Saturday, December 31, 2011

Talkin' about a Resolution


 I love making a New Year's resolution. I have made one (and stuck with them) every year since 2008. The New Year is an opportunity to reflect upon your life and the past year and then start over! It is a time you can literally learn from your mistakes, take what you have learned and put it in action.

2008: To no longer eat meat, except fish and seafood. And to stop eating fast food.
-After watching films like "Supersize Me" and "Food Inc." I no longer wanted to poison my body or support factory farming.
   
2009: To continue to not eat meat, including fish and seafood.
-After adjusting to no longer eating meat, I decided to commit fully to being a Vegetarian. 
   
2010: To start taking more pride in my appearance and embrace my "girly" side.
-After realizing my extreme discomfort in embracing more "girly" things, like wearing make-up or painting my nails, for the fear of being perceived as "weak" I decided to confront my fears head on. Now, I love getting made up! Although, I still have difficulty wearing heels, I rarely visit a salon and I only shave my legs on occasion. 
   
2011: To take better care of my body by exercising regularly. 
-After three years of a meatless diet I noticed I consumed a lot of junk food to keep me feeling "full." I also felt my body was weak and out-of-shape. I started doing yoga and going for walks. I wanted to join a gym but haven't been able to afford it. And I never managed to kick my sugar habits.
 
2012: To spend and consume responsibly and to stop supporting corporate greed. 

This year, like the years before, I am taking the things I have learned and experienced this year and making a change to better myself. This year, with the Occupy Movement, the veil has been lifted on the evil that is Big Business. I am now aware of how truly corrupt most (if not all) corporations are. I can clearly see how these giant companies take advantage of absolutely every resource available to them - from the cheap labor they find overseas, to the complete disrespect of the environment, or the monopolization of every suburb or small town in America. I no longer wish to spend my hard earned money with these companies. Instead, I will empower my dollars to support local businesses, independent businesses, small businesses and companies who have strong values and stay true to them.

What is your New Year's resolution?


Happy New Year Everyone! Be safe tonight! See you next year!

Love,
Sarah J

Friday, December 30, 2011

Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right


It is almost the New Year and personally, I can't wait for 2011 to be over. Haven't had much luck this year... worked shitty job after shitty job, moved into a way-to-expensive apartment with a girl who was supposed to be my friend. Got punched in the face (literally and metaphorically). Was totally broke. Lost a few really awesome people to God's greedy-ness. Lost touch with friends. Oh well, that is life.


Okay, enough feeling sorry for myself. Let's keep it glass-half-full. The year had it's highlights, too. Plenty of them. Hmmm, let's see...

I spent 2011 with the love of my life. Our first full calender year together. It's crazy, though. I feel like I've known him all my life. It has been a tough year for us - moving in together, being absolutely broke. We learned a lot about each other. Through thick and thin he never left my side.
April 2011
March 2011
April 2011
June 2011
May 2011
August 2011
December 2011


I learned a lot. Like when Captain Spualding ate a condom out of the trash can and I had to take him to the vet. I got a lot of strange looks and laughs telling the doctor what happened. He was all silly and drunk all day from the medicine, I couldn't be mad.
silly drunk kitty
or how when I had that shitty job working the midnight shift at The Pub - a local Pub/Diner/Hangout Spot and would constantly get creeped on be random weirdos, get shitty tips and get harassed by non-English speaking bus-boys.
Go ahead, give him a call.

Or how about the first time I ever used a laundry matt! It's the little things.


There were the glory days of Home School Dropouts (no longer together). For awhile it felt like our lives revolved around going to shows, practicing, selling T-shirts and CD's. We were always together. Hell, we were hanging out even when band shit WASN'T involved. I miss it - but then I remember how much of a pain in the ass it was. Oh well. They were good memories. Like that place with the shitty sound, The Rusty Nail. Remember when Colby and Sammy flipped their car on the way home from that place and we spent all night in the ER worrying about them!? Or the even shittier bar in New Jersey - Champs - and how we accidentally stole a couple hundred dollars worth of equipment from another band? (Great job, guys) Or how about The North Star Bar CD Release Show and how Ken talked shit on Facebook the entire night?
That was our Heyday. Northtub.
The Rusty Nail April 2011
Champs May 2011
After Champs - Kaschak, David, Stefano
The North Star Bar - June 2011
Setting up the Merch table at North Star
Outside North Star - Ryan, Kaschak and Spanky
The Whiskey Tango - August 2011

We took some awesome trips this summer, most of them to the New Jersey shores. Some we took with friends, some with family - we always managed to screw things up in one way or another. Makes for better memories, though. Ryan went to Ocean City, NJ with the band - managed to lose Kaschak's sunglasses in the ocean, bring back the game of suey and get lost in bumble-fuck New Jersey all in one day. Another time Ryan went to LBI to stay at my cousins house. We cruised around town all weekend - I rode my bike, he rode his long board. It was perfect. One night I lost his hoodie but he didn't care. I didn't want that trip to end.
eating Ben & Jerry's
Another time I visit LBI with my girlfriend, Lauren, and her little girl, Estella. My little cousin, Ajay, and Estella are about the same age. It was tons of fun taking them to the fair and to the beach. We got a lot of weird "Teen Mom" looks from people. We loved it.
There were always trips to Wildwood with Ryan's family or Little Oyster Creek to visit Ryan's grandparents. But my favorite trip this year was to visit my cousins in Tallahasse, Florida. From the airplane to the beach to just hanging out with the family -  it was an awesome trip.
at the Phila Int. Airport
In the air
Wakulla Springs
DAT DERS A GAYTER!
First Friday with some one-of-a-kind galleries near FSU
Eating alligator tail at some random farm festival in the middle of no-where, Florida!
Some very random and very awesome trucks off the side of the rode

Some random folks we found in the woods.
my cousin's coffee maker that Ryan was so obsessed with that he even took a picture of it
A gray day in the Gulf of Mexico

We moved into our new apartment in Bristol this year. After the too-exspensive apartment we had, we were close to living in a box - so anything would do. When we found this little place in Bristol, I fell in love. I absolutely love the neighborhood here. It's so rich in history and tradition. The neighbors say Hello when you walk by. You can actually WALK to places (besides 711) I am proud to call Bristol Borough my home.
Resting amid chaos



Oh yeah, there was the little rain storm called Hurricane Irene. THAT was fun.
a store around the corner from us
when there is no power- everyone comes outside
the river threw up
Ryan watching full trees and sheds float down the Delaware
the river flooded every day for about 2 weeks
Ryan got stung by a bee while taking this photo

Hmmm.. let's see. There is something I am missing. I know something else happened this year, but what was it. Uhhh, it was important, too. Lemme think. Wait! I know!
THE OCCUPY MOVEMENT
General Assembly
General Assembly
Hey look! It's me sitting with 5,000 of my friends
Hey look! It's my sexy ass getting arrested
Occupy Philly Eviction
My friends and I were voted "Person of the Year"

I guess it was a good year after all.

Happy New Year! 


 "Be always at War with your vices,
at peace with your neighbors,
and let each New Year find you
a better person."
-Benjamen Franklin