I HAVE A NEW BLOG!

I really took a sabbatical from writing for a while. Ok, so about two years. I know I am a horrible human being for those of you who I see really enjoy my writing. I have decided to write a whole new blog because my life is SO DIFFERENT! Now, if you want to see what the hell has been going on with me be sure to go to theklaverkronicles.blogspot.com I promise I will be so much better at keeping up with my blogs. Oh, and I should warn you...my blogs are a little more raw on my new platform because I have changed. I am over trying to be someone I am totally not.


So for the 10,000 people who happen upon my blog each month... go check out my new blog! YOU CAN CLICK HERE!


I really miss all of you. Seriously, I know you probably have missed me too.



the end.

FINALLY! My first blog of 2013!

If you know me personally then chances are you are one of my small group of friends on Facebook. (All 718 or so of them.) So for those of you who do not and happen to stumble across my blog and find it interesting enough to keep up with then here's what my status has consisted of every few weeks for the last few months...

"I really want to blog...I really do but I just can't get this crap to flow out of my finger-tips."

Yes, I really have put that up a few times. And yes, I am aware that it probably got old. But I have great news. I finally have figured out what I am going to write. I am going to write about what an adventure I have had in the last twelve months of my life because it really was a big year of changes and craziness.

So here's in a nutshell what I did....
I went to Arizona twice this year. Which is awesome. I love being able to go home and spend time with some of my favorite people.

I got to visit my little slice of heaven and spend some quality time with my beach family. I miss them terribly. I never knew how much I loved them until I had to leave them one last time this past summer. My heart is definitely bigger know that I had the chance to see them again.

I got to spend another birthday with my dad. Which made me realize how lucky I am to have him no matter how crazy we get with each other.

I got to meet some of the best people on the planet. Amazingly enough they are still some of the best friends that I could have ever asked for. And I said to these particular people before I left that I would not just come up and visit just anyone. Of course, they were awesome enough that we made sure to see each other one last time before I moved to Florida.

Oh yeah, I moved to Florida!!! Ok, ok, I should probably rewind a little bit here.

I took a trip to Florida. Then I decided while I was visiting that I totally wanted to move here. I got to see Downtown Disney for the first time. I went to Miami and spent some time with an old dear friend of mine that I have known for what feels like forever. I got to see my family and realize that I love them so much more than I remember.

I got to add some members to my family which are the most terrific people that I know. I am so lucky to have them and know that we are going to be part of each others lives for a very long time.

I got to see my little brother make me more proud of him than ever. He has grown up to be such an amazing person. I wish that I could be half the person that he is. He is such a great father and now he is a terrific role model for his son. He has over come more than almost anyone that I know will ever have to over come and he has accomplished more in one year than most people will in their entire life. He is my little brother always, no matter how old we get. So proud of him. The best part is we talk every day. Seldom, do we ever miss a phone call or at least a text message.

I got to see my entire family together in the same place for something amazing. Which getting us all in one place at the same time is amazing in itself.

Lola, is spending some much needed quality time with her Grandpa and Grandma and Auntie Britty while I get settled and am ready to show her that she gets to go to the dog park every day that it doesn't rain because the weather in Florida is amazing!!! Plus, soon she may have a little brother or sister to play with. We will have to see what the Boxer Rescue has available when we are ready! :)

I gained some friends and definitely cleaned out a lot of people from my life that I thought were friends but were definitely just really bad influences on my life. It is amazing how much growing up you can do as a person and see that some people that you were really good friends with can still be stuck in high school mode or just grew into people that you no longer wish to associate yourself with. But, my consolation prize for growing up is having these amazing people that I can call friends for the rest of my life and feel good about it.

I met Jeremy....over a chair.
This Chair.

