Sunday, December 4, 2011

Suburbabunny


The weather in Northern California has started to turn into winter and while its not snowing yet the grass is frosty in the morning and the smell of fireplaces lingers in the air. I can't say I dislike the weather. I find great peace in it actually, feeling the crisp air on my cheek and sun warm on my back while I walked to church this morning was very pleasant. Simply, my blood is too thin. My SoCal blood is just having the worst time adjusting and no matter how many scarves and sweatshirts I pile on, my nose is always sticking out and cold as an ice cube. When I go indoors I would love to say I bundle up and just cozy my way through, however its starting to seem like no matter how many layers I put on, my body just has issues staying warm. I partially blame this on my land lady taking away my space heater priviledges. She says my lil desk space heater eats up too much energy and traded me 2 blankets for it. For the record, they do very different things. One produces heat and one reflects my body's own heat which right now Im trying not to eat before bed but if I dont I cant produce enough heat for myself to be able to fall asleep. I have been staying up in bed curled as tightly as possible and have the worst time falling asleep reguardless of the fact I am covered with a wool blanket, 2 quilts, down comforter, and 2 heavy felt blankets.
I am no snow bunny, this is for sure. Just a lil suburbabunny trying to stay warm.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Freud would have something to say about this...


So I asked my boyfriend what animal he thought I was, he responded with a gerbil with lil playboy bunny ears. Im not sure what this is supposed to say about our relationship, mixing rodent pieces and all, but whatever it is I am ok with it. Actually it makes me happy, I giggle cause we are both a little wierd in that way. I dont know if everyone's boyfriends have as nice an image of their girlfriends as cute yet sexy but I like it, and will proudly be his playboy gerbil. <3

Sunday, November 27, 2011

The Verge of Adulthood


It's a strange transition period I find myself in. Im about to graduate college with my Bachelors Degree, but I still ask my parents permision to go places or for $20 for lunch. I am in the process of applying for a teaching credential program but I find that it is ironic to be in complete charge of children when I still consider myself to be one. Its not that I still want to be a child, although I wont deny the perks of innocence and lack of responsibility, but it just seems like there is confusion among the "adults" in my life of how I am being treated. Am I an adult? Please give me that respect and trust. If I am still a child, let me know so I can set my personal standards a little bit lower than I have been trying to keep them. I am 22 and looking to buy a car, graduate college, begin career training, have been living hundreds of miles away on my own for the last 5 years, but my parents are hesitant of letting me stay out late with friends on a school vacation.
-Sincerely confused,
J.J.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Of Cabbages and Queens

The Walrus and the Fiancé
Or, the story of the curious bride.

The sun was shining on the ring
Shining with all its might
He did his very best to make
The proposal come out right
And this was odd because he was
Not the image of Mr. Right.

The man and woman headed home
Were walking hand in hand.
The dry clean only family
Will meet the blue collar man.

“Engaged?! The time has come” The Walrus said
“To talk of many things,
Of boys and veils and wedding rings,
Of cabbages and queens.
And why this boy should marry or not
And the size of diamond rings
Culoo Culaay no wedding day
For cabbages but queens!”

The boy was brown and she was crème
And he was poor and she was not
But this didn’t mean much to them
Until the mother began to scoff
And father said to daughter dear
She still had time to find one like us
Love means nothing if he can’t take care
Of you and home and all your fuss.

“But I love him” I say to father,
“You’re just a generation old
I can still get a job to provide,
Love fits into no known mold.”

“You couldn’t love the boy” The Walrus said
“He makes not many things
Of thousands of dollars or 401k’s
He’s a cabbage and you’re a queen.
And why we can’t approve of him
And we certainly can’t have a tanner man
Culoo Culaay no wedding day
Of minorities to queens.”

And so the family won the war
Of who to have and who to hold,
The family traditions you can’t break through,
Of racial color and bags of gold.

But had the marriage followed through
The steps of planning coming next
Pressures on mother to buy the dress
And the veil and the pearls and only the best.
And the mother must afford the dress
With the thousand dollar shiny tag
Cause that’s how she will show her love,
The family to show off all their swag.
And if you need more examples
Of what your wedding should resemble
There’s a royal wedding streamed live and recorded
For viewing and planning of your own ensemble.

Or tune in at 9pm on your Friday night,
The engaged woman stays at home in bed
And studies and plans it all off the screen
And watches girls cry imagining being wed
In dresses to live up to on their own special day
Images of fiancés who have large pocket books
And surprisingly or not are mostly white
Or have fiancés with monochromatic skin looks.


