Something New in the Mix!!!

Just Another 20 something here.... and I'm making a change! Its been a long while since my last post, so as you can tell i was not necessarily busy with a job. but i am working towards getting back to school. Looking into getting my MA but who the hell knows these days.

I have been doing ALOT of reading on my kindle! i know I'm lame, but i love it! i have found some amazing indie writers that keep me inspired and constantly reading. Which I'm sure Mr. Man would tell you is the most annoying thing ever, but today i decided that i am going to start using this blog as a place to review and pass on all my opinions on books I'm reading.

i figure why not?!?!?! i read 6 books a week usually so why not share them with all of you... so Tomorrow will be my First Review EVER! LOL so be nice but it will be a learning experience for everyone!!!

Tomorrow I'm going to review Switched By Amanda Hocking here's so info on Amanda from her blog:

I live in Minnesota, and even though I hated it a lot growing up, I really love it here now. (Ask me again when its twenty below and I'm scraping ice off my windshield, and I might answer different.)

When I was in grade school and we had to do reports on things, I always picked the more obscure subject. For animals, I picked the okapi and the narwhal, and when I did a report on countries, I picked Luxembourg. I know lots and lots of trivia about lots and lots of pointless things.

This book is the first book in her Trylle Trilogy the second comes out sometime this month. She is also known for her My Blood Approves series, Hollowland and her newest Honalee.

Here's some back ground on Switched at the Trylee series from Amanda's Blog:

When Wendy Everly was six years old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until eleven years later that Wendy discovers her mother might have been right.

With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed - a world both beautiful and frightening, and Wendy's not sure she wants to be a part of it.

Well i will see you all tomorrow and today im going to leave you with a quote i read today from Kait Nolan on Amanda Hocking's Blog about being and indie writer in this ocean of publishing. "passion isn’t everything, that we’ve gotta devote time to honing our craft"--Kait Nolan

Support your local Community Coffee shop

Just Another 20 Something here... talking about supporting your community. Maybe its just the way i was raised, but i LOVE community coffee shops and stores!!! they make me feel a connection to the place im living. OC is so damn crowded that community stores and shops close quickly due to lack of service. This week i got lucky enough to have one of my wonderful friends visiting me on the surface of the sun. We planned to get up early and to find a coffee shop that we can both hang out at while her and her boyfriends study (the are both taking the bar in July, So they are superrrr busy studing their butts off).

A couple of weeks back while Mr. Man and I were driving around we found old town glendale. its a great street that totally reminds me of home. It looks just like Downtown Fullerton!!! The community coffee shop that we found is right in that area! its a great place made from an old 1920's bungalow home! it creaks when you walk and you can smell the history in this place! AHHH hippes you make me happy!!!

So now i sit her sipping on my Carmel Macchiato look at the great day threw the old glass windows. i forget how much i enjoy getting out of the house and coming to a community shop like this. not only does it stimulate the local economy it also encourages other people to be willing to open up community stores instead of a chain brand. These stores bring flavor and personality to a street and community. They attract new and different people. This shop also has music events!! i miss this kind of coffee shop!! DC had them all over the place, and brings me back to my great days of college LoL!!!

Today i leave you with the thought of community stores. Do you have any in your local Community? what makes them unique? do you protest community stores and stay with chains? what could you do to help simulate the local economy in you neighborhood

"Every single American has the power to stimulate their local economies: not by spending more, but by supporting local businesses. In economic theory, more local spending translates into less "leakage". This means a greater percent of the money spent actually stays and circulates within the region, supporting more employment, investment, goods and services. Local spending leads to economic multipliers that strengthen the regional economy." -Jeanine Pfeiffer from "Eco-patriotism and Stimulating your local economy!!

Be who YOU are

Just Another 20 Something here.. talking about social issues of our day. So this morning i woke up to a video on Perezhilton.com with laura bush stating her views on gay rights and abortion. Being so far left that sometimes its hard for me to see the other side it was nice to see that! LoL i guess i should say im not a complete and crazy left'er. i have a lot of conservative ideas also, but i tend to lean left on all issues when it comes to the social aspects of our society.

After posting the link to the video on my facebook, i realized that maybe that was not the smartest thing to do. Most of Mr. Mans family are religious and these are two issues where i am probably a lone wolf LoL! shortly after posting the link there was a comment from his cousin. She is a very intelligent women who home schools her children. obviously i believe she is a great women and is extremely intelligent, but we have COMPLETELY different views on life. My life is something i chose to make as an individual decision while hers are affected by her religion. obviously we will never have the same view so debating does nothing to that fact, but sometimes its nice to have a mature debate with someone.

We debated back and forth, like i tend to do with everyone in my life, and i realized something... although our views on social issues differ i enjoy being a person that is able to discuss social issues. i enjoy being able to get my point across maturely and intelligently. i hope to all hell that i did not offend her or cause her to have any negative feeling toward me.

