Danke, Merci, Grazie, Where are we?

Poor Thanksgiving.

In the midst of the holiday season, we always seem to forget it. I mean, one moment people are scaring the daylights out of one another, and the next they're singing Christmas carols. Poor, lonely little forgotten Thanksgiving. And really, it's the most important holiday, right?

Sometimes circumstances aren't very agreeable, and we always take note of it. But when days are all lovely sunshine, we take no notice whatsoever. I find myself doing that all too often. I have my problems. Holy smokes, so many problems. But sometimes you must look at all the good things in life, and laugh in the face of fate. Embrace who you are, and the potential you have, and scream "I am alive!" Because you are. You are a living, breathing representation of everything the world has to offer that is good and bright and lovely. That's why Thanksgiving is so important. Because it is not just about eating and talking and family reunions with that one cousin or uncle or whatever that just weirds everyone out. It's about taking a moment to think for once about everything in your life that hasn't gone wrong, and appreciate it properly. I'm noticing a reoccurring pattern in my blog : Lists.
I will work on that. So here is a list of all that I am thankful for.

I'm thankful for Starbucks. Yeah, yeah. We all have our priorities. For Peppermint Mocha. Ooooohhh man.

For dumb photography. Recently I enlisted my sister's help in taking a series of photos showcasing tiny wildflowers and converse. I haven't figured out how to get those from our phone to here yet... But I can assure you, they are splendid. The flowers kept flying away and we started getting rained on, and still we got those photos. I'm the kind of person that loves hipster photography. Crappy, abstract photographs with a vintage filter and random meaningless phrases. Lots of nature shots and converse and Polaroids. I love this stuff. Ahh, Tumblr.

For my before mentioned sister. She's loyal and honest to a fault. She's annoyingly caring, and if you're sad she will not leave you alone until you smile.

For my parents. My dad, who puts up with so much army crap but still manages to come home and play dorky 80's music and makes sure we travel as much as humanly possible.
My mom, who puts up with the entire family's problems along with her own, cooks for a working soldier, a dieting (horribly) vegetarian, and a gluten allergy carbohydrate addict, all while running her own business. 

For my grandparents. Poppy is crazy in the best kind of way, and is somehow a small child as well as a very wise old man.
Grandma holds the secrets of the universe in her head. Secrets that allow her to be calm in every situation and also the most kind, caring person you'll ever meet. She'd put flutter shy to shame. She also holds the universe's secrets to baking. Jimminy Cricket, I am not joking.

For all the cousins, aunts, uncles and dogs on my dad's side of the family. These psychos are the best bunch of people (and canines)  that I've ever met, and I'll be darned if anyone says otherwise.
And my uncle on my mom's side. Family is and will always be the most important thing, and I love my family, even if we don't get to talk much.

I'm thankful for the music that has helped me through the darkest point of my life. (So far, and I hope ever) And what it's taught me about life. Some day I will be the one on stage :)

I'm thankful for books, and all that they've taught me. That you can never freaking trust anyone.  I've learned a lot more from fiction than reality it seems. I never really had close friends, so as weird as it seems, fictional characters have been my best friends for as long as I can remember. I saw a lot of blurred lines between fiction and reality, which has made reading and just fandoms in general an epic experience for me. I'm very close to my fictional friends.

I'm also thankful for my real friends. I have three, and I'm very proud of them. They live in my neighborhood. I have three more acquaintances that go to the same small group as me. One likes all my favorite bands, so I hope we become friends.

I'm thankful that I'm starting to feel better. I'm happy, peaceful.

I'm thankful for the offhand chance that a total stranger will read this. If you did, and want to hear more strangeness, please leave a comment or follow me or whatever you do with a blog. Haha I have no skills.

Mostly I'm thankful to be alive! Life is great right now! Now I just have to go without meat on turkey day... well then. I suppose the turkey ins't feeling very thankful right now, is he?

Welcome to my world.

Almost forgot! I only have a chorus, but here:

Parody : I kissed a squirrel (And I got bit)

I kissed a squirrel, didn't like it.
The taste of it's fur and buckteeth.
I kissed a squirrel, just to try it,
Now I've got rabies 'cause it bit me.
I was so drunk, should have called it a night,
The whole E.R. said that I wasn't that bright.
I kissed a squirrel and I got bit.
I got bit.

No explanation for this one, guys... Just, no.

Some kind of forced pun or something!

I'd like to apologize for the Halloween blog, I know so many people were looking forward to it. Yeah... I lost it. Don't you judge me. Watch, I'll find it on Christmas. Just my luck.

