Thursday, January 12, 2012
USA TODAY: Editorial: Candidates outsource dirty work to 'Super PACs'
Look it up, and the answer is $5,000 — $2,500 for the primary and $2,500 for the general election. Those are, in fact, the legal limits on individual contributions. But, really, that's so two years ago.
Thanks largely to federal court decisions in 2010 that opened the way for virtually unlimited spending by corporations, labor unions and individuals, those limits are essentially gone — and the effects aren't pretty.
In the past several months, for example, Edward Conard, a former colleague of Mitt Romney's at Bain Capital, gave the Republican front-runner a $1 million contribution. Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation, gave President Obama $2 million. And Las Vegas casino magnate Sheldon Adelson gave GOP candidate Newt Gingrich $5 million.
Yes, technically, these donors didn't give the money to the candidates. Instead, they donated to so-called Super PACs, powerful new campaign organizations with deceptive names that have emerged as titans in the 2012 presidential contest. A Super PAC can accept unlimited donations and spend as much as it likes to support a particular candidate (or tear down his or her opponents). The only catch is that it must be independent: It can't have a link to the candidate or coordinate with the candidate's campaign.
That lack of connection is largely a fiction, however. Super PACs might as well be wings of the campaigns they support. Typically, they're run by the candidate's former staffers. The treasurer of the pro-Romney group Restore Our Future is Charles Spies, who was legal counsel for Romney's 2008 campaign. The pro-Obama group Priorities USA Action was formed by two former White House staffers, Bill Burton and Sean Sweeney.
And while it's possible that Super PAC officials avoid consulting with their former colleagues at the campaigns, why would they need to? When Gingrich shot past Romney in the Iowa polls, the mission of Restore Our Future was obvious: Do Romney's dirty work for him by running ads to savage Gingrich and drive down his poll numbers. So it did.
And when an angry Gingrich said he planned to lash back at Romney, his former press secretary Rick Tyler, an adviser to the pro-Gingrich Super PAC Winning Our Future, said he took his "cue" from his former boss' comments. Now Winning Our Future is sponsoring a harsh anti-Romney video in South Carolina, site of the next Republican primary.
The most pernicious aspect of Super PACs isn't that they can play hardball while the candidate pretends to stay positive. That sort of hypocrisy is standard campaign practice. It's that any individual, any corporation and any labor union can — in effect — give a candidate unlimited amounts of money. When candidates have to raise campaign funds from the very people they regulate, which has been the case of years, politics becomes a barely controlled form of legalized bribery. When the money is unlimited, it's a scandal waiting to happen.
Think about it: Would a president refuse to take a phone call from someone who gave "his" Super PAC $5 million? Does anyone seriously believe money doesn't at least buy access, and at worst buy results? Or signal voters that the voices that really count are the ones who write the biggest checks?
We've long advocated public financing of campaigns, which would free candidates from having to beg for dollars or worry about repaying donors once in office. That's still a worthy cause, though a distant one because those who benefit from the current system successfully demonize it as taxpayer funding of politicians.
In the meantime, there is no obvious, constitutional way to disarm the Super PACs. Perhaps the most that can be done is to require them to disclose their donors in real time. That way, even if candidates aren't directly approving the message, voters will know who is.
OPPOSING VIEW: President Obama's former White House staffers set up an organization called Priorities USA that ran the first attack ads by third-party groups in the 2012 election cycle, broadcast against Mitt Romney in South Carolina in April 2011. In light of this history, the selective outrage by liberal editorial boards regarding the activities of Restore Our Future, an independent super PAC supporting Romney, a conservative businessman, is somewhat hard to stomach. Worse yet, Obama-supporting Priorities USA is a 501(c)(4) organization that does not disclose its donors.
In contrast to Priorities USA, Restore Our Future fully reports all of our donors for public scrutiny, in compliance with Federal Election Commission regulations. This is a level of transparency that we urge President Obama's supporters to also follow.
The content of our advertisements has also provided a valuable service in the Republican primary. Judging by the daily attacks against Romney by Obama's team, they are deathly afraid of running against him in the general election, and the dearth of their attacks on Speaker Gingrich indicates that they are salivating over the idea of his getting a free pass on his baggage in the primary. We are committed to not letting that Obama dream scenario play out, and instead making Obama defend his economic record against Romney in the general election.
For those who don't like the current campaign-finance system, blame should not be placed on the Supreme Court's defense of free speech in Citizens United v. FEC, but instead should be directed towards the restrictive campaign-finance regulations of the McCain-Feingold law. The way to decrease the impact of outside organizations is to remove the contribution limitations to campaigns, which coupled with immediate reporting of contributors would ensure that candidates are held accountable for the conduct of their own campaigns.
Charlie Spies, an attorney at Clark Hill PLC, serves as treasurer for Restore Our Future, a Super PAC that supports Mitt Romney.
Thanks largely to federal court decisions in 2010 that opened the way for virtually unlimited spending by corporations, labor unions and individuals, those limits are essentially gone — and the effects aren't pretty.
In the past several months, for example, Edward Conard, a former colleague of Mitt Romney's at Bain Capital, gave the Republican front-runner a $1 million contribution. Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation, gave President Obama $2 million. And Las Vegas casino magnate Sheldon Adelson gave GOP candidate Newt Gingrich $5 million.
Yes, technically, these donors didn't give the money to the candidates. Instead, they donated to so-called Super PACs, powerful new campaign organizations with deceptive names that have emerged as titans in the 2012 presidential contest. A Super PAC can accept unlimited donations and spend as much as it likes to support a particular candidate (or tear down his or her opponents). The only catch is that it must be independent: It can't have a link to the candidate or coordinate with the candidate's campaign.
That lack of connection is largely a fiction, however. Super PACs might as well be wings of the campaigns they support. Typically, they're run by the candidate's former staffers. The treasurer of the pro-Romney group Restore Our Future is Charles Spies, who was legal counsel for Romney's 2008 campaign. The pro-Obama group Priorities USA Action was formed by two former White House staffers, Bill Burton and Sean Sweeney.
And while it's possible that Super PAC officials avoid consulting with their former colleagues at the campaigns, why would they need to? When Gingrich shot past Romney in the Iowa polls, the mission of Restore Our Future was obvious: Do Romney's dirty work for him by running ads to savage Gingrich and drive down his poll numbers. So it did.
And when an angry Gingrich said he planned to lash back at Romney, his former press secretary Rick Tyler, an adviser to the pro-Gingrich Super PAC Winning Our Future, said he took his "cue" from his former boss' comments. Now Winning Our Future is sponsoring a harsh anti-Romney video in South Carolina, site of the next Republican primary.
The most pernicious aspect of Super PACs isn't that they can play hardball while the candidate pretends to stay positive. That sort of hypocrisy is standard campaign practice. It's that any individual, any corporation and any labor union can — in effect — give a candidate unlimited amounts of money. When candidates have to raise campaign funds from the very people they regulate, which has been the case of years, politics becomes a barely controlled form of legalized bribery. When the money is unlimited, it's a scandal waiting to happen.
Think about it: Would a president refuse to take a phone call from someone who gave "his" Super PAC $5 million? Does anyone seriously believe money doesn't at least buy access, and at worst buy results? Or signal voters that the voices that really count are the ones who write the biggest checks?
