Things I shake my head at.

I've noticed lately there have been some things I will encounter or think about and just shake my head in disbelief. I actually enter a zone of complete perplexity as to why people do the things they do or act the way they act, or even why some things exist and are available to people- even if it is the simplest of things. Anyway, I thought I'd share a list of those things, since I'm a little obsessed with lists. I wonder if anyone would agree with the items featured, or if I am in a class by myself.

• Fried ice cream. Is America that fat? Batter and ice cream aren't unhealthy enough seperately that one would actually have to take a hunk of fatty and sugary ice cream and deep fry it in oil made of saturated fat? I mean, come on.
• Dress-shirt Dresses. They are apparently the new trend. It is basically oversized mans' dress shirt, just longer and not as wide for women to wear. It doesn't look like a dress. It looks like an oversized mans' dress shirt, just longer and not as wide.
• Walnut-sized chocolate eggs at Teuscher Chocolate of Switzerland on Newbury Street that cost $3.50 per egg. A tiny piece of chocolate should not cost more than 50 cents. I do not care if it is Swiss. I care that I have to budget the rest of the day because I was craving chocolate and bought it because I assumed it would be 50 cents. That egg should have been wrapped in gold for that price, not cheap colored foil.
• People who are rude on the phone. Just because something did not go your way, why be a jerk to someone who probably had nothing to do with what you're aggravated about? Why not be polite and understanding instead?
• Obsessions with social networking sites. (Facebook, Twitter, Discussion boards, Myspace, etc.) Occasional use is fine! But excessive social networking=you're antisocial to the rest of the world outside of a COMPUTER. Your friends, your family, your co-workers, your spouse or girlfriend/boyfriend.
• People who walk at a snail-like pace when entering/exiting the MBTA. How about, move!? Don't you know that there are people like me who rush everywhere they go in order not to miss the next T to be able to get home 15-20 minutes earlier? May not sound like much, but after a day where at least 3 hours is spent in a commute of some sort, it means more than anyone can ever imagine.
• That it is only 3:48 P.M., and not 5:00 P.M.

Funniest book that isn't really a book.

I was recently complaining to Meg about how I think I am losing the cynical side to my personality. Yes, complaining about becoming less cynical. Not so normal. I think that being a cynic didn't make me miserable, I think it made me a realist. Let's face it--sometimes it's not easy to always look on the bright side. I wouldn't call myself a pessimist. I wouldn't call myself an optimist yet either. I think I'm somewhere in between now, but I still have to talk myself out of being too negative and too positive. I just want to be a realist again. 

I've been reading a book that is helping me get more in touch with my sarcastic self. And this book is FUNNY. Not your typical novel, by far. The book is a list of 11,002 things to be miserable about. In fact, that is its actual title. The book is literally just pages and pages of lists of random things in the universe to not be happy about. It's a good kick in the ass toward all of those happy-go-lucky inspirational books that are so full of crap that instead of making you feel grateful for things like meadows and daisies, make you feel miserable for books like that ever being published. Yikes, maybe I haven't lost my cynicism after all...

Anyway, here are a few of the many "things to be miserable about" that actually made me laugh out loud:

• The orchestra that played as the Titanic went down
• The existence of other people
• Birds that shit on you
• The British spelling of "colour"
• Richard Simmons
• Girls who think any guy who's not interested in them must have a disorder, probably Asperger's Syndrome
• The ten endless minutes before 4:50 P.M. and 5:00 P.M.
• The nonexistence of unicorns
• Michael Vick
• Caffeine-free Diet Coke 
• Children playing in puddles of blood
• Knowing when your friend from second grade goes to the grocery store, thanks to Facebook status updates
• The unlikelihood that the words "Lights! Camera! Action!" will ever happen to you

Those are just a few. This is going to take me awhile to read, because one can only read so many pages of lists. This book is full of humor and a lot of truth actually. I say buy it if you want a good laugh. I actually thought I was the only one who felt that miserable about Caffeine-free Diet Coke...

As quoted by my friend.

"I obviously was reading your blog before you even mentioned it... I have to agree that its a bit on the H-MO side, but very nice nevertheless. I have become far too cynical in my old age to have such lovely thoughts, but the fact that you do and that that was a classic "Jessica" blog post ... just gives me hope for the world in itself, you know? If people can still be so in love with love and everything that comes with it, even after all the various things that have happened in life that may have changed that outlook.... that has to be a good thing. Maybe I'll be that way again one day... the whole idea of mushy love makes my stomach turn lately. Just give me the wedding dress, booze, and cake.... and I'll go dance with my girls and skip the happily ever after part." -Megan Willette

Absolute wedded bliss.

This past weekend I attended my best friends' sister's (and also my friend) wedding reception. It was the first one I've been to since I was oh, about 8 when I was a flower girl in my aunt and uncle's wedding (now divorced.) WAH WAH.