My parents and friends will tell you the same thing. i have always had these views. i was 6 when my uncle died of aids and i found out what it meant to be gay. Even to a 6 yr old it did not make sense to me why someone would judge another person on their sexual preference. that set up YEARS of me telling people they were wrong for make snap decision on someone else's life. with my years of mature since then i have begun to let go of it. i cant change other peoples views nor should i, we all have the right to have the decision. its wither we let those views divide us that really matters. Most of my friends are not leftys like me and most of them are republicans. and i will never let my opinions come between our friendships and relationships.

i leave you today with the thought about what makes you have your political views? is it your parents? your life experience? or is just you?

"A Conservative is a Man with two perfectly good legs, who, however, has never learned to walk forward."- FDR ( god i love his quotes)

What 1 teacher can do...

Just Another 20 Something here... thinking about education. In high school i was a low to average level student. i never truly applied myself, and i NEVER did homework. i was kicked out of Sunny Hills in 2000 for lack of credits (or because i didn't make the grades they wanted). when i was kicked out i was in a very strange point in my life. I was hanging with the wrong crowd, i had started to use drugs, and i was severely depressed. I was making a lot of the wrong choices in my life. that is until i got into La Vista.

La Vista was a whole different ball game! the students were there because they wanted to be instead of because you had to. No on forced you to do homework, actually homework was a privilege in that school. The teachers and the administration REALLY CARED about its students and wanted them to succeed. Most of us were the black sheep of our schools, but here they made us feel welcome. i was lucky enough to find some great friends and my amazing boyfriend while i was there. I also found the best teacher i have ever had the pleasure of being in her class. Mrs. Rafferty!

She was one of the English teachers, and she truly affected my life!!! i was in a very unstable section of my life and she brought balance to it. My first day there she looked at me and asked me what i was doing here. i didn't know how to answer the question, Lazy, bored, the school hated me? She looked me dead in the eyes and told me... Katie you will succeed!! i didn't think that would affect me much, but it did. Mrs. Raff helped me become a good student and encouraged me to succeed in my life!!

She also introduced me to Mr. Man! i will always remember this story! its was a day close to the end of the year, and most of us were finishing up all of our work. Mr. Man sat in front of me in Raff's class, and I would do ANYTHING to talk to him (he use to barrow my purple pen, i made sure to ALWAYS have one). One day he turned around and we started chatting. Next thing i knew Raff was right there behind us. We figured she was going to nag us for talking, but being the great teacher she is. she surprised us both! She stopped, turned and said to Mr. Man, "Corey, you don't have a girlfriend anymore do you?" he answered "No" then she turned to me and said "Katie, you don't have a boyfriend either?" i returned "No" i could feel my face turn a shade of red to a shade of purple. "Oh, well then you go ahead and keep talking." She just smiled laughed and turned around.

I swear i thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest! i was extremely embarrassed, but now i will one day get to tell my kids the story of how we met, and how that may not have happened without the help of Mrs. Raff. Yesterday i found Mrs. Rafferty on FB Thanks to another one of my other favorite teachers Mrs. KO who is retiring this year! ( KO you have made a generation of kids who love drama and art and a women that speaks her own, We love you too) I got to finally write her the letter that i have been saving for years!

I got to tell her how much she truly affected my life and that i don't know if i would have made it to junior college let alone American University! i also got to invite her to my wedding which never would have happened if it wasn't for her!!! She said shes coming!!! so that was a great moment for me!

Today i leave you with a thought about teachers. Did you have a teacher that made a difference in your life? how would your life have changed if they weren't involved in it? What did they teach you and do you think it still has an effect on your life now?

"The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau , Sometimes poking you with the sharp stick called 'truth'" -- Dan Rather

Arizona could you promptly pull you head out of your ASS please

Just Another 20 Something here... thinking about the elections this year. So, i live in phoenix aka the surface of the sun, but since moving here they have really changed things. With the on-slot of the immigration bill here things have started to hit the fan!!! People here cant figure out what they want for their state! the state is in a deep financial crisis, and the unemployment rate is at 9.1% according to CNN news. With all of these things coming into play in the state, the officials decided that the immigration bill need to be taken into affect. Not to sound like a realist or anything, but the economy here wont survive without the illegals.

i know they are illegal, but they do the jobs that none of us want to do. i am part of the 9.1% in arizona that don't have a job, but i can tell you that if you got rid of all the illegals in AZ the jobs that would be available i would not want!! i don't want to clean hotel rooms or cook at jack in the box! i'm not trying to berate them, but their jobs are the bottom of the barrel and they work HARD! harder than i do just to make a dollar! Harder than most of us do, and they deserve the credit for that. The culture and values are important to them and hard work is engrained in their hearts!!