We've long advocated public financing of campaigns, which would free candidates from having to beg for dollars or worry about repaying donors once in office. That's still a worthy cause, though a distant one because those who benefit from the current system successfully demonize it as taxpayer funding of politicians.
In the meantime, there is no obvious, constitutional way to disarm the Super PACs. Perhaps the most that can be done is to require them to disclose their donors in real time. That way, even if candidates aren't directly approving the message, voters will know who is.
OPPOSING VIEW: President Obama's former White House staffers set up an organization called Priorities USA that ran the first attack ads by third-party groups in the 2012 election cycle, broadcast against Mitt Romney in South Carolina in April 2011. In light of this history, the selective outrage by liberal editorial boards regarding the activities of Restore Our Future, an independent super PAC supporting Romney, a conservative businessman, is somewhat hard to stomach. Worse yet, Obama-supporting Priorities USA is a 501(c)(4) organization that does not disclose its donors.
In contrast to Priorities USA, Restore Our Future fully reports all of our donors for public scrutiny, in compliance with Federal Election Commission regulations. This is a level of transparency that we urge President Obama's supporters to also follow.
The content of our advertisements has also provided a valuable service in the Republican primary. Judging by the daily attacks against Romney by Obama's team, they are deathly afraid of running against him in the general election, and the dearth of their attacks on Speaker Gingrich indicates that they are salivating over the idea of his getting a free pass on his baggage in the primary. We are committed to not letting that Obama dream scenario play out, and instead making Obama defend his economic record against Romney in the general election.
For those who don't like the current campaign-finance system, blame should not be placed on the Supreme Court's defense of free speech in Citizens United v. FEC, but instead should be directed towards the restrictive campaign-finance regulations of the McCain-Feingold law. The way to decrease the impact of outside organizations is to remove the contribution limitations to campaigns, which coupled with immediate reporting of contributors would ensure that candidates are held accountable for the conduct of their own campaigns.
Charlie Spies, an attorney at Clark Hill PLC, serves as treasurer for Restore Our Future, a Super PAC that supports Mitt Romney.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Ready or not... Here I come...
These last few months I've been doing the whole college prep thing: scholarships, college applications, financial aid, the whole ordeal, but it still seemed so far away. Swim is officially over, and I'm not sure if I'm ready to be done. This year was one of the hardest and most trying years I've ever experienced. Last swim season ended in a torrential downpour of tears and a coachless swim team... this year the team bounced right back, placing in the same places they did last year (boys took 2nd; girls took 4th) which was shocking for everyone. The experience taught me that I can bounce back, no matter how hopeless I believe the circumstances to be. For the last 3 years I have identified myself as a swimmer, and now I'm not... and that's weird. I realize I don't know exactly where my life is going, but I know that I'm excited for something new... This is the end of an era.... but also just the beginning.
“Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today.”
-James Dean
Love always,
Erin
Sunday, January 18, 2009
All you need is love...
So last night I was thinking about Abby's Love book, and all of the things in my life that I never pay much attention to. This post is an excerpt from my own love book:
1. The wonderfully unpredictable way life always changes.
2. Peanut Butter Bars
3. Falling in Love
4. Holding Hands
5. The noise the water makes when you are in a perfect streamline
6. The Ocean
7. Tropical Fish
8. The feeling you get after a hard work out.
9. Bridal Pictures where you can't see people's faces (but you see the gown, the rings or the bouquet.)
10. Homemade Pumpkin Bread
11. Chocolate chip cookies
12. Love stories
13. Red roses and white lilies
14. Getting letters in the mail
15. Cuddling
16. Bones :D
17. A good book
18. Finishing a puzzle
19. Deja Vu
20. Speaking French
21. Change (both kinds)
22. Cellos
23. Soft sweaters
24. Fuzzy Socks
25. Dark Chocolate
26. Fondue
27. The color blue
28. Mood rings
29. Pea coats
30. Going to the Theater
31. Kisses
32. Witty Shirts
33. Puppy Kisses
34. Babies
35. Learning something new
36. Dancing
37. Daydreams
38. Laughing so hard my eyes water
39. When my bed is warm
40. When frost freezes on the trees from the fog
41. Cookie Dough
42. Singing
43. Vacations
44. Buying presents
45. A good debate
46. Homemade Bread
47. Independence
48. Gold Fish Crackers
49. Inspirational Quotes
50. Love :D
Hurray. So these are the things that I love for the people I love :D
"Love doesn't make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile."
Franklin P. Jones
~Erin Jo
1. The wonderfully unpredictable way life always changes.
2. Peanut Butter Bars
3. Falling in Love
4. Holding Hands
5. The noise the water makes when you are in a perfect streamline
6. The Ocean
7. Tropical Fish
8. The feeling you get after a hard work out.
9. Bridal Pictures where you can't see people's faces (but you see the gown, the rings or the bouquet.)
10. Homemade Pumpkin Bread
11. Chocolate chip cookies
12. Love stories
13. Red roses and white lilies
14. Getting letters in the mail
15. Cuddling
16. Bones :D
17. A good book
18. Finishing a puzzle
19. Deja Vu
20. Speaking French
21. Change (both kinds)
22. Cellos
23. Soft sweaters
24. Fuzzy Socks
25. Dark Chocolate
26. Fondue
27. The color blue
28. Mood rings
29. Pea coats
30. Going to the Theater
31. Kisses
32. Witty Shirts
33. Puppy Kisses
34. Babies
35. Learning something new
36. Dancing
37. Daydreams
38. Laughing so hard my eyes water
39. When my bed is warm
40. When frost freezes on the trees from the fog
41. Cookie Dough
42. Singing
43. Vacations
44. Buying presents
45. A good debate
46. Homemade Bread
47. Independence
48. Gold Fish Crackers
49. Inspirational Quotes
50. Love :D
Hurray. So these are the things that I love for the people I love :D
"Love doesn't make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile."
Franklin P. Jones
~Erin Jo
Thursday, January 1, 2009
A New Start :)
It's a brand new year, and as such, it's time for a brand new start. This blog is a fresh start to a new year, 2009, one better than 2008. :D Ok so to kick of the new year I've decided to take a leaf out of Morgan's book. I'm going to vent and get a few things off my chest, the difference is that Morgan said she couldn't say these things to people's faces, I'm choosing not to. I've decided that there is too much confrontation in my life, partially because I ask for it, partially because people expect me to always react that way. (Extremely narrow minded, but I'm getting used to it, people subconciously have an extreme aversion to change. Even when people change.) (Though I'm still convinced that some confrontation is still needed in life, FYI) So this is my way of getting things off my chest so that this new year really can be a fresh start.
To you: We got along so well when we were younger, but now it's hard to even be in the same together. At least it seems to be improving. I know I don't always try as hard as I should be trying, and I know I should. I'm sorry I let you get to me, but I promise I will try harder.
To you: As I get older I notice more, I see you fight and I realize how immature you can be. You teach me more every day, and sometimes it happens to be exactly what I don't want in my life. I love you more than you will ever know, sometimes I just wish you knew what you were doing, how you were teaching me. Not everything I learn is something you meant to teach.
To you: I've tried to find someone I can easily relate to my entire life, and I didn't believe in Kindred Spirits until I meant you. The fact that there is an age difference seems so unimportant, you understand me in a way that no one has in a very long time. You are one of my closest friends, and I'm not sure you even realize how much you mean to me.
