Think the thoughts, feel the feels...write it down

I've decided to do a Year in Review of my blog posts.  I'm going to choose my favorite post for each month of 2012.  Some months have only one post, and that one is my favorite. 1)  January.   This is unusually pessimistic of me, but it's so true.  Bullying is a problem, but I think it's approached all wrong. 2)  February .  I'm not entirely sure who I'm talking about in this, but I was hurt by whoever it was.  Still true.  Not the hurt part. 3)  March .  I still have a few jobs and this list should still be posted in every place requiring some kind of customer service. 4)  April .  This is a reflection on a movie I had watched with a friend.  The movie had a much different outcome from what we expected, much more serious.  There's a heavy message, a message of humanity. 5)  May .  I, seriously, wish men took this advice.  I think it'd be very beneficial to them. ...

Yesterday was Christmas, which means people got new games and gaming consoles.  My family is included in this group of people; they got the PS3 and, I guess, some games just come with it.  When I arrived to my family's house yesterday morning, they had already opened their gifts and my 17 year old brother was playing  Mortal Kombat  on the new console while everyone else was watching.  I'm pretty familiar with Mortal Kombat, it's an old game and I grew up seeing it being played.  I'll be the first to admit that I am terrible  at video games, I just don't get them.  All the buttons and the combination for them all to get someone/thing to jump/roll/shoot; it all seems superfluous...and hard. I'm not really against  video games, I just don't like a lot of them.  I'm not a fan of violence, in real life or in the media.  I'm not a fan of objectifying humans (it's usually the women who are objectified).  There's a lot of that...

Well, it's Christmas Eve's Eve, something I used to get excited about as a child.  Now, I don't really feel any difference.  I figure I might as well put a Christmas list out to the Internets.  So here's my grown-up Christmas list that's pretty impossible. 1)  Car.   I already have one, but if someone would just make all the payments/pay the rest up front.  I'll pay the insurance and the maintenance bills 2) An End to Genocide.   It's an SNL sketch; but it's also pretty true.  I'd like for people to stop killing other people, in every way possible.  It's really unacceptable...seriously. 3) Full Time Job.   I would like ONE full time job that I really enjoy and that has full benefits, instead of the multiple jobs that have no benefits that I don't even really like. 4) Benefits.   I'd like to have an insurance company that actually pays for a simple doctor's visit.  I'd like vision and dental as well.  I'd like...

Today, a man, 20 years old, went into the school in which his mother was a teacher's aide and shot several people .  He shot 27 people, 20 children, six adults (school personnel), and himself.  Meanwhile, in Central China, a 36 year old man stabs 23 people (22 children and one elderly lady).  Initially, I heard about these in bits and pieces and was a little confused.  But I've heard and read about them throughout the day and still don't understand it any better. I am a teacher; and though I often comment on the lousy bureaucracy of the US educational system and have endless stories of my students' ridiculousness, I love teaching and I love those kids.  I don't have maternal feelings towards them, but I do feel a common humanness and a sense of duty in helping to grow them into wonderful adult humans.  So when someone, anyone, hurts a child, or many children, I am baffled.  I don't understand how a person can purposefully hurt another,...

Something that no one knows about me is that I have a fascination with international flags.  I really enjoy learning about the story behind the flags because I think it speaks accurately of the country it represents.  Last week one of my roommates and I were at the mall when we came across a flag store.  I got all excited and asked if we could go in and she humored me and we went in.  The nice man, who, I'm assuming, is the owner of the store, handed me a paper with (I guess) all the flags of the world pictured as well as USA state and historical flags.  Every time I'm getting dressed I check out this paper and admire the flags.   Here's a list of my favorite flags. 1) Marshall Islands.   I know absolutely nothing about this place, these islands.  I had never even heard of them until this paper.  But I think their flag is somewhat reminiscent of Disney Land/World in perhaps the '70's or '80's.  I don't know why....

A looong time ago, early high school, there was this fad at the church I went to at the time, and probably other churches too, that had the teenage girls (I don't know about the boys) make a list of features they wanted their future husband to have/be.  Of course they didn't want us to just put stuff like "must be super hott".  They wanted us to think of the character of this alleged future husband of ours and they told us that in doing that, God would honor our list.  He would actually give us even better than our  list.  Oh Golly!, even better than our list?  I, of course, made a list.  I was trying to be super deep.  I actually think that was the time in my life when I was convinced that I would get married.  Even more than now, when people are getting married like it's the flu shot.  They told us that while God was making him (future husband) into the man I needed him to be, God was making me  into the perfect woman for him. ...

