Twas the Night After Christmas..

So it's been a while since my last post, and I apologize. Life's funny that way :)
I love being home for break, I get to spend so much time with the family and especially the sisters. They keep me young :) Christmas was amazing to say the least. It's always great to get everyone together and celebrate the birth of Jesus. You know, the world probably wouldn't have as many problems, if the grandmothers of the world could run it. It doesn't take much more than a look to put some naughty grandkid in their place. She proudly runs the family :)
I sit here in the dark pondering what words I want to put for the world to see next, while my mind slowly surrenders to the idea of sleep.
Goodnight all, awake tomorrow in good health :)

Oh How I love to be Home.

Why is it, that when making a four hour drive, the last twenty minutes or so seems longer than the entire drive combined? Nothing is more satisfying than pulling into your own driveway after a month of departure.
Mmm how I missed it.

Yayy College.

It's 11:15 the night before my big Chemistry final.. I'm sitting in a cubicle in the library, wondering why on earth I got myself into this. As I flip aimlessly through the spiral that should be worn to pieces, it hits me that this could potentially not end well.
On a side note, I have injested enough chocolate to kill an elephant, and potentially make me gain fifty pounds. However, this could all be for good cause. Potentially.
I go home Monday night after my Geography final for a month. I am Oh, so excited. Thanksgiving break was a tease and I'm ready to be back in my own bed.
Yayy College.

Code Maroon.. Again.

Bomb threat in the main library. A girl just can't catch a study break.

This guy is AWESOME.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlJFvxad1_A

Code Maroon

Code Maroon for this morning. A young man robbed a transportation bus this morning, armed. Suspect has not been found.

Oh snap..

Ramblings:)

So I apologize for the lack in posting, in two weeks I'll be home finding all sorts of stuff to blog about, but for now I must stick to the basic college-kid life.
Finals are right around the corner and it feels like my life is in overdrive. My only escape is to go run for miles, then return to continue studying. I had an interesting conversation with a young man yesterday about the Concealed Carry petition going around school. He was for it and we talked about the pros and cons for a while, before he looked me up and down and asked if I even knew how to shoot. *Sigh*
I smiled and went into a very long, indepth explination of how I began shooting and how he really shouldn't sterotype, for future refrence. I bid him goodbye before he could shake that dumbfounded look off his face.

I returned to the big ol' school of leaning on Sunday, and this drive back was much harder than the others. I had spent all Thanksgiving week with them, cooking, building, and carrying on. I even got to sit in on the adult conversations I once was asked to leave from. (Boringggg).
Nonetheless, I am without a doubt, a family personality. As much as I do not want to reproduce, I don't know what I would do without the closeness of our crazy family.

Christmas is right around the corner, and this holiday isn't always the easiest. My roomate has started decorating our room in festive colors, and is singing the Christmas carols. Ugh. Two more weeks.. Two more weeks..

Y'all have a fantastic Hump Day.
:)

That Moment When..

That moment when you realize your life is a blessing from God.
I grew up with a Church family. The individuals in each family changed from time to time, but I always had the support I needed to fulfill my intentions.
Last night I had a conversation with an individual who does not believe in God, and chooses to believe the Church is worthless. Somedays, I don't bother with outlandish people such as him, but yesterday was just one of those days. (One thing this boy always asks me, is why the heck I'm smiling all the time.) I asked him what made him feel that way, and he replied with "My grandpa was a Christian, and he was as worthless as any can be. My parents and I rejected the christian faith, and look at me now. I'm attending this great college on a full ride and it's all because of what I did. No one helped me. This is all me."
I looked him up and down for a few seconds, grasping for words that I prayed would just appear, then it was clear. "Robert, why is it, that everytime I see you, your never smiling?"
Pause... "I don't know. I just don't feel like it I guess?"
I smiled, "Robert the reason I walk with a smile, is because I know that no matter what, I have someone on my side. God is the reason I'm smiling every single day, why I find joy in the little things. Sure you find joy in the fact that your here all because of what you did, but how often do you look at the colors of the leaves, and think about what is causing that? Or when the rain falls from the sky, imagine what the rain is doing for the earth."
He was silent..
"I smile, because God is causing those things, and he is on my side."
He replied "Science and Nature are causing those things"
"Nature is not on your side my friend, but God, can be."
He just looked at me, for his words of denial were not there. I smiled :)
I thank God everyday for my struggles. Without them, I would have no faith. When your down, remember that God would never give you any burden you can not handle. Yesterday was a really tough day for me, and having that conversation reinforced that God should continue to be my Number One. Sometimes I lose track of that in the midst of the late night studying and continued pressure to do well. It's good to have a wake up call every now and again :)
Y'all have a Great Thanksgiving week. Thank God for his blessings this year, and for your ability to smile. :)

Updates

I apologize for the lack of posting, College has me swept up in the embrace of tests and upcoming finals.
I'll update while I'm here,
Occupy Cstat hasn't gotten very far off the back porch, which I'm not complaining about whatsoever. It seems to have disipated almost as quick as it started.
I went to ask the man at the store about his guns, but the days I had time to venture up there he was absent. But don't worry, I'll get that story.
If your interested, I'm doing well in classes. It's really difficult but I'm finally getting the hang of it. I get to go home in five days and see my family, which I long for everyday.
I am quickly running out of time, so I will post something meaningful soon. I pinky promise.
Y'all have a great Thursday.

