Well, well, well.

For those of you who have not heard yet, yes, I am now engaged. I had planned on blogging about this all earlier but many a circumstance happened (as it always does when I actually get time to blog about anything since cracking my screen last year) and I was taken away from the page to rant and rave and cry about quite a few things. What those are you will surely find out if you keep reading. =]
First: on my engagement and surrounding stories. It was a rather out of the blue moment for me, where I knew something was happening but I wasn't quite sure of what. The day had started in my family getting together and going down for my cousin's birthday breakfast in Santa Barbara with Eric in tow, Eric and I in my car because he had said he wanted to go on a date in town after we had finished presents at my cousin's house. We didn't go on a date in town, though we got directions to State street and upon driving through realized how daffy it would have been to try and do anything even remotely un-stressful while there. So. We drove back up to Santa Maria and drove through town and at the Main Street exit I had to blindfold myself (I know right? Honestly...) while Eric drove me around to get a "turkey" for Christmas dinner for his mom as he had said. I didn't quite believe him, but being blindfolded and not wanting to ruin the surprise I made sure I really couldn't see. I believed we had turned into the Von's parking lot and that he actually had gotten a turkey. The parking lot in question had actually been for Rose of Sharon and after leaving with said "turkey" we went to the gas station on Main and Benwiley's and then proceeded to drive through town to confuse me and onto the northbound 101 on the Donovan on ramp. I guessed it had been that one though Eric lied and said that no, we were on the 1 north and not the 101 and because I only drive the 101 anywhere ever, I wasn't sure and so believed him that it just might have been an on ramp to the 1 north. 
By now I'm guessing that 1 or 101 we are going to Shell Beach and that we will just spend the afternoon watching the tide come in and collecting anything that looks interesting and somewhat different much like we did on our anniversary at Oceano Beach while collecting sand dollars of every size and color.
Well, while we're driving he asks if Pismo Beach is before or after Shell Beach, and now I'm completely confused and thinking maybe he is taking me to the Mothership for another piercing, or to get some new jewelery. I have no idea what is going on at all. So I slowly say "Well I think Pismo is before but I'm not sure..did you look at the signs?" I don't get much of a response but I figure it was something like "Oh yeah..uh okay. Um..well okay." We keep driving and finally we park and because I have a rather visual memory I was guessing that we were at Shell Beach. Eric stops the car and gets out then opens the door beside me and helps me out. I don't want to say that I have bad hearing, because I don't, I just rely entirely too much on my sight to really use my other senses without it. If I went blind I would be utterly useless. Anyway, Eric helps me out of the car and we walk (I'm still blindfolded mind you. Have been this whole time.) to the grass near the gazebo and Eric has me take off my blind fold. I didn't realize that at some point he had gotten the rose he had bought at Rose of Sharon out of the car and slipped the ring over the leaf stem but he had..and as I take off my blindfold and blink a few times to clear my vision, he takes the rose from behind his back and gives it to me.
Now I have to tell you, I'm not always the most observant but this time, seeing as I was rather deprived of my most useful sense, I was. I don't even gibe Eric time to ask the question, I just start tearing up and I jump towards him almost sending us both off the cliff just feet behind him and I can't help myself I just keep crying hysterically. It's not the kind of crying where your sad or your angry or anything like that, it's the happy, "I can't believe this is happening to me" or the "Extreme Home Makeover built me a new house!" kind of tears. The ones that you can't help but find cute, but you still wish you could stop because tears do not compute with what guys know how to deal with well. 
So without even a chance to breath let alone process we look at each other, grinning like fools and kiss. Then Eric slips the ring off the rose and onto my ring finger..on my right hand. I only notice this after we start walking towards the steps to the beach and I go to look at it and I don't see it on the correct hand. I laugh and ask if he meant to do that and he laughs nervously and admits he was nervous and didn't even realize he had done that. While we're walking towards the beach after putting the ring on the correct hand a lady in her car yells through the window "You two look good together!". We both blush and smile and thank her and keep walking our way. All in all we had a wonderful date together and it was one of the sweetest things Eric has done for me. And I know this is awfully forgetful of me, but did I mention this was Christmas Eve day? Well it was. Yes. And we told both our families the next day, since Eric spent the day with my family and I spent the evening with his family.
If that was a little difficult to follow I am sorry, I am not very good at narrating what goes on in my life, just reporting on it I suppose. And now it is almost time for school again. The job search continues. I am in a hopeful position where I may become employed at Motel 6 as a clerk (front desk) but my chances are slowly diminishing with each passing day. :( But alas, I am sure there is something out there I can do that will pay my something for showing up on time when it is that I get scheduled to work so long as I don't miss school. I think. If not, I can still move out then claim myself on all financial aid forms and be homeless and collecting money for school..or just stay poorly equiped for it because my family (whose tax information I am REQUIRED to use... >.<) makes too much money for me to get the state waiver for tuition and too much money for federal financial aid but doesn't make enough to put me through even community college full time. Is it just me or is there something perversely wrong about that?
In other news I read and finished a really great and amazing book today that I had been wanting to read since my mom picked it up. I read Heaven is For Real and I found it to be absolutely uplifting and emotionally captivating. I read through all 27 chapters and I laughed, I cried, I thought more than I normal do when I read anything, even nonfiction. This book is by far the best thing I have read because it is so raw and real and believable. Granted I know there are some who can read scientific fact and still say it isn't true. And that is fine, I just am happy to know I am more open minded than that. Reading everything in this book is a little bit out there for some but I think it is just what others need to get a grip on what really is going on, or how their life is really going. I really don't know what else to say but that you should read it because it is amazing and wonderful and I want to buy a copy of my own to lend out to friends because it is that good. Most of you who read this know I only buy books if I intend to keep them. So let that mean something to you, that I would want this book in my collection. On my shelf with all of my fiction and my dictionaries and thesauruses. In many languages. =] Yes. If  you want any info on the book you can look here: http://heavenisforreal.net/ or here: https://www.facebook.com/heavenisforreal or you can Google it and look for the nearest location to purchase it at to you. =] Enjoy and happy reading until I blog again!

