Day 3 Saturday Recap – Con Love

Saturday around here is crowded! Like seriously fucking crowded. There are lines everywhere and lines to get to lines. At one point I was even in a line to get inside for a line that goes outside, just to come back inside the same building. I shit you not. I have realized two truths about it all. 1 - Southerners are for shit when it comes to queuing up. 2 - you get anywhere you want to be faster if you go by conga line.

The one thing that all the crowds and lines can't damper is the desire for greatest of passions. No not gaming, but instead, the desire for Con Love. Most people come with specific things they want to accomplish. Find that hard to locate special edition toy, hear tales gone by from Doctors that travel all of time and space, Meet Patrick Stewart. Alex came with bigger tasks in mind, Con Love. Every passing nerd is a potential soul mate. She has fallen in con love twice so far. Unfortunately she only knows them by the Con persona.

We have two more days left for her to reconnect. Much like summer love, con love is a strong sweet mistress but unfortunately it is also fleeting. Before DragonCon packs up and leaves town we have to locate her Doctor.

 

 

Also Maribel is still looking for her Optimus Prime !

 

 

If you know these guys hit us up Con love doesn't find itself!

- Golden @theonlygolden

 

Also we've dropped 4 Geek Drop bags but have only heard from one ... so yeah if you got one hold up your end of the bargain, hit us up and let us know you found em, three more bags to drop before leaving the Con. You remember the rules right?!

 

DragonCon Geek Bag Drop Details

Day 2 recap -Friday funday ‏

Friday was the day! Most people have checked in and gotten dressed. Time to turn up! There are a lot of celebrities at DragonCon and in the city of Atlanta this weekend. There are celebrities here that carry a very impressive body of work and are worth standing in line for. But so far there has been nothing more impressive than the level of Cosplay!

It ranges from people who tinkered around on their old sewing machine at home to people who have fully involved electronics. But at whatever level, beginner to professional, everybody has worked hard and is proud of their artwork!

 

  

Somebody asked how you decide who or what you want to be. I think the answer is that you pick what calls to you. Whatever you find that has a little part of itself worked into who you are, and when you create your vision, you end up putting yourself into your character. It's a full circle of beauty and everyone is beautiful!

I am just one out of four of our group. I was concerned that Maribel would be the least interested of us. Prior to coming she showed no interest in costuming. The only costume we could talk her into wasn't even picked out by her. Alex and I put it together, she was just going to endure it. Her only prerequisite was that we didn't make her look stupid or stand out. She sings a different tune now. I wish I could have captured the look on her face when she saw a fully mechanical, musical Optimas Prime. Halfway thru the day she was begging for us to create a costume for her to look amazing and stand out. Ah what 24hours can do to a person.

DragonCon is great about bringing celebrities and well known persons to this city but so far it's been worth coming just for the Cosplay alone. If all I do all weekend long is party and watch Cosplayers preform, it will have been money well spent. Seeing some of my favorite tv and movie personalities is just icing on the cake!

-Golden @theonlygolden

Geek Drop Success

**UPDATE**
Marcy sucks and left the bag at the hotel... So we'll do the 2nd drop tomorrow. Marcy says she's sorry but I think it is just so we'll let her back into the room.
**UPDATE**

The first geek drop at DragonCon happen this morning and was a success.

Golden sent out this tweet ...

#GeekDrop small bag has been dropped. Check out the Hyatt. #GoodLuck #SayWhatMG

It was found by @NinjaTimeTravel who found the 80s themed bag with a TMNT pillowcase (see below).

Thanks for playing, the next drop will be tonight as we head to the Arthur Dent Pajama Party ! Maybe we'll see some of you guys there!

 

If you need a reminder of the Geek Drop details go here Geek Drop Details

Pre-Con Madness

Hello all! Me and my crew are officially at DragonCon in Atlanta. The con doesn't actually begin until Friday but you wouldn't know that. Most people are not only checking in on Thursday but checking out the location. A lot of the programs are offering newbie educational tracks, meet & greet tracks, and parties. Lots of partying to be had by all.

