Disclaimer: I feel like complaining!

I often don't complain about this because overall, I'm content, but lately I'm getting sick of this...being single. Seriously...what happened to all the good guys? Yes, I know, I know, they are either married or gay is the saying I always hear. But honestly. I'm 27 years old. I really am overall content with where my life is and what I've achieved in my life, but there are days like today where I wish I had someone. I wish I had that person to just lay on the couch and enjoy a day of football. I wish I had that person that I could just say "hey want to go get some dinner" and head off. I wish I had that person that after a really rough day at work, I could go home knowing his arms were there for a hug and a "everything is going to be okay."

I went to dinner a couple weeks ago with a friend I've known for quite some time (over 5 years). We were discussing being single and the frustrations of most of our friends being married and some having children. I'm sick of getting wedding invitations that say "Amy and guest." I don't do the bar thing, I don't do the clubbing thing.

I remind myself that I am a strong, independent person who has accomplished a lot on her own. Is that the problem? I am not ashamed of being independent or being a huge sports fan or being able to live by myself, but there are days....like today....where I just wish I had that someone. I don't think I'm asking for much either. I just want someone who is sure of himself, has a sense of humor, is honest, and can handle some sarcasm. Okay, so there's more than that, but I don't think I should have to lower my standards to find that someone. I'm also not someone who thinks there is that one perfect person for me...I believe there are potentially lots of them, but I apparently just am nowhere close to finding of them.

Anyway, so today I complain. Tomorrow I know I will wake up and move along like I always do. And as much as people will comment on how strong am I or how independent I am, I know that there are times when I come home and wish I didn't have to be.

I did put a disclaimer before reading this, but I feel better. I complained. I'm not perfect.

Stress

Stress is both a positive and a negative. Without any stress, many people can lack motivation to accomplish things. Too much stress and it can cause a variety of things. Just the right amount and most people function normally. Well, lately I've been on the too much stress end. I've felt just really run down, tired, and all around out of it. I spent all of last weekend on the couch getting up for whatever I absolutely needed.

My job is stressful. I don't think many people would disagree with that. The difficult part is that the stress never goes away, it all depends on how it's managed. Well, there are times when my ability to manage the stress leaves due to the overwhelming amount of work I have. So, I'm working on that.

So that's why I've been MIA lately (read: like the last 6 months!) So I'm hoping I'm on the path to figuring this all out and being more social again :)

How's everyone else feeling lately?

Eight years ago....

Eight years ago today, our world changed. We could not have ever imagined something like that happening or seeing it happen. I was sleeping as I had to commute to classes later in the day. My dad had come in my bedroom and woke me up. (For those of you that know me, I am not a pleasant person when I am woken up!) My dad then explained that a plane had hit one of the twin towers. I remember saying something about that being awful and what bad luck. I got out of bed and in front of the TV in time to see the second plane hit. I remember thinking "that's not luck." After watching some more, the towers crumbled. That was a sight that I will never forget nor did I ever think I would see it in my lifetime. There were many lives lost that day and in the next days to come. Not only at Ground Zero, but the Pentagon and the field. As I sit here today, I was thinking about how hectic my day was and all the things I needed to accomplish. Then I stopped. I personally did not lose anyone nine years ago today, but I will never forget the feelings I had that day.

I've always heard people about talk about remembering where they were when JFK was shot. I will always remember where I was on September 11, 2001. "Thank you" will never truly show how much the people who helped are appreciated and "I'm sorry" will never bring people's loved ones back, but hopefully knowing that people like me, will never forget, is a start.

Use your words

This past weekend, I realized just how much I have accomplished and the person I have become. I had the wonderful opportunity to be able to visit with four college friends that I don't see often. Two of them are married (to each other) and have a 5 1/2 week old son that I got to meet. I have another friend who is a teacher and just bought her first house. And the other friend...well, we still wonder how he manages to make it through the day :)

On Saturday, me and two my friends went to campus to visit where we had met. We walked on a trail that follows along a river. There is a large rock that I spent plenty of time sitting on during college. We went back there and sat and talked and listen to the water. We talked about how long we've known each other and where we were in our lives when we met--and now where we are today. We've all graduated and moved, I had a failed engagement and living on my own for the first time, one friend told everyone he is gay, and one has moved to Arizona and back all in the short amount of time we've known each other. As we sat talking, I realized that this is what friendship is. It's being comfortable with how we are that even though we hadn't seen each other in almost a year, that we fell into conversation and being able to share with each other. I had such a great weekend that I did not want to go home. It was one of those weekends that you wish could last longer.

It's nice to have reminders every now and then about what has been accomplished and makes you smile and wonder just what will happen in the future...

His right or disrespect?

I'm curious what you all think about the following article....

