Fifteen things I look for in a significant other.

1. Be a cuddler. I don’t care how we lay, but it can’t always be the same. Just so you know ahead of time, though, if you’re one that likes to spoon, I hate always being the big spoon. I’m okay with it sometimes, but we have to switch it up sometimes.
2. Be intelligent. I realize that this is sort of a broad thing to say, but let me try to limit it down some. By intelligent, I mean be really good at something and/or have some sort of post-secondary degree. If you can speak another language, that’s a huge plus. Especially if it’s French or Italian. Also, you should know that I’m a grammar/spelling/vocabulary Nazi. Please, do your best to utilize what you learned in school. Reading helps there, too, and I have an affinity for nerdy people, so…
3. Be open-minded. Again, another broad thing to say. What I mean by this is to have some of the same ideals as me. I’m ridiculously open-minded, though. It can be a problem at times, but I try not to get my undies in a bunch if I’m having conflicts over my beliefs. It’s nice if you can do the same. Basically, I feel that as long as no one is being physically harmed, then I don’t care what you do. I also feel that being open-minded encompasses not being afraid to try new things. I’ll try anything once. As long as there’s a slim chance of me being harmed and it’s not illegal, I don’t care to try it. I feel that makes people more worldly. More well-rounded.
4. Be artistic. If you can do something artistically and be good at it, you can pretty much just have me. Especially if you’re a musician, a singer, or a combination of the two. For example, if you can play piano or guitar and sing to me when I feel sick or sad or something, you’re set. Basically, I just have a thing for musicians. Sing to me and I’ll totally put a ring on it.
5. Know how to dress yourself. I don’t mean this in the literal sense of putting clothes on yourself; I mean know what to wear to look good. Know how to match clothes and be comfortable in what you’re wearing.
6. Have good hygiene habits. This is a big deal. You have to at least shower and brush your teeth once a day. If you’re sick or just feel absolutely terrible, I’ll let it slide, but that’s the only condition where I can understand it. Bad hygiene due to laziness makes me nauseous. Plus, if you smell nice, chances are cuddling will be ten times better.
7. Be able to do basic housework/take care of the house. We can’t live in a pigpen. As someone who is incredibly picky about organization, there’s no way that I can handle a nasty house. A few things being out of place, no problem. Anything more is too much. Along with this comes being able to handle household pests. I’m terrified of bugs, spiders, snakes, and mice/rats. If you, too, are afraid of them, we’ll probably just die of anxiety when we come across one. Oh, and if you can cook, I’ll probably love you forever, automatically and unconditionally, whether you meet the other criteria or not.
8. Animals. I know I said I like a clean house, but I have to have animals. I’ve always had at least one animal in my house or in my backyard for as long as I can remember. I don’t plan on that changing anytime soon. I have plans on having at least two dogs, so you’ll just have to like it, love it, or leave, I guess.
9. Have a sense of humor. I have a mostly dry sense of humor. I’m really big on sarcasm, satire, and dark comedy. I also have a knack for finding comedy in even the worst, most tragic situations. It’s an okay quality to have, but it has its faults, too. At some point, I’m sure you’ll be annoyed with it. Having a sense of humor means you also need to be able to make fun of yourself. If you can’t handle jokes about yourself, we won’t work, so don’t waste either of our times. There are times where you just have to have fun. It’s up to you to know when to be serious or playful. If you can find the happy medium between the two of those, that’d be splendid.
10. Have some of the same interests as me. It’s totally cool for us to not agree on some things as dating a replica of myself would be tough, but we won’t get along if we have nothing in common.
11. Be okay with those cheesy, cute things that couples do for each other. I try not to be too cliché, but I love when couples do those cute things for each other. You know what I’m talking about, too. Like, the things that you think only happen in movies. You need to be okay with me making those more than just a movie happening.
12. Don’t feel the need to repay me for anything that I do/buy for you. I can’t handle that. If you’re dating me, I feel like it’s kind of my duty to be able to spend money on you and do nice things  for you. You shouldn’t feel like you have to repay me. It’s nice, though, sometimes if you surprise me with something like that. But, just know, that you don’t have to reciprocate every little thing that I do for you.
13. Be with me if I’m sick. I don’t like being home alone when I’m sick. Whether it’s a small sickness or a big one. I just get scared too easily, I guess. If you do have some obligation that you can’t get out of, expect me to call you at least once or twice while you’re gone just to comfort myself. I promise, though, I’ll do the exact same for you.
14. Try your hardest to get along with my family, or at least my immediate family. I already know that it’s not easy. Some of them are jerks, some of them are crazies, some of them are just too much. But, I wouldn’t be the same without any of them. It’s okay if you secretly don’t like them, but just be civil at gatherings and that kinda thing.
15. Appreciate me for I am. All of the little quirks about me, the annoying things, my dreams and goals, all of it. You don’t have to love everything that I am, but I’d like to think of everything I do as a part of me. If you really love me then it’s nice to think that you like all of those little parts. I swear on everything that I’ll be the same for you. I want you to be yourself. I don’t want to be with a fake person.