To you: You make me miserable. I trusted you once more than anyone, and that trust has been betrayed because it wasn't valued. You frustrate me because you refuse to change anything and accept that you're miserable. We were once friends. Friendship is supposed to go two ways, but this one only seems to go one. I'm wasting my energy on you, and we both know it.
To you: I dislike you because you are like I once was, but you've yet you learn what I had to. And until you do, you will continue to frustrate me. You are one of the people I play nice with to get along, but I continue to resent you for every fiber of my being. If you could grow up then I think we could get along.
To you: You're my exact opposite. We're like oil and water, but somehow it works. I feel like I don't deserve you, but I wish more than anything for you. Thank you, for putting up with me, and loving me anyway.
To you: You intrigue me, you push me, and you force me to be honest with myself even when I don't want to. I wish I knew you better, but I hope that this new year brings that opportunity.
To you: You're impossible. You have exactly what you want, but you always want more. Be happy with him and stop trying to overreach. I would still respect you if you made the choice, but you won't and I can't.
To you: My life once entwined itself with yours, but not anymore. Goodbye.
Now that all of that is off my chest, I do actually feel much better. :) Now to start new:
1. I resolve to be the self that I want to be.
2. I resolve to mediate all the confrontation that comes my way.
3. I resolve to be happy.
4. I resolve to follow my heart.
5. I resolve to pursue my dreams.
6. I resolve to be more open.
7. I resolve to cherish the time I have left.
8. I resolve to keep swimming.
9. I resolve to form new friendships.
10 I resolve to stop mourning friendships I can't save.
11. I resolve to relax.
12. I resolve to play.
13. I resolve to love unconditionally.
14. I resolve to be mature.
15. I resolve to live well, laugh often, and love much.
So that is all for now. :) Here is a thought to help your day:
"The great and glorious masterpiece of
man is to know how to live to purpose."
~Michel de Montaigne
Love Always,
Erin (Not Jo, Not Jo Crip, Not Michelle Pickleface, Just Erin :) exactly who I want to be.)
To you: We got along so well when we were younger, but now it's hard to even be in the same together. At least it seems to be improving. I know I don't always try as hard as I should be trying, and I know I should. I'm sorry I let you get to me, but I promise I will try harder.
To you: As I get older I notice more, I see you fight and I realize how immature you can be. You teach me more every day, and sometimes it happens to be exactly what I don't want in my life. I love you more than you will ever know, sometimes I just wish you knew what you were doing, how you were teaching me. Not everything I learn is something you meant to teach.
To you: I've tried to find someone I can easily relate to my entire life, and I didn't believe in Kindred Spirits until I meant you. The fact that there is an age difference seems so unimportant, you understand me in a way that no one has in a very long time. You are one of my closest friends, and I'm not sure you even realize how much you mean to me.
To you: You make me miserable. I trusted you once more than anyone, and that trust has been betrayed because it wasn't valued. You frustrate me because you refuse to change anything and accept that you're miserable. We were once friends. Friendship is supposed to go two ways, but this one only seems to go one. I'm wasting my energy on you, and we both know it.
To you: I dislike you because you are like I once was, but you've yet you learn what I had to. And until you do, you will continue to frustrate me. You are one of the people I play nice with to get along, but I continue to resent you for every fiber of my being. If you could grow up then I think we could get along.
To you: You're my exact opposite. We're like oil and water, but somehow it works. I feel like I don't deserve you, but I wish more than anything for you. Thank you, for putting up with me, and loving me anyway.
To you: You intrigue me, you push me, and you force me to be honest with myself even when I don't want to. I wish I knew you better, but I hope that this new year brings that opportunity.
To you: You're impossible. You have exactly what you want, but you always want more. Be happy with him and stop trying to overreach. I would still respect you if you made the choice, but you won't and I can't.
To you: My life once entwined itself with yours, but not anymore. Goodbye.
Now that all of that is off my chest, I do actually feel much better. :) Now to start new:
1. I resolve to be the self that I want to be.
2. I resolve to mediate all the confrontation that comes my way.
3. I resolve to be happy.
4. I resolve to follow my heart.
5. I resolve to pursue my dreams.
6. I resolve to be more open.
7. I resolve to cherish the time I have left.
8. I resolve to keep swimming.
9. I resolve to form new friendships.
10 I resolve to stop mourning friendships I can't save.
11. I resolve to relax.
12. I resolve to play.
13. I resolve to love unconditionally.
14. I resolve to be mature.
15. I resolve to live well, laugh often, and love much.
So that is all for now. :) Here is a thought to help your day:
"The great and glorious masterpiece of
man is to know how to live to purpose."
~Michel de Montaigne
Love Always,
Erin (Not Jo, Not Jo Crip, Not Michelle Pickleface, Just Erin :) exactly who I want to be.)
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Pneumonia....
First off I would like to thank Victor for noting that I actually can spell pneumonia, and considering the number of drugs that are currently in my system I would say that's actually quite impressive. So here is how my week has gone, Monday... felt like crap.... Tuesday and Wednesday... felt like crap. Thursday, collapsed after my race the EMT sent me to the Urgent Care, they diagnosed me with pneumonia. So that's happy but the best is yet to come. They apparently can't tell from the X-rays if my pneumonia is viral or bacterial... which is exciting... bacterial can be fatal and viral is apparently just a pain in the ass. They game me an entire pharmacy full of drugs and said "here take these, if you don't feel better by Sunday come back and we'll put you on an IV and you can spend a few nights in the hospital" So that's a good time.. I've pretty much sat on the couch going entirely stir crazy because I've been banned from the pool, and banned from school because apparently everyone thinks that by boring me to death I might some how magically get better... right.
So while I've been lying here "on my death bed" I've had a nice little bit of time to think about everything and everyone. You realize that the ones that text you every day to check up on you and the ones that come over just to say hi are the people you should be worrying about. Everyone else is pretty inconsequential. It's easy to get caught up in things, people, school, family, I think this sickness was a nice little wake up call for me to slow things down a bit and recognize those that really matter. So thanks to Britta Marie, Berto, and Jake for coming over to check up on me, and thanks to Natalie, Hannah, Lurpey and Troy for texting me to check up on me :D You guys are quite wonderful and I love you lots. :D
I'll be home under house arrest all weekend. Come visit, I'm running out of things to do. LOL
Love always
Erin Jo
So while I've been lying here "on my death bed" I've had a nice little bit of time to think about everything and everyone. You realize that the ones that text you every day to check up on you and the ones that come over just to say hi are the people you should be worrying about. Everyone else is pretty inconsequential. It's easy to get caught up in things, people, school, family, I think this sickness was a nice little wake up call for me to slow things down a bit and recognize those that really matter. So thanks to Britta Marie, Berto, and Jake for coming over to check up on me, and thanks to Natalie, Hannah, Lurpey and Troy for texting me to check up on me :D You guys are quite wonderful and I love you lots. :D
I'll be home under house arrest all weekend. Come visit, I'm running out of things to do. LOL
Love always
Erin Jo
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Who am I?
On the surface one might say that I’m outgoing, intelligent, confident, energetic and opinionated, but they would be wrong. It’s easy to tell I’m all of those things, but they are states of being, states of mind, and descriptive words. Being outgoing, confident, and energetic is what I am, not who I am.
