T3- Traditional

I've gotten away from doing traditional Three Thing Thursdays because I've been trying to be more positive, but today I am throwing caution to the wind. Here's what is pissing me off this week :)

1.) Skeezas- [noun; a dirty, slatternly woman. Synonyms: tramp, skank, hoski, etc.] Call me old-fashioned, but since when is it a positive thing to look and act like a cheap hooker? I'm all down for being proud of your body and expressing yourself, but nobody wants to see buttcrack and nipples when they're eating a sandwich [except for men, I guess]. Women these days just have a severe lack of public-censorship and class...it really means something for me to say that. For example, I watched a girl I know [who was sober, mind you] scream "I love to fuck" multiple times in an extremely crowded place the other day. We all love sex, skeeza, but there's no need to yell about it. 

2.) Tofu- I freaking hate tofu. Everyone assumes that vegetarians love/eat tofu, but I am certainly an exception to this stereotype. There's not even anything to compare tofu to because the world is not large enough for two incredibly disgusting things [except mochi, aka foreskin icecream; somehow Earth has made room for that, too]. I have only come up with one conclusion for tofu: tofu=couch cushion. 

3.) Cell phones- Regardless of the activity [driving, working out, spending time with family, dancing, walking, riding a bike, pooping], cell phones have taken over. I have a ghetto, T9 capable, $25 phone and I have no intent on upgrading. I am so sick of people talking and texting on their phones when there is shit that needs to be done. Text messaging while driving has been proven to be more dangerous than drunk driving, so get the hell off of your cell phone and watch the road! 

Happy weekend, errbody! I'm going to write another post later that will be super :) 

T3- Happy Things :)

Happy Saturday night :) I had a tiring yet excellent day, so I'm being an absolute hobo this evening- we're talking about a Lifetime, sweatpants, and heating pad kind of night here...serious shit, man. I have been a definite slacker in the blogging department lately, but I'm making somewhat of an effort so deal with it. I've been going through a few positive perspective changes for the past few weeks and it has been absolutely wonderful. I am happier now than I have been in a long time and I'd like to share why :)

1.) Exercise- I am not in very good shape nor have I been for the past 4 or 5 years, but I have finally fallen in love with working out. At the end of a great day, I go to the gym, have a great workout, and leave in an even better mood; at the end of a stressful day, I go to the gym and work off my anxiety and frustrations; at the end of a shitty day, I go to the gym and work hard, forgetting the negative things, if only for an hour. I was originally going to write my T3 for the week about exercises I love, but I decided to take a bit of a break on the whole workout obsession (so much for that)...I promise I will write that post soon though; I think it will be very useful :) Exercising everyday has made a insurmountable impact on my physical and mental well-being...I highly recommend it to everyone; maybe experts that have been suggesting it are actually onto something, eh? 

2.) "The Outsides"- I just love being outside :) I usually try to take a walk everyday now...it gives me a chance to clear my mind, get fresh air, people watch, and enjoy this amazing place. I do not understand why people live in Colorado if they do not leave their couch; we live in the most beautiful state...suck it up, California- you lose. There's just something about the sound of trail beneath your shoes, river rushing by, and birds announcing their birdhood ("mrrraaawwk"- annoying in anything other situation) that makes your day a little bit better. It helps me to slow down and relax for the duration of my walk; I think people today need to slow down more often. We're always rushing, always going somewhere, and always wanting to get things done quickly, but it really is okay to slow down for 20 minutes everyday and enjoy life and nature a little :)

3.) Acceptance- I'm a cat lady, I'm a nerd, I drive like a grandmother, I have huge hair, I don't like chewing, I am an "unAmerican" because I don't eat meat, I eat bananas with spoons, I love brussels sprouts, I am a "granola", I like to read, I love knitting, I hate television, I hate America, I talk to strangers, I believe in evolution, and I accept myself for the person I am. I love myself and am hardly concerned with outside opinions for the first time in a long time ever. The insecurities, unhappiness, and self-doubt that most young women are struggling through are pointless and do not contribute to the way that life should be. Maybe I am different and weird, but fretting over it isn't fixing anything, so I shall embrace it all instead; doing this has completely changed perspectives of myself and everyone around me.

