Fictional Characters I Am In Love With

I wanted to do something light hearted again after the last few posts about moving! So, here goes, in no particular order:

1. Mac from Earth Girls Are Easy. Nevermind the fact that he's an alien who's actually blue and furry when he's not shaven, or the fact that I fell for the type of character in a lot of movies (the manic pixie dream person), I don't care. I think Mac is charming as hell. He likes piano, he learns quick, he prefers somewhere quiet as opposed to a club, and hey, two hearts are better than one. And yeah, the fact that he's played by Jeff Goldblum helps. 

2. Tate Langdon from American Horror Story. Alright alright, so this one isn't a particularly healthy obsession, as he's stone cold crazy. I have this terrible weakness for broken fucked up boys. As soon as he started crying I wanted to rip my heart out and offer it to him if it would make him happy. Then I realized I was watching TV. And I was not Violet. And I'm an adult. Don't judge me.

3. Sirius Black from Harry Potter. Even in the books I wasn't sure if I loved him or was in love with him. Older, seemingly crazy guy who turns out to be a teddy bear...I just really loved him in a lot of ways, and my heart still shatters every time I watch/read his death, and before the books finished I denied it until the last page when he still didn't come back.

 4. Louis de Pointe du Lac from Interview with the Vampire. Again, the attraction to tortured souls, I don't know what it is. Sure, I didn't quite imagine Louis to look like Brad Pitt when I was reading the book (waaayyy better than the awful film rendition) but it helped. I think I just liked that he hated being a vampire and told it like it was.
Something about these characters that are preserved in forever and needing someone is a huuuge weakness for me. It's a good thing guys like Tate and Louis don't really exist, or I would've been murdered as a teenager trying to find them.

5. Andrew Detmer from Chronicle. I so wanted to jump into the movie and save this guy from himself, be his manic pixie girl who makes him realize life can be good. This kid just broke my heart. I loved him.
I think the kicker is that he is probably the most realistic of the list. He comes from a broken abusive home and stumbles on something he thinks can make his life better that does the opposite. Guys like him exist and it makes me sad; I want to help them.

6. Nathan Young from Misfits. I actually hated how much I liked him at first because he's such a prick. Seriously he's such an asshole. I was imagining being in the group with them, getting harassed by him and wanting to punch him in his beautiful mouth and being really tangled up in this loathing/attraction.
But then he started showing other sides. Even though he was such a dick he had the ability to care about people. Then it was over. I just admitted it to myself.
I have a feeling the actor himself is kind of a stuck up prick too, seeing as he left the show by choice because he didn't want to be "doing it forever." Is one more season so much to ask? Goddamn. The show went into the crapper when he left.

7. Chandler Bing from Friends. He was pretty much my favorite right off the bat. I love funny awkward guys! I thought it was a shame that he was portrayed as the geeky guy women didn't like.
A sense of humor is probably a trait I consider one of the most important in a person. If you can't make me laugh (or you don't think I'm ever funny) then we really can't hang out.
I think at the very least Chandler would've been a cool friend to have. Him and Monica were so great, way better than all that Ross and Rachel nonsense.

 8. Jareth the Goblin King from Labyrinth. Maybe you disagree, maybe you know exactly what I'm talking about, but I thought Jareth had a pretty attractive hypnotic power. Granted, his idea of love was pretty screwed up, but still. I guess Sarah did the right thing rescuing her brother and whatnot, but I wanted to know how it would go if she'd stayed. I dunno. I'm attracted to terrible people.

I think that about covers it, or at least those are the main ones I can think of. Out of the whole bunch only two are healthy choices and only one is attainable and I basically got it: the funny friend you fall in love with. I already have my Chandler. :)
Still, damn these film people for making me feel things for crazy dudes. I guess it's safe to watch them from a distance in a world that doesn't exist. No big deal.

