8.13.2010

a pep talk to myself

I am strong.
I am special.
I can do anything.

sometimes life throws hurdles in our path,
but we just have to keep on going full speed ahead,
looking inside ourselves
for the courage to leap over them
and never look back.
always believe in yourself
as much as others believe in you.

I have this in a little wallet-sized card that my sister (megan) gave me for my birthday. one of the most touching things I've received in awhile. I cried. 

chris and I are going to his grandma's for 9 days. she lives on the edge of new york by pennsylvania. I've been told there's no internet. I'm hoping the lack of technology will allow us to bond and remember not only that we need to live life and not be focused on work all the time but also what brought us together as a couple in the first place. I'm hoping our fire can be reignited and that we can bond again so that I can't stand being in the same room as him.

I am strong.
I am special.
I can do anything.

8.11.2010

birthday cards and broken hearts

what happened to birthday cards that made your day? the cards where it would say something funny or cheesy and then the person would write a sweet or thoughtful message inside. and getting cards from all your family and friends. what happened to those birthdays?

debi (the admin clerk at the SX plant) got me a card and had everyone at work sign it and gave it to me today (even though my birthday was saturday - no biggie). I waited until I got back to my office - and I'm glad I did, because when I read it, I got tears in my eyes. not because anyone wrote something that touched my heart. but because no one really wrote anything. only two people wrote more than three words. here's my card breakdown: 14 out of the 19 people who signed my card just wrote "happy birthday [insert name here]." three people didn't even do that much and just wrote their names (including my boss!). now I know I'm new and I know not very many people know me that well, but I'd figure those who I do talk to on a daily basis would have a little bit more to say than just a "happy birthday." something like "happy birthday, hope you have a great day" or "best wishes on you birthday" or something - I don't care - just something more than two words!

I almost feel hurt and as if I'm not liked around the office. I mean, the people I work with can't take the time out of their day to write a little message for my birthday. especially if they know they had a sub-par birthday. I feel like I don't have a personal relationship with anyone I work with because they can't take the time to write something on my card. my relationships at work are strictly work and that makes me sad. every else that I've worked at (minus sierrita) I've had somewhat of a personal relationship with my coworkers. I would hang out with the other interns outside of work. and I remember for my birthday when I worked at asarco everyone signed my card and had something to say.

then I got to thinking. I got a total of 6 cards this year for my birthday. (not from my so-called "fiance" - but we'll save that for another post.) I remember being a kid and getting so many cards from everyone and getting to open them all and read the pre-written message and then get to read a personal message from the sender. you don't get that anymore. not because I'm older, but because technology's there. any kid today probably doesn't get cards very often. forget cards. they're almost obsolete. instead of getting a bunch of cards, I got a bunch of text messages and facebook posts. and they said the same thing! "happy birthday." (minus the few good friends I have that took the time to say something thoughtful.) I mean am I really that horrible and unlikeable of a person? or are you just lazy? I'd rather you not say "happy birthday" if you don't mean it and I feel that if you're just saying "happy birthday" with nothing else, then you really don't mean it. you're just trying to look like a nice person. a real friend would say something nice. and I feel hurt because after summer fashion week (hosted by emery at moms are for everyone!) I've really realized how much a simple little comment or compliment could really make someone's day. and I feel a quick message in a card can have the same effect. it really shows you care about them.

technology's really taken over our lives. it's really taken the personal-ness out of anything. it makes me sad.

8.09.2010

one score and 3 years ago...minus 2 days


saturday, I "celebrated" my 23rd birthday. (if you do the math, that makes my birthday 8/7/87 = most badass, unforgettable birthday ever!) I say "celebrated" because I didn't really do much. I'm actually quite disappointed. heartbroken even. since we've been together, chris and I have either not been together or hadn't had time due to school to celebrate my birthday. (even though I always took the time to celebrate his in february.) so I told him I wanted to do something special. just him and I. something fun. and then I told him I wanted to go to san diego. stay at a cheap hotel. and lay on the beach and relax all weekend long. that's all I wanted. I wanted us (mainly chris) to take a break from work and just relax and enjoy life. I know how stressed chris has been with work (not that he tells/talks to me) and wanted to try to ease his stress. I wanted him to remember to enjoy life and not think about work all the time. I would have drove (because I have to). and I would have made the arrangements. but throughout the week, chris made it seem like he was going to surprise me but not wanting to tell me what we'd do for the weekend. then friday comes around and I ask again what the plans are, because my parents wanted to know if I'll be home or not for my mom to make me dinner and sush.