We were able to get our badges/ memberships pretty easily. It took longer to walk the "cattle chute" line set up than it did to get it. We pre-ordered so it was a simple set up of following the blue line into the Sheraton, we only had a 5-10 min wait.

Checking into our hotel taught me that yes, we did bring all the things. All. The. Fucking. Things.

  

We checked out some locations, met anybody that was willing to talk and thought I was briefly going to die when Bane kept trying to grab my arm. There are WAY more people here already in full cosplay and/or party mode than I thought there would be for it to be pre-con. But we wouldn't have it any other way.

We celebrated, danced, laughed and were merry. I made it to the hotel in time to see Defiance replay. Everybody is trying to get a few hours of sleep before the beginning of the Con madness but I am still up. Not unusual. I will say even though I am having a blast, I am very much missing my crackbaby LuLu. I tried to call here earlier to check on her but she had a few friends over to play poker, as Canine-Americans do and she said she couldn't talk. Hopefully she is ok but I doubt she is missing me.

Tomorrow DragonCon officially kicks off, Friday, in Atlanta. Hope to see some of you out and about!

DRAGON CON TIME!!!!!

WE ARE HERE!!!!!!! Golden and I and a few friends are sitting in our hotel, it’s the calm before the big geeky Dragon Con storm that is hitting Atlanta as I type. We have all checked in and we are now Dragon Con official.

There are some Newbie events tonight that we are thinking of attending just to see the lay of the land so that tomorrow we aren’t blindsided by the going-on’s around us. I am super excited that we are here. Not only cause it’s the first real vacation I’ve had in nearly 2 years, but because the people I’m with are pretty fantastic! So far the randoms that we've met are pretty awesome too!

As we unpacked Golden was showing her Dragon Con Swag Bags (get the details about the Geek Bags here) to us, she has some “80s themed” bags; a “So Pink” girly bag; a Psych  bag; a Gamer bag; Star Wars bags; and a Heroes themed bag. Some of the bags have t-shirts, books, stickers, chargers, etc., The girl has gone all out on these. We’ll start dropping them tomorrow morning after the “start” of the Con. So follow @theonlygolden for hints and tips on where to find these bags throughout the weekend.

Whether you find a bag or not I hope everyone who is here enjoys the Con and has fun, cause that’s what we intend to do.

ALSO remember as @wilw said before the San Diego Con “This is a good and necessary time to remind everyone that cosplay ≠ consent. Be polite. Be respectful. Don't be a dick!”

It Begins.....

So today is my last day of work before my weeklong vacation starts! It's probably the closest thing to senior-itis I experience as a grown ass adult. I just have to get through today. While I'm working, Marcy is en route to my house. It's supposed to take like 6 hours for her to get here but she makes it in 4, OK FINE 4.5 incase her parents stumble onto this blog. Safety first. We will wake Thursday and head to Atlanta for the amazing DragonCon.

I'm packed, well as packed as I'm gonna be. I will either be adequately dressed or running around Atlanta sans pants, only time will tell. The suitcase is closed and zipped so there is no going back. I have my themed outfits ready. I say "themed outfits" because I have seen cosplay that would blow your mind! This ain't it. I am in awe of the artists that produce such elaborate pieces. Essentially I just want to play dress-up and that's what I intend to do.

I will be dressing as the TARDIS because I'm a lover of Doctor Who. I will be dressing as sleepy kitty for the Arthur Dent Pajama Party. I will be hitting up the zombie prom. I will be Princess Darth Vader, just because I live on the dark side doesn't mean I can't feel pretty! And I will be dressing as a rainbow unicorn because I'm fucking magical!

