My Best and Worst Bands to See Live

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about concerts I've gone to and have been itching to see another show. I think that's mostly because I'm antsy for Rock Fest all year round. Also, because it's cold and I'm sick of winter already and I'd just rather it be summer. I think I can safely say I've been to a lot of shows, and that's almost entirely because of summer music festivals like Rock Fest or Summerfest.

Festivals are the easiest and best way to get your concert fill in. You can see tons of bands play for the flat rate of your festival admission. Seeing each band individually would be astronomical in price. Also, with festivals like Summerfest, you can try all kinds of different foods and do lots of shopping as well.

I've decided to share some of my favorite and least favorite shows with you. I haven't been to that many concerts that I really didn't enjoy, so luckily for you and me alike, that list will be much shorter.

Top bands live (not necessarily in this order):

• Shinedown
• Five Finger Death Punch
• Iron Maiden
• Rob Zombie
• Skillet
• Halestorm 
• Green Day
• Theory of a Deadman
• Avenged Sevenfold
• Goo Goo Dolls
• Three Days Grace

Worst bands live (not necessarily in this order):

Before I begin my list, I'd like to clarify that these bands are not on this list because I think they're poor musicians. They're actually on my list because I enjoy them enough to see them and was disappointed in their live performance.

• Buckcherry
• Godsmack
• Lita Ford
• Collective Soul
• New Found Glory (Are they even still relevant? I don't know.)

WPS Garden of Lights

On Saturday, Man Friend and I went to the WPS Garden of Lights at the Botanical Gardens. It was my first time going, though I had been wanting to go for years. It was one of those things where I said I wanted to go, but plans were never made, and by the time I finally had a free weekend, the holidays had passed. This year, I was determined to go, and set aside a Saturday night to go. I'm so glad we did; I enjoyed it so much that I've already decided that we're going next year too.

We picked the perfect time to go. It was chilly out, and enough so as a gentle reminder that it is the holidays, but luckily for my anti-cold ways, was not frigid. I was afraid I had under-dressed (though Man Friend thought I had too many layers on), but as soon as we started walking instead of standing in place, it was more bearable.

We got there, and to our surprise, there were significantly more people there than we had expected. We ended up parking about a block or so away and walking so we could avoid the crowds in the parking lot. As we drove past the parking lot, I saw the line stretched out pretty long. Man Friend would say this is where I became worried and stressed. I say I'm just realistic. I was upset that the line was so long and wondered if we'd even be able to get in. If we did, would we have to rush through all the displays to be out by the time they closed? Luckily for us, Man Friend was right (I hate that). The line moved surprisingly quick and we were out to start the walking tour within about 20 minutes. Once inside the building, I found it was because they had so many different people taking money for the tickets that the line was able to move smoothly and effectively.

While we were waiting in line, we started noticing how many babies were there. I'm not talking toddlers, or even babies in the walking or crawling stages. I was actually appalled at how many parents were carrying infants. None of these parents (that I saw at least) were there with an older child as well. It was just the parents and the baby. First of all, even though it wasn't frigid, it was definitely too cold to have a tiny little baby outside. Second of all, by the time we got into the tour, it was close to 7:45-8. Let your poor child go to bed. Finally, a child so young will get nothing out of the tour. If you want to go so badly with your spouse, pawn your child off on a babysitter, or wait until your child is old enough to appreciate the lights and displays. End rant.

The tour was shorter than I expected it to be, and I was actually hoping it would have been a little longer because I was enjoying it so much. As we were nearing the end, I was a little disappointed we couldn't see more, but remembered that typically this time of year, it's way more freezing out. Had it been any colder, I would have started growing miserable and cranky and wanted to leave. So, all things considered, it was actually a decent length.

One of my favorite things to do around Christmas time is drive around looking at lights and decorations. I think that's why I enjoyed this so much. The light displays were so beautiful, and there were so many different kinds of displays to enjoy. The brightness and variety of colors was just amazing. One of my favorite displays was a spider. I actually cannot stand the little bastards, but spiders remind me of Halloween, which is my favorite holiday. There was also a display of a flower bed, which was probably the best one. It was one of the bigger displays and had the most colors. Of the displays without much color, my favorite was of "icicles" hanging down. It was so simple, but so elegant.

The tour was a great place for a date, whether you've been together for a long time or have just gotten together. It keeps you talking the whole time, and isn't the typical dinner and/or movie that can get a little repetitive. I'm anxious to see what's in store next year.

Beaux's Incredibowl

About six months ago, some of you dear readers may remember a post I wrote about a friend who had passed away a year prior. If you don't remember, it's here for your reading pleasure. Anyway, after his death, his family started a charity in his name, the Beaux Mettler Foundation. Last Saturday was the Foundation's most recent fundraising event.

The BMF is rapidly growing: each fundraiser they host seems bigger and more successful than it's prior. Saturday was the first Incredibowl, four hours of cosmic bowling and fun. Bowling has never really been my thing, so I had opted out of participating, but decided to still go to show my support and spend time with friends. My sister's team and Man Friend's teams were playing in lanes right next to each other, so I was easily able to chat and catch up with everyone I wanted to see. In addition to the bowling games, and the many raffle items and prizes (the number of prizes definitely seems to go up as well. Maybe I'm making that up, but it's what I like to think anyway), there was also a photo booth, complete with ridiculous props and costumes. It was so much fun going in the booth, making silly faces, and signing the book of prints for his parents, or for whoever the book was for. I've got a few different prints and I can't wait to frame them in my new apartment with Man Friend.

The fundraisers that the BMF are such incredible events, not just for the charity work they provide, but for the support they offer. These events are a wonderful way to get Beaux's friends and family together and seem to be such a positive outlet for everyone to cope with their loss. I don't think I've been to an event yet that was not filled with laughter and reminiscing. Not to mention, if creating a charity in honor of someone isn't the best damn way to let someone's memory and name live on, I don't know what is.

Saturday I learned more about the BMF than I had in the last year, and after hearing his sister talk about the work the organization is doing, I couldn't be more excited to be a part of it. No matter how small my part is, I know I'm contributing to a fantastic cause: one that I would willingly donate to, even if I didn't know who Beaux Mettler was. I learned that they are raising money for iPads and iPad (chargers? carts?) for children at the Milwaukee Children's Hospital, where Beaux had stayed when he first became ill. The kids can then use the iPads to Skype with friends and family at home as well as keep in contact with their teachers to avoid falling terribly behind.

This idea is so fantastic to me for a few reasons. 1) People never really think of donating iPads or technology to sick kids. The number one concern is always making sure they're well, or research, or paying bills. But making sure the children have a strong support system, can communicate with friends so they don't feel like they're missing out on their lives, and can keep up with their education carry just as much significance. 2) According to Man Friend, Skyping was one thing that Beaux loved to do with his friends while he was away in Milwaukee, and I think it's pretty damn cool that his family is carrying on his interests in such a profound manner.

I also learned how successful the charity has been. The previous fundraiser, a golf outing, raised approximately $30,000. Talk about an accomplishment! I couldn't even believe Sister when she told me that.    She also told me that she contacted an NFL player whose wife is pregnant and one of their twins is going to have the same heart condition Beaux had. The NFL player was apparently really interested, and called the organization looking for a way to become involved. Even though the NFL player is not from our home team of the Packers, I think that would be absolutely incredible to have a person of such high influence be a part of the organization.

I'm excited to see what else the BMF has in store. The fundraisers have made such an impact already, and I am eager to learn more about the difference it's making in kids' lives.

Watch for the Zumba and Tennis event on Facebook!

Movies to Watch Before You Die

My previous post got me thinking about movies. I rarely, if ever, see lists of the greatest movies or movies to see before you die. So here's mine, again in no particular order.

