Day 24: A letter to your parents

dear mom and dad,

I'm sure you already know how much you both mean to me, but in case you don't, it's more than the world. you make me laugh when all I wanna do is cry. you make me think and remember what's truly important in life. you've taught me how to love,how to enjoy the simple things in life, how to never stop learning - everything I know that makes me the person I am today. you are amazing people and the best parents any one could ask for. you raised intelligent, hard working, ambitious children. you would do anything for the ones you love. you are my inspiration in life. my idols. I love you.

love, alicia






go here for the rest of the challenge.

Day 23: Something you crave for a lot

love & attention. :)

and taco bell.

Day 22: What makes you different from everyone else

I believe I'm pretty standard to every one else my age. except I'm not pregnant with 2-3 kids and married. and I'd rather spend time playing board games and watching sports/movies with my family rather than go to a bar. and I guess I'm one of the few in my graduating class that was able to land a great job right out of college. personality-wise, I'm probably more simple than most people in that I find simple things entertaining and amusing.

fact is, I guess I'm still figuring out what makes me me. I could sit here and list random facts about me to show my originality, but there'll be people who would read it & be like "hey, me too" which would defeat the purpose of me trying to be original and different. but I'm young and still have plenty of time to "discover" my identity or whatever they say.

go here for the full list of 30 day questions.

Day 21: A picture of something that makes you happy

I couldn't just pick one thing that made me happy today so I decided to put up a few.

my puppies.

the beach.

family.

when the suns win.

christmastime.

<3 go here for the full list.

Day 20: Someone you see yourself marrying/being with in the future

there's only a couple of things that need to happen in order for this to become reality. (1) he's gotta ditch boring whats-her-name that he's currently with. (2) we gotta meet. after that, I'm sure we'd fall in love & make beautiful babies. :)

Day 19: Nicknames you have; why do you have them

probably the number one name I get called the most is Leesh, or Leesha, just because it's a shorten form of Alicia (I guess). I've been called that by everyone for as long as I can remember.

number 2 on the list is Sparky, simply because my last name is sparks. this all started in 7th grade when my science teacher called me that & it just kinda stuck with everyone else from then on. it's starting to catch on at work too, but they're doing it more to mess with me. they just don't know that I'm pretty used to it & it doesn't really bother me. :)

see the full list here.

yesterday I spent 8 hours making tamales with the fam. we ended up making 70 dozen. I wish I had a picture to show you, but I had to leave half an hour early to go to the suns game.

tamale making is a tradition in our family. every year in decemeber, my aunt, my cousins, my mom, & my aunts 2 friends & their daughters get together and spend the day making tamales, listening to christmas music, bickering, laughing, and loving. it's a wonderful day. my tata was the "tamale man" and was always in charge when he was still alive. this is the second year we've made them without him and it's definitely bittersweet. I'm just glad we're continuing the tradition rather than letting it die with him.

unfortunately I haven't been able to shower yet (tmi?) and my hands still smell like masa. which in a way is good, because they smell delicious, but it also makes me want tamales. (fyi: woke up at 6:30, met at the house at 7, made tamales from 8-5:30, suns game from 6-9:00, got home around 10, went to bed around 10:30 (was exhausted & could barely make it up the stairs) & woke up at 4. hence the lack of shower.)

Day 18: Plans/dreams/goals you have

I swear I will get through this dang thing. I SWEAR!!

my plans/dreams/goals right now is to find my soulmate. I'm not completely convinced it's chris at the moment. (is that bad?) I want it to be, but I feel like there's more. I feel like I'm missing something. that connection. that emotional intimacy. And if it's Chris, awesome. I just want him to become soulmate material by being my partner in life.

other goals/dreams/plans I have:

• have a great christmas holiday and show those I love that I care about them deeply
• start my Fe transfer project at work (it'd probably help if I wasn't blogging instead)
• prove to my boss and other coworkers that I'm not an idiot
• go to San Diego again next year with more of my lovely girls
• go on an awesome vacation and spend some quality time with chris
• wash my car
• be happy

I had dinner with my bestest friend in the world last night and it was so nice to have someone to talk to again. I've been bottling a lot of emotions inside lately, it's just not like me. and because of that, I haven't been my usual bubbly & fun self. I've just been so depressed & in a funk that it seems like nothing helps get me out of it. she suggested I take this supplement that is supposed to increase my mood so I'm gonna start on that tonight and see if my mood and attitude towards life improves.

