The Home Stretch

So here I am on a Saturday at my sweet nook desk in my new apartment. And I have absolutely no motivation to do homework of any sort.

Moving here has really put a damper on my motivation, although I think I always knew I was slowly running out of steam. This weekend I must accomplish a PR Case case study and figure out how I will present it to my classmates and the craziest teacher who will eat my alive if I don't know what I'm talking about.

I have already decided that I will just break down in a cry-fest if she says one thing. I'm a ticking time bomb. She is just so rude and gruff. And to be totally honest, I don't have time for that.

On a lighter note, my historical research paper received rave reviews. Thank the Good Lord because I'm not sure I have it in me to fix it. All it needs it minor tweaking, and Dr. Z said it would be good enough to submit to a conference. Har har.

So today it is back to the drawing board. I have to get my final discussion board post knocked out ASAP so I can move on the paper and presentation. Ah, PR Cases. I can't wait to be done with you.

I hope you have a great weekend. Do something fun. I'm ready for the fun to happen again. I need it to happen. The home stretch is upon us. Two weeks left. One more weekend of homework (remember, I never count the weekend/week we are in). Time to get cracking.

See ya on the other side.

Until next time...

A Hillsong Day

A lot of discussions about Jesus and religion come up in this office where I work. We get on tangents, and by the time it's over we are pumped up about Jesus and what He's doing. Today was especially true.

So this brings me to Thursday's video medley. A tribute to Hillsong United.

Challenge of the day: Let the music move you. Don't really watch the people. Just listen. Close your eyes if you have to. Feel it. It will blow your mind. Take it in.

"It's Your Love"

"With Everything"

Hope you have a blessed day. This is for all the people in Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and anywhere else people are recovering from serious storm damage. This is for all the people in need of a little Light in their life. This is for my family. And for Uncle John who is chatting it up with the Big Guy.

Sometimes we forget there is something bigger than us. Much bigger. With plans that are not what we plan. His plans will happen. And we won't expect it. That's life. God is good. All the time.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

I don't know about you, but I can't wait to see what His plan for me is. Bet it's better than I could ever imagine.

Until next time...



This is Gonna Be Good...I Can Tell

Yesterday was Spaghetti Tuesday, and let me tell you it was a complete success.

Two long lost friends came to the house to celebrate our arrival to the Big City. Usually on Spaghetti Whatever Day it may be (we don't set a specific day to eat the spaghetti), we just have spaghetti. No salad. No bread. No "beverages." No dessert. It's filler food that we don't need because it's all about the spaghetti. Sound a little crazy? Maybe, but it works for us.

So back to the story. Yesterday two friends came by to join in the spaghetti-eating ritual that takes place once a week at my house. Logan brought Skinny Girl margaritas (YUM), salad and cheesy bread. Zach made a homemade key lime pie. Needlesstosay, it was all delicious. But one thing stood out above the rest.

There was some serious quality friend time happening. And it was too great. We talked about a lot of random things and laughed about all the crazy things the roommate has done throughout her life. I use to think her actions came out of nowhere, but now I know it has taken years of practice to become so gifted in her own ways.

For example, numerous stories were told of her in first grade. One that stands out the most deals with tornadoes, given the fact that Arkansas has been through a lot of those lately.

Apparently when the roommate and Logan were in first grade, there was a tornado that came through Stuttgart. They were at another girl's house whose mom freaked out so much that she made them put their heads under the couch. The roommate was so freaked out by everything that instead of laying with her head under the couch like she was told, she laid next to the couch leaving little to no room for everyone else to put their heads under the couch.

Honestly, I can just see her now doing the same exact thing. She marches to her own beat, which is what makes her so hilarious.

Other stories were told and drinks were sipped. And it was just a great night. I have every hope that this move to Little Rock was the best decision I could have made. I already feel so much happier. Like the zest of life is coming back. With only two more weekends of doing homework, a girl can get pretty excited about the upcoming summer and the good friends to share it with. Here's to the next chapter. Ching. Ching.

Until next time...

Is This Real Life?