Hmmmmm And a Matter of Displacement

The last few months, I guess six I'll say-just to cover it, have left me feeling sort of displaced and confused. I feel like I've lost my sense of time and of reality even. I guess I'm just sort of freaked out at how out of touch I feel because I almost never see my mom anymore. She's always so good about it and I know its hard for her too but I wish that there was some way to make this situation easier, and less like a bunch of children trying to run a boot camp for mentally challenged people. It's so frustrating having to give up my home life because a pair of 18 year old's think it's their right to go out every night until after two, leave a messy house and a sink full of dishes along with five kids and all their friends running around like hyper chickens with their heads cut off. But if I stay home and see my family and have a normal life, my boyfriend gets treated like shit by everyone but his aunt, and all the credit for everything he's done goes to the girls who stayed out all night partying for two weeks straight. And while his older brother is in and out of the picture, he isn't there often enough to be considered a real help at all. I also feel like if I don't come help him, he'll get yelled at for trying to have a life because he isn't allowed to have one because of these just turned adults who "know everything so shut the hell up Eric". I don't know what to do and everything I think of is too complicated or just doesn't work out and I think that I'm going to drive myself crazy trying to keep Eric from getting lied about and keep these kids in line. Honestly I need some help and  long week or two without them around while Eric's at my house doing normal people stuff. ~>.<~

