Category Archives: Random Life Stuff

Please Keep my Grampa in Your Thoughts

I’m between an emotional rock and hard place.

I’m extremely close with my grandparents. They’ve always been there for me, with games and milkshakes and jokes. I grew up ten minutes away from them, and I spent a ton of time with them while I was growing up. Of course, they’re getting older, and I realize they probably won’t be with me for too terribly long, but I have no idea what I’ll do when I don’t have them there anymore. Hopefully, that won’t happen for a long time. They adore Dan, and he has gotten pretty close with them too!

wedding us with g&g square

But I need your help, to send positive vibes to my grandfather.

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Why Today is a Bad Health Day

I’ve still been having nerve pain in my arm. Joleen worked on it a ton on Friday (I had to reschedule because of the bronchitis, I didn’t want to get people sick since I was still coughing Monday). I thought it’d be okay, but I should have known better; nothing good can come of an hour of nerve massage on a fibromyalgia patient. My muscles feel bruised (she had to work out some knots she thinks are being caused by the nerve pain), my ribs feel bruised, and I vaguely feel like I got bruised in general.

Last week, I also did too much. Way too much! (read more)

My Internet is Horrid

I have been trying to load a single tab on my computer for about 30 minutes now. Thankfully, the mobile version is a bit faster. I have Comcast, and I hate them. Sadly, they are my only internet option since we got “disqualified for service” by CenturyLink. Comcast works on a shared loop, so several houses use the same internet (essentially) meaning it slows at peak times. The amount of school aged people that we could potentially share with is staggering. That’s why, at 4pm, I’m dealing with speeds like this:

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For those of you who don’t know, this is dirt slow. Like, smoke signals would be more efficient right now. Unfortunately, I really need to do stuff online… So I wait. And wait. Hopefully I’ll still be 25 when stuff finally loads.

My Last First Day – complete

Yesterday, I mentioned how having my last first day of school is a complete mixed bag of feelings. Well, I realized that because I was talking to Dan about it Monday night and ended up in a giant puddle of tears. It’s very complex.

First, I am THRILLED I’m going to be done! I have been in college since August 2008, with only one calendar year off, and in school since I was 5 (20 years now). While I do love to learn, I have grown to really hate school. At the same time, however, school is familiar and safe and it’s going to be really weird not going anymore. I’m not big on rigid schedules, and now my health isn’t either. School definitely requires a rigid schedule. college_textbooks-480x280I also can’t stand homework. I know, I know, nobody likes homework. But I loathe it. I have an almost impossible time sitting down to make myself do it. If there is ANYTHING (including cleaning) that I can do instead of homework, it’ll get done. Dan will just say “I need to study” then sit down and do it; while I say “I need to study” and then the house becomes spotless and then the photos on the computer get organized and then my closet is organized by color and then I’ll maybe do the studying I need. I cannot stand homework. Instead of a “graduation party” I’m going to be having a “no more homework” party. Seriously.

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“I was raised without religion” – from Scary Mommy

Thanks to my friend Ashley (too many friends named Ashley, haha, this one has two kids), I discovered the blog site Scary Mommy. No, I’m not a mom… not yet. However, I want to be a mom more than I want to be anything else. It’s been that way forever, but it wasn’t ever an acceptable response to the “what do you want to be when you grow up?” question… it still isn’t, but I’m finally not afraid to admit it. I get the feeling everyone feels like I’m betraying the work everyone is doing for women’s equality… but I view it completely the other way. I’m 100% for working women, more power to them. I’m 100% for working men, congratulations. I’m 100% for stay at home women, more power to them. I’m 100% for stay at home men, more power to them too. I’m 100% for equal rights for every single person on the planet with no exceptions (well, there are a few exceptions where I think that someone loses their humanity, but it’s a similar method to creating a horcrux). Anyway, the reason I love Scary Mommy, is because they are 100% for everyone too. They give equal voice to all sides of motherhood, and attempt to stop the “parent shaming” that is rampant in society today.

I read an excellent article on Scary Mommy today. The article is called: “I Was Raised Without Religion – And I’m Glad.”

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Goodbye, Alan Rickman

The wound in my heart has been torn back open – the one left by Harry Potter. Alan Rickman, aka Severus Snape, has died from cancer at the age of 69. Now, I realize he was so much more than Snape, he was an absolutely fantastic actor. However, I am part of the Harry Potter generation. I used to think that phrase was making fun of people my age, but it isn’t. The first book in the series was released (in the US) when I was 8 years old. The last movie came out when I was 21. That is 13 years of my life spent waiting for the next Harry Potter installment. When I turn 26 in March, that will mean I spent half of my life waiting for Harry Potter. So, yes, for me, Alan Rickman will always be Snape. That, and they couldn’t have cast a more perfect actor if they had tried. Because he is Snape, hearing the news of his death felt like the hole that will never heal left at the close of Harry Potter (it’s not a bad one, it’s just that much of a part of who I am) was made raw again and had salt poured on it. I have always thought that he would be a fantastic person to know.

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Alan Rickman always struck me as a very warm and cheerful soul, with a great depth of feeling. The depth of his acting definitely proves the depth of his emotions; he couldn’t have done what he did without being an incredibly empathetic soul. I always wished I could meet him… My impression could best be described as the stereotypical “perfect father/grandfather” type of person: cheerful, warm, loving, stern when necessary, willing to do anything for the people he loves. This idea was reinforced when I heard about his wife: they were together for 50 years, but only married for one. I imagine that when he was diagnosed with cancer, he wanted to make sure she would be taken care of legally if he happened to lose the battle. That’s just the kind of thing I would imagine he would want to take care of first.

And yes, he is not just Snape. He plays a great role in Love Actually, though a role you are supposed to hate in a way. I also loved him as Marvin in Hitchhiker’s Guide and the blue caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland (the Tim Burton one). He was fantastically creepy as Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd. However, anytime I see him in anything, I just go “OMG! It’s Snape!” and I’m okay with that. What I’m not okay with, is that this wonderful and talented soul had to leave so early.

R.I.P Alan Rickman

I wanted to share a few photos from our trip to Beaver Creek with the in-laws 🙂 The people that went were: Becky (my mother-in-law), Shelby (sister-in-law), Jimmy (Shelby’s boyfriend), Dave (brother-in-law), Claire (Dave’s roommate), Dan, and myself. We got up there Saturday afternoon, and just hung out at the condo and had a nice dinner. Sunday (Jan 3) we went ice skating, then went tubing at Vail. Monday we went skiing. Tuesday we checked out about 10 and drove home!

Ice Skating – Sunday, January 3rd

Ice skating in the middle of Beaver Creek Village!
Dan actually seems to know what he’s doing!
It’s really hard to take a selfie facing into the sun on reflective ice…
I LOVE this photo of me 🙂
I was coming in a little too hot… totally almost hit Dan 😛 I thought this face was hilarious!
See? I was pretty dang close haha
Handsome hubby
Very nice of Dan to trade me his thin gloves for my thick mittens… it was really warm in the sun
Swish!
We were actively skating when I took this, which was quite difficult…

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Beaver Creek Vacation – photos

Some Realistic 2016 Goals

I hate doing resolutions, really hate them. Growing up, I always felt like they were silly; why are all these people making these lofty promises that they couldn’t keep even if they tried?! However, being online means I’m assaulted by wave upon wave of resolutions from every corner of the internet. They are still (usually) crazy and out there resolutions, but they make me think about what I would like 2016 to look like for myself. So here is a small list of realistic goals (I refuse to call them resolutions) that I would like to accomplish in 2016.

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