I agree that something needs to be done about the amount that are coming in, but i have friends that have been living in this country for most of their lives, they don't speak spanish, and they have never visited mexico but they are illegal. That means if they get busted and get deported they will be going to a country where they don't speak the language and don't know anyone there! how is that fair? i know their parents did not make the right decision to come here illegal, but if we hadn't made it close to impossible to be here legally than maybe they would have!!

i DO NOT support the 1070 immigration bill. i believe that it gives the police more reason to pull anyone over in AZ just because they look latino. THAT IS OUTRAGEOUS! AZ already has too many laws that are taken out of context and many that are way past their time. The laws here are outdated and unrealistic. its ok to ride your motorcycle without a helmet or have a concealed weapon in you vehicle, but if your have a speck of marijuana or look mexican you will be taken to jail!!! the fine here for ANY marijuana or paraphernalia will run around $5,000 and it is a FELONY! a FELONY for a lil bit of pot! GET OVER YOURSELF AZ!

Today i leave you with a thought about your state... what are the laws in your state regarding immigration? what do you think about 1070? do you agree with racial profiling? do you think the bill will really cause racial profiling? I hope that our childrens future is better than ours, and that we don't create a world for them where they have to worry that big brother is going to come get them just for being themselves!

"Remember, and Remember always, that all of us, and you and I especially, are decedents or immigration and revolutionist ." - FDR (even though he had a very different view of immigration he still believed that it was part of american society!)

what do you want for your children

Just Another 20 Something Here... Thinking about what it takes to be a parent. as any 20 something can tell you, once your friends and family start having kids you notice how people parent. I always make decision on watching others, maybe thats just me. but in my head im always watching and deciding if i want to do that with my kids. I learn from other in most things in my life so its only natural i do it with this step. alot of the time i watch and see what i want to be with my kids! i see how happy my friends are with their kids, and how everything is just more exciting.

This starts to get me thinking on how i was parented. There are alot of things that i would want to change, but i think thats just part of every child parent relationship. My parents took an interested in me and that made me a better person in-turn. I also look into how Mr. Man was raised. i see how not having a great female role model in his life as affected the way he views women. The only women who was suppose to always be there for him NEVER WAS! it makes me sick! and really its none of my business because he doesn't let it affect him as a person, but as a women its hard not to have an opinion.

How could you just forget about your first born child! i dont understand it, and it kills me to know that the only positive female role model hes ever had has been me. im not trying to be a snot about it, but its true. it makes me want to be a better women for him. to show him how a real women behaves, and that a real women that will never leave him! Mr Mans dad and grandfather have really been all he has had. Mr Mans dad has had his own share of problems, but no matter what he was always there for him. and His grandfather made him the jokester that he is. i value the things they taught him, but we both know that we want something different that what we had.

Its not that our lives were bad or that we dont love where we came from. i think its just part of growing up that you reflect on your past and plan for your future. It makes me look back and feel really lucky to have had such a great family. We have our share of kookiness like any family does. in fact i dont think its family unless its a lil kooky!! i can only hope that i provide my kids with a great family environment like i had.

Today i leave you with the thought about your paretns. Did the way you were raised influence the you want to raise your kids? What would you change? what would you keep? Whats the most important part of being a parent?

"Before i got married i had six theories about raising children, now i have six children and NO theories" - John Wilmont

I'm 26... WTF happened to the past 10 years!

Just Another 20 Something here... thinking about being another year older! Cue the death march music!!! im old! tomorrow i will be 26! 26!!!! o god can you believe it! i cant sometimes. so today i woke up thinking about what has happened in my life in the past 26 years. Well as of May 7th i will officially have had my licence for 10 years. yes after 10 years i still remember the day i got my license. it was the first day of my freedom =). i remember driving my awesome convert able to school that first day. how proud i was to come in and park my car in the parking lot! AHH Pedro! for those who don't remember my car in high school let me clue you in.

Yes i was a lil brat! i had a black 98 VW Cabrio. ahh man it was the car o my life. i had zebra seat covers and EVERY other car accessory that came in zebra. i drove that car into the DIRT! i put 15,000 miles on it in a summer! as soon as those keys got in my hand it was like i had my own place. in high school i lived 35 min away from my high school, so until then i relied heavily on my brother, mom, and grandma to drive me everywhere. That year was also the first year i ditched, stayed out late, went to a rave and found my amazing group of friends!

10 years ago my life changed forever! Sweet 16 is a big year for everyone, but my friends and I made the most out of that year! it was a first of everything for people! i cant believe its been ten years already! i remember looking back at being 16 and saying WOW dude in 10 years we will be 26" OH GOD! i am 26 now. i do have to say though that i wont change a thing of what i have experienced in my life since i was 16.

Every piece of my life has changed and molded me into the person i am today because of those experiences. i learned how to be an adult. i learned how to love myself for who i am. i learned how to lie. i learned how to not lie (i was a HUGE storyteller in high school, yes, its my cross to bare) i learned how to be a good friend and not a frenemy. i learned how to love my parents for who they are and know that they are not perfect creatures. i learned how to be a good daughter, sister, friend, partner. i learned how important an educations is. learned how unimportant an education can be in the real world. i learned to be an adult in a world that keeps pushing me back in adolescence.

