Getting old is not for sissies.

As a side note, I would like to point out that this is my 300th post! Hooray for me! Do I win some sort of 300th post prize? Timtams? Beer? A hot boyfriend? A day off from work?

No? Rats. Let's get down to business. (To defeat the Huns.)

Personally, I don't think we in America give enough respect to elderly folks. Getting older is NOT for sissies. It terrifies me a little.

7 Reasons Why Getting Old Terrifies Me

Why only 7? Because I'm too lazy to come up with 10. In no particular order. . .

1.Your body falls apart. Old age is riddled with physical perils. Loss of hearing/eyesight, arthritis, cancer, what have you. None of the physical ailments associated with getting old sound remotely attractive to me. I'd really like to pass on this part.

2. Your teeth fall out. At least this is the impression I get. I mean, there's the whole thing about dentures being a thing, right? I'd like to keep my teeth.

3. Dementia. All joking aside, this scares the living daylights out of me. I do not want to forget who I am, who my loved ones are. My grandmother, who just recently passed away, suffered from dementia, and in her last years, she was routinely confused about a lot of things, including exactly who my mother is. Honestly speaking, I'm not only afraid of this happening to me, I'm afraid of my other loved ones suffering from this. I'm not sure I could bear it if my parents didn't know who I was.

4. Hearing loss. As a musician, the thought of eventually losing my hearing, at least in part, is the scariest thing ever. There are a lot of horrible things I would rather suffer than lose my hearing.

5. Making big, long-term decisions. Those which potentially affect your entire life. Buying a house, when to retire, investing/saving money, etc. Making decisions is hard. I mean, I can't even decide what sort of career to pursue. How am I ever going to make the really hard choices?

6. Watching your friends die. I'm not sure I need to expand on this one. I'm sure you guys get it.

7. Nursing homes. Nursing homes not only smell funny, they are just sad. And there are always stories about the elderly being mistreated by their caretakers. Personally, I'm afraid of being put in a really terrible one and left there.


I suppose now, to look on the bright side, I'll have to come up with a post about the benefits of getting older, mostly to convince myself that it won't be so bad.

So what about getting old, (or at least just old-er) scares you?

10 things I wish I could say out loud

(but can't because we all have to be adults sometime, right?)

Presented in list form. The numbers are just for show and to satisfy my need for numbered lists. They do not indicate any particular order. Oh, and most of them will probably be about work.

1. When I tell you I don't like to be touched, an appropriate response would be, "Oh, sorry. My bad. I won't do it again." An inappropriate response would be what you said, which was "HAHAHA THAT'S HILARIOUS!"
2. An Americano is the EASIEST DRINK TO MAKE. Espresso shots + hot water. When you were hired, it was LITERALLY the first thing they taught you to make. So when someone asks for an Americano with milk, you should know that they don't want steamed milk instead of water. THAT'S A LATTE. YOU SHOULD KNOW ALL OF THESE SIMPLE THINGS. 
3. Thank you for halting your assumption that I'm always pissed off when I'm really just tired. It really makes my life a whole lot easier.
   
4. When we are at a four way stop, and it is my turn, you may not creep forward into the intersection, because it is my turn and you have to wait.
5. Use your words. And get rid of that attitude. When you scowl at me and hold out a container of half and half, but don't say anything, YOU ARE BEING RUDE. An appropriate way to ask for more would be "It appears we've run out of half and half. Can I have some more, please?" But that's probably my bad. I understand that when you're the consumer you can't be bothered by things like manners and stuff.
6. How is it that you have enough money to drop $600 on one dress?
7. When it is 11 o'clock at night, and you are walking down the street, that is not an appropriate time to be shouting because people are sleeping.
8. THE ENDING TO THE NIGHT CIRCUS IS NOT A COP-OUT. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
9. Stop being such a toddler. The things you're getting angry about are not a big deal. Put on some perspective, please.
10. People leave you because you push them away, because you give them no other choice. Please start wearing your reality pants. 

Wow. That felt really good! Thanks for listening guys.

Feel free to use the comments to share anything you wish you could say out loud! I highly recommend it.