A Whirlwind of a Time in the Middle of a Storm

Yes, yes, I know that it is quite an interesting title with an interesting story to match. The last few months have been all over the place and up and down in almost every way possible. I'm not even sure where to start but I've got plenty to write down.
Whew. So Eric finally moved out of Crystal's house and is back home as well as myself. This didn't happen under the best circumstances and in someways that is better than if it had been under the best of the best circumstances. Although everyone's views differ in some way or another it doesn't mean that there is no way to coexist peacefully or at least without major events that lead to contrition. Mine and Eric's belief is that Crystal and her family don't exactly believe that is worthwhile even though it is what they continually preach to the people they surround themselves with. They are not bad people, or inherently evil in anyway, far from it, but they themselves do not accept every possible alternative because they have become comfortable in the way that they live and are content in how they live because they are unchallenged and in some ways, stagnant; as I know I myself can be and am also stagnant. 
I say stagnant because I find no better word for it. They do not have people in their lives that are of a differing opinion to the frequency, at least that I have seen, that would challenge and initiate growth of the person that some people I know do. This doesn't mean that they are wrong, just that they are less willing to acknowledge differing views and opinions than those people who are continually flitting about people with different political, social, religious, and economic views than themselves. I know this really sounds like I'm going off, and maybe I am, but I feel like saying this because if you are truly accepting of the people who walk into your life you will try your best to understand their problems and shortcomings rather than try to rectify their specific issues that displease or upset you. 
Crystal and her mother didn't exactly give this courtesy to Eric for things he could not change about himself, having had some of these issues since birth, and I know Eric feels that they could have handled themselves better, but he also conceded to me that he could have dealt better with all situations that had occurred had they not been so pressing emotionally. Also while finishing moving out he was being harried for rent because he had promised it at one point in time that he did not realize he would not be able to accomplish due to circumstances with work. It was offensive to him and his mother, as well as me, to be sworn at on the phone because of things he couldn't control while he was still trying his hardest to fulfill his duties, despite his mother's differing opinion that he should take his things and leave without paying his last months rent. He did not pay full rent but paid more than half because he was so upset over the things that had occurred during that process and because the amount of food he was allotted was considerably less than the money he was putting for for it tied in with his rent. This upset Crystal and her mother, but nonetheless it is what happened and cannot be changed. 
Upon Eric's decision to move out and back home he asked me if I had wanted to salvage a relationship with Crystal and her mother, and I had said I did. Now I cannot in good faith say that, because as much as they supported Eric by giving him somewhere to live, they didn't understand his reasons for leaving either his home in the first place, and his leaving them at this point in time.  Crystal has been my friend since high school and I don't want to lose her in this manner, but I know that we are all different people and the people in our lives do not always stay forever, there a seasons for the Earth, and there a seasons for people too. Perhaps our season is ending, even as Eric's season in my life is just beginning, but I don't want to look on this time in my life as wasted, or a sour note in a beautiful symphony of life. I want to remember this as a sharp note that gives me something to think on from time to time, something to learn from and grow better I hope, instead of remain in my current state of mind from which I can not gain much more.
I do not mean to say that I do not want to be friends with her anymore, just that there are things that we both need to change about ourselves on our own time and in our own ways, without influencing or trying to dictate how the other should go. That is a difficult thing to do, much less to hear, read, or say to or from another person but it is, I believe, what needs to happen if things are to remain good between us. Aside from this I am listening to Eric, my father and my mother all talking about church and religion and politics and it has definitely made it difficult to concentrate on this. But it is also enlightening and makes me feel more at home than I have felt in quite awhile. 
For most of you who read my blog, you know that my boyfriend, Eric, is Mormon and that I myself am Presbyterian. This is a point of contention between our families and there is no easy way to go about anything to deal with this between Eric and my family, or vice versa. I know this puts me in a rather precarious position of my life considering where I am and what my own plans for my future are, as well as Eric's for his future, and how our parents feel or wish our futures, combined or otherwise, should go. So, as a person of faith and someone who generally is inquisitive, if you would, or feel compelled to, please give me your opinion on anything mentioned in this blog, or any others. Any/everybody is welcome to give input but please keep it relevant to this or my other blogs. Your words are much appreciated and thank you for bearing with me through my harebrained and difficult to understand posts. Hope to hear from some of you, and I will post again soon hopefully! Happy reading!

An interesting turn of events

Well. All in all it's been an interesting few weeks since I last posted. Today being the most eventful. Eric did his final presentation on genetics with the snakes today in Biology after class and I took him to work then went back to Crystal's and cleaned my car. We decided to go to the mall together then get dinner; I was picking up applications for a few places that may still be hiring. We eat out then come back to her house where the dog managed to get into the bathroom and pull the trash out like some dogs will. That was really pretty nasty in itself so when I was taking out some trash for her she found a condom in the trash. Ewww.....to super ewwwness. Her cousin Brittany spent the night on Saturday and Crystals friend who may have been the one to leave it hadn't been over in more than three days. So it was more than likely her cousin because I know Crystal doesn't do that, and unless aliens have abducted me and taken over my mind, I don't do that either. Needless to say Crystal was livid and couldn't stop fussing over how sick and disgusting and gross that is, along with being disrespectful and rude. I know that isn't exactly what you all wanted to hear but that's what's happened so far this week in my life. Tons and tons of fun, yes? No, I didn't think so either. But because of this Crystal and I had a wonderful talk (she did the talking, I listened) as to where you can buy or receive condoms, that they come in flavors and glow in the dark, and that they have them for women. I can definitely say I was asleep during the sex ed part in health class if they covered that in high school. Wow did I learn a lot that I didn't know before. Yeah I think I need to read some old English lit, wish I had some Chaucer instead of Thackery. Just seems more entertaining and more likely to make me forget everything I just heard. Anyway, it's much appreciated that you read this far despite everything I'm sure you wanted to skip over, so thank you dear readers! Until I blog again!