Actually, the day after I got to Florida. I met the one guy that everyone likes...including me. :) He is so awesome. I love him. I love his family. He is perfect! The best part is that he LOVES FOOTBALL! Bonus. Seriously hard to find guys that like to watch football anymore. He is my sunshine. Seriously. I didn't even want to date when I moved to Florida. But I guess everything happens for a reason. Even my parents bought him a Christmas gift. My family loves him...they haven't even met him. Well, some haven't. But the ones who have met him really like him. That is one of the most important things to me...that my family likes him as much as I do. Plus, his friends are pretty awesome too. Which I thank goodness that he is just a nice guy all around.

AND!!! I haven't had a cigarette since November 7th. I switched to an e-cig that seems to be a big hit with everyone that sees me smoking it and actually I am looking forward to finally being able to put that down too one day.

Big things are happening this year! I can't wait to see what this year brings!
<

So far we have a trip planned to New Jersey to see Jeremy's family and we are going to spend some time in New York City. We are going to get down to South Florida and partake in some fun for a few days. And going to get my Lola-butt and bring her to her new home.

Life is good. Finally.

Oh! And Britney got a hair cut.

The end.

Alright, this year...

I cannot believe that we are almost at a close with the year 2012. Did you know that this year is the last year that we will see a date that is repetitive? 12-12-12... Never even thought about it.

This year was a crazy year of growth and change within my family.

My brother and I have both successfully stopped smoking cigarettes. Awesome!

I moved to Florida.

Found the most amazing person on the planet. Well, I stole his chair.

My dad found someone that even my brother and I love to pieces.

My brother no longer works for the commissary anymore... I KNOW RIGHT! YEA BUDDY! So proud.

My family was actually all in the same place at the same time for a great reason this year.

I still haven't cut my hair.

My nephew is growing up so fast!

So this year I am going to make a revolution and really stick to it.

I am going to exercise. I mean, everyday. No matter what happens. I am changing it up people. For my health's sake. I need to.



The end.

Why I "Unliked" WHOF

For those of you who don't know what WHOF stands for it is an acronym for Wipeout Homophobia On Facebook. I originally "liked" this page a few months back because I am a person who strongly believes in treating everyone equally regardless of their lifestyle. If you are gay, straight, or bisexual. I don't care. I am a straight woman who loves all of her friends equally and I believed this page really did some good work showing that we are all just people and deserve to be treated with respect no matter what our beliefs are.

This page was wonderful, it showed pictures of lots of happy couples, gay or straight. I loved seeing the pictures of different people they posted on their "happy couples" albums. Because to me it showed me the amount of happiness that everyone deserves...not just a select few.

If you look closely there are a few pictures in this collage of every type of couple. These are the type of pictures that you can expect to find on this fan page that was created by a few people in the UK that mostly get the word out that it is ok to be who you are. This was a page where no one was judged or crucified for how they believe they wanted their happiness. I am all for the love. Then all in one posting that was changed; I was crushed.

This is the picture that started the whole thing. Obviously, this picture has been photo-shopped very carefully. But I do not believe that the button on her chest was. This is a picture of a woman who is running for some kind of government official in the UK. She is simply doing what she wants to do. She is stating her opinion. Now, I know a lot of you are thinking but Rachel, this is something that you do not believe in. I don't believe that marriage should be just between a man and a woman but that is my opinion. I believe that everyone should have the right to marry who they want to marry and we should not impede on their form of happiness. Now this does not mean that I am going to suddenly decide to marry a female. That just isn't my style. But I am definitely not against it.

Curiosity got the best of me, and I clicked on the picture to see what it was all about. The comments on this picture started to make my blood boil as I read on. I have never at any point in time seen/heard/read any of my own friends that are gay ever use any hateful slanderish comments against people who do not agree with their lifestyle. I know that they are some of the most amazing people on the planet and I have never witnessed them act foolish when it came to anyone disagreeing with their lifestyle. I know it must hurt on the inside, but they walk with their heads held high as they should. I have been so proud of all of them for not participating in the crap that is being posted all over the internet. I am not sure that I could do the same if someone ever spoke to me or treated me differently because they didn't agree with my lifestyle. So they have all proven to be bigger people than me. I think, I must be jaded and really, I have done a great job choosing my friends because the people who were letting these hateful comments fly out of their fingers were unbelievable.