Just shy of three weeks I have been in constant pain, all day, every day.  Sometimes the pain is managed through slowing down and taking deep breaths, but as the weeks have progressed, the pain is less manageable and I have had to take large amounts of meds every few hours to be able to function as I normally would.  It's been frustrating and exhausting and confusing, and, at times, debilitating.  I know there are people who have/do face worse pain longer than I have, but this is a very new thing for me.  This week's post, I have decided to reflect on the things I'm thankful for.  For obvious reasons, I hope.  But also because it's easy, at least for me, to let my circumstances and fleeting emotions cloud all the greatness in my life.  Yes, there are always going to be serious, difficult things to overcome or tolerate in life, that's unavoidable, but to let them taint the goodness in life is your choice.  Choose wisely. Here's what I'm...

I'm a bit of a Scrooge when it comes to the Holiday Season.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE CHRISTMAS and get all gooshy when talking about how great of a Savior Jesus is to be coming to this earth as a helpless baby.  I really do love Christmas.  I don't love the Christmas/Holiday 'Spirit'; what is this 'Spirit' and why does it look a lot like a neutered Winter celebration partnered with consumerism?  The true meaning of Christmas isn't family time and giving (that should be year round), the true meaning of Christmas is celebration and adoration of the arrival of the Savior of mankind. So you might imagine that I dislike Holiday songs.  That is both true and false.  I love  Christmas songs rich in the Gospel, telling how God came to His Earth to save His people because He loves us.  Those songs are beautifully written and have such sweet language, they capture the true meaning of Christmas.  Then there are those songs that only come out durin...

I have a lot of opinions about this whole election business.  I don't want to be rude or crass like I feel like we've been treated for the past several months.  So, for now, I'll plug this blog from a friend.  It's about presidency, but it's much lighter than what I'm feeling. If I were President

I believe in Heaven and Hell; anyone who accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior and owns their brokenness is automatically going to Heaven.  What's Heaven like?  Well there are plenty of theories and dreams about what it'll be like, but one won't really know until they arrive.  With that being said, I pretty sure these things will be in Heaven. 1) Falafel.   Let's just be honest, it is delicious.  I will always be 'in the mood' for it.  It is perfect, which is why it can be in Heaven.  Heaven is said to have a big banquet table and falafel is on the menu.  We will get to eat falafel for all eternity.  I am excited. 2) Memory Foam.   I know sleep is unnecessary in Heaven, but I'd like to think it'll be an option.  Or, if some of your friends (including Jesus) wanna have a no-slumber party, they will be the bed of choice to swap jokes in.  Actually, I'm just gonna go out on a limb here and say that the ground, chairs,...

A few months ago I started online dating out of curiosity and for fun.  Initially, I was getting a lot of messages from  men  who I weren't (or is it wasn't) interested in.  I'm not very picky, but they were not my type.  The other night, a couple of my roommates and I were talking about online dating and our experiences and preferences; one of them said that she gave up on online dating because the men she's interested in aren't the kind of men who'd sign-up for online dating.  When she said that, I realized that's the same for me!  I've gone on five dates with men who are truly great; I'm just not into them for different reasons.   Again, I want to emphasize that these men aren't terrible and someone, somewhere will be very lucky to have them as a mate.  With that being said, I don't want to be in a relationship with them, and I'm really considering just dropping online dating altogether.  Here's the dish on the guys I went on a ...

Today, I have no inspiration.  Well, it's not just today, it's like the past week or so where I've felt uninspired, sad, depressed, drained, hazy, and all around not good.  It's not any one thing in particular that's causing me to feel these feelings, it's a culmination of several things going on, and not going on, in my life.  I don't even want to write my weekly list post; I have plenty of list posts I'd like to do, but I don't feel like doing any of them, so I'm gonna write a list of things that inspire me/make me smile/happy.  Hopefully, this will cheer me up, but probably not. 1)   Puppies .  I just really love them.  They are cute and perfect and wonderful.  And I love them. 2) Trader Joe's.   I went grocery shopping today and I really enjoy shopping there.  There are really  great things  there as well as less great things.  But there's always something new, interesting, and healthy there.  Another pe...

