Capable

Today I wanted to blog about something that's both funny, and somewhat sad. Parents, living through their children: is it real or do they just want what's best for their little chillens?

I once watched a documentary on the human mind and what makes a person evil. The message I took from it was this: all of us, given certain situations and circumstances, are capable of evil. Going to my sister's soccer game tonight sort of cemented these beliefs into my mind.

As the game starts, most of the parents are calm, just settling down into their cheap folding chairs and saying hi to one-another with a warm and friendly smile. The scene is mildly stimulating and the girls have the butterflies that most people get when they are about to participate in a sporting event. As the whistle blows, they sit back and watch the show. Things are comfortable, and those on the sidelines don't really recognize the other team's fans or the ref, really. I thought it was always other team's fans that went crazy, not mine... I found tonight that I was seriously mistaken.

A girl from the other team runs into one of our girls; our girl falls to the ground the parents sit up a little in their seats when the expected sound of a whistle is failed to be heard. A couple parents mutter to each other about the incident, but we continue on with the game. A few more repeats of this happen and the parents begin to get anxious. They start to say things at the ref and fuel each other's flames with angry comments and quick hand gestures. The rest happens very quickly.

Parents begin to scream at the ref with each call, as if every word were a daggar being thrown at him.
"Are you kidding me? Open your eyes ref."
"How much are they paying you?"
"Oh go choke on your whistle!"
"Give me a *#(^@* break!!!"
I kid you not, these things were said, or rather screamed, at my 14 yr. old sister's soccer game this evening.

The veins in one man's head begin to become noticeable as they bulge out of his forehead and the spit flies from his mouth. The coach's constant screaming becomes inaudible and we start to tune him out. The fans from the other team are now noticeable and they become the secondary enemy. First, the ref.

The third enemy is of course the other team. Because at this particular game the girls are especially evil, throwing sneaky elbows at our players and making unfair trips and shoves. Are they trying to break our girls' ankles and put them in the hospital?

Of course, we are all so very BIASED, hahahaha. In fact, much of this isn't really happening at all; it's just what our little brains twist into reality.

These once-pleasant parents who greeted you at the beginning of the game and offered you dinosaur-shaped fruit snacks have now been transformed into savages. They are cheering when your team forcefully knocks their oponent to the ground. They hollar with laughter when a call goes in their favor whether it is fair or not. They're bloodthirsty animals who would do anything to see their daughter's team win.

The funny thing is, we're all capable of this insanity lol.

Summer/Recently

So it's almost summer. I can't wait. I don't exactly know what I'm excited for, just the fact that it's "summer" and everyone looks forward to "summer." There are a few things that I don't like about summer though..

First thing to mention is bugs. Most people don't really like bugs, but I on the other hand loathe them. I don't think I'd hate them so much if I didn't live next to a field of doom and had to murder at least 3 spiders and 10 earwigs every freakin day of my life once the temperature starts to increase and summer comes. For some reason, I have this theory that all the bugs in the field just sit over there, on the other side of the fence, and plot and scheme about ways to get into my house, majorly to crawl on my skin and make me freak out like a small child. Evil little things...

There are also the bees. I don't know if most people would consider bees as "bugs" but to me, they qualify. Creepy, crawly, fly-ey, bitey, nasty, pokey, shiny, ugly, etc. etc. The worst is when you're in your car, you've got your sweet tunes on and your windows down to feel the cool breeze that provides temporary relief to the insane heat. Just as your favorite song comes on and you stop for a stoplight, you see it. The wasp or bee starts speeding towards your car like it's being pulled by some magnetic force. You reach for the window roller-upper (hopefully you have an automatic one, otherwise you're screwed and you might as well not even try) to try to beat the bee and block it with the seemingly invisible force field. Sometimes you make it, the wasp slams into the window with a smack and you smugly smile to yourself at beating the small bug. You:1, Bug: 0. Sometimes though, you don't make it. And now it's your life on the line. When the light unfortunately turns green, you can continue driving and try not to get a stinger in your eyeball as you swerve across the road and into someone else's lane, or you can try "shooing" out the insect while looking like a crazy psycho to those around you. It's kind of a lose-lose situation.