In brighter news, Alyssa & Stan are perfect together and the reception was beautiful and they both looked just so incredibly happy. I am such a girl, I know. I have only seen Lara, one of my best friends & the maid of honor only look this happy when she has been A. spending time with her precious god-daughter and B. drunk off her ass dancing.

I have pictures.

bride & groom:

bride & MOH

me, Marisa & Sarah..... and me & joey

The bride & groom's song was "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Jem (originally by Paul McCartney) and was just perfect. I can't stop gushing about this. Alyssa was glowing and I am just so excited for her. The DJ also played "At Last" by Etta James, and because I am ridiculous I obviously teared up because as God as my witness that will be my wedding song whenever the day comes for me.

Such a fun time. It's just really nice to be around people who are happy and having good times and who all come together to celebrate something so important. It gives me hope that throughout all the drama and fighting and hate in the world, there are so many positive things like friendship, family, and love. Cue the doves flying & violins playing here.

To add onto it, my good friend Shannon is ENGAGED! Her boyfriend of a little over a year proposed to her this past Sunday, and the ring is gorgeous and the story is even better. They are so in love and perfect together, and seeing that just makes me happy. I am a huge fan of tradition & old-fashioned romance, and this couple just hits both on target. Here is a picture of the ring :)

I am so girly and sappy and in love with love. It's a little sickening at times, even I'll admit it. I am in no rush for all of this to happen to me, but would be lying if I said I don't think about the time that it will. Come on, every girl dreams of the day where she'll get to say "I do." Everything is just centered around the one thing that matters most--love.

You all can go respectively throw up now.

I aint never seen nothin' like a Galway girl.

Now that I have a passport and no actual job commitment after my internship ends at the end of August, I am becoming more into the idea of traveling. I obviously don't have the money right now, but I could keep saving until the end of summer. This passport has opened my eyes to all that could be out there for me to experience. Okay, so maybe I'm a little bored here in Massachusetts. And maybe I'm not being practical. But I'm 22, I have the rest of my life to be practical. I have never traveled outside of going to Florida or Canada because I never had a passport, never had the money, and school took up my free time. I'm done with school, and I still shouldn't be spending the money...but they have part-time jobs in other countries. I have always said Italy was my dream, and it still is... but more and more, I'm liking the idea of Ireland. I can speak the language and it's just so beautiful. I never knew how beautiful it was until I watched P.S. I Love You. This is where I want to go in Ireland: Galway. (Thank you Gerald Butler.)

Ridiculously gorgeous. Maybe I'm dreaming too big. Maybe this is just a phase. Maybe I'm just in a New England funk. But this just seems like an amazing experience, one that I wont get to have when I'm older and settled. I have trouble now remembering that I am only 22 and still young at heart. If I can save up the money and find a friend to go with for a few weeks, or even a month, I'm doing it.

Love/Hate you.com

I think I needed a little more inspirtation (or perhaps a little more free time at work?) to really get into this love/hate relationship I have with the Internet. I love the Internet for reasons such as getting to blog and therefore distracting myself for a few minutes from boring work. I also love the Internet because it is a simple click to news, finding out what my friends and family are up to via stalktools like Facebook, Twitter, and AIM, and endless information about anything I want. I am guilty of googling anything and everything to get a simple and quick answer to any question I may have. I also get to do fun things like post and edit my own pictures, laugh at funny videos like this, and email my super-cute boyfriend at work. Okay so it sounds like I have more feelings of love than hate, right?

I. hate. the. Internet.

I have learned that although it can be a social tool, it can make some people COMPLETELY anti-social. Call me crazy but I think instead of talking to a complete stranger in a chatroom, discussion board, gaming, or social-networking tool, it is far more important to maintain good relationships with the people you actually know. Spending half a day on Xbox Live or on Facebook isn't helping your social life; it's hurting it. Consuming your time with social-networking may help maintain digital relationships- which are important how? Sure, some tools like Twitter, Blogs, and LinkedIn can be helpful professionally...even so I care more about relationships with friends, family, and loved ones.

Here's a tip: Step away from the computer and go talk to someone who actually cares about you and will be there for you if you ever have a problem. It's far more rewarding than a good ol' LOL.

No News is Bad News.

Word on the street is The Boston Globe is shutting down. It's just crazy that because of today's economy the fear that newspapers would be obsolete is actually becoming a reality. More & more people (including me) get most of their news online. I'll even get the headlines from good old Matty in the Morning on Kiss 108 on the commute into the city on weekdays. Many radio stations aren't doing well either, and I blame this all on the Internet. Great as it is, it's ruining other outlets of media. I wonder what will still be around when I am my parents' age...

10 Most Endangered Newspapers in America

Most of these papers will still run their digital version...but just think of how many jobs that will cut. More spiel on the Internet later. I have a deep-set love/hate relationship.