I try to be witty...

The Daniel Fast 2012

2012-01-27T22:26:00.006-05:00

Every year my church does a fast called the Daniel Fast. I never really did, b/c honestly, I didn't think I could. No meats and sweets and dairy and bread for 21 days? Oh hhhhhhhhhhh no! But come 2012, I thought I would give it a try. I've been known for not keeping up with things and I figured this was the perfect start to turn myself around. If you don't know about the fast, you can read about it here, I won't go into detail, b/c well, I just don't want to bore you. My interpretation of it is regaining your focus as you go into the new year- almost like a resolution, which I am also bad at. But that is a story for another day.

Most people start the fast on January 1st and end on January 21st. Some do the strict regimen and some alter it and fast certain things, while still eating others. Some fast facebook or TV or the internet or other technological distractions. I decided to start mine on the 2nd as I was still celebrating New Yr's on, you know, New Yr's. I was going to have as many m&m's and bacon as I could before starting this thing. I decided to fast meats, sweets, and bread related things.
So I started out pretty good. I didn't have coffee. I didn't have chocolate. I didn't have meat, etc, etc, etc. The problem was that I started feeling sickly right before New Yr's eve and I developed a pretty bad cold. I couldn't breathe and my sinuses felt like someone was stabbing 8,000 large knives in them. My mom made chicken soup and how could I say no to that when I felt like a truck had run me over? And then I had pizza. And I felt pretty bad for screwing up, but I figured I probably wasn't the only one messing up. This was my first time doing the fast, so I cut myself a little slack. Even though I was sick, I still managed to keep up with itand once I felt better, I made more of an effort to follow the rules.

The fast proved to be much harder than I thought it would be. Going shopping for food became a daunting task. Even though I normally check out the ingredients and contents in food, I had to go an extra step to make sure there wasn't any sugar in something. Do you know how much sugar is put into products? It's not even needed! I seriously thought I was going to go crazy for 21 days, but...something told me I could do this. That there are harder things in life. That when it comes to discipline, it doesn't always come easy. I stuck to eating salad(if you know me, you know I make a pretty sick salad!), soup, rice and beans, oatmeal, fruits and veggies, you know... It wasn't completely different from my regular diet, but it wasn't like I could eat a nutella sandwich or grab a cup of coffee whenever I felt like it. But then there was that day at work that when my boss bought us a new coffee maker and we got coffee as a Christmas gift from one of our associates and, and, and, I had a cup of coffee! Oh the horror! Don't judge me! I felt guilty and promised myself it wouldn't happen again. But then, it happened again and then again. So, I let myself have one cup a week while I was on the fast. Pretty sure I was bending the rules to let myself get away with things. Not saying it's right- so make sure your kids don't read this!

Also, I think there's something that the Daniel fast people forgot about- that 1 week(or sometimes 2) when a woman goes crazy. You know, when she wants to eat basically every kind of junk food ever made and she's pretty sure that even if it's a house full of food, she can still eat it all. You know, that pesky "aunt" with the initials P.M.S that comes to stay with you every month. I think they forgot about that. I experienced this the very last week of my fast. Let me say, it made things 10978156981641 times more difficult. Oh. I probably didn't tell you that I'm pretty comfortable talking about my period. Yes. If you're uncomfortable reading this, I suggest you leave now. In fact, just don't come back to my page. Ever. B/c I will probably have more posts in which I talk about my period. So, do leave if you can't handle it. I'll give you a few minutes. Still here? Ok. Good. As I was saying...I wanted ice cream. I wanted chocolate. I wanted coffee with almond joy creamer. I wanted bacon. I was ready to raid the grocery store and just eat everything right then and there. You think I'm lying? I'm not. Periods make women crazy. Crazy enough to eat ice cream out of the carton with pieces of bacon hanging out of their mouth. Yes. It's a wild scene, but we just don't care. Feed us what we want and we'll be happy. And even then, we can't promise that we'll be totally satisfied. So yeah, imagine that craving is happening to you and you can't do a single thing about it. Nope. Not one thing. You almost think that shooting yourself would be a better option.(Totally kidding.) I don't know how I did it, but somehow I managed to stick it out one more week. When it was finished, I had my friends over to celebrate. We had cupcakes, candy, and BACON!!! It was a good night.

If I learned anything while on this fast, it was to really watch what I ingest and that I can eat healthier. My knowledge of all the junk that is put into food was increased tremendously. I was reminded that I can do anything I put my mind to with discipline and perseverance AND that I am human and I will make mistakes. Through it all, all I could do was laugh. Kinda like life. =)

Love...

2011-09-17T11:06:00.004-04:00

This is a response I wrote to an article that was posted in my college's newspaper back in 2005(I think).
It's funny how I was just going through my email drafts and this was in there. I think that's when I was just starting to realize that loving is a good way to reach people. I have to say I'm quite proud of my 21 year old brain.
I'm sure I'll get mixed reviews on this. Should you choose to respond, please choose your words carefully. Your comment will be deleted if you get defensive, or offensive, or just downright stupid.

"I would like to respond to the articles put in the February 22 edition of the news paper, titled "Anti-gay sentiment on campus" and "Crusade against Campus Crusade." As a former campus crusade member, I was completely appalled at some of the words that were harshly spoken spoken to these people. No wonder why why people generalize christians to be such bad, hypocritical people! But, let it be know that you shouldn't have to generalize all christians and perceive them to be such evil people based on one experience.

Being raised a christian most of my life, and having my own personal relationship with God, I have always been taught that you are to be loving towards all people, regardless of their race, social status, sexual preference, etc. While I may not agree with homosexuality, I will never ever judge a person because of that. A few of my friends are lesbians and they know of my beliefs and convictions, but due to the fact that I don't judge them for it, we continue to be friends. You see, I never see it my place to judge anyone. I don't place myself on some kind of pedestool just because I'm a christian. I don't think I'm any better than you. I also don't find it right to go around preaching at people, interrupting their conversations, telling them that they're gonna go to hell if they don't become a christian right this second. Nobody is even going to want to be your friend, none the less become a christian, if someone acts that way towards them.

Let me also say that christians shouldn't have to be stuck into one category, because of one person's experience. Not all of us are the same. Not all of us are hypocritical. Not all of us have demeaning characters. Not all of us attack people with our beliefs. And because of that, I ask you to respect and not judge those of us who are not like that. I am one of those people who is friendly and non judgmental. I would never force my religion on anyone. That's just not who I am.

What I believe in is not a fairy tale. It's very real to me. I'm sure that there are things in everyone's lives that are real to them; does that give you the right to call it a fairy tale? I wouldn't call what you believe in a fairytale. I may not agree with it, but I certainly have no right to call it that. I don't hide behind my bible and I don't prey on people and make them my targets. I believe that we all have faults, christian or no christian. Which, again, is why I make no claims to be better than anyone."
Don't remember if I wrote anymore after that, but that was my heart. Still is.

Me? Nooooo.

2011-08-21T18:47:00.000-04:00

On February 8, 2011, 10 days before my 27th birthday, I got a caramel macchiato(did I spell that right?) from Starbucks. It's my favorite drink. I think I would do backflips and a song and dance if I could get one for free. When I get coffee and bring it to work, it takes me pretty much the whole morning to drink it. No lie. Probably b/c my hands are so occupied doing other things, like answering the phone and typing semi important business proposals. Ok. I don't type business proposals. I type letters that threaten collections to people if they don't pay their bill. So I was at work on that lovely, cold February day sipping on my macchiato when all of a sudden I feel this strange pressure in my chest. And then I felt it go down my left arm. And then I thought "OMG I AM JUST 10 DAYS SHORT OF 27 AND I AM HAVING A HEART ATTACK! OMG. I AM TOO YOUNG TO HAVE A HEART ATTACK. OMG I AM GOING TO DIE."
Overdramatic? No. Not really. I think those thoughts were rational. I decided I wasn't going to make a big deal and threw the coffee away. The pressure slowly let up and I chalked it up to the fact that it was the espresso in the coffee. But as the day went on, I felt worse. Then on my way home from work, I had another episode, this time with shortness of breath. Again, my thoughts were: "OMG I AM JUST 10 DAYS SHORT OF TURNING 27 AND I HAVING A HEART ATTACK. OMG. I AM TOO YOUNG TO HAVE A HEART ATTACK. OMG. I AM GOING TO DIE." I arrived home and tried to calm down, telling myself that it was nothing. But, there was a small voice in the back of my head telling me that I should probably get checked out. I decided to tell my mom. She yelled at me for telling her so late in the night and that if we went to the emergency room then, we would have been waiting for hours on end. I decided to wait until the next morning to see how I felt and would then make a final decision on if I should go to the E.R.
Morning arrived and I woke up still feeling the pressure and occasional shortness of breath. I then decided it was best to go to the E.R. They pretty much took me in right away. They did an E.K.G. and brought me to a different area while I waited for the results. I had several thoughts going through my head, the most prominent ones being "How the heck am I going to react if I had a heart attack so young? Is my life about to take a turn for the worse? I know I don't always exactly eat right, but I am fairly healthy, so why is this happening?" The E.K.G came back normal. A nurse then came and asked me 8,000 questions
N:"Do you have history of heart attacks or heart problems in your family?"
Me:"My grandparents, but they are much older. My sister had some issues, my mom has a heart murmur, but other than that, no."
N:"Do you have panic attacks?"
Me: "No."
N: "Are you depressed?" (My thought was: "This isn't a psychiatric ward!" But I guess it was necessary.)
Me: "No."
And so on and so forth about my medical history. Then she took some blood. And then we waited. And waited. And waited. At some point, they asked me for a urine sample. It's always fun trying to pee in a cup. When you're a girl. But I braved it like a champ. And we waited. And waited. And waited. I had a P.A. come and ask me the same questions. And then a doctor. The doctor tapped into one thing that the P.A. seemed to have forgotten-the fact that I was considered borderline anemic, even though my iron levels had been recently pretty under control. I thought we were finally getting somewhere, but nope, more waiting. I guess when they discover that your case isn't that serious, they like to leave you hanging. So, I was in the E.R. for probably over 4 hours. It was fun. I hope to do it again. Just kidding. They told me that nothing was wrong and that if I still had problems, to visit my primary doctor and they would hook me up with a 24 hour monitor to test my heart's frequencies and what not.
I thought I was ok, but then I was still having symptoms. I met with the doctor and she felt that the hospital did a good workup, but was willing to give me the monitor to make sure that I wasn't dying. She didn't say that, but that's how I felt. So about a week later, I got the monitor. I had all these little sensors attached to me and it felt like I was carrying around a cell phone from 1990. I had to keep a small diary if I felt any symptoms or anything out of the ordinary.
Then the results came back.
And I was just fine.
At this point, I was extremely frustrated b/c I was still feeling crappy, I couldn't have coffee(oh yeah...I didn't drink coffee for a month. They told me to lay off the caffeine until they figured out what was wrong.), and all kind of thoughts were going through my head. I was happy that I was ok, but still wanted answers. The doctor referred me to a pulminologist b/c they thought that maybe there was an issue with my lungs that was causing the pressure. Their results came back fine. I met with my primary again and was then referred to a cardiologist. And I was still just fine. At this point, there were really no other doctors that I could go see. We had pretty much exhausted all efforts. I had done every google search possible to see if maybe the doctors were wrong, but they basically all said what the doctors had said.

So. I decided to let it be and give it up to God. I asked the people that were praying for me to still continue to keep me in their prayers. Looking back at it, the only thing it really could have been was that I was stressed. I was stressed and it was effecting me internally. I had things going on that I won't discuss here, but I didn't think it was that serious. Apparently, it might have been. All I can really do is thank God that I really didn't have a heart attack a few days before I turned 27. I think it was a sign that maybe I should better listen to my body.
If you get anything from this post, I would hope it would be this: that when you have something going on and you can't forsee the outcome/future, you have to fully rely and trust on God. I know that I know that I know it's hard, but you gotta do it. In every area of life. And the other thing would be to stay healthy. I also know that's super hard. I have a sweet tooth. I like all things bad for you. While you're still here on earth, try to eat everything in moderation. Listen to your body as much as you can. It will tell you when something is wrong. Be good to yourself.
That's all. I don't know why I felt compelled to share this story, so I just did. =)

I'm not perfect.

