The Stigma of an English Major

Typical conversation for a college student (more specifically me):

Random Person (RP): What are you studying?

Me: English with an emphasis in Professional and Technical Writing.

Response one:

RP: So you going to be a teacher?

Me: No. I'm going to be a technical writer.

 RP: *blank stare* So what do you want do with that?

Me: Uh, be a writer?

RP: Oh. That's nice.

Response two: (Which I like better)

RP: Oh. That's good. There's good money in that field. My son/cousin/daughter/friend/uncle/neighbor is a technical writer... blah blah blah.

Me: Yeah. I like it.

So this brings me to my point of this post. Why the heck do people AUTOMATICALLY assume that just because I'm an English major that I want to be or am going to be a teacher? Let me say this once and for all: I AM NOT GOING TO BE A TEACHER. Nor do I have the desire or the capabilities to be a teacher.

I JUST WANT TO BE A WRITER!

*deep breath* Okay. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.

Until Next Time,

The Hopeless Romantic

A Cowboy Love Letter

A horse and a cowboy. Nuff said.

A cowboy is a man with guts and a horse.

It was the Box Elder County Fair and Rodeo last week. For the first time in a few years, I was able to attend the rodeo. I enjoy the rodeo. It's one of the few sports (yeah, I consider it a sport) that I could actually sit and watch and not lose interest after a short while.

As my sister-in-law will tell you, I love horses. As I told her numerous times last Wednesday, I love horses. There's something about them that just fascinates me. Even more than horses, I love cowboys.

Mmm, cowboys... So tough and masculine.

What is it about cowboys?

I'll tell you what it is. They're manly. They're tough. They don't use band-aids. They wear Wranglers and boots and hats. They're just the ultimate American man.

Something I noticed at the rodeo is how American it is. How patriotic it is. And cowboys are (for the most part) very patriotic.

There are two major types of cowboys: Rodeo cowboys and ranching cowboys (sometimes a cowboy is both). If I had to choose, I'd choose a ranching cowboy. To me, a ranching cowboy is more steady, reliable, and maybe just a little more hardworking (I know this isn't necessarily true but this is how I feel and this is my blog so there). Rodeo cowboys are a little more arrogant, reckless, and adventure seeking- not to mention the fact that they travel a lot to go to rodeos.

I love these silhouette kind of pictures. So romantic.

If I were really honest, I'd admit that I don't know anything really about cowboys. All I know is what I find attractive. After all, I am the Hopeless Romantic. I have romantic daydreams. (Uh, did I just say that out loud.) And the romaticism of cowboys draws me in.

Cowboys are the epitome of the American ideal. Hard-working, not afraid to get dirty, and willing to protect those they love. Okay, okay. I know that this is really, really stereotypical. So sue me. This is my love letter to my stereotype.

John Wayne in Hondo

So... I enjoyed the rodeo. I like to watch the cowboys and the horses and imagine life when cowboys were the norm. Sometimes... I wonder if I might have been born a few decades late... of course I know that's not true. Maybe it's more accurate to say that I wonder what it would be like to live back then. *sigh*


 Of course I can't forget to mention some of my favorite movie cowboys like John Wayne, Sam Elliot, and Tom Selleck.

Tom Selleck in Quigley Down Under

 Not only do these men play tough cowboys but they're pretty dang tough themselves. I could imagine them in the actual Old West, righting wrongs, protecting their families and their land.

Sam Elliot in... something awesome!!

Hope you enjoyed my little love letter to a stereotype.

Until Next Time,

 The Hopeless Romantic

Perception

Sometimes, I look in the mirror and think, "Wow, I can actually be pretty."

Sometimes, I look in the mirror and think, "There's nothing pretty about me."

Perception. It colors everything.


Until Next Time,

The Hopeless Romantic

The Clothes Line

No, I don't mean the wrestling move (it is a wrestling move right?).

My parents have a clothes line in the backyard. I know, I know. It's totally 19th century right? Ha ha. Believe me it is.

During the summer, instead of using the dryer, my mom will drag the wet laundry up from the unfinished basement and outside. Once outside, she hangs them on the line to dry. It's a more time consuming process than just chucking them into the dryer. But it is, in fact, more beneficial than the dryer. The sun's rays actually kill more germs and bacteria than the dryer because of the... um... something sciency in the sunshine.

And you get that FANTASTIC fresh air smell. I love it in towels and sheets. It's so fresh and clean and fantastic. Mmm.