A work in progress:

• Grease 
• Sixteen Candles
• The Breakfast Club
• Forrest Gump
• Pearl Harbor
• Saving Private Ryan

• Bridesmaids 
• 50/50
• Men in Black
• Big Daddy
• Finding Nemo
• Monsters, Inc.
• Lion King
• Toy Story
• That Thing You Do!
• A League of Their Own

• Iron-Jawed Angels
• Big
• Independence Day
• It Takes Two
• Parent Trap (the pre-cocaine Lindsay Lohan version)
• Ghosts of Mississippi
• The Longest Yard
• Never Been Kissed
• Ten Things I Hate About You
• Bad Boys (I & II)
• Iron Man (I & II)
• Juno
• The Ugly Truth

• The Blind Side
• A Walk to Remember
• Remember the Titans
• A Christmas Story
• Freedom Writers
• The Help
• Miss Congeniality
• The Proposal
• Million Dollar Baby
• Shrek
• Hitch
• 50 First Dates
• American Pie
• Sweet Home Alabama
• Friends With Benefits
• The Sweetest Thing

Books to Read Before You Die

There are so many of the greatest books lists out there, but I always find them so stuffy. So many books are "classics" or what I call "literature reading," mostly things you expect to read in a class. I feel like these lists leave out so many precious reads and genres that I decided to create a list of my own. While I was introduced to some of the novels in the classroom, many were not.

A work in progress (in no particular order):

• The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
• All But My Life - Gerda Weissman Klein
• A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini
• Three Cups of Tea - Greg Mortenson
• Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide - Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

• the entire Scarpetta Series (20 books) - Patricia Cornwell (sidebar, Bone Bed was just released but I have no doubt that it will be amazing) 
• Gone Baby, Gone - Dennis Lehane
• Deeper Than the Dead mini series - Tami Hoag
• The Alibi Man - Tami Hoag
• Night Sins - Tami Hoag
• Prior Bad Acts - Tami Hoag
• The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
• Angels and Demons - Dan Brown
• The Color Purple - Alice Walker

• Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea - Chelsea Handler 
• Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang - Chelsea Handler
• Quiet Hero - Rita Cosby
• the Hunger Games trilogy - Suzanne Collins
• the Nina Reilly series (12 books) - Perri O'Shaughnessy
• A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith
• Persepolis - Marjane Satrapi
• Kindred - Octavia Butler
• The Diary of Anne Frank - Anne Frank
• The Things They Carried - Tim O'Brien
• To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
• A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
• The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd
• Mrs. Dalloway - Virginia Woolf
• Little House on the Prairie series - Laura Ingalls Wilder
• The Giving Tree - Shel Silverstein
• A Light in the Attic - Shel Silverstein
• Falling Up - Shel Silverstein                            
• Where the Sidewalk Ends - Shel Silverstein

• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis 
• The Bridge to Terabithia - Katherine Patterson

• The BFG - Roald Dahl
• Out of the Dust - Karen Hesse
• Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret - Judy Blume
• Walk Two Moons - Sharon Creech
•  Babysitter Club series - Ann M. Martin
• Babysitter's Little Sister series - Ann M. Martin
• The Giver - Lois Lowry
• Jamaica and Me: The Story of an Unusual Friendship - Linda Atkinson
• Those Who Save Us - Jenna Blum
• Dear America: A Picture of Freedom - Patricia C. Mckissack
• Dear America: The Winter of the Red Snow - Kristiana Gregory
• Dear America: Dreams in the Golden Country - Kathryn Lasky
• Dear America: A Line in the Sand - Sherry Garland

My One and Only Political Post

In light of the big election tomorrow, I decided to create my only political post. I typically like to steer away from political conversations, especially on social media. But this is my personal space, so I'll do what I want.

Let me start this off by saying this is not a debate arena. This is my blog, my expressions and my hard work. This is not about how much I hate one candidate, nor how much I love another. Don't even bother arguing with me, trying to get me to see your point of view, bashing me, or bashing my opinions. If you do, I will delete your comments. Without hesitation.

That being said, voting is a lot of hard work. Who you decide to align yourself with, or who you decide to put that little mark next to their name is a pretty loaded decision. I know, I know, your one tiny vote won't make a difference. But what if every person, or even half the population voted uninformed or apathetically? Just think about that, 'Murica.

While listening to hundreds and hundreds of nonsense political ads, both at the state and national level, I've really gotten to thinking what I want in a president. While I do lean towards Democrat, there are so many times that I wish it were easier to vote for specific ideologies rather than party lines. In the last few weeks, I've come up with a list of everything I want in a president. If, for some inexplicable miracle, these things could all be in one person, I would not only stand behind this nominee 1000%, I would even donate part of my piddly salary to their campaign. I want someone in office who will:

• keep abortion legalized
• let women make decisions about their bodies themselves
• abolish abstinence-only sex education in public schools
• completely stand true to a separation of Church and State
• legalize same-sex marriage
• get this country out of this damn recession
• create more jobs
• bring our troops home
• take care of problems at home before taking care of other countries
• make education more affordable and accessible
• make healthcare more affordable and accessible
• not bash their opponent
• mean what they say and say what they mean
• actually do what they say, mean and keep promises

Things I have Learned in My Mere 24 Years

• No matter how cliche, laughter really IS the best medicine. Even when I don't want to laugh and someone makes me, I can't help but feel a little better.
• Whether it's jobs, relationships, or anything else in your life, you need really shitty experiences so you can appreciate the good ones when they come along.
• Revisiting history will teach you buckets more about culture, history, and news than any text book ever will.
• No matter how much you may want to, you can't change someone. 
• You should listen to your gut. Chances are, it's right.
• I love America, but American society in general and as a whole sucks. This country is full of stupid (and I really mean stupid), ignorant, lazy, greedy and selfish people. We feel entitled to everything, are so rushed with everything and are impatient when things don't go our way.
• No matter how much you try to stay out of other people's business, their business will find you.
• There will always be someone who doesn't like you...and for no good reason. 
• Being happy in what you do is far more important than being wealthy.
• It is way easier to gain weight than it is to lose it
• Everyone should have a stress-relieving hobby.
• Picky eaters are incredibly difficult to cook for.
• There is nothing more satisfying than getting lost in a novel for hours. Except for the moment when you finish, and you actually feel lost.
• Everyone should have at least one one-night stand.
• Volunteering is one of the most fulfilling things you could ever do with your time.
• The best relationships come when you least expect them, and likely, with a person you least expect to be with.
• Bitching to your best friend can be the most therapeutic thing when you're upset
• The general population has the spelling ability of a fourth grader. 

GNO Lock-in

Saturday night, we had our first-ever GNO Lock-in. Even though I decided to leave at 11 instead of sleeping over, I had a blast with the girls and it was a hugely successful night. I found out on Monday at regular GNO that the girls didn't go to bed until about 5:30 a.m. so I was quite glad I left when I did.

The Lock-in was similar to Camp U-Nah-Li-Ya trips in the fact that it was all of the Green Bay GNO girls together. How many girls is that, do you ask? 76. That's right, 76 sixth grade girls together. And that is exactly why I didn't stay over night.

But in all seriousness, it was actually a great time, and I had just as much fun as the girls did. The biggest difference between the lock-in and typical GNO sessions, or even the camp trips, is that there were plenty of different  activities and things for the girls to do, and although activities and time frames were staggered, they never had to do one thing at a certain time. In our Monday sessions, we have a theme and the girls all have to be participating in large and small group activities and the physical component. With the lock-in, they had the opportunity to choose how to spend their time.

