Songs For Different Moods

So this post is about "Songs you listen to in different moods."

It's weird, but I don't like slower sappy music. I try to avoid it because music is really powerful to me. My emotions will swing in whatever direction the song is about. I'm really affected by it, and sometimes it's a problem for Michael and I because he listens to stuff that makes me sad without thinking about it and I have to try to tell him nicely "Hey, can you change the music? You're bumming me out." I'm so connected to music.

Here's a few songs that affect me in different ways:

I have a deep respect for classical music, and this song makes me cry because it's so so beautiful. I dream of playing it on my cello one day.





When I work out and feel pumped up:





When I miss Mikey: (this is his ringtone for me, and my ringtone for him)




When I'm chilled out and happy: (any Clutch song, really)




When I'm pissed off:




And lately I can't stop listening to this song, I really like it, which is strange since Katy Perry isn't really my thing.




Well that's probably enough, I think I covered the basics. It took me a while to think about. I'm almost done with this blog challenge I've been slowly doing, and I'm not sure what to do next. I'll try to get ideas and blog regularly, but who knows. I'm lazy haha

The Most Wonderful Thing I've Ever Read

"I feel like I didn't appreciate you enough and sometimes I think I took this awesome thing we have for granted. Being away like this just makes me love and want you more. I want to support you and take care of you and never let you go. Knowing what being so far away feels like I know we'll make the most of all the time we're together. I love you."

-Michael Bradley Cook

I definitely teared up when I read this. Although it sucks he's so far away and I can't wait to see him, I can't deny that this is making our relationship stronger. Writing letters is probably the coolest and most romantic thing I've ever had the opportunity to do with someone I love.

I just felt like bragging. :)

Mikey Quotes

For those who are interested :)

 "So most people here are in intelligence jobs but it doesn't really show. Days like this when we do nothing are days we do stupid things. Get an empty bunk take the mattress and run jump and slide across the room. People wearing IBAs (sort of bullet resistant vest) and being spartan kicked in the chest. Just generally risking their own and everybody else's phone time."

"To sum up some aspects of basic I'll compare it to school. You know when you're in class and everyone keeps talking, asks retarded questions constantly, gets everyone more homework and doesn't function in a group well, and all the shit. Yeah that's pretty much basic except you sleep and spend all your time with those people. There's a lot of cool people but there's a lot of retards and it only takes one to throw you off or get you smoked.* Also I've had to write 3 essays and one sentence a whole lotta times. It's strange because almost all our drill sergeants are infantry and no infantry goes to basic at Fort Jackson."

"I've never viewed myself as someone who has all their shit together but some of these guys make me feel so organized. Especially my battle buddy who likes to make me late. I know that I have to wake up and make my bed which is getting easier and most things I have to do, I do the night before. I've f-ed up a few times of course but I'm getting better and he's not."

*I didn't understand what he meant by "getting smoked" until I asked a military friend. It means having to do a ton of sit ups, push ups, whatever the sergeant wants till you're exhausted.

Favorite Super Hero(s)

See, I have to be really really careful with this one because I don't know as much about super heroes as my best friend does, and I'm afraid I'll sound pretty ignorant if I put up a hero she doesn't like and/or don't justify myself well enough. But I'll try, okay?

As expected I have to say my first choice is Batman. Though I've mostly just seen all the movies (including the terrible ones) and am not too hardcore in my fangirl-ness, I still enjoy the concept and the more I learn the more I like him. In general I just like that he became a hero on his own. His powers basically are money and knowledge. Without them he wouldn't be able to be Batman. Shit I'd kill for both of those.

 

I do love me some X-Men. Again, mostly based on the movies (though I did have a Gameboy game). I did see a few episodes of the show where they're all teenagers, and that's where I saw Nightcrawler. I don't know much about him; I think his name is Kurt and I don't know why he isn't quite human. I'm sure Deroy will enlighten me. But there's not very many things I would love more than teleporting in a puff of smoke. So I guess I'm mostly jealous of him. He wasn't as attractive as I wanted him to be in the movie but oh well.

Here's the Nightcrawler I'm in love with.

Sadly those are really all I can come up with. I love most of the X-Men and if I was allowed to pick super villains I'd go with The Joker and Poison Ivy. Pretty stereotypical of me.

Thankfully (A Mikey Quote)

"Everyone when I was leaving seemed t feel that I would come back so different. I don't feel different certainly. I might be a little more respectful but if they're trying to brainwash me they fail. The big differences are going to be because it'll be a while before any of them see me. Especially since this is such a transitional time in my life with moving out and figuring out what to do with my life things are bound to change. I certainly will have some strange habits, like waking up every 2 hours."

I should do this more often, because I'm sure some people would like to see at least some bits of what he has to say. The binder I have for his letters is gettin' full. But I'm glad he said this, because I was worried he'd come back some brain raped freak. It seems like the army is just bringing out the best in him, so that's a relief.

The Places I've Been

(Today's post is about places I've traveled to.)

Well, within Arizona I've been to Phoenix, Flagstaff, Sedona, Yuma and Jerome. I liked Flagstaff a lot when I went there but I don't think I could handle the snow. Sedona is really pretty and I haven't been there enough. Jerome is mostly just strange. But I kinda like it anyway. And Phoenix is shitty, but has cool malls. Yuma isn't even worth mentioning.

Around the states I've been to Nevada, Utah, California, Washington, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Texas (not since I was very little), and soon I'm going to South Carolina and Virginia, my first eastern states haha.
But I love the north states. I love the people in Wisconsin and Minnesota. I love the rain in Seattle, Washington. It's so much greener up there. Sometimes I think I should just get it over with and move to Canada. I'd like to go there one day at least.