When I was a kid... meaning like 10 to 17... I was asked to do the laundry often. My mom had just started working outside the home and she needed help maintaining the laundry for seven people. Well to be quite frank, I DESPISED laundry. I hated it. I loathed it! I would have rather scrubbed the toilets with a toothbrush. Unfortunately, I was still in charge of the laundry. My brothers helped sometimes.

Doing the laundry for seven people is pretty intense. And when you add the extra time spent hanging clothes on the line it's a long, long process. As I said before, I despised this chore.

I was grateful when I finally moved out of the house and I only had to do my own laundry. That's not to suggest that I love or even like laundry now. I tolerate it. I understand that it's a necessary chore. Doing the laundry of one person compared to seven is a BIG difference. A difference I greatly appreciate.

I recently spent a night at my parents' house and my mom asked me (very kindly) if I would help with the laundry. She had to work during the day and then has to help at the local county rodeo in the "cook shack". I complied. I am a good daughter after all.

She started the laundry before going to work and I was to finish it. Doing the laundry for four people (my two older brothers are married now) is very different from doing laundry for five to seven people. I actually didn't mind it. I kept myself going; remembering to move it from the washer to the line to dry. (When I was younger, I would get distracted and forget that I was in the middle of doing laundry.)

That's not to say that I like laundry. Or that I would like to do laundry like this for four people all the time. For me, at this point in my life, I'd like to hang my sheets and towels on the line to dry. Everything else is okay to be thrown into the dryer.

My point is this: I've grown up. If you would have talked to my five years ago, I would have been resentful of the fact that I had to help with the laundry. Even though it was my responsibility to help out my parents. They were feeding me, clothing me, and putting a roof over my head after all.

Wow, that's a weird thought. I'm an adult. I don't feel like one. Will I ever feel like one?


Until Next Time,

The Hopeless Romantic

Fictional Guy(s) of the Week: Kevin Ryan & Javier Esposito

[Yep, this week there are two FGWs. The reason is simply this, Ryan and Esposito are practically one character but at the same time they are two separate individuals. It's weird how it works. So I'm calling this the Dynamic Duo Fictional Guys of the Week. Who knows, it may happen again. Enjoy.]

Where They're From: ABC's Castle

Their stories:

Okay, so these guys are "minor" characters. They don't have a whole lot of story to them. And honestly, when we do learn something about them, it's said in passing. I'm not superhuman, I can't remember everything we've learned about these guys. So I'm just going to write what I remember or the impression I get from them. Sound good? Okay. Onward!

Detective Ryan: He's Irish-American with a deep love and respect for his heritage shown by his lapel pin. Also, I think he like sweater vests. He's good at his job and although he's the more mild of the partners, he still does good work.

Detective Esposito: He's Hispanic. He speak Spanish. I love guys who can speak foreign languages... um... not the point. He's been a cop for awhile and he's good at his job. He's a little more outspoken than his partner and more likely to let his emotions rule but it's effective.

Together these guys create a dynamic duo that assist Detective Kate Beckett and writer Richard Castle in solving cases. Woo Hoo!

Why They're FGWs:

These guys are the FGWs because I love them! They are definitely a big part of why I watch Castle. Well besides the Castle/Beckett relationship... But anyway. They rock!! They are like the perfect partnership. They work well together and they are very, very funny. They wisecrack and make jokes that bring a good portion of the humor to the Castle.

So once again, I love them and I felt they needed their week as Fictional Guy(s) of the week.

It's picture time!! Enjoy!

Until Next Time,

The Hopeless Romantic

Sometimes... I want someone else's life...

Sometimes I get edgy and unsettled. I don't feel like writing. I don't feel like reading. I don't feel like watching anything. But at the exact same time, I want to do all of those things AT THE SAME TIME!!! I'm not sure what this edgy, unsettled feeling means. But it's irritating. Mostly because I end up getting nothing done. I can't make a decision about what to do. And then suddenly, I'm wishing for someone else's life... for their accomplishments, for their busy-ness. It's not that I don't like my life. Sometimes, I just want something very different from what I have. But only for a moment. Soon enough, I'll be back to contentment with my life.

I'm still feeling a little edgy though...

Can anyone explain to me what this means? I'm at a loss.

Until Next Time,

The Hopeless Romantic

The Fictional Guy of the Week: Angel

[Confession: These days I can't watch Angel without breaking out into a goofy grin. It's so hard to watch David Boreanaz as Angel when I've gotten so used to seeing him as Special Agent Seeley Booth. Not only is he younger as Angel but his face is more baby-ish and his hair is positively late 90s. Ha ha. Nevertheless, I still enjoy watching Angel upon occasion. Just with a goofy grin on my face.]