Because the Y decided to cut GNO short by a few weeks in order to go up to Camp earlier in the year, they decided to bring some of the guests and themes to the lock-in. The girls were able to do facials with Mary Kay and learn about healthy skin care habits, got to learn about and practice self defense moves as well as lock-in specific activities.

A big hit for a lot of the girls was the two-hour open swim option. I, of course, wanted nothing to do with the pool so I have no idea what they were actually doing, but the majority of them nearly ran us over to get there when we gave them the ok. The girls who didn't want to swim, or only wanted to for a little while, were able to play board games, Wii Just Dance, and paint their nails. One of the volunteers apparently is a nail-painting guru because she brought half of the Health and Beauty section at Walmart with her. Seriously, she had a bin full of nail polishes and application tools. She even had those little image roll-on things. I watched her working on some of the girls' nails and they all turned out wonderfully.

I played a game of Sorry! and more importantly, got to meet some new people. The point of GNO and all of  our efforts are to get the sixth graders to open up and make new friends, but it's just as beneficial for the volunteers. I have a really hard time  talking to new people (though I've gotten way better) and it's really cool to meet other volunteers with similar interests. Our Sorry! game consisted of me, two other volunteers and a girl from a different school. I can't speak for any of them, but I think we enjoyed ourselves.

My final hour at the lock-in was spent watching the girls prepare for their garbage bag fashion show. You read that right. Garbage bag fashion show. The girls had to break up into small groups and had to make one item of clothing out of a garbage bag. They were able to glam up their outfit with strips of fabric, duct tape, foam stickers, glitter, ribbon and pipe cleaners. I was amazed at how well some of the groups did. One group's dress was actually so good it looked real. Many groups made dresses, and the majority were clearly strong channels of creativity. ...And there was also the group that decided they were going to make a cape that was "just random," aka, they just dumped a whole bunch of shit on their flat bag and wore it as a cape. While not the most creative and thought out, they did make me laugh.

If there is one thing those girls are good at, it's making me laugh.

A Perfect Life

Throughout my mere 24 years, I have become acutely aware of my over-active imagination. I daydream all day long, making up stores or scenarios in my head. Honestly, I think my imagination is in just as much over-drive as it was when I was just a little nugget. Perhaps more so, even. And I happen to love it. It's one of the strongest forces behind what makes me a writer. And frankly, I'm never bored with myself.

One thing that I imagine all the time, and perhaps too much for any realist out there, is how my life would be if it was a movie or a novel and I was the writer. I have a personal little fantasy created of exactly how my life would be if everything could be absolutely perfect. And I've decided to share it with you, dear readers.

Some of these are unlikely, though still plausible goals. I'm working towards them every day, to no avail. Some, as you will see, are simply made up. This is when you suspension of disbelief would have to come in. That's what makes stories so good anyway.

• Job: I would have a full-time, permanent job in public relations with a non-profit. In particular, it would be working with young girls like the YWCA or the Girl Scouts. It would be a fun job that I loved going to every day, with fabulous co-workers and the ability to stress very little about my job once I came home. I would make about $75,000 a year. I'm sure this is where I will lose some people. I can just hear people saying, "well, if you could be filthy rich making millions, why would you only choose $75,000 annually?" Because it's very important to me that I never forget what it's like to want. $75,000 a year would be the perfect amount for me to be financially stable, be able to save, pay off my loans, still have plenty of fun money, and yet, I would still have to create a budget.
• vehicle: I would have a beautiful little red convertible. Don't ask me about make/model/year or anything like that. Cars are cars to me. I just know that I've always wanted a convertible. And red seems to be a good color for convertibles.
• residence: I would have a cozy house with a big back yard and a deck outside. (And let's be real here: my significant other would be taking care of the yard work. Fuck that.) Inside would be fully furnished with matching furniture and decor. The wine-themed kitchen would have all kinds of appliances, particularly Food Network ones. I would have a room dedicated solely to reading, writing and scrapbooking. There would be as many bookshelves as I needed to hold all my books (I'm already at two so you can only imagine how many I'd have if I had the money and space for how many I would like to have), a table for scrapbooking, (even if it's just a folding table that could fit in the closet) and a desk for writing. The closet would be bursting with my scrapbooking bins and maybe even my shoes if they overflowed from my bedroom closet. Speaking of which, I'd have an even better shoe collection than I already have.
• environment: I freaking hate the cold. Hate it. Summer is by far my favorite season. I do love fall though, as well. Can't leave out all the wonderful meals, smells and colors that come out of fall. It would be wonderfully hot and sunny summer from March to August. September to December 21st would be fall. I thought for a long time I would want just summer and fall. But it is nice to have a tiny bit of snow on the ground for Christmas and New Years. So winter would last from December 22nd to January 1st. I've also thought about having it go right from winter to summer. But, that would just be a flooded, slushy mess. And the blooming of all the trees and flowers is pretty as well. So we can have spring from January 2nd to March when summer starts back up. Also, pollen and dust of any sorts would be allergens. There would be no scratching of the eyes, nose and throat...nor would there be watery eyes and sneezing. 

This is the most that I've come up with so far. Maybe a second post will come after some more day dreaming. 

Be the Light Community Walk for Suicide Prevention

On Saturday I participated in Brown County's First annual Be the Light Walk for Suicide Prevention. Previously, the walk was under the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, but this year the organizers decided to break away from the nationally recognized chapter to focus their efforts locally. With AFSP, half the proceeds were donated at a local level and half national. With the change to Be the Light, 100% of profits were donated locally.

This was my third year participating in a walk for this cause, through the same group of walkers and organizers. Every year we see a bigger turn out, raise more money, and see more raffle donations. This year, the walk has raised a total of $14,893! Especially with the money going towards QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training programs, school programs and prevention in Brown County, this is an incredible feat and an amazing number.

Our balloon release

Knowing I'm part of such a needed and important organization is really overwhelming, but in a good way. I'm so proud to be working for an organization and towards a cause that doesn't get much coverage. Suicide just doesn't get talked about much, and prevention and awareness programs get even less acknowledgement.  I've come to the realization today that whenever I get down on myself about feeling like I'm not doing anything towards my future or with my life, I need to remember my involvement with Be the Light. Raising $240 and participating in the walk is nothing to scoff at.

As wonderful as it is gaining more support every year, seeing the walk participant rate grow and the donations number rise, it's heartbreaking. Absolutely heartbreaking. Every person there knows someone who completed suicide. Everyone there has lost someone and everyone there has had to find their way to grieve. I'm glad the loved ones of the lost have put together this walk and organization, though, because it seems to be so therapeutic for everyone, the parents in particular. Hearing the stories of parents, children, siblings and friends brings in such a sense of community.

Every year that I see so many people gathering for support and in hopes of prevention of losing anyone else, it makes me wonder about those who have passed. If they could see how many people come out every year to remember them, honor them and grieve for them, would they have still felt so hopeless?

Labor Day Weekend Funsies

This weekend was one of the best weekends I've had in quite some time. I had been looking forward to it for weeks, mostly and simply because of the extra day off from work. Who doesn't love a three day weekend? Luckily, my holiday weekend wasn't a disappointment. I didn't go out, or have a plan-packed few  days like I typically do on Friday through Sunday, but sometimes the quiet ones are the best kind. So, dear readers, I have decided to share my enjoyment with you.

