Dropped Ball . . . Apparently

So it was (jokingly) brought to my attention that I had failed to boast on the interwebs that I was not only engaged (though I'm 89% sure I've mentioned it somewhere!) but that the two of us had settled on a date for our wedding.

So this is my ~near~ V-Day announcement! Woo. . .

So yeah, I did get engaged to Sam (again, almost positive anyone who cares to read this knows because my favorite word had been fiancee lately).

I asked her father at a gas station in the middle of nowhere, CO. Why? Because that was one of the first moments I had alone with the man and I wasn't going to miss my opportunity. Obviously he said yes. (Why wouldn't he? I'm awesome)

Here is a photograph taken by him (He is actually a fantastic photographer, got stuff in National Geographic he does!) of Sam and I (with my terrible hat hair).

I had originally wanted to ask her at some location like the one in the picture but I figured she'd want something more private so I waited until about a month after the CO trip.

She knew it was coming and I had been teasing her, telling her I was carrying the ring in my pocket for the perfect moment. We were joking in Wal-Mart one day and I mentioned proposing there and she called my bluff so I went down on one knee, but she knew I was bluffing so she won.

So I buy a kayak and take her up to Lake Pomme de Terre on which her family has land and history and we went kayaking which was somewhat a disaster due to choppy water. We got back from the water and sat down for a picnic and afterwards I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me (without a big speech! I forgot the speech! Fool!). 

And she laughed! She thought I was joking again. Of course after assuring her that I was being serious she said yes and thus my engagement started much like our dating, with a fantastic story.

After about six months, we decided (having considered all factors, like the practical adults we pretend to be) to get married on Oct 23 of this year (2015). 

Stephen King Reading List

So in one of my writing classes the teacher assigned Stephen King's 'On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft'. Having read about half of it I realized that I had committed what might be considered a crime of ignorance.

I have never read a fictional book (and until his memoir nothing at all) written by Stephen King.

Now this might not be so surprising considering the fact that I've never really been into the horror genre. I get really into books, and a horror book would have me leaving all the lights on and leaving books in my freezer.

But having read only half of this man's memoir I realized that I needed to at least try to give him a chance. (I've also learned that while he is known for horror, he has written other genres as well.)

Okay. There is an upside. I am a 20something-year-old who has never read anything by Stephen King. I've never read anything, and I really don't even know plots/spoilers. So my question for you, the glorious readers or at least the King readers, what book should I read first? What one book exemplifies King's style and will lead me to read more? What book is your absolute favorite?

[Poll is located on the right, please vote!]

How We Celebrate New Years Eve

So most people went and got drunk.

Sam and I went and got a hedgehog. For however long we have the little critter, we still won in my opinion!

Her name is Cue. (Tentatively)

New Years Resolutions

So I'm a little late on this post. Sue me. (Not really, I've got no money anyways.) 

So here are my thoughts on New Years Resolutions. 

They are stupid. But also a good idea. (Oxymoronic, I know). 

New Years Resolutions are stupid, in my opinion, for a few reasons.

1. New Years Day isn't really anything. Like there is no ACTUAL marker that makes that day different than any other day. It's all a human invention. So the idea of waiting until this ONE day to make all these resolutions seems silly to me. If there is a change you want in your life then start as soon as possible! It doesn't matter if you start on New Years Day or the second Wednesday of March. The important part is wanting to make a change and then doing it. 

2. The timing is terrible for basically all resolutions. It is easier to eat healthier and work out and get outside when the weather isn't cold and nasty. Pretty much every year one of my resolutions was to get outside more and hike. But I'm not going to do that when with windchill it is below zero outside. I'm sorry, I cannot afford to get sick. (Literally and figuratively) Last year I did try to do a new summers resolution list but failed because of reason number. . . 

3! New Years resolutions cram so much positive change into one list that we're expected to follow through. It's just not going to happen. Now maybe this isn't all people but a lot of people I know make long lists for New Years. (Unless they make vague lists like 'be a better me' which is even more pointless!) And don't get me wrong they are great lists. All things which need to be done perhaps, but trying to change your person completely all at once means failure most often. Humans are creatures of habit and that habit needs to be changed gradually in small manageable steps else most people give up. 