People look at other people, see them for what they are, and make opinions of them. It’s as if they were looking at a painting, regardless of whether you like the painting your looking at or not, your opinion is formed by projecting your past and your emotions onto a picture and interpreting it as such. Take the Mona Lisa for instance, some people look at the woman and believe she is smiling, others see her frowning, and others still see her as doing neither or both at the same time. The same way people look at different people and interpret them in different ways. If you ask one person I may be a happy person, confident and easy to get along with; ask another person and I may be a cocky, demanding persona, bent on getting things my way. Perspective determines who other people think that we are, but even then who other people believe we are may not be in actuality who we are.
Stereotyping is a way of categorizing new people in ways that makes them easy to understand, but my experiences show that no one is exactly what they seem, and nothing in life is ever easy. Knowing information is entirely useless without the learning process. Learning teaches practical application, without it all the information stored in your brain is simply taking up space. If I can teach someone something that may in fact, help him or her in the future, I would invite him or her to ‘know’ everything they can about me. However, if they are disinclined to learn and simply wish to know, I’m content to remain a mystery.
If I had my way, stereotypes would be obliterated and people as a whole would not be judged by society, but by those appointed to such positions in the government. I choose the qualities I possess, I let other people choose which of these qualities they may judge me by. Some people may say that honesty is the best quality, but I freely admit to being honest only for the fact that lies will never posses the bittersweet sense of injustice and irony that the truth frequently possesses. Others may see determination as a great quality of man, but I also admit that I’m determined only for the foolhardy dream of never admitting defeat. My characteristics are obvious, how you interpret them decides how you will interpret me.
Many people believe who you are defines what you do; I believe they’re mixed up. Everyday you are faced the decisions and choices, different paths lay themselves out before you and you must choose which one to take. In my opinion what you do defines who you are, and I’m still being defined.
People look at other people, see them for what they are, and make opinions of them. It’s as if they were looking at a painting, regardless of whether you like the painting your looking at or not, your opinion is formed by projecting your past and your emotions onto a picture and interpreting it as such. Take the Mona Lisa for instance, some people look at the woman and believe she is smiling, others see her frowning, and others still see her as doing neither or both at the same time. The same way people look at different people and interpret them in different ways. If you ask one person I may be a happy person, confident and easy to get along with; ask another person and I may be a cocky, demanding persona, bent on getting things my way. Perspective determines who other people think that we are, but even then who other people believe we are may not be in actuality who we are.
Stereotyping is a way of categorizing new people in ways that makes them easy to understand, but my experiences show that no one is exactly what they seem, and nothing in life is ever easy. Knowing information is entirely useless without the learning process. Learning teaches practical application, without it all the information stored in your brain is simply taking up space. If I can teach someone something that may in fact, help him or her in the future, I would invite him or her to ‘know’ everything they can about me. However, if they are disinclined to learn and simply wish to know, I’m content to remain a mystery.
If I had my way, stereotypes would be obliterated and people as a whole would not be judged by society, but by those appointed to such positions in the government. I choose the qualities I possess, I let other people choose which of these qualities they may judge me by. Some people may say that honesty is the best quality, but I freely admit to being honest only for the fact that lies will never posses the bittersweet sense of injustice and irony that the truth frequently possesses. Others may see determination as a great quality of man, but I also admit that I’m determined only for the foolhardy dream of never admitting defeat. My characteristics are obvious, how you interpret them decides how you will interpret me.
Many people believe who you are defines what you do; I believe they’re mixed up. Everyday you are faced the decisions and choices, different paths lay themselves out before you and you must choose which one to take. In my opinion what you do defines who you are, and I’m still being defined.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Have you ever..
Have you ever noticed that sometimes we don't see how much a person really means to us until you know that they will be leaving soon? No matter if it is a friend or family member, be grateful for all those who impact your life because you may realize that its the people you take for granted that are holding your life together. So today as you all decide to take on the world, make sure that you notice who's there supporting you, because they're the ones that truly make living a joy.
Dedicated with all my heart to my Landon Love :)
~En
Thought for the day: A letter takes almost two weeks to get to Spain, and about two weeks to come home... 1 letter a month... 12 letters a year, 24 letters in his mission... awwwwwwwww :) my Landon.
Dedicated with all my heart to my Landon Love :)
~En
Thought for the day: A letter takes almost two weeks to get to Spain, and about two weeks to come home... 1 letter a month... 12 letters a year, 24 letters in his mission... awwwwwwwww :) my Landon.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
First post of '08....sad... lol
So the school year is winding down, summer is fast approaching. It's so weird to sit back and think about all the things I've done in two years... I'm almost a senior which is really weird to think about. School has run so much of my life for so long it's unnerving to think that I'm going to have to actually face reality soon. Another thing that is ending are some of the friendships I've made with this year's seniors. I know we can all say we'll stay in touch forever, but there are just some people that when they graduate I'll never see again...It's sad but I know that because they're leaving, more new and interesting people will impact my life. So I've decided to share somem of my favorite memories of certain people with you.
Britta: It's basically impossible to pick a favorite memory that I have with you, Astro Girl, 11:00 Mac'n'Cheese, Warped Tour, prom fire, we get up to the most random crap. I think my absolute favorite memory I have of you is 19! That entire time, leading up and the jokes afterwords are worth more to me than life itself.
Randi: My favorite memory with you was the day we went to Walmart and bought crafts. Lol We're basically fantastic, and your R is still sitting in my room... I should probably get that to you. LMAO
Twin: Oh my twin. I dont even know what my favorite memory is with you. Probably bus rides, we always had to sit together and it was definitely a punishable offense for someone else to sit next to us (at least at first). lol I know that I tell people different things, but no one quite understands my boy problems like you do. lol You really mean the world to me and I thank the stars every day that I have you to talk to.
Morgan Love: I pretty much just love taking photo's with you. Anything and everything. The time in your room was weird because I really dont like having my photo taken repeatedly, but somehow you make it really fun.
My Jebby: Oh my jebby. Pretty much I just like being around you. lol you definitely make every day a party. My favorite memory of you is the LesWoLypics. That was a good time... I'm still slightly bitter that you beat me on the running around morgans tramp part though. Dang you and your perfect balance.
Lurpey: Oh dear. Lol You're pretty much a weird kid. But I definitely loved the first time we went to the comedy club with jeb and enano. It was completely and unexpectedly hysterical. I don't know if I've laughed so hard since. That day definitely ranks up there on my list of best dates.
Enano Bunny: So my favorite memory with you is really really really random. The day we sat on your bed and listened to classical music as we stared at the ceiling and found shapes? That was amazing. It was completely childish and a fantastica waste of time but i loved it. :D
Jacob: What else can I say? The date you took me on when we went ice skating? That was amazing. I loved it, even if i did fall and you didn't.
Brady Lee: My favorite memory of you is the one at Costco, before our 9th grade year. You were completely shocked when I ran up and hugged you and I don't think I've seen you that surprised since. We have fun :D
Basically the moral of this story is that with every person there is a story, and with every story comes a lesson to be learned. People teach me things every day, whether I want to know them or not. And I can honestly say that everyone I know has made me who I am today, and is constantly shaping my future. So thanks :D
Friday, December 28, 2007
Bonjour!
