Random Requests

Hey girls!!! (For anyone else reading this besides Katie and Megan, sorry it has nothing to do with you.) Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I had a WONDERFUL weekend despite being sick. I'm really sorry if I shared my germs with you, but so far it seems like you're both healthy. I think I'm almost over it...been fever-free for over 24 hours!! Now I feel like I just got off the scrambler after riding it for 5 days straight. Not a fun feeling.

So, this may be sort of random and I know I'm supposed to be doing a "fat girl" blog right now, but I have two requests. You can say no to one or both if you want. I just wanted to throw them out there.

First, I'd like to request that we have no more surprises. I really don't like the secrecy and sneaking around...it makes me feel like I'm competing with you guys or something. I hate lying to my best friends. Also, with all the lies and secrecy, I tend to build my surprise up to be this huge thing and then I end up disappointed. I don't know if you guys feel the same way or not, but that's just how I feel. Besides, I feel like I've come to expect a surprise everytime we get together (Megan, I was honestly shocked that there was no new Vera this time!). I think that expecting a surprise minimizes my reaction to it which basically sucks for the person giving it. Soooooo...yeah...I'm voting to put an end to the surprises (unless of course they're presents for the other person/people).

My second request is by far the most important. When we write our "Fat Chicks Rule" book, can we PLEASE use pen names? I really don't want the whole world knowing my fat girl secrets, or at least knowing that I'M (we're) the one that does them. I can just see it now...50 years from now when I'm an old rotting professor, one of my students will come up to me and say, "Dr. Haggard (because of course I won't ever find a man after all of our secrets are published), you're my hero. You taught me how to go through a drive-thru and get everything I want without people thinking it's all for me. Thank you so much! Will you autograph my donut box?"


Now, I've done my part for the week (more to come soon once I'm caught up on everything I've missed this week). It's your turn!!! START BLOGGING!!!!

AHHHHH

I am going CRAZY! But it's a good kind of crazy. That's all.

Fat Kid Cramp

A few weeks ago, as I was sitting at a stop light, I watched an elementary/middle school track meet (it was a really long light). When the race started, the kids took off. Within seconds, they were out of sight...all but one. A short, chubby kid was chugging along behind them, a look of fierce determination on his face. It was obvious that he would never catch up, but he just kept running as fast as he could.

I am that chubby kid. Lately, I've felt like I'm running a race that I can't win. I'm pushing myself as hard as I can, but I just can't seem to catch up. As soon as I make it over one hurdle, there's always another one waiting for me. If I were that kid, I would have given up. I probably wouldn't have joined the team in the first place. But no, this kid kept on truckin. I realized that I need to be more like this kid. I joined the team, so now I have to race. I may be struggling in life, but things will get better. I can't give up just because thing are tough. School may be kicking my butt right now, but I guarantee that little boy got his butt kicked even worse.

So I'm gonna keep running. I can't do it alone though. I need you guys to be my cheerleaders, to toss me a water bottle every now and then when I get a fat kid cramp from running so hard, and to pick me up if I fall flat on my face. Thanks for being there for me through all of this and for putting up with my whining. I love you guys!

The Day the Firemen Came for Easter

The day started out just like any other Easter morning. I drug myself out of bed bright and early to see what the Easter Bunny had brought me. I was "surprised" to find a grill in (well, technically beside) my Easter basket, complete with grilling utensils and a grill cover. I was pleased to see that the Easter Bunny remembered my favorite candy, cadbury eggs and chocolate covered marshmallow eggs. Yummmm!

After discovering that all of my laundry was still in the dryer, I threw on some dirty clothes and headed down to Gagoo's to help get ready for the day. I had already baked cupcakes decorated with bunnies, and a pretty cool watermelon fruit basket (that was a little lopsided). Once at Gagoo's, I made the dressing as usual, discussed whether the Davis's would be joining us (they had been sick), and buttered and sugared the rolls. As I was peeling a cucumber, I saw a flame suddenly shoot up in the oven. Gagoo noticed it at the same time. She pulled open the oven door and the flames shot up into the air, dangerously close to the cabinets. Gagoo bent down to blow on it, but I screamed at her not to, fearing that the gust of air would blow the flames higher. This was no small fire, folks. I frantically asked, "do you have a...a...a thing?" I couldn't find the words "fire extinguisher" in my head. Thankfully, Gagoo knew what I was talking about, but no, she didn't have one. "SALT! WE NEED SALT!" she yelled. Crap, the salt was in the cabinet above the stove, which neither one of us could reach anyway without a chair. We both looked at each other, asking each other what we should do. "FLOUR! FLOUR WOULD WORK!" I yelled. But before we could get to the flour, the fire put itself out. We discovered that Gagoo had left a meat fork in the oven. The handle had burnt off. My initial response was that now I knew what to buy her for Christmas, but she quickly replied that I'd never find another one like this. It was an antique. We put the smoldering fork in the sink, waited for the laughter to subside, and continued our work.

Soon Gagoo asked me to check on the rolls that were in the oven. She was afraid that the bottoms were burning. I opened the oven door and saw that the tops of the rolls were burnt. I figured the whole darn roll had to be burnt too, but when we took one out, we saw that the bottoms weren't even done. We checked the corn pudding which was also in the oven and saw that the top of it was burnt too. We eventually realized that Gagoo had set the oven on broil. I'm beginning to question her sanity.

