Joyful and triumphant.

I was kind of a Scrooge with my "war on Christmas" post, so I thought I'd post some nice holiday things. 

And finally...

AHH! SO CUTE!!!!

And on that note:

"Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world."

Thankful List

• Topping the list this year is my job. First of all, I'm glad I even have a job. Secondly, this time last year, I was worried I was going to be a secretary forever, and actually cried (tears of joy) when one of my co-workers came up to me to discuss The Secret Garden which she had recently read. I realized then (more than ever) that I needed to be working among books and with other bookish people. God heard my prayers and placed me in a job that's perfect for me, and with people I really enjoy. I'm so grateful that the Director decided to take a chance on "the coupon girl with no experience." It's changed my life!
• I'm grateful for my family, who are wonderful. Especially my Mom, who no matter what life throws at her deals with it gracefully and with dignity, and no matter how hard her own battles are, touches everyone she meets and knows with kindness and generosity. I'm grateful for my Dad, who's not only brilliant, hard-working, and generally the best guy I know, but for giving me impossibly high standards when it comes to dating guys, because I know what the best is, and won't settle for less. And for Michael, who is such a hard worker, is so smart it actually makes me sick, and is, comparatively speaking, a really good kid and great brother. 
• I'm grateful for my mom's older sister who's really stepped up and helped us out this holiday season. And for my paternal grandmother, who's like the glue who holds us all together and is always welcoming and awesome. I'm also grateful that as my cousins and I move towards adulthood, we're able to reconnect in a way we couldn't when we were little kids with years between us. Being five years older is the difference between kindergarten and 5th grade when you're little. When you're older, it totally doesn't matter anymore. 
• I'm grateful that I have a heavenly Father who loves me and forgives me, and doesn't expect me to be perfect. He just wants me to be me. 
• I'm grateful for America, and even though our we're facing difficulty, we still live in the greatest country in the world. (Mostly because I get to have a blog where I can talk about God and government and not have to worry about getting shot for it. *_~)
• I'm grateful for Bixby, Sherman, and all the animals we're blessed with on this planet, both wild and domesticated. Seriously, animals are great. ALL of them. But especially pugs and manatees and narwhals.
• I'm grateful for being relatively healthy, asthma and monthly colds aside (which are due, mostly, to the fact that I work with children, who are well-recognized germ bags. Adorable and hilarious, but germ bags nonetheless). 
• I'm actually grateful that I'm strong enough to be single in a society which tells me that I'm worthless if I don't have a guy at my side or a ring on my finger. I'd rather be happy, like I am now, and single than stuck with somebody I can't stand. 
• I'm grateful for all my friends and acquaintances, even if we just talk on Facebook, because you make me feel loved and not as weird as I think I am in my head. But I'm especially grateful for Bethany, because we met when we were 15 and we'll both be 25 this year, which means she's been my bestie for 10 years. It's really nice to have someone grow up beside you, and know all your stories so you don't have to explain it all to them. Actually, she could probably finish all my stories for me with better accuracy than I could. 
• I'm grateful for books, literacy, and imagination.
• Food. Enough said. 

I know I've missed a lot, because I have so much for which to be grateful. Thank you, if you're reading this, for being here and being awesome. And Happy Thanksgiving!

(Or, as they say in the south with the emphasis on "thanks" and no "g" at the end, THANKSgivin'!)

Trick or treat!

Just wanted to share some pics of my Halloween!

Yes, that's a pug Beanie Baby in my hand. It's PUGSLEY. Get it?!

I went as Wednesday Addams. Halloween falling on a Wednesday? Purely awesome coincidence. 

With the ladies at the office. SO GLAD I work with people who share my passion enjoyment of dressing up!

 Then, of course, we need the gratuitous pics of my dogs, because if I didn't have them you'd be like, "Who killed Mary and took over her blog?"

My boy is so cute!!

Recycled the bee costume...again. Millie's turn this year!

 I also got two AWESOME Halloween cards...I may or may not have a pug problem.

HALLOWEEN, DARTH VADER, AND PUGS?!? This is the ultimate card. From my Dad.

