HALLOWEEN

I know...I know...it's been a VERY long time since I have posted on this thing.  It's not thatI haven't thought about it. I have...I have....A. not really had the time and B. not really known what to say, so I'll start with this. It has been great being home.  I LOVE being around my family and I love being around my friends.  I can honestly say that I have the best friends in the whole entire world.  My darling friend Laural has blessed my new life with many surprise treats and late night chats! :) Brandon, as always, has been my little ray of sunshine during this transition into my new life, and he has introduced me to my new friend here in Rochester, Miss Blythe Polito. I got a job at the Minnesota Autism Center with pretty much no effort involved...which was a huge blessing.  Halloween, my favorite holiday, is coming up. aaaaaaaand...THIS is what I will be blogging about....I love Halloween....I know...I should be blogging more about the fact that I have made this huge transition in my life...that things continue to be crazy...that I'm STILL not doing exactly what I want to be doing...but I will not. Why, you may ask? Because no one really cares about the sticky details of my life.  I have this blog, at least for right now, to entertain myself with ridiculous lists and even more ridiculous topics. So here we go...List of why Halloween is my favorite holiday.
1. Fall is already my favorite season...

The first reason why I love Halloween would have to be because it is part of my favorite season. I love the smell, I love the colors, I love the temperature...I love EVERYTHING about autumn!

2. Halloween is 6 days before my birthday.

Ashleigh and I OFTEN had combined birthday parties that were Halloween themed, due to the fact that her birthday is November 1st and mine is November 6th and we aren't even a year apart.  I LOVE combined birthday parties that are Halloween themed.  (side note: anyone reading this blog is invited to mine and Brandon Button's combined birthday party on October 29th (his birthday). The theme is to come as your favorite book character.)

3. My family took Halloween very seriously...We often had no rhyme or reason to why were were dressed certain ways...but we were ALWAYS dressed up. This is my favorite family photo....Ever.

The indian/blue bunny/cowboy/cubs fan farmer theme just gets me EVERY time.
4. Carving pumpkins

This little beauty comes from 2009 Halloween with the Easter's.  Can you guess whose is who? Marty's is team Edward...Jill is the perfect middle one and mine and Melanie's gourd is on the right....I will carve anything I can put a face on and a candle inside.

5. Trick-or-treating

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gatz125/5134393346/sizes/z/in/photostream/
I don't know why I was never freaked out about knocking on stranger's doors and begging for candy as a kid, and I don't know why I get such joy from doing the same as I've become an adult, but I LOVE trick-or-treaters and for the first time in my adult life, I live in a home and have roommates who want to hand out candy! I love when people dress their children up in ridiculous costumes and parade them around for the whole neighborhood to see.
6. Costumes:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayw/25068037/sizes/z/in/photostream/
I love this picture...because...come on...what the hell is the kid on the left?  a tree?? I babysat for a friend of my mom's this week and I asked her kids what they wanted to be for Halloween.  As her oldest daughter, an mirror of how I was as an oldest, most responsible child, rattled on about her idea of become a Greek God if she couldn't find anything better at Target; her youngest son sat pondering on the couch. I looked at him and said, well bud, how about you?  Thinking he was going to say, a cowboy, or a fireman, I was entertained to no end when, "a di." came out of his mouth. I said, "Di? Like as in a dice?" and he said, in his little Linus voice, "yeah, you know, like a six sided dice...." I said, "Yeah, I know what a dice is, I'm just wondering why you would want to be a dice." As he looked at me like he couldn't believe why I wouldn't already know the answer to that question, he said very seriously, "Well, I can't really think of anything more simple than being a dice." !!!!!!! I laughed hysterically.  That is precisely the reason why I love children at Halloween!! They come up with the most ridiculously amazing ideas.  My sister Haley chose to be a pink version of Michael from Peter Pan. We called her, Pink Michael.  This sad thing is, Haley was "pink Michael" for more than just one year! Very funny.

