This is an amazing video, this dude is so passionate about what he does, and he wants to change the world.

We all need to be a bit more like that.

WATCH 

>>>>>>https://vimeo.com/46112891<<<<<<<<<

Ranger's first snow!

March 20 2015! Ranger's first real snow! I dont think he really knew what to do with himself....

But he did seem to enjoy some of it quite a bit...

8 Months

So its been almost 8 months since my dad's accident. He spent a month in the hospital, and these are two pictures from that time.

The first, it was 2 days after the accident. Dad was still doped up and barely stitched together. 

This was before the other problems came up- the internal bleeding, fluid in the lung, medication allergy, blood clots... 

This was the day I left for Delaware.

He barely remembers these first few days, the days were Meg, Mom, and I rarely left his side.

So that day I left for Delaware.. September 1st, 2014. I left my dad in the hospital bed, knowing he and my mom were going to fight tooth an nail to keep him alive.
And they succeeded.
A month later, I got this photo. He was sitting up! He was smiling! He had lost a bajillion pounds and had metal screws and rods in his body, a cast on his leg, but he survived. He was still my daddy. And thats all that mattered.

When I saw him again 4 months later at Christmas, I burst into tears...he was starting to walk without a cane! And now, 8 months later, hes back on his bike, almost as good as new.

My dad is amazing.... and everyone should know that. Hes the coolest, toughest, most badass mush head on the planet. No one, not even a tractor, can take him from me.

"Goodnight routine: shake out your sheets, lay in bed on your back, think of 5 positives from your day, concentrate on your breathing, dream.”

— YOUAREREMARKABLE

Taken from loveyourcrookedneighbor.tumblr.com, the woman from whom I first fell in love with blogging and the world

"I shook my tambourine the whole time, because it helped me remember that even though I was going through different neighborhoods, I was still me." - Jonathan Safran Foer; Extremelly Loud and Incredibly Close

Text from the boy: "Just ran across a field cuz the wind blew my hat off. #LtProblems"

Adulthood

So its been about a week here in Delaware. Brand new everything. New city, new boss, new job...heck, its a brand new coast.

Im being thrown into this adulthood thing fast. I thought I had figured it out back in Prescott, with the pinnacle successfully setting up Autopay with my utility bills. Oh big surprise- thats not even the start.

Yes, the drive from one corner of the country was awesome and fun and extremelly butt-painful, but hey, we did it. HUGE shout out to Gretchen, friend of the century, for dropping her life at a phone call's notice (well, text) to come join me on the epic adventure. Ill post more from the trip later. But shes pretty much the best. Another jolt into adulthood came with the call from my dad, having just been run over by our tractor, telling me to call 911. No, thats not a typo. My dad, my papa bear, is lucky to be alive. Lucky to not be paralyzed. If I needed proof that there is a benevolent God, this was it. Because I know there is evil in this world. And the fact that my dad is slated to make a full recovery...that is just unbelievable. Someone was watching over him, over us. Because I am not ready to lose part of my family. I am not ready for that moment of adulthood. I dont want it, ever.

I have a friend who lost both of her parents before she graduated college... I dont know how she did it. I dont know how she survived. She's one of the strongest women (and person) I know, and I miss her dearly. After her mom died while we were in college, I was amazed at her strength and ability to carry on. And now that I've tasted barely even an ounce of what she went though, my respect for her has gone through the roof.

But anyways. Adulthood. This was not going to turn into a narrative about losing parents. This post was inspired by something funny I saw on Tumblr.
I read this while I was avoiding adult duties. (heehee, duties) See below.

BUT REALLY!

HOW TRUE IS THIS

BECAUSE NOT ONLY TAXES

BUT INSURANCE

AND RENT

AND BUYING A CAR

AND KEEPING A BUDGET

AND COOKING HEALTHY FOODS

I CANNOT EAT PB&J AND MAC&CHEESE FOREVER

AND CAR MAINTENANCE

AND FIXING APPLIANCES

AND SEWING HOLES IN YOUR CLOTHES

AND CREATING AN INSURANCE FUND

LIKE REALLY?????

AMERICAN EDUCATION SYSTEM YOU HAVE FAILED ME

I mean, yeah, I learned a TON of good things in school. Lit taught me to think critically and not take things at face value. Physics taught me to work around the constraints given to you and find loopholes for everything. Earth science taught me that we're dumb for living on a fault line, but hey, the weather's nice. (okay, earth science was really really stupid. Dont know why we took that). Art and woodshop taught me that theres ways to relieve stress in a healthy way. Calculus taught me to look at the big picture, logically figure out where you want to go before finding yourself in a giant jumble of numbers and letters (aka, have a plan). But all the classes I really truly loved...I CHOSE those classes. I chose AP Lit, Lang, Physics, Woodshop, Calc, etc. I chose to take the tough classes. If I remember, the classes that were least useful in the overall scope of my life thus far were the required ones. 

So what does that say about our overall school system?

Because my high school was in the top 2% in the nation.

And I still feel like there was a huge place for improvement.

So I think these schools, if they are going to require classes for graduation...shouldn't they be classes that will make us more productive members of society?

Classes that teach us how to be an adult. To take care of ourselves.

I dont see how knowing about earth's tectonic plates help me live a happy life.

Unless they coupled that with a lesson on how to buy Earthquake Insurance.

That would have been nice to know. 

And instead of having to memorize a sheet full of prepositions, I wish I had learned how to change a tire. I know my sister would have appreciated that at midnight last night. 

So anyways. Today I have successfully balanced my budget, payed my credit card bill, and called the moving company with my belongings. Tomorrow I sign my fist official big-girl lease. 

I wish school had taught me the do's and don'ts of that.

Now excuse me while I research how to purchase a new washer and dryer.

Ain't adulthood great?