“The time has come” The Walrus said
“To talk of many popular things
Of bustles and lace and tv shows
Of TLC and prime time airings.
And Say Yes to the Dress
And designer brides
Culloo Culaay your beautiful today
If you’re a thousand dollar queen.

Now the mother can’t afford a dress
For a plus size daughter though
Plus size dresses are more expensive
And rolls and chins have no wedding glow.

Hit size 18, there are no dresses anyways
Designers don’t want fat brides in their gown
But what self loving bride isn’t willing to loose
A pound or twenty two or in your fat you’ll drown.
A bride with size 16 is barely in the clear
And if she should taste the reception cake
And cause her to gain but another inch
Becoming a plus size, what a mistake.

“The time has come” The Walrus said
“To talk of many things,
Of Kardashian style and receptions with gleen
Of cabbages and queens.
And why your budget is expanding still
Or your wedding will just go downhill.
Culloo Culaay come buy today
The overpriced dresses of queens.

And now we come to stand at the altar
Under the chuppah or blood stained cross
As prescribed by family traditions
Whether you wanted it or not.

So if you wanted to have that outdoor wedding
Or the quaint little ceremony with just a few
Too bad, you have to have the unity candle,
You get great aunt Patty and her little dog too

That wedding you wanted
Where it was your special day
Belongs to traditions and capitalism
And mass media! Hurray!
How beautiful, how lovely a day
Your wedding fit the bill
Of what weddings should look like
Supposedly designed by your own free will.

“The time has come,” The cabbages said
“To talk of other things,
Of DIY and cheaper options
Of no cabbages, we’re all queens.
And that the wedding you hope to have
Can be made on a budget for any lass
Culoo Calaay you too can wed today
Anyone can afford to be queen!

Project ideas in crafty magazines
Like Martha Stewart Living and DIY Bride
Offer ways to cut costs on arrangements and invites
And make a hairclip at home that’s perfectly dyed.

And if being queen is not your ideal
Then maybe a princess will have to do
A real princess loves to wear gemstones.
The princesses who wore sapphire said “I do.”
If your fiancé can’t afford diamond rings
Remind them of the fashion of gemstone bling.
Princess Diana and Princess Kate flash the blue
And that’s more colorful and affordable too.

“The time has come” the true queen said
“To talk of special things
Of who I want to love and wed
Of glitter glitz and gemstone bling
Of never being a cabbage, only just a queen.
And I will fit into the dress I want
No matter what slices of cake I eat
Culloo Cullay, my wedding day
Of the true and deserving queen!

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Gaps


Ever have that feeling of being "left out" even though you get along with people and they genuinely arn't purposely ignoring you? This effect may be caused by one of two things, an age gap or a distance gap. I am going to self diagnose the cause of my constant loneliness/boredom to both of these factors. Growing up I was the one that just came too late, my closest cousin being 5 years older than me, my own sister 12 years older than me. No ones fault, my parents had tried to have a baby closer in age, just the way things happened. Doesn't mean it was easy though. I used to joke I was an only child with the perk of an older sister, she had moved out by the time I was 8 anyways so it certainly seemed that way. Coming of age I thought I might be finally "catching up" with my family, the difference between an 8 year old and 20 year old are very different from a 20 and 32 year old. Then she had Sophie, who I love dearly, but the dynamic changed once again. Now the gap is different, she joined the company of mothers and I still left a child, treated like a child even though I am now of drinking age.

The next gap, distance. Oh you have to travel away from home! My aunt was very enthusiastic about convincing me to travel for college, and thusly I found a new home 700 miles away. Love the school, hate the fact that this seems to have single handedly isolated me from everyone I have ever known. I am a very attached person to my close friends and family and what a slap in the face this move was. Love Humboldt county, hate the fact that its too far away for me to come home or to have anyone visit me. During parents weekend at school I try to just hide in my room rather than watch friends Merrily showing their parents and friends the campus, skipping a class to take them to the beach or hike in the redwoods. I sit at my computer praying someone I know pops on messenger so I don't have to rub my face in the fact that other people's families seem to be willing to make the effort to make them not feel so damn lonely. I have never in my life been a social butterfly, and I am comfortable not being the popular person so I usually have more acquaintances than friends. That being said now that a large portion of my friends have graduated and those grand total of 2 left up here are leaving before I am, I am experiencing a sort of bleak outlook on my near future.

