Diary of a SnuggleSlut

Atheist Angst

2012-02-19T18:27:00.000-05:00

My, my, I am feeling the alliteration lately aren't I? That's two in a row now. Moving on, as you can no doubt tell from the post title, I've got some angst that I want to get off of my chest, and it has to do with atheism, or rather my being an atheist.

I've been an atheist sense almost as far back as I remember, my family is Catholic and I of course as a kid went through all the song and dance of being integrated into the church from baptism up until my first communion, after that I refused to go, I didn't want to be confirmed into a religion I didn't believe in. My immediate family is really good about my beliefs (or lack there of) and for the majority of my interactions with people it never really comes up. Its not often that I enter a room and immediately shout out that I don't believe in god. But recently It's come up at work, where some of my more religious coworkers have been pelting me with questions about my lack of beliefs and doing what happens a lot when I'm sucked into these conversations, trying to reason me back into faith. So in light of this I've decided to outline the questions/comments that frustrate me the most, please note that this isn't an attack on religion or religious thinking I'm just trying to let people know how it sounds from the other side.

1) So you worship Satan?

-No joke I've heard this one on at least ten separate occasions. No, I don't worship Satan, or any other mythical figure for that matter. Being an Atheist means that I don't believe in any of the characters in any mythos, Judeo-Christian or otherwise. I get to the religious mindset that the opposite of believing in god is automatically associated with some sort of devil figure, when the real opposite of believing in god is simply not believing in god. I promise that no other worldly figure is responsible for my lack of belief.

2) Aren't you afraid of going to Hell?/You do know your going to Hell

-Or in the case of well meaning people, I don't want you to go to Hell. Which I guess is a nice sentiment that people don't want me to go to a place they see as very real and very bad. But to be honest telling me that I am going to hell is pretty much equivalent to me telling someone that they're going to Narnia. It would have to effect, because we all know and accept Narnia as an imaginary place. The same goes for hell and any other type of purgatory to the Atheist.

3) What do you lose by believing in God/ Pascal's Wager.

-To be honest I would lose very little by believing in God as an abstract concept, and I would probably only lose one morning a week to religious belief. The problem is even if I did convert to a religion it would be only a half conversion my mindset will not allow me to accept something as real that I have to reason to posit the existence of. And in the case of God I see no reason to believe or posit his existence. For me there are no mysteries that can only be explained by appeal to some higher power, Its just something I don't need in my life. In the case of Pascal's wager, the same is true I feel no need to buy in to the cosmic insurance policy, I can't believe "just in case"

4) What do you think happens when you die?

-That one is easy to answer, I die, my consciousness ends and I as a person ceases to be. I hold no belief in an afterlife or that my consciousness will survive the death of my body. For me this makes this life more precious than If I had the concept of an afterlife to fall back on. I will live on in my legacy on this earth and that motivates me to leave behind a positive legacy and make the most of a very finite time to live.

5) Well where did we come from then/ Origin of the universe.

-This is one of the harder questions for me to answer, primarily because I don't have a definitive answer. The only things I state with any sort of certainty is back through how our galaxy was formed and from there the planets, and our individual species. This is all the information science has been able to give me. As for the origin of everything, as of now science does not have an answer, only theories. With those I am content, I am okay with not knowing exactly how the universe began, this uncertainty does not require me to reach for a higher power. Because for me the existence of a higher power creates the same question where did he/she come from? I guess I don't need absolute certainty for these matters.

There you go, the five questions that come up the most. Now please note that I in no way speak for all Atheists, these are just what I think about these questions. If you take issue with anything I've said or if you have any questions about religion/ lack their of don't hesitate to comment.

Breakup Blues.

2012-02-08T11:17:00.000-05:00

Its been a little over a month sense my boyfriend of almost three years and I broke up. Everyone around me has been super great, from my mom letting me move back in, to my friends doing everything they can to keep me busy. As it is I haven't been all that broken up about the break up. I'm improving myself and doing new things, over all I take my moving on as a positive thing.

Love is overrated anyway.

So far I've interacted with my ex. at least once a week, we share a group of friends, frequent the same clubs, basically over three years our lives have pretty much become impossible to separate. Every time we've seen each other it's been nice, a quick hello, perhaps a conversation, we move on with whatever we happen to be doing. I can see us actually doing the whole "being friends" thing in a non cliche way.

Wow, your seem like a bit of an ass now that I'm not sleeping with you.

Though to my friends and family's apparent abject horror the ex. has started dating again a mere month after our break up. And honestly I really couldn't give a crap. I like his new girl friend, she happens to be a lot like me personality wise (I guess my ex has a "type") and sense she is being introduced into the group of friends we've had some time to hang out and I can see us becoming friends as well. However all of my friends outside of the mutual group and horrified and ready to comfort me should I break down and lose it.

How dare you ever date anyone ever again!

The thing is I knew this would happen, and given that almost all my friends have been male I also knew that this is pretty much following typical male post break up timeline. I didn't expect my ex to remain celibate for the rest of his life just because we didn't work out as a couple and I do want him to be happy (no really I do). I guess it just confuses me why people are acting like its the end of the world and I should be devastated.

