I want to start by saying happy independence day! If you haven't seen previous summer posts, I celebrate the second of July instead of the fourth of July, because the Declaration of Independence was actually signed on the second. Plus, I am weirdly semi-obsessed with John Adams, and he said that the second would go down in history, so I want to make him proud.
Today is also my second anniversary of going vegetarian! For anyone out there that wants to make that change but is still unsure, I just want to say that the first year is the hard year. I kind of forgot the second year, and while I lamented some things (mostly cheese products this year), it wasn't so much of a loss as it felt the first year. The first year is when it's hard, but once you jump through those hoops and get over all the hurdles, it gets a lot easier.
If you are wondering why I am restricted on cheeses, I consider cheese with rennet to not be vegetarian, because rennet is obtained by slaughter (the simple way of putting it). Most cheese contains rennet, but there are special vegetarian cheeses and products that use these, so being selective about cheese isn't a cold-turkey loss. Being really picky and selective also keeps you knowledgeable about what you eat. I have actually called Goldfish and Cheez-It, just so I could know if their products were safe for me to eat. Cheez-It is, but Goldfish is not. Sometimes companies don't know much about rennet, but it's still better to ask and find out what they do or don't know to be sure.
(Anyway. Enough rennet ranting. Just type "rennet" into Wikipedia if you're really interested in learning more.)
Random thought #1: I recently searched Ray LaMontagne's newest album, Supernova, because I knew he had released one this year but hadn't gotten the chance to look it up. When I first heard it, it wasn't what I was expecting, exactly, and even though I listened to the entire album, I wasn't impressed enough to want to look further into it. I searched his discography to see his other albums, and I was instantly hooked on God Willin' and the Creek Don't Rise because of its country, folksy melodies and instrumentation. However, my interest in Supernova, was piqued again, so I listened through once or twice more. It was after that that one of the songs stuck in my head, so I kept pulling up the YouTube video and listening to it, which has now gotten me addicted. It is a rare thing to have to coax myself to like an album, but I am glad I gave it a couple more chances, because I do like Ray-Ray.
Random thought #2: my friend and I have been Skyping a lot this summer, and connect via voice call to team up for Minecraft Hunger Games. While I am normally ticked off by some of his behaviors and sayings, what he said in jest yesterday has made me unusually hurt and angry. I let most of his jokes pass with a laugh or return remark, because we always joke about some things. However, there are some lines which should not be crossed. (For me, it usually takes someone crossing a line before I discover a line was even there.) While I feel like it would enlighten you all if I shared what he said, I don't think I need to dwell on the particulars of it, and I don't need anyone else getting angry or upset by it. Basically, it was a joke about abuse that got too personal. I was really offended by it, though I only had weak defenses to put up against it at the time. I don't think abuse is something that can be joked or laughed about in any context. Not only that, it showed that he either a) doesn't know me at all to make such an ignorant remark, or b) knows me well enough to know it would strike a nerve. I ranted and gave myself pep-talks on why I was so angry about it, but when we called today, I said nothing about it, and I felt like I was being unusually harsh in my jokes. I don't feel like he said it to hurt or offend me; I agree more with the A option, that he didn't know what he was joking about or where it would lead. Today I formulated arguments and comebacks in my pep-talks, and in doing so got to more positive ground of the incident, so I am not as angry as I was just after he said it.
Have a happy fourth of July, everyone, and keep cool this summer!
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Monday, June 30, 2014
Pic a Day - 6/23 to 6/29
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| Mon. June 23, the line of cars behind us |
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| Tues. June 24, "working out" (but taking pictures instead) |
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| Wed. June 25, my new Parkour shoes |
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| Thurs. June 26, watching Jon Stewart |
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| Fri. June 27 |
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| Sat. June 28, watching-a-movie selfie |
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| Sun. June 29, a reporter snapped a picture of me volunteering at the adopt-a-thon (the photo in the paper was taken on Friday, but the pic of a pic was taken on Sunday) |
Friday, June 27, 2014
Just Your Average Pet-Adoption Event...
This story has to start a few weeks before the event today. So, for about a month or so, I've been browsing through shows that might be of interest to me on Netflix Instant Watch (as I now have a Windows 8 computer, and therefore a Netflix Instant Watch app). I added a couple of Animal Planet series involving pit bulls to my list, because I had watched a documentary on pit bulls before and wanted to check out what similar things Netflix had to offer.
One of the shows that I added was Pitbulls & Parolees. I was hesitant to start a new show, and I didn't know what to expect. The show very quickly caught my interest, though, and I really enjoyed the ranch happenings plus the rescue missions plus the interpersonal drama. Pitbulls & Parolees follows Tia Torres and her rescue for pit bulls, Villalobos, and also the parolees she hires and reforms, missions to save endangered dogs, and conflicts among employees and her family.
As I was getting ready to go volunteer at the adopt-a-thon's first day today, I let my leash hang around my neck, and joked that I was like Tia Torres, because she is always seen in the show with a pink leash hung around her neck - you know, just in case.
