My sorority experience was everything I needed it to be

This weekend my sorority, Delta Phi Epsilon, is celebrating Alumni Weekend. Dozens of alum will return to SUNY Geneseo and live a weekend away from grad school, work, and/or motherhood and celebrate like we are all 21 again.

Sororities, and fraternities for that matter, get a bad rap in the so-called 'real world'. Stories of partying, alcohol poisoning, hazing and unsanitary living conditions make the organizations seem immature and uneducated. I get it.

Nowadays, I tell people I was in a sorority and I get "Really?! I would never pegged you as a sorority girl." I guess my time as a "sorority girl" has blurred the lines. I'm not really sure how to peg someone as a "sorority girl", simply because I met so many different kinds.

My time in Delta Phi Epsilon was exactly what I needed it to be. At a time in my life when I had stopped playing soccer, left behind high school friendships, and was suffering from a broken heart, Delta Phi Epsilon was there for me. Without getting too mushy, my sorority experience was anything but negative. It was a support system, a social calendar, a study group, a late night taco bell run with friends.

Unlike the stereotypical sorority, I belonged to a group of very diverse individuals. No, I didn't get along with all of them, but put a group of 70-some people together, and naturally some people jive better than others. There were athletes, nerds, party-ers, work-out-a-holics. There were girls I'd see at every event and some I would only spot at mandatory events. They are blondes and brunette. Tall and short. Skinny and curvy. Different races. Different sexual orientations. And we were all brought together because we wanted to be part of something. Each one of my sisters took their own experiences out of Delta Phi Epsilon, and even today, I watch girls carrying on the traditions, and making the sorority what they need it to be.

I was never hazed. We had to go through a six week "pledging" period in which we learned about the history, philanthropies, and beliefs of the sorority. We also spent this time getting to know everyone that belonged to the sorority. We learned our lineage and about the founders who started it all. Yes, we have secret handshake and a saying. Yes, we spent mandatory hours in the library and wearing silly costumes on bids nights, and that's about as far as bad as our pledging got.

Back in the day, I enjoyed my Friday and Saturday (and Wednesday and Thursday) nights like anyone else. But my favorite part of Delta Phi Epsilon was Sunday afternoons at chapter. Every week we would meet to discuss the goings-on in the sorority. It was at these meetings where I felt like I was apart of something bigger. There were traditions that had been set into place for years that are still followed today.

I met girls through DPhiE that I never would have had I not decided to pledge. I've attended weddings for these girls and have continued friendships with them four years after graduation. I've introduced these girls to my family and to David, and even to Juneau. :)

Some people look at sororities as a false way to get friends. Why pay dues to meet people? I guess that's one way of looking at it. But for me, it was an existing group of people that had the same need as me: to belong. Yes, we drank, and dated frat boys, and there were probably a fair share of cat fights, but we were/are a family and will have a bond that will always bring us back to those hilarious and life-changing years at SUNY Geneseo.

Yits, Deephers! And Happy Alumni Weekend.

Take risks, be spontaneous, and do what you love

Being a blogger is by far the most rewarding thing I've ever done in my life. The outpouring of support I have gotten since I announced that I want to blog for a living has been so amazing.

It plays right into my personality, too. I am not a planner by any means. I enjoy being spontaneous and taking risks. When Dave and I decided to move from Indy it was a matter of 5 days between deciding and doing. We packed, figured out our lease, said goodbye to friends, and drove 10 hours all in a matter of 5 days. Planning is just not us. When we say we are going to do something, we usually just do it. Sometimes it works out well, and sometimes it doesn't. But every adventure has been totally worth it.

Like, remember that time we moved out to Albuquerque? How many people warned us about it? How many people questioned our destination? Did it work out? Not really... but let me ask you this... have you ever moved halfway across the country, just to do it?

It happens every morning when I go to write a blog. I think I know a topic I'm going to write about, and then it changes. I have about 4 unfinished blog posts in my queue that have yet to be written. I can't plan what I'm going to write... I just write.