So right now I am in pre-vaca limbo. A constant state of still needing to get tasks accomplished, but really really just not giving a fuck if those tasks do get accomplished. It's horrible I know. I will get it all done, I always do. But if my coworkers know what's good for them, they will stay out of my way. Come quitting time I'm out this bitch, blink and you will miss me!

 

 

DragonCon here WE come! Friendly reminder to all joining us at DragonCon Golden is doing a Geek Drop !!! Details here http://saywhatmg.blogspot.com/2014/08/dragoncon-geek-drop.html 

DragonCon Geek Drop

I have finally got everything prepared to do a Geek Drop during DragonCon! What's a geek drop? Well it's when I get together lots of geek orientated swag and make bags. I then take those bags and put them throughout DragonCon so that lucky con goers can find them.

So if you are going to DragonCon and find one of my Geek Drop bags, SURPRISE! You just got free shit!!! (who doesn’t love free shit!?)

There is no real reason I'm wanting to do this other than I just love giving things away, I like getting free things too but today let’s focus on giving! I hope that these Geek Drop Bags bring an element of surprise and a smile to anybody who finds one, whether in costume or not. 

To increase your chances of finding a Geek Drop prize bag, follow my twitter account @theonlygolden because I will be posting the theme of the bags and clues to where they can be found as I drop them off. The only thing I ask in return is that when you find one, let me know who you are and where you are from, drop me a tweet so I’ll know that someone out there is enjoying there Geek Swag!

Easy right?! Totally easy. No muss, no fuss, nothing but sweet ass free geek swag! Good luck! And may the odds be ever in your favor!

-Golden (@theonlygolden)

Music Saves My Soul....

So in case you are new to this this blog, or just not paying attention (and I totally get that) we are going on a trip. By we, I mean Golden and I are going to Dragon Con, not we meaning me and you reader, sorry you'll have to make your own travel plans. HUGS! :D I will be on vacation in just a few days. I’ve packed my bags, I’ve got my electronic devices charging as I type, stuff at work is handled… kinda …. So I’m ready to get in the car and go.

Well wait…. I have one thing left to do. I have to figure out what music to put on my Flashdrive for to listen to in the car. I have this dilemma a lot. Do I go with the music I love which will make for a quick drive or go with the music I’ve not listened to much, say new albums that I haven’t taken the time to really listen to, which may result in a long trip, cause I might not "dig" them as much as I had hoped. 

It’s like that question if you are going to a desert island which books would you take. Would you take the books you always wanted to read or the ones that you could read over and over and never get tired of it? However the real question to this question is why the hell are you going to a desert island for the rest of your life and why is your literature the biggest issue of your day? You are going to a desert island maybe take a book out and put some water or food in that bag, or a knife to catch food with, what I’m saying is you should reevaluate your priorities.

Back to my issue, cause let’s face it … it’s about me … and well Golden, but right now it’s about me and my needs. Golden has already told me she’s getting the music set for the trip to Atlanta. That said I’m going to have about 8 hours in a car where I need to entertain myself.

I have a NINJA flash drive, thanks to Golden, so it can protect my important documents and nothing is more important to me than music. Music can transport you to another time and place even if only in your mind. A song you heard during a critical moment can come on and you are immediately back in that moment. A song can make you smile, or make you cry, or make you angry all in the same verse. A song entertains, it tells a story, it teaches you something, or its just white noise so you can focus. Whatever music does for you it does something completely different for someone else. That’s what I love about music. No two people will hear the same song and feel it the same way.

This is why it’s going to be hard for me to pick just a few artist or songs to dictate this trip. I have too many choices, too many artist, albums, songs. It’s kind of ridiculous if you think about it, I’d have so much more money if there weren’t so many talented people on this planet, then again I’d also punch people in the face more often so yeah guys get in those studios make your craft and share it with the world. Plus I have XM Radio so if the thumb drives sucks... I can always fall back on that.