At some point I ran home to put on clean clothes (that were still a little damp). Soon the rest of the family (minus Kim's crew) showed up. We ate lunch, did some crafts (ok, I did some crafts with Quincy and Erin), and waited for the egg hunt. Gagoo had told me earlier that I didn't have to hunt eggs if I didn't want to. So when it came time for the egg hunt, I volunteered to help hide the eggs. Gagoo said, "No! You have to find them!" So I sat patiently and waited for my instructions. Now, in order to fully appreciate an Easter egg hunt at Gagoo's, you really have to be there, but I'll do my best to describe it. Gagoo has a huge assortment of plastic eggs. She rarely buys new ones. Each grandchild gets 12 of a certain type of egg. For example, I was to find all the green eggs, Winston's eggs looked like various types of balls, and Owen had camo eggs. It isn't always that straightforward though. Katie's eggs were a variety of colors, but had swirls or dots on them. Nicholas was to find all the shiny eggs, but not the green shiny eggs because those were mine. Maggie's eggs were all different colors, but had faces on them. Half the time we weren't even sure if the eggs we found were really our own. This year was a little different. About 10 of our eggs had numbers in them. We had to take the number to my mom, who would then give us the prize corresponding to that number. It was fun!

Next was the kids' turn to hide our parents' bags. We decided to play a trick on them. We got an extra bag, filled it with rocks, wrote "GOTCHA!" on it, and put it in plain sight on top of the floodwall. Then we let the parents loose. I always hide Mom's in an easy spot, but she always has to have help to find it. I think she really would have found it on her own this time if Dad hadn't gotten to it first. J.T. was the one that took the floodwall bait. He ran all the way to the top, saw what it said, and sent it flying over the floodwall.

Aside from some minor family drama and my mom not feeling well, it was a great Easter. I'm sad that I won't get to spend much time with my family this summer, and can't wait til the next family get-together.

Warning: Complete Breakdown Ahead

I don't want to sound like a negative Nancy, but I've got to let this out. You don't have to read it, you don't have to comment. I just need to vent. I feel like I'm headed for a breakdown. Not the sobbing, depressed kind, but the maniacal, hysterical kind. I am completely and utterly overwhelmed with life right now. I'm not depressed or anything like that. I'm just STRESSED. I'm gonna list the reasons why:

1) School- OMG we have so much busy work to get done. In fact, tomorrow I have 2 case studies and an article review due for 1 class. Not to mention an assignment that was due tonight that I didn't turn in. I haven't even STARTED on any of them. I'm slacking BIG TIME. Lately I haven't even been turning assignments in on time. I know the ones I can turn in late without consequences so I wait until the last possible minute then half-ass them and turn them in. I haven't skipped any classes yet, but I seriously consider it everyday.

2) Clinic- Ok, clinic really is easy. It's probably the highlight of my school life right now. But it's still stressful because I have a TON of paperwork to do. Right now I have 5 SOAP notes (which are basically session summary reports) to turn in by Friday at noon. To do 2 of those, I have to watch the videos of my sessions. I also have to email one of my client's parents with reminders for what they need to be doing.

3) Summer school- UGH. I'm stressing out about it because no one really knows what's going on.

4) THESIS- I have been working on my thesis since the beginning of the semester and am still right where I started. My thesis mentor is NO HELP AT ALL. She basically told me she didn't know what to do and referred me to another professor in a different department. That other professor never got back with me. So here I am, on my own. Anytime I ask my mentor a question, she never even answers it, but sort of dances around it. I was talking to one of my clinic supervisors about it and he told me I would basically have to shoulder more responsibility than most thesis students have to. Today, I almost had a mini-breakdown when talking to my old advisor about my thesis. She helped me more in 5 minutes than my thesis mentor has helped me in 3 months. So now, I have to start meeting with her on the side to get some real help. Also, since I'm on the thesis track, I have to register for the thesis class (which is not really a class) each semester until I'm finished. In addition to that, I have to take 2 electives on top of the regular program courses. Everyone else has to take these electives too, but until I'm finished with my thesis, I can't take the electives because that would put me with an overload of hours and they don't allow that. So basically, I'll be graduating in July of 2010 when the rest of my class (except the other 2 thesis students) will be graduating in May 2010. My thesis mentor said there is no way around that, but my old advisor said she would find a way. I really hope she can.

5) Externships- We're starting to make decisions about what setting we want to do first (school or medical) and what location we prefer. It's such a big decision. I have to make sure I'm ready to handle whichever one I choose. I chose school because I think it'll be easier and I'm more comfortable there. I'm already stressing out about it.

6) Money- I know I have loans and I can get more, but it freaks me out to see my bank account dwindling without ever bringing more in (except for the big loan checks, but I know I have to pay all that back plus some). It scares me that I won't be able to have another job until I get my for real, big girl job. Thank GOD SLPs make decent money. I've applied for one scholarship, but I don't think it's much money. I have another scholarship application due on Monday and I haven't had time to work on it. I'm dreading writing another essay on why I want to pursue grad school, because at the moment I'm not even sure why.

7) Family- No worries, Mom and Dad, this isn't really a BAD stress. I consider myself lucky to be away from Maysville right now. There is so much drama going on with my family we could easily be in a soap opera (except for the fact that no one has been in a coma, although I believe a certain husband of a certain aunt might be in one if Mom gets a hold of him). I still worry about my family constantly, especially since I won't be there over the summer to help out.