I hit the roommate jackpot, you guys.

On Tuesday last week, my roommate Renee left me. And it broke my heart.

Okay, so I'm being dramatic. She went to New York with her mom and dad for Thanksgiving.

But that's not the point. The point is, I MISSED HER SO MUCH AND SHE JUST GOT BACK YESTERDAY AND I'M SO EXCITED.

I literally tackled her as soon as she walked in the door. Literally. No word abuse involved here. I heard her key turn in the lock, sprinted down the stairs, and gave her a huge, football tackle hug.

9 Reasons Why Renee is the Best Roommate of Ever:

1. She makes jokes about creating a game called The Oregon Trail: Donner Party Edition. And I'm the only who laughs.

2. We stay up into the wee hours of the morning talking and laughing and drinking tea and swooning over Mumford and Sons and being boy crazy.

3. She likes to have conversations with strangers. It's super cute.

4. We do things like make a playlist of all the music we're ashamed to like, full of things like Fun., Hanson, Backstreet Boys, Miley Cyrus, and the Jonas Brothers.

5. She doesn't judge me for my inability to stop watching The Vampire Diaries.

6. She has a strange and endearing affinity for Korean pop music. But not Gangnam Style, so don't even mention it.

7. SHE LOVES TO BAKE. This one is super important.

8. If you look up the word "empathy" in the dictionary, there should be a photo of Renee in there. She seriously loves and empathizes with nearly everyone she meets.

9. In all seriousness, she has an innate joy in her heart, which she can't help but let out. It's like she just radiates it, and I instantly feel better when I'm around her.

It's okay, you guys. You can be jealous of me.

I like talking about myself

Okay, so last week, Kirsti gave me this blog award thingy over on her blog.

Hey thanks, K!


11 Facts:

1. I am a walking contradiction.
2. I have a habit of staying off of the internet for days at a time.
3. I have a freckle on my lip, which I think no one but me has ever noticed.
4. Rain makes me want to sleep until forever.
5. I know you all know this, BUT I LOVE LISTS.
6. I AM ADDICTED TO TYPING IN ALL CAPS.
7. Every time I become afraid I'm going to end up alone, God reminds me of the amazing friends that I have. (All together now: AWWW!)
8. I don't feel like I'm 26. Sometimes I get really weirded out when I start to think about how, for all intents and purposes, I'm an adult, even though I REALLY don't feel like it.
9. I'm running out of random things to tell you.
10. I gave someone beer as a birthday gift yesterday. It was Newcastle Brown Ale, in case you're wondering.
11. I am listening to Newsies (the movie soundtrack) in this coffee shop and almost failing at not bursting aloud into song.

Kirsti's Questions:

1. What's your favourite fictional pairing and why?
As in, favorite fictional couple? Well, I'm fond of Rose and Ten. Also, I honestly love Marco and Celia from The Night Circus. As well as Hermione and Ron from Harry Potter. They make me smile.
2. If you went travelling with the Doctor, what's the first place you would go and why?
Um. Too many places to choose from. So, I'm gonna say...he should surprise me. As long as it doesn't involve imminent death or injury.
3. What's your favourite Halloween related movie?
I don't really like Halloween-type movies that much, so I'd probably have to say The Nightmare Before Christmas.
4. If you could be any kind of animal, what would you be?
A cat. Mostly because I think they're hilarious. And if people were animals, I would probably be a cat. Let's be honest, here.
5. Cake or cupcakes?
Can't I have both?
6. What's your favourite song at the moment?
Any and all songs from Mumford and Sons' new album, Babel. I'm hopelessly addicted.
7. What was your favourite subject in high school?
Does choir count?
8. What's your favorite 90s TV show?
Pretty much any vintage Nickelodeon shows.
9. If you could be any superhero, who would you be?
Let's be honest, it's much more fun to be the villain.
10. What do you like on your pizza?
Pepperoni. Extra sauce. Extra cheese.
11. Do you have any weird phobias?
YES. Well, mostly they're weird quirks and not really phobias. Like, I have to have all of the doors closed at night when I'm sleeping--closet, bedroom, etc. I don't know why. But I can't sleep if they're not closed. I also have a distinct fear of sleeping or showering at night when I'm home alone. 

