I need to ask a favor of you all–when it is again time for me to take an extended vacation to Declo, kindly, but forcefully, remind me to not pack everything I own.
Honestly, I spent the past two weeks wearing sweatpants – sweatpants that I found at my house. I didn’t need to pack the 15 pairs of tights and all the dresses and the heels. I didn’t need to take three pairs of tennis shoes because I knew I wasn’t going to run. I spent two days packing all that crap up to go to Declo, three-and-a-half weeks covering my floor with it and the last two days packing it all back up to bring back to Pocatello. I didn’t, however, spend much time at all wearing the clothes.
This may be a little late since everyone has already made their long winter trips, but I’m going to say it anyway. You will have a lot of more amazing days if you underpack. Maybe not if you are going on a business trip or a romantic retreat, but, if you are going to be hunkering down at your parents’ house, you really do not care if you look good. Take one, maybe two, good-looking outfits in case the opportunity to show off to an old flame arises. Other than that, just be content to be comfy in your sweatpants.
One might say that just because you take all the clothes home, doesn’t mean you have to wear them. However, all the relaxation you earn by spending three weeks in your sweatpants is void when you have to stress over trying to get everything packed back up.
So, here’s the deal. Leave all that extra junk in your closet. Save the heels and the tights and the dresses for that class with a cute boy. Enjoy breaks by letting your mom cook and sleeping in and wearing your sweatpants.
PS…this is a short post tonight because I’m still trying to get unpacked!
Oh dear is right…I almost forgot to blog today! Even worse is that today was the day that my mom publicly announced that there was no way I was going to be able to keep up this everyday blogging business.
You are catching me on the fly right now. Usually, even if I don’t get a post in, I have been thinking about possible blog topics all day long. Today, however, I have not thought of a single thing that I could say. Which is even weirder because most people think I talk WAY too much.
I’m going to recap my day–I woke up, thought about packing, went to lunch, went shopping. Ended up back home. Thought about packing some more. I was pretty boring, but, on the plus side, it was the first day this week I changed out of my pajamas before 3 p.m.
OK…one way to have a more amazing day. Wear your pajamas all day. Your mom won’t be impressed, but its definitely worth it.
Usually, when I wear my pajamas all day, my mom tells me that it makes me really, really unproductive. Which is ironic, because the day I choose to do my hair and get dressed on put on make-up is also the day that I totally forget to blog. I believe that means I busted my mom’s myth that clothes make you more productive. But, honestly, I haven’t really accomplished much beyond blogging all week anyway, so she just might be right. At least I was happy in my pajamas.
About three months ago, I was blog stalking a selection of people when one of them mentioned something called “Pinterest.”
Intrigued, I typed the strange word in Google. As expected, the first result was a website pinterest.com. I clicked the link and was sent to a website that resembled a giant bulletin board. I love bulletin boards.
Beginning last spring, I started collecting quotes and movie tickets, magazine clippings and photographs the men I call “the supermen of men” (Bradley Cooper, Prince Harry, Darren Criss, James McAvoy and Rupert Grint). I tacked them onto bulletin boards and taped them to the doors of my closet–I even covered my old toy chest. People (like my mom and sister) made fun of me, but it is now my favorite piece of furniture. Come to think of it… that is a really good amazing day thing blog post!
Back to topic–how does this all relate back to Pinterest? It basically IS Pinterest! Pinterest is just a more organized, digital version of my hobby. It is a way for me to collect photographs of gorgeous men and inspring quotes and good recipes and design ideas and almost anything else you can think of without me have to cut up my beloved magazines or wasting ink from my printer or sharpies. I was also running out of space on my toy chest.
Alright…I’ll make you have a better day, for sure. Its relaxing and its fun and you’ll learn some amazing things. But, be prepared. It will end in what I’m going to call a “pinddiction.” I introduced my roommates to Pinterest a few weeks after I discovered it–apartment productivity dropped about 30 percent. At the same time, the quality of food, creativity and general relaxation increased dramatically.
Give it a try but proceed with caution. It’ll make a mediocre day better, but it could make a day take a turn for the worse if you choose do pin instead of, say, going to work.
