tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75130322269954253392024-03-05T06:25:05.083-08:00Yeah, I'm a nerd.Ericamoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17149562514128914932noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513032226995425339.post-23925248726817557782012-09-25T12:06:00.003-07:002012-09-25T12:06:48.004-07:00New Blog Location<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Thank you for visiting this blog site. Whether you're a loyal reader, or you stumbled across my blog recently, I appreciate you stopping by. Unfortunately for you, this site will no longer be updated. BUT, I have all my old posts, and plenty of new posts at my new site: "Yeah, I'm A Nerd."<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.yeahimanerd.com/"><span style="font-size: x-large;">www.yeahimanerd.com</span></a></div>
<br />
You can just click on the link above, or type it in yourself. It's simply: yeah im a nerd dot com. Go ahead and check it out, and don't forget to update your bookmarks or blog readers! </div>
Ericamoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17149562514128914932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513032226995425339.post-40863460305122179462012-09-13T13:36:00.004-07:002012-09-18T17:12:44.365-07:00The Internet Hates Me<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Sorry if you're having trouble interacting with my site (especially involving the viewing or leaving of comments). I'm currently negotiating with the internet, so hopefully it'll be resolved soon. Please come back and leave me awesome comments later, since my validation as a blogger comes from you. :)<br />
<br />
<b>**UPDATE**</b> It was totally Blogger's fault. I'm glad they fixed it and that all my old links work again, but I've since moved on to bigger and better things. Come back soon to get details about my new and improved blog. Don't worry! All of your old favorites will be there waiting for you. </div>
Ericamoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17149562514128914932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513032226995425339.post-8498205981442482892012-09-10T17:27:00.001-07:002012-09-10T17:27:37.051-07:00Future Zombie<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Confession: When I get nervous or anxious, I eat
myself. Literally. I pick at the skin around my nails and tear
it away with my teeth. And when I’m trying
to give the open wounds on my hands a chance to heal, I start gnawing on my
bottom lip. For the most part, I don’t
even realize that I’m doing it until I’ve drawn blood. I’ve been doing this for as long as I can
remember, and because of it, I have callused thumbs and a permanent crater on
my bottom lip. I can’t seem to shake
this anxiety trigger no matter how mindful I try to be. I’m starting to think that this gross habit
of mine predisposes me to becoming a great zombie.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Greg and I have had countless discussions about what would
happen to us during the zombie apocalypse.
Though I’ve instructed him to shoot me in the case of our apartment
getting overrun, there’s a <s>huge</s> chance I’ll be bitten too quickly
for him to help. The reality of it is
that I would be eaten immediately (my hopes being that enough of me survived to
become a walking dead). Greg would likely
survive, and he may or may not come back to collect me and lock me up in a cage
waiting for a cure. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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We’ve thought about the different options for me as a
zombie. Because of my passive
personality and love for everything, it wouldn’t be so far fetched to see me
sitting in someone’s front lawn eating daisies as opposed to the helpless child
wandering the streets. Greg and I have
laughed over the humorous prospect of me trying to convert my zombie friends to
vegetarianism. </div>
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<br /></div>
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However, with relation to my skin biting, it’s likely that I
may find brains delicious. My worry is
over the execution of retrieving said brains.
I’m a pacifist by nature, and I just can’t see myself hunting down an
innocent human, no matter how black my own brain becomes. It’d probably be more likely that I would
just be softly growling from a distance and gnashing my teeth together ever so
lightly in the hopes that the living would approach me.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Or maybe I'll just end up resorting to this:</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMtiZdjTZmcHYghxe6Xgo6GnSC_885C0pptbofHeumVA3DgICcm4oMHgaaRmbw7Ph9OoIOzWCfLj1RnnAPABnd8RofPjI_ePRQbZtwK9TUW2tMUvXaoz5wRFceu50-8t53PjCR6Xhfzdk/s1600/photo-6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMtiZdjTZmcHYghxe6Xgo6GnSC_885C0pptbofHeumVA3DgICcm4oMHgaaRmbw7Ph9OoIOzWCfLj1RnnAPABnd8RofPjI_ePRQbZtwK9TUW2tMUvXaoz5wRFceu50-8t53PjCR6Xhfzdk/s400/photo-6.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zombie Erica enjoying a chicken nugget.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
Ericamoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17149562514128914932noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513032226995425339.post-29439910977280591472012-09-06T12:06:00.000-07:002012-09-06T12:09:16.823-07:00Dress to Impress (Myself)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
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I bought myself a girly shirt the other day. Really, it’s just a glorified tank top with
tiny flowing pleats and a sash to tie a bow with. I’m still not sure whether the bow is
supposed to be tied in the front or the back.
Which brings me to my point: a girly purchase is a break-through for me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://ericamos.blogspot.com/2011/07/day-i-realized-i-was-nerd.html" target="_blank">I like my clothes to be casual, comfortable, and sensible</a>. This new shirt is <i>maybe </i>one of the three, so I felt a
little guilty buying it. Plus, I feel
like I need to be invited to a fancy barbeque or a semi-casual girls night out
to wear it. I mean, don’t get me
wrong. It’s cute, and many other girls
or women my age would wear it on a weekly excursion to Target (<i>weekly?</i> Who am I kidding? I visit Target,
at minimum, twice a week). Anyway, I
could wear it today with some jean shorts and sandals, but I’d feel
dressy. Strangers would think I looked
normal, but I’d know I wasn’t. I’d know
that I was way too dressed up. As much
as I’ve wanted to buy more girly clothes lately, the greater part of me knows
they aren’t practical, and they’re not me.
Yeah, I might look cute in them, but at what expense? To losing the sense of me-ness? <o:p></o:p></div>
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I think my mom will literally kill me if I don’t give her a
girly granddaughter one day. I always
hated those foo-foo dresses my mom would force upon me. The lace all over the dresses itched like
crazy! I’m told that I would stick my
finger under my collar, tug it away from my neck and say in slow, staccato
words, “Take. It. Off.” The only joy I
found in dressing up was wearing my shiny black buckle shoes with the quarter
inch chunky heel. They were not at all
comfortable, as they pretty much tore into my anklebone, rubbing my skin raw
through my tights. However, if I walked
on the backs of my heels across the kitchen floor, they would leave the most
satisfying black “half-moon” marks all over the ground! Sometimes I would purposely slip, so that I
could see the line of black tear across the floor. I found use for my impractical shoes. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So I guess that’s what I’m going to have to do in my adult
life. Find use for my cute
purchases. Ideas?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Ericamoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17149562514128914932noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513032226995425339.post-60436600909461165512012-09-05T16:50:00.000-07:002012-09-05T16:50:54.952-07:00This boot was NOT made for walking<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
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Last October, I began noticing pain on the outer edge of my
right foot during and after my runs. At
the time, I was running in Vibrams (those toe shoes) <i><a href="http://thebloggess.com/2012/08/congratulation-to-you/" target="_blank">because I like to show off that I don’t have webbed toes</a>.</i> Not really.
They just truly helped with my IT issues and knee pain. I figured my new foot discomfort was due to
the lack of support in my ankle, so I switched back to my regular running
shoes, which helped at first…until it didn’t.
A doctor diagnosed tendonitis, so to let it heal, I gave up running for
three months (but not Ultimate Frisbee, ‘cause I’m brilliant like that). Long story short: I didn’t have tendonitis; I
had torn my peroneus brevis tendon right below my anklebone and needed surgery.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was told that after surgery I’d be in a walking boot for
two weeks, after which, I’d be able to walk in a normal shoe, and then be back
to running again in an additional four weeks.
Six weeks out would still keep me right on schedule for the beginning of
my marathon training in April, so I went for it. The reality was that I was in that damn boot
for three full weeks, and then intermittently for an additional two weeks so I
could build up hours of normal shoe wear vs. the boot. And by “normal shoe,” I’m talking about
supportive running shoes; not my beloved flat-soled Chucks. I wasn’t cleared to run until eight weeks
post surgery, and was told that Ultimate Frisbee was “the worst possible thing
I could be doing to my foot” and I would need to ease myself back in, as
tolerance would allow. (I'm still easing.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Elevating my foot and being confined to a couch all day
every day was torture! I was forced to
depend on people for every little thing.
I’m one of those independent types who gets off my ass to grab the remote
sitting next to you just because I see no reason to make you get up and hand it
to me when I’m perfectly capable of getting it myself. So yes, Greg bringing me something to drink,
or grabbing my Kindle from the bedroom, was torture, and a constant battle
between us. Being gimpy and in pain, I
usually lost. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At one point in my recovery, when I was still wearing the boot
and using crutches, my pain had substantially subsided, so it was deemed
okay to leave me home alone for the entire day.
When it came time for lunch, I was thrilled to be up at the stove
heating up my soup and pouring my own juice.
However, once prepared, I suddenly realized that I needed to get the
bowl of hot soup from the counter to the folding tray near the couch where I
was stationed, and there was no way I could hold both my crutches and the heavy
bowl at the same time while walking. But
I’m a problem solver. I dropped
carefully to my knees and placed the soup and juice on the ground. Then slowly and carefully, I pushed the bowl
and cup a few inches ahead of me, crawled forward on my hands and knees
dragging my 20lb boot-foot behind me, and then pushed the dishes ahead of me
again. I tediously worked my way back to
the couch in that manner. I continued
this ritual in secret for a few days until it was finally bearable to place
some weight down on my boot clad foot; thus, making me able to walk a few steps sans
crutches. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I was able to ditch the boot altogether after about six
weeks, and continued exclusively wearing running shoes for an additional five
weeks. While I’m not a hundred percent
better, and my marathon training is officially a wash, I’m at least glad that
I’m finally back in flip flops and can carry my lunch easily to wherever I want
it! It’s the little things that I missed
the most.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_fx_KAmZbuhreAyeVXAY6XOcsdTrT8co11kuOztl92uLaTnpmUZUZScDB-f5IuaATesWKPW13zPRAhjYV1SOPVzwfJ7zVPuQ8S5XdtyA5MRg1fuBVeWB9zrVPwMoq5LfqfHLiDf_k5w8/s1600/so+lost+288+centered.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_fx_KAmZbuhreAyeVXAY6XOcsdTrT8co11kuOztl92uLaTnpmUZUZScDB-f5IuaATesWKPW13zPRAhjYV1SOPVzwfJ7zVPuQ8S5XdtyA5MRg1fuBVeWB9zrVPwMoq5LfqfHLiDf_k5w8/s640/so+lost+288+centered.png" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My boot would wait for me outside the bathroom door while I showered.<br />Now it waits for me in my storage unit.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Ericamoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17149562514128914932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513032226995425339.post-20861325708861140612012-08-30T16:43:00.000-07:002012-08-30T16:43:20.564-07:00Running (or lack thereof)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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As I’ve mentioned before, <a href="http://ericamos.blogspot.com/2011/09/mr-schatzs-daughter.html" target="_blank">my dad is the Athletic Director for San Pedro High School</a>--my alma mater’s hugest rival. Despite attending Narbonne High, my brothers
and I pretty much grew up within the PE department of Pedro, and the coaches
and teachers became like a second family to us.
Because of the prestige we’ve gained from our father, and the fact that
we all ran Cross Country in high school, we were invited to run in their Alumni
Cross Country meet at our home course tomorrow.