So I moved into my brand new apartment in West Little Rock. And I love it. It is so pretty, and everything I think a home should be. It was a 7 1/2 hour move to the Big City, but it's now over.

I am so happy to live in the city and have all kinds of things to do right out my front door. It took the roommate and I two days to unpack all the boxes. So yesterday was my first day "relaxing" in the box. But technically relaxing didn't happen. So here is the rundown of my day yesterday. I feel like it is worth the read.

So I had scheduled the deliver of my new washer and dryer and AT&T's Uverse to be installed yesterday. They were both suppose to come in the morning time so I could have the afternoon to study and do the homework game.

So at 9 A.M. the beautiful washer and dryer was delivered. BUT...the dryer was missing a four-prong plug-in and the vent hose. Needlesstosay, it's still not in working order. I called the Little Rock Sears only to get the response of "Ma'am, you need to call the Conway Sears where you made the purchase because they will have all your order information in the system."

I think ok. So I call the Conway Sears. Lady was so rude to me. After I explain the situation and tell her I was missing key parts to my dryer, she said, "What do you want me to do about it?" I said, "I want it to be taken care of. I was told in the beginning that everything I needed would be deliver, and it wasn't." She said, "What do you want me to do about?" Basically my brain exploded. She had an attitude, and I wasn't having it. She ended up taking my name and phone number to "look into it" and call me later with some options.

In the meantime, AT&T was suppose to come set up the cable and internet from 11 - 1 yesterday was well. So I did some homework, and when I looked up again it was 1:05 P.M. And there was no sign of the Uverse man. So I call them. After I had been on hold for 15 minutes to talk to a representative, the lady got on the line to tell me something had gone wrong with my order....DUH. I mean come on. Of course somehting was wrong. That was the reason I called to being with.

So she also take my name and number to call me once she gets ahold of someone from another AT&T office to figure it out. I think ok.

So at 2 P.M. I had still not heard from the Sears lady (go figure). I called the Little Rock Sears again to see if there was any way they could help me find the things I need for my dryer. So Vanessa of Sears tells me that my dryer should have come with the vent. Great. She then tells me that it was probably left on the delivery truck. So I ask about the four-prong cord. She said that the Sears on University didn't have any instock, but I could drive to the McCain Sears. I asked if I could pick up the cord and the vent at the same time. She said, "No ma'am, you have to pick up the cord and purchase it because it wasn't on the original order. And we have to deliver the vent because it is a special order item that should have been delivered to begin with."

I swear I thought my brain was going to explode. How does that make sense? It doesn't. I just love the run-around (Sarcastic tone). But the day just seems to get worse.

AT&T doesn't call me back either. So at 4:30 P.M. I've had enough. I call again, and I name drop all the people who have helped me with setting up the account and figuring out what went wrong. To be honest, I felt a little bad for Eric, the guy who answered my call. So Eric figures out that "something went wrong with the account," and he sets up a 30 window for another guy from AT&T to call me to reschedule my set-up.

So I wait for 15 minutes, I wait. Then the phone rings, and it's AT&T. He apologized numerous times and then made me an offer to come anytime today to set up our cable and internet. I told him Tuesday was not good for me since I had to work.

So basically I won't have parts of my dryer, cable or internet until Thursday. AWESOME. I just love it. I love how everything has gone awry.

And to top it all off, I lived through the scariest storm of my life last night. I was home alone posted up in the roommate's bathroom (because it's the closest to the interior walls) hugging the toilet (because they are alway still standing after storms and tornados) praying out loud and listening to my mom spit weather jargon in my ear for an hour. It was terrible. If you want to see how bad, visit www.katv.com/weather for photos of the storms and tornados that passed through Central Arkansas.

Please pray for all the people whose lives were affect by the storms, especially everyone in Faulkner County - Vilonia area - and Garland County - Hot Springs area. And also pray for the entire state because we are about to batten down the hatches for round two of storms and tornadic activities. No me gusta.

Until next time...

The Last Commute

What a glorious day this is. It would be absolutely perfect if it were not rainy and cold here in Little Rock. But nothing can really steal my good mood because I'm moving Saturday, which is a day away since we don't count today or the actual day we move so it is just tomorrow.