PS…access to Pinterest is invitation only. You can request an invitation, but it can take a few days. Leave a comment with your email address, and I’ll send you an invite.
In a commercial for ABC’s Last Man Standing, I heard one of the most profound quotes of the year.
“College is important. Without college, there would be no college football,” said Tim Allen.
I’ve changed my official major at Idaho State University so many times that I’ve actually started telling people I’m majoring in college football. Thing is, I’m not even really sure why I like it. Almost every year, I end the season straight depressed. Like tonight.
I started this post with the intention of saying that the second thing to do to have a more amazing day is to watch college football. Then I took a break from blogging to watch the Stanford/Oklahoma State Fiesta Bowl. Then Stanford lost. Now, I kind of think my life would be a lot less stressful/depressing if I was like my mother and sister and just didn’t care about the game.
I’ve blogged before (link here) about why I’m stupid enough to care about sporting events. Here’s a synopsis if you don’t feel like reading it because it’s kind of a long one–in every sporting event, your team has a 50 percent chance of winning. That is a lot better odds than we have for most things; in all reality, 50 percent means we are always favorites to win.
Alright…I still don’t feel good about the whole Stanford losing situation, but, let’s be honest, I’m not going to stop watching college football. Seriously, I’m still a Colts fan after they self-destructed this year. I don’t really have anything new or profound to say tonight – y’all are going to have to get use to that if I’m going to be at this every day this year – but, take my word for it, college football makes life a little more bearable. Because, even though there’s a 50 percent chance of complete depression, the other 50 percent is pretty dang good.
Here’s the deal–for about 2 1/2 years, I have been trying to blog everyday. Reality is – I’m not entirely sure I’ve made it an entire solid week yet. So my New Year’s resolution (besides the inevitable lose 10 pounds and get a 4.0), is to blog EVERY SINGLE DAY. I decided, with that goal, I was going to need a theme or a gimmick for all those days when I’m just not feeling motivated or creative or its 2 a.m. and I just want to go to sleep.
On those days, I am going to give one thing that has made my life a little more amazing. A great book, inspiring movie, delicious recipe and anything else amazing because, next December, that’s how I want to define this year. No more waiting until tomorrow or selling myself short. When I finish this year, I don’t want any regrets.
Amazing 2012 suggestion one: Read Peter Pan.
I came up with this suggestion when I saw the above picture on Pinterest (there will be an entire post about the amazingness of Pinterest one day). I have to admit that I haven’t read Peter Pan for awhile–I’m going to have to take my own suggestion in the very near future.
Peter Pan is the boy that never grows up–I can’t be the only one that thinks that’s probably the best way to go. Not for the obvious reasons such as mom doing your laundry and making your mac and cheese, but for the possibilities that childhood allows. When you are five or eight or even 10, people don’t say your dreams are impossible because, at that point, anything is possible. But, after that, there are some things that will inevitably be taken off the table. Olympic gymnast. Child piano prodigy. Star of Toddlers and Tiaras.
I’m not trying to be a total downer here–there are still dreams to be had beyond baby beauty queens and Olympic gymnasts. But dreams get more and more complicated as we get older. We are expected to be practical, to make real money and to take care of real responsibilities.
That is why, every so often, we have to enter into a “Peter Pan State of Mind” – that moment where anything is possible. It is there that we remember what it feels like to imagine like a child and the promise that time brought. It may only last a second but sometimes that is all it takes. Remember that moment–it might not be enough to take you to Neverland, but maybe it’ll remind you of childhood dreams and motivate you to dream big again.
While it’s alright to grow-up and be practical, don’t ever say good-bye to the child that you once were. Don’t forget that you once believed you could be the President or win an Academy Award or compete at the Olympics. Use that same imagination and self-belief to be the best publicist, teacher, accountant, doctor or parent you can be.
PS…if you are no so into reading, I will accept you watching the movie. It’s a pretty dang good one!
Ten years ago, the year was defined as one of tremendous loss, and its legacy would trail us for the rest of the decade with two wars and the constant reminder that the perpetrator was still at large. However, on May 1, that era came to a close with the death of Osama Bin Laden.