2011-07-24T21:55:00.000-04:00

I've been feeling like this entry has been building up inside of me for a while. So here goes nothing. Sorry if it doesn't make sense. Try to read through the lines. Or something.....
For 3 years now, I've felt like I'm being pruned. In a couple of days, it will be 3 years that I returned from doing a year long internship with Americorp in Washington, DC. MY plan...let me say that again, MY PLAN, was go move to New York City on a human services salary. I loved it there(still do) and wanted to move there with every fiber of my being. All of my friends were like "Why and how are you gonna live on that money?", but I ignored it and kept going. I applied for jobs for a little while and didn't get responses back. Within a few months, I felt like my heart was aching for DC. I had grown to love that city in ways that I didn't know until I left it. I went to visit some friends that were still living there to see if I for sure, for sure wanted to move back. And for sure, for sure I did.
I began to look for jobs and start the applying process. I didn't hear back from places, so I got discouraged. My applying started to lag and I was wondering if I was even meant to go back. But then I received like 3 different confirmations that I was. Somehow, I still lagged in the applying department. Fast forward and I thought I was moving back, but it didn't happen. (That's a story for another time.)

I know the reason that I haven't moved back yet is due to some of my own shortcomings. I also believe that in my still living where I am, God has taught me a lot.
For example...
I've been shown that money is no object when it comes to God. You can save and save and save until you're blue in the face, but the fact of the matter is that you will always have bills. If God wants you somewhere, He will provide, no matter what.

I have been taught that we ALL have shortcomings. We ALL have issues we are trying to resolve. For a time in my life, I always felt like I was the only one who had problems, who didn't have a perfect family, who didn't have enough money, etc, etc, etc. But I have seen that I am not the only one who isn't perfect and in that I have been able to help others in different ways. I have never been a super judgmental person, but I think I am even less judgmental than I was before. Because we never know what a person has gone through and we can't believe what we hear from others. It's important to hear from that person themselves.

I have learned to let more of my personality shine through. I have been known to be the quiet, serious one most of my life. As I'm growing, I've become more silly. It just gets to the point where you just have to not care about what others think and just be yourself. The ones who love you will stay and the ones who don't can kick rocks!

I have learned to let go of the drama. I don't think this one really needs an explanation. LOL.

I have learned to be more giving. (See 2 posts down.)

I have learned that there is a big difference between quality and quantity. When I was younger, I always wanted more friends. I wanted to be one of those people that knew everyone. But I've been blessed with friends who are AMAZING! I don't think I've ever been happier in life in that area. I don't have the largest group of friends, but the ones that I do have are loving, supportive, and willing to give me a smackdown when needed. AND, we have some of the best times I have ever had in life. Sometimes all you need is to just sit down and have stupid conversations about anything and everything in life. Laughter is the best.

I have learned that I can still be used by God, even though I have my own junk to deal with. God is so funny that way. I just can't explain it, but maybe I don't really care to, because God knows what He's doing.

I guess that's it for now. I guess I just wanted to share what was on my heart...maybe that if you're in some sort of wilderness, God can still use you and still talk to you. He's still there, even if it doesn't feel like it. Stay encouraged and try your best to be hopeful, b/c when you're going through tough times, there is something miraculous and amazing waiting for you. Maybe this will speak to someone. That is all!!!

John Freida Wants to Poison Us All.

2011-06-20T22:09:00.007-04:00

Here's my first vlog. Please be nice to me, I feel like I look clueless in this video and it's probably b/c I was. The lighting is bad, I look tired and disheveled and why do I scratch so much? But like I said, if you like it, then you like, if you don't then you don't.

You want me to do what?

2011-04-04T20:10:00.002-04:00

I am not a giving person. I never really have been. I don't like this about myself. So, I asked God to help me to be more giving. To just be giving without even thinking about it. I'm slowly getting there.
I tend to think a lot and came to this conclusion. Or many conclusions. If you are a reader of my blog, you may have read that I grew up in not necessarily fortunate environments. I was poor. We didn't have a lot. When I began to make my own money, I went crazy. I made sure that I bought everything I wanted, and it was ALL MINE!!! MINE AND NO ONE ELSE'S. Finally, I was able to have something of my own! But, I started to see that it wasn't a healthy habit. I ignored it for a long time. A couple of years maybe. When my BFF and I first started became friends, she didn't have a job and I would pay for her food ALL THE TIME. I remember exploding one day saying "I'M SICK OF PAYING FOR EVERYONE!!" In reality, she was the only one who I was paying for and I knew it. She just laughed at me. I get embarrassed when I think about that. But hey, I was young and naive. =)
So maybe sometime last year, I started asking God to help me be more giving. My whole life I've been told that in order to give, you must receive back. I do agree that in some aspects, that may be true. Like for example, if you have a credit card, it's nice to have rewards, cash back, or frequent flier miles, ya heard!(I just realized that I don't have credit cards like that. What I am doing with my life?) But most of the time, I just want to be someone that says "Here. You can have it. I don't need it." or "Let me pay for your dinner." or "Let me give you some money." and not expect ANYTHING back. I've felt like a selfish $#@*&!+. I don't like having that mentality. I don't like holding something like that over a person's head. If they are unable to give back to you, then ok. If they are ungrateful to you, then that's another story. I think that as long as that have a grateful attitude towards you, it's all good. I know that God will reward me some way, some day, some how. I see little rewards every now and then that let me know that He's watching. You just have to give without thinking. I've been blessed to have people in my life that I can learn from! Thank you, Lord! =)

To slowly let go of my possessiveness, I started doing:
-Sponsoring my BFF while she's at IHOP(International House of Prayer. Not International House of Pancakes. Although, I would totally support that if she want to a school like that. Pancakes! Hello!). It may not be a lot, but to know that I'm helping her out makes me feel good. I try to add a little extra in there when possible, just cause.
-Give to ministries/organizations with a worthy cause.
-Give myself! My time! when people need me. I never used to be the kind of person that would help somebody move or organize or whatever. Or even offer without being asked! I must be crazy! I would make any and every excuse in the book that I could find.
-Giving away things. Especially those things that I don't really need or use and am just keeping around for the fact I own it. I am a whackadoo.

I'm sure bigger and better things will happen along the way, but I will end with this small example: One of my close BFFs came over yesterday(she inspired me to write this entry) and she forced me to make her coffee. Just kidding. She asked and I said ok. I gave her a travel mug to use since we were planning on going out. My cool looking, blue travel mug (When I buy things, I reach for the blue first since it's my favorite color. Along with teal). So we go out and she's using it and of course I expect her to give it back, right? Right. We were sitting in front of the oh so cozy fireplace at Panera and she says something to the effect of:
"You're gonna give me this mug." Actually, that is probably exactly what she said.
"Um. No I am not."
"Yes you are."
"No. I'm not."
She puts her pouty face on. "Yes, you are. You know you want to."
Seriously, I would have argued with her till kingdom come, but finally I let go and said: "You know what? You can keep it. I hardly ever use it anyway." Which is totally true b/c I am always rushing around like a maniac in the morning and never have time to make coffee. PLUS, it gives me an excuse to buy a fancy new one! LOL.
No, but really, I was happy to give to her. B/c it made her happy. She got to have something shiny(or maybe not so shiny) and new(well, new to her). What are friends for? Maybe someday she will reward me with a fancy new coffee machine. (Hint, hint!)

So all in all, just giving like you don't expect anything back. Like you were gonna die tomorrow. You can't take anything with you. Stop being so selfish. Life is short.

I want you to want me(Or at least like me. Please?)

2011-03-21T20:40:00.002-04:00

Growing up, I was not the most, shall we say, graceful. I had big awkward glasses, braces, and the wrong fashion sense. We all go through old pictures and cringe, right? I do that often and think to myself "My goodness, Christina. What the heck were you thinking?" But I also look at a girl who was different. Not so sure of herself. Shy(well, I still am). Quiet(Yep. Still am.). Scared(HA! Part of me still is.). But the one thing that stands out is the girl who thought so low of herself.

As a teenager, I went through a rough time of having low self esteem. I felt like no one liked me, and the ones that did, I didn't really give them a chance. I tried SO HARD to fit in with the supposed "IN" crowd at school. I tried to be something I wasn't. (Think for 2 seconds- can you imagine me as a "skater" back in 1998? Hard to imagine? Yep, b/c it wasn't supposed to be!) I tried to be a person that I wasn't. And in that came people who backstabbed me. Boy was I a mess. I guess I was screaming on the inside saying "WHO AM I!!!!" To make it worse, a girl that I thought was my good friend told me that she was only hanging out with me b/c she felt sorry for me. You may as well have taken me to a recycling center where they crush everything down to where it's as flat as a board, b/c that's what I felt like was happening to me.
I can't tell you exactly when it happened, but my healing may have started around 8th or 9th grade. I was at an overnight youth group event, probably the 30 hour famine. A girl I knew came up to me and just started praying for me- she hugged me for a long time and said "God wants you to know that He thinks you are so beautiful." I don't remember what else she said, but those words have always stayed with me. I cried like a 2 year old. I'm even tearing up as I type this. I was never the same after that. Obviously, I still struggle sometimes, but finding your self worth is priceless. I think it takes really knowing who you are and being just that. To be honest, it's an everyday struggle. There are times when I want to burst out in song, but don't b/c of the people I'm around. But then it comes to the point of who gives a crap! And there is something else that lies within this story.
FRIENDS.
They always say that things get better over time, right? I do believe that. For years, I felt like I didn't have friends. Probably not until I was in high school did I finally feel like I was getting somewhere. I have always loved having friends, but I don't think it was until I was in my mid twenties(crap, did I just admit that I'm in my late twenties?), that I realized the value of friendship. I am one of those people who pours myself into friendships. My friends are like extended family to me, so I feel like you have to be there through thick and thin. But sometimes, I just feel like I'm worn. Like I give myself and don't get recognition. (I'm not looking to be placed on a pedestal, but you get me?) Let me tell you a story:
A few months ago I went out to dinner with my friend. We'll call her J. We're talking and I don't remember how we got on the subject, but she said something to the effect of "I have to tell you something!" She went on to tell me that she had a dream. In this dream, she was being chased around her apartment complex by men in black. (Hehe! Men in Black!) She was scared, so she finally called 911 and an "ambulance" came, but it was the men in black again, tricking her and trying to shoot at her. Eventually the real ambulance came. The paramedic was helping her out and then, all of a sudden, there I was! I kept telling her "It's ok, J! It's ok!" We started to drive away and she was a hysterical mess. I pulled down the mirror and said "J! Look! You're still beautiful!" She then stopped and said "You're right! I am!" (Which is TOTALLY something J would say in real life!) She said that she couldn't figure out the dream for the life of her, so she finally decided to ask someone that was able to interpret dreams. This person simply asked her "Is she your friend?" "Well yeah!", J answered. The person said "Well. I would said that it means she's a good friend." J said she started to think about and it was then that she really truly realized that I was. J's older sister is my BFF. I won't go into detail, but she went back through the years and saw how I was always there for A(who is my BFF), NO MATTER WHAT, even when I wanted to punch her in the face. She also said that she realized that I'm the kind of friend who you may not always talk to, but you always know that I'll be there should you need something.
Can I tell you something? I cried. A lot. Right there in the restaurant. B/c it was something that GOD HIMSELF said. Like I said before, I pour myself into friendships. Sometimes, you just need to hear it. YOU'RE A GOOD FRIEND. I APPRECIATE YOU.
Maybe it lies in the self esteem thing, but when people tell me something like that, it practically brings me to tears. I don't always let them out, but I'm telling you, I'm feeling it on the inside. For a long time, I just wanted to be liked for who I was and told it too. I can finally say that I have been blessed by none other than God to have friends that I can call ACTUAL FRIENDS and who actually take the time to say "You're a good friend. I love you. Thank you." and so on and so forth.
I know I said a lot and was all over the place, but I think my point is that: You have to get to the point where you don't care any more. It's hard, but you have to get that inner healing. You just have to be yourself. The people that stick around are the ones that matter and they will let you know that they love you, through words and actions. Friends are hard to come by, so let it be about quality and not quantity.
Ok, I hope that made some kind of sense. I told myself I would get to bed early, so good night!

Money. That's what I want.

