Fall 2011 Grades!

This was an awesome semester!
To reward myself I bought a totally epic tshirt for $12- I think it was a good and reasonably priced reward!

Countdown

2 days until my day off!
2 days until Mom gets here!
4 days until Christmas eve (which I have to work)!
5 days until Christmas!
11 days until New Years!
13 days until I'm in Seattle!
14 days until my 22nd birthday!
17 days until David's 22nd birthday!

Other blogs

Just a reminder I have other blogs that are more speciality stuff (gliders, art, etc)
They can be found on the left side bar.

Getting Creative

Its that time of the year!
Time to get creative to make meaningful gifts for our loved ones!
Obviously, I can't tell you what I'm doing since the gift receivers read this blog, but I can tell you that its in full swing!
I'm very excited!!!

Almost there...

I turned in all my take home finals today, and only have one more exam (Tuesday @ 8am!).
After I finish finals tomorrow I'm going to start on christmas presents for my parents! I'm super excited!
I'll update soon!

"What Teachers Make"

This was shown in my Teaching class today and it was so inspiring that I felt the need to share it with all of you!

Enjoy!

Dead week then Finals week then CHRISTMAS!

The title pretty much covers it... this week is dead week, next week is finals, then the freedom of winter break.
If only it was that easy though.
I have two papers due tomorrow, one final exam next Tuesday (pretty awesome), one presentation this Thursday, a portfolio (22+ pages) due Monday, another paper due Monday, and an "artistic project" (don't ask me what that means) due next Tuesday.
There is so much to do and so little time to do it (WHY AM I BLOGGING?!)
On top of that I have work- which thankfully isn't too bad.

The house is decorated for Christmas, stockings are above the fish tank (in lieu of a fireplace), tree is up (6 feet this year!) random lights, wall hangings, and garlands are also up. As festive as it looks, I'm not yet really feeling the Christmas cheer. Seriously, I think its the fact that my mom is missing. Its just not Christmas without my mom and her amazing holiday cheer. I'm not kidding... Christmas cookies, candy, well decorate house, Christmas music, she always made sure the house felt warm, cozy, and festive.

Well, I should stop procrastinating.... urgh!!!!!

Christmas and Birthday Wish List

Its that time of the year! Time to get our holiday wish lists out so our friends and families aren't forced to guess what we want and we don't end up with something completely absurd!
So here's my list, mind you its a wish list so I'm gonna put things up that I want but know that my chances of receiving are very very small. I've posted links to the websites to make everyone's lives more convenient.

My Wish List

• Art- homemade art would be amazing. Drawings, sketches, paintings, sculptures, etc. There are few things I love as much as having something that was made for me with love from someone I love!
• Galaxy Tab
• Barnes and Noble gift cards (so I can get more ebooks for my Nook!)
• Gift cards to Maurices or Alloy (I'd like a new pair of jeans)
• Wine glasses- white wine style
• Snow gear (pants, sweaters, etc for snowshoeing) or gift cards to Tri-state/Hyperspud so I can purchase this myself.
• Kinect and games
• Sugar glider toys - mostly foraging type
• New cage set in a summer theme (bright and happy!)

 If you have posted your own wish list please either email it to me, or leave a link to it in the comments so I can get on it! I'd like to get shopping/creating done early so that I don't have to rush last minute! And so I can get things shipped!

Seattle Trip Success

My trip so Seattle was amazing- I enjoyed seeing my family and brought back lots of stuff!
OOO and one of the highlights of the trip was getting my Kirsten doll's hair restored to its nearly former glory! I couldn't be happier about this! Seriously. I almost cried. I'm so happy she's looking so much better.
Saturday I spent the day in downtown Seattle with Mom, Dad, and David. We visited EMP, ate at Ivar's, and enjoyed downtown. I loved every moment of being with my parents.
I was sad to go... but I'll be back in January!

After a lot of thinking...

I've decided to just put it out there.
It gets tiring when people constantly assume you're Christian, when you're not. And its tiring to be told I'm wrong. Here it is:

I am an Atheist.