Thursday:

Coworker and I at the game

Ok, so I know that Thursday wasn't technically part of the weekend, but I can't not write about it. My coworker bought tickets from someone else at work for the Packers game and I was lucky enough to be able to go with her. I didn't even care that it was "only preseason," as many loyal fans would say. I was so pumped to go. It ended up being the perfect night to go to a game, and nearly everything ran smoothly. We hardly ran into any backed-up traffic on our way up to Green Bay from work, which was incredibly surprising. Usually the entire drive is a nightmare and the highway typically comes to a dead stop at least 2 or 3 times on my way home. After a fairly easy drive home, we were able to park at Man Friend's work. His office is just a short walk from Lambeau, we didn't have to worry about paying for parking or getting out of a congested parking lot/yard. Score! Anyway, the game was great and so much fun to watch. There's just something about being part of the energy of watching the game live that is so much different from watching on tv at home. We had pretty decent seats in the endzone and had a perfect view. I didn't even have a Sasquatch sitting in front me to block my entire sight. Score again! The only complaint I had about the game was the douchebag sitting next to me, who took up the space of a seat and a half, plus his child. Not only did he take up extra space, he was not polite and told Coworker and I that we needed to move over, despite the fact that the entire row was full. Ill-mannered neighbors aside, I had a blast at the game. It also didn't hurt that we won 24-3.

Friday:

In an effort to save some moo-lah, Man Friend and I decided early last week to have a pizza and movie night Friday. All week I looked forward to having a relaxing night in and have some couple time. Man Friend is really into comic book/super hero movies and has seen them all a zillion times. They typically aren't my style of movies, but I have started watching the "Avengers" series (as I call them) to be able to engage myself in his interests. We watched Thor a few weeks ago, so I decided I wanted to watch Iron Man this weekend to continue through the characters and their stories. I never thought I'd hear myself say I was excited for this kind of movie, but I was. Man Friend picked me up in the evening, we grabbed a Take n Bake pizza, and grabbed some movies. In addition to getting Iron Man, we also got 21 Jump Street. IM was really good; I enjoyed it far more than I had expected. I couldn't follow everything and did have to ask a few questions, but I am definitely looking forward to the sequel. 21 Jump Street was absolutely hilarious. I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard during a movie. I love Jonah Hill, and he and Channing Tatum actually made a pretty good pair. Not to mention, what woman doesn't like looking at Channing Tatum? Date Night In was a nice change of pace, and it was great to be able to actually enjoy each other's company by ourselves for once.

Saturday:

To continue with our date night, Man Friend and I spent the afternoon at the N.E.W. Zoo. I love going to the zoo, and Man Friend hadn't been since he was a little nugget. Maybe it's the excitement of watching the animals, or the feeling of being a kid again, but I always have so much fun at the zoo. We were able to feed the giraffes and the billy goats, in addition to checking out all the exhibits. It was a beautiful day for the trip, too, warm and sunny. The only thing I hadn't taken into consideration was that it was a Saturday on a holiday weekend, right before school started for many kids. The zoo was pretty busy, and thus, we didn't get to stay at each exhibit as long as I would have liked. There were lines behind us, as well as kids (not to mention parents!) weaseling their way in front of us and through the lines. Aggravated, we ended up just letting others get through and quickly moved from each animal.
                                                                        

                                                          
At night, I had two of my friends over to catch up. I hadn't seen them since November, and was really excited to be able to hang out. Ok, let's back track. The two friends are actually my ex's brother and his girlfriend. When I was with T-Douche, the four of us hung out all the time. Pretty much every time I was home for college, we spent time together. When we broke up, the hardest part of the break up was not being able to see those two as much. Luckily, though, the three of us have actually stayed friends and in contact. Although, we don't hang out every weekend anymore, we still try to get together every few months. Also, luckily, Man Friend gets along with them really well and there isn't any awkwardness of hanging out with my ex's family. Man Friend, Friends and I chatted and laughed for five hours, and it hardly felt like any time had passed at all.

Sunday:

During the day, I didn't do much. At all. By the time 4 p.m. had rolled around, I hadn't even showered yet, and the only things I could account for all day were a walk, finding recipes to make, and coming up with a grocery list. Because I had high hopes of a really productive afternoon, I was frustrated with and disappointed in myself for wasting an entire day. But then I realized how nice it was not be rushing around on errands or with plans. I wasn't stressed out, and had given myself plenty of time to clear my head off all the thoughts that have been racing through lately. The guilt I had been experiencing quickly drifted after this realization.

At night, Roomie, Man Friend and I got Chinese take-out and watched movies. Ok, ok, Roomie and Man Friend watched a scary movie about some dolls and I read. I tried my best to tune out the movie and focus on my book. I'm such a pansy ass when it comes to scary movies. Hell, just thinking about Are You Afraid of the Dark? still gets me close to peeing my pants. Anyway, even after just catching glimpses and snipits of the movie, I was still afraid to leave the brightly-lit living room. After their movie finished, we all watched Wanda Sykes stand-up. I love her, mostly because she's so vulgar. The vulgar comedians are always my favorites.

After a rejuvenating and stress-free weekend, I'm actually (almost) ready for the week ahead.

Happiness is...

It is so easily to get caught up in the negative things in life, especially when you have a string of bad luck. My whole existence has always been focused on trying to stay positive no matter what the situation. Unfortunately, in the last year or two, I've really started to lose that quality in myself. And lately, I've been giving myself some mini reality checks that I still have so much to be happy about in my life. I've noticed that it truly is the simplest of things that can put me in a good mood or change my entire outlook on a day. So I've decided to share some of these simplistic miracles with you, my dear readers.

Happiness is...

• Realizing you're grown up enough to be friends with your friends' parents
• Playing with your favorite little munchkin
• Getting complimented on your tattoos
• Good morning, Beautiful texts
• Someone else noticing you've lost weight
• Freshly painted toenails (in your favorite heels, of course)
• Finishing an incredibly well-written and suspenseful book
• Eating a delicious meal
• Hearing a great song for the first time on the radio
• Man friend reaching his arm up for you to hold while he's on the ground and you're on an air mattress
• Enjoying a bottle of wine with your best friend
• Laughing with your friends until your gut hurts
• The smell of an apple cinnamon candle burning
• Getting a massage
• Gaining a new follower on Twitter
• Summer
• Fitting perfectly in your man friend's arms
• Having the satisfaction of knowing you're right
• Getting mail that's not a bill, credit card application or other form of junk
• Broken in Chuck Taylors
• Watching a Packers game, particularly a Packer win
• Finding a really great item on clearance

Sucky and Super Sunday

I actually have a Super and Sucky post on a Sunday! Hooray!

Sucky:

• I spent the day working today. We just recently started a new weekend rotation and I worked my first Sunday in many months. I don't care how petty it is, it still made me grouchy.
• While Roomie's birthday was a blast (more on that below). I almost didn't get let into a bar because of my ID. It's getting pretty worn around the photo and apparently the hologram is hard to see. The bouncer asked for a second form of ID (no big deal, it happens) and all I had on me was my debit card, with, you know, a matching name to my license. He looked at that and asked if I had anything else with my picture on it. No. I did not. Number one, I don't even own two photo IDs. Number two,  after three years of going to the bars, I don't feel the need to bring three forms of identification with me. Roomie stepped in on my behalf and said, "She's 24!" To which Bouncer said, "And I'm older. What's your point?" Here's where I started really having a problem. I get that he was just doing his job, and if my ID looks sketch, fine. But he was just being a douchebag. And there is zero need for such an attitude problem. He eventually gave my card to a second employee who went and got a flashlight, stared at it for another minute, and I was dramatically allowed inside. Give me a fucking break.
• It's been a while, but a few weeks ago I took a massive digger in the work parking lot. One of my favorite pairs of wedges was falling apart on the bottom and the sole was flapping around. But I wore them anyway because they're cute. Well...the broken flap caught on a crack in the sidewalk, and slow motion style, I ate shit. Luckily no one was around to see my mishap, and even more luckily, because I was in a dress and probably would have flashed everyone. It hurt so bad that I didn't even yell any profanities. I just sat there agonizing for a second and then let out an indistinguishable goan/shout. My first thought, clearly, was OH MY GOD I DON'T HAVE INSURANCE; WHAT IF SOMETHING'S BROKEN? Well, over active imagination aside, I was fine. It stung like hell and took two weeks to clear up, but I was fine. 

