Amanda's Rants and Raves: A new day has come

Ok, so it hasn't come YET, and it's not just a day, it's a new year. I've been wanting to write a blog about a few things. For one, there was something that has been churning in my heart to say, to sort of help to cleanse my soul of all negativity, but seeing as how some people can be childish and petty, I decided not to write it. Then I was going to write a blog about the adventure Scotty and I had just this past weekend. I'm still going to write it, just felt this blog was more important to write, and especially before the new year. I decided I'm going to share some of my memories from 2008. Now, memory is a luxury for me, because mine is horrible. I'm not even exaggerating. I have trouble remembering the past week, let alone the past year. However, there are some things one can not forget that has happened over the past year. First I'll start with the low points, and with that, here are some celebrities that have died in the last year, whom I know of, and felt to give special mention...

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R.I.P.
Heath Ledger - Charlton Heston - Harvey Korman - George Carlin - Dody Goodman - Estelle Getty - Bernie Mac - Isaac Hayes - Paul Newman - Eartha Kitt - Vampira - Majel Barret-Roddenberry - Bettie Page - Bo Diddley - Michael Crichton - Sir Edmund Hillary - Don LaFontaine - David Groh - Kermit Love - Robert Prosky - Paul Benedict - Gary Gygax

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...Now onto my personal experiences this year. This year had a lot of high and low points for me. Alot of sad times, alot of pissed off times, and alot of happy times. Alot of memorable, and important moments in my life occured this year. And for the happy times, and for those memorable moments, 2008 will be one year I will think about and remember for all of my life. Up until February 29th, I was living with my parents, and on that day I moved out. Not just down the road. Not across town. Not even across the county or state. But 4 almost 4 and a half hours away to Pennsylvania. To live with the love of my life. That held 2 very big moments. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't a child, and I could and did do all of the things "adults" could do already. But actually moving out, on my own was a wonderful experience for me. Now I wasn't technically alone, which brings me to the second big moment in my life. Moving in with the boyfriend. I admit that the last few days, packing to leave, I was a bit nervous. I was 20, had boyfriends before, but never lived with one. Sure I was hanging out with one or two of my past boyfriends all the time, but that is DEFINITELY not the same as living with one. We ended up having to move back to Michigan about April, which is good and bad. Good to be around family, but bad because we're living with family right now. Not because of the family but because of not being able to have our place to call home. Which hopefully we can take care of in this new year.

I had had confidence in that we would get along, and just knew things would work out. But, at the same time I kept wondering if I was going to be a pain in the ass to live with, and really wasn't all that sure how I should act, or how he was going to act. I had boyfriends who either didn't care as much for me as I did for them. Boyfriends who were or at least acted so crazy that my family and friends were worried he might kill me, to the point of tracking us down to come to my rescue, because I had forgotten my phone in my car when going to visit him for the night (Which by the way, I never thanked them for thinking of me, so from the bottom of my heart, thank you AJ, Bobby, Andy, and the others that came, thinking back it really means alot that you cared enough to worry about me.) I even had a boyfriend who cheated on me, or rather with me. There were one or two that I would say were great guys, that I messed up things for, because things had changed, feelings had changed. So, going from all the messy relationships I'd been before, to one with someone who I loved and was loved by unconditionally felt so good. I just did not want to mess things up in any way, and was just so scared I would. Luckily, I haven't messed things up so far, because on June 12th, we married, and as far as I'm concerned, haven't looked back.

While I'm on the topic of marriages...When Scotty and I got married, I gained a mother-in-law, who thinks I am avoiding her when I hand over the phone to Scotty when she calls. (Which by the way I promise you I am not, I've just never been much of a phone talker. Just to let you know ma!), a father-in-law, who after me telling him to bite my ass a hundred times plans to do just that!, 2 sister-in-laws, one of which I've met and hung out with, and the other whom I feel is the sister I never had, and a neice in nephew, which according to my brothers I will never get from them. But just a month later, on July 19th, I gained another sister-in-law. My brother married his girlfriend of 3 years, Nikia, FINALLY! lol. A lot of new and awesome family members have been added to my family, or I've been added into their family, well legally anyways. Technically they were all already family.

Unfortunately this year hasn't been all sunshine and candy, I've learned some good things about some people, and some bad things about others. Lost some friends and family members due to fights and lies. Which btw, if any of those people are reading this right now, I'm not attacking anyone, so don't even start anything, I don't need it, and I'm over it. I'm done fighting, I just want to be left alone.

There have been many ups and downs this year, but all in all it wasn't too bad a year. My one true regret this year is that Scotty and I didn't get to make it to Mississippi to spend time with his family. Luckily I feel next year will be an awesome year, and that we'll get to Mississippi, and/or vice-versa. Now for my New Years resolutions...

1. Find a job to work until...
2. Get my graphic design business up and running
3. Finish books I've been writing for years
4. Lose weight, yes I know that it's a typical resolution, but it's not just an idle resolution for me, it's a mission
5. Scotty and I moving into our own place
6. Get to Mississippi finally to meet my in-laws!
7. Scotty and I having a real wedding, with all or most of our family and friends there, on our one year anniversary, since we weren't able to afford one when we got married.

...I'm sure there are more I want to do, some more personal than I'd like to share, and others I can't think of at the moment, but those will do for now.

Lastly, I'd like to say Happy Holidays to everyone! And just want everyone to know how much they have touched me, and how much I love them. I'd name names, but I'd forget them, not that there is a lot of them, just I'm bad about forgetting names. So if you're not sure if I am talking about you, ask, I'll let you know.

Here's a special song to all of you that hate me...