Thoughts on Facebook and People Needing to Grow Up

I have always been really tolerant of people and their opinions. If they strongly believe in their religion, power to them. If one of my guy friends loves guys, power to him for being happy with who he is - self-acceptance FTW.

But what I don't have a tolerance for is people that come onto my Facebook wall when I've posted something and state their opinion so rudely. Congrats to the fact that they have an opinion, but did they ever listen to their mother? If you don't have something nice to say, don't say it at all.

Thoughts on Hope, Sites, and Lady Is A Tramp

I grew up attending church. In fact, it was common for me to attend every Wednesday and Sunday with my mom. Not to mention participate in various activities put on by different groups within the church body.

But as I got older, it became less and less a "thing" for me. It's not that I was sprinting away from the idea of a higher power. In fact, that is something I do still believe; along with the other morals I grew up with. However it's that I've been continuously losing faith in just depending on a giant spaghetti monster on the dark side of the moon that would answer my prayers. I'm not just going to sit around and wait for things to happen for me; instead, I'm much more of a do-er. I'd rather put my own effort behind what I want done than just have faith it will happen because of karma or blah blah blah.

However, the one thing I haven't lost, is hope. The idea that tomorrow will be a better day, or that things won't always be this hard financially. It's that silver lining or the light at the end of the tunnel -- and no, that's not a train. But it's seeing the glass as half-full instead of half-empty. It's all about staying optimistic and hopeful that another day will come and it will be brighter than the last.

Thoughts on That Morning

It was another morning where I had to get ready for school. I'd been in the 6th grade for about a week. Like most mornings, I got up and wandered into my mom's room. We listened to the radio together, which was part of our normal routine. She got up to let the dog out, while I continued to hear the news.

But it was a particular piece of breaking news that caught my attention. A plane crash in New York City? How did that happen? I got up and turned on the television, which was showing the North tower smoking from near the top.

Thoughts on College, Crushes, and Drinking

I've been saying for the past few years that I'd go to college. Or that I'd get back to school and start at least working towards a degree. But every year, nothing would happen. And I do regret not getting involved in the whole application process for college in high school. Then again, it makes sense why I didn't.

College was never a high priority to my mom. She, to this day, thinks that a person should be able to learn a trade via an apprenticeship like she did. I've tried time and again to explain that things don't work like they did for her.

So after three years of working and struggling with what I wanted to do, it's finally time to take the plunge. Yeah, I'm late on this, but I have the drive and the perseverance to get me through to the end.

Thoughts on Loss, Packing Up, and Something Adorable

Note: The first [and second] topics can be depressing. Feel free to skip to the second topic or straight to the bottom for adorable pandas.

I've had quite a few friends and coworkers discover they're pregnant this year. It's a strange concept for me to grasp, I suppose.

I don't imagine myself in either circumstance until I'm in my late 20s. This is that time in your life when you should discover who you are, do something spontaneous, and just live.

But just living isn't the same when you've heard news that literally takes your breath away.

Thoughts on Birthdays, E-Readers, and Age

So this is actually super random, and I don't think my cousin reads my blog, but he's turning 15 today. If you live in Western Washington, watch out. There's going to be a new driver on the road.

Happy Birthday C!! May you have a fantastic fifteenth! And let's have a blast watching Deathly Hallows Part 2!!!

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Thoughts on My Signature, Pen Names, and An Old Hat

My signature varies a lot. Some days it depends on if I'm feeling up for signing all the letters in my name. And for those of you that haven't checked my Twitter or know me on Facebook, I'll just say that my full name - first, middle, last - is 21 letters long.It's not fun to sign at all; nor is it easy.

Yeah, that might make me easy to remember, but that's not how I want to be known.

So I practice two signatures. Besides the one I use to sign checks, paperwork at the warehouse, or whatever I might need to sign, I also work on a second signature. And it's fun to sign a name that isn't yours. No, I don't mean forging a signature, that's terrible and wrong. But by signing what I will when I'm famous.

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Thoughts on Fireworks, The Fourth, and Popsicles

I've always been a fan of fireworks. But I think that's mostly because I love the smell of sulfur. Yeah, it's not the best smell for you, but it always reminds me of Independence Day or New Years.

