Quotes That Inspire Me #1

Hey, everyone.  What does an awesome, fun 23 year old do on a Saturday night?  Well, dear readers, right now I am lying flat on a couch because my back hurts because I have been curled up in a ball right here  all day, finishing Season 1 of American Horror Story.  And by “finishing,” I mean, I watched three and a half episodes last night and the other nine and a half today.  I’m not sure which hurts more: my back or my brain.  Let’s just say that’s a pretty intense TV show.  At least, I found it that way.  I won’t be able to stop thinking about it for a while.

Anyway, I figured I’d start this new mini-series that I’ve been thinking about for a little while.  I’m going to tell you a little bit about the quotes that inspire me.  Some of you may find this interesting, some of you may find it extremely dull.  That’s okay.  I’ve just been staring at the ol’ 55 incher for the last eight hours straight and I need to do something else for a while.

Interestingly enough (or maybe not so interesting) the quote that I’m starting with is not my number one favorite.  I’ll share that with you another day, but today, I kind of just want to write something quick and not spend a really long time bogged down in what I’m trying to say.  So, embarassing as it is, here is one of the quotes that inspires me.  It’s a quote by Taylor Swift, of all people.

“Real life is a funny thing.  In real life, saying the right thing at the right moment is beyond crucial, so crucial in fact that most of us start to hesitate for fear of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.  But lately what I’ve begun to fear more than that is letting the moment pass without saying anything.  I think you deserve to look back on your life without this chorus of resounding voices saying ‘I could’ve but it’s too late now’.  So there’s a time for silence and there’s a time for waiting your turn, but if you know how you feel and you so clearly know what you need to say, you'll know it.  And I don’t think you should wait.  I think you should speak now.”

So, now that you know the quote, let me tell you a little story.  It’s the story of a girl who, when she was thirteen or fourteen years old, met the boy of her dreams.  And she spent the next eight or nine years refusing to say the words that her gut was forever telling her to say.  And for a long time, it hurt.  A lot the hurt was probably that girl’s fault because even though you know exactly what you want to say, actually saying it is the hardest thing you will ever try to do.  And now it’s far too late.

Speaking about myself in the third person is getting really tedious, so I’m just going to drop it now.  I’m referring to myself.  I think that was pretty obvious, though.

The story has a happy ending, though.  Even though I spent years of my life torturing myself because I refused to cut and run but also refused to tell him that I was head over heels, ass over elbow, crazy, stupid, write shitty poetry in love with him, it’s a mistake that I will hopefully never repeat.  I guess I won’t know until I’m put to the test, again.

I guess the point I’m trying to make is that it’s not worth it to waste one minute of your life on a boy who won’t look at you twice.  You either need to speak now and get it over with, or you have to accept that you’re always going to be hanging on every word and every stupid little glance until one of you taps out.  And take my word for it, the former, however agonizing, has got to be better than the latter.

I’m sure I’ll fall in love again, someday.  At least, I hope so.  I don’t think I’ve gotten to experience the fun part of it yet.  Honey Boo Boo’s mom has a boyfriend for crap sake.  Those two-headed siamese twins are engaged!  If that’s not a case for true love, I don’t know what is.

Nobody likes putting themselves out there for rejection, but sometimes, if you want to get an answer, you have to nut up and speak now.  And even though I may not be able to take my own advice, this quote inspires me anyway because now, whenever I refuse to speak, it’s a good reminder to try harder next time.

Thanks for reading, friends.

Becky

Come Home to Mama

Hola, Blogoritos!

Dear readers, I must apologize for my extended absence.  Last week was kind of busy at work, not to mention I had to finish up my final projects for the term at Ottawa.  They do 8-week accelerated courses there, which is about the only good thing I can say about them.  Hey, the good news is, I don’t need to have sex because I get screwed by Ottawa every day!

