*insert title here*

Hey everyone! It's Tuesday!


I'm not sure what I wanna write about today, so I guess I'll start with an update on the prayer request I posted last week! I think God saw our impatience when I posted my last blog... Well, the morning after I posted that request, he got a phone call around 8am. He got a job offer! He got all the necessary drug tests and his training starts on the 13th. So, I guess keep his training in your prayers? And thanks so much for sending up your prayers and good vibes! <3


Hmm...  

Umm...

So, as opposed to what I said in last week's post about taking this semester off, I started looking at some courses that I could take, and I also looked into what I'll need to do to transfer to a more preferred college. Well, I missed the date to submit my transcripts, so I'll have to wait. And with regards to my Fall semester, I'm considering taking Anthropology 215. I don't really need it, but it sounds truly interesting. It's basically a course on religions and their impacts on the world and different cultures. Unfortunately, it's not being taught by my favorite professor (who I took Physical Anthropology from), but it's still an interesting subject and I love Anthropology. If I do take it, you can be certain I'll be writing a lot about my experiences in the class and some of the things I've learned! 

Well, other than that, there's not much else to write about.

Well, that's all folks! 

DFTBA! 

Shelby W. 

HOLY CRAP HOLY CRAP HOLY CRAP! Sorry Sorry Sorry! I am so bad at blogging! I really don't have anything prepared because I am a dumb dumb!


I have been hanging out with my cousin as of late which is pretty awesome. We are watching Grimlins right now which is awesome!

I will prepare something better next week but it's 11:27 PM and I really don't want to be late again so HERE IS A CRAPPY BLOG! ENJOY!


Love The Lord of Mondays

A Toyota has just smashed right through my writer's block.

Hello everyone! Just to clarify the title, no I was not involved in a car accident. I've just had a great day, which is surprising for this summer. Plus, I'm actually looking for a newer car, and after today it will probably be a Toyota.

Today after work my roommate and I went to a dealership so that I could test drive models of cars that my mom has helped me find at her job that I can pick from. Unfortunately, the dealership only had 2012 models, and those aren't even in my price range. But much to my surprise after telling the salesperson my situation, he understood that I'm a broke college student and he still let me drive the two cars that I wanted to, and oh my gosh did I wish for a mountain of money to fall into my lap right at that moment! But the sales guy did have a catch for his good deed. Upon walking out, I was handed a handful of his cards to give to people that are looking for a new car, and with every person that comes in and says that I recommended him, I get a little bit of money. Can you say," world's coolest job"?

So that's how one of the non-suckish days of my whole summer has gone.

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend and DFTBA!

Also, next week I don't think that I'm going to do the short story challenge. I'm sorry.

'Til next time,

Nicole

I am procrastinating writing this post...

I have had a pretty rough week. I am both physically and mentally exhausted and tbh I just want to sleep lol but who needs to sleep when you have coffee, right?

So much has happened in the world this week that makes my petty little first world problems seem like nothing. So now my entire blog post complaining about my past week seems irrelevant and i just don't know what to write, which is a theme I am very accustomed to.

I am a writer. It is what i love to do. It is the one thing in my life that i am most passionate about, so why cant i do it? Am i too much of a perfectionist? All i know is that i need to write if i ever want to finish a novel and even think about being published, and by the looks of it we are all having the same problems. So i propose a challenge.

We all write a short story before our posts next week. It can be done in any style, and it can be any length, it just has to be something. And we will all write about the same things, but we are each going to add an element to the story in the comments of this post, whether it be the location, a main characters name, an item that has to be included... everyone just has to add at least one thing :)

If no one is keen on that let me know, its going to be a huge challenge for me because i have a massive week ahead of me, but i think we can do it :)

What do you guys think?

Sending love and prayers to those who are having a rough time in life at the moment, may the sun shine brighter soon :)

My Mind Is Blank...

