Pre-Sleep Thoughts: Take One

Like many people, or I assume like many people, I do my deepest thinking when I'm trying to fall asleep.  Which is what I had been trying to do for the past twenty minutes, yet here we are.

Since coming home from work I had been thinking about traveling.  I've been watching videos of someone on YouTube and their current trip to Hawaii which has made me think about my own past and hopefully future travels.  This led me to think about my trip to Washington DC two years ago which led me to think about when I went into the National Cathedral.  I almost didn't end up going to the cathedral because it was bloody cold after hoofing it around the Basin and the National Zoo in the morning and afternoon but it was a stop on our trolley tour and I figured if I don't check it out now I might never get the chance to.  This led me to think about that particular feeling you get when you enter churches.  Maybe it's just me but there's just a certain feeling about walking into a place that is deemed holy.  It's honestly really hard to describe.  I suppose it's like you're suddenly being held to certain standards.  For example, it's probably not the best idea to scream "GODDAMMIT" when you drop your camera on the ground.  Or maybe it's the idea that the whole formation of the place was brought on by years and years of passed down stories.  It could also be all the eyes from the statues, paintings, and tapestries just staring at you.  Is it the collective souls of those who have visited the very place as a last resort at a time in need?   Something lives in those walls that even a non-religious person like myself feels.

Where's My Hoverboard?

1.  Two weeks into 2016 and I still can't believe it's 2016.  I didn't make a New Years resolution but I did challenge myself to complete a little drawing everyday.  So far it's been successful.  I'm not sure exactly why I chose to do this but it's actually been pretty rewarding.  They aren't perfect but I love them because they are mine.  It's also been a reminder to finish what I've started.  It's been fun to come up with different things to draw everyday and I'm finally using my lego box of colored pencils so double win.

2.  Another goal of this year was to read 150 books.  This shouldn't be a problem because I set the same goal last year and finished over 260.  I've also been picking up more books that I own that I need to read to clear some out for a hopeful move this year.  Like really REALLY hopeful.

3.  To go along with the following topic, I have also gotten back into cleaning and organizing.  There's just something way more relaxing about an organized space and I'm much more likely to put things back where they belong when everything has a place.  This is always a work in progress but it feels great to get rid of the clutter.  It has also made me a lot more careful to any purchases I make because there is so much stuff I may like but I really don't need and don't have a place for.  So it saves money too!

4.  Other activity/travel goals for 2016 include:

• Kayak anywhere.  After last summer with my first time in a kayak I really want to do this again.  It was so much fun.
• See a new state.  If everything works out as planned I'll actually see four new states so here's hoping!
• Get back to the Lake Erie Islands
• Go on a wine tasting.  I did this last year but I couldn't taste the flavor, I could only tell where it hit my tongue.  Thanks, sinus infection...
• Hike around the Holden Arboretum in the spring/summer.

Farewell, 2015

Normally I do this post around the last three days of the year but shit happens and I'm allowed to be lazy on this.  So now while I'm procrastinating on things, I feel the urge to finally do my usual summary of the year.

January: Honestly the year started off pretty shitty.  After having an awesome NYE party with friends, Evan had to put his dog down on New Years day.  Then two days later he got the most frustrating beagle which is still with him now.  This dog is a freakin' dumbass.  HE EATS ROCKS and EVERYTHING ELSE.  The little shit.
Moving on, Steph and Matt came up for a weekend and we went on some adventures which was fun.  However, it was the same weekend as Evan's uncles funeral so as you can see January had its ups and downs.

February: The only thing I really remember about February is being the only one in my department working on Valentine's Day during a blizzard and two people walked in my room the whole day.  I cleaned play-food the whole time.

March: This month was spent frantically looking for items for a vacation in April.  I also saw the live-action Cinderella in theaters and Insurgent.  Evan and I celebrated our 7 year anniversary by going to the Cheesecake Factory.

April: Post-Easter Monday was spent haulin' ass all the way to Hershey, PA for the start of a road trip with Megan for Spring Break.  More her spring break since I just don't get breaks anymore because adulting, but spring break nonetheless.  One day was spent at Hershey Chocolate World where we took a cool trolley around town that talked about the history and everything.  We ate at a cute little Italian place called Fennicis for dinner that night.  The next day we headed out to Yorktown, Virginia.  On the way we passed through Maryland which then became the 12th state I've ever been to.  We also went to Virginia Beach, Jamestown, and Williamsburg.  Unfortunately, the first day of the whole trip I got a sore throat and progressively got sicker as the vacation went on.  We cut the trip a day early, skipping a visit to Mount Vernon, and headed straight home.  I then get my first sinus infection!