So, here we are, Sunday night…about 8 minutes before the new episode of Long Island Medium airs and then after that, Breaking Amish, so this blog post may very well be a little disappointing in its humorous content.  For that, I apologize.  Hopefully I’ll get back into the swing of regular updates.  I realize now that daily blog posts was a lofty goal and one that I probably won’t be able to keep up with since I am taking 8 credit hours this term.  My friend Heidee gave me the idea that it might be fun to have guest writers every now and then, especially when I don’t have the time to write when I want to.  If you have any ideas for a blog or if you want to contribute, let me know!

Now, back to our regularly scheduled chit chat.  Is everything good with you, dear readers?  I hope so.  Everything is peachy with me.  As always, I had a wonderful weekend.  Here’s a little bit about what I did and the things that have been occupying my mind for the last few days that, unfortunately, you were not able to hear about until now.

-- Skyfall.  I heard this song on the radio yesterday.  Would it make sense to any of you if I said that Skyfall was the…sexiest(?) song I’ve heard in a while?  Maybe that doesn’t make sense.  I’m just not sure how else I can describe it.

-- Red.  So, the new Taylor Swift CD comes out tomorrow!  I am supes excited about this.  Now, if we could only get a new Jonas Brothers CD, then we’d really be in business.

-- Once Upon a Time.  I’ve been trying to catch up and finish the first season.  Today, I watched like 5 episodes and wrapped up season 1.  (Please tell me the mad hatter/Jefferson is back in the second season.  He’s hot!  And the weird thing is, he didn’t do anything for me when he was on Gossip Girl but he is super hot now!)  Hopefully I can catch up on the beginning of season 2 this week and then be back on schedule when it airs next Sunday.  Ugh.  Don’t ever fall behind on your favorite TV shows.  I hate playing catch up.

-- iPad.  I finally got my iPad on Tuesday and I frickin LOVE it.  If anyone says they can justify the cost of an iPad because they need it for work or they travel a lot, they are LYING.  Nobody needs an iPad.  They are a completely extraneous device.  But yes, they are totally awesome.  Mine stays beside me while I sleep at night.

-- Money.  As of last Tuesday, my car is officially paid off.  And since I’m back in school, my student loan payments are in deferment.  So, I’m going to have a little more money in my pocket every month.  That’s awesome.  London, here we come!

-- Crafts.  I didn’t really do any crafts this weekend.  I basically just watched Once Upon a Time, nonstop.

-- Houses.  I want to buy a frickin house.  Is that going to happen anytime in the next few years?  No.  Does that keep me from trolling real estate websites?  Of course not!

-- Full House.  Does anyone else get grossed out when Danny and Vicky do that insane-with-passion makey-outey thing?  Ick.  Go clean something, Danny.  Stop it.

-- Smut.  I’m starting this new trilogy that I’ve heard is from the same mold as 50 Shades.  I saw it in Target and it had the same seemingly-mundane-object-on-a-black-background-cover-that-means-this-book-contains-something-sexy thing going on, so I got curious.  The impossibly attractive man’s name is Gideon.  That alone is going to make me at least read the first book.  (Author’s Note: These seemingly-mundane-object-on-a-black-background-covers are taking over!  I saw a whole shelf of them at Target.)

-- Scentsy.  I am not as in love with Scentsy as everyone else seems to be.  Maybe it I need to give it a chance.  Any scents I should try?

Okay, hopefully you’ve read enough of the diary of a mad Blackman to make up for the days you have had to go without.  It feels great to be back on the blogosphere!  And if a few days go by and you don’t hear from me, don’t panic.  I’m a full-time working student with an addiction to primetime TV.  There are a lot of things that take up my time, but this blog will remain a priority as long as my dear readers still want to dearly read!

Thanks for reading!

