I wish each and every one of you a fantastic ending to 2012 and the year of your life in 2013.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Monday, December 24, 2012
My grinch heart grew three sizes today
This is the story of how the Christmas spirit just smacked me in the face. I just wasn't feelin' it an hour ago and then WHAM....
So a few weeks ago someone tried to steal my car. I don't "know" any of my neighbors we just kind of wave at one another & smile but I then decided to let them know that they need to lock their cars. So I tugged on my boots and walked across the street. I told neighbor 1 about the saga & then asked if he thought the man next door (neighbor 2) was at home. I have always called neighbor 2 "creepy neighbor" because he sits outside a lot (even when it's snowing and raining and 6 AM) and I always just thought it was a little creepy that he was always lurking around outside staring and then waving at me. He never leaves his house and the only person I've ever seen at his house is neighbor 1. Then neighbor 1 says to let him talk to neighbor 2 because neighbor 2 has a severe drinking problem and he doesn't know what kind of day he's having.
This completely broke my heart. I have never in my entire life felt like a bigger asshole. He isn't creepy at all, he has a problem that he constantly struggles with and I rushed to judgement. I then decided to rename him "Hugsy" because I just wanted to run over and give him a hug. (In case it isn't obvious these names are only used in my head, I would never be like "WHAT'S UP HUGSY?!" because that would be really awkward.)
So once I started thinking about all the times I just kind of looked away and didn't say hi to him and the apparent lack of any human family (he does have 2 dogs that he is always playing with) I got really really sad. Thinking about someone who doesn't have any family to spend Christmas with makes me want to cry. I wanted to do something nice for Hugsy. I don't know how to cook and we don't exactly have any 'disposable income' especially during this time of year, so I decided to make him something. I remembered seeing a comic from Kate Leth a few days before that about a really simple pretzel candy recipe so I went back to her comic page (which is awesome and you should totally read) and found it. I made candy for neighbor 1 & his wife, Hugsy, and this little old lady neighbor who comes by now & then to talk about Alden because her grandson has developmental disabilities too.
I delivered the candy during the apocalypse just in case we didn't make it til Christmas (okay really I just knew that I was about to be too busy to remember to deliver it). I just stuck the candy in their mailboxes with a Christmas card that just said "to our neighbors, from the family in the little yellow house" because I don't know their real names.
I hadn't checked the mail since Friday because we had to go out of town on Saturday and I feel like a weirdo when I go get the mail from the week before on Sunday because the mail doesn't run. I feel like people are like "look at the weirdo going to the mailbox on a Sunday!" I know that's weird but I'm a weird girl, okay? So today I ran out in the pouring rain to get the mail and there was a Christmas card inside. I assumed it was from the old lady neighbor because she LOVES Alden and she even put up one of those "school crossing" signs in her yard because she was worried about people flying over the hill when we are going to the bus in the morning. But the card wasn't from her, and it wasn't from neighbor 1. It was from Hugsy (who I now know is JR) and his dogs Gidgit and Otis. He wrote a really sweet message and then "THANK YOU!" I got tears in my eyes. I immediately put it up with all our holiday cards in the kitchen but I've already taken it down twice and hugged it.
Sometimes people are amazing, sometimes people are wonderful, and sometimes people surprise you. I am not really a New Years resolution kind of person (these thighs are not going anywhere no matter HOW hard I try) but in the next year I am going to work really hard on not jumping to conclusions and assuming. However briefly it lasts my faith in humanity has been restored at least for a little while.
And now I'm off to watch "Dark Legacy" because nothing says Christmas like a tinfoil hat!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ABSOLUTELY EVERYONE!
So a few weeks ago someone tried to steal my car. I don't "know" any of my neighbors we just kind of wave at one another & smile but I then decided to let them know that they need to lock their cars. So I tugged on my boots and walked across the street. I told neighbor 1 about the saga & then asked if he thought the man next door (neighbor 2) was at home. I have always called neighbor 2 "creepy neighbor" because he sits outside a lot (even when it's snowing and raining and 6 AM) and I always just thought it was a little creepy that he was always lurking around outside staring and then waving at me. He never leaves his house and the only person I've ever seen at his house is neighbor 1. Then neighbor 1 says to let him talk to neighbor 2 because neighbor 2 has a severe drinking problem and he doesn't know what kind of day he's having.
