5 Easy Steps to Surviving the DMV

I don’t have a car. Yet. And I’m not allowed behind the wheel. Yet. I don’t even have a permit. Yet.  While we’re on the subject, I haven’t eaten. Yet.

But that didn’t keep me from going to the DMV with my sister while she went to go get her permit. Like most people we woke up at the butt crack of dawn in order to get there before the masses. But just like us, most people had that idea and we didn’t get there before then, but we still got a prime parking spot right in front of the building. It was literally melting outside and I was sitting in the car next to somebody who likes to smoke, and so because I like to live, I had to stay in the car with the window rolled up. While there I came up with five easy steps on how to survive the DMV

Step 1: Bring Food.

Food is a creature comfort. And while at the DMV, dealing with attitudes and clipped responses, you need comfort. So rather than talking to that creepy guy that is literally breathing down your neck behind you and smells like crackers and cologne, go sit down and stuff your mouth with some snacks. What I brought:

A Kashi bar, which this one in particular is actually a lot saltier than you’d think it’d be. It’s got chocolate, which is not overly sweet, and almonds. They’re surprisingly filling and great when you’re in a hurry or, in this case, trying to avoid talking to somebody. This is what they look like melted because in order to tell if something is good, you need to see it melted:

Don’t forget your fruit (I’m being funny, by the way, I know apples aren’t fruits):

Applesauce. We get these in boxes from Costco. And because they’re easy and portable (and I didn’t bring a spoon), I just slurped it up, using my tongue to reach what wouldn’t slide out. It’s an art form with classes available UCSAGE (Sign up before all the spots are taken!).

It was over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, when we went. So, I couldn’t forget to hydrate. I was:

♫♪ On my early-morn thirsty. ‘Cause it was early-morn and I was thirsty! ♫♪ (Guess the song and put your answer in the comment section!)

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Step 2: Bring Something to Read

There are so many different ways to read nowadays, so choose your favorite. I personally prefer the real thing to reading something on a device or getting it read to me. How do you prefer to read? If you’re not a big reader or wouldn’t know what to read, stop by the library the day before and try a new genre. Or if you usually only read romances, pick up a sci-fi or mystery. If that’s not really your thing, try a different version of romance. Like a romantic comedy, mystery romance, paranormal romance, or erotica. If it’s already hot, why not turn it up a notch?!

I brought Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman. It was my first time reading it, and  because I absolutely adored the movie I thought why not try the book? Because you always judge a book by it’s movie. I learned that from the Twilight course at UCSAGE.

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Step 3: Bring A Journal

Just because you bring a journal doesn’t mean you have to write in it, if writing is not your thing or you simply can’t think of anything to write. You can always sketch or try drawing a cartoon from memory such as SpongeBob or Diego.

I brought my photographer’s notebook from Target, and practiced drawing anime hair and eyes expressing different emotions:

I know, I know. Impressive, right?

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Step 4: Bring Music

The radio doesn’t always have what you need, I know this from experience. I clean up the kitchen every other day on rotation with my kid sister and when I do I like to listen to music. More specifically, the radio, because some of (most of) the music on my mp3 is dated. And sometimes (most of the time), when I clean the kitchen, the radio is doing a segment of about 2 hours of slow jams. Like, oh my gosh. What the frak? Jump off of her and go to sleep so I can listen to music that is actually worth my while. It is a Tuesday and you have work tomorrow you guys do not need to be smashing pancakes right now. And besides, who’s going to want to listen to a remix of Love in the Club while they’re getting it on, only for the next thing to play to be five minutes of ads? Talk about a mood killer.

Anywho, try downloading a few new songs or listening to some old songs you downloaded and haven’t heard in a while. Note: On my mp3 (which shows the wrong time, by the way), I changed the language to Korean to help me learn Hangeul, which I have actually gotten pretty good at:

On the screen it says: (top) Artist, (bottom) Shuffle Mode, (right) Album.

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Step 5: People Watch

Last but not least, there’s always the ever fun people watching. My sisters and I like to pick out people, guess their names and their background. Or we’ll choose some random guy and pretend that guy’s one of our boyfriends. Guessing what they’re saying is also a blast.