That picture is just a glimpse of what was really said about this woman on this page. And what kills me is that the moderators on the page allowed this. They have an area on facebook fan pages that is called the about section and after I saw some of the harsh things people were saying I explored a little bit. I found this:

What are the rules of membership ? RULES OF MEMBERSHIP 1.Hate speech is illegal in the UK and most of the free world, and is also against Facebook's rules of use.We will delete any hate speech immediately along with the member who used it. This goes for any personal attacks to admin or members, calls for violence, racist, homophobic, bi-phobic, trans-phobic , sexist remarks or bullying of any nature, this includes the ridicule of people who make grammatical or spelling errors. 2.If you've had a bad day and want someone to take it out on Wipe Out Homophobia is not the place to come, we will not stand for abuse towards any member of the group or the admin team in any way, shape or form,all admin on this group are volunteers and do not deserve some of the disgusting comments and mail sent via Facebook, there will be no discussion on this matter you will simply cease to be a member. 3.If you are unhappy with the amount of posts per day we suggest that you click HIDE in your news feed, as the regularity of posts will not decrease no matter how often you moan, also if you do not like a post, then rather than moaning about the post we would rather you made something that is more to your taste and send it to us and if it's any good we shall use it, we call this "put up or shut up". 4.The group is here to have links to homophobic groups, pages and profiles removed from Facebook, we have been successful at this with over 3000 removed in our short life, and countless thousands of pictures and comments have been removed for containing hate speech, if you do not wish to have hate speech removed from Facebook you've joined the wrong group.

Now, after having read that I was shocked and completely appalled that the moderators on this page would post this picture up as a free-for-all to bash the daylights out of her. Don't get me wrong as I mentioned previously, I believe you should be able to marry who you want to marry. But this kills me that they would dangled a piece of chicken in a pool full of alligators. It was like the lynching mob came out and wanted to "kill the beast." If they posted this and thought nothing of this sort would happen then they were excuse my language....FUCKING IDIOTS. I was so upset that I decided to comment on this photograph as well. And before my comment was buried under the hundreds of comments that came I saw that I actually had the most likes on my comment.

Here's the screen shot with my posting on the top.

Just in case you can't read what I wrote....I copied it for your reading pleasure: No, the badge is a simple showing of her opinion. Which she is entitled to. You guys calling her names are just as bad as someone calling someone out for being gay. I liked this page because it was about the love. But after seeing this petty post to allow a free for all on someone's opinion. I will unlike it. I'm about equal rights, not slaughter at differing opinion. If you don't like her don't vote for her. But don't crucify her either because then you are just as guilty.

All of this has gotten completely out of hand and honestly has started a war between people in the craziest of ways. What's worse is that this is actually going on in the rest of the world as well and is NOT OK. I used to think this page was a great way of showing the love until they threw someone under the bus. If you are so for equal rights then don't beat someone up over their beliefs. Because now you just look like the pot calling the kettle black. Where is the love in that?

Shortly after I copied what I wanted to write about because well, I can use their material because it was not copyrighted and well, what are they going to do about it? I went up to the top of their page and "unliked" it. Don't get mad at someone who advertises what they believe when you do the same thing by wearing "pride buttons" or anything of that nature. I believe in equal rights...and that is it. Is that not what this fight is all about to begin with? Equality? Think about it. If that's what you want then that is how you should act. Equal rights has no boundaries...yes it even has room for people who disagree with certain lifestyles.



The end.

Silence is Golden

Well, last night I was supposed to go to the Fine Swiss Cheese concert...that didn't work out because of the crazy weather. Gosh, nature, hate it. So instead I got to go see Batman: The Dark Knight. It was a great movie and man, AMC really knows how to make sure you have a true "experience" in their theaters.


