Treat Yo Self

Did you know it's been over two years since I posted anything on here? Yeah me either.

There are many things I have learned in that two years. Like how to write so people can read it, or when the worst times to travel during the holidays are. But mostly I have experienced what it means to really love yourself.

Things just got REAL.

But it's true. How can you expect anyone to love you for who you are if you don't already do yourself? That's bogus! That's like saying, 'hey, I really think you'll love this new movie, you'll like it so much you'll want to open a joint bank account with it and spend Saturday in the park on the fourth of July together, but I haven't seen it and I don't actually know what it's all about'.

Inside you there are probably things you don't like. Maybe it's how you feel when met with an uncomfortable situation. Maybe it's what you do when you are feeling blue. Perhaps it's how many seasons of Smallville you own and/or illegally downloaded. Or if you are like me, it's all of these things. I could go on and on but no one likes a show off.

What I have found to be the most comforting, oddly, is how there is so very little I can do about it. It is important to strive to be better. It is important to learn, to grow, and to persist under difficult and trying times. But in my not so experienced or qualified view, it is less important to dwell on the why and focus more on the what and how.

Example: "Why did my best friend bail on me last minute?" *Long que of horrendous possibilities starts here.

Alternate: "I accept that there are many reasons why they bailed, but dwelling on all the possibilities wastes precious time that I could be spending binge watching 'Black Mirror' or trying to decide if various clickbait articles are worth further investigation."

In all honesty, I still have a hard time coming to a comforting reason why some things happen, but I have found that dwelling does little to no good. There are so many things in the bigger picture that are far more important or relevant.

If you can't think of anything in particular to be appeased or comforted by here are a few I tend to fall back on:

1. You are alive. Basic, but truly one of the most fabulously wonderful things that is true if you are able to have the thought.
2. You matter. There will come a time, or times, where you will be an essential piece in someone else's puzzle.
3. There is someone out there who just started watching Parks and Rec. (and some civil servant received their wings because of it)
4. It's very unlikely that Nickleback will make music again.
5. Adventure is always waiting. And not just with the strange things that are afoot at the Circle K.
6. Harry Potter

Focus on the good stuff.
Hint: You are the good stuff.

Is it unfair of me to ask you to see yourself and love what you see? Yes. It would also be a bit hypocritical. But what I can do is say that I know for a fact that we are always harder on ourselves than anyone else. And that in itself isn't fair. We are valued. We are people capable of 8-10% change. And for someone who is likely to live 29,200 days, that's a lot of opportunity and potential.

Why are there things we don't like about ourselves? Where did they come from? Our society? Our environment? Our experiences? All of the above? The real question is: Who am I without them?

Don't be like everyone else, because chances are at some point, someone else just wants to see what it would be like to be you. And why wouldn't they? You're fabulous.

Don't feel good about yourself because people say you should. Feel good about yourself because even though you may have qualms with the way things are, you took the time to read a friends, or strangers, opinion on why you should love yourself. Because if you are still reading this, you aren't the only one who does.

Cheers.

N.

SeaWorld vs. Dr. Ethics

I will be the first to admit to attending a Seaworld theme park. Yes, I paid good money to see  capitalism pretend to be humanitarian. And what's more, at the time I enjoyed it. I would like to tell you that the moment I walked in I felt dirty, and I immediately realized the fault in my decision. That I spat on the unethical treatment of majestic animals, like any good Pacific North Westerner (PNW) would have done, but I didn't. I think I actually bought a sweater. 

My point, friends, is that I didn't see it. I didn't see the madness, I didn't see injustice, I didn't bother to think beyond myself. Now, looking back, that was the worst part. Knowing how I felt and trying to think, if just for a second, I realized what I was doing and what I was supporting. After hours of thinking about that day, after remembering how I felt, the answer I will always be haunted by is a resounding no.

Honestly, I've never been one for the ocean. It's ominous, daunting, and a breeding ground for my imagination to take a slow left turn to terrible-horrible-creatureville. But where Orcas are concerned, I find that there are many things that I find appealing and remarkable. They are smart, they stick together, they enjoy having fun, and they are jaw droppingly beautiful. But what sometimes gets pushed to the back burner, especially where SeaWorld is concerned, is that they are lethal. They are considered to have 'the worlds most sophisticated method of hunting'. These six to seven ton animals can reach the size of a school bus, are innovative masters of the sea.