If I do this will you stop freaking out?

So does anyone have any advice? Has anyone else managed to be friendly with their ex? How did you react when they started dating again?

Day 12 and still a rolling on

2012-02-01T21:04:00.000-05:00

I'm sure that most of you are sick and tired about hearing about my personal growth. Well too bad sonny its another thirty day challenge update/ operation great big life change.

I'm almost half way through the cleaning challenge and my room is perfectly clean and organized and has stayed that way for several days. Not only has the room been reorganized but the entire place has been vacuumed, moped, dusted and Windexed to hell. Further I want to do all of these at least once a week to maintain that nice and clean feelings.

See is so pretty! My car on the other hand is a disaster area and I've finally had the wherewithal to take some before pictures. If your easily freaked out by big messes avert your eyes because its pretty darn bad.

Have we all survived that ordeal? Good! Now to continue my little Narcissistic improvement goal.

A quick update.

2012-01-27T14:04:00.000-05:00

I'm back and on day seven of my first thirty day challenge, which is to keep my living space fantastically clean. Now I wish I had the foresight to take more before pictures but you can assume that my room looked like the typical college dorm/ teenage bedroom. Lots of clothes and Items not put away and on the floor and very little organization. My closet was and is by far the worst for years I just threw everything and anything that I had no other space for in it. As of right now I've completely cleaned out and organized five out of the seven shelves (Ive given myself one small thing to organize a day while keeping the main portion of the room perfectly clean.)

So without further adieu. Here are some of the before/after pictures that I did manage to take.

And after a bit of cleaning:

I'm going to try to update with more pictures later in the week. I want to have everything completely organized by day 14.

In other reform news I've actually managed to lose two pounds over the week and convinced myself to go clubbing by myself for the first time ever. I even danced in public something that I would have never done a few weeks ago :]

Feel fee to comment with organizing or cleaning tips for me! Thanks again everyone for your support everybody.

Identity Crisis.

2012-01-22T21:13:00.000-05:00

So recently I've had a bit of a turn in my life, my three year relationship suddenly ended and I moved back in with my mother. Who thankfully was more than happy to have me back, I'm still in college after all. But that's not really my point. My point is I've taken some time to evaluate who I am and how I perceive myself and have come to the realization that there is a vast disconnect between the person that I am and the person that I picture myself to be in my head. I don't know if that makes much sense, basically the me in my head looks and acts a lot like this.

super hero powers included.

While in reality I see myself more like this.

This disconnect really severely bothers me. Its not that I hate my normal geeky average self, its that the person in my head is a reminder of what I could, be and do and accomplish if I apply myself properly. So I'm starting a slew of 30 day challenges from working out with NTC every day to keeping my living space an obsessive clean (trust me a huge jump)

The normal state of affairs.

The thing is, the biggest part about myself that I want to change will undoutably be the most difficult and the thing that will stand in my way with the rest of my goals. I have fantastically terrible at keeping commitments to myself, eat healthy exercise, it doesn't matter I get all into it for the first few days and then quit. So this is why I need you, unfortunate passer by to my humble blog. I don't care if your here entirely on accident and have no intention of returning. YOU. WILL. RETURN. and when you do and you find that I have gone five days without a update I implore you to bug the crap out of me spam my blogger inbox leave offensive comments insulting me what ever you need to do to get me updating on the situation. (encouragement would also be welcome)

Wish me luck my lovely little cherubs and fell free to share any life-changing goals you have (or have not) accomplished.

Disney Villains I Identify With More Than The Hero

2011-12-15T20:10:00.002-05:00

In every story there are heroes and villains. Disney, my favorite movie maker/punching bag is no exception. Most of the time I do find myself feeling for the hero and rooting for all of his successes. Other times I swear they are off the mark because as much as I love the hero, I cant get behind him destroying the villain. Maybe I'm a psychopath, or just a bit messed up but I identify more with the antagonist more often than I like the hero. Here is my top ten list of villains who I think were given a bad rap or just have character flaws present in all of us taken just a little bit too far.

10. Captain Hook- Peter Pan

There has never been a more inept villain (save perhaps goob) that has ever roamed the earth. Hook here has every reason to be pissed off at that little twerp peter by the way. The kid cut off his hand (we never find out why) and feeds it to a crocodile that now has a liking for Hookflesh and follows him around as a form of psychological torture. God this guy has reason to be messed up and angry, hell if I was him I would have been after Pan with even more of a vengeance.

9. Price John- Robinhood

Prince John, a little tyke desperately trying to fill his much more capable brother's shoes. Ever been in a task that was much to big for you? Had an older more accomplished sibling and wanted to prove that you were just as good? Well here you are, John here was a rightful ruler in place of his brother nothing sinister about that, was he a crappy ruler? Yes. Should he have given up the throne and jeopardized his brother's rule? No. Plus the historical John gave way to the Magna Carter. So I need to have a bit of a soft spot for the guy.

8. Goob - Meet the Robinsons

There was never a more lovable villain than Yagoobian (aka bowler hat guy) kept up all night by Lewis' science fair experiment he lost a key game and got so angry over it that it ate away at him and led him to never be adopted. Who hasn't been tempted to blame an external force for own mistakes, he took it way too far and suffered his whole life for it, meanwhile his roommate has a great life and a successful business. Truly Goob isn't in the right, but I still feel for the guy.

