A lot can happen in a year.

One year ago today at 7:55am I held my Dad's hand as he drifted off for the last time. Somehow, I knew when I said goodbye to him the day before that it would be the last time he'd be able to say it back to me. I don't know how, but I did. I watched him the entire night as his body changed and he slowly left us. I wanted to make sure he wasn't struggling or suffering. Thankfully, he didn't seem to be in pain and he seemed to be very peaceful and as comfortable as I suppose one can be at that time. One year later and I still can't fully believe that he is truly gone. Sometimes I still wake up (after having a vivid dream with him in it) thinking that he'll be here and it was all just a terrible nightmare. Sadly though, that is not the case.

If anyone had told me a year ago that this would be my life now, I wouldn't have believed them for a nano second. So much has changed in my life in just one year's time. Some bad, some good. I would never have believed you if you told me that my Dad wouldn't be here with us anymore. I certainly wouldn't have believed you if you told me I'd have a paying job in my dream career field. Lastly, I never would have believed that I'd be dating the most wonderfully supportive man in the world.

I've accomplished so much in just one year. I truly wish that my Dad could be here physically to see it all. I have my first paying job in my chosen career field (working on political campaigns). I know that Dad would have been so excited for me. It just makes me so sad to know he won't be here to experience it all with me. I'm very sad that he'll never meet Colin. They would have gotten along so well. I know that Dad would have adored him. It's just not fair that he had to miss out on so many important aspects of his family's lives. Every milestone feels so bittersweet without him here.

Without my friends, family, and boyfriend's continuous love and support I know for a fact that I wouldn't have gotten through the last year. Thank you all so much!

Thank you!

A HUGE thank you goes out to my wonderful friend Melissa over at http://musiccitymel.blogspot.com/ for helping me create a new layout on here! Do me a favor, give her page a visit! :)

Whoops

I really need to update this more often. I keep saying I will, then I forget about it. Whoops.


So while other women my age are planning what they want to name their future children, I'm planning on what I want to name my future pets, haha.


So here you go:


In the future I definitely want a Corgi and his name will be Elvis. I know, I should name a Hound Dog Elvis, but I really want a Corgi, so it'll do.


I also want an all black dog and his name will be Cash (after Johnny Cash of course).


Then I'd like a larger dog and his name will be Atticus. If you don't get this reference I feel sorry for you. It's after the main character of my favorite book and favorite movie, To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch.


Once my little rattie friends go (rats have a life span of 2-3 years, and my little guys will be 2 years old around Thanksgiving. I don't even want to think about losing those little guys. They're so cute.), I'll probably name my next pair Simon & Garfunkel. 


I'm such an old soul, haha. 


I don't want children of my own, and even if I did I physically can't have them. I actually do have a couple name ideas, but I'm not going to share them here. They're pretty private and well, I'll never be using them anyhow.


What about you? Any future pet names you have in mind? You can even go with future children's names too if you are up to sharing them. I know those tend to be far more personal.

Where did April go?

April 2012 has easily been the best month of my entire life. After the past year or so, I didn't know that I'd be able to say this again. Between my father's completely unexpected death and other events, things have been far more than stressful.

That all changed for me April 5, 2012. At about 5:30pm I parked my car in the parking lot of an Irish Pub in Cleveland. I was so nervous that I was literally shaking. I didn't know what to expect, I was just hoping it would go as well as I had hoped. Little did I know that this dinner date would be the beginning of something I have only dreamed of my entire adult life.

This was the day that I first met my wonderful boyfriend Colin in person. We had talked online and via text for a couple of weeks beforehand. I knew he was something special, but I didn't quite know the full extent of that until our first date. Who knew that dinner, a walk on the pier at sunset, drinking tea until a coffee shop closed, and sitting in a parked car for nearly 2 hours just talking could be the best date of my entire life?

Ever since our first date, I have learned what true happiness and love is. I am so beyond grateful. He is exactly what I have always wanted and needed in a partner. I have never met someone so supportive of my passions and of my life in general before. Until now, I didn't know that I deserved someone like this in my life. I've never had this deep of a connection with anyone before and it's truly amazing. I finally feel as if I found my other half, the one who completes me.

Anyone who knows me well knows I am not typically a sappy person, but I have never been this happy in my entire life. I look forward to our future and everything we'll experience together. I wake up everyday excited for what I'll discover with him. I fall asleep every night comforted in the fact that I have him in my life.

Thank you for being you sweetheart. I don't know where I'd be without your constant love and support. I love you, and I always will.

I realize that I am terrible about updating this blog. I really need to do more with it. I'm still trying to figure out where I'd like to go with it and everything, please bear with me here. I'm trying to figure out how to get a better layout design on here too. Anyone know how to do that and feel like helping me? You know you want to...haha.

A Concert Filled 2012!

