Stay away from McGraw-Hill eBookstore!!!

I am so flippen frustrated.  All I want to do is pass my last class NEEDED to graduate, yet I'm being given materials that don't work!  My Business Policy & Strategy class is the last class needed for my Human Resources Major.  I feel like I am being defeated by technology!  I try to access the stupid eBook on their website under my personal 'bookshelf' and it doesn't load!  I paid damn near $100 ADDITIONAL for this ridiculous service!  Don't even get me started on Connect!  Connect won't grade the mathematical portions of our assignments!  DUMB!!!!  I know this is probably a boring post from me for you guys to read but this seriously upsets me.  I just want to do well and get my degree finally after 4 and a half years!  Is that too much to ask?!?!   
                                                  - XOXO KC 

Extrovert

This was my response to a short reading for class today:

Patti See’s story about having to commute to and from college is all too familiar for me.  I drive down to college Monday mornings and stay in my single-person dorm room until Thursday afternoons.  After my class is done on Thursday at 12:15pm, I pack up my things and trek back home to Maple Grove, MN to work Fridays through Sundays at the local Wal-Mart.  I take my customer service position extremely seriously and enjoy it for the most part.  Some days I could definitely live without the crabby customers that decide to take their bad days out on me, but I try not to complain. 

I don’t mind the hour and a half drive.  I have done it for most of my college years.  My boyfriend is up there too so I get to see him every weekend for a few hours here and there.  It’s better than nothing at all I suppose, but I miss him every day I am away.  I can’t wait to be done with school in December.  My heart won’t have to ache, and no longer will I have to try to drown out my emotions to focus on assignments and studying.  On my drives home I don’t think about what my professors talked about in my classes though.  I normally have my Ipod hooked up to the stereo with my tunes playing on random.  To be completely honest, I just want to be done with school.  I am so sick of being alone down here, and I’ve been to enough class rooms having to do with math to make me physically ill!  Calculators and crib sheets are my best friend in that department.

Patti also mentioned that she felt like a loner and could never seem to fit into the college crowd.  Ever since I can remember I have never felt like I fit in anywhere.  In elementary school I was the number one person to pick on.  I was being raised by a single mother who struggled daily on financial obligations.  We were the term ‘poor’ and my clothes proved it; mostly sweat suits until I got into 5^th grade.  We went shopping and got me a couple pairs of jeans.  I naively believed that I would be accepted due to this minimal change.  I was sadly mistaken. This bruised my little ego a lot more, because now they were digging at my personality.  I did have two best friends back then; Caitlin and Martha.  All three of us were part of the ‘out’ crowd.  I would have chosen their friendship over the acceptance of the rest of the students in a second.  They were my rocks along with my black and white Shih-Tzu Lady who was there for me anytime I needed her.  She finally left us a week before she turned 15, when I was 18 years old.  I still speak to Caitlin to this day.

Junior High was a lot better.  I was still being teased by a handful of students but had a small crowd of my own friends.  I remember a girl named Tracy going around telling her friends that she was going to kick my ass.  I’ve always been a lover and not a fighter so I was petrified.  When I went home that night my mom taught me how to punch using a pillow as my target.  She told me that if Tracy throws the first punch to not hold back and that if I get suspended she’ll take me out shopping.  The shopping part sounded fun, but I was still terrified about the physical part.  To my relief, she was all bark and no bite.

High School was even better.  I was known as one of the top singers in school and was part of the top choir.  I was what I call a ‘floater.’  I got along with almost everybody from different clicks.  There was one particular girl, Olivia, who was a Charlotte Church wannabe with the biggest jealousy bone towards me.  Not to sound cocky or anything, but I am a better singer than her.  I didn’t rub it in her face, but my gift still obviously took a toll on her ego.  I remember auditioning for a solo and getting chosen for the part.  She was so upset that she was going around and telling everyone that Mrs. Lausche made a mistake because she was made for that part.  How conceited, and in denial, can you get?  It still blows my mind!

Then there was College.  My freshman year was amazing!  I hung out with a group of 25 or more people!  It was probably the best year of my life!  Then, by the time my sophomore year came around, half of them dropped out, graduated, or moved home.  The end of November 2010 I lost a college friend due to a one car rollover accident in her home town.  That was extremely devastating; still is.  Whenever I hear “If I Die Young” by The Band Perry I still break down and cry.  23 years is just not long enough.  The only friend that I hang out with is Sam.  She is a new mother of a handsome 7-month old little man named Brayden.  If it wasn’t for Sam, I would feel completely alone down here at college.  I only am able to see them Monday nights, but at least it is some type of interaction.  I am so shy when I first meet people that I feel like someone has to pry my mouth open with a tweezers.  It’s not fun, and I’m pretty sure it has something to do with the way I was treated by my peers when I was growing up.  I know I’m a sweet and honest person so, why do I let my insecurities get the best of me?  It’s so agitating, but I don’t know how to stop it.  I am so worried about what people think of me that I can’t fully live the way I’ve always wanted to; as an extrovert.  

          

7 Years

Today will always be a really sad day for me.  On this day right before the start of my Junior year in High School, my best friend's mom Tracey succumbed to Pancreatic cancer.  This date haunts me every year.  I will never look forward to another year passing without her here; another rotation of the sun. 