Day 17: Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why...and stuff

I've really been slacking in the whole 30-day challenge. I imagine it's only supposed to take 30 days, but I think I'm creeping around day 41 and am only a little over halfway done. Whoops. I've been lazy in life, or what most people would call overwhelmed & stressed to the max. it seems I have this never-ending to-do list in my head, not to mention the bazillion hand-written versions scattered everywhere, and rather than trying to cross them off, I panic and avoided them all together. but I'm determined to finish. my sister megan was able to finish in a timely manner (you go girl) so I can get it done eventually too, right?

it seems odd that less than a year ago, I was studying my butt off (or as much as I would allow myself - I was never the big studier) hoping to pass finals, hoping to find a job, hoping to find somewhere to live, and hoping to get a good review at work all in the same week. and in one day everything fell together into place and life was great. until reality hit.

and maybe my downfall is that I found a job and bought a house right after college. I didn't get a transition period to rent an apartment and start paying bills. instead, I get washed over by a tidal wave of responsibilities and duties as an adult. and it's definitely getting to me lately.
that in combination with ongoing issues with chris and I, I've been pretty down in the dumps and not wanting to do much of anything. I just can't wait for it all to get better.

anyways, back to today's task: who do I want to switch lives with for a day...hmmm...I wouldn't really want anyone to have to suffer through my life right now, but I could switch lives with pepper. yes, my puppy. she's got the life. getting affection and love and attention almost all day long. being able to sleep on the couch or snuggle up under the covers next to the people you love the most. getting to entertain myself with a squeaky ball for hours then entertain myself with a bone for more hours. being so stinkin adorable. and not have to worry about the bills. that's the life. my puppy's got it made. she's pretty spoiled. so switching lives with her would be relaxing. & maybe she can understand why I don't want her chewing on everything.

but if I could, I would want to live in the shoes of a young mother for a day. because I've got that baby itch and maybe that will help me make a decision of whether or not I want kids someday. and maybe I would have a loving & supportive husband/father to help me take care of this child. and maybe we could take him/her to the park & play on the swings or maybe we could take him/her to the zoo to see the animals. maybe we can drive this baby around neighborhoods to look at christmas lights. and maybe this baby & I could sit around and play and listen to michael buble and michael jackson and 'n sync together. maybe our doggies will adore our baby and let him or her crawl all over and snuggle with them. maybe.

 because it's been so long, check out the full list here.

Day 16: Another picture of yourself

me on the beach of san diego (september 2010)

go here for the full list of the 30 day challenge.

Day 15: Put your iPod on shuffle: First 10 songs that play

I've seem to fallen quite behind on my 30 day challenge deal-io. So I'll just pick up where I left off.

my main problem with having all my music on my iPod (3825 songs and counting) is that I have to be in the right "mood" for a lot of the stuff. this results in me constantly skipping songs and making chris want to smack me in the face & take away my toy. nevertheless, here's my shuffle:

1. "in the air tonight" by phil collins
2. "blah blah blah" by ke$ha featuring 3oh!3
3. "st. jimmy" by green day
4. "gone to california" by p!nk
5. "that green gentlemen (things have changed)" by panic! at the disco - I don't know if I even know this song
6. "I want it that way" by backstreet boys - hahahahaha forgot I had this one (n sync is waay better)
7. "unexpected places" by the academy is...
8. "prince ali" by robin williams - from the aladdin soundtrack :)
9. "until it kills" by midtown
10. "before he cheats" by carrie underwood

there you go. just a snippet of my music. I'm pretty impressed - all 10 were songs I probably wouldn't have skipped (even the backstreet boys one, because I haven't heard it in forever and it's nice to have a little reminder of my childhood days).

go here to be reminded of the full list.