So on this wonderful Friday afternoon, I just want to tell you all that I love you extra lots. We get home in a few days and I have mixed feelings about coming home... It's time to be home though, I guess you have to live with another family for a few weeks to really appreciate how completely normal your own messed up family is.
Ok at 1 am last night we rolled in, coming home from PARIS! Paris was wonderful! It was awkward.... and quite dirty in some parts, but in the main areas it was completely wonderful. It was nice to finally be in a place where I could actually understand what in the heck people were trying to say to me. I never actually believed that all the time Mr. Reynolds spent on learning food and things was ever going to be worth it, but it totally helped. It was nice to be able to semi communicate with the people I wanted to talk to, and I'm officially a lot freaking better at reading and comprehending French. We went to all of the usual places, the Louvre (absolutely amazing. I mean it. I could spend years in there), the Eiffle Tower, the Arc de Triumph, stuff like that. After that we went to Versailles! The palace there was absolutely amazing. :D:D I'm basically too tired to know what else to write..... I'll blog again later.
Hugs and Kisses
En
Ok at 1 am last night we rolled in, coming home from PARIS! Paris was wonderful! It was awkward.... and quite dirty in some parts, but in the main areas it was completely wonderful. It was nice to finally be in a place where I could actually understand what in the heck people were trying to say to me. I never actually believed that all the time Mr. Reynolds spent on learning food and things was ever going to be worth it, but it totally helped. It was nice to be able to semi communicate with the people I wanted to talk to, and I'm officially a lot freaking better at reading and comprehending French. We went to all of the usual places, the Louvre (absolutely amazing. I mean it. I could spend years in there), the Eiffle Tower, the Arc de Triumph, stuff like that. After that we went to Versailles! The palace there was absolutely amazing. :D:D I'm basically too tired to know what else to write..... I'll blog again later.
Hugs and Kisses
En
Monday, December 24, 2007
Christmas Eve
So it's Christmas Eve... I don't know what to do. Everyone is so content to be here with family and friends... yet I wish I were anywhere but here. I want my family and friends. A lot. So here is a list of things i'll miss this year... I love you all.
I miss wrapping the last of the christmas presents with my mommy
I miss sitting with friends and playing in the snow before the holiday
I miss having a big formal dinner with my family
I miss playing in the snow with my cousins
I miss reading the Best Christmas Pagent Ever
I miss singing for my family
I miss getting pj's on Christmas ever
I miss the shrimp and twice baked potatoes that my family will be eating tonight
I miss making reindeer food for my cousins
I miss sitting up at my Jan's cabin by the fire
I miss driving home in the snow
I miss christmas morning and having my sister come down at 8 to get me
I miss opening presents and eating pumpkin chocolate chip bread with the Macey's christmas day parade in the back ground
I miss Grandma and Grandpa coming over for coffee to watch us open their presents
I miss christmas brunch at kari's
I miss eating orange rolls and playing with a select few christmas presents
I miss going up to Jan's to play in the snow and building snowmen
I miss calling my britta marie to see if i can come visit
I miss walking into her house and yelling MERRY CHRISTMAS NYSTULS!
I miss relaxing with friends and eating left overs
I miss watched Scrooged with my parents
I miss New Years Eve traditions with britta
I miss Mnt Dew
I miss watching New Years Rockin Eve
I miss my Britta
I miss my Hannah
I miss my Lurpey
I miss my Brady Lee
I miss my Enano
I miss my Jebby
I miss my Besto
I miss my Michael
I miss my Randi Lynn
I miss my Ty Ty
I miss my Mommy
I miss my sister
I miss my Papa
I miss my Grandparents
I miss my Aunts, Uncles, and cousins
I miss everyone... Being alone on Christmas sucks... a lot
I'm thankful for all of you and I just want you all to know that you're in my thoughts... Best wishes and happy holidays.
Jo Crippleface
I miss wrapping the last of the christmas presents with my mommy
I miss sitting with friends and playing in the snow before the holiday
I miss having a big formal dinner with my family
I miss playing in the snow with my cousins
I miss reading the Best Christmas Pagent Ever
I miss singing for my family
I miss getting pj's on Christmas ever
I miss the shrimp and twice baked potatoes that my family will be eating tonight
I miss making reindeer food for my cousins
I miss sitting up at my Jan's cabin by the fire
I miss driving home in the snow
I miss christmas morning and having my sister come down at 8 to get me
I miss opening presents and eating pumpkin chocolate chip bread with the Macey's christmas day parade in the back ground
I miss Grandma and Grandpa coming over for coffee to watch us open their presents
I miss christmas brunch at kari's
I miss eating orange rolls and playing with a select few christmas presents
I miss going up to Jan's to play in the snow and building snowmen
I miss calling my britta marie to see if i can come visit
I miss walking into her house and yelling MERRY CHRISTMAS NYSTULS!
I miss relaxing with friends and eating left overs
I miss watched Scrooged with my parents
I miss New Years Eve traditions with britta
I miss Mnt Dew
I miss watching New Years Rockin Eve
I miss my Britta
I miss my Hannah
I miss my Lurpey
I miss my Brady Lee
I miss my Enano
I miss my Jebby
I miss my Besto
I miss my Michael
I miss my Randi Lynn
I miss my Ty Ty
I miss my Mommy
I miss my sister
I miss my Papa
I miss my Grandparents
I miss my Aunts, Uncles, and cousins
I miss everyone... Being alone on Christmas sucks... a lot
I'm thankful for all of you and I just want you all to know that you're in my thoughts... Best wishes and happy holidays.
Jo Crippleface
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Guten TaG!
hahah sooo I'm a slacker.. I know I know! SO... let's recap. ummm Brock and I flew into the airport, went through customs, blah blah blah. lame. lol it took for freaking ever! So when we got here and pulled up to the base, it was 10 am here.. where as in utah it was 2:00 am so we were freaking jet lagged. Unfortunately the best way for us to beat jet lag is to immediately adjust our sleep cycles to match the time zone which ment figuring out how brock and i were supposed to stay up until 9 p.m. this time. it was so hard! first we had to go and get military id cards so that we could get on and off of the base.. and that took FOR FREAKING EVER! then we came back and brock and i finally got to shower! huzzah! that was really nice. after ms nancy made us pho (vietnamese food in germany.. it makes sense?) haha jake, joe and adam decided to drag us downtown to the christmas market to try and keep us up. so after walking through the freezing cold, HUMID weather, we took the train downtown and walked through the booths and stuff. it was cold, everyone was really loud, there were the cutest little things, cider, lights, wonderful smells, it was so fun! it was like fairdays times a trillion!
SO the next day we got up and drove to southern germany to this small little town.. very touristy. i loved it, we stayed in this little bed and breakfast ran by this old couple, i played the piano and what not. We went out and walked around the market and had snichtzel and stuff (its actally really really really good!) i have a new favorite food... schneeballen (it means snow ball?) its yummy you dip it in hot chocolate (schoko) and its wonderful. we went through the medieval criminal museum (brady lee i thought of you the entire time and took a million pictures!) it was pretty sweet... and so the first full day past.