7. Syndrome - The Incredibles

Syndrome every child's revenge plot gone wrong. Don't lie everyone did this as a kid, when you felt slighted you would think of what you would do to "show them wrong" fortunately most of us don't have the tenacity and technical know how of this particular fan. As a former FIRST geek I like any type of engineer let alone one as brilliant as Syndrome, though I don't particularly approve of what the designed the geek in me likes me more than the Incredible family.

6. Doctor Facilier (Shadow Man) - Princess and the Frog

He may have friends on the other side, but he's also got a friend in me. Yes he manipulated several people to make good on a deal with the other side. But he never lied to any of them when making a deal, he may just have interpreted the deal differently, and I like that kind of ingenuity. Then again it could just be the Tarot cards, I like me a good deck of Tarot cards.

5.Yzma - Emperors New Groove

Every time I watch this movie I cant help but love Yzma, she works for a selfish teenage ass and gets fired for it. She wants to retain her power so she attempts to poison the guy, personally I would have gotten another job but I digress. Like many of the villains on this list her only ally is lacking the brains department and I can only feel pity. Plus at the end of the film shes turned into a cat, and I can't not love cats.

4. Hades - Hercules

Maybe its because I read the myths long before seeing the film, perhaps I just feel bad for leaders working with complete imbeciles (see: every group project I've had ever) But I just feed bad for the guy, he gets the job with the worst rap ever, and his younger brother gets all the glory, call be crazy but that would piss me off too. Would I try to kill my nephew to get my way? No. Do I understand why he wants Olympus? hell yes.

3.Gaston - Beauty and the Beast

Now I'm not saying that I like Gaston, in fact I think that he is a giant Douche. But going back to what I said about the villains basically being over exaggerated versions of character traits. Gaston as much as I hate to admit it is very much like teenage me, conceited, vain and thinking that I deserve anything I want. He is the reminder that what can happen if you take your vanity too far and become ugly on the inside.

2. Jafar - Aladdin

Jafar, a villain after my own heart (sort of) huge collection of books, alchemical knowledge, the ability to run the kingdom through the buffoon of a sultan. How that guy could have kept the kingdom running without Jafar is a mystery to me. All the guy wanted was the job he was doing anyway, and was perfectly willing to go about it with normal means, being marrying the sultans daughter. Then some upstart thief masquerades as a prince and steals it all away, and Jafar loses his cool, the rest is history.

1. Scar - The Lion King

Oh Scar how I feel for you. Now before I get killed by angry Simba and Mufasa fans let me explain. Its never fun being the sibling to the family favorite, worse is knowing that your parents prefer your brother. Add on top of that the guys only friends/ allies are compete morons. Who can say that they've never worked with people like the hyenas. (hint: if you haven't you're one of them) Poor kitty, if he wasn't such a crappy ruler I would have been rooting for him to win.

http://iblog4.me

Merde...

2011-10-05T12:49:00.000-04:00

For that's of you that don't know I do have a second job that I normally work on Wednesday's at a small metaphysical shop two streets down from my apartment. On Saturday my co-worker needed the day off for one reason or another and I offered to take his shift. So bright and early I went over to the store ready to open her up, only to find I only had one of two store keys.... Shit.

So one call to my bosses and an hour later I still wasn't in the store, because we only had 2 sets of keys and the person with the other set was unreachable! Why? you ask. Because she lives in the middle of nowhere and she doesn't get any cell reception. Joy. Luckily for all of us involved she did show up around two hours in looking for her check. Thus I was able to go about my day with the expectation that my boss was going to kill me.

say goodnight.

So after asking several people for my blindfold and cigarette (which sadly I never got) and lots of apologizing over the phone later my boss does show up. And I don't know which god likes me so much but clearly one does, because I was neither killed, fired, or replacing the lock. Instead everybody now gets their own set of keys (you know so I don't lock us ALL out ever again)

Honestly sometimes I don't know what to do with me.

A little background story.

2011-09-29T11:02:00.000-04:00

Oh my little munchkins I wish to tell you a funny story, but to tell that story I must first tell this one.

Flash back to two years ago, I was just around 18 second semester in college and working at one of my favorite places ever Shaw's, yes the supermarket. I was a lowly produce clerk, you know stocking up lettuce strategically arranging the bananas, chopping watermelons into tiny little bits with a giant knife, normal stuff. Anyway I was there one night stocking le bananas when a guy I would place around 22-23ish starts talking to me.

How I used to deal with talkative people.

At first he asks about normal stuff i.e. where is *insert benign produce item here* or how is the produce business doing? But then he doesn't stop talking, I'm inching back with my cart of healthy eats trying desperately to get back to the BOH where this conversation can finally cease. I'm no more than five feet away from freedom when he reveals the reason this awkward conversation has lasted a full 20 minutes, to ask me out.