I get it, its too expensive to visit and I just have to deal with me not being a part of everyone else's lives until I come home. I am in an awkward age in my family and they just cant wait for me to catch up before they start theirs, totally understandable. However this predicament still sucks, regardless of what is good and proper in its timing. Life still happens when I am away at school and I am going to just have to accept that I will miss out. I missed my dog dying, I missed my niece's first two years of growing up, I missed my dad's recovery from nearly dying, and my boyfriend has forgotten what my face looks like. United Airlines I dedicate this to you as a big FUCK YOU for charging $600 and holding a monopoly over flights out of this county.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

A first for everything


Well, I gotta say I went a good rally without a broken bone, until now. All of my sprains, stubbed toes, and trips, not a single fracture til now. Or atleast this is my first recorded break, I stubbed my toe real good once and I think I may have broken it but we may never know. Anyways, this time with not so much of an interesting story, I was playing tag with a couple of 3rd graders and went down with a pop. The verdict is a sprain and avulsion of the tibia. A small tiny fracture but it counts as a bone break in my book.

All this has made me realize two things. One, how far away from home I really am, and two, how close I have become with those who I live with in Arcata. I dont know where I would be without my close friends and church family. The tender loving care I have recieved from people I share no blood relation to is so touching I feel like I dont deserve this level of care. In place of parents to watch after me I have a close circle of friends of many ages that seem to have adopted me and I cant stop thanking God for them. I would always love to have family and friends from home visit and offer a hug when my ankle starts to throb, but I am certainly not going with out when I am away.

Monday, April 25, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge- Day 30


Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss
Patches and Tica. Christy brough Tica home for Christmas when I was 7, we almost named her Jingle Bells. I picked out Patches. I sat in the middle of the floor with the puppies and she was the one who wouldn't leave me alone. Tica passed about a year and a half ago and Patches a little bit before Thanksgiving last year. I grew up with these dogs and can barely stand to be in my own backyard sometimes wishing they would come around the corner looking for a treat or a good pet.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge- Day 29


Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile
That water was freezing! But it was an amazing experience. The band every year plays at the finish line of the Trinidad to Clam Beach Run, rain or shine(although with the season usually rain), and we march into the ocean for our last song set and play amongst the waves for a little bit. That year's dress up theme was, ofcourse, the ocean so ive got my felt shark suit on and Jordan is holding my dorsal fin up cause it didnt like to stand on its own.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge- Day 28


Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of
Heights! This is the Grand Canyon Skywalk with the see through bottom so you can walk out over the edge and look straight down below you. If pushed onto this bridge I would probably have a heart attack and clench tightly to the rail while sort of crawling to get back to the edge of the cliff.

Friday, April 22, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge- Day 27


Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member
Here you will find my cousins Robyn and Vanessa hanging out in Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas with me about 45 minutes into my 21st birthday! We were out til our feet killed us, and then some. While the next night was alsow amazing, the beginning to my 21st year was a night I wont forget.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge- Day 26


Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you
My lil pickup truck! When I was 4 I sat in the little fold down back seat as we pulled it off the lot and Ive been attached to it ever since. This truck took my friends and I to school, I watched the second tower fall on 9/11 and Saddam Hussein's statue get pulled down on a portable antenna tv we kept in it on our way to school. I got my driver's license with this car and now I drive it whenever I can. Sorry daddy, this ones mine now. ;)

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge- Day 25


Day 25 - A picture of your day

Well seeing as its 4/20 I can give you a picture of what a lot of other people's days are like in this area that mine will not consist of. I can tell you that this county will be full of folks that will be temporarily content if not filled with happiness and cooking some tasty food. Mini marts beware, your cheetohs will be flying off the shelves.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge- Day 24


Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change

I love both places that I live but if I could changes something I would change the distance between Humboldt County and LA. While that might dimish the isoaltion of Humboldt, I just want to be able to not be too far from home and be able to visit friends and family or show them the trees and coastline up here. Maybe I could just build a teleporter, yeah, thats the ticket.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge- Day 23


Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book

Dont hate me, but its a teen novel. Right now The Hunger Games is my favorite book. Josh introduced me to the series before I had even heard of it. Now that the book series has become extremely popular with the third book Mockingjay finally finishing the series and a movie on the way I am more excited about it but unfortunately realizing that this will probably come with the same fandome as Twilight... Anyways! This is the first book that ever litterall made my heart race and make me break out into uncontrollable tears so it gets my stamp of approval.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge- Day 22


Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at

Running. When I played softball for 7 years I could hit a ball real hard but they used me to bring runners home, not because I could scurry to first base real fast. I wanted to play tennis in highschool, again I had that real strong right arm, but when I watched the team begin their afterschool lessons with running around the field a couple of times I knew I couldnt get past that. Probably a mix of my weight and asthma I have just never beeen fast or able to run for any length of time and I wish I could run. I wish I could just go as fast as I could without my lungs and calves burning in pain. I wish I could run atleast like an average person, when we had to run in highschool I always came in last. Its just not fair.

