Wizard Angst

I really want to update my blog.  However, things are preventing me from doing this:
1) My computer is kaput.  It has breathed it's last breath.  It is no more.
2) I can't buy a new computer because we bought new glasses, my car died and needed it's own computer, and then our water heater broke.  If none of these things had happened it still may not have been prudent to spend the money on a new computer but, seeing how they did, the point is moot. 
3) If (miraculously) I had an extra $700 for a computer I think I would have gone to Wrockstock instead.
4) That line of thinking just makes me want to lay in bed and cry because I miss my friends that live all over the USA and Wrockstock would have been my only chance to see them all together.

Since I don't simply want to write a blog reminiscent of my teenage angst years, I would like to refrain from going in depth on any of these topics. So....I'm out of ideas.  No blog.

I'll think of something sooner or later.  Eventually I'll get pictures off my camera and write about what I've been doing.  For now though, I'm just going to be sad and annoyed.

Sorry kids.

Faith in Humanity Restored

Yesterday, Sunday, Zack and I went out to run a few errands, nothing exciting just getting odds and ends.  On the way home I asked him if we could stop and check out a local park.  We've lived here for a year now and keep saying we should stop by, but just never did.  So, we drove around a bit, then parked and took a little walk around.
Now, I don't know if you are like me but the large majority of the time I'm pretty disenchanted with humanity.  No one is very polite anymore, cars cut you off every time you're on the road and just the general jackassery of people.  I know I complain about encounters out in the world a lot more than I say "what a lovely time I had at WalMart.".  Which makes me feel negative and I hate being "Negative Nelly" all the time. So, yesterday was exactly what I needed.
As Zack and I walked around the park we realized we were probably the only people there without kids.  There were pavilions full of birthday parties and family gatherings. Balloons were tied to the end of picnic tables, the smell of grilling hot dogs and hamburgers and the happy shrieks of children from the slides and swings filled the air.  We stopped on a little bridge overlooking a stream and as an elderly gentleman passed us he jokingly told us not to jump in (it was maybe a 5 foot drop into about 2 inches of water).  Further down the stream I could see older kids hopping across the stones.
We kept walking until we came to a little train that kids can ride as it's driven around a track.  On a bench near the train platform there was a family taking a picture.  Dad and his two young teenagers (son and daughter) sat while mom told them to smile.  They were all laughing and the dad kept poking or tickling the daughter so she couldn't sit still or stop laughing.  She kept jumping up and yelling "dad, stop it!" but you could tell they were all having a really good time.
I felt a little weird just standing and staring at this family, but it was just so fun to watch.  I was living vicariously through them for a few minutes.  Remembering the fun I had at our park with my family when I was young and wishing I had my own kids to make memories with.  It made me happy, nostalgic, sad and hopeful all at the same time.
On our way out of the park I saw a little boy fishing with his dad, little kids running from one plaything to the next and parents looking exhausted.  Regardless of how crappy things can be at times there really is so much happiness in simple things.  Beyond money woes, crappy jobs, or any other bad experiences sometimes you're just struck by how lovely life can be.  I really need to remember that more.

I'm back!

Whattup Bitches?!!!

Sorry for the profanity, but I'm in quite a good mood. After a while of being depressed (living in a cabin in the woods, being jobless, being poor, my car breaking down and just a series of unlucky occurrences) things are finally turning around. My car is finally fixed so I'm mobile once again and can continue my job search!
Also, I've finally finished making my blog pretty. Yes, it has taken me 3 months to do this. I have absolutely no creative talent for making webpages, layouts, blah, blah whatever. Therefore I have to rely on other people creating them and sharing them with me. I've finally found one that is simple yet colorful, which I think describes me pretty well. This makes me feel inspired. Inspiration makes me want to write things down and share them with the good folks of the interwebs. Hooray! 'Cause I know you missed me ;)

More to come, STAY TUNED!

How different is too different to be friends?

I need other people's opinions. Lately, I have been internally tormented. I've made new friends, whom I like very much, but we have some pretty big differences. I also have old friends and acquaintances whose status messages I can't help but notice. So, here is my question: how different is too different to be friends?
There are some people who the minute you meet them you learn things about them. Like when they say "let's get together Thursday because Wednesday I have Bible study." Others you notice on Facebook that they have written "What were they thinking passing that law in Maine?!" or it pops up in your feed that so-and-so "joined the group 'Pro-Life'." None of these things are bad, but let's take me for example (since I'm writing this and basing this on my own feelings).
Now that I have learned information that I didn't previously know about the other person, do I need to disclose information about myself? Is not doing so a lie of omission? I don't think that I should go writing on people's walls that it's completely ridiculous to take away a woman's right to choose what she can and can not do with her own body based on when you personally feel a mass of cells is given consciousness. I think I would feel awkward (not to mention rude) walking up to a person and saying "I happen to think that the Bible is a bunch of gibberish put together by Kings to conform the masses and impose their beliefs." Most people really don't want to hear that I am Pagan, but I also don't particularly need to know that you are Christian either. I've never had any problems with any religions as long as there is the fundamental belief to live and let live. That kindness and charity matter much more than which God you attribute your existence to. We are all here. The good, the bad and the ugly. Shouldn't it be more important to use the time we have on this earth to spread love, understanding and equality? Not segregate and scorn those who don't agree with us?
I realize that this is my personal space. I can write my own feelings and beliefs here and hope for support. That is one amazing thing about the internet. You have your own personal space too, and I would never encroach upon your right to say what you feel. But my original question stands, can we be friends? Can I accept that you will always think same sex couples are wrong? Can we coexist when you think that I am a heretic and destined to burn for all eternity? What are the deal-breakers of friendship?