2011-03-02T22:52:00.005-05:00

I'm not gonna lie to you. I like having money. Who doesn't? Come on. Don't pretend like you don't like having it. But it's true what they say- the more you have, the more you want. I'm about to get a little vulnerable here.
First off, let me say, I'm an emotional spender. When something bad happens, a new dress(or shirt, or hoodie, or shoes) makes me feel better. I'm not really sure if that's healthy, but that's another topic that we will explore at a later date. That's when I'll let my psychological training come out.
And I'll begin to tell you my tale here- in other posts I have written about how I grew up poor and have felt the need to fill the gap by buying clothes. I go in and out of these phases where I do really good and then I have a breakdown and buy a lot of things. (I need to find a healthy balance.) This has caused me to get into a little bit of debt. I was doing reaaalllyyy good for a while. Then. It. Happened. I have been wanting to move to DC for a while. I haven't b/c I'm lazy and I can't seem to find anything good when I do look. This past September, I FINALLY got contacted to go on not one, but TWO interviews!!! I was so excited and nervous. I thought that my chance had finally come. I felt like both went really well. I had wanted one job over the other and funny thing was that the job I wanted turned me down. So. After I sent out my thank you letters, I get a response back from the job I didn't really want. (Actually, I had felt like that interview went better, but I really had wanted the other one!) They tell me that they were very impressed with my interview(I mean, what's not to be impressed about, right? ;) ) and they felt that I would be an asset to their organization. I immediately thought that I had been offered the job. I was so excited that I started texting everyone and their mother. Finally I was moving!! My time had come. ERRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTTTT! WRONG! Come to find out, I had to actually be offered the job by their HR department- the people who interview you just recommend that you get hired. UM. What? My first thought was "Oh. Crap. I told all these people that I was leaving and now I might not be? Crap." And my second thought was "Why didn't she tell me this when she was saying that she felt I would be an asset?" And my third thought was "What kind of screwed up system do they have?" I didn't get the job. I was crushed. I don't think I've taken such a hard blow in a long time. So what did I do? I think I bought all of Old Navy. I was sad for a while. I didn't really let on, b/c I was trying to look on the bright side, telling myself that God had something bigger and better. That only lasted for so long. I let myself continue to buy. For a while. Even after I felt better. Recently, I noticed that my spending kinda got out of control. IE: Using a credit card for a starbucks purchase. Either you have the actual money in your bank account, or you don't. Or you use your card and pay it back right away.
I felt it was time to do something that I have thought about doing for a long time.

Why have a card that I can just keep racking up a balance on? I've been trying to get myself out of debt for a while and haven't done well. So here's the first step. I can do whatever I set my mind to doing. It's gonna take time, but I want to be able to buy a house someday, go on a trip around Europe. I don't want to have to worry about what money I owe to credit cards. All in time.

Losing yourself for a moment or lacking common sense?

2011-01-12T23:07:00.002-05:00

I consider myself to be a decently smart person. I can't do a statistics problem to save my life and I can't really tell you what a politics term means without having to google it on my blackberry. But, I do have a college degree and I'm a thinker. To get through 4 years of college, you have to have even at least the tiniest bit of smartness in you. (We're all smart in different ways, I think.)And there are those times when I lack common sense. I'd like to think it's not too often, but I do have my moments. I'm just glad that I'm not one of those people who is SO book smart that their common sense just disappeared into thin air. Example: Yale students who cross 3 lanes of oncoming traffic without even looking. But anyway, let me tell you a time when I should have used my common sense.
My best friend came home for Christmas. I hadn't seen her in months. We made plans to go to Dunkin' Donuts. I know, you're thinking "Why would you go to Dunkin' Donuts to just hang out?" Yeah, I wasn't exactly thrilled at the idea, but she wanted to go b/c she doesn't have one close to her new location so I agreed. It was kind of late and I knew that I had to get up early the next day. The smart thinking Christina would have taken her contacts out, giving them a chance to get clean and my eyes a chance to breathe. I often wear my glasses at night when I know I'll probably be out late. My contacts like to betray me at night. It's understandable though, b/c technically, I'm only supposed to wear them for, mmmm, 8 hours a day? I probably wear them for well over 12 hours sometimes. But that's a topic for another time.
So, we're sitting there at D&D, and I start to feel my contacts getting dry. I figured I would be ok, thinking that her sister had some solution back at their house. Well, her sister hasn't really worn contacts in a while and the only solution she had was a couple years expired. Given the problems I had in the past with my eyes, I wasn't about to risk it. But you know what? I risked it. I risked it b/c I had to drive myself home and I needed to see clearly. I braced myself for the sting. It miraculously worked. No sting. But that was in the left eye. I usually take the right eye contact out first. Which is what I did. But, when I took it out, I dropped it. I FREAKIN' DROPPED IT. And you know what? I COULDN'T FIND IT!!!!!! I was on my hands and knees in their bathroom attempting to find a very small sliver of plastic. A very small sliver of plastic that is essential to me seeing properly and also VERY EXPENSIVE! Probably needless to say, I was unsuccessful. I went downstairs so I could hang out with my BFF, her sister, and her sister's friend. The whole time I'm thinking "Crap, crap, crap. How the heck am I going to drive home?"
I don't know how I did it, but I did it. You know how? I drove with my contactless eye closed. I drove like that for the whole 15 minute ride. I know that doesn't seem like a lot, but it freakin' is when the only time you really keep your eyes completely shut is when YOU'RE SLEEPING!!!!! And seriously, people, we take our vision for granted. Do you have any idea how hard it is to see with only one eye? Especially while driving? My peripheral vision was so off that I was scared that I was going to veer into the wrong lane on 95. If you've ever driven on the newly constructed 95, then you know exactly what I mean. So. All that said- I lacked common sense that day. Common sense would have been me taking my contacts out and putting my glasses on before I left the house. But clearly, my mind was somewhere else that day. And my friend's sister made a good point- it's just a good idea to carry a case around with you should you ever really, seriously need to take your contacts out. I think I should go back to doing that......

You should not wear leggings(or tights) as pants.

2010-12-03T21:50:00.008-05:00

I consider myself to be a pretty fashionable person. When leggings first came out(or came back, is what I really should say), I was skeptical. It brought me back to being 10 years old wearing VERY bright colored leggings. I was not ready to get back into wearing something like that again. Let me rephrase that: I was NOT going to wear anything like that EVER again. But I began to see some people wear them with class, so I decided that I would give them a try, but only in neutral colors. So I bought a pair. I wore them under a dress that was a little too short to be worn by itself. I thought I looked cute!
But, I started to see people wearing them around as pants. IN PUBLIC! I was appalled. Let me tell you something ladies, wearing leggings as pants is NOT OK. The correct way to wear them is with a tunic or dress, having your butt FULLY covered. Wearing as pants is just asking for people, particularly males who can't control their eyes(not saying all males can't control themselves), to look at your butt. And trust me, they will study it. But, I dunno, maybe you are that kind of person who likes for people to look at your butt. Ok then. Go for it. Be my guest. Why don't you wear a pair of sweats that say "Juicy" on the butt too? Really, don't be upset when you catch someone checking your behind out, b/c you put yourself in that situation. Am I sounding harsh? TOO BAD. Too many people these days don't leave any room for imagination. I understand if you're full figured or have curves- that's not really something you can help, but the point is that you can still be fashionable and modest at the same time. I'm not saying you need to be covered from head to toe.
But, do you really want to look like this?

That's just wrong on so many levels.
Also, tights do not qualify as pants, either. Tights are see through-you wear them under things.
You don't wear them like this:

I'm not really sure what that girl was thinking, but if that were my daughter, I would not let her walk out of the house like that. I almost feel bad.

Now, ladies, this is one of the CORRECT ways to wear leggings:

Sorry if I come off as judgmental, but really, I'm posting this b/c I'm tired of seeing TMI when it comes to body parts. If you want to wear leggings with a t-shirt, wear it to bed or around the house, not in public.

Lastly, I leave you with this.

Product Review #1

2010-10-16T12:17:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I was thinking about what the next topic should be for my blog. I seriously had no clue. And then a thought came to mind. Product reviews. As stated in my last post, I spend money kind of foolishly sometimes. If I see a product that looks like it will benefit me, I will probably give it at least one try. Today I am going to blog about my new favorite lotion.
I battle with dry skin, particularly eczema. I've tried to find many different lotions that would help me. For a while, I used this lotion. I thought it was great, until one day I realized that it didn't fully set into my skin. So, if I happened to get an itch, the lotion would end up in my nails. Who wants that? That's gross and a waste of money if you ask me. I also tried some body butter. While, I smelled great, it felt like I had taken a stick of butter and just slabbed it on. Yeah, that's a GREAT way to feel underneath your clothes. I also tried various lotions from Victoria's Secret(they smell realllllyyyyy good, but don't quite do the job on moisturizing.), Bath and Body Works, and numerous other drugstore brand lotions. Around this time last year, I got HOOKED on :

O.M.G. Not only does this stuff moisturize, but the smell made me feel like God took me up to preview heaven for just a few minutes. I bought it consistently for a few months(well, maybe close to a year) and used it everyday. But then I had a rude awakening. I was spending $15 every time. While I felt like I was getting what I paid for, I knew that I couldn't keep spending that every few weeks. So, I tried to take advantage and stock up when they had the buy 3, get 3 free sale. Pretty decent deal if you ask me. I made myself stop buying it and use it occasionally. So, I was back to the search of finding a good lotion.
One day I was in my beloved Target and stumbled upon....TADA!!!

The first thing that caught my eye was Itch Defense. I was constantly finding that I was always itchy during the day, no matter how much lotion I put on. For a while, I thought that maybe I was allergic to something. I even switched to wholesome no fragrance detergent, but that didn't seem to do the trick. The second thing that caught my eye was National Eczema Association Accepted on the bottom. Um. I can't tell you how fast I grabbed that thing off of the shelf. I couldn't wait to try it. The next morning after my shower, I put it on and waited for it to work its magic. The whole day went by and not a single inch of itch. PRAISE THE LORD!! I waited a while before I could say that it actually did it's job. With my luck, I would tell somebody about it and the next day I would break out in hives from it. (That's an extreme example, but you get my drift.) Lucky for me, the lotion actually proved itself. I am itch free! (That sounds like an advertisement for an STD treatment.)And also moisturized without feeling like I took some butter and slabbed it all over me.
Ah, it's the small victories in life. =)

Ever think about it?

2010-10-04T18:12:00.003-04:00

If you know anything about me, whether it be that you know me so well you can already finish my sentence, or whether it be so little that you know I love peanut butter and chocolate together(I just told you one thing about me! You can mark that off your list!), you know that I like to shop. I mean, if I let myself, I will rack up and max out the limit on each and every credit card that I own. "What?! You so crazy!" you say? "Oh no, I'm not lying." I say. I usually keep it at $200 or less when I actually decide to buy everything that I like, but if I completely indulged in my love for fashion, I would have to file bankruptcy, for realz. There are times when I do go overboard, but there are times when I pass my favorite stores(a free brownie if you can guess what they are!) and keep passing. I feel an ultimate satisfaction when I can walk by and look and say "I don't need any more clothes. I don't need anymore clothes." Sad thing(could be a good thing too) is that I also feel ultimate satisfaction when I find some really cute clothes(even better when they are on SUPER CLEARANCE!) I try really hard to keep my urges under control. Sometimes it doesn't work. I am a human being. But this got me thinking. Why do I feel the need to have the latest pieces? You could of course say that I just have an innate fashion sense and need to keep up with the times. You could say that I just love the thrill of shopping. You could say that I like to look good. You could probably keep going.......
I think it all comes down to one thing. Are you ready? This is the true confession of Christina Lastnamenoneofyourbusiness. (I feel like I should be saying this in front of a camera with tears streaming down my face.) I grew up poor. At one point and time, my family was below the poverty level. My parents divorced when I was young, which caused my mom to have to raise 3 kids by herself. Thankfully, my grandmother took us in so we had a roof over our heads. I went though years of endless shopping trips to thrift stores(Goodwill, Salvation Army being 2 of the main places), discount clothing stores, and digging for treasures in other peoples' garbage bags of hand me downs. While there is NOTHING wrong with this...I mean shoot, I have NO SHAME in shopping at those places or getting free clothes now that I am an adult...but my point is that there were times when I just wanted to have something new, something that didn't fall apart easily. I knew my mom did the best she could and I'm forever grateful. As soon as I got my first job, my very first paycheck went to clothes. And from then on, I was obsessed. My fashion sense heightened as I went through college and just kept escalating in the years thereafter, meaning that I needed new clothes every season. If you haven't gotten my point yet, it is that b/c I grew up with so little, I felt(and I guess still do feel) the need to try to fill that gap now. The gap of not having much. Now by no means I am thriving with lots of money, but my family is more well off than we were and I am thankful. I guess I can be grateful that I can actually go shopping. And when I am able to bless someone with clothes I don't want or need anymore(one (wo)man's trash is another (wo)man's treasure.), that truly fills the gap, b/c I have been there and I know how exciting it is to get something nice for free. =)

Learning....