Like everyone else we packed up our "illegal" candy and headed to the theater. Nothing out of the ordinary, except as an American who is really feeling this economy I think it is outright preposterous that it costs $45 dollars for three people to go to the movies...and that doesn't even include the snacks that you buy once you get inside. I really feel bad for those high school boys that take girls out to movies now. They must have to save up their allowance for a very long time. Maybe that is why a lot of boys in that age group avoid having girlfriends until they have a job, because they can't afford it. And when we got the to snack bar, forget it. But us being the family that we are, we love to eat and be merry. Meaning that, aside from our illegal snack foods that we snuck into the theater via the infamous "spoon" bag. We really are what my dad calls: "Gluttons for punishment."


So we are standing at the counter and I take a picture of the menu in front of us because I realize that we have ordered probably the most death defying combo meal that they have. I mean literally, and I posted this one my facebook immediately because I am thinking to myself how the hell do we see the calories listed and not think twice about ordering something that could potentially feed our bodies for a day and a half. The combo consisted of two large sodas and a large popcorn that you can get a free refill on. Doesn't seem too bad right??? Except the calorie range on this amazing snack that happens to be the most popular which by the way high school boys that is also going to be an additional $19.50 plus tax to your already $30 date. Better close in on that prize and make sure that girl puts out dude. Just saying.


Alright, back to the calories. The calories are not just a set amount it is a range....and this is a massive range. It literally says calories: 950-3110. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? How do you have a 2000 calorie difference in this crap. A friend of mine says it could be the difference of Diet Coke vs. Regular Coke. So naturally, I ordered a Cherry Coke with my meal. Even better, when we got the popcorn we put extra badness on it and literally I could hear my arteries screaming "NOOO!!!!" But oh yes, I ate a lot of it. So I say, forget you 3110 calories...If I am gonna eat that many calories I am going to make it count.

So finally we make it into the theater. We sit down and after about two minutes we notice...the advertising is lacking. This is my specialty for those of you who have no idea what I do for a living...I advertise for attorneys. They are very particular about everything and so therefore, I am a "hag" when it comes to marketing. This "vicious cycle" as my dad puts it, of 30 second marketing was called "First Look." It kept playing over and over. So I decided to go out and mention it to the kids at the counter when I stepped out to smoke because Batman is a three hour movie...and there not a smoker on this planet would be okay with sitting in the theater, no matter how good of a movie, for three hours without wanting to scream. I was the hero when I came back for about 30 seconds and they magically added in another part of the loop. Only to go back to the original beginning of the first loop of advertising. Well played AMC worker. Well played. You have just pushed the rest of us over that edge of insanity and anxiety that we all were feeling about being in the theater to begin with after that tragic event last week.


Alright, now to the movie. I am not going to spoil anything for anyone so I am just going to say this...epic movie. I love you Batman. I want to have your tiny bat babies...because you are Christian Bale. Seriously though, if you haven't seen it you need to watch it in IMAX because it is amazing.


So during this epic event that I was witnessing along with everyone else in this giant awesomeness that is the IMAX there was one part of the movie and I mean only about 4 seconds of silence in a scene...now when I say this, there is no way in hell this person hasn't already seen this movie and just knew at what point the silence would occur. So imagine this...the stereo quality in this theater is so amazing that you literally couldn't hear anything other than the movie. Then, silence. Then this person decides to "rip some major ass" in the theater. WHO DOES THAT????


Almost immediately I look to my left past my dad's girlfriend at him to die laughing. Because I automatically assume that it was him. I know, shame on me. But he looks at me with this crazed look in his eye and we all start cracking up. I am not sure how no one else in this theater didn't hear that. I mean, there were a group of younger kids sitting behind us and they didn't hear it. Now I am fairly certain that Paramount spent a grip of money on sound effects and they didn't need any help with it. We are dying laughing at this point and I cannot believe that no one else heard this but us.