2011 began with the collapse of dictatorships in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. For weeks, we watched wars being waged between police forces and young protesters. Protesters would drizzle into Spain and Greece during late spring but with less dire consequences. London, and eventually all of England, would erupt in riots during early August. All of this would lead to the occupation of everything during the last half of 2011.
A couple kisses during the London Riots
With the declaration of “We are the 99%” and the suggestion to “being a tent,” protests broke out across the nation. Whether or not they, or anyone else, knew exactly what they were protesting, they camped in every major city from September 17 through early December.
Now, for the non-political, more fun, stuff.
First, let’s discuss the Harry Potter of it all. When I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, not only did I cry through the entire movie, I cried all the way home from the theater. With the end of Harry Potter, popular cultural experienced a significant change. There have only been two years since 1997 that have been Harry-free. But now, as the posters proclaimed, “It all ends.” As a die-hard Potterhead, I have blogged multiple times about the effect the past, and last, year of Potter has had on me. In a nutshell, I don’t really know how I’ve made it through the last few months knowing there would be no new Potter, and I think my childhood may have ended on July 15.
At the London premiere of the film, JK Rowling gave an emotional “Thank You” speech ending in the words, “The stories we love best do live with us forever. So whether you come back by page or by the big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home.”
For the crazies, those are some pretty special words and some of the most memorable I heard in 2011.
On Oct. 5, I saw the trending tweet was RIP Steve Jobs. I thought it was someone’s idea of a sick joke–a rumor that we would all be laughing about today as one of the craziest events of 2011. I mean, what in the world were we supposed to do without Steve Jobs around? At that point, the only Apple product I owned was my iPod classic, but I couldn’t go more than a day without it. Today, I have had a MacBook Air for less than a week–I have absolutely no idea how life ever went on before.
I took Steve Jobs’ example for granted before Oct. 5. He stressed the details and made his fortune by making things beautiful. He didn’t worry about things like getting fired from his own company or getting cancer and the possibility of death. To him, every failure and ending were just chances to make something better.
While I can’t imagine the day, there was a day before I had my iPod and my MacBook. There was a day when I didn’t even wish for iPods and MacBooks – a day when I didn’t know about a man named Steve Jobs. Back then, he was a part of a team that created a space cadet named Buzz Lightyear that urged me to travel to “Infinity and Beyond.”
I woke up at 2 a.m. for these two. Named muffins after these two. These two, along with Harry Potter and the gang, make me want to drop out of school and just move to England. It was a live-action, 100 percent real, Disney Princess movie being played on CNN. No conspiracies, no deaths, no drama. Pure happiness.
Let’s all come clean. I don’t care what kind of big no-marriage included plans you have for yourself, if you are a feminist, if you never want to leave the United States or maybe you are already married–you saw the very-single, full-head-of-ginger-haired Prince Harry standing next to his older brother at the alter and immediately put yourself in a tiara and Alexander McQueen dress (with six-foot train) walking down the aisle of Westminster Abbey. Admit it. Kate made us all believe in fairy tales.
Ok…I said the politics were at the beginning, but I left out two of my favorite political-related stories of the year.
This photo of Petty Officer 2nd Class Marissa Gaeta and her partner Petty Officer 3rd Class Citlalic Snell says it all–the military’s long-standing policy Don’t Ask Don’t Tell was repealed this year.
Another victory for the LGBT community came when New York state passed a law legalizing same-sex marriages in New York. The passage of this law doubled the number of Americans living in a state that allowed same-sex marriages.
The above picture is of New York Republican Senator Roy McDonald. During the weeks leading up the legalization of same-sex marriage in New York, McDonald obscenely proclaimed that he was just going to do the right thing as he cast his vote in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage.
“I’m tired of Republican-Democrat politics. They can take the job and shove it. I come from a blue-collar background. I’m trying to do the right thing, and that’s where I’m going with this,” said McDonald.
Imagine how much would get done if everyone thought like that…
I’m sure there are a million more things that I could say about 2011, but the ones mentioned tonight are the ones that popped into my head first, so I guess they must be the most important ones – at least to me. Happy New Years to everyone, and, who knows, this might just be the year I end up on here everyday.