Now don't get me wrong I was flattered up until that point I had been propositioned by a grand total of two people, my current boyfriend among them. So I let the guy down gently telling him that I was involved but was flattered and said a hasty adieu. I being a reasonable person thought that would be the end of the incident. No such luck.

The creeper factor was somewhat akin to this.

Over the next year that I was working at that lovely grocery store, he kept popping up, and starting way longer than appropriate conversations, which could only be stopped by me walking away or someone else looking vaguely like they needed help,and even then sometimes he would just wait around to talk again. It got so bad that I started ducking behind things or just finding something productive to do in the BOH when I saw him coming. Eventually I had a friend in a different department page me away when he saw him talking to me for more than five minutes. Now I'm not saying he wasn't a nice or good guy (hell I really don't know him) but he was a bit much for me, and I thought that when I switched jobs that would be the end of this happy little situation. Oh how wrong I was....

So.... Not fired?

2011-09-22T18:05:00.000-04:00

In my last post I told you guys about the Panera Indecent where they called my in the middle of my school day telling me that I needed to be in school. My phone being on vibrate I ignored it, and didn't get their message for hours after. Since I was angry at the time, I didn't bother calling back and was fully expecting to be fired for a no-call-no-show.

Thus I went to work on Friday expecting at the very least a good talking to... Instead I'm pretty sure I entered the twilight zone. Not a single manager mentioned it at all. not. a one. Which trust me is as weird as it gets for panera. I've had manages give me a talking to for leaving the bakery for more than a minute. So the complete absence of acknowledgement of them even calling me was way too bizarre. I even checked my messages afterward to make sure that it HAD happened.

To sum up, I'm still employed. Apparently on Tuesdays I live in an alternate dimension. Panera be crazy.

Your Fired!

2011-09-14T16:24:00.000-04:00

So, I may well have gotten myself fired from my job at Panera ~~Penitentiary~~ Bread this Tuesday, but as I have not desire to find out definitively at this moment, or the seer enormity of the shits I do not give about that place at the moment I'm not calling to find out. You see as wonderful and yummy their food is, they absolutely suck as an employer.

Take the food and get out.

They were fine my first semester with them, I was taking all online classes so my availability was wide open, I worked a ton made decent money, and for the most part the managers were nice. But then I started taking classes in the actual school again and that is when they started getting bitchy, blatantly disregarding my schedule and having me find a replacement when I couldn't work because I was in class. I gave them a months notice to change when I worked each time, so I wasn't being unreasonable. Now I've transferred schools and am trying to get more involved, buff up my resume perhaps spend some time studying abroad, you know normal end, of university stuff. So my schedule got a bit tighter, and I told them I cannot work Tuesdays (three classes plus an acapella group) Again plenty of notice, everything should be fine.. Pah...

Yes I AM that dorky

Fast forward to this past Tuesday where rehearsal is just starting, I feel my phone vibrate and I ignore it, I was a bit busy at the time. When I get out I see that I have a message, from who else Panera, telling me that its o'clock (actually it six a few hours had passed) and that they hoped that I was on my way because I was late. Which is, complete bull crap, I wasn't on the schedule for that day, and four is way before my availability for Tuesday was before I joined the club. I was just so sick of their crap I didn't even bother to call them back, and they didn't call again.

So as for me being a no-call no-show I'm pretty sure at the very least I will be written up, or fired. And sadly enough, I'm kind of hoping for the later, I swear I am just that sick of that place. So here is to hoping they go Donald Trump on my ass.

Your Free!

It's all over?

2011-07-22T13:48:00.000-04:00

Well that's what everyone's saying anyway, and what about? What else, the Harry Potter Franchise. As anyone who hasn't been living under a rock knows the final film in the series came out at midnight last weeks, and fans flocked to the movie theaters. This I expected it is after all a wildly successful series. What confuses me to no end is people saying that its just now all over, because as I remember the Deathly Hallows came out four years ago.


No not this.

THIS.

Remember these? They are called books. You know, what the movies were based off of. And honestly to say that the series ends with the movies I think cheapens the books, and the wonderful effect they had on the people of my generation. It got kids to read, for once the lines outside of Barns and Noble rivaled the lines outside a movie theater, and that made the book nerd in me proud. Now I'm just sad to see the magic has really died.

Now don't get me wrong I enjoyed the movies. I think the casing peopled did an extraordinary job of finding cast members that embodied the characters, especially the main trio.


Just look at them.

The movies did a really good job staying true to the books, as much as possible anyway.

Were not talking about this one.

But saying that the series is just now over is kind of ridiculous. Or, even worse, the people who are saying "ohh I can't wait to see what happens!" Wrong. If you really couldn't wait you would pick up a book and read.

A Sad Update

2011-07-15T13:35:00.000-04:00

First off I would like of apologize for the lack of a Tuesday post, my grandmother passed away early Saturday morning and I've spent the last week with funeral and wake things and dealing with the family.

There is something they don't tell you about wakes when your the one going though the line to shake everyone's hand and to pay your last respects to the deceased party. If your part of the family you stay there for four hours, and it may possibly be the most boring time of your life.