Sure, a lot of people knew that, but a lot of people didn't.

I'm a card carrying member of the National Atheist Party. I don't believe in any higher being. I believe in science, logic, and reason. I live my life by the moral code of "Doing the Right Thing", the way my Papa raised me.

What exactly does this mean?
Well, since its no longer 1950 and McCarthy isn't trying to kill off and imprison all Atheists, I should be okay.

Some assume I will go to "hell" because of it, others are concerned for my "soul", while others wonder if I will try to 'deconvert' them from Christianity...

No, I will not. I will let you live and believe whatever you wish to. If you're not hurting anyone else I have no problem with your beliefs. In fact, if they help you to cope with life, make good decisions, ect ect, than I support you in your religion.

I've been asked why.
Simplest reason? I've never found a religion that I don't constantly question and feel comfortable with. There's never been a moment when I've thought "There must be a higher being".

I've been told I just haven't seen the light and I have to let Jesus in.
If someday I were to see "the light", then fine. I will not go out of my way to be defiant and push away all religion and its ways, but I'm not going to go out of my way to seek it either.

This isn't a phase. This is how I've felt my whole life, and now I'm coming to terms with it. I've always thought I was an outlier and that I just "didn't get it". I'm not, I'm one of millions who don't believe in a higher being and most of the people my age that I know are part of that number too.

I know there are people who will be disappointed to read this, but it doesn't change who I am.
I'm still the person you've known and loved for years.
I haven't changed.
I've just put it out there that I'm an Atheist.

Obligatory Halloween Post -pic heavy-

Halloween comes early in Pullman this year! This whole weekend has been "Halloween"! I've dressed up twice this weekend and had a lot of fun both nights. One night at the bar with friends, one night at a friends party. Overall, a wonderful Halloween weekend.

Well I guess now you're wondering what I dressed up as?

Zombie Pin Up Girl (myzombiepinup.com was my inspiration! -caution lots of gore-)

Still curious? Here's some photos!

bloody finger nails!

Tattoo for character (painted by david!)

Homemade broken leg prosthetic

Night one! Limited gore because I was going to the bar.

Me and Saber before the bar!

Night two! More gore!

The Zombie and the Electron who lived happily ever after!

Upcoming Seattle Trip!

I'm getting excited for my trip out to Seattle in November!
Papa even took a day off while I'm there.
David and I will both be traveling out there for the 3 days (2 nights)
It going to be nice and laid back time to see my family.
Can't wait!
I'm super excited to bring back my side tables and maybe a reading chair. It will be nice to have a real side table instead of my plastic drawers (which will be moved to the office so we can organize in there!!!)
So if anyone has a reading chair... or something similar they're trying to get rid of let me know!!!!

Poverty?

I got a lovely call today from the Whitman County Public Health department, the kind lady called to let me know I was eligible for food stamps and could start in the program immediately.

Not gonna lie, I almost dropped the phone.

Me?
Food stamps?

She must have had the wrong number! But low and behold, no. She was talking to me.
Because I'm working for minimum wage this puts my below the poverty line- especially since I'm also a student so I cannot work full time (some can, I cannot) If I had a child- sure.
I thanked the nice lady on the phone and turned them down, telling her that I lived quite comfortably and I'm sure there was someone else out there who needed them more than I ever did. She in turn told me that if I ever needed them to give her a call- she knows sometimes its hard to accept.

Yes, I would agree with that. Being told the local government thinks I'm poor is a little unsettling.
I'm not completely sure how they got this information- I haven't filed taxes in like two years because I make such little amounts of money.

But now that I'm sitting here thinking about it... David and I live in a nice little apartment, have enough food, are warm (important since it's getting so cold suddenly!), and are for the most part happy. Sure, we limit the amount we go to the bar and eat out, we don't see movies, and we piggy back my parent's netflix account so we don't have to buy our own... but we aren't complaining. For the most part I feel pretty thankful for everything I have.
I mean, even my gliders, who aren't the cheapest, are cheaper than a dog and give me the companionship I need. And I can afford them. Yeah, it takes a few paychecks to put away the money for a new cage set, but its worth it and easy to do.