I’m a bad driver–there’s absolutely no denying it. Even after I braved a severe weather alert and survived it, I still consider myself a bad driver. For months after I was granted a driver’s license, I kept my adventures between Lis Rose’s house, my house and the church–a one mile stretch of straight road with a 25 mph speed limit. Until I started college last year, I had never driven in a real city (if you can even call Pocatello a “real city”) or on the interstate.
And even last spring, I didn’t drive on the interstate because I was driving the Comet – a 1976 Mercury that my great-grandmother left my father in her will.
Now, I have a new car – one that can easily make the trip from Pocatello to Declo and back. I hate that drive.
Don’t get me wrong–its super easy. No traffic and straight roads, but its really boring. Luckily, 2011 produced some really great albums that have gotten me through that drive and much more.
Coldplay’s “Mylo Xyloto” – I have no clue what the name means, and if we trust Chris Martin (which I normally do), the band hasn’t a clue what the name means either. What I do know is that this album is magic. Its not an album like Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream”–it won’t have five number-one singles and most of its songs won’t be played at the junior high formal. This is the album to listen to when you need to escape from life. It’s a continuous journey that transports us to a different place. Maybe that’s why the title has no known meaning–you have to discover it for yourself.
Fave song: Us Against the World
Adele’s “21″: I know exactly why this album is called “21.” She wrote these songs when she was 21-years-old, and, as I get older, I realize how young that actually is. This is the work of someone much older–someone who has seen everything and understands the implications of life. She found a way with 2011′s top selling album to connect with us all. Her album is a quiet conversation with your best friend. And, while I would love to live next door to Adele, to be her friend, I also need her to be heartbroken so we can have more stunning albums like this one.
Fave song: Someone Like You
Maroon 5′s “Hands All Over”: I will fondly remember 2011 as the year I fell madly, deeply, in love with Adam Levine. It all started when I told me he was never going to leave my bed…just kidding. Now, this is an album that has had number-one singles and will be played at the junior high formal. This album is one of the best for driving in the car–it mixes upbeat songs like Moves Like Jagger and Misery with sweet songs like Just A Feeling and How. You could call it superficial compared with heartfelt albums like “21″ and “Mylo Xyloto” but sometimes that’s exactly what you need.
Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way”: Every summer, my family loads up the suburban and embarks on a journey to Southern California, a 13-hour drive. Last summer, we made the decision to make the trip in a single day beginning when my parents and siblings were released from school. Luckily, Lady Gaga’s new album had been released earlier that week; I bought it in preparation of the long drive. Around Vegas, everyone except my father and I had fallen asleep. I popped in the CD (we’d been saving for a moment of real need) and we listened to it for the rest of the drive. Something I’ll never forget: my dad putting his paws up for Lady Gaga. It could be called over-the-top, maybe sacrilegious, but always fun. She’s stunned us in meat dresses and giant eggs–the only way to top herself was to show up as a man. It’s Gaga’s world…the rest of us just live in it.
Fave song: You and I (Disclaimer – its a weird video, but one of the better love songs of all time)
I’m thankful for my car…honestly I still haven’t figured out how I convinced my parents to let me have it. I’m sure glad I have amazing parents–I am more thankful every time I drive it. Even better – it has a heater in it. After driving the Comet around all last winter, I understand how much I love that heater.
I’m thankful for imagination.
I’m thankful for friends like Alexis Standley who make me feel better when I really just want to be sad. I’m thankful that Ashlie Bohn likes to watch Glee and Harry Potter with me instead of doing homework.
I’m thankful for curly hair. I love being able to shake my head a little bit when I get out of the shower and have my hair look like I actually put effort into it.
I’m thankful that I sit next to a nice person in every one of my classes. I hate sitting by myself in class.
I’m thankful that all my professors are willing to help me. With 18 credits, it is a HUGE advantage that all my professors know my name.
