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Thursday, September 17, 2009

A Quickie

Haha! I bet my parents will read this blog just because of the title! So...because they are reading this I'm going to just tell you about the "quickie" trip to Charleston we went on! Gotcha!

Well, my sister came home for the weekend and ended up getting a sinus infection. Fortunately, I have been able to watch Oprah for the past few weeks (one perk of unemployment) and quickly was able to rule out MRSA and H1N1.  Thank goodness. Anyways, my mom called me Sunday night and asked Payton and I if we would like to drive Katie back to school in Charleston.

Now, if you're not familiar with Charleston, SC...it is beautiful! History. College life. Bars. The Ocean. And most importantly, no Myrtle Beach bimbos walking around...most of the time.



My mom was quick to throw in the long-awaited-privilege to drive my parents Sequoia, a full tank of gas and 40 bucks! COUNT US IN!!! So...we left early Monday morning...raided my mom's car and found her '80s reading glasses. What else are you going to do during a three hour car ride and a camera?



We finally get to Charleston and I become extremely envious of my sister's freshman dorm. The dorm that is a block off King Street and 20 minutes from Folly Beach. The dorm room that has a lock on each individual room and has a full size bed...yes, no twin bed for Katie! Her dorm room is bigger than her room at my parents house! It takes me back to my freshman days...don't get me wrong...I had fun...but seriously! Spartanburg vs Charleston??
 
We went to the beach. I absolutely love the beach this time of year. It's cool, quiet and lacks the July crowd that somehow always throw sand on me when they shake off their towels **shaking my fist angrily in the air***I much rather mingle with September beach crowds :)
The next morning I wake up to the horrible feeling that I have to drive another three hours home, have no money to fill up the gas tank, the meter is running low and Payton is taking pictures. This is the face of an early morning Breean that has to leave the beach and attempt the fateful drive with quarter of a tank...all captured on camera by my loving Payton. 

                                     
Needless to say, two hours after this picture was taken, Payton and I were stranded at a good ol' gas station in Fountain Inn. Left to people watch and attempt a crossword puzzle from the NY Times, I felt my life was over...ten dollars later and a very hungry Payton, we were home!

I love Charleston xoxo

Friday, September 11, 2009

Eight Years Already

For eight years I have dreaded September 11th. Not on a personal basis or even on the basis that I want to seek revenge, but simply because it's human nature to avoid unpleasant events. Unpleasant...that word doesn't even amount to the magnitude of death, destruction, sadness and fear we all watched unravel on September 11, 2001 and the days following. Growing up, everyone spoke about where they were or what they were doing on December 7, 1941 when Pearl Harbor was attacked or when Vietnam became the topic among the media in the '60s, but now our generation remembers 9/11. I remember thinking that there is no way our country would forget about this day or the thousands of innocent American lives that were lost, but it seems we have indeed forgotten the feeling of helplessness that overwhelmed us all. I am no extreme Conservative or zealous Liberal but I seem to find myself somewhere among the moderate crowd. I think every case is different and one rule or law will not answer every question and bring resolution to every incident. But why is it that these uncivilized, ungrateful, fanatical Muslims are given the same rights as the innocent people they murdered? I understand that America is a country founded upon rights and promises to "ensure domestic tranquility" but are we so easily convinced that they won't do this again? Really...?? What about the promise of justice and protecting the general welfare of us? The fighting among the Palestinians and Israelis has been ongoing since biblical times which seems to leave much room for error among those in office who have promised world-peace...my opinion...

I remember being so innocent and unworldly when the first plane struck the World Trade Center. I was a sophomore in high school and heard the news after my mom called to tell me to turn on the TV. "It's probably an accident...someone must have fallen asleep or the controls must have gone crazy..." I said. Then the second plane hit, then the Pentagon, then flight 93...
I was shocked.
Overwhelmed.
Confused.
Disgusted.
Scared.

Being an American should entitle us with the feeling of peace and security...the things that were so
quickly taken away from our generation and have yet to be returned. No one can blame one person for these events and there is certainly not one person that can fix all of the hatred that has consumed those in the Middle East. The only thing, in my opionion, we can do is remember those fallen fire fighters, the courageous passengers on United flight 93, the terrified people in the WTC towers and the Pentagon...and of course all of their families. We cannot forget how we felt when we watched the towers collapse. Nor can we forget all of the men and women who enlisted in the military after these events to protect us from future attacks. These are our responsibilities. To remember...

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Betraying Our Dead 

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Cheap. Easy. Fast.

My mom and I have some funny conversations sometimes, but recently we had a good laugh at one in particular. I think it was so funny because my dad was in the car and he didn't find our humor to be quite as amusing. For some reason that makes everything 'funnier.'