FML on St. Patrick's Day

Today is St. Patrick's Day. This is usually a pretty fun day. This year Zack and I were going to be low-key. The plan was: go to McDonald's and get dinner and a shamrock shake, stop at the beer distributor and pick up some Guinness, pick up a few random things at Walmart, go home, watch a movie and drink the Guinness.
Here is what actually happened: go to McDonald's and they are out of shamrock shakes, pull into the beer distributor and see that they close at 6 on Tuesdays (it is 6:10), lady comes and opens the door to the beer distributor and asks what we need (woohoo!), she tells us they are all out of Guinness.
Seriously.
FML

My fleeting youth...

Most anyone who reads this knows that I had a birthday this past Sunday. I need to actually write about the trip Zack and I took to Baltimore last week, which was our big Valentines Day/birthday event. However, laziness and valentine candy sugar shock have not yet worn off. I'll try to get around to that soon.
In the meantime, I wanted to share my birthday with all of you.

We ended up going to the grocery store and I saw these and thought, hey birthday cake! I'm not a big fan of cake, and I actually only ate 2 of these before we threw them away. They were $1.84 (leftover valentine's day sale).
Zack sang to me and I posed with tiny cupcake.

Zack couldn't work the camera and it made me laugh.

Then I realized I was getting older and was sad (also, Zack yelled at me for laughing at his camera skills).

So I made a wish and blew out my candle.

Then smiled and posed again in hopes my wish would come true. It did not. I bought myself a present, a $2 scratch lottery card. I hoped I'd win back my $2 and feel like I'd had fun and not just wasted money, but alas, nope. The lottery gods hate me.

Oh well, I bought enough post-Valentine's Day candy to make me feel better about it.

Just to let you know my pretty red sweater was a present from my mom :) and possibly Dad, I just assume clothing is picked out by my mom. Thanks Mom & Dad!!

Weekend in Philly

The third weekend in January I had planned on my friend, Dawn, to come visit me in my little cabin. When I hadn't heard from her I wasn't all that surprised. She called me on Thursday to ask if we'd like to completely change our plans and invited Zack and I to Philadelphia. Her fiance, Jason, had an extra ticket to the Metallica concert. Pretty freaking awesome. So we packed ourselves and dogs and headed to Conshohocken.
The plan was to go to Dawn's apartment, hang out for a bit, then the boys would go pre-concert and Dawn and I would go to Sarah's place. This did not happen.
When Zack and I arrived at Dawn's there was lots of yelling. Dawn had apparently misplaced her engagement ring. Since someone I know recently lost their wedding ring...i knew how she felt, but also was pretty sure it was somewhere in her apartment. Jason was not so sure and was pretty angry.
Dawn and I decided to drive out and retrace her steps from the day before. This involved going to an ATM (we were also looking for her debit card that she could not locate) and a goodwill donation box outside a dry cleaners. We called the number on the donation box and they said when they came to empty the box they would call Dawn. She would be able to come up and rummage through things to see if it was in there.
We headed back to her apartment to keep looking there. The boys left soon after we got back. We called Sarah and explained that we couldn't come over because we had to search the apartment. Sarah decided to come to Dawn's instead.
More looking, more looking, Dawn's freaking, Johnny Ohio is watching TV. Finally, I am about to ask Dawn if she looked in the pants she was wearing yesterday when for whatever reason she sticks her hands in her back pockets. She looks over at me with this weird combination of terror and joy and pulls from her back pocket...her engagement ring!
If you have ever met Dawn, this is really not at all surprising. So we laughed, then ordered Chinese food and watched Juno with Johnny Ohio. Sarah came over for a bit before heading to another friend's birthday party. Later Dawn and I went to a super cute little bar for martini's and girl talk.
The next morning we ate breakfast together and then Zack and I headed home before anything froze in the cabin. It was unbelievably cold that weekend, mostly in the teens, but colder with windchill.
It ended up being a very fun, very Dawn weekend.

Nature, up close and personal

Four of the deer that were in my yard yesterday. There were three more, but they were all behind trees and stuff. They just grazed and hung out for like 40 minutes. This is life in the woods I guess.