From Beth. ♥

This adorable gift basket is also from Beth. She surprised me a couple weekends ago by a) coming home for the weekend, and b) showing up COMPELTELY UNEXPECTEDLY (but in a good way) to my soap show! She came bearing Halloween gifts, including a pumpkin with a BFF smiley painted on it, Hello Kitty stickers and a mug, and an adorable basket filled with candy. She's so sweet. =)

I wanted to end with what may be the most terrible hilarious Halloween-related video EVER. My brother introduced me to this and I've been like, "YOU SNEAKY MOM!" ever since. I realize I may be a little (like, a year) late to this party, but at least I arrived!

Hope you all had a safe, fun, and FABULOUSLY spooky Halloween!

Leaves become most beautiful when they're about to die.

I am a terrible blogger. No lie. Like, the worst.

It's been A WEEK since I posted. This is sad. Remember the good ol' days when I'd post like THREE or even FOUR times a week??

Apparently, being busy means there's less time for a) writing and b) observing things to write about.

Here's my life in a nutshell:
-I have 5 more "official" days of class, then finals, and then BOOM! I'm done! WHAAAT? This semester FLEW. I'm going to need to go have a library day so I can say goodbye, since that's the only thing I'll miss about UCF. (Can alums still use the library?? I must find out!)

-I got what might be considered a "promotion" at work. Hooray! I'm now an officially certified buyer and a key holder. Which makes me like a shift manager. Whee! That's exciting.
What's most exciting though is this awesome Plato's Closet Certified Buyer lanyard I get/have to wear. And lanyards mean flair. LET ME SHOW YOU MY FLAIR (mwhaha like you have a choice):

I got it all from this nifty Etsy shop. She has a great deal where you can pick any 6 pins for $5, which is a heck of a lot cheaper than you'd pay at Hot Topic or whatever. Plus, you couldn't get pins about reading, pugs, unicorns, and Star Wars ALL at Hot Topic. Oh, internet, how do I love thee? Anyway, check it out...they'd make cute stocking stuffers!

-I've been so tardy in posting these, but whatever, better now than at Christmas (click to enlarge!).

We tried to put Bixby in the bat costume (so we'd match) but he kept wriggling his way out of it and flopping his ears off. So since Millie is basically a piece of toast in a dog's costume, we put it on her and let Bixby be a bumble-bee again. I don't know what Chichi is supposed to be...my Mom has a whole wardrobe for her, so she just put her in her "posh frock."

Oh my God, I need a life.

-Dracula is such a quality book. If you've never read it, you seriously need to. It's "baller," as the kids say.

-I'm done with my Christmas shopping! This pleases me. The Christmas season, however, does not. So go away, all you with your overplayed Christmas songs and movies.
This is where I'd like to sequester myself until, like, February.


-However, Christmas means present wrapping, and I LOVE wrapping presents. So, I guess that's good. I guess.



OMG GUYS, WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH MY LIFE ONCE I GRADUATE??? EEP!

(Even though we all know the answer is 42.)

Sharing = caring.

Things I want to share with you:

1. My boy is SO CUTE!


2. A good friend of mine introduced me to the delights of Regina Spektor years ago, and I recently discovered this song and wanted you to know about it, too:


3. I have coupon codes for Alibris.com, so if any of you need books, GO THERE and GET SOME.
Save $2 off $20
Coupon code: THIN

Save $5 off $50
Coupon code: RED

Save $10 off $100
Coupon code: LINE

4. While we're talking about shopping, ladies, if you need tank tops (which you do, face it. Especially if you're a local reader. YOU LIVE IN FLORIDA.) we just clearanced a TON at the Oviedo Plato's. So go check it out!

That is all. I hope you have a wonderful weekend! Enjoy this weather!!

Heigh ho, heigh ho...

I actually have something to write about! What is this!

So I got re-hired at the Oviedo Plato's Closet. This is the one where I worked in '07 for about a year.

At first I was like

because I've been trying since May to get back there to work.

Then I was like

because this means I actually have to GO to WORK.

Then I was like


So that's all that. I'm glad, overall, to have something part time, because a) it'll give me some money for the holidays and I haven't been bona fide employed in well over a year, and b) when I'm done with school it'll keep me from the depths of despair busy while I look for a real job.