Extra! Extra! Read All About It:

You can also take selfies, paint your nails (if you’re a girl), paint your nails (if you’re a guy), play games, watch a show or movie on your Iphone/ROKU and by the time you realize all of that stuff is boring, it’ll be time to go. You’re Welcome.

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For more things to do when you are bored: Check this out!

For more on what’s going on here visit “The Idea” and if you have suggestions as to things I can try visit “The Suggestion Box” or comment below I would love to hear what you have to say!

💋

Vegan, Vegetarian & (Mostly) Gluten-Free Snack Guide to Fall TV, Part 1

Because of the fall season, a lot of television shows are making their way into your homes, in a completely creepy way, just the way that sounded. There aren’t half as many as I was watching last Fall TV season coming back on (*cough* *cough* Almost Human *cough* *cough* Trophy Wife *cough* *cough*– excuse me, it’s all this fall fever I have) but there are a lot of new shows coming out. Such as Selfie, Gotham, and Forever all of which don’t look half as good as they were intended to but I wont get into the specifics for the sake of not sounding redundant (that, and I don’t really feel like it).

I personally only watch TV via online streaming devices such as Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon. But I know how boring some television shows can be if you don’t watch them while stuffing your face with something (probably food). So you don’t end up like an angry Taiga in the middle of the rain this fall television season, I give you a list of salty snacks that will make even the most pressing television show worth while. Good enough to make you go all popcorn Gus:

What does it taste like?

Angie’s makes good popcorn. Period. Some of my favorites include the Lightly Sweet Popcorn and Sweet & Salty Caramel. Her popcorns are gluten-free, vegan, non-gmo, and with no high-fructose corn syrup. Talk about the gold mine of popcorn. Kerry Washington would be proud. Unfortunately this particular popcorn is not vegan because of the cheese but it is lacto ovo vegetarian, so that’s exciting.

My first time eating this, we had gotten a big bag of it from Costco, which they don’t sell anymore (boo you, Costco!) and I was like… this is intense. Very cheesy because they separate is so that the cheese is on top while the caramel is on bottom so you have to shake it. Each flavor is very true to itself– it’s caramel and cheddar and you can tell. It’s crunchy but not too crunchy and definitely not stale or rubbery. You don’t need a lot and they are best when you eat one of each together. Best show to eat this with: Are You Afraid of the Dark and the Haunting Hour this Halloween season. Because most of them are terrible actors, you need something this intense in order to not laugh at them.

What does it taste like?

This is the only snack on this list that is not gluten-free as far as I know, but that does not keeping it from being any less delicious. I ate these a lot. My favorite time to eat this is for breakfast, lunch or dinner. They’re good when you’re hungry, not hungry, and starving. They’re are the epitome of great snack. My favorite way to eat them is with almond butter.

Whaaaaat? Yes. Make it right. And that they did. The little crisps are salty goodness and the right amount of crack and when you dip them in almond butter it takes you back to those snacks you used to eat in school– but healthy. You know, those ones that you had the option of eating in cheese or peanut butter? I don’t know about you, but those were my life, and since I don’t eat them anymore these are my life.

What does it taste like?

I know it seems weird to eat something called “Skinny Pop” because then it immediately makes you feel like you’re dieting. And at first these may even taste like you’re dieting, but once you rinse your palette of Orville Redenbacher this gluten-free alternative is like eating pizza my heart in comparison to cheese and crackers (which cheese and crackers are good, just not as good). This popcorn is very light and not very salty. You eat a lot just so you can get to those exceptions that are insanely buttery and salty. For popcorn like this, I’d say the best television show (or type of television show) to watch this with, would be reality TV. Whether it be something foreign and light like Roommate (because you know you get violent watching them eat every five seconds), or something more intense like Basketball Wives, Mob Wives and Real Housewives. Just so you don’t have to really pay attention to what you’re eating and you can straight up Ellen DeGeneres it.

What does it taste like?

Booty. Pirate’s Booty. I don’t know if you know this, but pirate’s booty is different (waaay different) than regular booty. It’s fluffier and is cheesier and saltier than most booties, which in this case is a good thing. Everybody has tried Pirate’s Booty. Everybody. If you haven’t, Oh my goddess, where have you been?