We got up the next morning and drove to nuschwiensien castle (its the one that disney fashioned cinderella's castle after) it was gorgeous! we toured the lower hunting lodge before taking a horse drawn carridge up the mountain to the castle. it was amazing. everything was so decorative and elaborate, though it was freezing! after we toured the castle we drove to the next little lodge.. Hauss Lilli it was run by this tiny old bavarian woman and she fed us a lot and we just kind of ran around. lol at like 11 at night brock and i were craving chocolate so we ran down the road to the gas station and were praying that the lady there spoke english. though she did, when we got back we were locked out! we set off the bells and it was just a huge mess. lol it was so funny.. me and brock.. unsupervised in germany... hahaha
Ok so today we woke up and drove to Austria to tour a little bit! The alps are wondeful! the ski lodges were so amazing and i wanted to hit the slopes sooo bad! hahahaa i'm so jealous of how much snow utah has right now, they don't have nearly as much.. maybe a foot. lammmmee. ok so after that we drove to Dachau (duckow).. it was the first concetration camp in germany. When you get to the gate you see a sign in german and it means Free Labor... the people who were sent there were told that it was a work camp, that they were taken there to make money. after i walked in my breath was immediately taken away, not in a good way. I was staring across an empty plane, there were guard towers all around and the temperature dropped as you walked in. The entire place felt evil. It felt that it was crushing your hope and draining the life just being there... it was so hard to breath. We walked around the barracks and it was horrible........ i dont know how to describe it. The entire thing was draining. the worst part was approaching the "red building" it was horrible.... i walked toward the building and my head started hurting... when i walked across the threshold my breath caught. We first walked through the room they stored dead bodies in.... next into the room with all of the ovens...... through the gas chambers.... another body room... and finally back outside. it was horrible. everyone was shaking and white as a sheet.... you walk through the rooms and you can imagine what happened and its completely sicking.... it pulls into perspective what humanity is really capable of. reading about it and seeing the actual place was completely different.
Ok so now we're finally home... I miss you all and I can't wait to get home. Happy Christmas!!! I love you all and you're always in my thoughts. Write back!
hugs and kisses,
Erin Jo
SO the next day we got up and drove to southern germany to this small little town.. very touristy. i loved it, we stayed in this little bed and breakfast ran by this old couple, i played the piano and what not. We went out and walked around the market and had snichtzel and stuff (its actally really really really good!) i have a new favorite food... schneeballen (it means snow ball?) its yummy you dip it in hot chocolate (schoko) and its wonderful. we went through the medieval criminal museum (brady lee i thought of you the entire time and took a million pictures!) it was pretty sweet... and so the first full day past.
We got up the next morning and drove to nuschwiensien castle (its the one that disney fashioned cinderella's castle after) it was gorgeous! we toured the lower hunting lodge before taking a horse drawn carridge up the mountain to the castle. it was amazing. everything was so decorative and elaborate, though it was freezing! after we toured the castle we drove to the next little lodge.. Hauss Lilli it was run by this tiny old bavarian woman and she fed us a lot and we just kind of ran around. lol at like 11 at night brock and i were craving chocolate so we ran down the road to the gas station and were praying that the lady there spoke english. though she did, when we got back we were locked out! we set off the bells and it was just a huge mess. lol it was so funny.. me and brock.. unsupervised in germany... hahaha
Ok so today we woke up and drove to Austria to tour a little bit! The alps are wondeful! the ski lodges were so amazing and i wanted to hit the slopes sooo bad! hahahaa i'm so jealous of how much snow utah has right now, they don't have nearly as much.. maybe a foot. lammmmee. ok so after that we drove to Dachau (duckow).. it was the first concetration camp in germany. When you get to the gate you see a sign in german and it means Free Labor... the people who were sent there were told that it was a work camp, that they were taken there to make money. after i walked in my breath was immediately taken away, not in a good way. I was staring across an empty plane, there were guard towers all around and the temperature dropped as you walked in. The entire place felt evil. It felt that it was crushing your hope and draining the life just being there... it was so hard to breath. We walked around the barracks and it was horrible........ i dont know how to describe it. The entire thing was draining. the worst part was approaching the "red building" it was horrible.... i walked toward the building and my head started hurting... when i walked across the threshold my breath caught. We first walked through the room they stored dead bodies in.... next into the room with all of the ovens...... through the gas chambers.... another body room... and finally back outside. it was horrible. everyone was shaking and white as a sheet.... you walk through the rooms and you can imagine what happened and its completely sicking.... it pulls into perspective what humanity is really capable of. reading about it and seeing the actual place was completely different.
Ok so now we're finally home... I miss you all and I can't wait to get home. Happy Christmas!!! I love you all and you're always in my thoughts. Write back!
hugs and kisses,
Erin Jo
Sunday, November 25, 2007
You light up my life...
So last night Hannah and I went on a date with Joseph and Chad.. that was eventful. lol :) That is another story in and of itself though. The ending of that story is where this thought process begins. We went to Temple Square as the wrap up of our date last night and it really got me thinking... It's amazing how something so simple as Christmas lights can bring joy to so many people. I wasn't told where we were going last night so I neglected to bring a coat, so out there in my swim jacket freezing to death it finally hit me... Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, and each good deed, each little reaction sybolizes one of the points of light at Temple Square. By themselves they're a mini miracle, but they're mundane and often overlooked, but when you compile them, the ending picture is magical. It's amazing how thousands of Christmas lights can detach you from reality and put you in a place of enchantment. I guess life is funny that way. The moral of this story is to put things into perspective and think about what's important in your life. :)
All my love always,
Erin Jo
Sunday, November 11, 2007
I'm sitting by the window,
Waiting for the rain,
The tears are coming faster,
I'm choking on the pain,
The hate and lies that I've built up,
All come pouring down,
My discontent and envy,
Earns a disapproving frown,
I'm drowning in my heartache,
I'm choking on my tears,
I can't help but wishing,
I could feel you near,
You and me, forever to be,
You're always my best friend,
Unitl the day that you met him,
The beginning of the end,
They say that people come and go,
I never thought you would,
Other people came and went,
I never thought you could,
The day you left my heart broke,
You never saw my tears,
Now I'm left completely alone,
To deal with my fears.
Best friends should be forever,
What happened to us then?
I thought we'd be together,
Until the bitter end.
Now I wait in silence,
The tears have all run dry,
I will always remember,
How you left me for that guy.
Dedicated to my Enano, who is one of the few people in my world who is truely able to relate to this poem, with lots of love and thank you's for letting me sit on his bed and cry every Sunday and for never ever failing to make me feel better.
All my love,
Erin
Waiting for the rain,
The tears are coming faster,
I'm choking on the pain,
The hate and lies that I've built up,
All come pouring down,
My discontent and envy,
Earns a disapproving frown,
I'm drowning in my heartache,
I'm choking on my tears,
I can't help but wishing,
I could feel you near,
You and me, forever to be,
You're always my best friend,
Unitl the day that you met him,
The beginning of the end,
They say that people come and go,
I never thought you would,
Other people came and went,
I never thought you could,
The day you left my heart broke,
You never saw my tears,
Now I'm left completely alone,
To deal with my fears.
Best friends should be forever,
What happened to us then?
I thought we'd be together,
Until the bitter end.
Now I wait in silence,
The tears have all run dry,
I will always remember,
How you left me for that guy.
Dedicated to my Enano, who is one of the few people in my world who is truely able to relate to this poem, with lots of love and thank you's for letting me sit on his bed and cry every Sunday and for never ever failing to make me feel better.
All my love,
Erin
Sunday, September 16, 2007
2007 Edition
Ok so it is time for the "Remember When" 2007 Edition...nice....