A (Not So) Quick Rant: Marriage

  The other night someone said to me and my married friends: "You're married so young, why would you do that to yourself?"
  Cue the immediate disgust and rage. It shouldn't have mattered, since said person was some total stranger and it was obvious he was single for a reason. Still, there was a bunch of stuff I wanted to say to said stranger. I just didn't think it worth my time. So I thought I'd bring the rant here.
  I've written about this a few times now, both before and after I got married. Thankfully, my opinions haven't changed at all. I know I made the right decision. For other people I know it's not that easy, and for others still they struggle with ignoring that voice telling them it's not (or wasn't) 100% right.
  It's really not a question of age. I say that with confidence. Although according to science our brains are still developing until we're in our early twenties, when you're with the right person it just works, and you just know. There's this flow to the relationship, and you grow together as you change, not apart.

  I think the biggest problem with recent generation is the fact that certain parts of marriage are glorified, but not others. There's the day itself of course, The Big One. And that's great, I'm not saying it should be toned down. But no one says a whole lot about what happens next, about what you're actually getting into. People are so blinded by dresses and cakes and decorations. Not to discredit couples by how big their weddings are or anything. If they can afford and they want to, why not? But I've noticed some of the best couples just don't care. They have something personal with a lot of close family, and the price tag and details don't matter.
  Sadly the other parts I've noticed that are glorified are things like divorce and prenuptial agreements, which is just a fancy way of saying "I don't trust you, and I want to make sure everything is fair when this ends." Celebrities do it. So maybe that means it's okay? It's really not. It's a super unhealthy way of thinking. You shouldn't have a "just in case" plan. Marriage is the plan, and don't throw something away if you can fix it. And let me tell you, it can almost always be fixed.
  And another thing, I've seen websites that encourage adultery, and places you can sell your wedding rings for cash. What in the hell is that about? Marriage was once this awesome agreement between two people who actually legitimately wanted to be with each other and no one else. (Although slightly before that it was something parents arranged in order to share their assets but forget that part.) I just think if you're going to completely disrespect what this contract is supposed to signify, why fucking bother? If somewhere in your heart you have any doubts about you or the other person, it is not for you.
  I think of all things age is a lower priority on the list. There are a lot of other things you have to consider before thinking oh, am I old enough for this? That's not really the question. It's more like, am I ready for this, do I want this, am I going to really commit to this? And it's hard to get answers from yourself when you're so excited about the glorified idea of just getting married at all. The problem is people connect the words age and maturity, when the two aren't necessarily related. Take two eighteen year olds and look at their lives, the decisions they've made, how they've grown up, how hard they've worked for things. Guarantee you it's not the same.
  When my husband and I were talking about getting married, we were in different states. And honestly I think being physically apart gave me the space I needed to think. I was of course just really wanting to be with him, but I didn't consider marriage my "way in." I got a lot of advice from people. I even talked to older people I didn't really know (community colleges are good for that). I wanted to know how couples who had been together for a long time stayed together, I wanted to know what to keep in mind and what to do when bad moments arose (you can't go into something assuming it'll be perfect, that's another downfall of recent generations). Overall I got a lot of perspective and I know it was a really great thing to do.
  I knew what I wanted. I knew how I wanted to be treated and also that I should know how to work on my relationship all the time. We're still considered newly weds, but I have yet to have a moment where I say to myself "maybe I shouldn't have done this." And that's how I know it was the right decision.
  And that has nothing to do with my age.
  
 

The New Workout; Post P90X

  After a little bit of research and advice from a friend back home, I decided to obtain Turbofire *coughinternetcough*. I know it's not great that I'm not paying for these things...but they're so dang expensive, and I'd rather have digital copies that don't take up any space (except on my hard drive) so I can take them places easier.
  Honestly I have so far only tried two of the videos so far. Many of the other workouts call for resistance bands, which I don't have. I decided to design my own workout routine by combining P90X and the cardio from Turbofire and kick into high gear these last few weeks while I can. Then, I'm bringing the videos and will be probably sticking to TF cardio a few times a week while we're at home on leave.
  Even after three months of P90X, Turbofire kicked. my. ass. It made me feel like I was back at square one, completely breathless and out of shape, heart pounding out of my chest. And that was just Fire 30 and HIIT 10! (The supposedly shortest and easiest.) I'm not great at Plyometrics, the stuff that calls for lifting your feet off the ground and getting your knees up high. I don't know why but my brain isn't used to making my body do this stuff. It's insane. But I kinda like it more every time I do it.
  I'm going to keep doing Fire 30 until I can work my way up to longer workouts. I've put together a new workout schedule based on what I want to work on and it goes something like this:

