Fame

I do not know why or where this desire in my life came from, but I want to be a model. I always have. When I was 12 years old I heard an add on the radio and grabbed the phone, dialed the number and forced my mother to talk to the people on the other end. It was an ad for a modeling/acting school. I was accepted but later dropped out for the school was a scam, however it wet my appetite and I had to have more. In growing up, I have had a harder time pursuing that goal. Specifically that goal is to become an agency represented model in order to feel positive about myself an who I am, support myself and my family, but most importantly, to make a difference in this world. To bring awareness to those issues that need to be discussed.

I want to be known for helping those in need. I want to do something I love, and have a positive impact in this world. I want to show everyone that I can do it.

If I have to give a celebrity comparison, I would have to say Angelina Jolie. I really do not want my comparison to seem conceded or any manner irrational or even painfully obvious. My choice in aspiring to be like her is that she is a largely known celebrity who the minds of everyday people can relate or would like to. She is a member of the UN and in her work and fame has the ability to bring awareness to every issue she becomes involved in. She is financial sound and has enough energy to raise six children with a loving partner and has the friends to support her in her life.

That is what I aspire to be in my life. I will do what I can to make it there.

Party Like a Rock Star

Last night was great! Chris got home from work and was really depressed and not quite as happy as I was hoping to find him. After explaining to me that he felt bored and wanted to go out I rattled off a short list of what we could go do together, some of which was, going to Austin Park and Pizza, Fado's Irish Pub downtown and going over to friends houses. After a few minutes of other activities around the house we decided to go to a friends restaurant, Zakia's Greek Cuisine. We hopped in the shower and were about to be on our way when we realized that it might already be closed for the night, so Fado's came back into the picture.

Fado's Irish Pub is an authentic Irish pub with authentic amazing Irish food and drink as well as the amazing live Irish music. So we rush off to 4th and Lavaca in the middle of downtown Austin for an impromptu date night. When we arrived, I got to use my new Texas DL to enter and Now I can seeing as I am FINALLY 21. Chris ordered a Hard Cider and we got some appetizers.

Before I begin to tell you what we got, lets just say that if you could eat food from the heavens, Fado's has a direct link to their kitchen. Everything I have ever eaten there is mouthwatering orgasm on a plate. Last night was no different. We ordered two appetizers as the main menu was no longer being served for the night. Severed almost instantly was "Cheese Dip And Wedges A creamy blend of Irish cheddar, pepper jack cheese and green onion served with boxty wedges for dipping." Chris and I both love queso and we were (I am now horribly ashamed to say) expecting a drippy melted cheese with tortilla chips. What we got was the most amazing fluffy frothed thick irish cheese I have ever had, Served with potatoes cut into little wedges just like a tortilla chip is and then fried to perfection. I don't think I will ever have anything as good save for the next appetizer we ordered. Unfortunately it is not listed on the website menu however it was tomato slices with chefs mozzarella slices laid atop one another with cherry tomatoes and fresh basil leaves all drizzled in a savory basalmic vinegar. It was so refreshing with the basil and the fluffy mozzarella it was the most amazing compliment to our cheese dip.

After taking care of the tab we headed out into the streets towards 6th and Lavaca. Once we arrived at the intersection of 5th and Lavaca we heard some live Brass music. This however is nothing new as we have already passed about three beggars banging away unskilled on an overturned plastic bucket and I know of a homeless man who plays a sax on the streets. However this was a full band, we heard tuba, trumpets, trombone, saxophone, cowbells, tambourines, and large marching drums. Without missing a step as I was walking behind Chris I steered him over to the music. The music was amazing and is everything that Austin in. There were six members all playing an arrangement of those brass instruments and people were dancing in the street and just having an amazing time.

After watching them play for a good 10 minutes or more, Chris and I picked up a flyer that they were handing out. The band is named Austin Knights Brass Band (MySpace and FaceBook). The will be playing a FREE show at Lucky Lounge Thursday September 3rd. at 10 PM. I think Chris and I might have to go and see them again. I have three recordings of them on my phone however it does not like me and will not let my put the videos here. So please go visit their MySpace or FaceBook. They are amazing and uplifting and I just want to dance now!