"Remember When"
We went to the Welcome Back Bonfire and I met you for the first time?
Remember how you were covered in Glow Sticks Gel?
Remember Reffing together?
Remember Seeing Step Up on our first date?
Remember our walk to talk to Rili and she asked if we were together...and you answered "almost"?
Remember Thanksgiving with your cousins?
Remember Tay Tay snorting powdered sugar?
Remember seeing the dolphins?
Remember meeting me at the air port?
Remember taking care of me on choir tour?
Remember talking until 3 am and getting up at 5?
Remember how much I cried and said I hated you but really never could?
Remember when we let him come between us?
Remember when we didnt?
Remember when we met at the swim meet?
Remember "It's my birthday"?
Remember trying to get to Jordan Landing and ending up really lost?
Remember when Jeb was the only one we weren't pissed at for getting us lost?
Remember the Miss Watch-ass Pagent?
Remember "Once I was a selfish fool who never understood, never looked inside myself but on the outside I looked good!"
Remember taking pictures in your room?
Remember the "Cleavage Shirt!"
Remember Les Miserables?
Remember drawing pictures of us all in my living room?
Remember watching CSI every Thursday religiously?
Remember me coming to get you at midnight and going on a drive just so we could scream?
Remember when I fell for him? Hard?
Remember when I showed you my secret spot?
Remember "Thats it. You're dead"
Remember "Hey girls who's that guy?"
Remember eating cake at exactly midnight while watching the meteor shower?
Remember meeting John Louis?
Remember taking me to the wedding?
Remember bathing together and sleeping together every night?
Remember how every night I fell asleep in your arms listening to the waves?
Remember when I ruined the movie ending for you?
Remember how many of us we managed to fit into the photo booth?
Remember meeting me for the first time and how I thought you were crazy?
Remember planning our 18 hour flight together?
Remember how we promised eachother forever...?
Remember how we haven't given up yet?
Remember how I love you and still haven't told you?
Remember when you slipped and told me that you loved me and then covered it up really fast and how i still dont know if you meant it?
Remember when we used to go to the lake every week?
Remember telling me how to wakeboard?
Remember idiot jousting?
Remember how I thought this summer was going to be epic..... it was.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxox
~En
"Remember When"
We went to the Welcome Back Bonfire and I met you for the first time?
Remember how you were covered in Glow Sticks Gel?
Remember Reffing together?
Remember Seeing Step Up on our first date?
Remember our walk to talk to Rili and she asked if we were together...and you answered "almost"?
Remember Thanksgiving with your cousins?
Remember Tay Tay snorting powdered sugar?
Remember seeing the dolphins?
Remember meeting me at the air port?
Remember taking care of me on choir tour?
Remember talking until 3 am and getting up at 5?
Remember how much I cried and said I hated you but really never could?
Remember when we let him come between us?
Remember when we didnt?
Remember when we met at the swim meet?
Remember "It's my birthday"?
Remember trying to get to Jordan Landing and ending up really lost?
Remember when Jeb was the only one we weren't pissed at for getting us lost?
Remember the Miss Watch-ass Pagent?
Remember "Once I was a selfish fool who never understood, never looked inside myself but on the outside I looked good!"
Remember taking pictures in your room?
Remember the "Cleavage Shirt!"
Remember Les Miserables?
Remember drawing pictures of us all in my living room?
Remember watching CSI every Thursday religiously?
Remember me coming to get you at midnight and going on a drive just so we could scream?
Remember when I fell for him? Hard?
Remember when I showed you my secret spot?
Remember "Thats it. You're dead"
Remember "Hey girls who's that guy?"
Remember eating cake at exactly midnight while watching the meteor shower?
Remember meeting John Louis?
Remember taking me to the wedding?
Remember bathing together and sleeping together every night?
Remember how every night I fell asleep in your arms listening to the waves?
Remember when I ruined the movie ending for you?
Remember how many of us we managed to fit into the photo booth?
Remember meeting me for the first time and how I thought you were crazy?
Remember planning our 18 hour flight together?
Remember how we promised eachother forever...?
Remember how we haven't given up yet?
Remember how I love you and still haven't told you?
Remember when you slipped and told me that you loved me and then covered it up really fast and how i still dont know if you meant it?
Remember when we used to go to the lake every week?
Remember telling me how to wakeboard?
Remember idiot jousting?
Remember how I thought this summer was going to be epic..... it was.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxox
~En
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Thoughts from my head...
This is part of a letter I sent my youth director.... think about it.
So lately some of the problems have been thrown into light and impacted my life greatly.. and it's gotten me thinking about church. When things go wrong people tend to blame anything and everything but themselves, they use every little thing as an excuse not to go to church and every little bad thing that happens goes as a mark against God. It seems that in today's society that there is no room for spiritual belief, people want proof and cold hard facts. I've recently decided that the proof lies within yourself. That every beautiful thing, both good and bad, is proof that God exists and loves you if you choose to see it that way. God's love lies within all of us, we just have to make the choice to accept it. But whether or not someone chooses to accept it, and how one chooses to accept it doesn't deflect God's love from shining upone someone. Everyone has the potential to do great things, we just need to use our strengths, and the power of prayer is one thing we can count on.
So no matter if you're Baptist/Christian like Morgan-love, Catholic like Enano-bunny, Besto, and Randalynn, Lutheran like me, trying to discover what you believe like Britta and Lurpey, Agnostic like Egil, or Mormon like almost everyone else I know, we're all worshiping something out there, some sort of higher power. Have faith, no matter what happens, because it's when you lose faith that everything loses clarity.
All my love,
Erin-a-Jo aka Michelle Pickleface
So lately some of the problems have been thrown into light and impacted my life greatly.. and it's gotten me thinking about church. When things go wrong people tend to blame anything and everything but themselves, they use every little thing as an excuse not to go to church and every little bad thing that happens goes as a mark against God. It seems that in today's society that there is no room for spiritual belief, people want proof and cold hard facts. I've recently decided that the proof lies within yourself. That every beautiful thing, both good and bad, is proof that God exists and loves you if you choose to see it that way. God's love lies within all of us, we just have to make the choice to accept it. But whether or not someone chooses to accept it, and how one chooses to accept it doesn't deflect God's love from shining upone someone. Everyone has the potential to do great things, we just need to use our strengths, and the power of prayer is one thing we can count on.
So no matter if you're Baptist/Christian like Morgan-love, Catholic like Enano-bunny, Besto, and Randalynn, Lutheran like me, trying to discover what you believe like Britta and Lurpey, Agnostic like Egil, or Mormon like almost everyone else I know, we're all worshiping something out there, some sort of higher power. Have faith, no matter what happens, because it's when you lose faith that everything loses clarity.
All my love,
Erin-a-Jo aka Michelle Pickleface
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Again....Block Slacker
So random note: Jacob's sitting behind me and he just told me that I need to be shot in the face. Ouch. I'm sorry I haven't blogged in so long, I'm a huge blog slacker and I accept that. It just seems that another summer has flown by. I blinked and missed it. Lame. I'm ridiculously happy to be back in school though. I love it alot. And I know I'm going to stress, and I know that I'm going to end up killing Sarah Jane, but it's ok. It's all going to be worth it. I really heart my classes and everything. It's fabulous. So I don't really know what to write, my life's been so hectic for so long that I don't even know what's going on anymore. It's insane. Everything's changing so fast, I feel like I'm caught up in a whirlwind and who the heck know's what type of Oz it's going to drop me in. But here's an update for all those whom I haven't talked to in so long.
