2017’s Seventeen Things

It’s almost March and I have meant to do this list since the start of the year. So, here are 17 absolute necessities to my life this year. These are definitely what make me “me” sans obvious things such as my dog, phone, etc.

1. My Jeep (2002 Grand Cherokee Limited, until I upgrade to a Wrangler within the year…)
2. Aviator sunglasses
3. My classic rock mix CDs (Led Zeppelin & CCR mainly)
4. Mascara, lipgloss, bronzer, & highlighter
5. Taco Bell, Chik-Fil-A, & Panda Express
6. Cherry Coke & Mountain Dew
7. Flare jeans & Daisy Duke cutoffs, V-necks and tank tops
8. Having some sort of red in my hair
9. Grand Theft Auto V & Skyrim
10. Snapbacks
11. Country music festivals/shows
12. Bass fishing & deer hunting
13. Instagram & Snapchat
14. Cowgirl boots, Timberlands, slippers & flip flops
15. My Nikon DSLR camera
16. Supernatural (TV Show) & anything Tolkien related
17. More journals than necessary

(As organized by categories.)

Summer

I have had people tell me that they “don’t have summer” anymore. They say this because they work full time, or don’t get a summer break from school. It’s honestly one of my pet peeves to hear people say that they “don’t have summer.”

Summer is a season, it is a time of year. Saying you don’t have summer, is like saying you don’t have a birthday. It exists, whether you work or not. For us here in Minnesota, we are lucky if we get 3 or 4 solid months of warm weather. We get those 3 or 4 months to enjoy being outdoors. We get those 3 or 4 months to make memories that we cannot accomplish in colder weather.

I hate when people make excuses not to do things in the Summer. Such as, “I’m too tired.” Suck it up, buttercup, and get outside. Go do something while you can.

If you don’t enjoy the summer while it is here, you have no right to complain about being stuck inside all winter.

How To: Surprise the girl who cannot be surprised

Some girls seem entirely impossible to surprise. I know this because I am by far one of those girls. I am one of those girls who is obnoxiously good at guessing when someone is going to do something for me, what kind of gift they’re going to give me, and where they are going to take me to surprise me.

It is infuriating to have a woman like this in your life, trust me, I know. So here are a few simple things you can do to  be unpredictable to the girl who can predict your every gesture. The key is is simplicity.

1. Ditch the roses, pick up the daisies & wildflowers
   Instead of buying her a dozen roses, like every guy in the world does, buy her a little bouquet of random flowers… The kind most manly-men wouldn’t dream of buying.
   WHY?
   – Because, when a girl knows you are going to buy her flowers, she will expect one of two things. Either you will buy the same kind you (and every other guy) think are the most romantic, roses. So don’t do that, they are pretty over rated anyway. OR she will assume you want to buy the most expensive bouquet of flowers, which are also roses. Honestly, money can’t buy genuine surprise… But creativity, originality, and spontaneity can. –
2. Don’t hit the movies, take a drive
   If you really want to surprise your impossible girl, don’t stick to the classic dinner and a movie. Take it outside the box. Take a drive somewhere you don’t know. Find a new place to go, out of town. Maybe it’s a State Park, or even a museum. Hell, if you’re set on the movies, find an old drive-in theater.
   WHY?
   – Everyone and their parents do dinner and a movie, yes it’s a classic, and yes dinner can be romantic… But maybe that is exactly what your girl is expecting from you. If you don’t tell her where you’re planning to go, and you start driving to a new place… She will never be able to guess what you have up your sleeve. Google is a great resource for finding new date ideas. (Or if you really want to do your homework, try Pinterest. A girl’s  every dream can be found on that website.)-
3. Don’t ask her what she wants, take a risk
   It would be so much easier to flat out ask a girl what she wants, in any sense of the word. From buying a gift for an occasion or  where she wants to go to eat. Instead, go out on a whim and pick something/somewhere out that is completely out of the blue.
   WHY?
   – If you ask her what she wants, she obviously knows what she is going to get. Even if you try to be sly and go with an idea that she has mentioned before to you, she might pick up on it easily, especially if you drop hints. So, do some digging, ask her friends/family what she likes, stalk her social media accounts (again, Pinterest is a GOLD MINE.) She will appreciate the thought much more than a blunt inquiry. –
4. Avoid making plans, just show up on her doorstep
   This one is fairly obvious, but can be tricky if you already do this often. Instead of sending her a text or calling her, asking if she wants to go out and do something- just show up (and bring those wildflowers from the grocery store if you’re really feeling spontaneous.) She might “need a minute” to get ready, but she will be thrilled to just get up and go.
   WHY?
   – Again, pretty self explanatory. If your girl is the kind that likes to be surprised, and you’re not the kind of person to show up unannounced. Bam, it’s a huge surprise. I will warn you, she might be extremely unprepared, and you’ll want to check casually if she’s busy that night/day or not. Ask her the day before what she has planned, but don’t reveal your plan.-
5. Less is more, little things vs. extravagance
   When you really want to surprise a girl that is impossible to surprise, stick to the small things. Mix CD’s, letters & notes, sweet texts out of the blue, etc. Any of those things will be much sweeter and spontaneous than grand gestures of affection.
   WHY?
   – Most girls expect guys to think that to suprise a girl, they have to be over the top… So, that’s what girls expect to happen. If you stick to small things, she probably won’t see them coming. If you really want to be sentimental and make an impact, maybe do multiple little things at once. But, again, I will emphasize that a little thought goes a long way.-