Super:

• Even though Roomie desperately tried to skip his 25th birthday, we went out and had a blast. Prior to bar hopping, we started off at our house. Two of our friends shopped up with a walker (complete with tennis balls on the back legs), and over the hill sippy cup and reading glasses. It was the hardest I had laughed in a really long time. We went bar hopping to a few different places, went dancing at the gay bar, and ended the night at Perkins, naturally. I didn't get to bed until after 4:30, and holy shit, I'm old too because that's late as hell for me now. 21 year old me just laughed in my face.
• The next morning I watched a several-hour game of sloshball played by a bunch of friends. It's basically kickball, with lots of alcohol added in. The rules, that I managed to catch, were that you have to have a cup of beer in your hand at all times, you have to stop at second base to chug a beer, to start the game, two teams face off with a game of flip cup, and keg stands were in there somewhere. It  was pretty entertaining to watch. I did not, at any point, take part in said festivities. I'm not even remotely coordinated sober. 

The Big 2-5

In the past few weeks leading up to Roomie's 25th birthday (which is today, so happy birthday!), there's been a lot of discussion in our household about that number. You know, that 25 number. It seems to be holding quite a bit of weight.

In the 13 years that I've been friends with Roomie, I haven't ever seen him so distressed about anything, especially about a birthday. And it's got me thinking. And worrying. I've got a year yet before I hit that number, but there's just something about that digit that is just so unsettling.

Nearly everyone I've talked to has said that turning 25 was their hardest birthday ever. My ex's mom said that turning 25 was harder than 30, 40 or even 50. A former coworker said she didn't even stay out past 8:00 on the night of her birthday because she went home crying.

Just what about that number seems to be so hard for everyone to handle? Well, after quite a bit of contemplation, I think I may have some answers.

1) 25 feels old. Even though, it's still relatively young; not even "late 20s" yet. But for some reason, it has always felt like so much more of a grown up, and so far off. Even when I graduated college at 21, 25 seemed so far away. Dating someone who was 25 almost seemed too old for me, even though if I was single now, a 4 year difference of 27 doesn't seem like a big deal at all. 25 is also so close to 30, and let me tell you, I'm in total denial that number will ever come into my existence. Oh yeah, there's also the realization that you're a quarter of a century. Holy shit, a quarter of a century feels waaay older than just saying 25.

2) Because 25 feels like such a grown up, it gives people a solid point of reference. When people hit that age, I feel they expect themselves to have hit certain milestones in their lives. We put such pressure on ourselves to be so successful by certain points in our lives. We feel like we've failed ourselves if we haven't hit these timely goals. At that, my friends, is where the anxiety comes in.

Former Coworker said she wanted to be married with kids by 25. Instead, she was single in a tiny one bedroom apartment by herself. She was so unhappy that she hadn't hit this fictitious goal soon enough, that she couldn't even enjoy what she did have going for herself. 

My fears about turning 25 aren't as much about not hitting goals for my personal life as I am with my professional life. I know that I still have a year to go, but I never thought I'd be where I am at even 24. At that's not as positive as it sounds. When I was in college, I never imagined that two years after graduating, I wouldn't be working in my field. I never imagined I'd be a temp ever, let alone after 15 months. I never imagined myself working in a call center. I knew that in my field I wouldn't make loads of money, but I had figured I'd be making more than what I'm making now. I never thought I would work so hard for that degree to feel like it's going to waste. 

I already can feel exactly how turning 25 will pan out for me. If I find a job that I'm truly very happy in, and/or a job using my degree, if I'm in a permanent position with benefits and if I feel remotely successful with where my life is going, I'm sure that 25 won't be such a hard-hitting blow. It may be hard to accept that I fully need to be a grown up, or holy shit I'm mid-20s now, but I don't think it will cause me loads of anxiety. HOWEVER, I'm not confident that will happen. I sure as shit hope I have a permanent job by then, but chances of it being something using my education and background are slim. If I'm still in some customer service job, or even worse, a job that causes me as much anxiety and distress as my current one, I'll frickin lose it. But until then, I just need to focus on the accomplishments I have made and try to stay as positive as possible. 

Rock Fest 2012 Part 2

There's so much to Rock Fest besides just the concerts. The camping and meeting new people is such an experience in and of itself, so the rest of the trip deserves its own post.

As I alluded to in my first Rock Fest post, this was my second trip out to the Fest. Man Friend was one of our Fest Virgins, my uncle has been every year, and my aunt hasn't missed a year since she started going about four or five years in. Having my best friend by my side and meeting three new really fun couples, I had even more fun than last year and couldn't have asked for a better four days.

I planned most of the trip with my aunt and uncle, partially because they have been going so long, and partially because they just have way more stuff than Man Friend and I do combined. Also, because Aunt and Uncle are frankly just awesome people who I really enjoy spending time with. Uncle is my godfather and also shared a duplex with my parents for a few years when I was a kid. Growing up, I spent a lot of time with him and we've always gotten along really well, so when he married Aunt, it was kind of like an automatic like. But I got along with Aunt right away too, and now we're just one big barrel of fun.

Unlike most people who surround me, I love the heat. I love summer, I love the sun beating on me, and I love being warm. However, it was really frickin hot this weekend. Just about unbearable hot. Luckily, at the campsite, we had a little bit of shade from Aunt and Uncle's camper awning, but that only took care of not having 90 degree heat beating directly on you. And in the concert area, we didn't have anything. Man Friend and I went through almost an entire spray bottle of SPF 50, and both of our fair skin still got burned. Poor Man Friend was was more burned than I was; even though he put new applications of sunscreen on frequently, he still looked like a lobster by the end of the trip.

Before I left, my dad said "Please
drink more than just alcohol this
weekend." So I texted him this from
our pit stop to Subway before
getting to the Fest grounds.

It was actually so hot that I was worried about dehydration all weekend. I got overly dehydrated once in Hawaii, and after nearly passing out on a school trip, I don't ever want to experience that again. I was pounding so much water that it was cancelling out my alcohol intake. Even though I drank A LOT, I didn't get drunk one day. I was a little bummed by that, but not bummed enough to stop gulping water. You have to know your body's limits and being able to feel the giddiness of being drunk is simply not worth risking personal safety to me. However, my favorite beer Summer Shandy and Jack Daniels Downhome Punch wine coolers did go down really easily in that heat.

Enjoying a Shandy with my awesome homemade coozie from
my younger cousin.

Our campsite was actually made up of a group of many sites. Aunt and Uncle have a lot of Rock Fest friends, and they all reserve sites together. Our area consisted of eleven couples and two singles, all coming in from Minnesota, Michigan, Iowa, and of course, Wisconsin. I had so much fun hanging out with the people I had met last year, and getting to know the people who I was just meeting. Even though there's about a twenty year age gap between me and the majority of the people in our group, they never fail to deliver a good time. Not to mention, not one of them has ever treated me any differently because I'm so young. They just all accepted me (and this year, Man Friend) into their Rock Fest family.

In between shows and before concerts started for the day, there was never any shortage of things to do at the campsite. One couple (from Michigan) brought the game for bean bag toss with Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers bean bags. We played that game a lot, and it was especially fun whenever the Packer fans played against the Lions fans. Nothing like a little healthy competition to get things going. We also sat around an inflatable pool, occasionally dipping our feet in to cool off during the day and around the fire at night.

