Incase you are in the market...

for a good book, I highly recommend The Shack by William P. Young. The concept of the story (years after the murder of his daughter, a man is lured back to the shack in which the events took place to meet God) seemed a little hokie at first, however it turned out to be a very interesting read.

Apparently, there will be a Price family discussion of said book somewhere between Christmas and New Years; since I will be in the midst of these events, I am apparently expected to be able to intelligently contribute to the conversation. So I set aside Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (no, I have not made it to the Half Blood Prince yet...) starting on Friday evening and spent much of my leisure time this weekend reading The Shack. It's a fast read with conversational language, so it's easily completed in a matter of hours. I wrapped it up this morning while I doctored Will (Grady's little brother) post-wisdom-teeth-extraction.

It makes available an interesting perspective on the relationship we, as humans, "should" aim to maintain with God. It mostly revolved around love, trust, and forgiveness, which are major principles of the way I see and relate to Christ, personally. I'm not saying I'm 100% on the bandwagon with Young, but it was pleasantly provocative and made me consider faith in ways that I had not yet fully considered. Pretty cool.

Check it out

Surprise Surgery!

It's different from emergency surgery- nothing is critical but you're as unbeknowst to the fact that it's going to occur as if it was.

I knew I was going to the foot doctor. I knew I had an ingrown toenail (much as I have for the past 8+ years). What I did not know was that the procedure was so simple it could be done during the first appointment!

Dr. Wisdom said that since the issue was so recurring, it would be smartest to remove the entire sliver of toenail that keeps on forming the ingrown issue. So while I stared at the ceiling, she did whatever it was she did that removed part of my toenail down to the root. And yesterday was great- the toe was completely numb all day! Today however, the pain was definitely there and I couldn't manage to get my left foot into any of my shoes... Yay slipper!

Well, kiddies- it's about time to soak my toe...

Happy 900th day, Grady! Sorry you're so sick for it!

Another Countdown Post!

You might have begun to believe that I am no longer obsessed with keeping track of the number of days until my upcoming excitements; alas, I have simply kept them to myself for a while. It is true however that I don't pay as much attention to them because it's way more fun to be startled by the dramatic difference between checks.


I hope these numbers bring as much excitement to you as they do me!
1 day- Grady comes home (closridium perfringes report due)
3 days- Thanksgiving!
25 days- The end of fall quarter/The Prices and I embark on the drive to North Carolina
31 days- Christmas!
37 days- Welcome 2009!
49 days- Winter quarter starts
64 days- I turn 21!
10656 days- One for y'all to figure out :)

Also kind of fun: tallying!
I've been alive for 7607 days so far!
Grady and I have been dating for the last 892 of them!

Ahh, good times

Playing the DART Slots!

Upon arriving at the DART train station yesterday morning, I found out that I was short of one-dollar bills, and would either have to "steal" a ride or break a 20... While they NEVER check tickets, I know that the one day I try to get away with a free ride will be the day they check (and that whole convictions thing- I'm pretty anti-thievery), so the 20-dollar bill was really my only option... So I put in the bill up top and shortly there after, down at the bottom, along with my ticket, came falling $17 in Susan B. Anthony's, Sacajawea's, and quarters... People all around were staring at me, so I yelled "Jackpot!"

Just kidding; I didn't really. But in retrospect, I wish I had :)


While that was kind of a fun feeling, the novelty wears off when you remember that it's just $17 that you already had and now take up far more space than the dollar bill ever could have...


In other news, I just started Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on the train ride home today!

Not So Worthless

When informed that I would be required to attend college orientation class every Monday, I figured that it would be silly and worthless. I guess there was no way to know that Mr. Coronado would be awesome! We're not learning just silly meaningless stuff- we've done stress tests (I racked up 386 points on mine...), learned about eye patterns, and yesterday, we learned about speed reading!

I always thought that I read slowly and that would always just be what it was, but speed reading is an acquired skill. In my first round, I read 330 words per minute. When following a pen with our eyes in the second round, I was able to read 363 wpm. Then we took a few times through where we scanned the page with increasing speed, not looking for actual reading or comprehension. And once we took a third stab at reading, I was able to knock out 638 wpm! Mr. Coronado told us if we practice this activity for 20 minutes everyday, we'll be reading 1,000's of words per minute in no time!

So, I climb on the train, determined to use the ride down as practice time; however, upon opening my book I remembered that I love my adjectives and adverbs too much to skip right over them. I want to know precisely what the situation looked like when Harry got caught in the trick stair in the middle of the night. I want to know just how silly Rita Skeeter looked while sneaking on the Hogwarts grounds. And thus I concluded that leisure reading and speed reading are simply going to have to be kept in separate spheres of my life. Maybe I'll practice with a text book- I'm just looking for the nouns and verbs there anyways...

Online Rhyming Dictionary

Life at current times=sooo good!

I got to spend last weekend with my mister down in Waco! We took a drive down to Austin for the Ben Folds concert which was outstanding! I was in awe the entire evening. He played most of the songs off of the new cd- Way to Normal, some off of the "fake" Way to Normal and of course a ton of the classics. I loved everything from the story telling to the standing on the piano, not to mention the mad piano skills. At one point in the concert, he was rocking out so hard that he broke a string! His crew rushed out like it was Nascar or something.

Check out the song Free Coffee- there's no synthesizer. He places empty Altoids tins on the strings of the notes he wants to affect and it makes this crazy metallic nuttyness! An hour of Missy Higgins, 2 1/2 hours of Ben Folds, some Wataburger to round out the night- it was the best concert and greatest date ever!

So then today, I took my practical midterm for Fundamentals and made an 82.5! We were told to shoot for a 70 and that even a grade as low as 45-50 shouldn't be disappointing. We were told that it was a learning experience and as long as we didn't feel like we were floundering, we shouldn't hang our self esteems on whatever grade we saw... So I was mentally prepared for my 40 or whatever... I stink at cutting tournees, my attemps at emulsification have never been successful before... And yet, here I am with a B on my first practical! Here's the grading rubric:

Veloute Sauce: 15/20
(great consistancy, right taste, but I reduced it too much, yeilding only half of what I was supposed to produce)
Hollandaise: 18/20
(perfect color, great emulsification, slightly lacking in the flavor department)
Mayonnaise: 15/20
(weak emulsification and extremely lacking in taste. I have no clue what mayonnaise should taste like since I can't stand the stuff... Needless to say, I wasn't offended)

Knife Skills: 16.5/20
(minor size/consistancy issues, but my tournees were great for a first try? Okay...)