Hey all... Today is Tuesday, and I've got nothing. My mind is blank. I think it's okay to mention that I don't want to write about the Aurora shooting. We've discussed it in the comments on Craig's post, and I'm sure we've kept ourselves updated with all the constant coverage of the tragedy. In the end, I don't feel it's necessary to give this shooter the satisfaction of discussing it further. 

But with this opinion comes an overwhelming lack of things to write about. My life is quite boring... Waiting for the building for the thrift store my mom and I are going to run to be built means no job to keep me occupied. I've decided to take the Fall semester off in order to evaluate my transfer options, which means no hours spent picking courses to take.  My writing is at a total standstill... *sigh* I wish I could come up with a creative way to motivate myself to write, but I don't have any ideas. Any of you got ideas? Have you been writing regularly, or am I not alone in my writer's block? 

Along with the lack of eventfulness in my life, my fiance has been unable to get a phlebotomy job. No hospitals are hiring, and the company he externed with hasn't offered him a job (even though people are still asking to get appointments with him because he did such a good job and all the people he worked with want him to work there). If any of you could include my fiance's search for a job in your prayers, it'd be much appreciated. If you don't pray, send good vibes his way or something. :P I don't like seeing him discouraged, and he definitely deserves his dream job.

I really enjoyed seeing the music y'all listen to... It's interesting to see the differences and similarities between all of us when it comes to music genres.  

Well, I don't think there's much else to say...

See ya next Tuesday! 
DFTBA!

Shelby W.

 Hello all.

              The shooting in Aurora Colorado. This hit WAY too close to home for me, as I live in Colorado myself. I knew that none of my family was in danger but you can never really get rid of that nagging feeling. My cousin and I where hanging out that night and we both bitched about how we couldn't go see Batman. Then I got the news and my irrational side kicked in "It could have been us!" Well no, dumb ass, it couldn't. I am by no means close to Aurora save for being in the same state. But I still found myself biting my nails and trying to gather news about what happend. It is truly an awful thing that happend but I am going to be a bit of a prick on this part: Don't let this affect you wanting to see movies please. I saw people swearing up and down that they would no longer go to movie theaters and I had to bite my fist from literally shouting BS. And now I am trying to find a way to share my opinion and still be tactful and not seem like a raving idiot. We can't let bad things stop the good things. If you love movies or sports or whatever we have to keep that love! It's what makes life at least a little better. We can't let one man ruin it for all of us. And I sure as hell wont. Next month, if I have the means to do as such, I am going to take my little cousin and my brother to go see The Dark Knight Rises. I would like to say that I'm being defiant, but that isn't even it. I love movies. I love video games. I love music. I would have gone regardless. And regardless I will go.



 Sorry for this depressing post. I had to get that off my chest and I still don't feel the burden lifted. I am just not agreeing with the direction humanity is going in and I am not articulate enough to put it all in words. At least right now.



I loved hearing all your music! It's so nice to hear what others listen too!

DFTBA and best wishes,
Craig TLoM

So many feels...

This has been a hard week... Last weekend, two girls went missing from my home town and were later found deceased... I didn't know them, but the idea of it happening at home terrifies me. My suite-mate chewed me out about my dishes (which seems mild, but there's a lot of back story). Westboro Baptist is protesting the funeral of the two girls tonight. Then this morning, we all woke up to news of the Aurora shooting...  I've been nothing but angry and anxious all week (I have an anxiety disorder, which I have kept under much better control lately until this week). I'm tired of people sucking and killing and yelling. Right now is probably the most serene I've been, and that's because I put on K-Love for the first time in months. (For those not from around here, it's a Christian radio station.) I'm thanking God for being here and for giving me peace, and I sincerely hope that he can and will deliver it to those coping with these things.



On the note of K-Love, it's music week! So... I'm going to start with the first song I heard when I turned it on today... It holds a lot of good memories for me; thoughts of mission trips and youth group and people I love, and it brings me a lot of comfort.

