Tensions are Wearing Thin

If It Makes You Happy -It Can't Be That Bad

 My mom and I have been butting heads a fair bit the past few days, and she's starting to get on my last nerve.

On Tuesday I had my very first Quidditch game (yes, like Harry Potter, but without the flying bit). I was playing from 6:30-9:30. I live in a neighbourhood when buses are really stupid and infrequent, which makes getting around very frustrating. Now because I knew that I had Quidditch until 9:30, I knew that I would either have to wait until the 10:30 bus, or find another way home. I decided to find another way home and was planning on biking. However I realised I probably didn't want to bike home from an hour after running around for 3 hours playing Quidditch. So I made the decision to park my bike at the place where I would transfer buses and thus get to avoid waiting for the stupid bus that wouldn't come until 10:30. Brilliant, right?
Wrong.
All this managed to do when get my mom super pissed at me.
After Quidditch was over, my team mates decided we were going to go out for food. I was offered a ride home, and figured this would be a great opportunity to get to know my team better.
While I was in the restaurant I quickly texted my mom letting her know that I wouldn't be home immediately and not to worry.
She then proceeded to FLIP OUT, because she decided that I had lied to her and was going to die biking home.
I had texted her earlier in the day letting her know that I had decided to bus to the park for Quidditch (meaning that I was busing part of the way) so that I wouldn't be too tired. I had already explained to her that this was my Plan B, so when I executed Plan B, I figured she wouldn't need must prompting to understand what I meant. Apparently I was wrong.
My mom was livid and I spent the entire time at the restaurant fearing the wrath that would ensue when I returned home. (I was literally shaking out of fear).
It ended up being a non-issue, as my bike managed to fit into the car of the person who was giving me a ride, so I didn't need to bike home in the dark (even though I had a light and was going to be on a bike path essentially the entire time) but she was still upset with the stress I had put her through.

Then yesterday I was sitting around the house before I had to go off to work and was telling her about this amazing graphic novel series I had just finished.
It's called Amelia Rules, and you should totally check it out because it is AMAZING! It will make you laugh and cry and all the emotions.
But I digress. I was telling her about this series and how excited I was to have read it and how I was sad that there were no books in it, and my mom decided I was far too happy and she needed to burst my bubble.
"Why do you like stupid kids books so much?"
Is Amelia Rules a "kids book"? Yes. It is available in the children's section of the bookstore.
Does that mean that only kids can read it? Hell no!
I tried to explain to her why I enjoyed it, and she was having none of it. She had decided that I was being inappropriate for reading books that weren't for adults since I'm an adult.
I tried to explain to her why I prefer YA books to adult books. How I relate more to teenager protagonists than to middle aged ones, but she was still unimpressed.
I got defensive and upset (pretty much because she was telling me that one of the things that brings me the most joy in my life is wrong and I'm not allowed to like it).
My mom then decided that I was allowed to like kids books, but just not be inappropriately enthusiastic about it.
Oh gee, I'm too excited about something that genuinely makes me happy? Sorry, I'll be more apathetic, is that better?
I mean, who says things like that to their children? You like reading and it makes you happy, so I'm going to suck the fun out of it for you. MWAHAHAHAHA

It just makes me so angry. If reading picture books, or YA, or graphic novels, or whatever makes me genuinely happy and it isn't hurting anyone, WHY DOES SHE CARE?! Like seriously?
And it frustrates me to no end how when I get upset with her attacking something I love, or acting like an individual and she says things like "I hope one day you have kids just like you so you know what it's like".
Let's see, I'm independent, I work hard to achieve success in work and school, I help out around the house without having to be asked, I don't do drugs or join gangs or get knocked up or anything that would make me a typical "problem child".
I like to read and hang out with my friends to do nerdy things, yet apparently I'm a terrible person and clearly the spawn of the devil himself.
ARG.

Update of the Past Month

So I haven't posted in awhile, mostly because a lot of stuff has been happening. (Lots of sadness and stress unfortunately)

Last we spoke, my beloved dog, Shelby, had passed away.
A week later her brother, Joey, started to act in a similar manner and we had to put him down too.
It was so much all at once, and it was heart breaking.
I am no longer a pet owner, and have spent the vast majority of my life owning a pet of some sort or another. Tragic is really the only word that I can think that begins to describe this situation.

Recently I've been dealing with working a lot. Bleh. But I'm managing. I enjoy my job, which always helps.
June is always a crazy month for work because teachers come to finish off their budgets for the year all at once and you pretty much run around like a chicken with no head for a few weeks. Yikes!

Canada Day was excellent. I went to the living flag in the morning. It was quite wet and cold, but fun. Later the weather cleared up in time for the annual BBQ at my house. Then everyone headed to the park where we all ran around and played football and watched fireworks and it was super awesome!
It's like a combination of all my favourite things. Awesome friends, yummy food, running around having fun, and fire works!
(Plus it's one of the few stat holidays that the store I work at is actually closed.)

There hasn't been a lot of other super exciting things. I've hung out with friends, seen a few movies (Oh my goodness, How To Train Your Dragon 2 is amazing!), and yesterday I went to the Zoo.

I love the zoo, but I always feel conflicted about it. It's a lot of fun, and I really enjoy seeing all the amazing different animals, but I can't help but wonder if it is cruel to keep animals in captivity.
I know that a lot of animals are in zoos because either a) they were bred in captivity and were never actually wild animals, b) they are rehabilitating injured/ill animals with intention of reintroducing them to the wild at a future time, or c) the animal population is in jeopardy and they are part of a breeding program to sustain the population.
But sometimes the enclosures seem so small, and the animals so bored, and I can't help but wonder if even the help that zoos do, is perhaps not worth it, or not fair to the animals.

Also, one of my favourite parts of the Winnipeg Zoo is actually the butterfly garden. It's just this giant screened garden area where there are butterflies everywhere. It is one of the most peaceful areas I can think of I just love being in there. I actually wish it wasn't part of the zoo, and was just a part of the park that the zoo is located in because I would love to just relax inside the garden all the time. Imagine waking up and walking to the park to go sit in a beautiful garden and have butterflies all around you as you sip your morning coffee and enjoy whatever novel you're currently reading (which happens to be The Little Prince for me right now -such a delightful little read that I can't believe I'd put off for so long). Sadly it is part of the zoo, and paying $20 admission is a little steep if you only want to sit and read for an hour or so. Maybe one day I'll do this though, just because it seems like such a peaceful idea. But yeah, pretty butterflies and flowers, and it's just so beautiful. I was taking a bunch of pictures at the zoo, and I have a few of most of the animals, a lot of pictures of the red panda (so cute), and then a bajillion of different butterflies.

Also, I've been revamping my tumblr, and intend to actually start using it (for more than just spamming your dash with Nigel Thornberry faceswaps -although I'm not saying goodbye to Nigel all together, how could someone do that?).
It's a bit of a complicated reason as to why I want to start using Tumblr more, mostly revolving around growing tired of the communities on other websites I frequent, but I'll explain it at a later time perhaps.
If you want to check it out, and maybe follow me, you can so so here, or you know, whatever.