Oh, the IRONY.

yes, i am aware that it has almost been a month since my last update...no lie: nothing has been going on. we've gone christmas shopping....that's about it. now you're caught up.
to the title of this blog post: our tv died today....and it's almost black friday.... and i was just talking to someone at work about a 42" LCD sharp tv that's at best buy for only $200. at the risk of becoming the HUGEST HYPOCRITE on this planet, i thought about going to stand in line- jarrod suggested it too, so don't yell at me! BUT i will NOT be going. somehow, we'll survive w/out a tv... and maybe we will still be able to get a deal somewhere sometime soon. the only problem with getting a new tv is the money we would be using for the iphone 4s will either be going to that (the 4s) or a tv now. UGH. decisions, decisions. so, we'll see which is chosen first. *sigh*
on to more important things. i've noticed on fb that a lot of people are/were saying what they were thankful for each day leading up to today- thanksgiving. i thought that was a great idea, strangely enough, but i figured i'd forget and then fall behind, so i skipped out on that. there's no reason i can't do that now though. so here it goes

24 things I am THANKFUL for: (in no particular order)
1. I am thankful for jarrod's record player, which is allowing me to listen to probably my favorite album of all time: Wincing the Night Away by the shins. Never heard of it? look it up, for reals! it's seriously one of the best albums ever made, EVER. back to the record player- i'm thankful it is keeping me company as jarrod is at work and the tv is dead. :P
2. I am thankful for my cat, Iris, as she is also keeping me company right now, looking so cute and content on the top of the couch. she may just seem like a cat to anyone else, but she truly is a great friend of mine- she's always there to help me lower my blood pressure (http://www.catsplay.com/thedailycat/2003-09-22/mind_happycat/petting/petting.html) and keep my physically and psychologically healthy. she is my child and i love her with all of my being. i'm so glad she came with us to portland, or should i say, i'm glad she actually loves us after putting her through that. she's such a sweet girl. :)
3. i am thankful for my car- the MOST AMAZING car on the planet. she may look like a piece of junk, but she is a fighter. she has been through so much; traveled so far, and has gotten me to every destination safely. she is probably my most prized possession. would you believe i only paid $250 for her? (split the total with my parents- $500 total) she is worth every penny and more. she's more than paid for herself. i love that car!!! and even though i do daydream about the day i will own a mini cooper, or any other car for that matter, i will always have a special place in my heart for the car that helped me reach my dreams.
4. i am thankful for fingernail clippers. i don't know what it is that causes me to constantly pick at my nails and the skin around my nails, but it's something i do, and if i didn't have fingernail clippers on me at all times, i'd probably end up ripping my nails off altogether.
5. i am thankful for my job at the movie theater, no matter how much i hate it. it may be the worst place in the universe, but it still introduced me to some of my best friends, whom i hope to stay friends w/ until the world ends, even after. haha. oh yeah, the theater pays me....that's pretty nice. haha. but seriously, i am aware there are plenty of people out there w/out jobs who are struggling everyday, and i am grateful to not be one of those people. i just need to remind myself of that fact sometimes.
6. i am thankful for wifi and internet access, so that i may keep in touch with friends and family almost constantly.
7. i am thankful for unlimited texting, bc man, i go through those things like no other. there was one point in time when i only had 250 or maybe 500... needless to say, i went over that limit every time.
8. i am thankful for garage sales and thrift stores. as you know, i am a pretty cheap person- i really hate spending money, but when i come upon good deals, it's hard not to spend money, so i'm glad there are places for people like me that actually do have quality items. haha (this was brought to mind by the robe i am currently wearing that's keeping me toasty warm- i bought it at a garage sale.)
9. i am thankful for the house we now live in and i am grateful to the owner of the house to take a chance on a random couple from texas that she knew nothing about. (thanks, brandi!) this house truly is amazing. it feels like home. :) we have so much space in the basement and we're getting such a great deal on everything. i'm glad we found it when we did. who knows what would have happened if we didn't find this house?
10. i am thankful for my friends and family for being so supportive when jarrod and i decided to move over 2000 miles away from them. i know it was/is rough on them (still), but i'm glad they were brave enough to let us follow our dreams. not only did they wish us luck in our journey, but they also helped us get here by donating items to multiple garage sales, AND purchasing stuff from those same garage sales to help us get out here. thank you!!!