After we managed to make it to 6th street we went to a few of Chris's favorite bars, one being The Jackalope. I had been to 6th street with a friend Chelsea before but did not really enjoy myself, but tonight Chris and I had set out to find me a drink that I like and stay out all night. After Chris ran out of bars I went to the only one I knew and somewhat liked, Maggie Mae's. This place has (I am over guessing here) about 10 DJs/ rooms and stages. As well as twice as many bars. It is two stories with the second being most open to the sky as well as the bottom floor in the middle. We went right up the stairs to the second floor and Chris and I were not there for more than 5 minutes and we run into none other than Chelsea, our wonderful friend who introduced me to Maggie Mae's. Chris being set on finding me a drink I like told me to try Chelsea's Vodka and Sprite. I am proud to say I have found my drink. Chris quickly went to one of the 1000 bars in this place and got me one of my own. I drank the entire thing, I took my time not knowing how I would react to it but, I drank it. For anyone who knows me at all, this is a HUGE deal!

After bouncing around the dance floor at Maggie's we went over to Spill to find a friend of Chelsea's and Chelsea, being as intoxicated as she was, stopped a Shot Girl (a very pretty one as it was, Chelsea has great taste when she is drunk) and bought Chris, my and herself a shot. I was given a Blueberry Bomb, Chris and Hazard Bomb and Chelsea picked out another Blueberry Bomb for herself. We cheered and drank. It was another good find for Chelsea that night. Blueberry bombs are delicious. I have no idea what is in them and the do go down a little hard but it was most definitely something I can have more of.

Last night was so much fun, Chris and I danced and drank a little and it was just an amazing night. Something I have never experienced. On our way home, Chris drove as he was sober and I had my first "buzz" yet the only thing I could say about it is that I was completely content to simply stare off into space and go to sleep.

But to put it Simply, last night was amazing. Chris and I had a blast. And Chris said that he has never really had that much fun downtown before. I guess all he needed was me!

Artist Spotlight

Teresita Fernandez:

Teresita Fernández was born in 1968 in Miami, Florida and lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. She has been featured in numerous solo exhibitions internationally and abroad at sites including the Corcoran Gallery, Washington, D.C.; New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York; the Centro de Arte Contemporáneo de Málaga, Spain; the Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia; Site Santa Fe, New Mexico, Castello di Rivoli, Torino, Italy; the Witte de With in Rotterdam; and the Miami Art Museum, Florida. She was featured in Outer City, Inner Space: Teresita Fernández, Stephen Hendee, and Ester Partegas at the Whitney Museum of American Art at Philip Morris in 2002. In August 2009 a show of Fernandez's recent work, Blind Landscape, opened at the Contemporary Art Museum at the University of South Florida in Tampa. This exhibition will then travel to the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, TX. Fernández is the youngest artist commissioned by the Seattle Art Museum's Olympic Sculpture Park, where her work Seattle Cloud Cover allows visitors to walk through a covered skyway while viewing the city's skyline through tiny holes in multicolored glass. Her new site-specific commission Blind Blue Landscape will be on view from September 2009 at the renowned Benesse Art Site in Naoshima, Japan. In January 2009, The Blanton Museum of Art unveiled Stacked Waters, a site-specific installation created for the cavernous entrance of the museum. Starfield, Fernández's installation at the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Texas, is on view from September 2009. She is the recipient of numerous fellowships and awards both in the U.S. and abroad, including the 2005 MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, a 2003 Guggenheim Fellowship, and the 1999 Louis Comfort Tiffany Biennial Award, and she has had residencies in Japan, Italy, and at ArtPace in San Antonio. She was commissioned for special projects by the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 2000, and by the Public Art Fund in 2001. Her work is included in numerous major private collections as well as the permanent collections of the St. Louis Art Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Miami, the Miami Art Museum, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the Sammlung Goetz, and Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, New York. Fernández had her first solo exhibition in 1995 at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Miami, and regularly exhibits work worldwide.