Now my family is pretty big, mother is one of seven and including myself there are 12 cousins and while we could have all stood in the handshake line and looked ridiculous it was decided that only the kids would have to do that, the other 12 of us just had to sit down and look impressive. No one talks to you besides the occasional distant relative who you haven't seen since you were 2 and who feel the need to tell you about that at great length.

The typical conversation goes like this:

anonymous cousin person: Oh my god I haven't seen you since you were this small ( wile making baby motions)

me:oh uh that's nice?

ACP: do you remember me at all I'm (insert random relation here)

me: oh yeah sure (smiling and nodding along)

ACP: oh good well sorry for you loss take care.

Brother: Who the hell was that?

Me: No fricken clue.

Repeat x20

But really I'm just glad this week is over, time to get back to life.

Victory is Mine!

2011-07-08T13:54:00.000-04:00

When I first started working at Panera bread I was a healthy 112 pounds (on average) Now in typical girl mode I wasn't happy with this, in my mind I could have stood to loose another 5lbs before I would be really happy with the way I looked (for all you concerned citizens out there I stand at a whopping 5'2") That was a year ago.

Then came Panera. Now I'm not saying it was the job itself that caused me to gain a good 10-15 pounds within the first few months. I'm saying it was my inner fat ass near all those delicious cookies and double fudge brownies for 30+ hours a week that may have been a big factor.

say no to this, I dare you.

Then I got my celiac test which confirmed that I am a certified glu-tard me and bread are no longer on good terms. On the bright side I started getting better and I wasn't rejecting any of my meals *yay* on the down side I had to change my eating habits to a normal person, you know now that I can eat half the amount of food for the same amount of nutrients.

Nom Nom Nom

Predictable I gained a bit of weight. Also predictably I did not sit very well with me, I've always been small and am determined to stay that way, but healthily. I made a promise to myself that I would be back to my former weight by my cousins wedding at the end of July. And for super awesome bonus point to my ideal weight by my friend's wedding in mid August. So after months at the gym and forgoing sweets for chicken ceasar salad has finally paid off and I'm only one pound away from my goal weight.

So screw you excess weight I shall kick your ass down the stairs and out the door, because damn it I will not be the girl at my friends wedding that got fat after high school.

So has anyone else had any issues with their weight after graduating or starting a new job? How did you get over it? Any tips for me in the home stretch?

Transfer Adventrues.

2011-07-05T15:30:00.000-04:00

So this story needs a little background information. Let us flash back to two and ½ years ago. I was just starting to get some acceptance letters from colleges, and the one I was waiting for with the most hope in my heart was from The University of Connecticut. No you fools not for the sports teams and gratuitous amount of campus sponsored parties, the Anthropology program. Even back then I was a geek. So I do get my acceptance letter and jump around like an idiot squealing about my giant envelope. As as you can expect at the end of the summer I was packed and ready for the two hour car ride to my new school. My happiness at being at UConn lasted maybe 30 hours before I realized... that I had made a enormous mistake, I had landed myself in a huge drunken mess of people whom I had nothing in common with.

Do Not Want.

But alas I was enrolled and had to go though my first semester while trying to find a school that would take me with no letters of recommendation ( my high school failed to a) give me a copy or b) keep them on file)

Because fuck you, that's why.

As a result by the end of the semester I was enrolled at my local community college (Which in retrospect wasn’t nearly as bad as I’d thought It would be.) As expected I spent a few semesters there, simply because I had no desire to go through another transfer anytime soon. But anyhoosil back to the original point of this post, this past spring I finally finished all the credits available to me at the community college and had to start my transfer to UNH Manchester Campus.

Lets start this paperwork early.

Somethings they will never tell you about transferring colleges that I found out the hard way:

No matter what they tell you initially some of your credits will simply not transfer, be reduced, disappear entirely, or be absolutely useless towards your major.

Transferring from MCC to UNH I lost around a full semesters worth of work in just useless credits that were supposed to be useful. To top it off the ones that did transfer were only 3 credit classes while all of UNH’s credits are four credits each, the end result I will be taking a lot of extra classes in the next summer and winter breaks to catch up.

No not my psychology credits!

Transferring even between schools like MCC and UNH that have an easy transfer offers ( as both are state schools in the same area) will require a LOT of paperwork and just as much trouble to get your transcripts in and letters of recommendation to be accepted.

Sometimes you will be bumped down from the BA program to the AA program just by the virtue of not taking a class for a requirement only offered at your new school. For example at UNH there is a discovery requirement that you need to have taken to be a part of the BA program unfortunately the only classes you can take to satisfy that requirement are offered at UNH so if your a transfer student your pretty much doomed to be an AA student for at least one semester, or until you satisfy that requirement.

I call it a "discovery credit"

On the bright side once you figure that crap out hopefully end up in a better fit for you than your previous school and it all seems worth it. (at least I’m hoping that what happens for me) In any case I better do well this semester, me and the boy have a bet that I really don't want to loose riding on my GPA this semester.

Loki the Apology Cat

2011-06-30T20:59:00.000-04:00

Yes yes I know, I've dropped off the face of the world for two months no posts no replying to comments, nada from the snuggleslut. For that I apologize, turns out being an adult is a lot harder than I made it out to be and the work load and schedule has been kicking my ass, hard. But now I'm back and plan on posting semi regularly again. (more like I'm forcing myself to post regularly again)

To appease you I give you a picture of my new hell kitty Loki.