I’ve heard that Valerie, Pedro’s best runner during my time, and my
fiercest competitor, will be racing. <i>By “fiercest” I mean, friendliest and
humblest non-teammate I’ve ever had the privilege to run against (and beat
once…in the mile…at my home track…but that’s another story).<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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I probably would have ignored the pain of my recovering
ankle surgery and negligently ran in the meet for nostalgic purposes, but as
soon as I heard Valerie was going to be there, I opted to be a supporting
observer. Marissa humorously expressed
my exact sentiment when I told her she could run, and that Valerie would be
there, by replying: “I’m not about to
make a fool of myself.” Back in high
school, Valerie was a top notch runner, as well as the entire San Pedro Cross Country team, and while Marissa and I still run occasionally to keep in shape, we are
nowhere near the racing speeds or endurance of our youth, and we’re betting
that Valerie still is.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Without coming across as a braggart, I just want to state
that Marissa and I were born with some raw talent in running. As freshmen, we were the fastest on our team,
and went to City Finals every year of high school. We quickly overcame our competitor from
Banning High, Juana, in our freshman year, and were living large until San
Pedro’s team stepped it up and started producing some bomb runners. We had some goodhearted coaches who believed
in us and worked with us to the best of our abilities, but we just weren’t as
dedicated as the San Pedro runners, and our high school’s running program was
just not as well organized as theirs, so it became increasingly difficult to individually
win meets.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I wish I could say that we tried our hardest, but looking
back at my high school running days, it’s clear that we did not. Our coaches continually told us girls to
separate during practice runs, so that we’d be training at each of our ability
levels, but we stubbornly stayed in a group so that we could chat together for
the 5 or so miles. As soon as we got a
few blocks away from school, we’d slow down and plan out the order of a natural
arrival, leaving in waves so that it would appear to our coaches and teammates that
we weren’t actually running together the entire time. Sadly, our coaches eventually caught on and
would periodically monitor our runs more closely.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Also, on hot afternoons, or days that we just didn’t feel
like running, us girls would run to my house (which was right off our route and
only a quarter of a mile away) to gorge ourselves on granola bars and fresh
oranges picked from my tree, all while jumping on our huge backyard trampoline. It could be argued that we were still getting
some sort of endurance training through the constant jumping, but really, it
was purely a time for rest, relaxation, and sweet, sweet snacking. Our workout was so minimal that we’d have to
“sweat” ourselves with the water hose before we took off back to school to make
it look like we actually did our run. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m not saying we did this all the time, or even every week,
but I can imagine what sorts of runners we could have become had we actually
trained correctly. We relied on our natural abilities to get us through our meets, and it’s amazing that we got as far as
we did. That said, I wouldn’t go back
and change a thing. No, I never made it
past City Finals to State Championships, and yes, San Pedro’s growing team
eventually overtook ours, but I have some amazingly fun and silly memories with
my cross country teammates that I wouldn’t have had I actually listened to my
coaches and broke away from the pack during practices. What other cross country team sings camp
songs together while running for miles?
Instead of focusing on medals, we focused on friendships, and I’m
thankful for it, because you know what?
I got both. <o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Ericamoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17149562514128914932noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513032226995425339.post-70932043149174561832012-08-22T17:08:00.002-07:002012-10-26T12:07:59.168-07:00Standing To Pee<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
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**If you got here through pStyle's website, or just stumbled across this post, thanks for stopping by! I have transferred this blog to <a href="http://www.yeahimanerd.com/">http://www.yeahimanerd.com</a>. If you want to purchase one of these pStyles, you can do so through me, by clicking <a href="http://yeahimanerd.com/2012/08/standing-to-pee/" target="_blank">HERE</a> or using the PayPal button at the bottom of this entry.***<br />
<br />
Three weeks ago, I posted this picture of my newly purchased
<a href="http://www.thepstyle.com/" target="_blank">pStyle</a> on Facebook and Instagram.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqylD5KAHXzkR9cv8fDSSYv3SGUQtNM5tEe0VvFQ0PXNCvgqwDlA0uon92RR6RSCRD-VZeNuazApS6-mB1M68_yof7iznvPXUrnD9vE6UolykQCGHg2UZ2qzfNUWjT9aW2AZIdSm8O6U/s1600/IMG_1949.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqylD5KAHXzkR9cv8fDSSYv3SGUQtNM5tEe0VvFQ0PXNCvgqwDlA0uon92RR6RSCRD-VZeNuazApS6-mB1M68_yof7iznvPXUrnD9vE6UolykQCGHg2UZ2qzfNUWjT9aW2AZIdSm8O6U/s400/IMG_1949.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It caused many dudes to question why, and many girls to ask
where they could get one. It even
sparked a curiosity as to whether the <a href="http://www.go-girl.com/" target="_blank">GoGirl</a> was better. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ntuoSDATfGLnnOpoXzj4heIf5-XrWJzn0X4erA0RXn2WzVCHrxVfulzqb2Sg1HW1bUMWtCYXICqXJ4rsLQ3_vd6RNyivb6pws4dYGycdh1xmQN6fP-vsXun4WdUri6XDNx8WXDJDqIs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-08-22+at+2.19.14+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ntuoSDATfGLnnOpoXzj4heIf5-XrWJzn0X4erA0RXn2WzVCHrxVfulzqb2Sg1HW1bUMWtCYXICqXJ4rsLQ3_vd6RNyivb6pws4dYGycdh1xmQN6fP-vsXun4WdUri6XDNx8WXDJDqIs/s200/Screen+Shot+2012-08-22+at+2.19.14+PM.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm only including a picture for comparison purposes. I have<br />
never tried this product and cannot endorse it's use. <i>Though if someone<br />buys me one, I'll totally go use it and review it.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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I love camping and backpacking, but I’m getting too old and
tired of hiking a mile away from my companions, digging a six inch hole to bury
toilet paper, and popping a squat every time I have to pee. I also do not enjoy the times I accidently
pee on my shorts or ankles while attempting this squatting process, so I decided
to spend the last half a year researching stand up urination contraptions. Though the GoGirl seemed to be the most well
known, it also had extremely varying reviews, which troubled me and delayed my
purchase of a device. The women who
loved the GoGirl, professed that much practice would be needed before taking it
to the wild, and the women who had problems with it…dude…they had
problems! I read review after review of
the flexible rubbered GoGirl collapsing and leaving a puddled pee mess in their
pants. And then I also read many
horrible accounts of women filling the funnel faster than it could be expelled;
overflowing the container and again, making a wet mess. I just wasn’t sold on the GoGirl, so I kept
looking; and that’s when I found the <a href="http://www.thepstyle.com/" target="_blank">pStyle</a>. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Though the pStyle didn’t have as many reviews as the GoGirl,
every single review it had, was positive!
I couldn’t even find a review lower than 4 (out of 5) on Amazon. The 5 star reviews raved of it’s greatness,
and the 4 star reviews pointed out petty complaints such as: it’s too long and
made of hard plastic (making it less discrete than competitors) and it didn’t
come with a carrying case. That’s
it. No horror stories of pee leaking all
over themselves, no woes of hot urine splashing back or dribbling on their
feet, basically, no functionality complaints whatsoever! I was sold!
After receiving it and posting the picture above, I decided that I would
come back from a backpacking trip and review the shit out of this product for
my inquiring friends and family. So
here’s what I found:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The pStyle rocks!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The day I got it in the mail, I drank copious amounts of
water so that I could test it multiple times that afternoon in my home before I
left for my backpacking trip the following morning. For my first test, I dropped my chonies and
shorts, stood over the edge of the tub, slightly bent my knees (as instructed)
and peed into my shower. The stream
never even came close to flowing over the outer edge of the pStyle, and it
drained out and away from my body just like it said it would. The last step was to gently press upward as I
pulled the pStyle away from my body to simulate wiping. Afterwards, I grabbed some toilet paper and
did a regular wipe anyway, to see how well the device actually “wiped,” and I
gotta say, it did pretty well. I only
had a small drop on that piece of toilet paper.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For my next test, I dropped my shorts and chonies again, but
stood over the toilet. Though I had to
badly urinate, it took my body a few seconds to respond to the awkward
positioning and overcome the fear of peeing all over my bathroom floor. As soon as I relaxed, the pee came, and it
went perfectly into the toilet! I was ecstatic! However, I didn’t let my excitement completely
overtake me, as this tool would not prove to be perfect unless I could pee <i>without</i> dropping my pants and exposing
my butt to the world. Half the reason I
got the pStyle was so that I could turn my back to my friends and pee on a
tree!
Anyway, my last home-test worked.
I unzipped my shorts, pushed my chonies to the side, positioned the
pStyle, and peed with ease over the toilet.
I was ready to go camping! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next morning, I left on an overnight backpacking trip
with my dad and uncle. I was eager to
try out my pStyle after we stopped for lunch on the trail. Unfortunately for me, my body freaked
out. Even though I had hiked out of
view, as I stood there pushing and willing the pee to come, it would not. I don’t, however, blame this on the
pStyle. As this unfortunate event was
taking place, I remembered that this happens almost every time I try my first
outdoor pee. I usually squat and push
and nothing comes out due to my body telling me that it is unnatural, and this
was what was happening to me then.
Dejected, I zipped up my pants and returned to our lunch spot. Of course, as soon as we began to walk, I
felt the urge to urinate, but we were on our way, and I wasn’t about to ask my
dad and uncle to stop just so I could fail again. I waited until our next break, and <i>then, </i>despite my body not wanting to
urinate in nature, I HAD TO PEE, and what a glorious and perfect pee I had
using my pStyle! No leaks, no
hesitation, and very easy to use in the wild!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what it looked like from my perspective after<br />
positioning it. See? All lady parts covered! <br />
<i>Also, please erase from your memory my dorky <br />Tevas with socks. Coolness is a low priority out in <br />the wilderness.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>I wanted to post a
picture of my urine actually coming out of the pStyle (‘cause yes, I totally
took a picture of that!), but my <a href="http://www.kevindoesstuff.net/" target="_blank">brother</a>, who is as gross and unashamed as me, pretty much told me (through his laughter and shaking of his head) that it would be a bit over the line, so I decided against
it. However, what’s a good review
without pictures of the product in use?
For those of you who would like to see how it worked, I created a Flikr
account just to give you the chance to witness it in it’s glory. To see that picture, click <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericamos/7840450160/in/photostream" target="_blank">HERE</a>. That way, for those of you who think pictures
of pee are the grossest thing in the world, and better kept to our
imaginations, just keep reading and don’t click on the link! We all win.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The rest of the trip, I was able to use the pStyle
successfully, and I was so thankful to have it!
Our campsite was wide open, with thin bushes scattered throughout, so if
not for the pStyle, I would have had to hike quite a ways before finding a
decent place to drop my pants and pee.
Instead, I was able to duck behind a bush, turn my back, and urinate. Alas, I never did walk up to a tree to pee. Even
though my private areas were completely covered, my embarrassment of
peeing in front of others overcame me, and I felt that I still needed to hide.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you are a camper, or you just don’t like using public
toilets, I highly suggest the pStyle.
Not only did it function perfectly, but it was also easy to clean and
put away. The shape of the device allows
the pee to drain right off, so when it was stored in the Ziploc it came in,
there were no lingering drops of urine.