Another thing I dislike about the summer is the fact that it's now swimsuit season. Sure, that'd be fine if I were a guy or a petite little chickadee but, alas, I am not. I'm an athletic-shaped girl who's gained a few pounds since high school. What's funny is you think you look horrible and everyone looks like a supermodel but really, it's a rare few who look that great or who even care what YOU yourself look like. Stupid women, we're kind of a helpless bunch when it comes to not worrying about what others think lol.

Done with summer discussion, although there are probably about a million other things I like/don't like about "summer." Perhaps I'll blog about them another time..

Now, on to more recent things. Last Sunday I got back from an awwwwesome trip with Pete and his family. We went to Capital (Capitol?) Reef down in Southern Utah. Needless to say, it was an adventure. I'd never heard of it.. but don't really know why. It was a vacation, but not typical for me. The family went on like 3 hikes every day, and hardly sat down to relax and be lazy (quite different from my family vacations, hahaha). But it was fun. Most of our time was, like I said, spent hiking and also hunting lizards. Yes that's right, they hunt lizards. Perhaps hunting isn't the appropriate word because they just catch them and let them go, but it's so friggin funny to watch. The landscapes were beautiful, the food was good, and the company was fantastic. If only I could shower everyday (although I'm told this is NOT camping) then the trip would have been near-perfect.

Relief

So I just thought I'd get on here and say how friggin nice it is to only worry about work. No more school for now! I've always taken classes in the summer until this summer; I'm taking a break. It's SO nice. I don't even know what to do with myself most of the time lol. Anywho, life is good, I'm a lucky girl :)

Besides that, things are going super well. Work is nice and the kids (and staff) are ready for SUMMER! It's nice to be able to take the kids outside to play so they're not stuck inside all day. Unfortunately, one day it's nice and sunny, I'm wearing flip-flops, and the next day it's snowing in the mountains and it's raining and snowing in town. Welcome to Utah.

Oh, another nice thing about no classes is reading, drawing, playing video games, and seeing my boo. I'm kind of a book worm and it's so nice to read a book rather than a text book for a change. I'm re-reading a few books first and then will start some new ones after that. I've been drawing and painting with some of my spare time, it's so nice! Too bad I haven't seen Pete as much as I'd like... he's working crazy hours and our schedules conflict. D.U.M.B.

Can't wait to SWIM, play soccer everyday, and have fun. I kinda like summer :)

AFD and the Pranks

Today was pretty eventful and hilarious. First off, I wake up to some weird text from Peter telling me to "just go along with it." I had no idea what he was talking about or why he woke me up so early (NOT a morning person) and he then explained that he was telling everyone on facebook that him and I were engaged. At first I thought it was funny and it'd be a silly joke considering it's April Fool's Day. However, as I thought about it more and about all the people who are on my facebook (mom, dad, EVERYONE I know) I started to think it wasn't such a good idea after all. Welp, he talked me into it and I changed my "relationship status" to "engaged to Peter Legua." Almost immediately I started receiving messages saying "Congrats!" "You guys are so cute!" etc. The guilt stabbed me in the heart and the more messages that came up the more deeper and deeper the guilt knife went. I logged off of facebook and decided although it was funny, it was definitely going to stir things up. Well to make a not so-long-story not-so-short, throughout the day I received many texts, a few phone calls, and messages on fb congratulating me on my "engagement." Super funny. As soon as I got home I wrote to everyone that it was a joke. I think a few people are a little upset at me, but it was fun :)

The next hilarious event that happened, which probably won't seem that hilarious because certain stories are only funny when you're there a part of them or there to witness them. This is most likely one of those stories, and when I'm finished, you'll probably be like.. "Riiiight... Hilarious Ky." But that's a-okay.

Sometimes you find very weird things under couches and sofas. Crackers, crums, wrappers, and sometimes money can be found when you accidentally drop the remote down below the cushions and you have to go on a meticulous hunt for it. In some cases, you find things you didn't know were even down there, and you receive so much joy from finding these long lost items that you temporarily forget why you were even digging around under there in the first place. Unfortunately, you can sometimes find gross or unknown substances down there as well. Like when you blindly search for the remote or the phone and to your dismay, when you bring up your hand for a much-needed hand breath, you realize you have something under your fingernails that wasn't there before. Pretty gross, but I'm sure most of us have experienced this sensation.