My Yule Ball Experience: The Crystal Ball

So for those who know, I am a member of the Harry Potter fan community. For those who may not have known, well, I just outed myself so there you go. At the beginning of January I traveled to Pittsburgh for a Harry Potter/wizard rock filled weekend.
Thursday, January 8th, I went to Rose's house for a wizard rock jamboree with the members of PAW (Pittsburgh Area Wizards), Matt (The Whomping Willows), Justin (Justin Finch Fletchley and the Sugar Quills) and their friend/merch girl Sam. The house show was pretty laid back. The guys sat on the couch and played accoustic. It was a tiny bit cramped and there were cats bent on sabotage or joining in the fun, I'm not sure which.
Afterwards we went to Freya's place. She made food and got an awesome cake because at midnight it would be Matt's 30th birthday! He was a little sad, but I think being at Freya's made it ok, because how can anyone be sad at Freya's? Well, if you haven't been there before, you can't be sad there. The food is insanely good (JP baked bread!), JP makes super fun drinks and you just can't beat the company ;)
Friday Freya picked me up and we went to get Rose. After stuffing pillows, sleeping bags, suitcases and formal dresses into the car we were off to Loudonville, Ohio, aka middle of nowhere! We were warned by both Freya's parents and my own that there was a bad snow storm and we were headed right into it. Informed, but not deterred, we set off.
The drive was actually not that bad until we got to what should have been about 30-45 minutes away from our hotel. The snow really started to come down then and we sat in traffic and snow for close to an hour.
Once we got to the dirt road that was going to take us to our hotel, we hit problems. Of course the dirt road was covered in multiple inches of snow. Being sensible people we took it very slow. Regardless of how careful we were, driving on a windy dirt road, covered in ice, covered in snow is kinda scary and dangerous. As we drove around the base of the mountain next to a rather large creek, we came around a corner and had to slam on the brakes. We slid a little bit and stopped just before hitting a) the side of the hill and b) the ditch on the side of the road. In front of us was a fire truck (stuck in the ditch) and very intelligent firemen who were all standing in the road. An officer of some sort came over to us and told us we had to turn around. Freya panicked a tiny bit at the thought of turning around in her standard on a narrow slippery road. We asked if we would be able to get around, or how long it would take to get the fire truck out of the ditch. After a very comforting chortle from the officer he told us no, we had to turn around. Apparently in front of the firetruck was an ambulance because a car had flipped off the road and was upside down in the creek! Now completely terrified (not to mention very very late) Freya got us turned around and the officer gave us new directions to our hotel. So, we needed to go out of the way, but it was still possible to make it to our dance! Silver lining!

More harrowing driving ensued. We barely made it up hills, we needed to back up several times to get enough momentum to carry us over. We slid down hills and around bends. We nearly drove into another car. It was stuck in a ditch and I got out and helped push (yay me!). Finally we get to our hotel (the term 'hotel' is used loosely here). They did not accept credit cards so we went in, paid in cash and got a key (like, an actual metal key). Then the guy tells us "Ok, so to get to your room go back out the driveway, turn left and go up that hill." To which Freya replies "you mean the hill we just came down?" and we all thought "and watched another car slide down and off the road? The one we won't be able to drive up?!" Guy says, "Yeah, don't worry if you get stuck someone will help you." I really thought Freya was going to lose it here, but she kept it together, got us back down the driveway and we tackled the hill.
After one or two tries and all of our growing worry and aggravation I asked if anyone would be opposed to getting ready in a bathroom at the dance. We agreed to deal with our hotel later, and head off to Landoll's. We got there after a little more sliding, a lot more stress and as we pulled into the only parking spot left (the handicapped space) we took a minute to collect ourselves. None of us wanted to go back on those roads, or get back in the car after six hours of driving. We went in and asked if there were any rooms available at the hotel (damn the cost!) but no, there weren't. Then at the prospect of having to deal with all of this again in just a few hours, Freya cried.
We decided to venture down to the event center and sign in before getting changed. We were supposed to do that by 7 and it was then 7. As soon as we walked in we saw our wonderful wizard rock friends, Matt and Justin. They asked if we got there ok, Freya began to cry again and walked outside. They both turned and looked at me and I explained what all had happened. Beth (the girl checking us in) overheard and informed me "Oh yeah, that overturned car was our friend Squibgirl, her husband and another friend." Apparently, they were all ok and would be at the dance soon. I felt very stupid complaining about our trip after that.
Matt went out to comfort Freya, and Justin asked if we would like to get ready in their room. We graciously agreed. A few minutes later Justin was walking us to our car to get our things and informed us that we were not allowed to go back to our hotel, get our stuff we were staying in
their suite. I hadn't noticed his wings and halo before, but yep, there they were.
We got ready in their sweet with a heated bathroom floor (so perfect because all of our feet were frozen), and the three Cinderella's finally made it to the ball. We drank, ate, drank, danced and drank some more. We met lots of cool people and after the dance got changed and went to the pool. We hung out there, drank some more, and Freya jumped into the pool with my old prom dress. All of the previous worries were erased and we got to just enjoy a wonderful night with new and old friends.
Stay tuned for more adventures in Ohio!

If you would like to see more photos, but aren't on facebook, follow this link to see more of our shenanigans!

New Years Resolution

Well, I haven't been very good about keeping my blog updated. New Years Resolution: I'm going to try and be better about that. I'm sure all four of you who read this have been getting very worried and wonder what is happening in my life. So, I am going to skip December but recap on January and then try very hard to keep anyone who cares up to date.

Here we go:

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!