Celebrate Good Times! C'mon! Let's Celebrate!

Tomorrow I am graduating from the University of Louisville with a BA in English.

Tomorrow.

In one day.

It still hasn't set in that I have graduated but I'm sure tomorrow it will.

Time to start the job search.

Wish me luck.

:) yay.

Decorate that Tree!

Today I am decorating the Christmas tree at my parents house with the parents and my sister and brother-in-law. It's nice to have a family that does things together. I'm thankful I have such a close family. Last night, after a grueling nine hours straight, I finished my Linguistics final. I am completely exhausted, but I have more to do today so there is no time to rest!

Baby It's Cold Outside

Listening to this lovely Christmas tune while doing my finals. :) Wanted to share the warm fuzzy feelings with you. And the wonderful sight of Darren Criss.

Procrastination Monster

"Uh-oh. I probably waited a little too long to get started on that."

As often as that thought crosses my mind and yet my procrastination has only gotten worse. Why do I put myself through this? I constantly find something else to do (like blogging!) that is not the most important. I only have one full day of school left in my undergraduate career and well...I still have a whole lot to do. I know full well I had the time to finish it before now, but I just didn't.

I usually try to give out advice here, but this time I'm going to ask you all for some. How do you keep from procrastinating? Am I doomed to procrastinate forever? I know there must be some way to break the habit. I used to never, ever procrastinate. Then again, I think that was mostly because my mother was always there to double check that I had finished my homework and my chores and things. Maybe I should just move back in with my parents....

Wow...What a Great Audience

Yeah, I quoted South Park in my title. I dare you not to read that in Jimmy's voice now that I've told you that. Anyway, I am extremely happy that many of you have been reading my blog. I really appreciate the support and I hope you continue to read! Today I have a bunch of studying and paper writing to do for finals so I will be writing again soon. Ta-ta!

'Tis the Season to Be Sick

Fa la la la la la la la la.

You hear it everywhere you go: school, work, the grocery store. Someone is sneezing or coughing or sniffling and polluting the air around you. Unless you have a super immune system, you will most likely get sick this infectious season. I know I have been feeling pretty awful lately, so I wanted to share with you all some of my personal tips and tricks to survive the sickness.

1. Cranberry juice. I am not a fan of regular cranberry juice, I prefer to drink Cran-Grape or Cran-Cherry. Right now my favorite is Ocean Spray Diet Cran-Cherry. Only five calories a serving and 100% vitamin C! Plus it tastes great.

2. If you have horribly dry skin, don't overuse those special lotions, they most likely won't work. As a regular visitor to the dermatologist, I have been told the absolute best thing to use is petroleum jelly. It's simple, but it works. Yes, it will leave your face a little greasy, but it's better than it being flaky. And if it really bothers you, you can apply it right after getting out of the shower (which is best) and wipe off the excess before you leave the house.

3. Chapped lips? If you continuously apply chapstick over and over, it actually is not good for your lips. They will continue to be chapped. Try using a little vitamin E oil. Just apply a tiny drop and smooth the oil upwards. It makes your lips shiny and gorgeous and will last longer than an application of chapstick.

4. Stock your purse/pockets with cough drops and tissues. You will want them, believe me. There is nothing worse than being in public and suddenly realizing you have snot running down your face.

5. If you truly feel bad, stay home. Don't stress and strain by trying to make it to work or school. Besides, no one wants you there if you're sick anyway.

These are just a few little things I hope might help you during the sick season. Please feel free to tell me if this did or did not work for you and leave some comments with some of your own tips and tricks!

Uganda's Law Against Gays

I'm sure many of you have heard about the law in Uganda that is set to be passed in a couple weeks that will legalize the penalty for those who are gay and those who have HIV/AIDS. When I first heard about the law, I thought it was perhaps a small group in Uganda and that it would blow over, but the sad truth is that it is a reality in Uganda that soon people will be killed simply because they are gay. I urge you to educate yourself about this terrible event happening in Uganda. Sign petitions, spread awareness. This may not be in our own country, but this is about more than that. This law is a crime against humanity.