The work of this artist is one level that I strive for. Her contemporary modern pieces are so striking in their use of the world around us, that it takes the worlds beauty to make her pieces show. Her art is visual, and interactive, stunningly beautiful and so simple.

I only hope that one day I can be so creative as she.

Self Portrait

March 21st, 2009 I was watching a video by the talented Nathan Wyburn (a 19 year old from Wales) working on a self portrait on himself on a large scale. His video inspired me to do a self portrait of myself measuring 6 feet in hight by 4 feet in length. I sadly do not have a video of my work but I have images that document my progress.

I started from the very beginning of graphing my image and laying out my paper at 3:00 pm and finished about 8 hours later. My entire image was done in one sitting.

Behold, My beauty!

Bubble Walls

I have always been bored with the walls of my living room. The owners of the home before us had painted them brown. Brown like chocolate milk as some of my friends say, I say brown like a baby who ate roses then shat it out. Needless to say I really do no like my wall colors.

And well as I own my home, I have the creative right to do what I want to it. Late one February night I was bored as usual but wanted to paint. The owners left some of the house paint behind so we might touch up the walls should be need to. After digging out some white high gloss and some paint brushes, pulling all the furniture away from the walls I got started.

BUBBLES! Dripping Bubbles to be exact. I free handed the bubbles onto the wall to create a more organic look and allowed the paint to drip down the walls. The drips hold little pools of paint on the bottom when they are dried so when I do paint the living room that beautiful rich light green, I will have to go around with a blade and cut off those nubs.

But it allowed me to exercise a little of my creative freedom.

Crafting News

Well it seems that some of my muse has come back and I am in the middle of a creative overhaul changing my style and well, becoming the artist that I have always wanted to be.

I am going to be trying to post everything that I am making, working on, inspired to create and blog about the process and where the inspiration came from and how to do the craft your self.

Because I am coming into this with projects already underway and some finished, I will be going back in time to show you some of the things I started to work on and have finished recently. Then once those are posted we can move onto the current musings and new creative endeavors.

Cancer Free

I just got back from the Endocrinologist and after my Biopsy two weeks ago, they said that everything is clear. Doctors statement: "Unfortunately there is no way we will be able to know if this will always be cancer free.... oh wait, this is your third biopsy, never mind, you will almost definitely be cancer free with this nodule."

Hurrah! I get to keep my Thyroid! I am somewhat partial to it, it has given my a stable mood and metabolism, I do not want to loose that or have to take medication for the rest of my life. I am only 21.

So good news for me!

Thoughts on a Life Situation

There are so many things going on inside my head and heart at this time.

Thoughts and desires for taking care of the house. Painting the walls, changing the flooring and designing with new furniture. Landscaping the front and back yards. As well as all of the things that NEED to be done to keep my home is check such as new windows, a new fence, and cleaning their air ducts and getting that inspected yearly.

There are so many thoughts and worries on my mind. All of which also rest on my heart. I almost feel as though deep inside of me I am freaking out and thrashing and crying but it is so far down that the outside of my body is dead and numb to it.

Did You Know? Green Health Tip: Epson Salt

I have been tense lately and this morning before my shower I decided to take a bath. But instead of a bath with bubbles, I added in some Epson salt.

Did you know that epson salt can be used externally, internally, and to feed plants! Epson salt is one of my new MUST HAVEs for going Green and Healthy, here's why!

Relaxing and sedative bath: Soak in warm water and 2 cups of epsom salt.

Foot soak: Soothe aches, remove odors and soften rough skin with a foot soak. Add 1/2 cup of epsom salt to a large pan of warm water. Soak feet for as long as it feels right. Rinse and dry.

Soak sprains and bruises: Epsom salt will reduce the swelling of sprains and bruises. Add 2 cups epsom salt to a warm bath, and soak.

Splinter remover: Soak in epsom salt, it will draw out the splinter.