If you possess at least, like, four or five of these, I’ll put a ring on it. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is probably why I’ve been single for the past almost two years. I know I’m young and shouldn’t be too concerned with a relationship, but having someone to call your own and being called someone else’s is a nice feeling, is it not?

Amendment One: A brief breakdown for the ill-informed.

People think that voting yes on Amendment One in NC tomorrow will only affect gay couples. Not quite the case, actually.

For anyone who doesn’t know, Amendment One is going to be voted on in North Carolina tomorrow (technically today, the 8th) and if approved, it will nullify ANY relationships that aren’t a marriage between man and woman.

Of course, this outlaws gay marriage. This also outlaws civil unions and domestic partnerships, though, and FYI, same-sex couples aren’t the only ones who get those. Any children in unmarried relationships, as a result of the passage of Amendment One, will lose healthcare; women who have protective rights for domestic violence in unmarried relationships will also lose them; there’s a chance that elderly residents of North Carolina will have to decide between social security and their rights, too.

Amendment One doesn’t hurt only LGBT North Carolinians; it hurts citizens. So, to any of my friends (or anyone reading this) who live in North Carolina, think before you vote. If Amendment One is passed, my best wishes go out to those who will be affected by it; no matter their gender, sexual orientation, or age.

An Open Letter To Anyone Who Can Help.

Whomever Can Help Me With My Dilemma:

I’ve recently came to the conclusion that my life will be complete if, and only if, I own a polar bear, or can have unlimited playtime with someone else’s polar bear. Even if that means having to go to a zoo all the time. I feel the need to let everyone know in hopes that someone can help me to make my dream a reality, make it come to fruition.

Thanks in advance,
Adam

I mean, look at it. How could you not want to constantly be around it?!

 

Thought of the day.

It’s Monday. More commonly known as the worst day of the week, the one that everyone wishes didn’t exist. So, I was thinking. If Mondays didn’t exist then wouldn’t that made Tuesdays as bad as Mondays currently are? Yeah, well, that can’t happen. Generally, Tuesdays are pretty swell for me and I don’t want that to change. So, these terrible Mondays? I’ll just keep ’em, I guess.

10 Things I’ll Need to Successfully Live Alone

I know I’m only nineteen, and I’ve “got a lot of life left to live,” but I’ve pretty much accepted at this point that I’ll probably end up living alone. I am, however, perfectly okay with that and kind of look forward to it, actually. On the other hand, if I’m going to live alone there are a few things that I will have to have.

These include, but are not limited to:

