an inordinate amount of lipgloss - more than any one girl should own in her lifetime.
10. If I had the money to spend on one purely selfish desire, I would get a complete set of veneers. My teeth have always been my least favorite physical trait.

There you have it! I am giving this award away to the following bloggers:

• Nicole at Sleepyjane
• Amber at Girl With The Red Hair
• Suz at 30 Before 30 List
• Liam at Liam's alternate reality
• Sarah at Stories of a Phoenix
• Nici at Ryan and Nici
• Tudor City Girl at Tudor City Girl

I look forward to reading everyone's responses!

Happy Fourth of July!

I just wanted to wish everyone a safe and wonderful Fourth of July holiday! I am in Washington, D.C. celebrating my birthday with my best friend Tory and her husband Warren. Today we are going to do as much sightseeing as possible, and then we are going to end the day by watching the Fourth of July fireworks! Least to say, I am super excited. I will post pictures as soon as I get the chance!

Playtime.

In light of my recent plunge into singlehood, I have found myself taking more pictures of my cat Gabriel than I care to admit. (I am as of yet unsure whether I find this hilarious or pathetic.) However, I recently purchased two cat toys that made for some extremely amusing pictures.

Meet Gabriel. He's a Maine Coon/Tabby mix.

The first toy I bought is called a Playser. It has multiple images
for endless hours of playtime entertainment.

In this picture, you can just make out the red dot by Gabriel's paw.

My favorite is when Gabriel chases the laser image up the wall.

The second toy I bought is a classic doorknob toy.

I think I am going to have to eventually get one of these toys
for each of the doorknobs in my apartment.

Within minutes, Gabriel had already managed to tear one
of the feathers off of the toy.

It certainly is the simple things in life that make me the most happy and bring a smile to my face.

A Case of the Mondays.

Today, I definitely had a case of the Mondays.

1. I turned my alarm off in my sleep, waking up an hour after my alarm had been set to go off.
2. After already running late for work due to the alarm fiasco, my cat Gabriel had yet another hairball, which I then had to stop getting ready for work to clean up.
3. Feeling guilty about the hairball and despite the fact I brush Gabriel regularly, I made myself even more late by spending several minutes grooming Gabriel in the hopes that I wouldn't arrive home from work this evening to more hairballs (we shall see - I'm not holding my breath on this one).
4. While getting in my car so I could finally be on my way to work, I knocked over my mug in the center console cup holder, spilling orange juice all over the passenger seat.
   
5. I found out the house I had my heart set on buying (it is down the street from my sister and her family, and would have been absolutely perfect for me) has been sold, which greatly dampens my enthusiasm towards buying a house.
6. Late last week my co-worker and I ate lunch at Pizza Hut, where I decided I was in the mood for a stuffed crust pizza (which only comes in large, by the way). After working all weekend and forgetting to take the leftover pizza home, I sat the pizza box by my computer this afternoon so I would surely not once again forget it. Naturally, as I was driving to my second job, I realized I left the pizza sitting on my desk - and am now without dinner for the evening.

All trivial things, I know (except for the house thing - I really am upset about that), but it just doesn't make for a good start to the week. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

The End of a Tradition?

Last night as I was watching the news, a story aired that caused me great sadness. Emmis Communications, a broadcasting company that for the last 26 years has sponsored one of the greatest traditions in Indianapolis (at least in my opinion), is as of now no longer going to sponsor the event due to a lack of funding resulting from the struggling economy. The event I am speaking of is the annual Labor Day fireworks celebration, Sky Concert.

Fireworks have been an integral part of my life since birth (I was, after all, born on the Fourth of July). To this day, my father claims that when I was a child, he had me believing the fireworks that always occurred on the Fourth of July were specifically in celebration of my birthday. While I can offer little insight into the truth or falsity of my father's claim (I can recall no memory of ever believing such a thing), there is no denying the fact that I am extremely fond of any and all displays of fireworks.

Even though it has been several years since I last attended Sky Concert, it has always been and will continue to remain one of my favorite fireworks shows. I only hope that the economy rebounds quickly and Sky Concert does not remain in the dark for long.

Outrun the Sun Race Against Melanoma.

I realize it has been quite a while since I last blogged. I was all set with pictures and stories to recount my vacation in North Carolina, when unexpectedly my world came crashing down around me. The day after I got back from vacation, I found out my now ex-boyfriend Brent wanted to break up with me. The man who told me in the beginning of our relationship that all he wanted was the opportunity to prove to me not all guys are the same and that given the chance he would never be like the guys of my past (many of whom hurt me deeply), gave up and checked out of our relationship just when I needed his love and support the most (which is another story for another day). Not only that, but he kept me hanging for almost a month while he "just didn't know what to do," and I did everything I could think of to show him how much I love him and believe in us as a couple.