Day 1: P90X Shoulders, Arms, Triceps followed by Ab Ripper X. Hell yes.
Day 2: A cardio of my choosing, whether it be Turbofire, Kempo X, Cardio X or some Just Dance 2&3 on the Wii. Depending on the intensity, 30-60+ minutes.
Day 3: P90X Legs and Back followed by Ab Ripper X again. This isn't my favorite workout as it's pretty intense, but I'd like to do it anyway.
Day 4: Same as Day 2
Day 5: Cardio of choosing + Ab Ripper X
Day 6: Stretch day, maybe light cardio
Day 7: Rest day

  I tend to switch around my rest day, but the point is I tried to cover muscles I wanted to work on and stuck in a lot of cardio to burn fat. So far I'm addicted to Turbofire. It seems ridiculous when you watch it, and that Charlene Johnson is really enthusiastic and silly but man does she get the job done. You can't make fun of it once you've done it and wake up incredibly sore the next day. 

  I'm pretty stoked for all the cardio! I think it's a good mix and I'm ready to look amazing again. People have actually noticed a difference since I did P90X and it's been really awesome to get compliments. So I'm kicking into high gear to burn the rest of this fat so I can start feeling a whole lot more confident.

  I'm getting my body back, one day at a time.

Moving (With Animals) Is Complicated

  I put this up on Instagram but there wasn't any room to explain what happened yesterday when we took all of our pets to the vet. It was Ramses first time, and it was quickly apparent we should've gotten her in much sooner.
  Not that she was sick or anything. No, she's in great health. But since she had to catch up on some shots she couldn't get her blood drawn for a FAVN test. Japan doesn't have rabies at all, so they have lots of laws to keep it out, including the extensive process animals (only dogs and cats) have to go through before being imported.
  The timing couldn't be worse. Hey if we knew we were going overseas say, oh, three months ago we'd be good to go. Once their blood is drawn, they have to either stay in the states for a few months waiting for the results, or be kept in a facility once they get to Japan and be under a strict quarantine we have to pay for to keep them there.
  The dogs got their blood drawn. But Ramses can't till next month. No matter what we do, our animals will have to stay behind for a certain period of time. Where? With who? I feel terrible.
  Not to mention this two pet rule I'm trying to get around. Emotional Animal Support is part of the American Disabilities Act; it states that an owners pet must be kept with them as emotional support. It's something you have to get some kind of doctors note for, I'm not clear on the details. But nobody knew what I was talking about! My doctor didn't know so she told me to call the vet. The vet didn't know and told me to call them back.
  It wasn't till I wandered around a different hospital on base and found a wing for EFMP (exceptional family members program) that I found a lady who knew what I wanted. But she too told me to leave and call somebody else on Monday.
  I am sick and tired of this runaround bullshit. I have yet another doctors appointment on the 11th, and will probably have two more for overseas evaluation and any shots I need. We're running out of time fast.
  Did I mention it's now three years if I go instead of two?
 
  It's enough to make me want to give up and find a place in Arizona. Ugh but I can't.

A Dose of Corgi: Poor Puppies

  Ever since we sold the bookshelves and things have started to feel a little more chaotic, the dogs seem to know something is up. They're even friendlier and more obedient, but they can't seem to hardly finish one meal, and we normally feed them two.
  I know animals sense big things. It would seem my stress is contagious. They seem okay otherwise. They play like normal, they still drink water at least, and really like to snuggle more than usual. But every time we start rearranging things they seem to mope, giving sad looks as they watch us work.
  I've tried the "you can't come out till you've finished your food" method, but it seems if I did that they'd be in there all day! They don't bother eating until they go to bed, or if we put them away when we go out for the evening. I know they eat grass outside sometimes, so I guess their bellies aren't completely empty all the time. It's still a little concerning.
  I hope we can make it through this move alright. Most of all I hope we can take them with us. Either way something is going to change, and they're going to be scared and confused. I feel bad for them already. :(