I hope everyone is doing well. Feel free to share if great things are happening to you right now :)

T3- You've Got It, Gym!

I like working out; it makes me feel great, it makes me less fat, and the people-watching opportunities are endless. I go to a yuppie gym, so people-watching is even more exciting than usual, but it’s also irritating. Allow me to elaborate :)

Cardio Princess- Oh, you know her. She’s the one that spends more time in the locker room getting ready to work out than she actually does working out. She’s the one looking “super-cute” on the treadmill, walking 2mph and not breaking a sweat, because that would ruin her makeup. Checking out guys and judging the chubs is basically the extent of her workout unless the princess has her minions in tow that day, and then priority goes to gossip. If that is the case, anyone within a 20 foot radius of the CP and her bitches should probably prepare to hear about Maybeline, menstruation, and the Real World. 

Mr. Bogart- I see you; you’re over there working on the shoulder press. You get your shoulder press on, boy, but don’t get all pissed off when I hop on the bench press just because “it’s in your circuit”. It is physically impossible to use two machines at one time, so share the love, grandpa. 

The Window Exerciser- Walking laps around the equipment, are we? Just checking out what everybody else is doing, are ya? Well, get out of my bubble, ass! Can’t you see that I am trying to get my roman chair on? I could kick you in the neck right now. I hate this more than anything at the gym. You see them walk by once, that’s normal. See them walk by again, maybe they liked what they saw. See them walk by three more times, screw that, they are just slacking off! Why do they even go to the gym? Just to be able to say that they went to the gym that day? Post it on your Facebook and go walk around Walmart instead, window exercisers, because you’re pissing me off and getting in my dang way! 

Haha. I’m so awesome. Expect more gym/health related posts in the future because the food nazi is on a health kick lately. 

Hope everybody is doing well :)

Hurt Lessons

When something tragic happens, obviously the initial action consists of mourning or becoming angry, but the challenge in the midst of misfortune is to maintain optimism. By no means am I an optimist, but I do try to pull lessons out from otherwise terrible events in life. 

The world lost a truly wonderful person this week; Shelby Hladek was an extremely intelligent, caring, and determined young woman that should not have been taken away as soon as she was. Shelby and I were not very close friends, but we ate lunch together in middle school, did projects together in math class, and said hello to each other in the hallways…and now she has changed my life forever. It is unfortunate that it took such a devastating event for her to make her way into my heart, but that is what has happened. Born only two months before I was, she was just twenty years old on the day that she died. I find myself thinking, "It could have been me, it could have been my best friend, it could have been my sister", but it wasn't. We're all still here and we have the chance to learn from Shelby; I think it would all be in vein if we did anything other than that. 

This week has been harder on me than I originally expected. I find myself thinking about what happened very often: while I'm trying to sleep at night, while I'm spending time with my sister, and especially while I am driving. Clearly what happened to Shelby has already affected me quite a bit and I don't think I am alone in saying that. 

My hurt lessons:

1.) Drive safely- We're young and we think that we're invincible…it'll never happen to us, right? We're so very wrong. Wear your seatbelts, drive the speed limit, keep your phone in the trunk if you need to, and don't forget that it could happen to you. 

2.) Remind people that you love them- I can't imagine leaving this place on bad terms with someone that I love…or vice versa. You may not get to say goodbye, so make your potential last words something that you'd be okay with leaving on. Let the petty stuff go and make sure they know you care.

3.) LIVE- Our generation is the worst about living on the internet, spending our time watching television, and wasting our youth. If I died today, I would be pissed off; I have hardly done anything that I want to do in my life. I need to start having more fun and living my life the way it should be lived. 

Dearest Shelby,

You are so incredibly loved; I wish you could have seen the people at your service today. Your beautiful family, your closest friends, and your acquaintances from high school all come together to celebrate your life. There wasn't an empty seat or a dry cheek in the entire room. You have affected so many people and you will be missed more than you know. Your death was not in vein; it has already taught me so much and I know that I am not alone. You were such a beautiful person; the world would be a better place if more people were like you. Rest in peace.

My heart goes out to her family and friends; the strength you have shown is incredible. Please be careful, everyone. We do not need to lose another beautiful, young person anytime soon.