HOWEVER, all said and done I still write a New Years Resolution list for myself. So the point of this post is to give some positive pointers which have worked for me before and which I'll be trying to use this year.

1. K.I.S.S - Keep It Simple Stupid - Small Changes Can Have Big Consequences

2. Anti-Vagueness - Specificity - Real Goal Yield Real Results

3. Motivation - Drive - For Every Long Term Goal Also List Why You Need To Accomplish It

A Tribute To A Tree

When my family moved into their new house years and years ago (Like Freshman year I think, and when you consider that was nearly a fourth of my life ago, it was a while ago for me) one of the things I liked the most was this impressive old Oak (I actually have no idea what time it really was, I just always called it an oak) tree in our back yard (well the backyard of our neighbors whose backyard was behind ours.)  

Standing alone in a field, a remnant from a previous time this tree captured my photographic imagination. 

Literally every camera I've ever owned one of the first thing I'd take a picture of was this tree. 

During every season. (These photographs were taken by my first four cameras.) 

And in all sorts of weather

So it was with a heavy heart that I drove down after a lightning storm to see what had become of my old Oak.

So this is a tribute for a tree which stood as a landmark in my life. 

The Bee's Knees

Bee Closeup by Timothy Reid on 500px

As I promised, a photograph for this post.

It's hard to choose a random photograph from my collection without any idea of what I wanted. I have literally thousands to choose from.

So this photo was taken during my archaeological dig in Montana. We were at the dig site when all of a sudden, bees were everywhere. I mean everywhere! We were enjoying lunch and while most took shelter in the same rock shelter Native Americans had in ages previous I pulled out my camera and started stalking bees. This guy was particularly photogenic, landing on my daypack which made a great backdrop.

I had never been stung by a bee before this point. And it was only an accident that I was stung at all. I was sitting down and a bee crawled up my pant leg through a hole in the knee. I didn't know this so when I stood to get back to work the fabric tighten around the bee and in its panic it stung me. I still feel slightly guilty, so this post is in honor of that bee.

I Wish You . . . Would Just Be Happy

Shoot, a week behind. It was finals week and my part time job turned into a fullish time one. (Not that I'm complaining. I needed the extra money for the season of buying!)

So I'm going to post a rant first, then I'll find a photograph to post next to balance it out. 

This is by no means a new rant, I just wanted to throw my 2cents in. 

~~~~

Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays. Happy Hannukah. Happy Kwanzaa.

Why is there all this controversy over what should be said and not be said?

I mean is it really nothing more than misguided religious pride?

Let us do an experiment then! We'll take out the religion and just use greetings.

Hello. That's how I'd greet someone. (Well, more likely a quick 'Hey' with an awkward wave, but for the sake of this argument, Hello). And that's how most English speakers greet people. *There are literally hundreds of ways to greet someone in any given language, but lets keep this simple please.

Bonjour. That's French.

Hola. Spanish there.

(1)So if I'm in an area that speaks English as a primary language, I'll say hello.

(2)If I'm in an area that speaks, say French as a primary language I'll say Bonjour and grin ruefully at my accent.

(3) But even if I'm in an English speaking region, if I know someone would prefer me to say Hola instead of Hello, I'll say Hola.

I'm fairly certain that most people can understand my above anecdote.

(1) We say what we are used to saying.
(2) We say what we believe is typical/expected to be said.
(3) We can change what we say to make others comfortable.

Now, these three simple rules can be applied to this whole holiday mess.

(1) I'll say Merry Christmas because that's what I've said and heard said since I was a child.
(2) I'll say Happy Hannukah if I know I'm among people who celebrate Hannukah.
(3) If someone says they celebrate Kwanzaa I'll say Happy Kwanzaa without a second thought. (And likely ask them about Kwanzaa, because I realize I know surprisingly little about it)
(3.5) If someone wishes me a Happy Holidays, I'll say thank you and say it back at them.

Because in the end what I'm saying has nothing to do with pushing religion, everything to do with how I wish for them to feel; Happy.

~~~

Seems like a short rant. Originally I had this huge long thing typed up but I realized, what I'm trying to say is simple. So I rewrote it. I feel pretty good about it now.

Anyways, tell me your thoughts on the Holiday debate. Have a different perspective? Share it in the comments below.

And to everyone, I wish you happiness during this time of the year (and all other times while I'm at it)!