I used to eat Pirate’s Booty a lot when I was younger but it was mostly those little bags with only like three or four fluffs of cheese and it was always a huge disappointment. Somehow, recently, my sisters and I convinced my mom to get a huge bag of it from Costco. And even though it had been a long time since I’d last eaten it, I remembered it being absolutely delicious. And I was right. If it can shiver the timbers of the cosplayer with the butt chin on the bag, it’s got to be good.

These are also not vegan, but they are vegetarian (for some) and gluten-free. If you were to eat these with any type of show it would have to be something like Arrow or Flash, where there is enough going on that you completely forget how salty they are.

What does it taste like?

My mom’s birthday is in late July, so she’s super obsessed with these. Not too salty but then not too not salty enough, if that makes any sense. We got them from Costco, like where we get most of our chips and they were super inexpensive like most things from Costco are. You’d be surprised the snacks you can get that are great healthy alternatives to things like Lays (c) potato chips and Cheetos(c).  These are best with dip. Preferably this yogurt dip:

which is also gluten-free. As you can see Late July are organic and gluten free as well. I would suggest eating these babies with something like the Mindy Project or New Girl. Because even if you take your eyes off of them for a moment to dip your chip, you don’t miss anything.

What does it taste like?

Vegetables. No I’m just kidding. It actually tastes nothing like what you probably think they taste like because they are literally made out of vegetables. They are actually way good, just the right amount of saltiness and slight sweetness, where you completely forget you are eating vegetable chips. I know it sounds odd and I am not much of a food critic so bear with me, but they are buttery and extremely fragile. They literally melt when you place them on your tongue. These would be good with a squash bisque, or a grilled cheese sandwich both of which I’ve tried and had them with. Trés magnifique.

I would suggest eating these with something warm and funny like How to Get Away With Murder or Scandal or Witches Of EastEnd.

What does it taste like?

These were my kettle corn first loves. They are what we call “sweet popcorn”, because saying kettle corn is just too hard and doesn’t roll of the tongue. They are salty. They are sweet. They are crispy. They… are actually super sweet. They put you in the mind of an upturned version of the kettle corn by Boom Chicka Pop, which I mentioned earlier. But nevertheless, the are absolutely scrumlicious-finger-lickin’ good.

These are good to have for a show like Grimm (when it comes out) and the shows I mentioned for Boom Chicka Pop: the Haunting Hour, Goosebumps, and Are You Afraid of the Dark?.

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And that is it… for now. You’ll take notice that this is a part 1, which means I have more goodies coming soon so look out!

For more on what’s going on here visit “The Idea” and if you have suggestions as to things I can try visit “The Suggestion Box” or comment below I would love to hear what you have to say!

💋

How I Successfully Ruined My Night + How You Can Too!

My next post on my “journey to self-discovery” was going to be me going on an on about how much I love animes and how I was so excited to try new types of animes and talk about them here on my blog. But I have completely ruined all hope of that ever happening in all of yours and my life because of one anime.

It all happened yesterday evening– I got on the computer with every intention of beginning my research on different genres and types of animes so that I could start my post and talk to you guys about my experience.  I started my search in yaoi. Why yaoi, you might ask? Because it sounded like a good idea at the time and because I have read similar stories on Wattpad before and I thought it would be fun to see it in action.  For those of you who do not know what yaoi is, the easiest way to explain it is yaoi is boy on boy love, or just Boy’s Love (BL for short). It is when one very attractive, rather domineering man chases another very attractive, passive and slightly girlish looking man’s butt in hopes of becoming intimate. The pursuer is called the seme and the person being pursued is called the uke. Now, there are many types of yaoi. There are ones with literary themes and magical themes both of which are usually non-explicit (according to the Geekiary), and there are ones that are strictly for mature audiences. I had planned to try out one of each and I was looking at videos of them on YouTube for a better part of my “research” last night but that is not where the horror begins. It begins with a kid named ronaldmcdonaldslilbro.

When You Date Someone Your Parents Don’t Like