Slutty princess costume, $12.99, Slutty pumpkin costume? Priceless (thanks Marty Easter)

6. Scary Movies

I don't think I have to talk too much about this. I love scary movies...more than I should.  The problem is, I haven't had a friend to watch these scary movies with until I moved to Utah and found my friend Jeremy.  The problem is...he is on the other side of the country and my friends here do not watch scary movies.  This is ok.  I will survive. I also don't have AMC anymore...or Syfy...or Chiller.  So, I will have to watch them by either renting them, or online...and it probably won't happen, so I'll just stick with Hocus Pocus. ( Best scary movie of last year? Insidious...)


Well, That's all that I can really think of right now! Just let it be known, that I LOVE Halloween.  A lot. Next post: Halloween costume ideas....

Minnesota

Alright...Alright...It is official. (And actually has been for quite a while now.) I am moving back to Minnesota.

It's been in the works for about 2 months.  This decision was brought on by a tip from my mother.  She and my dad are now the residential directors to the Better Chance in Rochester.  This means that they are moving into the big house and renting out our old home.  My mom called me and said..."I'm not sure why I feel like I need to tell you this, but I woke up last night with this thought in my head.  What if you moved home and rented out the house, while planning on going to graduate school?" I'm not sure why, but it clicked.  Just like when I moved to Salt Lake from Denver.  I don't know why I'm moving home, but for the first time in my adult life, I think I am doing something for myself rather than for the purpose of convenience.  Not that moving to Denver and Salt Lake weren't for myself in the long run....Because I know that I have learned some amazing things in those two places, but I have become a different person almost.  I am more confident and I feel good about myself (for the most part).  I am happy.  My sister Haley has become one of my best friends.  For the first time, I've dated some while I've been out here.  What is in Minnesota?  I'm not exactly sure how I feel on the subject, but I can put it into a alternating list of pro's and cons... :)
Pro #1:
Great musicians are produced in Minnesota.
Bob Dylan
 ,
Prince,
 Atmosphere
,

not to mention A Prairie Home Companion (on which I grew up)
(good ole Garrison Keillor
 There are MANY more musicians, like A Night in the Box (RIP:(, and Roma Di Luna, who have impacted me as a musician...
Con #1:
The winters

This picture is deceiving...and anyone from MN can tell you why.  It LOOKS like a nice winter day with the sun all out and shining...but let me tell you.  It is probably 25 degrees BELOW zero.  Winter days are WORSE when the sun is out.  Although seemingly beautiful and sunny, they are colder and more frigid.  A sunny day= a day your nose hairs freeze instantaneously upon taking your first breath out the door. Have you ever been in a place where it was so cold that your car wouldn't start and your driver's door wouldn't latch? I have...on many different occasions.

Pro #2:
Minnesota springs

As completely horrible as the winters are in Minnesota, the springs make up for it ten fold.  After hibernating in your basement getting fat all winter and only going outside when absolutely necessary, we emerge once the temperature gauge says 25 degrees...in shorts.  At this point, it's starting to feel warm.  We remember what the warm sun feels like on our cheeks.  With our hair slightly damp, we can run outside to get the mail without the fear of having it freeze and break off before we reach the doorstep again. As the temperatures continue to rise, so do our spirits that soon...SOON, we will not have to start our cars a half hour before work, that our snow pants, galoshes, mittens, scarves, face masks, neck warmers, hats and winter coats are no longer necessary in order to go to church, that school will no longer be cancelled due to extreme temperatures (as it is never due to excessive snow anymore.) that all that disgusting brown, slushy snow will finally melt. Spring, in Minnesota, is a most beautiful thing.

Con #2:
Lack of men to date...

Honestly...and no offense to anyone who has married people they grew up with, but I don't think I could do it.  I love the boys at home, but I feel like it is somewhat incestual to marry a boy from home.  I'm not planning on getting married ANY time soon, but I just don't see it happening in Minnesota....I don't know.


Pro #3:
My family is in MN
I love my family more than anything in this world. I love being around my family more than ALMOST anything in this world. It will be good to be around Stephen and Jonathan and Taylor (when she is home). I left home when Stephen was 7 years old.  He has no memory of living around me, except for the few times when I was home between semesters.  But I think it will be great to have the support and love from my family.

