On a beautiful day like today, I cannot possibly think of anything but happy thoughts. So I totally stole this idea from Amanda Monell, modified it, and produced a few of my favorite things:
• Learning- Big surprise there. I absolutely love to learn, whether it is new things or extending my knowledge of things I already know. I love being at school. (Well, I loved being at U.T.) I love teaching kids and seeing their faces light up with new knowledge. I even enjoy studying, provided I am studying something I find interesting.
• Tennessee- I do love Tennessee as a state, but I think we all know what I really mean is I love the University of Tennessee. It is simply the best place in the world. Last year it became my home, and I cannot wait to get back to it. I miss my friends. I miss Inskip. I miss sporting events. I miss everything. I became me at U.T., and I simply cannot wait to be a Volunteer again.
• Ryan Smallwood- It would be impossible to count my blessings without counting him. He makes me smile, laugh, and forget my problems. He helps me make decisions, makes me into a better person, and brightens my day. Even though we cannot be together all of the time, I still feel like I am a priority in his life. He tells me all the time he's lucky to have me, but I think I am truly the lucky one.
• Nature- I heard a prayer recently after it had snowed in which the man thanked God for snow that covered up all the ugly things man has made. Well, not to offend Howard Roark, but I have to agree. Man may have produced some remarkable structures, but nothing compares to the beauty of what God created. Mountains, streams, flowers, animals, blue skies, snow, sunsets- the list goes on and on.
• My family- I'd be nervous looking up dysfunction in the dictionary because I am fairly certain my family's picture is there. We are not your typical family (Does that even exist?) but we work for us. We love one another, and isn't that what matters in the long run?
So there it is. I hope on this beautiful day you were reminded of your favorite things too :-)
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
If you don't like dogs, just stop reading now. This blog will make zero sense to you, and at the end you'll be left thinking, "This kid is some weird freak." I would prefer that NOT happen.
Ok, so let's start by establishing this fact: I LOVE animals. (Except bugs.) I love dogs; I love cats; I love animals with fur, scales, feathers, or none of the above. I once owned a snake- yes, a snake- until it got loose and Icompletely intentionally accidentally forgot to tell my mother. I still liked that snake. Anything that falls into kingdom Animalia wins my heart. (Except bugs.)
~Disclaimer: Truthfully, I don't know enough about science to tell you exactly what falls into that kingdom, so the above statement may or may not be true. I still love animals.~
So now that you get the picture, let me now point out that my favorite animal is....SURPRISE! Not a penguin. My favorite animal is a dog. I recently have reached this conclusion about myself. I never knew how much man's best friend meant to me until last weekend.
Here's some background. I have a dog. Her name is Abby (from NCIS...watch it) and she is a beautiful, playful, athletic, and loving Border Collie/Labrador. I am also a starving college student who does not make enough money and really shouldn't own one dog, much less two. I did not want another dog. I did not need another dog, and if I were to get one, I really wanted a male Schnauzer so I could name him Ducky or a male Lab so I could name him Gibbs. (Both NCIS names.)
So why did I find myself last Saturday spending $100 to get a female Lab mix? Because when I walked up and kneeled down to pet her, she immediately put her front paws on my shoulders and started licking me in the face. And the lady selling her just had to say, "She hasn't done that with anyone else. She must really like you!" I never thought I'd say this, but I am a sucker for a soft coat and wagging tale.
So now I have Kate. (Yet another NCIS character. It's a really good show.) Kate is the polar opposite of Abby. Abby is overly energetic and never sits down unless we absolutely make her. She loves to play tug, fetch, go running with me, or just perform trick after trick for treats. Kate is laid back. She may fetch a ball a couple of times. She is just as content lying at your feet as running at your side. Abby is crazy; Kate is chill. One thing they have in common: When I arrive home, they both run to greet me and can't stop wagging that tail. That is truly what I love about dogs.