2010-09-18T22:20:00.002-04:00

To all who read(wish I could figure who does or did. Is there a way?): It's been a while since I've written and I apologize. But anywho, I'm just going to talk about what I've been learning in life. As I've been in my 20's(and slowly inching out of them), I've realized that friendships are very vital in this thing that we call life. You certainly need people around that you know are going to back you up and tell you to your face when you did something wrong. I've had lots of people come and go in my life, but I've had some people that have stayed around-I'm so grateful that God has placed these people in my life. I couldn't ask for a better group of friends.
I've also had people who I thought were my "friends" but just turned out to be people that talk about me behind my back. I don't need that. Who does really? I've also been learning that you should NEVER let someone else's opinion of other person affect of how you think of that person. You should ALWAYS find out for yourself how that person is and if you don't like them, then at least you can say you tried. You see, the way I see it is that we all have issues. We all have problems. We all have things that we have gone through in life. And whether we like it or not, they do shape us. We can push through those things and become better, but sometimes it may take years. I guess what I'm really trying to say is that you should never speak badly about someone or assume that you know anything about them until you've talked to them and spent time with them. Now don't get me wrong, I AM GUILTY. Did you read that? YES. I AM GUILTY. I have talked about people. I have assumed things about people. I have based my opinions of a person based on what someone else said. And you know what? I don't like that I did that. But I know that God forgives and forgets and I can start over again. I'm working on getting all the negative people out of my life and keeping the positive around. I need people who are going to encourage me, who are going to be there when I feel like crying and punching a hole in the wall, who are going to tell me how it is, who are going to assume that I feel one way when I feel another. Sometimes I may not be the most pleasant person to be around and I acknowledge that. I know that those who still want to be around me are the ones worth keeping.
I know I'm babbling here, but case and point is this: Get to know people for yourself. Be grateful for who you do have in your life. Be careful who you share things with. Life is a continual learning process. We all make mistakes, but the people who are still there in the end are the ones worth keeping around.

Attending weddings. Without a date.

2010-07-01T21:39:00.002-04:00

This past weekend, I went to a friend's wedding. Alone. OK I wouldn't completely say "alone" b/c I knew some people that also attended. But I could also say alone b/c I didn't have a date to being to the wedding as I do not have a significant other. Now, I don't mind that I don't have a significant other at the current time, BUT when it comes to weddings, these things like to rub themselves in your face. I knew 4 people at the wedding. 1 of them was part of the bridal party. 1 of them is her husband. The other 2 are engaged. To each other. You see my dilemma. (There was actually one guy at our table that I ended up seeing at church the next morning. Small world, huh? So I guess you could say that I knew 5 people. Sort of.) Now, I'm not completely bothered by this until it comes to the dance floor. I like to dance, especially at weddings. It would be great if a group of people would just get up and dance together. No partners or anything. We all know that that doesn't normally happen unless there is a bunch of single people. Unfortunately for me, there wasn't a lot of single people. So, the music starts and I of course hesitate b/c I will be up there by myself and that makes me feel awkward. My friend Kristine(the one in the bridal party) pulled me up and made me get up there. Yeah, that's great and all, but HELLO! How was I supposed to dance with her when she has her husband??? So I stood there swaying for a little bit until Kristine started dancing with me. Then she got the 3 of us dancing together. Then I danced with her husband while she went to the bathroom. (See you need friends like that at EVERY wedding.) Eventually I just kept going back up there and taking some breaks in between b/c Lord knows that your feet hurt after dancing in heels! And I of course ran up there when the cha cha slide came on. I sat back down when the electric slide came on, but that is a dance that I will soon learn. My goal is to have it completely mastered by next October, which is when I will be part of the bridal party for my cousin's wedding. Anyway, let me get back to my original point. If you know me, you know that I am introverted. It's not something I entirely like about myself, but hey.... When it comes to crowds, I don't exactly do good. It takes me a while to warm up to dancing. I think sometimes you just need to go up there and just let it rip. B/c I know that I will regret it later if I just sit at the table the whole night watching everyone else dance. Life is too short to not have some good clean fun. So get up there and just start dancing with yourself. If you have to just start dancing with your friend and her husband. LOL. In the words of Lady Gaga "Just Dance."

I have an odd obsession with surveys.

2010-06-23T20:24:00.004-04:00

I saw this on a blog I follow and thought it would be fun to fill it out. And hey, maybe you can learn something about me that you didn't know!

1)Favorite Color: Teal. Or blue.

2)Favorite Brand/ Designer: It's a toss up between Old Navy and New York and Company. If you ask me where I got something, I'll give you one of those 2 stores as an answer.

3)Favorite Restaurant: This is really hard. I love to eat. I guess I would save to say the Rice Pot. They make the most amazing drunken noodles. Ever. If you don't know what they are, ask me!

4)Hobbies: Oh boy, there are so many. Shopping, reading, eating, sleeping, pondering life, the list goes on....

5)Favorite thing about yourself: Hmmmm, I love that I'm loyal.

6)What does your room look like? Blue. Lots of blue. And lots of clothes and things on the floor....

7)If you could have dinner with 2 people (dead or alive) who would they be? : Hands down, India Arie. I freakin' LOVE her. Second person, hmmmm. Ooo! Chandra Wilson from GA. She seems so sweet.

8)What's your next big spurlge? Probably a laptop or a new ipod.

9)What's your favorite joke, quote or saying?: I really have no idea. Ummm, yeah, I got nothing.

10)Anything else you would like us to know about you (random fact)?! I must have very thin sliced deli meat or I will throw up.

THE END!

Inner turmoil

2010-06-12T22:25:00.003-04:00

If you keep up with my blog, you may have read that I am trying to save money and that would include not shopping! Today I went to Target to buy a dress. Now you may be saying, "Didn't you just say you were trying not to shop?" Yes. Yes, I did. BUT, there is an exception b/c I have a wedding to go to in 2 weeks and need something to wear, PLUS I have a gift card to Target that I was planning to use. No money would have been spent unless I went over the amount of the gift card. So, I'm browsing around hoping that they'll have a bigger size in the dress that I previously tried on. (It looks way cuter in person, btw.) I was going to pair it with a pair of blue shoes that I have. They didn't have it. So I tried on another dress, but it was too clingy. While I was looking for a dress, I found this. I instantly grabbed it off the rack. I had actually been looking for something like this. I have a few similar ones, but they are all quarter sleeves. I wanted long sleeves for summer nights and for when it is actually cold outside. I tried it on and I'm not lying when I say that I was in heaven. It was so freakin' comfortable and soft that I said "Oh yeah, this is coming home with me." For $18, that's not bad. So, I continue to get what I need and the whole time, I felt like I had a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other. "You know you want." "But, do you really need it?" I must've walked around that store for a good 30 minutes like that. I kid you not. I thought I might cry. OK, not really, but when I stumble across something so cute that I have searched for who knows how long, I want it. I had finished picking up all that I needed and walked myself back to the very spot that I picked this ridiculously comfortable item up at. I felt like someone had taken over my legs, b/c seriously, I would have went right to register with it. I put it back on the rack and walked away very fast. Was I sad? Of course. But, at the same time, I was happy b/c I had control over my impulses.
It's been a really hard thing for me. I love clothes. I like to look good. So, maybe in a few weeks, I'll go back and get it. And by then, it could be on sale. And maybe I'll even have the opportunity to use my gift card, BUT for now, I don't need it. I still think about it, but I know that I made the right decision.

Moving forward.

2010-06-04T16:05:00.004-04:00

When I have kids, I refuse to drive a mini-van mostly b/c that's what I learned to drive in. I plan on getting an SUV. But this commercial is so ridiculous and great at the same time that I felt the need to share.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql-N3F1FhW4&feature=player_embedded#!

"I love you."

2010-05-29T11:07:00.002-04:00

When you were a kid, did your parents always used to tell you that they loved you when you said goodbye? Mine did. As I got older, it kind of stopped, probably mostly because I was an embarrassed teenager. The other day I was thinking that I need to say "I love you" to people more often. I was leaving to go to dinner with a friend the other night and I told my mom that I loved her when I said goodbye. She said "Yeah." And I asked her why she always says that. She responded by saying "Why? It's not like you say it all the time." So I said, "Yeah, I know that and now I'm trying to make more of an effort to. Life is short. I mean, what happens if I never see you again?" She got the point and came up to me and hugged me and said "I love you too, baby."
Now, this doesn't only apply to family members, but also to friends. B/c I love them too and ,in fact, consider them like family. As you get older, you realize what's more important in life. Saying I love you is one of them. I know it's something small, but if you truly love a person, why not tell them? And worst case scenario, if you do never end up seeing them again, at least you know that you made an effort to let that person know that they were important to you. Like I said, life is short. Don't let it, or the people you love pass you by.

Keeping the unnecessary....

2010-05-12T19:04:00.002-04:00

Hi all! I know it's been so long since I graced you with my presence, but I am back. I've had somewhat of a writer's block, but I am back- ready to go(I think)! But onward!
Last week, I spent most of my evenings and free time cleaning my room. I am generally a clean person, but will allow clutter to pile up. I don't quite understand why, b/c really, I hate clutter. It bothers me and makes me feel uneasy. My work desk is neat and I work hard to keep it that way. But when it comes to home, I just don't know. I kept saying to myself, "I have way too much stuff. Where did all of this come from?" And I came to 3 conclusions. 1) I am kind of materialistic. I have never admitted that. I'm sure that most people who know me can see that. I have this urge to have the finer things in life(or at least buy the cheap version of the finer things). I love fashion and at times, I let it turn into a need that is unnecessary. Do I really need another bag? Do I really need another pair of shoes? The reality is that, no, most of the time- or a majority of the time, I do not. 2)I am sentimental. I am one of those people that loves memories. You will always see me with a camera at events b/c I want to be able to look back and say "That was a really good day." or "That was one of the best vacations of my life." You get the idea. I love, love, love to receive cards or letters that come from the heart. And b/c I love to receive them, I always love to keep them and look back on how good I felt when I received it. So, in turn, I keep cards for years. 3)I have inherited some hoarding from my late grandmother. My grandmother kept everything. I remember when we lived in her house and my room was in the attic and I would spend hours going through all of the stuff she had up there. It boggled my mind. She must've had stuff that was 30, 40 years old- dare I say even older? When she passed, my mom and her brother got a dumpster and just got rid of everything. It was crazy how the attic looked bare. It was kind of eery and creepy.
So my question is, why do we hold on to things? The reasons I've given above are valid enough, right? I like to think they are. I can use them as an excuse as to why I haven't thrown things out in forever. But the reality is that I think that we are afraid to lose the memories that we have. I will never, ever give up my photo taking, but if I did, would I still have those memories? Of course I would. It's all about what you keep in your mind. It's nice to keep things, but in the end, you can't take all of it with you when you leave. You have to decide what to keep close to your heart.
This can also apply to our lives. Why do we hold on to so many things when we know that we need to let them go? It's because we're scared, we're hurt, we're sad, we're upset. I know I've held onto things in the past b/c I couldn't forgive. All I could think was "How could that person do that to me? I could never forgive them." But when you do something like that you're just giving power to the person that you can't forgive. They don't really care. Well in some cases they do, but most of time, they don't. Let me tell you, when you choose to forgive, there is such a weight that is lifted. You feel light. I know I still deal with that and I'm working on it, b/c I love people. We also can't let go of things b/c we're scared of what the outcome will be, but all we need is to have faith. It's hard, but it will help in the long run. That's another thing I'm working on, too. I guess we all are in some shape or form, huh? Wow, I meant to go in a completely different direction with this, but I just let the words flow as they came. So, to sum it up, sometimes, you just have to let go to move forward. It's hard, it will hurt, you will kick and scream and cry, but you'll feel better later.

Shoooooeesssssss

2010-04-21T13:17:00.004-04:00

Can I say that I kinda like these shoes? They're hot. Only thing is that they have a heel of 5.25 inches and I'm pretty sure I can't walk in those.
Also, they would make me over 6 feet tall, since I'm about 5'5 1/2", 5'6".

I try not to complain.

2010-03-31T22:57:00.003-04:00

Did anyone experience the monsoon that we had on the east coast? Usually, I can stand the rain, but yesterday, I almost called out of work. I was walking to the bus stop and it was pouring. My umbrella is cheap, so when the wind would blow, which was like every 5 seconds, it would blow inside out. When I got to the stop, it was basically uncontrollable, so I closed it. I felt like I was at the stop for a good 10 minutes before the bus came. The rain was coming down hard and it was blowing in all different directions, making it hard for me to attempt to stand one way to at least try to not get wet. What a joke. To make it worse, I had fallen asleep w/ my contacts in the night before, so I was wearing my glasses. I felt blind. I seriously wanted to cry. Fast forward an hour or so and I get to the stop to go to work. It's basically a river trying to cross the street. I was grouchy when I got to work. I was wet and had to sit with the space heater at my feet to dry off.
The rain calmed down by the time I left, but it seemed to get worse as I was waiting for the bus to go home. It was late. Come to find out, they had to reroute all the buses b/c somebody called a bomb threat into the courthouse. The buses stop on that street. So, when I got off the first bus, I had to walk about 4 block to get to the center of town. Then I see that the street I get the bus at is blocked off. I wanted to cry again. I looked up to the sky and said "My God, why have you forsaken me?"

