Hug Bucket

I have recently made a fantastic discovery, the hug bucket.

And this video should explain what a hug bucket is (if you don't want to watch the whole video, you can just fast forward to 1:06)


I love hugs. People who know me well know that I'm not a super touchy feely person. I have my bubble, and I don't like when people pop my bubble (although I do frequently pop other people bubbles. I'm difficult, aren't I?) But I love hugs - a lot.

So here is my hug bucket (so far):
-An astronaut
-Will Smith
-My "long lost" Italian relatives (even though they're not really lost. I've just never met them)
-Someone associated with the harry Potter books/movies
-my future children/grandchildren
-my "true love"
-a published writer and/or poet
-a cool indie-type musician
-a fellow blogger (who isn't a member of my family or my best friends. Sorry guys, you're already in the hug bucket)

The list is still a work in progress, but I'd love to know who is on your hug bucket list?

Trains are fun, and so are Soap Operas.

Sitting and looking out of a train window is kind of like watching a movie. On TV, significant, beautiful, and sad things all happen at an unrealistically fast pace, simply because they have a time slot to fill, and hey - things have to stay interesting. Just take any soap opera. In the span of a few short episodes people die, get married and divorced, have babies etc. etc.

In the real world things move much slower. While feelings and decisions may have a pivotal moment when things "change", these are still often the result of many actions and decisions building up over a long period of time. The funny thing about this is that, if you accept that many of our actions are the results of other actions - or even just our individual personalities - then nothing should surprise us. It should be easy to figure out who will fall in love with whom, or what the outcome of certain political events will be, but that's the thing - it never is. We are all so preoccupied with, well, everything, that we never really can focus on just one thing.

I've long felt that the answers are always right in front of us, we just don't know how to see them.

When you're on a train, things are going by fast - but not ridiculously so. You pass by a school, a soccer game, anything, and are given only a short amount of time to see and make of it what you will. But unlike soap operas, those people going on with their daily lives are under no obligation to be interesting, or special, or anything other than what they are. In this they are not crazy or unrealistic, they are simply human. So when you are riding by on a train, with the world passing in front of you, you are getting to watch the best movie ever made: the movie of life, minus all of the fuss.

I've included some photos from a recent train ride, I hope you enjoy.

Stress

I have been under an unimaginable amount of stress lately. Suddenly, all of my teachers have given me monstrous amounts of homework (I think I have written more essay in the past two weeks than I have in my entire life), not to mention I have been working a little bit more than usual. And, with the end of the semester approaching, registration for summer classes is coming up. I have been trying to make an appointment with a counselor to find out exactly what classes I need to take, but for some reason my i.d. number isn't registering in the online appointment maker-thing. So I call in, go on hold for 45 minutes to find out all the appointments for next week are full (appointments are made a week in advanced) and to call back in Monday.

This of course, leads to the "I'm not going to be able to register for the right classes! I'm going to mess up and be at community college for three years - not two! I'm never going to graduate! I'm destined to be a hobo!!!!!!!!".

Now, before you say anything, yes - I know I'm over reacting. But can you blame me?

OK. So maybe you can..

Luckily for me, today is my dad's birthday, and this Friday and Saturday I will be in a nice hotel room by the beach in San Diego. No work, no homework (hopefully).

I can't wait!

Rants about Cartoons, Twins.

Way back before Hannah Montana, in that time of classic Sunday morning cartoons known as the 90s, there was a little show called "Recess". Now, Recess never had the success of shows like "Hey Arnold", "Rugrats", or "Doug" (which I loved) but it was enjoyable enough.

There was one episode of Recess where the "gang" (the show followed a group of friends in elementary school) was playing in a kickball tournament against another school. When the other team showed up, they quickly noticed that each person had their counterpart from the other school - someone who looked and acted enough like the person for each of the characters to be a little freaked out. Now, obviously this is just some silly t.v. show, but it left my 7 year self thinking that I had a twin living in China.

So, whats my point??

What if we really do all have a twin out there? I'm sure we have all been in that situation where we are in the supermarket and think we see someone who looks like that one guy from that one place and start waving like a lunatic only to realize (too late) that we have never met the person before. But what if it goes even farther than that? Oscar Wilde said "Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions and quotation." The idea that everything you think or feel has been thought and felt by someone else before isn't exactly a new one (although it's one that I'm sure many people disagree with), but if some of the things that we as human beings find the most important on an emotional level aren't at all unique, could you make the argument that we aren't at all unique on a physical level.

It sounds a little crazy, and the fact that today I'm running on 3 hours of sleep probably doesn't help this at all, but I still think that it is an interesting notion. After being surrounded by different groups of people in college than I was in high school, I am constantly seeing or meeting people who make me think dang, the are a lot like so and so. Heck, it seems like I can't even watch a YouTube video with out being reminded of someone I know.

