See How Dorky Cool I am?!

This picture taken at Primanti Bros! And if you know Primanti Bros, here is the group for you:

Burgh Moms Club.

:)

Interview!

I have a job interview today, for a job that I really, really, really, really want. More details to follow... but let's just say it's a major first step in getting the career of my dreams, and I'd be working in an industry that revolves around a passion of mine.

Last year was a very rough year for me, but things are turning around. Sometimes I think bad things happen for a reason.

Whenever one door closes, another one opens... remember?

So, I need this job. Not because it pays a fortune (it doesn't, and I'm leaving something that potentially could for something that I'm passionate about, because life is too short...). I need it because I need to do what I love. I need to know that my life is moving in the direction it was meant to. I need to hold onto that hope, I need to know that I do control my own destiny and If I want my life to be a certain way, I can't just sit on my ass and cry and hope that something magical will happen and POOF things will be ok.

But, anyway...

I will update, of course!

You Asked...

...So I'll answer!! Some of these are kind of tough. Here we go:

Sandy wants to know: "Do you take coffee and practice yoga at the same time?"

I wish! Haha. No, I'm not that talented. I used to go to Yoga class at The Yoga Loft faithfully every Tuesday evening. I haven't been there much lately, but I do try to practice at home when I can. I have my own Yoga Mat and some books and Yoga cards. The coffee thing, I'm pretty much drinking all the time... except when doing yoga, and taking a shower, and sleeping. There's coffee running through my veins instead of blood. Heh.

Kelly wants to know: "Most embarrassing moment of your life?"

This one is tough. I don't get embarrassed easily! I was a strange, goofy child... so I'm sure I did a lot of embarrassing things, just nothing that actually embarrassed me. I do remember one thing, though. When I was a young teenager, there was a local radio station at the mall. I happened to have a harmonica with me, and they let me play camptown races and amazing grace live on the air. I kept acting insanely goofy, I kept messing up the song, I was being a total show off. Looking back, I can only imagine the things they must have said about me after I had left! I'm sure there's more, If I think of them I will post them.

Angel wants to know: "What tattoos do you have, and where are they?"

I will post photos of them another time, but I have 5 tattoos. My very first was a tiny, purple butterfly on the back of my right shoulder. I also have a larger, more colorful butterfly on my upper left arm. I am obsessed with butterflies, I love everything they stand for... freedom and change. I also have a Ring of Fire around my left ankle, a tribal desing with a rose on my outer right ankle, and a cute, colorful koi fish on my inner right ankle. I also love the things the koi fish stands for... perserverance in adversity and strength of purpose.

"What would you wear to an exhibition of invisible man-eating zombie llamas?"

I wouldn't go! But, If I had to go, I would wear a suit made of seaweed. Because everyone knows man-eating zombie llamas are severely allergic to seaweed. It's like poison to them!!

"Have you always gone everywhere with a camera in your hand?"

It all started in Jr.High. In art class, we had a semester on photography and I fell in love. I bought a cheap, junky 35mm camera and had it with me all the time. Since then I have gone through a few different cameras, and I love digital the best! I honestly don't feel as though I have a drop of talent but I love it, and that's all that matters!

"What would you wear for camouflage if you were hiding in a gingerbread house?"

Brown Sugar! No, wait... I totally would not hide camouflaged in a gingerbread house, because who I was hiding from might accidently eat me.

"in what shape would you make a device capable of destroying the Earth, and where would you keep it?"

I would not make a device capable of destroying the Earth, because I'm a pacifist!

"What do you like to read?"

Almost everything!! I'm such a bookworm. I love books like One Flew Over the Cuckoos nest, 1984, The Catcher in the Rye, The Bell Jar, Slaughterhouse Five. I also like Shakespeare. I LOVE poetry! Old, classic poetry, as well as the newer, modern funky poetry. I love Jack Kerouac... his books and his poems. I have also read quite a few books from the Oprah Book Club, and have enjoyed most of them as well. I don't like trashy romance novels though!