1. A laptop and a wireless internet connection. I spend a ridiculous amount of my life on the computer. Thankfully, though, I’m not one of those that wastes time on the internet…at least not ALL of the time that I’m on here, anyways. I also use the internet to talk to people that no longer live around me, for school, for studying, writing, reading, and a multitude of other ~productive~ activities.
2. My cell phone. It’s more or less my connection to the outside world and I use it as a means to help pass time, too (you’d be surprised how few levels of Angry Birds I complete in an hour, but how entertained I can be while trying). It allows me to socially network on the go, and, as a social networking junkie, I’d consider that pretty beneficial. The last reason that I have to have my phone is for texting. I text a whole lot. Usually sending at least 5,000 a month. My personal record for texting (both send and received texts combined) is 60,000. With the amount of texting and typing that I do, I fully expect to have carpal tunnel syndrome once I’m older.
3. Recipe books (preferably recipes compiled/written by my family). I’m a pretty good cook and have been known to attempt to cook things from scratch all the time, adding different things that I think may spruce up a dish. However, we all know that there are those few dishes that we all boast on about how a certain member in our family makes it better than anyone else. For this reason, I must have cookbooks that are family-inspired.
4. Animals. Technically, some would say that this isn’t really living alone, but it’s okay. Once I move out, I want a dog, for sure, and maybe a cat. I want a basset hound that likes to cuddle up to me while watching TV or reading. If I have a cat, I have intentions on it being fat. Not to where it can’t move around and such, but it needs to be big enough that it won’t want to.
5. My camera. I don’t use my camera near as much as I did when I first got it, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to. I just haven’t found the need, I guess. I need a more eventful life that I can document with photos. I know living alone doesn’t seem like it’s going to be that eventful, either, but I can take pictures of my animals. Plus, when I have a house, I would like to have a small, extra room that I could have a sort of makeshift photo studio in.
6. Books. Much like using my camera, reading is something that I don’t do as much as I would like to. But once I’m out of college and live alone, I think (read as: hope) I’ll have much more time for leisure-reading.
7. Television. Since I’ve graduated high school and gained more time for myself (though still not as much as I would like), I’ve sorta kinda became a television junkie. On weekdays, I watch Ellen; weeknights, I watch Chelsea Lately and/or The Golden Girls marathons; Tuesdays, I watch Glee; Wednesdays, I watch The Real World; Thursdays (I’m so ashamed to admit this), I watch The Jersey Shore. Now, I could probably live without my Wednesday and Thursday shows, but the rest, well, they’re kind of a necessity. To the point that I’m sure–no matter what I’m doing–to be home to watch them.
8. Music. Music is a huge part of my life. Both listening to music and playing music (though I don’t do that as much since I’m no longer in  band class). But, for me, music has always been there when no one else was, when no one would listen, when no one had any advice to offer, music always has. At some point within the next year or two, I’d like to purchase a saxophone and/or some percussion instruments and start playing again, too; I miss it more than I could possibly say.
9. Coffee and melatonin. Yeah, I know that these probably shouldn’t be together as one wakes you up and one makes you sleepy, but that’s exactly it. If I want to sleep and wake up at a reasonable hour, I need both of them. Melatonin to knock me out and coffee to wake me up. I could do without the coffee on maybe the weekends or days that I didn’t have to work, but when I take melatonin, I’m usually out for a good twelve hours, so something has got to reverse its effects. Coffee usually does the trick for me.
10. Throw blankets. If I’m at home, chances are, I’m under a blanket. Even if I’m not cold, I’m under a blanket. I guess I’m just comfortable that way–that’s part of me being in my ~comfort zone.~ Plus, nothing sounds better to me than reading by dim, lamp light, steamy coffee being within arm’s reach away, all while being comfy and cuddly under a fleece throw. That sounds too perfect. In fact, everything on this list just needs to happen as soon as possible. I guess I’ll be on my way to moving out now.

Westboro Baptist Church.

I just finished watching Fall From Grace on Netflix. I’m not sure why I even watched it, honestly. I knew that it was just going to frustrate me, but I wanted to know more about what kind of whacked out stuff goes on inside of Fred Phelps’ head. After watching it, though, I thought of something. If America is so “doomed” and since the church hates America, then why don’t they leave. Just flee the country. Maybe they could go somewhere with like-minded bigots such as themselves. To me, that only makes sense. Just do all of us Americans a favor and leave. I know they say they’re here to save the country, but judging by the lack of support they have, the counter protests, and the hundreds of raging emails and phone calls they get daily, I think it’s pretty safe to say that the larger portion of us Americans don’t want to be “saved,” at least not via captain Phelps and his crew of brainwashed drones. I really just don’t get people sometimes, and that’s saying a lot. I’m usually really tolerant towards people no matter their opinions and such, but I just can’t make myself be okay with them. It’s not going to happen. Ever.

How I found out Santa was a phony.

I remember exactly how and who it was. Anyone who knows me, knows that I live with my aunt. I’ve always spent the holidays with my mom, though. My mom is one of those people who can’t stand the thought of someone taking credit for her work. Even if the someone is a fictional character that most people consider crucial to childhood Christmases.

The Christmas that I was six years old was probably one of the best, most memorable Christmases as far as gifts are concerned. The big deal presents that I can distinctly remember included a new stereo (not some rinky-dink boombox), three CDs for said stereo, a fake drum set, and a furby—all the things I had asked “Santa” for and more. After opening all of my gifts, I explained to mom that Santa had done a fantastic job of bringing me everything that I asked for. That’s when she broke. Normally, she encouraged belief in Santa, but as soon as I said that Santa did a good job, nope; she wasn’t having it.