My music, it seems, is also going to be a lot different from all of yours. I'm a Broadway and showtunes fanatic, so the rest of mine are probably going to reflect that... First, I'm a HUGE Gleek, and my favorite to sing to is a Kurt song, which I have stuck in my head almost all the time. :) I love songs about remembering; it was always my word. I have an old Army jacket on which it is pinned where one's name should go because it was my word. I also adore Kurt (and obviously Chris Colfer).

Then, of course, there's Broadway...There are two very meaningful and sentimental songs that I love very much, but when I need some happy music (and am in the right mood), I go for this one. Wicked, if you haven't heard about it, is the prequel to the Wizard of Oz. Don't read the book, but they have the entire production on YouTube if you want to see it. :)

And finally, another Glee, but for a different reason... I find ASL to be the most beautiful language in existence, and this song is absolutely beautiful. :) Last one for me.

That's all for me today. I'm going to chill with my friend Keisha and listen to some more KLove before play tonight. Have a good weekend, everyone!

Lullaby's for the exhausted

I'm beyond tired today guys, so this post is going to be short.

You can do no wrong with Mr. Billy Corgan, it's virtually impossible.

This song may be familiar to some of you, if not I'll tell everyone what new movie trailer it was in.

This is by far one of my favorite songs/music videos in the Foo Fighters whole discography. 

Have a great weekend everyone! 

DFTBA

Nicole 

Short post, but great music

Hey everyone, so life is being a bit crazy for me atm, which unfortunately means this is only going to be a short post.


One of the bands i'm loving at the moment is Walk Off The Earth, the most famous cover is Somebody That Used to Know. They have all kinds of amazing stuff though, both covers and original, and i just love the way they interpret their music and just how much the seem to love what they do. If you think you will like them check out their Little Boxes cover, I love that song!

Im going to have to leave it there for this week... tbh i really cant think of anything else to post, writers block maybe.

Talk soon guys, hopefully next week goes better than this week has :(

A Tuesday of Music!

Hey everyone! It's Tuesday and we're discussing music, as I requested last week. Craig... your post was full of Doctor Who awesomeness, which was just so entertaining. Unfortunately, I don't have any such songs to post, but I appreciate the song about Captain Jack Harkness you posted. I recently began watching Torchwood mainly to see Captain Jack <3.

Well, now I suppose I should start discussing my favorite music. As a quick background, I grew up surrounded by all sorts of music and was taught to give all genres a try. My parents both were in band during high school, and my mom has been singing forever. I got a talent for singing from her, which comes with an appreciation for meaningful lyrics. So, most of the songs I'll post have lyrics that really mean something in some way. 

First up... some country/folk that I've fallen in love with. 

Poison & Wine by The Civil Wars is tragically beautiful in so many ways. It doesn't showcase their folk style as much as their other songs (My Father's Father, Barton Hallow, 20 Year etc.), but the lyrics to this song were remarkable. Joy Williams, the woman of the duo, expressed that this song speaks of the dichotomy of love... that love is dangerous and beautiful all at the same time.

Next up, I can't pick a favorite rock song, so I'm giving a band for y'all to look up because they're brilliant. Anberlin. I've seen them twice in concert and I've never been disappointed by their performances. They aren't my favorite band, but they have a sound that is easy to get addicted to. Impossible is a great song to listen to in order to get acquainted to the band... so, enjoy! Please note, the lyrics in some of their older songs are AMAZING (I just couldn't pick a song to post in order to give an example).

So, one of my favorite animated films when I was a kid was Anastasia. Yeah, I know it isn't accurate and that it isn't Disney, but it was a remarkable film. The song that plays during the credits has remained one of my favorite songs throughout the years... But it does bring on a little sadness because I used to watch this movie all the time over at my grandma's house, and I'd never let her turn the movie off until I got to listen to this song. She passed away when I was 7...

Ever since NBC's The Voice, I've become a bigger fan of Blake Shelton. At this point, he's like country music royalty... he can definitely say the wrong things at times, but he's awesome. And while I adore Honey Bee, I think I'll have to put Who Are You When I'm Not Looking up instead. It's such a beautiful song.