I guess I come from a family of risk takers. My mom went back to school while also raising three daughters under the age of 10 to pursue her dream of becoming a teacher. My dad decided to leave college to buy a business he has now been at for over thirty years. My older sister, Emily, moved to Germany for several years where she also met her now husband, Shane. My younger sister, Sarah, took a job with a company right out of college that moved her to Virginia Beach then to San Antonio without ever visiting those cities.

Now, more than ever, is a time to take risks. Roles are changing. Women are no longer expected to raise kids and cook dinner. People change careers dozens of times throughout their life. Entrepreneurs and small business owners are popping up everywhere.

There will be a time in my life when I will settle down, have kids, and traveling will mean going on family vacations. But for now, I'm taking risks. I sometimes find myself envious of my peers who have already settled down, gotten married, and have career jobs. But lately, I find myself lucky that I have had the adventures that I have had.

So here's some advice, you can take it or leave it... but it's what I got.

1. Live with intention.
2. Trust your faith.
3. Be spontaneous and take risks. Planning is overrated.

Quote of the week

Found this one spray painted on a bridge in downtown Rochester.

What does it take to make a gravestone? More than you might think...

Trying to describe what my dad does for a living is quite the challenge. In fact, when I was little, I used to tellpeople that my dad worked for dead people. (Fortunately, my mom is a teacher, that's a lot easier to explain). 

For years, my sisters and I have been working for him. Usually we were doing data entry, secretarial tasks, or walking cemeteries looking for stones. Yes, walking cemeteries. We have a joke in our family that a vacation isn't complete until we visit the local cemetery. 

My dad owns a company called John H. McGee & Son where he designs and sells headstones. Basically, his job is to work with families who have lost loved ones to design a monument that will be placed at their grave. He has also done other projects like granite clocks, plaques, etc.

It's a very niche industry and pretty complicated to explain to an outsider. But it's ingrained in my family. My aunts and uncles tell stories about digging graves and mowing cemeteries when they were growing up.In fact while other kids were breaking arms on the playground, my Aunt Jo shattered the bones in her leg helping my dad set a stone and I broke my pinkie racing my sisters at Pine Hill Cemetery. My parents' and my grandparents' yards are scattered with old headstones. My grandpa owns a cemetery service company that does things like setting stones and digging graves. 

Last week, my dad took a local funeral director to Barre, Vermont to show him the process of making a monument. I was able to tag along. I had been there countless times before, but at 26 I can appreciate the process much more than a moody 13-year old.

Barre is a small quarry town that sits just south of the capital city of Montpelier. The granite quarries provide work for many of the locals. A company called Rock of Ages quarries the granite and distributes it to manufacturers in the Barre, Vermont area. Then retailers like my dad's will buy from the manufacturers. 

The granite quarries in Barre, Vermont are the best granite in the world. It is durable and will weather the elements for hundreds of years.

Blocks of granite are quarried from the top of the mountains surrounding Barre. 

When we visited, there was about 5 feet of frozen ice at the bottom of the quarry.

  The tall poles are called derricks. They act like cranes and carry large blocks of granite out of the hole.

The large blocks of granite are bought by the manufacturers, in this case, a company called Buttura & Gherardi.

The large blocks are sawed into slabs of granite.



The newly sawed granite slabs are stored in the saw plant waiting to be polished.

Once the monument arrives, companies like my grandpas', or even people like my dad, will set the monument in the cemetery. If a new inscription is needed in the future, sandblasters are able to do that in the cemetery without having to send it back up to Vermont. 

The entire process is fragile and intricate. There are around 50 skilled workers who work with the granite at Buttura & Gherardi. My dad and his employee, Matt, are able to design with Monu-Cad in house, which takes years of experience. On top of all of that, my dad is a salesman, which in this industry, can be a sensitive task, too.