I’m thankful my dad made me start wearing high heels to school every day. Now, he did say that boys would be more interested if I was taller, and I think boys will be dumb regardless of how tall I am. (In the boys’ defense, I’m sure girls can be bratty, too.) However, after a week of pushing through the pain of high heels and make-up and contacts (I even quit wearing my totally legit Zooey Deschanel glasses) I have found that all of those things have made me like myself more. I wake up earlier to make myself pretty, so I am not just rolling out of bed and going to class. I’m more prepared, always feel confident and respect myself more. That respect is more important than any boy’s.
I’m thankful for Starbucks Peppermint Hot Chocolate. It’s delicious.
I’m thankful for this pair of old, sale-rack J. Crew jeans that I’m wearing right now. I wear them about three times a week. They are really cute but still super comfy. And they go good with heels.
I’m thankful for Pinterest. Except when I’m supposed to be doing homework.
I’m thankful for Facebook. See Pinterest.
I’m thankful for Grandma Cheryl. She raised my mother (aka my hero) which I suspect was not exactly an easy job. She buys me groceries when I don’t want to ask my mom for more money, and she does my laundry when I fail to do it for more than three months. And she does it better than anyone in the world. She always has extra gloves at cold football games, and is ALWAYS happy to see me. She always makes sure I have shampoo and Diet Coke, and she is good at making me feel better when I’m mad or sad or stressed. She likes to discuss Grey’s Anatomy with me on Friday mornings and lets me steal her books. She’s wonderful!
I’m thankful that I’m going to college.
I’m thankful for music. And I’m thankful my roommates remind me that I shouldn’t sing in public.
After seeing all of my friends post on either Facebook or their blogs about what they are thankful for, I decided to jump on the bandwagon.
First, I am thankful for my family.
You may all think you have the best family in the world, but I know for a fact that I have them.
Mom…Even when I’m mean (and I’m speaking for Chloe, too) you are still my hero. Thank you for raising me to be the best possible person I can be and to never cut corners. I’m thankful that you always remind me to “choose happy” and that “nice matters.” Even when I’m stressed, even when you’re stressed, I always know that you love me. Thank you for teaching me how to work hard and how to help people. I’m thankful I have a mom that is always there to help out others.
Dad….Thank you for always answering the phone (even when its late and you really just want to go to sleep!) and telling me the truth, no matter what. Thank you for loving football and teaching me to love it, too. I’m thankful to have someone stay up and watch dvr’d games with…I feel a little bit crazy when I have to do that alone. Thank you for always believing in me and my potential…even when I don’t.
Chloe….You are my best friend. Even when you use all my gas and get my car dirty. I still haven’t figured out how you ended up getting smarter than me, but I’m sure glad you’re there to answer my questions I have about the crazy things boys do! I’m thankful that you let my dog sleep with you, and I’m thankful that you make my hair look cute. I’m thankful for you even when we don’t get along. I have always said that God knew exactly what he was doing when he paired us up.
Christian…I love you. You are the best little brother in the entire world. Sometimes I may act mad when you follow me around, but, honestly, I love being reminded that a boy as cute as you always loves me. Watching you play football and pass the Sacrament has kind of freaked me out; I don’t want you to grow up! Thank you for watching movies that Chloe thinks she is too cool for and always hugging me before I leave for school.
I’m thankful for Grandparents that slip you money before you head off to school.
I’m thankful for Grandparents that always make sure that you know that they love you.
I’m thankful for Diet Coke. I’m trying to limit myself, so I am becoming even more thankful when I get it.
I’m thankful for Coldplay, The Script, Sara Bareilles and Maroon 5. They always make me feel better.
Lady Gaga…thank you for making that awful drive from Pocatello to Declo (and from Declo to Pocatello) a little more bearable.
I’m thankful that I have People magazine on my Nook, so I can read it during boring classes but it looks like I am actually reading a textbook.
I’m thankful for Makyla.
You don’t find your favorite person on a regular basis, so I am glad that I have been able to hold on to her. Really, how often do you find someone that will sleep outside the movie theater just so you can get midnight Harry Potter tickets? Side note…she didn’t even really love Harry Potter before I started hauling her to all the movies with me. I’m thankful she always calls me back and listens to me cry.
