Lets Debate Feelings

Feelings. Do we need them? Why? I say on one hand that feelings only make us miserable emotionally and physically. One person is in pain everyday and it doesn't go away because they were in an accident years ago, or because a doctor completely f'd up on a surgery. Who wants to feel that for their entire life? Especially if it isn't their fault? My grandfather had his vocal chord severed by a doctor who later was banned from practicing in the US. Is that fair for someone to have to feel the emotion and physical stress from such an awful incident? What about Love. Do we need to feel that? Most often people who are in love and not loved back are in agony. Why bother? If we didn't feel love we wouldn't have to turn into absolute morons over someone who barely knows we exist. Our friends wouldn't have to spend their every waking moment trying to talk us out of it because they can clearly see what is going on whereas we are wearing rose tinted glasses. Why bother with that? How about the person who stays at the job they hate and lets their superiors constantly talk down to them and humiliates them in front of their coworkers and clients? Humiliation is an awful feeling. Feelings are trouble. They make people do stupid things like commit suicide. They make people kill. They cause jealousy which is also a feeling.

Now if you are for feelings, let us look at the positive side.

Love can make you feel warm and fuzzy. Like you are on top of the world. Love can make you feel as if you can achieve anything. Achievements make you feel more successful and maybe even smarter or more valued. What other positive feelings are there? Love which we said, happiness, satisfaction, comfort. I can't think of the others but perhaps one particular feeling makes it worth keeping all of the other feelings?

Feelings. More pain than gain perhaps, but sometimes that one feeling makes it all worth while.

Book Review

This is the list of books I have read since June:

The Virgin Suicides
Twilight
New Moon
Eclipse
Breaking Dawn
Marked
Vampire Kisses
Kissing Coffins
Vampiresville
Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse Series)
Living Dead in Dallas (Sookie Stackhouse Series)
Club Dead (Sookie Stackhouse Series)
Dead to the World (Sookie Stackhouse Series)
Dead as a Doornail (Sookie Stackhouse Series)
Definitely Dead (Sookie Stackhouse Series)
All Together Dead (Sookie Stackhouse Series)
From Dead to Worse (Sookie Stackhouse Series)
Dead and Gone (Sookie Stackhouse Series)
A Touch of Dead (Sookie Stackhouse Series)

Of the above books I would highly recommend to those who love to read about vampires and love, the Twilight Saga, and the Sookie Stackhouse books. Twilight is more about love and overcoming obstacles to be together whereas the Sookie Stackhouse novels are murder mysteries with a little bit of love and adventure mixed in.

Stephenie Meyer is very descriptive, to the point of which she can be almost too descriptive. The books are long because she talks about the daily dull roar of the main character's life. These descriptors to however make Bella's human state seem more fragile and normal compared to the undead state of Edward who never sleeps and has all the time in the world to do whatever he desires.

Charlaine Harris keeps her books moving along with mystery and suspense. They are fairly easy reads that one can seldom become bored with. Some may feel that the lust the main character has sometimes gets a bit irritating, but really the majority of the books are well laid out and keep the reader hooked. I'm already looking forward to the release of the next book in the spring.

Next on the list of books to read are the House of Night books and the Ann Rice novels. I know that these prove to be much different than those of Charlaine Harris and Stephenie Meyer. A good variety of vampire books never hurt anyone, that I know of.

House of Night and Vampire Kisses are definitely a bit more on the juvenile level. I find Vampire Kisses to be a bit irritating in that the main character is definitely a teenager who doesn't think about the consequences of anything and she gives her home town as well as the surrounding towns generic silly names. To mean the main character feels like a Junior High Student and not a High Schooler. Though on the juvenile side I am still curious to see how they turn out.

House of night so far has been interesting, it is a much different spin on the common vampire novel. This book definitely feels like it is about high school age kids. The fights and bullying are definitely the sort of thing you see in this age group. I will be starting the book Betrayed next and I will keep you all posted on how it ends.

If you were to choose one of these series to read, I would recommend the Sookie Stackhouse books.