WoW i guess when you think about it i really have learned a lot in the past 10 years. put as i get a year older i think about my goals from 10 years ago. have i met them? do i still want any of them? i don't think i had goals that were real 10 years ago. no w i come up with one every five minutes. My question for you today is... what were your goals 10 years ago? do you still want them? can you believe that you is what you wanted? As another year passes i can say that I'm so glad to have taken the road that i have taken. it may have been bumpy, crazy, and full of forks, but it leads me to my future. if this is what the past 10 years have been full of i cant wait to see what is coming on the path! ( HAWAII, HAWAII, HAWAII)

"We turn not older with years, but newer every day" -Emily Dickinson

Lazy Post for a busy saturday afternoon

Just Another 20 Something here... being lazy with todays post! I got up went to the farmers market (which i didnt find) and shopped for some great veggies at sprouts. now im off to clean and do laudry so i leave you with a lazy post survey:

Five names you go by:
1. KTB
2. Katie
3. KTB from OC/DC/AZ
4. Bitchy (dont ask)
5. Kate

Three things you are wearing right now...not necessarily in any order
1. new socks =)
2. jeans
3. my purple plumeria earrings from hawaii

Two things you want very badly at the moment.
1. To be in hawaii
2. to have a job!!!

Two people you know that will do this.
Seeing as though i stole this from Andi from over a year ago... i dont think anyone will do it! LoL

Two things you did last night:
1. Made Shephards Pie for the first time
2. baked cupcakes for my cupcake

Two things you ate today
1. My Starbucks
2. samples at sprouts

Two people you last talked to on the phone
1. Corey
2. My dad

Two things you are going to do tomorrow
1. Clean the house!!!!
2. go to the street fair by coreys school

Three of your favorite beverages
1. Quad venti iced carmel Machiatto with EXTRA EXTRA ice
2. ice cold sprite
3. anything with coffee or soda as corey says


"The national addiction: Warmth on a chilly night, Innocence on Saturday afternoons, The essence of health, home and blissful abandon." -Patricia Linden

Just Another 20 Something Here... being wrapped up in my Kauai dream today! i woke up to a partly cloudy day. the kind of day where the sun breaks threw the puffs of clouds and shines down on the dry desert ground. It reminded me of how thats like everyday in kauai except the ground is full of different tropical plants and flowers instead of the dry cracked desert ground. i love hawaii, or kauai cause i have never been to any other island. Its not just the amazing tropical views or the crystal clear water. Its the ambiance.

the people on the island have this new view of the way life should be lived. Enjoy the people and place around you, instead on focusing on the money grupping society that we live in. Maybe its just because i was born in Orange County, but i want to raise my kids in a place where community and family is more important than money and a false sense of supremacy.

I want my kids to be raised in a place of beauty instead of a suburban nightmare. Not that i dont value the fact that i was born in OC. There are a lot more place where life would have sucked to be raised, but i feel like OC breads kids with a false sense of entitlement. They think just because your parents have all this stuff that your entitled to have it to! i want my kids to look at how lucky they are to be raised in a community where they value them and that they value the earth and the environment they are so lucky to be in.

I leave you today with the thought of does where you were raised influence your values? does it effect how you look at society? does the environment its self effect your outlook on life? Look at where you were from and understand how it has guided your life like a stream to what your core value are.


"'Ike aku, 'ike mai, kokua aku kokua mai; pela iho la ka nohana 'ohana"- Hawaiian Proverb meaning Recognize others, be recognized, help others, be helped; such is a family relationship. Many native Hawaiians live with their extended family and family is the most important part of life for them. This saying teaches why they should put family first...In the Ohana or family, you know others and they know you, you help others and know you will be helped if there is anything you need.

Whats Love got to do with it

Just Another 20 Something here.... getting use to being home again! So im home... back in the AZ! i got home yesterday after a nice long vacay with my family and friends! its so nice to come home to a clean house and a great man! The house is clean the dogs are done and all i have to do it relax and unpack! i love being home with Mr. Man! hes like my other half, and when im at all these family functions its like im missing something.

I miss him when im gone, but its not like i cant live with out him. Its more like i enjoy my life more when hes around! he keeps me from being too serious or too much of a brat. plus he keeps me clean LoL! the best thing about our relationship is that i can tell him anything and he wont judge me. even if its not a good thing or if he doesnt agree with me! its nice to know that there is someone in this world that cares about my opinion and wants to know how i feel.

Ok yes i am a SAP! i have always been, but sometimes you just feel so lucky to be the person that this guy chose. yes its been a long time since then, but it still makes me feel GREAT that out of all the girls in the world... he chose me! we have had bad times and great times in our relationship... like all relationships, but today i wake up and thank the broken road that lead me to him. LoL!

growing up is hard to do, but it makes it easier when there is a person by your side that is ready to make their life with you. i just look into the future and i am so excited to start a family and life with this person! i know we will be great parents and i know we have a lot of the same values (even though we were raised in two different generations of parents).

So today i leave you with the thought of... think how your life would be different if there wasnt this person in your life. it doesnt matter if they are romantically involved with you or not... it could be your best firend in the world. but remember how they stand at your side and help you guide your life in the most positive of ways!

"There is no feeling more comforting or consoling than knowing you are right next to the one you love." - Anonymous

Home, Friends and Family!!!