This will be a pretty long post, so... sorry.
So whereas i know nobody reads my blog, i have good advice and I'm going to give it anyway. Now i, as a human being, get sad sometimes. Take now for instance. Lucky me.
But why do we have to be sad?
Why can't life just bake us a big freakin' happy pie and throw us a party everyday? Because it would be creepy, that's why. I mean, can you imagine everyone running around smiling like the joker and throwing flowers everywhere? Terrifying. That's what happened in the 60's.
I have a point, just bear with me.

We, as humans, always want the easy path. We want to see the bright side of everything so we never live in the shadows. It would be easier if we could just cheer up in the blink of an eye and not have to deal with the crap in our lives, whatever it may be.
But i think i understand, that's not the easier way. And it's not the better way either.
If you had the ability to say "I don't want to deal with this emotion right now", what would happen the next time it came around? We would all be children, hiding under the sheets in the hopes that the monsters under our beds won't find us. But that trick doesn't work when you get older, because the monsters aren't the same. They moved out from under the bed. Now they live in mirrors, and schools. They live in bars and on street corners all across America.

They live inside our heads, covering every thought and feeling until they are the only thing left.
To me, those are the most terrifying.
Personally, i feel as if i should help people.
Sometimes i wish that i could say something so beautiful that it would solve all someones problems, or make them feel okay. I wish that i could write some lyrics that change someones life as much as the music that i listen to has changed mine..

I get emotional and very passionate about music, and annoying, so I've heard, so I'll keep this short.
Music is everything to me. It is the most powerful force on earth. Some people would say love, some science, some poor souls would even say money. But i say music. It has the power to make someone smile even if they're having the worst day ever, It can make people cry and even create a bond between complete strangers.
Music can save lives. And look what it has become.
I can hardly bear to listen to the radio because of the stupid and, honestly, repelling lyrics that make up most of today's music. Music has lost much of it's magic. It's like Harry Potter fan fiction.
Some of you know what i mean. It's either beautifully written and magical, or it takes something really good and turns it trashy and throws in innumerable grammatical errors. (If any of my grammar is incorrect, I'm sorry. so, so sorry. It's unintentional.)
I pity, and salute you fellow potterheads.
Now don't get me wrong, i like fluff music as much as the next guy. From the eternal cheerleader anthem 'Oh Mickey' the the more modern electro-pop-punk-rock-bubblegum-whatever-it-is of Blood On The Dance Floor, some music is good just because it sounds good. An upbeat song is always relevant. (I feel like i should mention that BOTDF actually has some good lyrics.)
But people glorify fluff music and try to pass it off as something deep and meaningful. Not cool, bro. Not cool.

I need to get back on the subject, but that needed to be said. So, back on the subject, i get sad a lot. I mean, a lot. and it sucks. So for anyone who gets sad sometimes as well, here as some things that make me being sad everyday less sucky.















HappyMaddie101

1. Being productive! (Notice my positive and upbeat use of an exclamation point!)
Being productive is actually pretty gratifying, if you can get off of the Internet long enough to do it. Planning a diet is fun, and so is working out if you do it the right way. I really love health food, and enjoy feeling like I'm better than everyone on the couch. Puny humans! I mean... So eating healthy and working out is sometimes fun for me! Even doing chores can be fun if you let in the light and put on your favorite fluff music. Or, if you're like me, metal music. Whatever floats your boat.

2. Hobbies!
My hobbies include: Cooking!
I'm a vegetarian, but i don't eat nearly as many vegetables as I'd like to. Nearly everything that i eat is microwaved tofu products, (Morning star is the BEST) or just carbs and other sugary crap that should really not be entering my body. When i get to cook healthy, i am very happy indeed.
Reading!
I'm currently working my way through act two of Shakespeare's 'The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet' It's very fun to read because of the old english. I recently finished 'Maze runner', and I'm a huge fan of Lewis Carol. Also Rick Riordan, Suzanne Collins, and of course J. K. Rowling. I also read classic poetry (Poe is my favorite) and fairy tales from the brothers Grimm. I'm not that into comics, but I read my sister's favorite Batman comic (Court of Owls) And i'm on the fifth 'Death Note'. It's a manga, not a comic book, though. If that's important to anyone. *UPDATE* My amazing sister found 'Allegiant' at the library! I CAN FINISH THE SERIES!! Whoop Whoop!
Singing!
My voice is most of the time worse than my problems, but that does not stop me. I'm very, very loud. But i will say, it's kinda hard to sing along to screaming. That doesn't stop me either. *I'm gonna be a rockstar one day!*
Writing!
I write poetry, stories, mostly i write lyrics, and sometimes i'll try my hand at a novel that i never finish. I may finish it someday. I have dozens of ideas for a book. I'll include more of my writings in other blogs. I have other hobbies, but this is longer than i thought it would be already.

