Baptism!

Posted a few blogs I've scribbled the last few days...

Oh Glorious Saturday, how I love sleeping in.

It wasn't the extensive sleep-in I had planned originally, but it was def. sufficient.

I had to wake up and go to Brooklyns Baptismal. I'm not Mormon, so the terminology was a little foreign, but all in all it was beautiful.

Some people know, I have yet to be baptized. As my parents were not active in Christianity when I was young, and my aunt had all of us cousins to watch after, me being baptized just kinda never happened. In my journey to be reborn again as a follower of Christ, I decided to wait until I understood a few things before I ventured into being baptized.

Seeing Brooklyn become a member of her Church this morning, commit to her covenants with the Lord and accept the Holy Spirit, made me so proud and happy for her. It also, gave me a realization.

This Summer, I am going to be Baptized. It will be in Oregon at the only church I've ever known, the Tillamook United Methodist Church. I hope anyone who reads can attend; it's a moment I'm really looking forward to. I choose to do it in the Summer as my friends (the family I've always known) will be home from College and I really want them to share that time with me. I think it will also give me time to point out new directions, goals, and purposes for myself; as is tradition in a Baptism.

So yah. Go me! I'm very excited!

Thank you God for such a great realization this morning!

Oh! And of course, my laptop!

WHAT? Why is Shannon thanking God for laptop?

I lost it for a short while.

In that time, I realized my dependence on my electronics. On my laptop is not only my pictures, but my journal, my connection to email and all my friends in Oregon, my work documents, my music...just alot of what I really enjoy in life. I'm pretty lost without it. Photography, Music, connection to Friends...my simple joys.

I found it...in the most random of places, but am thankful it turned back up.

So I've gotten a few texts about the previously blogged about CuteDense Boy. And no, I've yet to see him again. He decided to up and leave for Mesquite NV, to visit a friend, and was supposed to be back days ago. However, he decided to stay longer...disregarding his job. I enjoy spontaneity...in fact I like to hold the quality in myself, however, I always enjoy general idea or RESPONSIBILITY! Holey Moley Boy....

Tonight, I'm hitting Open Mic Night. It's definitely time to get off the computer.

It's just frightening...

Nationally, homicide was the second-leading cause of death for young people ages 10 to 24 in 2004, and of those killed, 81 percent were killed with a firearm, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Not disease, not car accidents, not drugs....

McCain

Agh! Snow Storm!

Run!

I woke up 45 min. late this morning. And I’m still tired even with almost an hour of extra sleep.

I can’t wait to go to Oregon in mid-April. I just know Katie is going to do great in the DP Contest. I’m excited to see a certain someone and just as excited to see my Bestie Moge.

Okay, so I'm a little consumed by politics again

Someone actually assumed today I would be interested in voting for John McCain.

It’s unthinkable. McCain will continue the current administration's work in destroying our economy and bankrupting our country, devastate our military by carrying on with the surge indefinitely, and continue his constant rattling of Iran and antagonizing/criticizing of Russia. Quite honestly, he’s a war junkie and it can be certain he will start other wars along with surely installing strict conservative Supreme Court Justices. I’m in need of a court with a happy medium and I cannot live with absolute conservatism.

I just can’t help but express that it’s apparent John McCain is a horrible possible elect for this country. I watched his economic speech the other day and he absolutely had no plans on what to do. He, plainly said that he would simply sit back and let the current status work itself out, moreso, that he didn’t have any intention of doing much to help out the ecomony.

I’m currentely not a fan of Clinton either, as you can see in some previous blogging. But McCain, is the continuance of George Bush. If it comes down to it, and Obama is not the Democratic candidate… I will take my left hand to my right and fore it to vote Clinton. She may be power-hungry, discordant, shady character…but her policies are close enough to Obama that I would be forced to check his box. Sitting back and spending day’s at Camp David with McCain is just not a voting option for me.

Oh dear. Elections gets me so worked up.

Heh.

Hilary...you have disappointed me.

Bossman is here today. Lookin’ spiffy, attempting to impress. Go me.

Going to try a hip hop class tonight…wish me luck as my dancing skills haven’t had a class in years.

In the news world, I’m a little upset with Hillary Clinton.

[[Go Figure, right?]]

Today was the not first time she outwardly encouraged pledged delegates to think openly about who they will vote for, instead of who they pledged to. She told reporters that pledged delegates are simply not bound to abide by their state’s election results, that they are expected to act upon independent judgement and are free to make up their mind however they so choose. Clinton was also quoted in saying that delegates are just like superdelagates in the idea that there is no requirement that “anybody vote for anybody”.

Excuse me, Miss. Clinton? Are you are crazy as you sound? You ma’am, are a nut.