Just Another 20 Something here... thinking about being home! So, i finally made it out to cali to see the family. It was great! i love my family even if they piss me off at times, but its kind of nice to have a kooky family! at least i know that they will always support me! i have been home for the past 5 days so i havent been writing because i havent had a computer, but now the house is quite and everyone is asleep (yes its 9:30 and everyones asleep...weird right! LoL!).

Family is a great thing... they can also be a nusence! but it is important to realize how great they are! they have guided me and helped me become the mature women that i am. of course we never have the same idea about something or never agree! i noticed this while argueing with my dad about politics. I cant stand most of his ideas, and i know that mine drive him up the wall. but in the end at least i can voice my opinion and he listens to me! wither he believes me or not is not the point. its the fact the he listens!

im like any girl, if you listen to me im happy! my dad and me had a tough time for awhile (mostly on my account cause girls SUCK from about 12-22), but once he learned that when im screaming at you it means that i care the most! i only scream cause i want my point across, but if you listen you hear that thats all i need! Sometimes listening is the best thing you can do for someone you love. Guidence isnt always the key... it the fact that you listen to what they are saying. We dont always want to be told what to do... we just want an ear.

My friends are great at that!Although they are always the first to tell me what i dont want to hear! LoL! they are also the best people to listen to me. They hear what i have to say and dont judge me for some of my crazy outburst or outlandish opinions!

As i get ready for bed the thought i have for all of you is... Why do friends and family upset us? is it just because we love them so much? or is it that its fate... if you didnt care so much about what they think they wouldnt be your loved ones!

"God Bless the Broken Road that lead me here to you!" -Rascal Flatts

Into the Future we march...

Just Another 20 Something Here… Stressing about growing up. So we found out today that another one of our friends is having a baby again! JEEEZZZZ! Its like growing up is just hitting us within a year period! All around me life is growing up. My best friends are all graduating within the next month, which means were really grown-ups now. My brother and cousin got married this year. My other best friend got married and had a baby this year. Another best friend is going to have a baby by the end of the year. I don’t know if can keep up with all this LoL!

Friendships change throughout a lifetime, and I know that for sure (seeing as though I have had some of my friends 20+ years). And now they are all about to change again. I am going from being the party friend to the one you trust babysitting or the one that is the maid of honor or the one who helped me get a job. Its no longer, “meet my friend Blah Blah , she’s the one who got in trouble with me for sneaking into that bar.” Its, “Meet my friend, the I told you that has 2 great kids.” Its just so weird to grow up and watch my friends turn into mature professional adults. =)

I’m so proud of all of them though, these days not many girls can say they have been friends as long as us! When one stage ends in our lives we find a new way to relate to each other. I’m really lucky to have found such great friends at such a young age! And as we all take this next step into the future the one thing that comforts me is the fact that I know, NO MATTER where we go or what we become. We will always be friends! I will always have my friends to call at 2 AM when I don’t know what to do. I will always have my friends to give me advise on how to get gum out my kids hair, or end up getting a ticket and need my lawyer… you know who you are! LoL

So, today I end my blog with simply… Look at the people around you and value their friendships. Think how different your life would have been with out their time in it. Wither your still friends or cant stand each other… just remember how much they have impacted your life!

Sunday Funday goal manifest

Just Another 20 Something here... I had a conversation with my dad this weekend about my blog. He suggested something that I am going to try out this week. I am going to start on Sunday and outline my goals for the week. I will continue to discuss how im achieving those goals and when I complete them throughout the week. So lets try it out, and see if It gets me anywhere. These are the goals for my week.

1. Send out 25-30 resumes this week
2. Visit 5 different WiFi spots in the area while looking for place with openings
3. Get up before 9 AM every weekday
4. Get threw 3 Chapters of the GRE book (outlines, cards, and test!)
5. Try 2 new recipes… Something other than chicken stips!
6. Take a hike threw a canyon this weekend

I have decided that im going to do three personal goals and three professional goals each week. This will keep not only my mind but my body moving in the direction I want to be headed. I am shooting for 3 chapters of my GRE book each week. That way I can study new subjects, but also continue to study the material so I get a grasp of what they are TRYING to say.

I say that because the GRE books SUCK! They really are not that helpful , but I feel that they can help me try to break through the bullshit. I have also started looking into new programs at schools in cali.

My original goal was to take the GMAT and get into an MBA program, but I have recently been looking into a credential program for education. Im really not that sure what I want to teach, but I really like kids and would love to work with them.

I think I would like elementary education, but im not sure what that would take with the BA that I have. O, how I love being in a quarter life crisis…..

What do you think? Are my goals on track? Any ideas about how could get a masters in elementary education?

Its in the WATER.... DAMN IT!