3. Internet!

I mean, who doesn't love tumblr? C'mon, you know it's awesome. The internet is a magical place where everyone is just as psycho as you are! I don't do social media (My mommy won't let me) unless this counts, but I'm hooked on Pinterest and Youtube. (Yaaaayyyy Dan and Phil!) Playing video games and stuff is great, too. My sister is the gamer, not me, but I'm a decent Minecrafter, and you should see the house that i designed on Sims3. But, that is for another blog...

4. Cozy day!
For those of you who don't know, a cozy day is when you try to get as comfortable and warm and cozy as humanly possible. The best cozy day takes place in either fall, when you can see the leaves falling, or in winter, when you can see the snow falling. The house must be clean and all your work done, so there's nothing to stress about. Sit in your comfiest chair, sideways, with your legs hanging over the arm. Get your favorite hot beverage (Starbucks is ideal, but you can make yourself some tea as well if you don't want to leave the house.) and sit staring out the window at the beautiful snowfall\leaf-fall. Almost forgot! You must wear your favorite warm Jimmy-Jams. (Pajamas) If you do go to Starbucks, do so in said Jammies. When you finish your drink, either browse the internet or read a book. whichever you like better, but i usually read. After a while, go back to staring out of the window. Alternate between staring and reading or browsing all day and then keep doing it when it gets dark, until you fall asleep in your chair. Bonus: A cat or stuffed animal.   Extra bonus: Arctic Monkeys music playing.


5. (Last one, i promise.) CHILL OUT.
Under no circumstances are you required to get something done today. I mean, you might have schoolwork or work-work or chores that you need to do, but if you're really feeling sad, then pfft, who cares? Screw that, this is your only life. You only have one. That means if you die, you're dead. I  cannot stress this enough. If you don't want to work today, if you're feeling too sad to even get out of bed, then so be it. What could happen, really? The world will not end because of dirty dishes. I would know. It already would have if that was possible. You aren't going to get fired because of one day. You won't be held back a grade because of one day. No one will fault you for taking the day off, and if they do, there's something wrong with their face. Now you can't take every day off, because then you'd be about as productive as the American government. Oooohhh... I went there.
But srsly dudes, chill for a while. You deserve it.

This blog is long enough, so I'll leave you with this:
I don't care. I don't care what you look or sound like, what your hobbies are, or what religion, gender, or sexuality you are. I don't care if you're black, white or purple. I just really couldn't care less. If you're a decent human being (Or cat. I like those) with respect and kindness for other people, then you're pretty cool in my book. And just a personal note, if you're worried you're not a good person, or worried you're not good enough, then let me tell you, you are.
YOU, my friend, are a lovely person. Remember that.

If you read my blog often (I only have like three posts.) or just read this one, thanks for reading! If you enjoyed my lack of sanity, please leave a comment because i have no life and it would make my week. If you didn't like it, well... I read twilight. I guess we all get disappointed sometimes.

Welcome to my world.

** I don't own any of these photos.

Bibbity-Bobbity-Booooooo!

So, i was late for Halloween... Again.

But I'm also very, very early for New Year's. Allow me to explain.

One of my resolutions was to be more dedicated to my blog.

I will try (and most likely fail, because i suck at life) to post a new blog every week.

We'll see how that goes.

Anyway, the idea for this particular blog hit me when i was not doing my homework.

Everyone thinks that living in Germany means everything is a fairy tale, and that you're never more than five minutes away from a castle at all times. Whereas that second part may be true, woodland creatures don't do my chores for me and my hair sure as h*ck doesn't defy gravity.

(Freakin' Pocahontas)

In fact, there are a lot of downsides to living in Europe!

A few:

Power outlets.

The plug In's here only have two holes and don't fit anything American. Also, you have to get the right adapter and make sure you know what you're doing. Otherwise the toaster will light up like a birthday candle while your mom's in the shower.

Wifi.

It almost never works. And guys, i am 14 with a serious Internet addiction.

I rely on wifi more than i rely on - oh, i dunno - air? On top of our already crappy connection, my room is the worst. I get one bar, on a good day. Do you have any idea how aggravating it is to be trying to listen to a song on iTunes radio just to hear "When i -STOP- was a young -STOP- boy -STOP-" ?** Netflix won't even load. how am i supposed to watch superwholock?

