Growing Up

Hello, boys and girls.  I know.  I know.  I haven't posted in a while.  Sorry.  Here's a juicy one that will (hopefully) keep you satisfied.

So, where do I begin?  As you know, I moved out on my own earlier this year.  I mean, not COMPLETELY on my own.  I had 3 roommates which would later turn into 1 roommate.  And that went pretty well for the last 8 months.  THEN, my roommate got preggers.  That was a super interesting day.  She went from hysterical laughter to balling her eys out to laughing again to a state of total calm then back to crying and laughing.  So soon after finding this out, she and her boyfriend decided to move in together.  Now, when I say this, I don't mean he was moving into our apartment.  I mean they were getting an apartment for them to raise a kid in, which left me with the task of finding my own apartment.  MY FIRST APARTMENT.  No roommates, no parents, no nothing.  Just me.  A "big boy" apartment, as I like to call it.  So after looking at a few, I found one that I LOVE, signed some papers, wrote a check, and got approved.  After all this, I thought, "Shit.  I'm really out on my own now.  I'm growing up."  And I became sad a little.  I have always said I don't wanna grow up.  But I guess everyone grows up at some point whether they want to or not.

Also, I was promoted at work a month or so ago.  I am now a Shift Manager at the restaurant I work at.  (I can't name the place I work at in blogs, my stand up act, or anything else online.  I could get fired if I do...)  I never thought I would ever be an authority figure of any kind ever.  I mean, I'm immature.  The words poop and peepee make me giggle, I make fart and dick jokes, I have Power Ranger bed sheets.  Yeah, like I said, immature.  And they made ME a manager.  Again, another step to growing up.

Lastly, if you know me then you know I love being single.  I love girls, plain and simple.  I'm always on the look out for the next girl.  I can't help it, that's just the way I am.  The number of girls I've had sex with may shock you.  (I have gotten tested.  Yeah, THAT many.)  So, needless to say, settling down was the FURTHEST thing from my mind.  My last girlfriend was back in 2008.  And then SHE walked into my restaurant.  Now, I'll be honest, this wasn't a "love at first sight" type of thing.  My first thought was "She's good looking.  Wonder how long I can get her out of those clothes."  Then I kept seeing her every few days.  She is a regular at this place and gets the same thing every time.  Pad Thai with chicken.  So one day, I'm at the Mall of America and I run into her.  I'm like "Hey, you come in to my store all the time" and she's like "Yeah, you serve me my food."  Not the most romantic of meetings, I know.  But we started talking, went on a few dates, and now we're dating.  Come on.  Me?  Dating someone?  I know, it's crazy.  But I really like her.  My eyes don't wander as much when I'm with her.  (They still do, just not as much.)  Like I said, I'm growing up.

Everyone grows up at some point.  I'm not a completely different person, though.  I still make fart and dick jokes, I still laugh when I hear poop and peepee, I still have those Power Ranger bed sheets (with matching pillow case).  But I'm definitely more grown up than I was a year ago.  I have my own 1 bedroom apartment, I'm a Shift Manager at work, I have a girlfriend.  Pretty soon I'll start reading newpapers and worry about mortgages and tucking in my shirts.  Growing up is a part of life, and I'm embracing it instead of fearing it.

P.S. I'm wearing underwear now.  I never use to.  Comando was how I rolled, but not anymore.  What has happened to me?!

My Life: Chapter 3

Heeeellllloooooo, baaabbyyy. (Big Bopper, anyone? No? Ok.) How is everyone doing? Good? Since I can't actually hear your response, I'm just going to assume you're good. Oh boy, a lot to write about.

What does the title of this post mean? Well, it means I'm starting a new section of my life. But where is chapter one and two? Chapter one is my birth all the way through to graduating high school. Nothing exciting in particular happens in this chapter until near the end. More specifically in the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade. School pretty much ruled this chapter of my life and it was all I knew about life. So, what was chapter 2 then?

Chapter 2 started as soon as I removed my graduating cap and gown. I was no longer a kid in school. I was now an adult. Well, more of an adult than I had previously been. I mean, I was still a kid mainly but I was an adult kid. A "man boy" if I could be so bold. I worked at a grocery store for almost a year before trying to make a life on my own. I moved from the small town of Chisholm to St. Paul somewhere in the middle of this chapter. I lived with a few friends for about 3-4 months. Then, I moved in with my dad and grandpa for about 3-4 months after that in Minneapolis. After not being able to find a job and support myself, among other things involving my father going to jail, I had to move back in with my mother and step father and my 3 little half brothers in Chisholm. This is where I started this blog, moving back to Chisholm. So, if you've been avid reader, you know what happens in the rest of this chapter.

Now turning to Chapter 3. I now live in a 2 bedroom apartment in Burnsville, MN with 3 other people. I've been here for about 1 week and 1 day. You know what? I love it. I can't tell you how unhappy I was in Chisholm. Almost all my friends left for college, there was really nothing to do for recreation, and I only worked 3 days a week. Needless to say, I was bored out of my mind. I needed a change. That's why I moved here. It's sooo great here. The mall is a 20 minute walk away, the grocery store is right across the street, there are several dinners down the road as well as Target, Barnes and Noble, tons of coffee places, cafes, and so much more. It's pretty convenient considering I don't have a car anymore.