11. and now separately: i am thankful for my friends. they have gotten me through so much and helped me grow all my life. w/out them i would be a completely different person, or worse, i wouldn't be alive bc i didn't have them to help me and support me and make me laugh when i really needed it. i love you!!!
12. i am thankful for my brother. for a while there (when we were really young) i really couldn't stand him. man, i think i really hated him...but then something happened- he turned into the coolest person and brother ever and we started getting along. he's such a great guy and he was/is always capable of making me laugh uncontrollably. mom always did say, "if you're brother wasn't funny, you probably would have killed him." haha. i am glad we get along so well now, but slightly upset that we can't spend as much time together anymore. i know, i asked for that though. haha.
13. i am thankful for my parents (mom, dad, gene): they, made me the person i am today through their teachings, guidance, and discipline. they were strong when they needed to be and kind and caring when that was called for. haha. but seriously, i am truly grateful to them for how i turned out. mrs. arispe asked me once what my parents did to make stephen and i turn out so well. i honestly don't know, but what i do know is they did something right. so much could have gone wrong, but bc of their guidance, we turned out just about perfect. thank you for that!!! you are the greatest parent's in the world!
14. i am thankful for jarrod's parents/family who accepted me into their family as soon as we met that day right before our first trip together to six flags. (even though i was really quiet and shy and continued to be that way for quite a while) they have taught me so much and helped me grow and they have shown me so much love, it's overwhelming. i am grateful that they trust me enough to drag (not really) their youngest son with me to portland. i am glad they were always willing to help with the move even though i know it hurt them to let us go. thank you for all of the love and support!!!
15. i am thankful for jarrod hartfield, who is the strongest person i know. i don't know how he puts up with me sometimes, as i can rarely put up with myself at those times, but somehow, he does it and i am very grateful for that. i am so glad he is always there for me and cares for me. :) he's seriously one of the best people in this universe, no lie. haha. i love him and i am thankful i have him to call my own. 
16. i am thankful for leftovers. i am about to go upstairs and get me some left over spaghetti! yeah! an easy meal. woot woot.
17. i am thankful for books and movies. i love that they have the ability to whisk you away to another world in a split second. it's always comforting to know that at any given moment, if needed, you can transport yourself to another time and place and just forget about everything you were worried about or bothered by. 
18. i am thankful for my comfortable, warm bed that i will be sleeping in very soon. i love that bed. haha.
19. i am thankful i don't have to work the "actual" black friday. i will get to go to sleep very soon as opposed to retail workers who will be working overnight and screwing up their sleep schedules. i'm so glad i don't have to go through that and i am incredibly sorry to those of you who do. 
20. i am thankful i live in such an amazing city. the people here are crazy, sure, but the the beauty of the city and it's uniqueness cancel the weirdness out (occasionally). this city has given me so many fun and exciting opportunities to do different things. i look forward to spending more time with this city and learning more about it.
21. i am thankful for photographs. i just love that we can capture a moment forever. it's like memories you don't have to keep in your head bc the pictures are there to remind you. :) 
22. i am thankful for music. music has a special place in my life, as a former band member, but also just in general. music helps me vent and express things that i can't do myself. music is a powerful thing and i am grateful that i can experience it's beauty in different ways.
23. i am thankful for my health. for some reason, i seem to have a really great immune system (knock on wood). i love that!!! i hope my immune system is always as strong as it is now. i really hate being sick. haha.
24. i am thankful for my life. it's a pretty easy life, even if i can't see that sometimes. i do get stressed out a lot, but i really shouldn't. i have everything i need and more and i am truly grateful for that.


that took me almost 2 hours. once again, i remember what i don't update anymore. haha.
alright, i think that's it. by now it's friday in tx, but i'm gonna say it anyways: HAPPY THANKSGIVING, everyone. i hope it was lovely and filled with joy.
-sarah-