Memories

This weekend I had a rare opportunity to visit my grandparents. It's been awhile.. (Let's face it, we all have complicated families and mine is no exception.)

I was overwhelmed with unexpected comfort. The smell of my grandmother's garden, the sound of jet planes noisily flying above, the overabundance of lizards and squirrels scurrying about, the taste of Five-Alive orange juice, and seeing the tree I was never allowed to climb in but always did; Reminders of fond memories that were long forgotten.

I remember giggling with my cousins late into the night, swimming in the pool until my skin shriveled up, learning about love as my grandparents slow-danced to an old song, watching TV shows I shouldn't have been, playing dress-up with my grandmother's gowns, falling asleep to my grandfather snoring, listening to the rain fall on the tin-roofed porch, and so much more.

It's amazing how much happiness a simple scent or sound can induce.

What childhood memories do you cherish most?

Gun Control

Drive-by shootings, accidental misfires, curious children.. unfortunate events involving guns happen every day. But these sort of things just don't happen to you, right?

Sunday evening, a military surplus .30cal round was carelessly shot into my parent's home. The bullet landed 3ft from them in their living room. A report was filed with the local police & an investigation is being conducted. It is assumed that some idiots in a nearby orange grove decided to have target practice.

My parents live in a quiet rural area with barely any neighbors. Nothing like this has ever happened before.

I'm not exactly knowledgeable when it comes to firearms. (To be honest, I think I've only held a gun once and they really freak me out.) After a quick google search about the type of bullet found, I was shocked at what the results were: "Assault weapon", "AK-47", "Military ammo", etc. What is someone doing with this type of weapon?! It's obviously not needed to practice for hunting season. Unless they're hunting for humans or something!

There has been a lot of talk over the past few months about new "gun control" laws President Obama has proposed. I haven't followed any of the debates and I don't know the specifics. If my research is correct, these proposed laws will ban citizens from purchasing assault weapons. I didn't really have an opinion until now. I think If people wish to own of these types of weapons, they should, at the very least, be educated. There should be some type of certification requirement that includes a lesson on responsible practices. For starters, "Do not shoot an assault weapon near residences.."

Accidents happen, but they can certainly be prevented. My family was lucky, but what if yours wasn't?

What are your thoughts on gun control? Have you or someone you know experienced a similar situation?

Lady-gaga.net

Wow! Alex & Christian, who run Lady Gaga's official fan website, lady-gaga.net, just complimented me on my VMA review! I love their website and visit every day. It's such an honor for them just to take the time to read, let alone like it enough to reply to me!

Thanks again, guys!

Don't forget to check out lady-gaga.net and follow Alex & Christian on twitter for the latest Lady Gaga news.

Vincent Van Gogh Pomegranate Vodka

I hate beer and I do not do shots. I'm a fruity cocktail kinda gal 100%. This probably explains my pricey bar tabs.. Recently, I discovered the most amazing vodka ever and I wanted to share it with my readers!

Vincent Van Gogh's Pomegranate Vodka. This is 70 proof and imported from Holland. It's a little pricey (750ml for around $30) but it's so delicious that it's totally worth it!

If you drink this straight, you'll likely gag to death but if you mix it the right way.. Wow! Without further ado, here's the recipe I'm obsessed with:

3/4 Van Gogh Pomegranate Vodka

1/4 Fresh Orange Juice with pulp (Not from concentrate)

1 Splash of Grenadine

Shake well, pour, & enjoy!

If you try this at home, let me know how you liked it. What are your favorite cocktail recipes?

2009 MTV VMA's

Sunday September 13th marked the annual MTV Video Music Awards. Being an admitted music junkie, of course I tuned in! Actually, not only did I tune in, but I wore my most fashionable outfit (Which isn't saying much..), used my glittery eyeshadow, and prepared my favorite martini's in honor! Yes, all for an evening of gawking at my favorite celebrities from the comfort of my home. Ok and maybe for Robert Pattinson too... The evening was an overdose of excitement and certainly did not disappoint. Here's my two cents on the moments that stood out most to me:

The Pre-show

• Shakira and Pink wearing the same dress?! At least it was FIERCE!