With the economic issues, the Occupy Wall Street, and everything else I've had to re-evaluate where I stand and how I feel.

Here's the math... If I work full time at minimum wage I'll make about $16,000 this year, on the other hand a CEO at Goldman-sachs will make that in about an hour. I'm all for paying according to skill- but I'm also all for a relatively balanced economy.

The 99% movement makes sense to me the more I look at it.

We, as the US, have one of the highest ratio differences of Executives to their factory workers (its something like 1:100, versus Japan which is like 1:17- don't quote me on that.) Today, while watching the browsing Reddit.com I found this:
Someone making "$200,000 is not a rich person," stated president of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce. "$500,000 is not a lot of money, particularly if there is no bonus," said director of a compensation consulting firm (source)
I'm going to be a teacher, I'm looking at a starting salary of $40,000 and an average salary of $60,000 after 5 years. $200,000 is not rich?! This is mind boggling to me.

I know I grew up ignorant to money purely for the reason that it was never an issue that I saw. Sure mom would say "we need to stop spending" and we would for a little while, but I never went without a meal, or a birthday gift.
As of recent I've been trying my best to figure out this crazy world of finances... including if I should move to a credit union because of Bank of America's new debt charge ($5 a month?! are you joking?!)

The call from the Dept. of Health has made me think... and I'm gonna keep thinking...

Get stuff done early

Pays off and makes me less stressed!
This week that I was sure was going to be the death of me, may actually end up just fine.
Other than studying for an exam tomorrow I am good to go!
Everything is done, all I've got left is work and an exam!
I should get my homework done early more often.
Its a great feeling!

Long Week Ahead

I'm taking a moment out of studying to post... and to take a mental break.
This week will be hard, but I think I'll be okay in the long run.
I got a lot of hours at work, lots of school work, and its homecoming week.
Wish me luck!

Pumpkin seeds and memories

I have a very vivid memory of one fall day carving pumpkins and laughing with my Grandma Dode and Lars. As we pulled out the stringy guts of the pumpkin Grandma started putting them in a bowl. I was so confused and asked why.

She said "to make pepitos of course!"

I hadn't a clue in the world what pepitos were. Apparently that's what my grandmother called roasted pumpkin seeds.

Being only 10 or so at the time I automatically assumed they would be totally gross, but tried them none the less. I feel head over heals in love with those silly tear drop shaped seeds.

Flash forward to today...

Its a rare occasion when I get the house to myself. Tonight was one of those nights.

Sitting on my were two little pumpkins I picked up at Safeway a few days ago. And one was just begging to be carved. Bored, home alone, looking for something to do other than clean, carving one of the little pumpkins seemed like an AWESOME idea!

Carving the pumpkin was fun, turned out to be a three eyed monster (but that's another post). As I scooped out those little seeds the memories of the autumn day, 11 years ago, came rushing back to me. That's when I decided I wanted, no needed those seeds to be roasted, so that one by one I could pop them into my mouth and savor their earthy goodness.

So now I'm sitting here, eating my "pepitos" and fighting back tears.

I can't believe its already been over a year since Grandma Dode died. It kills me to know the last time we parted ways was with me being angry with her. That's not fair to her, or me.

At the end our relationship was great, better than it'd ever been. Our only qualms being over David. I hope she eventually realized how happy David makes me.

I miss her so much. I'd give anything for one more day with her.

Here Comes the Cold

And I'm adoring it!!!!
It hasn't gotten above 60 today and we had to give in and turn on the heat in multiple rooms!
I wore a sweatshirt all day with out over heating, and am cuddled under a blanket as I type.
This is AWESOME!

Eucalyptus!!!

Today, a wonderful package arrived in the mail! A box full of eucalyptus for the gliders! YAY!
The gliders were more excited about it then I could have ever imagined it! As I sit here I can hear them tearing it apart.
I posted a couple of pictures -> here
I hope you enjoy them and get a kick out of them the way I did!