Here's where I'm supposed to nominate 5 people. But I'm going to cheat, as well as take a cue from Kirsti, and ask any and everyone who wants to post answers to the following questions in the comments! Also, I nominate these people:

My Dad
Emily (even though Kirsti already nominated her.)
Alice

My Questions for YOU!

1. What's the most terrifying dream you've ever had?
2. What is the very best meal you've ever eaten?
3. Name one (or two) of your favorite books, so I can add them to my reading list.
4. Coffee or tea?
5. What is your favorite book in the Harry Potter series?
6. What is your favorite time-wasting activity?
7. Tell me one thing you like about yourself.
8. What do you do when you're sick at home?
9. Name your favorite guilty pleasure TV show.
10. What is the worst book you've ever read?
11. What do you want to be when you grow up?

The rules:
1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award Presenter on your blog.
2. Link back to the blogger who awarded you.
3. Copy and Paste the award to your blog.
4. Nominate at least 5 blogs (up to 11) to receive the award.
5. Inform them of their nomination by leaving a comment on their blog.
6. Include 11 random facts about yourself in your post.
7. Answer the 11 questions the person that has nominated asked you and create 11 new questions for the people you have nominated.

Answer my questions! And have a beautiful day!

Be grateful you're not me.

Most of you already know I work for Starbucks. Some of you even know that I've been opening every morning. Open is at 5am. We need to be there at 4:30am. Which means I have to wake up an hour which I'm pretty sure not even God himself is awake for. I mean, if I were God, I'd still be sleeping then. But then again, there's probably a reason why I'm not God.

Reasons why you shouldn't wake up at 3:30am every morning

• Your body doesn't want to wake up then. It doesn't matter how early you go to sleep the night before, it knows that it's still the middle of the freaking night and that it should still be sleeping.
• I'd say you get used to it, but that's a lie.
• No one likes going to bed at 7 o'clock at night. I don't. You wouldn't either. 
• You're tired all the time. It doesn't matter how much you sleep at night, how often you nap, you're always tired.
• Um, DUH. 3:30am!

How to cope when your house feels like a walk-in freezer

The last few days have brought cold weather to St. Louis, as well as numerous other locations, from what I understand. It is undoubtedly fall. It is also undoubtedly cold in my house. It's old, poorly insulated, and we don't have our heat on yet. You can imagine the degree of my physical discomfort.

So, friends, this post is brought to you by the letter C. For cold. And complaining. Because it's really cold, and I'm good at complaining.

How to deal with a cold house:

• Drink lots of hot drinks. Tea, coffee, hot chocolate, hot toddies, whatever floats your boat. I'm on my second pot of coffee today, just to get a little warm in me.  
• Open the curtains. I realize part of the theory behind curtains (besides keeping people from seeing you naked in your house) is to insulate the windows from the rest of the room. But sunlight=heat. If you let in the sunlight, the room will get a little bit warmer.
• Wear all of your clothes at once. Seriously. Layers are key. Wear two pairs of socks if you have to, anything to avoid your extremities feeling like popsicles.
• Sleep a lot. This one is tricky. The covers on your bed will be very cold at first from unuse, so it'll be difficult for you. But if you can be brave, stick it out, eventually it won't feel cold anymore. And if you're sleeping, you won't know that it's cold.
• Put lots of blankets on your bed. This will help with the above. I always find the weight of lots and lots of blankets on me to be comforting. Besides making it a bit warmer, it helps me sleep easier, too.

 So, friends, what are your cold-house remedies?

In case you're wondering why I'm always over-caffeinated.

As if I need to explain why. This one should just be a "Well, DUH." But it's Monday, and I need to post about something, and the rest of my life revolves around coffee so why not my blog, too? (That was a run-on sentence, and I'm only sort of sorry for it.)

5 Reasons Why I Love Coffee

1. The obvious one. There's the whole caffeine part, the part that wakes you up in the morning, that gives you that extra boost to make it through the last part of your day. I secretly love that shaky, hyper feeling you get when you accidentally drink too much coffee.