Man Friend and me playing Bean Bags. I had to be the Lions :(

On Sunday, the last day of the Fest, there weren't too many bands any of us were especially eager to watch. The big two were Poison and Def Leppard, but they didn't start until after it was dark. With nothing to do during the day and after sitting in the beat sun for three days, we decided to spend a few hours swimming. About a 45 minute drive from the campground was a nice little beach everyone referred to as "The Falls." Don't ask me which "Falls" these were. I have no idea. Anyway, despite my reservations, I really enjoyed myself.

After nearly drowning as a child, I'm terrified of water. Absolutely terrified. Needless to say, pools and natural bodies of water aren't exactly my best friends. As soon as the water reaches my waist or chest, I get really nervous and typically will not go any further. In fact, I will likely back up or get out. I don't swim well, and if I can't touch the bottom with my toes, I'm over it. Well, much to my distaste, we got to the Falls and I found out that in order to actually get to the beach, you need to cross a part of the river (or lake? who knows) because there isn't any adjoining dry land. Already I was hesitant. Then our group started crossing, and the water was up to their waist at least, and they're all way taller than me. At this point, I was way past hesitant, and ready to say fuck it and just wave to them from the other side.

Luckily, though, my ever calm better half convinced me it would be okay and we slowly made the trek to the other side. We had to watch for some really slippery and sharp rocks at the bottom so we wouldn't fall or slice our feet open. Oddly enough, this added danger was a little bit of a relief to me. It gave me more excuse to go extra slowly without worrying about holding up the rest of our group or feeling like an idiot. When everyone is cautious, you don't really stick out much. Once we got to the other side, the water actually wasn't very deep at all. I waded in up to about knee length and sat on some of the higher rocks with everyone. I ended up rather enjoying myself after the worrisome crossing was over. And when it was time to go back, I knew what to expect which takes care of half the fear.

Man Friend and Uncle swimming

Year two of my Rock Fest excursions was quite the success. It was worth every penny I spent and every moment of unpaid work days I used. I had so much fun all four days; it was a wonderful little vacation, even if it wasn't anywhere fancy.

Rock Fest 2012 Part 1

I just got back from my second annual trip out to Cadott for the highly anticipated Rock Fest, and while I'm really bummed that the weekend quickly came to an end, it's nice to be home.

There's so much about Rock Fest, so many amazing stories and details crammed into four days, I don't know where to begin. I'll jump right into it, and I'm probably going to be all over the place. So keep up.

Man Friend and me waiting for a show to start

This was the 19th year for the four day fest, and according to my uncle who has gone every year, not very much has changed from year to year. It's an outdoor music fest out in the middle of nowhere on a gigantic plot of open land that used to be a pig farm. There's tons and tons of camping space, where you see every kind of camping (or not very camping) imaginable. From people who drive in on their motorcycles with barely anything with them to small tents to huge tents to pop-ups to massive RVs, the Rock Fest grounds has seen it all. And of course, the important part: the concert area. The stage is at the bottom of a grassy hill where you can bring in your own chairs and leave them to save a spot for the day if you'd like. Right before the stage is also VIP seating for the people willing to pay the big bucks. Up on the hill can be kind of hard to see the band, but whatever you can't see on stage you can definitely make out on the big screens they have on either side of the stage.

In my opinion, the line up this year wasn't quite as impressive as last year's, but it was more than worth the tickets. I was the most eager to see Shinedown, Five Finger Death Punch and Halestorm, with Papa Roach, Buckcherry, and Black Stone Cherry coming in closely behind. I was pleasantly surprised the most by Alice Cooper and Iron Maiden.

FFDP

Shinedown

Shinedown and FFDP are two of my top favorite bands, and I was so eager to see them live. It was my first time seeing FFDP and second for Shinedown, but that was years ago and before I really listened to a lot of their music. Both shows I knew nearly every song the bands played, and couldn't have enjoyed their shows anymore.They had incredible energy, great lighting and actively engaged the crowd. FFDP even brought about 10 kids in the first few rows up on stage for a song or two and rocked out with the "next generation of rock music" as lead singer Ivan Moody put it.

Lizzy Hale

Even though I'm a new fan of Halestorm, I've liked everything I've heard by them so far and found out they certainly do not disappoint live either. Lizzy Hale is a phenomenally talented woman on lead vocals, guitar and even piano on some songs. She has great stage energy and it's so cool seeing a woman as the front line of a band. It is so rare to see a woman in a mostly male band, especially a harder rock band like theirs, and I love it.

I'm not a huge 80s hairband/metal fan, but I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed Iron Maiden and Alice Cooper. Maiden was the headliner for Saturday night, and actually played for about two hours instead of the typically allotted hour or occasional hour and a half. I only recognized one or two songs, but their entertainment value was so great, I stayed for about 3/4 of the show. They had great lights, so many background banner changes, film clips and pyrotechnics that it was hard to not enjoy watching them perform.   Alice Cooper was also wildly entertaining, and added bonus, I actually knew some of his songs. He had outfit/costume changes after nearly every song, little skits acted out to songs and was just all over the stage.

I was sadly disappointed by Buckcherry, and even more so by Godsmack. I really like Buckcherry as a band, so to see them do a mediocre job live was such a let-down. They had a decent amount of energy, but I felt the only crowd-interaction they had was when the lead singer used the crowd as a sounding board to vent his life story. The only time it made sense to include some ranting in between songs was when he talked about his drug experience before the song "Cocaine." If I didn't know any of their songs, I probably would not have enjoyed the show much.

Godsmack was just absolutely boring to watch. I'm not a huge fan, but do enjoy some of the songs I've heard on the radio throughout the years. At the beginning of the show, the singer said "I don't have much to say tonight, so I'm just gunna play a bunch of songs for you guys." And he wasn't kidding. He just played song after song with faked enthusiasm for about 3/4 of the show. Finally, the second to last song before the encore, he started telling the crowd to "wake up," which is a pretty clear indication that everyone else was as bored as I was. I recognized the first song, and then not any again until that second to last song. The next three were the more popular ones that have come out in the last couple of years. Why you would lump all your biggest hits together at the end of your set is beyond me. If the whole show was like the last 15 minutes, I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more. But it wasn't. So I didn't.

More to come about the campsite and the rest of the vacation in the next post.

Oh, The Places You'll Go

I have a pretty extensive bucket list; there's a lot of things I want to do with my life. There are so many things I want to accomplish, things I want to eat and so many places I want to visit. Since so many of my life plans revolve around travel, I figured I'd make a list of all the places I want to visit.

In no particular order:

• Hawaii (again)
• Mexico
• New York City (again)
• Seneca Falls, New York
• Vegas
• Austin, Texas (because I would love to visit Texas, and my roomie will likely be moving there)
• San Francisco
• Florida, possibly
• anywhere in the South that will help me complete my second Civil Rights Pilgrimage
• Seattle
• Ireland (because Man Friend wants to go after tracing his lineage and I would love to be a part of his discoveries)
• Much more of Europe: France, Italy, Spain, England, Mediterranean Islands
• Boston
• Maine (specifically during Lobster season/festivals)
• Memphis (again, and during the spring or summer this time)
• Sparta, Tennessee (to visit my mom)

Hmm, looks like I better start saving now.

Weekend Camping Adventure

This weekend, a group of six of us went on a camping excursion in Boulder Lake for Man Friend's best friend's birthday. With only a few minor disasters, it was about a 90% success...which is pretty high if you ask me.

The weekend started off a tad on the rocky side. There hadn't been very good communication or organization of the trip until about a day beforehand, which drove my very anal retentive self crazy. I need to know exactly how everything is going and have a borderline unhealthy need to plan things down to the detail. The campground and site weren't even chosen until Friday morning, less than ten hours before Man Friend and I were supposed to leave town.