Day in the Life of a Cook -pic heavy-

Every once in a while at work we can't help but take out our phone camera and immortalize a moment that comes along.
Sometimes, these moments are the pictures we are asked to draw on boxes (I posted those here) or the orders that come in (below) or the designs on pizzas (below).
Here's my collection of these immortalized moments.
I hope you enjoy them!

Who are we assuming is the Spanish speaker here? me or the customer?

Really? 60 pizzas for carry out? Good luck gettin' that out the door!
(Btw this was a football team, they tipped well, and they were awesome!)

So you just want beef on that pizza?

I'm not exactly sure what "kindens" is but I'll sure do my best to add it to the love!

It always freaks me out when my name pops up on the order screen...

So you want a cheese pizza? Sure! I feel like just asking for a cheese pizza would have been easier though!

Pepperoni in the shape of a biohazard symbol (by request)-
I dunno about you but if my pep. pizza showed up with that sign, I'm not sure I'd eat it!

"Cut pizza in a tri-force"- Awesomely nerdy pizza request!

Hope you enjoyed some of the joys of being a cook!

Remebering AL4

As I woke up this morning fretting about rough drafts I have due tomorrow, a lab exam today, and a closing shift I have to report to tonight I thought nothing of the date.
Until I got on facebook.
My mother's status brought back a rush of emotions
"Remembering AL4 today and hope to see many of you at Alki tonight."
That stormy Thursday night, 6 years ago was suddenly crushing down on me.
The AL4 crash was more catastrophic for me than the attacks of 9/11. 
The event was real and hit closer to home, that could have been my mom. 
An Airlift nurse by the name of Jennifer Culkin wrote a memoir a few years back, and it ends with the crash.
To read that is the strangest experience... to see something you thought was so intimate splayed out for the world to see.  I love the book- its one of my all time favorites, but I still get goosebumps as I read about her reaction to the crash.

Lois, Steve, and Erin would not want us to grieve anymore, but to live our lives to the fullest and enjoy every moment. Every laugh, every child, every glass of wine. 

16 years with no end in sight.

Right now I can say the longest consecutive activity in my life has been going to school.
This year marks the beginning of 16 years.

That's 76.1% of my life spent in school, more than (barely) two thirds of my life.

As I sit at my dining room table struggling to figure out why the geography of the Middle East was conducive to the spread of Islam I start thinking about how nice a change would be...

No, I don't want to work at PH for longer than I have to, so I'll keep chugging along with my essays and tests and labs, but a change would be nice.

I'm not exactly sure what that means.

Many of my friends are getting married, and some even have kids.
Both of those sound nice, but not realistic for where I stand.
I don't have my degree so a parent approved wedding isn't an option.
A child out of wedlock would be frowned upon by most of my family, and would make getting my degree harder from what I've heard.

There's nothing that can really change unless I decide I want to take a year off from school- which I wont, because I refuse to work for minimum wage longer than absolutely necessary.

I'm not saying I have a bad life, just a monotonous life for the time being.

Ready to be done with being the student; ready to be the teacher...

No Class!

YAY my first class of the day was cancelled!
Which means my first class is at 10 o'clock!
My 7 hour Wednesday is now only 6 hours!!! WOO!!!
SO EXCITED!
Guess what, I also got to eat breakfast this morning, how crazy is that?
I need to eat breakfast more often, its a good way to start the morning!


HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!

Fall? Are you here to stay?

The coolness of fall keeps teasing us here in Pullman. Here for a few days and gone for a week.
Leaves are starting to change, and the crisp fall smell is in the air.
I can't wait for October so I can do some minor Halloween decorating!
Today I wore a sweatshirt to class! It was wonderful!
I'll stop boring you with my wishes of fall.

Life is otherwise boring in Pullman.
Going to classes, going to work, going to bed.
That pretty much sums up my life as of right now.

Oh! A bit of news...
I was inspired by my father's new blog for his art so I've started my own.
I'll try to update it regularly but no promises.
I post poems, stories, art- old and new.
Here's the link:
http://mywritingmyfiction.blogspot.com/

From none to many

I went from getting very few hours at work (~13.5 a week) to having many (24)!