So next time you see a cemetery, think of the amount of work that goes into the memorials that you see. Cemeteries shouldn't get such a bad, creepy, rap... they should be marveled at.

What I'm Feeling Friday!

Another slow blogging week, but progress is slowly being made on the new site!

This week I'm feeling:

The Academy of Country Music Awards

Is there anything better than country music? I love watching their award shows, too, because the community of country singers is so genuinely supportive of one another. Plus, it's less of an award show and more of a huge concert. Although Taylor Swift went home empty handed, it was a nice couple hours spent on the couch with Mom, making fun of Rascal Flats and ogling Blake Shelton. Plus, I love his new song!



Face Time

Thanks to the invention of Face Time, I'm able to see David every day and he's able to see Juneau :) Plus, he is up visiting next week through Easter! Counting the days!

Nice Weather

Finally!

Roadtrips


This week my dad and I took a local funeral director up to Barre, Vermont to show him exactly what goes into making a headstone. I am working on a blog about the process, which is actually super interesting. It was nice to see another part of the country. Although I have been up to Vermont countless times, it's been about ten years since I traveled up that way. It was about 20 degrees colder in Vermont than even in Rochester, but we came back to a beautiful 70 degree day. And I'm also feeling my Dunkin Donuts this week, cause when you travel with Don Rath, you're up before the sun.

Quote of the week

What I'm Feeling Friday

Happy Friday everyone! It's been a long week. I started working out... again, but this time I'm trying to keep it positive. Working out should be part of my everyday life, so I'm trying to think of it as a priority. I met up with my good friend and sorority sister, Michelle Bub Fisher, who got married in December. What do you do when a friend that you call by her last name changes it? She will always be Bub to me!

This week, I found a few new things that I wanted to introduce to you!

The Right Reasons Podcast

I've been listening to The Right Reasons for a while now, but haven't talked about it here. It is a reality television podcast that covers all kinds of shows including The Real World and Naked and Afraid. Juliet Litman and David Jacoby work for Grantland.com, which is a subsidiary of ESPN run by Bill Simmons. The two of them crack me up. Juliet is a Northwestern grad, and I'm assuming she went to school for journalism, because her online stalker skills are on point. She knows everything about everyone on every reality show. David Jacoby is equally as hilarious, and their humor is so intelligent. I highly recommend it, that is, if you enjoy reality TV as much as me!

Mad Men

I finally pressed the play button for Mad Men on Netflix, and I'm presently surprised. I was expecting a good show since I'm a fan of other AMC shows (ie. Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead) but I am much more intrigued by the characters than I thought I would be. The early 1960s setting is an untapped period of time as far as what I watch on TV. From the costumes to the story lines to the patriarchal society, I really like this show!

Entirely Erica

Yesterday I bought the domain name entirely-erica.com! I'm super excited about designing my blog. For now, I will still be blogging here but in the weeks to come I will soon have a fresh new blog to share with all of you!

Have a wonderful weekend!

The ultimate workout playlist

I've done it! I've created the ultimate workout playlist. This bad boy is years in the making but last night as I was completing my 30 minutes on the elliptical, I realized that all of my downloading, adding, subtracting, Google-ing and shuffling had paid off. I found the perfect compilation of songs to work out to.

Disclaimer: I'm one of those people who like inspiration while working out. I'm not into rap nor do I need a decent beat. I like the lyrics to motivate me.

Without further ado, here is my ultimate workout playlist:

1. All the Above - Maino featuring T-Pain
2. Fall Down - will.i.am featuring Miley Cyrus
3. Work Hard, Play Hard - Wiz Khalifa
4. My Songs Know What You Did In the Dark (Light Em Up) - Fall Out Boy
5. Survivor - Destiny's Child
6. Beautiful Every Time - Lee Brice
7. Brave - Sara Bareilles
8. The Man - Aloe Blacc
9. Roar - Katy Perry
10. Airplanes - B.o.B featuring Hayley Williams
11. Ashes - Embrace
12. Change - Taylor Swift
13. Defying Gravity - Wicked
14. Stronger - Kanye West
15. Heart of a Champion - Nelly

Quote of the week

What I'm Feeling Friday!