Well, the site was determined and I started to feel a little more at ease. Not so fast. Nothing ever goes that smoothly. It started pouring and even hailing in some areas. After checking the weather, I found out the area where we were camping was expecting intermittent showers throughout the weekend. Assured Monica very quickly grew into Grouchy Monica. I did not want to spend the weekend cold and miserable and went into the trip expecting the worst...and in a very sour mood.

Alas, the rain ended (for a while) and by the time we reached the campground, skies were mostly clear.

Saturday did have some scattered showers, but luckily for us, it was mostly just sprinkles. The worst part about the weather, though, was that all the wood/logs/sticks were soaked and nearly impossible to start a fire with. Man Friend and his BFF ended up going into town mid afternoon to get more wood. Anyway, the camp ground was really nice and I definitely wouldn't mind going again. Clean, big, no one too rowdy and the grounds had a beach as well. We swam for a while in the afternoon, even though I initially would have rathered sit on the beach reading. I'm not one for water, and by that I mean, I hate swimming, and am scared of it. It took quite a bit of coaxing from Man Friend for me to even get in waist deep. After a while I did manage to have a decent amount of fun with everyone else.

Back at the camp site, we made a little friend with a friendly chipmunk. At first we decided to call him Alvin, you know, from Alvin and the Chipmunks. Man Friend started throwing Reeses Pieces towards him and we very quickly discovered that apparently chippies love them. The little guy was stuffing every one in his mouth, occasionally scampering away to hide it somewhere unknown to us stupid humans. It didn't take long for a game to develop to see how much and/or what he would shove in his mouth. The answer is pretty much anything, which turned into the new name of Theodore, you know, like Alvin's fat brother. Theodore's biggest accomplishment was fitting an entire Carmello square in his mouth and running off with it. He was also particularly fond of green grapes and my pesto noodle salad.

Approximately 5:00 Sunday morning, it started storming. And hard. Rain was pouring down and thunder and lightning started. Storms are loud enough normally, but when only a tent is between you and a storm, it seems about a zillion times louder. I'm typically not scared of storms at all, but the whole being outdoors with next to nothing for shelter changes that. I was pretty scared we could get hurt by the lightning...not to mention paranoid water would get in the tent, leaving me cold, wet and miserable. This was everything I didn't want out of the trip. It took quite a while, but eventually the storm subsided, I was able to chill out and fell back asleep.

Despite the few glitches, it was a really relaxing weekend. It was so nice and, and frankly, much needed, to be away from home for a few days and leave the stress of reality behind. And really, is anything better than having a few cold beers around a fire?

One Fabulous Weekend

This past weekend was one of the best I've had in quite some time. It was one of those "I've barely had time to sit down, but I'm having so much fun it doesn't even matter" times.

My mom was home for my sister's graduation and stayed for the full weekend. I was able to hang out with her and her best friend one night and Man Friend and I took her to Hu Hot on her last night in town. She had never been before and I think she really enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun hanging out with her, but I don't think it's really hit me that she won't be home again until Christmas time.

Friday my youngest sister had her graduation/end of the year party with a bunch of friends. I made her BLT dip and embarrassed her in front of her friends. She invited the boy she likes (well, now boyfriend since the party), one more thing I'm not sure how I feel about. As far as I'm concerned, she's too young for a boyfriend (nevermind I had been seeing a boy for a full year at this point in my life) but I'm more than ok with embarrassing her about it.

Saturday during the day was a little uneventful, but after taking Mom out to dinner, Man Friend and I had a bonfire at his place with some of his BFFs. It was the first time he had used the fire pit since moving in to the place, and the previous tenant left it a shithole. Everything from cans, bottles, wires and bolts were in that pit, among the massive amount of ash just sitting in there. After a little TLC, the pit was a little safer, less full and the fire worked much nicer. We sat around the fire drinking, enjoying the warm weather and, of course, talking about a zombie apocalypse. They always talk about what they would do to survive an apocalypse, and recently they've come to the conclusion that they will meet at Man Friend's dad's house in the event of an attack...because that's where the most guns are.

Sunday Man Friend and I spent the afternoon at the Wildlife Sanctuary. It was honestly one of the best dates we've ever had. I wish there were words to explain how much fun I had. It was the perfect day, too. Nice and hot, with a cool breeze, sunny and a mostly clear sky. We walked around for hours feeding the geese and ducks, looking through all the exhibits and walking the trails. We were there for a good two and a half hours, and every single minute of it was wonderful. Getting out of the house and doing something other than watching tv was much needed. Spending time alone and without our cell phones was so relaxing. That's exactly what being in a relationship should be and a reminder of what makes me love him so much.

Graduation and a Day Off

On our sister date last weekend

On Thursday, my baby sister graduated from eighth grade. I realize that ending eighth grade and getting ready for high school isn't exactly "baby sister" territory, but it's a pretty hard transition. For me, anyway...she has no problem heading into this next chapter in her life. Not only am I the big sister, but while my parents worked many long hours at their restaurant, I grew up helping them raise her. Accepting that she's growing up has been quite the task for me, but I'm getting better. It is nice, though, to be able to carry on more adult and meaningful conversations with her.

With both my sisters after the ceremony. The ONE time I don't wear heels.

Anyway, back to graduation. It was a really nice ceremony, though the principal did get a little long winded. She hit the expected topics of how much they've grown up, highlights of the their last three years and high school prep. One thing that did make the ceremony unique was the really personal admissions from her. The principal had been diagnosed with cancer and was out for about seven months. She shared how the students helped her through the chemo and to fight her way through the disease. All of the students and staff had sent her little notes when she was first diagnosed, and she read some of funniest messages to the graduation guests. "I feel really bad for you, even though you aren't a relative," and "get well soon...like a boss" were two that made me LOL so hard I thought I was going to pee myself.

After the ceremony ended, we took a few pictures before my sister scurried off to be with her friends. My middle sister and I went to lunch at Panera and got to spend some time chatting. With her on third shift, me on first and me not living at home, we don't get many opportunities to hang out alone, so it was a really nice spur of the moment decision. I picked up some food for Man Friend and surprised him at work. We got to sit outside together while he was on his lunch break. We've never been able to have lunch together during the week and it made me wish we had more opportunities to do so. Hopefully if I ever get a job in town, we'll be able to do so once in a while.

I was able to spend the rest of the afternoon taking care of Monica. I went on a 2.5 mile walk, hula hooped with my weighted hoop, and finished Mockingjay, the third book in the Hunger Games trilogy. I finished each book in two sittings; they are so phenomenal. Young adult/unrealistic/overly popular novels normally aren't my cup of tea, but these books were actually really well written and very engaging. I couldn't put them down.

Finishing off the day, Man Friend and I met some of our friends out for drinks for a while. It was still nice enough out that we were all able to relax/sit out on the bar's patio. Now that's what summer is all about.

It's days like Thursday that I wish I was able to work four tens. Having that one extra day off during the week is so wonderful. I can get stuff done that I normally can't during working hours, tend to be obnoxiously productive, and feel less stressed about work because I'm only there four days instead of five.

My Before 30 Bucket List

Lately, I've been struggling a lot with the idea of what it means to be successful. Mainly because I don't feel remotely successful at all. I always thought that after graduation, two years to be exact, I'd be so much farther along in life than I am. Still being in a dead-end temp job with no leads in the job search, I feel like I have so much catching up to do, even though I'm not quite 24.

My roommate and I have this discussion a lot, mostly because we're both in the same boat. Neither one of us are where we want to be/where we thought we'd be at this point in our lives. These pity parties for two then develop into the "I'm scared to turn 25 and/or 30" conversation. I've come to the conclusion that the people who have the issue with hitting those dreaded numbers are always the people like us, worried about where their life is headed and why it's not headed there fast enough.