I have a big fear that it will rain and our furniture will get all wet. I just want to get everything in without anyone getting hurt. Hauling furniture up three flights of stairs will be interesting because the stairwells are super narrow. But nobody's upset because we're finally moving.

As I was driving to work this morning, I realized I would not have to make this trip again unless I just wanted to. Huge realization. I am leaving the town I've lived in for 5 years. A little part of me is kind of sad. I am going to miss all the familiar surroundings of my college town. Of my college life. I made so many memories there.

But I'm still excited about starting new in the Big City. I can't wait to see what happens. It should be interesting and fun and scary. But all around good for me.

A small story sidenote: A lady is here (at my job) doing a training session for a formative evalution, which is a fancy word for keeping up with progress. And she is from India. Yep, that's right. India.

I love a good accent, and I have perfected a British accent thanks to the trip to Great Britian and many watchings of Bridget Jones's Diary. But Indian is slowly becoming my favorite.

So the lady is here giving a training session, making feel like I'm in class. She talked a lot about surveys, and it was a lot the first semester of grad school over again. Not the best thing to listen to in an early morning meeting. But then I caught a break.

She started talking about participants. Participants pronounced partypants. It was too much. I had to hold back a giggle. Participants will never be the same to me again. Loved it.

So thank you partypating in today's blog. I am so glad you are my partypants. You guys rock. Keep it classy. Have a great day.

Until next time...

Limbo

Recently I've been getting the feeling that I am in my life's version of limbo. It just seems like I'm hanging around waiting for my adult life to start and my college life to end.

Now I realize that I am still in school and only working part-time, but grad school is like college on steroids and my job will hopefully turn into my "big girl" job when school is over.

We go through various limbos in life. But this one seems like a pretty significant one. People are starting to wonder...What's gonna happen to her? The thing is that I've passed some of the times in life where "society" thinks should have happened by now.

Case in point: I'm 23 years old. And I currently do not have a boyfriend. Society says "You should have meet that someone in college, and now you should be on the track of engagement, marriage, a two-story house with a white-picket fence and a dog. What's wrong with you?"

Well, (A) nothing is wrong with me, and (B) my guess is that I'm still in limbo. And I feel like I've been in this particular limbo for about 3 years. The first two years not as much (just a recovery period from the Dark Days), but this past year, it feels like I have really jumped head first into my life's limbo. It's strange.

Do I want to meet that special someone? Yes, of course. But do I want to feel forced to conform to what society says a 23-year-old girl should be doing? Not really. I don't want to be feel rushed into something. And the house with the white-picket fence is not ideal for me. My style is much more modern and chic with a lot less of the country house, stay-at-home mom feel.

I am happy right now, but I will be happier once school is no longer putting a damper on my social life and good humor. I'm excited about graduating and starting a career. I'm excited about making it all work on my own.

But the thing about limbo is not knowing. And while it's half the fun, the other half is scary. So this is where I am on this beautiful Tuesday morning. Taking stock of my life in limbo. I'm completely over being in this limbo, but I still think it is necessary for me to really get ahold of myself before I'm released for good into the big wide world. So I'll just keep plodding along in limbo.

If you feel the same way I do, we should talk about it. Nothing is better than getting it out of your head. I would love to talk to you about it. But if you are more of the suffer-in-silence type, then here is my grand adivce:

Limbo doesn't last forever. We all have funks in life where we don't feel like ourselves. But it's just the physical and mental battle of your new self kicking your old self in the butt. It's a reality check. What comes out of limbo is a new person. You may look the same, talk the same, walk the same, but your insides are different and you think different. It's cool. Just go with it. And then rock whatever self come out after limbo. Because you were meant to be that way for a reason.

Hope you guys have a wonderful week. Pray that it doesn't rain Saturday since I will moving to the big city.
Happy Tuesday. Love you. :)

Until next time...