I'm still alive.

2011-04-09T14:01:00.000-04:00

Oh Herro there, It seems as though I've dropped off the face of the earth hasn't it? Well I'm not dead just super busy moving into the apartment. (yay!) But now I'm back with an awesome backlog of posts I meant to do but couldn't find time/computer/the rest of my stuff because It's still in boxes.

A week and a half ago we got the keys to the apartment and we were excited as all hell (except for paying our first month's rent thing that sucked) But this also means that we could try to get the bedroom painted before we moved in, and I got to take some pictures of the place before all of our stuff is move in.

And this is the last time we ever saw the apartment clean empty or organized. Undeterred we made a trip to Home Depot and picked up a ton of ridiculously priced paint and made an attempt to paint our bedroom a shade of blood red. Unfortunately we completely forgot how tall our ceilings were and forgot to bring a stool or ladder so to compensate Alex decided to make a makeshift stool out of our new microwave and a trash bucket.

All the mishaps aside the color is really starting to look good especially with the white trim. Admittedly though I did very little of the actual painting ( I apparently really suck at it)

We may have a bunch more work to do bu I'm loving the Independence and its going to look awesome when were done! I will have plenty of pictures after all the decorating is finished.

Adventures in Goodwill

2011-03-24T20:55:00.000-04:00

When your packing up your stuff to move, around halfway through it hits you... I'm never going to use this stuff, here or in my new place. Which inevitably prompts the trip to good will to get rid of things you have double of and the stuff your never going to use. Except for my boyfriend and I any trip to good will means a trip inside to feed the book addiction. Problem was once we got in there we got a bit... carried away.


My Crack

Long story short we ended up buying what seemed like half the store because we found a bunch of stuff we never thought we needed for our new place. In the process we had a pretty bitching adventure and found a bunch of old nostalgic stuff for prices I would have killed for ten years ago.

Case and Point

When we weren't finding relics from our past we were just goofing off and finding crap we kinda wished we could put in our place but knew better than to try.


I don't know honey we could use it as a cat dish.

The one chair that I could fit in perfectly

So about an hour later than we originally intended and with a cart of stuff we didn't know we had needed. We checked out blissfully unaware that we had a major problem looming in the near future. Unfortunately it wasn't until we got to the parking lot that we realized what we had gotten ourselves into. More specifically we had gotten ourselves into a single cab truck with an entire cart load full of stuff.

Solution? Pile it atop the smallest person on hand (in this case me) and pray that they can keep a hold of all your stuff without breaking any of it. Moral of the story? Remember who's car you brought to the store before you go on a shopping spree.

My Favoirite Gluten Free Foods

2011-03-22T12:26:00.000-04:00

So I've been a certified, card carrying glutard for around a half a year now. For those of you who don't have a clue in the world as to what I'm talking about read here and here. And its been a pretty hard transition for me as a work at a bread lover's heaven and I just plain love bread products. But I have found some meals that I really like and feel the need to share with the world, so here is my top four list of awesome gluten free foods.

1) Waffles

Now most gluten free products that are bread like are absolute crap, I cant stand them they squish down like foam and tastes like those little wafers they give you in church. These however are pretty darn good granted you toast them into oblivion and smother them with enough syrup to drown a small child. So breakfast is pretty much covered.

2) Smoothies

These suckers have gotten me through I don't know how many shifts at work they're delicious and low fat and best of all gluten free. More often than not I make them myself at home with frozen food tons of sugar ice and french vanilla yogurt. But buying them at work is something else I do often, so if you have a panera in your area I recommend the strawberry and the wild berry smoothies.

3) Caesar Salad With Chicken.

Now I used to loath salads of any shape size or content, but the lack of bread in my diet has forced me to branch out, and my new favorite is the Caesar (no croutons of course). Topped with grilled chicken it fills my need for protein and veggies, best of all for me my average salad only runs around 300 calories and can fill me up for hours.

4) Chicken Tortilla Soup

Say it with my now Yummm.... I LOVE this soup with all my heart and soul, the chicken is nice and spicy and the corn and veggies are a great filler that add so much flavor. I've considered this my official replacement for my old favorite chicken noodle.

So there you have it my new list of favorite gluten free foods, all delicious and filling. So now my question is does anyone out there have any good meals you could recommend? I'm always looking for new meal ideas.

I knew I forgot something...

2011-03-17T15:20:00.000-04:00

So today I went to go sign my lease with the mother dearest . Which went as smoothly as humanly possible in, out, and on our way. But for this entire week when I've told people that I've gotten my own place I've gotten the exact same reaction, complete shock.

Which I could understand if the issue was solely my age or how much money I make. However the issue seems to be ultimately who may roommate is, he happens to be my boyfriend. The reaction to that bit of knowledge is always... "But your not married!" As if they think that little step just slipped my mind and I'm going to say "oh shit! Be right back, ill get on that and then get right back to you.

So now can we get our own place?