Though the wiping effect isn’t perfect, it’s damn near close, and I didn’t
have to use toilet paper on the trip. Also,
it was small enough to carry in my fanny pack (heck yeah I rocked a fanny pack!)
and I felt pretty discrete whenever I brought the pStyle out. Seriously, I have no complaints about this
device whatsoever. I can’t wait to add
my review to Amazon and inspire more women to get this product!<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Buy one for yourself today!!<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
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Ericamoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17149562514128914932noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513032226995425339.post-34399435848388633462012-08-16T14:26:00.001-07:002012-08-16T14:26:14.945-07:00Will You Sign My Dead Chipmunk?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Two days ago, my cousin Marissa and I left Los Angeles a little before
1pm, to drive down to San Diego for a book signing that started at 7pm. Yes, we did get to Barnes & Noble four
hours early to inquire about Jenny Lawson’s signing, and no, we didn’t regret how
excessively early we were. <i>If you haven’t yet, you must read her book:
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lets-Pretend-This-Never-Happened/dp/0399159010/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1345150170&sr=1-1&keywords=let%27s+pretend+this+never+happened" target="_blank">Let’s Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir)</a> and visit <a href="http://thebloggess.com/" target="_blank">her blog</a>,
because then you’ll understand why we absolutely needed to be seated as close
as humanly possible to her. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We asked the nearest sales clerk for information about the
event, but we weren’t satisfied with his answer of, “It’ll be over there at
7pm,” and him quickly flicking his wrist and not even bothering to look up from
his bookkeeping. We did not arrive hours
in advance to get information we already knew, so Marissa kept politely
prodding for more details of where and when we could begin lining up. You could tell he was a bit bothered with our
questioning of every detail, so Marissa saved us by cheerfully adding, “We’re
really excited to meet her!” At that, he
softened and inquired as to whether we bought her book yet, and gladly signed a
ticket for us, showing that we had.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Noticing that we were the only two nerds there and ready for
the signing (and pretty much the only two in the store) we felt more than
comfortable leaving to meet up with my other cousin, Marissa’s sister, for a
long lunch. She was quick to laugh and
question our attire, as we were matching in our Lawsbian Pride shirts and gray
shorts.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We got back to Barnes & Noble a little before 5pm, and
after perusing every square inch of the store, we sat ourselves down in the
cleared out kid’s section, where Jenny would be doing her reading <i>(which is hilarious because she has an
awesomely funny, but foul, mouth)</i>. We
were sure people must have thought we were child predators since the cushions
we sat on were located right next to the play table, but we sat down anyway and
tried not to stare too much at the cute kids who came to play with the
train-set on the table. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For the last few weeks, I have been working on a Jefferson
Peabody cross-stitch to give to Jenny, and with my luck, I still wasn’t quite
done with it. I had worked so hard and
was determined to give it to her, so I sat and stitched furiously, my hands
shaking with the anxiety over not finishing in time. While I stitched, Marissa was audibly
enjoying herself while re-reading Jenny’s book.
Amazingly enough, I finished <i>just</i> as my online Lawsbian friend, <a href="http://onejourneyblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Shelly</a>, arrived at the store. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOQC-CwIeJTDDPuFxteOYIdBVILDpcVoreqVoenq6YxzZjMhBgD7tLCIzEBYXNZTTTplbNVtHkKl72h55sadmgZe94p3ZOOKtAhbaJChEp_RlasCCAU_PHaoN_H9crqSCpKW-miF4NHBY/s1600/photo-7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOQC-CwIeJTDDPuFxteOYIdBVILDpcVoreqVoenq6YxzZjMhBgD7tLCIzEBYXNZTTTplbNVtHkKl72h55sadmgZe94p3ZOOKtAhbaJChEp_RlasCCAU_PHaoN_H9crqSCpKW-miF4NHBY/s320/photo-7.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was the first
time we’d be meeting in person, and I was terrified of being the usual ball of
awkward that I usually am, but Shelly’s warm personality kept our
conversation going, and the three of us sat and chatted the time away while we
waited for the chairs to get set up. The
event organizer was really nice, and offered up-to-the-minute information on
what he was doing, and how he was planning to set up the area without us even
inquiring. As soon as he got the first
two rows set up, Marissa, Shelly, and I plopped ourselves down on the first
three seats of the front row. A brown
chair next to Shelly was marked with a post-it that said it was reserved for a
relative. We were told it was for her
sister-in-law, but being the super Jenny stalkers we are, we knew her husband, Victor,
didn’t have a brother, and began to excite ourselves over the prospect of it
being Jenny’s sister, Lisa….and it totally was!
I got to share side glances and knowing smiles with her on a few occasions
throughout Jenny’s appearance, and that made the night just that much more
special.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkjxSffZ5vvPlKAFBw6BVhki7BsJzMdr9j4xso4NxW3Y5c6dGvDknEcB2DiItwrl-JkGvkjfcED3g75TqPVhmkUm7Z-OLH6-tyHa_AhmRbNLQ3gHFcHKTIZPzReEPR4Q6QWFOS0jWpq8/s1600/photo-6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkjxSffZ5vvPlKAFBw6BVhki7BsJzMdr9j4xso4NxW3Y5c6dGvDknEcB2DiItwrl-JkGvkjfcED3g75TqPVhmkUm7Z-OLH6-tyHa_AhmRbNLQ3gHFcHKTIZPzReEPR4Q6QWFOS0jWpq8/s320/photo-6.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We brought our humanely taxidermied critters, and they were<br />just as excited to be sitting right up front.<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But to get back to the waiting part: While I was sitting,
nervously clutching my book in my lap, I noticed Bree, my cousin-in-law, (is
that even a term? She’s my cousin’s husband’s sister….so it makes sense in my
head) sitting in the row behind me. I
had no idea she was a fan too, so I tried to get her attention, but my soft
voice was overshadowed by the excitement she was causing over the 2-foot metal
chicken she had in her hands. <i>If you’re not a Bloggess fan, you should go
<a href="http://thebloggess.com/2011/06/and-thats-why-you-should-learn-to-pick-your-battles/" target="_blank">read this to see what the hub bub was all about</a>.</i> I finally caught her attention, and after
sharing a hug, she showed me pictures of our niece’s 2<sup>nd</sup> birthday
party. (Well, she’s not really <b>my</b> niece, she’s <b>Bree’s</b> niece, but she’s my cousin’s child, so she feels like a
niece to me…and now I’m realizing that I apparently like to make up family
relationship names…that’s cool, right?)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As soon as Bree went back to her seat, a girl with a cool
camera around her neck who was taking candid photos of everyone asked if I was
Erica. Turns out, it was <a href="http://melaniecrutchfield.com/" target="_blank">Melanie</a>, the
one who started the <a href="http://melaniecrutchfield.com/2012/07/27/hope-2012-a-blog-relay/" target="_blank">Hope Blog Relay</a> that I <a href="http://ericamos.blogspot.com/2012/08/hope-2012-blog-relay.html" target="_blank">took part in</a>! I
was pretty much as awestruck as if I was meeting Jenny, so I jumped right up
and gave her a hug, and then sat right back down, all awkward-like, and mumbled
something about how great it was to meet her in person. I thought I scared
her away, ‘cause she quickly retreated to the back where she continued to take
pictures, but turns out she was feeling just as socially inept as me! So like
opposing magnets, our awesome social skills kept us from sharing more than a
hug and a quick hello. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Time seemed to fly by, and soon enough, Jenny was right in
front of me. And I mean <b><i>right</i></b> in front of me! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCTZVbUW0D_B2-XD9Tt9LQmp1lmoxeKma6sZ8HlMpvVJgG9dI5SFGJ6PQMxp6GWTTuwJRMFhEKHQbK7RCMzcOMh9HQjxNbZAFy5QTtllg74LD2A3wKMWxXV4BgJhrceL0rQ5tvTpV4waE/s1600/jenny+reading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCTZVbUW0D_B2-XD9Tt9LQmp1lmoxeKma6sZ8HlMpvVJgG9dI5SFGJ6PQMxp6GWTTuwJRMFhEKHQbK7RCMzcOMh9HQjxNbZAFy5QTtllg74LD2A3wKMWxXV4BgJhrceL0rQ5tvTpV4waE/s320/jenny+reading.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best story time EVER!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She read one of my favorite chapters (of course it’s the one
about poo), and we all laughed our asses off the entire time. It was fun sneaking glances at the trying-not-to-smile-security
dude and the Barnes and Noble employees who were hearing her story for the
first time. After an awesome question
and answer session, it was time to line up for the signing. Being in the front row, we got to line up
first, and I happened to get shuffled to the very front of the line! I gawkily stood there fumbling around with my
phone, my book, my cross stitch, and of course, my taxidermy newsy chipmunk,
Marjorie, watching Jenny take a seat and prepare to meet us all, and waiting
for someone to usher me forward. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When they finally said I could approach the table, I was a
mumbling fool, but Jenny was so sweet, that she helped calm me down. She was all kinds of excited to see Marjorie,
and said that she was the first chipmunk she’s ever signed! And when I gave her the Jefferson Peabody
cross-stitch, she was beyond grateful. She
didn’t just give a polite thank-you, she was genuinely impressed and happy to
receive it, and it made my heart happy.
I couldn’t have asked for a better reaction: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFbaQDhzSCu4gZy9MRbd2N5c_ivhNNLDvU7B2jwlKMd5pWEUWTutU03tAH8U8LNcJV-56OzKprtGWiem4oxLUAoR5rubkOcHRWy_BBsAoJTmfCPkY7bGz3YdXjE-Wdq6425ewCtdtbCvM/s1600/Jenny+super+excited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFbaQDhzSCu4gZy9MRbd2N5c_ivhNNLDvU7B2jwlKMd5pWEUWTutU03tAH8U8LNcJV-56OzKprtGWiem4oxLUAoR5rubkOcHRWy_BBsAoJTmfCPkY7bGz3YdXjE-Wdq6425ewCtdtbCvM/s320/Jenny+super+excited.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So excited!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As we prepared for the picture, and I made sure to position
Marjorie in it, she remembered that she had brought <a href="http://thebloggess.com/?s=copernicus" target="_blank">Copernicus</a>, who was sitting
in her purse right at her feet. I
watched her struggle to pull him out of the clawing tangle of things in her
purse, and contemplated helping, but wasn’t sure if it was cool to reach into a
New York Times Best Seller author’s purse, so I held back. After seconds of her struggling, which felt
like minutes, I decided, awesome author or not, she needs help, and it’s the humane
thing to do, so I reached down to help untangle Copernicus. At the same time, her sister rushed in to
help, and suddenly there were too many hands, and I heard her sister softly say, “No,”
and wasn’t sure who she was talking to, or what she was referring to, but I’m pretty sure it was directed to
me, the complete stranger, putting her hands on her sister’s purse junk. I get it though. If I were ever famous, I’d like to think that
my brothers would look out for my possessions too. In any case, out popped Copernicus, and with
Jenny victoriously holding him, we snapped a picture together. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBTWW5o7_AyCDearQ15Y_Awvj8VANVNlvdShQe4h8gQQy2lcm0tlyxdDA62HxH1l7JJZCjREE_vSM_u8XjLSI82biTIZDLQvA-MhU1vz1psvsolshAaNA6Y3_rD5spvdxmqCOe_PgKlZ0/s1600/Me+Jenny+Copernicus+Marjorie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBTWW5o7_AyCDearQ15Y_Awvj8VANVNlvdShQe4h8gQQy2lcm0tlyxdDA62HxH1l7JJZCjREE_vSM_u8XjLSI82biTIZDLQvA-MhU1vz1psvsolshAaNA6Y3_rD5spvdxmqCOe_PgKlZ0/s400/Me+Jenny+Copernicus+Marjorie.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love how genuine she is! I mean, look at that smile!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When it was all over, Marissa and I were literally shaking
with nervous excitement, and our giddy smiles stayed plastered on our faces all
night. It truly was one of the best days
of my life, and one that I will never forget.<i> <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVVfmWj9oB6mi8u5igYH0GzzHxLCI_VmWKmomjr_4lpIXHFXhShj2XVDcGn2nwS2IGf2T5zRX1SkW8Ye-oPeb86LSTIedbvn_LK59ChGH8PHMk3zDOVFq5nix0pEzXSa8CQ9Nty1c-pc/s1600/me+marissa+jenny+critters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVVfmWj9oB6mi8u5igYH0GzzHxLCI_VmWKmomjr_4lpIXHFXhShj2XVDcGn2nwS2IGf2T5zRX1SkW8Ye-oPeb86LSTIedbvn_LK59ChGH8PHMk3zDOVFq5nix0pEzXSa8CQ9Nty1c-pc/s400/me+marissa+jenny+critters.jpg" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marissa, Jenny, Me, Copernicus, <br />Not-So-Bad-Ass-Legolas, and a naked Marjorie.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<i><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">And
if you made it to the end of this post, thanks for sticking it out! There was just no way I could cut any of that
day from this entry, so I appreciate your dedication. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></i>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShghKUQlR34y0I5ttk3evNbTtBXxHRWbOaJRQBrlQSsHC-Bhpr6LOrH_DHeLjpLueNRpl9HCRYce4w7ZINN8ixvcErI4K4Cp8FZKoZfstq9ZuSGg_TZmnWdsbR3nS48BAnmHjqg3bUR8/s1600/cool+girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShghKUQlR34y0I5ttk3evNbTtBXxHRWbOaJRQBrlQSsHC-Bhpr6LOrH_DHeLjpLueNRpl9HCRYce4w7ZINN8ixvcErI4K4Cp8FZKoZfstq9ZuSGg_TZmnWdsbR3nS48BAnmHjqg3bUR8/s320/cool+girl.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She validated my Cool Girl Book Club name by<br />voluntarily writing, "You Rock!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></i></div>
Ericamoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17149562514128914932noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513032226995425339.post-65115417502440467292012-08-06T17:14:00.000-07:002012-08-06T17:23:12.596-07:00Hope 2012: A Blog Relay<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
There’s a <a href="http://melaniecrutchfield.com/2012/07/27/hope-2012-a-blog-relay/" target="_blank">blog relay</a> going on during this Olympic season started
by Melanie Crutchfield where she began blogging about hope, and passed the
torch to other bloggers who then continued passing that torch of hope, and so
on. She will even be conducting a
“closing ceremony” with excerpts from blogs in this relay. The torch of hope has been dangling in front
of me from many fellow bloggers, and I desperately wanted to write on it, but
inspiration was failing me. That is,
until today.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This morning, I woke up from a bad dream. It consisted of me being upset with some sort
of thing Greg did or said, but whenever the action was completed, and I began
to reason and argue with him, he morphed into my ex, and my past feelings of
entrapment and desolation crumpled in around me. <br />
<br />
For those of you new to my blog, or unfamiliar with the details of my past, I
was in a detrimental relationship for 6 years that I finally found the strength
to get out of during the early summer of 2009.