Face cleaner: To clean your face at night, mix a half-teaspoon of epsom salt with your regular cleansing cream. Just massage into skin and rinse with cold water.

Homemade skin mask: Apply the mask to damp skin. For normal to oily skin, mix 1 tablespoon of cognac, 1 egg, 1/4 cup of non-fat dry milk, the juice of 1 lemon, and a half-teaspoon of epsom salt. For normal to dry skin, mix 1/4 cup of grated carrot, 1 1/2 teaspoons of mayonnaise and a half-teaspoon of epsom salt.

Skin exfoliator: Massage handfuls of epsom salt over your wet skin, starting with your feet and continuing up towards the face. Have a bath to rinse.

Remove excess oil from hair: Epsom salt soaks up excess oil from hair. Add 9 tablespoons of epsom salt to 1/2 cup of oily hair shampoo. Apply one tablespoon of the liquid to your hair when it is dry; rinse with cold water. Pour lemon juice or organic apple cider vinegar through the hair, leave on for 5-10 minutes, and then rinse.

Remove hairspray: Combine 1 gallon of water, 1 cup of lemon juice, and 1 cup epsom salt. Combine, cover and let set for 24 hours. The next day, pour the mixture into your dry hair and let it sit for 20 minutes. Then shampoo as normal.

Hair volumizer: Combine equal parts of deep conditioner and epsom salt. Warm in a pan. Work the warm mixture through your hair and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse.

When I get the bag in front of me I will add the other listed usages from the bag as well.

TEXAPLEX

Have you ever made a big decision in your life and later on wondered why you every thought that would be a good idea? 

I moved to Austin Texas 3 years ago when I was 18 years old. I was very set on it and I knew I had some REALLY good reasons for doing so. I wanted to grow up, mature, go to school, "be on my own", live with Chris and well, I wanted an adventure. I got all that I wanted out here in Texas as well as some unexpected trials.

I have every so often had a fleeting thought of "Why did I move out here again?" Then like a semi-truck speeding down I-35, it hits me, Oh yeah, I have a life out here now! And it is a GREAT ONE!

I found this Amazing video about Texas and I think it solidifies all the economical decisions for my move to Austin Texas.

WATCH!!! This is why I LOVE TEXAS!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC16-4fh-Qc&feature=player_embedded

Inspired Geekery

Well, it has been a few weeks since I have posted anything. It is truly unfortunate because every night I go through my lists of sites that I keep up to date with and I have been hovering my cursor over the blog yet nothing comes to mind to post. So I hastily move onto the next pressing MySpace update or R/F Forum post.

Well the time has come for me to be inspired to post to Blog Spot. Unfortunately it is while I am at work.... -_-

So the event and ideas that have me so wound up at this moment in time are a few in number. Last weekend at Fair I bought a dress that I could not afford but had been wanting for about three years. I tried it on the weekend before and it was perfect. It haunted me all week and so I purchased the dress this past weekend. Everyone was stunned by how well it fit and how amazing it was. I was just as shocked and was loving every minute of it.

Chris had stated at some point through out the day that I looked Like an elf. Like Arwen from Lord of the Rings to be exact. Then everyone started to agree and well, that settled it. I found myself a new character.

So in addition to Chris feeling bad about not having rockin' new garb like mine (his ego was deflated because I was getting some much attention about the dress) I told him that I will have his new nobles riding coat made by 6th weekend of fair when we go back. This en tales much sewing and learning due to using some techniques that I have not been exposed to yet. So I am making Chris's new nobles garb and I am also starting the process for my elven circlet. Remember how Chris called me his own personal Arwen? Well her Butterfly Coronation Circlet is now on my to do list. I am Thrilled! It is going to be amazing!

So I also got some hair extensions that I am going to wear to make my hair longer, fuller, darker, and straighter. Unfortunately to save on some money I got the hair that comes in long sheets and I have to cut it and stitch in the clips myself. Good thing I know how to do that!