Just kidding. I didn't. BUT, I was like "Where the heck am I supposed to get the bus?" So, I walk over to the little bus teller and she tells me that I need to walk up to State St, which is about 3 blocks down. Ok, no biggie, except for the fact that I really needed to pee. So, I go to starbucks and get a hocho and ask for the key to the bathroom. Did you know you have to be a customer to use the bathroom? Lame. What if I had to throw up? Or go diarrhea? They should at least be courteous to those people. I was gonna pee my pants like a 2 year old who just learned how to pee on the toilet and stopped wearing diapers. Really. But, I was nice and bought a drink. Anyway, back to my original story. So, I walk up while I am facing the rain and the wind. It felt like I was climbing a mountain. I mean, it should not take that much effort to walk through the rain. Maybe it was just b/c I wanted to go home and get out of my wet clothes. So, I get to the stop and I must have waited like 20 minutes. It was cold. My hair was blowing all over the place(Did I mention that I haven't really had a good hair day since Saturday? OK, maybe Sunday. I can't wait for the sun to come out tomorrow and my flat iron can see the light of day again! Even though, it saw it on Saturday). My glasses were foggy. My hands were numb.

This was me.

Go ahead. You can laugh. I look redunkulous. All I know is that I was happy to get home and change into warm clothes. And I also know that this entry is not as funny as I planned it out to be. Oh well.

Tomorrow is my first time back on facebook after a month! I was going to stay up till midnight, but seeing as how it's 11:18 and my eyes are closing, I think I will go to sleep. Good night.

2010-03-28T19:19:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I was going to see Alicia Keys in concert. I did 2 weeks ago and it was awesome. Alicia has so much energy and raw talent.
"Un-thinkable(I'm Ready)" is my favorite song on her new album, but I have to say that she performs "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart" way better. In fact, it was the best song at the concert. I happened to find this on youtube today. It's not from the concert though. Just amazing.

If you don't know me by now,

2010-03-27T16:56:00.003-04:00

then let me tell you that I have an obsession. An obsession with clothes, shoes, bags, jewelry- basically anything fashion related. I have noticed that over the past 2 years, my fashion awareness has heightened and my sense of style is changing. I wear things that I always said I would NEVER wear b/c it was too "extreme" for me. Who knew that I could love bootcut pants so much? who knew that I could rock big cocktail like rings? You get the point.

Anyway, I just wanted to share the new shoes I bought today. $8 at Payless(I find nothing wrong with shopping there. It's a good deal.) Now you may be saying, "Christina, I thought you were trying to save money." You see, I am! I received a gift card for my birthday! So basically, it was like getting free shoes!

And! They sell jewelry at Payless! I also bought this ring.

Yup, yup. It's ok to be jealous. Really. =)

Eye Twichting

2010-03-26T16:21:00.003-04:00

A couple times a year, I experience eye twitching. It's rather annoying, but I guess there's not really much you can do about it. Some say it's stress, some say it's fatigue, some say it's your genes. All I know is that I wish it would stop. I can't find any reason for this to be happening. I get 6-8 hours of sleep every night(sometimes more) and I don't have an enormous amount of stress happening right now. I also heard that it could be anxiety, which may be the cause. If you know my current situation, then you know I have some reason to be anxious. I just feel like taking a pen and jabbing it in my eye to make it stop. I guess I just have to wait it out. If it keeps persisting, then I will talk to my lovely eye Dr, who is always so willing to help me.

Enjoying life

2010-03-25T22:48:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I found a link on yahoo that led me to someone's blog that said something like 101 ways to enjoy simple pleasures in life. I should have saved the link, but instead, I saved the 101 things. So, go ahead, read. It's true.

1)coloring (yes, grown-ups can do it, too)
2)crisp cotton sheets
3)soft skin
4)old family recipes
5)the first daffodils of spring
6)sleeping in
7)an exercise endorphin high
8)window boxes
9)a perfect cup of coffee
10)a genuine compliment (giving or receiving)
11)the way babies smell
12)a handwritten letter
13)waking up in a good mood...for no real reason
14)singing in the shower
15)finding a couple forgotten dollars in your pocket
16)doing something nice for your neighbor
17)a home cooked meal
18)laughing
19)movie theater popcorn
20)playing hookey
21)a bubble bath
22)swimming
23)an afternoon nap
24)street musicians
25)your favorite song
26)saying thank you
27)helping someone in need
28)old fashioned photo booths
29)fresh whipped cream
30)inspiring blogs
31)a glass of wine
32)rainy afternoons
33)the funny things kids say
34)a novel you can get lost in
35)finding the perfect piece of clothing...on sale
36)clean laundry
37)the wind in your hair
38)treating the person behind you at the drive-thru
39)sharing an umbrella
40)the smell of lavender
41)a long walk that clears your head
42)a bear hug
43)The Beatles
44)smiling at a stranger
45)eating with chopsticks (Chinese food optional)
46)butterflies
47)staying in your pj's all day
48)singing along to the radio and knowing all the words
49)fresh herbs
50)ordering in pizza
51)happy endings...even if they're fictional
52)flying a kite
53)puppies
54)root beer floats
55)holding open the door...
56)...or having someone hold the door for you
57)fountain soda
58)white, fluffy towels
59)sunshine
60)spending an afternoon at a museum
61)really great advice
62)green lights all the way home
63)the sound of rain hitting the windows
64)sitting in a booth
65)holding hands
66)a great hair day with no effort
67)building a fort with your kids
68)when someone falls asleep with their head on your shoulder
69)fireflies
70)the perfect taco
71)geraniums on a windowsill
72)slow dancing
73)the smell of fresh-baked bread
74)cheesy, uplifting musicals
75)great stories
76)the smell of gasoline
77)the cold side of the pillow
78)love letters
79)old friends...
80)...new friends
81)a pull-through parking space
82)a baguette -- crisp on the outside, airy on the inside
83)when a dog licks your hand
84)sitting at the counter at an old-fashioned diner
85)using your favorite dishes
86)reading your child a bedtime story
87)Girl Scout Cookies
88)flossing
89)kissing someone you love
90)the smell of onions and garlic cooking
91)hot chocolate
92)jumping in puddles
93)old photographs
94)birds hopping on the sidewalk
95)Ella Fitzgerald
96)a spoonful of peanut butter straight from the jar
97)your softest t-shirt
98)a new magazine in the mail
99)fireplaces
100)having exact change
101)bacon and pancakes cooking on Saturday morning

Ahhhhhhhhh....

I had the day off today,

2010-03-12T17:53:00.004-05:00

and I had every intention of being productive, but I spent most of my day watching The Secret Life of The American Teenager on Hulu. Hey, I did clean the bathroom and made dinner! Go me! Oh! And I also showered!

And how did I not know about this commerical? It cracks me up!!

I swore it would never happen....

2010-03-10T21:06:00.003-05:00

but this morning it did. If you know me at all, you know that I can't stand to get up early. I would sleep till 12PM everyday if I was allowed to. This morning, I had to go into work a 1/2 hr earlier to cover my coworker while she went to a Dr's appointment. So, I kept sitting the snooze button, but finally at 7:20, I said "I gotta get up!" So, I turned the snooze off with every intention of getting out of bed, but apparently, I went right back to sleep. Next thing I know it's 7:55, and I had but 20 minutes to leave the house to catch the bus. I grabbed a wash cloth and attempted to get clean at least a little bit. I had to take my makeup and flat iron to work with me b/c I didn't have any time at all to do it at home. AND, to make matters worse, I just made the bus. So, I had to sprint across the street as it was coming down the hill. Fun times.
I think I am going to need to invest in this alarm clock.
And the video just proves that this is for me. I would actually have to get up and I wouldn't rush and be late to things anymore! I just wish I knew about this around my birthday so I could have requested it as a present. $50 is a bit much for an alarm clock! We'll see, it might be good for me.

I promised you an update.

2010-03-08T20:31:00.004-05:00

Hi all.
Like I said, I would update on my progress on getting my life together, so here it goes.
It has been a full 8 days since I last logged into facebook. 7 down, 24 more to go. I'm not gonna lie, it has been slightly difficult, but I have been faithful. I know so many people are having babies(My friend Erma! I can't wait to meet your little guy!) and I want to see their pictures, but I will have to wait until April 1st! When I go online, I find myself saying "Wow, I save a lot of time NOT being on facebook." It's amazing how MUCH time I was spending on there. It's ridiculous. I have found myself going on my blog to see if anyone commented and I will click on the "Next Blog" link on the top left of the screen. Some peoples' blogs are quite interesting. For some reason, I keep landing on people writing about their families, and having babies and what not. Good thing is that a lot them seem to have my sense of humor, so I like that they can make me laugh.

I went to zumba for the second time Saturday morning. I wish I could take this class everyday. I actually feel like I'm getting a good workout and the hour goes by so fast. Only thing is that the instructor had us doing a lot of hip shaking and I seriously feel like I pulled something. Great, I sound like an old lady. But in all seriousness, I was in so much pain Saturday night that I couldn't even walk straight. My friend and I went out for dinner and we stopped at Target(my favorite) afterwards and we were walking around and she said "Christina, you must be in pain, b/c you look so awkward right now." LOL. I went for a walk yesterday afternoon b/c it was so stinkin' gorgeous outside and I was hurting. Um? From a walk? I also attempted to go to the gym tonight and I got through almost 22 minutes on the elliptical and I had to get off. I usually do an hour. I don't know what I did, but it needs to go away b/c I shouldn't hurt when I bend over. Seriously. So what to do? Should I wait it out? Should I go to the dr? I guess we'll see.
As far as eating goes: My friend made me dump out my mint truffle kisses, which I may add, only come out during Christmas time. I bought 2 bags b/c I love them so much. I'm glad she made me do it b/c I don't have any control when it comes to those kind of things. I cannot have just one. Do you know what chocolate does to a girl? Never mind mint chocolate! Anyway, I did not do good today. It was beautiful when I left for work this morning and I felt the need to get an iced caramel macchiato. #1, b/c I didn't have breakfast, and #2, They just taste good. Then I had McDonald's for lunch. Bad idea. I think my butt grew bigger just from looking at that food. So! Tomorrow, I will do better. I really just need to throw out everything sweet and not even attempt to go to places like starbucks and McDonald's. McDonald's! What was I thinking! It's like asking for a heart attack.

Moneywise, I have been doing ok. I got my first attack on Friday. I logged into my bank account and saw that it was overdrafted by $200! WHAT! I was freaking out. Apparently, the payment that I swear I had put in for the 10th, I had put in for the 4th. I don't really know why that happened b/c I wouldn't have scheduled the payment for a time when there wasn't enough money in my account to cover it. Thank goodness I have a savings account attached to my checking. I just put the money back in my savings account, so I guess it's not too bad, but I just felt stupid. Guess I just need to be more careful. I did go shopping on Saturday. I'm not proud of myself, but I did need a dress for easter and that's all I'm gonna say.

Jobwise, I did find a job with the DC-CAP. It would be cool to work with this organization b/c they stand for somehting that I believe in. I think higher education is important(although not for all) and it would great to work with people who feel the same way. I just had to put together a salary history(I never did one before) and will print everything out and it will go in the mail tomorrow! (This place requires snail mail.)

That is all. I will keep you updated. Now for something non-updated related.
Many of you have seen the new "We Are the World" video and all I have to say is WHY! I was only a year old when the original song came out, but I prefer that one. I mean, who wouldn't?
Seriously, Miley Cyrus, Lil Wayne, Wyclef( I don't care if he's haitian, he does not need to be on that song. It makes my ears bleed. I'm not sorry either. There are other ways to represent your country.)and my favorite, T-Pain. What have we become?
People don't even know real talent anymore.
I'm done.

Public Transportation

2010-03-05T15:59:00.004-05:00

If you know me, you know I like public transportation. No matter how early I have to get up, or how many ghetto situations I encounter, I still don't mind.
But yesterday, I had an encounter that almost made me not want to ever use public transportation again.