Time Management and sanitation: 18/20
(I pushed over into the "grace period" with my sauces... Whoops... Oh well!)



I was soo excited! Tomorrow, we're making breakfast foods! Omelettes, Croque Madame, Eggs Benedict, Crepes, Cheese blintzes, Garden frittata, and fried/sunny/overeasy eggs! It's going to be glorious, minus the strait up eggs at the end there... After I've stuffed myself with blintzes and crepes, I'm flying out to Arizona for Michelle's babyshower!

Ahhh, it is good times, my friends...

Plenty-o-Time

I'm already 1/3 of the way through Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Year 3) thanks to the hour a day I spend on the train! I just started the Harry Potter series a little less than a month ago, but between the ride to school and the spare time I have on campus (I'm always obsessively early, remember?) I have been able to just fly through these books! I'm loving them by the way, so if you didn't jump on the band waggon way-back-when like myself, definitely try to get your hands on them someday.

Second Time's a Charm?

Week two of culinary school has almost come to a close and I am still loving it! Today we made beef consomme, puree of split pea soup, and a classic bechamel sauce. I took charge on the sauce. And had to make it twice...

I stopped stirring for just a second too long to observe a demonstration and the flour from the roux had all stuck to the bottom. So I had to dump it out and start over. The second time around, I hardly ever took my whisk out of the pot, giving Chef something more to pick on me for... As if he really needed anymore help! :P However, the second go around was superb!

The "taste all you make" rule is absolutely my favorite! And puree of split pea soup is actually quite tasty!

What a Week!

And it's only Wednesday...

School= wonderful
Work= Not so much any more...

My classes have been all very interesting and fun. Great teachers, new friends, and index cards. Lots and lots of index cards. I'm still super super excited about getting into the kitchen, even if it is at 6:30 am (or before since I'm ocd)!

Tart Bakery in Plano has not been as much of a money maker as the owners had hoped and so they're trying to cut back on somethings, reorganize their staff and such... Which means that I'm currently out of a job... So it's back to the drawing board. I think I'll get on board with a catering company or something... Lots of opportunity from my school, so I'm not too concerned. Just a little bummed. I really liked it at Tart...

At least I can look forward to getting my Megan in town sometime Thursday/Friday AND my Grady on Friday! Plus many many more of my OU friends will be in town for the big Oklahoma vs. saxet game and I can't wait to see them!

And now for a nap. It's my only hope of waking up at 5 tomorrow morning.

Sweet Jesus-

Please keep on smiling down on me. Be with me as I start in this new adventure.

I know that sounds soo cheesy, Lord- something someone would say because they want to sound more eloquent while praying- but that honestly is what this is.

I know you know. I know you know I know you know. I really am glad your sovereign, it's a pretty cool thing. Makes talking with you a lot easier.

Anyways, I ask that I might not push you aside as my anxiety and excitement creep in as my classes start or when I end up sitting next to a stranger on the train. You're cool, it's all cool, I just need to keep talking to you all day...

Thanks for loving me always. I love you too.

PS- thanks for the sunshine.

One More Week!

School starts next Monday and I am sooo stoked! I absolutely cannot wait to be submersed in culinary classes finally! I think I'll feel a little a little more stable and secure. I'm not exactly enjoying this feeling of limbo.

Apparently, I'm not as awful at frosting cupcakes as I thought I was- after realizing that I was what had "happened to the cupcakes" the girls at work said that I was doing well for having only been working a couple of days! It's a really fun job- the girls are crazy and fun. Still no real luck on the phone confidence...



Some random photo collection to come once I figure out this mystery of a phone...

I Don't Have a Creative Title Today

But things are going really well all the same! The job is magnificent! I'm learning the pricing slowly, but oh so surely. The customers so far have been pretty patient while I ask Stephanie a million and thirty-four questions, but I have the cash register and credit card machine down and I'm almost comfortable enough to answer the phone without hesitation and wincing! It'll take a while before I can handle taking special event or cake orders on my own. People here are unforgiving; a woman last week claimed that we ruined her daughters first birthday because the color frosting didn't match precisely the pink of the table cloth and napkins. Mind you, she never gave us a color swatch... Other than picky picky Plano and Dallasites, the job is really fun! I'm awesome with the sprinkles and practicing my cupcake frosting in the down time! I love our little brown aprons!

Interesting tid bit for your enjoyment: I figured since I've been working and babysitting but not spending a cent of it, I could justify some new tennis shoes. I've had the same pair since the beginning of high school which are now smelly, falling apart, and squeak when I make any movement in them! So I went to the New Balance store earlier to get the help and advice I needed in my purchasing endeavor and found out that my foot sizing situation is a little more ridiculous than I had realized... I knew from buying pointe shoes years ago that my left foot is larger than my right; in the pointe shoes, it was only a half size difference... Today was the first time I've had my foot measured since 11th grade and it showed that my right foot is a 9-9.5 while my left foot is a 10.5-11... Awesome. I've never seen a sales rep so thoroughly disturbed before! He recommended a size 10 as a happy medium, and it works in that it's not too tight on the left nor too loose on the right. I really want to put them on and go for a run right now, but it's a little too toasty out for that. I'll just have to be patient for a few more hours...

Come On Already!

Good night nurse, I'm ready for things life to pick up again! I really want to work and I am so excited about starting classes that it almost hurts! Fortunately, the job starts Tuesday at 10am! And with any luck, I'll come home to a newly carpeted bedroom and study! Then after exactly one month to the day, I'll be able to move myself in... Mom and Pops absolutely cannot wait to get their dinning room back, I'm sure! And I can't wait to have my life organized and back in order, but most of all, I'm excited to not be living out of boxes and bags any more!

Completely unrelated- I love babysitting in this town. People here have too much money and will use it to ensure that you'll actually answer the phone when they call to schedule the next date or appointment. Apparently, I am in high enough demand around here that I can incur $12 per hour as the going rate for the family wanting first place in the pecking order of my calendar... I'd say that's a little gratuitous- $7 or $8 per hour is just fine by me, but why negotiate for less when they want to throw their money at you? Better yet, agree to babysit a few kids from a couple families so all of their parents can go party together- you get paid a solidly huge chunk from the coordinating parents AND have other parents tip you as well! Yeah, that's fine; I'll buy myself a tank of gas and some croutons for a drive on up to Noma off the bonus bucks.



