Four Months...

First off I'd like to say that April is a very important month to me. It's Sexual Assault Awareness Month. So for many obvious reasons this means a lot to me and I'd like to thank everyone out there who puts in the time an effort to help fight for the cause.

Now with that said, I posted this a few months back (actually in April) but somehow it was deleted and only that first portion was saved. I'm going to keep that first paragraph there because it is important to me that that statement remain. Instead of redoing the month of April and then making one for May, June, and July, I have decided to make a group post combining all four months into one which will help me catch back up.

So, here goes...


ACCOMPLISHMENTS APRIL-JULY 2011

• Got myself a job at Radioshack
• Sold my first 3 cell phones
• Took my car in to get fixed
• Received closure over certain issues I've been dealing with
• Made new friends and reconnected with old ones
• I'm blonde again!

GRIEVANCES APRIL - JULY 2011

• Still haven't gotten my car back
• Need to sell more cell phones and service plans
• Haven't yet squashed all bull shit with family
• Not posting enough on my blog
• Still haven't received closure from a broken friendship

PLAYLIST APRIL - JULY 2011
I have discovered so much new music in the past four months that instead of writing down each individual song I'm going to simply write down the artist.

• Trace Adkins
• Jason Aldean
• Jason Derulo
• Katy Perry
• Blake Shelton
• Kelly Rowland
• Montgomery Gentry
• Prince

BIRTHDAYS APRIL - JULY 2011

• Erica, April
• Carolyn, April (Death in May)
• Mommy, June
• Jeffrey, July
• Aunt Dawn, July
• Dad, July
• Grammy, July
• Sean, July

(If I left you out of the birthday list, I apologize, I'm trying to remember for the past four months so forgive me.)

PHOTO MEMORIES APRIL - JULY 2011

Congrats to the Grads...

It's scary how fast time seems to fly by the older you get. The last two weeks was spent going to graduation parties for my youngest cousins. It freaks me out that the youngest people in my family, two people whom I remember being born have now graduated high school. It's like a big smack in the face and a huge reality check to me that I'm not getting any younger. It brings about those "meaning of life" type questions for me and the "what the hell am I doing with my life" discussions I tend to have with myself in the wee hours of the morning. I'm so proud of my cousin Jessica for graduating and deciding to attend Fresno State and pursue her nursing dream. And I'm proud of my cousin Josh for graduating from Leigh (my nightmare of a high school) and attending the same lovely college as me. I love how completely different my two worlds are when it comes to different groups of family. Jessicas party was all about her friends and making sure the alcohol kept flowing while Joshs party was about family, food, and good times. I loved both parties equally in most respects, but I will admit that Joshs party won because of glowsticks. I LOVE glowsticks. I think all parties should at one point have a huge glowstick free for all for all the adults. Even though I'm not exactly where I'd like to be in my life at this point, I'm glad to know that I still have family and friends all around me that can continuously put a huge shit-eatin' grin on my face.

Yes, I'm wearing glowstick earrings, glasses, bracelets, necklaces, headband, and a wand.
You know you're jealous. hahaha.

Yay Josh!

The Grad Boy...

Janelle's adorable creations...
...and delicious.

Jessica cradling her baby, Jose.

The Grad Girl.

Bro v. Sis Beer Pong...
...it's on bitches.

Time passes by...

...people move on.

Photography Day Twenty-Five... Friends Forever.

Even though we've grown apart over the last few years, I still consider Nancy to be my best friend. We've been through a lot of shit together and apart but I've always been able to count on her. I wish I was able to see her more often, but growing up is sadly a part of life. I enjoy every time I am able to spend with her. She is one of the craziest, funniest, smartest, most loyal people I know and have ever known. Thank you Nancy for being such a positive impact on my life and the best friend anyone could ever ask for.

Nancy using me as a body pillow. Circa 2006

Photography Day Twenty-One... Stranger Danger.

Um. Today is supposed to be a picture of someone I don't know. I know there is a way to do this artistically and make it look all pretty and shit, but to me it's just creepy and I don't want to look as though I'm stalking someone taking a random photo. So I'm going to go the relative route. When you think about it, how well do you really know someone? You don't. So with that said I decided to take a picture of someone I do "know" but yet is still a mystery all the same...

Jonny passed out. Fucking stoner...

Using a picture of Jonny was the more than obvious way to go for me. We were together for over 2yrs, I've known him since I was 16, and yet there has never been someone to surprise me as much as he has. And not in a good way. Like I said, how well do you really ever know someone?

Smile...