Here's my story:
I was walking to the bus stop and I happened to notice that there is a closer one than the one that I usually wait at. So, I decided to wait there- it made the walk shorter. There were 3 other people at the stop- two girls, and one of them had a daughter. I was standing there minding my own business, listening to my ipod, like I usually do. I was facing towards the left. I turn around, you know just to look around, and there is this guy standing right next to me and he is staring at me like the girl from The Ring. So, I smile at him, and back up b/c I don't need some stranger all up in my face. Next thing I know this dude is standing right in front of me, again, all up in my face. So I say
"Is there something I can help you with?"
"No, I'm just waiting for the bus."
"Ok, could you not stand so close to me, please?"
"Ok." And he backs away as I slowly inch farther away from him.Once of the girls looked at me like "Girl, he crazy!" and I looked back at like "I know!"
Next thing I know this guy is up in my face AGAIN.
I say, with a firmer tone: "SIR! I asked to please not stand so close to me!"
"Ok. I'm just waiting for the bus. Do you know when it comes?"
"It should be here soon."
"Ok."
I swear to you that this dude must've been mentally ill b/c he was not getting the fact that I don't like random strangers standing only a few inches away from me while giving me the ring girl look. He keep coming closer and I had to keep asking him to move. So, two more people came to the stop right before the bus came. We all line up and this guy is behind me. All of a sudden, I feel this tug on my hair, almost like somebody was trying to bite it! In my head, I said "Oh no! This guy better think twice before he tries to do something like that!" So I turn around and say, "Did you just touch me?!" in an almost yelling voice. He says no. I get on the bus and feel the tug again and turn around and give him the evil eye. I made sure I sat in a seat where somebody was already sitting there, so that he wouldn't sit next to me. One of the girls at the stop sat in front of me and asked me if he was following me. I told her no and explained to her what happened. We concluded that he must be crazy. One of the people that came to stop afterwards sat the adjacent seat and said to me "I thought he was your boyfriend." I again had to explain that he was a crazy dude. He thought that the crazy guy was trying to smell my hair and I told him that I thought he was trying to bite it b/c it was a harsh tug! I made sure that this guy didn't follow me when I got off the bus(he didn't) and I didn't put my ipod in until I got on my transfer bus. Normally, I'm very aware of my surroundings, but I'm not too worried that something will happen to me b/c I know that I have my angels around me. But after this incident, I think I may need to start carrying that pepper spray that my mom bought for me. I'm just glad that I wasn't the only one at the stop, b/c then I would have been even more creeped out.
AND, you know I went home and hopped in the shower and thoroughly, I mean thoroughly! washed my hair! I don't know what kind of diseases that man could've had. Ugh!

Pizza

2010-03-03T19:52:00.002-05:00

So here's a little update:
I started writing down what I have spent since I received my paycheck last Friday, and in between bills and spending, I spent almost my whole paycheck. Um , what?? This can't keep happening. Bills are one thing, but things I don't really need are different. I find that I spend a lot of money on buying myself breakfast and coffee every morning. Is this something I need? No, it's not. You know what the simple solution is? Get up when my alarm goes off. I don't know why it's so hard for me. I could set my alarm for an hour before I'm supposed to get up and I will still get up late. How is that? I think I need to get some kind of alarm clock that moves when you hit the snooze button so you have to get up and look for it. That would do the trick. Do they actually make those kind of alarm clocks? I think I need to research that. But anyway, I already wrote down what I actually need to spend when I receive my paycheck this week and hopefully that will help. If I can go a month without spending ridiculously, I am going to reward myself with this dress. The pictures don't do justice, it looks much cuter in the store. I also really like this dress, but I'm not too sure about how it will fit. But let me stop before this blog becomes a blog about fashion.
Tonight I bought myself a pizza(hey it had vegetables on it!) and a foxon park soda(white birch). I am PMSing(for those of you who don't know me too well, I am very comfortable with sharing about my period. I don't know why, but I just am.) and pizza usually hits the spot. I just feel like I've been PMSing for 3 years. Where are you?!?!?! LOL. Anyway. Tomorrow is one of my early days at work, so I have to get up at 5:30/6:00am. I am going to try to go to bed early tonight, so I can get up on time, which will hopefully lead to me having a nice bowl of cereal before I head out the door. And maybe even some coffee with that new caramel macchiato creamer I bought(The caramel macchiato at starbucks is my regular, so I am curious to see how it will taste). My friend wants to go to olive garden this weekend and I usually TEAR UP the soup, salad, and breadsticks. MMMMMMMM.

Until the next blog...

Happy March!

2010-03-01T21:24:00.003-05:00

In celebration of March, I have decided to get somethings in order. I'm not one of those people who believes in lent and all that, b/c I believe that we should always be striving to make changes and do better in life. I mean, do you stop doing what you were doing after the month is over? It doesn't make sense to me. But that's another post for another day.
Anywho, if you know me at all, you know I have been wondering around for the past year and 1/2 wondering what the heck I was doing with myself, when I really knew what I wanted to do. (Wow, that was quite the run on sentence.) Back in January, I made a goal to get back to DC by the end of the summer. Here we are March, and I haven't gotten too far. Don't ask what is wrong with me, b/c I don't really know. Ok, I do know, but again, that's another post for another day.

Here are some things that I am working on:
-I logged out of facebook and won't log back in until April 1st. I didn't even realize it until a friend brought it up, but facebook, I believe, has been used as an attack towards me. We all know that when you try to move forward in life, the devil DOES NOT WANT TO HEAR THAT, and he will do everything in his power to stop you. I would go on the internet with every intention of getting things done. I would log onto facebook and tell myself that I would only spend a few minutes on it. Well, before I knew it, the night would be gone and I would be wondering what the heck I just did for the past 2 hours. It's sad when something like that takes over. I decided that there is more to life than checking people's statuses and pictures all day long. While it is entertaining, there are more productive things that I could be doing. So that said.....
- I will apply to AT LEAST, AT LEAST, AT LEAST, one job a week so that I can reach my loooonnnnnnnngggggggggg overdue goal of living in Washington, DC. This is going to take a lot of discipline. Discipline is something I don't have. I get frustrated when I can't find jobs that don't sound interesting to me. I gotta keep looking.
- I will NOT spend money on things I don't need! This means that I cannot buy clothes! OMG- DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW HARD THAT IS FOR ME? ANY AT ALL? If I could, I would go shopping every weekend. I don't care how bunched up my closet is as long as I look good! This also means that I need to limit my spending on eating out and going to starbucks. Every once and a while is ok. This also means that I have to stop buying things like makeup and nail polish and jewelry and you get the picture. All that money not spent will go towards paying bills and SAVING! (Like the rest of America! LOL.)
-I will make every effort to get to the gym at least 3 times a week. This is hard b/c I am not a morning person. Going in the morning means I have to get up at like 5:30AM, sometimes 4:30AM, and when it's still dark outside, I would rather be sleeping! Also, I need cut back my junk food intake. I love sugar. I have realized that I have a sweet tooth. This is not good for my health or my teeth

So, to do all of this, I will be in lots of prayer and, of course, your support is always appreciated! It's funny b/c this morning, I kept hearing in my head: "The battle is not yours, the battle is the Lord's." How appropriate!

I'll keep you updated!

P.S. Here's another really good recipe I found. I promise you it tastes better than it looks.
Black Bean Pasta

Can I just say how excited I am for this....

2010-02-28T19:14:00.001-05:00

Alicia Keys!!!!!!!

March 14th baby!

Cooking....

2010-02-21T15:08:00.006-05:00

I like to cook. I never really cooked all that much until I moved to DC. I mean who would when their mom is there to cook for them? LOL. Just kidding. About 8 months ago, my friend and I started having Tuesday night get togethers where we one of us would cook something and then eat it together. For unknown reasons, to me at least, I have ended up being the one that cooks every week(Yes, I am slightly bitter. You are lucky I enjoy it!). It's ok though, b/c I'm beginning to find out that I am actually a pretty good cook! It all started with lasagna and from then on, I knew I could do it. I have made some amazingly delicious things that other people actually like. I mean what better compliment is there than someone complimenting your food? B/c then you know that everything is alright in the world. Well, maybe not exactly, but it sure does feel like it for the time being! My goal is to one day make an amazing turkey for Thanksgiving. I have been told it's not as hard as it seems, so one day I will conquer it!
So, I am going to post a recipe that I found that is A-MAZING. It's pretty easy to make and if you can't get it right, I'm afraid something may be wrong with you. =)

YUMMMMMMMMMMMMM

I kind of tweaked and it used fresh tomatoes instead of sundried. I also found that I needed to double, if not triple, the toppings to measure up to the amount of pasta. I recommend tweaking the garlic to your liking, b/c if you don't, you will be in for a surprise! I am a garlic lover, so it wasn't a problem for me, but it may be for you! Let me know if you try it! And, oh yes, let me recommend allrecipes.com Amazing website with amazing recipes. They even give you a little profile and let you save your favorite recipes. All for free!

“There is no spectacle on earth more appealing than that of a beautiful woman in the act of cooking dinner for someone she loves.” -Thomas Wolfe

As 26 fastly(I mean fast! Like tomorrow!) approaches me...

2010-02-17T21:15:00.004-05:00

Yes, as you read, I turn 26 tomorrow! I can't believe it! Where did the time go? Now, I know some people are saying "GIRL! You are still young!" Yes, I know that. I still feel like I'm 21! I know I still have my youth and should cherish my 20's. I do. I really do. But, when I think back about where I've been, time has just seemed to pass me so quickly. So, in my 25th year of life, I've done some pondering, and a lot of it.I'm going to be real with some of my life struggles, so you should be happy you get to read this! I'm sure some of you, if not all you, can relate.

To start off:

1) I need a deadline to get ANYTHING done in my life. ANYTHING! Otherwise, I'm all like ladedadeda, while twiddling my thumbs. I am a procrastinator to the fullest! I am also lazy. If it were up to me, I would sleep till 12PM everyday, maybe go to work until 4 and then come home and watch TV. But that's not life. Life is not fair and we all have to deal with it. I will attempt to set my own personal goals and it just doesn't work. Which leads me to the next thing....

2) I lack motivation. Again, if it were up to me, I would sleep all the time. (It could be up to me if I wanted it to, but you and I both know that that's no way to live life.) I know that I know that I know that I want to do more things in life. What the heck is standing in my way? NOTHING! But I continue to be "comfortable" in life, even if I'm not happy. This is why I still work at a dental office.I make fairly decent money for someone in my position, but handling insurance payments and arguing with people about the money they owe(and then sending them to collections) only does so much for you in life. This is why I still live at home(It's not entirely bad, but DANG, there is ALWAYS somebody around! I like alone time- which I will get to later.) You get the idea.

3) I am "Miss Independent." Not like the Ne-Yo song(well, yes, like that, but that's not where I'm going.), but like the Kelly Clarkson song. You see, I was raised by women. My dad wasn't around, so my mom always taught me that you don't need a man to do everything for you.(Side note: We used to live w/ my grandmother, and when a lightbulb needed to be changed, she would want to call my uncle do it. My would be like "Are you kidding me? It's a LIGHTBULB.") Now, she is right, but it all depends on what kind of way are you coming across- Kinda like "Pshht! I don't need help carrying my 15 bags of groceries up the stairs, even though they are darn heavy and I live on 12th floor and my nice male neighbor who just happened to be coming in at the same time offered to help me." Now, I am not that bad, I would say "YES! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" But you understand where I'm coming from. I have always done things on my own and have learned to do a lot of stuff by myself. I don't ask for help when I should. Maybe I'm too proud? I have this one friend(I know you are reading!) who whenever we go to the grocery store together or what have you, she always take the bags. She is just being nice, and I'm all like "Hey, I got it!" One day she just said "Stop being Miss Independent!" and I totally shrunk back. I was like "Er.Um.OK." One time I was at the bus stop and had coffee in my hands when I realized that it was freezing out and that I should probably put my gloves on. I was trying to look for a place to set my coffee down, b/c well, it is rather difficult to put gloves on and hold coffee all at once. So this guy must've seen me struggling and he says to me "Do you need help?" and me LIKE AN IDIOT says "Oh no. I got it. Thank you." Now at that point I almost had both gloves on, so I really didn't need all the much help, but really I should I have just given him my coffee to hold while I put my gloves on. I felt pretty stupid after that, wishing I could have hit the rewind button on that one. So, all in all, I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with being independent. I feel that you need to know how to survive on your own before you get married. God forbid something happens to your husband and you have no idea how to even write a check. What are you gonna do then? All I'm saying is that you have to learn to let people help you and ASK for help when you truly need it. Now this doesn't mean that you need to go off and expect everyone to everything for you. I am learning to ask for help. I just never realized how hard it would be!

4) I don't always stick up for myself. Enough said. I am getting better, but there are times when I should just say something right then and there. You get the idea.

5) I like being alone.(Not all the time.) I find being alone refreshing. It gives me time to focus. Sometimes I just need to recharge myself. Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE being with people, but sometimes you just get sick of them, ya know?

6) I don't know how to save money. I spend it like I am rich. I am not rich. I am a slave to fashion. I love it and I like looking good. I pray to God all the time to PLEASE give me a husband that is excellent with money and will still let me look pretty and indulge in buying my children cute clothes. LOL.