I told myself that I never wanted to blog in any great detail about my
ex, and that he didn’t deserve any mention or acknowledgement, since I’m still
recovering from the scars he left.
However, with the way he haunts my dreams, I know I will feel better
writing not about <i>him</i>, but about my
struggles with him, the hope that was lost while with him, and the stronger
person I’ve become without him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s still too shameful to admit to myself, let alone the
public, everything I endured while in that relationship, but suffice it to say
that I was verbally and mentally abused, as well as threatened, frightened, and
physically harmed. It wouldn’t be fair
of me to call him a “beater,” though I bore many a bruise due to his anger and
myself being in the wrong place at the wrong time. At one point, I think I was crying out for
help by wearing shorts while visiting my family after receiving a softball size
bruise on my upper thigh, but when my dad inquired about it, instead of telling
him the truth of my ex’s anger, I told him it was just that: a softball getting
batted into my leg. For some reason, I
kept getting sucked back into that relationship despite my wanting to get out. I knew it wasn’t a good relationship, but I
didn’t know how to get out of it, and thus, lost hope that I’d ever truly be
happy, and resigned myself to the fate of dealing with him and living unhappily
for the rest of my life. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
I sunk into a depression that swallowed me and pulled me
into myself. I rarely left the house
except for work, and turned down outings with my friends and family. Much of that was due to the dark funk I was
in, but just as much of it was out of my distrust of him. Though I never had solid proof of his
cheating, I did have proof of his flirting through texts and social networking,
and even proof of a dinner date he took with another woman. (he was good at
manipulation and lying, but horrible at covering his tracks) I thought that if I was always home, he
wouldn’t be able to follow through on his plans with other women. Constantly being around him and my creeping depression was slowly killing my spirit, and I was
stuck in a vicious cycle where I saw no way out. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
It wasn’t until our final days, that I overheard him making
plans to get away for a weekend with another female. For some reason, even this wasn’t enough to
make me want to immediately break up with him.
It was when I heard him confidently tell this woman while chuckling,
“Don’t even think about telling my girlfriend about this. Alex(andria) tried that years ago, and it
didn’t work.” Which was true, and
hurtful to hear out of his own mouth. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s probably hard to understand my rationale without
knowing all of my heartbreaking background, but his evil laugh, and his cocky
demeanor, as well as finally getting my solid proof of him sleeping with Alex
was the final straw. I had finally found
my courage and built up enough anger to exit that relationship. When it was done, there were no more
tears. I had never felt so free in my
entire life, and as surprising as it was to not cry, it also made sense. For the first time in years, I was truly, and
utterly, happy. All at once, my black
cloud of depression lifted, and I started to recover my old self.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I suffered a great deal, but came out stronger. I never understood why women stayed in
abusive relationships until I experienced it myself. In hindsight, it’s easy to realize how dumb I
was, and tell myself how easy it could have been to get out, but at the time,
it was the hardest thing in the world.
My hope is that other women (or men) feeling trapped in their abusive
relationships will find their strength sooner than later, and that they can
find support from others to assist them.
For me, it took the love and encouragement from two very special cousins
and one irreplaceable best friend. I
don’t know that I could have done it alone, and I am eternally grateful to them
for not putting me down, but constantly lifting me up and accepting my
decisions no matter how harmful they might have been to me. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you are in a relationship that is ultimately damaging your
happiness and ruining the person you used to be, my hope is that you look to
others to help you find your inner strength.
Surround yourself with love, and don’t lose sight of your
self-worth. And those of you watching a
loved one suffer; I hope that you will be the un-judging stronghold that they
will need to pull themselves out. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And now I pass the torch.
What is your hope? It can be a
hope for you, a hope for a friend, or a hope for humanity. It can be anything you dare to hope for, so
hope away! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://melaniecrutchfield.com/2012/07/27/hope-2012-a-blog-relay/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZdew7qK5Nt5yvw-vH7rK8Tf__M3tDXBRra63Os48cY0utcuSRznVnGkxxP3wkNqzedJxGax3lX7NMrb5J1EoM2DjswVWLWsx3u1WaU6j-ou-REcgfwf9VRryVAVx5rQgrs8YXUmrZf6w/s640/hope-2012.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>Ericamoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17149562514128914932noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513032226995425339.post-4756524227214491282012-08-06T11:41:00.001-07:002012-08-06T11:41:46.237-07:00BlogHer 2013 Giveaway<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I know I'm due for a solid post, and I promise I will soon, but I need to first mention that BlogHer is giving away a free entry into their annual convention next year, 2013 in Chicago. They're also giving away two swag bags which would still be pretty awesome to win. You can enter here: <a href="http://www.blogher.com/blogher-home-giveaway-3-more-swag-bags-and-blogher13-pass">http://www.blogher.com/blogher-home-giveaway-3-more-swag-bags-and-blogher13-pass</a>. Part of that entry is blogging about the sweepstakes, so here I am doing just that! Wish me luck, and good luck to my other blogging buddies who have entered. You still have till tomorrow to enter!</div>Ericamoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17149562514128914932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513032226995425339.post-39050489907825894602012-07-26T16:57:00.000-07:002012-07-26T17:21:22.120-07:00Unemployment Benefits<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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When my school district first laid me off, my initial
thought was that a Director of Education position at Sylvan would be a suitable
alternative, so you can imagine my excitement, last week, upon finding a
similar opening at a center nearby. The
day before I left for camp, I sent them my resume, and on Monday, I had a phone
interview with the Sylvan franchise owner that went extremely well. I was told that the next step would be
another Sylvan employee contacting me within 24 hours to schedule a one-on-one
meeting/interview. I was never
contacted. After the first day passed
without a call, I initially felt myself sinking into my worthless funk, but now
that a few days have passed, I’m actually starting to feel relieved. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I understand that if I really want the job, I should call
the franchise owner again to follow up, but honestly, I’m not sure that I want
to. While that job will bring me around
$100 less per month than my unemployment gives me, it comes with benefits and
the potential to turn into a salaried job as the economy improves. And yet, I don’t feel the need to fight for
this job. This could be due to my
passive nature, but I really feel that it is due to the fact that I want to
teach. Period.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m fairly certain I could excel at Sylvan; even with the
managerial demands the position entails.
I might even find some happiness working there; especially once the
afternoon hits and the kids arrive. But
ultimately, I know my heart will be longing for that teaching void that this
job would not fill.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And honestly? Besides
the waves of worthlessness that wash over me every now and again, I’m actually
kind of enjoying my unemployment. Due to
all this free time, I was able to start this blog last June. For as long as I can remember, writing has
been gratifying to me. I have volumes
upon volumes of journals that span from 5<sup>th</sup> grade to my college
years. I used to write 13 page letters
to my best friend on a regular basis before snail mail became outdated. Writing calms me, and fills me with a sense
of accomplishment. If I hadn’t lost my
job, I don’t think I would have found the time to start this blog, and I think
that’s what worries me. I don’t mind
putting my writing on a backburner for teaching. Working with children is my number one
passion, and I look forward to the time when I can be back in the
classroom. But to give up my love of writing,
for a job that is not where I ultimately want to end up in life, does not sound
like an enjoyable alternative. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Many may look at this decision as selfish, or even
idiotic. Believe me, I wrestle with
feelings of guilt and laziness over being unemployed on a daily basis, and not
aggressively going after this Sylvan job is taking it’s toll on me (the chewed,
pink, raw skin around my thumbs are physical proof of that). And while my intentions do have a dash of
selfishness thrown in, I know I have to make happiness my number one
priority. If I start working a job that
ultimately, does not leave me happy, and prevents me from continuing to write,
I think I will only live to regret it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve always strived to look for the positive in things, and
I truly feel that my unemployment was a blessing. Besides the fact that it gave me the
opportunity to write and express myself, it allowed me to move in with Greg,
and realize that, despite always being around each other, we still have the
most amazing, rock-solid relationship. It
is a love and respect that I’ve never experienced before, and I’m so grateful
to live with him and experience what a loving relationship is supposed to feel
like. Moving back to my hometown after
twelve years away also strengthened and renewed my relationships with my immediate
and extended family. I’ve always been
close with my family, but this proximity has been pleasant and uplifting for
me. I’m thankful for the chance to pop
in and visit my grandma in the early afternoon hours, or to meet up on
Saturdays at the park for a game of Ultimate Frisbee with my siblings, cousins,
and friends. If I were still teaching in
Adelanto, none of this would be possible.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Judge my decisions if you want, but until I’m teaching
again, I’m going to make the most of my unemployment and push my guilty
feelings aside. <o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
</div>Ericamoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17149562514128914932noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513032226995425339.post-41173175225459614502012-07-10T12:08:00.000-07:002012-07-10T12:08:53.671-07:00The Things You Never Want to Lose<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I noticed a juice that supports brain health sitting on the
floor of my parents’ kitchen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It could
be coincidence that they bought that specific juice, especially since my dad is
known for buying intriguing juice flavors, but I think it might be due to a growing
concern of developing dementia.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My grandfather, who just passed away in May, was diagnosed
with Alzheimer’s disease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was such a
quiet and peaceful man that the effects really weren’t too noticeable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His wife, my grandmother, has various forms
of dementia, and due to her inquisitive and caring nature, it’s been noticeable
for years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At first, it was saddening to
answer the same questions every few minutes, but eventually, it became second
nature, and I grew to answer each question with the same amount of enthusiasm
without a trace of sorrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the most
part, my grandma usually remembered who I was, and she was interested in my
life so much that our conversations were mostly filled with questions about
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was the way our relationship
was, and I found solace in the fact that she cared so much about me, so it
didn’t matter that I <a href="http://ericamos.blogspot.com/2012/04/there-was-time.html" target="_blank">constantly had the same dialogue with her</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
However, the angst that I was able to overcome has crept
back into my heart over these past two months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Many of us were fortunate enough to surround my grandfather during his
last moments, and when he passed, the grief took a stronger hold on all of
us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what broke my heart into little
pieces was my grandmother constantly reliving that crushing moment of grief
over the news of her husband’s death.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even now, she still doesn’t always remember, and while her
disbelief and devastation is not as intense as those first two weeks, it really
doesn’t get any easier to remind her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
find myself constantly grieving for her, and wishing that she could hold on to
her memory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On days that she remembers
on her own, I optimistically think that it is a sign that she’ll begin to keep
this memory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, science knocks me
back to reality, and I regretfully acknowledge that Alzheimer’s and dementia do
not get better, but rather worsen over time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">While I feel selfish for contemplating it during this period, I can't help but wonder if Alzheimer's will be my fate as well. I've noticed that I've been forgetting things more than usual lately, and I'm not sure if it's my typical memory loss, or if I'm just more in tune to it because of my paranoia over developing symptoms. I'm only 31 years old, and as far as I know, early-onset Alzheimer's does not run in my family, so I take some consolation in that. Regardless, I installed a chess app on my phone to keep my mind sharp, and have been wanting, and forgetting, to get a few crossword books. I've put a lot of thought into increasing my antioxidant intake, and that's why the pomegranate blueberry juice in my parents' kitchen grabbed my attention the other day. Maybe I'm not the only one. </span></div>
</div>Ericamoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17149562514128914932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513032226995425339.post-4757383664331659532012-07-01T14:31:00.000-07:002012-07-01T18:50:51.866-07:00O Canada<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I met a Canadian today.