I hope I didn't post too many songs. There were tons of other ones I wanted to include, but I decided against them. Can't wait to see what the rest of you enjoy listening to! 

See ya next Tuesday!

DFTBA,

Shelby W.

MUSIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIC!



Thats what my post will be about today as per Shelby's request.

I listen to all sorts of music just as long as I find it good. Mostly rock though but

I go from Emo rock like

To popish i guess like

 just because I am awesome DOCTOR FREAKING NOISE!

I do all that I can to listen to what I can. There is also another example of my music tastes but there are no videos of it on youtube :( It's my uncle's band and they are pretty good. It's a bit country/humor/rock ish. not sure how to designate it to be honest.

It was good seeing and reading about the pictures you all posted. You all have such fantastic lives XD


Have fun, be safe, be happy, and DFTBA
Craig

Hello, lovelies!

I am really sorry I did not post on Monday like I was supposed to. Some lord I am eh? I am going threw a bit of a rough patch right now and I hope it doesn't affect the blog too much :(


Okay so this will be weird but: I don't really have any pictures on my computer. None of me without other people who would prefer to not be made public. I have a picture of me bald but I really don't think Y'all would want to see this daft old mug. Least of all this daft old mug bald hahaha. And my phone is too crappy for any good landscape shots. IDEA! Just picture a Magic the Gathering Deck, a hot guy playing Magic and a backdrop of mountains (and for the record I am to be the hot guy). Cool picture right!? But thats what I like to do. Play Magic the Gathering and video games and I live in a place where the rocky mountains are in the back ground. Those old mountains are so cool. On a clear day you can make out the crags and pathways even though I am so far away from them. It's really beautiful and I wish y'all could see them like I do. Or even just see them. I know that y'all would love such beauty. The funny thing is I just can't stand this place anymore. And not even those mountains can change my mind. Though, I am sure, that if I left all I would be able to think about is back here and that breaks my heart. Oh gosh this turned Emo. I will stop it there.


Have fun, be safe, be happy, and DFTBA
Craig

Thanks for the Memories

Aaaah! I'm loving this week's project. :)

Looking at your guys' posts makes me so insanely happy. Rachel, I am ridiculously jealous of your John Green encounter, and Shelby, you have some awesome photography skills. Nicole, you were right; I do love the quotes. :)

I'm afraid I'm going to end up with a couple more pictures than I'm supposed to have, but that's only because I feel bad for leaving out my best friend. Haha. (I had my pictures more-or-less picked out, but I realized that my closest friend wasn't in any of them, while almost all of my other friends were.) Most of my pictures are also of groups of people. My family and friends are a HUGE part of my life, so when I was picking pictures, they just kind fell into place. 

I guess to start... This is me. I've had long hair for most of my life (aside from one really bad haircut in fifth grade), so the bob was a total shock to my system in the best way possible. I've only had it for about a week, but I really, really like it so far. Hopefully my longer hair will be in a pic or two so you can see the difference. :)

These are the people that have been with me through it all (friend-wise, at least). I'm on the far left, then Jordie, Lindz, and Kay. This is the photo I almost didn't put in, but it's worth it to me because they've been part of my life for practically forever. I've known Jordan since I was eight, Lindsay since I was ten, and Kayla since I was six... They were literally my childhood (along with playing outside, horses, and Harry Potter. ;D). I love them. During graduation, we walked in pairs, so Lindsay (my best friend) and I walked together; so did Kayla and Jordan.

This grabs a few other close friends into the mix, but I think there's a more interesting story together. This night was the end of my childhood (only half-joking). We were cosplaying and headed to the premier of the final installment of the Harry Potter films... It was also two months after graduation and only a month before we all started university... That night kind of marked the end of the way things had always been... I still love every single one of them, and we're all still close, but we're not together like we used to be. I miss it. But it was one heck of a way to end it, right? :) I'm the one in the red wig (Tonks).