So today was a wonderful day. :) I was able to vist with a friend I have not seen in ages, and spend most of the day outside in this gorgeous weather. While I was out and about, I stumbled upon an Army Depot store pretty close to campus. After squeezing my body through the tightly inventoried building, I finally stumbled upon the owner, an older man who looked like he had been there and back.
"Quite a stash you've got here sir" I told him.
"Well a lot of this is retail and such, but I have a few treasures I've collected over the years."
He then proceeded to lead me through the winding aisles to the front of the store, where on display sat a FP-45 Single-Shot Pistol from WWII, and a PPSh-41- submachine gun that had seen some wear. These were highly produced in 1945 for Soviet soliders, but slowly deminished with the production of the equally important AK-47.
I stood with smile, merely because I personally did not know the significance of the guns to him, but I sure wasn't going to let him know that. I told him they were purty and he went on gleaming of their greatness.
I asked him if he had any supplies for the aspiring survivalist and he kind of cocked his head and looked at me kinda funny, so I just rephrased my question with "Do you have any cute little canteens or dome tents?"
He showed me to this massive wall of supplies and I began to weigh the pros and cons of each item. He watched me carefully as I picked out some canteens I've been needing, and put the tents back for a better paycheck.
As I was handing over a portion of my income for stylish waterbottles, the man still looked puzzled. So I asked, "Hey, So if the world ever comes to an end, do you mind if I come borrow some supplies?", He smiled and said it would be no problem. As I was leaving, he rushed out with one of the tents I was looking at, and told me to always stay ready. I replied that I would return later on so he could share some stories. He smiled and returned to his homey little store.

On beautiful days like today, it's a great world we live in.
We shall see about tomorrow.
Have a great rest of the weekend. :)

Occupy Cstat.

So here at the big ol' school of learnin, I've been hearing of college protesters from a school near my hometown. My fa-fa called me last night and asked if they had any lunatics down here yet. I smiled and replied, "Nope".
Woke up this morning with a Facebook invite to Occupy Cstat. Ugh. Now I personally haven't been keeping up with the OWS too awful much, just what I've been reading on the blogs I choose to follow. So I found the leader of this invite/group, and asked him just what he was protesting. He replied

"I can't speak on behalf of the whole movement but what I'm protesting is the lack of accountability in the financial sector and government policies favoring the wealthy (i.e. Warren Buffett pays a lower tax rate than his secretary). We don't need a higher marginal tax rate but we should eliminate loopholes which allow these grave injustices.

The current approach to balancing the budget is detrimental because it focuses on cuts without increasing revenue. This is an unbalanced approach which forces the middle and lower class to shoulder the burden as programs and public sector jobs are cut. The upper class is barely effected by this and has been doing relatively fine throughout the recession.
Corporate money in politics is another issue I am protesting. The Citizens United ruling declared that corporations are people and have the same rights (free speech). This allows them to make contributions to politicians that outweigh anything the people can give. Right now 80% of campaign donations are effectively "bribes" that come from outside of the district the politicians are actually representing. This moves policy towards favoring these companies instead of the people that are supposed to be represented. This is, I believe, why congress' approval rating is at an all time low of 9% despite the fact that they were elected by us to represent our interests not too long ago."

This is what he sent me, and I guess what I'm taking from it is to lessen the burden of the middle class, without placing the burden somewhere else? Now, this does differ from a few of the other protesters I've encountered exclaiming they are protesting the cost of student loans, and the fact that there are no available jobs to pay off these loans. My question is, if your going to spend $60,000 for a liberal arts major, don't you think you would have some sort of job or idea set up before you begin? Silly individuals. This guy seems pretty confident in what he is saying, and it looks like he has done his research, I just don't think the people following him/the movement understand why they are going to march around the banks, to promote moving the money to local banks instead.
After the riot last night in Oakland, I believe I'll be needing to make a phone call later.
Have a great Thursday :)

Concealed Carry?

So here at the big ol' school of learnin, there is a group of individuals who are petitioning for concealed carry on campus. I currently am unbiased, but see flaws and pros within this concept.
Pros:
One: each individual who would be carrying would be over the age of 21, and hold a license.
Two: if someone pulled out a gun, there would be ten guns pointed back at him.
Three: individuals would feel safer knowing they have a defense.
Cons:
One: not everyone will understand the need for a license, and this could cause issues with law enforcement.
Two: If someone pulled out a gun, there would be ten guns pointed back at him. (Could cause a mess).
Three: Lets give a bunch of rowdy rednecks guns, and tell them to play nice.

Now I know if this petition passes, which I'm doubting, there will be plenty of stipulations in order to carry.

Sooo opinions??

Thanks fa-fa.