Becky

Top 10 Full House Episodes

Moved to the top of the list by popular demand, (and by popular demand, I mean my friend Heidee asked for it) today’s blog post is about the top ten Full House episodes of all time.  I don’t know that anyone except Heidee or possibly my sister will be able to enjoy this post because there’s a good chance that no one is as obsessed with this show as the three of us, and that is just unfortunate.  It’s the best show that was ever made.  And here are my ten favorite episodes of it, in no particular order.

 

10. Happy Birthday Babies (part 1 and 2)

Needless to say, I’m counting two-parters as one episode and this two-parter is awesome.  Michelle is enjoying her Flintstones themed birthday party when Becky suddenly goes into labor.  Wacky birth episodes on sitcoms are always hilarious, but add the fact that Uncle Jesse is loopy from anesthesia due to his emergency appendectomy and Danny is wandering the maternity ward in a Dino the Dinosaur costume and then a backless hospital gown makes it even more awesome.  Danny coaching Becky through her contractions while singing We Will Rock You is also hysterical.

 

9. Greek Week

Oh my god, this episode is brilliant.  When Jesse’s “old friend” and her little brother come to visit from Greece, he finds out that he accidentally married her many years ago, and then D.J. does the same with young Stavros.  Bonus points for the second Olson twin playing Michelle’s Greek doppleganger.  Becky’s fiery jealousy towards Jesse’s “wife” eventually ends up leading to a legit propsal, which Becky accepts.  Because jealousy is an excellent emotion on which to base a marriage.  This episode is still freakin hilarious, what with YaYa vogueing, Stavros’ first time “slurping with a girl” (that’s what she said!) and one of my favorite lines in the whole series: “Get your Pompadorian paws OFF my boyfriend!”

 

8. The Hole-in-the-Wall Gang

This is the episode where Stephanie bugs the shit out of D.J. by copying her and then the two get in a little tussle which ends with a hole in the wall in Danny’s bedroom.  I don’t know what part I like better, the “Dad, dad, dad,” song the girls come up with to try and explain their reason for being in his room, or the fact that Danny drops his jacket and watch on the floor because his daughters shifted all his furniture a few inches to the right to cover the hole.  If you were a kid when you first saw this episode, you could totally relate to the anxiety.  We’ve all broken something at some point and end up going to the stupidest lengths to try and conceal it.

 

7. Cutting it Close

Stephanie accidentally hacks off Jesse’s mullet which turns him into a whiny child wo then breaks both his arms and treats Stephanie like she’s the antichrist.  Aside from his childish behavior, the episode is really funny.  Watching Jesse try to eat cereal without being able to bend his arms at the elbow is great.  Joey lands a zinger for once in his life when he describe’s Jesse as having gone “Eddie van Halen to Pee Wee van Herman.”  (Side note: how many times do they use Jesse getting into motorcycle accidents as a plot device?  Remember when he met Bubba?)

 

6. Sisterly Love

This is the episode where D.J. nearly lands the Oat Boats commercial gig before Stephanie out-cutes her and steals the job.  My favorite part is when D.J. and Steph get into a legit brawl in the kitchen and end up ripping apart a box of Oat Boats before Jesse and Joey have to physically pull them apart.  Anyone with a little sister can appreciate this episode (and number 8, as well) because little sisters can be a real pain.  Maybe this is why I tend to side with D.J. in every single altercation she and Stephanie have ever gotten in.  (“My Own Room: Together, We Can Make it Happen.”)

 

5. The Test

D.J. freaks out about taking the SAT and most of this episode is a dream sequence which gets more and more absurd.  First, D.J. oversleeps and has to go to the testing center in her sweats (the horror!).  Then Jesse sneaks her a radio hidden in a breakfast burrito so he can feed her the answers.  But finally, the most ridiculous event of them all, KIMMY GIBBLER scores higher on the SAT than D.J. and ends up getting into Stanford.  What?!  Of course, D.J. wakes up from this nightmare and probably does just fine on her SAT, considering she gets into Berkley, but this is just one of the really funny storylines D.J. gets during the later seasons.

