Have You Ever Wondered....

Have you ever wondered who else out there in this small planet has the same phone number as you? Have you ever wondered what other people in another city, or in another state, or maybe on the other side of the world are doing right now?

We all know that every person's phone number is unique because of area codes, but have you ever actually interacted with another human being because of a mistake with an area code? Have you ever actually taken a glimpse at the life of someone else because of someone else's mistake?

I was doing some reading the other day (naturally), and I got the following text message from a number that I didn't recognize:

"Anna will be at Mary's party. She is really excited about it!"

I only opened the text because it was a number with the same area code as mine, and I figured it might've been someone I actually know who may have just changed numbers and wanted to get me their new number. Well clearly I was wrong, but I wasn't expecting that text either.

I don't know what made me do it, but for some reason I responded. I felt like this person needed to know that they had the wrong number, especially since parties are pretty important and it's nicer to know that information is being passed along than to find out later that the person never got the message! So I responded with

"I'm sorry, you have the wrong number! I have no idea who you are or what party you're talking about haha"

to which I received:

"Sorry!! The area code is wrong :). Thanks for letting me know."

I'm hoping that my karma will definitely pay off for this - I feel like I did the right thing in letting them know that they had the wrong number! But it obviously got me thinking about who they were trying to contact.... I mean, we've all received phone calls from people trying to reach someone and maybe one or two numbers were flipped and so they accidentally called you instead, but I've never actually received a text/call from someone who was looking for my number just with a different area code. Who are you, person-with-the-same-number-but-different-area-code?

Maybe Together We Can Get Somewhere

Remember the first time you ever heard the song "Fast Car," and you thought to yourself "wow, this guy is really good!" And then you couldn't believe it when you heard it was actually sung by a woman? Well you weren't alone, because every single person I knew believed that Tracy Chapman was actually a man, and yet they all loved "Fast Car."

Well I was looking around on the internet tonight and found this uh-mazing cover of it. Now it's actually a guy singing most of it this time, but it's still an absolutely amazing song, and this cover is beyond real.

The band that is singing, Boyce Avenue, is really good! I'd never heard any of their stuff before, but I was pleasantly surprised when I looked through the rest of their videos. And the girl they collaborated with, Kina Grannis, is amazing as well, so make sure you all go check out their pages as well. I know you'll be pleased!

Give Me A Second Go. Actually, Don't.

As you've probably noticed by now, I try to avoid posting over-emotional things on my blog. I don't really do well with emotions - they're something I try to deal with internally, which is the exact opposite of what everybody has been telling me to do for the past few years, but it's something I just can't help. So I'm actually quite shocked at myself for feeling the need to write this!

I was inspired to write this entry a few hours ago when I was checking my Twitter, but it took me until now to organize my thoughts into something coherent enough to post. While looking through my timeline on Twitter this evening, I came across a post by LIGHTS about her music video for Second Go reaching 2 million views. If any of you can recall, I posted another entry back in October called Give Me A Second Go, in which I simply talked about how I had "rediscovered my love" for the song Second Go, and I told everyone to go watch the video (which if you haven't yet, please do; it's absolutely ridiculous). And while it's true that I do absolutely love that song, I feel that it's about time I say why I had rediscovered my love for that song.

As some of you might know I had actually started seeing someone at the beginning of Fall semester, and while I finally find it appropriate to talk about this now, I'm not about to rehash any of the painful details as to how things ended between us. Needless to say, our relationship (or whatever you want to call it because we weren't really a couple by any standards) was on ridiculously rocky grounds by the time October hit and I had basically been waiting for the entire month of October for them to take me back. Enter Second Go: I posted that video in the beginning of October when I was still holding onto the false pretense that things would change and go back to the way they were; I was hoping that I would be given a second go, especially considering it wasn't my fault that things were basically over to begin with! But by the end of October the stress and emotions became too much for me and I had to give up waiting, and attempt to move on.