I'm not complaining, I need the money- I had to ask for an $80 parent loan today. EEK!
Unplanned expenditures are part of life, but not any less stressful. Thankfully my savings account is growing slowly! I've got October's rent good to go, plus a little extra. I've got my utilities paid, and food is stocked, but those damn random expenses.

Of course this is one week I have midterms and exams AND I get my max number of hours. I think I'm balancing it okay. Homework is all caught up on, studying is on track, and papers are in their drafting stages. Obviously, I have enough time to even write a little blog.

Fish

At some point we've all gone into a pet store to buy a fish...
And have been met with the 20 questions game, and the "this isn't right for you" looks.
Why is it that pet store workers must assume that anyone who's coming in to buy a fish is stupid?
Today I had it, I told the guy off and that I knew what I wanted and what would work in my tank.
He seemed off-put by it.
David said I was a little aggressive about it.
But this guy was treating us like idiots.
First question they ask (as they should) is what size is your tank. This is good- I can appreciate this!
But then they go on to assume that you've never done this before... ASK ME! Ask me what my experience is! I volunteered at the Seattle Aquarium! I worked hands on at the touch tanks and in the "Window to the Sound" tank. I helped set up the "Window" tank!!! Come on! I'll tell you this, it will make your life easier. You can go help the mom and her little kid who want a new "nemo". They need more help than I do. I just need the damn fish out of the damn tank!
By the way our new clown plecostomus has settled in nicely in his new nice home.

Our fish tank's population is now:
One clown plecostomus
Three tiger barbs
One algae shark
One silver fish we don't know the name of (told it was a silver dollar, but it's definitely not!)
One red eye'd tetra

Fair Results!

Drum roll please

!!!!!!!!!!

I entered two photos in the Palouse Empire Fair. 

AND

They both were awarded "Second Premium" in the Digital Color- Adult class!
Not bad for my first attempt at competitive photography!

A moment of Reflection

 

Rising from the deep: Pearl Harbor

One of my photos and ribbons on display

!

Food for Thought

A lot of people know I'm hesitant and fairly cynical when it comes to religion- I'd rather look to science for answers than to faith. I don't know if its how I was brought up, or how I learned to respond to years of "Hey do you want to go to Church/Youth group with me? It will be fun" and then hours of awkwardness.

This was recently posted on my facebook by a friend:

Quite a few friends posted that the world would in fact be better without Islam because of the horrors of 9/11. I was shocked and offended by this idea!

Its my personal opinion that the world would be better if faith was used as a tool of personal betterment and not as a tool to hurt or ostracize others. If faith was a completely personal thing and it was agreed that no one's faith was better than anyone elses.

I've grown up in a post 9/11 era and have seen the Islamic community ostracized by the acts of a few radical members.

But what about Anders Behring Breivik? A fundamentalist Christian who went on to murder 80 innocent people Norway this summer.

Do we now ostracize the Christian community for the actions of Breivik?

No.

It cannot be said for sure that 9/11 or the Norway massacres would never have occurred if there was no religion, but they were both religiously fueled.

People will always hate each other for meaningless reasons, and religion seems to be a key component of it in our world right now. Rights of gays to marry (why hate someone for who they love?!), abortion, and even the curriculum in public schools are all effected by religion in public policy that are meant to create an "our way or no way" idealism.

Muslims and Christians worship the same God/Allah. Yet, what is it that causes them to fight? I honestly have yet to find a rational reason behind this.

I love it when I meet people who are happy and comfortable with their lives and their faith. If you're happy, I will never say anything against it as long as no one is being injured because of it.

I, for one, love my life without religion. My moral compass is simple, "Do the right thing". I follow my gut, and let others live.

Sick

Ugh  my weekend came to a close with a nasty head cold turned stomach bug that floored me for most of the day. I'm feeling better, and am now hoping that this will be almost gone tomorrow so that classes are not miserable.