Every time this day comes again, I think about going and seeing her at the hospital a week before she left us.  That day is still by far the hardest day of my life.  I wholeheartedly considered her my second mom and my love for her was incomparable to most.  That day I knew I had to say goodbye.  The cancer was terminal and she was fading fast.

"Mommy Tracey" was unlike any other woman I have ever had the pleasure to know.  She was loving to the point where her heart was always wide open for any individual who needed her.  Whenever you needed someone to talk to, cry on, or laugh with; she was always there.  She was also blunt and straight to the point when she needed to be; which I loved and embraced!

Let's not forget how strong she was.  She was a single mom with two children (my best friend and her older brother).  She worked her ass off even when she was feeling ill a few months before her death.  Nobody knew about her cancer until about a month before her passing.

I pretty much lived at Tina's house back then.  I remember late one night Tracey came home with a huge box FILLED with an array of White Castle burgers.  Tina and I were pretty excited when she walked through the door with all that food!

There was also one night where Tina and I were hanging out at a Coffee Shop (called Segue) and Tracey picked us up.  Back then Tina and I were both into punk and rock music.  While we were driving away, a group of our friends were outside hanging out and Tracey noticed this.  With a big grin on her face she BLASTED rap music while we drove past the crowd of friends while waving to them laughing her ass off!  It was so embarrassing, yet REALLY funny at the same time!

I remember Tracey and Tina forcing me to watch The Temptations movie.  It was like pulling hair with me, but they didn't give up!  Ever since watching the movie I have been hooked!  Seriously, The Temptations are one of the BEST groups ever!!!

I remember being in some retail store with Tina and Tracey and Tracey finding two identical stuffed animal dogs that resembled their Rottweiler Jacob.  She bought them for us girls.  We had this silly baby talk language that we would use when talking to the dogs and so we named the dogs Duh Bah and Duh Udda Bah; "The Baby" and "The Other Baby."  I never realized how much I would value a stuffed animal.  It's my favorite!

There are many more amazing memories with Tracey.  Going to the Tradesman to sing Karaoke, singing in the car as a group, auditioning for Midnight at the Apollo, and just plain hanging out and watching movies. 

I miss her every single day.  She was taken away from us way too early.

The beautiful Mommy Tracey

Tina, if you read this, no one compares to you.  You are the bestest friend that a girl could ever ask for!  I love you!



Hey dog, your owner's an IDIOT!!!

I rarely ever watch the news but I decided to watch it last night.  During the middle of the broadcast, they told the public about a 'pet owner's scare.'  Do you want to know what the "scare" was about?  It honestly made me LIVID!  Like a dumbass would, she left her dog in her vehicle with the windows rolled down for "only" twenty minutes.  When she came back the dog was barely moving so she had to rush it to the vet.  The poor thing almost died because of her stupidity!  But if you were a good pet owner like myself, you would know that you NEVER leave a dog unattended in a burning HOT vehicle.  It doesn't matter if the windows are rolled down or NOT in this fricken hot as hell weather.  Your animal WILL be too hot!  Another part of this whole "news" report was that the reporter said that there has been 5 deaths this summer due to dogs being left in their owner's vehices.  I mean honestly, how DUMB can you BE?  People like that don't even deserve to have pets!  As you can tell, this really upsets me.  I wish that I could lock them into a burning hot car and see how they react!  - XOXO K.C.

New York Approves Marriage Equality

I have always felt very strongly about this issue.  I have multiple family members who are homosexual so this is a topic that is near and dear to my heart.  Nobody should ever feel like they can't be open and love who they want to love.  Everybody deserves love, and I don't believe for one second that God would want any of his children to suffer.  I don't believe it's a sin.  Love should never be considered a sin unless it began with adultery. 

This is just a short little blog.  My main purpose for this was to show you all two photos from the first day of gay marriages in New York!  My friend Kristen had posted a link on Facebook of 60 photos taken of gay couples who were just married in New York State!

I love this one because the wife is so elated!
She's also wearing a rainbow bracelet!  I just noticed that!

I love that they are dressed the same, but my favorite is the rainbow flowers!

View the other 58 pictures HERE

Just one more thing.......

SUPPORT MARRIAGE EQUALITY!!! 

-XOXO K.C.

Missed Opportunities....NO MORE!

"I Learned That: Opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss."

Last night I was going through my e-mails and I had received one of those stupid forwarded messages.  I was tempted not to read it but decided to check it out anyways.  It consisted of a whole bunch of 'I learned that' quotes.  This is the one that stood out to me the most.

For so many years I have not believed in myself due to other people's negative opinions.  I have always struggled with not feeling good enough.  Not anymore!  My insecurities, and people,  have controlled my life for too long!  Now I am taking the reins and I already took my first leap!

I'm not letting anybody take away my opportunities..........ever...........again!   

XOXO K.C.  

Reasons Why You Should Watch One Tree Hill!

There's cat fights!

It has funny moments!!!

There's Drama!!!

But most importantly...there's romance!

Brulian (Brooke and Julian)

Leyton (Lucas and Peyton)

Saved the best for last...Naley!!!  (Nathan and Haley)

Here's a love mix! Haha!

One Tree Hill IS love.  I think that is why it is my favorite show, because I am such a hopeless romantic.  WATCH IT!  I promise that you will not be disappointed!  There's something for everyone!  Thank you for watching!  Talk soon!!!! - XOXO K.C.