8) Social life- Well, not too much to stress out about here other than the fact that I don't have one. I live for my weekends with Katie and Megan. That and the thought of Megan living here this summer is what keeps me going. Outside of once a month visits with Katie and Megan, I have no social life. I barely even talk to Alison unless it's about who's going to take the trash out and whether the rent got paid. I can't wait to have Megan to talk to and have fun with this summer.

I'm sure there's more, but I'm feeling better already so I'm going to stop. I know that none of this is really that bad. It could be a lot worse. I'm just so overwhelmed, particularly with school. I need to figure out a way to get back on track and stop being such a slacker. Thanks for letting me vent.

Oh, and I can't wait for the weekend!!! I'm totally pumped and promise to leave all of this negative energy in Richmond.

P.S. As I was writing this, I was constantly distracted by the shadow on my wall of a huge moth that's stuck in my light fixture.

Killer Whale

Wait...didn't I already have a post with the same title. Yes, yes I did. You know why?! Because I'm a weirdo who dreams about being attacked by killer whales. Come on now! This is getting ridiculous! What's with all the freaking killer whale dreams?

So when I was home last weekend, I had a dream that I was at the beach with Mom and Hailey. There was a shallow part of the water that extended out a couple feet then suddenly dropped off to this super deep part. Well, Hailey and Mom were out hanging onto the ledge of the deep part. I was in with them, but decided that since there was no lifeguard, I should get out and watch for sharks. I vividly remember saying "I'm gonna go be the lifeguard." I hoisted myself out of the water. Just as I turned to scan the beach, I saw a huge shark fin right behind Hailey. I screamed for them to get out, but they didn't listen. All of a sudden I realized it was a killer whale. It swallowed a little boy whole then turned toward Mom and Hailey. I ran to the ledge they were on and grabbed Mom's arm. She grabbed onto Hailey and I pulled them both out of the water with only one arm! I didn't get them out in time though. The killer whale jumped up onto the beach and bit Hailey's toe off. I screamed "NO!!!" (probably for real out loud) and jumped between Hailey and the killer whale. It bit my entire foot off before I escaped. I wasn't worried about myself. I ran (I'm not sure how) over to Hailey and yelled to my Dad (who had suddenly appeared) that Hailey's toe was a couple feet away down the beach. He grabbed it and someone sewed it back on. They also found my foot and sewed it back on. I could see these huge black stitches all around my ankle and Hailey's toe. I kept telling her over and over again that she was still perfect. Then I woke up.

So guys, tell me what in the heck this dream means! Why am I dreaming about killer whales? This is absolutely NUTS! It's not like I've been thinking about them or anything and these two dreams were MONTHS apart. Am I really that crazy?

How could a little blog mean so much?

I just realized how much this stupid blog means to me. Obviously it's a great way to stay in touch with two of my favorite people in the world. It gives us a chance to keep each other updated on what's going on in our lives when we're not able to tell each other in person or on the phone. It gives me a chance to tell them how I'm feeling without worrying about sounding corny, like now for example. Yeah, it means a lot to me to be able to read their blogs and leave comments. It also means a lot to read the comments they leave for me. But I think the thing that means the most to me about this blog is probably the thing that most people would consider insignificant or even annoying. That annoying traffic feed that shows the world that I check my blog about 50 times a day...that's what means the most to me. You see, not only does it say Richmond, KY up to 20 times a day, but it also says Fairfield, OH and Louisville, KY just as much. It means so much to me that the girls check so often to see if any of us have blogged. To me, it shows how much they care. Yeah, I know a lot of it is habit. I have my set list of websites I check multiple times a day...email accounts, weather, blogs... but it still makes me feel good to see that they've visited my blog. It especially makes me feel good when I know that Katie has read (or at least skimmed) my posts because she usually has to hear the whole boring story over the phone before I even post it on here.

I think what made me realize how much that stupid traffic feed means to me is the fact that Megan is home for spring break this week and hasn't read our blogs. There has been no Louisville, KY in my traffic feed. There has been no comment aside from my own on the TWO blogs Katie has posted recently. Two blogs in that short amount of time is a lot for Katie!!! It makes me happy that she's posted so much. When Megan sees it, she'll be proud. Keep the posts coming Katie!!! Anyway, I would feel the same way if I didn't see Fairfield, OH on my traffic feed too. It's just a good feeling to know that they care. So girls, I'm not taking down that feed. I don't care if it shows the world that I visit my own blog 50 times a day. Just keep coming so I know you're there!

Put a little grease on me and call me Bob the Mechanic...

...cuz I just fixed my car all by myself!


For those of you who don't know (by this, I mean Megan) I had a really crappy week this week. A bunch of little things just started adding up and I was on the verge of a breakdown. One of my biggest issues this week has been my car. You've already (probably) read about my experience at the gas station on Sunday. Well, on Wednesday, I went out to my car to drive to class and discovered that my rear-view mirror had fallen off and was just dangling there. Also on Wednesday, an old man stopped me to tell me that one of my brake lights was out. Well, I had already told my dad about the brake light over Christmas break but it didn't get fixed. Then on Thursday, the "service engine soon" light came on.