So I've come up with a Bucket List for myself of things I want to accomplish by the time I'm 30. Something to hold myself accountable for not falling into any more of a slump. In no particular order:

• Have at least 1, preferably 2, fiction pieces published
• Work for a non-profit
• Visit my mom in TN as much as possible
• Take at least one big vacation
• Visit at least 6 restaurants in my Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives book (one a year)
• Visit my family out on the East Coast
• Have at least 1,000 views on each blog, or whatever blog I'm working on
• Get married
• Put a significant dent in my student loans

Sucky and Super Not Sunday

Sucky:

•  Over the weekend, Man Friend's mom had to be brought to the ER twice. She developed a pretty severe migraine that just didn't go away. At the hospital, she got an IV for the pain and anti-nausea medication. When the pain didn't subside by the next day, she had to be brought to the hospital by an ambulance. Man Friend found out she recently (in the last year or so) has had 11 mini-strokes. It was really scary, and I know he's been worried about his mom. Watching your mom get hauled off on a stretcher isn't exactly something that you can forget easily. She's been getting a lot of sleep and seems to be feeling a little better. She's also had an appointment with a neurologist, so fingers crossed that they figure something out.
• Monday was the first anniversary of one of my friend's passing. I knew Friend through my sister and is actually how I met Man Friend. Even though I wasn't as close with him as my sister or man friend, it's never easy losing a friend, especially someone as young as 20. The day was pretty difficult for all his friends and family, but a small group of us visited his grave with a little Jack Daniels (his famously favorite drink) and went out to dinner. As much grieving that went on, it's just as helpful to be able to celebrate his life and remember him as more than just sick and/or dead. 

Super:  

• Over the weekend there was a mini crisis at work. Before you ask why a work crisis is listed under the Super category, keep reading. Said crisis involved a massive influx of consumer e-mails. For the first time in the year I've been there, I was put on dedicated e-mail time. I only had to sit on the phones for about two and a half hours the whole day. It was a wonderful and much needed change of pace. Also, I left work not wanted to jump off a cliff. Success.
• I've been doing a lot of volunteering lately, and for the first time Man Friend joined me Saturday. We worked with the Healthy Kids Day put on by the Y to kick off summer. It was one of the most fun events I volunteered for. The free even featured college basketball and soccer players, a bounce house, face painting, a magician, healthy choices tables, MMA demonstrations, hula hooping, a trail mix bar, arts and crafts, rock climbing and a children's run. We served over 8,000 families that day. I helped with he trail mix bar, and holy shit, did we go through a TON of food. Cases of each: goldfish crackers, cheerios, marshmallows, raisins, pretzels, and sunflower seeds. 

Sucky and Super Saturday

Sucky:

• It has been cold and rainy this week. I hate weather changes, and hate being cold even more. I also lose any and all motivation to do anything with myself when the weather is crummy. I just want to curl up in bed and watch tv. For eternity.
• Work hasn't gotten any better. In fact, it's gotten worse. Last week we were so busy I was taking between 75 and 85 calls every day, got shouted at by consumers for the long wait time, and had far too many nasty calls. I left work in tears almost every day, was so frustrated I was just ready to give up, have been having nightmares, lost sleep, and was even fighting with man friend because I was so stressed out I turned into a crabby, irrational bitch. 
• The hot flashes have started back up. They calmed down and even went away for a week or two, and I thought I was in the clear. I was wrong. I start flashin at super inconvenient times, and get so overwhelmingly hot I just want to rip my clothes off. If I ever get health insurance, I can go to the doctor and see what the fuck is the deal.

Super:

• Wednesday was my man friend's birthday. We hung out at the Stadium bars, he got his free drinks, and we hung out with his coworker, friends and cousins. I wrote him a little piece and got him a rotating picture frame (it looks like a ferris wheel and I'm fascinated by it) and printed off pictures of us for it. For being in the middle of the week, it turned out to be a great night
• Thursday I went out as well. Two nights in a row, especially during the week, is almost inexistent for me. I met up with some friends I hadn't seen in a while and had a really good time. I'm really glad I went.
• I FINALLY got a laptop! My desktop had been giving me a lot of problems ever since it got "fixed" by the campus IT people when I was in college. For the last year, I've pretty much just been borrowing other people's computers. It's so nice now to be able to job search, write, and just simply surf the Internet whenever I want and not have to rely on someone else. It's equally as fantastic being able to take my laptop with me somewhere and not having a stationary desktop.
• Last weekend, today and next weekend have been/will be filled with volunteering and goodness. I spent the day at Camp U-Nah-Li-Ya, you can read about it here, today I participated in the March of Dimes walk for babies and next Saturday I will be volunteering for the YMCA's Healthy Kids Day. It feels so good to be donating time/money to such worthy causes. My volunteer work is the only thing keeping me from going crazy about my lack of success after college.  

Camp U-Nah-Li-Ya

Last Saturday was the end-of-session day trip to Camp U-Nah-Li-Ya with Girls Night Out. To conclude each session, the GNO groups from all the Green Bay Ys spend a day at camp. This particular trip was rather small, only two groups. It ended up working out just fine that way. 30 sixth graders is a tad more manageable than 60.

This was my third time up with GNO, and maybe the best. Certainly better than in December, that's for sure. The girls were super well behaved and seemed to really enjoy themselves. There was only one minor meltdown when one of the girls had a giant spider land on her and she started crying. Otherwise, a definite success.

The weather was beautiful, better than what we had anticipated. The sun was out all day, it was decently warm after lunch and there wasn't any snow. Because it was so nice out, we actually got to spend the whole day outside, whereas the last two trips we spend at least half the day inside.

The day was broken into two main chunks, survival skills and canoeing. My group did the survival skills section first, and the staff guy had made it a Hunger Games theme, which I think the girls really liked. It was cool to be able to make it into something relatable for them. I feel like survival skills were more appealing to them when they could think of it in terms of a movie instead of just because.

The girls learned how to build a fire, and became part of the one-match club. They split into two groups and had to use their new knowledge to build a mini fire. Each group had an area to build in between two steaks in the ground and a string tying them together. The first group to get their fire big enough to burn their string won.

When the fires had been put out, they moved a little farther into the woods and learned how to build shelters. Of the three trips, this group of girls had the best teamwork by a landslide, and thus, had the most successful shelters. I've found that typically one or two girls designate themselves to be leaders and completely take over while other girls stand in the background. Last Saturday, the girls communicated great, shared the work, and followed instructions to result in working shelters.

After some large group games/icebreakers and lunch, we headed out to the lake for some canoeing. I'm not even going to pretend like I was excited for this. In fact, I was really hoping we wouldn't go. Well, we did. One of the girls was really scared too, so we got paired together. At first I thought putting two scared people together was probably the dumbest idea ever thought of. Neither one of us really wanted to even get into the canoe. We both just stood there, trying to think of excuses for why we couldn't get in. I think we both realized at the same time that we weren't going to get let off that easy. Trembling, I got in and sat down.     Although we didn't master turning as well as most of the other teams, and we were still uneasy, we managed

to get out to about the middle of the water and we saw the giant snapping turtle.

When we finished canoeing, there was a little extra time left and the instructor took us on a nature walk through camp. We got to see some the brand new buildings, and got to see a bunch of turtles. The instructor told us that in the middle of the afternoon, the turtles like to come out of the water and soak up the warm sun, so if we were extra quiet, we would be able to see him. Believe it or not, 15 sixth grade girls managed to stay silent and we got to see at least 20 painted turtles and five or ten of the big snapping turtles. It was a phenomenal sight to see (pics coming soon).