Fact vs. Fiction

So it is a Friday night and I really do not have much to do.  So here we have a blog post about my random insights on some random things.
First off, is there a place that provides unbiased political information.  I do not want to hear these people try to kick their opponent to the ground so that they can have the chance to make themselves look good. I want to hear their political views, I want to know what they want to do to make this place better.  It doesn't really matter what side you are on during this political debate, living and breathing everything that everyone says is just really stupid.  I find it very annoying when I read or watch discussions...they do not go anywhere.  Wake up and don't turn into a zombie.  Don't side with one group just because of what they said.  Do your research on each event and issue.  Don't be stupid.   --Educate yourself on the facts, not the distractions.
....
Here are some facts about me because I am that bored...
Sometimes I forget that people have feelings when they are being stupid and intolerant.
The only thing I do not have tolerance for is intolerance.
My favorite color is purple.
My favorite meal of the day is a cold diet coke and popcorn.  (Yes, it is a meal)
I do not like huge events with a lot of people, it is almost too overwhelming. (unless I am with the right people)
I am not a mean person, I just don't know what to do when I first meet people.  I just wait for them to come to me.
Yes, I can be awkward.
I want to see a giraffe wear a top hat before I die.
Jamaica and Brazil are the two places that I really want to visit in the future.
I have never been outside of the west.
I hate water activities, my biggest fear is drowning.
I enjoy learning new things.
Silence does not bother me that much.
I hate the cold weather, its painful.
If I could go back in time I would go to the 20's.
I have the cutest nephew in the world.
I want to have my own pit bull rescue some day.
I love to work with teenagers.
I believe that dogs are a gift.
I love laughing to the point of not breathing.
When I really care about someone or something, I will give it all that I have.
I was in the Children's Friend magazine many years ago.
I love everything in nature, except really annoying birds and camping.
Not having control over future events can be really frustrating.
I love pomegranates.

There you go, useless facts about me that you should probably know. :)

Take some accountability.

What the crap is wrong with the world?  I guess I have been paying a lot more attention to the news lately, but things are just flat out ridiculous.  What happened to common courtesy, respect for others, having care and concern, taking responsibility and having full accountability for your actions...what has happened?  If I recall correctly...this country we live in today was founded on very strong, positive and moral values.  Was it not?
During my internship at the Juvenile Correction Center in St. Anthony, Idaho, I learned a lot more than I intended and I wish that people would understand life inside of this facility.  There program is AMAZING!  Their form of rehabilitation in this facility is known as Positive Peer Culture (PPC).  If you understand the basics of sociology, this program is pretty simple.  It is based off of interactions with an assigned group.  Each group is not allowed to communicate with any outside group and can only be separated from their group if they have two or more peers aware of them.  The people in this group are always together.  It is their responsibility to help each other with their issues so that they can be a functional member of society. (I would love to go in greater depth of this facility and how it is ran but I should get to the point before I ramble too much.)
My point of the internship is that it taught me about people who are forced to change, and eventually change for the better of themselves and others.  This is one of the things that bothers me so much about where we are as Americans.  The majority of the population is LAZY.  I know that everyone wants life to be fair, but the most unfair thing you can ever do is try to make everything fair. Fairness in life does not exist.  Sometimes you have to just learn how to adapt to how things are.  For instance, if you want the government to give you money and baby you on things because you are poor and have a hard time with life, deal with it.  Take accountability for what you did to get you there.  If you want change, take responsibility into your own hands and CHANGE IT.  If you want to make more money, get another job, prove to your employers that you deserve a higher pay raise or position.  I understand that it is hard, that is what life is...it is hard.  I am not ripping on anyone because I think I am entitled or better than anyone.  I am going to be one of the poor ones.  I knew that when I chose my major, and desired career path.  I am sure going to be happy with it too, because every action has a consequence.  Think before you act, it could save you a lot of trouble.
Sometimes we have already made those decisions that got us into a place we don't want to be, guess what? It is up to YOU to change it!  If you are not happy with how things are in your life, change it.  It is that simple.  Guess what, its probably not going to be easy, but I am sure that changing yourself to make you happy is damn well worth it.
If you are still reading this, high five!  I just really needed to get that out there, it drives me crazy.
My next point is focusing on the general human population.  If you say that certain creatures are sick, disgusting or mean, you are so wrong.  The most disgusting creature on the earth is the human race.  How hard is it to respect that people are going to be different, some by choice and some by nature.  Living civilly with one another is one of the things that we each lack.  If we are not civil, or do not take time to respect of get to know others...etc...then we are the cause to all of this anger and all of this hate.  We face people and situations that we do not like on a daily bases, you cannot change what has happened, you can only change how you act in the situation and how you are going to improve the situation.
It doesn't matter where you are in life, everyone has a battle they are facing.  Show a little respect.  People make mistakes and nobody is perfect.
Peace love and happiness.

