A Very Lucky Girl

Americans will take any holiday and turn it into a drinking fest. Even ones that aren't ours. Exhibit A: Cinco de Mayo. And during the summer Memorial Day, Flag Day, The Fourth of July, Canada Day, etc become another day on the calendar to mark with a beer, a tan, and some Zac Brown Band while the stars and stripes fly subtly in the background.  I had to work from 4 to close at Jamba to celebrate the day (somehow people don't think "hell yeah Amurrikahh, let's grab a Strawberries Wild!") and was frustrated about it. But then I thought about what I was really sacrificing. Maybe some pool time, nap time, or blogging time. But that is a ludicrous comparison when contrasted to what the men and women honored on this day sacrificed. I could surely blend smoothies for 5 hours without complaint.  I entertained the idea of being in the Air Force ROTC program at Tulane or TCU during my senior year of high school. I decided on Air Force because planes are the coolest. Fl...

I felt like a mom on my first full day of summer a few weeks ago. It further urged my obstinacy against ever having kids. I was drop dead exhausted by the end of the day. 6:15 -Wake up. Scream obscenities at my alarm in my head. Go to the gym and work off the anger at the alarm. 7:15 -Take the fastest shower known to man. Skip shaving, what's one more day with fuzzy legs? 7:35 -Drop Shari off at work. 7:35-8:15 -Drive to Chick Fil A. Pick up a chicken biscuit for Megan to surprise her at work. Get lost. Depend on Google Maps. Get lost again. 8:20 -Drop off said chicken biscuit. 8:40 -Scour all of Walmart for everything on the list. Exchange Pringles for carrots (so devastating). Self-checkout (avoid human contact at all costs). 9:15 -Unload groceries. Talk to the dog because no one else is home. She wanders out of the room when I'm mid-sentence. I don't notice. 9:20 -Desperately try to remember how to make an omelet. Crack an egg. Shiver at the slimyness (so...

I like to fly solo. When I hang out by myself, I have a great time. I love my friends, truly, but there's something perfect about being alone. There are zero expectations. You can be as ridiculous as you want. Lately I've been thinking that I have found two different types of relationships in my friendships. There are the people that I have to make an effort to be around them. They aren't my first choice when I have some free time, they are the last resort (only being honest, not deliberately hateful). We just don't click in a way that makes time whip by. They tend to typically be more self-absorbed and don't respect my priorities. And then I have the friends that I could spend the rest of my life with (I think that's called marriage so I should probably look into that. Kidding: I like guys). I have been blessed with phenomenal companions. They make me laugh and they encourage me to make good decisions (but stay with me through the bad ones). They call me out wh...

Someone once said that stupidity is doing something over and over again and expecting a different outcome. I'm pretty stupid sometimes. I make lots of mistakes. I disregard excellent advice from well-meaning friends. But I'm insanely stubborn, and something in my brain convinces me that this time, this time, I'll get it right. I'm an egotistical know-it-all and it frustrates me. I think that I can successfully sail through life alone. I SO can't. But I think I've finally learned (at least THIS lesson, I'm sure there are coming attractions/distractions). I'm also sure that my friends are skeptical in a "yeah, right, I've heard that before" way. Which they should be, I haven't backed up my declarations with action (or inaction might be more appropriate for the situation). But I'm resolute in this end. Finally. He didn't respect my words, why should I reward him with my valuable time? (he cut into some serious How I Met Your ...

"Don't act like you suddenly have self-respect" A guy said this to me last semester. I'm not proud of my reaction (think words that sound similar to "kung fu" and a choice hand gesture), but I was stunned at the effect his words had on me. I don't respect him, I don't think he has anything of value to ever say, yet this phrase still haunts me if I'm not careful. Unharnessed, it can reverberate in my mind, crowding all sensible thought. I know I have self-respect. I've proven it to myself over and over again, especially in the past few months with the choices I've made. JK (even his initials are a complete joke) inadvertently issued me a challenge.  Oh, you think I lack self-respect? Watch this. Challenge Accepted, A Very Lucky (and self-respecting) Girl.