So, after realizing that I was heading for a breakdown, not just over my car but life in general, I decided that I need to turn this car around (figuratively speaking). I need to get my life heading in the right direction. Sooooo I've decided to make a few changes so I can get out of this funk I'm in. The first step was to fix my car. So, I headed off to Wal-Mart in search of super glue. I felt a little out of place (ok, maybe A LOT out of place) in the car section at Wal-Mart, but I was finally able to locate a rear-view mirror repair kit. I bought that bad boy for 97 cents (along with some summer melon car air freshener) and headed home to start my repairs. I followed the directions carefully, making sure to put the mirror back on in the right place because the label said that nothing can get it off once it's on. Well, somehow my arm slipped, the mirror moved, and I didn't get it moved back in time. The glue dried while the mirror was still in my hand. So I went back and bought another one (this time for $2.97...not sure why the price jumped that much for the exact same product) and tried again. I haven't looked yet to see if it's still stuck on there, but I think I fixed it!!!! Next on the list is to see if I can replace the brake light myself. I've been told that with Aleros it's really hard to do yourself because you have to go in through the trunk, so I may end up having to take it somewhere. But anyway, I was really proud of myself for fixing the mirror by myself. I know it's not a huge deal, but it's a step in the right direction for me.

Now on to the bigger changes! I can't wait to get my life going the way I want it to. Stay tuned for more updates on the newer (ok maybe not newer), better me.

I met the guy of my dreams at a gas station...

...and I don't even know his name. Here's the story:


I have a terrible cold. My nose is stuffy, I sound like a man, and my face is all red and splotchy. I have constant sniffles. I haven't showered. I'm wearing jeans and an old t-shirt with a hat covering my unbrushed hair. Basically, I look like crap.

I messed around all day, trying to delay going back to Richmond. Finally, I decided I needed to leave before dark, so I loaded up all my junk and headed out. I stopped at a gas station to put air in my tires, one of which was almost flat. Next, was my most important stop. I drove through McDonald's to get a large diet Coke. I also stopped at the ATM which refused to give me any money. Then I headed out of town.

Well, about 15 minutes from Paris (which is about 45 minutes from Richmond), I realized that I hadn't stopped for gas before leaving. Now, I figured I had enough gas to get me home, but I wanted to stop just in case. So I stopped at Thornton's in Paris, my favorite gas station because the gas there is always cheaper. I tied a jacket around my waist because I was having crack issues, and filled her up. After screwing the gas cap back on, happy that I had filled up for only $13, I got back in, ready to get home. I turned the key...hmm...I don't think it started. I turned it again...no, definitely didn't start. It was turning over, but wouldn't start. I freaked. So what did I do? I called my Mom. She kept asking me if it sounded like something was wrong with the battery. Well, I know nothing about cars. I kept telling her that I had no idea what it would sound like if something was wrong with the battery. She said she would call AAA then call me right back. As I was waiting, I went inside to tell the cashier that I couldn't move my car but someone was on their way to help me. Then I came back outside and tried to pop the hood. I couldn't get it open. For some reason I couldn't find the hatch under the hood that you have to pull to open it. I kept trying to start the car. I was SURROUNDED by men in big trucks. They all saw that my car wouldn't start. But did they help me? NO. As I was desperately trying to start my car, this incredibly cute guy about my age walked over and asked, "Does your hood not shut?" Well at this point it was sticking up a little from where I had tried to open it. "Yeah, it shuts, but I'm trying to open it. I can't get it to open," was my response. "Want me to get it?" "Sure! That would be great!" "There ya go. It's a little tricky." Ok, at this point, this guy is my hero. It gets even better. At that point my Dad called. The guy, still standing there, says, "Do you know what you're doing?" To which I replied, "I have no clue!" I was sort of ignoring my dad because I wanted to talk to the guy. He was still standing there. Right then, AAA called. They told me to go check to make sure the gas cap was on tight. I had already done that once, but to humor her, I checked it again. She told me to go try to start my car again. IT WORKED! The guy was still standing there and asked me if I wanted him to close the hood. I told him that would be great and thanked him profusely.

As I drove off, I kept thinking I should have asked him what his name was. Then I could have facebook stalked him. This guy really amazed me because here I was surrounded by grown men, obviously in distress, and the only one that would help me was a guy that was my age. Did I mention that he was really cute? Not like "pretty boy" cute, but cute in a good way. Anyway, I thought about this guy the whole way back to Richmond. I debated on going back to ask him his name and thank him again lol. But I figured he'd think I was dumb. Besides, he probably wouldn't have been there anymore anyway.

So yeah, there's my story. From now on, any guy I date has to meet these two criteria:

1) He has to know something about cars (and not just the number for AAA) because I know nothing about them.

2) He has to be the kind of guy that will offer to help a girl whose car won't start at a gas station.

Now don't get me wrong, he doesn't have to pick up hitch-hikers or stop for people on the side of the road. And yes, I will start asking guys these questions before I even start dating them.

Ok, that's all for now.

Shopping and Bowling and Webkinz....Oh My!

Here it is...our tentative weekend plans! About time, right? Well, last week, Katie mentioned that she either wanted to go bowling or go to movie tavern. My response was, "Why can't we do both?" Soooo....here's my proposal for our weekend itinerary.

Friday:

AM: Go to EDF speech and hearing screenings (hopefully won't last long)

PM: Get some lunch, hang out at the apartment (Wii Fit, etc...), maybe to to the Peddlers Mall (because I KNOW Katie won't want to go), get an EKU hoodie, pick up some snacks if we need them (I have a few things at the apartment and I picked up a case of pop), shop a little around Richmond if we want/if we need to fill time. Basically just do whatever we feel like until Katie gets here.