I know that people like my grandparents would have that reaction old Catholic folks that they are. But what really surprised me were the people who were around my parents age saying the same thing. What also was worrying people was my ability to have babies, or rather they were worried that I might just start having them. It's always "I don't want you to be have babies any time soon"

DO. NOT. WANT.

Thing is I've been in a serious relationship for over two years and you think this hasn't come up yet? Trust me it's been taken care of. Perhaps its just the area where I live, and the type of people who live here. But had anyone else had these types of issues when moving into a place with their significant other?

Apartment!

2011-03-11T10:18:00.000-05:00

So the boyfriend and I recently started looking for apartments in town, its going to be our first place so were on quite a tight budget, especially when it comes to rent. The trouble is where we live all the apartments that are in the least affordable are in piss poor areas of town where we would both need our weapons at the ready on a near constant basis.

My personal apartment nightmare

Or if we were in a nicer area of town we would live in a place far too cramped for one person let alone two with an elderly cat.

Its a bit cramped in here.

So after hours of looking we finally struck apartment gold. An absolutely perfect two bedroom in a great neighborhood with heat and hot water included. It is an older Victorian building with french door bay windows and hardwood floors. As soon as we took a look inside me and the hubby were head over heels in love with it. Best of all we get to keep our aging cat without paying any special fees. Before the day was over we had a co-signer and our application filled out and dropped off at the property manager's office.

So we spent two days biting our nails stressed out beyond belief, we were told that our application even with a co-signer was a real long shot as the property owner was a crotchety old coot. I couldn't eat or sleep and almost forgot that I was supposed to be working. Finally on Thursday morning I got a call from the boy telling me that we had gotten the place.

It was totally just like this, just with less attractive people

So now that the deposits in and the place is going to be ours we just have to sign the lease and wait for April to move in. Its going to be fantastic and I will keep all of you updated.

Disney Is Depressing

2011-03-04T23:57:00.000-05:00

Over the years Disney has churned out many a film as adult we remember them fondly thinking of all the great childhood memories they gave us. Looking back though at all those films I've loved its become obvious that had I not been a kid when watching these I would have shut them off right at the beginning on accounts of them being miserable. Yes, Yes I know they all end well with the hero's riding off into the sunset for their happily ever afters, but just humor me here with my list of horribly depressing Disney Films.

1) Snow White


deal with my aging gracefully? Or put the heat of my step child in a box?

Let start this list out with a soft ball. Little orphan princess living under a psychotic step mothers who's daily routine includes making sure that she is more beautiful than any other woman on earth. When her attempt to ugly up her main competition ultimately fails she goes to stage two, put her rival's heart in a box. Sounds reasonable, thankfully for the empty headed heroine the woods man is a big softy and settles for scaring the shit out of her and chasing her into the woods.

2) Dumbo

Visitation hours are over.

Moving on down depression street we land on Dumbo. A baby elephant with a genetic mutation giving him gargantuan ears. Tortured by the other elephants and visitors to the circus, his mother defends him and is locked up as mad. Left with no friends dumbo visits his mother in Elephant prison and proceeds to get drunk

3) Bambi

Now remember son the story isn't over until your an orphan.

This one stats out all happy go lucky, nice little animals frolicking in the forests we meet Thumper and Flower then BAM! mom is dead. This one is so much worse because we know the mom, we like her and Disney rips her away from us and little baby Bambi.

4) Cinderella

Do you think I could pass this off as grunge?

Cindy here would get along well with Snow, no parents they barely even get a mention. Unlike snow who only had to deal with a murderous step-mother, she also has sadistic stepsisters. But oh look shes got a few adorable mouse friends who somehow have mastered pretty complex sewing skills. Now she can go to the ball.... oh no her stepsisters with their designer clothes decided to ruin a homemade dress made by rats because it has one of their hand-me-down sashes.

5) Sleeping Beauty

Why yes, I do hate children. Why?

Like Bambi this one starts out nice, an older couple having trouble conceiving finally has a kid. They just happen to be king and queen, so naturally they invite the whole damn country for the belated baby shower. Well everyone except for the murderess crazy lady who lives in the creepy castle on the hill who nobody likes. Of course she gets pissed and instead of taking out on the people who didn't invite her she condemns an infant to death when it gets to the age of peak angst, sixteen.

6) Fox and the Hound

This will not end well for me

This one start out bad and just gets worse, poor Tod's mom is offed within the first five minutes, but oh look he has been adopted by some nice old coot. He even makes a friend, how cute a fox and a hound playing together! But then the old coot abandons Tod a domesticated fox alone in the woods where he is unlikely to survive. Now Tod is down two moms and cold and alone.

7) The Lion King

Daddy?

Another movie starting with a happy family but along comes a grumpy younger brother wants the hypothetical throne and of course takes it out on not just the brother but the kid too. By trying to get him trampled by wilder-beasts he kills two lions with one gorge by pushing Mufassa of the cliff. To top of the sad cake we get to see Simba trying to nuzzle his father back to life.

8) The Hunch back of Notre Dame

Would you trust this man with a child?