Such Simple Pleasures wants to know:

"What are your guilty pleasures?"

Starbucks!! I find this a guilty pleasure for several reasons: They are SO expensive and do I really need a five dollar cup of coffee? (The answer to that is yes, by the way). Also, they are so corporate. I should really be driving around looking for a smaller coffee shop to frequent. Sigh.

"Who are you celebrity crushes?"

You're all going to laugh at me. Jimmy Fallon is one. Greg Graffin from Bad Religion is the other. Heh.

"What is your biggest insecurity?"

Egads. This is a tough one too. I have come a loooooong way as far as any self-esteem issues go. I'm going to go with art and creativity, such as photography and writing, etc. I always have this overwhelming urge to be creative, but then my brain shuts down. The thoughts creep in... you're not good enough. No one will like it.

"Why did you start blogging and what did you expect from it?"

Another great question! Well, I've always kept numerous journals and scrapbooks. I love the internet and technology. I'm a very social person, I like meeting new people and networking. I guess I figured this was one way to bring all of those elements together. I'm not sure what I expected from it, but I can tell you that I am not disapointed!

Whew, my brain hurts now. If I didn't get to your questions tonight, I promise I will get to them tomorrow! This will also allow more time for more people to ask me anything!

Strange Facts

I've been tagged! I'm glad, too. I have to post because of NaBloPoMo but I am sooo tired and I don't feel so great, therefore I can't think of anything better to blog about.

This is also why I have not been keeping up with my blog reading and commenting the past few days... sorry!

Anyway, Here you go:

7 Weird or Strange or Unknown Facts About Me:

1. I'm not much of a pizza fan. This may not seem so weird, but wait... when I do eat pizza, it has to be round. None of those square "big daddy" type deals. I honestly think square pizza tastes awful.

2. I can play Camptown Races on the harmonica.

3. I don't like ice in water. I know, I know... ice is water, but seriously? It makes water taste gross.

4. When I was a kid, I got a huge kick out of blowing bubble-gum bubbles with my nose. Ewww.

5. I have recurring nuclear war nightmares, and have for a long time. It freaks me out!

6. I take Coumadin, which is a blood thinner. This may not seem so strange, but it is rare for someone my age to be on this. Plus, it's mostly "unknown" to my bloggy buddies. I have to get blood tests done every week. It's a huge pain. (I was hospitalized in January with a Pulmonary Embolism.

7. When I was a kid, I would consistantly freak my sister out by correctly predicting what song would come on the radio next. I can only do this to some extent now.

That was fun! I am tagging: YOU!

The ABC's of Me

Since I am a relatively new blogger, and since the theme for NaBloPoMo is lists, I decided to create my own little MeMe and tell everyone more about yours truly. Here it is, The ABC's of Me.

Amanda. This is my first name.
Beauty. I try to find it in ordinary, everyday things.
Coffee. My diet mainly consists of this.
Democrat. Actually, I'm probably a little more liberal than your average democrat.
Eggrolls. I love Chinese food.
Family. The most important thing in the world to me!
Gardens. I love to get "dirty" and plant things.
Happy Pills. I take them, who doesn't?
Ice. I have a strange phobia of walking/driving on ice.
Jokes. I love a good laugh!
Kites. Nothing can quite compare to the feeling of flying a kite high in the sky on a windy day.
Love. We need more of it in the world.
Music. Rock n' Roll, baby! New rock, classic rock, punk rock, alternative rock.
Numbers. I hate them. I'm not a math person.
Old Buildings. I love seeing historical places. Old buildings and houses have so much more character than newer ones. It's almost like they have a soul of their very own.
Photos. I take my camera everywhere.
Questions. I ask alot of them. I always have.
Reading. I'm the bookworm queen of all bookworms.
Stars. Are awesome. The ones in the sky, not in Hollywood.
Trouble. I had my fair share of this when I was younger.
Uhhh.. Um.. Underwear! I prefer the cotton bikini's myself.
Vehicle. I drive a 2005 Chevy Aveo. I really want a hybrid.
Webkinz. They are just too damn cute!
X-rays. Too many, when I was hospitalized for a pulmonary embolism.
Yarn. I love touchng yarn, I love buying yarn... almost more than I actually love knitting with it.
Zest. For life. Not the soap.