I'm really hungry but having just finished reading Night by Elie Wiesel, I almost feel bad walking out to my excessively stocked pantry and/or fridge in the middle of the night at my own freedom.

It's Official!

I have a job at Tart Bakery! I'll be receiving my schedule by the end of the week and I'll start sometime next week! For the first few weeks, I'll work along side the managers until I feel comfortable and confident on my own. Until then, I'll be studying the menu and learning the pricing; Kristen said that I don't need to worry about precise memorization yet because that will all come along later in time with experience. But it'll be easier on me when I start if I have a decent idea of the dollar range for different items.

I am so ridiculously excited! I need something to do! Since completion of room painting, I've been wickedly bored. Mostly enjoying the novelty of my new bed and phone--either napping or playing... And room reorganization will occupy a substantial part of my time once the new carpet is installed, but that won't be for another couple weeks.

Regardless, I do look forward to working for the sake of working and not just because it gets me out of the house. This bakery seems like it'll be great experience and really good fun! Many long hours on my feet, plenty of smiling and sales, but all exactly what I want to do.

Oh, I can hardly wait!

PS- check out Spiders on Drugs- it's a quality vid :)

The New Gig

It's not official yet, but the interview yesterday went really well at the bakery (Tart as I finally found out it is called)! My hours seem to fit what they're needing, what I was requesting for pay was reasonable, and the lady seemed to like my personality. And when she was talking about different aspects of their business, she used inclusive terms like, "you'll be helping with..." and "we'll need you for..." That's always good, right? We'll see, I guess. I'll be getting a call either today or tomorrow!

I'm really excited; Tart seems like a fun place to work! The Dallas location has been open for something like four years, the Plano location just opened in January. All of the food is made in Dallas and sent over because the Plano location doesn't have a kitchen. God willing, if I get the job, I'll be working behind the counter doing sales and orders. In our down time, we frost cupcakes and glaze cookies. And on weekends, I'll help with events on location! Although, Saturdays will forever be considered a optional thing for my schedule, because Tart understands I'm a student and they want to be able to give me a weekend too! Which might not be terribly necessary granted they're closed on Sundays and Mondays! We'll just have to see about those Saturdays- I'll probably work them anyways, because I'm poor.
Anyways, they also told me that as my education progresses, and I complete the baking unit and the pastries and confectioneries unit, they could find a need for me in the kitchen at the Dallas location! So this job looks like it'll have possibilities for advancing!

It's super convenient that Tart is closed on Sundays because I'm looking into ways to help at church with the youth group! Stacy called me the other day and asked if I'd be willing to help her teach 6th grade girls Sunday school. The answer to that is obvious, no? I love Stacy and I want to help? It was perfect! Now I just want to talk to Tim, find some way to help with choir maybe? Maybe.

It Feels Good

To have a day like today!  First I finished my book, Breaking Dawn (yes, I'm part of the Twilight craze), I scored a job interview (Tuesday 3pm- prayers please?!), joined the c club, and came to a fair compromise with Dad over the vacant room at the end of the hall!  Mom and I also got a jump on finishing up the cleaning of said room so I can paint as soon as Dad provides the paint!

A good day indeed!  Now I'm just chillin' at the Price's with Misty and Onyx, watching Legally Blonde.  The only thing that could possibly ruin my day would be one more stupid Hannah Montana commercial...

The Official Update

Tracy brought it to my attention that "The Norman Life" is no longer appropriate for my life, but "The Plano Life" just sounds lame...

So starting in October, I look forward to searching for a parking spot at the Parker Station for the DART rail system super early, reading all the way into Dallas.  And after a couple of weeks, my kitchen skills will be boss and after a couple months my meals will be delish!  I won't just be knocking around the kitchen like I do now.

Now, it's just a search for a job...  I'd like to be at a bakery, but I'll probably have to branch out more than that.  I just don't want to be waiting tables at Chili's or flipping burgers at McDonalds.

In other news, I love Olympic rhythmic gymnastics!

Pushin' It

Normally, I make it from the corner of 4th and Speight around to Bagby, up to University Parks and over to the flagpoles at the main north entrance to Baylor. In all, we believe that

it is about a mile. I've been running to the flags for about a week and a half, but this morning it felt too easy! So I kept on, making it almost to the north east corner of the campus. It's not a lot more, but it's still further than ever before!

Like Father Like Daughter

Akira farts in her sleep...

Sweet Akira

While I sit here on Tripp's couch, watching Akira sleep without shivering or nervously waking up every few minutes, I have to assume that rescuing a dog from a shelter has to at least parallel with adopting a child. This beautiful heeler mix has spent the past month and a half of her 7 months of life at the Waco Humane Society. They do a great job there, keeping a clean facility and taking care of the animals, but it's obvious that the shelter is not a home.

Between the drugs from being spayed and the shock of being in a new place, yesterday was a very exciting but still over stimulating day for our (technically Tripp's, but I'm pretty sure that becomes a grey area in about two years) new baby girl. She was so tired yet refused to sleep because she was enjoying being loved on so much. When I pulled her up on the couch with me, she was much more comfortable and couldn't fight off sleep anymore. All the same, she'd wake up every few minutes. Every time she awoke, she'd frantically look around until she met either Tripp or my eyes, relax and let herself fall back to sleep... It seemed a lot like she was afraid this was all going to go away if she let herself sleep.

She's an incredibly darling little girl; Akira gives kisses all the time and loves to be rubbed and scratched! She doesn't seem to be much for barking, so that's pretty nice! And I don't think she's much of a chewer, even when they are her toys to chew on! But she's a little neurotic about some stuff- she doesn't like to be approached for petting from above, the idea of ascending or descending the stairs makes her hyperventilate (literally), and moving vehicles send her running (and I don't mean chasing). We don't really have a story of how she ended up in the shelter... My guess would be she was dumped somewhere and was rescued off the streets.

All in all, Akira is settling in well. Her tail is almost always wagging when she's awake! She's even starting to smile...

Summer School No Mo!