It's been a productive week for me. I applied to a few jobs, spent some quality time with my parents, and wrote a few posts. I also bought a web design book that will help me in the coming weeks with totally revamping my blog. I miss David, but he is killing it in school right now, taking six online classes, and getting A's and B's in all of them. Couldn't be prouder!

Without further ado... here is What I'm Feeling on this Friday:

Phillip Phillips "Gone, Gone, Gone"

I'm totally late to the Phillip Phillips' party, but I absolutely love him. His voice is so distinct and his lyrics are amazing. "Home" was used in the Indiana Pacers' promo video when I worked for them, so it brings back great memories for me. "Gone, Gone, Gone" is the perfect upbeat love song to listen to when you are far away from the person you love. The best thing about the song is the beat, it's not a typical love song or ballad. It makes you want to sing and dance! I think I've listened to this song about 100 times this week.

You're my backbone

You're my cornerstone

You're my crutch when my legs stop moving

You're my head start

You're my rugged heart

You're the pulse that I've always needed

Anchors

Apparently anchors are in this season... and I love it. Mom and I did a little shopping last night after work and Old Navy had a wonderful nautical theme. I bought two sweaters a few weeks back, and yesterday bought a shirt with anchors on it. I wanted to buy scarves and boat shoes and dresses with anchors on them... but I held back. Slowly, I will fill my wardrobe with wonderful nautical themed clothing.




The Bracket of Discontent from Sarah Spain

With March Madness comes a plethora of brackets... many of them not for basketball. One of my favorite sports personalities, Sarah Spain, an anchor and columnist for ESPNChicago and espnW, created the Bracket of Discontent. From "He went to Jared" ads to Candy Crush invitations, Sarah hilariously includes everything we find truly awful.


Juneau
I don't think I talk about my dog enough. I am seriously in love with him. He has the best personality in the world. Juneau has been on every road trip Dave and I have embarked upon the past few years. He travels so well and has probably been in more states than most people. Juneau also likes to annoy his grandparents, sneaking out of my bedroom every night, like clockwork, and making his way onto Grandpa's feet. It's hilarious.

A UNC athlete writes a stupid essay about Rosa Parks... and I'm not at all surprised

So, I don't usually blog twice in one day because I think it's a.) time consuming for me and b.) annoying to be all over your Facebook feed.

But I had to rant about the recent news story about the UNC athletes essay on Rosa Parks. Apparently, the student was given an A- for the ridiculous essay that even went as far as to quote a supposed conversation between Parks and the bus driver. Like, it's super ridiculous. If I had written this in college, I probably would have not expected a grade, just my professor laughing in my face.

Whistleblower says UNC put athletes in classes that never met and required only one final paper. This one got an A-. pic.twitter.com/HShyr6ivGm
— Bryan Armen Graham (@BryanAGraham) March 26, 2014

Anyways, shout out to Mary Willingham, the former learning specialist and current whistle blower, who broke this story open. Apparently, she is taking a lot of crap for saying something.

There are a ton of talking points about this topic, but I'm going to take a different approach.

Sending these athletes to top-tier schools and expecting them to perform in school as well as they do on the court is like asking a square peg to fit into a round hole. The majority of these "student-athletes" have trained their entire life to become a professional in their sport. The way to get there, in this totally backwards world, is by going to college and performing at a high academic standard.

The system is just asking for these kids to cheat. Yes, I know that there are people out there who perform well both on and off the court, but I'm not talking about them.