Day 14: A picture of you and your family

me, my mom & my dad

me & my cousin

my oldest brother & I

my cousin & I

me, my dad, my sis (in law), & my bro

my mom, baby lorelai, & my aunts

go here for the full list of challenge questions.

Day 13: A letter to someone who has hurt you recently

the only person who has really hurt me recently is well aware of my pain so I don't find much of a need to write it out for the world to see.....so I'll do this instead.

dear my dearest pepper,

I know you're just a pup, but seriously, you need to chill out. the constant running up and down the stairs, in and out the doggie door, and on and off the bed are driving me crazy. I can't keep track of you. I turn my back and you're on the counter! how are you getting up on the counter!! you're tiny!

speaking of how tiny you are, you aren't really that tiny. the vet said you'd be lucky to get to 30 lbs and you're well over 40 (I wouldn't be surprised if you are over 50!). you were supposed to stay tiny. you were my little puppy. you fit so well into my arms and curled up so perfectly next to my chest. what happened? your disease was supposed to stunt your growth, not work like miracle growth.

speaking of you almost dying, what the hell?! we saved you're life and you repay us by chewing every possible thing in sight and waking us me up at 2 am? you obliterated our bouganvilla plant that didn't even get the chance to bloom. you get our spatula off the counter & gnaw on it. you tear apart my underwear (although I know this is a joint effort with ginger).

and speaking of ginger, I know you idolize her, but please, PLEASE, don't follow her bad habits. don't become her. be your own dog. you already jump on people when they come to the door and now you're starting to learn to bark at every moving thing outside. don't succumb to peer pressure. don't be a follower. ginger doesn't even like you that much anyways.

but I love you. more than chris. so stop cuddling up with him and cuddle up with me again. it hurts you choose him over me. I miss you. you're so far away yet you're at my feet. come back, my little one.

love,

mom

Day 11 & 12 (whoops!)

Day 11- Another picture of you and your friends

me, tea, & allison on a ferry in san diego

Day 12- How you found out about Tumblr blogger and why you made one

I had to look up what tumblr was and realized I'm not using one. I found blogger by googling blogs and started one to vent about my frustrations with living with roommates. that's the story. I know. fascinating.

see the whole list here.

Day 10: Songs you listen to when you are Happy, Sad, Bored, Hyped, Mad

• "your love" by midtown (it's off the punk goes 80s cd).
• "cute without the e (cut from the team)" by taking back sunday.
• "crack the shutters" by snow patrol.
• "closer" and/or "I want you" by kings of leon.
• "I want you back" by 'n sync. (don't judge me).
• "dog days are over" by florence and the machine.
• "too much time on my hands" by styx.
• "the next room" by neon trees.

those are some of my faves.

see the whole list here.

fall fashion week starts tomorrow. can't wait to see everyone's outfits.

Day 09: Something you’re proud of in the past few days

I haven't really done anything to be proud of in the past few days...I guess I haven't had any fights with chris within the past week which is good and something to be proud of. although, I'm afraid we didn't have any fights because I'm just so exhausted of fighting and don't feel like talking to him much. but hey, no fighting is a good thing right?

yesterday after work and today I've started putting together our office furniture. (chris semi-helped me yesterday.) we've got the filing cabinet and bookcase done and I just have the desk and hutch to do and it's still pretty early, so I'm proud that I'm getting it done rather than putting it off. I can't wait until our office is done & functional. :)


go here if you want to see the full challenge.