Well, I will be posting some images in this blog when i get home to show that clothes and supplies, then when i start on each project I will post a blog on all my steps with pictures!

*SQUEE!* Ooo I am so excited! Everything is going to be beautiful!

Wish me luck. (I am only worried about my need to have the house clean get in my way.)

Friends Are The Family You Choose

That Quote "Friends are the family you Choose for yourself" is really quite accurate. When I was younger I never really understood it but with my life being spent attending the Renaissance Festivals and with people whom I love to be around in Austin, it has become more and more true.

There are so many people in my life who I hate to be away from. Everyone at the fairs, I strive every day yo be able to go and see you all.

Dizzy and Tony
Christina and Frank
Aquino
Doc and Missy and Jamie
Kenny
Breanne
Rozen
Lord Randolph
Mystic Cloak
Castle Kazar
Earthbone Yvonne and Mike
Lance and Jenny
Kathy
Kim and Dana
Paul and Hollie
Cliffie
Scott and Pinochio
Queen Bonnie
Meg
The Dickersons
Willow
Lonk and Tab and Amanda
Lady Rea and Dana
Jonny and Kira
Rod
Kara
Jay and Jay
Tazz and Griffin and Ivy
Adam
and EVERYONE else whom I forgot... I know there are a lot more. (I grouped them how they fit in my mind)

It just amazes me every time I attend fair just how much Chris and I are loved and how wonderful everyone is. Just how much time we can all spend together and it is never enough.

Perusing and Slacking

I woke up about two weeks ago and decided that I was going to do something. 

I wanted to ride my bike. Wow. Something I have not done in years. Well I woke up nice and early, when the sun starts the rise and the air is still crisp and fresh. I had some food and pulled out my bike. When I started to ride I went around on the hike and bike trails in my neighborhood and did not want to stop. So I didn't. I continued to ride the entire 5 mile plus trail and it felt wonderful! I am now doing that every morning. It is beautiful.

I am also slowly getting back into my drawing roots. I previously posted about the 6 foot by 4 foot painting I did. I have two more projects but I do not have the materials I need just yet so they have to wait. 

Chris and i have also started going back to Fair. This time of year we go to the Scarborough Renaissance Festival. We made it up the first Sunday and are going back again this weekend but we are not sure how many more times we can go due to time and money. He and I have both been SO excited!

Unfortunately with all these other things going on, my reading has been horrible. I have hit such a low spot in Inkspell that I have not touched anything else. I really want to read all these other books that i am hoarding from the library. I think I just need a little bit of alone time somewhere outside of my house where I have no choice but to read.

I have not had much else occur lately from the last post other than Chris getting a new job finally. It is helping us mentally and emotionally. Well, I wish there was more to say but i am in a grand mood and am going to clean and do productive things today!

Exercising the Mind and Body

So, today has started off wonderfully. I woke up, spent a few minutes around the house (most of it was me still laying in bed too lazy to get up) and had some breakfast. It consisted of nothing more than my cold leftovers from Mongolian Grille last night and 1/4th of an orange. It was actually a great breakfast.

I got dressed and pulled out my bike and went for a bike ride around the neighborhood. I was gone for about 30-45 minutes and rode about 5-6 miles though the hike and bike trail that weaves through my neighborhood.  It was wonderful and beautiful. I just kept riding, with the drive and thought that I did not want to be done yet. So it is a great morning so far. Ok so lets jump back in time and do this all in order.

About 3 weeks ago we got a room mate. YAY! His name is Kent. This is a picture of Kent. 

This is Chris and Kent drunk and playing dress up with the dogs on the kitchen floor.

Earlier this week (Saturday March 21st)  I got a wild hair and decided that I was going to make a BIG piece of art... of myself. So I found an image and at 3:00 PM started to work. I took images of the progress of the piece so I could document it. I Finished at 12:30 AM with the piece being 6 feet tall by 4 feet wide. It. Is. AWESOME!