P.S. I will also be writing down some stories that my dear cousin Lydia wanted me to tell her that I think she may want to hear again, and I will add details since what I gave her for a story wasn't even acceptable being off the top of my head. So if I post them and you enjoy them let me know, I could always use feedback on what I do well and what I don't do as well. Thank you again lovely readers! Go find some Milton to read!

Blogger, how I've missed you!

And it's been over a month! I can't believe how busy I've been, and I can't really consider myself that busy compared to others. Hmm where to start? So, we know Eric is living somewhere new for the school year, and we also know that he has snakes, and a kitty. Hmmm. He also has a new job at Food Maxx pushing carts. It's hard work and he's tired when he gets home and I feel bad that he hurts so much after work, but I can't make it any better, even if I were to get a job there. -Sigh- Anyway, I still have not found a job yet either and it's rather frustrating, because as much as I want one I don't know where to look. I also don't know what else I can do to get a job. On top of that I've dropped my econ class because I was not understanding a single bit of it and I didn't really care for the professor, he irked me with his ridiculously quiet voice, pompous attitude of "I know best, I teach the subject",  and the way he decided to pick people to do group work or speak in class. All of it would have made my semester much worse than it has been, and I didn't need that stress.
Hmmm. Not much else I can put up because that's about all I have right now. I know it sounds pretty lame, and is extremely short, even for me. But, alas! Life doesn't always give me interesting things to write about. On a side note, how many of you would like me to include a mini character into my blogging to add some spice and to counteract all my weirdness? That came out wrong but I lost my train of thought as to where I was going to take that sentence so there. Let me know! On Facebook or on Blogger! Later lovelies!

School time again

Yes it is that time again. Time for school. Honestly it happened way too fast. I don't know where the summer went, especially since everything I did was big and didn't have much to do with a lot of people so much as a select few. Don't get me wrong, I loved everything I did this summer, but I really hope that next year I can do more with more people. :) 

So now that I am back in school I have also commenced with the hunting of job-ness aka: I am still looking for a job. But. <-- Yes, I know it's bad grammar; I have turned in almost 8 different job applications. Hopefully I manage to get something so that next semester I can actually pay for my books instead of having my parents pay for them. It was especially hard this year, because unlike any other year I've been in school, we didn't qualify for the financial aid. It was really a sucker to everything we had planned. =[ But I did make it into four classes. 1. Micro economics, of which I'm fairly confident will be my least favorite class. 2. World civilizations to 1600, not the most entertaining class but super easy - even without a book. 3. Intro to Biology, a super fun and easy class that is also a lot of work but certainly worth it. 4. Swim fitness lab. Need I say more? Lol I don't really think so. But I was so terribly sad because to take my Biology class I couldn't take choir!!!!!! What travesty! What horror! What unbearable agony! Especially for me! The only reason, and I hate to say it, that it was a relief I couldn't take choir this semester is because of my most favorite, affable tenor. And no, it isn't Phil, it's Ryan. I would say he is the least like of all choir members, and by more than just people in choir. Sorry Dr. Lucas!!! 
And on top of all of this Eric has moved out of his parents house and is now renting a room from my friend Crystal. So far it's worked out pretty well I think, except for his choice in pet. He wants snakes and Crystal is uncomfortable with the thought of them in the house, though she has warmed up to my baby pretty well. My baby's name is Jezebel, and she is a ball python normal girl, only a few weeks old and not even two feet! But I think she's pretty cute. She won't bite me, though I think that might change once we feed her. For now, Eric is taking care of her at Crystal's, then when he get's his ball python Lesser male I will be taking her home. I'm excited at having a new pet and she is less maintenance than my adorable kitty but almost as much fun. So yes, I believe that is all, besides that my birthday is now 12 days away =] and I really want to go to Borders in San Luis so that I can snag major deals on the awesome Kelley Armstrong series! Well I hope at least! Thanks for reading lovlies!

Over a month!