Three Things

1.  I MOVE IN 5 DAYS! So basically we don't count today because it's already here so it's really 4 days. The packing is coming along thanks to the roommate. She's done a bang-up job putting our belongings in boxes. So much so that last night we got into 16 mini-psuedoarguments over how best to pack up the "junk drawer." She calls it modge podge, and I say hodge podge or junk. No worries. All is well. There is nothing like verbal snaps between friends during a packing session. It makes for a better friendship.

2. My current lack of motivation is a little upsetting. I have had little to no motivation to complete anything. I have started to resent UALR and all that it is. I don't want to do assignments or write papers. I just want to read books I want to read, blog about stuff I like, go to work, hang out with friends and lounge by my soon-to-be new pool. Anyone have any recommendations on how best to tackle my current lack of motivation? Advice is much needed.

3. I've been having weird dreams lately. So weird that I want not to share the details. Usually I'm so tired that I don't dream at all. But the past few nights my imagination has been crazy. I blame school and the lack of a social life. Hopefully, I will get back to the normal no dream status that I usually am. Hopefully.


I'll keep you posted on the upcoming week and all that it has planned for me. And I will be sure to share all that pops up that was unplanned. Have a great week, fellow blog lovers. I'll be seeing ya.

Until next time...

What I Do Best

I have been really unmotivated this weekend to do anything school related. I think Wednesday's little meltdown took its toll. But today I forced myself to look alive.

I had an assignment for my media theory class this week that consisted of me reading a Vogue article and applying media theory to it. Sounds easy, but my lack of motivation has made me feel not very inspired to pursue this task.

So here's the skinny: Basically I have decided to forgo the traditional route of spitting facts and definitions at my classmates for 15 minutes. And I developing a new take on an oral presentation that could make traditional presentation enthusiasts gasp. I am going to tell a story, which is what I do best.

I think it is a genetic gift I got from my Dad, who has the ability to talk about any subject to great extent with people not realizing that it may or may not be true. It is a true gift, the gift of gab. And I have it. My ability to tell "tales" is not as perfected as his because I struggle with the being an effective liar. He is very good at telling a lie that could be a fact.

But I can tell a story. Story-telling could be my calling. And I think that is why I love journalism. Because I get to write stories. These stories being as accurate as I can make them.

So for this presentation I am taking a story written by a journalist who went to Morocco to teach journalism to young people and applying it to media theory....Sounds boring? Yes. How will I fix it? I'm going to tie a story about myself into the story I read.

Let's face it. People love to get personal. So if I get a little personal with my classmates, they (in theory) will pay more attention to what I'm saying. Surely it will be better than hearing 15 minutes of facts and definitions.

I mean I love a good story...So hopefully this will work. And I will get a good grade. Otherwise, it will be just another boring presentation that I know all to well. So here's to taking a chance. I'll let you know how it goes.

Until next time...

There's No Crying in Mass Comm

Just as I thought I was getting out of my funk. I was slapped in the face with a big fat problem. As you know from Monday's post, I finished my paper for my historical methods class. But that just means I have to totally switch gears into mass comm theory and PR cases.

So here's the story:

I had class last night just like always. I turned in a 6-page essay test. I received an 89 percent on the literature review I turned in last week. And the professor started talking about the final paper. She passed out a salmon colored handout with the guidelines for the paper on it. And she begins to explain it.

As she's explaining, my forehead begins to twist into a permenant furrowed brow. I'm not understanding...completely not following the path she's trying to explain. I could feel my face getting hot and the panic setting in. The coversation in my head went a lot like this:

Ok ok. What is she saying? Ok so it's 15 pages, and we have to answer a question. Ok. What question? Ok I have no idea....Why does she keep saying the same thing over again?...Why does she keep looking at me when talking about this?...OMG, she knows that I have no idea what's she is talking about. Don't ask me questions. Don't ask me about it...Please don't ask me....

And then she asks, "Who is doing something with agenda-setting?"

Oh, crap...that's me. What do I say? Don't ask me anything...Just give advice on what I should be doing...Please please clarify.

She says, "What's your question? What are you planning to do?"

.............