Soo I called my fa-fa (My father), on friday morning explaining that a ride has come up for me to go home. He was estatic and said he had great camping plans. So I arrived home and we headed off. As we were driving down the road, I noticed something was missing. I turned my head and realized there was a lack of a camper attached to the back of our truck. When questioned, my dad just smiled. Here is the sum of it as Dad decided to test run our BOB:

It was cold.
Nothing was as warm as the pictures on the packages.
I was hungry.
It was dark.
I hope I never have to depend on those thin sheets of plastic ever again. Time to re-stock my personal BOB.

Have a great week y'all :)

From Scratch.... Oh snap..

So one thing that I absolutely love to do is cook, which is oddly difficult in the confinements of my dorm. That's the glory of friends. Whilst attempting to enhance my education in the library, I made a few study friends that live in apartments a little ways off campus. Once we became pretty good friends, I asked if I could use their stove to cook dinner one night for the rangers game. Of course, they obliged.
So last night I arrived at their apartment, and to my surprise there were several more people there than I had anticipated. When I asked, they said they all wanted a home cooked meal, since they haven't had one in so long. The owner of the apartment said they had bought all the supplies, all I had to do was cook it. So the pressure was on.
What I hadn't told them, was that this was my first attempt at homemade alfredo sause from scratch.....
Oh snap.
So there I was, cooking, gossiping, and yelling insults at the rangers game, and it was a great feeling of belonging. Lo and behold, no leftovers remained as the Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo went off without a hitch.
Here's the recipe:
1/2 Cup of Butter
1 Cup of Parmesan Cheese
2 Cups of Milk (If you want it creamy-er you can use half and half instead)
8oz of Cream Cheese
2 Teaspoons of Garlic Powder

Melt butter in pan.
Add Cream Cheese until soft.
Stir in Milk until creamy.
Add Garlic Powder and Simmer
Stirring Occassionally
Remove from heat and add Parmesan Cheese. Season to your liking.
Serve over Chicken and Fettuccine Noodles. The longer it sits, the thicker it gets.

Enjoy and have a great week!

It's been quite a while since my last post, as college is oh-so time consuming nor did I have a subject to write. I spend a great deal of time curled up in the library studying for the next exam that I pray to even pass.
On a positive note, I woke today with a sense that I honestly had nothing to do. Nothing to study for, to look over, to worry about on this beautiful day.
Before I returned to the big ol' school of learning a couple weeks ago my dad let me borrow a book to read when I had the time. It's called Patriots by James Wesley, Rawles. So I took said book and a fresh cup of coffee, and took the four flight treck down stairs and proceeded to do what everyone imagines a college kid doing. I sat under a tree and read.
Whilst intently reading what I find will be a very interesting book, I paused to take a sip from my coffee and saw a young lady approaching from the side. I looked up, smiled, and gave a friendly "good morning". She returned the smile and asked if she could join me. She told me she was active in the corp here, (which means she plans to enlist after recieving a degree), and Sunday's were her only day of relaxation. She pulled out some young romance book by James Patterson and we continued to read under the rustling leaves.
I could see her out of the corner of my eye frequently glancing at the book I was reading, so to break the ice I asked what hers was about. She explained a plot series I already knew, and asked the same. I explained that I had not gotten very far into it, but gave her the gist of what I knew the book was about.
She seemed very interested and asked if I was in to all that "survivalist" stuff. I explained that I was "in to" being prepared for situations out of my control. She laughed and I was slightly taken aback. She told me about a survivalist group here on campus, made up of students who "have these bags in their rooms in case of an evacuation. Why on earth would we ever be evacuated?", she said as she laughed. And to think I thought I had made a friend. lol. I asked what she would do in case of a fire that was spreading through the trees? (The campus is filled with them) She looked at me kind of funny and said that her upperclassmen would tell her what to do. She turned back to her book and exclaimed, "I just don't think zombies are actually going to exist at any time, so it seems kind of pointless to me". At that point, I knew there was no hope. I asked if she knew the name of this organization, and she said it wasn't one. It was just a group of people. I turned to her and asked what branch she plans to enlist in. She then said "well I didn't score high enough to get into the air force, so right now I'm stationed in the army unit. I just have to make sure I pass these classes I'm failing". I thanked her for wanting to serve our country, and told her I could help her with geography if she needed. I then politely made some excuse to depart, and made the four flight treck upstairs shaking my head. If only young people understood.
So now I am on the hunt for this group of students to confirm they are not "nut jobs". And to find a new reading spot, this book is getting pretty good.
Y'all have a great week, and remember, an apple a day keeps the zombies away :)

She's Not Very Happy.