If you're wondering if this post is supposed to mean that I actually believe that we all have a "twin" somewhere out there, it doesn't. Truthfully, while I find it an interesting topic to think about, it is also something I have a hard time wrapping my head around on a real, or even personal level. Is there another one of me out there? Am I unique at all? I would hate to think that I'm not.

Any opinions on this topic? I would love to hear your thoughts.

March 31, 2010

Who ever said "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" never spent a day in my shoes.

My Name Is Amanda... And I'm an Addict.

Now before you say anything, I'm not that kind of addict. Today, I'm talking about (somewhat) healthy addictions. These are the things that we love - that make us happy. This is the first of several blog posts in which I divulge to you the random (and some times embarrassing) things that I can't pass up; what I'm addicted too.

So, now that we've got the introductions out of the way, let's get started.

My Name is Amanda *Hiiii Amanda* and I'm addicted too.. *gulp*

Thrift Stores *dun dun duuuuunnnnn*

Yes, thrift stores. Nothing gets my blood pumping like the prospect of finding a one of a kind item, that no one else has, all for a low, low price. It rocks.

So far, I have only been able to find two downsides to being a thrift store addict.
1. a lot of the clothes/shoes there tend to be either extremely small or extremely big sizes. I would assume this is because people donate their skinny clothes that they grow out of, and their fat clothes if they loose weight. This means that it can be difficult for an average sized person (me) to find something that fits.

2. Sometimes, I get so excited at the low low prices, that I over estimate my confidence or fashion savvy and end up buying something that I later realize I will never wear anywhere but my house.

During my most recent thrift store spree, I picked up three items (all of which totalled around $15). The first was this skirt:

Now, I know what you are thinking.. "Amanda, come on. That Looks like a skirt that Maria would wear in The Sound of Music. Do you honestly think you are Maria?" To which I would probably mumble an "I wish" to myself. But fear not! I have big plans for this skirt.
While the maria-ness was what originally drew me to this skirt, when I put it on, I looked like one of those giant parachutes you play with in kindergarten. But, the fact that skirt has an elastic waistband gave me some options. So, I readjusted the skirt, paired with this belt also courtesy of the salvation army, and ended up with... (drum roll please..)

ta da!

I made one more purchase at the thrift store today: a pair of shoes. And I will admit, I got these mostly for the novelty of them.



I haven't yet decided if I actually like them, or if they were just a victim of my addiction. But hey, they were only $7.

Don't tie me down. This is my world.

It has been absolutely beautiful weather this week. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Amanda Coats and the Mystery of the Invisible Parade

Today is the one and only St. Patrick's day! No, I'm not Irish, but I still consider today a fun and carefree day. Being on spring break, I decided that today I wanted to really celebrate the holiday. I spent a while searching on google trying to find some kind of event that didn't involve alcohol (which was a lot harder than you would think) seeing as I'm only 18. And then I saw it - exactly what I was looking for - a parade not too far from home at noon (at the time it was only 10:30). I excitedly pulled out my green clothes and got ready, already imagining all of the cool pictures (and maybe free candy) that I would take. At 11:45 I left my house, and drove to the supposed location.

No parade. I drove further down the street, and still no parade. I drove around for half an hour looking for the stinkin' parade, and all I found is how many Irish people obviously DON'T live in my hometown. I only saw about a handful of people wearing green; how disappointing.

Eventually I gave up and drove home, got on the computer, and found the link that had sent me on this wild goose chase. For some stupid reason, I still had home that I'd make it to the parade. Sure, maybe I'd be a little late, but I could still have fun, right?

I took a closer look at the page for the parade. I was already too late. Way too late. Try, 17 years too late. Yes, that's right, the page was for the 1993 St. Patrick's day parade. Can you imagine the look that came across my face when I read this?? Let me help you, it looked a little something like this:

Without the parade, my celebrating prospects were severely limited. I could always go get lunch at the local "pub and grill" but I assumed it would be packed with drunk people (also, I have this thing about going to sit down restaurants by myself. It makes me feel awkward..), I could drive down to San Diego - the closest city having any kind of celebration (also not an option. Me and highways are no bueno). If I was really desperate, I could dress up like a leprechaun and go looking for four leaf clovers, but some how I have a feeling that this option would have ended with me getting beat up.

So what did I do? I went to Mc Donald's and took a nap. Anticlimactic, I know. But hey, I tried.

Happy St. Patrick's Day everybody.

I See The

Flicker flashes
of fickle times -

uneasy minds, pretending
to know something

the one thing, which
flowers & flies allude

and try to confuse with
hopes and dreams -

fickle things that
bear no home

but the space to roam we
give, the air

we let it share with
us. And soon,

these things consume with
plants & wings,

our fickle things that
keep us grounded

Alive in our head and
still in our hearts.