And she gets crickets. I am completely blank. She keeps staring at me expecting an answer...And she gets this, "I'm not sure. I have an idea of where this is going, but I don't know where you want it to go."

Basically it was the worst answer ever stated aloud. There I was with no answer to a question I had an entire semester to work on. My insides feel like they are going to explode. I keep thinking that any minute I will throw up in front of 13 people. Great. (BTW I did not throw up.)

So I leave confused, feeling sick, and uber-stressed. I get to the car and the tears roll. And then I get mad because I'm crying. I can't stand that they made me cry again. I had vowed to never let them see my cry and that grad school and I were officially at war. But here I was in my car crying tears of anger.

Once that was over, my "take-charge" attitude kicked into overdrive. I e-mailed some students in the class asking for an explanation and guidance. Then I e-mailed a teacher from UCA to ask for help hashing out where to go next with this paper.

Today I got an e-mail from a classmate and my teacher. They both were super eager to help me out. And I was super willing to accept the help. I'm still a complete wreck mess about where this paper is going and the amount of things that will happen in the next four weeks. But knowing that people will help when you ask puts some pep in my step.

What do you do to relieve stress? Apparently I cry and then pursue taking over the world. I hope your stress reliever is a bit healthier.

Until next time...

Oh, How I Love the Little Things

Every morning when I get to work, my co-workers and I talk about how hungry we are. This morning was more of the same. Direct quote from Tiffany, my aquarius co-worker sister: "I'm hungry....what sounds good? IHOP...french fries....BLT? I'm just saying."

As she leaves the room to go make copies, she says "When I get back we're going to IHOP!" Like we can just pick up and leave on a lunch break at 8:15 A.M.

While she was having this monologue, I started to get tickled. And she had no idea what I thought was so funny. And to tell you the truth, I have no idea what was so funny. It was just the simplicity of the moment. The fact that everyday we have this conversation.

I have come to the realization that moments like that are what keep me going. My stress level has been outrageous the past couple of weeks. And I'm sorry about that because it means you, as a reader, get the brunt of the stress via word vomit on this blog.

But I've noticed a lot of little things that I would normally overlook, and I've laughed at mundane things or words that would usually have no effect on me.

Por ejemplo, for the past two or three drives to Little Rock I've noticed how BEAUtiful the sky, water, and mountains are when driving over the 430 bridge. Most days I would be concentrated on not having a wreck or keeping my blood pressure in check due to the horrid traffic, which is common of my daily commute.

First, I blame Spring because the trees are all green and pretty. Then, the sun because it shines on the trees and water. And then, Pinnacle Mountain because it is all regal in the early morning sunshine.

It's like an split instant when coming over the bridge that my brain says to self "Hey, would you just look at that. I mean really just look at it. That is so pretty. I am lucky to be here in this moment and see this sight." And then it is back to not having wrecks and not screaming at cars as the slam on their brakes.

Sunshine on the mountain tops and water. So simple. So ordinary since it happens everyday. Yet completely perfect. Makes for a better drive and a better morning.

My favorite thing that happened yesterday was a story my roommate told me about her trip to the bank. So the girl needs new check with our new address on them. What does she do?

She drives through the drive-thru at the bank and says, "So I need to order some checks, but I don't know how to do that. So do I just do that here, or do I need to come in?"

Ladies and gentleman, my roommate in her finest moment. Dead serious. I laughed so hard. She is the only human I know that would go through the drive-thru to get some new checks. Did it work out for her? Yes. Is it still funny? Yes.

This are the kinds of moments I get in the course of the day. Sometimes the moments are big profound Ah-Ha moments. And other times they are joyously funny moments from stories you hear. It's all about what take the stress level down to a manageable level.

Challenge of the day: Take note of one mundane thing that is brought to your attention that normally wouldn't be. Or what one thing made you laugh so hard that you felt instantly better.

It's these moments in life that keep you alive and going. Cherish them for the simple fact that they put things in a perspective that you can understand. It's moments like these that shape you into who you are and show you what you CAN appreciate. It may be a sunrise, or it may be something else. Let the moments wash over you...Trust me, you will like it. Because when they come, it's like a breath of fresh air.