I’m thankful for Harry Potter. It made me love books and want to be a writer.
I’m thankful for my iPod.
I’m thankful for college football. At the end of the week, sometimes I just need to yell at the TV and confess my love for Andrew Luck.
I’m thankful for Glee and Grey’s Anatomy and New Girl.
I’m thankful for Idaho State University and all the people that believe in me here.
I’m thankful for Disney Princesses.
I’m thankful for old friends.
I’m thankful for new friends.
I’m thankful for the Gospel. I’m thankful I have a bathroom floor that I can pray on, and I’m thankful for a Heavenly Father that listens and helps me get off the bathroom floor. I’m thankful I get to go to church on Sundays and strengthen my testimony and watch my prayers be answered. I’m thankful for the knowledge that someone loves me no matter what and has a plan for my life.
I’m thankful for those moments when you reconnect with someone from the past and you realize that they will always be there.
I’m thankful I learned to “Keep Calm and Carry On.”
I’m thankful for big dreams.
I’m thankful that big dreams can change.
I’m thankful for Ugg boots. Even if my dad says they’re ugly.
I’m thankful for a great job!
I’m thankful for my fantastic roommates.
I’m thankful for Christmastime. I’m thankful for watching Miracle on 34th Street with Chloe. I’m thankful for making delicious treats with my mom. I’m thankful for my dad building fires. I’m thankful that Christian makes all of sleep in the same bed on Christmas Eve. I’m thankful to get to see all my family.
I’m thankful that I have lots of people that love me.
I’m thankful for new shoes.
I’m thankful for little cousins that remind me that I am still a kid.
I’m thankful for cousins in general.
I’m thankful I can wake up every morning and see how amazing my life is.
I have to admit that I have pretended to be a mac-hater from time to time. I say they are harder to use and people only like them because of their sleek advertising. I also have to admit that I only said most of that because of jealousy. I would kiss a snake if it meant I could be writing this blog post on a MacBook Air.
Steve Jobs said, “Leave a dent in the universe.”
And that he did. Jobs was not content to only build an accessible personal computer; he had to make it beautiful. Why stick with desktops when he could revolutionize laptops? No one really needs an iPad, but he made it, so we bought it.
Not to mention the best smartphone and line of MP3 players on the market. Oh, and he saved the music industry that was on its way to extinction.
In his spare time, he took us to infinity and beyond.
Most of that happened in the past decade.
Jobs was born to unwed graduate students who put him up for adoption at birth; his first set of prospective parents turned him down in lieu of a baby girl. Worried his education was too expensive, he dropped out after one semester at Reed College in Oregon. He started Apple, Inc. in his parent’s garage after selling his Volkswagon van for start-up capital.
In 1985, he was fired from the company he started. During the next 12 years, he bought Pixar and started NeXT computers. In 1997, NeXT was bought from Apple, Inc. and Jobs made his ascent back into power. In mid-2004, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer–he was initially told that the disease would take his life in three-to-six months. The tumor was later found to be rare but treatable.
“Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose,” said Jobs in his 2005 Stanford University commencement speech.
Jobs also underwent a liver transplant in 2009. He took multiple leaves of absence during the past couple of years due to his poor health before resigning this August.
Jobs’ is a story that can inspire the mac guy in all of us. No matter how many times he was kicked down, he found a way to not only rise back up but to rise a little higher. He lived to see Apple, Inc. become the most valuable company in the world, but when Jobs returned to Apple, Inc. in 1996, the company was struggling to stay afloat. No college education? No problem. Getting fired from your own company? No problem. Pancreatic cancer? No problem.
Jobs thought about everything differently. Dropping out of college gave him the chance to learn about calligraphy. Getting fired from Apple led him to buying Pixar. He believed that there was more to technology than function; it should be beautiful. He saw his own death as an opportunity for others.
“Death is very likely the single best invention of life. It’s life’s change agent. It clears out the old and makes way for the new,” said Jobs.
In honor of possibly the most influential person of our generation, go out into the world and look through different eyes. Make the world more beautiful. Be crazy enough to change things. Don’t be afraid to fail.