After 6ish: Katie will arrive sometime around 6 or 6:30 I think. At this point, we can hang out a bit and get ready to go bowling. I have been craving QDoba for weeks, so at some point this weekend I'd like to eat there if that's ok. Anyway, I figured we can either eat dinner out somewhere before we go bowling, or we could get a pizza or something while we're bowling. Tamila will be joining us for our bowling adventure. After bowling, I thought we could get some ice cream or some type of dessert, pay a visit to the Red Box, and come back and watch movies. Maybe another spa night?

Saturday:

AM: Wake up, shower, get ready. If we're up early enough, I can cook breakfast.

Late AM, Early PM: Shop around Richmond (If we want), head to Lexington, go shopping (Katie needs something there but can't remember what it is), dinner and a movie at movie tavern. Return to Richmond and do whatever we feel like doing. In Lexington, we can buy Webkinz (since Megan NEEDS the lamb).


Sunday:

AM-whenever: Get breakfast/lunch. I don't know when you all plan on leaving so we'll just have to see what we feel like doing and what we have time to do. I'm not kicking you out so stay as late as you want!!!



So there's my suggestion. If you don't want to do any of those things, let me know. It's so weird for me to come up with the game plan. Also, if there's something you really want to do, we can totally do it. Obviously this plan isn't set in stone. I just thought it would be good to have some ideas so we don't just sit around bored. I think it's supposed to rain a little over the weekend, so that leaves out any outdoorsy stuff. Leave me some comments and let me know what you think or if there's anything you want to add or take off.

LESS THAN 48 HOURS UNTIL MEGAN GETS HERE!!! A LITTLE MORE THAN 48 UNTIL KATIE GETS HERE!!!!!! I CAN'T WAIT!!!!

Wow

I'm in shock. I just want to share with you all how productive I've been this week. Those of you who know me well, know that I'm the Queen of Procrastination. This week has been a huge exception. It all started on Wednesday. I was one of 10/16 girls that showed up for class Wednesday morning. I got a prize just for showing up (therapy materials). After class, I skipped my thesis meeting because I was feeling a little blah. I went home and took a FOREVER long nap. When I woke up I was super groggy so I decided to go to Wal-Mart and buy some juice and some ink for my printer.

I got to school an hour and a half early so I sat in the classroom by myself. It was at this point that I got a sudden burst of energy. So what did I do with that energy? I blogged. For some reason, blogging sparked this wave of productiveness. Thank God for blogs. That night during class, I had my computer out to take notes. The class was super boring and I didn't really need to take many notes, so I decided to make the most out of my time. I finished 3 SOAP notes (clinic notes) and corrected 2 others. By the time I finished, class was almost over. That was the end of my productiveness for the night.

Thursday, I got up, went to school, had clinic, then went to class. After class, I had another bought of laziness. I sat around watching TV. Once again, I left for class early. When I got there, I sat in the classroom alone and watched my therapy video. Again, while taking notes in class, I decided to make the most of my time. This time was a little harder because I actually had notes to take. I finished my SOAP for the day before class was over. Before 10:00 on Thursday night, I had emailed all of my notes to my supervisors, sent an email to my client, and typed and emailed my lesson plans for next week. None of it was really due until noon on Friday and it usually doesn't get done until after noon on Friday.

Friday was a super productive day as well. Alison and I decided that we needed to clean our rooms. I made my infamous cleaning to-do list and got to work. I cleaned out my closet, organized my bookshelves, and cleaned off my desk. I got bored. So what did I do? I took quizzes. No, not the little quizzes that you take for fun online. I took real school quizzes. Two of them. Crazy, huh? Well I got tired of taking quizzes, and I really really really wanted ice cream, so I made Alison drive me to Dairy Queen. After eating my ice cream, I ended up going to bed. It was only 10:00.

Yesterday wasn't productive at all. But TODAY.....

For some reason I woke up at 10:00. Yes, 10. On a Sunday. I was wide awake with tons and tons of energy. I figured I would watch some TV, do my everyday internet things (check email, Webkinz, facebook, see if anyone blogged...) I started watching a movie and somehow found myself sending an email that I was supposed to send weeks ago. Another movie started...and I found myself doing a report that's due tomorrow. Here's the scary thing. I finished that report and emailed it before any of the other 3 girls finished theirs. That really freaked me out. So now I'm cleaning my room....well, technically I'm blogging. But I was really freaked out by the fact that I'm not being lazy and I'm not FORCING myself to get things done. I'm just doing them without even thinking about it.

Yeah, so back to cleaning. I'm really sorry for boring you with this. I just needed to tell someone.

Summer Schedule and Other Such Ramblings

Well folks, I finally got my summer schedule. There's good news and bad news. I'll give you the good first, since you already know it. My classes and clinic start June 1st and end July 24th (my birthday for those of you who forgot). There is one exception. One of my classes starts two weeks earlier (May 17th?) and ends July 24th, but it's online for the first two weeks. This means I'm available to go on vacation the last week of July or the first week of August!

Now for the bad news (mostly for me, but a little for Megan). My classes start at 8 freakin 30 in the morning. Scratch that...CLINIC starts at 8:30 in the morning. I have to be awake AND HAPPY and functioning that early in the morning. That's 2, 3, or possibly 4 clients right in a row with no time in between. That means I'll probably have to be there around 7:30 to get all my therapy materials ready for the day. We ALL know I'm not a morning person. 8:30. What were they thinking? Anyway, clinic goes from 8:30-12:00 with nonstop therapy (multiple clients). For four of those weeks, I won't have to do group therapy so from 8:30-10:00 I'll be in a class instead. You'd think it's a long enough day going from 8:30 to 12:00, but no, they had to add a couple classes to the mix. My classes start at 2:15 and end at 5:45. So Monday through Thursday (I think) I'll be at school from 8:30-5:45.