Just Another 20 Something here... talking about growing up. Maybe its spring time, maybe its just part of growing up, or maybe its in the water but it seems like everyone i have ever known is either getting married or having babies. JEEZ! Every morning i wake up and check my facebook and for the past week everyday i have found a new person either preggo, engaged, or just married! YIKES! when did we get so old? LoL! but it leaves me sitting here thinking about my own wedding. although i am not technecally engaged just yet that hasent stopped me from starting to plan the whole event. Heres what i have been coming up with:

My ring... yes im that crazy that i have actually picked out the ring that i want. its not traditional because I dont really like the traditional engagement ring.(im not really a jewelery wearer either) i chose an ametthyst because they are a stone of the mind, and they help bring clarity and calmness where there is anxiety and confusion. they are also a symbol for the piecies which is Mr. Mans sign.


The color scheme: Chartreuse and deep purple


I love purple and Corey loves green so it goes without saying these have been our colors for years. Once again, im not engaged but yes i have picked out the date of our wedding... we both agreed a long time ago. Our wedding date will be Novermber 20, 2011. We chose this date because it will be our 10 year anniversary and in numeriology it equals 8 which is a sympol of forever. Plus its Mr. Mans favorite number. i started to look at invatations and this is what i really like so far:




and this is what im thinking as our engagement and save the date photos.... mostly because you can do it yourself and save money!


My wedding party will be dressed in the same color scheme of course, but i really like the idea of separates or individual dresses. i want them to have the same colors but i want them to pick the dress that they think will fit them best. NOW of course these bitches cant be showing off their booty and boobs in the dresses cause its about ME LoL but i want them to be comfortable all night! i am going to have a rather large wedding party because i have TOO many great friends LoL! but i was thinking about splitting up the colors. half green half purple, but im having a REALLY REALLY hard time finding the right color of green dresses that aren't an arm and a leg! im trying to be a reasonable briedzilla and know that im not going to make them buy a $500 dress they will never wear again. heres what i have been looking at:


























































The venue... well i really would like to get married at home in OC. Just because that is where we were born and raised. i always had a dream of getting married in this church:

but Mr. Man will not get married in a church which i understand because neither one of us are religious and either are our immediate families. i have been look at Strawberry Farms Golf Course recently in Irvine... i love the look of the barn for the reception but i dont really love their ceremony sites.












Finally my dress... i love the traditional A line wedding dress. just because it makes someone of my size and stature look great! so i have been looking at these dresses but i havent even gone to look at them so who knows what i will chose!


















I love weddings and i cant wait to go to more in the next coming years... and i cant wait to be able to really plan my own! hopefully Mr Man will get his act together and put a ring on it! LOL! i mean i did catch the bouquet at my brothers wedding LoL!

Well Happy Friday everyone... hope you weekend goes well and the rain stays away!

Are you gonna pay my BILLS...

Just Anther 20 Something here…. Thinking about BILLS! The death of our existence! I should be in Cali right now enjoying some quality time with my family, but DAMN those bills! It turns out I just don’t have the cash to get to cali right now! It makes me so mad, but what else am I suppose to do they gotta get paid right? So what is it about bills that can just ruin your day?

I can’t tell you how many of my friends are dealing with the same stuff. American University is an EXPENSIVE school, and 90% of us had to take out student loans! I have more than 3 friends that are over $100,000 in debt due to school. SCHOOL! Isnt school suppose to make it easier to get a job? May I tell you too, that with paying all that money for school… Most of us don’t have jobs!

I’m very lucky to have had my dad help me out with school. Most of us don’t have the opportunity, and I value that fact that my parents thought it was VERY important to provide their kids with a college fund and encourage them to continue their education. But still DAMN THOSE BILLS! They restrict your life, and make living almost impossible with out help.

Well im off to try to find a job to pay those damn bills! Hopefully all of your remember that all of your bills should be coming in the mail in the next week. BOOO! I also want to remind everyone that TAXES are due next week. Im going to be spending the next week trying to find a place in AZ to do Mr. Mans taxes

Good luck to you all! I hope you all get BIG FAT TAX REFUNDS!

“The only thing certain in life is Death and Taxes!”- Benjamin Franklin
“Death and Taxes may be certain, but we don’t have to die every year” – Unknown

Road Tripping it!!!!!

Just Another 20 Something here..... getting ready for my road trip back to Cali. Im going going back back to Cali Cali! Just a short trip to see the family and to see a couple of friend that i haven't seen in a VERY long time. EXCITING! I finally get to meet my oldest friends daughter. She turned 6 this week and her mother and me have lost touch in recent years. its nice to finally get to see what shes been up to the past 6 years!!!!! Im also going back to finally get to see my step sister after some serious time away from the family. I hope she looks back on this time and really gets the meaning behind it!! hopefully this time will be different. i hope for the best but prepare for the worst!