I'm glad. A lot of people can't find jobs and while this is by no means my career, at least it's something. And hey. Third time's a charm right?
(Yes, this will be my third stint with Plato's. Whatever, I know how to do it, I'm good at it, and I kind of enjoy it.)



In other news, in my next life I'd like to be reincarnated as Bixby so I can just lie around on pillows all day and luxuriate in my pugly reflection.

Pug Lovin'.

Who would've thought that at 22 the love of my life would be short and pudgy with wrinkles and a tendency to snore?

If you ignore my pedogrin, this is actually a cute pic.

I routinely shop in the baby boy's sections at stores, not because I know a baby boy or am secretly harboring a wistful desire to someday have baby boys (ew, God, no).




I do it because Bixby looks so darn cute in them!



{It's official. I'm an old pug lady at 22.}

Always I wanna be with you and make believe with you and live in harmony, harmony OH LOVE!

Well, there's been a lot happening recently in the news and life and whatever, and I've been pretty quiet around here lately. Mostly this is because my "finals week" has been dragging on since the week before last, and just ended today. So now I'd like to say what I think about some stuff.



Death of Osama Bin Laden

Right, here's the deal. I don't know how anyone who sat in front of a TV in school on September 11th and watched as their lives changed FOREVER isn't absolutely overjoyed that justice has been finally dealt to the guy responsible for that HEINOUS crime against us, and humanity at large. Rejoicing in murder is wrong, however, rejoicing in justice is perfectly acceptable. And I couldn't be happier that they finally caught the rat-bastard responsible for 9/11.

Here's my only problem. Obama will get all the credit. And I mean, credit where credit is due--he did manage to do this under his term. However, I'd just like to point out that it was President Bush who initiated the war on terror, and President Obama who wanted to withdraw our troops and call it quits. Really, I think this is Bush's victory just as much (probably more than) as Obama's. Just saying. I mean, the guy said some abysmally moronic stuff, but a) that was great for a laugh and b) he did what everyone needed after 9/11: stepped up as a leader and a former soldier, and declared war on the people who attacked us. So thanks, President Bush, for putting all of this into motion.


My only concern now is the fact that you probably can't kill the leader of the world's most volatile terrorist organization without repercussions of some kind. Constant vigilance, USA.

The Royal Wedding
For everyone who thinks it was unamerican to care about the Wedding, I think you're full of craps. Plural craps. I know we fought a Revolution with them, but that was 200 years ago. If you're still hung up on that, why are you okay with the end of slavery? Really, guys? Here's the deal: the UK is one of the only nations in the world who doesn't entirely hate our guts. When we went to war, they were the first to step up and fight alongside us. So they're our allies, and if I want to care about the Wedding, then that doesn't make me a shallow USA-hating money-squandering communist or anything, okay?

All that being said, the ceremony was lovely. I'm so happy for William...I feel like he deserves to be completely happy after all that he's been through. And Catherine is BEAUTIFUL, and I think the pair of them would make a couple of pretty awesome monarchs.

PICSPAM!
^ This has nothing to do with the wedding, but I just thought it was adorbs.


She is SO PRETTY! Thank you, Princess Catherine, for making sleeves on a wedding dress chic again!

Favorite parts of the ceremony:



Lol, I think this is so cute. It's one of those "We're BFF's and have inside jokes and yeah, we're laughing at them in front of the ENTIRE WORLD" looks. :DDD



And since Prince Harry looked surprisingly dashing, here's a bonus gif of him being an awesome baby:


Well done, England! Thanks for giving us something nice to watch this weekend.

The End of the Semester

I don't know about the anime angel girl, but whatever, THIS is how I feel about this semester being over. It was easily the strangest and therefore, my LEAST favorite semester of college ever. So glad it's over. I feel like I've been off school since Christmas, and I hate not being in classrooms with other people. Even though when I AM in classes with other people, I see it only as an opportunity to snark them and give them all Seinfeld-esque nicknames. I still end up meeting nice people, and I missed that. Plus, my education classes were absolute jokes. So yeah. Yay for that being over!