But as time goes on and I've moved to school, I've made some new friends. All three of these people are dear to me, but two of them are much closer. That night, Javier was leaving to go home (in Central America), so we stayed up all night long with him and we made a giant fort by hanging sheets from the ceiling. We used all of the furniture from the second and third floors to build a nice infrastructure. Then we played Catan inside and took it down. It was so much fun.

On the note of fun, this night is definitely high up there. Our residence hall hosted a charity haunted house, and as soon as we tore it down, we all went to IHOP, some still in costume. I'm somewhere in the back (sitting next to Nicole). I finally got to be a creepy clown, which had been a wish of mine for about two years. I hate being scared, but scaring people is a BLAST! The clown in the very front and I did a bit of a skit-scare type thing. We were the last door before the exit, so before anyone went out, she would turn the "handle" on our dilapidated, cardboard jack-in-the-box, singing, "Pop Goes the Weasel," very slowly...  I actually followed the group in quietly, and on the title line, I would get inches away from the least-expecting person's face and shout-sing it in their ear. Totally cracked me up. The other clown in the room was blocking the door as you came in, offering "eyeballs." And you were also followed in by a German-sounding pianist. We were pretty legit. ;)

To close, I got a message on day saying, "I can't explain why, but when I saw this, I just instantly thought of you." So... Just so you know, I am apparently a blue unicorn that barfs rainbows. :)

But anywho, I think that's all I have... This was a fun memory tool, and I really loved learning more about you guys! I'm looking forward to seeing whatever it is we write next week. :) See you tomorrow, Craig!

Craig's make-up day just reminded me... I will not be able to post on August 3. In an ideal world, I will pre-write a blog before I leave (I'm going out of the country and probably won't be online much), so one of you, if you are willing, can post it for me, but if I don't get that done, I just wanted to give you a heads up! Now, I am finally done with this uber-long blog post, so I shall finally let you be. Happy weekend, everyone!

Short and sweet, but full of pretty pictures!

I think that picture pretty much sums up...well, I guess my life. My blog and Instagram  even have "thoughts" and "scatterbrain" in the titles. So naturally, as you can imagine my brain is a little convoluted on some days, but I have actually managed quite well in my 23 years. I saw this on Tumblr and instantly saved it to my computer because it fits me rather well.

 

I am particularly fond of this quote because it actually is pretty relevant to all of us and it makes me feel all of the writing that I have been trying to do lately isn't all for nothing. Even on the days when I really feel like it is. 

Well  tomorrow I'm going to go see the Amazing Spiderman movie with a friend, and I'm super excited because Andrew Garfield & Emma Stone are pretty much amazing. Both in their own rights of course, but together...I can only imagine that this movie is going to be amazing!! 

This is one of my favorite pictures on my computer because I'm holding my signed copy of TFiOS that I practically had to beg my now ex-boyfriend to buy for me because, well it's John Green, and no one should ever be denied the possibility of owning a first edition book of one of their favorite author's that they got to see the whole strenuous process of signing EVERY first page of the first printing of played out on the Interwebs. I mean, that's just mean.
On that note, I think that this post is done. Great pictures and stories everyone. I would have added pictures of my family that I really like but computer has hidden them from me at the moment.

DFTBA and have a lovely weekend everyone, and Craig, I can't wait to see your Saturday post! I hope that things are better for you.

Nicole

If a picture is really worth a thousand words than I have already written a ton of novels!

 Hey guys, i almost kind of regret setting this photo week task because it has taken me so long to pick photos to put up here haha i thought it would be much easier. But after seeing Shelbys post i was inspired to put up a couple more than i was originally going to, so here goes :)

This is me... in a dress lol now it hasn't happened many times since then, so my mum cherishes this photo immensely, but believe it or not i haven't changed much since the day this photo was taken. I think it was 5 minutes after i finished my beautiful walk down the aisle of my aunties wedding throwing flowers at the ground that i ripped off my dress and started running around in only my nappy. My mum predicted this would happen and packed me my favourite set of overalls so i at least wouldn't be semi naked all day. I have never really been into dresses and pretty things, i think having two older brothers probably influenced that a lot. Although, i do appreciate a beautiful dress a lot more these days... I must be getting older lol

 Speaking of people who having influenced me a whole lot, this is my mother... and two giant cups of coffee :) My mother has, is, and always will be my best friend. We have a lot in common, but one thing we are both equally in love with is coffee. We used to watch the Gilmore Girls every week, drinking coffee after coffee for each episode (which is where I got my derby name from - Gory Killmore). She's also an amazing writer, and is my favourite author. I love her more than words could ever describe.