I went to sleep last night with a thought in my head, "am I doing what I really want. Am I happy?"
I've taught myself for years that happiness is a state of mind. That you control what effects your moods.
This is true to an extent.
You know that little voice inside your head that always jumps to conclusions? When you burst into tears when your car wont start, or your trying to find ways to pay for your first ticket? Once you stop the gasping breaths and blow your nose, don't you gain some reason?
I've been trying lately to teach myself to listen to the quieter voice. When I asked this question to myself last night, all these excuses and complaints rushed through my head in a fury of confusion and unanswered questions, blocking all thought processes. After laying there for a few minutes, the quieter voice begins to reason.
Now this might sound a little crazy, but bear with me. Once I started to work things out, my problems didn't seem so bad. Yeah maybe I got a ticket, and the car is trashed, but there is always a solution.
So today as I walked around the big ol school of learning, I watched people. Just by a way a person was standing, sitting, or walking, I could tell how they were feeling. One female was sitting distant from the others, with a look of complete concentration on her face. Moments later, she recieved a phone call where she burst into tears.
So I started checking myself, and seeing what habits I had formed that gave clue to my personal character. I held my head a little higher, and I smiled a little more. Low and behold a young lady from work mentioned that I looked happier. Is that all it really took? Yeah I learned to fake happiness with the best of them, but have I really gotten that transparent? I remember in high school when I was Miss. Optimistic. Not too long ago but it's been a while. It's funny what a little reality check can do to a worn out soul. But I'm back in check now, and the goals have been reinstated.
My goal for this week is to pay more attention to myself, and to do things that make me happy. Such as go home this weekend for my mother's 40 birthday ;) I'm also bringing back the HS goal of making at least one person smile everyday. We'll see how it goes.
Meanwhile, pay attention to that little voice and keep an eye on yourself.
Y"all be safe and Have a great weekend :)

Reality

I'm living in a new world of realized reality, and it's not even the real world yet. This college thing is pretty tough if you ask me. Homework every hour I'm not in class, work every hour I'm not doing homework, and then the little things always set in. My car is acting up, they can't find my paycheck, tests are around the corner, bills are fast approaching and I really miss my family. It's like life in fast motion. Everything takes two or three days to process here. It's fighting a losing battle that I have to fight. I know that it's my first semester and it's always tough, but geez.
On the plus side, I found a good church I think I'm going to start attending, and I'm trying out for the pistol team tomorrow.
Yay College.
I need to go study but I'll keep y'all informed.

Here Baby Cow :)

So here at the big ol'school of learning, they have this cool research facitily a few miles off campus. They offered some of the Animal Science students an oppritunity to feed baby calves. Granted, this is not something that is new to me. I fed baby goats from a bottle and honestly this wasn't much different. But the interesting part is they are researching a specific growth hormone found in pig and sheep food, and seeing if it has the same effect on cows. From what they have informed me, it does. That's the exciting part. They are going to offer this information to the animal nutrition program, where they will create the hormone in cow food, and after many tests and trials begin to sell it to certain research individuals. It was pretty great to realize that I was going to be a part of that one day. Maybe it will even be my idea :)

Y'all have a great weekend :)

Story Time!

Describe yourself in fifteen words exactly.

I chose: "There is nothing so easy to learn as experience, and nothing so hard to apply".
Your turn?

Oh Thank Heaven

So the other day, I requested my parents send me a small care package of some essential items I had forgotten on my journey to the big ol'school of learnin. I anxiously awaited the text message containing the secret words "It has been sent".
That started my frequent trips to the post office box, and unfortunatly Monday was labor day so my package of greatness could not be retreived. Tuesday, I hurried to the post office to show them my little orange sheet, and was given a odd looking box with a return address from my grandparents. Then I remembered they were sending me a care package as well, but I was sad to see that my parent's package had yet to arrive.
I trucked my lone package up the three flights of stairs and was overjoyed to see the hamburger helpers and such awaiting my digestion.
The next day, I practically ran to the post office, and giggled like a school girl as I returned to the counter with a new orange sheet, and was handed a glorious box with a cute "mom and dad" return address. I didn't even stop to talk to my new friends. I quickly husstled my bussle up those three flights of stairs, grabbed my keys and tore open the box, to find it sitting on top, nestled in bubble wrap. My prized possession. The one thing I have been waiting for since it's creation three weeks ago. The parent's infamous pickled okra.



Unfortunatly, there is a limited amount of space in each mason jar, so the supply will not last forever, but merely quinch my craving.... Hint Hint MDR :)

My life is now complete. Y'all have a great day :)

I think I found My Click!

So here at the big ol'school of learnin, they had this open house where you can walk around and see all the organizations you want to join. As I was walking, I skimmed the booths lining the gym, each falling short of my personal tastes.
Walking aimlessly along, hopes dashing with every "cheer club", "music club", or the infamous "water polo team", I saw it. The red streaking banner tucked back in a corner, with two guys lazily passing out flyers to whomever peaked an interest. I stalked over, attempting to mask my enthausiasm, and smiled as the boy handed me a flyer and said "pistol team try-outs are until the 23rd". I'm not going to lie, I giggled.
Apparently here at the big ol' school of learnin, there is a shooting range underneath one of the buildings. This is the location of the pistol team. It is a group of young adults who are handy with a hand gun, who compete in competitions. There is a female group, a coed group, and a male group.
Back when the parents were trying to get us into 4H, I tried out a few times for a rifle team. I would have made it, but you know how those 4H parents get. So I settled for the occasional target practice. I'm pretty sharp with a rifle, and have some experience with handguns, so I'm hoping I make the cut. If I don't, which there is a possiblilty I don't, there is also a skeet team I found shortly after, and a paintballing team that would be a blast to be a part of.
The main idea here is to get involved. There are these organizations called "Flo's" which are Freshman Leadership Organizations. There are Thirteen of them, and each only take about sixty freshman. With 8000 freshman in attendance this year, there is a slight possibilty I wont get into one, so I have the back up plan such as the paintballing team, and if necessary, there is a few volunteering clubs I'm signing up for.