I'm not letting this get me down. I'm wearing my swimsuit under my clinic clothes so I can pick up Megan and go straight to Paradise Cove or whatever the new water park is called. Lol I'm totally buying season passes and everything. Ok, we might not go EVERY day, but I want to go A LOT! I also plan on being all housewifey and cooking us dinner a lot. Well, I'm hoping to grill out so maybe that would be considered being husbandy. Also, we'll have a new baby at home in Maysville, so some weekends will be spent there holding the new little guy (I refuse to believe it could possibly be a girl) and swimming in the pool (if Charlie hasn't chewed it up).

Yeah, I'm rambling....sorry. Anyway, I'd better get back to work. I'm feeling super productive today and am on my way to do laundry. It won't be any fun without my laundry buddy Katie, but I'll just have to play the quarter game myself! I'll let ya know if I win big (aka another pocket knife). Just wanted to share my summer schedule with ya. Love you girls and can't wait to see you next weekend! Stay tuned for another post about plans for next weekend!

Ice Storm 2009: Part 2

I know it seems like you've been waiting eons to hear part two of my ice storm adventure. I apologize for the delay. Life got in the way. Now, when we left off, I had fallen and blacked out, gone to Trish's, then returned home to an apartment with no power. I woke up the next morning freezing. I sat around for a little while and soon got a call from Alison. She said that she, Trish, and Soni were going to Wal-Mart and asked if I wanted to come. The warmth of Wal-Mart was too good of an offer to pass up. I even forgot momentarily that I HATE Wal-Mart. So I washed up in ice cold water, shed a layer of PJ pants, and waited patiently for the girls to pick me up. As soon as they walked in the door, I felt like a Jew during the Holocaust whose hiding place was just discovered. The girls ran in talking over each other in panicked voices. "We need water, batteries, pillows." "Sarah, you need lots of blankets." To which I replied, "...ummm....I have blankets...lots of blankets." Suddenly they start grabbing everything...water, food, my pillows and blankets.

"whoa whoa whoa...why in the heck are you taking all my stuff? Are you gonna save any water for me? I NEED those blankets." "We thought you were coming with us..." "Um yeah, to Wal-Mart. I wasn't aware that going to Wal-Mart required mass amounts of supplies. I'm staying here. It's like camping." With that, they dropped my things, called me nuts, and got in the car. Apparently ice = crazy drivers. I'm not kidding. We almost died a couple times because other people were being stupid. Every time a car would come close to us, Alison would yell "WHOA!!! WHOA!!!" It was pretty scary. Trish said it best, "I was so scared I accidentally farted!"

I assumed that our trip to the old Wally World would be a leisurely experience with plenty of time to pick up the essentials, get warm, and just enjoy being in a place with electricity. I was wrong. As soon as we walked in the door it was like an Iraqi freedom mission. We split up into groups of two. Divide and Conquer. Well I was looking for a car charger for my phone, so I went back to electronics with Soni who needed to look for something in the camping equipment. The other two were getting groceries. As soon as we met up, they were ready to roll. Thank God Wal-Mart is a crazy store and they have batteries and food in random places throughout the store. I felt like I was shopping for my life in those few moments on the way to the check-out. I needed food...desperately. We had very little in the apartment. I managed to snag a couple boxes of Pop Tarts and a bag of Chex Mix before hitting the registers.

We checked out, and then decided we needed a hot meal. Well, every fast food restaurant had ridiculously long lines in their drive thrus. Yeah, that was to be expected. So we got into a fight over where to eat. They wanted Hardees...I was thinking the one over by Taco Bell. I was wrong. They meant the one off the other exit. Ok, fine. Let's go somewhere else. Someone got the bright idea to go to White Castle. I gave a hell no on that one. I'd rather eat my pop tarts and chex mix all day than go there. So somehow we ended up at Red Lobster. It was good except for the fact that Alison and Trish both worked there and knew our waiter. They both gave him a HUGE tip so I felt I had to give a good one too. Oh well, I got a discount because Trish still works there.

By the time I got home, it was getting late. I sat in the car listening to the radio and attempting to charge my cell phone. The guy on the radio was saying that hundreds of thousands of people were without power in Kentucky, particularly in the Richmond area. We had been hit BAD. Old ladies were calling in asking if any of the shelters were delivering hot meals to the elderly who couldn't get out of their houses to go to the shelters. People were calling to report downed trees and power lines. For something the I wasn't too worried about, this thing sure caused a lot of damage. I was infuriated by a woman who called in to the radio station. This is what she said (in a THICK Kentucky accent), "Hi, we still got power but I was wonderin' when the cable's gonna be back on. We don't got nothin' to do without cable." I WAS LIVID. Thousands of people without power...without HEAT...and this woman was worried about the freaking cable. Gosh. Well, the radio guy said, "Ma'am I don't really know anything about the cable. I think everyone's main concern is restoring power to those who don't have it." Realizing her mistake, the woman tried to cover it up, "Oh, did I say cable? I meant electric." Ugh...that made me sick.