So this weeks Fictional Guy is ANGEL!

Where He's From: WB's Buffy and Angel

His Story:

Angel is a 200 year old vamipire with a soul. A gypsy cursed him to have a soul so now he wanders around Los Angeles helping those who are haunted and hunted by demons and otherworldly creatures. He has his sidekicks: Cordelia Chase (also from Buffy), Wesley Windham-Price, and Charles Gunn to help him.

So basically he's a bad*** vampire who hunts down bad guys to help him find absolution for the things he did as a soulless vampire.

Why He's FGW:

I think my love for Angel stems from when I was 13 or 14. That's when I started watching the show with my best friend. We were hopelessly in love with Angel... or David Boreanaz... or both. Anyway, we would race home after school so we could watch it. It came on at three so we'd get home just in time to watch it. We would drool over him and pine for him (in our 14 year old way).

As I look back now, I realize that the show is quite corny and nerdy. (Remember my confession at the beginning of this post? I'll admit here and now that I prefer Booth to Angel. Booth smiles and DB smiling is a beautiful sight!) But it doesn't change the fact that Angel is the kind of guy a girl wishes she could be with. Brooding and attractive, a girl (me) wishes she could wrap herself in his arms and make his pain go away. Ha ha! Maybe I'm corny and nerdy!

Also, he was the first "cool" vampire before vampires were "cool" (aka he was in a pre-Twilight era).

So there you have it.  A piece of my past revealed to you.

And now for my favorite part of every FGW... the picture portion!! Enjoy!

Can you see why my 14 year old heart pined for him? Tall, dark, and brooding!

Oh his poor late 90s hair. At least he still has his looks.

Oh were I that leather jacket... ha ha!

Alright. I couldn't resist a more modern picture. I just love to look at him... and his arms!

Until Next Time,

The Hopeless Romantic

I am a Writer

Recently, I was at a family gathering with, coincidentally, my family. As usual, the questions that my relatives asked were the normals ones: how's my love life and what am I going to do when I graduate from college. How original.

My answers are always the same: single and I'm not sure yet.

Then I was asked if I was going to be a writer after I graduated.

I sort of stuttered before I replied, "I- I am a writer!"

I am a writer!

Sometimes I forget that I am already a writer. I get so caught up in my idea of a "writer" that I forget that I am, in fact, a writer. To me, a writer is someone who is published. Someone who is professional. But that's not true. I'm a writer even if I'm not published. If all I do is blog and only write half of a novel.

I am a writer! And I need to remember that when people ask me what I'm going to do. Or even what I'm doing now.

I'm writing because I am a writer!


Until Next Time,

The Hopeless Romantic

The Fictional Guy of the Week: Gilbert Blythe

The Fictional Guy of the Week is Gilbert Blythe!

Where He's From:

Anne of Green Gables (Confession: I've never actually read the books but I've seen the first two movies and I loved them!)

His Story:

What do we know about Gilbert Blythe? He's educated. He wants to be a doctor (right?). He likes Anne Shirley. And he's stuck in a tug of war with Anne that is typical of angsty boy/girl relationships.

There. That about sums it up. Maybe if I read the books I'd know more. But for now, I'm content with just basking in the glow of Gilbert Blythe's smile.

Why He's FGW:

What wouldn't I love about a boy who winks at a complete stranger?

As usual, I love the angst between Gilbert Blythe and Anne Shirley. I mean, a boy who likes the girl when the girl is determined to not like the boy. I love it! Even when he's a jerk, you can't help but understand that its the games that boys and girls play when they like each other.

He's just an all around good guy. At least I think so. He's willing to help an extremely stubborn Anne Shirley. He's educated. He's a hard worker. He's just a little bit dreamy... in a fictional way.

Okay, as usual when writing my FGW's I find myself flummuxed and uncertain about where I'm going with this. And then I remember where I'm going with this... the picture portion!

So, we won't waste anymore time. Pictures!!

You can just tell that those dimples are itching to show themselves.

Dear Gilbert, you make my heart happy. Please look at me this way.

I must admit that I miss his unruly hair. But I still love the dimples!

Despite his ridiculous hat, I can't help but melt at the appearance of those dimples.

I couldn't resist a kissing picture. Can you blame me?

 

Until Next Time,

The Hopeless Romantic