Look at it this way. A kid grows up wanting to be a doctor. He spends his summers at science camp, asks his parents to invest money in his future by paying for extra-curriculars that will look good on his resume, and studies medical books late into the night. When it comes time for college, he is told he can go to medical school, but he has to play basketball for the college in order to get there. The kid isn't good at basketball. In fact, he used to fake being sick during PE class because he was so bad at basketball. He gets anxiety about playing basketball but it's the only way he can achieve his dream. So he joins the team. But he takes drugs and PEDs to get stronger and he bribes his coach to tell the media that he is hurt so he doesn't have to play against the best teams. Meanwhile he is performing super well in his science classes. He even earns his university a grant for his stellar work in some awesome new discovery in one of his biology classes. His discovery helps put his university's science program on the map! But then, people find out about his PED use and his fake injury. Media analyst discuss how his "medical school draft stock" took a hit because of the scandal. It's what people forever remember him for... how he cheated at playing basketball in order to get to medical school.

I think you get the point. But some would argue that playing basketball isn't the same as getting an education. I would agree. I think education would solve a whole lot of problems in the world. But don't we as a society ask for this behavior from athletes when we glorify the pros and put them on pedestals and pay them millions of dollars? Aren't we sending the message that getting to the NBA or NFL or whatever other league would be worth it at all costs?

It also makes me wonder why we continuously think that college is the only way to succeed in this world? If we keep sending all of our children to school to get the same education, we are going to be one seriously boring, problem-filled world with a whole lot of leaky pipes without any plumbers to come fix them. We won't have any Marines to protect us or any athletes to entertain us. Can we stop pretending that everyone is meant to go to Ivy Leagues and earn 4.0 GPAs? Pick your jaws up off the floor, yes another "student-athlete" scandal has been uncovered.

I'm really getting tired of this discussion. Academics bitch because the athletes don't do as much work as the other students, but don't want the athletic program to go anywhere because it makes them millions of dollars. You can't have it both ways.

Everyone has a path in life. Athletes are going to be athletes, scholars are going to be scholars, and sometimes *gasp* there are those who do both. (Like me ;) Humble brag). I'm not condoning cheating, but when these paths cross because the system forces them to, let's not be so surprised when these kids do whatever it takes to accomplish their dreams.

Progress is being made!

I wanted to give everyone an update about my blog:

As many of you know, I recently hit 6000 page views (this is since the beginning of my, which ultimately started the summer of 2013). Since the beginning of 2014, which is when I started taking blogging more seriously and publishing 2 to 3 posts a week, I have had just over 3000 page views! So I guess that means I'm averaging 1
000 page views per month. I'm giddy.

I've been getting a lot of positive feedback and support. I thought blogging would be something that I did as a hobby while I worked a 9 to 5. But when I lost my job, I realized this is something that I could do full time!

I haven't made a penny of off this blog yet. I'm spending my time researching, networking, and reading a TON of other blogs to figure out how I want to design and brand what I write about.

In the meantime, I wanted to give you a heads up on what to expect in the coming weeks and months!

*I plan on changing the name of my blog from "Life As I Know It" to something different. Potential names are starting to surface, and I'm really excited about it!

*I am working on a complete re-design. My knowledge is limited in this realm, but fortunately I have some good friends who know what they are doing and have offered their help.

*I have also decided to launch something supplemental to my blog, but my lips are sealed on this one! :)


In any case, thanks, as always, for reading! I would love to hear your feedback, so feel free to contact me.

My email is: ericarath11@gmail.com

Quote of the week

I hate social media!

I'm so sick and tired of social media.

Okay, that's a downright lie. I love it. I think it's the best thing to happen to business, and to public relations, and to the internet, really.

But when it comes to social media and your personal life... gahh. I'm sick of it.

I am Facebook friends with people from high school, that if I fell over, they would have no idea who I was. But for some reason, I find myself intrigued by their statuses, their new relationship updates, and photos of their night out. Why?!?! It doesn't make me feel better about anything going on in my life right now.

I know you all know exactly what I'm talking about. Some distant stranger's life somehow always seem so much more glamorous than yours.