I live close to the Speedway, like I-can-see-and-hear-it-from-my-house close.  I, in no shape or form, like NASCAR.  I literally think it's one of the dumbest things ever created by humans, ever.  Today, I was driving home from getting my oil changed and tires rotated and I take my normal exit, this exit happens to also be the exit you'd take to get to the Speedway, when upon exiting I realize that all the traffic lights are blinking.  No, there were no police officers directing traffic, people were just going on their own accord, all willy-nilly.  I saw several people dodge collisions with other cars driving with no regard for others on the boulevard; I saw people getting irate and honking because they had been waiting for several minutes.  But most of all, and worst of all, I saw police officers weaving through traffic (with their lights on), parking in the medians and NOT GETTING OUT OF THEIR CARS TO DIRECT THE UNMANNED INTERSECTIONS.   WHAT.THE.HE...

It used to be I dreaded the coming of Fall.  Now, I dread it less.  I'll admit there are things I enjoy about Fall; but, overall I have mixed feelings about it.  Here's what's going on inside my heart in regards to Fall: 1) Pumpkin.  I.hate.it.  And I always have.  When fall is near, everyone starts, suddenly, announcing what the heck they're drinking.  Were you not hydrating during the rest of the year?  People always are like: "curling up reading a great novel with a pumpkin spice latte."  I literally don't care.  Suddenly, everything  has to have pumpkin in it.  Pumpkin is gross, slimy, stringy, and nasty.  Literally the smell of it makes me nauseous.  If Fall means pumpkin, then I don't like it. 2) Day Light Saving Time.   Hallelujah!  That's Fall's biggest redeeming quality.  I am not a morning person, so getting an 'extra hour' of sleep is a luxurious treat.  I'm a much more plea...

One of my roommates and I were discussing something and disagreed about the issue; I then tweeted "Woke up in a   feminist state of mind."  A different roommate asked me about the tweet and asked if I was angry; I shared, briefly, and expressed how I wasn't angry, just a feminist. If you haven't figured it out by now, the 'F' word is FEMINISM. Ever since I first heard that word, feminism, I've avoided it.  I never wanted to be associated with that word.  It has all sorts of negative connotations attached to it.  I didn't want to be associated with the feminists who, apparently, burn their bras (which, from my understanding, only happened once and people never shut-up about it)...I don't mind wearing bras, so why would I ruin one?  I didn't want to be thought of as someone who just walks around angry, with a chip on their shoulder.  I shave my legs and armpits and I'm not ugly; so I must not be a feminist.  I grew up hearing...

I live in a house with four other women.  I know what you're thinking, that sounds hazardous and ridiculous...well, it's not.  The women I live with are sensational and unique, and I am amongst them.  I am so blessed to be a part of each of their lives, they make my life better and I hope I do the same for them. Alright, enough of the mushy stuff.  We have AMAZING times together; like, really funny times, or really productive times, or really serious times...you get it, we have lots of times.  Sometimes we joke about how we should have a reality show because we're so excellent; so here's the case for our reality show: 1) Looks.   We're all exceedingly attractive.  People like looking at aesthetically pleasing people, that we all are.  We all look very different so variety is a plus. 2) Magazines>>> Conversations.   We have a lot of them.  They provide endless hilarious conversations.  Conversation...

It's been about four weeks since the beginning of the school year.  I teach grades Kindergarten through Fifth Grade and see a lot of different functioning children (high functioning to low functioning) throughout each grade level.  The single most frustrating grade to teach is Kindergarten, they don't know anything.  It's normal for them to not know anything; for the most part, many of them have never been in a school setting.  I guess Pre-Kindergarten and More-At-Four and Head Start aren't required?  They should be.  Anyway, at school we come across a lot of kindergartners who are helpless; not only is that inconvenient  to us who teach them, it's dangerous for the students as well.  Here's a list of things I (and others) believe Kindergartners should come to their first day of school knowing.  Please and Thank you. 1) Their Full Name.   I know what you're thinking, of course they know their name.  WRONG! ...