Karaoke

So I went to a Karaoke Cafe last week with friends, and it was the most fun I have had in a very long time.

I was able to get my sister to come. And We met up with friend from my work, and then proceeded the next three hours which ended in me actually falling asleep smiling.

I don't remember the last time that happened.

I had back up dancers for one song, and did two (almost three) duets.

Want to know why I love Karaoke? It's not about being awesome or amazing, it's about having fun.

And that is what I did.

Playing guitar

I may not be very good, but there are few things that calm me down more than being able to play a guitar.

Also, getting to play my friends guitar last week, it was pretty.

My guitar is cheap, but it's what I've got and I love playing it.

If I could find a way to fall asleep playing it, I would, but I'd rather not fall asleep with my guitar on my bed. I move around to much.

I love guitars.

Summer

I know that there are a number of people who don't enjoy summer. And coming from the girl who gets heat exhaustion pretty much every summer of her life, I understand.

But I love summer! WATERMELON!!!! I love it. S'mores. campfires. camping. picnics. no school (that's a big one). Fireworks. the sun coming up earlier and staying out longer. The list goes on.

And with my summer job, our summer season starts today. I couldn't be more excited. It means it's here. I love where I work, and with summer the full staff is back. Which is just wonderful.

This job has made me love summer. I use to like it, and I liked it a lot. But now, I LOVE IT!!!!

AND IT'S HERE!!!!

The magic of childhood

I was able to spend Saturday afternoon into Sunday morning with an old friend, her husband, and their little one year old daughter.

I miss being around families.

My family lives to far away for me to be able to see them more than once or twice a year, if I'm really lucky, I can see them three times in a year.

Being a young single adult, I don't get to be around a lot of families.

I especially miss being around children.

They bring magic back into life.

Everything is so new and fantastic and brilliant.

They make magic exist.

When they realize that a tomato grows on a plant, that's magic.

When they learn how to walk, that's magic.

When they learn how to speak, that's magic.

Children see the world so full of good and hope, it's really a shame how many of us lose that as we grow up.

I wish I had the eyes of a child.

My eyes have grown tired, and they are starting to see things in a very cynical light.

Then, I get to spend time around children, and I'm reminded what I need to take seriously, and what really isn't worth the effort.

Boy Meets World

Probably my favorite show of my entire childhood was Boy Meets World. I loved the characters. I loved the stories. I think it's fun.

In my early (ish) morning channel flipping, I stumbled upon it on one of the channels.

I WAS SO EXCITED!

And now I spend probably way to much time very morning watching it.

But these are the characters that I followed through their jr. high, high school, and college years. And now that I'm in college, I understand some of the jokes that I didn't use to.

Finding that show that you grew up with on TV and being able to watch it.

It's something to smile about.

Song on the Radio

So, when all of my friends are having bad days, in an attempt to lighten to mood (when you've reached the appropriate moment of course, not in an attempt to ignore hard days) I will look them in the face, very serious and stone faced like and say "Just dance, it's gonna be okay. Da Da Da Do-in"

The "da da da do-in" part is very important, that's what makes it funny instead of annoying.

For those of you who do not know the reference, that is from Lady Gaga's song "Just Dance".

Now the song itself isn't really about making it through a bad time, more about getting so drunk you don't know where you are or whats going on, so you are just going to dance because it is going to be okay.

But that last part isn't a bad message. "just dance, it's gonna be okay."

So yesterday, I was stressing, trying to figure out life and how to make everything work and ready to have a melt down. I got into my car, turned it on, about ready to burst into tears...

and Lady Gaga's "Just dance" came on the radio.

This song was popular when I was in high school, when this song was first popular, so it being on the radio isn't a common thing.

After that, life seemed bearable again.

Starting again

After an extremely hard year, it's nice to have the summer to start again.

And it really does seem like a fresh start. I have friends at the job I'm returning too, but I'm not living with friends or family. I didn't know anyone in my new church congregation. And I'm living in a city I've never lived in.

I'm hoping to make the most of a fresh start.

Read more books. Do more writing. Lose weight. Get a second job so I can get more financially on my feet and prepare for next school year. Maybe learn how to spell, apparently I can't do that anymore. (I keep getting those red squiggly lines)

It's just nice to feel like I can get a clean and fresh start.

I think we all need one every now and then.

Going to Grandmas

So, moving is probably one of my least things ever, for a number of reasons. Mostly, the stress of it all.

Yesterday, the major amounts of stress that have been building up and I couldn't take it anymore.

I ran away to grandmas for the night.

I had some chores I needed to do for her anyway, and I had some laundry I needed to do, and she lets me use her washing machine.

While there, she let me eat lots of food. (When moving, you stop buying food because you don't want to move it. I had started running out of food, and I didn't have money to eat out)

She gave me small amounts of food, easy enough to move, so that I could have food when I get moved to my new apartment.

and I slept. Sometimes you need a night away from everything.

Basically, running away to grandmas can make life infinetely better.

Winning Something out of the claw machine

When I was little, my mother taught me some tricks to getting things out of those claw machines. I've now won something out of those 2-3 times that I can remember. But possibly more.

When you do this, don't go for the one you want, go for the one you can get. If they happen to be the same, WOOT WOOT!

You want one that is on top, and not really under anything. If it is wedged up against the glass, you have no chance.

