What is one thing you would change about yourself?

If you met me in person, the last thing you would think would be that I’m an anxious person. On the outside I look calm and relaxed, even in situations where one might typically be anxious or panicked.

Now, this isn’t to say I panic about everything. That is not the case. I overthink everything. Every situation analyzed completely.

I cannot sit in public without watching every door and person. I cannot be put in a situation without thinking of every possible outcome.

This sounds amazing and I do actually love it. I always feel prepared to handle situations, which is why I never get panicked.

Even recently. I was driving on the highway, on the phone with my girlfriend, when my car started hydroplaning. I made 2.5 complete spins in the middle of the road, at 70 mph in the middle of the night. Instead of yelling and screaming, I gripped the wheel and kept the car on the road.

At this point I’m sure you’re wondering why I would like to change it. I wouldn’t want to get rid of it completely. That’s not the point here. I wish I could turn it off and on whenever I wanted.

It’s VERY useful for keeping me and my family safe. There’s no doubt there BUT when it comes to relationships and subtle situations that shouldn’t require over analyzing.

I would prefer to be able to shut my brain off whenever I need. This would make a major difference internally. I would finally get some peace.

But since I cannot. I would rather it be on, full time, because the pros far outweigh the cons. Maybe one day I’ll be able to turn it off for a night and get some peace.

Are you more of a night or morning person?

I’m most definitely a night owl. Unfortunately working forces me to be a morning person.

Typical day:

I wake up at 5:30-6:20 am depending on what I have to do that morning and/or if we have the kids that day. After the day, once we settle down for bed. We are in bed for 9:30ish pm and typically asleep for 10:15 pm. That’s roughly 8 hours of sleep and I STILL wake up tired.

Preferred day:

On a day that I feel rested. I do not need half of the sleep that I need on a work day. For whatever reason, my best sleep is between 4:30 am and 7:30 am. Breaking my cycle during this time ruins my energy. So I could, and have, gone to sleep at 1:00 am and I will pop up out of bed by myself at 7:30-8:00 am. every time.

I do not know the reasoning behind this but I just know that I feel way more rested and productive going to sleep later and waking up later.

Also, as a side note, I’m way more productive from 10:00 pm to 12:00 am than I am any other time of the day. My brain works the best around this time. Maybe that’s why I sleep better after that time? Who knows.

If anyone can help me understand it better that would be an amazing comment. Thank you ahead of time.

What are your feelings about eating meat?

Eat meat. It’s vital. We are omnivores for a reason. We need a good mixture of food and water to survive.

Yes we can use substitutes. It’s never the same.

What technology would you be better off without, why?

Toxicity exists in today’s world more so than in any other era. Social media is the cause of this.

People are holding themselves to standards that are not feasible and above their means simply to “keep up with the jone’s”.

On top of all of this everyone “seems” great but are killing themselves just to make other people THINK they are happy.

Yes, it has its perks. Keeping up with family and friends, etc. but it’s over shadowed by the immense toxicity that is brought by it.

Another downfall of social media is the desire people feel to dig into others’ lives. Any changes in your daily life are broadcasted for the world to see. Anything that is below what society sees as “picture perfect” in your life turns into drama and gossip that tends to get out of hand faster than you are able to debunk any rumors.

Do you or your family make any special dishes for the holidays?

On thing that I always enjoyed during the holidays is a dish my mom made named watergate.

I do not know where the name came from or if the recipe was invented by her but it has always been my favorite sweet treat for the holidays.

I just recently learned how to make it. It’s very simple but delicious. She makes pistachio pudding powder mixed with whipped topping and throws in some marshmallows. Then she adds a can of pineapple tidbits, Pecans, maraschino cherries.

She then puts it in the fridge and leaves it there overnight.

The result is a sweet fluffy pudding that melts in your mouth. It’s so good.

If you didn’t need sleep, what would you do with all the extra time?

If I didn’t have to sleep, I’d spend the extra hours working on my hobbies. I’m what you’d call a “jack of all trades”. Whether it’s interests, hobbies, ADHD, you name it, I can’t help it.

A few hobbies I’d like to add would be writing, reading, playing guitar, making music. These are things I love doing. I mean, I’ve got this blog, right? I just don’t have the time to put in the hours I’d love to do them.

Unfortunately, I’m caught up in the day-to-day hustle and bustle of surviving and providing for my family.

Not having to sleep would be a dream come true, no pun intended, because I’d have the night to perfect all the trades I love and not just the ones I need to survive.

Name your top three pet peeves.

1. When people don’t actually listen; they just wait until it’s their turn to talk.

2. Repetition

3. Fake People

Explanation:

1. Communication is vital in every aspect of life and, although it’s one of the hardest things to do, understand the people around you is just as important. So when conversing with someone, let’s try to understand their point of view instead of just watching their lips move until it’s our turn to talk.