I also have a small obsession with Wisconsin cheese.

As for out of the country, I've only been to Mexico. And Baja Mexico, no less, which is just the ghetto backyard of California. It really is. But it's still fun. I like getting lobster and grape soda while I'm there, and I always get a manicure and pedicure with my Grandma. We walk around the back alleys and barter for junk, too. That's always fun. They'll take anything you say if you start walking away, that's the trick.

I sound fairly well traveled but I really haven't been anywhere in a long time. And I want to go to Europe so bad, and Japan even more than that. I'm probably going to Mexico this summer, and to tell you the truth these days it's not too exciting. We used to go horseback riding and now I'm lucky if we get to go into town. My grandparents are gettin' old, and my stepmom is no longer my stepmom so there aren't enough kids to justify doing something awesome.

I can't wait to go more places, and I'm betting Michael and I will get some really good deals on flights. I can't wait to travel with him!

Bad Habits

Ah well, this is awkward. I'm supposed to talk about "A bad habit I wish I didn't have."

I could name a few, however.

1. I forget I know so many people and end up by myself a lot if people don't pull me out of the house.

2. If I have a conflict with my boyfriend, I like to storm off and be alone. For what purpose I'm not sure.

3. Having a nose ring makes me pick my nose. It just has to happen sometimes.

4. I smoke, and way more often now than a month ago.

5. I get really into a hobby temporarily, then completely forget about it. This, I'm sure, a lot of people do.

6. I don't cut my nails until they start getting caught on shit, breaking off, or accidentally hurting people. They get reeeeally long.

So yeah, those I feel are generally bad habits. I think the worst one is two. I'm unnecessarily dramatic sometimes but usually it's to avoid being more dramatic. I could stay and be a bitch longer or just go and feel better in the morning. That's how I look at it. I don't know, but it always looks bad since no one understands why I do it if not to cause drama. I guess when it comes down to it, I'm still a crazy female.

Another Photo Shoot

These are a few of my favorites. I have a couple more but I don't have time to post 'em. Most are edited (and all are taken) by Julio Perez.

Plans, Updates

So Mikey being in basic has obviously been unpleasant. However, the good thing is all the sudden there's only five weeks till I fly to South Carolina with his parents to see him! That's just over a month, and that is a whole lot more manageable than when he first left and I was staring at ten weeks without him. I'm halfway there, and I'm so excited!

The hardest days are the ones you wouldn't think are hard. They're the normal every day days, where nothing really special happens. That's when it's easiest to notice that space he's supposed to be. Next to me in the car, across from me out back at his cousins house, on my floor with me while I watch one of the hundred movies he has on his hard drive...But I've gotten some really amazing encouraging letters from him. He asked me to movie to Virginia to be with him during his advanced training, and he wants to keep me as long as possible when I go see him in June. I might be able to hang out with him for a few days after he graduates, and he offered to pay for my ticket home. I've technically got a two way ticket and am supposed to go back on the 24th. But if it's possible to stay longer, fuck it, I'll stay. It's my money anyway, and it's just money.

I do wish it was possible for more people to go see him. He isn't coming back in between basic and AIT and he misses everyone. I write him letters every day and I'll send him a message for you, and he can receive pictures too so I send lots of those. He seems to be doing really well, which is good. He's adjusting quickly, though he has a bunk mate that slows him down, and his platoon isn't the brightest bunch so he's often getting phone privileges taken away for others mistakes. That's just what happens. He told me about his first "Meal Ready To Eat" also known as an MRE, which sounds gross but he says it was surprisingly good. Because of his uniform he's getting tan only on his head and hands. Add some military issue glasses and he probably looks like a big fat dork right now.

I can't count on a phone call on Sundays, but I can hope. Last Sunday was Mother's Day and he managed to text me and call his mama in ten minutes. This Sunday I can only hope that no one fucked up too badly and he has a few minutes. Mail is really slow and we've been getting each others letters out of order. It became apparent that I never even got his first few letters. The delay seems to be anywhere from four to ten days before we get something. But still, it's something, and I definitely freak out every time I get a letter. He doesn't really have all that much free time to sit and write but he manages to do it anyway which is great.

So it's getting easier, especially knowing that the trip is coming up fast. It looks like I'll be leaving my job when I leave on the 20th too, and will hopefully be moved to Phoenix a week before or after that. Things will be much easier when Mikey is in AIT. After just a few weeks he gets a ton of privileges. Phone, internet, weekends off, etc. I'll probably be doing at least a semester of school in Phoenix before moving to Virginia, if I do. I'd really like to, and it shouldn't be for more than six months. But I do need to spend some time with my dad and my best friend. I wasn't expecting Michael to ask me to move, and if we can figure it out and it works out I'm gonna miss a lot of people. I don't even know where to start the process of moving to a whole new state essentially on my own. No doubt it'll be epic and require some funds. I'm more excited than scared, though, and that's a good sign.

So! That's all that. Michael would like letters from people. He said he probably won't write anyone unless he has something to respond to because he doesn't really know what to say. I have the address and it's also up on Facebook somewhere, so just ask around.

An Old Photo

Freshmen Year

This is a photo of me from three or more years ago, as the challenge says. I'm fourteen. It was shortly after my epic hair cut from eighth grade, when I cut off twelve inches and donated it. The lady who cut my hair had to use these huge shears to cut off the ponytail I put it in, it was so thick.
Now my hair is almost as long as it was then. I'm still growing it out!