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...