So, how did I come to living with 3 other people? Well, I'll tell you. One day I got a text from a girl I know. She wishes to remain anonymous, so for the purpose of this blog she'll be known as "Leah". Leah asked me if I wanted to move in with her and 2 other people. I had never met the other 2 before and I was a bit skeptical so I told her I'd think about it. I never actually intended to think about it. But about a week later, she asked me again. And then I ACTUALLY started thinking about it. And in about a week's time of thinking, I decided to do it. To move in with this girl and 2 strangers. Pretty bold, eh? I thought of it as an adventure. I love adventures. So, I saved up some money, gave my 2 week notice at my job, and got out of Dodge.

But wait, what does this mean for Elephant Stomp? I'm sure if you're reading this, you are also a viewer of Elephant Stomp videos. Well, sadly, we won't be making videos for a long while. I mean, we'll still make videos when we can. And I'm sure Blake and Nick will make some videos together. Or they SHOULD at least. And I will have more videos of course. Just be sure to go to my Youtube page to see if anything new is up. www.youtube.com/ryanjuntunen

So, there you have it. The beginning of Chapter 3 in the story of my life. As always, I'll update you as I go along. There really isn't anything to report other than I'm enjoying my new life. Oh, and my new roommates are super nice and friendly. I can't believe I was actually worried.

No Shave November: Day 12

It's been 12 days since I've shaved. I feel I'm growing weak. So tired. So thirsty. Can't. Think. In. Head. Where are my razors?

I'm not even half way through and I'm already thinking about abandoning ship. What little facial hair I HAVE actually grown is really quite pathetic. I've got the stupid Mexi-stache going on, some chin hairs that looks just sad, and a pair of adorably lame side burns. Why am I not able to grow a beard that would make Chewbacca proud? That's all I want. Can Santa just bring me THAT for Christmas? Please?

*SIGH* I can't give up. I just can't. What would Santa say? What would Chewbacca say?! NO. I must keep going. I must keep growing. Even if it does make me uncomfortable. I just wanna know how ridiculous I look after this is all over. I might even keep the hair in the end. (No way am I keeping the hair in the end.)

On a side note, I was called cute today while I was in the check out line at Wal-Mart. A group of girls were behind me and they were whispering to each other. Not whispering softly enough because I could hear them. Well, I assumed they were talking about me. They said, "He kinda looks like Taylor Lautner." "Yeah. He's cute." Of course, they could have been talking about Taylor when they mentioned the cute part...

And as promised, the picture of my pathetic facial hair growth. You have to look closely.

The Big Picture

So, I intended to write this blog with little things in mind. Daily things that keep me from getting work done. But then I started thinking about life and whatnot. So this blog turned out a little more heartfelt that I intended. But here it goes...

Life is full of distractions. Things that take your eyes off of the big picture. I'm not talking about the big picture of life, but the big picture according to you. If you're in high school, the big picture is graduating. In college, the big picture is.... also graduating. In a meaningful relationship, the big picture is, presumably, marriage. But the road to that big picture isn't a short one by any means. You have to go through many different obstacles on that road. Thats why its called a journey. And while on that journey, don't stop believing. (I apologize for that poor Journey joke.) But seriously, on that road are so many rest stops and detours you can take. And its alright to stop and look around every now and again, as long as you keep your eyes on the big picture.

My big picture is film school. If you know me than you know that filmmaking is my passion. I don't even have a fallback plan. Making films is my only plan because thats all I want to do with my life. But I've been somewhat distracted from that goal over the past few years. Yeah, years. I've been wanting to go to film school since I graduated high school. Before that, even. I know, I need to get on the ball. But I've coasted by on the bare mininum for so long, I'm not sure how to achieve my goal.

As long as I can remember, I've wanted to tell stories. I know this because I received a letter from my first grade teacher when I graduated stating that I loved to write stories even back when I was in first fucking grade. Then, growing up, I started to develope my short stories into longer stories and those longer stories into sort of novellas and those novellas eventually lead to screen stories. I could never really write stories onto paper very well. I'd always write Screen Play type stories. Then I developed an appreciation for film. It wasn't until 9th or 10th grade when I realized that I wanted to make movies.

Nothing has really come to fruition since then. I mean, I've done some little high school projects and I've made some silly videos with my friends, but thats about all I've done since the 10th grade. And it really hasn't affected me until now. I've been out of school for 2 years and I have no job and I am no closer to my "big picture" than I was when I was 16. I'm nearing my 20th birthday and I have nothing to show for it. This fact has gotten me down the past few weeks.

I've recently sent for Admission Applications for several film schools. New York, Florida, Chicago. Just to name a few. But while looking at film schools online, I started thinking about the people in my life. I don't want to leave them. Then I started thinking of them as the distractions to my big picture. And this job hunt I've been on for a number of months isn't helping either. No job means no money. No money means no way to pay for school. And to top it all off, I've recently, to put it politely, "hit it off" with a girl I've had major feelings for since I met her. Now, I'm not a fan of relationships at all. I like being single and I don't understand why people settle down when they are young, but this girl is, more or less, the girl of my dreams. She's beautiful, funny, smart, fun to be around, she smells good all the time (what? I don't know. I just wanted more adjectives in here), her tastes in movies and music are strikingly similar to mine, and she's just all around awesome. I think she is perfect. But again, this is a distraction from my big picture and I do not want to settle down in any way, shape, or form. So as of now, my eye is on the prize. I'm not letting anything distract me from achieving my goal. Film school is calling me and I intend to answer.

So when it comes to you and your big picture, just remember that its ok to be distracted here and there. Just make sure that you try your hardest to achieve that goal. And don't get lost in those distractions.