Why the hell would we elect our delegates if we weren’t ensured that they would accurately represent our opinions and in specific represent our vote at the highest of levels…the Presidential Election? And moreso, why in 1982 did The Democratic Party create a new category of delegate, the superdelegates, if we didn’t mean for them to be different from the delegates? If you don’t know, superdelegates are elected officials and party leaders who are free to support any candidate they wish, regardless of the majority vote in the states they represent. In Oregon, you pledge towards a candidate upon being chosen as an elector. Oregon has 7 electoral votes which is the sum or the number of our U.S. Senators (always two) and our U.S. Representatives in which Oregon is entitled. Potential elector candidates are nominated by their respective political parties in the months prior to the big day. Our Constitution allows each state to define its own means for the nomination of its electors. Then in each state voters will choose from a slate of pre-selected candidates for a Presidential Elector; each one represents the different candidates for President. Most state ballots are child-proof and are designed to look as if the voters are casting their vote for the actual candidates for President. States pretty much use the short ballot meaning they vote for one party and that vote is interpreted as a vote for the entire slate of Presidential Electors.

Electors who are pledged to a particular candidate are formally chosen in the popular election which is held on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November. So on Election Day, when you’re voting for that special candidate, remember you are in fact voting for that candidates elector.

Okay, so now that you know a little bit more about the delegates, lets talk about what Hillary is asking them to become.

A flipping Faithless Elector.

Yep, I said it. And she know’s she’s doing it to

A Faithless Elector is one who puts his electoral vote towards a candidate other then whom he pledged (i.e. convinced the state voters they would vote for) to elect or who just plain refuses to vote for any candidate. There have been instances of this in the past; 71 were changed due to candidate dying, two were not casted, and 85 were changed due to a personal interest. Normally the Faithless Electors are alone in their actions as it’s…

[[listen up Hilary]]

WRONG and SELFISH. You are elected to represent the public majority vote (unless you are a superdelegate) and it’s not okay to act otherwise. Half of our states have laws to punish such an idea. You, Electors, are governed by and are a functionality of the state, and most states require you pledge to a candidate and stick with it! Though most states cannot punish the Faithless Elector till after the deed (Michigan has the right idea, they voted to have the power to cancel the vote), it’s still morally wrong to misrepresent those who elected you to your position.

What are you thinking Clinton? Are you out of your flipping mind asking for such blasphemy? Wipe that nasty, dirty-fighting smirk off your face, we don’t want your smug, rotten politics for four years, we’ve had enough of that.

And when it comes down to it, I can't really say what I need to say.

I am at a really low mood right now.

It's time I put more faith in God.

Lunch

Eventful was my day at work today! Got new pictures up and rotated the frames on the walls, posted a few batches, learned how to do token credits, fixed a flub up on some sales tax write offs, completely caught up the cash reconciliation log and sat it on a conference call about the new credit card system. I’m kinda glad we moved the team building event to next Friday; I got a lot done today! Now I’m sitting a Subway, eating back all the calories I burned off last night and fighting with myself as to whether I want to go work out tonight.

Really, I’m fighting with idea as to whether I want to go to Pilates. I hate that class! It’s awful and I may just switch it out for kickboxing….we’ll see.

Walmart Easter.

I hate Walmart.

I also hate, the amount of shopping that I do there.

Now of course, I wouldn't be caught dead in the clothes, as wrapping myself in a trashbag would be more sturdy and reliable then a scrap of fabric from Walmart. However, they supply me with the tiny essentials I need at a good price that would normally be more at another store. You know, the shampoos/conditioners, a coat rack, storage tubs, energy drinks, the little things I've needed since I got here.

Don't get me wrong, I still find Walmart to be the most small town-destroying, sweat shop supporting, life-numbing, employee & labor abusing, anti-environment friendly, American job killing, benefits-robbing establishment I will probably ever step foot in. I even venture to say, that at any given moment, Walmart could be appropriately renamed, The Devil…uh…Mart. Don’t you agree? There is so little good to say about what seems to be the most gluttonous and powerful of the cheap, low-end retailers. Sadly, Walmart accounts for a full 8% of sales in our nation and I'm contributing to some of that purchase of cheap, mass-produced product.

What even worse, is that beyond it’s normal faults, there are things I hate about Walmart on my own terms.

I’m consistently having to park in the far back of the lot, as every person and their mom are coddling there desire to shop Walmart at the same time I am; even though I shop around 11PM. I can never find anything and there is never an underpaid, overworked employee to help me. And when I find one of those dear Walmart bank rollers? They are obviously miserable and rude. Along with that, there is always a long line and the isles are full of shelves being stocked and the boxes block my shopping cart. OH! And they don’t have hand baskets, only squeaky hazardous shopping carts,

It's awful of me I know; to hate and complain but continue to bring my business, but come on, they have great prices on bulk Rockstars.

Okay, now that my much needed rant about Walmart is satisfied, onto today’s ramblings.