She proceeded to tell me that Santa was a phony and that all of my gifts came from her “breaking her back, and pulling overtime at work” (which, at the time was at a nursing home with usually grumpy residents, so, looking back on things, I can understand her frustration with the jolly, fat man). Naturally, I did what any six-year-old does. I denied that Santa was fake. This lasted until my mom showed me the receipts to all of my gifts.

As you can imagine, this made second grade through at least fifth grade pretty awkward. Especially once the teachers started talking to the class about Santa and asking what we wanted him to bring us. Being a considerate kid, though, I just played along with things and didn’t take it upon myself to ruin the Christmases of anyone else.

Wet or Dry?

This question has plagued my small, hometown county for ages. First off, let me take the chance to let everyone know that my community is part of the infamous “Bible Belt.” Yep, that’s where I live. So, as I’m sure you’ve assumed, the larger part of the county isn’t really all that open to change. Or maybe they’re afraid of change. Long story short, my community is set in stone and with this vote coming around, I think it’s about time for Bell County, Kentucky to get with the program, to catch up with the rest of the country.

I want to start this rant by saying that I do respect opinions from both sides of the spectrum. This is just going to be my opinion, backed by a little bit of research.

For starters, I am 100% supportive of the county going wet. For multiple reasons, of course. Here are just a few:

1. It is ridiculously simple for a citizen of Bell County to get alcohol. It takes a drive of roughly eight-to-ten minutes through the Cumberland Gap tunnel and around a few turns and BAM!, there it is. Having packaging stores and distribution in gas stations and such within the city is not going to change much as it will essentially take people just as long to purchase alcohol anyways.
2. Statistics have shown that dry counties have a higher rate of alcohol-related incidents. Many people bring up the issue of, “Well, imagine if you or one of your family members were severely injured or even killed in an accident by a drunk driver. Would you feel bad voting wet, then?” And my answer, is no. While, yes, that situation would definitely be a bad one to have to experience, I don’t think that I have the right to punish the majority of voters if I was the minority. And no one else does, either.
3. What about the teenagers? Just think of the children!! Well, actually, the teenagers can’t buy alcohol without a valid ID anyhow. And at any rate, people get alcohol anyways, no matter their age. As a matter of fact, I know people who are in the eighth grade who drink.
4. Alcohol correlation with other things. One of my favorite comments, replying to what I posted, on the argument on Facebook said, “why stop at going wet? lets add in slot machines and strip joints and lets legalize prostitution,child porn and pot…after all it will bring in $$….lets not sell out our children and our morals for $$…going wet will have a bad snowball effect in the long run. No body is going to stop in M’boro to buy a pair of socks because they can buy a beer…lol As for pharmacies you need a prescription to get anything there so the argument about drinking and comparing the 2 is not a fair comparison.” Seriously? For one, that is the biggest load of crap I’ve ever read. Secondly, can we say propaganda? And thirdly, I don’t think that the decision for the county to go wet compared with slot machines, strip joints, prostitution, child porn, and pot is a fair comparison, either. Am I right? Or am I right? Beware the beer everyone; one sip and you have a 99.9% chance of becoming a pedophile.
5. More people stopping in. Middlesboro is just about as boring as a town could possibly get, no lie. Yet, for some reason, people find it appropriate to build hotels here. There are five that I can think of just right off the top of my head. And they’re not needed. Maybe alcohol would help make people stop in for a while and give one–or all–of these hotels a little more business.
6. Which brings me to my next point, business. Alcohol would bring in a great amount of jobs and revenue to the county. If you only have to drive roughly ten minutes to get it anyways, why not build them here so, instead of giving the money to Tennessee or Virginia, we could keep it circulating here? Oh, yeah, duh, I seem to have forgotten that alcohol makes pedophiles.

Seriously, if the voters of Bell Co. had to take a test to make their knowledge on the topic debated apparent, the people who could actually vote would be significantly decreased.

Don’t get me wrong, I can understand peoples’ fear with going wet. Maybe they’ve lost a family member due to alcohol-related issues, maybe they had a rough life due to someone in their family being an alcoholic. Something like that, yeah, they have a reason to be afraid. However, I don’t think that is something that can be rationalized and I certainly don’t think that they have any grounds on which to punish the entire community and restrict the selling and purchasing of alcohol.

As someone old enough to vote, but not yet old enough to drink, I will definitely be voting to make this county wet.