You Need To Hear Me Out

I know. It's not cool to talk about the New Year like it's something really special. And I understand. After all, it really is just another day. But humans are always looking for chances to start over, so what's the harm in looking to the first of January as a good time to refresh??

So here's that post about what I think I'm going to do this year.

FIRST UP. My new year's resolution!

As I mentioned in a previous entry, my new year's resolution is inspired by one of my favorite musicians, Taylor Swift. Taylor's latest album Speak Now is all about being honest and straightforward. Although I don't plan on writing a country-pop gem about each person I want to say something to, I do want to be more vocal. Although I can be an extrovert at times, I do often keep my opinion to myself and feel like it's much easier to just let others have it their way. So now, I want to speak out.

However, there is an element of class in this - I'm not going to tell someone they look bad or complain that someone's homemade meal tastes nasty. This is about speaking the truth at times when I'm too afraid or shy, not about being rude and aggressive.

This year I also want to:
- Graduate college
- Get a job
- Write another section of my long short story (currently 100 pages)
- Do well on the GRE Literature exam (LOL)
- Eat more fruit (I did this in 2010 and did a good job! I want to continue this one)
- Get Britney's new album the day it comes out
- Write more poetry
- Survive

Oh, and did I mention that New Year's Eve 2010 was much better than previous years?

Happy New Year y'all!

New Year's Fleeve

New Year's Eve is consistently the worst holiday of the year for me. Even though I'm a pretty upbeat guy with tons of online friends, I somehow always end up spending New Year's Eve alone. Here's a rundown of how my past few NYEs went.

New Year's Eve 2005

I think 2005 started the trend of bad New Year's Eves. According to my LiveJournal (lol), 2005 was "the worst year of my life." And New Year's Eve didn't make the year any better. I sat at home watching the ball drop on the living room TV while my brother and his friend Alex played video games upstairs. I technically wasn't alone but I was sad and lonely and reflecting on how stupid I was in 2005 (and really, I was pretty stupid in 2005).

New Year's Eve 2006

After being in a relationship since January 2006, I broke up with my significant other in December of 2006. Therefore, I was freshly broken up and of course SAD ALL THE TIME. Of course this sadness was magnified on New Year's Eve, which I spent alone. Not sure why I didn't hang out with friends, but according to my LiveJournal I was home alone, I finished reading Catcher in the Rye (which I think is overrated), and I thought I wasn't going to get in to TCNJ.

New Year's Eve 2007

New Year's Eve '07 was pretty forgettable. I wasn't as sad as I was in '05 and '06, but I was home alone. I made plans this year to hang out with a friend (who won't be named), but they canceled last minute so I ended up home alone again.

New Year's Eve 2008

Maybe this takes the cake for the worst New Year's Eve, but only because there was so much promise! When I found out I would be in Mexico for NYE '08, I was sure this was going to be the best New Year's Eve ever! However, I went on the trip with complete strangers and since they knew that I didn't drink/party, they went out to celebrate around 11pm... and didn't even invite me. I found this out when I started looking around the hotel around 11:30pm and no one was around. So I asked at the front desk and the man said that a large group of teens just left, clearly my group. I went to my hotel room, turned on the TV, and watched The Little Mermaid in Spanish (or La pequeña sirena) as the clock struck midnight.

I knew it was midnight when I heard fireworks going off. I thought it would at least be cool to see the fireworks, right?! So I went on the balcony to my room but my view was obstructed by the building in front of the hotel. I went to the general hotel balcony and still couldn't see. Finally, I went outside so I could see down the street that led to the center of town. However, the last firework went off just as I reached the street, so I only got to see a few falling sparks...

New Year's Eve 2009

I made plans this year to hang out with a friend (who won't be named), but they canceled last minute so I ended up home alone again. Sound familiar?!

I ended up alone at my sister TJ's house while TJ was at a Mariah Carey concert (JEALOUS!). I also watched my first ever episode of Jersey Shore. BUT, there was ONE good thing about that night... I finished a puzzle I had been working on over winter break! Or maybe that's not that cool... since a certain Hotel Tuesday reader called me "grandpa" when I posted the picture on Twitter.

So what will this New Year's Eve bring?! I don't know yet. I probably won't know my plans until that day. But I mean, the night has to be an improvement over the last five New Year's Eves, right? RIGHT?!

El Cuatro de Julio

Happy 4th of July!!!.......

I figured that since other blogs and sites are wishing people a Happy 4th of July and reminding them of what a great country we live in or whatever, I'd do something a little different.

First, I'd like to share with you this SPECTACULAR performance of The National Anthem, by "pop sensation" Kat DeLuna. (I highly advise you watch the whole thing, but if you are lazy, skip to 1:45 and listen 'til the end.)



Are the last few seconds not the funniest thing ever? I LOLed for a few minutes on that one.

And I'd also like to share a line from Angels in America, which I finally watched recently.

"The white cracker who wrote the National Anthem knew what he was doing. He set the word free to a note so high nobody could reach it."

Nobody but Kat DeLuna, obviously.

Happy 4th y'all!

It Makes The World Come Together

Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, I thought everyone would enjoy this WONDERFUL Christmas song. It's the only Christmas song I enjoy other than Joni Mitchell's "River" so I hope you love it too!

Double Birthdays

Firstly,

Today is my sister Talita's birthday. Last year she got her own entry but last year I wasn't working on two finals on her birthday :)

Plus, I had to take time away from working on my finals when my my friends took me out for my birthday!