Let me know what moments you find today. I hope they are simple enough, yet have a profound affect on you. Get out there and take it in.

Until next time...

Celebrate

Yesterday, I set three goals. Two of which didn't get done. But one did. And that would be the dreaded original research paper for my historical methods class. Nothing about that sentence sounds fun, and trust me it wasn't. I'm just thrilled that it is actually written.

So basically no packing got done, and I didn't really sleep because my brain would not shut off. How many times do I have to tell myself to go to sleep, and then the next thing I know I'm off thinking about what so-in-so is doing or when I will have time to work on this assignment or what is happening at work this week. The question is how do you tell your brain to shut up? It would be helpful to know the answer...any thoughts?

And the cherry on top of this week's stress is a fever blister. It's still very small right now, but that doesn't mean that my whole face won't swell up later. No kidding, it runs in the family. Sigh. So I'm going to have to nip that in the bud for sure.

So here is what my week looks like as of today:

For school: prepare for oral presentation in media theory class, revise and perfect my research paper to be turned in, and start on a PR Case study for the online class from hell.

For work: take photos, write stories, find statistics, design letter templates, develop newsletter, take more photos, and look for new story ideas

For moving: PACK EVERYTHING that can be packed.

On a lighter note, we will be signing our lease at our new apartment today. We have picked a cable service provider so now I have to set up an account. I have to call Entergy to set up an account. Oh, and pack stuff. It should be totally awesome.

I am still super excited about moving to Little Rock. No more driving. No more fighting commuter traffic and feeling like I've been beaten every morning on the way to work. (I'm basically tired when I get there.) No more missing out on the fun stuff that happens because I live in Conway.

And the moving also means I'm one step closer to being out of school for summer. Deep breath. And go.

Hope you guys have an awesome work week. Got big plans for the weekend? What's going on? Want to come pack a box while I read and type stuff? Maybe?

Until next time...

A Ton of Bricks

It has officially hit me. I'm moving in two weeks. My paper is due a week from Thursday. I have two other papers to write, oral presentations to give, revision to make and bags and boxes to pack. EEEKKK!!!! And this necessary freak out stems from a letter shoved between my doorjamb.

How nice of the apartment complex to stick a checklist of what needs to be done to the box before we move out. Just what I needed. A little extra stress. Basically we have to clean everything, which is not surprising. But was is surprising is that everything includes the under and behind of the fridge, washer, dryer and water heater. Not complaining, just a little shocked at the size of the job.

I also have to figure out what cable provider we will be using, set up an account with Entergy, coordinate my family members coming to help out with the move, and do school. DOUBLE EEEKKK!!!

I just hit me like a ton of bricks. We move in two weeks. I've got so much to do still for school. How will it all work? What will I look like once school is over and the move is complete? I am so looking forward to the days of lounging by the pool with a book of my choice that has nothing to do with Arkansas history. Gosh, it will be so great. But getting there is the challenge.

I have officially written 15 pages of the 18-25 page original research paper. What it looks like/reads like, I have no idea. I'm sure it will lack the necessary transitions to make for a smooth read, and I bet there will be too many quotes and citations. But it will be done.

Goal numero uno of the day: Finish rough draft of paper...so the revising/rewriting can start ASAP.

Goal numero dos of the day: Pack some boxes...because we're moving.

Goal numero tres of the day: Take some time to unwind the mind...hopefully I can get some serious sleep.

I hope you guys had a nice weekend and got to do fun things. I did get to see the family for a short while and eat the best cake in the world. So that means it was a success. Catch ya on the flip side.

Until next time...

Speak Now meets The Outsiders

First thing's first. I got to work and had to make a stop in the restroom. As I swung open the door, a cockroach fell from the sky and almost got in my hair. Not cool. Totally screamed like a little girl. The entire office heard me.

Now that we got that out of the way. TAYLOR SWIFT AND NEEDTOBREATHE TICKETS GO ON SALE TODAY! And I am totally going. It will be the best concert ever. Let's just pray that she doesn't toss her hair too much or make weird flicky hand gestures because it will take away from her great voice and songs.

