American Traditional

Let's talk about Ink Masters.

Oh, you've never watched Spike Channel's reality TV show hosted by Jane's Addiction's guitarist Dave Navarro where tattoo artists are challenged to tattoo human canvases in 6 hours or less??

Well, I have. So basically, I'm an expert on tattoo styles and techniques and stuff.

All this watching Ink Masters really makes Andrew and me want to get our own sweet tattoos. Now we just have to decide what we want.

We're really into American Traditional style. Like this:

 and this

So now the question is what to get tattooed permanently on my body. Andrew wants an anchor on his right forearm.

Here are my thoughts:

• An ice cream sandwich
• Li'l Sebastian
• "Texas Forever"
• CMYK
• The phrase "this too shall pass"
• An astronaut with a jam box

Well, you're probably like

...aaaaand that's why I'm not getting a tattoo anytime soon.

October Sky makes me cry

EVERY TIME

...and not just because it's an incredibly moving and emotional film about a a coal miner's son who was inspired by the first Sputnik launch to take up rocketry against his father's wishes based on a true story - which, by the way, would be reason enough.

Close your eyes and journey with me back to 1999, when my family decided to go to the movies one Sunday evening. October Sky had just been released, and I guess it seemed family friendly enough for my parents to take me and my siblings along. I don't remember much except that my Aunt Dena was there, and after the credits rolled my mind had been made up - I was going to be an astronaut. 

Now I've always been an extremely impressionable person, but 6th grade is an especially crucial time to make life-impacting decisions like who you're going to invite over after school (probably Calli or Jessica), what kind of car you want when you turn 16 ('69 SS Camero, orange with white racing stripes) and what you're going to be when you grow up. 

I was very serious. I waited with much anticipation for October Sky to come on video, read and reread Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam Jr., the true story that inspired the movie, and starting making plans to launch my first rocket. My parents were so supportive of my ridiculously huge dreams and took me straight to Hobby Lobby to buy the supplies. My aunt even bought me $50 tickets to meet Homer Hickam Jr. when he came to Amarillo College for a lecture. 

Fast forward at bit to 2006. It wasn't until I was a senior in high school, already accepted into the Aerospace Scholars Program,  that I realized going to Texas A&M to be an aeronautical engineer didn't seem to be the right fit for me. I remember going to my calculus teacher, Mrs. Freeman, crying, telling her that my dream was dying. It sucked. 

Now you're saying, "Okay, but it's 2013. Why are you telling us this really long and a little bit sad story?"

I'm saying, "Hold on a sec, I'm trying to get there..."

To quote the movie...

I've come to believe that I've got it in me to be somebody in this world.

Basically I just miss dreaming big and getting really excited about the future. Right now, Andrew and I are trying to figure out what/where/who we want to be. It's a process of prayer and thought and being willing to be brave. So I guess that's what I'm going to work on. I'll keep you posted.

Also, I can recite the whole movie...I've watched more than a hundred times.

So this is the New Year

It's 2013. Let's evaluate.

I'm nearly 25 years old. A quarter of the way to death, as I like to say. I have a really cool, kind and handsome husband, a nice house, a car that works, and a (no adjective here because it would be ungrateful) job. I can't shouldn't complain. Still I, like every other human being my age, am wondering what comes next. There are no bars set for me. There is no graduation looming. I don't have to make "A's and B's Because I Try" anymore (Didn't everyone have an ABBIT bumper sticker in elementary school?). So as most quarter-life crisis's go, I've decided it's time to set some goals. But...

I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WANT TO DO.

Of course, everyone is asking, "Where are your babies," and "Where do you see yourself in five years?" I kindly reply, "Uh..." and stare blankly.

Sometimes we're like, "Yes, let's have kids. We're getting old." But then we remember that we live in west Texas, and contrary to popular belief, it's actually okay to wait and have children until you're 27ish or whatever.

Sometimes we're like, "Let's go move to Kenya for a year. Allie is moving back soon, she can lease our house." (Kisumu, Kenya)

Sometimes we're like, "Let's move - Texas Forever - and get cool jobs and live in a sweet, industrial loft." (like this)

And then sometimes we're like, "We really like Amarillo."

I know you're asking, "Why am I reading this?"

And I'm asking, "Why are you reading this?"

I'm hoping that my writing this will help me keep track of the things in my life that I love and the things I want to change.

So here's to 2013.