So with any good road trip, Today will revolve around packing and getting my Ipod ready for the long 6 hour drive. What do you like to listen on long road trips by yourself? are you a novel, music or podcast person. Im a little of them all. OF COURSE if you have ever been in my car you know i LOVE listening to Frosty, Heidi and Frank! They are my FAVORITE thing to listen to! HIGHLARIOUS! A fat-boy, lesbian, and stoner that talk about life love and sex in Los Angeles! They seriously make my day! But i also get a playlist ready for every trip so when i get board of listening to people and want to rock out its there! This playlist is one that keeps me singing for atleast 20 min! heres a couple of my jams for the trip

"Alien" by Sebastian Pigott<< if you have watched Being Erica you know this song!
"Dont Trust Me" by 3OH!3
"Virtual Insanity" by Jamiroquai
"Lucky" by Jason Mraz
"Day n' Nite" By Kid Cuddi
"I Think About You" by Colin Raye
"Love Song" by the Cure
"Right Here" by Staind
"Change the World" By Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
"Who Says" John Mayer
"Honey and the Moon" by Joseph arthur
"Take a bow" by Madonna
'Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson
"Breath Me" Sia

some of my favorite Jams to pass on to you for some good car ride songs LoL! Hope everyone has a great Tuesday!! and Wish me luck on my long drive back to the earthquake state!

"Life is Life and Kind is Kind" ~ Jack Kerouac "On The Road"

Addiction and Family....

Just Another 20 Something here… talking about Addiction. Its something that affects every socioeconomic status, race, religion, culture and gender. It has not boundaries and It is something I have had to deal both as an individual and as part of a family of addicts. What makes someone become an addict? Is it genetics?

Recent study shows that genetics play a significant role in the addiction process. As any good Irish family has, we have had alcoholics on both sides and in several generations. The researched guided me towards not wanting to continue the cycle. After college I stopped drinking on a regular basis. I don’t judge people who drink or myself if I have a binge drinking night, but I am trying stop the cycle with my generation.

I also watch the family of Mr. Man. He was raised around addicts and grew up watching what it does to people and how it affects not only the user by the entire family. This intern made it a mission for both of use to stop the cycle within our future generations. Most of all we want our children to be able to make mature decisions on their own about the negative sides of our culture and society.

Addictions affect users physically, mentally and emotionally. This then affects the family through their emotionally attachment to the addict. My family has been affected in many ways, but I also feel that it has brought me closer to them in different ways. I love the people and family around me even if they are broken or an addict. I have learned to except the people around me for who they are, and try to help them by encouraging them to made changes in their lives. I learned that judging does not effect people an a positive matter, and instead encouraging them to want to change their lives.

Wow I sound like a paper for addiction… im done. Just something to think about as just another 20 something begins to think about what I want for their children and the world we want them to grow up in. I hope for the best but live in the reality that addiction is here to stay and it is my mission as a parent to prepare them for what is out there like my parents prepared me.

“Watch your thoughts; they become your words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become your character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.” ~ Frank Outlaw

Happy Easter....Be Productive

Just Another 20 something here.... enjoying a perfect holiday. Hope all of you are out there enjoying it also! it was beautiful here today. Not a could in the sky a perfect 85 and nothing but cleaning and enjoying the company of Mr. Man. Although, i am feeling the homesickness. Only when catastrophic things happen, like the 7.2 earthquake that took place really close to the homeland LoL! but after a quick phone call to check bases with all the fam and friends i felt better!

Got a lot done today! Kitchen cleaned...Check, Bathroom..Check, laundry...still doing it but better! i feel pretty productive for a holiday. We celebrated the holiday last weekend buy dying eggs and watching TV. i attached some pictures! we had a great time. i forgot how much fun it was to play with dye and make all these funky looking eggs. AHH to be a kid again!

looking forward to next week, driving home to Cali on Tuesday to see the family. and finally see my step sister who has been in jail for the past 3 months. there is a post coming up this week about dealing with family issues! its been difficult on me and im sure you all have your stories to. How do you deal with stressful family situations?

"Work makes me feel productive, as though im contributing something. I like being productive and feeling Productive." ~ Barbara Eden


RaStA EgGs



Our Creations

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff...

Just Another 20 Something here… thinking about over thinking! So today I had a conversation with Mr. Man today. Yesterday he took his final for one of clinics. He got out of class and was HOT! And when I say hot, I mean, irate! So I didn’t push him to divulge any information, knowing that he is not one to push LoL! This morning we finally discussed what he got that made him so irate. He got a 95… a NINTY FUCKING FIVE! And it came to me

Why do we let ourselves get in the way of our dreams? We get so wrapped up it the little things that we start to question ourselves. We question if we are cut out for our dream or if it’s not worth even trying. I did the same thing numerous times in college. I would have skipped a couple of classes and way to much homework to do so I would just drop the class. Ahhh ill retake it next year. Dumb DUMB mistakes! If I had stopped letting myself get in the way of my dream I would have achieved it so much faster.

WHY? I have seen it so much in recent months. Letting the little things get in the way of the big picture. If life was that easy I don’t know if we would even set dreams though. Just a thought for the day, is there anything that you let get in the way? Why do you think we go about things this way?

"I think there's always a risk of overthinking the game, especially when it gets tight." ~Charles Davis

Goals

Just Another 20 Something here... thinking about goals! What are your goals? are they long term or short term? what do you do after you finish you goals? i feel like goals are the staircase of life. once on goal is finished there are still more to come. Recently goals have become a bigger part of my life. Whats the difference in a short term vs a long term goal.

