So haul ass over there and introduce yourself!

xoxo – b

I like to make excuses: I didn’t run today because I still have a blister on my toe. I’ll do that assignment tomorrow because I have three days until it’s due. I’ll blog over the weekend when I have more time. Let’s just order out, we don’t have the ingredients to make that.

Making these excuses, is making it hard for me to be the person I truly want to be. Who I want to be:

-A runner
-A 4.0 student
-A blogger whom people love reading
-A good friend
-A good girlfriend
-An even better daughter and sister
-Confident
-Energized and Excited
-Challenged and Challenging

The orginal reason I started this blog is because I’m lonely.

I had been a fairly avid blog reader for about a year, year and a half , when realized you girls (and guys) had such amazing and strong and loving relationships with one another. So I started asking myself questions: how would I start a blog that’s heartfelt and fun, let alone how would I start relationships with other writers? Would they like me back? Was I boring or ignorant or not up to par? What do I write about? How do I maintain? What was my voice?

Up until now, I was timid in my posts; keeping them short and sweet and what I hoped to be funny. I kept comments to other posters at a minimum and even then I was over analyzing what I said. What I was looking for were comments and high stats on my own posts. After a conversation with Miss Britt, I’ve decided that I don’t need to be the most popular or the funniest blogger. I don’t need to have the best pictures or prettiest layouts. What I need are friends. Those that I can confide into, look to for support, recieve an encouraging card in the mail from, someone whom I can call and cry to.

And I want to be that kind of friend back.

This first part of the year has not been easy going; and I don’t want to post like it has been. I’m not meeting goals I’ve set for myself, I’m still in Winter-Vacation-Mode: I’ve run once since going back to school, I’ve already missed one of my lectures this week, I haven’t completed my assignments in a timely manner. I feel disconnected and my first thought was to go to my friends. But what friends?

Moving from Central Illinois to Chicago has proved to be a rather difficult situation for me.  I had a fairly tight knit group of friends back home; but once upon moving, no matter what I said about keeping in touch, I started to know less and less about them. And, well, that makes me sad. I know what you’re thinking, “You’re at University! Make friends there. Join a fucking club. Get your shit together.” And I want to, I really do. Unfortunately, I get a little anxious. It’s like with this blog; I get worried about appearences and what others will think or say.

And this, this blog, this post, is my first 2010 Challenge: To step outside of certain comfort zones.

That is the long winded explaination of why I started this blog. And here is the short: I want those who are interested involved in my life; I want you to know about the good and the ugly. I certainly don’t have a perfect life, and hope you wouldn’t expect me to. Sometimes I’ll need so encouragement, some support, a funny joke, even a small kick in the ass. And I would love to be able to do the same for you. So please, take the time to introduce yourself: where do you live, what do you blog about? Do you read? Play music? Are you vegetarian? Crafy? A domestic goddess?

I want to know it all.

Please help.   

The quandary:
We feel terrible. Just horrible. And oh so helpless… if only there was something we could DO for them.

The answer:
Ummmm. Did you forget that WE ARE THE INTERNET?!?!!??! And also, Yes We Can!!!

The result:
Brandy and your Hot Awesome Dude… this one’s for you. Love, The Internet.

Our Plea

Our friend Brandy is a brilliant writer, a wonderful teacher, and a generous friend. And she is in love with a man who has just been diagnosed with multiple myeloma.

We are raising money for the Multiple Myeloma Research Fund in his name. For the price of a cinnamon dolce latte, half-caf, hold the whip, you can be part of an effort to cure a disease that affects approximately 750,000 people worldwide.

http://www.loveharder.org

Every dollar brings us a dollar closer to a cure. And every donation brings a sliver of hope to a girl who needs all the hope she can get.

Love Harder,
Brittany

What You Can Do

1. Give. Be part of a worldwide effort to cure a disease that affects approximately 750,000 people worldwide. Every dollar helps.

2. Pass it on. Forward this story to five people. Share this blog post. Become our fan on Facebook.

3. Love harder. Life is short, love is unbending, and no one knows what could happen next. Tell someone you love them today.

Where Your Money Goes

1. The American Institute of Philanthropy recently named The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation one of the best organizations to give to in terms of their accountability and use of resources.

2. By working closely with researchers, clinicians and partners in the biotech and pharmaceutical industry, the MMRF has helped bring multiple myeloma patients four new treatments that are extending lives around the globe.

