"The City"

I feel so city-girl-ish and all.

I can smell the inversion as soon as I step out of my little apartment (complete with wi-fi and a washing machine). Inhale that smog. Deep breaths.

This morning I stopped at the bank and they recognized me. (I still had to show them my I.D., though.)

On my way to work I bought a bagel and some hot chocolate (with some hazelnut flavoring) from a local cafe-thingy. The guy gave me extra whipped cream and decorated the top with chocolate syrup, jus' because I'm cute and all smiley. I gave him a dollar tip even though I spent less than five.

The taco-stand guys know me and speak to me (in Spanish) on a regular basis. "Quieres cebollas?" Yes, please and thank you.

I show up to work in a skirt and sit at a desk. I leave at five. I park in a multi-level parking garage even though I only live a few blocks away. I take the train to work.

Honestly, compared to most "big cities", this one is rather puny.

But I love it. So much.

Reasons to Celebrate

1. It's Tuesday. That means Friday (jean day) is just 3 days away.

2. I made a rockin' potato casserole thingy last night. Unfortunately, I put it in the oven too late, therefore causing me to take it out of the oven too late, therefore causing me to not want to eat because it was so late. It's okay, though, because I brought some with me for lunch today. (The best part? Potatoes, butter, heavy cream, sour cream, salt and pepper, and lots of cheese. It's so unhealthy I could just die. With gladness.)

3. Guess what I'm listening to. Love.

4. I vacuumed the lobby today. You'd be impressed if you saw it. My coworker noticed me cleaning and gave me an odd look. I said, "I'm just so domestical, huh?"

5. Monday is a holiday. Woot.

Fifteen Facts

I was born in Orlando.

I work at a publishing company. I'm just the receptionist.

My favorite color is black. Not in a "oh-I'm-so-dark-and-depressed" kind of way. I just like the color. (Or the lack of, if we're getting technical.)

I do not straighten my hair. I let it be.

I make the best tacos around.

Both my parents (and their spouses) live in the same small town.

I'm secretly a nerd. I love Pokemon cards, Digimon, The Hobbit, Guitar Hero, and the Final Fantasy VII soundtrack.

I only wear jeans once a week. On Fridays. Every other day I'm in a skirt or dress. (Except Saturday, when I'm in my pajamas.) This is truly unfortunate because I love my jeans (and I look great in them).

When I die, I want my journal to be burned. Else the government will test all my posterity for crazy genes.

I'm not a romantic. In fact, romance makes me rather ill.

It could be mid-August and 100 degrees and I'd still be cold.

If I never get married, I'll be just fine. I'll get a dog.

I'm loyal till the end.

I've never gotten a manicure. I'm okay with that.

I liked the name Jasper before Twilight made it "cool".

Two Thousand Ten

Well, it's happened.
The old year ended. A new one began.
(Somehow this always takes me by surprise. "Whaaat?! It's January again?")
How did that happen so fast? Where did 2010 go? What's going to happen this next year?
I have one whole year to play with. A brand new, fresh, lovely 365 days to make whatever I want out of myself and my life. How fun.
But what happened last year? What did I accomplish? What did I do?

I spent a lot of time in my dark place. Wallowing in my self pity. Feeling oh-so-sorry for myself. Goal for 2011: No more of that, please. (Thank you.)
Friends came and went. New, old, funny, irritating beyond belief, fake, accidental, unexpected. I argued with some. Laughed with more. Cried on some shoulders (and been cried on). Helped a few. Lied for others. A fair few stuck with me through the seasons, for which I will be eternally grateful. Others disappeared into the void we call "life". That's okay, though. Goal for 2011: Remain loyal, true, and honest.
I got a job. Kind of a big deal, folks. A real job. A place where I can grow and laugh and learn. I love my job and everyone there. (That part is the "big deal" part.) Goal for 2011: Keep it. Impress everyone with my awesomeness. Maybe they'll decide to like me.
I moved out. I am no longer under my mother's wing (still not sure how I feel about that). My 3 roommates are just lovely and I adore them. They make my life better on a daily basis. Goal for 2011: Make their lives as great as they've made mine.
And school started. (Finally, yes, I know. School.) First semester ended quite nicely. I have high hopes for next semester. Goal for 2011: Straight As, baby.
My dear older brother returned with honor. Hooray! He isn't nearly as weird as I was expecting, though he is set on finding himself a little wifey sometime soon. Careful, ladies, he's on the prowl. Goal for 2011: Let him get married first. Seeing as I'm more in love with myself than the idea of marriage and companionship, this won't be too difficult. I hope. If not, the fake ring on my finger will ward off any eligible bachelors.
Thanks to the lovely lemonade diet, I got down to my goal weight. Thanks to lovely cookies, cakes, ice creams, and Skittles, I gained everything back. Goal for 2011: Just stay at my healthy weight. Thank you, Planet Fitness (and the amazing tanning beds).
I've finally let some things go. Goodbye and good riddance. Goal for 2011: Don't let it back.
I spent more time straightening my hair than I did at church. Goals for 2011: Embrace the princess curls. And go back to church. Yes, the singles ward is bad. But isn't Hell worse?
My piano sat forgotten and cold for the better part of the year. My poor hands can barely remember the tunes I once played with my eyes closed. Goal for 2011: practice, practice, practice! I'll get it back. Just you wait.
I gave up on love this year. I decided love didn't exist and I let my heart disappear into a dark, infinite abyss. Goal for 2011: Find my heart. Love or no love, I do have a heart. I am not some soulless robot.
Last, but not least, I lost and found myself. I searched and searched. And then...poof!...There I was. Just waiting to be discovered. And I love every bit and piece and thought and feeling. I found me, and I'm perfectly happy with that person. Goal for 2011: Stay me. Never lose me again.