chris's angry/frustrated reply: "how about for your birthday I buy your plane ticket to new york" (not that I asked him to or didn't offer to pay him back) "or how about I pay for pepper's vet bill" (again, not that I asked him to or didn't offer to pay him back) "you're stressing me out more than I already am."

um what? how can a relaxing trip to san diego be stressful? especially when I don't want to plan anything or stay anywhere fancy. I just wanted to go with the flow. that's all. be spontaneous. be fun. be free. I guess he also told my mom that I wanted to go to sd so that it will be "all about me." ha.

soooo we didn't go to san diego. my mom tried to comfort me by reminding us how unreliable my car (paula) has been lately. chris didn't have any other plans for me for my birthday. I didn't get anything from him - not that I wanted anything, but didn't even get a card. my mom made tacos for me and that was my night. how boring. scotty & megan got me some cool stuff to use/take with me on our trip to new york (how thoughtful!) and my mom gave me one of her potteries from work and some cookies.

aaahhh the beauty
I'm pretty heartbroken that I didn't get to go to san diego though. I was really hoping for a getaway for chris and I so we can reconnect and do some bonding (like our first trip to sd back when we first started dating - which, by the way, is where my favorite pic of us on the right is taken). chris later told me he felt really bad and that I didn't deserve that and that he'll make it up to me blah blah blah - but he was drinking at the time when he said that so I'm still not very hopeful.

I know we have this trip to new york coming up next week, but for some reason I just can't get excited about it. we won't be close to any of the major cities (I think we're closer to pennsylvania) and we'll be staying at his grandma's. I'm just afraid we won't do anything. I mean if we don't even do anything when we're at home, why would we do anything somewhere else?

I'm trying to be more positive and optimistic, really I am. but I feel so boring. I'm young - only 23 - and I don't do anything. I want to do fun things as a couple with chris. but by the time we get home, chris just wants to relax and we only have so many hours to get things done around the house before the day's over. and then on weekends all he wants to do is "relax" and sit on the couch and watch tv. come on now.

I want to be doing fun stuff. I want to be active. I want to be young and crazy. I want to be spontaneous and adventurous. I want to live life to the fullest. and I think I'm mainly disappointed in myself because I haven't yet. I haven't been living life to the fullest and I should be. I should create a "bucketlist." maybe that will motivate me more to do fun things.

8.05.2010

annoyance of the day: "political" moves by musicians

dear musicians who chose to be political by boycotting arizona,

I get it. you don't like the SB1070 law. you think it's unconstitutional. you want to make a stand. yada yada yada. but making a difference doesn't mean make your fans suffer. we - your fans - have supported you. we are the ones who bought your albums. we are the ones who attended your shows at the little venues like the rialto (in tucson - which, as a former frequent rialto attender, I'd hate to see the historic venue close down because of artists like you who refuse to entertain those who support you) and the marquee (in tempe). we are the ones who buy your merchandise. we are the ones who make you famous and money. why would you punish us? why does taking your "stand" mean we don't get to enjoy your live music? why not try actively protesting and taking an active stand. how is refusing to play shows in our state active? brewer doesn't give a shit about you. she could care less if you play here or not. she doesn't give a shit if your measly shows hurt our economy. (she'll just take more money away from our education so more and more people will grow up with the same mindset as hers.) she probably doesn't even know who you are. we are the ones who care.

and maybe you forgot, but we are not the ones who have a say in the law. sb1070 was not a public vote. we did not vote it into law. not all of us agree with it. (regardless of how I feel about the law.) our governor signed the law. she made the decision. punish her. don't punish us because we live in the state of arizona. we're not going to pack our bags and move our whole lives because of a silly law and what it may or may not do. your boycotting is not hurting those who enforce the law, it's only hurting the venue owners and the fans who always go to your shows - the ones who have always supported you.

bottom line: your boycotting is not doing a damn thing. yes, it's just hurting our economy but that mainly hurts the people - the fans - not the government. use your head. stop trying to be all political. stop trying to think you're making a change by boycotting the state. if you don't like the law, go to the people who matter - the ones who can actually do something about it - aka the government. protest. march. go to lobbyists. throw shit at their house. I don't care. but don't make me hate you because you refuse to play in arizona (which is a beautiful state, by the way) when I have nothing to do with the "point" you're trying to make. 

maroon 5, kanye west, cyprus hill,etc. and those who decide to follow, I'm boycotting your music. see if I buy your cd's again bastards.

signed, 
your ex-fan,
alicia.