On Canada Day. And he talked
about what they do during their holiday, including using the word “oot”. It was pretty awesome, and I haven’t stopped
geeking out over it all day.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m not really sure why I became so obsessed with Canada,
but I vaguely remember how it started, and that I wasn’t alone.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My memory isn’t the greatest, but I believe that my best
friend Shannon traveled to Canada with her high school orchestra. Maybe? I just
remember that in one of her letters to me, she told me about their accents, and
somehow, a phrase was coined: “Let’s go oot and aboot and play hockey with the
mooses.” <i>Yes mooses. I don’t care that
I’m a teacher and know better. There are
just some words that are funner when used ungrammatically. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From this letter of hers spurned subsequent letter envelopes
decorated with red maple leaves and our Canadian phrase. Before I knew what was happening, I had a
collection of mooses and moose related items all throughout my room. Also, it wasn’t uncommon for Shannon to receive
some sort of moose related gift or card from me. <i>Still isn't.</i><br />
<br />
I carried this obsession through college, proudly displaying
a few of my stuffed mooses upon my bookshelf.
Somewhere in that time frame, I was gifted with an enormous Canadian
flag that I hung proudly, and prominently above my bed in my dorm room. People that visited my dorm started
questioning my nationality, and to amuse myself, I decided to start affirming
their beliefs of me being a Canadian.
Should they delve further, I had fabricated an entire backstory of
living in Alberta, going to one of the figure skating competitions with my mom
during the Calgary 1988 Winter Olympics, and sadly, moving to California at the
age of 10.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am a terrible liar, and am pretty much forced to tell the
truth all the time due to the blush that starts forming on my face through my dishonesties. However, my desire to be Canadian must have
been strong, because I think I truly started to believe my backstory, and
told it with a straight face every time.
People usually called me out on it as they got to know me better, and if
they were really close friends who asked, I pretty much would finish my story,
then laugh in their face about how gullible they were. <i>(Which is hypocritical of me because I’m the most gullible person there
ever was. Just yesterday, my brother
told me a dude’s name was Fletcher with a ‘ph’ and I totally believed him.) <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyway, throughout the rest of college, most people
understood that I just had a crazy obsession with Canada and mooses, and I eventually
let the Canadian story drop. However,
the correlation between Canada and me never faded, and one friend, David, even
nicknamed me Canada. He NEVER referred
to me as Erica, and I honestly doubt he even knew what my real name was. After I graduated college, I went back to
visit my youngest brother (who also happened to attend ULV) and I ran into
David. <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7513032226995425339" name="_GoBack"></a>Instinctively,
he said, “Hey Canada! Long time no see.”
We shared formalities until someone asked him, “Why do you call her
Canada?” To which he responded, “Because that’s where she’s from.” Someone around started laughing and quickly
informed him that I was not, in fact, Canadian.
The look of incredulity on his face cannot be wiped from my memory. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Despite the fact that I felt horrible, and kept professing
that I thought he knew it was a joke, I’m pretty sure David took it to be the
ultimate betrayal. And even though I
still feel guilty about it, I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t say that it also
felt pretty good: someone really thought I was Canadian. </div>
</div>Ericamoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17149562514128914932noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513032226995425339.post-78076807785292426742012-06-23T23:21:00.001-07:002012-06-24T16:25:23.046-07:00Pill Sandwich<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Greg and I decided to do a 7-day Body Cleanse using a
package of pills and powder from GNC. It
appealed to me because all the pills appear to be made from natural
ingredients, it only takes a week, and it’s not one of those starvation
cleanses (which I’d never be able to do because I love food too much). All you have to do is mix a tasty fiber
powder with your morning juice and take some pills with your breakfast and
dinner. Easy peasy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When we were halfway through our dinner, I
decided it was time to take my pills, and I wanted to offer them to Greg as
well. I asked him, “Do you want to
sandwich your pills between your food and take them now?” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To which he blinked up at me and replied, “Is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i></b>
how you think this works? That your
pills will sit sandwiched in your stomach between your layers of food?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Yes,” I answered as I swallowed my pills and took a big
bite of my baguette. “I imagine this
bread will make a flowery, doughy blanket to cover my pills.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He then went on to describe to me how the stomach works, but
I still like to believe that if I take my pills in the middle of a meal, that
they will be churning away and dissolving inside a cloud of food, cushioned safely
away from my delicate stomach lining. Is
anyone else with me?<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS8_SUvOAqvVj-4WLx2NVzNjwBI6efwESUL74waw5rmhXh3c0sUsfl2K2LJVjbGIAfS56vMhHGABFphz2UFN4CtoP-pDkyXE3Q9ylXUti5CHjwnRafMbei-gHKyTLGvNC_F_5Qxs3uDP0/s1600/photo-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS8_SUvOAqvVj-4WLx2NVzNjwBI6efwESUL74waw5rmhXh3c0sUsfl2K2LJVjbGIAfS56vMhHGABFphz2UFN4CtoP-pDkyXE3Q9ylXUti5CHjwnRafMbei-gHKyTLGvNC_F_5Qxs3uDP0/s320/photo-4.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">This is all there is to it! (minus the
Hydroxycut which I’m just trying out for a few weeks)</span> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>Ericamoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17149562514128914932noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513032226995425339.post-12682462325548864102012-06-22T15:11:00.000-07:002012-06-22T16:37:58.594-07:00Getting Lost in Wyoming<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
A few weeks after graduating college, in the summer of 2003,
I was chosen to travel around the Midwest with two complete strangers to teach
peace, justice, and environmental issues to youth campers. We were called the Youth Peace Travel Team,
and those two strangers became two of my dearest friends. Mandy, Laura, and I shared and created so
many fond memories together, that I could probably write a book on that summer. I’ve been wanting to blog about my adventures
as a Peace Team member for a while now, but I’ve always struggled with how to
do it. Each week was a new adventure in
itself, and some of the funniest moments were just that: moments. Not enough to be stretched out into a blog
entry.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The experience is too great not to write about, so I’m going
to start with a few days we spent in Wyoming.
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I know, I know. I said we traveled the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Midwest</b>, and that’s mostly true, but there was a 2-week stretch
where we set out from Elgin, Illinois to spend a week in Boise, Idaho, and then
drove back to Milford, Indiana.</i> So
anyway, back to Wyoming.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Driving from Illinois to Idaho, we made a few stops with
families who volunteered to host us with dinners and a place to sleep. This was before the days of GPS or smart
phones, so our only guidance between addresses was a print out of MapQuest
directions and an atlas of the states.
We were unable to find our Wyoming destination due to major road
construction and detours, and we weren’t able to get in touch with the host family
for help. We decided to follow the highway
towards Boise and just find a motel, but the road was lacking in human
settlement and dusk was quickly approaching.
We finally came across what looked to be an abandoned inn, so we decided
to check it out in the hopes that someone was there. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We were in luck. Down
the hill behind the closed up inn was the home of Dirk and Tammy, along with
their kid Stephen and their two dogs. Dirk
explained to us that he owned the building and was fixing it up to use as a
business someday. He invited us to use
his vast amount of land behind the inn to rest for the night, and seeing as he
had a whole family, it felt safe, and we decided to stay. A stream ran through the back of his
property, and near the stream, was a campfire pit, a picnic table, and our very
own port-a-potty. We thanked him, and
drove our little Toyota Echo down to the area where we would sleep under the
stars.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Stephen stayed down by our campsite with his dogs milking
as much attention as we would give him while his dad helped arrange our area. I imagine the boy yearned for companionship
since he was living on a piece of land in the middle of nowhere. The poor kid looked like a mangy mountain
boy, but he was sweet, if not weird, and we accepted his company. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Before it got dark, Dirk wanted to get us a fire going to
keep us warm through the night. Instead
of kindling, he doused the wood with practically a whole bottle of lighter
fluid. As we spent the next 20 minutes
watching the ten foot tall fireball burn down, all us girls could think about
was how the environmentally aware Peace Team just contributed a massive amount
of pollution to our air. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Regardless of how the fire got started, it did keep us warm
as we stayed up talking through the night.
Or maybe our warmth was mostly contributed to the alcoholic lemonade we
consumed. All I know is that we fell
fast asleep warm and cozy in our sleeping bags surrounding the fire, and woke
up at the butt crack of dawn freezing our asses off! When my attempts of holding in warmth by
remaining in the fetal position began to fail me, and I couldn’t force myself
to sleep through the cold any longer, I peeked my head outside of my sleeping
bag to discover a fine layer of frost covering our sleeping bags and
pillows. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With numb fingers, we scribbled a thank you note, haphazardly
threw our damp, frozen belongings into the car and drove off with the heater on
full force. Miles down the road, and
still shivering, we saw this posh looking hotel ahead of us. We decided we would pull in and beg them to
let us have a cup of coffee to warm up.
The receptionist heard our story, and let us in to the dining area free
of charge and without hesitation. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We filled our cups with steaming hot coffee, thanked the
receptionist, and continued on our drive.