Speaking of my favourite authors, you all know who takes my number 2 spot :) I think I may have pee'd my pants when this photo was taken... 

This is my partner... oh crap, wrong pic... ;)

(I know I'm a dork, you can all diss me now lol - but I'm not a twihard, promise)

Finally, THIS is me and my beautiful girlfriend watching a stunning sunset in Bali. This was an amazing end to an amazing day, and I drank out of my first coconut that night, so I was very happy. Jamie is the best gf I could ever have asked for, she is beautiful inside and out and continues to make me smile every single day :)

Sorry for the novel :P Cant wait to see everyone else's posts this week xx

Photos that I adore...

Hey guys! It's Tuesday! 

I hope everything is/will be all right, Craig. I can't wait to see your special post on Saturday! 

Well, to kick off a week of photos, I'll start by saying this: I used to be an obsessive amateur photographer. I took some photography classes in my homeschool group and loved every moment of them. I still love photography (as can be seen in my addiction to Instagram haha), but I rarely go out an take pictures. I plan on incorporating more than one photo into this post, so if that's annoying, I'm sorry. Some of the photos might be older as well.

My City:

 I live in Las Vegas, NV... "Sin City." But I am more interested in all the lights and neon. Downtown, there's a "junkyard" full of old, decommissioned/discarded signs from the many casinos that were either demolished or renovated. We call it the Neon Graveyard or Neon Bone Yard. 

I think this photo is from 2008 when my photography class went there for a second time. It was raining during the shoot (a very unconventional shoot where we all ran off and explored to find interesting shots). The first time we'd gone to the Bone Yard, I had photographed this sign in almost the same way, but we used disposable cameras that time. I had my digital and Nikon film camera, so I was able to get better quality shots. I love the overcast sky and other signs in the background, as well as the cheerful pink that is obviously fading (unfortunately). The bulbs are all still intact, amazingly, and I just love the composition of this photo. 

I think the Bone Yard reflects the constant change that Vegas is undergoing in order to modernize the city and get rid of all the old. The signs just sit there, rusting and breaking, a sad display of an older Vegas. But, I prefer the old Vegas, and the Bone Yard is a reminder of old-time Vegas.

My Dog:

  This is my mother's favorite dog. We have two...but she adores this dog more than the other. I photographed the dog because he actually stays still long enough for me to get a great shot. You can think he's cute, but he's an absolute menace... He's over protective of my mom, but he's a totally wimp when things move or make a noise suddenly. This was taken early this year...

Obligatory "Artsy" Photo:

So, it doesn't rain often in Vegas, but when it does, I become obsessive with the photographs. This is one such photo. 

I took it outside in my backyard, at one of the trees. I have another shot of the leaves covered with dozens of raindrops, but I like this one more. ;) 

This was taken early this year, I think.  

My Fiance & I: 

 I had provide a recent photograph of myself and my fiance! We were on our way to dinner last week and I decide to take a goofy photo with my phone in the car. 

Really, the only goofy part of the photo is his face... He can't really ever take a serious photo, and that transfers over to his family as well. But, his goofiness is one reason that I love him. <3

But, I really like this photo. We're both looking good...even though I'm wearing terrible bug-eyed glasses. :P

I hope all of those photos were worth posting... the next time we do a photo week, I will actually pick better photos...hopefully. 