Here's your wake up call... it's not!

Throughout my time in graduate school, I was stressed, working for free, living in a strange city, never working out, staying up late and waking up early to finish ridiculous homework assignments, and missing my friends and family. However, I received multiple Facebook messages and texts and comments about 'how awesome' my life was! How they were jealous of ME!

I laugh, because if they knew how un-glamorous my life was at the time, they would be far from jealous. But the things I posted on my social media accounts allowed others to see my life as I wanted it to be seen. I was posting video interviews with NBA stars, photos of me and my friends covering the Sweet 16 and Elite 8, and articles I wrote for the NCAA. Yes, I was truly lucky to have all of those experiences.

What I'm trying to say is, stop wishing away your experiences for somebody else's. Your experiences are just as meaningful as theirs. We all live the day to day struggles of life: illness, paying bills, cooking dinner, eating right, exercising, relationship drama, missing someone, somewhere.

My hope is for this blog to portray another side of me through social media. You know I struggle with depression, you know I just lost my job, you know I'm back living with my parents for the time being, you know I'm living 8 hours away from my boyfriend (who I lived with for the past 3 years). These aren't things I would've put on my Facebook status a year ago, because, like many of you, I wanted those far away classmates of mine to think my life was going perfectly.

I hope that this makes you realize that the only person you have to measure up against is yourself. It will make you a whole lot happier in the end. Stop comparing your life to other's. I could've stayed close to home, taken any old job, and settled down right out of college, but I took my own path, and so did all of you. There is no wrong or right, there is only what is yours.

I've recently had my own wake up call... no one's life is perfect. And these few months I'm away from David and working for my Dad, I'm a whole helluva lot luckier than a lot of people out there.

What I'm feeling Fridays!

I decided to launch a new feature this week in honor of reaching 6,000 page views! Each Friday from here on out, I will list a few things that I'm currently into. It can be anything... from clothes to candy to styles to books to ideas!

So, with that said, I present the first What I'm feeling Friday!

1. Jean Jackets - With Spring in the air, I tore out my jean jacket from the depths of my closet. Although Spring has been put on hold in Rochester, back in Indy, temps were inching up thru the forties and fifties. I love my jean jacket. It can be worn with any outfit; dress, leggings, slacks. Just try to avoid the Canadian Tuxedo... no jean on jean!

2. Watch What Crappens podcast - Anything I say about this podcast cannot do these guys justice. They are absolutely hilarious. They basically make commentary on everything on Bravo including the Real Housewives franchises and other reality shows. They are just downright funny. Take a listen!

3. Life As I Know It's Facebook page! Taking another step at becoming more official! Make sure to click LIKE!

Labels, labels, everywhere

I got the idea for this blog from watching The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. I'm not ashamed. Bravo is good, solid, dramatic television. You can keep your True Detectives and House of Cards.... I like my trashy reality television.

In any case, these ladies were throwing around labels like it was nobody's business. One woman was racist, another was a bigot. Ridiculous. It made me realize that labels are used too often. They are used to simplify a situation, to describe someone. But I would argue, it's not only dangerous to throw blanket descriptions onto people, they are also, most of the time, just part of the the truth.

I did a project my senior year of high school where we were asked to put together a book about us. The final page I listed words that describe me. Some of them were completely hypocritical of one another, but they were all true. I'm a tomboy, but I'm also a girly girl. I'm a writer, but I don't necessarily like to read. I am a registered republican, but I support gay marriage. It's when I think about labeling myself that I get confused. Why don't any of these words describe me?

Then I remember, I don't have to fit the mold. I think the problem most of the time is that we try so desperately to fit ourselves into a mold that we aren't meant to fit. It's why Washington DC is at a standstill. We label ourselves with words and try to make them fit. We cannot sway from the definition of the word we label ourselves as. But the truth is you can. You don't need to be stubborn about it. If one day you believe one thing, and something happens that changes your mind on the topic, it's okay to redefine yourself.