The end.
(...or the beginning?)

Yahtzee

“Dating is like the game Yahtzee. You roll the dice and have a 1 in 6 chance of getting someone attractive, a 1 in 6 chance of getting someone funny, a 1 in 6 chance of getting someone smart, a 1 in 6 chance of getting someone hard-working, a 1 in 6 chance of getting someone who really cares, and a 1 in 6 chance of getting someone who loves you back…and then you have a 1 in 46656 chance of getting someone with all of them.”

Thank you.

Butterfly

Sometimes I like to pretend I have a social life.
I get really into it, too. I'll spend lotsa time with people and be all open and talkative and fun. I am in the zone. The social zone. The I-have-friends-and-acquaintances-and-talk-to-lotsa-people-and-all-that-jazz zone.
And suddenly I'll realize.
Oh.
This isn't really my style.
And then I go back in hiding again.

That is all.

Everything I needed to know about life...

Replacing brake pads, changing the oil, and rotating tires really isn't as difficult as you'd think.
Archery is cool. And always will be. So is learning to shoot a gun.
Keep an emergency kit handy at all times. You never know when you'll get stuck in the mountains for a freezing night and need a blanket, water, and food.
Practice makes perfect.
Cracked wheat hot cereal is delicious. Even if you have to grind the wheat with a manual wheat-grinder.
Take a coat.
Less is always more. Be happy with the little things in life. You don't need to be spending gobs of money to appreciate and enjoy.
Same with parties and get-togethers. A few people over for a quiet evening of dinner and cards is much more enjoyable (and much less stressful) than a loud, crowded event.
Hard work pays off. Even manual labor. Especially manual. It builds character, too.
Don't argue back until you eat something.
Bring chapstick when camping. And toilet paper.
Speaking of camping, it doesn't count unless you're in a tent and the bathrooms are across the campground. Camp trailers = cheating.
Hang out with your family. They're cool even if you don't think so.
Pay your tithing. You'll be blessed in more ways than you could imagine.
Hard tack (home-made cracker biscuit things) last forever and almost taste good.
Don't throw the remote control at your brother.
Don't bite your siblings. Or push them into ant-hills. Or punch them in the face. And don't screech too loud if your sibling punches you back.
Look at the engine before taking it in.
Impress everyone with your awesomeness.
Listen to your parents. They really are right. I don't care what you say.
Bean & Bacon soup with crispy, buttery french bread. Tater tots. Home-made pizzas. Quesadillas. They'll always be favorites.
Smile.
Time and effort mean more than size and expense. My most memorable Christmas was home-made.
Do what you love, and love what you do.
Respect your elders.
Lord of the Rings. The Hobbit. Star Wars. And Indiana Jones. 'Nuff said.
Oh, and Jason and the Argonauts.
Having a thousand pounds of sugar, salt, and dry beans stuffed in a closet counts as food storage.
Read Hank the Cowdog. Read it again and again and again. Out loud, with voices and everything.
Work hard. Perseverance pays off. Never give anything less than your absolute best.
They really will pull the car over or turn around. Don't test them.
Use a tow rope instead of a chain. When towing, it's okay to go faster than 15 mph.
Laugh out loud.
And, of course, eat a worm.