Duck Bitten

I have started walking everyday. I just walk around the neighborhood, no big deal. Well, I always stop at a pond by my mail box to see the friendly ducks that crowd around hoping for a some food. They all crowd around talking and shoving each other just to see me without any food. Yet, they trot across the yard with their children quacking and looking up trusting that I will throw their meal into the grass.

I always thought it was harmless, but when I went with my sister, Vicky, yesterday there was a problem. I thought it would nice to have pictures of these cute ducks and their ducklings. Unfortunately, one of the ducks either thought the camera was food or was tired of paparazzi and bit my sister's finger. Yet she was able to get this nice picture of the duck about to attack.--->

I joked with her that because she does not eat animals the animals have decided to eat her! None of the ducks have ever attacked me and I see them everyday. I love the fuzzy multicolored baby ducks that peep and play with each other. There is one poor mother duck that has 12 ducklings following her around. I find it funny to watch her try to keep control of her big flock of fuzzy children. When I am down I just look around at these funny animals waddling around asking in quacks for food or biting my sister. =)

23 Today

So, I turned 23 today. I was looking forward to a boring day at home doing what I usually do. I was woken up at ten this morning by Richie. He informed me we had to get going because he had set up an appointment to get a massage.

It was a nice massage. I did not know how ticklish my back is. When I was not choking back giggles my thoughts were floating around. I am 23 today. It hit me more than anything that my first memory was officially 20 years ago. That is crazy. Everything has changed since then. I am in a new state, I have a sister and many more cousins, and I am an adult, not a young child.

After my massage and trip down 20 years of memories, I had Subway for lunch. When I got home I laid around and took a walk. Finally, dinner time came around and Richie surprised me again with a dinner at Ruby Tuesday's. Nothing is better than Asian dumplings and a blue cheese burger. They brought me out a free cream bowl without singing. Overall, it was a nice day.

Yay For Computers

After a day and an half my internet and cable box was turned back on. Some newbie cable person pulled our plug when installing another person's cable.

I never really think about how much I need the internet. I need it to write this blog and to check in on my friends but, what killed me the most was not connecting with the rest of the world. In this day and age you need a good internet connection to get news. I love the fact that if I think "Hmmm...I wonder what happened to Fred Savage from the Wonder Years is up to now." and just Google or Yahoo 'Fred Savage' and there is my answer.

I think back to when I was growing up. I did not have a personal computer in my house until I was eight almost nine (1995). Then, we did not have internet until 1998 when I was twelve. Before I had a computer I had only played on one of my friend's computers and one at school. I remember my first games on the computer were 3D Dinosaurs, Math Blaster, and Reader Rabbit. Now, it has been fourteen years and I can not imagine not having my computers. I need them for so many functions: news, communication, music, writing, school, and of course Sims 3. Yay, for computers and the internet!

Changes On The Path

My life has been changing these past few days. Richie and I have decided to get a roommate. In these hard times we needed the help more than the freedom of a full two bed, two bath apartment allowed us. With her comes quite a few animals, one which is staying over, he is a cute cat called Sushi. I just hope Ramona does not eat him or the bunnie!

Then, I am looking into other college choices. GCU claims I owe 2,500 dollars yet, nobody will call me back about that. I was told I was in the clear and now they say I am not after it is too late to do anything. So, I am going to look into colleges around my house. HCC looks good and so is USF.

I turn 23 in a week. I hope to be going to Disney for my real birthday because, it is free. I will have a party on August 1st at my house. I hope it is a better year than this one.

Pros & Cons Of The Library

Like every town has a village idiot, every town has a library. There are Pros and Cons in going there. Here are mine:

Pro #1: It is Free!
Nothing beats free things! The library is free to any person be you the hobo on the street or Britney Spears. You have the right to take and read books with no fee. I can read that overpriced thirty dollar book for no charge.

Con #1: You Have Due Dates
The library is not free when you forgot that novel on your coffee table is not your own book. It is also annoying how if the book is popular you have two weeks to read it before you have to hand if off to the next lucky person to read. It is speed read or wait five months to read it again. Sometimes, I pay the two dollars in late fees just to get more time with the book but, the phone calls from the "Late Book Monster" every other day gets on my nerves.

Pro #2: They Have All The Books You Want
Unless you live in the library you do not have the room to put a million or so in your house. The library holds all the books you want and even more that you do not know you want. You can find something you want in the databases and it is healthy to read many books.

Con #2: Waiting For A Book
I have wanted a book for the past month and I had to be put on a waiting list because I had not noticed that Oprah had just promoted the book. That means it might be another two to four more weeks before I get my hands on it. Then I will have to read it fast to bring it back in two weeks. If I was willing to pay twenty-five dollars I could have it today, Oprah or no Oprah. The only time my patience got the best of me was for the Harry Potter series and I happened to ask for them for my birthday for three years because they came out either right before or right after. Why wait for six months on a waiting list when you can have it for free right now?

Pro #3: It is Very Quiet In There
I do not live in a crazy household but, sometimes I need the quiet to let my mind wander. I just walk up and down the halls looking at random books. It is nice to slow down and just have some moments of peace.

Con #3: Sharing Can Be Yucky
I don't know about you but, when I am into a really good book I take it everywhere...and I mean everywhere. I can forget that the book might have been in someone else's bathroom but, I can't ignore the mystery spots on my books. Yet worst is when you open a book and crumbs fall out or the unappealing look and feel of water damaged books. In these ways sharing can be yucky.

Let's Eat Cake!