As we rounded the mountain away from the hotel, we could see the Grand
Tetons ahead of us, with the first rays of sun shining just right upon
them. It was one of the most beautiful
sights I’ve ever seen, and one I will never forget. If not for getting lost and sleeping on some
random piece of land in the mountains of Wyoming, we never would have been able to
experience that exact moment. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Gotta love how life works out sometimes. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcBm9Ei7kXgHxkLSXvXjrjHrZv1VNYUmnigNCkbwh0hyLzDVfNteF5giyHTtxK4cP0Yc_JIlK06aWqSHps01MsNoGwSZE37j-W81ctCZimq-fmX-t6Yay7qiPrgj9Lj-1HtmGhNvsGyE/s1600/Dirk's+Property.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcBm9Ei7kXgHxkLSXvXjrjHrZv1VNYUmnigNCkbwh0hyLzDVfNteF5giyHTtxK4cP0Yc_JIlK06aWqSHps01MsNoGwSZE37j-W81ctCZimq-fmX-t6Yay7qiPrgj9Lj-1HtmGhNvsGyE/s320/Dirk's+Property.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the back of Dirk's property looking up at his inn that sits off the highway.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-9TgQ9jkCDwYNRxYefPRmi59RjSHmFqAsDZQErop72G3AJBFE_B5p0fGj3QFEEBgPLCSS1DFDE4uD-N3IvPrFINQfmElSMIPp3RwikG0DZsdet0mK6_dluDfEnrsvCCpS4J0VnEqX1k/s1600/Mandy+Me+and+Stephen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-9TgQ9jkCDwYNRxYefPRmi59RjSHmFqAsDZQErop72G3AJBFE_B5p0fGj3QFEEBgPLCSS1DFDE4uD-N3IvPrFINQfmElSMIPp3RwikG0DZsdet0mK6_dluDfEnrsvCCpS4J0VnEqX1k/s400/Mandy+Me+and+Stephen.jpg" width="272" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mandy and me playing with Stephen and the dogs.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg8cOLId73-q60eArNiTHAJE_SguNQtseTIq7rrfYXoHcnjH9U_sGsL0cnIru11zwdOqgVL2s9bqUcUMBWh6SRIfBC4xXWs21zvEG0EvpjXbDfbINkjcZOrRL7tPNcPWUY0lVxy8fXM30/s1600/Laura.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg8cOLId73-q60eArNiTHAJE_SguNQtseTIq7rrfYXoHcnjH9U_sGsL0cnIru11zwdOqgVL2s9bqUcUMBWh6SRIfBC4xXWs21zvEG0EvpjXbDfbINkjcZOrRL7tPNcPWUY0lVxy8fXM30/s320/Laura.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laura-warm and naive to the cold that will attack her later.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFz67gbSKNRWDHTnRGqpWszkceqLXeAobe7aWtWqgbd7sgdSSJa0_bXOMUoWstkwhFBO9kXoxf-6-9xw4WxlAoCdJa6SEdRZ_LXNsUATt30_oZ5SiuqwwyLAYmMmDyI_C-iqRVWHnS7Mk/s1600/Grand+Tetons+at+Sunrise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFz67gbSKNRWDHTnRGqpWszkceqLXeAobe7aWtWqgbd7sgdSSJa0_bXOMUoWstkwhFBO9kXoxf-6-9xw4WxlAoCdJa6SEdRZ_LXNsUATt30_oZ5SiuqwwyLAYmMmDyI_C-iqRVWHnS7Mk/s640/Grand+Tetons+at+Sunrise.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This picture (taken by a disposable camera) will never do the sight justice, but it gives you an idea of what we saw<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>Ericamoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17149562514128914932noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513032226995425339.post-5703504898378037202012-06-08T15:30:00.002-07:002012-08-31T11:55:18.346-07:00Drink Water At Your Own Risk<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
“For someone with no sense of taste, you have a lot of
opinions on water.”<br />
<br />
Kevin told me that a while back, and he’s absolutely right. As you all know, <b><a href="http://ericamos.blogspot.com/2011/09/wateryuck.html" target="_blank">I would rather remain parched than fill up a cup with water</a>.</b>
But on those rare occasions that I do partake in the liquid that gives
me life, I tend to be picky. I pretty
much hate the taste of bottled water, but if I have to grab a bottle to go, I
usually choose Arrowhead. Most people
that drink bottled water regularly tend to despise Arrowhead, and I think it’s
because it tastes like tap water—which I personally like. Tap water is free, as tasty as water can be
to me, and is better for the environment than plastic bottles. But don’t think I just turn on the tap and
start drinking. No. My other demand for drinking water is that it
be ice cold. I’m talking about a minimum
of four ice cubes per 8 ounces of water.
If it’s warmer than that, it burns my throat.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That said, a few months ago, as I was getting out of bed, I
pinched a nerve in my back. (I guess
this is the sort of stuff that happens when you’re in your 30’s.) In any case, it hurt tremendously, and I
could barely move. Internet research
said to drink tons of water throughout the day.
Fortunately, Greg was home with me, and he gladly filled my reusable
purple bottle with large amounts of ice and water.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In less than an hour’s time, I had finished 66 ounces of
ice-cold water. (FYI: 64 oz is the daily recommendation, so I was feeling very
proud of myself.) While finishing my
last gulps, I noticed that I was getting cold, but didn’t think much of
it. When I got up to smugly show Greg my
empty bottle, I began to realize that I was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">extremely</i>
cold. I decided I would quickly use the
restroom to pee out the toxins this water was supposedly washing out of me, and
then sit myself back down on the couch under a warm blanket. While washing my hands, I noticed that my
fingernails were so purple that it almost looked like I was wearing nail
polish. Looking up at myself in the mirror, it was clear that my lips matched my nails. That’s when my teeth began
chattering uncontrollably…something I thought was only done in cartoons and the
movies. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I suddenly realized that I had given myself hypothermia by
drinking water!! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But don’t worry; I survived.
Greg quickly got me wrapped up in thicker blankets and immediately made
me a giant cup of hot tea, which totally defrosted me by the time I finished
drinking it. For the rest of that day, I
swore off stupid water and stuck with tea--which I found to be an absolutely
wonderful alternative. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While I feel I usually have to defend my motives for not
drinking water, hypothermia is no joke.
I’d say I have a valid reason now.
I mean, why would I want to risk my life over something as horrible as
water? It’s not worth it when there’s
perfectly good orange juice in the fridge.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Ericamoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17149562514128914932noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513032226995425339.post-2951481810395138032012-05-01T16:41:00.000-07:002012-05-01T16:42:06.517-07:00Quirky Blogger<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Most bloggers are emotionally unstable and are often
awkward in social situations, which is why so many of us turned to blogging in
the first place.” –<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1413757285">Jenny Lawson </a><u><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lets-Pretend-This-Never-Happened/dp/0399159010" target="_blank">Let’s Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir</a><o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><br /></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While I don’t believe I’m emotionally unstable, I do attest
to being quirky (the nice word for weird) and slightly uncomfortable in social
situations; especially with people I don’t know well. So yes, I couldn’t help but laugh and kind of
relate as I read that line last night. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I totally turned to blogging because I have stories I want
to share, but I hate telling long stories in front of people. Besides the fact that I turn beet red and
start stumbling over words whenever I notice undivided attention turned on me,
I also tend to get cut off every time I begin talking, and I immediately assume
it’s because people aren’t interested in what I have to say (part of my very
mild self-diagnosed OCD that I’ll get to soon).
When I’m in a big group of people, once I get cut off, I can usually
just trail off and am luckily forgotten about.
But if I’m one-on-one and get cut off, I feel like I need to follow
through with what I began, so I’ll usually just cut to the chase, leaving out
all the entertaining parts and ending with a lame ass story that not even I was
interested in hearing, which then leaves me blushing and ashamed that I opened my mouth again. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like I mentioned earlier, I’m pretty sure I have a very mild
case of OCD. If anyone else got cut off
while talking, they’d brush it aside and continue on with their story or leave
their tale for another day. But not
me. I sit there thinking how dumb I was
to have even started talking, and put myself down for even thinking people
would want to listen to what I have to say.
I begin to wonder if others are secretly laughing at me and privately
glad that I was shut up. I seriously
obsess about this for the next minute or so, completely ignoring the other
conversation around me, but putting on a fake smile and nod so that I can
hopefully fit in while I calm my ass down. That’s the tip of the iceberg to my social
awkwardness, and the showcase to my quirkiness.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I was a kid, my hands <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">always</b> had to be equal; and a lot of the times, this equality
revolved around the staircase in my house.
If my right hand lightly slapped the banister, my left hand had to slap
it as well. Sometimes, I’d even go back
up the few stairs so that I could hit the banister in the approximate same
place. We also had a light switch at the
top and foot of our stairs that controlled the same overhead light. If I flipped the switch upstairs, then I had
to flip it downstairs with my opposite hand.
This worked well if the light was off, because ultimately, the light
would end up off again. It led to issues
when the light was on, however. I would
flip the switch off upstairs, then switch it back on downstairs, which would
leave me with a sense of guilt for leaving a light on in an area I wasn’t going
to be in, so I’d flip that same switch back off (with the opposite hand of
course), then be left with two uncomfortable options: leave the light alone and
walk away with my other hand feeling left out, or let equality prevail at the
expense of running electricity. I
usually chose the latter; assuming one of my brothers would save the world’s
energy problem for me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For some reason, I grew out of that; maybe it was moving out
of the house for college. Nowadays, my
OCD is mostly manifested in my placement of objects. If an array of items is in front of me, I’ll
usually line them up neat and tidy.
Everything on the desk of my classroom had a specific place that I would
fix constantly throughout the day. Just
last week, as I was eating a clam dinner, Greg noticed me carefully stacking my
empty shells off to the side of my plate.
After he knocked them over, I wanted to stack them back up, but instead,
I stubbornly settled on making the fallen towers more spread out equally across
my plate. One of the shells that used to
be on top was sadly layered by another shell, and as much as I told myself to
let it go, I had to pinch it from the bottom of the plate and set it delicately
on the top: it’s rightful place among it’s fellow shells. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve been delighted reading the above-mentioned <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lets-Pretend-This-Never-Happened/dp/0399159010" target="_blank">book</a>, and
pouring over <a href="http://thebloggess.com/" target="_blank">her blog</a>. Jenny Lawson has
not only given me the renewed energy I needed to get my own blog up and running
again, but she’s validated the reasons I write, and makes me feel not so alone
in my weirdness. I actually feel pretty normal
compared to her, though after this entry, many of you might disagree. <o:p></o:p></div>Ericamoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17149562514128914932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513032226995425339.post-84626165793080883872012-04-25T17:22:00.000-07:002012-04-25T17:22:43.380-07:00Anyone can whistle, that's what they say--easy<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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I had fun at my voice lesson today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those are words I never thought I would
say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For those of you who don’t know, I’m taking a beginner’s
voice class at my local community college in order to satisfy my last
requirement to earn my Music Supplement to my teaching credential.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Learning, and trying to master my singing
voice never held a shred of interest to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The thought of taking a voice class seemed absolutely terrifying, so
when I discovered that there was no way to get my supplement without it, I made
Kevin take it with me. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I left each of the first three class sessions knowing in my
heart that I would never come back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
even thanked Kevin for trying with me, but told him I would understand if he
wanted out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just could not see myself
actually singing to my classmates at the front of the classroom, not to mention
singing solo in the concert hall for three recitals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nope, there was no way I would do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is, until I heard others sing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Most of the students in my class could hold a decent tone;
but no one was amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some people sang
soft or pitchy, and others were just flat out bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If anything, I knew I wouldn’t be the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">worst</i> singer in the class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A friend I met during my Peace Team adventure back in ‘03
nicknamed me “Horse Whisperer” because while goofing off and singing out of a
hymnal book we’d found, she noticed that although I was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">whispering</i> out my songs, I was actually singing pretty well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I never took her compliment to heart until I
entered this class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started thinking
that maybe her words were more than just a friendly opinion, since I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">knew</i> I could sing better than a handful
of the kids in my class.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first day that I bit the bullet and sang in front of my
peers, I was shaking so much I thought for sure everyone could hear it in my
voice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I was told that I
sounded good, I got some decent feedback from my teacher, and most importantly,
once I was done, I felt relieved because I knew without a doubt that I would be
able to handle the rest of the semester.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The class sessions have since become enjoyable for me, and
I’m learning more about my voice and pushing it to places that I never thought
it could go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m also finding it easier
and easier to sing in front of my class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While the nerves will never dissipate completely, I don’t let them fill
me with terror like they used to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve
already sung successfully in one recital, and my second recital will be on
Monday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After today’s individual voice
lesson, I’m feeling confident, prepared, and actually <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">eager</i> to sing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who would’ve
thought? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Ericamoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17149562514128914932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513032226995425339.post-88329215263209451692012-04-03T11:14:00.000-07:002012-07-10T12:09:12.214-07:00There Was a Time<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">***I wrote this very short story as a coping
tool to help process my current thoughts and feelings. Keep in mind that I never write stories. Ever.