              Wow so much has happened this last month that I had to write it all down before I posted this time! Let’s see,  my friend graduated from the junior college in June and will be moving into her apartment so she can attend UCSB and I am so excited for her! On top of that I’ve registered for all of the classes that I could this semester which include World Civilizations to 1600, Swim Fitness Lab, Macro Economics, and Intro to Biology. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but I am only one credit away from being a full time student this semester and I also plan on finding work (I really mean it this time, to the best of my ability) so I won’t have much time to really read or blog or even play on Facebook. But that works out find because I know I need to get my butt in gear about school, even if I can’t stand half of the English department…sigh.

                Let me go into July and everything that happened there. Hmmm the second full week (July 10) I started a trip with Eric and had a blast. Some of my most recent pictures on Facebook were from that trip. We borrowed my mom’s car and drove up to Vallejo which is on the east side of the San Francisco Bay (yes the loveliest part of The Bay…) to the Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. I had so much fun walking around the park with Eric and seeing the butterflies, the big cats, all of the other animals and finally at the end of the day watching Shouka, the parks resident orca, in her final show of the day in the splash zone!

The day after we visited the park we went whale watching in Monterey Bay and saw so many wonderful things. We saw more Blue Whales than most tours see all season I think and we saw three different pods of Dolphins that most people travel the world to see, and these three pods conveniently like to swim together. They were also chasing a Blue Whale, which our naturalist guide said was highly uncommon to see. We also saw a good deal of Humpback Whales and Jellies (Jellyfish). I also had a good time watching a shy Sea Otter eating a clam. ^^ When we were done with the whale watching we drove up to go camping in Big Sur at a campground called Botchers Gap (cool name huh?) and ended up getting “rained” on because we were under a tree with low branches that caught the moisture in the fog and let it drip onto our tent. Needless to say it was an interesting and eventful trip that I enjoyed. While Eric and I were on our trip, my mom, dad, and brother, along with our only kitty went to Yosemite. I know all the people enjoyed the trip but I heard that the cat was fit to be tied about this whole moving vehicle stuff. Because that is just so wrong lol, at least in my cat’s opinion. ;) My mom has videos of her on Facebook.

So we all got back the same day and everyone, my family and Eric included, had one day to turn around and pack again. Eric won a bonus to go to Sea World at work and my family was going on vacation to Scottsdale, Arizona. While Eric got to leave at nine o’clock in the morning we left at four with me driving from our house through L.A. and into the desert communities in Southeastern California. We stopped at a Denny’s for some breakfast and kept moving on, my dad driving the rest of the way into Arizona with one stop for gas then finally arriving at the resort. We spent a fun but hot week in the desert sun swimming, (I got a nice tan!) relaxing, and doing some sightseeing. The last full day we were in Arizona we went to the Phoenix zoo and saw all of the animals asleep in their habitats because it was so hot. We also went to a saloon in a ghost town for lunch and got to walk through it. Just before we left the ghost town we saw some lightening and heard thunder so I sort of got to experience the awesome thunderstorms that photographers love about Arizona =]. But I also got some sad news from one of my best friends, Crystal who we had invited to go with us but had ended up not having the money to come. While my family was in Arizona Crystal’s grandma had a stroke and had to be taken to the hospital, and if Crystal had come with us I would have felt so terrible that she wasn’t there for her. After I got back from AZ her grandma passed away. A few days after her family had left town I went and spent the night with her to keep her company and I got to help her have a good time, at least I’m pretty sure I did.  R.I.P. sweet grandma Wilma, even though I didn’t know her as long as some of Crystal’s friends I still loved her, too.

On top of all of this my grandma (on my dad’s side) was emailing back and forth with my parents about her car. At the end of the next week when my mom’s side of the family was going to have the Campos Family Reunion, it was decided that we would stop by after and pick up my grandma’s car that she wouldn’t be needing anymore, and we got it for no extra cost. I haven’t driven it yet but I rode up in it with my mom and I must say it is a motivating factor for me to get my school on track. I also need a job so that I can pay for gas and insurance on the car my mom had been driving until I leave for school elsewhere, in which I will get our newest to the family car. For now though, I will be driving around the Oldsmobile and my mom will have the Sonata. Wow, I think I covered everything I wanted to cover about my life, now about Eric’s life? Hmmm, well maybe not lol. It’s too complicated and there would have to be a whole other blog for everything that goes on in his family’s life. In his mom’s words: “It’s like a friggin’ soap opera!”.  So until next time my lovelies!