Least to say, I have not been in much of a blogging mood.

But, there comes a point where you have to force yourself to get back in the saddle and move on with your life. Step by step. Bit by bit. One day at a time.

Part of my method of dealing with emotional heartache is to keep myself as busy as possible, which translates to working every single hour that I possibly can at both of my jobs. This time around, I am also including that to mean being open to and taking advantage of opportunities to which I would normally not give a great deal of thought.

Enter Outrun the Sun Race Against Melanoma.

One day I got a text message from my friend Mary, asking if I wanted to be a part of her team and participate in a charity walk/run to raise money for melanoma research. I have participated in similar events before, such as Walktoberfest and Race for the Cure, but not in recent years. It didn't take long for me to decide to join Mary's team. Not only will it give me the opportunity to spend quality time with a friend whom I only see rarely, it will allow me to get involved in a great cause. This year on Saturday, June 6th, our team will be doing the one-mile family walk, but I am hoping in the future to train and do the 5 mile run. If you would like to find out more information on the event or to make a donation, you can do so by clicking here. Any and all support is greatly appreciated!

In all of this, I have been greatly inspired by one of my favorite bloggers, Amber at Girl With The Red Hair (formerly from Amber Alert). Amber recently completed her first half-marathon, and since then has decided to participate in another race, this time for charity. In doing the Scotiabank half-marathon, she will be raising money for the Heart & Stroke Foundation. This is a cause close to Amber's heart, as heart disease runs in her family and both her grandmother and father have had to have surgery as a result of heart attacks. If you would like to give your support to Amber, you can do so by clicking here. At the very least, I highly recommend you check out her blog (both old and new). You won't be disappointed!

I want to say a big thank you to those of you who have not given up on me in my lengthy absence. Although I have not been commenting a great deal lately as well as not blogging, I have still been checking/reading each of your blogs daily. Hopefully, this post will be the beginning of the end of my prolonged silence.

Goodbye Indiana, Helllloooo North Carolina!

I am sitting at the airport waiting for the departure of my flight to North Carolina. I will be gone for five glorious days (glorious because it means I won't be at work) visiting my friend Emily. I am super excited, although I will miss everyone back home, especially my best friend Tory who is in town visiting from Delaware. I am hoping for warm weather and to be able to break out my flip flops while I am gone! :-) Unfortunately, the high temperature for Indianapolis when I return Monday evening is 48 degrees. Yuck.

The flight is boarding now, so I better go!

My First Blog Award!

Recently I received my very first blog award from Suz at 30 Before 30 List. Most of the blogs I read have at least one, if not several awards that have been given to them, so when I saw Suz had chosen my blog as one of her seven favorites for the Kreativ Blogger Award it made my day. Suz's blog was one of the first I started reading on Blogger, and it has provided me with much inspiration, not only in regards to my blog but also in my personal life.

For the award I am supposed to list seven things I love, so here goes!

1. Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits - I am in no way, shape, or form a fan of seafood, but these biscuits are more than enough to get me to this restaurant (of course, it doesn't hurt that it is also home to one of my absolute favorite alcoholic beverages, the Sunset Passion Colada.)


2. Tulip Magnolia Trees - Each year I look forward to Spring for one specific reason, and that is the blooming of tulip magnolia trees. When I am out driving, every time I pass one of these trees it puts a smile on my face, no matter how I am feeling. I hope to one day live in a house with a huge tulip magnolia tree in the front yard.


3. Thunderstorms and Lightning - Even though thunderstorms scare me because they often occur in conjunction with the threat of tornadoes, I always get excited at the prospect of a good thunderstorm. I find it incredibly relaxing to be able to sit outside on the porch (or balcony, or wherever) and listen to the rain and watch the lightning. I would love to one day experience a thunderstorm in the deserts of Arizona.


4. The NHL Playoffs - There's nothing better than a hard fought seven game series in pursuit of Lord Stanley's Cup. Speaking of which - today was the first day in round one of the playoffs. Let's go Red Wings!


5. Electric Blankets - Brent keeps his house way too cold for my taste, so when I am at his house I am almost always snuggled up with the electric blanket he bought me for Christmas. Enough said.


6. Chinese Calligraphy - I have always been fascinated by Chinese calligraphy. I think it is incredibly beautiful. I would love to learn to draw a few characters, so that I could paint them on canvases to hang around my apartment.