The story starts with Quazi's mother is murdered right in front of him. He is nearly killed himself by being drowned in the well because of his disfigurement. He's only saved by a priest commanding his would be murderer to raise him as his own. Would you give a baby to someone who just tried to kill it? As a result Quazi lives a life of complete isolation and is in such desperation for company he imagines that the stone gargoyles are his friends.

9) Meet the Robinsons

And now to crush all of my dreams.

Brilliant little boy abandoned shortly after birth is constantly rejected by potential parents because of his eccentricity and inventive spirit. Wanting to see his biological mother he invents a memory reading device, only to have his chance to have a family foiled by a bitter old man.

10) Finding Nemo

One day all this will be gone.

Oh look! A little happy fish couple. Nothing can possibly go wrong here, and look all those little happy eggs. And here comes the shark, with the mommy fish sacrificing herself to save her family, which of course is totally in vain. The only thing left in the entire brood is one gimpy little egg with a crack that will one day turn into a gimpy fin.

Random Photodump.

2011-01-22T11:51:00.000-05:00

I troll the interwebs, and show you what makes me giggle.

For the love of tea.

2011-01-20T09:02:00.000-05:00

Ah snow how I love thee, you make all things possible, snowboarding, sledding, snowball fights, schooldays well after I've graduated high school. But oh how I hate you on garbage day, and for the past two weeks you have dumped an insane amount of snow upon the ground the day before, you Trixie weather phenomenon.

But I have the ultimate solution to your snowie menace, tea. Whenever I need to go out to do some brief task in the white stuff I let a tea pot of whether start to boil and as soon as its done, I brew the tea as I go out into the tundra of NH. That way by the time I get back I have a lovely cup of warm goodness to make it all worth it.

Little things people, they make my day awesome.

A Friendly Letter from a (Former) Toys R Us Employee.

2011-01-17T21:43:00.000-05:00

A Friendly Letter from a Toys R Us employee

To all customers of Toys R us,

A few “Friendly suggestions” to make life easier for us (and you)

1. Please for gods sake learn how to read. I don’t know what it is but apparently the moment one steps into a Toys R us all ability to read disappears. Why do people insist on asking where the bath room is when they are standing next to THE GIANT SIGN saying BATHROOMS

2. And on the subject of bathrooms, flush the toilet. Its not that hard people

3. When you see an associate wearing the toys R us shirt with a name tag, do not ask “do you work here?” honestly it is one of the most annoying things in the world. No we just all kidnapped the real employees and torture ourselves for eight hours at a time.

4. When a associate is showing you the way to an item, walk at a normal speed. I cannot tell you how irritating it is so have to stop and wait every 3 feet because you are walking like a little old lady with a peg leg.

5. When you have an item and at some point you realize that you don’t want it. Please either A. Put it back where you found it. Or B. find an employee and give it to them, either on the floor, or at checkout. DO NOT stash it somewhere, you are not being clever, we will find it, and it causes more work for us.

6. When you take a toy off the peg to look at it for the love of gods put it back you haven’t moved from the spot you were in, just lift your hand back up and put it back. Not on a peg near it, on the peg it came from.

7. We know the questions at check out are annoying, we say them 100 times a day, you only have to hear them once. Suck. It. Up.

8. Do not complain about lines that are more than 2 people long, we have to scan your items, ask you all the annoying questions, bag your useless purchase, and put them in your cart, and call down for pickups at the same time. It takes a little time. You were in the store for over an hour anyway, you can wait the extra 5 minutes.

9. If your child is screaming at the top of their lungs for 5 minutes or more, do not keep casually browsing the isles as if your child does not sound like a banshee from the seventh layer of hell. Get what you need and get out. If you need help ask. We will be happy to get the demon spawn out.

Camera in my Tummy

2010-11-28T12:09:00.000-05:00

As you all know my doctor is pretty sure that I have Celiac disease, which is a disorder which does not allow me to absorb gluten without it destroying my small intestines. To confirm this I needed to get an endoscopy, or to translate a tube with a camera attached to it is shoved down my throat and goes all the way down to my small intestines to take a look.

So basically for the day I was my own discovery channel special, pictures that I go to take home and all. Just getting there proved to be a little more than I was expecting.

From midnight the day before I was expressly forbidden from eating food or drinking water, and of course my procedure wasn't scheduled until almost noon so for me the hungry hungry hippo going twelve hours without food was not a happy thought. Thus as hungry as could be I arrived at the hospital with time to spare.

How silly it was of me to think that I could be prepped really quickly and be out by 12:30. I did get to wear the super sexy hospital gown which I'm sure was made to accommodate someone who is around 100 lbs over weight, which happily I am not, not so happily my tush was in constant danger of mooing the world and flashing them at the same time.

My problems as a patient were quickly overshadowed by the old lady one bed over who apparently caused detective mystery by eating a roast beef sandwich and be unable to remember exactly what day she had eaten it. Because I could overhear the entire thing I got to hear at least 3 different versions of the great roast beef story. Which was about the only thing keeping me entertained for the hour I was waiting to be prepped.

Thankfully my actual procedure went really well, the happy gas made me pass out almost immediately. And when I woke up around 2pm I finally got some food in me in the form of a gluten laden muffin. I'll get the results by next week and will keep you all posted on the gluten status.