Two Magical Months

So it's the beginning of October. A month that has a feeling unlike any other. This month has a crispness and a smell unlike any other. It has the mystery of Halloween and the changing of natural colors. So begins the season for sweaters and curling up with a loved one on the couch to watch movies and prepare for the so-called hybernation of winter.

October is a time to get out and enjoy the beginning of a new season, explore the trails, decorate the yard for Halloween, pick out a costume, have a party, watch scary movies. There is a certain excitement that is involved with October, it just feels different. Once November hits the season is in full swing and has a certain blahness to it.

The next magical month is December, which brings a season of giving, and after that the magic of cold, crisp, exciting nights and Holidays is gone. It is replaced by an overly long lasting winter and coldness that most people want to shove on and turn to spring.

Spring doesn't have the same magical feel as October or December because the crispness is gone, no smell of fire wafting from the chimney, no gift giving, but there is the beginning of the green refreshed summer which for me has an entirely different feel, not magic, just refreshing and exciting because there is less need for coats and you can enjoy the green, the color that makes people feel like going outside again.

My favorite season is Summer, but my favorite month is October. The only month that really excites me and makes me want to be more productive indoors and out.

I wish you all a wonderful October and a happy Halloween. Enjoy the month, it is unlike any other. You never know what the weather will be like, but one thing is for sure, the nights are longer and the air has a different smell and feel than any other month.

Ellen DeGeneres?

So this morning as I am looking through the news popping up on my usual sites (msn, yahoo) I notice that Ellen DeGeneres is going to be taking Paula Abdul's spot on American Idol. Um... can we back the truck up for a minute here? Ellen DeGeneres? Hello? Does she have anything to do with the music industry?

Talk about an awkward group of people. I cannot even imagine how awkward the first show is going to be. For some reason I can see Simon, the epitome of manliness, clashing with Ellen (not sure why, lol, but I can just see it). It's wrong, just wrong. It has nothing to do with Ellen's choices, she is great on her own show and perhaps if we put her on the red carpet, but seriously Idol? Not a cohesive fit. I think this could hurt Idol. Once again, I will remind those who have apparently forgotten, Idol is a singing competition.

Perhaps they put Ellen on the show for some diversity after what happened this past year with Adam (whom I adore). Do they think this is going to raise their numbers? I think they are sadly mistaken. Sorry Ellen, my vote is against you, but only because you are not a part of the music industry. Perhaps you will prove me wrong and turn out to have some unknown trick up your sleeve or some amazing singing talent? I really do hope I am wrong, but it seems like such an odd decision. Good luck Ellen.

Food dislike

Have you ever eaten something and it tasted awful but you couldn't stop eating it? That's how I feel about Archer Farm's Salsa Con Queso. One taste was awful with an undescribable tang. Garrett says it tastes highly of salsa but I almost feel like it's on the verge of going sour. Why can't I stop eating it? I think perhaps it's because it is normally one of my favorite now and again treats, but just not this brand. Hmm, maybe if I heat it up it will taste better? The sharpness is almost painful. lol

Twilight book and movie review.

I recently was walking through Marshall's and I noticed that they had the Twilight books. I had no desire to read the books because I heard that they were poorly written; I had heard worse things about the third movie which the director apparently hates. I decided to buy the first book. I read the book in three days. I became addicted to the love story. The passion that I am uncertain could possibly exist in real life. The day I finished the first book I walked back to Marshall's and bought the second book. I read that book in three days as well. The day after I finished the second book I went out and bought the third; that book was finished after two days and I now need to go buy the fourth.

The story is best in the second book and I can see why some would say it's not well written. There is way more detail than is needed in each book. They tend to ramble a bit and go over things that are unimportant. I still kept on reading. Drawn into the feud's and passion that the main characters were projecting. Last night I watched the movie Twilight and I was greatly disappointed. I nearly shut it off. The best part of the movie is probably the baseball scene. The writer could have done so much more with this movie. It could have been a beautiful piece or artistry when finished, but when it came out of the oven it was a mushy half-baked cake that lacked heart. Edward's strengths and speed were so poorly done, so hokey that it was agonizing to watch. The book is about five hundred pages and the movie was severely chopped and crap that wasn't needed was added. Disappointment aplenty.