This just goes to show that our family talks about bowel movements way too much; that out of everyone in the theater that could have heard this epic event of flatulence, we did. I mean, this movie was so loud that you would think that this person would have just let it rip during the fight scenes or something. No. They waited until the perfect moment. And we were the only ones who reacted to it.


I am not even sure that I remember the majority of the 3 hours of Batman awesomeness. The only part I remember was the silence...then the interruption.


The moral of this story is...if you are going to spend $90 on a date with Batman, make sure that you remember that silence in the movie is golden. Unfortunately, this guy didn't believe in that rule. I mean, they have a rule that you have to silence your cell phone in the movie...why don't you have to silence your poop shoot?


The end.

Haircuts Are Over-Rated

I have decided that I was going to make myself a deal...since the last time I had a haircut was for my birthday. I have decided that I am not going to get a haircut again until my next birthday. I am just curious to see how long my hair will get over a twelve month time span.


Also, I have decided that since I am going to be doing this I will not staighten my hair as much to prevent anymore damage to it. This way after I move to Florida I can enjoy "beach" hair a little more. I miss having my really long hair and I got a lot of compliments on it. Then one day I was a huge idiot and decided to let someone cut all of it off and not save any of it.


And since a lot of my friends are doing things to help out a great cause in finding the cure for Cancer I have decided that the next time I get a hair cut I am going to donate it to Locks-Of-Love. So since I have decided I want to keep my hair long I will have a lot of growing to do.


Looking back at a few pictures it was actually almost five years ago since I had my hair really long. Check me out.

My hair was down to my butt in this picture even though you can't see it.


I sent this to the chosen one and he said exactly this: "Holy shit, sexy...I love the long hair." So it is on like Donkey Kong. The end.

No freaking chocolates...roller coasters.

Sometimes I write about what is most important in my life. But then someone(s) can change the way that I see things in the most minuscule of moments.


What I mean is simply this: Life isn't about what you have in it, it is who you have in your life that is of the utmost importance.


Things that are material are not going to create those memories that we all talk about. It's the people that were with you in these moments that are truly worth hearing about. Think about it this way. When you tell anyone a story you are almost never talking about the material things that were present in that moment. You are always speaking about the people that were there to make that moment in time happen. The part that interests us the most in stories that we share with one another is, who else is in the picture that you are painting for me with your outlandish story.


These stories can be about happiness, bitterness, surprise, sadness, good times, bad times, fun times...this list could go on forever. But the one thing they will all have in common is someone else or another breathing being (in my case my dog is in it a lot) helped make it happen.


Who is it that makes the most vivid memories for you? Mine are always on my mind. All the time, because my mind...man, if you could turn my memories into a ride it would be like the best roller coaster ride on the planet. I would have falls and loops and curves and straight-a-ways like no ones business. But if you think about how a roller coaster is designed it never goes backwards, yes even the ones that you ride backwards...it is always going forward technically in a continuous motion. All of this would be done at a million miles an hour because that is the speed of most of our lives. My roller coaster stops and some people get off the ride and some stay on for the thrill of it all, the others want to see what the heck the ride is all about so they jump on when the ride stops to allow other people on.


The roller coaster reference is me saying a few things. First, that you can blink and miss a memory forever. Second, that this roller coaster is never boring. Third, the passengers change and some are permanent riders...like someone with a year long pass that goes for the ride everyday regardless of how ridiculous it might get. The point is that your roller coaster will always have passengers on it. But the things you cannot bring on a roller coaster are material items that can fly out of the car that you are strapped into because you will lose it, drop it on someone or break it.


Make those memories with everyone who is in your life. You never know when their tracks will come to an end. You never know when your roller coaster will run out of track either. Because in these stories that we share with one another it is almost never what was there but usually who. I don't care what Forrest Gump's mama said...there are no freaking chocolates in my life only roller coasters. Who's on yours?


The end.