The Kingston Trio

Did I ever tell you that my uncle was/is in the Kingston Trio? They won the first country grammy EVER! Isn't that awesome? He's a great guy, I may tell more about him in my other blog, but for this blog, here are some links to listen to their music.

http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/song/Tom_Dooley/4641439

http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/song/Greenback_Dollar/2986282

It's folk music, and it just makes me happy. Who knew I would actually like it? :) Have a good day!

Reading

I taught myself how to read when I was 3. Yes. It's true. I was just as awesome then as I am now. Learning how to decipher the written word began my love story with books and writing. It is in my blood, I can't help but find empty notebooks and free blogs to fill with my thoughts and ideas. I hope I am always like this. I love being me.

Mondays

I'm actually having a good Monday for once. Who knew? But, I don't really want to go into detail about it, because I'm scared that it will jinx it. In fact, I'm just going to stop now. :) Maybe I'll write more later.

Improbabilities

Sometimes the world hands you a gift just at the exact moment you were expecting to fail. I moved to KC with no job but a 12 month apartment lease, and within a month I had 2 jobs and was on my feet. Crazy how taking a chance can make you grow by leaps and bounds. Having faith that 'everything will work out' actually has some validity, as it has worked for me every time so far.

I am sitting now in my living room, listening to H. stir in my bed because he woke up at 5 a.m. and couldn't get back to sleep until 10. Needless to say, I was sleeping that entire time so now I am awake. We both try to be quiet to accommodate each other, since I have an L shaped studio so there are no walls and doors except for the bathroom.

Valentine's Day was awesome, H got me a rose/lilly bouquet and we drank with our buddies in the evening. One told me he could put new brakes on my car for $50, when it usually costs around $150-200. So that's awesome. Being the 'cool' girlfriend has finally given me something back. ;)

Going home again

I never thought I would miss my hometown as much as I do. After going to college there, I couldn't wait to leave, and now there are some days where I just want to go breathe the Manhattan air again. It was a great place to grow up, but I've realized that I never would have learned to appreciate it if I hadn't left.

That's why visiting makes it so much more special.

What would you do?

If you could personally do one thing to improve the economy, what would it be?

If I could, I would buy more. But for now, I am trying to earn more so my credit card, car, and student loan debt would go away. I'm on a 2 year plan to get rid of my debt using my freelance writing income, but student loans will take quite a bit longer.

Anyway, the economy hasn't really affected me personally yet, which I consider very lucky. We'll see what happens in the future!

What would you do with an extra hour?

If I had one extra hour per day to do something, I would read more. I always told myself when I graduated that I would continuously be reading a book, now that I didn't have to do it for class. I have been doing pretty good, I've finished the entire Harry Potter series and the Twilight series. But I know that there is more writing that could be done, if I just made it more of a priority.

But some days, however, I think are long enough and don't need an extra hour. For example, all mondays. These should actually be made shorter, because Mondays are rarely good days and should be as short as possible. :)

1st Encounter

I shuffled into the common room, grateful to be able to spend some time out of my bleached and sterialized hospital bed. The IV makes me feel like jerky movements are a death wish; one false move and I envision the needle slicing through my veins and coming out the other side of my arm.

But those are not the things you are supposed to think about in hospitals. You are supposed to think about getting better, not the likelihood that something else will go horribly wrong in the safest place possible. But people seem to forget how many die in hospitals. It might as well be a shooting range.

The TV is on but no one is really watching; night envelops us all even though it is 2p.m. I hear the Divorce Court narrator come on; he tells the predicament of the twisted, bitter faces of the couple on the screen. Their love has morphed into a battle between power and revenge- and they wonder why we are so depressed here?

I see a woman reading on the window ledge. The sunlight floats in around her shoulders; she looks like a dimly lit neon sign which is about to die. Instead of the regulation hospital gown, she is wearing nurse scrub pants and a ZZ Top t-shirt.

She looks up and squints at me; whether it is from the sunlight or confusion, I'll never know. I look down at the crumpled outline of my body through the cheap guazy cotton and I know this is not the time or place to be hitting on women.

The IV stand and I meander over to the least dirty-looking chair. I pretend to read a Dr. Suess book I found in between the cushion and armrest. The crusties in my eyes make it hard to read. I put the book down, sigh, and realize it may be an eternity before I am out of this place.

No one is speaking or trying to make conversation. We each have set up clear walls made out of our own misery and self-deprication, and the nurses are the only ones I make eye contact with. They assume I am still sick from having my stomach pumped, so they don't hassle me to come eat lunch with everyone else. This makes me feel better than any drug could.

My life does not flash before my eyes as I drift to sleep in the paisley arm chair. 'Green Eggs and Ham' buries itself into the side of my leg, but I welcome the bruise from the pointed corners. At least it means I could still be alive.

Birthdays

I love birthdays. Even when they aren't mine. I like celebrating the day people came onto this earth, especially if they mean a lot to me. I feel thankful for their livelihood, I guess, because they make me happy.

Everyone deserves to have a good birthday. Maybe that's why we wrapped my co-worker's office supplies (like Jim did to Dwight in this season's office episode). We wanted her to smile, even when she had to unwrap every little thing because it was encased in polka dots and ribbon.

Pictures to come.

Today's 1 Minute Writer: Next

Question: What do you hope is around the next bend in the road?

Answer: I guess I kind of talked about this in my last post. But in the future, I hope that there's a charming victorian house with a huge backyard, another (or more) dog to adopt because I just can't say no, and some worldwide vacations to humble me even more about how lucky of a life I have.

I also hope to be nearly debt free in 5 years, along with having a stable savings account.

But, for the most part, I just hope that 'around the next bend', I am still just as happy as I am right now. :)

Whoo Hoo!

Can I have permission to geek out for a second? Can I just tell you how I'm totally turning into one of those people who "just freaking love life"? I am totally turning into someone who loves every second of every day, and I'm totally not used to it.

Besides H living in another city, I love KC. I like my full-time job (mostly my co-workers) and I love that I have a HUGE new freelance writing client that is going to allow me to pay off my looming credit card debt in 1.5 years (instead of 4)-- I am now able to triple the amount I can pay on my debt, and it just feels so....freeing. To have the satisfaction of knowing that you are working hard to make a better life for yourself, that everything you are doing will create new possibilities in the future...well...that's just beyond great.

OK, I will let my geek out come to a close. I just never thought I could feel as happy as I do now...what a great feeling. 

Good night everyone!

Today's 1 Minute Writer: Junk Drawer Items

I open my junk drawer, trying to find my Spiderman lunchbox, and I find my veggie peeler instead. A bird shaped handle, with the blade as the beak, I stare down at the utensil that was designed to make eating veggies fun. However, I have never used it. I've had it for 8 months, and it has sat in my drawer, as untainted as the day I recieved it, at my college graduation party.

I think that bird needs to fulfill its destiny. That is why I'm buying some veggies to peel when I go to the store tonight.

Today's 1-Minute Writer: Motivation @ Work

I am motivated at work because I really like the people I work with, the work that I do, and how easy my life is now that I only work full-time (and don't have to go to college anymore). 

Besides my day to day activities, I am motivated to do well at work because I want a successful career. I want to be known as someone who is a talented, dependable, and creative worker. Someone who everyone wants on their team.