Day 4. Five Ways into my Heart

1.     BOOKS

If you love books, especially sci-fi, fantasy novels, then we could spend hours talking about our favorite authors and novels, about the plot and what we think is going to happen next book in the series. I have, and can spend hours on this subject! And if you can replicate, then the battle is half way won, to my heart.

2.     SNOWBOARDING

      Well snowboard or ski. I need someone who loves the great outdoors, especially the winter outdoors. If I could I would be snowboarding every weekend of the snow season. I live in the northern prairies and unfortunately the mountains are a good five-hour drive from where I live. Someday my dream is to either live in the mountains or live close enough that my future partner and me will be able to share the driving and accommodations to go snowboarding every weekend. That is my dream and if a guy who would be as passionate of skiing or boarding as I am, would get you another 20% closer into my heart.

3.     CAMPING & QUADDING

This goes along with the great outdoors. In the summer I always look forward to going camping. But not just camping at the local campground or provincial park. I like getting gout to where not everyone goes. Where the camping is free, usually hard to get to, sometimes have to quad in. And there’s nothing more fun then spending  a couple days on a quad, climbing mountain ranges, getting stuck, getting muddy, and just having a good time!

4.     MARATHON WATCHING TV SHOWS

These days most people do some binge watching once and awhile. There are a few that don’t understand this idea but with Netflix how are people still blind at how nice and relaxing some days can be when you just sit around in your PJ’s and watch a good show for hours? I don’t enjoy doing this all the time but on a Sunday afternoon, especially when it’s raining or -40, TV sounds like a good idea to me!

5.     BEING SPONTANEOUS

Now listen up potential guys out there! This spontaneity concept is one of the most important aspects. Being spontaneous is a big turn on. When nothing is going on some weekend, come up with an idea. Nothing as boring as going out to dinner (I would hope that dinner would be more of a common thing), but instead hop in the truck at 10 pm and then go watch the stars on a back road in the box of the truck. Go on a last minute road trip fro ice cream, three hours away, go to the water park, try zip lining, go to a concert last minute, make a games night with friends. Being able to do this and hopefully many more fun ways to spend time together would be amazing! That would mean our relationship didn’t fall into some boring pattern, but if filled with fun creative ways to spend time together. 

If there’s someone out there that loves all these things, I hope I can find you one of these days. I’ll be keeping my open for you…

Covering up the Real Me

Yup, most of the time I can say that I am Awesome! And I feel good about that:

I have tattoos

I’m the youngest of 3 siblings

My parents are divorced

My brother died of drunk driving

I currently am living with my mom

I’m an aunt

I’ve never been in a serious relationship

I don’t know how to communicate my emotions and feelings with someone I like

I am a college graduate

I want to be a published writer

I am enrolled for university in the fall

I love reading

I am an environmentalist and want to create a greener tomorrow

I drink occasionally

I am willfully and sometimes too independent

I don’t ever do my hair

I would rather get dirty quadding or gardening before wearing a dress

Now knowing all of this, I am usually okay with all of this. But seeing all those beautiful girls all dressed up getting hit on all the time, well, that’s all I want. So I try to change myself.

Cut and dye my hair

Cover up my tattoos

Buy dresses with empire waist to cover my flaws

Buy heels to get the long legs look

Put on a mask to pretend to be someone I’m not

Wear contacts to hide the fact I am near sighted

Laugh and put on a fake smile to try to catch your eye

Me, and hundreds of girls do this. We hide who we really are. Some do it everyday, me I only do it when I try to impress someone. But even once is too many times.  But deep down we all just want to be loved by someone. To be held, to hand hold, to be thought about the first thing in the morning and last thing that someone special thinks about at night. That’s all I want. I know I’m still young at 23, but when I’ve only ever seen glimpses of what that relationship feels like, now it’s all I want. Everyone else around me, has these long lasting relationships, some in high school, and there’s me, sitting on the sideline, always the third wheel hoping to see what that feels like one day.

Well I’m off to go find my dress and make up for the day, just to try to impress you. We will see what happens.

Day 3 – A Book You Love

This is such a hard topic to discuss. There are just TOO many good books out there!! And most of them are in series…

-       George RR Martin: Song of Fire and Ice

-       Eion Colfer: Artemis Fowl Series

-       Christopher Paolini: Inheritance Circle

-       Patrick Rothfuss: Kingkiller Chronicles

-       Eoin Colfer: Airman

-       Tim Gerald Reynolds: The Riyeria Revelations

-       Scott Meyer: Off to be a Wizard

-       Steven Gould: 7^th Sigma

-       Brent Weeks: Lightbringer Series

These are just the books that I have read recently, which whenever I read a new book, it always becomes the “best new book”. I’m sure next month I will have a whole new list.