Con#3:
My family is in MN
I have the tendency to turn back into a 16 year old brat when I am around my family for longer than a week.  I don't know what it is. I love them, and I love being around them, but the bratty, I-know-more-than-you,insecure-about-EVERYTHING-Brittany comes out to play. It has nothing to do with my family and EVERYTHING to do with me...just to be clear.


Pro # 4
Brandon Button and Laural Brentner


( I know...I know, this picture is forever old Laural, we must take new ones when I move home!) :)))
These two individuals were my saving sanity when I moved home after graduating from college.  There will never be anyone in this world who can fill the place Laural and Brandon share in my heart. I cannot wait to be reunited with them!

Con #4
Running into people from High School...

Let's just face it...I wasn't the most outgoing person in High school. I had a lot of close friends, but when it came to the others, I knew who they were, but I highly doubt they would remember me.  I would never want to go back to high school, not in a million years.  The people I feel I am closest too are the ones I keep in contact with.  I know there are some that I would LOVE to be back in contact with, like (Rachel Knutson and Stephanie Irish/Aho.) But I also know that there are some I would be fine never seeing again.  There is always that awkward..."Oh...hey!" moment, where you can't remember their name, or really exactly HOW you know them, but you know you do.  You stammer a bit and then it comes to you, but you know that they know you didn't actually remember them at first.  You aren't really sure if you should exchange information to "get coffee" later.  So you awkwardly say, "Oh yeah...it was GREAT to see you.  Have a nice....life?" with the hopes that you never run into them again.  Oh well. Rochester isn't that big of a city, so I'm sure that it is bound to happen.

Pro#5:
Downtown Rochester is one of my favorite places in the world.



Con #5:
I repeat...winters...


welp...I feel the need to express my excitement for moving.  Even though this post is somewhat ridiculous...I really am very grateful to be moving home.  Many people I love and admire live at home.  I know that I am making the correct decision in moving home, even though right now...it is scary and I don't know why I'm doing it, I know that in the long run, it will be great!

My Post Apocalypse Survival Guide...

I've been thinking about the apocalypse quite a bit lately.  I'm not really sure why, but it might have something to do with the fact that I am always reading books or watching TV shows or movies about living a post apocalyptic life.  I've come up with a list of must-haves in order to survive.  (note: There are several plausible  apocalypses, therefore this list will prepare me for all of them.)

Survival Must Have:
1. A very knowledgeable, says-the-right-thing-at-the-right-moment, stoic, yet witty, black man in your group. Think about it ...Denzel Washington in The Book of Eli, 

Will Smith in I am Legend.

The black guy from Dawn of the Dead

Second need for survival...
2. A great immune system.
If the apocalypse occurs because of a global, wipe-out disease...then I need to boost my immune system.  I just read a book by Stephen King called The Stand.  (It was over 1200 pages long and at first, I thought that it was great, But by the end...I was very bored) However...in order to survive, one had to be immune to the disease that spread across the world killing 98% of the population.


(this guy is an expert...I'm going to believe him)

3. An ability to shoot a gun or wield a machete

(Emma Stone in Zombieland)
If I'm going to live through the apocalypse and live through it WELL, I need to know how to shoot a gun.  I know, I know...you might say..."But Brittany, I thought you were an impeccable marksman." Well, you got me there.  I am a good shot...thanks for bringing it up...however.  I don't think that being a good shot is going to help me load and operate a gun.  It's kind of like fishing...I can catch all the fish in the world...but it isn't going to do me a damn bit of good if I, for the life of me cannot, under any circumstances bring myself to take a live, finning fish off of a hook.  I will be standing there, holding a fishing pole with a flopping fish on the end, waiting for someone to take it off.
Only, in the apocalypse...there won't BE anyone to take the fish off my hook............I will have to just wait for it to suffocate and die...and that is just cruel.
<back to guns>
There are several instances, that I can think of, where it would be handy to know how to operate a gun.
    1. If there are zombies, I can shoot them.
    2. I can shoot animals for food.
    3. I can shoot looters who try and steal my goods.
    4. If anyone tries to rape me...I can shoot them
    5. Um...do I even have to mention how bad ass it is going to look when I have pistols in hip holsters and a 12 gauge shotgun strapped to my back? I don't think so.  (Disclaimer: The main objective in living in a post apocalyptic world (besides surviving), by the way, is to look and act as bad ass as you possibly can...reference: Mel Gibson in Mad Max and Mila Kunis in The Book of Eli)



I suppose you could substitute a machete for a gun...although, if I have to cut people up...I'll probably just go ahead and die because I don't think I could slice anything but a watermelon successfully...