The sketch

The sketch

The black has been laid down

Finished

Mounted

Lets speed things up a bit and move onto this past Saturday. Chris, Kathryn, Michael, April and I went to Enchanted Rock for the Day. It took us about an hour and forty minutes to get there but we stopped in Fredericksburg on the way. They took us to Aushlander (Sp?) and I got a HUGE Spetsle (spelling again) burger and Chris got Rouladden, a roast beef, bacon and onion covered pickle all smothered in gravy!!! Mmm Delicious. 

So back to E-Rock. According to the Texas State Parks site "Enchanted Rock State Natural Area consists of 1643.5 acres... humans have visited it for over 11,000 years. The Rock is a huge, pink granite exfoliation dome, that rises 425 feet above ground, 1825 feet above sea level, and covers 640 acres. It is one of the largest batholiths (underground rock formation uncovered by erosion) in the United States." ... all I have to say is, I climbed that, it was EPIC! Oh and we went spelunking (cave diving) into the caves in the rock and we are going to go back this next weekend with headlights and equipment to go deeper. It was a great day and a beautiful place. I can not wait to go again.

That little read circle on top of the rock. That is much bigger than the person on the rock inside that ring.

One of the beautiful caves

After we all climbed out of one set of caves

Huge Rocks on the very top of E-Rock

We saw a raccoon!

ie: The slope of the rock climbing back down

So much fun! We are all slanted.

So this past week or so has been very rewarding and exciting. My mom sent me a box with some great books for jewelry making and crafts. But I have to go shopping for some food and sich right now before it gets closer to work time for me. Man this is just a good day.

So, I finally finished Inkheart. It took two weeks to read. Half of the reason for that was the length of the book and how much time I had to read in one sitting. The other half is the fluctuation of the climax of the book. It ends, or so you think, and then it keeps going.

It was a good book but it was much longer than I thought. Now I am getting Inkspell and Inkdeath. Both are longer than the first. Lets hope that they are a little more interesting than the first book.

So At this point I have read,

Wicked
Son of a Witch
A Lion Among Men

The City of Ember
The People of Sparks
The Prophet of Yonwood
The Diamond of Darkhold

The Looking Glass Wars
Seeing Redd

Coraline

The Graveyard Book

The Invention of Hugo Cabaret

Inkheart
Inkspell (Soon)
Inkdeath (Soon)

I also have checked out on my library card these titles and are going to read them as well soon, i hope.

Blankets

Atherton: the House of Power

The Dark Hills Devide Book 1

The Magician
The Alchemest
The Sorceress (Reliesed May 2009)

The Hound of Rowan

Two Weeks Into My Life

I am getting frustrated with things that are occurring around my home.

Within the last two weeks:

Our plumbing backed up again for the 4th time in one year and we had to have someone come out and clear everything in the pipes. Roots came up out of the pipe but it is so far down the pipe that it is at the connector where our sewage meets the city. We have to dig up the side walk and get approval from the city to cut the roots (it is apparently illegal with out a certification to cut a root even if it is yours) and then remove the roots and relay the pipe.

Then our internet went out again for the second time in about two months. Turns out that Kieran chewed on the cable that was pushed up out of the ground due to roots and has been like that since we purchased the house. He chewed on it now.... So we got someone out here to re-lay the cable and unfortunately he can not burry it, another company does that. So for three days we have been on top of the dog going into the back yard. We have waited with them when they go out for potty breaks and have been keeping them in the house 24/7 to avoid more chewing till it can be buried again. The first visit was free and we were informed that if he chews it again we have to pay for them to come out and relay it. Well last night Kieran was out using the bathroom and in 5 minutes he chewed the entire cable practically in half. The annoying thing is that when we purchased the home, no one informed us that these cables were even being used. So the cable technician needs to come back out and relay it and we have to wait 3-4 more days after that for them to come and burry the cable. However to root that was the original problem because it pushed the cable to the surface  over a year ago can not be cut with out that certification from the city. So now we have to wait with the dogs even longer till it can be re-laid. 