I just wrapped up both of my summer classes yesterday with some delightful final exams! And to congratulate myself, I took a long drive. All the way to Waco!

It's nice to finally be back with my boy for more than a day or two. We hit up the Chipotle for dinner last night! And got up at 6:30 to go running! I've found that's the perfect time; it's still cool and breezy out that early! I love it!

Well, the boy has already headed out to golf class, and I guess I'm going to do some laundry, unpack, and get settled in!

Typical squinty eye...

I Can Run?

Yes, yes I can run... For so many years, I was lazy. And then I was dancing and there was this myth about running messing up dancers knees... And after all of that time, I just figured I couldn't do it!

But then Tripp and I started our FBI workout plan and running was kind of required... Fortunately, I have a friend who loves to run, wanted a running buddy, and is super patient! So Megan and I got started on Monday; she taught me the basics- how to use my feet, what to do with my arms, and how to breath. We have a challenging route that takes us from her apartment to the campus- precisely one mile!

Yesterday, after just five days of running, I made it all the way to the corner of Lindsay and Jenkins- the light pole that signifies the completion of that mile! I was/am so excited and proud. I feel so accomplished, the way I used to when I mastered a new dance move or conquered a challenging climb.

I'm back to eating breakfast and trying to be more health conscious with my food choices. My goal this time around is not to become thinner like it always has been before; this time, I just want to know that I'm doing what I can to be healthy. If I lose some inches or become better toned, that would be a pleasant bonus, but I'm not making that the whole objective.

I'm ready for a change.

When I Recluse...

I have so much I want to say, but not the right way to say it... About what? Everything. Things learned, anticipated, dreaded, aspired, missed. But my words aren't much right now.
What I can tell you--I'm ready for change.
I'll let the Beatles do the talking.
This one always brings a smile:

I Will

Who knows how long I've loved you?
You know I love you still.
Will I wait a lonely lifetime?
If you want me to- I will.

For if I ever saw you
I didn't catch your name
But it never really mattered
I will always feel the same.

Love you forever and forever
Love you with all my heart
Love you when we're together
Love you when we're apart.

And when at last I find you
Your song will fill the air
Sing it loud so I can hear you
Make it easy to be near you
For the things you do endear me to you
How you know I will
I will.

Throwback Thursday: This Morning

Not too big of a throw to go back to this morning, but it was one filled with lasting memories...

Fixable basket

heal-able chin and hand

replaceable ipod (it's still functioning, just on permenent "random" mode- what artist or playlist will i select? Only God and the ipod know!)

And what a partially filled in fill-in-the blanks major looks like.

I Love Weekends!

Friday, Grady treated me to a belated anniversary dinner! We've made Buca de Beppo our tradition :) No allergic reaction this year!

After spending all day in the pool, Saturday, I made it my right to browse through the box of childhood photos of Grady. He was the cutest, happiest little boy ever! Someday, I'll get them scanned and show you just how beautiful that smile was!

Sundays are always the bummer of weekends for us since they mean goodbye... But we still had a great time hanging out with the rents, grabbing some Chipotle before I had to head back to the barren wasteland of Chipotle-less Norman...

Good times.

A Happy Bike!

My glorious bike at the completion of makeover!
Note: basket, seat, bell, and handles. :)

I'm in love.

On A Quest-

I know this I random, but does anyone know of a version of the song La Vie en Rose sang in both English and French? I've found a number sang in one or the other, but I was curious as to whether a dual language version existed...

In other music news- I've recently come across The Hush Sound. They're kind of weird but that's very much my style!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5avW7Bw-1tA

And I just bought the Dave Barnes cd- Me and You and the World. It's wonderful- very sweet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5KvL34eXIk

I'm kind of in love with this song. Thanks Elisha!

As much as I love my bike...

I have got to replace the seat... The original seat from-what Tracy? 1995 is a rock... And my butt hurts. A lot.

I was also thinking about new handle grips. The old foam is looking kinda tattered... Makes my hands smell after using them...

Additionally, I would like a granny basket. Right up front.

Just making it more user friendly given I ride it daily to and from class now, as well as for auxiliary entertainment and/or fitness purposes. Too bad I'm poor, so the improvements will have to wait quite some time...

Kind of a lame post, I know, but it's all I can think of while my tush is calming down...

2:30am- Early or Late?

Either way, I was still awake, wrapping up a conversation with my Elisha (Flipha, if you will). It was quite a varied discussion, covering a great many topics, but as it came to a close and we said goodnight, the words kept running through my mind. As I crawled into bed, it reminded me that I am really blessed and my life is absolutely wonderful:

My family is so incredible; I am so fortunate to have so many great role models and best friends. I can and do tell y'all anything. I'm discovering more and more that what we have, that whole Brady thing, is really rare. Few family units function like we do... I love it!

Good men are hard to find, yet I have found one that stands by me through thick and thin. I think back to the beginning of our relationship and realize that it's kind of a feat that we've survived... Starting long distance two months into our relationship, maintaining it for two years so far, and determined to do two more? I think we're nuts, but I guess you kind of have to be crazy for long distance?

I have truly stellar friends. We may have any number of differences, but that makes it interesting and fun. This summer so far has given me a great opportunity to get to know Elisha a lot better and I have discovered that she is incredible. Granted I already knew that, I didn't know just how very much. She's so level headed and grounded, a rock. Best yet, we have ridiculously silly times together! She never judges me, just loves me. And while this is the way it's always been with her, I think I just appreciate it more now. It's a lot like having my sisters here...

My life in general is really good. All around.
Praise be to God.

I thought it was funny...

Somethings to know as background-

• I was hanging out at the Price's house yesterday with Ed, Sharon, and both sets of Tripp's grandparents.
• Ed's laid wood flooring in the den and plans to do the rest of the downstairs... Eventually...
• Ramona, a family friend, came over to drop something off and stayed for a while:

Ramona: Eddy, when are you going to finish the rest of the flooring?

Patricia: I give him two years.

Ed: C'mon. It'll be done well before that.

Patricia: Good.

Ramona: (to Patricia) Well, you're wedding will be the next big thing around here I suppose.

Patricia: Right, I give him two years.

Ramona: You hear that Sharon? Patricia says she's getting married in two years!

Patricia: Sharon, if that's news to you, then I'm surprised.

Sharon: Nope. Not news.