• Lady Gaga arriving with special escort, Kermit; a reference to the media frenzy earlier this year when she wore this as a satirical ode to fur.
• One of my favorite Youtubers, ijustine, was the official Twitter correspondent! I'm so proud! She looked beautiful.
• Gaga's highly anticipated performance and Michael Jackson's tribute performance were the talk of the pre-show. A lot of well-deserved hype, might I add.
• There is a Michael Jackson documentary titled "This Is It" coming to a Theatre near you. I don't know if I'll go see this simply because I feel like his death is being exploited. Click here if you missed it.

Opening

• Madonna, the Queen of Pop, opened the VMA's with a truly moving speech about Michael Jackson- Respectfully, The King of Pop. Madonna's voice was shaking as she spoke and tears filled her eyes (and mine) as she remembered her friend. Her words were what the public needed to hear. They were what I needed to hear. This year's VMA's were in loving memory of Michael Jackson.

  "I never had a mother, but he never had a childhood. And when you never get to have something, you become obsessed by it... All I could think about in this moment was, “I had abandoned him.” That we had abandoned him... Yes, Michael Jackson was a human being but he was a king. Long live the king."

• The epic tribute to MJ featuring his loving sister, Janet Jackson (The one family member who actually kept her mouth shut after Michael's untimely demise *couch* JOE & JERMAINE), Thriller, Billie Jean, and Scream. This was an absolutely breathtaking performance. You could tell this was so hard for Janet but girlfriend BROUGHT it! The dancers' choreography was perfect. Loved it!

Welcome to the 2009 MTV VMA Awards!

• I thoroughly enjoyed singing along to Katy Perry and Aerosmith's lead guitarist's rendition of Queen's "We Will Rock You." It brought me back to my redneck memories of monster truck shows.. I know, Shutup.
• I loved Russel Brand's character in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", but I have no idea how we got a 2nd year of hosting the VMA's. He's semi-funny, but in the ok-thats-kinda-crude way. "Excuse me, missus, I've lost a shoe... like this one. It's like this one's fellow... it's sort of the exact opposite in fact of that - not an evil version but just, you know, a shoe like this... but for the other foot." HAHA!
• Taylor Swift wins Best Female Video! She looked so cute and excited and happy until.. that douchebag Kanye West jumped up on stage, grabber her mic, & decided to basically say she doesn't deserve the award & instead Beyonce does. Poor Taylor! She looked absolutely devastated! I was absolutely shocked. Obviously this story has gone viral on the internet, so you all know about his insincere apologies and drunken excuses. Tswizzle, you go girl!

• Best Rock Video goes to Green Day! I think it's great they're still relevant to pop culture.
• Lady Gaga's Performance was absolutely amazing. It was shocking, it was risky, it was horrifying, it was just fucking fierce! Gaga performed what Madonna spoke: FAME KILLS. I was literally in tears watching this performance. I've been a fan of Gaga for years; I fought my local radio stations to get her songs played, I bought 15 of her albums, I drove 3 hours to see her play 2 years ago for $10 at a shitty bar, & I've since met her twice. I believe in everything Gaga stands for. Her music, fashion, and ideals are a force to be reckoned with. It was so surreal for me to see her perform on such a high-scale mainstream venue. As a die-hard fan, I can't help but feel a little bit responsible for her success. Listen up America, this is art.

• Twilight Alert! They premiered the latest "New Moon" trailer! Too bad I already saw it on the internet earlier..
• I'd be lying if I said I wasn't dancing around our living room screaming "If you like it, then you betta putta ring on ittt, oh oh OHHH!!!" when Beyonce performed. That woman can DANCE and has the craziest body! Woo Beyonce!
• I just saw Cyndi Lauper! AH! <3>
• Lady Gaga wins Best New Artist! Well deserved.

  "..To god and the gays!"

• When Pink did that crazy acrobatic flipping thing, I was seriously scared for her!
• Aw, Beyonce let Twsizzle use her acceptance speech time after winning Best Video of the Year to "have her moment!" Always classy, Beyonce.
• I didn't like Jay-Z's performance. I literally wrote in my notes "horse voice", lol! However, Alice Keys has a heartbreakingly beautiful voice. She's been off the map for awhile and I almost forgot it! It was really cute to watch Beyonce dancing along to her husband's song though. I'm a little bias, but I think Gaga's performance should have closed the VMA's instead.