Last week we had some people from the electric company come out and look in our backyard for the trees that are by the telephone poles and are too close to the wires. They need 8 feet of clearance. Well they are laying on the cables. All of this neighborhood's trees are. So in about 4-6 weeks we have tree trimers coming out to cut those trees back in our back yard.

Walking through my home I found that some cracks were appearing in the walls above and below where the windows are. My windows already leak and are not sealed properly, half of them are missing their screens and some of them, the glass has moved in the frame of the window and there is now a separation of the glass itself and allows for drafts. my home is falling apart and I hate it. I am watering around the home and the yards to keep the soil moist so that the house does not shift from the soil moving. I asked my neighbor and she said that yes cracks in this neighborhood are very common. Great.

My trees have not been trimmed in longer than they should have been and I am worried about a branch breaking and falling onto my roof and damaging it. So I need to get to trees trimmed and the soil that I am watering is so hard packed that I need to aerate it. My neighbors all had their yards done however I don't have the money to even by food for myself or my dogs. I looked into renting one and how to actually aerate, and I need to get the soil as moist as I can for a week then I am going to go rent one from Home Depot for $43

 for four hors and do my yard then I can fertilize and water after and hopefully my home and yard will be happy with that.

Chris and I are down to $1.14 in my account and $8.49 in Chris's. Chris is ill with an upper respiratory infection (Bronchitis) and his voice is completely gone. He is not contagious but we went to the community clinic for a cheaper doctors visit and they gave him some more stuff to take. 

Chris's "job" hired him on with the idea that he would be getting paid $30 dollars a night and tips. The night he started the owner stated that he was going to get 30% commission on the calls he takes (Chris is a designated driver). Well he was going to a call one night and was pulled over on the Zingo bike (the bike they issue to him from the company to take the calls on) for driving a unregistered vehicle and impeding the speed limit. The bikes only go about 35-45 MPH and he was going up hill. He will given a ticket for both those issues and for not wearing a helmet. (He did not have his insurance on him) He missed three call that night because of the officer and there fore does not get paid. The bike however is registered and allowed to run under a code in the DPS. Also they are a HUGE thin in Washington DC!

He now has to go to court to get this issue resolved because one officer is a fucked up retarded person who does not even know what he is enforcing.... The greedy power hungry bastard.

Our cat Fayt was bit by a snake and had to go in to get medications and that cost us. It cost us our money and our mental stability for keeping him in the house with the dogs as well as trying to remember his medications on top of everything else.

Chris does not have a "real" job (one that brings in any money as he only makes about $10.00 a week), mine is not doing much other than keeping us from falling into the red head first. We are slowly going in feet first. We are submerged in the red and I don't know how we are both still living. We have someone moving in to the spare room but he might not have a job either when he gets here meaning we will be out a room to rent for someone who has a stable job.

With all of this, I have to work and I am getting a few more hours to help but that cuts back on my time for everything else. I get to work, take care of a sick Chris, clean the house (sweep daily, do dishes, laundry, take care of the yard work, organize, dust, vacuum, put the dogs in and out, clean the garage, water the yard, ETC.) I also have to do the shopping, keep track of the things we need, pay the bills and stress over if we can afford something or not, and be happy so that Chris does not feel worthless for not having a job and sitting at home and looking for one and gaming to try to relax and get better.

My mother and father are also sinking and in that my mother is ill with cancer and chemo. My father has heart conditions that every time my mom and dad call and I am not able to get to the phone I think something horrible has happened to one or both of them. I ache from all of this.

I am exhausted.... and I am ready to cry and lay on my side and simply pass away into nothing.

