I think that the world would be such a better place if people took time to genuinely compliment each other.

I've been trying to act more on my impulses to give people compliments. My main outlet has been at work. Sales have definitely started going up and people are starting to buy costumes for Halloween this year. Most people look great in costumes but if I feel that a costume really does something for someone then I'll absolutely walk up and tell them. Sometimes I get a sincere thanks, other times I get looked at funny.

The biggest and best compliment I was ever given was not a compliment directed to me alone but was actually directed towards me and Rob on our first date. Our first date started at 7:30 in the evening when he picked me up from my friend, Matt's, apartment. I had been planning to visit Matt for a couple weeks since I was staying at my mom's house that summer and had also been talking to Rob online for about a week. I really liked him a lot from what I knew about him online so it seemed like a good idea to go on a date with him that weekend.

Our date lasted until 4 AM.

But around 2, after Rob and I had dinner at a local hibachi restaurant, smoked a hookah, and walked around Lake Ella; I bought a deck of cards at CVS and we took a trip to a 24/7 vegan cafe called All Saints so I could teach him how to play poker. We had a really great time and we had played a few hands when an older gentleman came to us and told us that in a world where there was so much war and poverty that it was nice to see a couple like us together having such a good time with each other. He took our picture for us and then he left.

While I knew that I really enjoyed my time with Rob and I thought he was great from the get go, that was just the icing on the cake for me and that was when I really knew that I wanted to be with him.

Rob and I still talk about our first date and we still talk about that guy. We both wish that we could find him and tell him how much we appreciated what he said to us and how much it impacted our lives.

Compliments are a powerful thing.

The very best thing about the fact that Rob is also on LJ (and is one of my friends here too -- bleed_music) is that if there is something going on in our relationship that I want to write about here, I feel obligated to tell him about it first.

It seems a little rude for him to find out that I have misgivings about something through an online journal, don't you think?

But that has really reduced the amount of stupid, couples bullshit that I would have vented about without him realizing it.


And, yes, I realize that I could make a filter so that he wouldn't read those specific entries but I'm way too lazy. :D

"You can't be best friends with everyone, otherwise there would be no such thing as a best friend."
- Tina Lorenzo

Poll #1430865 The Friends Poll
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 18

How many people do you consider to be your best friend?

At the very least, how often do you communicate with your best friend?

How do you typically communicate with your best friend?

How long have you known your best friend?

Is your best friend your oldest friend?

Some people consider their significant other to be their best friend. If your relationship with your greatest love interest did or has ended, would you be able to remain friends?

Poll #1421277 What Are You Drinking?
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 17

What do you generally call your soft drink?

If you don't call a soft drink pop, soda, or coke; what do you call it?

What is your favorite soft drink?

If you're at all curious about what the rest of the country calls their soft drink, this map might interest you.
Even if you're not curious, it's still kind of interesting.

Being from Florida, it seems to vary throughout the state. I've never actually heard anyone call what I call soda "pop" before.

I think two of the strangest things I've heard was my manager (a native of Massachusetts) call a shopping cart a "carriage" and a couple from somewhere up North refer to their sprinkles as "jimmies."

Rob and I went to PetLand one day and they had a Green and Red macaw at the front of the store. The bird and Rob got along really well and it resulted in him playing with the bird for about fifteen minutes before we decided to leave. The bird ended up screaming at us as we left the store. It was kind of cute.

Ever since then, Rob has been talking about how much he wants a bird.

So today, I was thinking about prospective gift ideas for future occasions (I have an idea of what I want to do for his 30th in three years) and I was thinking about birds.

I don't want a macaw because of their life span. They get to be close to 100. It would possibly outlive our children! I got to reading about other bird species that people kept as pets and I came across the African Grey.

This video is the first video in awhile that I've found on my own that made me laugh out loud. I love that Tui actually more or less shushes her owner with her feet.

I know Rob will see this eventually and it'll kind of ruin the surprise but at least he won't know how soon it would be.

"Now, you are going to tell me your story like you just did. Write it all down. Tell that story over and over. Tell me your sad-assed story all night. When you understand that what you're telling is just a story. It isn't happening anymore. When you realize the story you're telling is just words, when you can just crumble it up and throw your past in the trashcan then we'll figure out who you're going to be."

-- Invisible Monsters, Chuck Palahniuk

I need spring break more than anything.

I'm stressed out to the nodes.

Yes, even after quitting my job.

Though I will admit that being unemployed has definitely lifted a major weight off my shoulders.

But still...school by itself is a major source of stress.

I've been really busy lately.

So busy that I haven't read anyone's journal since the last time I updated which was maybe...three weeks ago?

And this obviously isn't the first time and it's not something that I see ending anytime soon.

So this journal is being closed down until May.

After May, I'll either be a graduate living at my mom's house post graduation until I can find a job...

...or I'll be someone who couldn't pass her last semester of college, is burnt out, wants to start her life, and doesn't have money to go back to school living at her mom's house until she can find a job.

Either way, I'll have plenty of time on my hands then.

So if you want to, take me off your friends list. I'm actually surprised at how many people have kept me around despite my inconstancy.

Until then...

There's plenty to be said about this past year.
And there's just as much to be said for this year and the year is only three days old.

Last year was great but this year I think is going to be even better.

The Day After Tomorrow: I'm starting my last semester as an undergraduate. Even though I'm still working my education will definitely remain a top priority as will my friends. I have the rest of my life to work but some of the greatest people I have ever met will be moving away five months from now. Our lives will never be the way that they are now and we'll never have time to go out and party and hang out and fuck around and do whatever it is we do the way we can as college students.

Early March: Rob and I are gonna start doing some heavy duty wedding planning. It's really important to me that Rob and I get some idea of what we want so that (hopefully) we'll be able to book some stuff while I'm down in St. Pete for Spring Break.

May 1, 2009: I'll be a Florida State University alumni! Also it'll be the first time that my family will meet Rob's family.

Summer: Hopefully I'll have a real job and I will have saved enough money for Rob and I to move into our first real apartment together with as few financial difficulties as possible.

July 6, 2009: Rob and I's 2nd anniversary.

September 6, 2009: My 23rd birthday!

I'm so excited to have come this far in all of these different aspects of my life and I'm proud of the person that I'm becoming and the life that I'm creating.

And hopefully, I'll be keeping track of it all right here.

Here's to 2009!

Poll #1310012 Replying to Comments
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 14

How important is it to you that the original poster reply to your comments that you make on their journal? (1= Extremely unimportant, 10 = extremely important)

You can leave a comment why, if you want.

Yeah, so I actually meant to post a couple days ago but never found the time. There's been a good bit going on that in those couple days I've decided not to post about it (but I probably will later on).

Yay! No more classes! Specifically, no more 8AM classes.

Boo! Finals week!

School has been coming up a lot less in my mind over the past few days and work is starting to (slowly) stress me out less and less. For whatever reason though, I've started thinking more about my wedding.

How fitting that I chose today to write about this. We got engaged three months ago today.

Neither Rob nor I have updated our wedding journal (omneity) in months. The reason has ultimately been that nothing is really going on. We decided that we're definitely having it in St. Pete. We'll be back in St. Pete in about two or three weeks and while we're down there, I want to give Rob a "beach tour" so that we can decide which beach we want to get married on.

In daydreaming and more frequent visits to davidsbridal.com, I have an idea of what I want my dress to look like and how I want my hair and there are some accessories that I want to get for myself too. I found a really gorgeous dress for super cheap. Realistically, I probably won't be buying a dress until next Christmas but it's okay to get an idea I guess...