If you're reading this and would like to try this out, consider yourself tagged!

Love and Hate

I was tagged by Juliana, and now I am tagging anyone who reads this. What do you love? What do you hate? Here's mine:

Loves
My family, being a mother, thunderstorms, seeing new things, seeing new places, trying new things, taking pictures, reading, poetry, music, anything unique, open minds, free thinkers, beads, reading with my daughter, painting with my daughter, being outdoors, spring, summer, fall, the ocean, the desert, coffee, campfires, yoga, driving with the radio up loud, the internet, peace, and lots lots more.

Hates
Goerge W. Bush, rudeness, winter, mashed potatoes, snooty stuck up people, war, the fact that there are so many starving children and families in the world, liver and onions, violence, most romance novels, and probably lots more.

Let me know if you do this on your blog! :)

My Bucket List

I haven't even seen the movie, but I have seen a lot of bloggers posting their bucket lists (things you want to do before you kick the bucket) so I figured I might as well hop on the bandwagon. Coming up with this list was a lot harder than I thought it would be!

First of all, I want to make sure I do the very best I can raising my daughter. I want her to be independant, smart, creative. I want her to know how to think for herself and stand up for what she believes in. I want her to be strong and disciplined, but free-spirited.

Next, I want to someday live somewhere that's warm all year round, and has breath-taking scenery. Possibly a beach, or even Arizona. I hate the cold!!!

I want to visit soooo many places before I die, and take amazing pictures while there. This list includes but is not limited to Ireland, Australia, Egypt, New Orleans, California, New York City.

I want to make peace with anyone I need to make peace with. I want to leave this world on good terms with everyone, I want closure where closure is needed.

I want to go sky diving, learn to ride a motorcycle, get a poem published, learn to knit, grow a vegetable garden, and grow my hair really really long.

I'm sure there's more, but these things all popped in my head as I was typing this. What would be on your bucket list?

Imperfect and Proud!

Obviously there is no such thing as perfect mother. This is due partly to the fact that we are all humans, and partly due to the fact that it's all objective anyway... what seems really good to one mother may seem awful to another. I've decided to not only accept the fact that I am not a perfect mother, but to be proud of that fact. So here it is... a partial list of some of the reasons I am not perfect:

1. I don't always make the bed.
2. Clutter is ok in my book.
3. My child does not always eat organic. Sometimes, she even eats (GASP!) McDonalds.
4. I don't ban junk food. Moderation, people!
5. Some people may believe that the fact that I do not spank or believe in spanking makes me imperfect, but I actually think this a good thing!
6. I have tattoos which means, of course, my daughter will grow up to be a hooligan like me.
7. I let her listen to regular music, including some rock, punk, etc.
8. I didn't spend 2 million dollars so she could go to the Hannah Montana concert.
9. I didn't teach her sign language when she was a baby. (I did, however, try those baby mozart CD's... a lot of good that did since she now wants more than anything to play the electric guitar and currently owns her very own drum set...)
10. She is allowed to watch TV. Again, Moderation!
11. Sometimes, I DO give in to whining.
12. Sometimes, I will let her argue her point with me. She will make a wonderful lawyer someday, I'm sure.
13. She can't carry a tune to save her life, but desperatly wants to be a rock star when she grows up..well, that and an astronaut... but I have yet to tell her the truth about her talent or lackthereof. I have visions of her making a fool of herself on American Idol someday.
14. Sometimes when we go out in public her hair is messy and her socks don't match.

I'm sure there's more, but this list is a pretty good start, don't ya think?