Ramona: It is to Tripp, right?

Patricia: I guess? Maybe, we'll see...

Ramona: You know they'd still come to your wedding even if it wasn't. They like you.

Patricia: I'd bet they'd hate me if that happened!

Ed: Depends on how bad the break up is...

Good times.
It really was a good day; Tripp's grandparents are amazing! And crazy! But the good kind- not literally insane, like we're used to.

Sharon even called me "the daughter she never had, but always wanted" and it felt good :)

The Luckiest

730 days ago, I agreed to give things a try. Second best choice ever.*

I love you, Grady.

*(Second only to Jesus)

Throwback Thursday: My Miche

My protector, mommy, confidant, bestfriend, and sister. Happy Birthday Michelle.

A Glance Back: High School...

Some of my least favorite years, but it still turned out some funny pictures-

I'm a really weird kid... I guess that'll never change :)

I'm A Big Girl Now!

I learned how to ride a bike!

Alright, I know you're all saying "What are you talking about? You already knew how..."

Right- I learned the basic mechanism of bike riding three years ago, but yesterday Tripp taught me what I need to know for to/from/on campus riding.  Quite a task granted I never touched a bike again since the initial day of enlightenment in 2005...

I've mastered riding straight, wide turns, stopping, and locking up.  Now I just have to figure out starting with grace, tight turns, and avoiding people!

Stellar.

"How do you say it? Lahottie?"

The Hlavaty wedding was beautiful!  Of course both Tripp and I forgot got bring a camera, but hopefully I can jack some from Amy later on :)

Although I knew only the bride and groom, the Morrisons (who left early), the Stobaughs (who left early), and Shannon Benoy (who also left early), the reception was great fun!  Lots of dancing.  Sometimes, Tripp and I had our own dance party off to the side of the room (when we were to embarrassed to be the only ones on the dance floor) which the relatives found entertaining--Amy's aunt actually came over a took a picture of us grooving at our wall.

During the Honeymoon dance, I was the first to pay to dance with the bride as opposed to the groom as I "should have" :)  I'm all about making memories.

I love Noma!

I'm changing my major again.  I'm getting my degree in sunbathing.

My schedule this summer:

Proper Posture

Sunning Literature

General Health

It's quite a hefty load...  But I'm sure I can handle it.

Ok, but really- I'll be taking American Federal Government and Post Civil War History.

Both are make-ups to boost my GPA...  Shouldn't be too bad!

Have You Ever Considered...

How when you turn the water down from hot to not as much, it's still getting warmer?


I wish thoughts like that could get me an A in my ridiculous philosophy class...
And I wish there was a way that I could boost my GPA just by leisure reading--I have read 15 books since last summer and just started another:

The Only Boy for Me, Gil McNeil
Confessions of An Ugly Stepsister, Gregory Maguire
Wicked, Gregory Maguire
The Glass Castle: A Memoir, Jeannette Walls
The Red Tent, Anita Diamant
Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert
Me Talk Pretty One Day, David Sidaris
The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold
Captivating, John Eldredge
Unveiled: Tamar, Francine Rivers
Keeping The Moon, Sarah Dessen
Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini
Shopaholic and Sister, Sophie Kinsella
Twilight, Stephenie Meyer
New Moon, Stephenie Meyer
Eclipse, Stephenie Meyer

All of which I have enjoyed. Some are more trivial and insignificant than others, but all are very well written and entertaining at the very least.

I am most in love with the Twilight Saga currently. It took me two and a half weeks to finish both Twilight and New Moon. Someday, you'll see their girth and understand what a feat that is, especially for the exceptionally slow reader such as myself.

Where is the River?

Thirty minutes north of here, apparently.

I'm thinking about joining OU Crew...  Now that Lil Sis isn't consuming all of my life, I want to try something new!  Crew seems like the perfect candidate.

There's more motivation to get in shape this summer!

Girls=Drama

And that's why I am officially through with RUF/NEK Lil Sis.

It's not fun anymore.

It's not the club I joined and once loved.

The sticker is off my car.

My wearable paraphernalia has been packed away.

It has been removed from my facebook activities [the true seal of authenticity ;)].

I'm so glad to be done with it.  To be done with them.

Now I can find a way to use my time constructively, in a way that will be uplifting and enjoyable.

More time for studies, apartment shenanigans, other friends, and myself.

Hello freedom,

My name is Patricia.  I know that we have met in passing, but now seems like the perfect opportunity to get better acquainted!

So I was going to post the vid of my solo, but it's too big and I don't know how to resize it...  Sorry!

In other news, my weekend was delightful.  The concert was fun and I was glad to hang out with the rents and my boy beforehand and afterward, as well as the next morning before we parted ways!  If you're ever in town or find a Turquoise Cafe, give it a try-- it's delish.

Rebecca's baby shower was incredibly entertaining- my whole reason for going home this weekend.  It was nice to see her, especially given I see her so infrequently.

The rest of my time in Plano was nice too!  I had an sweet time chillin' with the Prices.

But now I'm back in Noma, enduring "dead week" and missing my dog...  We need time to clean and study, so Krumme had to go back to Muskogee for the summer already...

My Bad Habits...

Include my willingness to audition for solos and then freak out when the time comes to actually perform them...

I'll admit that I enjoy the validation that is product of competition- winning a little bit of glory, by the merits of vocal quality only in this case...  But I don't really want to stand in front of a crowd and do my own thing.  I have terrible stage fright--how do I keep on finding myself in performance groups?

Oh well, hopefully tonight will go over well and we'll have a good time.

Another habit that I need to break before tonight- I have a tendency to play with my jewelry and fingernails when I'm nervous...

I need to do some laundry before the rents get here (there's one more- letting the laundry stack up until I'm nearly naked.)

And for all the bad, I'll offer you a good habit that I'm building- for relaxation time, I am no longer turning on the tv.  Neigh, I grab my book.  I'm well over halfway through Twilight (which has almost 500 pages) and I just started it on Sunday.  I can hardly wait to get to New Moon!

Student Composer Recitals?

Sorry to say it, but I doubt I'll ever be motivated enough to go to another one in my life after tonight...

My friends, Danimal and Ajax, played wonderfully and Dan's piece was quite interesting...

But four out of seventeen songs does not justify two and a half hours in an auditorium chair.

I like turkey and cheese wraps.