This completely broke my heart. I have never in my entire life felt like a bigger asshole. He isn't creepy at all, he has a problem that he constantly struggles with and I rushed to judgement. I then decided to rename him "Hugsy" because I just wanted to run over and give him a hug. (In case it isn't obvious these names are only used in my head, I would never be like "WHAT'S UP HUGSY?!" because that would be really awkward.)
So once I started thinking about all the times I just kind of looked away and didn't say hi to him and the apparent lack of any human family (he does have 2 dogs that he is always playing with) I got really really sad. Thinking about someone who doesn't have any family to spend Christmas with makes me want to cry. I wanted to do something nice for Hugsy. I don't know how to cook and we don't exactly have any 'disposable income' especially during this time of year, so I decided to make him something. I remembered seeing a comic from Kate Leth a few days before that about a really simple pretzel candy recipe so I went back to her comic page (which is awesome and you should totally read) and found it. I made candy for neighbor 1 & his wife, Hugsy, and this little old lady neighbor who comes by now & then to talk about Alden because her grandson has developmental disabilities too.
I delivered the candy during the apocalypse just in case we didn't make it til Christmas (okay really I just knew that I was about to be too busy to remember to deliver it). I just stuck the candy in their mailboxes with a Christmas card that just said "to our neighbors, from the family in the little yellow house" because I don't know their real names.
I hadn't checked the mail since Friday because we had to go out of town on Saturday and I feel like a weirdo when I go get the mail from the week before on Sunday because the mail doesn't run. I feel like people are like "look at the weirdo going to the mailbox on a Sunday!" I know that's weird but I'm a weird girl, okay? So today I ran out in the pouring rain to get the mail and there was a Christmas card inside. I assumed it was from the old lady neighbor because she LOVES Alden and she even put up one of those "school crossing" signs in her yard because she was worried about people flying over the hill when we are going to the bus in the morning. But the card wasn't from her, and it wasn't from neighbor 1. It was from Hugsy (who I now know is JR) and his dogs Gidgit and Otis. He wrote a really sweet message and then "THANK YOU!" I got tears in my eyes. I immediately put it up with all our holiday cards in the kitchen but I've already taken it down twice and hugged it.
Sometimes people are amazing, sometimes people are wonderful, and sometimes people surprise you. I am not really a New Years resolution kind of person (these thighs are not going anywhere no matter HOW hard I try) but in the next year I am going to work really hard on not jumping to conclusions and assuming. However briefly it lasts my faith in humanity has been restored at least for a little while.
And now I'm off to watch "Dark Legacy" because nothing says Christmas like a tinfoil hat!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ABSOLUTELY EVERYONE!
Monday, December 17, 2012
these are a few of my favorite things
Things are about to get crazy busy over here so I'm going to go ahead and venture that my mind will not change, and also that I won't get to see any of the 'Oscar Buzz' worthy films before the years end. So here's my list for 2012.
Book: Let's Pretend This Never Happened - Jenny Lawsom
Comic Book: The Walking Dead Issue #100
TV Show Drama: 666 Park Avenue (RIP)
TV Series Comedy: The Mindy Project
Series Sci-Fi/Fantasy: Blood and Chrome
Documentary: The Imposter
Album: Theatre is Evil - Amanda Palmer
Song: Writing a Novel - Father John Misty
Movie Drama: Cabin in the Woods
Movie Comedy: Moonrise Kingdom
Best Actor: Ezra Miller - The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Best Actress: Quvenzhané Wallis - Beasts of the Southern Wild
Website: Geek and Sundry
Videogame: I didn't buy any new games this year.