When I was a little girl, I used to sleep with at least ten stuffed animals a night. Now I sleep with two huge ones. Both Abby and Kate come from abused backgrounds, so now they want constant attention and are hard to train. Abby's had some health problems, and Kate is a bottomless pit for food. Yet no amount of money or time could replace the feeling I get watching them play or having them lick my face in the morning. They're by my side always, even when I don't want them there. I wouldn't replace them for anything.
I usually like to conclude things I write with a quote. I searched and searched for the right one, but the truth is no one can truly relate to the feeling between dog and owner (or any pet and owner really) until they have experienced it. There truly is no companionship like it, and it cannot properly be put into words.
Ok, so let's start by establishing this fact: I LOVE animals. (Except bugs.) I love dogs; I love cats; I love animals with fur, scales, feathers, or none of the above. I once owned a snake- yes, a snake- until it got loose and I
~Disclaimer: Truthfully, I don't know enough about science to tell you exactly what falls into that kingdom, so the above statement may or may not be true. I still love animals.~
So now that you get the picture, let me now point out that my favorite animal is....SURPRISE! Not a penguin. My favorite animal is a dog. I recently have reached this conclusion about myself. I never knew how much man's best friend meant to me until last weekend.
Here's some background. I have a dog. Her name is Abby (from NCIS...watch it) and she is a beautiful, playful, athletic, and loving Border Collie/Labrador. I am also a starving college student who does not make enough money and really shouldn't own one dog, much less two. I did not want another dog. I did not need another dog, and if I were to get one, I really wanted a male Schnauzer so I could name him Ducky or a male Lab so I could name him Gibbs. (Both NCIS names.)
So why did I find myself last Saturday spending $100 to get a female Lab mix? Because when I walked up and kneeled down to pet her, she immediately put her front paws on my shoulders and started licking me in the face. And the lady selling her just had to say, "She hasn't done that with anyone else. She must really like you!" I never thought I'd say this, but I am a sucker for a soft coat and wagging tale.
So now I have Kate. (Yet another NCIS character. It's a really good show.) Kate is the polar opposite of Abby. Abby is overly energetic and never sits down unless we absolutely make her. She loves to play tug, fetch, go running with me, or just perform trick after trick for treats. Kate is laid back. She may fetch a ball a couple of times. She is just as content lying at your feet as running at your side. Abby is crazy; Kate is chill. One thing they have in common: When I arrive home, they both run to greet me and can't stop wagging that tail. That is truly what I love about dogs.
When I was a little girl, I used to sleep with at least ten stuffed animals a night. Now I sleep with two huge ones. Both Abby and Kate come from abused backgrounds, so now they want constant attention and are hard to train. Abby's had some health problems, and Kate is a bottomless pit for food. Yet no amount of money or time could replace the feeling I get watching them play or having them lick my face in the morning. They're by my side always, even when I don't want them there. I wouldn't replace them for anything.
I usually like to conclude things I write with a quote. I searched and searched for the right one, but the truth is no one can truly relate to the feeling between dog and owner (or any pet and owner really) until they have experienced it. There truly is no companionship like it, and it cannot properly be put into words.
Abby, unusually calm
Kate snuck up to nap with my brother. Lazy, lazy, lazy
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
The Palin Puzzle
I embrace conservatism. I keep an open mind and weigh both sides of most issues, and I usually fall on the right. But I cannot embrace Sarah Palin, and it leaves me wondering why my fellow right-wingers can. How can they throw so much support behind a woman whose best foreign policy experience is the view of Russia from Alaska? How can they embrace a woman who could not give a definitive answer on which newspaper she regularly read? How can they embrace a woman who, instead of attacking the actual flaws on the health care overhaul, makes up ridiculous claims of death panels? And last, how can they support a woman who writes notes on her hand? Seriously?
"Human" is what they call her. Mitt Romney called her "magnificent" on David Letterman last night. Notice no one calls her "intelligent." Truly she is a strong female who stands up for herself, her family, and her country, but I have recently reached the conclusion that Republicans do not like Sarah Palin for this reason. In fact, Republican don't like Sarah Palin at all. Republicans use Sarah Palin.