Stud Gov: Hell. But I still love it lots! I'm having so much fun!
Debate: I'm really excited to get into teaching it. It's going to kick butt!
Boys: Aren't worth my time currently. They just distract me and end up lying to me and hurting me. So not worth it.
Girls Night: I still need the dates everyone can do it in the next month so I can see what days that one place is open for that one thing.
Friends: I miss you! I never see anyone! Save me from this perpetual downward spiral!
School: Ummm since when was it ok for teachers to give this much homework the first week of school? Lame.
Piano: I seem to have reached a wall... I'm stuck! I need a piano tutor!
Voice: hahah I haven't been able to sing well in ages. It sucks.
Family: Lake Powell trip went exceedingly well...Everyone is currently getting along nicely.
Job: I heart my job so much! We have so much fun!
Swimming: I MISS IT! Time to get in the pool!
So I don't actually know what else is in my life besides the afore mentioned things..... ummm if I'm forgetting anything let me know and I'll give you the 411. Just let me know! And I solemly promise that hence forth I'm going to try and make a contrite effort to blog lots more often. :D I love you all until the end of time!
Infinite x's and o's
Jo Crippleface aka Michelle Pickleface ;)
Stud Gov: Hell. But I still love it lots! I'm having so much fun!
Debate: I'm really excited to get into teaching it. It's going to kick butt!
Boys: Aren't worth my time currently. They just distract me and end up lying to me and hurting me. So not worth it.
Girls Night: I still need the dates everyone can do it in the next month so I can see what days that one place is open for that one thing.
Friends: I miss you! I never see anyone! Save me from this perpetual downward spiral!
School: Ummm since when was it ok for teachers to give this much homework the first week of school? Lame.
Piano: I seem to have reached a wall... I'm stuck! I need a piano tutor!
Voice: hahah I haven't been able to sing well in ages. It sucks.
Family: Lake Powell trip went exceedingly well...Everyone is currently getting along nicely.
Job: I heart my job so much! We have so much fun!
Swimming: I MISS IT! Time to get in the pool!
So I don't actually know what else is in my life besides the afore mentioned things..... ummm if I'm forgetting anything let me know and I'll give you the 411. Just let me know! And I solemly promise that hence forth I'm going to try and make a contrite effort to blog lots more often. :D I love you all until the end of time!
Infinite x's and o's
Jo Crippleface aka Michelle Pickleface ;)
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Blog!
Blog Blog Blog Blog Blog Little Bloggy blog. I am, for some reason, exceedingly happy to be blogging today. It could quite possibly be because I'm all kinds of sick of freaking macs and am enjoying being back on my little PC once again. Sorry to all my loyal fans for not being around lately...for some reason I have decided to fall off the face of the earth....Well I'm back now! For a little bit at least.... So that's nice...maybe. Ummm.... Lately three things have occupied my life, Swim (big surprise there...), Work (and freaking macs that hate my soul), and my books. I've been reading non-stop for about a week and it feels so nice. During the school year I had no time to read and never the energy but this summer I've fallen back in love with my books and their characters. Naturally I've been reading my "Erin Books" as Britta calls them. (Erin Books entail fantasy books with a heroine, magic, and usually a really good looking guy. But if it gets classified as a romance novel I won't read it, I'm predjudice :D)
So this week I've learned a lesson.... As much as you try to protect some people, everyone needs a chance to make their own mistakes. Now this lesson seems pretty basic, especially for someone like me who thrives off of their own independence, but I've been sheltering some people for a little too long. And as much as I want to protect them, its time to let them face reality.... (hahah i'm going to be such a pain in the ass mother someday) So I guess this is me lightening my protection up.... at least a little bit ;)
Another thing I've been thinking about recently is passion. Too often in our lives as teenagers do we let ourselves live life in motions... One habit after another, day in and day out, without really seeing the beauty in anything. Sometimes it takes a big event to wake us up from our stupor...and sometimes all it takes is a person walking into our lives. Every girl dreams of being swept off her feet, of that one fleeting moment that will be engrained into your brain where you know everthing in the world put together could not make you happier in that instant (too much grease! ;) ) And everyone wonders when exactly they'll meet their true love. Now if you ask people like Ms. Haslam she'll tell you that there's no such thing as love, that it's just your body preparing for sex.... if that's true then there's no such thing as emotional pain either...for what is pain? Electrical pulses from our brain telling us that we should continously feel like we've been punched in the stomache? Now no offense to Ms. Haslam but if you live you're life like that you'll end up a thirty something high school biology teacher engaged to The Buffalo Man merely because you want to reproduce... :D Everything in our lives is open to interpretation. How we see things is a direct result of the state of mind we choose to view them with. Good question: Is the glass half empty or half full. Better question: Why does it matter?
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
So this week I've learned a lesson.... As much as you try to protect some people, everyone needs a chance to make their own mistakes. Now this lesson seems pretty basic, especially for someone like me who thrives off of their own independence, but I've been sheltering some people for a little too long. And as much as I want to protect them, its time to let them face reality.... (hahah i'm going to be such a pain in the ass mother someday) So I guess this is me lightening my protection up.... at least a little bit ;)
Another thing I've been thinking about recently is passion. Too often in our lives as teenagers do we let ourselves live life in motions... One habit after another, day in and day out, without really seeing the beauty in anything. Sometimes it takes a big event to wake us up from our stupor...and sometimes all it takes is a person walking into our lives. Every girl dreams of being swept off her feet, of that one fleeting moment that will be engrained into your brain where you know everthing in the world put together could not make you happier in that instant (too much grease! ;) ) And everyone wonders when exactly they'll meet their true love. Now if you ask people like Ms. Haslam she'll tell you that there's no such thing as love, that it's just your body preparing for sex.... if that's true then there's no such thing as emotional pain either...for what is pain? Electrical pulses from our brain telling us that we should continously feel like we've been punched in the stomache? Now no offense to Ms. Haslam but if you live you're life like that you'll end up a thirty something high school biology teacher engaged to The Buffalo Man merely because you want to reproduce... :D Everything in our lives is open to interpretation. How we see things is a direct result of the state of mind we choose to view them with. Good question: Is the glass half empty or half full. Better question: Why does it matter?
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
And the moral of this story is....
Hello loves. I have a life lesson we should all learn from.
Once upon a time there was a silly little girl named Erin. One day she decided to go out side and lay out in her swim suit for a few min to get some sun. After a hose fight and sprinting down the street to get out of the line of fire... Then lying in the sun to dry off.... Erin looked at the clock and noticed that she had been out there two full hours. Later she noticed she was absolutely fried as far as sun burns go and it hurt. Moral of the story: Wear sun screen no matter what.
Then End :D
Once upon a time there was a silly little girl named Erin. One day she decided to go out side and lay out in her swim suit for a few min to get some sun. After a hose fight and sprinting down the street to get out of the line of fire... Then lying in the sun to dry off.... Erin looked at the clock and noticed that she had been out there two full hours. Later she noticed she was absolutely fried as far as sun burns go and it hurt. Moral of the story: Wear sun screen no matter what.
Then End :D
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