After sitting in the car for about an hour, I decided to go inside since it was starting to get dark. Clutching my precious flashlight, I went inside, lit some candles, and made up a little bed on the floor. I was still terribly sore and didn't want to move. Dad called to check on me. For some reason, he was concerned about my nose getting cold. He asked if I was going to wake up every few hours to make sure my nose didn't get frostbite. He also told me that if my nose (or any other part of me) got too cold during the night, I should just go to the hospital and sit in the emergency room to get warm. Gotta love my Daddy! When it got dark, I ate Chex Mix and Pop Tarts by candlelight and listened to my MP3 player. Around 8:30, I decided that there was nothing else I could do. I went to sleep. I was pretty warm tucked under all those blankets. At around 10, I got a call from Alison saying that Trish's power had flickered on and off again but if it came on again they were coming to pick me up. I politely declined saying I was nice and toasty in my little bed on the floor and that I was already sleeping. I think I should mention that I didn't sleep upstairs for 2 reasons: 1) I was too sore to go up and down the stairs and 2) There was a big gap between my window panes in my bedroom so downstairs was a lot warmer than my room.

The next morning, which I believe was Thursday, Alison and I decided we didn't want to go "camping" anymore. We wanted a warm bed and warm food and we desperately needed a shower. That morning, our Moms and my Dad started Operation Bring Our Girls Home. This was a HUGE operation. My mom called Kentucky Utilities to find out if they had an estimate on when the power would be back on. She was also vigilant about watching the news and the weather channel. Elaine, Alison's mom, was in charge of getting information on road conditions. She called the police department and explained our situation. They informed her that there were a few slick spots between Richmond and Maysville but if we drove slowly we would be ok. My dad was in charge of telling us how to get our apartment ready for the power to come back on. We turned off our heat, unplugged our appliances, packed some refrigerated items to try to salvage, and hit the road.

The rest was pretty uneventful. I went home, showered, and enjoyed the warmth of my parents' house.

Here are some more pictures from the ice storm.

Trading in

I feel like a used car. One of those old junkers that nobody really wants but they drive because they can't get anything better. You know the ones I'm talking about. An old, dirty, beat-up car with trash on the floorboards because nobody sees the point in taking care of me. I get driven around by people that don't really care about me and by people who just aren't right for me. Of course there are those rare few who see me for who I really am. Those are the ones that I don't want to give up. Those are the ones that continue to do their best to make me shine. They lovingly clean up my interior and throw away all that trash. They clean my engine and make me feel like new again. I run better than ever when they're around. They do what they can for my exterior too, but I know that they love me just the way I am.

I'm tired of those people who throw trash on my floor. That trash just keeps building up until one of the good drivers comes along and cleans me out. I want to be clean and shiny all the time. I know that there will always be a candy wrapper here or there. Nobody can be spotless. I'm sure there are lots of people out there who would love to trade me in for a newer, better model. But I'm not going anywhere. I'm just going to be myself, but from now on I'm only letting those good drivers in. They're the ones who love me for who I am, take care of me, and put me first in their lives. For them, I'll do the same. I will keep them safe, comfort them when they're feeling sad, and crank up my music to entertain them. They will always be the most important people in my life and they will always be able to count on me.

For all those good drivers in my life, thank you for all that you do for me. For all the bad drivers, I'm trading you in.

Just Curious

I promise I'll post Ice Storm 2009: Part 2 as soon as possible, but right now I'm just curious how many regular readers I have. There have been a lot of new people visiting my blog and I think it would be awesome if they've continued reading! So, if you're new to my blog, WELCOME! Feel free to leave comments and let me know that you're here and what you think of my blog. That is all. Have a good night!

Ice Storm 2009: Part 1

In case you didn't know, I'm one of those people who doesn't get all worked up about things that normal people get worked up over. When I heard this ice storm was coming, I though "Eh, we might get a little something, but nothing's really gonna happen." I figured since everyone was freaking out then we wouldn't really get anything. We'd be in school without even an hour delay. As Alison frantically packed her bags and searched for candles, I calmly played free step on the Wii Fit. When she cried and begged me to come with her to her friend, Trish's house, I explained to her that I wasn't scared of a little ice. I'd be fine alone. So after she headed out, I continued to play the Wii Fit. Next thing I know, the power flickered off and back on. It only lasted a few seconds, so I continued playing Wii, a little angry that I had to start my game over again. A few minutes later, the power flickered again. At this point I figured I might as well get prepared just in case we temporarily lost power.

This is where it gets fun. Still not thinking we'd get much, I drove up to the gas station, filled up my car, and bought a lighter in case I needed to light candles. So this is what I had to make it through the power outage everyone was predicting: about 12 candles that I had taken from Alison's room, a small blanket that was already on the couch, a blue lighter, leftover Chinese food, and a full tank of gas. No snacks, no water. I could survive with that, right? Well, I set up the candles, got out the lighter, and got back to work on the Wii Fit. In the meantime, Alison kept texting me asking me to please let her pick me up when she got finished shopping for supplies at the dollar store. I continued to assure her that I was fine and nothing big was going to happen. Just then, the power went out again. This time it didn't come back on. I had lost 30 minutes of free step wii fit work. I was pissed. I remembered that I had a flashlight in the car. I figured it would come in handy. I took a step outside my door. For a split second, this line from Carrie Underwood's song went through my head "she heard the trumpets from the military band and the flowers fell out of her hand." Then everything went black.