5. A dog for a companion...
I suppose if all the people around you are dead, then a dog would be a good companion.  In The Stand, they find a dog and it brightens the mood of the travelers tremendously.  Apparently, Mad Max also has a dog...

as does Will Smith,

There are several draw backs to this...Apparently, dogs aren't always immune to wipe-out-the-human-race diseases either.  In The Stand, dogs did not really survive...but this one did.  In I am Legend, his dog gets attacked by infected dogs and then his one and only companion gets sick and he has to kill her! It was horrible.  On a different note, I may need to invest in some different dogs...perhaps pound dogs.  I don't think Chloe and Coletrane will be able to hack the apocalypse...


I'm just saying...

6. Come to grips with and conquer all of my irrational fears...
Let's face it...those of you who know me, and know me well, know that I have a lot of odd phobias.  For example: When making dinner with my sister Haley a few months ago, there were chicken feathers still on the drumstick. I told her that I could not...simply COULD NOT pluck those feathers out.  She looked at me...stared for a bit and then said very simply.  "You aren't going to survive the apocalypse." (this coming from a woman who falls into hysterics when an ant crawls across the kitchen floor)  This got me thinking: What phobias are imperative for me to get over and which ones are ok for me to have?
   A.) My fear of dead birds and my constant fear of unexpectantly stumbling upon one.
   <---If this happens, I don't know if I will be able to leave the house. (see previous post: Fat Tuesday)
Why, you may ask, should I overcome this fear?  Because...during the apocalypse...there may be more instances of birds dropping dead, spontaneously from the sky, like they did on New Years of this year. (Dead Birds)
also...
(<---these are all the places where mass animal deaths have occurred.)
So...as you can easily see...I need to be able to truck through the apocalypse even if there are dead birds all over the road. Plus, because access to food may be limited, I may have to resort to killing and eating birds...If I kill a bird...then I will have to handle a dead bird....ehhhh...I don't like this idea.
    B) My fear of being eaten by a shark(s)

I'm not really too concerned about facing/overcoming this fear.  Although sharks scare the crap out of me and when I see pictures/videos about them, I can't look away...I don't think that, even in a post-apocalyptic world, that I am going to run into them too much.  I have no real desire to be near an ocean.  so...this fear, I can keep.
   C) Getting eaten by an alligator.
 
This fear...depending on where I live after the apocalypse, could come true.  I found some tips on the internet at a website called...Animal Attacks, on how to avoid an attack by an alligator...here they are, right here...

• Stay away from alligator inhabited areas during the dusk and early evening. This is the time of day alligators most commonly feed. They are also most active during the warm, summer months.
• Don't clean fish and discard the parts near water. This attracts alligators to the shore, and maybe even to a swimmer nearby. (THIS IS A TIP THAT I WILL REMEMBER WHEN I LEARN HOW TO TAKE A FISH OFF THE HOOK)
• Avoid searching or reaching for lost golf balls, boomerangs or anything else in water. This can be dangerous, especially to your hands and feet. ( I DON'T KNOW HOW BIG OF A PROBLEM THIS WILL BE, SEEING THAT I HAVE NEVER GOLFED OR EVEN SEEN A BOOMERANG, BUT CONSIDER IT NOTED)
• Keep pets away from waters inhabited by alligators. Small pets especially can attract alligators to the shoreline, or nearby swimmers. (CHECK)
• Never feed alligators. Giving food to the alligators teaches them to associate humans with food. (UM...DUH?)
• Don't harass an alligator if one is seen. An alligator will usually avoid a human unless is feels threatened, so turn around and move the other way quietly. (CONSIDER THIS TIP FOLLOWED)

   D.) My fear of abnormally large inanimate objects...
For example...,
  
I'm sure there will be many different large inanimate objects in the post apocalyptic world.  However, I'm sure due to sheer exposure, I will be able to overcome this fear during the apocalypse.
(On a side note, the last two pictures, I have seen these in real life.  They are from a highway in North Dakota called the enchanted highway. My friends from high school, Rachel Knutson and Stephanie Irish picked me up from college in Idaho one year and on the way home we took this highway thinking it would be fun...IT WAS NOT FUN, IT WAS HORRIFYING.)