 I feel that my first impression of them would not be : "You know what? Let's wrangle up some small ones, stick them in a giant fish bowl, teach them how to jump through a hoola-hoop,  and force them, for the rest of their stunted lives, to perform for millions of people." Probably because I'm not a cooperate heathen who doesn't care about anything but my pocket book.

Now,  I get to the real kicker of this article. As I had mentioned, I have been to a SeaWorld. Every now and then I receive  an email from them, and the one I have been waiting for has finally come. (Stay with me)

Before you take a gander at the following, keep in mind SeaWorld stock has gone from 40 dollars to twenty over the last 2 years, that big money makers like the Seahawks cancelled their SeaWorld trip while in San Diego because of negative publicity associated with the theme park.

But most importantly, more pressing than the loss of reputation, the lies, and hitting the red combined, more than half a dozen incidences and injuries have occurred. Including a fatality.

This is utterly unacceptable.

With all that long windedness in mind, here is what their desperation has come to:

Ah, sweet desperation. Thank you for reading. 

As always, its been a pleasure, 

N. 

Chicka Chicka What?

Oh hey kin folk. If you didn't already know, or didn't catch where my Facebook status is updated from, I have moved to the PNW. Which is hipster for the Pacific North West. Or something. They don't care if you misquote them.

So far I have discovered what an Ovo Lacto Vegetarian looks like, I have my own compost bin, I have an "urban garden", nixed my umbrella, am the owner of multiple rain boots, have a public transportation quick pass (also known as an Orca Card. Win in itself), replaced my wipers, figured out what express lanes are about, re acclimated to one way streets, have not attended a Walmart in a year, hydroplaned and paid for multiple reusable bags that I haven't used enough to be worth it.


Also, Im gonna pop some tags, $20 in my pocket.

Gotta love some Macklemore.

My annual blog on why I do not blog: Volume 3

Some of these reasons why I do not blog are less truthful than others. But all together it is pretty legitimate.

1. Time: Haven't had a lot of it. However, being unemployed has ruined that reason so lets go on excuse number to 2...
2. I hate it.
3. Sometimes our internet blocks me out.
4. I forget my password.
5. I don't have anything interesting to blog about.
6. Im getting old. I don't want people to see my gray hair.
7. Most of the interesting things that happen in my life involve my puppy and I do not want to be one of "those" people who go on and on and on and on and on and on about how AMAZING their puppy is and how they are just like children. When he isn't. Hes a four legged 80 year old. He can't even go to the bathroom alone and he hates it when my music is too loud.
8. I am afraid the government is tracking all my submissions to the internet and building up a file on me so as they know how to take me down at any given moment.
9. Iv been really busy reading 1984.
10. I don't have cute photos to post.
11. Number 6 is semi untrue.
12. I mostly just have a blog so I can see what the family is up to. Kinda like those people who go to a white elephant party with a candy bar. But a little better.

So there it is. Let me know if there is anything you want to to write about and maybe thats the way we will go. If not I will see you all this next year. Meet back here next year, same place same time. Okay cheers.

N. 

We Play Photos

Photo Shoots: Faces say what we can't.
This Face Says...






...Hey wanna go shred the slopes?


















... I get beat up everyday at lunch too!!


















... I can be inconspicuous if I need to be.
















...who says perms are out of style??















... standing on a frozen lake is a bad idea.


















... no. i didn't just do that.

















... this is where we stop. collaborate. and listen.

Blogging about a Blog

So there is an awesome new blog you should check out! Its called Post Dream. You get one paragraph to tell a dream you have had in your life. Could be good could be bad could be ugly. No matter what type of dream it is its an awesome thing. So head to http://writepostdream.blogspot.com/ and get the ball running. Some pretty awesome people are running it so any help would be simply marvelous.

Happy 2011 everyone.

N.

Also, here is my photo of the day:

It vs. Nips

There has been a debate about which of these products is better. I am here to put an end to the madness. Cheeze-it are made with cheese. Weird. Cheese Nips are also made with "cheese" ew. Im pretty sure iv never tasted cheese like that. Cheese nips were made by Nabisco (yeah, the company who made things like Chicken in a Biskit and Fudgee-o). Whereas Cheeze-it is made by Kellogg, the same company who brought you Apple Jacks and Eggos. I think the conclusion is obvious. Choose the right people.



VS