Honestly, how could a woman no one outside of Alaska had heard of end up as McCain's running mate in 2008 and the front runner for the Republican presidential candidate in 2012? Because no one else wanted the job. Conservatives aren't stupid. They knew not a single Republican could defeat the Obama machine in 2008, so they sat it out. They sacrificed John McCain and Sarah Palin in order to save their own presidential hopes. Shameful? Maybe. Brilliant? No doubt.
But Palin is more than the sacrificial lamb. She embodies what Republicans needed to reach the people they were otherwise not helping. First of all, she is a woman. You want to call the right-wing sexist? How can you do that when Palin is their queen? Next, she's normal. Her daughter had a baby out of wedlock, in high school. So, if you think the Republican party is a bunch of religious fanatics, you must be wrong, because their leader's daughter didn't exactly extol the virtues of Christianity. And, she has a child with Down syndrome. Even better, because if you think conservatives do not know what it is like to go through the choice of having an abortion, here we have Palin to the rescue to show us that she too had to make that decision, and is so happy she choose to have her baby.
Palin was a politician, what the right-wing needed in a leader, but now she works for Fox News. The Republicans thought they could use Palin to get exactly what they needed. Maybe they should have picked someone a little less outspoken. Their plan backfired, and now they are sitting at home coming up with their next losing strategy, while Democrats lead our country in Washington. So here's a tip for conservatives everywhere: Campaign on your policies, and let the people decide who has a better plan.
In the end, Sarah Palin will not achieve what conservatives wanted her to do when they threw their support behind her in 2008. No, most of Palin's loyal followers are gun-owning, church-going, America-loving white Southern men, the same ones who've been voting red since Reagan's era. Republicans may love her, but they would be wise to change their tactics from politics to policies if they want to win back Washington in 2012.
"Human" is what they call her. Mitt Romney called her "magnificent" on David Letterman last night. Notice no one calls her "intelligent." Truly she is a strong female who stands up for herself, her family, and her country, but I have recently reached the conclusion that Republicans do not like Sarah Palin for this reason. In fact, Republican don't like Sarah Palin at all. Republicans use Sarah Palin.
Honestly, how could a woman no one outside of Alaska had heard of end up as McCain's running mate in 2008 and the front runner for the Republican presidential candidate in 2012? Because no one else wanted the job. Conservatives aren't stupid. They knew not a single Republican could defeat the Obama machine in 2008, so they sat it out. They sacrificed John McCain and Sarah Palin in order to save their own presidential hopes. Shameful? Maybe. Brilliant? No doubt.
But Palin is more than the sacrificial lamb. She embodies what Republicans needed to reach the people they were otherwise not helping. First of all, she is a woman. You want to call the right-wing sexist? How can you do that when Palin is their queen? Next, she's normal. Her daughter had a baby out of wedlock, in high school. So, if you think the Republican party is a bunch of religious fanatics, you must be wrong, because their leader's daughter didn't exactly extol the virtues of Christianity. And, she has a child with Down syndrome. Even better, because if you think conservatives do not know what it is like to go through the choice of having an abortion, here we have Palin to the rescue to show us that she too had to make that decision, and is so happy she choose to have her baby.
Palin was a politician, what the right-wing needed in a leader, but now she works for Fox News. The Republicans thought they could use Palin to get exactly what they needed. Maybe they should have picked someone a little less outspoken. Their plan backfired, and now they are sitting at home coming up with their next losing strategy, while Democrats lead our country in Washington. So here's a tip for conservatives everywhere: Campaign on your policies, and let the people decide who has a better plan.
In the end, Sarah Palin will not achieve what conservatives wanted her to do when they threw their support behind her in 2008. No, most of Palin's loyal followers are gun-owning, church-going, America-loving white Southern men, the same ones who've been voting red since Reagan's era. Republicans may love her, but they would be wise to change their tactics from politics to policies if they want to win back Washington in 2012.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)