Office gets a new look

I finally did something with my office! Yay!

Home Sweet Home Away from Home

Thriftstores and Spraypaint = Makeover

People think I'm crazy, but I LOVE shopping at the second-hand store.
You never know what you're going to find there, and you can't go expecting to find a certain treasure, you just have to go with your eyes open to possibilities.
Other people's trash has the potential to be your great treasure, you just never know.

I'm redecorating my office. I'm bored.
I had such great hopes for my office while it was being built... I knew that I would make it look awesome, and that just never happened.
I've been in my office for a year, and it's time to do something neat with it.
I'll post more pictures when it's finished, but I'll start with a picture of this bench I got at a second-hand store (it was an end table in its past life....)

A little spray paint, some fabric and my mad sewing skills and it's transformed!
Everything I've gotten for my office makeover except fabric has been recycled in some way, either from the DI, a garage sale or eBay.

More to come soon!

The shorties

I was initially going to write a blog about how Manuel's oldest child just turned THIRTEEN, but then I decided that I should just write a blog about all the kids.

If you've never been in a situation where you're dating someone that has children, I'll tell you right now that it can potentially be a really horrifying experience.
Before I met Manny's kids, I was really scared. What if they didn't like me? What if I didn't like them? What if their mothers try to kill me?
All legitimate thoughts.

I met his girls first, we went to Olive Garden. Things seemed to be going pretty well, and then Alex (the oldest) said "Dad, are we being good?" and he gave her a sideways look and said "Yes, you are" at which point she started giggling.
I must have looked confused because then she said " Dad told us to be good and not act like retards!"

It was then that I knew me and these girls would get along great.
They have wonderful senses of humor, they're loving and accepting.
Brayden was pretty hesitant at first, but I can honestly say that I think the little guy likes me.

Anyway, as I said, dating someone with children has the potential
to be horrifying, but in this case, I think it's really great.
Not only do I love Manny, but I also get 3 'shorties' to love, and that love me back.

Alexandria
(Alex, Alley Cat)

Alex just turned 13. Holy crap, a teenager! She loves horses and drawing and reading. She read the Twilight series faster than I did! She has a sense of humor that is close to mine, which is awesome! She plays the baritone in band and likes to ride my longboard. Hopefully she keeps her teenage sassiness to a minimum.





Taylor
(Tator Tot)

Taylor is 11 going on 17. She already has the teenage sassiness, and is our little drama queen. She is very affectionate and can often be found attached to the side of my hip. Wherever we go, you can be sure to hear "I get to sit by ernl!" out of her mouth. She loves Spaghetti O's: a girl after my own heart.






Brayden
(Bud)

Bud is going to be 7 in a couple weeks. He just graduated first grade, and is one of the best readers in his class. He excels at pretty much every sport. He made the majority of the points on his Jr. Jazz basketball team singlehandedly, and throws the ball so well in T-Ball they finally had to tell him to start rolling it because he had so much power the other kids didn't know what to do with themselves!

To my hero, Alexey

Dear Mr. Pajitnov,
I would like to thank you for the hundreds of hours of enjoyment you have provided me over my lifetime.
When I'm bored, lonely or hungry for a challenge, I turn to your genius.
You have enriched my life
You have also made my boyfriend extremely jealous of the time I spend with your offspring, and irritated when I endlessly brag about my unbeatable scores.

Here is a very happy 25th birthday wish to your brainchild.
The best video puzzle game in the history of video puzzle games- TETRIS.

I support love

I showed up angry, hurt, disappointed and confused.
For me, understanding the hatred derived from consciously choosing to restrict a civil liberty from a group of people is very, very hard to understand.
Over the course of our country's history, I cannot recall when giving a minority the same rights as the majority has hindered our nation.

I showed up to our state capitol building on Tuesday night with all those feelings because it was announced that the California Supreme Court had decided to uphold the Proposition 8 vote, and continue to ban gay marriage.
Everyone that supports the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, Transgender) community was asked to join at the Capitol on
Tuesday night, regardless of the outcome.

I know that the people there had all the same feelings that I did, but the rally was not about being angry, it was about being hopeful.
My attitude quickly changed being around so many people that had been hurt so many ways by society, yet continued on because they knew in their hearts that one day things might be equal for them. It wouldn't be today, but maybe one day.

I was glad I was wearing sunglasses, because several times I teared up at the sight of the crowd that was gathered, and especially at the sight of my brother and his boyfriend of several years holding hands, walking down State Street proudly.
I am more proud than I can say of my little brother, and it hurts me so much to see him refused the same freedoms I enjoy.

All I can think is, "when there's love... who loses?"
I know for a fact that the 18,000 gay marriages that are being upheld in California before the repeal of gay marriage do not have the power to make my heterosexual relationship spontaneously combust. The only thing that gay marriage will do to my relationship is nothing. Absolutely nothing.

I've been thinking a lot about causes, about how people choose a cause to believe in, and also about how a lot of Americans are too lazy or "busy" to fight for something they believe in. I urge the readers of this blog to seriously think about their impact on this world- Have you done anything in your life to impact someone elses? Was it for better or worse? Have you donated any of your resources toward anything you believe in? Was it to better mankind or to hinder?
When you think about the impact your life has on others, please consider the larger picture. If your chosen "cause" is in anyway working to suppress civil liberties of your fellow man, I urge you to rethink your chosen charity. In the end, does anyone who helps propagate hate, injustice and inequality benefit?
I encourage everyone to find something they believe in and don't just talk about it, but act.

I'll wrap this up with the chant often heard in LGBT rallies:

What do we want? EQUALITY!
When do we want it? NOW!

Is that so much to ask?

The Feds are watching...

I'll start off by saying that
I LOVE APPLE

Computers, products, software...

I've used an apple computer for 10 years
(long before they became trendy...)

However, a recent trip to the iTunes store has me upset.
They raised audio downloads to $1.29?!
What the hell are they thinking?!

You see, several years ago, I was someone who, *cough* liked to *cough* borrow music for free from *cough* uh... friends... on the internet.... and then with the Napster downfall, and all the hubub about stealing music, and the feds watching, I decided I'd go legit.

I haven't stolen music off the internet for years. I was okay with paying 99¢ per download in exchange for keeping my freedom loving ass out of jail.


After much thought on whether I should return to my old ways, I've come to the conclusion that I'm too cute for prison.

*sigh* I guess I'll pay $1.29

Glad to be alive

Most people don't wake up in the morning and think,
"I wonder if this will be the single most
terrifying day of my life"
And neither did I last Saturday.

The abbreviated version of this story, is that I almost drown in the Weber River.
It was an innocent kayaking adventure gone horribly wrong, and it almost cost me my life.
I escaped bruised, cut and horrified.


I think that I'll return to the water in my boat one day, but it might not be for a while.

Me and Manny before our Weber River trip