Swan - Flopping

Basically, this was me today. I have invented a new dive. ;)

Coupon for a Free Tank of Gas!

I usually don't post things like this, but this worked for me, so I thought I'd pass it along.

There is a coupon that you can use (issued by the federal government) and take it to any gas station for a... get this...

FREE TANK OF GAS!!!

I have seen these coupons around, but until recently never took advantage of them. If you have one, use it now before it loses value and it's too late!

Scroll down to see the coupon...

PS. I can't take credit for this. It was an awesome internet fruitcake that I saw in another blog, and I thought I'd share a laugh. The ridiculous thing is that's pretty much  way too close to the truth! :P

A Fairytale Skeptic

First off, I'd like to say that I do NOT own these photos. I found them on Google for the purpose of this blog. I do not claim ownership rights to these. All credit goes to the amazing artists out there. If I am violating any copy right usage, please let me know and I will remove the photo in question.

That being said, back to my post.

Fairytales - Always a happy ending, and what we all secretly wish for.

However, whenever I allow myself to think about a fairytale a little more thoroughly, something seems off, like it doesn't quite work. As sweet, charming, and romantic as they are, they don't ring true. Somehow I don't feel like what they have is completely.... real.

Every girl secretly wishes to be a princess, to find their prince charming and be swept off their feet by a doting (even worshiping, in some of these stories), handsome man, then live happily ever after in his arms. I'm not going to lie, I am completely a hopeless romantic that constantly dreams of having my own fairytale story. But what the princesses have just doesn't seem really... lasting to me.

For example, can we touch upon my first issue?

1. They haven't known each other long enough to REALLY love each other! 

Like in Snow White, where she literally meets the guy one day randomly. They sing one song together, flirt a little bit, and all of a sudden they are true loves?? Um, question!! How many of you have ever flirted with a guy? Everyone has. With MANY guys. This poor princess just hasn't gotten out enough. One flirt episode and a song is NOT enough to build a marriage off of.

Enchanted uses satire in their movie, pointing out this flaw in the lines that most people laugh at:

Giselle: Oh, it's you.
Prince Edward: Yes, it's me. And you are?
Giselle: Giselle.
Prince Edward: Oh, Giselle! We shall be married in the morning!

The character Robert addresses that issue later in the movie as well, though in a more blunt manner than the satire used in the opening of the movie.

Robert: So, what's the deal with this prince of yours? How long you been together?
Giselle: [wistfully] Oh, about a day.
Robert: You mean it feels like a day because you're so in love.
Giselle: No, it's been a day.
Robert: You're kidding me. A day? One day?
Giselle: Yes. And tomorrow it will be two days.
Robert: You're joking.
Giselle: No. I'm not.
Robert: Yeah, you are.
Giselle: But I'm not.
Robert: You're gonna marry somebody after a day? Because you fell in love with him?
Giselle: Yes. [grins] Yes! What about you? How long have you known your Nancy?
Robert: Uh, five years.
Giselle: And you haven't proposed?
Robert: Well, no, I...
Giselle: Well no wonder she's angry.
Robert: Well... You know most normal people get to know each other before they get married. They date.
Giselle: Date?
Robert: Yeah, you know. Date.
[Giselle shakes her head not understanding]
Robert: You go someplace special, like a restaurant, or a movie, or museum, or you just hang out and you talk.
Giselle: What do you talk about?
Robert: About each other. About yourself. About your interests, your likes your dislikes, you talk.
Giselle: Oh, you have such strange ideas about love.


2. DRAMATIC character changes because they fell in love don't last.

 I'm sorry, but those don't last. Once the honeymoon stage in a relationship wears off, so does the "change." Unless they REALLY work consistently on the change, and its made more gradually (or made from a traumatic event or something) it's not going to last.

So, for my example:

Prince Naveen; flighty, gold digging, opportunist. He goes through an entire personality change. That doesn't just happen JUST because you fell in love. And if it does... it won't last. There won't always be fireworks in a relationship, and when they fade...

I'm sorry, but the "change" was way to SUDDEN to last. They haven't known each other for long enough. If you really think about how long they were together, it wasn't that long.

Re-Writing Katy Perry's Teenage Dream

I remember the first time I heard this song. I heard the opening and thought, "Oh, this song is so cute!!" Then all of a sudden, WHAM!!! It flips and takes on some questionable lyrics. This made me sad - why would they go and ruin such a fantastically cute opening and turn it into something so lame?? I decided to re-write the lyrics. I left the opening to it pretty much the same, because that was the best part of the song. I loved it!! So it stayed.

MY "Teenage Dream":

♫ You think I'm pretty without any makeup on

You think I'm funny when I tell the punch line wrong

I know you get me, so I'll let my walls come down

Do-own!

Before I met you, I  was alright but things could've been better

Then you entered my life!

Now every February, you'll be my Valentine.

Valentine! ♫

Chorus Part 1:

♪ Lets take our time falling in love, no regrets at all.

We will be the best of friends, you & I, together forever! ♪

Chorus Part 2:

♪ You make me feel so warm inside & so happy!
The way you hold me close in your arms!

Lets talk into the night & look up at the stars

I'll wish upon a star.

My heart stops when you take my hand

That one touch! Just turns me all bubbly!

Could this be real?

So I'll just hope that we never say good-bye,

Yeah, never say goodbye. ♪

♫ Our times together make me feel like a kid!

We built a snowman, and built a fort out of sheets!

Raced paper airplanes, and you pushed me on a swing

My heart sings! ♫

Chorus Parts 1 & 2

♪ Let you put your arms around me, I feel so happy

That you're here with me tonight ♪

♫Then even after you leave when I fall asleep

You'll be in my dreams tonight ♫

Chorus Part 2

Shannon

This morning my friend Shannon and I went to go celebrate her getting her Associates Degree. She chose not to walk at graduation today, since she had worked for 12 years to get her High School diploma, and only spent one year in college for her Associates (thanks to her taking 30 hours of college credits in High School) - honestly, I am SO proud of her!!! :)

Shannon is also the one that helped me fix up my blog - added background, specially designed the photo for the top of my blog, and even helped me add an HTML link to add a music playlist. She is AMAZING, and one of my best friends.

Meeting Shannon was quite the interesting experience. She bumped into me at the library one day (LITERALY)...
I was sitting down at one of the tables the library has so that I could read a book I had found there. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a girl I didn't recognize start spinning around the library... and then she accidentally spun into me. A short pause, in which I didn't know what to say, was quickly ended when she said, "Hey! I'm Shannon. Do you know Chris?"
"Um, yeah. I do. Why?"
"Oh, I've just seen you guys together sometimes, and I'm good friends with him." The ice having been broken, we started chatting for a bit, and then became friends. One week later, she invited me over to her house. I called home, and much to my surprise, I was given permission to go play. I was surprised and yet delighted to discover that Shannon had absolutely no chagrin in playing Legos when she was a Junior in high school. A few hours later found us in her room "spilling guts", and we have been close friends ever since. If that isn't an unusual way to meet someone, or a super quick establishment of a friendship, I don't know what is...

Anyway, I just wanted to give a shout out to one of my best friends, who got her Associates today :) I am so proud of her! She's helped me through more than I would have ever thought possible the day she bumped into me at the library. Have a wonderful day, Shan :)