Since I’ve recently read Red Rising and the sequel Golden Son by Pierce Brown, I will have to write a quick review and explanation of why I LOVE this book. Trust me it’s the next big series out there! As big as the Hunger Games or Divergent.

The reason behind why I even picked this book up was the front quote by Scott Sigler, “Ender, Katniss and now Darrow.” And I believe every word. I loved the Ender’s Game and started reading the Hunger Games when Suzanne Collins had only the first novel out. But Darrow of Red Rising is the next star of the Dystopian genre.

A quick overview of the book finds us on Mars. The Earth is dying and so a group of people were sent to mine precious elements to make Mars inhabitable for humans. Darrow is from a long line of miners. He believed that what he and the other Reds were doing for the greater good for Earth and humans. But one day, he realizes that everything that he’s been told was a lie.

Darrow finds out that the Erath has been inhabitable for generations. And the people inhabiting, are the Golds. The Golds just look down on the lowly Reds, who are nothing more then slave labour, risking their lives expediting elements for the higher ups.

When Darrow realizes all of this, he, with the help of a rebel group, gets Darrow into a school of Golds. He infiltrates their ranks from the inside to help bring order and justice for the Reds, and bring down the Golds. He encounters many battles, hardships, friendships and betrayals. But can he make it through the ranks without getting discovered? Will he be able to bring retribution to his wife, family and the Reds?

I was just flabbergasted with this book! Brilliant, mind boggling, enticing! My review from Goodreads was as follows:

“A bloody damn good book!! Read this one within 3 days and couldn’t put it down. Darrow is the nexr rising star of the hero’s of the novels we love. He’s in league with Katniss, Ender, Tris, and so many others. A must read for everyone!”

I hope you will go out and read this book. it’ll be the best one you read this year!

Day 2. Something I Feel Strongly About

The one thing that believe in completely, is that everyone should live on their own. Not necessarily alone, roommates sure, but no relatives! And absolutely no parents.

When I was at work, we got a new field guy. We would need to wash our coveralls once in awhile because they would be covered in oil, grease, mud, excreta, and so I went to show him where the washer was and then he preceded to ask me how to wash clothes. I was flabbergasted! Here’s a 30-something guy who has NEVER washed a load of laundry in his life! He lived with his parents the first couple of years out of high school and then he met his wife and moved straight in with her. And clearly has yet to learn the basics of life.

I also was in a town house with another person who must have been momma’s little girl. She was 23 and in her second year of college when we were sharing a town house together. She was a great person to share a house with. Never complained about noise if we had people over, and we got along well, but when it came to house hold things, she was inept. While she lived with me and a couple other girls, we had to teach her how to cook ground beef, boil KD, properly do dishes with hot water (she would always use cold), how to make box cupcakes, and how to generally clean up; vacuum, sweep and mop under the table, make sure that the garbage was taken out. These all seemed like pretty common sense things, but when you live at home where your parents do everything for you, then you’re just not quite ready for the real world just yet.

When you live out on your own, you learn these simple life skills quickly, or else starve or get sick of eating instant noodles. I guess I can’t put the entire blame on the kids who come out of high school without the normal common sense skills that life demands you, it’s more of a problem concerning the parents. Don’t’ baby your kids forever! Get them to help around the house, clean, help with the cooking, do laundry. It never hurt a kid to learn these things. Plus any future roommate, girlfriends, spouses will appreciate that these people learnt how to do these simple things and not have to teach then in their 20s or even older.

Another reason I believe that it is important for people to live by themselves, especially at a young age (after high school or in their twenties), is because it teaches you to be independent. There is nothing more important then to be independent. What happens when people get into long term relationships right out of school and you live with that person, and then one day, in a month, in a year, or 10 years, all of a sudden, this relationship is over and you’re on your own? For most women, they are afraid to be on their own. Afraid that they won’t be able to pay bills, that they will of a sudden fell less attractive or not wanted by men. For guys, well I’m not sure what you think. But what I have noticed with my friends and friends of friends, is that if they are used to long distance relationships, then that’s all they know. When one relationship goes down the toilet, they just hop right into another one and move in with someone new. Before you just head into another living arrangement with the next guy to come around, go live by yourself for a while.