This one just wouldn’t leave my brain, so I quickly typed it out this
morning. Having no creative writing
background, I have no intention of editing or expanding on it. Being that it’s a form of writing, and it’s
been a while since I updated my blog, I figured I’d just share it here, rather
than keep it tucked away in my computer files.*** </span></span><br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria;"><u><br /></u></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Gee, my husband is old,” she muttered aloud to no one in
particular. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She briefly wondered when time had slipped past them, but
let that thought drift as she decidedly focused on their current
situation. One of them was going to need
to get a job soon. Bills don’t pay
themselves.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why did she stop working anyway? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Light footsteps, and hushed chattering from the other room
interrupted her thoughts. Someone else
is here! As in response to her
curiosity, her grandson appeared in the doorway. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Oh, she loved her grandchildren so much! They all turned into such wonderful young
adults. He gently gave her a kiss and
took a seat to her left. The small talk they
shared brightened up her dreary afternoon.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When the conversation lulled, she took a moment to gaze off
in silent reflection. Suddenly, she remembered
that she hadn’t spoken to her mother in quite some time. She really should call her before the day
ended. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Looking for the phone, she glanced to her right and noticed
her husband lazily napping the day away.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Shaking her head, still searching for the phone, and musing
over her husband’s sudden aging, she turned her head leftward. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Noticing a young man sitting in the worn armchair beside her, she uttered to him, "Gee, my husband is old."</div>
</span></div>
</div>Ericamoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17149562514128914932noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513032226995425339.post-59535908568623590482012-01-04T16:47:00.000-08:002012-01-04T16:55:13.942-08:00Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
…and society’s “beholders” can be pretty tough.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My eighteen-year-old cousin got Botox in her forehead. EIGHTEEN!!!
The two, small, horizontal lines that she was looking to erase were
hardly visible, yet, someone made it a point to let her know that they could
see those lines and that they were unflattering. This sickens and saddens me. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First off, my cousin is smart <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and</i> naturally gorgeous: the whole package. I never even noticed the faint lines on her
forehead; quite unlike the six, very noticeable, lines that have ran across
mine since I was a child. And secondly,
how dare someone cut into her self-esteem by suggesting that her worth is in
her appearance! I am in no way upset at
my cousin, but I do hold harsh feelings toward the unknown person(s) who made
my little cousin feel self-conscious and subpar due to natural skin creasing! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Society’s air brushed advertisements have already made our
ideal looks unattainable. We don’t need
people we know to point out, what they see, as flaws.
My ex-boyfriend used to tell me that I needed to start wearing makeup
more often, and that my jeans and t-shirt look should be varied with more
skirts and blouses—and no, my hippie skirts did not count. It begrudges me to admit it, but to this day,
I do not feel pretty walking out the door without at least a little mascara on
my lashes due to those past conversations.
Please do not think that I am digging for compliments, because I’m
not. I have enough confidence to know
that I am, indeed, a beautiful person.
In fact, I snagged my current, handsome boyfriend wearing loose jeans, a t-shirt,
and my usual “barely there” eye makeup, so I can’t be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i> bad.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t know too many people who can truly say that they are
one hundred percent satisfied with their appearance, and I don’t think that
they need to be. There is nothing wrong
with striving for a healthy lifestyle or wanting to try new looks with makeup
and hair. All I’m saying is that society
needs to back off of people’s natural looks.
Yeah, I’m starting to tug at the crow’s feet by my eyes, but I don’t
need anyone else pointing them out for me!
I understand that my body is going to change, and I can’t say that I
won’t try “age defying” creams as I get older, but at least I can be at peace
knowing that my friends and family will always love me no matter how I look,
because inside, I am a friendly and caring person. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Words hurt. Keep
unkind thoughts and opinions to yourself. Learn to love yourself more and more.<br />
<br />
New year. New thoughts. New challenges. You up for it?</div>Ericamoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17149562514128914932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513032226995425339.post-30911990126643473862011-11-23T15:56:00.001-08:002011-11-23T16:00:19.611-08:00Got Milk?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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Living on campus while attending college forced me to
overcome my shyness and opened me up to a ton of new experiences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dorm life, in itself, was a separate way of
living that I still fondly look back on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When I wasn’t in class, I was at the dorms either walking up and down
the hall looking for friends, or sitting on my bed with the door open waiting
for friends to find me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once a few of us
would gather, we’d come up with ways to entertain ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While blaring and singing Wheatus’s rendition
of “A Little Respect” at the top of our lungs (and I mean TOP OF OUR LUNGS) was
a fun way to pass time, it did get tiring on the throat, and other alternatives
were needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One such alternative was The Gallon Milk Challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was hanging out with Delarie, Denisse, and
Chrissy one day during my junior year, and somehow, the conversation turned to
a fact someone had heard:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it was
impossible to drink a gallon of milk in an hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being the overoptimistic college students we
were, we felt we could easily prove that theory wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seriously, how hard could it be to drink a
gallon of milk? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We packed into my van to buy 4 gallons of milk and a jar of
peanut butter to keep our quench going throughout our endeavor. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Upon returning, and clothed in comfy pajama
pants (aka regular college attire), we sat circled around the peanut butter in
Chrissy’s room, having a great time, and quickly downing that milk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were having so much fun and were so
confident of our success, that we used my mini polaroid camera to take pictures
of ourselves chugging our ice cold gallons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I can’t remember how far we got, or who was able to drink the most, but
after <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">at least</i> finishing half our
gallons, we were way too full and our tummies not too happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Soon enough, most (if not all) of us had to traverse across
the hall to the restroom where we stood stall-to-stall puking every last bit of
our milk into those toilets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I, for one,
was amused and laughing in between vomits because the milk was still cold!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In case you’ve never had the opportunity, puking
up cold liquids is actually not so horrible. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, lesson learned, we never tried that again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I can’t help but still be curious if
anyone has ever been able to achieve such a feat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re up for the challenge and accomplish
it, lemme know, yeah?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTR-H62J0ZPnem5nd2NtRC6mmuKxLIr8nv-h8bu404fyr3tfIBZbIaiJ5E1waumQ7oTHo9WhZchP4obqExHnqlUUeS0PJK-sx7U5xD31pZf6TSK1UD1tyA604v_tvEhM1gywApCP0uBc/s1600/SCN_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTR-H62J0ZPnem5nd2NtRC6mmuKxLIr8nv-h8bu404fyr3tfIBZbIaiJ5E1waumQ7oTHo9WhZchP4obqExHnqlUUeS0PJK-sx7U5xD31pZf6TSK1UD1tyA604v_tvEhM1gywApCP0uBc/s640/SCN_0001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Ericamoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17149562514128914932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513032226995425339.post-24734921334187384632011-11-10T16:08:00.001-08:002011-11-10T16:16:18.832-08:00Nobody Like(s) Us!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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Camp La Verne, located a tad below Big Bear in the San Bernardino
Mountains, is a place I hold dear to my heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I first began going to camp, it was extremely
rustic; it's much more modern now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Back then, t</span>he 4-bunk, simply constructed cabins
each had a half-door that swung shut with a spring, and the siding of the walls
stopped two thirds of the way up, all the way around, with no windowpanes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the nicer cabins had wooden pieces
that could be swung down to cover the “windows” at night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As far as bathrooms went, there were pit
toilets near the cabins (which I’d always have to pretend to hate the smell
of).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The water basin was down the trail
from the potties, and it literally was a water basin covered with screen to
keep out the tree droppings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had a
few spouts hooked up above for hand/face washing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As far as showers went, we would gather
together under a few spigots in our bathing suits, surrounded by aluminum
siding and nothing but the open sunshine above us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our water was heated in a tank by a rusty pufferbelly that was kept going with fire while we went swimming at the lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If our cabin was last for showers that day, we
were pretty much guaranteed to end our cleaning with a shocking blast of cold
water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ate all our meals outdoors on bright
green picnic tables right outside the kitchen, and would take turns doing
dishes in the small, 3-sink washhouse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
might think all this sounds crazy and horrible, but that’s what I loved most
about camp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It actually felt like
camping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Along with the joys of the rustic camping experience, I
enjoyed meeting new friends and looked forward to seeing them again summer
after summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of the people I am
still close with today, I met while at camp; including my best friend,
Shannon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was at Camp La Verne that most
of my precious memories were made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
often think back to various times at camp and find myself giggling or smiling
fondly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although I have always been shy,
it was there that I felt the most comfortable, and there that I truly felt that
I could be myself and let loose. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When Shannon and I became old enough, we decided that we
wanted to work a week at the Junior Camp being CIT’s (Counselors in
Training).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really, what this meant was
we got a winterized cabin down by the kitchen all to ourselves (along with
another friend our age who happened to CIT that week) where we helped with
random maintenance and/or kitchen needs and bonded with the kiddos during
different activity times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fun and
freedom we experienced that week, led us down the path of being counselors for the
Jr. High Camp the following summer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All through high school, I’d attend my own camp, while also
counseling at least one other group of younger campers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I continued this tradition throughout
college, counseling for all the camps each summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of my favorite, and probably not the most
responsible counseling times, was when I was too old, and no longer eligible to
attend the High School Camp, while many of my core friends (only a year or two
younger than me) were. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I came back
that summer as their counselor; even better yet, I had Shannon in my
cabin!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It pretty much felt like I was a
camper again, but with a small amount of responsibility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sure I wasn’t too much of a help that
summer, but I don’t think that I added any difficulties to the week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quite unlike the time us counselors decided
we’d let the CITs be in charge of our sleeping Jr. High campers while we snuck
out to a winterized cabin to listen to CD’s and gorge ourselves on candy and
hamburgers brought in to us from down the mountain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah, our dumb asses got caught.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thank you Directors: Jeff Brehmeyer, Jeff Pence, and Ron
Hart for being so laid back and trusting despite my teenage antics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Janet Hart, if you’re reading this, I was
WAY more responsible with your Junior Camp…I wasn’t <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">completely</i> stupid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been
a member of the CLV board for years now, and although I like helping behind the
scenes, there’s nothing better than being at camp, and I’ve always wanted to
direct my own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last year, I was given
the opportunity to co-direct the Jr. and Sr. High Winter Camp with my brother,
Kevin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s so different as a director,
but still just as enjoyable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main difference
is that while I still have the young heart inside me, I have to keep up the act
of being a grown up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, as a
camper, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">even more so as a counselor</i>, I participated in many pranks (the
best one still being the time we hung Blair Witch figures everywhere and made
most of the Jr. High girls cry all night long).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This year, when a few pranks got out of hand during Winter Camp,
although my insides were cracking up at the creativity, the external words
coming out of my mouth were about respecting property and financial reasons why
their pranks were not appreciated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d
see the rolls of some campers’ eyes and smile, remembering my cousin Marissa
and I sharing similar glances as teenagers when we felt an adult was being too
serious and “ruining camp.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I get
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They don’t know it, but I do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It all comes full circle, and I can’t wait to