Day 08: Short term goals for this month and why

1. get office furniture put together and placed into office and organize all that shit so that the office is a functional office. it's hard to pay bills and do anything in an office where you have no space to put anything.
2. get Bentley's oil changed. because he's been needing it for a couple of weeks now.
3. put up new fan in guest bedroom. because it gets stuffy and it needs one.
4. install garage door opener. so I don't have to get out in this cold weather to use all my energy to manually lift it up.
5. see my future fiance in the social network with chris. because I wanna see it since I heard such good things about it.
6. get something accomplished at work. because I'm starting to feel like a worthless employee.
7. hang out with a friend. because I'm lame and lonely.
8. get rid of chris's car. because I'm sick of it taking up space in our driveway when no one drives it and it's a piece of shit. seriously, it shakes violently when you drive it and I just feel dirty sitting in it.
9. finish my little craft projects. so that I can organize my stuff and use my creative juices for something.

and that's mainly what I want to get done in the next 30 days or so.


see the full list of challenging questions here.

Day 07: A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you

my tata & I

my tata: he's inspired me to always continue to improve my life and my skills/trades. he was constantly doing things. and he was so talented in so many different areas. he painted beautiful sceneries, he crafter amazing furniture from wood, and made the most delicious mexican food. he's inspired me to be kind to all and to always allow people into my home. he was always helping others and making loved ones different things. my brother & I have a little chair he made us when we were little kids. mine says "'lil luvie." I remember going over to his house every christmas morning and smelling tamales and beans while he was listening to the grand canyon suite.  he was such a wonderful person and I miss him every day. he passed away almost 2 years ago, unexpectedly - at least for me.

my mom & I

my mom: my mom is my rock. she keeps me sane. she is the person who I can talk to about anything and everything. she is my best friend. she is my role model. she's taught me to be unselfish and think about others first. she's also shown me never to give up and to never stop trying.

my dad & I

my dad: sometimes I think my dad is my twin. we have the same sense of humor and same attitude and stubborness. he's taught me to laugh and never take life too seriously. he's also taught me how to work hard and not half-ass anything. you need to earn what you get and not let it be handed to you. even though my dad and I argue a lot (going back to being twins), I love my dad very much and can't imagine him not being in my life.



click here for the full list of questions.

Day 06: Favorite super hero and why

this one's hard for me to answer because I don't really have a favorite superhero. although I've seen the modern movies of Batman and Iron Man and such (Iron Man is probably my fave since, like my sister so accurately described, I love "the sense of humor that Robert Downey Jr. brings to the character") but I didn't watch the cartoons or read the comic books with the normal superheros growing up. I watched power rangers. and teenage mutant ninja turtles. and the original transformers. and when I think of superheros, those aren't the ones that come to mind.

so instead of choosing a superhero, I'm gonna go with an awesome, bad-ass cartoon character who helped save the world. and in that case, I choose leonardo from the original movies of teenage mutant ninja turtles. he was my favorite because (a) he was the blue one & blue was my favorite color at the time (b) he was the only one who I felt had a real weapon - out of the four, I think a sword would do the most damage and (c) I liked his attitude and just thought he was a total bad-ass. Michelangelo would come in second because he was funny and liked pizza....mmm...pizza.


see the full list of the daily challenge questions here.

Day 05: A picture of somewhere you’ve been to

niagra falls, canada

find the full list of the 30 day challenge here.

Day 04: A habit that you wish you didn’t have

it took me a while to figure this one out - I have a lot of annoying habits, but one that I wish I didn't have? which of my habits hinder my ever day living to the extent that I wish I didn't have it? of course, most bad habits you wish you didn't have, but it's not the end of the world. take biting nails for instance. if I'm not biting my nails, I'm biting the skin around my nails but my nails always grow back and my skin eventually heals. so I don't find it that big of a deal.

I guess what bothers me the most - and you may find it gross - but the habit I wish I could stop is picking at pimples/zits/blackheads/whiteheads/bumps. it doesn't help when all the women in my family also do it and almost encourage it (hey, let me get that mountain on your forehead!). it takes physical effort for me not to pick at my face. and I don't have serious acne issues, but since I pick at my face so much I tend to scar and make those suckers worse.

bastards.


check out the full list of challenge-ness here.