My Rexburg Bucket List.

I realized today that I have lived in Rexburg for too long and have done too little.  There is so much I need to do in the area before I leave.
Bowling in Rigby and St. Anthony
Hike "R" Mountain
Sled down the sand dunes
Go to the sandbar
Go bridge jumping (or watch others do it)
Go snowboarding at Targhee and/or Kelly Canyon
Go to a hot springs
Go to a concert
Ride a tandem bike
Learn how to long board
Build a huge igloo
I am sure there is more that I will add to the list, but  would say this is a good start.

Cough Drops.

I am sitting in bed totally relaxed and having some time to go over the day.  I cannot, for the life of me, fall asleep.  I could go for a run, read a book, or sit there completely thoughtless while eating a cough drop.  Yes, I cannot sleep and have no desire to do so.  So anyway, back to the cough drops ( I promise there is a point).  Halls amazing ability to make me happy did it again.  On the wrapper it says fun things like "High-five yourself," "Dust off and get up," "Don't wait to get started," and "A pep talk in every drop."    All I can say is, thank you for the uplifting little moment, Halls Cough Drops.
Here goes it.  I, like everybody else, has made a mistake.  That is why the atonement is so amazing.  It gives you a little push to start over.  In a way, the atonement is a little pep talk to get up and do better.
I know I already wrote that pivotal "A year ago today" type of blog, but, wow...times change and so do people.   We win some, we loose some, and sometimes we barely scrap by.  It doesn't matter what you are going through.  Everyone is going through something.  Chances are, they are going through the same thing as you.  If you do not want to have pity on others, do not have pity on yourself.  Yes, we get it, life is hard...but guess what.  It is for just about everyone else.
With those hard moments, there is always something good that comes out of it. Every cloud has a silver lining, dang it.  It gets better.  It might only be better for a day until something else happens...but it gets better.  These waves of good things and bad things are almost like gravity.  What comes up must come down.  So have patience with yourself, others and the situation.  You can only control yourself.  It is up to you to make life worth living, or to make yourself and others around you miserable as hell.  So I sure hope you try to make things worth while.  It is so much better.  

I used a lot of cliche phrases in this post...

What a Year

It is basically my birthday so I thought it was time for another post for my invisible readers.  I really don't think anyone reads this, but I guess I do this for personal records.  If you do read this, thank you for taking an interest in my life, I appreciate it.

At midnight tonight I will officially be 22 years old.  I am trying to remember what has happened this past year and I don't have much.  I completed a few more semesters of college, got a promotion at work, realized I couldn't stay sane with my job while going to school, quit my job, got into animal rescue, met a few awesome people, and made it through a few rough patches.  That is the recap of my year.  No shattered elbows, or extremely life changing events...just life.  