7. Spa Days - While I have never actually been to a spa, I can only imagine how much fun a day at the spa with my best girlfriend would be. I am a big fan of manicures and pedicures, so surely I would enjoy indulging in the variety of other ways to be pampered at a spa.


There you have it! I am also supposed to name seven of my favorite blogs to receive this award, but alas, I enjoy every blog I read so much I cannot choose between them all. So, I am passing this award on to everyone on my blog roll. :-)

Sleepless in Indiana.

Dear Insomnia,

I've had it with you. This has to stop. Things were bad enough when you would show up unannounced every once in awhile, but now that you have decided to rear your ugly head repeatedly, night after night? You are driving me crazy. As if waking me up in the middle of the night and not allowing me to fall back asleep wasn't bad enough, now you're also causing me to have trouble falling asleep in the first place. I don't know where you got the idea that I like feeling drowsy all day and barely being able to keep my eyes open at times, but you are sorely mistaken. The truth of the matter is, I value sleep greatly, and would much appreciate being able to sleep soundly so I can quit having to give myself pep talks in the morning just to get out of bed. That being said, I am sure you understand why I can no longer have you interrupting my slumber. Although I cannot say you will be missed, I do wish you luck in finding someone better suited for you.

All the best,

Sleepless in Indiana

Kids say the darndest things.

Friday evening, I received a phone call from my niece Laura. She started the conversation by asking if I was working the following day (which is never a good sign when it comes to a phone call from one of my nephews or nieces). Apparently, she had forgotten about the ISSMA (Indiana State School Music Association) choir contest she was required to attend Saturday morning, and needed a ride to and from the contest seeing as both her mom and step-dad were working. My sister's children are notorious for forgetting about events and springing them on you at the last minute. Although I was scheduled to work on Saturday it luckily was not until later in the afternoon, so I told Laura it would be no problem for me to take her to the contest.

Afterwards, I decided to run a couple of errands and take my niece to lunch at Steak 'N Shake before taking her home. As we were leaving the school parking lot, my niece gave me what she tells me is the highest compliment you can receive from a teenager. She said, "You're cool to be seen with in public."

How about that. I'm cool to be seen with in public. :-D

Not a morning person (but not a night owl either).

If you asked, I would tell you that I am one hundred percent, completely and totally NOT a morning person. During the week when my alarm goes off at 6:00a.m. I find myself hitting snooze repeatedly, and by 6:30a.m. I am having to force myself to get out of bed. I would also tell you that I cannot remember the last time I woke up feeling refreshed and ready to start the day (okay, so I CAN remember - it was exactly eight months and ten days ago).

(That would be July 10, 2008 for those of you who are wondering.)

(I know, it's pathetic that I remember the exact date of the last time I actually felt like I got a decent night's sleep.)

(Don't judge me.)

After my alarm has gone off and I am hitting snooze, desperately trying to ignore the fact that if I do not get out of bed I am going to be late for work, I often think about the movie Bruce Almighty, when Jim Carrey's character Bruce is throwing a temper tantrum when he has to get out of bed in the morning. I often have to stifle the urge to start kicking and throwing just such a tantrum myself. (Seeing as how I sleep on my futon, without it being folded out so it is like a couch rather than like a bed, the reality of my throwing such a tantrum would most likely end with me falling on the floor.)

The funny thing is, I know I am more productive in the morning than I am at any other time of day, and most mornings I naturally wake up around 5:30a.m. On the occasions when I actually get out of bed rather than rolling over and falling back asleep, I feel much better than when I have allowed myself to hit snooze. Either way though, I am still generally tired throughout the entire day, and most nights I am ready to pass out around nine or ten o'clock (yet I usually don't go to bed until almost midnight). I find it nearly impossible to wake up in the morning, yet I also struggle to stay up late at night. So, if I'm neither a morning person nor a night owl, what does that make me?

I think it might be time for me to accept the fact that I am meant to be a morning person, and I need to start going to bed earlier.

Up in Smoke.

There was a fire that started downtown around three o'clock this morning. This is a picture of the smoke from the fire almost ten hours later, taken from the top floor of the building where I work.

This is how I feel right now.

Like everything in my life is going up in smoke.

Anitclimactic.

To expound upon my post from Wednesday regarding my social awkwardness......

Last night I was at my middle nephew Mitchell's wrestling meet. While there, I saw one of my favorite teachers from highschool, Mrs. McQuiston. I hadn't seen or spoken to her since my Freshman year of college, when at the last minute I decided to apply for a scholarship and needed a letter of recommendation (with which she happily provided me). At one point, Mrs. McQuiston was talking to someone near where I was sitting in the bleachers (I could have reached out and touched her arm if I wanted to), yet I completely chickened out of saying hello to her.