 

I hope you have found some sort of help from these things. I know that if someone wanted to surprise a girl like me, who is impossible to surprise, this is how I would recommend they go about it.
Good luck in your spontaneous endeavours!

 

Soundtrack of My Life

Put your music library/playlist on shuffle and see the soundtrack to your life (no cheating)

• Opening credits:“Fortunate Son” – Creedence Clearwater Revival
  yeah, I’ll take it.
• Waking up:“Burnin’ for You” – Blue Oyster Cult
  also acceptable.
• Falling in love:“Go Your Own Way” – Fleetwood Mac
  very uplifting, in a way.
• Fight song:“Heat of the Moment” – Asia
  bahahaha… reminds me of Supernatural.
• Breaking up:“The House of the Rising Sun” – The Animals
  oh fuck yes.
• Getting back together:“Heart Breaker” – Pat Benatar
  that’s ironic.
• Wedding dance: “Immigrant Song” – Led Zeppelin
  well, at least it’s Zeppelin, but there are so many better choices…
• Birth of child:“Long, Long Way from Home” – Foreigner
  hm…
• Final battle:“Paint it Black” – The Rolling Stones
  meh, take it or leave it.
• Death scene: “Renegade” – Styx
  OH HELL YEAH… Bring it on.
• End credits:“Wheel in the Sky” – Journey
  of course it’s the only Journey song that gives me hardcore feels….

What makes someone special?

Sometimes it’s hard to tell what makes a person so indescribably wonderful. All you know is that there is always a person you feel an unexplainable connection to. So why is this person so special?

They give off a certain energy, and you can’t help but be attracted to it. You crave it, you crave that person. You want to talk to them, to spend time with them, and to be there for them.  Even when you don’t want to think about them, their face pops into your head and they suddenly consume your every thought.

This person has impacted you in a way that few others ever have and ever will. This is something you’ll never forget, this is someone you’ll never forget.

At first it seemed like an infatuation, then maybe an obsession, but whatever it is, you can’t shake how you feel about this person. I’m sorry to say, but you never will, not entirely at least.

This person is special because you care.  This person is special because they have made an impact on you. This person is special because they make you think and feel things you are afraid of feeling and thinking.

That’s the secret. Don’t be afraid. Let this person in.

With the connection you feel to them, it’s more than likely that they feel the same connection to you. This is something to celebrate not to run away from.

It is rare to find someone like this. It is rare to find a perfect match, someone who completes you. Someone who makes you a better person. Someone who both terrifies you but also makes you feel like you’re at home.

Don’t run away from this person, embrace them, because what makes them special is their connection to you.

Things people say that show that they care:

Most times, people say little things everyday that show you how much you mean to them, but are you listening?

Here are a few key phrases:

“Drive safely.”

“Be careful.”

“Call/text me later.”

“Do you want to hang out/come over?”

“Sleep well./How did you sleep?.”

“How are you?” 

“If you need help, let me know.”

Has anyone used these phrases around you lately? Probably, yes. So, just know that the person saying these things cares. Whether you know them well, or hardly at all. They care. Otherwise, they would not have said anything. Sometimes, maybe they’re just making conversation, or being nice, but more often than not it is more genuine than that.

There have been way too many times where I myself have fallen short of noticing these moments. I have felt entirely alone and isolated, thinking no one cared about me. But then, I started paying attention to the things people said to me. It reminded me that people do care and I should not take that for granted.

If you ever feel alone, I hope this reminds you too.

Because people ask me for relationship advice.

People ruin their own relationships for no real reason at all.
They put too much pressure on themselves and their partner, they over think every little detail, and they convince themselves it will never work.
Then hearts get broken and people spend a lot of time being alone and sad.

Relationships are not that complicated. A relationship should be nothing more than supporting and valuing the person you love. A relationship should be staying up late talking and laughing with the person who makes you feel like no one else. A relationship should be letting yourself trust your best friend enough to let yourself fall in love.

Support, love, commitment.
Laughing, smiling, comforting.

What’s so hard about those simple things?

Being afraid to let someone in, being afraid of getting hurt, being afraid that it won’t work out?

The easy solution: stop being afraid and let love conquer all.