2. Hot brewed coffee. The smell, the taste, the way it warms you from the inside out on a cold morning.

3. The complexities. The way each coffee from each growing region, each roast, each brand, is different, tastes different, smells different. Coffee isn't just coffee. There's so much to taste in each cup.

4. Espresso beverages are fun! Not only do espresso beverages like lattes, mochas, and cappuccinos taste yummy, they're also super fun to make!

5. It's so interesting! I could go on and on about how intense the process is from the coffee tree (Yes, coffee is the seed of a fruit that grows on trees!) to your cup. Most people don't wonder where their yummy cup of coffee comes from, but if they did a little digging, they'd learn oodles they never knew before!

So, friends, what's your favorite part about coffee?

I'm in love with a fictional character. I mean...um...

It's time for another Doctor Who post, mostly because Emily and I are getting ready to catch up on this current season's episodes tomorrow night. Or, you know, just because. Who says I need a reason to write about The Doctor? 

Also, this post will be in list form. You all know that I'm a little obsessed with lists.

Places (or time periods) I would want visit in the TARDIS:

We all have a list, don't we? Places we would want The Doctor to take us once he begs us to run away with him forever in the TARDIS. After much difficult thought, here's my list, in no particular order.

1. The planet of the Oods. Is it weird that I would want to go here? It looked so beautiful. Also, the whole psychic singing thing is really interesting. On the other hand, their faces freak me out. Real bad.
2. The library planet. I mean, other that that whole flesh-eating Vashta Nerada incident, come on guys. A whole planet. With every book in the universe ever.
3. The 1960's, to see The Beatles play. But only if I actually get to listen to their music, and not a bunch of screaming girls. Although I can't exactly guarantee that I wouldn't start screaming along with them because OMIGODTHEBEATLES.
4. Australia. But mostly to see Kirsti, who gave me the idea for this post, and because I've never been to Australia before. But sorry, Kirsti, you can't come with us. He's my Doctor, and I'm not sharing.
5. Back in time to do nerdy music things, like see original performances of pieces by guys like Beethoven and Bach and Mozart and Puccini and other awesome dead guys.

I could put down a lot more, but it would make this post exceedingly long and I would probably lose your attention before I got the chance to ask you what YOUR list would be!

So, Whovians, what's your list? Where would you ask The Doctor to take you, should you ever get whisked away in the TARDIS?

3 Reasons Why You Should Stop Complaining and Change Your Life

Sorry I've been such a bad blogger this week, friends. Sundays are shaping up to be really busy days already. I won't have time to post, so I've decided to post on Mondays instead. Not that many of you probably care.

But on to today's post!

3 Reasons Why You Should Stop Complaining and Change Your Life

1. I don't like hearing you complain about it all the time.

I know this one is a bit hypocritical since we all know I'm the Queen of Complaining.

But seriously. I know a bunch of people who have complained about how they hate X, Y, or Z about their life and AREN'T DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

If it really bothers you that much? Do something about it.

Hate your major? Change it.

Hate your job? Look for a new one.

Hate your city? Move.

I don't care what you do, just make it so you're not constantly telling me about how much you hate your life.

2. Life is too short.

This is a big one. Life is too short to be living in a city you hate or working a job you despise.

Find something you love and go do it.

3. It'll make you happy.

Seriously. Who doesn't want to be happy in life? Silly people, that's who. And none of you seem like silly people to me, friends.

Disclaimer: I never said any of this would be easy.

Here in America, especially, we've become lazy. We think things should just be easy, and if it's difficult, it's not worth doing.

That is so unbelievably false. Sometimes the most difficult things to accomplish are the most worthwhile.

You might have to search a while to find a job you love. You might have to work more to save money to move. You might actually have to put a little effort into your life instead of sitting on your ass.

But if you can get over this belief nowadays that things should be easy, then you just might change your life. And it could be awesome.

I'm really just avoiding all the packing I have to do.

If you're planning on moving, especially over a considerable distance like, say, across a state, here are some things you probably shouldn't do.