 

4. Taking the Plunge

Remember when I said D.J. got some great stories in the later seasons?  This is another one.  Depressed about not getting accepted to any colleges, Kimmy decides to go to Reno and marry her plumber boyfriend, Dwayne.  (Whatever.)  D.J., in her haste to stop the wedding, writes a smudgy note to her family who then becomes convinced that D.J. (depressed about not getting into Stanford) is flying to Reno to marry Nelson.  (Who could blame her for that?)  The $19.99 wedding chapel that Kimmy and Dwayne go to is hilarious.  Of course the wedding is stopped but let’s be honest, Kimmy could do a lot worse than Dwayne.  He seems like a nice guy and he does know a trade.

 

3. Subterranean Graduation Blues

This is one of those episodes where pretty much all the main characters, for one reason or another, get crammed together in an awkward situation and hilarity ensues.  Because Michelle is being a brat (so what else is new?) she insists the whole family take the subway to Jesse’s high school graduation and end up getting stuck underground.  Not only did this episode spawn my most oft-repeated Full House quote of all time: “Oh my god, an El Bloato!” but in the end, Jesse gets to pass on some of his GED learned wisdom to another teenage dropout.  Bonus points for the graffiti’d poster of Danny in the subway car.  Lol.

 

2. The. I.Q. Man

Join Jesse and Joey on their misbegotten journey to advertising fame.  Admitedly they do better off when they’re working for themselves or when they’re hosting a show on the radio, but Mr. Malatesta is their boss for the time being, and he makes Jesse go along with the sick, twisted fantasies of a client who is obviously hot for our Elvin-lovin uncle.  Cue, the steamy shower scene.  “If you must love me (cough cough) love me for my I.Q.”  Ironically, Jesse who can’t get enough of showgirls, girls in leather and babes in bikinis doesn’t like having to star in a commercial wearing a towel around his waist.  Sucks for you, Uncle Jesse.  Although it is pretty awesome when he finally has enough and Joey delivers their resignation to Mr. Malatesta by saying, “My partner is not a slab of beef, I am not a side of fries, and you, sir, are a….chicken McNugget!”

 

1. Our Very First Show

Most of these episodes are listed in no particular order, but if I had to pick one absolute favorite, this would probably be it.  The pilot episode is freakin hysterical.  The part where Jesse and Joey have to figure out how to change Michelle’s diaper is a classic, (“Good thinking, Joey, keep it fresh”) as is the first time Stephanie uses her recurring quip, when someone asks her what she is doing, Stephanie, dangling precariously from a curtain replies, “Oh, just hanging around.”  (Side note: before Uncle Jesse moved in, D.J. had that huge room all to herself?  Have mercy!)  This episode is everything that’s right with Full House.

 

So, feel free to leave a comment and share your favorite Full House moments.  If you’ve never seen Full House, what the hell is wrong with you?  Go watch some, now! 

 

The blog might be pretty dead for a few days.  It’s the last week of the term at Ottawa and I’ve got a few projects that are due on Saturday.  But when I come back, we’ll return with more exciting entries to thrill you, chill you and fulfill you!

 

Thanks for reading!

 

Becky

Top 5 Most Awesome Things I've Ever Seen

Today, I sat in front of the TV for several hours, watching a man ascend twenty-four miles above the surface of the Earth in a balloon, just so he could reach the very cusp of outer space and then freefall back to Earth.  Just think about that for a second.  Did you remember that part in the Star Trek movie where Kirk space jumps onto that giant drill thingy?  That’s basically what this guy did.  A space jump.

That’s definitely one of the cooler things that I’ve gotten to witness live (albeit, not in person) in my life.  And I’ve seen some pretty cool shit in my day.  I am aware that many people who have more money and are able to travel or have simply lived longer than I, have seen even more amazing things.  But watching the space jump today did get me thinking about things I have seen that I’m certain I will never forget.  What are the top five absolute most amazing things that I have witnessed in my life?  Here’s the list.