Final Thoughts

The 2009 MTV VMA's was definitely a memorable night for pop culture. The performances were interesting, unique, and entertaining. As expected in the pre-show, Michael Jackson's tribute and Gaga's performance did steal the show. (With the exception of Kanye's douchebaggery..) The entire evening was a deserving, tasteful tribute to the late Michael Jackson and New York City.

Rest in peace, MJ and congratulations to all of the artists who took home an award! Especially Gagaloo!

Cohabitation

D & I have been together for 3 years and living together for 2.5 of them. We are not married. We are not engaged. Just.. cohabiting together. I repeat this at least twice per week.

Why do people find this so strange? Gramps & that chick I graduated with included! The Gramps generation seems to think I'm going to burn in the fiery pits of whore hell, while my generation is all "OMGGGZZ! When are you getting marrriiiieeeeddd?!@*"

Me: Yes, Daniel & I live together.

Chickigraduatedwith: Oh! Where's your ring?!

Me: Um. No ring. Just um living together.

Chickigraduatedwith: Oh. I'm sure it will come soon, don't worry!

But the thing is, I'm happy just living together as boyfriend and girlfriend. Not that I wouldn't be super ecstatic if he proposed, but I don't want to get married just because we're living together. I've never been one to give in to the pressures of society; I've always kind of driven on the wrong side of the road, actually. We both know we're meant to be with each other and that's all that matters.

With the prospect of moving again drawing nearer and the "Why aren't you married?" question making more appearances, I decided to put together a list of pros & cons of cohabiting.

Cons

• There is WAY more laundry and dishes to do
• Sharing a Queen-sized bed
• The most foul smelling farts everrrrr
• Lack of privacy
• Sports games, sports news, sports trivia.. permanently on the TV
• Do you really need the volume that high?

Pros

• There is WAY more help with cleaning
• Sharing a Queen-sized bed
• Late night laughs about aforementioned foul smelling farts
• Never being alone
• Watching sports games together
• Stealing TV remotes which always end up in tickle tortures & the volume lowered

Add to my list, guys! I know there's tons more.

What do you guys think of cohabiting? Do you agree or disagree with it?

My First Album

While organizing my itunes music collection tonight, I thought about the very first album I purchased and how much it meant to me.

It was Mariah Carey's Daydream. A moment of silence, please.

I remember mom taking me to the store specifically to purchase the aforementioned CD. I felt liberated as I left the register. My very own CD! The joy of sliding that shiny new disc in my 5lb 'portable' CD player and disappearing into another world is incomparable. I listened to Mariah belt her lyrics and flipped through the cover art so often that eventually the disc skipped and the cover art fell apart. Until I discovered the Spice Girls..

Digital downloads just don't have the same effect on me.

What was your first album? Was it a CD? Cassette? Record?

Visa & the game of Life

Everyone remembers the game of "Life". You know, the one with the little peg people that you're always losing under your fingernails? Anyways, I've always loved this game. Recently, I purchased a revived version called "Life: Twists & Turns". I'll admit it right now, I am addicted! Probably because I always win.

What's cool about this new version is that it doesn't use paper money. Instead, there is an electronic tracker thingamajig and players use credit cards! This is super handy, especially when it's 2am and you've earned 5 billion dollars.

I conned my boyfriend into playing again the other night and I suddenly realized that VISA's logo appears on all of the "credit cards"! Hold on a minute. Don't kids usually play this board game? Should we really be teaching children that it's OK to use your credit card for everything? VISA is trying to brainwash the youth! What's even scarier is if you don't have the money to purchase a home or a vehicle or even gamble, you can just charge it anyhow. In the old "Life" game, if you didn't have the cash you couldn't purchase it. Hello, real world.

Credit cards are scary. Debt is scary. It's something that shouldn't be taken lightly. Our economy right now is a perfect example as why it shouldn't be. Why, VISA, must you capitalize on the little ones?

Mylivesignature.com

I wish my signature looked like this!