The plumbing.

You have to take a pick axe into the shower with you. There are stalactites growing down from the shower head. I wake up to minecraft every morning. And as a side note, there is no handle on the toilet. There's a panel. On the wall. That ain't right.

Shopping.

Now unless we are shopping for

(A) Books

(B) Music,  or

(C) Coffee,

I'm not too thrilled anyways. But even i know that these German sizes are whacked out. I wear a size 946 shirt and -13 jeans. Somehow my shoes are size triangle. Okie-dokie-then.

Now, i could handle all of this. I really could. I'm pretty easy going.

But then the devil himself broke through the earth's crust driving a go-cart that looks like a sloth and whispered in a french accent, "But why not more?"

VPN.

The go-cart devils own child. Tell me, human, have you ever clicked on pandora radio, hoping to listen to some good music, because the radio here is crap, and seen the words "Sorry, but pandora is not available in this country."

adbhfdbhuksdbfhdbvuasfbvhjsfbvhudfv

......................................

WHHYYYYYYY?!

this is a semi-free country! I want to listen to my music! WHY ARE YOU NOT AVAILABLE?!

I can only think of three reasons that this would be okay.

1. An army of tiny penguins is marching across the German countryside looking to devour all who listen to pandora.

2. There is a rip in the fabric of space and time and if anyone listen to pandora the Daleks will invade.

3. The Germans are trying to defend themselves from Justin Bieber music.

But still! Netflix is almost as bad as pandora. There are two versions of Netflix that we can use, German and American. For American Netflix, you need to be connected to VPN, same as pandora. But there is no German pandora. All they have is American 80's disco-pop playing in between polka songs on the local stations. I'm not being stereotypical, that's all they play. I don't know why footloose was playing on the German station at 4 in the morning, but it was.

As for Netflix, the German one has four seasons of the walking dead. American has five. That is all you need to know.

VPN basically tricks your device into thinking you're in America. New York, to be exact. Good, right?

Wrong.

Only one device can connect to VPN at a time. Which means:

"Mom, are you using VPN?"

"Yeah, give me a minute."

*95173013589 minutes later*

"You can get on now."

"Thanks!"

*Ipad* lol nope.

"Mom?"

"Not me."

*Giggling* 

"Shelby!!"

Yeah, that's what it means.

So Germany has it's downsides, just like anywhere else. Like German McDonald's. 'Nuff said.

But Germany is pretty great! I'll hopefully have another blog out next Saturday, and in between now and then a really late Halloween blog. (I wrote it last year)

Welcome to my world.

** Welcome to the black parade, My chemical romance.

Wibbly, Wobbly, Timey, Wimey . . .

Around the new year, I always start thinking about time.

What is time? 

Most people say that time is a line, and that may be, but is this really the present? Take it from a time travel point of view. 

Now imagine that you had a time machine. You are from now, here, 2015. You travel to ancient Egypt, or Rome, or even 1776 America. To those people, their time is the present. To the people in the American revolution, 1776 is the present, just like 2015 is for us. Now imagine you take your machine to the future. Say. . . 3027, just off the top of my head. If humans are still around, to them, 3027 is the present. To us, it's the future. This has led me to doubt our concept of time. 

My theory is that there is no past, present or future, just events, and the order they happen in.

My dad had another interesting theory. He said that there would be no future to travel to, because it has not happened as of yet. He also said, upon hearing my theory, "No, in the past you said something weird, in the present I'm saying this, and in the future you'll say something even weirder." . . . Thanks, daddy.

Also I think you should know that I've been watching an incredible amount of Doctor Who lately. I've been hearing the Tardis everywhere.

I once read that every year we take great care to celebrate our birthdays, anniversaries, but unknowingly pass our death days. This, at first, frightened me. It could be years from now, but we could die on this day, at this moment. 

This is now oddly comforting to me. Because life still goes on. 

I believe it was Shakespeare that said, "This too, shall suck pass." 

I hope this year is great, I really do. And I know that, even if it isn't, time goes on. 

This year, like every other year, will hold surprises, joy, fear, and grief. And I've come to realize that all of this is a part of life. Joy would be useless without grief, fear without peace, none of it would work. Life is there for us to enjoy, all of it, because it may not be there tomorrow.

So 2015 will come, will be, and will pass.

You decide what to do with it. .... 

Unless you want to rule the world, that never worked out for anyone. Try a different hobby there, buddy. 

Maybe knitting.

Madison "Jinx" Smith