While I'm super excited to see T. Swift, I am even more excited to see Needtobreathe again. They came to Little Rock this past summer, and 700+ people crammed into the Rev Room to see them. And it was sweaty and hot and AMAZING! Best songs. Best voices. Best everything. And this is not an exaggeration.

Here is a ditty from each of them. Let's start with the opening act Needtobreathe.

"Washed by the Water" by Needtobreathe.



"Back to December" by Taylor Swift.

So now the purchase has been made...I will be going to see Taylor Swift and Needtobreathe on October 4 at 7 P.M. The greatest day...minus the cockroach.

Word to Your Mother

I hope everyone's week is going smoothly thus far. I am turning in a 6-page literature review tonight. And I wish the semester was coming to a close with assigments, but UALR is still cramming them in somehow. I did get a lot accomplished this weekend, although my all-nighter didn't really happen. I made it to 1 A.M., but then called it quits because my eyes were getting sticky with sleep.

Still a lot to do in a little time period. But I will make it work.

So I've decided something. But before I tell you what, I'll give you the back story.

Five years ago, I started doing Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. And every year my mom and I say we will meet up and do it together. Little Rock's Race for the Cure is the third largest race in the nation so my mom and I go with good intentions to meet up, but we can never find each other.

Once I got into a sorority, we started going as a group. And my mom went with her close friends. That was how it was for four years. Last year things changed.

I graduated college so I didn't walk with my sorority sisters, and my mom had become an avid runner who can kick a 5K in 30ish minutes. She's actually ran in the race for two years now so this coming October will be her third year.

So basically in five years, my mom and I have never done it together. So I am going to change that.

Instead of asking her to walk with me, I am going to do my first 5K. It's three miles, which doesn't sounds too bad. But it is a pretty hilly little stint of roads. I don't want her to walk because she loves running so much. (P.S. She is currently training for her first half-marathon on April 30 in Nashville). And I want to do it together FOR REAL this time. So I will have to suck up my hatred for running and knock out three miles.

I will have all summer and early fall to prepare for it. And I can already run about 1.5 miles....so that is half way. Only 1.5 miles to go.

I feel like this is something I need to do. 1) To help me stay in shape. 2) To get over the faux pas I have of running. 3) To do Race for the Cure together.

So that is my official decision. A 5K with my momma. I will run with her, if she will slow down enough for me to keep up. Training starts May 16, the Monday after school is over. That gives me six months...Surely I can do it. I will keep you posted with my work-outs and all that good stuff.

So yeah. Anyone else what to join? You can go for a jog with me. We can do it together. It could/will be fun.

Until next time...

Crow Like a Rooster

Today is all about KOL. The roommate is making a little trip to see Kings of Leon this weekend, and I won't be there to attend. Very sad. But the bulk of school is almost over. And once the weekend is over, I think I will have the upper hand in the battle. So no KOL for me.

This post is a medley of KOL songs I am loving right now. I've been listening to them in my car for over a week, and I'm loving "Pyro", "The Immortals", "Pick-up Truck", "The Face" and "Back Down South". I basically love them all, but these are my favorites off their new album.

So here's to the roommate's trip this weekend and KOL for making her trip worthwhile.

"Pyro"

"The Immortals"

"Pick-up Truck"

Enjoy the KOL video medley. To all who go this weekend, "crow like a rooster" and sing at the top of your lungs for me. I will be there in spirit.

Until next time...

My Daily Happenings

My stress level has been exceedingly high the past few weeks. I blame this.

Stress-maker number uno: Books for the media theory paper I am trying to write. By trying I mean I wrote six pages and have no idea what I was talking about. So this paper should be interest. You are looking at a total of 20 books: 18 from the UALR library and 2 from a UCA professor trying to help me out.

Stressor numero dos: This is the current state of my kitchen table. Needlesstosay, my 900 sq. ft. box can't take this kind of clutter. And I can't do anything about it until the second paper, a 25-page original research paper is complete Not sure how many books make up the "context" of this paper. But that black portable filing thing is FULL of newspaper article and editorials from June through November of 1966. I'm such a historian.