So anywho, as I was laying on the couch after work today, I set my phone under my arm so that I could feel it if it vibrated. My sister, being the very immature person she is (ha, I'm probably more immature than she) decided it would be fun to jump on my stomach and knock the air out of me. After this we rough housed for a bit and after I won this match (as always) I realized my phone had gone missing. The first thing to do when an emergency like this presents itself is to call it to listen for where it is. About 98% of the time this method of finding a missing cell phone is effective within about 30 seconds of making the call. Unfortunately, this time was very different. Not only could we not find the phone under a few blankets and cushions, we couldn't find it under or behind the couch; all the typical places for a mischievous phone to hide. We listened and felt for the device, and it seemed to be INSIDE the couch. The couch, seemingly innocent at face value, had eaten the cell phone and had no future plans to puke it up and give it back. I tried to reach down the back of the couch, where there is a small crevice for things like dust bunnies and the boogey monster to hide, but my arm was too large to fit into the small crack. I called on the next available retriever and it was my sister. She said "no" right off the bat for she knew about the gross and disgusting things that lived beneath the cushions and even worse, inside the crevice where not even the vacuum could reach.

I eventually innocently coerced (bullied) her into saying okay and preparing to reach her small arm into the crack for the very noble purpose of getting back my phone for me. After all, if we couldn't find it, I would most likely have to use hers; she definitely didn't want that! With a look of loathe and disgust on her face, she reached her arm into the small space and began to feel around. Of course, being the girly girl she is (as am I) she screamed at everything she felt; her mind imagining only the worst of things. It's like being blindfolded and reaching your arm into a jar filled with unfamiliar touches and sensations. It could be large monstrous spiders with hairy backs that could kill you with one bite; it could be the brains of a known cereal killer's latest victim; or it could be food that's been dropped beneath a cushion and left to sit and rot. Lucky for her, the couch was particularly clean thanks to our grandma who is basically OCD and has to keep everything clean and tidy, even beneath the cushions. As she reached her hand down, getting stuck only a couple of times, she realized it was no where to be found. The couch was hiding it somewhere, but alas, we were determined now. After losing the remote, laughing until we almost peed our pants, and dropping the couch upon her a couple of times, she finally found the beloved prize. Relief.

As for the next story, it is also about a cell phone; such a seemingly significant part of our young lives. So since we all know that teenagers are addicted to texting, pics, phone calls, and everything that has to do with modern technology, then we know how much mental distress these teens go through when their beloved cell phone is lost or stolen; you can imagine the distress my sister went through when she realized HER phone was now missing. Unfortunately for her, I was the culprit in this cellnapping case and she had no idea. I guess it's just because she's my sister, but for some reason I still played this prank on her even after she saved my phone from the dark abyss of the couch.

This time the setting is on a large bed where we were watching t.v. and taking turns hitting each other. Yes, I'm 20, yes I work with kids, yes, I still love to play like a little kid. And quite often. Towards the end of all of this she realized her phone was missing. I think there is some sort of alarm that goes off in our minds when something we use constantly all the time doesn't produce an expected response or signal. She realized she hadn't gotten a text for quite some time and began her search. Little did she know, when she searched the other room I came across the cell phone and gave into the little devil angel on my shoulder that told me to take it and hide it. I took the cell phone and placed it into the back pocket of my pants. She came back in and asked if I'd found it yet; I'd been calling it with my own newly found cell phone. Of course I put on the most innocent face I could produce and told her "no, keep looking." She searched frantically and I kept calling. As in the case of the missing phone beneath the couch, she could feel the bed vibrating but no matter how hard she searched she couldn't find it. She gave into desperation and started looking under the bed, beneath the covers, even though she knew she couldn't have lost it in any of those places. Luckily for me, she took my giggles and uncontrolled laughter as me finding humor in the situation, not because I was sitting on her phone. The more I laughed though, the more suspicious she became. This made it that much funnier. After about ten minutes of frantic search, she moved closer and closer until she knew I had to be sitting on the phone or holding it. She had me sit up, move around, but the vibrating continued and she became distressed. "Everywhere you go it seems like it follows you!" "I wonder why??? That's so weird" was how the conversation continued as I laughed harder and harder and she became more and more angry. Eventually, I gave her the phone and showed her where I'd hid it. Actually, it really went like this: I sat up, pulled the phone from my pocket, threw it at her, and ran. I ran into the bathroom and locked the door because I knew how angry she'd be. I sat in the bathroom, and laughed.