I was just told to be free at 5:30 and Ross and Christie drove me to the secret location so I could see the secret guests.

We ended up going to Olive Garden. Here are some pics.

Alright, gotta get back to work.
Tomorrow's the big day... And by 'big day' I mean I'm handing in my last two finals and then I'm done with school for the semester!!!!!

Thanks?!

So it's Thanksgiving...
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!! Unfortch, I have to spend my day being bored out of mah skull.

Anyway, here are things I'm thankful for:

Victoria

Whenever I'm having a bad day/week/month/year, I watch Victoria and feel SO much better about my life. Not only do I get to LOL every few seconds, but I realize that there are people out there who have it worse... like all those people in the world who have not witnessed the beauty and grace that is Victoria!

Josh

It's strange to think that just a year ago, I didn't think Josh and I would end up being BFFs. Now I feel like I've known him my entire vida and think our separation will force me into a state where I'd listen to depressing music on repeat and write Pulitzer Prize-worthy poetry (hmm.... that doesn't sound too bad). For reals, more than anyone else in the world, Josh gets me and I am so lucky to have him around, filling my life with magic and fun. I hope we grow old together! Scratch that—I hope we die young together so we never have to be funky and played out.

School

I might feel overwhelmed sometimes, but I understand how lucky I am to be able to go to college and advance mah grammar skillz y vocabulario. If I'm going to live out my dreams of being a mean professor who overuses the red pen, I need an education first! Now, let me get back to that essay (not kidding).

My Blog and its Readers

I started my blog on a whim and now I'm so glad I did. I now have a group of readers who have fascinating conversations about the boring things in my life that I decide to blog about. They send me presents, cheer me up by commenting (lol), and some of them even lent their fashion design talents to Project Runway: JNCT! I have the best readers ever and am thankful that what I say is read by someone and that I have been able to make friends through my blog. I love you all!

Of course I'm thankful for so much more, but I gotta finish getting ready to go to my dad's house. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Free Candy Day

So I was going to post pics of my different costumes throughout the years and then ask everyone what their favorite costume was, but someone beat me to it.

Instead, I'll post this picture and hope everyone is satisfied with my Halloween '09 post.

I didn't go trick-or-treating or dress up last year, so I didn't really even think about going this year. Though I will miss the candy.
If I had plans to go out this year, I would have gone as Lindsey Buckingham.

But now I think I'm just gonna let my hair grow out, then go as him next year. That way, I won't have to pay for a wig!

Happy Halloween everyone!
If you need my address to send me your leftover candy, let me know! :)

Oh, and everyone wish one of my bfs Delisa a happy birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DELISA!

Let Freedom Ring

Happy 4th of July everyone!!
Today, we gather in the streets of our town to watch parades, we barbecue our own food instead of visiting restaurants and giving our waiters (me) huge tips, and we set off explosives in our backyards.

But the day is actually quite important, as we celebrate an crucial moment in American history: July 4, 1842, when Washington crossed the Delaware blue with his three ships, the Nina, Titanic, and Santa Maria and discovered America (and Puerto Rico).

Or something like that.

Here is my favorite song that is about this important holiday, including a video of one of my favorite historical figures (I wonder if Washington spotted her while crossing that river!)

Madres

In case you weren't aware, today is Mother's Day!

My family celebrated early this morning by going out to breakfast at Dovian's, a breakfast place just down the street from us, on the boardwalk.

It was a pretty nice joint. The view was pretty cool.

So, Happy Mother's Day to my own mom!

And to my sister Gabi!

And to all the other mothers in the world!

Alfredo

So last night I went over to Mat with one T's apartment to celebrate Valentine's Day.
He didn't pick me up til 8:30pm, so the night didn't last long, but it was still pretty nice.

But before I went to see Mat, I got my first Valentine's Day gift in the mail.

I got some lovely V-Day gifts including a card, candy and adorable hamster stickers!
Oh, and they were from Saint Michelle of course!

So Mat got me and we went to his apartment. I guess cause it was Valentine's Day he held the door open for me.

First, I watched him clean the dishes.

Then I watched him cook me dinner!

First he got the chicken out. Doesn't it look delicious?

He cut it up

and sprinkled marinade on it....

and put them in the pan to fry.

Meanwhile, the pasta was cooking

and the broccoli was doing whatever broccoli does. Steam?

Then it was all done and I got the finished product.

Which was delicious.
We ate and watched Top Iron Chef. It was the first time I watched the show and it was pretty decent.

We didn't watch a movie or go for a walk on the beach or anything cause I had work at 8am this morning. But it was still a nice night and I got chocolates! Mmm.

Thanks for dinner Mat E>

Big Love

I hope everyone is having a great Valentine's Day!

Whether I'm single or in a relationship, I'm always a fan of Valentine's Day. Even if it was invented by Hallmark or whatever, it's still nice to have a whole day to think about love and companionship.

As for me, I'm currently spending V-Day writing an essay on My Ántonia.
But hopefully I'll be going out later tonight.

And if you are one of those people that hate V-Day, cheer up and watch Titanic! Oh wait.... maybe that's bad advice.

But remember that I love you all!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Honey you've been in my head
Like homework on Sundays when I've been laughing instead,
Like cigarettes for the cool kids behind the garden shed,
And love for lovers
And the elephant by my bed.

It's December 25th

Thankful

Here are just a FEW things I have to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Note that I'm home and using my brother's computer and he doesn't have Photoshop : O
Back to MS Paint, the old-school way....








If you're reading this, I'm thankful for you! E>