I love to be introduced to new music so hit me up…. @beaslma

PS I can’t create a music post on this day without telling the world that MARKUS FOX is  now an AWARD winning artist!!!!!!! This Country artist in on the rise especially after his Nashville Independent Music Award for Song Of The Year for I’m Still Coming Home!

 

 

Check it out here cause I’m just that proud of this man! No matter what makes it to my NINJA Flashdrive you better believe that Thinkin’ Out Loud will be on there.

 

 www.markusfox.com

Peter Pan might have been right all along…

I have spent the entire day packing for our trip to Dragon Con. Literally. Well ok…there was a break where Golden and I got on the phone and talked about logistics of this trip. There wasn’t a lot of packing done during that time. Mental packing…yes, list making..yes, actual putting things in bags…well that came later. I know once my work week starts packing will be impossible so I tried to get the bulk of the packing done today. I think I was successful.

I have condensed my stuff into 2 bags, which is good cause I think Golden might need a minivan. One I intend to take out at Golden’s and the other that will stay in the car and head to the Con. I will need a bag for my bathroom stuff and my electronic stuff but that will get packed the night before I leave (or the morning of).

One thing I’ve learned during this process is that I apparently need to grow up. I have packed most of my “geekish” shirts for this trip, sadly not all made the cut. I have two Voltron shirts (the Defender of the Universe), a Transformers T sporting “Soundwave” (Note: not the crappy soundwave that is apparently an airplane now, but the old school boom box as he should be.), some Marvel T-shirts, and of course a Smurf shirt, to name a few.

 

The bottom line is that my suitcase looks like the suitcase of a 10 year old boy. It’s really kind of ridiculous, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Usually when I wear these shirts in my every day world I get looks from people to have to explain what the shirts are. It almost kills my soul when a young kid walks up to me and says I don’t know that Transformer and I have to explain that it’s Voltron he’s not a Transformer. Then someone has to restrain me as they walk away talking about a knock off t-shirt so that I don’t go beat them to death. Someone has to teach these kids about respect. If not me … who!?

For example several years ago, I walked into Disney world and as most people do stood there for a second to take in all the wonderfulness that was in front of me, PRAISE WALT AND THE VISON HE HAD FOR THE WORLD! It was election time at Disney World and both Winnie the Pooh and Captain Hook were running for Mayor of Disney World. Can you imagine how cool that would be … To be Mayor of the most wonderful place on earth!? If nothing else I’m sure you get to ride without waiting in line. That would totally be worth it!

Anyway I digress…. I walked into Disney World, as stated, and there right in front of me is Winnie The Pooh (one of my all time favorite Disney characters) and I’m just kind of in awe that my first sight is him. I’d imagine it’s like when one walks off a plane in Atlanta and runs into Joss Whedon you are just kind of dumbfounded for a minute then you recover and ask him to bring back Firefly. In the middle of my Pooh coma this kid, who couldn’t have been more than 10, walks up and taps me on the shoulder… “you know he’s not real right?!” Now for full discloser I didn’t know this kid, he wasn’t like some distant relative, or one of my nephews he was just some random kid who just ruined my moment. I’m not overly proud of the obscenities that I yelled in his direction, ok yeah I kind of am, and I’m not proud of the look his momma gave me as she dragged him away, but I am proud of the fact that the kid looked stunned. Like I had literally bitch slapped him across the face, I didn’t but I should have. I like to think that this “confrontation” might make him think next time before he burst the next persons bubble.

Yes I knew it wasn’t the “real” Winnie the Pooh; he lives in England. However did it really hurt anyone that for one brief moment I was super excited by the sight in front of me?! Why did he have to interject his 2 cents?! Then after I calmed down, got my Winnie The Pooh hug, (second best hug I’ve ever gotten from a “character” -- the first will ALWAYS belong to Aubie from the Auburn Tigers), and an ice cream in the shape of Mickey, I realized that kid just flat out sucked. He had lost all the joy in his life in short 10 years. We all have those years where we think we are too grown up for this or that but long to do this or that. Take Halloween for example. At some point we deem ourselves “too old” to participate when in all honesty we all want to go out and get free candy.