I recommend the books and not the movies at this point. If the second movie is as bad as the first, or worse, then it will not be worth your time or patience. Despite the awfulness I am still very drawn in by the passionate love story that surrounds Bella and Edward.

Out for a stroll

So imagine you are sitting on the couch with your significant other, looking out the window, talking, and enjoying each other's company. As you watch people walking by you think to yourself, what a beautiful day outside.
In mid-conversation a new set of walkers come into view. You see an old woman and an old man walking down the street with a little bitty dog in tow and a stroller in front.
Now this is the point where one may react uncontrollably. As you look at the stroller you realize that it is not a child but a large orange cat, just sitting there enjoying the ride.
Garrett and I looked at each other and started laughing.. how is it that this cat is staying in this stroller? We have seen the oddity one time since and laughed just as hard the second time. I hope the people were not offended, our window was open at the time lol.

Sex and the City

So as I sit night after night watching Sex and the City, I cannot help but wonder if life is really like that for anyone? Beautiful mid thirty-somethings going out and drinking martinis in New York, laughing and joking and dating man after man while always looking beautiful? They work their perfect jobs and gossip. They take trips together. Do people have groups of friends like that who meet up every week and do stuff together, breakfast, lunch and dinner, all through their lives?

"Elizabeth Taylor got gang banged in the dog park? That's so totally 80's" Their are many great lines though.

It's true that perhaps we have friends in our lives that we feel close to like the girls in Sex and the City, but do we have a foursome of friends who go out and do stuff constantly? I wish we did.

Perhaps some place, somewhere, there is a group of girls who live exactly like the girls from Sex and the City. Are they happy? Do they love their lives? Do they love all that time spent with their friends? No one could possibly know the true color of the matter from this side of the fence.

To my girls, I love you even if we aren't together every week.

Writing

So at this point I continue to work on my book. I'm not sure however that I'm going about it properly. I wish I knew how other authors went about things and what there order is. I am reading books still on plot, structure, writing fiction, etc. It seems to be helpful but it still frustrates me because I want to write the best book possible. I need to get published; it is not even a question. How did J.K. Rowling do it? How did Nora Roberts? What about Tolkien? Has it gotten harder yet to get published, was it easier five years or ten years ago? I guess the only option is to keep on writing and try to get it published.

YAY ROCKFEST!!!

It's been a while. I just got back from Florida, the trip was awesome. Garrett and I had a great time. After we got home I got to have a girls weekend with some of my sorority sisters, we went tubing and then we went to dinner at El Patio and then it was off to the bars to mingle and enjoy a few drinks. On Saturday Cassie, Alisa, Tara, and I went to the beach in Hudson and then we, minus Alisa grilled out at mine and Garrett's house. It was a lot of fun. A truly nice weekend.

Now we get to begin the process of preparing for Rockfest. I'm so excited, this is the weekend in the year that I always look forward to and cannot wait for. Rockfest, a long weekend of music, drinks, friends, family and fun. This year it will be Me, Garrett, Matt, and Brandon. Though Cassie is around she is unable to go. :'o( Sad. Next year perhaps. It would be wonderful if we could get a big group together and have 8 or more campsites.

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer and that they are taking advantage of the beautiful weather. I know we are. ;o)

Movie Review for "The Proposal"

I saw the proposal this past week at the VIP theatre in the MOA. First off, I definitely think for two bucks more it is worth it to go with the VIP Theatre. You can drink, and you get a larger more comfortable chair and a little table to put your items on. People wait on you and you do not have to go in search of the junk you like to eat during movies. I do recommend showing up early however, you never know if it may sell out quickly.

The proposal is a movie starring Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock. Ryan Reynolds is Sandra's secretary so to speak in the movie, and upon being told she is being deported she tells her superiors that she and Ryan are in love and that they are going to get married. Ryan is stunned and one thing leads to another in this crazy, quirky story.