As of the 23rd of this month, we will be moving. And this is the only box I have packed. I figured I wouldn't be playing Mad Gab until the above items are taken care of. And nobody uses an actual dictionary anymore since dictionary.com came along. There are about 30 empty boxes taking up residence at the box. And I have no time to deal with them.

So there you go. A brief look into my life and today's daily happenings. Tomorrow will be totally different because I have to work. Sigh. Pray that the boxes get packed and the papers get written. Time to hit the books.

Stay classy, bloggies. (Couldn't help it. Anchorman was on last night. LOVE. IT.)

Until next time...

The Story of JM and Ben

Everyone knows I have a big love for John Mayer and his music. While I haven't ranted about it much on the blog, it is a true statement. I have all the CDs. I know all the words of all the songs. It's called being a true fan.

I got to see him in Memphis last year during Spring Break. Best. Concert. Of. My. Life. Period. He is an amazing performer and musician. But poor guy has a tough time with the ladies, and apparently fellow blogger Ben Davis at Ben Does Life. You should check out what he's doing.

As I was reading my daily blogs, I was drawn into a particular story of Ben's. He claims to have conversed with John Mayer via e-mail/text/Tumblr. When I started reading Ben's post, I was like "No way...This is too crazy to be true."

As I kept reading, it started making sense. The pieces were falling together as Ben was putting them together. He and JM had become fast friends and were planning a meet up. But the story ends like most JM stories. I will let you read it and decide for yourself. Check it out at Ben Does Life.

Do I believe Ben talked to JM? Yes. Am I a little jealous? Definitely. Am I surprise at the ending of Ben and John's story? Not really. JM has a history of doing that.

I hate that JM did that to you, Ben. Cool celeb story. Maybe one day when I see him in concert again, he will be wearing your Do Life shirt.

I See a Light....Very Small, Yet Actually There

The bestest of news came my way yesterday, bloggie friends. My laments for graduate school are soon to be over.

I had a meeting for advising with the graduate coordinator. I went into it without the faintest of hope that the upcoming semester would look nice and easy. And I just KNEW he would say I had to take summer classes. I have been dreading this meeting because I knew I would have to think about 9 more hours of fall classes and 3-6 possible hours of summer classes. That thought makes this girl not a happy camper.

So I ask first about summer school since it would obviously come before fall. Plus I need to know what to tell my job since I am graduate assistant. (There is a bunch of hullaballoo when it comes to grad assistants and paperwork and money...Point being that I would have to jump through hoops...and I want to get it over and done. One less thing to worry over. And so I still have a job and get paid cash money).

Major break numero uno: NO SUMMER CLASSES FOR ME! He advised against it. Saying that the graduate school only likes to give out money in the fall and spring. Summers are hairy times to pay tuition. And I would have to take 6 hours (full-time summer courses all summer long), which would mean no school break for me.

Oh the absolute joy I felt when he said no summer school was beyond anything I have ever felt before. This semester has killed me. Drained me of spirit and pep. Ruined my some-what of a social life I had before. Killed my ability to fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow. You get it.

Major break numero dos: I only have to take two more actual classes where I sit in a classroom for 3 hours lectures. One in the fall and one in the spring.

I will take one elective class in the fall with 6 hours of thesis, which is basically working from home on the ole book which will be my thesis. And then in the spring I will take my final research class (which will end with a paper serving as one chapter of my thesis) and one elective that will be a readings class where I will read books and write little book reports on different books on my thesis topic.

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THIS MEANS?

After the next five weeks of hell, it will calm down a considerable amount. I will be working toward the goal of finishing my thesis. The light my friends is shining. I can see it. It is far, but I can see it. Hope has returned to this little body of mine.

I can do anything for five weeks. Lose sleep. Write 50 pages worth of papers. Kick grad school's ass. Yep. Renewed confidence and a true zest for life has returned. Time to hit the books. I've got five weeks of pure hell ahead of me. But the light is shining. Thank you, Jesus.

Until next time...