Why, I have no idea.

Not only was I an excellent student in Mrs. McQuiston's English class my Junior year, I went on to be her student helper. She wrote an entire two pages in my Senior memory book. She also used to visit me in the evenings where I worked at Dress Barn after graduation when she would take her daughter to The Little Gym, which was in the same plaza. And of course, she wrote me that glowing letter of recommendation my Freshman year of college (which yes, she let me read). So you see, I had absolutely no reason to be nervous about saying hello (other than the fact that I'm - well - me).

At the end of the wrestling meet, Mrs. McQuiston walked by where I was sitting once again, and this time I was determined to say hello. I got up from my seat, and the conversation went something like this.

Me: Hi!
Mrs. McQ: Hey! It's been awhile.
Me: Yeah....
Mrs. McQ: So what have you been up to?
Me: Not much. I work at IUPUI in a laboratory now.
Mrs. McQ: That doesn't surprise me. Do you have a brother wrestling tonight?
Me: No, my nephew wrestles for Eastwood.
Mrs. McQ: Ah....

And that was the extent of the conversation.

I wonder if she truly recognized me and remembered who I was, or if she was just bluffing.

A Social Butterfly I Am Not.

Today for lunch one of my coworkers and I decided to go to the Campus Center to eat and do a little shopping. After eating at Mamma Leone's (well, I ate at Mamma Leone's - my coworker decided to get sushi instead), we went to Barnes & Noble. Now, the Barnes & Noble in the Campus Center is not the same size as a standard Barnes & Noble, but it does have a fairly decent selection. With this in mind, I decided to look for the book Miracle Girls by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt, which I have sporadically searched for since it was released in September 2008 (and have obviously been unable to find). I am a huge fan of chick lit, and while this particular book falls under that category, it has religious undertones, so it is found in the Christian fiction section of the bookstore.

When I got to the appropriate section of the bookstore, there was a girl sitting in the isle looking at a book. I didn't think anything of it, and went on the search for Miracle Girls. Before I knew what was happening, the girl began speaking to me, causing me to promptly break out in a sweat. She asked me about the book I was searching for, which of course I could only tell her the title and author, having completely forgotten what the book was about (what can I say, I have a never-ending list of books I want to read). She then asked me if I was a student and a part of any campus ministry, and I told her I had graduated from college but worked on campus.

At this point, I had been unable to find Miracle Girls, so the girl suggested a different book and found it on the shelf, handing it to me and giving me a description of the plot. I skimmed the inside cover of the book, and then thanked the girl and said I would keep the book in mind. Feeling sufficiently awkward (and not to mention needing to get back to work), I excused myself, but not before asking the girl's name and telling her it was nice to meet her (I do have at least some manners - and her name was Caroline, in case you were wondering).

Immediately afterwards, I began thinking about my 30 Before 30 List, specifically number 27 - Hold a conversation with a stranger. I think I need to develop certain criteria for this particular item, because I am always turning to Brent (or in this case, my coworker) and asking, "Does that count as holding a conversation with a stranger?" Thus far, the answer I have received has always been a resounding "No." So I have to ask, what exactly should completing this particular item on my list entail?

It really is a shame I am so awkward in social situations, because if I hadn't been so nervous and shy, I could have been on my way to completing another item on my list as well, number 30 - Make a new friend (one not connected to someone I already know). All I would have had to say is, "It was really nice meeting you Caroline and I would love to continue this conversation, but I have to get back to work. How about we exchange email addresses?" I mean, Caroline seemed like an extremely nice person. How hard would it have been to say that?

Damn my tendency to flee as quickly as possible in the opposite direction of anything remotely social.

Shit List.

Doing what I do best at work (that would be procrastinating), I just found the most hilarious item on the website perpetual kid. I present to you the Shit List.

The description on the website reads:

"While everybody claims to have a shit list, there's never been a way to turn the metaphor into reality - until now. Bring the power of organization to your grudges, and find psychological well-being through the mere act of writing grievances down.

You know you have one - now do something about it!"

Other similarly funny lists include the Obscenely Important Memo, Things You Do That Really Piss Me Off, and Things You Must Do To Make Me Happy.

Firsts.

1. Who was your FIRST prom date? Two days before Junior prom I found out my boyfriend had been cheating on me, so my friend Guy saved the day and was my prom date.