The Upcoming Semester
Not so excited, but this is my last semester of college! Then I graduate in August! This is reason for excitement! Regrettably, all I'm taking are upper level electives. Electives = good, upper level= bad. But honestly. I just need C's in them to graduate. So I'm not planning on getting ulcers stressing out about this semester. Here's how my schedule looks:
♥Evolution of Video Games (summer C, in class)
♥Professional Writing (summer A, online)
♥Medieval Humanities (summer A, online)
♥Caribbean Literature (summer A, online)
♥Lit and Pop Culture (summer B, in class)

I have no idea wtf Caribbean lit actually is, but I'm sure I'll let you know when classes start in 2 weeks.

Robot Unicorn Attack
I just discovered it. I basically was like this:


You think you're not gonna like it. And you play it once and you're like, "Wow that was a waste of time." Then that SONG gets stuck in your head and you're like, "Maybe I should play it again." I LOVE IT! Even though I was severely disappointed to learn that a) there is only one level with only that ONE song and b) you can't actually win. Still. It's fun and worth trying.
Click here (you know you want to)!


Erm, I think that's about it. Bixby is doing well at school! He's still shy, but he's actually smarter than the average potato, which has been pleasantly surprising. Also, I didn't realize how much training helps the bonding process, but I highly recommend it for dog owners, just because it is really good for the pair of you to engage in something constructive together. Like marital counseling for people with pets.

School daze.

Bixby had his first day of school today.

It went a little like this:

He made himself as small as possible and kept trying to disappear behind my legs. I have seriously, in all my encounters with dogs, never seen a dog act so timid before (apart from my grandparents' dog, who was ABUSED. Bixby isn't abused...he's just SUPER shy). He like, shrank away from all the other dogs and wouldn't even eat the treats. He was just like, shaking.


Obviously, he needs to be socialized more. This is my goal. I'll take him out on small errands and to places where there are people, and hopefully get him used to being out, and let him realize that he won't actually die in a flaming explosion of pain if other people see him.

*headdesk*

He did fine with the tricks. He's obviously just a socially-retarded genius.

My life according to snarky cartoons.

What's New With Me:

-It's the most wonderful time of the year for both accountants and students, which happens to be DOUBLY wonderful if you're both. Between the 15th on Friday (and all the extensions afterwards...) and finals coming up, I am quite, quite busy.



-That being said, when I am stressed or emotionally whatever, sleep is always the first thing to go. Needless to say, I am tired from like a week of really poor sleep (when it finally decides to grace me with its presence). My only solution, to both the sleeplessness and the stress, has been MOAR KICKBOXING, which in turns tires me out and makes me feel better. There's just something about punching the air with everything you've got. *eyeroll*


-I have a bunch of papers due. One is on marriage in 18th century England and how Elizabeth Bennet manages to defies those expectations. One is about Persuasion. Another consists of me making future lesson plans using nothing but the rather bland curriculum of my Renaissance lit class (there are only so many sonnets). Another has to do with current educational issues, like "how substitute teachers should exercise authority over their classes" and "are school lunches responsible for the obesity epidemic?" And finally, I have a group project on an undetermined topic. You can imagine my excitement.


-In happier news, I love Bethany Lehman.


^^Because I do this to her A LOT. ;D

-I went for the first of my advisory meetings today regarding graduation, and, oh my Lord, to my great surprise, everything looks like it's ON TRACK. *cue Hallelujah chorus* I'd do a happy gif spam, but I'll save it for when I actually graduate. Anyway, I have to take 5 classes this summer then THAT'S IT, BABY: I AM DONE!!!!


-Those five classes are so lame and as of right now are
1. Caribbean Literature (lol wtf?)
2. Literature and Pop Culture (actually excited about this)
3. Medieval Humanities
4. The Evolution of Video Games (Mario FTW!)
5. Professional Writing (including, but not limited to, reports and memos! GET EXCITED.)
I am technically done with all the credits for my major. I need upper level classes in any subject. I really wanted to take a psych class called "Human and Animal Relationships" but you needed the gen ed psych as a pre-requisite. I took anthropology instead. Meh. Anyway, busy summer, but I can't wait.


-I whine about being busy, but I secretly like it. Like today, I went and did schoolwork in the library. It has been the highlight of my week so far.


-I signed Bixby up for classes at PetSmart. We start Sunday. :))) Also, he turns one next Thursday (!!!).


In closing:

and


:)