However, I would like to think that I grew a lot.  My testimony of the gospel has grown so much and I feel like I am growing closer to Heavenly Father daily.  Honestly, for almost the first time in my life, I can say that I believe in Christ and mean it 100%.  About a year ago while my brother and I were driving down to school an accident happened.  (He will probably hate me for telling everyone this, but I feel the need to write it.)  He fell asleep at the wheel.  That whole entire day I had the worst feeling in my stomach, I was flat out uncomfortable about the drive.  I felt the need to pray the whole way, so I did.  When we were about two hours or so away from Rexburg, I got this prompting to call my brother and make sure he was okay.  I thought to myself "He is a big kid, he can take care of himself."  Every time I ignored the prompting,  the feeling to call him got more and more intense.  As I went to get my phone, he was already on the median.  I watched him spin in circles.   Their was not any major damage to his car, so I waited for him to get out.  Luckily he did.  After the accident we had a strange encounter with a weird tattoo faced guy, and a cop pulled out in the middle of no where. I guess where I was going with this is having the knowledge that Christ is always there.  He is, he is only a prayer away.  I honestly think that if I did not constantly pray the whole way down, things could have been worse.  I know that this WHOLE problem could have been avoided if I listened to my prompting, but my brothers safety was in the Lords hands and I am beyond grateful for the love that he showed us that day.  

Another weird thing happened this year.  All of the sudden I am not afraid of children.  The thought of them used to freak me out.  Now I just realized how amazing they are and how much life they add to yours.  I want to have a family someday. 

Oh, I also had a frightening encounter with a moose and its baby.  I probably could have been ran over by that thing, but it shouldn't have been snacking on the neighbors tree or freaking my dog out.  Somehow I was able to make it annoyed and walk away when I made a whole bunch of frantic and clapping noises.  Yay, aside from that random blurb about the moose, this year has been a good year for growing older.  Bring on the next one.  

Maybe I am really tired.

Has anyone else had the day where you seriously thought you were paying a visit in hell?  This week has been the weirdest.  I hate going into things completely blind.  Apparently that is what I have to do lately in order to do something with my life. Even though I thought things were stepping into place I have no idea what is going on right now, other than that tomorrow will be another day.  Is there anyone else out there who hates going into things blindly?  When I do not have control over some things, I kind of just freak out a little.  The word "wait" is probably one of the most evil words out there.
I guess it is a good thing to be reminded that you do not always have full control over the things that you want.  This is a good reminder to trust in the Lord and rely on him through prayer.  If you do take your time and really listen to what he has to say, he does have a plan for you and he only wants the best for you.
In other words, even though I really do not know what is really going on I should just keep moving forward taking these blind steps knowing that I will get somewhere sooner or later.
From one of my favorite movies Meet the Robinson's  I would like to say "Keep moving forward."

The post where I seriously don't write about anything.

If you know me then you know that I love doing things for animal rescues and shelters.  I love love loooove working with dogs on social interactions and making sure they are able to go to a good home that is sufficient for their needs.  Although I am not as great and as amazing as some other rescue people I know, I like to think that I am able to do my part.  This weekend I transferred two wonderful dogs from Idaho Falls, Idaho, to Salt Lake City, Utah.  One dog consisted on yelling at me the whole time.  She was not a happy camper.  I find that working with dogs is a source of therapy, and it is free!  It probably sounds weird to the average person, but I truly believe that animals have an understanding of humans.  Most importantly, they don't talk back, and they are so much easier to work with than other people.  Does that make me sound weird?  Oh well, I am who I am and I like it! Hahahaa.
Here is a note to all of the "nice guys."  We love you, but we don't always want to admit it.  Be patient it is okay to just be "friends" for a while.  We like our friends and chances are, we like you the more we get to know you...and golly, do not be afraid to ask a girl out or make the next move.  It is ok.  Just breath, but please think before you do something(just don't over think it.) I know the whole thing with dating is so frustrating, especially in our LDS culture.  I guess I am saying this because I want a chance. I often put on the image that I don't want to move on with my life and make the next step, but I do.  Everyone does.  However, I am perfectly content with my life.  Let me make this clear, I am not marriage hungry or desperate.  I am normal and I want the cliche normal life.  Who doesn't. Lets be honest here.  
Oh by the way, Happy Mormon Holiday Weekend!  I love General .  While I was driving home today I got to listen to the second session on the radio, it was nice, quiet and peaceful.  I got a lot of time to think about stuff.  It is mostly stuff that I do not even recall but thoughts always jump from one end to another in a girls mind sooo I guess in a round about way it all makes sense.
I am kind of a hippie and I really just want the best for others and for the world, however, there is no way to officially solve all problems so I am just doing what I can.  For example, if you call me at an odd hour in the night and ask for help, I will help.  If you call me and admit to doing something stupid, I am going to help.  Although it might not seem like it at the time, when I turn you in for doing something stupid when you knew what you did was wrong, you can expect it.  I understand that everyone makes mistakes.  You just have to pay the consequences of your mistakes.  However, there is a biiiig difference from making a mistake and doing something stupid, so I guess what I said probably doesn't make sense.  If you make a mistake I will help, if you do something stupid I will also help...I do that out of love for you  because I do care, I hope you understand that.