So at Dragon Con I’m going to get ALL THE CANDY!!!!!

As Peter Pan says … “All children, except one, grow up.” – I strive to be that one!

 

 

As seen on ... #ScarySocial

Every Saturday night I turn up on Twitter to host some of my followers in a weekly event called #ScarySocial. It includes my followers as well as anyone else with an internet connection and a fan of ChillerTV. I have met lots of awesome people that are loving referred to as #ScarySocialites. Some weeks it's huge, others it's not depending on what else is going on in real life and on the interwebs. Some people come and go, but there is one thing that’s always consistent; Terrible, horrible, no good, very bad, As Seen On TV commercials/products. These commercials are great for a laugh or two and since #ScarySocial is a drinking event we #ScarySocialites take shots for these laughable products (to anyone of drinking age--our SayWhatMG lawyers made me write that ... it's your life do what you want just don't blame us the next morning!) .

 It used to be that these As Seen On TV products could only be purchased off of the annoyingly long infomercials, but we live in amazing times! These amazing As Seen On TV products are now available on the shelves of local establishments of class (I'm looking at you Wal-Mart). I see them and often wonder if they work. I imagine they don't and that I would be foolish to buy them. But what if they are just as magical as they say and I'm foolish for passing them by?

 

Well Marcy purchased for me one of the most popular As Seen On TV products; The Chillow. The infomercial shows it being easy to use and that should you not use it, your head will catch fire. I’m a big fan of my head not catching fire and thus appreciated her thoughtfulness. I was tired of sleeping with a fire extinguisher it’s not nearly as cuddly as my dog Lulu, whom you met the other day. Needless to say, I was super excited to own my very own Chillow!

I pulled it out and found a full book of instructions in many languages. I did a really good job of half ass reading the instructions all the way to step 3 and then lost interest. It tells you to fill with water and then let it settle. Then you gently roll your Chillow towards the opening on order to release the excess air allowing the water to disperse through the entire Chillow. I never have been good at rolling, but I still don't know how I managed to make the damn thing explode. It shot water all over my kitchen and almost drowned me in the process, geeze thanks Marcy (who by the way was there and laughing her ass off instead of handing me a towel but whatever ... it's cool she'll get hers!). Sure ok it might be that I should have read ALL the instructions and that may have had something to do with why the Chillow didn't work properly but I like to think it’s more that it just sucked as a product. The good thing is that when I didn't use it, my head didn't catch fire and I guess at the end of the day that's all that matters plus the lawsuit I intend to discuss with our lawyers for false advertisement. 

Follow me on twitter and join the conversation - @theonlygolden you don't have to watch the movies to join the conversation, sometimes even it's more fun if you don't and just respond to what others are saying. NOTE: Don't watch #ScarySocial alone and don't tweet if you are sensitive, it's not always PG...then again most of us are grown ass adults who don't worry about that stuff.

Catch #ScarySocial fever Saturday nights at 9pm eastern on ChillerTV channel (if you are lucky enough to have it) and tweet along! Tell them #SayWhatMG sent ya!

VACAY Pet Stay and the associated guilt

I am preparing to go on a vacation next week and everything is coming along swimmingly. It's all falling into place. No worries. Well ok, one worry. One big hyper crack baby worry. I have to make arrangements for LuLu.

Tallulah-Toulouse, named for Tallulah Bankhead & Toulouse Lautrec

LuLu is my fur baby. Her full name is Tallulah-Toulouse, named for Tallulah Bankhead & Toulouse Lautrec. She is young, happy and very hyper, not to mention that she has a fabulous backstory, but that’s another post. When I say she is hyper, I mean that she is tweaked out on speed, hyper. But I love her. Just as she is.