His Dark Materials Trilogy (The Golden Compass; The Subtle Knife; The Amber Spyglass) by Philip Pullman

Inkheart (Inkheart; Inkspell; Inkdeath) by Cornelia Funke

Inheritance (Eragon; Eldest; Brisingr) by Christopher Paolini

The Chronicles of Narnia (The Lion, Witch and the Wordrobe; ) by C. S. Lewis

Alice in Wonderland
The Wizard of Oz
The Grimm Fairytales
Hans Christian Andersen
Edgar allen poe
nithaniel hawthorn
H lovecraft
Robert Frost
Rick Riordan
Wizards First Rule
The years of merlin
Mercedes lackey Fairy tales series
Elemental masters series
Tolken

Worth Mentioning

Back when I was young (Funny having said that and only being 21 years of age at this time, so still really young) and found that reading was a great escape I was in elementary school. I have always been above my own reading level. In fact in 4th grade I was reading at a college level and I loved every minute of it. I had found that fantasy and science fiction were the most appealing of genres.

Here is a list of my favorite books:

The Witches of Eileanan (Book 1)
The pool of Two Moons (Book 2)
The Cursed Towers (Book 3)
The Forbidden Land (Book 4)
The Skull of the World (Book 5)
The Fathomless Caves (Book 6)

The Kingdom of Kevin Malone

The Keeper of the Isis Light

The Black Swan

Once Upon a Winters Night

The Rowan

All these titles are of the Fantastical genera and have touched me at a young age. I will go back to these titles over and over again and would love to expand on them more.

Dennis McKiernan author of Once Upon a Winters Night has written 4 other book in this compilation of fantasy folklore and old tales rewritten anew. They are titled:

Once Upon a Dreadful Time
Once Upon a Spring Morn
Once Upon a Summer Day
Once Upon a Autumn Eve
Once Upon a Winters Night

I wish that Monica Hughes and Kate Forsyth the authors of The Keeper of the Isis Light and The Witches of Eileanan series had other books or more of them that I could submerge myself into.

I highly recommend every one of these books.

New Years Resolutions: UPDATE

I know it is a little bit late but I wanted to update on what my Resolutions are.

When I was younger(middle school and high school) I read for hours on end. I adored books and read quite a bit. It classified me as a geek that followed me till the end of high school.

I attempted to read the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. A total at the time of 10 books that has not spanned up to 12. After reading over 3520 pages into the series (only one third of the way into book 5) I was, as you can say, burned out on reading. That was my sophomore year in high school.

I continued to love reading but never picked it back up. I went on with my life and found that my desire grew as time went on to pick up a new book and follow through. I began working at a library and found that I was finding many books that I would love to some day pick up.

In the end of 2008 I made my choice. For the year of 2009 I was going to read a new book every week. That totals to 52 books in a year. At this time it is week number 9 in the year 2009.

I have read a total of 12 books which includes 3 series series and 3 independent books.

The titles include:

Wicked
Son of a Witch
A Lion Among Men

The City of Ember
The People of Sparks
The Prophet of Yonwood
The Diamond of Darkhold

The Looking Glass Wars
Seeing Redd

Coraline

The Graveyard Book

The Invention of Hugo Cabaret

(Ordered by series)

I highly recommend all of these titles to whomever likes fantasy and a read that is not muddled with the stressed and frustrations of the adult world.

My City of Austin

Sitting at home in front of my computer, my connection to the world, I recalled my day. I was outside with Chris for most of it. Outside, meaning out of my home. I went with him after making some breakfast to his doctors appointment and filled his prescription. He has once again fallen ill yet is not contagious or actually sick. He just has what seems to be a bad cough and lost his voice. However, along with any cough of his come the phlegm.

We filled his prescriptions and came home when I got a cleaning streak and sent through the front of the house and thoroughly cleaned the windows and screens as well as raked the front garden and watered. All the while, enjoying the wind rustling the leaves on the ground as well as in the trees. It was soothing and refreshing to be outside working as the sun went down.

It made me think about the life I have here. Being out in the city and, well, simply being outside in Texas. It is different that in California where everything is buildings, asphalt and cement. Here things are green and vibrant. I have so many places I can go and see. All of the opportunity.

I am amazed that all of this is so close to me (I am by no means a party girl).

Barton Springs (image not by me)

Hamilton Pool (image not by me)

Barton Creek Green belt (image not by me)

Mount Bonnell (image not by me)