I thought the movie was witty and full of laughs. I give it a rating of one Milky Way and most of Orion's Belt. It's a great film to go see with your significant other.

Pickin' Weeds in a Heat W@VE!

Holy Cow it's hot. I like it warm but when it's this humid, no thanks. Today I spent an hour outside in the heat trying to kill weeds. The weeds in some ares are about as tall as me. At first I thought maybe they were some sort of plant that was supposed to be there, but with how fast they are growing, I don't think so. I sprayed every weed in the cement around the house, and in the driveway with weed killer. I pulled out weeds in the front yard (Now it looks kinda bare in front of my picture window, I hope those were all weeds lol). I also pulled up weeds in the back along the fence, though I still have a ways to go in that part of the yard. I think to some point it would just be easier to start over in some areas.

SL

So, some of you may know, and others may not, there is a game on facebook called Sorority Life. I'm addicted to it. You basically get to play games and earn clothes and dress up your avatar, and grow your sorority house and get bigger and better jobs and on and on and on. I love it and I have no idea why. I think I just like to see how big I can get my house to be and what sort of great clothes I can get for my avatar. There is also a game somewhat like it called Celebrity Life, it is also fun, but not quite as indepth as Sorority Life. If any of you are bored on facebook and want to check out either of these games, send me a message and I'll send you a link. It's kinda fun.

Been a While

I know I haven't been on here in a while. I've been sorting through a lot of things in my head, and enjoying the sudden beginning of summer in the past three days. This past weekend we had a remembrance party for the life of my Grandfather. The majority of the family was there. I also got to see several family friends whom I had not seen in a while. We played outdoor yard games, and everyone took a shot of tequila during the song "Tequila" in memory of my Grandfather, because that was his favorite song. I think he would have loved the party and been happy with the turnout.
Saturday night Garrett and I went to his mom's cabin and were able to just enjoy the lake and relax. It was a great escape from the everyday craziness.

I still need to tackle the rest of the weeds in the yard, but I'm happily surprised at some of the gorgeous flowers coming up yet... I have Lillie's, and Peonies currently, they are beautiful. My vine is still showing beautiful purple flowers and then I have another vine on the wood fence on the side of the yard that has pink and orange flowers growing all over it. Really our yard has become quite beautiful.

Last week I had a bit of a scare, we thought we may have a poisonous/deadly plant growing in our front yard, I'm pretty sure that the leaves are wrong though. That was a bit scary.

I recommend that everyone get out and enjoy the weather because summer will go fast. If anyone is interested in making a trip here to do a Valley Fair weekend, let me know, I think that would be fun!

There must be more to it.

So I feel kinda stuck in a rut. It's the same thing all of the time. I think I need more in my life to keep me going. I need some girlfriends who want to go to the gym with me, or out for drinks, or just to have fun with on a regular basis. No one really lives near me.

It's been raining the past few days and being stuck inside makes me think even more about what I may like to be doing. I just want more excitement and adventure. Changing my hair color just isn't really doing it for me anymore.

I have a goal to get myself in shape, I've been trying different approaches to see if I can find the proper one. I think I would feel better if I looked better, but I don't think any of it will matter if I sit home and do nothing but search for jobs and mess around on the computer everyday. A virtual life just does not stack up to real life.

I want to travel, see the world, have fun with friends, actually enjoy everyday life. Are you happy? Is your life what you want it to be?

Ice Cream

So I definitely feel that anything with chocolate is the correct way to start any cone, blizzard, or bowl off, when it comes to ice cream. My number one choice would probably be Kemps Under the Stars.

Though I am not a huge mint ice cream fan, Mint Cow Tracks can really grow on ya. It's mint ice cream with chocolate swirls, shavings, and cows filled with chocolate. I recommend this ice cream to my sister.

If I were to go with a pint, I love the brownie chocolate ganache ice cream that Dove makes. Of course, you can never go wrong with Ben and Jerry's. I, like Allison, like Fish Food, as well as Half Baked ice cream.