This is in no way a complete guide to surviving the apocalypse, just so you all know....I've been writing this post for several days now...so I've thought long and hard about the last point.

7.  I need to be able to take on several "people" at one time, in a fight.
I put people in quotations because I may not be fighting people off.  They may be animals, aliens, or zombies...

You never know when you might need a set of fighting skills to ward off post apocalyptic monsters.  A gun and dog may help but, I think being able to fight in hand to hand combat is just as  bad ass of a skill as shooting someone.  Also...think Hunger Games.  The one thing I've learned is: You have to be able to kick butt after the apocalypse.

Alright...well that ends my list for now.  I know that I have a lot of work to do in order to solidify my survival in the post apocalyptic world.  If any of you have any other skills you think would be worth having to live, feel free to post.  In the meantime...I'm going to start mastering my list. Happy surviving...

Frustration Tolerance

So, as most of you know, I work with children who have autism. I love my job and I think that it is great...we use ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) and basically...we all get stuck in the jargon of everything. Right now, my mind is definitely stuck on the phrase "frustration tolerance". Why you may ask? Because I do not have any. When I am frustrated...(physically, mentally, emotionally, etc.) I do not tolerate much of anything else.

If anyone comes in contact with me in the next few days and says to themselves, "woah...what is wrong with Brittany?" You will know that I am in need of some frustration tolerance training. (I probably could be cured by a good make out session...I'm just saying.)

Another phrase that we use a lot is...Escape behavior...this would be defined as when a child uses a behavior to escape from a demand. For example...When asked to brush my teeth...I may engage in a tantrum like behavior in order to get out of brushing my teeth. This phrase is often shortened to just..."escaping". I often think...what kind of image would an outsider conjure from hearing us say..."Brittany is escaping from brushing her teeth."

(I know there is a fork in his hand...but trying to stab someone to get out of brushing your teeth would be "escape behavior")

Access behavior is another common phrase...Access behavior is usually what you think about when you think about a child having bad behavior. Someone acting out to get something in return. This would be if my mother were to say..."Brittany, you cannot have that toy because you don't need it." I would be engaging in access behavior if I threw a tantrum in order to get the toy.

This is a three-way tantrum...It looks as if the kid in the middle may be the peace-maker, but my theory is that he is the instigator. Look at that face. Little red has that green toy that little green wants. Red is escaping from sharing and green is access crying in order to get the toy. Old blue is keeping them apart because he is trying to build his sand castle in the middle. He was ok with red helping him, but once green came into the picture...it was all over.

Tantruming is also a word that is used OFTEN in the world of autism and ABA.

"Use your Words" is a common phrase used in my field.

Sometimes, this phrase is OVER USED. I hear it all the time...use your words...use your words...use your words...The thing is...ALL of the children I work with do not speak. They have communication...but they cannot talk verbally, therefore the phrase, "use your words" is not an efficient way to get them to communicate.

Eloping is my favorite word we use.  Instead of saying..."Brittany is running away from the classroom," We would say, "Brittany is ELOPING from the classroom." I like the image of eloping better than the image of running away anyways...

Why, you may ask, am I choosing to blog about this? I have no idea...Other than, the phrase, frustration tolerance is stuck in my brain right now.  I am frustrated with a few things in my life and wish I could be UN-frustrated by them.  Dammit.

Maybe if I engage in some access behavior for the things that I want, I will get it.  Or if I escape from the demands I have placed on me, life wouldn't be so hard and I would not have to tolerate my frustration.  Either way...I need action.