2. Do you still talk to your FIRST love? When you're young and naive, I don't think you are capable of knowing and understanding what love really is. If you asked me do I still talk to the first person I said "I love you" to, the answer is no.

3. What was your FIRST job? My first job was as a receptionist for the hair salon Great Clips.

4. What was your FIRST car? I bought my first car when I was 18-years-old, on December 23, 1998. It was a 1992 Chevrolet Cavalier RS. I drove it almost ten years, until nine months ago when I finally bought a new car on May 22, 2008.

5. Who was the FIRST person to text you today? Brent.

6. Who is the FIRST person you thought of this morning? Brent.

7. Who was your FIRST grade teacher? Mrs. Ritchie at W.D. Richards Elementary School.

8. Where did you go on your FIRST ride on an airplane? When I was 15-years-old and a Sophomore in highschool, I went with my friend Candace and her parents to Fort Myers Beach, Florida.

9. Who was your FIRST best friend and do you still talk to them? My first best friend was my cousin Ryan. I would certainly hope we still talk, considering we are family!

10. Where was your FIRST sleep over? I don't remember my first sleep over, but I am assuming it was at my cousin Ryan's house.

11. Who was the FIRST person you talked to today? Brent.

12. Whose wedding were you in the FIRST time? I was a flower girl in my Aunt Jean's wedding.

13. What was the FIRST thing you did this morning? I woke up and got out of bed, duh.

14. What was the FIRST concert you ever went to? Mannheim Steamroller.

15. FIRST tattoo? I don't have any tattoos.

16. FIRST piercing? My first and only piercing is my ears.

17. FIRST foreign country you've been to? Canada is the first and only foreign country I have been to.

18. FIRST movie you remember seeing? Ghostbusters.

19. When was your FIRST detention? I never had detention in school.

20. What was the FIRST state you lived in? Indiana is the only state in which I have lived.

21. Who was your FIRST roommate? My first roommate was my friend Jaci (Guy's sister).

Whoop-Whoop (the titles of these things just keep getting better and better).

Here are the rules - post this list on your profile, replacing my answers with yours.

Tag 25 people to do the same thing.

If I tagged YOU, it's because I want to know more about YOU!

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? I have the same middle name as an aunt on my father's side.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Sunday.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yes, when I take the time to write neatly.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Ham (especially with Colby-Jack cheese).

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? None that I am aware of.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yes, on my good days.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM? See answer to question five.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes, although I probably shouldn't.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? No, not even if you paid me to do it.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Lucky Charms (I absolutely loved Total Vanilla Yogurt, but sadly not enough other people did and it was discontinued).

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No, the shoes I wear every day do not have laces.

12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Mint chocolate chip (preferably the brand Homemade).

13. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Genuineness.

14. RED OR PINK? I don't really care for either color, but if I HAD to choose, I would choose red.

15. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? I dislike several things at the moment, but one thing in particular is that I am overly sensitive.

16. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? I miss several people at any given moment.

17. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST? Naturally.

18. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Dark blue jeans and black Skechers tennis shoes.

19. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? I am sitting at my desk at work, so I am not listening to anything at the moment (other than the sound of my and other people's typing).

20. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Purple.

21. FAVORITE SMELL(S)? The smell of the air before a storm.

22. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My sister.

23. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Yes, of course! We have known each other since kindergarten.

24. FAVORITE SPORT(S) TO WATCH? Hockey.

25. EYE COLOR? Hazel.

26. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? No.

27. FAVORITE FOOD? Cheese.

28. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings.

29. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? 13 Ghosts (yes, I realize the irony considering my answer to the previous question).

30. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? A black turtle neck underneath a purple sweater.

31. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer.

32. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs (research has shown, after all, that people need 12 hugs a day for good emotional health).

33. DO YOU HAVE ANY SIBLINGS? Yes, one brother and one sister, both older.

34. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Tory (I know how much she loves when I put her on the spot like this). I love you Tory! :-)

35. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? In my general experience, most people tend to not respond to these things.

36. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster.

37. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Little Miss Stubborn.

38. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? Buffalo Sabres versus Toronto Maple Leafs hockey game.

39. FAVORITE SOUND(S)? Laughter (especially a child's laughter).

40. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Neither.

41. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

42. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? None that I can think of, unless you count being able to cheer Tory up and make her laugh when she is in a bad mood.

43. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Columbus, IN.

44. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK? Everyone's!


Yes, it is a slow day in the lab and I am trying to fill my time with anything other than actual work. I am a stellar employee, I know.

My Nephew, the Wrestler.