30 Day Photo Challenge- Day 21


Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget

The third grade. I had just transferred from a regular public school to a magnet school and I guess I just was not up to their standards. At my first school I was top in my class, generally well liked, good grades. Then I transfer to this magnet school and all the kids had their cliques already so I could barely make any friends at first and I somehow managed to get detention EVERY Friday and it would ruin my weekends. I got detention one time cause I was doing stretches in line before recess and the class idiot complained about it and I got written up for "kick boxing" in line. I would do my homework wrong or do something in class harsh enough to earn me lunch detention regardless of the fact that I was a polite as possible and still volunteered after class to help clean the classroom while waiting on my ride. Mrs. Kobata, if your out there, you killed my self-esteem for that and the following two years at that school. I'm training to be a teacher myself so I guess I shouldn't forget all of that because I know what teacher I want to be, one that earns the respect of their students through being worthy of it, not for them fearing me to gain it.

Friday, April 15, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge- Day 20


Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel

I want to visit the Shenandoah River Valley in autumn. I want to watch the colors change and follow the trails of leaves as they fall to the rocks below them. Appalachian Mountains seem a beautiful place to visit and before I travel the world I should travel and appreciate the beauty of my own country I think.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge- Day 19


Day 19 - A picture and a letter

Josh and I have been writing letters back and forth for the last year plus a few months. Theres something special to taking the time to write personal thoughts on a piece of paper rather than texting someone(regardless of us texting all the time). Plus I get to save these and years from now when I dig them out they will be memories out of box like a time capsule to remind me of where we have been.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge- Day 18


Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity

Pretty sure this is a similar thing with lots of people, but yeah, my weight, it bugs me. I own a scale but I just sorta stopped looking at it and tucked it under a shelf in the bathroom. I dont wear tight clothes and I really dont like wearing drum harnesses when we march either(very unflattering on ladies). One might say I need to get into shape, but let me tell you I fit into many different shapes. If more is better then I am on the winning end but as far as common media and my own thoughts are concerned, there is work to be done.

Monday, April 11, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge- Day 17


Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently

So HSU Housing... Im a senior, only one more year to go, and I dont get into the dorms. Way to throw a monkey wrench into things! Had I had this happen a few years ago, I could have found a simple place to stay for a couple years, but now I just have to find one year lease rentals in my price range and my education hangs on my need to do so. It has been a large headache to coordinate with roomates, find places where I have to pay the least number of bills and buy the fewest furnishings, make sure there will be somewhere that is open and fits my budget in the span of a single weeks period comming up... Throw the kid in the water and hope they swim. Thankyou HSU Housing for stirring up my life and blood pressure.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge- Day 16


Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you
"It takes more than one bullet to kill a Bull Moose!"

Too sick to play outside? Study science and natural history! Got a war startin up? Go grab some dudes and head out on your own personal volunteer regiment and storm that battlefield. Meeting going to long? Too bad, time to play with the children and the rest of you can handle matters like big boys. Bullet in the chest? Bully! You finish that speech and then go get medical attention.

Mr. Theodore "Teedie" Roosevelt(Teedie was his childhood name, Teddy was a name he'd rather not be called because his first wife who died in childbirth called him Teddy and the rest of y'all arnt special enough to use it)

This man is an inspiration to me. With an appetite for the natural world, pun intended, Teedie had an appreciation for balanced use of land and wildlife. The image of who I want to run my country, this man fought on the battlefield and even after his terms as president continued to be active in foreign affairs and was an advocate for the United States to enter into WWI after the sinking of the Lusitania. I wish I could have been alive to watch this man give a speech in hoping that some of his charisma and inteligence could rub off on me. Oh yeah, and he was the inspiration for the teddy bear, and where would I be today without my teddy bears?

Saturday, April 9, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge- Day 15


Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die
Half way through! Before I die I want to travel around India. I want to go to the dry deserts, I want to see the forests and rock carvings. Meet the people, taste the food, I just want to soak myself in the complex cultures of India.