UPDATE: As of right now, the fire that was near campus yesterday was extinguished, and there are no immediate threats. In case of an emergency, I have an evacuation plan and back-up evacuation plan. And my trusty BOB :)
Keep the fires in your prayers. God bless y'all.

Less than $2 huh?

Poverty- Living on less than $2 a day.
Extreme Poverty- Living on less than $1 a day.
According to World Bank,

"Among the excluded, a distinction is made between income-poor and "human-poor" — recognition that lack of earnings is not the only handicap to be overcome if people are to be able to lead even a minimally decent life. Such things as clean water, sanitation, health services and education are important measures of the level of living conditions and make a big difference in people's ability to advance.
So there has been improvement. But excruciating misery is still with us, even as part of the world flushes with prosperity never known before." 

I agree with this statement. Although, it is slightly contradicting, and money plays an important but fleeting role in today's society, if one were to attempt to live on one's own, these are a few required advancements.
Today, it is nearly impossible to live without society, and that scares me. For example, I just attended classes that I will be paying for, for an extended amount of time, just to better myself to apply for a job that is not promised, to provide for a family I am yet to have, to later pass my debts to said family, and the cycle will continue on. Without said society to provide such classes, I would be reduced to a harder job for less pay, because you can't live without a college education these days.
So for the next eight years, I am reduced to living on less than a dollar a day, and then two dollars a day as I search for said unpromised job. Not only is said job not promised, but nor is the future. For all we know, we might actually use our B.O.B tomorrow.
Thanks for reading my rant of tonight. To read the entire article here is the link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2000/01/07/news/07iht-outlook5.2.t.html?scp=2&sq=Poverty means living on less than $2 a day&st=cse&pagewanted=1
You might have to copy and paste because it's acting up.

Wouldn't It Be Nice

http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2011/08/29/teenager-builds-130-square-foot-house-for-college/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl8%7Csec1_lnk3%7C90742


I'm not entirely sure if this is convienient, but it sure would have been nice to have while trying to pick where to stay while in college. What a story to tell the grandkids huh? :)

Let The Games Begin!

So tomorrow I start my first day of College Classes, and I am beyond excited. This is such a new experience for me, and even though I'm nervous, I am ready to start this chapter of my life. I've been here for over a week now, and it has truely been the hardest week of my life. With the more friends I make, and the more involved I become, this town starts to seem a lot more like home.
I promise I'll have more interesting stuff to post about once I get into a rhythm, but right now, my life is one crazy schedule. What can you expect from a College kid right? :)

Adjusting

So here in the big ol' school of learning, you learn quite a few more things rather than just the basic, overwhelming, tuition can pay for. For example, I've learned how to cook Suddenly Pasta Salad in the microwave, and how to prepare sweet tea in a coffee pot.
You also learn other items such as, Always bring your umbrella, or arrive at places much earlier than expected if you plan to sit down. Or my personal favorite, "if you need it from the store, so does every other kid here, so they are probably out". Y'all have a great day :)

Guess Whose Back Back Back

Ah! Sorry for the delay in posts but I was prepping for FISH camp!!!! It was amazing. I'm so glad I chose this school and even though it's far from my family, I know they will always be at the ready if I need them.
So I start school next week.. and boy am I nervous. I'm all moved in and such but it's so weird to wake up and know your in a completly strange place. Granted, I love it here. The atmosphere is overwhelming with the passion everyone has for this school. As my dad puts it, yes, I've been brainwashed.
I made so many new connections this past week, and I've never been this excited before, and yes I know I've said that before.

So I'm going to ramble here for a little bit, follow along if you'd like, I really have to thank my parents.. because I don't think they really understand how much of an impact they had on my life. Mr. and Mrs. Redneck are the most supporting parents any kid could want. I started this blog to keep up with my dad's, but now I see why he does it. If it wasn't for the fact that I always had someone to talk to, that I always had that support behind me, I'd have followed all the other kids and maybe gone to a junior college. Nothing wrong with that, I just don't have the ambition to transfer once I get to a point of making money. Haha. Anyway, they are the kind of people you look at and wouldn't believe the big guy is a daughter's daddy,( instead of a daddy's girl haha), and the lovely mom a "heart on her sleve every single day" kind of lady. Ever since I was little, I've always seen them as two candles, ever so willing to light someone else's candle, even if they do spill a little wax in the process.