My oldest nephew Charlie began wrestling in the seventh grade. As a freshman he made the varsity wrestling squad at his school, and this year he is once again wrestling varsity. While Charlie has done exceptionally well from the very beginning, anyone who knows him also knows there hardly seems to be a time when he is not sustaining or recovering from one injury or another. This past Saturday at Regionals was no different.

Regionals is do or die time for wrestlers. A wrestler has to place fourth or better at Regionals to advance to Semi-State, not to mention the first match is a must win in order to not be eliminated. On the other hand, once a wrestler has won his first match the pressure is off, because even if he loses all of his remaining matches, the worst he will place is fourth.

Charlie started out the day having his head taped to prevent the huge scab on his forehead from bleeding, and having his left elbow wrapped because he hyperextended it during practice earlier in the week. Least to say, it was already looking like it was going to be a tough day. In the first round, Charlie faced off against Elwood, and after being up 6-0, pinned his opponent. The second round was a rematch three times over for Charlie, pitting him against Cathedral. Each time Charlie had faced the Cathedral wrestler previously in the season, he lost by a small margin. We were hoping this would be Charlie's opportunity to get the proverbial monkey off his back, but alas, it was not to be. In the third and final round, Charlie found himself up against Hamilton Heights. All seemed to be going fairly well even though Charlie was down by two points at the end of the first period. The second period was about to begin when suddenly the coaches for both teams were on the mat checking out Charlie, and before I realized what was going on, Charlie's coaches called for a
forfeit and that was the end of the match.

It turned out that in an attempt to escape from the hold of the Hamilton Heights wrestler at the end of the first period, Charlie got his bell rung pretty badly when the back right side of his head slammed into the mat. Charlie was dazed for quite a while afterwards, but it appeared he was going to be okay. *cue foreboding music* At practice on Monday, the team trainer was not comfortable clearing Charlie to wrestle at Semi-State this coming Saturday, so she made an appointment for him to be evaluated at Methodist Sports Medicine on Tuesday. To cut to the chase, the results of Tuesday's evaluation were not good. Charlie was diagnosed with a major concussion, ending his wrestling season effective immediately. It goes without saying that Charlie is extremely upset, especially since his season ended prematurely last year after he injured his ankle at the MIC Championship.

Hopefully next season will go better.

My Life Soundtrack.

I was actually tagged for this one by Liam at Liam's alternate reality, so here goes (although he tagged me on Facebook and not Blogger).

My Life Soundtrack

So here's how it works....
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc.).
2. Put it on shuffle.
3. Press play.
4. For the first question, type the song that's playing.
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button TWICE.
6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool....just type it in man!
7. Tag 10 people, and they have to do it too.

IF YOUR LIFE WAS A MOVIE, WHAT WOULD THE SOUNDTRACK BE?

Opening Credits:
Pink - Leave Me Alone (I'm Lonely)

Waking Up:
Garbage - Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go)

First Day at School:
t.A.T.u. - Perfect Enemy

Falling in Love:
Three Days Grace - Get Out Alive

Losing Virginity:
Godsmack - Bad Religion

Fight Song:
Godsmack - Voodoo

Breaking Up:
Def Leppard - When Love & Hate Collide

Prom:
Garbage - Medication

Life:
Three Days Grace - Gone Forever

Mental Breakdown:
Evanescence - Call Me When You're Sober

Driving:
Soulja Boy - Crank That (Travis Barker Remix)

Flashback:
Linkin Park - Shadow of the Day

Getting Back Together:
Savage Garden - I Want You

Wedding:
Garbage - I Think I'm Paranoid

Birth of Child:
Animotion - Obsession (12" Remix)

Final Battle:
New Kids on the Block - Never Gonna Fall in Love Again

Death Scene:
Stabbing Westward - What Do I Have To Do?

I was somewhat disappointed with completing this exercise, because having to hit the next button TWICE, I had to skip over a lot of good songs. :-D Not to mention, I had to write down multiple songs by the same artists, which with my perfectionist personality was hard for me to do, especially when I had to write down two Godsmack songs in a row (I wanted each song to be by a different artist, so the depth of my music library would be more accurately represented). Of course, there are a few songs I am thankful didn't come up. All in all though, I think most of the songs are fairly fitting. :-)

One Word.

There seems to be a lot of these going around Facebook lately. Although I wasn't tagged for this one, I decided to do it anyway because I thought it was interesting and a challenge.

Type only ONE word answers.

It's harder than you think!! Here is what you are supposed to do....and please don't spoil the fun....copy and paste the following into your own note, then type in your answers and tag a bunch of people - including me.