May: Evan and I went to the Disney Store for Star Wars day so I could get a pin again.  We then discovered the amazingness of The Rail which due to recent changing of the menu they have removed my favorite burger and are now not as amazing but still good.  We go to the Cleveland Zoo which has really gone downhill sadly and I visit the West Side Market for the first time where I fall in love with Monks.  Jess graduated with her bachelors degree.  I went to our local Memorial Day parade and got goodies at Grandpas Cheesebarn.  Evan and I saw 'Tomorrowland' in theaters.  Grandma is sent to the hospital which leads to a big issue in an upcoming planned vacation.  Vacations just aren't going well for me.

June:  I attend my fist Indians game of 2015, they lost.  Our vacation to Upstate New York becomes heavy hearted and cut short but was still a good time.  I kayaked for the first time, snarfed a really good amount of an extra large pizza at Arts Jug, and returned to my favorite custard stand, Lickety Split.  I finally did something I always wanted to do which was play Bingo with my grandma and other senior citizens.  Evan and I saw 'Inside Out' in theaters.  Gay marriage became legal!!!  Steph and Matt come back up for a few days where we thrift and played mini golf.  Evan and I tied.

July: Evan and I play mini golf rematch, we tied.  AGAIN.  We still have yet to have the rematch of all rematches as I write this in January of 2016.  IT'S COMING.  Megan and I went to the Ashland Balloon Festival where only a few balloons flew due to fog.  We also spontaneously ended up watching the Ashland Fourth of July-Bicentennial parade which was pretty neat, except we didn't plan food into this and were starving.  I explored Cascade Park with friends after a looong time.  Megan and I explored a small part of Cuyahoga Valley National Park in which we follow a trail we can't tell if it's really the trail we want and semi-freak out that we are lost and will die.  It was the right trail, it was marked as strenuous.  We made it to the waterfall.  We rewarded ourselves with smoothies.  In one weekend my mom and I went shopping in Columbus and then I went to the Detroit Zoo aka my favorite zoo.  I finally got to the beach, but not my usual beach which was under construction, but Huntington Beach which was pretty nice too.  I went to my second Indians game of 2015 for work, they won.  I went on my second visit to the National First Ladies Museum and also on that day, my best friend got engaged!

August:  I turned 25 which feels like a scary number and now I just don't care.  I still feel like I'm 16 except I'm not restricted from any purchases.  A majority of August was spent outside soaking up some rays in my kiddie pool and/or this weird campground pool in Brunswick.  I got back to the county fair after two or three years.  Megan and I saw One Direction in concert.

September:  I saw the Cleveland Pops concert in the square.  Staff day happened.  Amish Country happened.  I don't remember too much about September.

October:  Ah, the month of exploring the outdoors.  We had an unseasonably warm October which made for a really long and beautiful fall season.  In fact, it's still unseasonably warm.  It's almost mid-January and the grass is still green, no part of Lake Erie is frozen, and I have yet to have measurable snowfall on the lawn.  It's pretty flippin' fantastic.  Anyways, Evan decides he likes going on walks so we start visiting a bunch of the metroparks, especially Sandy Ridge.  Megan and I explore the Holden Arboretum which is amazeballs omg go here.  NATURE people, yes.  We also went to the Columbus Zoo which I hadn't been to in over three years.  Freakin' baby lions.  Then a polar bear was born a week after we were there.  My mom and I went to Pittsburgh.

November:  I get tossed to a different building at work.  Megan and I start walking around some metroparks where we get pretty lost and think we're gonna die but I'm writing this now so all is well.  Evan and I see 'The Good Dinosaur' in theaters.

December:  I return to Walt Disney World for the fifth time.  We stayed at Pop Century and Port Orleans French Quarter.  It was amazing as usual.  We also had a few off days where we went to Cocoa Beach and had a blast.  Went with Steph as she tried on wedding dresses, and just had a bunch of good times.  I saw 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' in theaters, twice.  I'm now up to three times because I also saw it yesterday but yesterday wasn't in 2015.

For having a fairly shitty first half the year was actually pretty great.  I would say it was better than 2014.