I got home today from my monthly YAG (Young Adults Group) lunch to find my hungry boyfriend wanting an ice cream cake. I decided that I would let him get one if he gave me a pudding cake for my party. So, we ran to Baskin Robbins and picked out this yummy cake. I am a chocoholic. I would eat chocolate on chocolate if I could. This double fudge brownie cake hits that spot. The funny thing is that he did not even eat any. I think he wants me to become a fat person.

I just might have three cakes this year: ice cream cake, pudding cake, and whatever my parents buy. That is alot of cake. As a kid the "Birthday Fairy" made my cakes...which turned out to be my mom. My 15th birthday cake was a cupcake that my God Mother bought me and my 19th birthday saw me waking up in France with an apple pie(because Americans like that lol). My craziest cake of my childhood dreams was my 21st birthday with a neon The Little Mermaid cake. So, with 23 cakes, a cupcake, and an apple pie, I know my birthday food. Yummy-Yummy!

Sick Day Wish

I woke up today not feeling so hot. Well, actually my forehead was hot, the rest of me...not so much. It is also not hot having my boyfriend making me stay on this couch.

I am so glad that out of the blue the internet on my laptop started working again. It was out for the pass two weeks and all of a sudden I said, "Man, I wish the internet was working on my laptop!" At that moment it popped up and said, "You are now connected!" I thought I was delirious and handed it to Richie and he said that it is indeed working.

I wonder this is a sick day wish and at midnight my laptop will become a pumpkin. I hope not, I forgot the recipe for pumpkin pie from scratch. Maybe, it is my birthday wish ten days early. Then I will have a year to find that pumpkin pie recipe. I really hope it stays a working laptop. We will have to see.

Ramona The Cat (and others)

People are their pets. That would make me a two year old calico beauty with a sneaky personality! Ramona is the most cat-like cat I have ever had and the most intellagent to boot. She and I click and she even has a bump on her nose like me.

Ramona is very smart but, she has to want to do what you ask of her. The day I found out she ignores me not misunderstands me is the day I was watching Meerkat Manor with her and she stood up on two legs like a meerkat. I had tried from the age of six to train two of my former cats to sit on hind legs and had failed and here she was doing it by herself. That was cool.

Then I hosted a family member's cat who knew how to open doors. He did his trick once and she tried it out herself. We had to lock the door outside at all times because she would run away until she was extremely hungry. Even when it rained that cat would sit out and relax.

I had two cats before her: Julius and Marbles. I had Julius (I have no pictures of him) from the time I was five until I was eight. He was a very mean cat and even once climbed up my face while I was sitting up in bed. We had to get rid of him because he just worse not better in the behavior problems. For a while we did not have a cat until someone threw a cat in a garbage bag out of their truck and into the field next door. You would think he would be bitter but, he was a calm and sweet cat with the behaviors of a well trained dog. He adopted us and we called him Marbles(pictured at left). He had a hunter's spirit and killed many feathered and furry animal all which he brought to me to "fix". Unlucky for this cat I was not God and had to put his "toys" in the trash can. Sadly, he passed away from cancer June 2007. I could not fix him either. He was a great cat.

Then, I started new with Ramona that August when I answered an ad for a 8 week old kitten on Petfinder. Only to find out she was 6 months old and was from a feral cat community. She jumped from a small kitten to a big on in a week and had a clipped ear a symbol that she was a part of the fix and release program. I wondered if she would ever come out from under my couch and if so would she be friendly? She came out one night to eat and found me sitting watching television and sat down next to me and began to purr. I knew then that she was going to be a good companion.

Right now she is sitting in a desk chair watching me pound these keys and is purring at only the fact that she is in the same room as me.

So, what do I want to get across in this post? That there are tons of animals right now sitting in shelters or on the streets that need a home. If I had not opened my home where would my friend, Ramona, be? Or would Marbles had the same comfortable life? I do not want to think of the possibilities. Even if you do not have room, or if you are allergic to animals you can still help them out by donating time or money to animal causes.

Happiness is Looking At Your Own Grass

Remember the old saying 'The grass is greener on the other side."? Well, maybe it is but, why look?

I have grown up in my life wanting summer when it was winter and winter when it was summer. I had something and then I wanted something better. Now, at 22 soon to be 23 I know that the grass can be greener but, it could also be browner, too.

Last year. my boyfriend and I decided to break-up. We had only loved each other and we thought we wanted better and that things could not get worse than this. We divided the furniture, packed up our stuff, and went back to living with our parents. We dated new and what we hoped were more exciting people.

In the end living like minors in our parents' houses was not appealing. Worse, the people we were dating were either more controlling, less exciting, or dependent on illegal grasses. We had found nice big patches of brown grass!

So, in the end we made up when we ran into each other while getting the last of our things from the apartment. We knew we had green enough grass right where we stood. Now, even though the bills are piling up and we are trying to keep our heads above water, I know that this is where I am suppose to be. If better grass comes I will welcome it yet, I am happy where I am.

The Start Of A Journey

This more like the start of chronicling the journey as the journey really started on July 28th, 1986. I am at the point in my life where everything is up in the air and I could end up anywhere. I just got laid off at work and I feel good about it. I am working towards a BS in Elementary Education and hope to get a job in social services for children. I do not know if that is what is going to happen but, I do know I am ready for anything..

So, this is the start of blogging my journey through random and sometimes thought provoking, sometimes amusing posts about what is going through my head. It is the steps we take in life not the end result that makes us who we are. Here is my first.