Well that was my ramble for the night, I'm horribly exhausted and have a call to make later. :) Thanks all of y'all for reading and I'll keep ya posted on college life. ;)

Tomorrow.. What??

So tomorrow I head off to the big ol' school of learning. I am beyond excited at this point, and am already making plans for when I come back for my birthday. Everything is packed, everything is ready to go. Ah!!! :)

Why I Need To Go To Church More..

So today while attempting to obtain currency to fund my college education, a young woman and her two young boys pulled up in front of the store and proceded to come inside to use the restroom. As they were leaving, one of the boys stopped in the candy area and picked up a chocolate bar and ran excitedly to his mother's side. She looked sadly at the boy and whispered "I'm sorry honey not today." To which he whined, "but we can share it so we don't have to buy two momma, you can have some too".
I hadn't been paying much attention up until then, and it was then I realized the woman was wearing a pink breast cancer shirt and matching hat to cover her hair, with a wrist band with the words "I can survive Cancer". You know the cool ones you see on billboards? At that point my heart sank a little, and I almost bought the candy bar for them but I was interrupted by another customer as they left.
A few minutes later, they were still parked outside, the woman exits her vehicle, pops the hood, and puts her head in her hands. Know I've been in that situation enough to know she took one look, and had no idea what the problem was. So she ushered the boys inside to one of the tables and told them to sit while she called their father. I took this time to walk to my car and retrieve some crayons and princess coloring books I keep for emergencies, and offered them to the boys to keep them entertained.
They sat at those tables for almost an hour, and finally I asked if they needed the number of a good mechanic, or if she wanted me to take a look. Smiling, she told me her husband should be there in about an hour, as he was coming from the state above us. As I was walking away, I overheard the boys start to whisper to their mother how they were hungry, and her reply they couldn't get anything until they got home.
So being the softie I am, I created a simple pizza and told her it was from the boss man. A few minutes later I watched her get up and go to the bathroom, and return after a while with red rimmed eyes. And of course, I started crying.
Her husband arrived with a trailer and they loaded up the car and the boys returned my coloring books and crayons and thanked me for the pizza.
The mother came and thanked me again for the pizza and for being so nice, and the only words I could really say were that I would pray for her. She was taken aback, but didn't say anything. I watched her leave, and I could see the husband's worry as he walked over to her, but she just put her head in her hands, and he hugged her, and they left.
Kind of breaks my heart a little every time I think about it.

Long Ago..

So I apologize for the lack of posts but college has me in it's sight.

My parents have told me stories about how they had so much fun in high school, and if given the chance, they would never do those stupid things again. They tell me they don't keep in contact from the kids from High School, and that is expected. The only thing I'm having trouble grasping, is the advice to just cut ties and move on. I love my friends. I really do. And this summer, I've made more friends than my entire Senior year combined.

I have less than two weeks now, and I want to go and enjoy the remaining with said friends. Right? Most memories are made in High School. I looked on my parents old high school facebook sites where people can get on there and post old memories and such, and It's pretty depressing to read all the cool stories, and know I'm lacking.

I work hard for everything I have. I've had the same job for over a year, that I've excelled in. I played numerous sports that consumed hours and hours of practice. The remaining was dictated to making sure I got to where I needed to be in schoolwork. Granted, I have a great future ahead of me that I'm more than excited for. But I have two weeks left as a high school kid before I become an bonafied adult, and personally I don't mind making a couple decisions that I wouldn't have made before, as long as I know I'm in control of the situation.

Now, I know that is not always a possibility. But I am a strong influence, whether my parents choose to believe that or not. I decide the individuals I hang with, so I am in control of the personalities involved. If a variable is introduced, there is always a way out. Which, My parents have been subject to some late night calls.

Granted, all this rambling is for simple reason. Share your high school stories with me? :)

Counting Down

So I'm counting down the days until I depart, and I know that's all I can really blog about because that's all I can think about. Yesterday the family and I were able to spend most of the day together, which is pretty rare around here.
The Parents took the three of us up north to some of The Dad's favorite stores where I picked out my first handgun, don't worry I'm going to go to the classes, and picked up some supplies for next month. (Mini-fridge!) We also took a trip to the lake where us girls swam around and the Parents caught up on some breathing time.
It makes me realize how fortunate I am to have the family I do. I have three sisters, and although we may fight sometimes and leave the occassional bruise, we all love each other. The Parents may bug us about non-sense they know nothing about, or so we think, but we know they have probably done worse. It's good to know we've been raised right. Especially when I see my classmates going to jail, doing drugs and worse, it's refreshing to know we are not going to be a part of that.
At work tonight, (My sister works there now too), there was an individual who came in and thanked our manager for the great service they recieved from my sister's attitude. That was a shocker. It's good to know she's learning from the best. :)
Well that's my ramble for tonight. Sometimes you just have to appreciate the ones who love you, because they really are not as bad as they could be. :)

Advice?