At what point do you accept certain things as a difference in belief and culture and at what point do you stand up and say "This isn't right"? This Ugandan law is certainly something that should be stood against. I accept that other people and countries may have beliefs and ideas that are different from mine, but when the beliefs and ideas are actively harming (and in this case murdering) a group of people, then that is something I cannot accept.

As an ally of the LGBTQ community, I realize that we still have a long way to go before the United States is supportive of the community. But I must also acknowledge that the community at least has some freedoms that it would not have in other countries. I am thankful that there are enough sane people in the U.S. to prevent a heinous law like this from being passed.

Please take a moment to become a little more informed about the LGBTQ community and their struggle to gain the rights they should naturally have. Support this group and give a little bit of your time to make the world a better place.

Holiday? What holiday?

Thanksgiving, a break from work and school. A relaxing time to spend with--wait....no, no, no. I'm not sure about you guys but I am exhausted from this supposed "holiday". I've been working more than usual, and even on Thanksgiving, spending a lot of time with family and going from this place to that. I love the family time, but there has definitely not been any relaxation for me. And there is never a break from school. This coming week is my last full week. Final papers, final exams, not the time to slack off.

I think everything should just shut down on Thanksgiving. If you haven't gotten your groceries before that day, too bad. That's your fault for poor planning. At least on Christmas my work is closed. Everyone deserves at least one day a year to relax.

I just got back from seeing a movie with my sister and now I plan to do absolutely nothing for the rest of the night but sit on my butt and watch American Horror Story.

Thankful Thanksgiving Thanks

I don't usually do the "I am thankful for..." things but this year, I feel like I have a lot to be thankful for in the face of the stupid stuff my family and I have gone through. So...here goes.

I am thankful for:

1. My parents. Without them, I wouldn't be the person I am today. My father is always there for me when I need him and I couldn't ask for a better dad. My mom, well, she is honestly one of my best friends. When I was younger, we never got along and we went through some really bad times, but now, she and I are really close and I am so happy.

2. My sister and my brother in law. Sheena is the greatest big sister. I love spending time with her and I know I can talk to her about anything. Daniel is pretty awesome too. He is always there for Sheena and always great at making me laugh.

3. Michael. He is a wonderful person and stands by me even though I can be extremely difficult.

4. My childhood dog Jack. Jack passed away this year, and the only way I can keep from being absolutely devastated about it is to remember how great he was. I grew up with him. He was the sweetest, smartest, best dog I have ever been around. I miss him very much.

5. My other family. Michael's family has been so great to me and I love spending time with them. Kim, Heather, Chris, Natalee, Tony...great people and extremely fun.

6. I have a home, food, clothes, and money.

7. I am going to be graduating in three weeks. I am very thankful for that.

8. My friends. I love hanging with my girls and my bros. Game nights are one of my favorite nights.

I'm sure I could add more, but I will spare you from the long drawn out details. I hope everyone has an amazing holiday and remember to be thankful.

Christgiving?

I know you all must have noticed this: the new trend of basically skipping over Thanksgiving and going directly into the Christmas season. I admit, I myself am guilty; my Christmas tree in the living room is proof. However, I think we as a society need to be a little more thankful before we dive into the greedy holiday Christmas has become.

Yesterday, I went to Best Buy and there were tents out front where people were camping for the upcoming Black Friday sale. Now, I personally do not understand why anyone would think a sale was important enough to camp out in front of a store for five days. Is our society really that messed up that we care so much about material things as to let them interfere with our lives? I think the answer to that is a big, resounding YES. People are skipping the holiday of Thanksgiving and spending time with their families in order to buy a big television they don't need at a great price. And let me just point out that you are not in fact saving money by spending it.

I personally am not a proponent of the story behind Thanksgiving, but I think the idea behind it, of being thankful for what you have, is very important. Christmas also needs to be revamped in my opinion, to be more about giving than receiving. I always look to my lovely parents and my sister as an example. My parents have already sponsored two angel tree children this year and my sister has also done one. They expect no praise or anything in return for their good deed. They give because they are able.