I am definitely looking forward to the next few months! In April I'm going to see Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band in Cleveland with my big brother. In May I'm taking my Mom to see Bonnie Raitt with Marc Cohn as her opening act for her Mother's Day present. Finally, I am taking my Mom with me to see The Beach Boys in June!! I am SO freaking excited for all of these amazing shows! 


Next week my Mom, a close friend, and I are going to see Memphis the musical in Cleveland and I am DEFINITELY looking forward to that too! I am so excited to have all of these great events to look forward to in the next few months!

Exciting news!

February has been a great month for me so far! I can't believe my luck. I was offered an actual position on a local political campaign and I accepted! It's my first real position on a campaign besides volunteering with phone banking or literature drops. I am thrilled and so beyond excited to finally use my degree! I won't put the campaign down on here for privacy reasons, but it's a candidate I have supported since the first time they ran in 2009, so I am more than happy to make this my first official political campaign job!


I'm also lucky enough to be staffing a BBYO Panim el Panim trip to Washington DC next week. I'll be in charge of a few teenagers while they learn about community service, social action, and American Government. They even get to learn how to lobby Congress and will get the chance to meet with Senators and Congressman to discuss their topics! I wish I could have attended this program while I was in BBYO! It's going to be an amazing experience for them and for me! If I do well staffing, there will be several opportunities in the future for me to staff this trip again! I may even be able to staff other sessions that don't involve the Akron and Cleveland delegation, we'll see!


I'm a little worried about how my body will handle being so busy and active. Interstitial Cystitis is so unpredictable, which makes planning ahead for it next to impossible. All I can do is hope for the best. I know once the trip is over I will be absolutely exhausted and I'll need to rest for a couple of days afterwards. I'm hoping my adrenaline will get me through the trip itself, which I am so excited for it that I think I will be okay for at least the majority of it!


Things are also going very well with the youth group I advise. It is the most rewarding experience I could ever ask for, and I am so happy to be an active part of BBYO again. I'm also extremely lucky to be an advisor for the chapter I was active in throughout high school. It's been a wonderful experience the past few months, and I definitely intend on staying with it for years to come!

Are you serious?

Wait, let me get this straight for a minute. Newt "I've had 30 wives" Gingrich wants to colonize the moon while also placing huge mirrors in space, in a strategically placed position so that they could provide more light at night to reduce crime? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? This is the BEST the GOP can offer right now? President Obama, all you have to do for your campaign is just air clips of their debates and idiotic ideas, all while saying at the end "I'm Barack Obama, and I sure as HELL don't approve these psychos!"


OBAMA 2012, cause well, HE'S NOT A FREAKING MORON!

Concert Wish list: Living Artists

Well, I'm up way too late for my own good so it's time for another update. Lately I've been thinking about which bands and artists I REALLY want to see in concert before they die. I say before they die because 95% of the music I listen too was recorded before 1970, which makes the average age of my favorite musicians roughly 70 years old, haha. Oh well.


So here's my list. I'm sure that I will come back and edit it as I think of them. Music has always been so important to me. Ever since I can remember my parents always had me listening to fantastic artists with them. I definitely inherited my love of folk music from my Dad and my love of Rock & Roll from my Mom. The two of them got to see so many shows that I could only dream of attending, it's SO not fair! Mom will never let me forget that she got to see THE BEATLES! I'm lucky enough to say that I saw Paul McCartney during his Back in the U.S. tour. I would gladly sell an organ to see him again. Okay, not an organ, well...I plead the 5th on that one. We'll leave it at that. 


Okay, on to my list. Or at least what I can think of at  2:30 in the morning.


1. Van Morrison. Moondance has been my favorite album for well over a decade. It is definitely a HUGE aspiration of mine to see him live in concert. He hardly ever tours though. If he does, he's only in New England, New Orleans, or Europe. So I have a feeling that in order to make this particular concert dream come true that I will have to travel. So beyond worth it though if I ever have the chance!


2. The Rolling Stones. I'm pretty much convinced that they will outlive both twinkies and cockroaches so I feel fairly positive about being able to see them live. I just hope they decide to go on tour again.


3. B. B. King. I would absolutely LOVE to see B.B. King live before he passes, and he's up there so I don't think there's going to be many more tours on his behalf. He has been to Cleveland a couple of times recently, but his prices are ridiculously expensive for the venue (The House of Blues). So I just couldn't bring myself to spend the money.


4. Chuck Berry. I believe that Chuck is officially older than dirt at this point, but I would still gladly pay to see him live. He probably still does his infamous duck walk too! I haven't heard about him touring much lately, but I'm pretty sure he still does every so often. Come to Cleveland Chuck!!


5. Buddy Guy. He owns his own blues club in Chicago and plays there every January for the month I believe. Chicago is only a 6 or so hour drive, and it would be amazing to spend a weekend there AND get to see Buddy Guy live! Unfortunately, he's pretty up there too, so I don't know how many chances I logically have left to make that one happen.


6. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band. I'm in luck with this one! They are coming to Cleveland in April and my brother and I are going! BRUUUUUUUUUUUUCE!!! He's my brother's favorite artist, so he has seen him live in concert several times, but this will be my first experience and I can't even tell you how excited I am! Tickets go on sale this Saturday morning. My alarm may or may not already be set for Saturday morning, haha. Internet, don't fail me now!


7. Dave Matthews Band. I know, I know. You're shocked right? An artist or band that is semi recent? They come to Blossom almost every year, but even the freaking LAWN tickets are over $40 a piece. I just can't bring myself to spend over $40 to sit on the grass for a few hours. That just seems absurd. If they were $25 I'd do it. 


8. Aretha Franklin. The Queen of Soul, need I really say more? I would absolutely LOVE to see her live. I will honestly say that I don't like many women artists, but I love her! I like a lot of old blues, early Rock & Roll and soul artists though. The early women of Rock were absolutely amazing. They just don't make them like they used to though.


9. Little Richard. Who doesn't want to listen to this man belt out Lucille and play the piano?? I mean really? He's one of the Fathers of Rock & Roll and it would just be incredible to say that I saw Little Richard in concert.


10. Adele. Easily the most recent artist that I am a HUGE fan of. Her voice is just so incredible, I can't describe it. She's younger than I am too, which is shocking to me! She's just so beyond talented, I would LOVE to see her live!


11. Norah Jones. I love how different she is from everyone else recently. She is jazzy and soulful. She's just fantastic. My favorite song of hers is "Turn Me On." If you've ever seen the movie 'Love Actually' it's the song they dance to at the work Christmas party when the music suddenly changes to a slow song. I would pretty much swoon over any man who would willingly dance with me to this song. Just putting it out there.


12. Jefferson Airplane. Yes, I know that they broke up YEARS ago, but I love Grace Slick so I don't care. She's one of the cool artists that flat out stated she refused to be an old artist way past their prime that is still out there touring. I also don't care. I really want to see her live, even if it's just her alone, without 'Jefferson Airplane." Her voice is just so good.


13. The Beach Boys. I never in my wildest dreams thought that Brian Wilson would reunite with the original band for a tour. I am SO excited about this! I really hope that they come to Cleveland and that the tickets are affordable! I don't care if I have to sit in the nose bleed section, I just want to BE THERE. As long as this concert isn't being held on an important holiday or birthday of someone I love, I am 100% going. COME TO CLEVELAND!!!


Okay, I think that's enough for now. Leave me some comments though! Which bands or artists would you LOVE to see live that you haven't been able to yet? My next blog will be about bands or artists that are sadly no longer with us that I wish I could see live.

Welcome to 2012

I promise I will update more often from now on. Things have finally settled down here and my life is going in a positive direction I believe.


Besides, election season is in full swing and I definitely won't be able to keep my opinions to myself. For instance, NEWT GINGRICH? Is he REALLY still in this race? I mean really, this isn't some huge prank on America right? This schmuck is really preaching the "sanctity of marriage" to anyone that will listen to him. Last time I checked, he's Catholic and on what, his 30th marriage now? I guess the sanctity of marriage only counts to him if his wife stays 100% healthy and looks roughly 25 years younger than he does. What I want to know is how he can still take communion ON NATIONAL TELEVISION from the National Basilica?? How much money did he have to tithe to get that one through? That, and this man is so blatantly racist it's ridiculous. 


Don't even get me started on Ron Paul. Not only is that man insane, but he looks like a keebler elf too. So unless we're voting for someone to make me a batch of delicious grasshoppers, he may as well just step aside now. I don't know why he's even bothering. He is NOT going to secure the GOP nomination. He may as well just switch to the Independent ticket now and stop wasting his and every single person who is eligible to vote in America's time. Does he really think that the GOP is going to take him seriously at all when one of his main platforms is legalizing marijuana? Don't get me wrong, I'm all for it's legalization, for medical usage if nothing else. However, running that platform secures you the pothead nomination, NOT the nomination of the GOP! Raging conservatives do not want the legalization of any drug. 


It's fairly clear to me at this point that Romney will end up being the nominee. Which is both sad and scary at the same time. I love how the Republicans couldn't keep themselves from labeling Kerry as a flip-flopper, yet Romney is literally the walking definition of one. The Romney from even 5 years ago isn't the Romney of today. Hell, I think his opinions on everything changes on a daily, if not hourly basis. He might want to work on that.


In the end, it just seems as if the GOP is beating itself. President Obama doesn't even HAVE to campaign at this point. They are shooting themselves in the foot right now, all he has to do is lean back in his chair in the oval office and soak in the glory of victory. Although I do have to admit, the debates are hilarious to watch (okay, and infuriating too).


Gee, can you guess which party I affiliate myself with? Hmm...