That's so 2009

*Cough* 
What? Oh ya... the blog I've neglected for about 2 years.
This past week I had a chance to talk with Alex Hayes, and he reminded me of how many people enjoyed reading my blog and seeing my rage comics daily. Sure it has been a while but why not start again?

And there has been a few things on my mind I wish to share with anyone who would care to take the time to read them. Starting with dust.

What? Dust?
Yah. Dust.
Okay Nate, but I don't see what dust has to do with anything right now?

It's spring. Well, it doesn't feel like it. The weather has been somehow almost colder than winter.

Regardless...

This semester is almost done. Summer is on its way. It is almost time to go back home (for most people), to good ol' Valpo. It's time to get rid of the dust in your old room and make way for another crazy summer, full of random stories and all the friends you've missed. 

So yah, I'm back to writing again. I don't care if you thing blogs are so "2009."

Chef Klumpitize

Alright so I've got numerous requests to post new recipes (turns out epic nachos were epic) so here is another trademarked dish of my own!


Cheesy-buffalo-potato-maddness 1337

This recipe is quick, easy, and has very little clean up.

Procedure:

-buy roughly 12-18 boneless wings from any wing restaurant.


-smash the wings and line the bottom of a 9x9 pan


-cook any type of potato (this picture uses hand-cut 
potatoes, my favorite is either tater tots or wedges)*


-top the pan lined with wings with the cooked potatoes and evenly distribute them.


-cover with a truckload of cheese until you cannot see the potatoes.


-place in the oven on the lowest temperature until cheese melts




*Try with different wing sauces. I started with mild, but the next time I make this I am getting garlic-parm ones!

**do not use mashed potatoes.... bad idea





This recipe i made today. It took roughly 30 minutes and it is really good!!!

Recipe for Success (Epic Nachos)

For those of you who want to know how Zach, TK, and I are making our Epic Nachos, this is how! (The recipe was created at a Madness Wednesday two years ago.)

Epic Nachos

2-3 bags of different tortilla chips (Tostada, On the Border, and Tostito Chips are what we are using)
1 quart of white cheese dip
1 or 2 jars of salsa
1 jar of jalapenos
4 bags of assorted shredded cheeses (Pepper Jack, Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Mexican)
2 cups of choice of cooked meat (ground beef, steak strips, or chicken)
1 small cup of scallions
2 cups of shredded lettuce

Option Plays:
Epic Buffalo Nachos- use shredded chicken dipped in wing sauce
Epic Vegetarian nachos- add green peppers, tomatoes, and/or onions instead of meat.

Preparation:
Layer the bottom of a large tray with relatively one bag of nachos. Top with one bag of cheese, and a few jalapenos. Make another layer of chips and top with another bag of cheese, salsa, and meat instead of jalapenos. Do this until you run out of cheese/chips (be sure to save some meat for the topping!). Once finished, put into the oven (at the lowest temperature) until the cheese melts. Then top with the white queso, scallions, shredded lettuce, and leftover meat.

It'll look something like this:

ENJOY! :)

Step One: Happiness

Everyday and I see people that are annoyed, stressed, or seem to be too busy with life to be happy. This needs to change because misery spreads like a sickness. Imagine for a second that everyone you saw was in a great mood. It would be strange because you know there is always someone you see everyday that seems to be having the worst day of their life.*

I don't understand people that choose to be miserable. It doesn't make sense to me. For some people it is difficult because they have a lot going on in their lives that causes stress or sadness. It is OK to be sad once in a while, but not all the time. 

Some people can't even be happy when they are with their friends or at an enjoyable place. They are so focused on the bad things going on that they forget the good things that are currently happening to them.

Remember that the easiest way to be happy is focusing on and doing all the small things that make you happy. While thinking about this, I made a list of easy ways to make yourself happy. These are some of the things I do to make myself happy when I am in a crappy mood. **

Nathan's Easy Way to Happiness

- Obtain your favorite food

- Watch your favorite movie or TV show

- Play your favorite video game or read your favorite book

- Take a nap

- Go for a run

None of these ideas are really difficult or take up too much time. It is easy to make room in your day to do at least one of these things. You may have a lot going on in your life, but choosing to be miserable is always a bad choice.

*If there is one person you know who is always in a bad mood, try to make their day better. You will never know how much of a difference you just made

**All of these things should be done alone. If you are in a crappy mood stay away from others unless you need help. This way you don't put others in a crappy mood too!

"Politics... that's a bear trap"

Well quoted by my friend Zach Dawson, this statement is quite true. Bringing up the ever-continuous battle of political issues is always a bad idea. No matter how many people you talk to, you will not change the political agenda without being a powerful politician. So why discuss it?


Top 3 Reasons People Talk about Politics


1. You will make a difference: No. If you are campaigning against something, support the major organization against that idea if you really care that much. It's easy to volunteer for the organization's major events... even buy a t-shirt. Whatever it takes for you to feel like you helped.


2. You will make someone change their opinion on something: Um, no. In our stubborn world, good luck changing anyone's mind on something as simple as what they eat for lunch.* 


3. To start an argument: If this is your objective, congratulations! No matter what happens, you have just succeeded.




So what do you hope to gain from talking about this topic? If you bring politics up with me, I will immediately change the subject.** So if you want to be a person that everyone enjoys being around, a helpful tip is to not talk about politics. Don't step in the bear trap.

*Unless you prove that chicken nuggets, ham sandwiches, and frozen pizza are poison I will never stop eating them


**Please please please please don't talk about it around me!!!!!!

Love Your Enemies... Unless You Have None

Recently I posted "10 Steps to Being a Better Person" and in my last post I talked about the first step to making people not dread being around you. Now why would I post those things?


Life is a lot easier when everyone doesn't hate you. Sure there are some people who may hate you because of something terrible you did to them, but you can't change the past.* Achieving a life without enemies may seem unrealistic, and for some it may be impossible. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try to.


Recently, I have set out on a mission to love my enemies. While meditating on this topic I realized that I don't like having enemies. So that's when I decided: why just not have any?


If you have ever thought, "I just want this person to go away! I can't stand them!" then maybe its time you put your hatred away and started loving them instead. The results will suprise you.


I'm on a quest to live life without enemies. So, join me if you'd like. It's going to be one heck of an adventure.**

*If you have done something terrible to someone and haven't at least apologized, that is your first step! Note: when apologizing, a favor or small gift makes the apology genuine.


**If you don't like adventures, don't join me. If you know me in real life then you know I love adventures, no matter how rediculous!

Shooting Fish in Barrels

First off, shooting fish in a barrel is not easy (unless you have a shotgun with trap shot rounds).* Second, who tried shooting a fish in a barrel in the first place? Either way there are more important things to discuss...

Everyone has habits. Figure out if your habits annoy others, and if any of them do, stop. Don't leave it up to your friends to harass you to quit and put up with it. So in the context of my title, if your fish bite others, shoot them yourself.

Healthy habits are easy to figure out. If you do things like run everyday or take vitamins, well good for you. Don't try to make everyone do the same thing. There is nothing wrong with being unique, but if you boast about your healthy habits people will get annoyed with you anyway.**

Kicking bad habits is the first step into a life without people disliking you. It may be hard, but take baby steps and you will be fine. 

*The Mythbusters proved it. Don't argue with me or them.

**Don't tell people they need to change their lifestyle... they get offended, and you could end up with a black eye