Of course, it’s Easter; a day for Christians to celebrate the fact that that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. It’s a time for the world to rejoice and commemorate a rebirth and resurrection of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. I realized today how much I miss the Easter traditions I celebrated as a child, Sunrise Service, Easter lilies, the amazing Easter choral productions, and of course the satisfaction in accomplishing a hopeful successful end to the Season of Lent. It was always a great time for my cousins and I to bond through our Lent sacrifices and regardless of the fact that my parents didn’t attend church, I was guaranteed to attend during this time as we never missed a sermon during Easter month at my aunt’s house. I’m proud to say I’m working on finding a church to begin attending. I only attending as a child under my aunt’s wing and eventually, I stopped attending. Growing up on my own, I slowly realized I was attending church on the basis that I woke up on Sunday to travel with my aunt and it was a place to visit with my cousins. I lacked in feeling the Holy Spirit and in honesty, regurgitated scripture and lessons as I had no idea what they meant. Don’t get me wrong, I loved God and I was aware of the idea of the Holy Spirit, but in full admittance…I never truly understood what I was worshipping. I fell away and stayed away up until a little under a year ago.

A friend of mine and his brother, constantly reminded me whenever I saw them, how awesome God was. Up until then, I hadn’t spent a lot of one on one time with them until they became in dire need of a roommate. Due to differences in opinion and some bad dependency habits, our living situation didn’t work out, but throughout our time spent, I got exposed to The Bible a lot more. What I did know about my religion came flooding back to me over the next month and it eventually became apparent to me that I was living a selfish life. Who am I to live my wonderful, generous life whilst giving thanks to no one for its creation & existence. Simply put, what am I living for if I am not living for faith? All at once, I knew I needed to make positive changes in my relationship with the Lord and I prayed that I would have the strength to stick with it. When things become difficult, I can be one to find a different option and or find a solution around it and I didn’t want that thought to even become imaginable with this situation.

Since then, my relationship and pride in the Lord has grown immensely. I still have troubles feeling inadequate in what I can offer to the Lord and the improvements that still need to be made in my daily decisions and actions, but I pray I have the time before he comes back to Earth to continue to make amendments in my life. All in all, for the first time, truly, I feel the Holy Spirit. I have full belief that he exists and is watching carefully over what I do and observing as my life spills out in front of me. I cannot even express how amazing it feels, a once skeptic, to have faith, a once independent, to believe that someone else already has a life planned out for me….God is amazing..

Back to Easter! Beyond missing traditions once celebrated on this day, my Easter Sunday was grand. Beyond the traditional Christian aspects I celebrated about Easter, the tradition of bright painted Easter eggs & a traveling Easter bunny came into play. I love the idea of using eggs as entertainment as eggs have always been a symbol of fertility and new life, which can be associated back to the Christian usage of Easter. It’s nice to not completely lose sight of that J. I was once told that originally Easter eggs were once painted with vibrant colors to represent the coming of the sunlight of spring and were used in not hunts, but Easter egg rolling contest and given as gifts. Sometimes they were even colored and etched with designs to be exchanged by couples; a lot like Valentines. When it comes down to the bunny, that was all German tradition brought in I think the 1800s by immigrants to the new country .It was the tradition of Oschter Haws and for German children, the Oschter Haws - or Easter Bunny - would arrive on Easter morning, delighting them by laying colored eggs in nests.

History Lesson much? Anyways.

I overslept my alarm, a much needed accidental mistake, and woke up to Hunter telling me the Easter Bunny had left me something. I hopped out of bed, washed my face, threw won some moisturizer, and shared my bathroom time with Hunter presenting me with my large chocolate Easter bunny. I followed my nose to the smell of a much expected huge breakfast and walked upstairs to my rockin’ family. I have to pause and note that they are my absolute favorite part about Easter Sunday. As kids, my sister and I celebrated Easter at my aunts, but as we got older and my parents took less and less interest in us, we made our own Easter celebrations and hid and decorated our own Easter eggs. It was sure that we made Easter our own and we enjoyed it, but deep down it was apparent both of us really needed family. To walk upstairs to a set of grandparents, Judy & Larry & Kristi some soon to be grandparents and aunt, an aunt & Uncle, three cousins and of course Gary the cat…is a very welcoming and warm feeling I really enjoy. I helped Judy by mastering the art of toast making and then joined in a pre-meal tradition. My Utah family has a rule that nobody can eat until they find the colored Easter egg that has their name on it. We set out to the backyard, found everyone else’s egg but our own, and eventually successfully completed the first hunt of the day and sat down to breakfast. After a grubbin’ meal, we had a family round of guitar hero and decided it was time for the plastic egg hunt (eggs filled with treats & prizes). Hunter owned that hunt and Harley walked past every egg within plain site of her. At the beginning of the day, the kids were told the Easter Bunny brought them something so big it could not fit in the house and that would be the last hunt of the day. I convinced Harley it was enormous and they eventually found the holy grail of Easter surprises….Rockband.

Of course, we immediately started rocking and rocked out a majority of the rest of the day. People came and went, movies were watched, and we all got a little bit better at being Rockstars.

But you expected that right? My family already were Rockstars,