Also, it can't be on top resting RIGHT next to the glass, the claw doesn't go over that far. (generally)

We were at wal-mart the other day, and while waiting for a friend to go buy whatever it was he was needing, we played the claw machine.

I WON A BLUE...MONKEY...OR COW....we weren't entirely sure which one it is...but we are leaning more toward monkey.

Giving

Maybe I am the weird one, but I find giving to be a great source of joy.

It's even better when you've put time and thought into it, and you can watch their face when they open a gift from you.

Even better still is when they aren't expecting it.

But want to know what the best is?

When they never know it was you.

I don't mean that in a creepy stalker way, just in a "there is nothing more fun than giving secret service" way.

I don't find the joy in getting recognition for the kind things I may or may not do. I love watching someones face when they get something nice from someone and they don't know who it is.

That way, there is no obligation to pay back the person who did something for you. Then if you feel the need to give something, than you have to pay it forward.

Try it sometime, if you are having a bad day. Find someone to do something nice for.

Maybe give that little crying girl a quarter.

Give that friend who did bad on a test a hug.

Take that sick classmate/co-worker some soup or crackers or juice or something.

Being kind and giving doesn't mean big and flashy, or expensive.

The more sincere and from the heart it is, the better.

Little things going right.

So after almost exactly 24 hours of everything going wrong some small things started to go right. And that made it better.

My paycheck came a day early.

I found a friend who was able to drive my car home for me, thus keeping me from a parking ticket AND allowing me to get to my last class on time.

Strawberries were on sale.

So was pineapple/mango salsa.

I had time to take a nap

I actually slept

My roommate started the dishwasher the night before, I had clean spoons.

I learned a new song.

There were no cops around while I was going WAY over the speed limit to get to work while I was running incredibly late.

Sometimes, you just need those little things to make it through the day.

Teachers are human beings

Something so many people seem to forget is that teachers are humans too.

If you will just communicate with them, almost every single teacher I have ever had is willing to break their "no exceptions" policy.

One example, last year in my English class, I managed to pull out a B average grade. I did probably D work. I turned in almost nothing on time and it was nothing close to the best I could do.

My life was also beginning to fall completely apart. Things with school, money, family, friends, I was just trying to stay afloat. I would go to turn in my partial work on time and apologize. I would say "I expect no special treatment, it's not finished, but here is what I do have." Almost every time my teacher would say "Just bring it to me when you are done."

It probably helped that we had journals in that class and a lot of my writing would contain everything that was falling apart around me. So she knew I wasn't just making it up. That, and several people said that I looked like I hadn't smiled in a long time.

I figured she would probably give me a C-, enough to pass me, but really still generous for the work I was doing. Nope, averaged a B. (I don't remember if it was + or -, I just remember the B part.)

I have had several other occasions where teachers have been angels of mercy simply because I communicated my problems to them.

I think that is what we sometimes forget as students, our teachers are these huge scary giants that rule with iron fists. They are human beings. They have to set strict guidelines because so many students will push the limits around, it's just how we tend to work. They also know that "No exceptions" means "No exceptions that will apply to the entire class, but if something extraneous happens, come talk to me and I'm sure we can work something out."

Today, I am just grateful and happy that teachers are human beings.

Rainbow

I saw the most beautiful rainbow this last weekend, while I was driving. I couldn't believe how clear and perfect it was. It was bright and a full rainbow that could be seen from end to end.

It was so beautiful I almost drove off the road, which was not a happy thought. But the happiness is in the sheer beauty that exists around us.

Rain can be so wonderful, but it is always the best when followed by a radiant rainbow that leaves one speechless and in awe.

Sleep

There is something truly wonderful about sleep. In the last two weeks, for whatever reason, my body doesn't want to let me sleep. I will be fighting to stay awake all day and as soon as I hit the pillow I lie there tired for hours, not sleeping.

Last night, although it took me almost 2 hours to fall asleep, and I didn't get the eight hours a I wish I could have, I slept. Out cold. I usually wake up 2-3 times during the night and that is a good nights sleep for me. But last night, after falling asleep I stayed asleep.

The funny part was falling asleep. I called my sister after an hour and a half almost in tears because I was so tired and I couldn't sleep. She was trying to get me to focus and figure out how to meditate or something. But it was when I started talking about the completely random things that I started calming down.

They were truly pointless things, like how I think the bacon in my fridge has probably gone bad and that makes me really sad. Or how I love the music video for "White Houses" by Vanessa Carlton. How i woke up and my bread was moldy, so now I need more bread. How scrambled eggs sound good. She kept trying to stop me from wandering, it was finally when I said, "this is actually helping" that she said "okay".

Then after a few minutes she said good night. (I think I was starting to put her to sleep). I at first tried to see if there was a way to sing myself to sleep. But that took way to much concentration. So i started just kind of talking out loud. I'm not sure if it was a prayer or what. I was just talking about my day. Slowly I started mumbling a little more and getting quieter. Next thing I know my alarm is going off.

Sleep is such a thing to be happy about. I wish I had more control over mine. But it's what it is. If sleep comes easy to you, smile. It's a gift.

Driving with the windows down.

I know it has been awhile. Life happened.

But there is something wonderful that makes me happy.

The first time of the new year that you can drive with the windows down. I love driving with the window down, the air circulation in the car makes me happy. I love the breeze. It also means that it is warming up, which means the days are getting longer. Which means more sun. Which is nice.

Who knew that driving with the windows down could make an entire day better.