Persistence is Key!

Two meetings of relentless arguing later, the chalk issue has been dropped!

According to student codes, there is a rule that says any miss use of property can be considered vandalism--No one told me that sidewalks were EXCLUSIVELY for walking, but apparently they are.

Regardless, the lady at the last meeting was very nice; she said that we obviously were nice girls and they believe that there was no malicious intent, so they could wave the fine!  She also said that she appreciated our demonstration of concern within our community, our responsibility for having read the resident handbook, and our persistence in our push back. 

Glad that's all over...

More happiness:

It's Friday!

Today is the last time that I'll ever have to attend recitation for chemistry!

I don't have philosophy today!

Two weeks of class, one week of finals and the semester will be over!

I just got the most awesome foundation and powder!

I have a week until I get to see my mommy, daddy, and Grady!

Some times I cry...

For instance, when I hang up with a sister and I realize just how badly I miss them...

Chalk

A soft, white, porous, sedimentary rock.  For chalkboards and sidewalks, chalk is mostly composed of gypsum (calcium sulfate).  It washes of easily with any introduction of water...

The usage of said chalk is apparently a fineable infraction within the OU Traditions Square Housing Community, inconveniently the formal name of the apartments in which I reside.  And happened to talk a childish fling at chalking within this past weekend.

Here however is the catch--this regulation is in no way included in the resident handbook.  "Chalk" is never even mentioned in the handbook...  My dilemma- can one be penalized for a rule that doesn't explicitly exist, or even moderately implied?

Worse yet, the chalking has already been washed off...  Does not the delinquent teenager have the opportunity to remove the paint from their graffiti spree for redemption?  And that's even a misdemeanor...

Traditions is the man.

Today, at approximately 4:30 p.m., I'll stick it.

What a Weekend

I am the biggest klutz known to man...

Friday- Elisha, Lauren, and I were running across the street to take Krumme on a walk when my knee gave out from under me... Fortunately I had just made it to the side walk as I felt myself falling... Now I have a superman symbol shaped scab on my left knee. Great.

Saturday- The campus wide community service project, Big Event, sent RUF/NEK Lil Sis out to the polo stables for our work and I was directed to work on taking apart an old, broken down barn with a couple of the other girls. We were having a great time with crow bars, hammers, and hard work to demolish the place until I hurt myself yet again... I somehow managed to let go of the hammer mid-swing with my right hand and I smacked my fingers into the beam at the same force and impact as the hammer itself... I had fat fingers stuck in a cup of ice for several hours and now I have regular sized fingers with pretty, bruised knuckles...

I've decided to stay put and indulge in low impact activities today... We'll have to wait and see how dangerous homework is...

There are Those Who Fool...

And then there are those who get fooled...

Repent and Reform!

I wish the crazies on our campus would sing like they do at Tracy's school...
No, here they just shout judgemental damnation...

They stand out in front of Dale Hall, telling me about how I'm going to hell for listening to rock'n'roll and bearing my legs in public (for wearing a just-below-knee length skirt, btw).

All of last week, they stood shouting at us, drawing huge crowds of students arguing back giving them the gratification of persecution... I'd just walk by and giggle...

Today, another crazy but no more crowd. Yes, they have indeed Bibled-out the students of OU.


Good job.

Funny how they forget love and grace... Whatevs.

The Pup and Me...

We're hanging just the two of us this weekend.

Elisha and Lo are in Nashville for a rugby tournament. Kristin joined her little sister on a girl scout camp out. That leaves me here bonding with my baby. Krumme is growing up so fast though- already he is indulging in... less than reputable adolescent activities? Let's just say Nigel used to be Elisha's most beloved teddy bear that everyone now refuses to touch...

At least he's not too old to cuddle with his mama still. He keeps the left side of the bed warm quite sufficiently for now.


That is when he's not perched on top of me...




Well, back to Gilmore Girls. I've started my fifth go around...

Delight

So a moment just to recognize that the Lord is sovereign?

Nice--We (JC and I) have a "please feel free to smack me around when I'm being a moron" understanding. We've found it to be kind of fun to keep track of the number of smacks administered; the currently count is roughly: JC administrated- innumerable, Patricia administrated- zero.

Be My Escape
Relient K

I’ve given up on giving up slowly, I’m blending in so
You won’t even know me apart from this whole world that shares my fate
This one last bullet you mention is my one last shot at redemption
because I know to live you must give your life away
And I’ve been housing all this doubt and insecurity and
I’ve been locked inside that house all the while You hold the key
And I’ve been dying to get out and that might be the death of me
And even though, there’s no way in knowing where to go, promise I’m going because
I gotta get outta here
I’m stuck inside this rut that I fell into by mistake
I gotta get outta here
And I’m begging You, I’m begging You, I’m begging You to be my escape.

I’m giving up on doing this alone now
Cause I’ve failed and I’m ready to be shown how
He’s told me the way and I’m trying to get there
And this life sentence that I’m serving
I admit that I’m every bit deserving
But the beauty of grace is that it makes life not fair

Cause I’ve been housing all this doubt and insecurity and
I’ve been locked inside that house all the while You hold the key
And I’ve been dying to get out and that might be the death of me
And even though, there’s no way in knowing where to go, promise I’m going because
I gotta get outta here
Cause I’m afraid that this complacency is something I can’t shake
I gotta get outta here
And I’m begging You, I’m begging You, I’m begging You to be my escape.

I am a hostage to my own humanity
Self detained and forced to live in this mess I’ve made
And all I’m asking is for You to do what You can with me
But I can’t ask You to give what You already gave

Cause I’ve been housing all this doubt and insecurity and
I’ve been locked inside that house all the while you hold the key
And I’ve been dying to get out and that might be the death of me
And even though, there’s no way in knowing where to go, promise I’m going because
I’ve gotta get outta here
I’m stuck inside this rut that I fell into by mistake
I’ve gotta get outta here
And I’m begging You, I’m begging You, I’m begging You to be my escape.

I fought You for so long
I should have let You in
Oh how we regret those things we do
And all I was trying to do was save my own skin
But so were You

So were You

Friday, Glorious Friday!

So last night went exceptionally well for having been a test... my guessing skills are pretty boss I'd say...