The next thing I knew, I was on the ground. I could hear my neighbor trying to stifle a laugh as she asked if I was ok. She repeatedly asked me if I was ok, but I couldn't answer. Finally, a tad embarrassed, I sat up and told her I was fine. All I could think was "Oh God, I'm wearing my penguin pajamas. I hope I don't have to go to the hospital like this."

After retrieving the flashlight, I came inside. From there, all I remember about the next hour is that I started sobbing uncontrollably. I called my mom and told her about my fall. I could hear her immediately call Alison and beg her to come get me. As Alison pulled into the driveway, I heard a HUGE crash. I thought she might have fallen. When they walked in, they told me that part of the big tree out front had fallen.




Alison and Trish helped me pack my stuff. They wanted to take me to the hospital, but I refused. I was really out of it. I went to Trish's for a bit, but don't really remember much about that except that the dog kept trying to hump my arm. Finally I decided I wanted to go home. It was so eerie coming back to my apartment. All of the power was out on my end of Richmond. After assuring the girls I'd be fine, they finally left me in the darkness of my apartment. I slept bundled up on the couch. I kept waking myself up every good few hours just to make sure I was still alive. What an adventure! More to come!

I'll climb the frosty mountain: An update

Well guys, it turns out that the weird song that's been going through my head is an actual song. Here are the lyrics.

I'll sail upon the Dog-star
Henry Purcell

I'll sail upon the Dog Star,
And then pursue the morning,
I'll chase the moon 'till it be noon,
But I'll make her leave her horning.

I'll climb the frosty mountain,
And there I'll coin the weather;
I'll tear the rainbow from the sky,
And tie both ends together.

The starts pluck from their orbs, too,
And crowd them in my budget!
And whether I'm a roaring boy,
Let all the nations judge it.



On another note, I found this on Jared Wiley's myspace page:

"AMERICAN IDOL yea that was me, but that song that you saw me singing was from a previous audition in front of the producers. The producers hounded me to keep singing different songs and I kind of fumbled on choices.On that day they told all of us that they were taping the auditions, but they were solely for the judges to view. If I knew that they would aire what I sang on T.V. I would have never sang that song and in that high octive. I really only sang it to standout during that audition. I sang "You Raise Me Up" in front of Simon, Randy and Paula. It was more relatable and in a much lower octive and I got good comments from all three of them. So I guess those three really dont have much control over who makes it through. Also, Simon never made that Sci-fi comment to me. I signed the release form, saying that they could do anything with the footage they shot. So I pretty much got screwed for good T.V." -Jared

I'll Miss you, Miss Blanche

Dear Miss Blanche,

There are so many things I should have told you, but never did. You were such an amazing woman and an inspiration to anyone who met you. I've never met anyone who had such a positive outlook on life and such an unwavering faith in God. You never had anything bad to say about anyone. Even though you had so little, you always gave so much. I can still remember the time years ago when you bought me chicken patties and told my mom that you "had to take care of your girl." I loved being your girl. I'll never forget our trips to Wal-Mart or my earliest memory of you, hearing you walking around the Episcopal Day School whistling. You were always whistling.

I love the way you took such good care of my mom, Ms. Mary Beth, as you called her. "Well, Ms. Mary Beth, you've gained weight" or "Now Ms. Mary Beth, you look good. Just try to keep it like that" Whenever I would see you out, you'd always ask about her. It made me feel so good that there was someone out there looking out for my mom. I know that now you're her guardian angel. Keep looking out for her, Miss Blanche. She needs you.

You had such an amazing life. Not everyone can say they were best friends with a movie star. Most people would brag about the fact that they were friends with the Clooneys, but you were so humble. To you, they were just regular people. I love that about you. You were so humble, honest, and sincere.

Thank you, Miss Blanche, for allowing me to be a part of your life. I am truly blessed to have met you. I hope that someday I can become at least half the woman you were. I will miss you greatly and will never forget you. I love you, Miss Blanche!

Love,

Your Girl, Sarah



P.S. I wanted to include the message that George Clooney sent with a beautiful flower arrangement "I bet there is one heck of a homecoming parade going on, only this time Rosemary is riding in Blanche's car."

FYI

You wouldn't believe the amount of people who have visited my blog just to see that video of the guy singing about climbing the frosty mountain. So...if you're here for that video, welcome to my blog! Feel free to look around and read other posts.

Thank you, American Idol

As you can probaby tell from my previous posts, I'm a little obsessed with American Idol right now. Season 8 is already fabulous. Right now, it's at my favorite part of the show: THE AUDITIONS! It's so hilarious. I'm really hating the new judge. She's kind of arrogant and seems like she thinks she always needs to be the center of attention. Anyway, the past two night have been great because I finally have someone to watch Idol with me. MY ROOMIE!!! It's been wonderful because as soon as we both got home from class on Tuesday, we sat down and watched it together. And then last night we cooked dinner and then watched Idol. It's been great. As corny as this sounds, I think it's sort of bringing us together. We've been hanging out a lot more because of it and talking more. So thank you, American Idol, for bringing me and my roommate closer!

No Sex Allowed!

I am your brother

I'll climb the frosty mountain...

Funny American Idol audition from last season.

Killer Whale

I had a dream that I was attacked by a killer whale that washed up on the beach. It bit me multiple times and left bite marks, but did not puncture my skin. I took a picture while he was biting me. That is all.