I feel horrible leaving her. Like I'm a terrible mom. Sometimes I think it's easier to go on a trip without your kids than it is without your fur babies. Now before all you loving parents of non-furry two legged creatures get all crazy on me. I'm not trying to start shit. Yes I know you are the real heroes, blah blah blah. But when you leave, you can explain to your snotty crying children where you're going, for how long, what to do in case of an emergency, etc. When I sit down with LuLu to explain what's happening and when I will be back, it's like she has a hard time focusing (did I mention that she has cocaine problem).

I don't want to kennel her away from home, I'm afraid it will be traumatic (although it would help with detox). My mom can't have inside pets because her allergies and LuLu is a fan of air conditioning. I don't know anybody willing to house sit for a Canine-American that gets a weekly delivery from her cocaine dealer Pablo Escobark. So I am having family coming in shifts. But damn my family is nosy as hell! They will spend more time going through my things than watching her! And being a drug addled girl in her terrible twos, she needs watching. It really is the only thing stopping me from leaving right now. What's a mom to do? Plus, the worse part of all of this, is that she pawned the cell phone I bought her for more drug money, so I don't know what I'm going to do when I need to talk to her. Sometimes we raise them the best we can, but they still go their own way.

Over 400 views!!!!

Ok so I was typing up this post about how awesome technology is, seriously I love it, I mean I carry a COMPUTER around in my pocket. It keeps me in touch with all the people important to me, and I have another computer that sits on my TV working it’s heart out to keep all my crazy television obsessions at my fingertips. Like I forgot about Wizard Wars on Syfy Tuesday (check it out if you like Magic, if you don’t like Magic watch it anyway and you’ll become a believer if you still don’t like Magic after watching – well just fuck off!)

**COMMERICAL BREAK**
Wizard Wars is a competition series with Penn and Teller which takes viewers behind the scenes of Magic by challenging Magicians to create jaw-dropping illusions using random objects. You wanna watch this show.... check out Justin Flom on youtube to get an idea of what you will be getting while watching this awesome display of Magic.
**COMMERICAL BREAK**
 Then I went back and re read what I wrote and my heat just wasn’t in it, it was a long day at work and after reading it again I can’t imagine why anyone else would want to read it so I’m going to have to work on that one.

However I wanted to post a thank you to whomever is reading this rambling thought catcher. As Golden and I get ready for another epic trip, seriously our trips are amazing – we’ve been to Vegas, we went on a “Katrina remembrance” tour through Mississippi and Louisiana, many trips to casinos in Mississippi, and several other trips to Atlanta to get our theater on – to Dragon Con we’ll try to keep in touch and take each and every one of you with us.

We noticed tonight that we are past over 400 views on this blog and while we don’t know if that’s good or bad we like to think it’s great and we appreciate every single one of you reading these words and still coming back for more.

We will continue to try and not let you down. Have a great week everyone and thank you all for #MakingOurMonday AKA #MSM

Sunday's are for no pants!

Monday thru Friday I work, and I work hard, I know people say that all the time but I really do and if you don't believe me then you can just bite me. Saturday is for chores doing all the things I couldn’t do during the week cause of... well work, and family events (birthday parties, nieces sports activities etc.). Sunday....Sunday is MINE. Sunday is usually the day I refuse to put on pants, the day I send out for food, watch movies, read, basically I do whatever my lazy ass heart desires. However, today is officially 10 days until DragonCon, so this Sunday is for crafting. I hope to have my themed outfits solidified today with the exception of a few online items that have yet to be delivered.

I am a really strange person for so many reasons. However trips stress me out, one way I combat that … is that I’m a HUGE organizer, I make lists of my list so I know every possible scenario is covered, anything outside of my plan can completely ruin me but I recover quickly under the right circumstances.

However I’m equally a HUGE procrastinator. Even though I have a long list of things to do, I keep thinking that I can handle that later and it goes on “Future Golden’s to do list”; unfortunately Future Golden is running out of days, seriously what IS she waiting on? This makes me very excited, extremely panicked, and yet mostly sad cause the faster DragonCon gets here the quicker it will also be over. That being said I would love to stay and chat but I have to get busy cause my Dog just ate my glitter.  