As for next week, would anyone like to discuss music? Like, what we're currently listening to, songs we love or simply a post about the genres you prefer? Let me know in the comments. :)

DFTBA everyone! Can't wait to see all of your photos!

-Shelby W.

Zzzzz...

I missed my day by an hour. I'm going to fix the time so it looks like I made it on time. Haha.

We had a show tonight, so I didn't get back until late, and I had some backed up housework to get done. (Mainly laundry. I was down to clothes that don't fit and long sleeves, neither of which are appealing in 110* heat.) So I was finishing that. Then a very tipsy Nicole posted on my Facebook wall joined me in my room for some late night girl talk. She had the drunk hiccups that definitely made me giggle. (I don't drink, so watching other drunk/tipsy makes me laugh.) She has a lot of energy and is super giggly. ("My tongue tastes like rum! *singsong voice*) It's been a good night.

Rachel, I'm really sorry about your girlfriend's granddad. I hope things get easier for you both and for her family.

I'm also going to give my own answer to my question. The more I think about it, the more I realize that America does have a culture. Yes, it is that of the melting pot; it is a unique blend that can't be found elsewhere. But it's more than that. It is the unique freedoms we have, and it is the fact that we measure things in inches and Fahrenheit when the rest of the world has switched to metric. After the Fourth and everything, I kind of started thinking about my military friends, and that's kind of what gave me a change of heart... Our government system and freedoms and flag make us, well, us. The Star-Spangled Banner, the pledge... Everyone in unison. It's kind of awesome, once you think about it.

Also... Rachel, I'm definitely in on the picture thing! :)

Now, all that said, I am going to practice my Spanish for a bit, write out my research questions and hit the hay. Sorry for the shortest post, and Craig, I will see you on Monday!

The 4th, culture and insomnia.

Hello there everyone. I hope everyone's Fourth of July was great, I know mine was* and you know what's better than having one day off for a holiday? Having the rest of the afternoon off the next day because the area's that your group are supposed to clean next aren't ready and your boss is kind of a bad ass.

So what's a girl to do with all of that time? Well I've cleaned my room, made myself lunch, I'm getting ready to start my laundry and take a shower before a friend of mine comes over later this evening so that I can navigate him through the blogosphere and he can set up his own blog. So that's going to be cool.

As far as American culture goes Linnea, I'd have to agree with everyone else. American is essentially a melting pot of the world's cultures and that have somehow turned themselves into "our" cultures as Americans. We're all mutts so we all kind of carry something from another culture that we have to bring to the table..Sorry that's all I've got today. The lack of sleep is catching up to me now, and I'm watching "You've Got Mail" in memory of Nora Ephron.


*I'm also running on four hours of sleep, with no coffee or other stimulants. I woke up this morning with enough energy to run a marathon.

DFTBA & have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Nicole

Happy 4th of July!!!

Hi guys :)

This past week has been so hectic for me, so many personal things surface and life just got too busy. Trying to fit in playing two sports while working full time and trying to keep up with my writing has proven to be impossible.

My girlfriends granddad passed away, which was so hard for her and her whole family, especially because she lost her other granddad not too long ago either. Things are looking up now though, and time heals all wounds. But that was definitely a rocky start to our week. My dog is destroying my yard, does anyone know how to stop a 9 month old puppy from digging? lol It looks like I'm either going to have to give up roller derby or gridiron... my training times are clashing and tbh I'm really feeling gridiron, I've always loved the sport... but i know you guys don't like when i talk about sport haha so onto writing... the biggest freelance job i had has now gone after the magazine shut down unexpectedly. Which means my only paying freelance gig is now gone and my three years studying journalism is once again all for nothing. Sometimes i wonder why i even did the degree, its so obvious now that the print media is collapsing... Maybe i just really need to focus on my novels, how are you guys going with your writing? I want to try and write a chapter next week. Just one chapter, totally doable, right? lol *head desk*