Not to mention, I used to help at a fireworks stand. It was a good way for our Youth Group to earn money. And it gave you some experience in customer service long before you could get a job. We got to test the fireworks that were brand new, that way we could explain what they looked like to customers - besides the basic description written on the side of the package.

And I've known quite a few people who would make their own fireworks. They live further into the country than I do, but it was a cool - although dangerous - hobby to take up and create whatever you wanted to show off to neighbors and family.

Thoughts on Reminiscing about High School, Dreamworks, and My Celebrity Dream Family

Some of my friends only remember the terrible things about high school. The bad relationships, tough teachers, brutal classes and just the emotional turmoil they went through. And while that seems like the typical teen angst - and to some, might be - it occurred to me that I don't have very many - if any - bad memories about high school.

So reminiscing about friends, events and just fun, happy memories always make me smile. Especially when I'm still in contact with those people, and that's something we can all look back on. There were plenty of moments where I couldn't have been happier being among close friends and just having a blast.

Thoughts on Harry Potter, The Coffee Wars, and Tron Light-Car

It's crazy to think that the Harry Potter phenomenon is finally coming to an end. Or at least, movie wise, it's coming to an end. The books have long since been over, but they still have many hearts and minds of readers captured and immersed in the world of witchcraft and wizardry.

I came in late to the entire bandwagon. By the time I started reading the books, the first two movies were already out. Once I had caught up, I blew through the series in no time, and quickly joined in with millions of others who were obsessed with the series. Midnight book releases, movie showings, everything I could attend that was HP related, I was there for.

Thoughts on Books, Drama, & Long Distance Friendships

I have too many book.  Not that I think you can ever have too many books.  I just have too many for the space I currently occupy, so my room is getting a little cluttered.  And it always seems, no matter how many books I finish and find room for or must tie up and relegate to the garage, I always end up buying more to fill the shrinking empty spaces.  I still like the whole atmosphere of the library, but there's just something about owning a book, being able to write in it and call it your own.  Even if it's terrible.

But it's okay.  I plan on having a library of my own, in my future home, a place to keep all my books and have a desk with my knick-knacks and computer, where I'll read and write and go on Facebook.  Even if it's just a closet - as long as I have shelf space.  I'll be content.

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Thoughts on Plot Directions, Retirement, and The Ice Cream Truck

Projects are tough to keep up on. In the initial start, I'll have plenty of momentum and easily find time to continue work on what I'm doing; when suddenly I'll hit a wall.

My 2009 WriMo is one of my most complex plots to write in only 30 days. Besides being a romantic comedy, it includes themes of acceptance/tolerance, self-discovery, and more, all wrapped around a homosexual relationship at the heart of the story. I'd written basically to the end, but hadn't quite typed up the ending due to my inability to decide on how it should conclude. So rather than do anything more to it, I printed the entire story out and marked it up with my red pen. While incomplete, it's been read through and edited.

Thoughts on Scrabble, Accents, and Growing Apart

Word games are a guilty pleasure. Probably because it's one of the few places I can use my large vocabulary and not feel bad when people don't know what the word means. But when I speak aloud, I generally dumb down my language. It's a habit from work since there are plenty of people that barely understand English, so I have to keep things simple.

Unfortunately it's a terrible rut to fall into. I don't have the ability to have too many spur of the moment intelligent conversations. Strictly, everything I talk about is either work, or video game related. On occasion we speak about what recently appeared on CNN via the break room televisions.

I stick to Scrabble, and Word with Friends too much. I need more stimuli than this.

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Thoughts on Peter Pan, Being Traditional, & Dressing for the Occasion

My dad just realized he was almost fifty (he's got three more years).  We were joking about something while watching "Criminal Minds," and he started waxing philosophical about the matter.

"Do you know any fifty-year-old kids?" he wanted to know, with that look on his face of amazement and something like pain.  I must have made a face, revealing my confusion, because he elaborated, "Because I still feel like a kid."

In a lot of ways, he is a kid.  We're so dumb together, making fun of even the movies we love, laughing about our shared genetic stupidity, swapping computer tricks and book reviews.  He's an adult in all the usual ways - going to work, paying bills, buying stuff, doing taxes - but he does it with such ease and nonchalance, you wouldn't know he's worried about anything.  Usually, he's not worried.

Like a kid who doesn't know any better.  Like Peter Pan.

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