Dispute over flag protest erupts in Wisc. village

An American flag flown upside down as a protest in a northern Wisconsin village was seized by police before a Fourth of July parade and the businessman who flew it — an Iraq war veteran — claims the officers trespassed and stole his property.
A day after the parade, police returned the flag and the man's protest — over a liquor license — continued.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin is considering legal action against the village of Crivitz for violating Vito Congine Jr.'s' First Amendment rights, Executive Director Chris Ahmuty said.
"It is not often that you see something this blatant," Ahmuty said.
In mid-June, Congine, 46, began flying the flag upside down — an accepted way to signal distress — outside the restaurant he wants to open in Crivitz, a village of about 1,000 people some 65 miles north of Green Bay.
He said his distress is likely bankruptcy because the village board refused to grant him a liquor license after he spent nearly $200,000 to buy and remodel a downtown building for an Italian supper club.
Congine's upside-down-flag represents distress to him; to others in town, it represents disrespect of the flag.
Hours before a Fourth of July parade, four police officers went to Congine's property and removed the flag under the advice of Marinette County District Attorney Allen Brey.
Neighbor Steven Klein watched in disbelief.
"I said, 'What are you doing?' Klein said. "They said, 'It is none of your business.'"
The next day, police returned the flag.
Brey declined comment Friday.
Marinette County Sheriff Jim Kanikula said it was not illegal to fly the flag upside down but people were upset and it was the Fourth of July.
"It is illegal to cause a disruption," he said.
The parade went on without any problems, Kanikula said.
Village President John Deschane, 60, an Army veteran who served in Vietnam, said many people in town believe it's disrespectful to fly the flag upside down.
"If he wants to protest, let him protest but find a different way to do it," Deschane said.
Congine, a Marine veteran who served in Iraq in 2004, said he intends to keep flying the flag upside down.
"It is pretty bad when I go and fight a tyrannical government somewhere else," Congine said, "and then I come home to find it right here at my front door."

I'll post what I think after you guys discuss amongst yourselves :)

When does reality stop being real?

So anyone who knows me knows that I enjoy reality TV. I like American Idol, Bachelor(ette), The Biggest Loser, etc. However, this Jon and Kate thing has me pretty upset. Also most people know that I work in a field with children. My degrees are in Social Work and so I was taught all about children's development. What upsets me about this show is how the children are being raised. I have heard the argument about how they are doing the show in order to have money for their children. Well, guess what, the majority of America (and the world for that matter) have to do something called getting a job and earning for their family. I continue to get upset at Kate's comments about doing what she needs to in order to provide for her family. What is she providing besides money though? I can tell you that money is not the most important thing in raising a family. Those kids need love, consistency, structure and I have a hard time believing those things are being provided like they should.

I'm not going to get into who's to blame and who started what. I will say that I stopped watching Jon and Kate quite a while ago due to not being able to handle how Kate spoke to Jon. I felt she was extremely disrespectful and treated him as a child. At that point, I stopped.

So when is enough enough? When does reality no longer become real and people need to realize that people's lives being ruined is not "entertainment"? I guess I am not sure what the answer is either, but I do know that those children are going to have a challenging life due to being thrust in the spotlight and now having to deal with this very public divorce. I applaud celebrities who are conscious about making sure their children are in the spotlight as little as possible.

So my hope for Jon, Kate, and their eight children is that they realize what reality is without millions of people watching.

Migraines, naps, and rain

Yesterday it finally felt like summer and you know what I did? I slept...for 4 hours. Why, you ask? Well, because I had a migraine from hell. I seriously have never had a migraine this bad. I woke up yesterday morning and felt dizzy and just not right. I didn't think much of it and continued getting ready to leave for work. I went to my first appointment and felt even worse. When I got home, I knew that it was a dirty migraine. I took a pill and was out. Four hours later I woke up with the reminents of horrible pounding. It was definitely not a pretty day. To top it off, I had to get some errands done and quickly got ready to go out and run to the store. When I got home, I made some quick dinner and relaxed the rest of the night. I had no problem sleeping last night either. Whew. When I woke up this morning, I began feeling human again and so far today have been better. Let's hope it stays away for a looooong time to come.

I've always been a fan of naps but lately it's almost like my body expects naps. Now, I have no problem making sure my body gets what it needs but when I'm supposed to be working, it makes it difficult to nap. So I have to hold off until the weekend and then I'm so busy attempting to cram as much as possible into the weekend that I usually don't have time. Well, I was so tired last weekend from the week and the start of the weekend that I slept 12 hours Saturday night. When I finally work up at 1pm on Sunday, it was the most rested I've felt in a long time. It was well needed and deserved (if I say so myself!)

My only comment about the rain recently is that pretty soon I'm going to need to build an ark. I really feel like it's been raining SO much lately. I mean, I have a garden so I appreciate the growing aspect of the rain, but comon. Enough is enough!!!