A short term goal is one that will be achieved in the near future ie: a week, a month. a Long term goals are goals that will be achieved in a longer period of time ie: this semester, a year, five years. I believe its best for a person to know their goals and look at them ever so often to keep you understanding where you stand within your goals. Some people keep goal books and write it down in journals. Mine will be this blog. Keep me motivated to continue on my path.

My Short Term Goals:
1. QUIT SMOKING
2. Keep Busy with Resumes
3. STOP DRINK SODA!
4. Start studying again for the GREs
5. Loose weight!
6. get out once a day to write and be with other humans

Long Term Goals:
1. PASS THE GRE!!!!!
2. Find a job
3. Find a Career that you love
5. stay healthy
6. MOVE TO KAUAI!!!

Now that they are out and i have to look at them the next step is to take action. Sometimes having so many goals can affect the you react to them. its hard to be motivated when things never seem to change, but i have achieved my goals before. i graduated college in record time. now i just need to find myself a way to keep motivated. i think rewards for your self can really help the keep you motivated toward your goals. my short term goals rewards are small but affective. like if i keep not smoking...closer i get to a personal trainer... and the closer i get to staying healthy. (plus if im gonna get married one of these days i have to lose the chubbs... who wants to marry a chubby girl) LoL.

Recently my GREs have been taking a back burner! they really need to come into my top priorities. i have set rewards for myself. if i studied 3 to 4 times a week i should be ready to take the test in a lil over a month. if i pass it then im going to give myself a trip to the east coast to see the DCers LoL.

One of my long term goals that i plan to achieve is a 5 year plan. We want to move to Hawaii, and Kauai to be specific. It seems extreme but i feel like i would be happier within my existence.... i mean how could you be unhappy in paradise. i want to raise children on the islands. slow down my life, and understand the family and friends come first. What do you think?

What are your goals? short? long? how do you think your going to achieve them? how do you reward yourself? whats your five year plan?

"I can't take the direction of the wind, but i can adjust my sails to always reach my destination" Jimmy Dean

My Life Vs My Dream

Just Another 20 Something here.... Trying to find their way in the world. Im a Post Grad... With no job (not uncommon in this economy). Did you ever dream about what your life would be like? Not just the grade school project dream, but actually dream about what your life was going to be? I never dreamed of being famous or being a Fireman or being a Doctor. it never really came to me what i was going to be. My sophomore year of junior college i thought i found it! I watched How To Lost A Guy In 10 Days staring Kate Hudson. Her life looked glamours.. living in a metro, working at a top magazine, well dressed, great friends, and a Life! it looked perfect to me. i started looking into professions within the communications degree.

Thats when i found it! PUBLIC RELATIONS.... my AHHA moment! Fabulous people, tons of money and an up and coming career. Looks great on paper, doesn't it? i started at my alma-martyr, American University, in the Fall of 2005. After making DRASTIC changes in my life (which included breaking up with the love of my life, moving across the country with no friends or family within a 2,000 mile radius, and a new city that i knew NOTHING about), Washington, DC! WoW can i say that it was one of the best decisions that i ever made. i found that the city fit me perfectly! i found great friends that became my family, interned in amazing companies (VH1, Napster). The dream that i had really seemed like a possibility! I mean how many people get the opportunities that i was getting? not many! and it seemed like it was all falling into place!

I graduated from American in the Winter of 2007, and moved home to California immediately! i couldn't wait to be back in the state where i felt like i belonged. My family was here, long term friends, and of course the love of my life. I felt so blessed to be back in this beautiful state with nothing but opportunities ahead of me right! NOT!

The economy crashed...My career flopped! I have been without a job for the past two years....i spent over $75,000 on an education and Im not making a dime! So theirs still that dream... that damn dream! where i life in an amazing loft in WeHo, with an amazing income from working with MTV networks, Famous Friends taking me to amazing parties, planning events that only the top VIP come to.... and so on.... but is that really what i want in this life. So i really want to spend my entire life at a job that only gives me the benefits if i spent nothing but the next 10 years following it! is that really what i want out of life... to lost my friends because Im always so damn busy, losing the love of my life cause he just doesn't fit into my work schedule, losing the time with my family because i have to work every weekend and i cant make it to any big events! NO! i want a life! i mean a real life... one where my family, friends and love come first, and my income comes second! i want kids and not have to worry about having a nanny take care of them. i want to get to know my nephew and be there for him when he needs someone. i want to stay in the lives of my friends that have always made the time for me! so where does that leave me?

As Just Another 20 Something Life..... Just Another 20 Something trying to find their way threw this crazy world that changes so fast they can barely keep up with it! So... Here i am looking for a new dream that really meets who i am and the life that i want to live. Its a new life! i live in Phoenix now with the love of my life while he goes after his dream! but its time for me to really look at what my new dream is... my new deal! Starting all over is not necessarily what i had in mind for 2010 but self-realization never hurt anyone! so charge on and we will see where this new dream leads me...


"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream" - C.S.Lewis (British Novelist 1898-1963)