Now onto Linnea's question and the irony that on the 4th of July the blogger who happens to be answering the question about American Culture is in fact the only non-American on the blog lol I can definitely relate to what Linnea, Craig, and Shelby are saying about multiculturalism, and the Moss Eisley reference was epic haha Australia is also filled with so many cultures (as I am New Zealand born i know this very well) but we do still have a few identifiers that make us unique. The 'dinky-di', 'true-blue', Aussie spirit is buried within each of us, even if we dont like to admit it at times. And i think the same can be said for Americans. Despite the amazing mix of culture that our countries are, America continues to have its own culture just as a China town in America has a Chinese culture. There is a definite American way of life, that might be very stereotypical, but i dont think that makes it any less true. Proud, patriotic, white picket fence, football players dating cheerleaders... ok so maybe not EVERY american has those same ideals, but when it comes down to it, i believe the majority of Americans have the same cultural-spirit. Im not sure if this makes any sense to any of you, but if i can try explain it more i will do so in the comments :)

Anyway, I was thinking next week we can each attach a picture to our blog and write about it? It can be any picture of anything from any time... but just pick it and write about it... Are you guys in?

Oh and *sets off fireworks* HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!

American culture?

Linnea brought up an interesting topic on Friday... Basically: Does America have its own culture? 

After some thought, I've come to the conclusion that America never had its own culture due to the way it was founded. In the end, America was developed through many different countries with different languages, religions, cuisines and norms. These countries founded settlements in many separate regions, giving each section of America a distinct sub-culture that soon spread to every part of the country. Southern home-cooking can be found in every section of the country, not just the southern states. Lobster can be eaten in pretty much every state, despite its overall fame in Maine. Country music isn't just a backwoods, Appalachian tradition anymore, but a popular industry that has been able to meet all other genres with respect and great collaboration. Most larger cities have sections reflective of different areas of the world, featuring amazing nightlife and culinary opportunities. I'm sure we've all been to some form of "China Town" or been to supermarkets that cater specifically to a particular region's culinary delicacies. 

America doesn't have its own culture, but embraces the cultures of the world, creating the melting pot we've all grown to love. But, with such a melting pot comes grievances and issues that are hard to resolve. World views are challenged and belittled. The "American" side of the equation isn't very tolerant... I guess most citizens have forgotten what led their founding fathers to the new world: intolerance, persecution and a longing for freedom. We need to learn to accept people of all cultures, including religion... Without doing this, our country will remain divided. And frankly, I like the melting pot we have. I like knowing that I can go to a restaurant and order foreign cuisine as well as southern country cooking. I like being able to hear all sorts of genres on the radio. I like knowing that every state has a particular background based on the country that settled in that territory centuries before. Without this, America wouldn't be America anymore. 

Well, on that note, I hope everyone has a spectacular Fourth of July. Also, for those of you on vacations: have loads of fun!

DFTBA!  

-Shelby W.

(I just realized how much I mentioned food in this post... wow!)

Happy birthday Linnea!


So,Dooms day.... There is no real sure fire way to know what I am going to do in any doomsday scenario. I would like to think I would be with my family during the crisis. But I can't for sure say I wouldn't just snap and get all that I couldn't or was too scared to before then. I have thought about the end of the world a lot and the only thing I can say for certain is that I have absolutely no idea.

Rachel, I have no idea how to get your strength up or get better at sports to be honest. I was never the doer I was always the thinker hahaha

Nicole, do not be ashamed of anything you write! And if anyone laughs at your righting based on the premise then muck with them!

Linnea (once more) I am happy to hear you found your Ilene!

On American Culture: I think you pretty much hit it right on the head, Lianna. We are a cumulative culture when it comes to culture. I think a lot of (rich) people need to get the stick out of there butt and give a bit back to the community other than celebrity gossip. Other than that I don't mind being in a melting pot just as long as we don't turn into Moss Eisley.....*holds it in*...... (Space port. You will never find a more retched hive of scum and villainy). We need to all look out for ech other is what it all comes down to. Regardless of how hard that can be at times.


D to the F to the TBA, Y'all! Out!

Craig