So I'm still here. It seems as though I've dropped off the face of the earth, and honestly that's what it's felt like recently. I've been meaning to blog more but I guess that backfired on me completely and I haven't blogged at all. I know I said I was going to remedy this, but I haven't had to the want or drive to do so lately. Today I woke up with a smile. Turned out to be one of the best days I've had in years. And it wasn't as if anything special happened. I didn't win big money, get a great start to my career, graduate college, or figure out the meaning of life. Today I spent time with old friends. A friend from high school, a friend from my crazy years, and a friend from my childhood. It feels good to get out sometimes and be with those who you haven't seen in a long time that make you smile, laugh, and ask yourself why the hell you've been living in a cave for so long. Today was amazing because I got to laugh, relive great memories, feel love and friendship and compassion and most importantly feel good about myself and my life. I don't know if I'll start blogging on a more constant basis, and I don't want to make that promise, but I wanted to blog about this day because I want to be able to look back on a day that isn't going so great and read this and remember that there are good days out there to be had. All it takes is a smile.


If you can't laugh...

...the days are just too long

February is merely as long as is needed to pass the time until March...

 

 

Alright, well the time has come to post the events of the past month. Don't want to forget those things that happened that continue to help me grow and make me who I am. Plus all the good music I find myself listening to these days...

 

Playlist of February 2011

 

• Be Yourself - By Audioslave
• Fray - By Staind
• Cold One Comin On' - By Montgomery Gentry
• Cumbersome - By Collective Soul
• Quicksand - By Bethany Joy Galeotti
• Moving On - By Rascal Flatts
• In the Ayer - By Flo Rida f. Will I Am
• Son's Gonna Rise - By Citizen Cope

 

Shows of February 2011

 

• Gilmore Girls
• E.R.
• One Tree Hill
• The Cosby Show
• Weeds

 

Movies of February 2011

 

• Red
• The Losers
• Killers
• Date Night
• The Expendables
• Conspiracy Theory
• Fatherhood
• Demolition Man

 

Accomplishments of February 2011

 

• Joined http://www.goodreads.com/ and joined a few book clubs on there...
• Set a goal of reading at least 2 books a month...
• Getting good grades so far...
• Keeping up with daily tasks...
• Still continuing my move...
• Moved on and passed things and people...
• Obtained better control of my temper...
   

 

Grievances of February 2011

• Family issues (still)
• Broken heart
• Drama that doesn't concern me
• Dealing with past deaths
• Still haven't finished moving

 

Birthdays of February 2011

• Camilla
• Max
• Josh C.

 

Goals/Plans for March 2011

 

• Celebrate my own birthday (24)
• Remember the loss of a loved one loved ones
• Continue getting good grades
• Read whenever I can
• Keep working so I can fix my car by summer
• Don't sweat the small stuff

 

Photo Memories from February 2011

The card I made for Max when I was bored at the store and was given Sharpies...

My "half" of the money that Max won in Vegas when I told him to bet on Black 13 for me...

After having washed my hand three times from helping my dad snake the drainage pipes...

Amazing Lava Flow...

My "house" with almost everything moved out; The infamous hole from where I threw Jonny at the wall; and
Chelsea's part of the wall where she wrote down all of her favorite sayings...

 



My Uncle Larry. May you Rest In Peace...



 

"Winter is natures way of saying...

 

..."up yours" " -Robert Byrne

Day Two... (Closest)

This was the hardest day out of the 30 in my opinion. The assignment is to post a picture of the person you've been closest to the longest. The problem with that is the person I've been closest to the longest is either dead or dead to me. A lot has happened over the past few years. The death of a family member more often then one would believe, the loss of a best friend due to unforseen circumstances, and the betrayal of my closest family that can never be forgiven, and some relationships that have just faded away over the years. Other than my mom (and sometimes my dad) my good friend Nancy (from high school) would have to be the closest person to me. Her and I had some major ups and downs over the years, mainly because of me, but in the end she has always been there for me. For this I will always treasure our friendship.

My dad and I. Teaching me Giants are #1

Nancy using me as a pillow after playing Marvel V. Capcom for 10hrs straight.

Me, Ashley, Jason, Kristen

Me and Jason

Elliot, Me, and Jonny

Ashley and Me

So here's a look at some of the people that have come and gone (very few have stayed) closest to me in my life. I don't have any pictures of my beautiful mother with me on my computer, so that's the only reason she's being left out and I hope she will forgive me for that. Sorry Mom! Even though most have come and gone, I wouldn't trade those precious moments for anything. The good and/or the bad. All the moments in my life have made me who I am today. And I don't regret any of it.

So thank you for being a part of my life...

...even if only for a minute.