So I've been reading all these blogs that talk about preparing for "it", so to speak. They all talk about gardening and keeping supplies and such, but what about for the college kid in a dorm/apartment? I don't know the rules on keeping guns on campus.. but something tells me they involve quite a few loopholes. I know all the basics about credit cards and the "survivalist" tecniques if anything were to go wrong, but I'm quite a-ways from home, and it would be nice to have some fall back. I've already planned the bag that will remain in my car, but what else would I need to do to "prep", for lack of a better term?

What Everyone Really Needs

So in exactly one month, I leave my humble abode to travel far and wide to the big ol' place of learning. Boy am I stressed. There's packing, making sure everything is set up, buying equipment, and finding time to breathe.
The best time to relax, in my opinion, is some good ol' fishing. It's too hot right now, but man do I need it. (Don't tell my dad, but sometimes I cast without bait, just to sit there for a few minutes). :) In my opinion, that's what everyone really needs every now and then. To sit back and stare at a bobber sitting in the water, halfway knowing it's never going to move, but your heart still jumps when the minnow dives a little too deep.
Trace Adkins puts in pretty good perspective in his song "Just Fishing". I almost cried the first time I heard it.
Fishing has always been one of those bonding things between our family. Over the years, it's become pretty fluid. We convince the dad to take us out to the creek for a little while one morning, laugh as he complains about minnow prices and how he plans to start farming his own, pack up the Dr.Peppers and folding chairs, walk the quarter mile hauling coolers, snacks, tackle boxes and fishing poles to dad's new spot (wherever it may be), throw the hooked bait into the water, pop the top to a DP, sit back, and chill. Sometimes, we catch something. Sometimes, we don't. But it's okay. We just take the trip back up the hill once it gets too hot, and try again another weekend.
That's what everyone needs to get ahold of. Good, family fun, bonding. That's what I love about living out here. Everytime we bring a friend, they complain about how it's so boring. I guess it's just one of those things we know we will always have as a memory. When we're all grown up and have families of our own, we're going to meet up one weekend and go fishing. It's not an option. :)

Aggieland!

Finally! I have officially been registered for classes at the esteamed Texas A&M University. After cheering them on from the homestead for ten years, I'm finally going to sit in the student section next to my fellow Aggies. On Monday, The Parents took Mon, Tue, and Wed off to take the four hour drive there to drop me off and meet up with fellow bloggers.
Let me tell you, it was the happiest three days of my life. I was a college student for three days, and I couldn't get enough. Staying in the dorm, going to orientations, aimlessly walking around campus, and of course, the early morning Starbucks runs. I have never been this excited. On the other hand, this will be my first real time away from home...
I absolultely love my family. My sisters are sisters, and my parents are parents, but most of the time everyone is pretty decent to each other. This will be the first time ever that I pack my belongings and drive away. It's a very bittersweet experience. But I know with most certainty I was raised to be ready for this.
So one thing I would love to brag about, about A&M, is everyone is very friendly. I've made tons of new friends, most with my major. With a campus of 45,000 kids, it's almost impossible to not find someone with something in common with yourself. Which I LOVE.
These past three days have been amazing, but I am happy to sleep in my own bed tonight. I go back down there on the eighteenth for good, and I know there won't be much sleeping until then. If y'all are anywhere near College Station message me and I'll give you the grand tour! I've gotten so lost these past three days I can tell you where anything is!
Off to the long awaited darkness! God Bless! :)

Some Pre-College Advice

Today just happened to be one of those days I wish I could just sleep through. It started with a text from a future roommate from college, urging me to check my email. So I did. Only to find that her and I, have been set in temporary rooms at College Station. Apparently they had overbooked the dorms by about 200 students. Now temporary sounds fine.. Until reading further.. and realizing it meant a storage closet or T.V lounge. So I then spent the remainder of my day calling apartments to see what was available. Resulting in a way too expensive chance. Unfortunatly I only have until the 15th to find an alternative or decide to wait it out before I lose my deposit and 25% of the first lease.

So some advice if this problem ever arises for you, as soon as your child, or your, accepted into your choice of school immediatly put down your deposit for a dorm. And I mean instantly. I only waited a month.

Sometimes I believe I was born for the old days. For the times when life didn't move quite so fast, jokes were funnier, and people were nicer. When you paid for gas, you paid for a window cleaning and an oil check. I wish people would have held on to that mentality. When I hold open a door for an elderly individual, they honestly look shocked. One thing that just irritates me are the whiners. I know it's considered whining when I complain about whiners, but really? I work in fast food, and I know that's my first problem, but there is only so much a girl can take. What are you really going to accomplish by cussing out a teenage girl?
But that's just one rampage. I pass this old gas station quite a bit on my daily drive, and everytime it makes me wonder how many classic cars sat at that pump. How many hands have opened that old, broken, window. Then wake from my day dream with a honk from a speeding car.