I also feel obligated to make mention of the date.
Today is the 10 year Anniversary of the 9/11 attacks as we all know.
So, I take this moment to bow my head and thank my lucky stars to have my family, friends, and loved ones still safe and sound in my life, and to have been spared the horrors of that day.

Fun Saturday!

Got up and went to the farmers market this morning! Got a huge zucchini (gonna make bread!) and some farm fresh corn. Had some great girl time with a friend and got to laugh a lot!
Tonight, David and I are going to the local fair and rodeo. It will be a lot of fun! Its dinky and nothing like the Puyallup I grew up attending, but still fair in its own way!
I submitted 2 pictures to the fair this year, so I'm a little nervous to find out how the judging ended up! I'll be sure to let you all know as soon as I know! Wish me luck!
Thus far this has been my hardest semester on record... and I'm only just finishing the 3rd week! Ahh! That's okay though, because I'm really getting into the teaching aspects that come just before the student teaching. Its very exciting.
Other than that its just been hot here. Nothing really to report otherwise.
Work is going well, school is hard but good, David is good, the gliders are great as usual!
Sorry I'm so boring :/

The youngest 9/11 victims

Did you know the youngest victim of 9/11 was only 2? Did you know there were 8 children on the planes that hit both the Towers and the Pentagon?

8 children perished that day and have been overlooked by so many.
We think of the emergency responders, the office workers, and the families of the dead.
But what about these children taken so cruely?

♥ Christine Lee Hanson, 2 ♥ David Brandhorst, 3 ♥ Juliana McCourt, 4 ♥ Bernard Brown II, 11 ♥ Asia Cottom, 11 ♥ Rodney Dickens, 11 ♥ Dana Falkenberg, 3 ♥ Zoe Falkenberg, 8 ♥

We must also remember the work of the day care teachers of WTC Tower 5.
Without instruction or hesitation they saved 10 children, ages 4 months to 3 years from the debris of the falling towers. 

Let us remember All who perished on 9/11 as the ten year anniversary draws closer.
No one forgets where they were that day, and no one can say they weren't effected.

Glasses

In case you haven't heard I'm now a glasses wearer!
Here's proof!

They don't look too bad, eh? I can make it work!

So far its been wonderful to be able to see so clearly and so far! In junior high I had reading glasses but they eventually stopped working and merely gave me headaches. Yes, that is in fact a clue that I should have gotten my eyes checked again. Unfortunately, for me it took severe headaches, and failing an eye exam to get me back into the optometrists chair!

An eye exam, more money than I would like, and a week later I am rocking my new glasses. They're designer, can't you tell... Who else has never heard of Ted Baker? I sure as hell haven't.

The changes have been unbelievable. I can read subtitles without squinting, read the clock in my living room, and my depth perception seems better. But, since I'm not used to them and my astigmatisms will make it harder to adjust I currently feel like I'm in a fish bowl. I try to wear them as long as I can push myself and then give my brain a break for a few minutes before putting them back on.

I will master the glasses!

Smoky sunset

Wildfires in the Palouse created a beautifully smoky sunset on Sunday night

Summer's End

Wow its been nearly a month since I have written! Where did the time go?!
Not much has happened in this last month. I have worked, and worked, and worked, and enjoyed a lovely trip to Hawai'i with my mother.
Work is going well, nothing really to report on that. Today, is my first day off in nearly a week- so my phone is off, and I'm enjoying doing absolutely nothing! Well, other than updating you fine folk!
So now that I've bored you with the talk of work how about my vacation?!
Mom and I had the honor and pleasure of flying to Honolulu for a week to witness a friends wedding and take in the sun, surf, and shopping of Waikiki.
It was thoroughly enjoyable and the fact that it was just Mom and I made it extra special.
Here are some pictures for your enjoyment!

Hanging ten at the International Market

Mom at the statue of Duke

Mom enjoying the beach!

Loving the beach!

Mom and Cindy getting ready for the wedding

Bustling Cindy's dress before the wedding

Heading to the wedding in the limo!