It was a rough period, and I think that now that it's a new year and a new semester, it's time for me to completely move on. The feelings have long since passed, but the remnants of that relationship still stand today. I actually began painting again because I was told I needed more hobbies (considering I usually don't have time for hobbies....), and so I figured it was a great time to start painting again. Of course the painting I started back in October became completely neglected because it became the physically manifestation of something I didn't have the capacity to deal with. But now that I've finally come to terms with the entire situation (and trust me, it was a situation; I honestly don't feel like digging up all of those emotions for no reason at all right now and giving the ridiculous details) I've finally come to terms with the situation and, oddly enough, the painting, and have begun working on it again. Anyone that's friends with me on Facebook has seen the updates I've been posting about it there, but I'll definitely post pictures in a blog entry when I'm completely finished with it! It's a little more than half done, and I would love to finish it before the craziness of the semester takes hold of me again, but I doubt it'll happen. But I promise I'll finish it. If not, Alex will probably kill me - the canvas has just been sitting around for months and I think he'd like it to be on the walls already!

And if you still have absolutely no idea why I posted this, well I'm sorry. I feel that this post is just my way of finally coming to terms with something that I've been unable to really speak about with a lot of people, and it all came pouring out earlier when I saw that music video again! I had said on multiple occasions that last semester was rough, but I don't think I ever took the time to tell many people why it was so rough, aside from the usual "yeah, I'm busy with school and work...." But I think I can talk about it now, probably more so now that I'm positive that person has gotten over me completely and will never read this. The whole situation just made me realize I needed to appreciate the relationships and friendships in my life - especially my relationship with my roommate, Alex, and my best friend, Jess, because I probably would've given up on life if they hadn't been there for me every single day during October to talk and listen - and it also taught to focus more on myself, which, if you recall, is one of my goals for the new year! So this is my way of shrugging off 2010 completely, and starting new and leaving my emotional relationship baggage behind me. And good riddance to it!

Ringing in the New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! Looking back on 2010, I can honestly say it wasn't the worst year I've encountered in my short 20 years, but it definitely had its moments! Any regrets? Of course, I'd be lying if I said no! But there's no need to reflect on the past year when there are another 364 days ahead of us!

And I think I've said this numerous times before, but I'm not a fan of New Year's resolutions: I think they're just a set-up for failure. Most people say "oh, I'm going to start going to the gym and lose all this weight" and then they start the new year off strong and give up, and then they're depressed that they gave up. So why set yourself up for failure? Then all you can think about on New Year's Eve is all the things you didn't accomplish that year instead of all the positive aspects of the year (even though I'm far from being a positive person...)!

I would be lying to say I don't have goals for the coming up year, but I would say they're far from resolutions:

res·o·lu·tion [ rez-uh-loo-shuhn ] - noun

1. a formal expression of opinion or intention made, usually after voting, by a formal organization, a legislature, a club, or other group.

2. a resolve or determination: to make a firm resolution to do something.

goal [ gohl ] - noun

1. the aim or object towards which an endeavor is directed.

Okay, so admittedly they're basically the same thing... but I refuse to call them resolutions (I'm just stubborn like that)! So here are my hopes, aspirations, and goals for the coming year:

1. Vent more, stress less.

2. Blog more (this thing tends to get thrown the wayside when I'm stressed out....)

3. Learn how to relax - that skill might come in handy in the next few years!

4. Manage time more effectively!

5. Finally stick to a fricken exercise program - no more flip-flopping between things!

6. Paint on a regular basis

7. Make music often

8. Make more time for friends

9. Take better care of myself

Home For the Holidays

So once again I'm home for the holidays. Or rather should I say holiday considering I'm only home for one holiday this year: Christmas. Yes, that's right all of you Central New Yorkers, I'm only home for Christmas this year, I won't be here for New Year's, and it was a stretch enough to get as much time off as I did for Christmas.

It is now Christmas Eve, and usually I would've arrived home some time last week, and I wouldn't leave until the day before the semester begins up again. Well, as it just so happens this year, I have to work for most of break: I got home just two nights ago and I leave in just two days. And yes, that is a very short amount of time, I'm well aware of that. But won't it be like that when I'm older and move away and have a grown-up job? One would assume so....

But all that aside, it's nice to be home, no matter how long or short the stay. I get to see family for Christmas, I get to sleep in my big, comfy bed, I get to see my best friends, I got to spend all my money on Christmas presents....? Well that's a down-side, but still, it doesn't hurt to give a little during the holidays.