Time is fleeting. For instance, I plan to start college this fall, and the days are counting down much faster then I expected. It feels like only yesterday I was registering for classes for my freshman year of high school. Every so often I have the chance to sit down with my grandpa and just talk. There have been quite a few memories I wish I could've taken part in. But now I'm makin memories of my own I'll get to tell my grandkids. Hopefully time slows down a little, and life will feel a little more like life. :)

Not Your Average Barbie Doll

             So in my household, there are three teenage girls, the mom, and the dad. I just happen to have the honor of being the eldest of the three girls, which comes with a pretty hefty price. The screaming tempers and constant array of conflicting hormones is more often then not resolved with an elderly lecture or gossip fest on the edge of my bed before departing to our separate rooms.
             All three of us are pretty different from the other girls in society, even in our own distinct ways. Through all the fights, inside jokes, and crazy memories, there is one thing that has been instilled in each of us, Independence. Our mom and dad have always been very strict parents, especially with me. Being the eldest, I'm always the test rabbit for their rules and regulations. Dad has constantly instilled a sense of morals and values in our lives, whether it be to hold the door open for the elderly, or to keep our mouth out of other's business. He believes very strongly that we were meant for more than depending on a man, so we all have very high goals for ourselves.
             Many believe women should behave like the perfect barbie doll. Stay at home, stay pretty, keep food on the table and fix my jeans. Don't get dirty, put the gun down, and for the love of pete shut that baby up. My sisters and I laugh often at sterotypes. I can promise you, if your barn needs fixin, your trucks broke down, or there's some bbq to be grilled, we're the girls you want to call. Because dad didn't have boys, he treated us like them. We fish, hunt, drive trucks, hoop and hollar, and still look pretty good in a dress.
             A lot of women today are opressed in domestic violence relationships because they have no where else to go. Their husband or boyfriend made them quit their job, or found a way to keep them dependant upon him. Our belief's say otherwise, and we are sure to always have a way out.

           Granted, this doesn't just apply to those situations. My dad is always talking about "It". No I don't mean the scary clown movie, I mean the unplanned circumstance of events out of our control. Dad losing his job, a death in the family, or just a zombie apocalypse. We will be ready. We know how to grow our own food, slaughter our own chickens, build our own shelter, mainly survive. Here is my life. :)

  

So, I lied.

So I Lied. I said I'd try to keep up with this, but like with everything else in my life, I lost some time. With the job that has been sucking my soul for the past year, I was able to save for a new car, and a laptop to do fun stuff like this on. So now I can keep up. The past few weeks have been nothing but preping for college. Which has not been fun. These past weeks were supposed to be the best of my summer, but all it's been is stressful and time consuming. just my luck, the necessary paperwork was not mailed to me, and a deadline was almost missed. Luckily i was able to check the status online, and filled out the paperwork in the last hour. As of now, I should be an expert at this whole college preping nonsense. I plan to update reguarly now, so no more worries. I'll post tomorrow about something meaningful.

What Would They Think?

My life is a constant stream of run, run, run. Eight months ago I got a job at a Pizza Place, and a month and a half ago my softball season started. I wake up at 6:45, school until 3:32, practice until 6:15, work from 6:45 to 10:30, and start all over again the next day. (My priorities follow in that order as well.) Throughout the constant interaction with dozens of different individuals, sometimes I find that I'm losing a little bit of myself.. I've always been the girl people can turn to. I've always been the one everyone counts on to get the job done. I've usually been strong in my faith. Last night, on probably my four hundredth delivery, I passed an overturned car on the side of the road being helped by paramedics. The girl seemed fine, as she was sitting on the back of the ambulance, but in my mind I was thinking, what would people have said if she didn't make it? So that started an entire new stream of thoughts on if that were to ever happen to me. I'm on the road a lot, and always seem to be in the middle of a dangerous situation. So I started thinking of the person I am. While thinking, I glanced to my rear view mirror. Dangling from the stem was a orange and black graduation tassel, my pizza place visor "required" at work, a family heirloom necklace I just hung on there one day, and snapped to that a giant, hair-piece, flower I wear to school sometimes. I then began looking around at the contents of my car. A bunch of empty sonic cups I've been meaning to throw away, a pair of green, high heels I wore to church the previous day, and my workout uniform for softball. If my car was overturned in a ditch, what would they say about me? That I was dedicated to my school and family? I had a job I could rely on? That I'm a fun loving person? I'm lazy? That I was an athlete? I'll never truly know what people judge me by, or what kind of person they believe me to be, but judging from the contents of my car, I guess I'm not too awful. :)   

Me :)

So it's been over a year since my last post, but life has swept me up in it's crazy embrace. I figure before I start on some rampage about life, love, or wishes, I should tell a little about myself. A little over a year ago my parents, sisters and I moved out to the country to "start over". Six years ago, we moved from twenty acres to a quaint home in town.. But we could never get away from our country roots. Back on the old farm, we had horses, cows, chickens, emu, dogs, snakes, rabbits, and goats. (I'm sure I'm missing a few). When we moved into town, my parents decided they wanted Chickens in the back yard. You can imagine how that went over with the neighbors. So The Father followed his instinct and moved us out to a two acre plot in the middle of no where.. and over the past year the improvements have been substantial. So here I am, a young country girl learning the ways of the land to make it on my own later. I'll try to keep up with this as much as I can.. but you know how life goes ;) I'll post more pictures later. Keep Wishing :)