7) I have good self esteem. It took me a long time to get here. God has truly healed me in this area of life, or at least I like to think so. I have gotten to the point that I only really care about the people who love me opinions. I am a beautiful young woman(I know that sounds conceited, but it's important to tell yourself in a good way.) And while I do get looks and interests from the opposite sex, I know I don't need that to validate how pretty I THINK I look.

8) I am funny! Do you know that for the longest time I wanted to be a funny person? It took my 20's to get there, but about 98% of my friends think I'm funny(which is almost contradicting #7, but it's not). I love making people laugh.

9) I am SO quiet and shy until I feel comfortable around you. I am trying SO hard to break out of my shell, but talking to strangers kind of terrifies me. I have never been the kind of person that will go up and introduce myself to someone I don't know. Like I said, I am trying to break out of my shell. Once I know you, I will start to show the real me. I guess it's kind of a trust thing, which is the next topic....

10) I will either trust you so fast or put up a huge wall that it will take a bomb for you to break it down before I start to trust you. I've had a lot of disappointments in my life and a lot of those came from trusting too easily. The wall is S L O W L Y coming down.

11) I am SO grateful for the people in my life. I don't always say so, but I have been blessed with some pretty awesome people and last but not least, God. What would I be without Him? He's the only one who's ever loved me enough to break down the walls. Sigh.

Anyway, that's enough personal stuff for tonight. Don't forget to wish me a happy birthday tomorrow! Birthdays are a big deal. It's celebrating someone's LIFE!

Until the next blog..........

Ohhhhh..... P.S. Can someone please tell me how I receive alerts that someone commented on my blog or is following, etc, etc? Thanks!!!

I'm at work and shouldn't be blogging, but.....

2010-02-11T09:55:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to say how much I love this DC picture.

I love houses like this even if you are on top of your neighbors. I miss you, DC. A lot.

Sooo.....

2010-01-27T20:24:00.002-05:00

This is a blog where I will vent and get a little personal.

Over the past year, I've had some people tell me that I've become too harsh or brash, or always have an attitude. I can say that, yes, some of that is true. I'm honestly not really sure why this has happened- maybe it's b/c I'm in a state of life where I'm not really happy. I've always been the fairly nice girl. Anyway, I try and try to not be that way. But sometimes if I get mad, the raging bull in me comes out. I usually say things I don't mean when I'm upset, so I TRY to stay quiet so that I don't say something that I'll regret. Also, sometimes, my sarcasm is interpreted the wrong way. I've tried telling people to tell me if it offends them, but they don't seem to listen. I just want people to be honest with me. And what I'm realizing is that not too many people are. I dunno, maybe they're afraid? Reality is that I appreciate honesty. It may not be something that's easy to hear, but I need to hear it so that I can fix it. If I make a mistake and don't realize it and others do, then I need it pointed out to me. I guess this is kind of a cry out to whoever is reading this. I am also going to start making more of point to tell people to let me know when I do something. I need to learn.
I recently had it prophesied over me that I don't have a lot of honest upfront people in my life. And now I am realizing that this couldn't be more true. I guess I have to realize that not everyone cares enough, but for the people that do: please tell me. That's all I'm asking.

I promise I will try to update this thing more often...

2010-01-17T17:17:00.005-05:00

Happy New Year, friends!
This may be quite the random blog, so forgive me if I am all over the place.
First of all, I most recently had a friend tell me that she respects my writing style(and yes, you are probably reading this now!)and it inspired me to update my blog. I've always seemed to be able to get things out better on paper(or in this case, internet), which may not always be a good thing. But that's another story for another day.

So, onto the randomness. Today, I was browsing Bathandbodyworks.com and I came across this toothbrush. First of all, when did B&BW start selling toothbrushes? And who pays $9.00 for a toothbrush? I understand if it's an electrical one, but $9.00 for a regular plastic one you can get at the dentist for free? I think not. I've worked a good chunk of of working life at a dental office and the toothbrushes we give out are pretty darn fantastic if I do say so myself. I guess I can't really say a lot b/c I haven't tried this particular toothbrush, but it honestly looks like the cheap plastic ones that they give to kids. The ones that really don't do anything for your gums, or teeth for that matter.

Randomness #2: I recently started going to a new hairdresser. It's a little more expensive than I would usually spend, but I am getting what I pay for at this place. The woman I see is freakin' talented and knows her stuff. My most recent haircut looks awesome and she literally cut my hair into the style in under 30 minutes. I asked her if she could recommend any shampoos, and she gave me this one. I was shocked when I brought it up to the register and the girl told me it was $20. But I figured I probably wouldn't buy it again, so what the heck. I tried it,and let me tell you, my hair has never felt better. It feels so soft, and not only that, it looks amazing. For a while, my hair was freaking out and I was trying different restorative shampoos and nothing really seemed to work. It also felt like there was some weird residue left on it after I washed and it and I had to apply massive amounts of conditioner. With my oily hair, I cannot use conditioner everyday b/c it just weighs my hair down. So, for a few months, my hair was a mess. After using this shampoo, I see a difference in my hair. It's stronger. The question is, do I want to spend $20 on shampoo? I dunno. Maybe I will just b/c my hair feels that good.

Randomness #3: If you know me, you know I love fashion and like to shop. My friend has decided to pursue a career in fashion and I kinda stole her idea about posting outfits. I am probably nowhere near as knowledgeable about fashion as she is, but I try. I probably shop more than what it better for my own good. I think I may need to attend a shopping therapy session, but see the thing is that people don't understand that shopping IS my therapy. There have been times where I felt so sad about something and shopping instantly made me feel better. It might not have solved the problem, but hey at least I felt good for the moment. Hahahahahaha.
Anywho, here is my outfit for today. Forgive me, Pam, for copying you.

Earrings: Target-$5.00(?)
Long Open Cardigan: New York and Company-$39.95
Black Tank Top: Old Navy-$7.00(?)
White Tank Top: Old Navy-$7.00(?)
Ombre Metallic Stripe Scarf: New York and Company-$16.95
Bootcut Jeans: Target/Mossimo-$29.99(?)
Cuff Bracelet: Christmas gift from Mom- Laila Rowe
Flower Ring: New York and Company-$7.00(?)
Kitten Heels: Payless-$9.00

A more serious blog later!

Ahhhh life

2009-10-23T17:03:00.007-04:00

SO, I know it's been quite some time since I updated, so I figured I would- a whole 4months later. What's a whole four months? Ok, it is a long time, but I am a procrastinator by nature. Don't judge me!
The last 4 months have been some trying months for me, between family issues, friend issues, personal issues, work issues- I guess you could just say life in general, huh? But for the sake of some people's privacy, and frankly, my own, I will not disclose most of that info. All I can really say is that I'm growing and learning and God is keeping me. That said, I will write about a lighter and perhaps witty subject(I try to be funny when I write, hence the title of my blog, and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But a blog is to vent your feelings, right?).
So, the subject- WEIGHT LOSS- dun, dun, dun. It's like that weird pain in your leg that you know you should deal with, but don't b/c it doesn't hurt that bad, right? But in reality, it hurts really bad and you need to do something about it before it kills you. I am the kind of person who has had weight issues for a good chunk of my life. I lost a lot of weight in high school, but when I look back at pictures, it seems like I was too skinny. It looks like my body couldn't hold my head up. Being young, I didn't realize the importance of exercising and eating healthy, so I basically ate what I wanted. When I went to college, it was a whole different ball game. You're always on the run, so you grab what's there- which is usually junk food. So since I wasn't too knowledgeable, I was quite disappointed when I had a hard time fitting into my pants after my first year at SCSU. I attempted to eat healthier and exercise, but the reality was that I just didn't have a lot of time since I was always back and forth between work and school. So, over the next 3 years, I gained more weight w/o even realizing it. It wasn't until I came back from a year in Washington DC where you walk EVERYWHERE, that I realized what kind of shape I was in. People were telling me that I looked like I had lost weight, but I all really did was look at them like they had 3 heads and say "Butttt, I didn't." I hadn't weighed myself because, really, the scale scared me. But those people were right- My clothes did fit looser and I was able to fit into a smaller pants size. So after that I knew I was ok for at least a little while.

I went for a physical for the 1st time in 6 years this past April. My dr did tell me that I was overweight, which I knew, and we decided that I would try to start loosing weight. It took me a while at first, b/c like stated earlier, I am a procrastinator to the fullest. I finally buckled down and joined a gym and started, for the first time, pretty much ever, watching what I was eating. It was hard at first and I stuck to walking on the treadmill. You think it's boring? Well, I like it.You see, I'm so freakin' laidback that I needed an exercise machine to match me. It gave me a chance to watch the TV and be nosy. See, I think I'm kind of a closet nosy person, but that's another story for another day. So, one day I got up the nerve to try the elliptical. OMG- it was like torture. You know how when you stub your toe and you just want to scream out massive obscenities, but they just don't come out b/c you know you shouldn't be saying things like that? Yeah, that's how I felt the 1st couple of times, except my legs were the ones screaming obscenities. At me. So I started out doing 5 minutes. I had to stop after 45 seconds. No, I'm not kidding. No. Really, I'm not. Eventually I worked my way up to 10, 15, 20, 30, 45, and eventually an hour. And hey, this machine ALSO gave me the opportunity to watch the TV AND be nosy! Muhahahahaha. So, I tried at my best to go at least 3 times a week. I really wanted to go everyday, but that was not happening. I felt like I wasn't seeing any results, and hey I mean, I probably could have been doing more, but weights intimidate me. Don't laugh. I don't like running either. My coworker kept saying "You're getting so skinny!" and again I looked at her like she had 3 heads and said "Buttttt, I'm not." And then she mentioned the whole inches thing and I was like OOOOOHHHH. RIGHT! I did notice that my pants seemed to fit a little bit looser, so I was on my way. But then, I. went. on. vacation. It was only to my pop's house, but hey, they liked to have soda with dinner and candy bars for dessert. So, I said, hey, it's only a week. Why not? People were still telling me that I was loosing weight so it didn't matter. Well, after I got home, I didn't exactly keep up with the healthy eating and the going to the gym, and now, here we are 3 months later and I have not stepped foot into the gym since the 1st week of July. WHAT? So kill me. But, I do take the bus back and forth to work and the bus doesn't pick me up and drop me off right in front of my house. So, I do some walking-not to mention the treacherous hill that I must walk UP on my way home that usually leaves me out of breath and begging for mercy. But all that said, I had a dr's visit last month and I had lost 6 pounds. Hey, it's something right? Women lose weight weirdly, so I can only be happy about that. The dr even gave me a high five. LOL.
Basically, nothing worth having comes easy. So if you want something, you have to work for it. Usually the end result is good.

I aint no gold digger!

2009-06-19T19:35:00.004-04:00

First of all, I want you to scroll down to entry dated Tuesday October 28, 2008.
Read that and then come back to me.
Ready? Ok. So that same guy I spoke of had an appointment with us on the 9th. My coworker kept reminding me about it, b/c she was so excited b/c she thought that we would be so great together. I just kept saying "Ok, Danielle." So, he finally comes in and I pretend like I have no idea about what's about to go down. I left the office at 5:30 and my coworker tells me that now that I was leaving, she was going to talk to him, b/c she knew that I'd be all nosy trying to hear what she was saying. I played it off like I didn't care, but she was right, I would have tried to listen. LOL. So I go home and I'm waiting for her to text me or call me, but there was nothing. So, I did what I had to do for the night and figured she would tell me when I got to work in the AM. I get to work the next day and I'm just waiting for her to spring the news, but of course she was making me wait. Are you crazy? Really? I just wanted her to tell me! After about an hour, I say, "Ok, Danielle. I can't take it anymore!" She turns and gives me this cheesy smile b/c she knows exactly what I'm talking about. And it all went down like this:
First of all she tells me that he thought my name was Heather, that I didn't look like a Christina, I looked like a Heather. Um, really? If you are reading this, do I even remotely look like a Heather? No, I don't, thank you very much! And then he told her that he thought I was really cute, BUT what if I was gold digger? Danielle clearly stated that I was NOT a gold digger. (When she was telling me this, I kinda felt this weird enegry start to rise in me. I think that I really was just offended by what he said.) So then he proceeded to say that he didn't have time to be in a relationship. So Danielle said "Ok. So why can't you be friends? Why don't you go out for dinner or coffee or something?" And he says "Yeah, but what if she takes my money?" That right there just told me that his guy was not worth my time. I understand if you got burned in the past, but really, don't take it out on all of the other women in the universe. AND, my dear, I HAVE MY OWN MONEY TO SPEND! Sure, it would be nice if you pay for dinner every once in a while, or buy me flowers, or give me something sweet, but I CAN SPEND MY OWN MONEY! Ask anyone who has gone shopping with me! How you treat me is far better than what you can buy for me. You lost your chance!