see what else Camp La Verne will offer me as the years go on.<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Ericamoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17149562514128914932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513032226995425339.post-40169020256229355472011-09-27T17:56:00.000-07:002011-09-27T17:56:35.487-07:00Mr. Schatz's Daughter<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> <w:UseFELayout/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal">A week or so before school started, I was asking my youngest cousin how she felt about beginning 6<sup>th</sup> grade at a middle school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was so nonchalant about it despite the fact that she had missed orientation, had no idea what classes she would be taking, and knew she’d be changing middle schools this year or next.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I marveled at her relaxed demeanor because the summer before I entered junior high as a 7<sup>th</sup> grader, I was a wreck!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The newness and uncertainty of what I would encounter at Fleming Jr. High stressed the shit out of me!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nowadays, they acclimate kids to switching teachers and classrooms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back then, my classmates and I went from a self-contained K-6 education to being thrown into a three building, multi-storied school with six different periods for each of our classes, all fit between passing periods with tardy bells. Not to mention I would have to learn how to open a locker; which was the scariest part for me.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I would work myself into a fit of tears over the stress of owning a locker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was extremely short for my age, so I was concerned I’d be assigned a top locker and not be able to see the combination lock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And oh man was the combination lock a whole other mess in itself!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being the nerd that I am, I was super stressed that I wouldn’t be able to master the complex task of working a combo lock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus came Daddy to the rescue!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">My dad was, and still is, the highly respected Athletic Director for San Pedro High School.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Besides bestowing upon my brothers and me the love of sports and athleticism, he also would come home with all sorts of fun sports and school related paraphernalia, and for this tragic time in my life, he brought me home a few combination locks to practice on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After mastering those locks, I felt way more secure about using a locker at school, and a huge chunk of my worries dissipated.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I don’t remember where my first locker was situated, but I do recall that I was tall enough to see the dial clearly, and with my summer of practice, was able to open it easily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since I came from Lomita Magnet and qualified for Honors courses, I had elementary school friends in every single one of my classes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And to make everything even better, due to the fortunate proximity of my classrooms, there was plenty of time during the passing periods to get from one class to the next.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is, unless you’re a shy, awkward, scatterbrained nerd; like me.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After giving us newbies a week or so of free passes to being tardy, the school started implementing the Tardy Sweep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you didn’t make it to class by the time the tardy bell rang, you were required to sit in a detention room all period.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, even though I knew I had more than enough time to get to each of my classes, I still felt nervous about this new rule and would pack up quickly, never lingering to chat with friends at the end of class to make sure I was not caught in that sweep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">One day after 3<sup>rd</sup> period English, it took me longer than usual to put the papers away in my notebook and I noticed that my friend Carrie left for 4<sup>th</sup> period History without me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was a bit bummed, but understood, since I, myself, got nervous waiting for slow friends to pack up their belongings between periods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I quickly gathered my things and rushed out the door to catch up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I saw her and a few other friends ahead of me, but they were walking in an unfamiliar direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I figured our teacher must’ve moved class for the day and I missed the announcement the day before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being shy, awkward, and embarrassed to approach them, I just kept a few paces behind them instead of jumping in and inquiring where they were going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I followed them all the way across the campus right into a class with a teacher I had never seen before, and classmates I didn’t know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s when it dawned on me that it wasn’t time for History!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My 4<sup>th</sup> period was Leadership, which was located directly downstairs from my 3<sup>rd</sup> period room and ALL the way back across campus. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I quickly bolted from that room and walked as fast as I could to my class (running was against the rules).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tardy bell rang when I was only few doors away from my class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite the bell, I walked in the doorway, pausing to face my teacher who was sitting across the room at her desk, and I explained, “I thought it was a different period and I walked to the wrong class.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To which she replied, “Sorry Erica, but you’re tardy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You need to go to Detention.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Knot in my throat and tears welling in my eyes, I swallowed, blinked away those tears, and began my walk of doom to the detention room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Halfway there, I ran into our Vice Principal who questioned my being out of class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I explained my situation and then he asked me my name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“Schatz?” he asked with a sense of familiarity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Any relation to Bob Schatz at San Pedro?”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“Yes, he’s my dad,” I meekly answered.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“I know your father,” he retorted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Good guy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come on, I’ll take care of this.”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">That man accompanied me back to my classroom where, without an explanation, insisted my teacher let me stay in class despite my tardiness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I took my seat, she shot me a dirty look, as if I went running to tattle on her and got her in trouble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t help but smile sheepishly all the while turning a deep crimson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After those first few weeks of Junior High School, I was comfortable and accustomed to the new routine, and I loved every bit of my time there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was glad to know being Bob Schatz’s daughter gave me some leverage, but I never had to use it again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Besides having the perks of my dad’s status throughout my school years, he was, and still is, a great father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From something as small and touching as bringing home combination locks, to being a non-judging, unconditionally loving rock of support when I finally found the courage to end a six year abusive relationship, he has given me so much of the confidence that I have today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having Mr. Schatz as my dad may have saved me in Junior High, but him just being my daddy really has saved me in life. <o:p></o:p></div><!--EndFragment-->Ericamoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17149562514128914932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513032226995425339.post-62015085286974850792011-09-14T16:17:00.000-07:002011-09-14T16:40:24.305-07:00Bunion, perhaps?<div class="MsoNormal">Until a few days ago, I’d never really known what bunions were. I correlated bunions with wrinkly old lady feet jammed into uncomfortable leather slip on shoes. I also knew bunions could be relieved with spongy, donut shaped stickers. But what <b>were</b> they exactly? I never really cared to know, until recently.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">About a week and a half ago, I realized that I’d injured my right foot while running. The pain ran from the top of my foot at the base of my pinky toe down along the outer side of my foot, stopping just before my ankle. Instead of giving myself a break from running, I threw on my sturdy Asics in lieu of my <a href="http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/Five-Fingers-BikilaLS-Womens.htm">5 Finger Vibrams</a> in hopes that the stability would ease the pain. And it did; however, my injury never got better. Being unemployed, uninsured, and concerned over the increasing pain, I had no choice but to use Google to diagnose this injury myself. I found many people with the same problem, but never any solid answers. After days of searching, I came across a thread where one of the commenters gave five words of support. These words ultimately did not solve my injury, but still managed to turn my world upside down: “Sounds like a Tailor’s Bunion.” <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Of course, the first thing I did, was Google “Tailor’s Bunion,” and I was shocked to discover my “6<sup>th</sup> toe” disfiguration ALL over the internet! (No, I don’t really have a 6<sup>th</sup> toe, and before you go and Google it yourself and start thinking that I have those horribly disfigured feet that you see plastered all across your screen, do me a favor and please click <a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?q=tailor%27s+bunion&num=10&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&biw=1231&bih=611&tbm=isch&tbnid=11cBmXO7L6KL1M:&imgrefurl=http://www.runnersworld.com/community/forums/injury-prevention/injuries/tailor-bunion&docid=vzUb6w9W8D5atM&w=440&h=330&ei=nB9xToqWJarhiAKK5MDZBg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=115&vpy=305&dur=1420&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=111&ty=215&sqi=2&page=1&tbnh=110&tbnw=120&start=0&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:14,s:0">HERE</a> first to see a picture of what mine looks similar to.) Also referred to as a Bunionette, this gem of a disfigurement is basically the 5<sup>th</sup> metatarsal bone jutting out while the rest of the toe bends inward. Supposedly it’s really painful, but I’ve never had any problems. That’s probably due to the fact that mine doesn’t stick out as much as those you see in pictures.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">As subtle as it was, I never really saw it as a disfigurement, and I played it off as another thing my little brothers could make fun of me for, and thus, my “6<sup>th</sup> toe” became a joke among us. I think I was in a state of shock when I discovered it was an actual disorder! I couldn’t stop laughing and feeling taken aback. After living thirty years thinking one way, and then discovering everything you thought was wrong, is the weirdest, and creepiest feeling ever! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Despite the internet making it extremely clear that I have a Tailor's Bunion on both my feet, I still don't think of myself as someone with a bunion. Even though I now know better, I can't drop my preconceived notion that bunions=old lady feet. I don't have any of the problems associated with Bunionettes, so I prefer to just push the thought from my mind. Besides, they're the feet I've always had. They're <b>my</b> 6<sup>th</sup> toe jokes. They're <b>my</b> feet. And they're <b>not</b> a disfigurement. So there!</div>Ericamoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17149562514128914932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513032226995425339.post-77494834257372870042011-09-07T17:49:00.000-07:002011-09-07T17:49:07.576-07:00Water...yuck!<div class="MsoNormal">This week, as I donated money to a friend’s charity for clean water in Ethiopia, I started to feel a little guilty. Someone feeling guilt over making a donation to help drill for water in Africa may seem strange, but it’s perfectly normal when that person despises drinking water herself! <br />
<br />
I should be grateful that I could turn on a faucet and get a sip of clean water whenever I want, but to be honest, I’m not as appreciative as I should be. I usually prefer thirst to drinking a glass of water. It has absolutely no taste to it, and it rarely satisfies me (unless I’m outdoors in 90° plus weather, the water is ice cold, and there is no available option of anything else to drink). <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Plus, water burns my throat. Everyone laughs or gives me quizzical stares when I tell them this, but it’s the truth! It doesn’t happen all the time, but it especially happens when the water is room temperature! Now, it doesn’t burn right away; it’s more of an “after-burn” that sets a minute or two after taking a drink. It’s similar to the feeling one gets when the beginnings of a sore throat kicks in. The pain is felt in the very back and extends up towards the nasal passage. I’ve no idea how long it lasts, but evidently it lasts long enough for me to know that I don’t like to take the risk of having it happen again. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In an attempt to be healthier and drop a few pounds around the waist, a few years ago, I started bringing a water bottle to work that I refilled throughout the day. Every once and a while, I’d finish my desired 64 oz, but usually, I failed. This was mostly due in part to the fact that my ice would melt after my first bottleful, and after filling it with lukewarm tap water, it would sit untouched the rest of the day. However, the excuse I like to go with is my lack of potty breaks while teaching. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Being able to pee anytime is a luxury that teachers do not get. As a middle school teacher, I only had 2 chances to pee during school hours: morning break and lunch. Usually, my morning break was filled with helping students with academic questions and/or life mentoring, so really, I had one shot at lunch to relieve myself. During my 64oz days, I’d have no choice but to shoo the kids out during break and get rid of the water I’d been downing. In extreme circumstances, during instructional time, I’d have to open the connecting doors to my team teacher’s room and ask that they watch my class. Since I disliked water anyway, I found that it was much easier not to drink water altogether. A win-win situation.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now that I’m unemployed, there really is no good reason for me not to drink 8 glasses a day. Especially now that I’ve been reminded of the many people who die of diseases from unhealthy drinking water. I’ll certainly start being more grateful for the access I have to my water, but I already know, there’s no way I’m ever going to enjoy the tasteless, burning feeling that water gives me. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">**If you want to help get clean water to those in need, you can donate and assist my friend in reaching her goal by clicking <a href="http://mycharitywater.org/p/campaign?campaign_id=19379">HERE</a>. (Donations can be made anonymously.) <o:p></o:p></div>Ericamoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17149562514128914932noreply@blogger.com0