I realized after posting yesterday that I still had Redliners rehearsal following my test at 10... But between finishing the test and the start of rehearsal, I snuck into the back of the OU choral concert to see my friend and fellow tenor (sometimes), Emory. It was gorgeous- one song was about mothers with readings of anonymous messages written to/about mothers. Sounds cheesy, I know, but some of them actually made me cry...

Annnnd I got out of Redliners at 10:30 because as much of a tenor I may be, I'm still not a man. Thus, I am not included in the men's song- makes sense to me!

Annnnnnnd when I got home, I had an email from my precal teacher saying, "No class tomorrow!" So that means I'm leaving TWO hours before I had expected to! Hooray! I'll be home by 2pm now! I just have to stay awake the whole ride home... :)

Tired...

I'm soooo pooped.

It's all downhill from the precalc test tonight, but I still have to survive until then...

I'm busy today:
9am-10am Climbing
10:30am-12pm Chemistry
12pm-5pm Work
5pm-7pm Study study study
7pm-9pm Dreaded precalc test...

Believe me- after that, all systems will crash...

Oooooh Changes...

Catch-up is a fun game to play... But I'm only really focusing on philosophy (test tomorrow) and precalculus (test Thursday)... I'll catch up on the whole balance over spring break next week.

Moving on: I'm just tossing it out there- I'm considering yet another (bum bum bum) major change... Occupational Therapy? I don't know, I have a lot of researching, soul searching, pro/con listing, and thinking to do before I make a sure decision...



I got both of the solos I wanted for our Redliners spring concert. Anybody available April 25? Whatevs...

More Major Decisions...

This past Wednesday, February 27, I was advised for this coming summer and fall. It was a good session. But with the general trend of the week, it reiterated the fact that I have not been as responsible in the past three semesters as I "should have been".
My point? Depending on the outcome of this current semester, I might have to change my major yet again. My options:

1. If I receive an A or B in all of my classes, then science ed could perhaps still be a choice.
2. If I receive anything less than that in chemistry, then, realistically speaking, have a slim chance of succeeding in the following seven+ science courses I have left. In which case, I could pursue a specific science major, such as microbiology or botany, and later get my certification given the GPA requirements are less than those of the eduction degree plan.
3. If that doesn't seem plausible or satisfactory for some reason, then perhaps I could pursue language arts education, granted I've received high marks in all of my writing courses...

I've accepted all three options. Of course the first two are most ideal; however if I want to be accepted in to the education college, I might have to pursue what I'm naturally good at as opposed to what I am particularly interested in...

I'm not really going to worry about it for now; I'm just going to try my best and reevaluate come May.

Just a reminder- a weather watch means that the conditions are ideal for adverse weather. A warning declares the current presence of adverse weather.

Welcome back, tornado season...

We Delight

My morning started 18 minutes before I had anticipated, but it gave me time to be still and be with God.

Sarah Groves cycled onto my play list as I was getting ready and it brought me peace.

Climbing was extremely fun this morning- we played "add on" and it was a sufficient challenge.

The weather was divine at 65-70 degrees (F). Everyone seems so much happier when we're not freezing our rears off or running through the rain.

We covered information in Chemistry that I can actually wrap my mind around easily.

The tall-bike jousters were on the south oval today. So were the slack liners; I still can't do it, but I'll keep on trying.

I finished a good book today, and am about to start another. If it wasn't for the escape of leisure reading, I think I'd be a loony. Or more of one than is natural.

I love the way that a disagreement can make a relationship stronger, 10 fold.

Reading comments from my family makes me forget all of my worries.

Growing up is hard...

... but good.

I had a good cry with my mentor earlier today.
I will admit that I was embarassed to be crying, but there was no way of holding the tears back. They've been a long time coming, and with a simple question ("why do you think you're struggling to balance everything so far this semester?") the flood gates opened and the water works came forth at the realization of my answer:

I am lazy. I am immature. I have not been committed to my school work and I have not done my best. I am capable of a lot more than I am achieving.
I am disappointed in myself.

And the worst of it is that I've allowed it defeat me thus far. That's where Dr. H's mentoring comes in--she listened to what I had to say, then helped me find new perspective and helped me discover that which I can do to reform.

I know now that my concern and emotion invested in my frustration will move me to growing out of my immature mentality and start taking on a more adult mentality and a stronger work ethic.

I can do better. I will do better.
I already am on my way--back to reading.

75.

That's how old I'll be before I get engaged. Just kidding- sorry Tracy :)

That's how many hours I have left after this summer, hopefully.
Poop.

I might be able to tackle that in four semesters + a summer. Maybe some other intersessions...
Only problem is that I have at least 8 science classes left to take. Yeah, I'll be taking physics this summer.

So seven. Over my last two years? Poop.
I'm actually going to have to double up on my sciences.
So fall 2008- Zoo and Bot? But then I still have another semester of chemistry.
AND another physics...





Just because I like it doesn't mean I'm good at it...
I did this all wrong, didn't I?

Oh well.

New Day, New Week...

I got ten hours of sleep last night.
Do you know how rare/nice that was?
Glorious.

But now I look forward to three hours of class and who-knows-how-long of work... If I had recieved prep notes last week, I'd have some idea; however, my boss for this semester is a little disorganized.

It's hard to not compare him to my boss from last semester--she was/is obsessively organized all of the time.

In other news- the date was goooooood. More dets later.

Back in P-Town

It's nice to be home, annoying mom and dad, falsifying their blogger information... haha. But it really is a nice break to get out of Noma for the weekend and be with my rentals and friends.

I've got me a hot date tonight :)
I can hardly wait!

Seriously?

It should be illegal to make any classes before 8:30. I know it's just an hour difference, but honestly, 7:30 is early. I think there's more mental game with waking up at 6:15 as opposed to 7:whatever...

My skanky, sweatpanted tush and I are off to chemistry.

Dueces.

Seemed like fun...

Take a peek?

I Love Sundays

Quite the day of rest.

Mega Harsh!

My posts are either boring or too infrequent! I'm sooo sorry!

Anyways, I got my butt out of bed to go climbing when the wall opened this morning at 11 with my friend from climbing class! Upon arrival, we found the wall closed- my second week in a row... However, this week we played the "we're friends with the climbing director" card and were allowed to get the gear we needed and climb without staffer supervision. Lauren and I took turns climbing and belaying for a solid hour and a half! It's so refreshing in contrast to the once or twice up the wall that is available in the one hour worth of class every Tuesday and Thursday! We climbed until we were too tired to climb any more!