That's exactly what I have come to accept. If I read the words that I defined myself with as a senior in high school, I would probably agree with a handful of them. But I've learned so much since then. I've met new people, traveled to new places, been faced with new situations.

The more my life changes and I educate myself on things, I sometimes find myself wondering about how I would define me today. If I were walking down the street and a stranger came up to me and asked, "What are five words you would use to label yourself?" Strangely enough, I've come to the conclusion that the answer would change on a day to day basis. Some people would call this confusion or tell me I have no self-identity. But I guess those words are just labels someone else has to put on me in order to understand who I am.

So as I type this and a hypothetical stranger approaches me and asks, "What are five words you would use to label yourself?" Today, those words are:

What are your words today?

Quote of the week

I am a Generation Y cliche

I like to think of myself as a Generation Y cliche.

I lost my job last week. It wasn't a great job, but it was a job in my field, and, quite honestly, it helped pay the bills for a while. I was heartbroken at first, and I still have my moments, but I knew that taking a job at a failing magazine could end one of two ways: get another job or become a victim of budget cuts. I ran out of time on the former and the latter caught up to me.

It sucks. I won't sugar coat it. While I watch my peers get married, buy houses and start families, I am once again searching for a job. There was a time that I was completely embarrassed of this. I was raised to believe that if you work hard, good things will happen to you. I still believe this, because I work hard everyday. But I've read enough Huff Post stories and other blog posts to realize that I am just another casualty of a poor economy.

I can't quite blame it all on the economy. I had a steady job at one point that I quit in order to follow my dreams. I acquired $30,000 more debt in graduate school loans also to follow my dreams. And after getting an interview with USA Today, I realize I'm qualified, just not one of the lucky ones to actually be a working journalist. Instead I have my blog.

From the moment my boss said the words "we're going to have to let you go" my first thought was "I can't wait to blog about this."

I'm no longer embarrassed about my situation. Instead, I'd rather get it all out, and perhaps let all those people that are in, have been, or will be in my situation, that SHIT HAPPENS and life goes on.

So as I suck up my pride and move back in with my parents, I look forward to the day when my blog is my career and I no longer have to worry about anyone else signing my paychecks. I could've chosen a career in medicine or business or academics, but I want to be a writer, and that's what I'll be.

PS. To all of you out there who are working jobs that you hate, please realize how blessed you are. Either quit bitching or do something about it. I'm sure there are plenty of people who would love to be in your position.

You know you date a fisherman when...

Spring is in the air, and so comes fishing season. This weekend, Dave, Juneau and I spent some time outside exploring the banks of the White River here in Indy. It got me to thinking about the many things in my life that include the sport of fishing. I don't mind, I love that Dave is passionate about something the way he is about fishing. It's become a running joke in our relationship. Dave lives to fish.

You know you date a fisherman when...

1. Date nights always end up at Dick's or Gander Mountain


2. Your purse has to sit in the backseat of the car because the front seat is reserved for the fishing pole

3. On the first nice days of the year, getting outside means scoping out the river bed for the upcoming season

4. Winter months consist of stocking up on lures

5. The television on Saturday mornings blast shows about bass competitions and outdoor fishing

6. Every time a birthday or holiday comes around the question "are you sure you don't want me to buy you a fishing pole?" comes out of his mouth

7. When you do end up at Dick's or Gander Mountain, you know exactly where the fishing section is and head right for it.

8. And you know exactly which pole and reel he would buy you if you gave the okay.

9. Home decor is all fishing themed

10. When looking for a nice wall hanging, he suggests buying the one that said "A fisherman lives here with the best catch of his life"

11. The fishing pole goes with you on all trips to the park and on every hike, just in case

12. School projects turn into a family fishing video

13. Scrolling through text messages you find countless photos of him holding up the latest catch

Quote of the week