1. Wait until the week you're moving to start packing.

Seriously, guys. I have a ton a crap in my place. And by "crap" I mean stuff that I've been hoarding since college and haven't gotten rid of. This includes but is not limited to: old calendars, certain textbooks relating to either of my majors, certain notebooks from random classes, bills, letters, cards, etc.

I'd post you a picture of the way my room looks right now, but it would just terrify you. I don't want to give you nightmares.

2. Hang out with your roommate when you should be packing instead.

I'm not sorry for this one. It was fun. But I will mention that before you hang out with friends maybe you should have more than one box packed. Maybe.

3. Write a post on your blog when you should be packing instead.

Are you sensing a procrastination theme yet?

4. Have a bunch of clothes you don't wear.

See? Not procrastinating.

This one is a big one. I get the distinct feeling that when I go through my closet, I'm going to be throwing out a lot of clothes. Or hoarding a ton of college t-shirts. One of the two.

5. Have a tiny car.

My car is named Dana. She is small. You can read about her here. My dad is helping me move, but I will mention that it might be easier for you if you have a larger car than I do. Just saying.

Here are a couple of things that you can do if you find yourself a week away from moving and freaking out about it:

1. Find people to take your stuff. 

Have a garage sale. Donate it to a thrift store. The less stuff you have around that you don't use, the better. Just get rid of it.

2. MAKE A LIST

If you've been following along at home, you know that I think lists are pretty much the greatest organizational tool ever. If not, go read here. And here.

That's my list. It has checkboxes and everything! That's the best part about lists! Being able to cross something off when you've done it. As you can see, I've got a lot of empty checkboxes. So I'm going to stop dawdling and go do stuff.

How about it, friends? Any moving tips for me this week?

Another List, Pt. 2, or Why the World Needs List-Makers

Today's post is brought to you by the letter "L." "L" stands for "lists."

If you've been following at home, you'll know I love lists. You'll also know I blogged about lists in list form, here.

Yep. That's how nerdy I am. I'm spending not only one post, but TWO posts talking about how great lists are. But that's not the point. The point is, LISTS.

Reasons Why The World Needs Lists
1. If you make a list, you won't need to remember.
Don't you hate it when you can't remember the thing you told yourself you were going to do? Or that stuff you were going to get from the grocery store? If you write it down, you won't forget. More importantly, you won't need to remember it.


2. Lists are cool.
I make lists. Lists are cool.


3. Lists make everything go more smoothly.
For example, I made it in and out of Walmart this evening in a timely manner, thanks to my shopping list! And I only experienced homicidal feelings once.

4. They make you seem organized.
 You may actually be a slob like me, but if you make a list, people will think, "Hey, they made a list. That's something that organized people do. They must be organized too!"


Moral of the story? Make lists. They're cool. They make you look organized. You won't need to work to remember stuff. Everything will go quicker. And you won't kill people.

Another List

I bet I know what you're thinking. "Leah. Another list on your blog? Really?"

The answer to that question is yes. Yes, another list. I like lists. I make shopping lists, packing lists, I even make mental lists of my day. For example: work, drive home, get food, watch Doctor Who, write a blog post, etc.

So because I like lists so much, here's a list about lists for your reading pleasure.

5 Reasons Why I Like Blogging in Lists

1. My brain is a mess. 
Seriously. I always manage to make the most random connections to things. Blogging in lists allows me to organize my thoughts a bit. If I allowed you all unfiltered access to the things in my brain, you'd run away and no one would read this.

2. Lists make me appear organized.
I'm not actually organized. Everything about me and my life is disorganized. My bedroom, my car, my life. This is all a disguise.

3. My OCD tendencies demand it.
I can be slightly OCD sometimes. I like lists in the way I like my DVDs to be alphabetized, in the way I can't stand a man with a crooked tie or a wall with a crooked picture.

4.  I don't like paragraphs on my blog.
When I have a huge paragraph I've written on my post, I'm always afraid people are going to check out and stop reading halfway through. I like list form because it breaks up what I have to say into nice, short, easily readable bits of information.

5. Because I can.