You will learn so much. How much of your own crap you can put up with, how to cook, go pantless as soon as you get home from work, wake up on your day off and say ‘F*&k it, I’m not putting makeup on, or even bother having a shower’, marathon watch Once Upon A Time, Play video games until all hours of the night, take over the living room with your next project, have the whole bed to yourself! There is so much freedom living by yourself. Just try it and then if anything happens in your life you will KNOW that you can and have lived by yourself so you are independent and financially secure enough to do it again!

Good Luck Peeps and hope you can do it.

Day 1 – Bullet Your Whole Day April 7, 2015

00:00 – At my best friends house, KeelyRaw, talking for hours about life, love, boyfriends, periods, kids, food, gardens, dogs and anything else you can think of.

00:30 – Still in Smalltown, Alberta, thinking that it’s time to go home, 30 minutes away, but instead, I go pee and continue talking about everything and nothing.

01:48 – Finally I leave. Now most people drink until 01:30 but we’ve never had to drink to stay awake this late! Last time we got together we stayed up till 6 am doing quizzes online about; ‘Which Disney Princess are You?’ and ‘What song describes you the best’.

02:15 – Get home and quietly sneak into the house to avoid waking up my ‘rents who I have to live with again this summer to make some cash before heading back to school in the fall. I don’t think I have ever succeeded in sneaking in without my mom hearing. Tested it a couple times when I was a teen and she’s still as sharp as ever!

02:37 – Finally going to sleep after brushing teeth and striping down. Should have been home earlier considering that I’m supposed to be leaving the house at 08:30 to pick my sister up at the airport, but too little, too late.

06:52 – My sister calls me with this VERY early wake up call. But calling with good news! I get to sleep in because she ended up missing her flight at 5:45 that morning from Kelowna. She was rightly pissed but I was glad since that meant I got to sleep in! Boo-ya!

07:23 – My second phone call of the day, two more then usual, and it is my sister again. Luckily she got onto another flight but doesn’t land till 14:47 my time. I gave her my condolences about having to stay at a grubby airport for a few extra hours and made a few agreeing sounds. I honestly have to say I can’t recall what was said. All I know that the sun rise was beautiful for the 2 seconds I looked out my bedroom window and that I got to set my alarm for 10:00.

09:35 – A text from my good buddy came through. I couldn’t get back to sleep after that so I decided that it was probably time to get up for good then. But first a quick look at the newsfeed from Facebook, and time for a couple Whispers.

09:47 – Turn off 10:00 alarm and head for the shower. Gotta try to look good when I pick my sister up. She always looks so good without even trying. Then there me with two hours of primping and still can’t look as half as good as she does.

10:07 – Brushing my teeth, and my phone rings for the third time that morning! Man I’m important today! Well it was a good thing that I went to have my early shower because my soon-to-be boss called and said that I needed to come to town to sign some paperwork! I haven’t been working since October so some cash is much needed at this time!

10:12 – Out the door and in my truck for the eight mile drive into Hickville, to secure my new job with the Alberta Provincial Parks.

10:28 – Signing paper at the gas station.

10:40 – Trading my king cab truck for my mom’s SUV since when I pick my sister up, there’s also two littles, both with car seats. Talked and BS-ed with my mom and the librarian for a good half hour and found out that my old high school teachers wife opened up a flower shop just down the street so I had to pop in for a quick visit. There I found the coolest trinket ever…. A TIME-TURNER from Harry Potter. Well, KeelyRaw is a huge Potterhead so I had to buy her one for her birthday. $14.99 well spent.

11:48 – Finally leaving for the big city. Turned on the car, adjusted the seat and immediately started listening to an amazing book, The Riyria Revelations: Rise of the Empire, by Michael J Sullivan. Such a good book, and amazing narrator, Tim Gerald Reynolds.

12:15 – Make it to the city and fight traffic to the other side of the city to the Walmart. Before getting my sister and nieces, I need to do some quick shopping for my youngest nieces 1^st birthday, my moms 57^th birthday and KeelyRaw’s birthday. Took forever looking for cards and then even longer looking at toys and perusing the household stuff looking for the perfect (or at least mediocre) present for my mother.

13:05 – Stand in line FOREVER to get to a register, to buy my 4 things. Really Walmart? Open more flippin tills! You only have 20 of them.

