Sunday, October 30, 2011

I'm Ready

I think it's time to move out. Living at home has its perks don't get me wrong, but there comes a point in your life when you simply want more freedom. Whether it's moving in with a friend or different family member, or getting my own place I am ready for a change.

I have lived in the same house for 17 years of my life. Little house with a big back yard in what used to be a very nice neighborhood. It's centrally located between the preschool, elementary school, middle school and high school; very conveniently located for a young family.

When I was younger I always thought that right when I turned 18 I was going to go off to college somewhere, never did I think that ME of all people would be staying in Sheboygan. Due to the fact I decided to stay in town and save money, I feel like I need a change and a new chapter.

I have been thinking about this alot lately: the idea of moving out. And believe me it's kind of scary, I am not sure I would know what to do, but the great part about life is that you live and you learn, and I think I am ready to live.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Too Soon For Christmas Music?

Though Christmas is a few months away yet I cannot help but become excited when it crosses my mind. Holidays are a huge part of my families traditions and Christmas is no exception. We always gather for a good time and, trust me when I say, we know how to celebrate. As I close my eyes I can almost visualize the luminous lights on the tree reflecting on the Snow Baby ornaments, smell the freshly baked pigs-in-a-blanket among the feast of foods my grandmother has prepared and of course hear the comforting Christmas songs. Perhaps the most dominant memories are those associated with that of the relaxing yet joyful Christmas tunes.

This then helps me to pose the question: Is it too soon for Christmas music? Christmas music represents not only the joy of the seasons wonders but also the gratefulness that we all seem to share. It seems that around the Christmas season, more than any other, people are truly grateful.  What more could I ask for than to have all my family gathered in one place creating memories with each other: it is about wanting what you've got.

Growing up my brother and sister and I would dance around singing Christmas jams like "Rudolph the Red-nose Reindeer" or "Away in a Manger". In elementary school we had Christmas programs where the joyous spirit of the season truly seemed to shed it's light among the community.

Though I am still a sucker for those traditional Christmas songs, I have been starting to fall in love with the style of Country Christmas music more and more. The slight southern twang mixed with the comforting classics we all know and love provides for the ultimate Christmas beat.

Whether it is December and all I want is to cuddle up in a plush blanket with a mug of hot cocoa or if it is the middle of summer and i am in a bikini with a cold drink, Christmas songs always seem to bring comfort and joy to me. I truly appreciate all that I have been given, even more than usual, when I listen to the upbeat and positive messages of the beloved Christmas songs.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

All I Want For Christmas..

Throughout life everybody experiences crushes, obsessions and get butterflies over a particular celebrity. When I was 8 it was Nick from Backstreet Boys, then in middle school it turned into Harry Potter and its safe to say that now it is Luke Bryan.

For those of you who don't know, Luke Bryan is a country artist. He is in his early 30's, and is your typical country man. He is one part rough manly man, one part country boy and completely true to who he is. He has a charming smile that could seemingly light up a room. Just as with an other crush it seems impossible to find a flaw. To be quite frank, the only flaw I can see is that he already has a wife and a son!!

His voice is deep and comforting with a slight twang. His voice has been the soundtrack of my IPod and my "shower music" play list.. I recently began downloading Christmas music to my Itunes and didn't stop short of downloading his version on "Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer". I honestly had my eyes glued to many of his live concert videos, the way he interacts with the audience is amazing. Country music in general usually has a pretty good  message and meaning, but I see a personal touch in Luke's music.

I don't really ask for alot, but one opportunity I'd like to have is the privilege to meet Luke Bryan. I don't want to be one of those crazy girls that you see grabbing for him at concerts, I simply want to meet him. To get to know the man i see all too often in my dreams . ;)

Sunday, October 9, 2011

A New Donor

Just recently I decided to donate plasma. Some extra spending money every week, not to mention that my plasma can help somebody who is unable to produce it themselves- it is an added incentive. I was very nervous about donating because I haven't ever even been able to donate blood before. For those of you who don't know, I do not eat meat so I usually have levels of hemoglobin that are too low to donate. I was afraid that I would be turned away or that I would faint, thankfully neither happened and all went well.

The night before I donated I was literally shaking in my sheets thinking about it, naturally I even had nightmares about donating. Just typical cases of horror stories; getting pricked multiple times by the needle because they're unable to find my vein, pass out or puking, and other terrible images we're rolling through my mind as I tried to fall asleep. Little did I know, I had nothing to worry about.

I drove down the road from school to BioLife and sat in my truck taking a few deep breaths before I went in. I pushed open the glass doors and a clean scent mixed with an aroma of latex engulfed my nostrils. The ceilings were high and had sky lights allowing natural sunrays to shine inside giving the donation center a more cheerful feel. People were everywhere and I had no clue how to get started, thankfully as a new donor the nurses/doctors give you preferential treatment. I was offered the option to back out at any point but they made me feel comfortable enough to continue with the process.

I was headed to the "RED" section where I layed on a rather comfortable curvy chair. A nurse came over and described everything she was about to do to me. Yes it did sound horrifying. I was allowed to listen to my IPod so I turned on some Jack's Mannequin and calmed myself down. Cold iodine was rubbed all over the injection site leaving a yellow stain on my skin, almost immediately after the needle was injected into my vein. I honestly barely felt a thing. The nurse told me that I had good veins which made the process easy for her. After that I layed there for 45 minutes as the process began.

Overall the entire experience was very relaxing, probably not what you expect to hear. I was able to listen to music, people watch and make a a pretty good chunk of cash as well. Nurses and even the other people who were donating all kept an eye on me as a new donor to make sure everything went well, it was reassuring.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Game Time Atmosphere

What an amazing weekend to be a Wisconsin sports fan; Brewer, Badger and Packer victories. Many of us cheered on these teams with our families and close friends at sport parties. The kind of parties where you gather at grandmas house and there is plenty of brats and hamburgers, chex mix and chocolate chip cookies. Others viewed these games with good friends and a beer in hand. The kind of place where the T.V's are loud, the words are vulgar and the cooler is never ending. Yet, others of us experienced these weekend games at work, like myself. Brisco County Woodgrill represented a well blended mixture of those two types of parties.

This Saturday I was repping my red "Bucky Wisconsin" sweatshirt with crimped hair and a Badger logo sticker on my cheek. I stood by the hostess desk at BCWG unsure of what the night might hold. All of the employees were wearing some form of sports paraphernalia, and dinner time came around the restaurant began to fill with a sea of blue, red and green. All fans gathered in one place, supporting their state. Before long the restaurant was packed and the bar was bumping.

When the Badger game came on at 7pm there was no doubt you could feel the intense and excited atmosphere. The restaurant is scattered with around 30 TVs but the biggest TV is in the bar and the other's are a little delayed. When a touch down was scored you could hear a wave of roars from one end of the restaurant to the other as the touch downs were aired.

Cheers and roars echo from the bar and screams of ecstasy filled my ears. With every touchdown there was one more drink being poured and one more shot being taken. Before long customers are beginning to even further loosen up creating a very entertaining atmosphere, especially from where i stand at the hostess desk. There were people dancing, picking up each other and high-fiving each other  left and right. Everybody there was cheering on and supporting our team in a very proud way, it's a feeling like no other. If i could i would always choose to work during sporting games/events, it is truly and exciting and exhilarating feeling as opposed to what others maybe consider work as.