Meme: “Reasonable Fiona Who Unfortunately Happens To Be Friends With A ‘Nice Guy’”
Things that happened that I want to remember:
Meeting & seeing Amanda Palmer play live
Meeting & seeing First Aid Kit play live
Seeing TOOL play live
Making new best friends
Alden getting straight A's all year
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
maybe just a half a drink more...
Today was my last day of Winter Semester. If there are any typos in this post I apologize as I am celebrating with some pumpkin beer. I have been in a weird place lately. Someone tried to steal my car (which doesn't run) the other night when I was at a Christmas party. When we got home it was halfway down the driveway, there were boot prints all in the gravel, hand-prints all over the hood of the car, and a Honda key jammed in the ignition. It really creeped me out to think that someone was on my property, touching my car, and that they knew it needed a key to try to start it because of the way the shift is. From what I understand basically to shift it without the (real) key in the ignition you stick a key into the little shifty key thingie & then you can put it in neutral or whatever. Basically if my yard hadn't had a small hill and gravel they probably could have stolen it fairly easily.
I filed a police report and they said someone had also stolen a golf cart on the other side of the highway that evening. I now have a baseball bat and an ax handle in case I see anyone creeping around in my yard. I also called to have the bulb for the streetlight in our yard replaced, so now my yard is well lit. Not that it matters if we aren't here. Stuff & things can be replaced, people can't. I'm not really a 'stuff' person anyway. Don't get me wrong, if I came home and my electronics were gone I would be pissed off, I would cry, I would curse like a sailor, but things are just things. I don't really have many "nice" things because I don't care about "nice" things. I like electronics. I don't give a shit about pricey bags, jewelry, or clothing, I'd rather have a new iPod, some videogames, and the new version of Photoshop (P.S. they are all on my Xmas list which can be found in my last post if anyone is feeling particularly generous or needs ideas).
So anyway that whole thing kind of put me in a weird headspace and since then I've been on edge. I have seen a bunch of movies since then and also taken all my finals. I believe I passed all my classes and I am very pleased. They were difficult but I carried on and did my best. Last semester I actually ended up dropping one of the courses I was taking because it was too much and too difficult. This semester I gave it another go and I got an A in it.
Christmas is rapidly approaching and I am almost out of free time, so if you wanna hang out let me know ASAP. I still have a lot of my (okay fine, ALL) Christmas shopping to do. Just thinking about it is giving me hives so we're gonna move right along to the fact that I have no plans for New Years. I need plans for New Years!
Okay, now back to reading A Storm of Swords and finishing off this Pumpkin beer.
I filed a police report and they said someone had also stolen a golf cart on the other side of the highway that evening. I now have a baseball bat and an ax handle in case I see anyone creeping around in my yard. I also called to have the bulb for the streetlight in our yard replaced, so now my yard is well lit. Not that it matters if we aren't here. Stuff & things can be replaced, people can't. I'm not really a 'stuff' person anyway. Don't get me wrong, if I came home and my electronics were gone I would be pissed off, I would cry, I would curse like a sailor, but things are just things. I don't really have many "nice" things because I don't care about "nice" things. I like electronics. I don't give a shit about pricey bags, jewelry, or clothing, I'd rather have a new iPod, some videogames, and the new version of Photoshop (P.S. they are all on my Xmas list which can be found in my last post if anyone is feeling particularly generous or needs ideas).
So anyway that whole thing kind of put me in a weird headspace and since then I've been on edge. I have seen a bunch of movies since then and also taken all my finals. I believe I passed all my classes and I am very pleased. They were difficult but I carried on and did my best. Last semester I actually ended up dropping one of the courses I was taking because it was too much and too difficult. This semester I gave it another go and I got an A in it.
Christmas is rapidly approaching and I am almost out of free time, so if you wanna hang out let me know ASAP. I still have a lot of my (okay fine, ALL) Christmas shopping to do. Just thinking about it is giving me hives so we're gonna move right along to the fact that I have no plans for New Years. I need plans for New Years!
Okay, now back to reading A Storm of Swords and finishing off this Pumpkin beer.
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