At Pearl Harbor- memorial walk

Mom on the USS Arizona Memorial

Right outside of Pearl Harbor

Sunset at Waikiki

 

And now for school year news:

Classes begin the 22nd (which is also Mom and Dad's anniversary so send them some love!). I will be taking 16 credits, 5 days a week. 5 classes and a lab. On top of classes (one history, one science, one English, and two teaching classes) I will also continue to work part time at PH. I hope I haven't bitten off more than I can chew! I'm sure I can manage it, but currently its giving me quite a bit of stress.

I will attempt to write again soon... like next week or the week after. You know, when I get a spare moment?

Too Cute Not to Share

The girls got a new toy (yay for spending 50 cents at the consignment store for hours of fun!) and were very excited to explore it! I snapped this totally cute picture of Winry that I just had to share! I hope you got at least a smile out of it!

The end of an Era

Its sounds melodramatic but in all honesty that's all you can really call it.
The final nail in the coffin that is my childhood.
Okay, that was dramatic... how about the closing of the final chapter of my childhood?
Sure we'll go with that.
The first Harry Potter (HP) book came out at the same time we moved from Kirkland to Bothell. I was in a new school with no friends at that point. HP became an escape for me. It was a distraction when I felt lonely.
By sixth grade I was totally addicted to the world of HP and it had helped me make friends. My best friend of the time and I saw the first HP movie together and were enthralled with the whole thing.
As the years went on I was so emotionally invested in Harry and his friends that I cried when characters died, and stayed up until all hours of the night to see the midnight premiers of multiple movies.
Last friday, the last movie of the series was released.
The final premier, the final goodbye.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and felt like everything came to a wonderful close. I laughed, I cried, I found closure.
Some people might find this stupid, but HP really did have an impact on my childhood and how I grew up.
No there's no deeper meaning, and I recognize it as a child's story book.
But none the less a child's story book that means a lot to me.

deathly hallows tshirt courtesy of teefury.com

New Phone Number

Due to harassment I've had to change my phone number.
Please email me or contact my mother for my new phone number.
Thank you.

Working, moving, not guilty verdicts, and the going's on of everyday life.

I realize the title of this post is ungodly long, but I felt it was fitting for all the things I am planning on covering... Other than a quick 4th of July post I haven't been able to post much so I figured since I have a bit of down time I would fill you all in on the going ons of recent weeks!

Let us see what has happened!

I was working full time as a cook at PH for about a month. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) we recently hired a new guy and so my hours have been cut back to part time to accommodate his need for hours.
I often wonder if I were to write down my thoughts and experiences at from work if I could write a book. "The Memoirs of a Pizza Cook" all the silly little things that go on. Like getting locked in the mini cooler, being bit by the oven, watching fireworks with my manager, watching my boss fall through the floor of the shed, and many other moments of "what the hell is going on". In my head it would be a silly short book but in reality it would probably suck more than anything. But one can dream, right?
Working full time is fine and it brings in decent pay checks. It gets a little rough closing every night. I've noticed my health has waned a bit since I started the late shift. My need not to "waste" my day has me up by 8 or 9 in the morning most days, which doesn't work well when I'm coming home at 2 am and not being able to fall asleep until 3 or 4 am. I need to slow down! I suppose now that I have moved and have one less stress, that can become a possibility!

There is the big news! I have moved into my new apartment with David! We are very happy to have our own place. Its a 2 bedroom apartment on campus. We were lucky enough to get one of the duplex apartments on the end. We have a big yard in the back, and a nice little one in the front. I'm so happy to have our own place!

David and I in front of our new place!
Mom was kind enough to decorate our walk for the 4th!

Mom came out to help us move from our apartments into the new one. It was a couple of hot and hard days but it turned out amazing. I have the best mom on earth- no joke. She helped David unpack the apartment when I went to work in the evenings. A big huge thank you to my mom for coming out.