Oh really???

2009-06-16T11:40:00.000-04:00

Dating quiz

Mostly B's

You have a realistic outlook on dating. You understand that life is not a rom-com, but don’t be afraid to be a little more discriminating.

The LOLs of LIFE

2009-06-09T00:19:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, actually 2 days ago, was a good day for me. I hung out with friends and I always enjoy that. I was getting ready to watch some TV at by BFF's house, when I saw that my mom called and left me a VM and texted me-something about how she was stuck downtown and needed me to pick her AND her friend up. So I'm thinking something serious happened- did somebody smash up my mom's precious car, the car that I think she loves more than her children? (I am totally kidding about that.) So I call my mom and she tells me that she parallel parked downtown and she is parked so close to the curb that she is unable to move and that there's not enough room for her to move forward and pull out. My instant thought is "For real? Is this woman I call my mom crazy?" I ask her if she's being serious and she tells me yes. I ask her again and she still tells me yes. LOL. I beg her to call my little brother so I don't have to leave my friends, but that didn't work out, so I had to drive down there anyways. I get there and I see that there is a HUGE space between the car behind my mom and my mom's car. I asked her if she tried to back up and she said that she did, but was unsuccessful. I tell her to give me the keys and let me try. I warned her that I might scratch her hubcabs, but it was better than being stuck. I hop in the car and put it in reverse. I was only semi-successful. So, I put back into drive and start turning the wheel right to left, right to left. This helps. I put it back in reverse and turn the wheel again. Slowly but surely I'm getting out of the space. I put it back into drive and at this point, I'm inching away from the curb just enough to allow me to pull out. I get out and tell my mom "I'll see you at home!" But alas, her friend tells me to just pull all the way out so my mom doesn't get stuck again. So, I put the car in reverse again and make it so my mom can get out. At this point, my mom is almost in tears, b/c she thought she was going to have to leave her car there. She runs up and hugs me and tells me she doesn't know what she would do without me and thanks me so much for saving her car. I tell her you're welcome and that I need to teach her how to properly parallel park. LOL. It was a sight to see. I love my mom.

Chocolate cake with chocolate icing

2009-05-23T19:17:00.000-04:00

If all of the eight desserts listed below were sitting in

front of you, which would you choose (sorry, you can only

pick one)! Trust me...this is very accurate.. Pick your

Dessert, and then look to see what psychiatrists think about

you.

REMEMBER - No Cheating. Make your choice before you check

the meaning.

After taking this dessert personality test, send this e-mail

on to others, but when you do, be sure to put your choice of

dessert in the subject box above.

ALSO, SEND IT TO THE PERSON WHO SENT IT TO YOU. DON'T

FORGET TO CHANGE YOUR DESSERT CHOICE IN THE SUBJECT BOX
BEFORE YOU FORWARD IT..

Here are your choices:

1. Angel Food Cake

2. Brownies

3. Lemon Meringue Pie

4.. Vanilla Cake With Chocolate Icing

5. Strawberry Short Cake

6. Chocolate Cake With Chocolate Icing

7. Ice Cream

8. Carrot Cake

No, you can't change your mind once you scroll down, so

think carefully about what your choice will be.

OK - Now that you've made your choice, this is what the

researchers say about you.... SCROLL DOWN---No Cheating

1. ANGEL FOOD CAKE -- Sweet, loving, cuddly. You love all

warm and fuzzy items.. A little nutty at times. Sometimes you

need an ice cream cone at the end of the day. Others

perceive you as being childlike and immature at times.

2... BROWNIES -- You are adventurous, love new ideas, and are

a champion of underdogs and a slayer of dragons. When

tempers flare up you whip out your saber. You are always the

oddball with a unique sense of humor and direction. You tend

to be very loyal.

3. LEMON MERINGUE -- Smooth, sexy, a diva at times..
You are an excellent caregiver and a good teacher.

You set your own style because you do your own thing.
You shine when it comes to helping others and have many
friends. Natural leader, loyal, spontaneous. Love to laugh.

4. VANILLA CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE ICING -- Fun-loving, sassy,

humorous, not very grounded in life; very indecisive and

lacking motivation.. Everyone enjoys being around you, but

you are a practical joker. Others should be cautious in

making you mad. However, you are a friend for life.

5. STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE -- Romantic, warm, loving. You care

about other people, can be counted on in a pinch and expect

the same in return. Intuitively keen. You can be very

emotional at times but a true person in every way. You like

to do things for yourself and help others learn about

themselves.

6. CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE ICING -- Sexy; always ready

to give and receive. Very creative, adventurous, ambitious,

and passionate. You can appear to have a cold exterior but

are warm on the inside. Not afraid to take chances. Will not

settle for anything average in life. Love to laugh.

7. ICE CREAM -- You like sports, whether it be baseball,

football, basketball, or soccer. If you could, you would like

to participate, but you enjoy watching sports. You don't

like to give up the remote control. You tend to be

self-centered and high maintenance.

8. CARROT CAKE -- You are a very fun loving person, who

likes to laugh. You are fun to be with. People like to hang

out with you. You are a very warm hearted person and a

little quirky at times. You have many loyal friends.. You

were meant to lead and teach others. A wonderful role model.

Girls really do think too much.

2008-11-14T20:30:00.003-05:00

So, I am sitting here on a Friday night(I have to work early tomorrow!) and I am waiting for my rice and beans to cook while I'm listening to the oh-so-soothing-John Legend. Some thoughts came to my mind and decided to blog it up.
Most of you(for those who read this) know that I had a small fling with a boy that worked in my organization while I was in DC. Actually, I wouldn't even call it a fling, b/c we never actually hung out outside of the walls of SBY. I really should have done the "1-2-3 strikes, you're out" policy, but instead I did the "I'll let you blow me off more than once and I'll still keep talking to you, no matter how mad you made me" policy. I started to think about why I did that. I always try to portray myself as a young woman who doesn't take crap from anyone, who loves herself and knows when it's time to let somebody go. But the way I acted was the exact opposite. Is it b/c I didn't really have my dad around when I was growing up and I don't know how a good man acts? Is it b/c the whole prospect of someone being interested in me is so thrilling that I would be willing to forgive and forget far too many times? Is it b/c that our conversations were so good that I was willing to look past his faults? Is it b/c I don't know my worth as well as I thought I did? Maybe. After dealing with him for 3 months on and off, and being blown yet again off before I left for DC, I went to my best friend, a little heartbroken and she came to my rescue and saved me. She gave me her copy of "He's Just Not That Into You" and was I blown away! Such a good book! At that point, I was done and bid him good riddens. Wouldn't you know that he decided to call me and I fell back into the same thing all over again? What is it that makes us girls do this? At first, I tried to make it a game, but I found myself wanting to talk to him, b/c after all, we did have good conversations. So, for almost another 3 months, I went through his games, yet again. This time it didn't hit me as hard, b/c I had already learned how he was and I didn't expect much from him. But, I still continued to talk to him, even though ALL of my friends tried to convince me that he wasn't worth my precious time. I knew they were right, but I went ahead and did it anyways. I kept saying that it was just a game, but that was probably on 75% true. I even thought that we could go on as friends! What was wrong with me?
So against all advice, I made plans to see him on my recent trip to DC. I thought he might actually show up, b/c he kept asking me about it, but who was I kidding? We all know that talk is cheap. So, we made plans to see each other on Saturday. He gave me a time frame and said we could meet at a certain spot and that he would call when he was ready to leave. Well, Saturday came, and the time frame came and went, and while part of me was aggrevated, the other part me wasn't even surprised. I attempted to call him, but of course, he didn't pick his phone, for reasons unknown-but probably b/c he knew it was me calling. I was there for almost 6 days and I didn't get one phone call from him. He knew that too. You may not believe me, but I'm truly done this time. I'm not sure why it took me 6 months to get to this point, but maybe I just got tired of dealing with his B.S. He is not going to find any girl who will put up with that foolishness for as long as I did. I needed to learn on my own, and I did. You live, you learn, right?
I have a strong feeling that he will call and act like he has no idea what happened, and I will just tell him to not call me anymore. But it's not like it would be any different, b/c he hardly ever called in the first place! I know that deserve a guy that will pursue and make every effort to get my attention. Next time, I'll know better. I know I always say that, but I'm pretty sure I mean it this time. Keep me on your radar, guys, b/c I need a support system in case I slip up.

Ok, I need to clean now! Comments appreciated!

The contents will explain...

2008-10-28T21:27:00.002-04:00

You know how some people have one of those co-workers that likes to hook you up with people and you're just like "No, that's ok"? I had a situation like that today. The hygenist at my job, who is also my friend outside of work tried that. Her last patient was an african american guy(and if you know me, you know that's what I prefer!)around my age,about 2 years older than me, who apparently is very involved with church and singing. Since our office radio went kaput, I could basically hear all that she was saying. She kept saying "Oh, you should talk to Christina. She goes to church. Oh, Christina sings too. " Now, I won't deny that he was good looking. But, a couple years back, my boss also tried this. At that time, I discovered that this dude was shorter than I am. I try not to be picky, but one of my requirements is that when I have heels on, you must still be taller than I am. My friend kept trying to tell me that he isn't short, that maybe we're about the same height. I was tired of trying to fight her, so I just let it go. After she cleaned his teeth, she said that he was going to come to the front desk and talk to me. At this point, I was like "whatever" b/c I honestly didn't think he was all that interested. According to my friend, he seemed interested. So, here I am, doing my end of the day front desk duties, and he comes up from the back. I braced myself in case he did start talking to me, but do you know what happened? His phone rang. Arrrggggghhhhh. He stopped by the desk and said "Good to see you, Christina." I was like "Huh?" I never talked to this guy before and I have worked at that office for years. I dunno, maybe he just said it b/c Danielle was trying to hook us up. So, I just said what a normal person would say, "You too" and pretended like I didn't know Danielle was talking to him about me. I guess if something is supposed to happen it will. I'm not doing the work this time. If he's interested, he knows where I work. All I know is that if he decides to contact me, he better do it before I find another job.
At least he's a much better option than DC man.....

Whhhyyyyyyyy??????

2008-10-22T17:50:00.002-04:00

I am really regretting what I ordered for lunch today. It tasted so good at the moment, but now my stomach is paying for it.
And I thought I was being healthy.

And this is why I keep my friends around....

2008-10-13T21:31:00.002-04:00

My very dear friend Erma sent me a text message a few minutes ago that almost had me rolling on the floor:
" Daily truth: No woman will ever be truly satisified because no man will ever have a chocolate penis that ejaculates money!"

What?

2008-10-12T14:18:00.002-04:00

My mom called me last night while I was out with Athena to tell me that my cousin is pregnant. 6 months pregnant at that. I was in complete shock. My cousin, who never really seemed like she wanted kids, is pregnant. It's still weird to say it.
So, my question is this: Why does it seem like everyone is getting married and having babies? Everyone but me? No doubt, I am happy for my cousin, and she is bit older than I am, so I guess a baby would come along at some point. But jeez, everytime I turn around, I hear that somebody is engaged or just found out that they are pregnant. I know that things will happen in time, but wow. I'm slowly appraoching turning 25 and time is running out! I know it's still young, but that's 5 years away from 30. We all know how fast time flies these days. 5 years will go in the snap of the fingers. I'm trying my best not to worry about, but just expressing what I feel.

My cousin is having a girl. There are far too many girls in my family. FAR TOO MANY. Now you see why we dominate the earth.
Also, my cousin and her fiance/boyfriend? are into racing and are naming the baby Danica. Yes, Danica, like the racer. If it was a boy, they were going to name him Rider. Rider? Seriously?
Alright, I'm done.

Blog #1

2008-10-11T14:41:00.000-04:00

Alright, so for some time now, I have felt the need to blog on this thing we call blogger. As most of you know, I have my 365 blog, but for whatever reason, I wanted to have an actual blog, where, you know, I write about things. Things that happen. I may only use this for a few years, b/c that seems to be the trend with blogs I sign up for. I had, or rather, still do have an xanga account, but I only really signed up for that b/c I was interested in someone and he was interested in me and I thought I looked cool having a blog. Oh the mind of a 19 year old. Needless to say, I don't talk to him at all anymore, so there really isn't a need for that blog. I also have a Live Journal account that I sometimes update. I blog on my myspace too, but my space is getting lamer by the second, so I will blog on that when I feel the urge.
So, maybe this blog will only stay around for two years or three or four. We'll see. I hope that you'll read it any way. Ooo! and comment on it too! I feel special when people comment on my blog. I feel like I write for a reason!
Well, that is all for today. I am going to buy some jeans and a gift for my friend's wedding shower. I love spending money! (That was sarcastic. Just in case you were unaware.)