2. I absolutely despise having to repeat myself. I also have a common phobia called Trypophobia where the pattern of holes repeats. If you don’t know what it is, do not google it. You will regret it.

3. People that will consistently look you in the face and act a certain way but won’t defend you in a room that you aren’t in.

Who are your current most favorite people?

Assuming this is referring to the important/favorite people currently IN my life and not some reality tv star or famous person.

The most favorite people in my life, currently, would be my children and the love of my life.

We have a combined family. So I have blood children and non-blood children. Don’t get mistaken there, though. I would die or kill for any of them, bar none.

They are a handful at times, especially when we have all of them together but I wouldn’t change it for the world. These kids all have the most unique personalities I have ever witnessed and I adore them all. Each have their quirks and their simplicities.

I find myself enjoying multiple activities when they’re with us because each wants their own type of quality time. So I will go from playing dolls, to playing cars, to gaming or throwing a football. I guess that’s turning me more into a Jack of all trades, now that I think about it.

The ages range drastically from toddler to teenager and to say that it is an adjustment is the understatement of the century, but seeing them all get along and have fun warms my heart to no end. There are no better days than when we are all sitting on the couch watching a movie and sharing some snacks.

I can only hope that they understand how important they are to me and that somehow, someday they see how proud we are of them. They are all amazing children and deserve the world.

The final person I will talk about is my significant other, the love of my life. She knocked on the door, with all of her little baggage, and when it was opened moved right on in. No questions asked.

This love was not sought after, nor was it chased. It happened quietly like a flower blooming in the garden. Slowly, day after day, until neither of us could let go of its beauty.

It was hot and burned like the usual “honeymoon stage” but went so much deeper. This woman, who had no part in the trauma life had caused me, came in and healed the deepest parts of me. Some parts I hadn’t even known were broken.

Her eyes are the deepest, most sincere windows into her soul that I’ve ever seen on a person. It’s almost as if I can read her thoughts when she’s staring at me. I catch myself getting lost in them daily. Willingly.

Her smile and laughter can change my mood in a heartbeat. Never will I be anything other than elated when I see those beautiful teeth or hear that wondrous laughter.

I can only hope that these humans can understand their importance to me. I wake up daily in hopes to make them proud. I push myself in all aspects of life to be a good example and to give them someone they can look up too.

In all my life I have not been as happy as I am today with these darling people in my life.

What are your favorite animals?

I’ve always loved animals and as a child, I wanted to be a veterinarian.

My favorite animals have always been cats and dogs. Cats are just so impressive — both domesticated cats and wild cats. They are natural born hunters and I love watching them in action. They are equally as impressive as they are hilarious. I could sit and watch videos of cats for way longer than I care to admit.

Dogs are loyal and the best companion you will ever find. They live their lives FOR their humans. They eat, sleep, and breathe for their people. Their humans are their world, although they are a small part of ours. This is not to say that they don’t mean the world to us, so don’t think that I’m trying to downplay how much they mean to us. However, humans have a life outside of their home. We work, have families and children, hobbies, friends, etc. So no matter how much they mean to us, they are but a small part of our daily lives. We are what they look forward to every day and their sole purpose is to love their humans.

My whole life, we have had cats and dogs as pets. The downfall of owning them is that we eventually do have to say goodbye to them. Losing them over the years has been the hardest part of being an animal lover. They just don’t live long enough and getting over the loss of one is a hurt that is comparable to losing a family member.

Over the years, I have had to learn to accept that their lives are just not long enough and we are meant to love them and cherish them while they are with us. Having a pet dog or cat can be such a rewarding thing and the hurt of losing them should never keep you from owning one. Saying goodbye is always hard, but sharing our lives with them and loving them makes it worth it.

Beach or mountains? Which do you prefer? Why?

If I had to choose between the beach or mountains, which I do every year since we vote on family vacations, I would choose the mountains. 10 out of 10 times without any hesitation.

Firstly let’s rule out the beach. It’s way too hot and the water dehydrates you more than anything else. You’re sunburnt after 1 hour of sitting there sweating. To top it all off it takes WEEKS to get the sand out of every crack and crevice you can search.

The mountains though. They’re majestic and gorgeous. You can explore the same trail and run into multiple sceneries. Waterfalls, hills, ponds, rivers, etc. They’re the most versatile place to be.

On top of all of that. The mountains are the most versatile in terms of times to vacation. During the summer you can hike and swim. During the winter you can still hike but also snowboard or ski.

There will never be a time where I choose to sweat in the sun while I sunburn over exploring the wilderness and enjoying life.

Maybe a little adamant there but that is the true feelings I hold towards the two.