When you find the one you’re supposed to be with, you’ll know it. You’ll know what love is, so don’t be afraid.
Never let that love go.

(End rant.)

PS: There’s no excuses on this. It’s not too late. It’s not impossible. It’s not “never going to happen.”

Never give up on love. If it’s meant to be it will be, just never stop fighting for what you love.

Remind her that….

Remind her that she’s beautiful.
Remind her that she’s loved.
Remind her that she’s amazing.
Remind her that she’s perfect the way she is.
Remind her that she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you.
Remind her that she doesn’t need makeup and great hair to look flawlessly gorgeous.
Remind her that you’re always there for her.
Remind her that she’s your whole world.
Remind her that she is one of a kind.
Remind her that she is irreplaceable.
Remind her that you need her.
Remind her that’s she’s worth everything.
Remind her that you’re afraid to lose her.
Remind her that you love everything about her.
Remind her that you’d do anything for her.
Remind her that she makes you feel like nobody else.
Remind her that she is the woman of your dreams.

Remember these things to be true, remind her too, and never forget how much she means to you.

the basics of emotion

I’ve found myself watching Rise of the Planet of the Apes this afternoon, and my heart really breaks for Caesar. It really, really does. I mean, currently I am only about halfway into the film. Where Caesar steals the pocket knife of of Tom Felton’s dumb ass buddy. But anyway, Caesar just seems to be expressing the most basic primal emotions thus far into the movie. The things we all want.
Freedom, compassion, and most of all… Love.

He wants nothing more than to be reunited with his family in his home, to be with them and to protect them. But when James Franco can’t bring him home- of course he feels abandoned and betrayed. Everything that happened to him only happened because he did what any human would do for someone they loved and cared about deeply. He was protecting his “grandfather” from what he thought was an imminent threat. We’d all do the same thing- but then again we aren’t all chimpanzees.

So my heart really goes out to Caesar for this reason.

The other thing about this film that really gets to me is the greed and cruelty of humans. It is absolutely sick how Tom Felton’s character abused the animals in the infirmary without a second thought. I mean for God’s sake Malfoy, you’re still a dick how many years after Hogwarts? (that was a joke?)

On a side note, take everything I’ve said with a grain of salt, because I’m really just babbling and using the actors names because the first time I watch a film I’m way too invested in the plot to pay attention to the characters names. Besides Caesar I guess, but he’s the star of the show.

I also love the orangutan. He’s probably my favorite. Honestly, I wish I would have paid more attention to Intro to Anthropology and how much we learned about apes. I guess it’s a good thing I have to retake the course. Ha… Ha…

In any case, I wanted to vent some of my feelings about this movie while watching it.

Have a great day guys, I’ll try to update again soon.

PS: My life is still no longer in shambles, new title to come.

reverse

sometimes you gotta slam on the brakes and throw everything in reverse because your life depends on it.

because it is extremely important never to lose sight of who your are in your heart as well as your mind. to find that balance and be the happiest, most considerate, greatest version of yourself that you can be.

be optimistic, be courageous, be everything you’re afraid to be. break out of your shell and say what you want to say, tell people what you want to tell them, do the things you want to do. find that inspiration and motivation you desperately crave. most of all, don’t forget about the people who have helped you along the way.

okay, yes, i am just kind of venting at myself for being an idiot in the last however long it’s been. but the thing is, this message can apply to anybody. not just me.

there are so many possibilities, so many opportunities, so many experiences that get missed out on everyday.  for what reason? being too busy, too lazy, too preoccupied, too depressed, too tired? none of those are valid excuses. there is a whole world out there waiting for you to leave your impression!

okay. so what has me so happy and pumped up right now?
MUSIC.

today i’ve been exploring new artists that i don’t typically listen to. of course, whilst doing so, i’ve fallen in love with a new artist/band.
American Authors
their lyrics speak to me in a rare way that makes me smile, for example:

I’m just a believer
That things will get better
Some can take it or leave it
But I don’t wanna let it 

but it’s not just that one song, it’s all of them. i just feel unstoppable and happy. i have felt like this all day, well the last few days really. maybe it’s the warm weather, maybe it’s the music, maybe it’s the sage smudging i did this week, or maybe it’s my depression finally going away again. in reality, it’s probably a huge mix of all of those on top of the way i’ve finally made peace and am in acceptance of the loss of my best friend- my poor baby Tobi is resting peacefully, and i know that. it was hard to accept but i’ve brought myself to do so.

life is a series of choices and decisions, those choices and decisions all have consequences. some are good, some are bad, some can be heart breaking, but some can make you happier than you’ve ever been- but the trick of it is that they are all unpredictable… and that’s life. it is a mystery, and you never know what will happen until you try.

so get out there and live your life, i know i’m going to start.

xoxo, thanks for reading ❤

I say if you don’t know then you go slow or you don’t go don’t be a no show just let go.