T3- Guilty Pleasures

Happy Thursday, everyone! I've been incredibly busy this week and it's only my fourth day of school, but I always sometimes make time for Three Thing Thursday (T3)! You ever have those days that really make you lose faith in society? I have those days a lot, but today was the exact opposite! I went on a hike today and everyone that I passed along the way was so pleasant and said hello. It really opened my eyes to the fact that there are more great people out there than I generally assume :) That has nothing to do with today's post, but I thought it was a nice little anecdote. This week's T3 will cover three of my many guilty pleasures, so go ahead and laugh at my expense:

1.) Used bookstores- This wouldn't be embarrassing at all if it were a pleasure and not an obsession. I love every single thing about used bookstores: the smell, the products, the people, the potential coffee, the price, the disarray, everything. If I could do anything in the entire world for a living and not worry about finances, I would simply work in a used bookstore. I'd love to own one someday...preferably something small in an unusual downtown area. There would have to be a free coffee area when you first walk in, a couple of gigantic, comfy chairs in the corners, low-volume chick music playing in the background, and books, books, books everywhere. I haven't thought about this or anything...it's only one of my biggest dreams. I'm just not sure that I could sell the books; I'd just want to keep them all and live there in my giant book-fort. With my cats...don't forget about my cats (I guess my boyfriend can come too if he still loves me after realizing that I'm insane).

2.) Homework- I don't know if I've ever actually admitted this one to anyone, but I couldn't make something like this up. The sweet thing about homework is that you really don't think about anything else; no finances, no family problems, no drama, nothing but homework. I like reading a writing for leisure, so English homework is a given...I obviously enjoy it whether it's an assignment or something I'm doing in my free time. I wouldn't do math for fun, but I actually do not mind doing it for homework. I think it's a really amazing feeling when I initially look at a problem and say "oh hell no, screw you, problem" and then eventually figure it out; it makes me feel like a smarty pants. 

3.) Lifetime- I sound like my mother, but I love Lifetime. What other network can you watch a movie about a hobo that impregnates an underage girl and eventually gets on his feet and follows through for his child and 15-year old lover who he eventually finds out is his long-lost little sister? Exactly my point.

Have a great Friday, readers! :)

Three Things That Will Ruin Our Youth

What's today? Oh that's right...it's THURSDAY! I'm writing my Thursday post on its designated day for the very first time in weeks! Go me for being responsible and being able to correctly operate the calendar on my computer :) This year, I made a suggestion to myself that I should start writing more meaningful blogs on the rare occasion that I actually post. I love Three Thing Thursday (T3) and everything that it stands for, but lately I've been getting a little deeper with them every week...I hope you guys like it as much as I do. This week I'm tackling the three things that I believe will eventually ruin our youngest generation- here we go!

1.) Television- If today's youth is spending 28 hours a week in front of the television, what is our future going to be like when they are the leading generation? Very stupid and very fat. That's 28 hours that our children are not physically active, mentally engaged, or learning anything valuable in just one week. That is 1,456 hours that they have lost in just one year due to TV. Television is not only causing the majority of our youth to become obese, lazy, and ignorant, but also potentially violent as well. Statistics show that the average child will watch 8,000 murders on TV before finishing elementary school. By age eighteen, the average American has seen 200,000 acts of violence on TV, including 40,000 murders. Our adults TODAY are already terrible (average 9 years of non-stop television per lifetime), but I hate to imagine how it's going to be when these children grow up. What happened to children playing outside or reading? Get rid of this garbage, parents!

2.) Fast food- When I was younger, I remember that getting a Happy Meal from McDonald's was a huge treat- it only happened once a month if my sister and I had been really good. Children now would think of that as punishment, but it wasn't because we were poor (we were) or because my parents were jerks (they could be), it was because eating out everyday was practically unheard of 15 years ago. I know people that feed their children fast food at least 3 times a week and I want to shove a Happy Meal toy up their asses. Fast food is garbage! A cheeseburger happy meal with fries and a Sprite at McDonald's has 640 calories and 24 grams of fat; this is over half of the total calories many children should be eating in an entire day! These "restaurants" spent over $350 million on marketing messages aimed at children in 2009; they do it because it works and parents fall for the scams, too. Our youth is going to be even fatter than our adults are today and this country does not have room to get more unhealthy.