I told my sister I would come watch her play at USC a few weeks ago and the only way I could get there was to hitch a ride with the 'parentals.' Don't get me wrong though...I get along great with them as long as I can listen to what I want to on the radio and we don't talk about anything serious. So...I burnt a CD and made a few jokes to lighten the mood. Jokes that lead the conversations away from my current employment status, me and Payton, and my social life...

We started getting hungry and ended up at McDonald's. Yummmy....Anyways, if you know my mom, you know her humor and how she tells jokes. It sometimes reminds me of Merlin (the clown fish) from Finding Nemo..."So there's this mollusk and sea cucumber. The mollusk walks up to the sea cucumber...well he doesn't walk because mollusks don't walk, but in a joke everyone walks and talks...so...let me start over..." Ha! I love her!

While I was enjoying my processed meat and stale french fries my mom turns around and announces...You are what you eat, Breean. Cheap, Fast and Easy! hahah! Have you heard that one before?!?

I laughed at her and saw the expression on my dad's face that looked as if he was going to explode. He doesn't like to hear about anything along those lines when it comes to us girls! So...after becoming familiar with my surroundings...I replied back with...I am certainly not cheap!!

My parents darted their eyes at me followed by a roll of laughter from my mom. My dad glared at me for keeping the joke going but that made my laughter even more uncontrollable! We all know that I'm not easy...or fast...but I wanted to make sure everyone knew that I'm not cheap! I may be poor right now but there is a big difference between being poor versus being cheap.

I will spend my last $20 on those cute BCBG shoes at Ross and then scrounge up another $30 (from the money I shouldn't be spending) to buy the cute outfit that would be lonesome without me and my shoes. I'm telling you...when I become rich and don't have to do anything during the day except shop, I will be Carrie Bradshaw.

Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop


Thursday, September 3, 2009

Notes to My Younger Self

1. Don't color your hair...I mean it can get expensive!! And very addictive. Only do it when you know you can afford it to prevent getting those redneck roots...very important.

2. Don't pick up a cigarette. You might have an addictive personality and that will be the most difficult thing to quit doing when you are older...and you will regret it forever!

3. Enjoy high school! This is the time in your life when you can go to school with people you've grown up with, you don't have any bills, and you have the whole world ahead of you. There is no time to worry about 'fashion trends' or how much fatter you are than someone else. You will look back at all the pictures you've taken and think to yourself "I was crazy to think that I was fat!!" You will probably never see the majority of these people again so don't waste your time worrying about what they think of you or how popular you are. I won't matter in 4 years!!!!

4. Listen to your parents! There will be times when you think "I am 16 and I know what I'm doing..." but you don't! Don't date the guys your parents hate and don't keep arguing with them. They are your parents...not your BFF's right now. You will come to that stage in your life when your parents are your friends, you DO want to talk to them everyday, and you will seek their advice before you make any decision...seriously...it will happen!

5. Don't give your heart away so easily. You won't find the right person for you until you find out who you are first...and believe me, you won't find this out for a while. It's good to know how it feels when someone likes you and even to know what a broken heart feels like, but make them work for you...you are valuable and worth alot more than you think. God is preparing someone in the world for you and you should save yourself in every way so you can give yourself to him...it will be priceless.

6. Nothing else will hurt like your first heart break. Loving someone comes with consequences sometimes. Just remember you will never hurt like you did the first time your heart was broken. There will be sad times but not like that...you will learn from that moment.

7. Don't get a credit card. You will be paying on that thing until you're in your 20s and frankly you won't be able to afford it...sorry.

8. Don't worry about having tons of girlfriends...most of them will be back stabbers or worthless individuals. There will only be a handful of friends that you will keep in touch with and those are the valuable ones.

9. Take college seriously. Party on the weekends and during the summer. Don't just get a 4-year degree...get an education!

10. Find something you're good at and do it!! If you wait until you're older you will find that a lot of things you could've been talented at are missed opportunities. Don't be embarrassed or think you can do it later in life. Time will fly by and then it's too late...do it now!!

11. Don't bust your butt for minimum wage! Ask for a raise!!! ;) You will be an extremely hard worker that will be very valuable to someone and their business. Just be patient. The right thing will come along.

12. Don't sell your clothes!!! Those things will be back in fashion and you will end up spending money you don't have!!! OMG!!! DON'T SELL THEM!!!!

13. Save your tapes and CDs. You will find them when you are older and they will bring back so many memories. Even the saddest of memories they bring back will make you laugh...'how could I be so sad/upset/angry/worried....??'


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I am a 20-something young woman growing up and experiencing the things my mother warned me about...love, friendship, hard work, disappointment and success.