Overall, ice cream is probably one of my all time favorite desserts. I also like Gelato and frozen yogurt. Always remember to eat in moderation.

When I was younger I used to make ice cream floats in those old 32oz Hardeez cups... Katie says it's all float and no liquid; I packed that sucker full of ice cream lol. To think that while I was doing that I still kept a smaller figure... hmmm; maybe I gained weight because I eat less ice cream? Doubtful lol, but a nice thought.

Now that I'm a little bit older I enjoy my ice cream in moderation, too much ruins it for me. Here's to the ice cream lovers out there, have your ice cream and eat it too. ;o)

Interview

I had an interview today with a company that I like. Unfortunately for me he only called me in for the interview because he liked my cover letter and felt it was well written; I guess he did not care for my resume. Slightly discouraging. It was a decent interview none the less. If all else fails I received more interviewing practice. He has fifteen more people to see; I did send out a thank you in the mail this evening if that counts for anything.

Time will tell. Sometimes I really don't know how well I do in interviews. I try pretty hard to be impressive and show interest and such but it is hard to be confident when you are nervous. I get nervous without fail and I still haven't figured out why. I think it's the anticipation of being asked a question I may not have thought of an answer to ahead of time. Hmm.

The rest of the day flew by. I'm tired but I don't want to sleep, yet I really don't have a desire to do anything else. It's a draw folks. Maybe I will just go to bed. Sweet Dreams.

Summer

This week flew by very quickly. I applied for tons of jobs and got responses on a couple, so that was nice. I have an interview scheduled for tomorrow, we'll see how that goes. I got to spend time with Eric and Becky in Menomonie on Friday night; that was fun as well. It was nice to have a relaxing weekend. I enjoyed the weather and spent some time outdoors. Saw a beautiful view over the water as the sun was going down, took a walk on a trail. It was just nice to be outside, though it was a bit chilly last night and the wind off the water made it a bit more brisk.

I am pretty happy with the start to my summer. I look forward to many other wonderful nights and a lot of time spent outside enjoying the weather. I think this week if there is time I will spend some more time on the gardening and I am going to try to get out and exercise each day as well. There is only a month before our trip to Florida and I need to get my tush in shape lol. Not an easy task as many of you know.

I hope everyone had a great weekend and that they are enjoying the summer as much as I am!

Weekend

This past weekend was amazing. I really needed a weekend away and I got just that. On Friday I went to Eau Claire and stayed at my mother-in-laws for her birthday. We had a great dinner and were able to relax and just enjoy the evening.

On Saturday Garrett and I drove up to the lake. Several of my family members were up there. On Saturday evening we had a fire and went out to a couple of the local bars and sang karaoke. My Dad was the best singer there, which is no surprise.

On Sunday Grandma came up and we took the pontoon out. Sunday afternoon/evening we ripped out the old back dock and we moved the new dock that the neighbors were giving us, into our yard. That night we sat around the campfire just enjoying the evening and relaxing. On Monday morning we took the old front dock out and as we were trying to wheel it over to the back to put it in the water, a wheel broke off. Luckily we had a friend nearby who was a welder. We somehow managed to get the new dock in the water without too much trouble. After the old front dock was mended we put it in the water and were finally done with our three dock movement, at least for the time being; we only really got it half-way in the water and it got stuck in the nasty muck. It was a lot of work but I enjoyed the weekend thoroughly.

Cookin'

Every now and then a person stumbles upon something they love, or someone gives them an idea and they run with it and for whatever reason, it turns out perfect. Tonight I am making a simmer sauce from Trader Joe's. Clint told me to do this so I have bought several of the Trader Joe's Simmer Sauces and tried most of them.

What you do is you saute' onion and garlic in olive oil, then you toss in some chopped up tomato, green pepper and whatever else you like along with your choice of meat.

I choose to add black beans and chicken. I put it atop whole wheat spaghetti. For those of you out there who think I do not cook; these are the things I currently make.

Chicken Tortilla Casserole
Simmer Sauces

...and anything else out of a bag or box lol. Hey, it's a start.