And then it's back to Pennsylvania on Sunday: back to my apartment, back to the university, and back to work. I managed to get a promotion though, and the timing was perfect; training starts Monday so I can get it all out of the way before the semester starts up again (and then I'm stressed out of my mind once again....) and let's be honest, the pay increase doesn't hurt either. It'll be something else to keep me busy, because we all know I need that or I'll drive myself to insanity.

I Know I Shouldn't Laugh....

...but really now?

Oh Hey, Blog. How Have You Been?

So once again I was procrastinating online and stumbled upon this little gem: MY BLOG!?

It has now been two months since my last post, and I can't believe I've gone this long without a post! I know I said I had a lot to work out in my personal life, but I don't think it was that much; and yet I somehow managed to forget all about you, blog-buddies!

But don't you worry yourselves, I'm back and better than ever! The semester is finally winding down here at Penn State, and since I'm stuck in State College for the winter I will definitely have time to update more and more!

But until next time, I should probably get back to my homework.... even though I really don't want to!

Time For A Necessary Break

Hey blog-buddies, so I know I don't update that often to begin with anymore, but I'm just letting you all know I'll be updating even less for the next few weeks.

I've got a lot going on with school and with work, and since my last full post was written while I was in the library avoiding work, I figure I should just take a break from blogging so I don't distract myself anymore.

I don't know how long it'll be - maybe just a few weeks, maybe longer - but I will return to my blog eventually! I'd just rather focus more on my work right now, I have too many other distractions in my life right now, I really don't need this on top of it! But I'll be back, don't you worry; once I'm back on good-footing with my classes and I manage to straighten out my life I'll start posting again. I just don't know when that'll be.....

Give Me A Second Go

I've rediscovered my intense love for this song. And music video (even if it's pretty spastic). And yes, if you want to watch the video you have to go to YouTube, I'm sorry. Don't be lazy, it's totally worth it.

You saw me at the worst, you caught me falling first.
All I wanted to know, give me a second go....

So Much To Do, So Little Time (And Energy)

I'm currently blogging in the library. Yes, the library - I place I had grown quite familiar with freshman year but have since become very distant with. Why am I here? Well that's a silly question - I'm obviously here to get a bunch of shet done. Am I getting any of it done? I think we can answer that question by realizing that I'm blogging in the library instead of doing what I came here for....

I came here as a way to get out of the apartment in the hopes that I wouldn't be distracted by everything I have there so I could get my history paper done - well, not the entire paper, a "brief" description of the paper and a bibliography is due by Tuesday (I have the topic, but no sources.... maybe blogging wasn't a good idea) - but I haven't been very successful thus far.

Just being here makes me feel a lot less stressed though. It's a lot quieter here, and even if you're not getting much accomplished you usually feel like you are for the simple fact that people go to the library to get things accomplished, and since everyone else is getting things done, you can indirectly feel like you're getting things done. Clearly I'm just bullshitting myself, but there's not much else I can do at this point. I'm completely unmotivated to do any work - I'm stressed, sick, tired, and frustrated with about five different things all at once. But I'll manage. If I could just finish shaking this cold I would be fine. The simple fact that I'm sick is causing me the most stress to be perfectly honest; it seems like I always get sick at thee most inconvenient times (hence why I'm usually always sick!). Plus my Nike+ Coach says I need to go for a two mile run tonight, which wouldn't be difficult at all if I wasn't sick. But I don't think it would be very smart to go running with this cold. I can picture myself about three hours from now trying to go running though (it'll more than likely happen, considering I don't take care of myself like I should (which is another reason why I'm always so sick!)) which is probably going to end badly.

If I can just make it until Tuesday I'll be fine - my paper topic will have already been submitted and I'll already have all my sources together, and my work schedule won't be so hectic too. I need to talk to my boss about my hours though - she keeps scheduling me for more than thirty hours a week and I can't handle it anymore; my schoolwork is starting to suffer and I'm so stressed and irritated that I keep freaking out and pushing people away. Definitely not the best situation to be in right now. So I'm just taking a step back from everything, getting my work done, and, once again, trying to balance everything that's going on while still trying to maintain some sanity. So far it's been a pretty decent week. Then again, it is only Sunday....