3. The MMRF has advanced twenty Phase I and Phase II clinical trials. They need your support to advance these clinical research programs and accelerate the development of better, more effective treatments.

4. The MMRF’s Multiple Myeloma Genomics Initiative recently became the first to sequence the multiple myeloma whole genome in its entirety.

5. A whopping 98% of your donation to the MMRF will be used immediately to support high-priority multiple myeloma research.

6. With diminishing funding for early stage drug development and the next myeloma treatments not expected to be approved until 2011, the MMRF desperately needs your help.

DONATE: http://www.loveharder.org
CONTACT: theloveharderfund@gmail.com
FACEBOOK: http://facebook.loveharder.org
MORE INFO: http://www.themmrf.org

Brandy’s Story:

“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. 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 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.

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.

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 the reminder that life is short, love is unbending and no one knows what could happen next.

Thank you for reading this, and if you haven’t already? Please tell someone you love them today.

I did.”

I want to be one.

Gossip mags pertaining to the stars including, but not limited to, US Weekly, People and Star, just grab me by the balls and don’t let up. So I bring to you Celebrity of the Month. Now, I know it’s 1/2 way through January, but this brilliant beyond brilliant idea struck me this morning as I was mulling over my morning tea and awesome gossip rag, while watching Saved by the Bell latest writing assignment. When a little gem of a preview came on:

And I realized, Nicolas Cage has only three requirements to do a movie:

1. Must be chased by authorities or authority-like figures, i.e.: Gone in 60 Seconds, Face Off, Con Air.
2. Needs to have token “freak out” moment. See: Gone in 60 Seconds, Family Man, Ghost Rider.  
3. Speaks in whisper at most climatic of times. Scene Go: Gone in 60 Seconds, Face Off, Con Air, Family Man, Ghost Rider, National Treasure, Knowing, Valley Girl.

As you can see, none of these requirements are missing from upcoming movie. Those guys in cloaks may not be authority figures, but I would not want to be fucking with that possessed gal. And that whole “cut off her head” statement classifies as “freak out” to me. I generally don’t find myself ordering someone to cut someone else’s head off unless I’m, you know, freaking out. Not that I’d ever order anyone to cut off anybody else’s head off to begin with.

I digress.

Dude. The whisper. That’s all he’s going to do in this movie.

And, because of this, I crown Nicolas Cage the very first, of many, Celebrity of the Month.

But they suck the life out of me.

Speaking of suck, or better yet, things that do not, Spring Semester Oh Ten started today. Granted I’ve only gone to one class, but The Fundamentals of Education is intriguing. And it certainly helps that the Professor is a gorgeous male specimen with the most outstanding facial hair I have ever seen. Did I mention he’s brilliant, hilarious and totally married?

What is it about unavailable, fully bearded chaps that make a girl go weak in the knees?

In other news, a friend loaned me the original seasons of 90210. First off, I plan on starting an ihatebrendawalsh website. She’s such a flaming moron; and Dylan is too hot for her. Now, I find myself cringing as I say this as I swore I’d never let myself get involved in these ridiculous soap opera type TV “shows.” (Although, I do have a soft spot in my heart for Pacey Witter. 10 points if you know what I’m referring to.) So while on break, I watched several hours of drama unfold at West Beverly Hills High. I stopped after the episode with Color Me Bad (or is it Badd) as a “Guest Star.” However, I am itching to find out what happens between Donna’s parents; as we all found out the nasty truth that Mrs. Martin, the uber mom, is having an affair. But at least they met at the swanky hotel Dylan used to live in.

Do you SEE!? THIS is why I avoid these shows at all costs. I care about these assholes now.

And now I leave you with a Daily Photo. I call it Bubbles:

Which means it’s basically like reading by candle light.

As my battery slowly dies I want to make it known that I’m still around, just enjoying time with family and the boyfriend without the pressures of class work, work work, traffic, city lights or angry neighbors.

xoxo – b

PS. After an interesting conversation with my cousin, I have an excellent post to write regarding Nicolas Cage.

- The week before January 1st get absolutely pumped and create a whole list of resolutions.
- December 31st make sure to max out on candies, junk, TV and lack of exercise for impending new year.
- January 1st make good on all resolutions.
- January 2nd promise self to make good on resolutions on the 3rd.
- January 3rd… … … …
- December 26th: get absolutely pumped and create a whole list of resolutions.