Where is your cell phone.........................desk

Your hair.................................................wavy
Your mother............................................neatnik
Your father..............................................workaholic
Your favorite thing....................................hockey
Your dream last night................................work
Your favorite drink...................................chai
Your dream/goal.......................................enlightenment
The room you are in..................................office
Your fear..................................................failure
Where do you want to be in 6 years..........settled
Muffins.....................................................pumpkin
One of your wish list items.........................CHI
Where you grew up...................................Columbus
The last thing you did.................................bottles
What are you wearing................................jeans
Your TV...................................................small
Your pets..................................................fluffy
Your computer..........................................nonexistent
Your life....................................................clusterfuck
Your mood...............................................excited
Missing someone......................................many
Your car..................................................Focus
Favorite store...........................................bookstore
Your summer............................................birthday
Your favorite color...................................purple
When is the last time you laughed..............awhile
Last time you cried...................................Monday
Someone who emails me..........................Candace
Favorite food...........................................cheese
Where I would rather be right now...........mountains
Someone who I think will do this..............Tory

Murphy Strikes Again.

Yesterday as I was driving from my first job to my second job, I was on the highway when it started to snow pretty heavily. This in and of itself didn't bother me, and I continued on my way as I normally would (albeit reducing my speed to account for the slower moving traffic). Suddenly and without warning, a car in the right hand lane kicked up a piece of metal debris that was in the middle of the lane, throwing it across the highway and into - you guessed it - the front end of my car. Between the heavy traffic, decreased visibility, and suddenness of what happened, there was nothing I could do. Naturally, no sooner had this occurred and I began having a conniption fit, the snow abruptly stopped, the sun was shining, and traffic cleared.

As for saying in my post yesterday that I am thankful I'm not living the same day over and over again, a la the movie Groundhog Day? Well, one of these days, I am going to have to learn to keep my mouth shut - because that is exactly what I would like to do with yesterday. If I had left work a minute later or a minute earlier....If I had been driving a little slower or a little faster....If I had been driving in a different lane on the highway....If I had taken a different route to my second job....If only I hadn't recently bought a new car, and I was still driving my much dented and rusted Cavalier (which I would rather still be driving, by the way, except every time I turned around it needed another repair, and it was not worth the money)....If, if, if....

I know it's just a car, and it shouldn't be a big deal. While I am admittedly a perfectionist, I am by far not a materialistic person; it just makes me ill to still owe over $13,000 on something that is now damaged. Although, technically the car was already damaged, because someone put a huge scratch in the rear bumper while I was parked in the parking lot at my second job (before I even had a chance to get the car plated, no less). It took me forever and a day to get over the sick feeling I got every time I looked at the scratch in my rear bumper. I can only imagine how long it will take me to get over this.

It's Groundhog Day!

First D.J.: Okay, campers, rise and shine, and don't forget your booties 'cause it's coooold out there today.
Second D.J.: It's coooold out there every day. What is this, Miami Beach?
First D.J.: Not hardly. And you know, you can expect hazardous travel later today with that, you know, that, uh, that blizzard thing.
Second D.J.: [mockingly] That blizzard - thing. That blizzard - thing. Oh, well, here's the report! The National Weather Service is calling for a "big blizzard thing!"
First D.J.: Yessss, they are. But you know, there's another reason why today is especially exciting.
Second D.J.: Especially cold!
First D.J.: Especially cold, okay, but the big question on everybody's lips...
Second D.J.: - On their chapped lips...
First D.J.: - On their chapped lips, right: Do ya think Phil is gonna come out and see his shadow?
Second D.J.: Punxsutawney Phil!
First D.J.: Thats right, woodchuck-chuckers - it's
[in unison]
First D.J.: GROUNDHOG DAY!
Second D.J.: GROUNDHOG DAY!


From the Official Site of the Punxsuatawney Groundhog Club:

Hear Ye Hear Ye

On Gobbler's Knob this glorious Groundhog Day, February 2nd, 2009

Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Prognosticator of all Prognosticators

Awoke to the call of President Bill Cooper

And greeted his handlers, Ben Hughes and John Griffiths

After casting a joyful eye towards thousands of his faithful followers,

Phil proclaimed that his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers were World Champions one more time

And a bright sky above me

Showed my shadow beside me.

So 6 more weeks of winter it will be.

Apparently, I have been waiting almost two weeks for this day. So naturally, when I woke up this morning, I completely forgot about the fact that today is Groundhog's Day.

Go figure.

At least I can be thankful that I'm not living the same day over and over again.

Un-Snow Day, Take Two

Apparently, our society is one that rewards the lazy and unmotivated, while those that actually care and try get screwed.