The semi-irony of me saying that was that, when we pulled up a quarter after nine in the morning, I saw somebody that I recognized. Weirdly, it was as if I knew them just from the back. When they turned so I could see them, I couldn't believe my eyes. It was Mando from Pitbulls & Parolees, walking around in a "Staff WMR" shirt and helping to set up for the adoption event. Mando - Armando - was the first parolee (or rather, ex-parolee) that was introduced in Season 3 of the show (the only season on Netflix), and one of Tia's closest friends and one of the most featured employees on the show. I kept staring from the car, watching as he went from the big tent to the mobile home to the little tent and back. When I eventually went out to sign in as a volunteer, I was close enough to see his nametag, and my eyes hadn't lied - Armando Galindo, and up close it was undoubtedly the same guy from the show.
I had told my dad that I was going to talk to him, because it's on my bucket list to "meet a famous person." However, it is generally not my strong suit to initiate conversation with people, especially not total strangers, and especially not total strangers who also happen to be on my favorite TV show. Well, just going around walking little dogs, sitting at the main table, and perusing the tent for the big dogs, he would help me get a squirmy hyper dog into their kennel, or tell me how I could help volunteers give water, or smile walking past me. Somehow that felt better and more real than if I had stopped to shake his hand (like one girl did, with her family) and compliment his show, or ask for his autograph, or ask questions about Villalobos and what brought him to New Mexico. (Honestly, though, I was kind of "stalking him" in the main tent to get his autograph. If he's there tomorrow or Sunday, I will work up the courage to ask him. And compliment his show, too. It's my favorite show.)
One of the shows that I added was Pitbulls & Parolees. I was hesitant to start a new show, and I didn't know what to expect. The show very quickly caught my interest, though, and I really enjoyed the ranch happenings plus the rescue missions plus the interpersonal drama. Pitbulls & Parolees follows Tia Torres and her rescue for pit bulls, Villalobos, and also the parolees she hires and reforms, missions to save endangered dogs, and conflicts among employees and her family.
As I was getting ready to go volunteer at the adopt-a-thon's first day today, I let my leash hang around my neck, and joked that I was like Tia Torres, because she is always seen in the show with a pink leash hung around her neck - you know, just in case.
The semi-irony of me saying that was that, when we pulled up a quarter after nine in the morning, I saw somebody that I recognized. Weirdly, it was as if I knew them just from the back. When they turned so I could see them, I couldn't believe my eyes. It was Mando from Pitbulls & Parolees, walking around in a "Staff WMR" shirt and helping to set up for the adoption event. Mando - Armando - was the first parolee (or rather, ex-parolee) that was introduced in Season 3 of the show (the only season on Netflix), and one of Tia's closest friends and one of the most featured employees on the show. I kept staring from the car, watching as he went from the big tent to the mobile home to the little tent and back. When I eventually went out to sign in as a volunteer, I was close enough to see his nametag, and my eyes hadn't lied - Armando Galindo, and up close it was undoubtedly the same guy from the show.
I had told my dad that I was going to talk to him, because it's on my bucket list to "meet a famous person." However, it is generally not my strong suit to initiate conversation with people, especially not total strangers, and especially not total strangers who also happen to be on my favorite TV show. Well, just going around walking little dogs, sitting at the main table, and perusing the tent for the big dogs, he would help me get a squirmy hyper dog into their kennel, or tell me how I could help volunteers give water, or smile walking past me. Somehow that felt better and more real than if I had stopped to shake his hand (like one girl did, with her family) and compliment his show, or ask for his autograph, or ask questions about Villalobos and what brought him to New Mexico. (Honestly, though, I was kind of "stalking him" in the main tent to get his autograph. If he's there tomorrow or Sunday, I will work up the courage to ask him. And compliment his show, too. It's my favorite show.)
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Pic a Day - 6/16 to 6/22
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| Mon. June 16, that's right, folks! I am now learning русский! |
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| Tues. June 17, even in the summer, we drink hot tea |
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| Wed. June 18, timeline selfie |
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| Thurs. June 19, looking out my window at night (the pink is from lights in my room) |
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| Fri. June 20, this is sweetie-pie Betty; I can't get over how perfect she is on a leash! |
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| Sat. June 21, my cast-'n'-crew |
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| Sun. June 22, fairy-tale rewrites have actually been pretty good so far |
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Pic a Day - 6/9 to 6/15
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| Mon. June 9, arranging artists by decade |
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| Tues. June 10, bean-'n'-cheese nachos |
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| Wed. June 11 |
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| Thurs. June 12, full moon rising |
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| Fri. June 13, Parkour = scaling walls (the kid's wearing a red shirt) |
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| Sat. June 14, poor Dolly's been abandoned twice |
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| Sun. June 15, I give unconventional holiday cards... |
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Pic a Day - 6/2 to 6/8
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| Mon. June 2, reading in bed |
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| Tues. June 3, Patch sometimes has to watch the Tamagotchis |
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| Wed. June 4, forgot to take a picture until before midnight... |
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| Thurs. June 5, I arranged my college letters based on where they are in the US (kind of looks like the US, but I'm missing a few states) |
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| Fri. June 6, finally read the book, because I've seen the movie how many times |
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| Sat. June 7, it's summer, so we're lazy |
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| Sun. June 8, our kitchen and part of the living room flooded, but my brother kept his socks on |
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