And then I worked out for another half hour after that. I want to get back into shape! Not for anyone else, not to be "thin," but just to make me feel healthy again! I'm working on the eating habits too. It's hard while in school, but I'm learning how to make it work.

Yogurt is a good friend.

Weekend Purchases

Ewwwy... so sick

I managed to scrounge up a batch of the stomach flu... I'm sooo talented like that.

I haven't been this sick in a very long time- I was up every 45 minutes to an hour last night to purge this bug, starting at about 9:30 until around 5:30 this morning... It's quite the bummer.

I hate being sick and away from family. I want my momma or Grady to rub my back and play with my hair... Take care of me. But my apartment is doing all they can to make me feel better.





Our couch sucks...

Happiness and Comfort

I made phenominal tortilla soup last night--I love my crockpot.


There's a little old man who walks from the student union area of campus to the stadium area every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday around 1:30pm. He smokes an old fashioned pipe. It makes me smile.

Twenty-Years-Old

Is that weird to anyone else? I'm going to be twenty-years-old on Sunday...


Not a bad thing though, I like getting older. It's still kind of fun.

Surprisingly enough...

I am really excited for my post civil war history class. The professor is less concerned with dates and specific and more concerned with the concepts and happenings. Moreover, he encourages us to be critical and sceptical of history. It's really great!















{How typical...}

Day Three

of classes is about to commence... I'm already jonesin' nothing more than to be done with this semester... with school in general.










I'm tired- residual exhaustion from having to be in my chem lab at 7:30am yesterday...










I don't wanna go to class. Well, I want to go to wall climbing, because that class is frickin' boss. But don't make me go to chemistry...







I miss this:

North Carolina Adventures

*My most sincere apologies for being home and not keeping you up-to-date. I know some people (or person; namely a sister of mine) who is practically going to crap herself in anticipation...

It was a fantastic trip! A back story for those of you who weren't in on the scoop- Over Thanksgiving break, I got a call from my boyfriend's mother, asking if I would like to join their family in NC for the New Years. They'd already been looking at tickets, and I would fly out Dec 27. But don't tell Tripp- it's a surprise. Thus, you can imagine how difficult the next month was for me--completely excited about the whole thing in addition to my anxiety over meeting all of Tripp's paternal relatives for the first time...

Regardless, I made it without peeping a single word to the boy. Dec 27- got up at 3am, got to the airport by 4:40. Got frisked because I have jeans with the stupid tabby things and buttons made of some dumb metal as well as clasps on my bra that have a similar effect. *Have you ever noticed how angry-at-the-world people are in airports? It's quite the tragedy. Smiling is so not as hard as they make it seem.* A flight plus one lay-over later, I make it to Charlotte at 11:something, and find Sharon (the boy's mom) at the baggage claim. So we make way around the busy, crazy, historical, beautiful city to Nanny and Papa's house. Oh the anticipation at this point is ridiculous and indescribable! We make way to the back door, and Tripp just happens to be looking for something at the kitchen table- approximately seven feet from the door. He looked up, validated his parents return, looked back to the table, and then it registered. He double takes, and then grabbed me, saying, "What... You're... What are you doing here?" It was perfect. And then he ran off to shower because he was scuzzy and now embarrassed.

Hugs from Nanny and Papa- each mentioning a thank you for a presence that commanded proper hygiene as well as smiles and words from their grandson. Sarah Francis, 9, took it from there- a thorough, all inclusive inquiry regarding my family, general knowledge, preferences, skeletons, and intentions with Tripp. Allie and Bo, 15 and 11 respectively, appreciated reaping all benefits of the interrogation without having to contribute much, however they occasionally pipped in with their own questions. I must have passed, because I was eventually allowed to contribute to sudoku completion as well as news paper headline commentary.

Early afternoon, we packed up the cars, and drove out to the mountain house. It was stunning- just out side of Banner Elk, NC on Beech Mountain. The view from the entirely regal house was spectacular... eventually. We got there on an exceptionally foggy evening. The entire next day was spent in a cloud as well. So we played games, watched tv, and I passed on my morsels of sewing knowledge to SF (short for Sarah Francis, because her name is not just Sarah. Made that mistake once and only once). For the time, it was just ten of us- Nanny, Papa, Ed and Sharon (mister's parents), Will (mister's brother), the three aforementioned cousins, and of course Tripp and myself.

The next day, the house number increased exponentially- Katherine and Jeff (Ed's sister and brother-in-law) arrived, followed by Tommy and Holly (Ed's brother and sister-in-law). Then rolled in Hamrick, 20, and Stephanie, 21 (Tripp's cousin and his gal), followed by Kate, 22 (another cousin). It was quite overwhelming, and the next few days were a blur! There was always a bowl game on TV, a game of bridge going on at the game table, and relatives making inquiry a little more age appropriate from SF's efforts. We ate, played games, did puzzles, watched "the game"- whatever that means anymore.

We rang in the new year with family portraits, hyper activity, and some classic rock tuneage. We were also captive to watching a new rendition of Evil Knievel jump a football field...

A few people made their departure later that morning/early afternoon. Ed, Sharon, Tripp, Will, and I made way into Boone to visit Footsloggers (a sweet climbing and outdoor store) where Tripp made purchase of a harness, ATC, carabiner, and chalk with his gift card from Christmas 2006. While we were there, it started to snow! Big flakes! Like I'd never seen before! It was awesome!

It continued to snow for the remainder of January 1st and the majority of the 2nd. Of course, we took advantage of the opportunity to embrace our inner child. The temperature was in the single digits, with probably 6-8 inches of snow! Oh, there was snow angels, snow ball fights, snowmen (or penguin in my case), and sledding! The boys made a snow jump in the yard and a ramp on the driveway for some great height and fantastic speed! Perhaps some of the most fun I've ever had!

And then came the 4th, the day that was spent entirely on the road... Good thing I go into hibernation mode in those settings...

The week since then has been great- just chillin', taking care of business, and hanging out with some friends! And now I need to get to packing up so I can head back to Noma tomorrow.


Ps- we still don't know if Tripp has been accepted to OU for the spring... His letter should arrive today or tomorrow according to the admissions lady... Sooo helpful.