Friday, April 8, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge- Day 14


Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without

Oops! Forgot a day, oh well I'll catch up. Someone I could never imagine my life without is my lovely gorgeous sister. I know everyone has got to go but dont remind me. Because of our huge age gap I feel like im finally catching up to her and Im loving life being closer to her like a best friend more than I have ever before!

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge- Day 13


Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist

This is a hard one for me cause I listen to one of this band's songs or 4 of this artists songs. Maybe the best way to go about this is to say which band hasnt let me down. This sort of falls into a tie between The Fray and Coldplay. Both bands can do no wrong by me, I could listen to their albums all the way through and enjoy every song.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge- Day 12


Day 12 - A picture of something you love
The Lost Coast. Truely one of the mose beautiful places on earth is the drive from Ferndale, over the mountain towards Petrolia. Secluded minus a small home or two and a pickup truck, you drive along the this stunning Northern California ocean breaking against all the outcropping rocks.

Monday, April 4, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge- Day 11


Day 11 - A picture of something you hate

I cannot stand people who have fame handed to them for being so brainless that they are somehow entertaining. Reality shows like these also give these terrible images to people who now think that this is how they should act and dress if they want to be popular or fit in with the cool kids. Jersey Shore does more damage to teenagers than being on an agrarian school calendar.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge- Day 10


Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most ****** up things with

Hmmm, if I had a lawyer I'm sure they would tell me not to answer this question. I'll leave you with a word so that those who know will know and those who don't need to know don't. All im sayin is kumbaya.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge- Day 9


Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.
Ive been great friends with this lady since the 2nd grade and whenever there has been crap in my life going on that I couldnt tell another soul about, she was there. Sure there were boyfriends I was close with that I would tell everything too, but they have come and gone over the years, she's the only person who has been there through it all.

Friday, April 1, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge- Day 8


Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh
Well this seems appropriate for April Fools Day! This picture always makes me gigle a little bit. Thats my dad, it would be hard to say we couln't be related. He and I took a drive exploring the lost coast south of Eureka, CA and he found a big stick.

Thursday, March 31, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge- Day 7


Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item

This is my letter box. I keep all the letters Josh has written me, my diary, and a few other small trinkets and things in there. While I'm away at school this is sort of my hope chest, where I keep all my little important and memorable things.

30 Day Photo Challenge- Day 6


Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.

Yes that is a person in a cage next to a white shark. Yes, I would trade places with that person in an instant if I could get the chance.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge- Day 5


Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory
Josh and I visited and got to play with Sophie, my niece, in the front yard. This was the first time I got to crunch fall leaves with her. She would pick up a big brown leaf and just crumple it up with her little chubby fingers. Later that day we played in the ball pit and it was the first time I knew she knew that colors had names because she would pick up different balls in her ball pit and I would say the color. She would pick a different color each time and hold it up to me until we went through all of them. Shes a smart lil cookie that one. :)

Monday, March 28, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge- Day 4


Day 04 - A picture of your night
Ive got a glass of moscato on my mario brothers coaster watching Midnight In the Garden of Good and Evil. I finished a 5 page paper analyzing a political argument and im celbrating finishing it early enough before my usual bed time to be able to celebrate. ;)

30 Day Photo Challenge- Day 3


Almost forgot today!
Day 3- A photo of the cast of your favorite show.

Bones, I'm not sorry to say, is sort of my little show obsession. Yeah there are other shows I let eat up my time like Iron Chef America or Lie To Me, but this one I have followed from the beginning and have turned into a sad little fan girl always rooting on Boothe and Brennan to just hook up already in some gnarly crime scene or while being shot at in an old warehouse.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge- Day 2


Day 2- A photo of the person you have been closest to the longest.


Since I am the younger sister, Christy has been with me ever since I popped into the world. First a baby sitter, then a big sister, and now a best friend. I love my big sister!

Friday, March 25, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge- Day 1


Day 1- A photo of yourself with 10 facts.


1. Im a senior at Humboldt State University.

2. My favorite animal is the shark.

3. I love to stargaze and watch for shooting stars.

4. My favorite movie will always be Beauty and the Beast.

5. Museums are where I belong, I will never stop wanting to learn more.

6. I want to visit India, Ireland, Turkey, Moroco, and go back to Scottland before I die.

7. I dislike raw tomatoes.

8. I am not ashamed to say I enjoy White Zinfandel.

9. I play drums in a marching band that is more band than march.

10. Dont tell my boyfriend but I have huge crushes on Gerard Butler and James McAvoy.