5. KU Winning the 2008 NCAA Championship

Okay, so winning that trophy for the first time in 20 years was pretty sweet, but unless you were a KU student at the time it’s impossible for me to describe the immense pride that we, as a campus, felt that spring.  First, there was the excitement of the #1 seed, then the early round play when strangers walking to class would ask each other if they knew the current score.  The UNC game when we were up by like 25 points and then still managed to make it a close finish.  After the title game against Memphis, you couldn’t go anywhere on campus without seeing championship gear or without talking to your friends and classmates about where you were when Mario Chalmers hit that shot.  Everyone remembers exactly where they were and what they were thinking when what is now simply known as The Shot was made.  That euphoria hung around Mount Oread for quite some time.

4. The Changing of the Guard Ceremony: Arlington National Cemetery

I could probably make a whole list of the amazing things from D.C. that I will never forget, especially since I was fortunate enough to go once as a student and once again as an adult chaperone.  The one thing that I was present for on both trips was the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.  It is one of the most moving events you will ever witness bcause of the precision, the historical significance and the dedication.  Those tomb guards are outside 24/7 in blistering heat and blizzards.  They spend hours and hours preparing their uniforms for duty because the tradition of perfection is their way of honoring the Unknowns and all the other people who have died for our country.  Youtube videos won’t do the ceremony justice, but I’m sure there are some on there that you can watch if you’ve never been and are curious.  Hopefully I get to go again next year, but even if I never do again, I won’t ever forget that.

3. Barack Obama Being Sworn In

I was a sophmore in college and skipped my Fiction Writing class to stay home and watch the inauguration.  2008 was the first election in which I voted, Obama was the first president I voted for which automatically made the inauguration something that I was very interested in watching.  Add the fact that we swore in our first black president in front of the biggest inauguration crowd ever, and it was pretty freaking historic.  Even though I’ve never witnessed one of these events live, watching in on TV was still amazing.  I have very vivid memories of seeing everyone’s breath in the air, people stretched back as far as the Washington Monument, then watching the Obama’s get out of the presidential limo and walk down the parade street.  Later that night, I watched the President and First Lady dance to At Last by Etta James.  Really cool stuff.

2. Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton

Because of the time difference, I had to wake up at like 3 am to watch this event live and you bet your ass I did just that.  I think I fell back asleep at some point during the pomp and circumstance but when I woke up, they were replaying the whole thing.  And I watched that shit all day while they replayed it over and over again.  I know there are those who would say (probably rightfully so) that there’s no reason for the British people, let alone the Americans or anyone else, to care so much about the wedding of these two people, but to that, I would respond, if you don’t care, then don’t watch it.  I love ceremony, I love formality, I love tradition and history and everything about the most fascinating monarchy in the entire world, so of course I was one of those dorks counting down the days until the Royal Wedding.  Hell, that was a year and a half ago and this is still the background on my laptop.

1. The Harry Potter Phenomenon

From the time I was in 5^th grade and I read the first Harry Potter book to the year I graduated college when the final Harry Potter movie was released, I feel extremely privileged to have been a child/young adult during this time so I could experience one of the biggest global sensations there has ever been.  Harry Potter is what made me become an avid reader when I was a child.  It’s also what inspired me to start writing.  I’ve had some of the best times with my dad at movie releases and midnight bookstore events, and it’s something some of my friends and I bond over to this day.  Like I said, being young and being a part of that phenomenon has probably shaped me in ways that I don’t even realize yet, but I’m so glad that it did.  Hopefully someday, I’ll be able to share the same excitement with my kids.

So, those are some of the awesome things that I’ve been able to see and be a part of in my 23 years.  If my cousin and I go to London this summer, I’ll probably have to do a whole new top ten list that’s ALL London stuff, but that’ll come another time.  What are some cool things that you’ve been witness to?

Thanks for reading, guys!

Becky