3.) Anger & Intolerance- I don't have any impressive statistics for this bullet-point, but I think it's the most important of them all. With the economy declining, the global warming crisis looming, and moms and dads getting increasingly stressed-out, children are picking up on the bad attitudes that our adults have about them. If you grow up around constantly bitchy people, you're bound to end up with a negative attitude after a few years. We should be teaching our children to accept others and live happily and not waste time with hatred and judgement. We're going to end up with a bunch of stupid, fat, bitchy people if we stay on the track that we are journeying down. I don't like the amount of stupid, fat, bitchy people we have now...this needs to be fixed. 

I hope everyone has a great day! I start school on Monday, so I'm sure I'll have more to write about in the future! Yay for really, very, extremely, expensive education that will eventually get me a job that I can do now (before I even start college)!

Oh and here are my sources :) - csun.edu, nytimes.com

See ya!

T3- Things We Need to Change!

Happy Friday, everyone! Hopefully when I start school next week, I'll begin recognizing days of the week again like a successful adult, but I make no promises. I've been thinking so much lately about the everyday habits of our citizens in this country and I'm seeing a HUGE problem made up of several smaller issues that we could work towards fixing if we really put our minds to it. I'm really going to try to take it easy with my harsh opinions throughout this post, but I'm angry about these things and it's going to be difficult to remain politically correct. I could express changes I believe should be made all day long, but taking little steps is the key to success, so we'll start with three today.

1.) Recycling- I don't think there is an excuse for not recycling anymore. With curbside pickup and convenient drop-off locations, it's become just as easy to recycle as it is to not recycle in today's world. I do understand that it isn't as easy as it should be, but with the incredible benefits that it delivers, a little extra effort is worth it. According to greenanswers.com, only 40% of Americans recycle all of the time; that simply isn't enough for the change that our world needs. I'd estimate that for the past two years, I have recycled at least 75% of my household trash, but I am striving towards improving this. I purchased recycling containers last week for less than $20, but even if they had cost $100, I'd buy them before I'd be happy with living in a world full of garbage. 

2.) Bottled water- Why? By one estimate, 50 billion bottles of water are consumed per annum in the United States and around 200 billion bottles globally. We've allowed water, by volume, to become more valuable than GASOLINE. And why? Because corporations like Coke, Pepsi, and Nestle spend billions of dollars every year to convince us that tap water is dangerous and unhealthy. So instead of drinking the chemical-free, practically cost-free water that is available to us, we spend over $60 billion on chemically enhanced, plastic-clad, bottled water every year. We're trusting the same corporations that pump out syrup-heavy, diabetes-causing soft drinks with our drinking water and we assume that it's safe? The day that we analyze that the companies care about money and money only is the day that we'll stop giving into the garbage that they are feeding us. Do yourself and your planet a huge favor and inform yourself on these facts; do some research, take back the power from these corporations, and stand up for yourself and your health.

3.) The FDA- Dear FDA, I hate you. According to their own website, the FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by assuring that foods are safe, wholesome, sanitary, and properly labeled. I think they're full of shit. Until an additive is shown to cause cancer, allergies, chemical sensitivities, or some other medical problem, the FDA allows it to be used without regard to the possible human health risks it may have- these additives include growth hormones, trans-fats, ammonia, antibiotics, GMOs (genetically modified organisms), etc...AKA things that shouldn't be in our food AKA things that the FDA is supposed to be protecting us from. BPA (bisphenol A)  found in many plastic containers, water bottles, and baby bottles, has been banned in many countries and few states. Despite hundreds of studies conducted by scientists and universities proving that BPA is harmful, the FDA continues to allow this toxin in products, this decision supported by only two studies conducted by industry trade groups. Here is my question to you: do you think the FDA is doing their job? I certainly do not. 

This country is being run by corporations that only care about finances. I hate to imagine where we'll be in 30 years if we don't begin taking some of our power back, but if I have to take a guess, we'll all be really fat, really disease-ridden, and really unhappy. Stick that in your bottled water and suck it, America.