 

As they say, "On the Seventh Day ... the Lord created duct tape!" - Unknown  

Ok so nobody has ever fucking said that....but they totally should have.

College Advice...

In May our office is taken over by all these bodies that no one really knows, who are really quiet and typically just blend into the woodwork. By the end of June these interns start to come out of their shells a little bit, talking with people at the copier, and getting to know people outside of their own department. By July they are starting to come out of their shell and really start to become part of the office. Then in August/September they vanish. Some come back the next year but most of them are never heard of again as they head back to school. Sometimes there is a roving intern that spends a week with each department to get a “real feel” of the company and what we do. Other times the intern is the son/daughter or niece/nephew of one of the mangers.

This year we got our own intern she was really sweet and really nice and did a good job with everything we gave her. She left last week to get ready to head to college for the first time and it got me thinking about what I wish someone had told me when I was headed to college. Granted I wouldn’t have listened cause I was 18 and knew everything but maybe someone will get something out of this list….

If you live on campus or in an apartment you’ll likely be in a place that does not have it’s own washer and drier. You will need quarters and LOTS of them. Hoard them like they are GOLD and beat anyone who tries to take them.

A DVD collection is the best bartering tool in the world. However be warned you need to label your DVDs or you will forever lose your copy of the Labyrinth, or worse your copy of Howard the Duck!

If you live in a dorm, talk to the hall director about being a hall monitor. You basically sit at the front desk, meet all the people in the dorm, and get paid to do your homework. What more could you ask for?!

No matter where you live you will not be living there alone. You will have a roommate or neighbors and you’ll need to get along with those people. They can make your life a living hell otherwise. So kill them with kindness or if it comes to it just kill them but make sure your best friend is ready for your alibi. One must always plan ahead.

DO take the time to do an internship. That experience is invaluable when you are on the job hunt after or near graduation. You can only hear “you have no experience so I can’t hire you” so many times before you go spastic on the interviewer, which will really make you feel better but not help at all in getting the job.

DO take the time to visit your guidance counselor. Don’t wait until the week that everyone else is going (AKA when its time to sign up for next semester’s classes) go between peak periods and really talk to her/him. She/He may be all that’s standing in front of you when it’s your senior year and there’s one spot left in that last class you need for graduation.

Don’t sign up for an 8 am class if you are a night owl. If you like to stay out and goof off at night sign up for late classes. Miss too many of those 8am classes and you are in trouble.

Don’t get in trouble. Definitely don’t fall into a hole that it takes you the next three years of your life to crawl out of. That kind of pressure sucks all the fun out of college. When you are too worried about failing a class than the actual participation in the class you are really selling yourself short. TRUST me on that.

So those are a few of my suggestions on how your time in college can be more enjoyable, who knows I may add to this as things pop up into my head, it’s hard to put 4 years of lessons learned into one post after all. The most important thing I did while in school was walk through the bathroom knock on the door and meet my suitemates. One of whom I’m proud to still call my friend, my best friend, the person that no matter how long we are apart we fall right back into our friendship like we’ve never been apart.

I am writing!

So I’m suppose to use this blog as an opportunity to get my “writing legs back” I thought about making it a weekly thing like maybe a “Writer’s Wednesday” or something like that. Then I thought that felt like pressure, what if I don’t have anything on that Wed?! So I decided that when I felt it was ready I’d post it. Well I have one that I think is ready. It’s kind of long, much longer than any of our other posts but the story dictates that not me :D

I’m not really sure where this came from, I had a weird dream and when I woke up this was eating away at my brain and just had to get out …. So .... here goes...