13:20 – Stop at the Walmart McDicks for food! My rumbling stomach demanded food since I left the house before I could scrounge up breakfast. And of course no seats in the McDicks, so grabbed a to-go bag and ate my Big Mac with the windows rolled down listening to my British narrator, like a boss. 

13:45 – At the airport. I don’t remember the airport being in town! Must have been a long time since I’ve been in the City. Pulled up to a meter run and waited. They weren’t supposed to land till 14:47. Only an hour early….

14:07 – Airport Meter Maid, coming to inspect the vehicles so I though it a good time to actually put money in the machine. I got a good 15 minutes free, pretty good for a Friday afternoon.

14:15 – Found a good seat and now have to wait. I hate waiting. My ADD doesn’t like sitting and doing nothing. Two hours later, a plane finally lands! Well more like 20 minutes but still too long!

14:47 - Of course Sisters flight couldn’t be here early, at least it was on time. One of the best feelings ever is having your niece run into your arms! I felt so loved and I missed that blond head more then I ever thought I would miss a little kid.

14:52 – Patience already running low with my sister. I mean I love her but enough with the back seat driving! If you wanted to drive, feel free to take over or shut up!

15:05 – First stop and it had to the mall. It’s April, still some snow, lots of mud and huge puddles of water still sitting in the fields and in the yard so what does my sister need? A pair of flip flops. Another test of patience.

15:30 – Back in the car, stuck in normal everyday traffic and a sister yelling from the back seat for a semi to “Hurry the F*&k up, already!” It takes semi’s a long time to gear up from a red light so hold onto your panties, we can’t go any faster then the people ahead of us. And either way, a 50 minute drive won’t be any shorter trying to leap frog ahead!

16:25 – Make it to Hickville where the kids are excited to see Granny G at work. And just a side note, Sister is almost as bad as the kids, she had to pee 5 minutes out of the city. She couldn’t go when we were at the mall looking for flip flops?

16:45 – After visiting and checking out books and movies for my niece, we get in the car to go home. I can’t stress enough that I do love my family, but even with only being with Sister for 2 hours, I was happy to blast my tunes in my truck ALONE for the 10 minute ride home.

16:55 – Am I the only one who knows how to pack in the bags? Oh no, you just sit back and relax! I’ll grab my shopping bags, purse, diaper bag, and the suitcases. I’m alright really. *Gasping for breath going up the stairs*

17:15 – Eat an appetizer of a pizza treatzza because another thing that Sister apparently isn’t very good at is getting some food for herself. Again we were in the city, AND  at the mall, it would have been just too easy to grab some food there but no I’d rather listen to complaints for the past couple hours.

17:55 – Eat real food after playing and opening presents with the kids. One thing my family is good at is presents. There’s always something for someone. And today it was a Play-do princess set. I will quickly admit that I was into it before my 4 year niece.

18:20 – After arguing about who gets to go on a drive, there’s Granny G, Toots, Grandpa, and myself. Leaving Sister and Frankie at home. Toots is excited, this is her Cat Project. She’s been waiting for months to come to Granny G’s house and go pick out a kitten.

19:00 – We got to the lady’s farm. It was a little  (a little more than a little) messy but there were animals everywhere! Big friendly dogs who stood taller than Toots, cats everywhere you looked, over 50 horses in the pasture, and even a black sheep or two! We had fun looking at all the animals, and less fun when the sheep were trying to eat my steel toed boots.

19:47 – Leaving the farm after a lively debate between Granny G and Toots about how many kittens should they get. Granny G started with a good argument of that one would be plenty in the house. But the dewy, big-eyed four year old and innocence and the perk of being a grandchild, so her argument of two would be better won out.

 20:10 – Got back home and now the fun began! Playing with kittens is always fun, even if your not a cat person. Anything small and fluffy is fun! And what’s even cuter is watching the one year old, Frankie, chasing the kittens as fast as her crawl will allow her. Maybe this is the time she will learn to walk, or run, since she’ll want to try to keep up with those kittens!

22:30 – Getting ready for bed. Brush teeth, convince the kidlets to brush their teeth, pj’s, putting the kittens to their bed, and finally…. Some quiet when everyone else is asleep.

23:40 – Finish up my blog post and enjoy the little bit of alone time I get each night. Love you Toots, Frankie, Sister but also thank you for going to sleep earlier than I do!

Good Night to All and To All a Good Morrow!