You know what would be cool?

Sometimes I wish people had the capability to read minds.  Not that crazy tarot card reading weirdness but the real understanding of knowing what someone is thinking.  Wouldn't that be nice?  If that happened there wouldn't be confusion or hesitation to ask what the other person is thinking.  Its just BAM.  We all understand each other.  

On another note, it would also be cool if super healthy food actually tasted really good.  I just had the most disgusting dinner ever.  I never knew spaghetti could be so repulsive.  Heh.
Yeah, that's about it.

A good song. Enjoy.

Ramble

I am a nice person and I never attempt to actually hurt anyone.  Although it may not always seem like it at the time, I do care about others and want the best for them. The truth is, I really am not a good person to discuss my feelings with unless I am really angry or extremely happy.  For anything in between please, for the sanity of the world, be patient with me.  Give me the time to wrap my head around the situation. I do not hate you or anyone.  I do however, hate when I know people are upset with me or when I feel upset with them.  
I guess my reasoning behind that ramble is because I have learned today that I really need to be patient with myself.  If you really know me, you know I have the tendency to be a little stubborn.  I am learning how to understand that nobody is perfect and that I cannot do everything on my own I am also allowing myself to accept the fact that sometimes people are going to not always use their heads in situations.  Everyone is human.
If things go according to plan this summer, I will be working at the Juvenile Correction Center.  That will be the big deciding factor if I have actually chosen the right major or not.  Either way, I am really excited for the possibility of this opportunity.  I love to study people and the teenage years are the years that I love to study the most.  I am a firm believer that you must pay the actions of your consequence and that you deserve a second chance through the payment of such consequence.
One more thing, the power of service is amazing.  A very wise professor of mine from a few years back told me, "If you take care of others, God will take care of you."  This statement has been in the back of my mind every day since I heard that.  It is so true.  If you really do spend time putting others before you, amazing things will happen.  You will be blessed, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

The Cliche Post

I guess it is traditional to start out with a cheesy/cliche post.  The D word.  The most devastating thought for those of us who are single.  Dating.
I don't know about you but I love people watching.  Watching those super clingy couples everywhere is getting pretty obnoxious but it is some how cute at the same time. The only problem with that is, it reminds me that my social clock in the Mormon world is clicking.  In the words of many, because I am ohhh sooooo old at the age of 21, I will probably be the next Sheri Dew.  The reality is that I have accepted my act of singleness and have gone to do better things with my life.  Going out and volunteering to rescue animals, to work with others has made my life more complete than anything ever has.  So guess what world, stick it.  I love my life.
I don't mean that to sound negative, I just don't like being told what to do.  I do want to get married some day and start a family but my time is just not yet.  As I have grown older and somewhat reflected about my life, I have realized that all of those times I thought I was in love, I wasn't.  I really just liked the idea of being in love. As I have realized that over time it has probably made me look bitter, I am not.  I am just waiting for someone with enough spunk to come in and show me that I have been wrong.  So if you are out there, please feel free to show me the other side.
^I think this is as openly cheesy I will ever be able to get for now...

Blog number five,  lets see where this goes.