-----

"KICK"

Life sucks sometimes. Just when you think you have karma beat, along comes life to kick you in the gut. It’s funny though, because at the time of the kick you blame someone dear to you only to realize, many years later, that it was life, not your so-called-loved-one, who had the foot. It could have been any day on the calendar, as they all evidentially start to run together, but this particular kick took place just as the last of the leaves were falling from the trees. I’m not sure why it happened but my so-called-loved-one woke up on a Friday morning and decided that this marriage was no longer going to work.

~Kick~

Bad news never comes on a Monday when you have all week to adjust between a busy schedule of work and taking the kids to school and football practice. No, it comes on a Friday with two days of “what happened” bouncing around in your head as you cut the grass, clean the house, and pretty much do anything that you can to keep that question from coming, but fail miserably.

~Another kick~
             My so-called-loved-one asked me if I would join her for a drive. Thinking it was a good opportunity to spend time together, I agreed. We never left the driveway. It was later discovered that while my so-called-loved-one was ready to end our marriage, telling our young son was another matter. Thus, one of the most confusing and irritating conversations we ever had took place in the front seat of a fairly new Honda Civic, big enough, but not a “family” car my so-called-loved-one told me when we bought it.
~Kick~

“Can’t we talk about this? How can you just make this decision without any discussion?” I pleaded as my so-called-loved-one played with the button at the end of the parking brake. A creaking sound filled the car as she pulled up on the parking break.

“There is really nothing to discuss. I’m just not happy anymore and I don’t think I ever will be, who knows maybe I never was.” My so-called-loved-one said while releasing the parking brake. Now the creek was replaced by a ping as she reset it and then released the parking break again in a cycle so she'd have something to do with her hands.

“You owe it to me to tell me why. A twelve-year relationship can’t just end at the drop of a hat, you have to tell me what’s going on.”

“I don’t know why,” my so-called-loved-one told me, “If I knew why it might could be fixed. I think I’m just tired. Tired of not seeing anyone but Jim all day unless my brother stops by, tired of you never being home and tried of just not mattering to anyone.”

~Kick~

I couldn’t believe that my so-called-loved-one felt that way, “not matter?” I said as I stared in disbelief at the dolphin air freshener that stopped working a long time ago but neither of us threw away. “My god what have I done wrong to make you feel that way. When I took this job you knew I would have to travel a lot.”

“I just..I didn’t realize it would be so hard.”

“So, let’s work on it. Please don’t just walk away without us at least giving it a try. What will we tell Jim?”

“Nothing! I can’t face him. He is a smart boy he’ll figure it out.”

~Kick~

“And when he does he’ll hate you. Are you willing to deal with that?”

“He’ll understand.”

“He’ll hate you!” I yelled back.

“Stop it! He won’t! Please stop! Don't do this to me!”. My so-called-loved-one yelled back.

“You leave like this and he will. Leave like this and you can never come back. Do you realize this?”

“Yes, I do. It is why I don’t want to wait until he is older. If I leave now there is still a small chance he could forgive me one day. If I wait, the chance is gone. Now, please get out of the car, I’m ready to go.”

I glanced around the car hoping this Civic would give me an argument, instead I saw a small bag in the backseat. Even the dolphin had stopped swinging back and forth.

“Your suitcase is already packed.” She said nothing looking forward.

~Kick~

“So there is nothing I can say? Nothing I can do.” My so-called-loved-one’s head fell south.

~Kick~

A tap on the window interrupted us. It was Jim, My so-called-loved-one continued to examine the floor. I opened the door to get out of the car. It wasn’t even closed before my so-called-loved-one turned the key, the car came alive, and she took her drive - alone.

~Kick~

My so-called-loved-one never looked into the rearview mirror while driving away from all that we had shared together.

~The hardest kick of all~

 

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So there it is .... I'd love some feedback .... or you can tell me this is stupid never do it again I won't listen but at least I'll know I need to do better or you have horrible taste ... either or I'm gonna keep writing cause that's what I do...well did..and I want to do it again. :D