I urge you all to think about your actions this holiday season. Be thankful for what you have, be compassionate, be giving, and most of all do not let material things take precedence over the more important things like family and friends.

How to Get Out of Bed

This morning it was very, very cold in my bedroom. The warmth of the bed was so lovely, I could have stayed there forever. I know many of you sympathize with this feeling. So what gets you out of bed in the morning? For me, this morning it was:

1. I had to turn in a paper at nine o'clock that I worked really hard on yesterday and is probably worth twenty percent of my grade in that class.

2. In order to make it to that class looking somewhat decent, I at least had to change out of my pajamas and put a hat over my nasty hair.

3. Breakfast. There were some tasty doughnuts left over from yesterday.

Now I'm back home and all I want to do is crawl back in bed, even though it's past noon. I think I have a serious problem.

Hope everyone is having a great day!

Doughnuts and Papers

Here I am munching on a chocolate dipped doughnut as I look at the finished product: my eight page paper. Praise all those holy beings I am finally finished. That took way longer than I thought it would.

Just remember, when you accomplish something great, reward yourself with a doughnut. It's incredibly satisfying.

Weekend Stress

I haven't been able to post in a couple days what with work and seeing the family and everything. That's nothing to complain about though. I have a job and a wonderful family to spend time with. Now it's time to settle in for the night and begin the homework that's due tomorrow. I am a terrible procrastinator, but I'm sure any of you who have gone or are going to school understand that.

The past couple of days have been pretty hard for me. My unsolved skin problems are just getting worse. After two years, I can honestly say I just want to peel all my skin off and get some new skin. Disgusting, I know, but really no one seems to be able to find a solution for me. Next week I will be seeing my fifth dermatologist and the eighth doctor for this same problem. No one seems to know what's wrong or how to fix it. Incredibly frustrating. It's hard to keep positive and continue on when things seem so dismal. I just have to remind myself of all the things I do have and try not to dwell on the the bad stuff.

Have any of you ever gone through so many doctors? Do you know what it is like to not know what is wrong with you? I'm sure there are many people who know what I'm going through.

So today, if you have good health, be thankful. And even if you don't, try your hardest to simply be thankful for all the things you do have: family, friends, a job, a home....

Stay strong. Keep your head up. Remember life is hard, but so worth it.

"None of them knew the color of the sky"

-Stephen Crane, The Open Boat

I'm writing a paper about naturalism in American Literature. It's on Stephen Crane's The Open Boat and Jack London's The Law of Life. I've been reading through some literary journals on both of the stories and have really learned a lot from them. I love how you can read a story once and not really get it, but the more you read it, the more profound it gets. 

I know my stories have not reached this level yet, but I hope to one day be the subject of an essay in a literary journal. I would love for someone to take the time to consider the meaning behind my writing. It is both an exciting and daunting thing to imagine, someone judging your creations.

Well, I am going to put the laptop up for the night and chill. I hope you all have a great night!

Off Day

It is really hard to be motivated on my off day. All I want to do is lay in bed and not accomplish anything. Unfortunately, I have a paper due tomorrow, so that's not happening.

I hope you all have had time to read some of my poetry and stories. I am really excited to start sharing my writing with a larger audience.

Remember, if there is something you have always wanted to do, do it! I waited to long to start being serious about my writing. It is a great feeling to know that I am actually accomplishing something.

Of course, there are those people who will not support you, who you feel like judge you for trying to do something else with your life that is different. But I say, ignore those people. Take charge of your life and do what you love.

Finally!

Finally put some poetry and short stories on the website. I hope you all enjoy reading them. If you have any feedback, please feel free to tell me, I am open to suggestions and healthy criticism!

Today has been wonderful for me. I feel like I am actually working hard to do something I love. It's a great feeling to put so much effort into writing. I used to write so much that I could barely feel my hand. There were a bunch of notebooks and pages lying around my room with ideas and story lines scribbled upon them. I can't wait to do that again.

Starting Something New

Hello! I'm a writer from Kentucky trying to break into the world of fiction. I would love to share my thoughts and ideas with you on here. Please feel free to contact me and ask questions. I'm very excited to start this new phase of my life.