As you can see, the New Year’s Resolutions Cycle is a vicious one. So this year, while motivated, and indeed pumped, I plan on setting guidelines rather than set-in-stone rules. One of these guidelines is to find my niche in the blogger world. I plan to write more; and not just day-to-day things happening in my life, but all kinds of goodies. Like how Cillian Murphy movies make me swoon. Or the fact that I rather enjoy impersonating Hayley Williams while no one is home.

Being new to blogging can be really intimidating. I, for one, am finding it difficult to integrate myself. But it’s a challenge; and 2010 is going to be all about taking on challenges. And thanks to a sweetheart of a girl, I now have an excellent resource for 20SB use.  Speaking of 20SB, it seems an excellent place to meet like-minded, interesting, funny people. I think you just have to know how to navigate it and use towards your advantage. Which I fully intend on doing. Doing: also a running theme for 2010.

So let’s  wrap this up neatly, shall we. What are your 2010 Themes, Guidelines…?

I’ve started blogging and intergrating myself into this community to make friends, as I’m terribly lonely. I’m not exactly a native of Chicago and have moved away from friends and family. While being at University certainly allows me the opportunity to meet others, most of them are quite younger than me. I’m 25 and while not an old lady, I’m not one to hop in a cab and party downtown until the wee hours of the morning. First of all, I’m on a budget. Second, even if I wasn’t on a budget, I can find many other ways to spend that kind of money. Regardless, this isn’t going exactly as I had planned. I think I’m going to take the rest of break to think about how I want to approach all this in the future. I want this to be a place I enjoy writing as well as a place people like to come to read. And right now I’m not sure that this blog accomplishes either one of those things.

New Year’s Resolutions: I usually don’t do them, as I tend not to stick with them as well as I’d like to. But, like I said this whole unemployment thing has thrown me for a loop and I thought I could handle a few goals. However, a “few” has turned into many.

I’m worried that I’m not doing ENOUGH. You know, you go from being in high school, thinking you have all this time, the future is your’s. And in the next moment you’re 25, a junior in college and … That’s it, you have no idea what to expect next. But you can feel in your gut that you should be doing something.

Unfortunately I have no idea what that is. I know there are things I WANT to do. And part of me is a little scared to go for those things. I’m a big perfectionist and failure is not an option. And I think that is what’s holding me back. So now that I’ve been thinking, I’m thinking I should go for it.

Anyway, my point to this entire scatter brained post is that I want to take the time to regroup, reassess and take hold of things in my life. Like I said, I want this blog to be a place that I come to write for myself and let others take a peek in my life. And I want to feel good when I do it. So, I’ll be back in the next couple of weeks refreshed and ready.

Happy holidays to you and your loved ones!
xoxo

I even cut out snowflakes!

As you can see from the wrapping paper, (aside from Owls) I totally dig on Penguins too. In fact, John and I have three boys: Lloyd, Floyd and Boyd. Since we don’t plan on having real children, the penguins subsitute.

I’ve started to develop a “thing” for owls or robins; I found this little guy at a thrif store for $2.50. The top of his little head comes off, so that’s where I can stash my secret candies:

The miniture tea set from my great-grandmother; I really miss her:

My cookbooks. Pffft. Like I’ve even looked at them:

That’s Roy. He travels with us. He’s also the header of this blog. Hi Roy!

The boyfriend, who I suppose I could address as John (we’re all friends here, right) moonlights as a painter. That is, when he isn’t at his real 9 to 5 job, he does work like this:

John and I are big coffee drinkers. We often fight over who gets to use this mug:

Space in my kitchen is mucho limited. I’ve crammed many a things on my stove top. Or as John calls it: The HORROR! The FIRE HAZARD!

We consider ourselves clever in Casa de la Creep*. Our fridge has become a shrine of sorts. Here is a sneak peak: (Keep in mind that the Edward Norton threatening letter, Meatloaf (as in the singer) pie chart, and Jim Carey funny are missing. However, there is a partial view of the Guess Who playing Samuel L Jackson)

*John and I refer to one another as “Creep.” But that’s a story for another day.

I also apparently don’t know how to size pictures yet… so if you click on the picture you can view the original.