Okay, so maybe I am blowing this just a bit out of proportion, but I am miffed/ticked/pissed off. Today at work, we received an email detailing how we should record our time for Wednesday when the campus was closed due to the adverse weather conditions. Individuals who were scheduled to work, but did not make it into work that day, get to claim their hours on their timesheet under the code WTHR. People like me, however, who actually showed up and worked MORE than their eight hour shift, do not get to claim any time using this code. Basically, if I had given in to my desire to say screw it and call in, I would have gotten a paid day off; but because I was one of the few dedicated workers who actually showed up that day, I am to receive no compensation. (Keep in mind, I had no choice but to show up - we have months worth of data that relies on certain things being done each day).

I know I am whining, but I needed to take a minute to complain.

On a completely different note, can I just say how proud I am of my oldest nephew, who is seeded third for wrestling sectionals tomorrow? :-)

Un-Snow Day.

Normally, I love my job. (Well, except for one tiny part, which in reality is not all that tiny.)

Today, not so much.

Working at a university has a lot of GREAT benefits, not the least of which are vacation time, sick time, nine paid holidays each year, and dirt cheap dental and health insurance. However, my position as a research technician, while affording me all of these great benefits, has one major drawback - it doesn't matter what day of the week it is, whether or not it is a holiday, or if campus is closed due to a winter storm - I still have to go to work.

Research must go on.

As I was getting ready to get in the shower this morning, my phone started ringing. Having woken up with a severe headache, I grumbled as I went to see who was text messaging/calling me at such an ungodly hour. I opened my phone to see a message from the university saying campus is closed and classes are canceled due to adverse weather. "That's great," I yelled at my phone, "but I still have to [insert expletive here] go to work!"

Which is unfortunate, because I really could have used a snow day.

WTF, mate?

Yesterday morning on NFL Sunday Countdown, Chris Berman wished Chris Mortensen a Happy Groundhog's Day.

I sat on the couch for several minutes feeling like I was in some sort of alternate universe, a la one of my recent blogs, which can be found here.

Am I missing something?

25 Random Things About Me.

I have now been tagged by four of my friends on Facebook, so I suppose I better get to it.

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

1. One thing I wish I had never done is color my hair.

2. I pluck gray hairs out of my head with tweezers. Unfortunately, there are too many for me to be able to pluck them all.

3. A pet peeve of mine is when people flick cigarette butts out of their car window while driving.

4. I have trouble making the simplest of decisions.

5. I am an emotional eater. Not so much when I am sad, but definitely when I am angry, frustrated, or some other similar type of emotion.

6. My favorite number is the number eight.

7. My favorite color is purple.

8. I often get asked what high school I attend.

9. I am a creature of habit, and I greatly dislike change.

10. One of my biggest weaknesses is my inability to confront people when I am upset.

11. I long to work a single job without having to put in overtime. As it is, I not only work overtime at my main job, but I also have a second job.

12. I am eternally grateful for those in my life who truly accept me for who I am, and around whom I am able to be my complete self.

13. I often correct grammatical errors in books while I am reading.

14. I greatly miss being a college student.

15. Foul language cracks me up (hence why I love Foamy the Squirrel so much).

16. Sometimes I snort when I laugh.

17. I dyed my hair purple once after I lost a bet.

18. I have had my car broken into twice, and my credit cards stolen three times.

19. I rarely like pictures of myself.

20. I have been listening to the new Kevin Rudolf CD, In The City, on repeat in my car for well over a week now.

21. I don't wear a watch. It's not that I don't like watches, I just haven't found a watch I like since my last one died several years ago (not that I have looked too terribly hard for one, though).

22. The color I wear most often is gray.

23. Music has the ability to lift my mood in a way few other things can.

24. While I am by nature not prone to spontaneity, I do tend to be impulsive in matters of the heart, which often results in my being hurt.

25. I would rather spend the rest of my life alone than spend it with someone who didn't place the same meaning and value on love that I do.

26. Reading through the blog entries I wrote on Xanga in 2005 and 2006 seems like a completely different life to me. I have changed a great deal since that time period, and in my opinion it has not been for the better.

27. Recently I have become extremely forgetful. I used to be able to remember great amounts of detail without a problem, but now it seems I can't even remember the smallest things.

So, I threw a couple of extra things in there. What can I say, I was on a roll. As always, I am not going to tag particular people. If you want to do this, then you will. If you don't want to do this, then you won't. It's as simple as that. :-) I hope some people do participate though, because I would greatly enjoy reading your answers!