Sometimes it's good to grow down and have a little fun; to just be a kid again.

Resilient

I've noticed lately that people are very resilient. I always hear "it's rough all over" but you never really think that when you first look at people. I think whenever you meet someone new you automatically compare lives. See your differences and similarities. And you assume you've either had it worse or they've had an exceptionally hard life. But you never really know. You never really can pass judgement. It's interesting to me to find out about people's lives and the people they become and why they become who they are. If that makes any sense... I've taken a bunch of classes now on human development and have learned about heredity and environment; the whole nature vs. nurture controversy, and which one has the most impact on the person. When you are born, does your environment shape the person you will be? Does every experience you have kind of build you into the person you are? The social sciences are so complex. I feel like I've passed all my psych classes with flying colors for the sole fact that I realized something very important when I first dove into the science of Psychology. Every single person is different, there is never an always statement that is true, and you cannot predict anything when it comes to the human psyche. I love that though. Although our biology says we're all like 99.99% alike, we all seem to be so different. But really, this viewpoint I've shared changes from day to day. I feel like one day everyone is so different and complex and beautifully unique; the next I feel like everyone is the same, striving for the same things, having the same hopes and dreams. Who knows. If there was a question on one of my exams asking me to answer these questions I would say what I always say "every person is different and there really isn't a straightforward answer." And, as always, I would receive full credit for such a vague but true answer.

Procrastinationism

I'm pretty sure everyone who has ever blogged about anything in this world has mentioned at least once, the evil called Procrastination. Our differences lye not in the fact that some of us procrastinate and some of us do not, but in the varying degrees of procrastination. For instance, tonight I spent my evening studying for a history exam, taking that exam, and then doing an essay from start to finish. These things didn't take up my evening and make me miserable because my professor is so horrid though, but it is instead because I suffer from a very high degree of procrastination.

In my studies I love to learn about different mental disorders and dysfunctions. To me, it's very interesting that we all see the same things but in completely different ways. I think procrastination, in such a dysfunctionally high degree, should perhaps be considered one of these disorders. It does impair people's lives, cause tremendous stress at times, and can cause anxiety and depression. I think there is no real solution to this problem unless your whole perception is changed. If you consider that essay higher on your priority list then you will not procrastinate it. nless your me. Unfortunately for me, I consider hanging with my sweetie and playing games much funner and therefore much higher on my list of things to do.

Lists. I live by lists. Although I suffer from a severe degree of procrastinationism and it often causes me grief, I do provide a temporary catharisis to the insanity. Making lists. In my room, within my notebooks, upon my sticky notes, you will find one kind of thing. Lists and lists. Things to do today, tomorrow, next week, by the end of the year. Some of them get looked at a second time, they might get a few things crossed off of them, but most of them get tucked or thrown away, never to be seen again. I think I make these lists for a few different reasons. 1. They help me in a similar way as blogging does. I get things off my chest, stop stressing about them, and can finally get to sleep. 2. I love the feeling of crossing things off of these said lists. It is very rare that I will cross off everything, but oh the joy I feel when I cross of a majority of them :)

Isn't it funny.

So, had to blog about this; all of Kyler's friends are getting married. It's exceptionally weird. I can't see these immature people (not that I'm any more mature) 19 and 20 year olds getting married and having families. It's just mind-boggling. I'm just wondering though.. what IS the hurry? You get to spend the rest of your life with this person, can't you wait a few years and have a little fun first? I mean that in the best way possible. Spending time with your best friends, doing spontaneous things, going on trips to places you've always dreamed of going to. I don't know what the rush is. If anyone has any insight on this... feel free to comment lol.

Also, just uploaded this playlist. HAHAHA I found the first couple of songs that came to mind. Enjoy these oldies/goodies/weirdies that I hold dear to my heart :)