In popular culture news the verdict in the Casey Anthony murder trial came out today- and well it was a shocker for everyone. She was found "not guilty" on the charges of murder and child abuse, but "guilty" in "providing false information to an officer". If you don't know about the Casey Anthony trial here's a brief synopsis:
Casey is accused of killing her daughter, 2-year-old Caylee, and dumping the body in the woods near her parent’s home on Suburban Drive. She never reported the child missing but later claimed a fictional person named "Zany" had taken the child when her mother confronted her about Caylee's whereabouts.
There is a lot more to the case- feel free to google it.
Many people know my feelings on this case... and the verdict. And my theory of what happened. But none of it matters anymore because psychopath, Casey, walks free on the charges of murder. Justice was not served for Caylee and that breaks my heart. Her life was ended much too soon and for selfish reasons.


And to end on a happy/positive note the sun has been shining here and I'm excited to enjoy my little pool here in the next few days!

Here's a beautiful sunset to send you on your way.

I took this photo the other night.
The colors were just incredible as the sun set over the Palouse!

Happy Fourth of July!

A quick blog to say 

Happy 4th of July to everyone!

I have to work tonight, but I hope everyone has a fun and safe 4th!

New Address

Starting July 1st  my mailing address will be:

1445 NE North Fairway Dr.
Apt # F20
Pullman, WA 99163

A New Respect

I have found a new respect for people who work full time. But not people who just work full time, but those who work full time at a job that doesn't help them reach their full potential as a human being. The people who work the boring tedious jobs for minimum wage, the people who do these jobs and go to work with a smile anyways.
I know someday I won't work minimum wage in a job that doesn't force me to think- and I am more thankful for that everyday.
Someday, I'll be a teacher, living out my passion of spreading the magic and lessons of history to my students. I wont be making much money as a teacher, but the money I do make will be merely a perk to add to being able to live out my passion.
Right now it feels like the money is the only compensation for going to work. I hate it, work should not be about the money only, it should be about the experiences, relationships, and the mental stimulation. Things are getting better as I meet and get to know people at work, but there's still a negative aspect that I hope diminishes as I create friendships and relationships. I doubt I'll ever find the mental stimulation I crave but I hope the relationships that I forge will make up for that.

And they call it puppy love ♥ ♥ ♥

The way my schedule works as of recent is 4 on, 3 off. Those three days off are usually Tuesday through Thursday, which of course are days my friends all work! That's okay though, I need the money so I can't be overly annoyed with my schedule. I would die for the Monday through Friday 10:30-4 shift but I'm still a newby with the crap schedule. Some day I'll work my way up to the good shifts!
But my days off do allow me to go spend time at the Humane Society and socializing animals so they're ready to go to a new home!

This is Wendy, a Chihuahua. that was left in a trailer when her owners left the area. She was such a sweetheart.  I don't generally like small dogs- anything smaller than a corgi automatically annoys the hell out of me. But, there was something special about Wendy and I hope she finds a good loving home soon!
Tomorrow, I'll be going back to the shelter and its my hope that Wendy isn't there anymore, that she's gone to a brand new home that will love her for the rest of her life.
I hope that once I'm settled down and have a place that's animal friendly I can adopt a dog from a shelter. I've never had a shelter dog, but so far the ones I've met are incredible animals that have been thrust into a bad situation.

Seattle Trip- Pics Part 3: The Ballet

Mom and I outside of the ballet hall.

The twins! Mom and Lynda outside the ballet hall

Classic mom and Lynda!

Seattle Trip- Pics Part 2: San Juans

Getting ready to set sail from Anacortes. This is the ferry next to ours.
It was a Gorgeous day!

I call this one "The Committee Meeting" - I adore it! The cormorants are so beautiful and were definitely enjoying the sun like we were!

Wash off the back of the ferry

Life ring on our ferry- The Chelan

I took this picture while in the Fire station car on our way to the Open House on Orcas Island

New rig that belongs to the Orcas Island Fire Dept

Me with Ted the firefighter! He was such a nice guy!

Representing Airlift with the Orcas Island Fire Dept

Orcas Island Ferry dock decorations

Seen on our ferry... I laughed out loud!

Mount Baker over the Sound

Mom and I on the ferry! Headed to represent Airlift at the Orcas Island Fire Department open house!