Last Blog of the Decade

So quite a lot has happened since I last blogged....

First and foremost, my best friend got married. Abby and Brandon tied the knot on December 19th, and it was beautiful. It was snowing out which made it seem even more magical (don't hate on the winter weather). I had an amazing time, Abby looked beautiful, Brandon looked sharp and we all danced the night away. I was honored to be a part of their special day. For my first time on the bridesmaid circuit, Abby made it so laid-back and fun!

Christmas was great as always. My sister came in from Michigan for a few days, and we went to the Transiberian Orchestra with our mom. It was insane. The light show was wild, and there were some times where I couldn't stop laughing (call it sleep deprivation). We opened Christmas presents on Christmas Eve this year, and afterwards we went to our friends the Riecks for a little get-together. I had a great time catching up with everyone. Christmas morning we went down to Louisville to visit my mom's brother and family. It was great seeing my cousins. We watched about 8 episodes of The Office as well as parts of A Christmas Story and Christmas Vacation. We came home later that night.

I've been off from work since Christmas Eve up until after the New Year. That has been great. I've been TRYING to catch up on sleep, but Baxter is proving to be as annoying as ever.

I'm ready for a new year!!

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...

Wow. Only one post for November? I'm really slacking in my blog skills...

Nothing really exciting has been going down lately. Thanksgiving was great. My sister got to come home for Thanksgiving for the first time since she was in high school (which some people think she still is...cherish that young face of yours, Sarah). I made the mashed potatoes, and somehow managed to screw them up. If you ask me how I did it, I will slap you in the mouth. Some people are chefs and some are bakers. I fall in the latter category.

I got to see some friends over Thanksgiving that I hadn't seen in a while, which was fabulous. Work has been busy, and it will be nice to get a little break here in a couple weeks (we get off christmas eve until new years).

I love this time of the year. Halloween to New Years, I'm in The Zone. I truly believe that it is better to give than to receive. Giving presents is extremely exciting to me, especially when you find a present that you KNOW they will like. Needless to say I'm pumped for Christmas. I got all my shopping done already (never happens). This year we are going down to Louisville Christmas morning to see my family. They have come up the past couple Christmases, so this year we are returning the favor.

That's about it for right now. I'm diggin some xmas tunes. I'm an old-school girl. Give me Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra, and I'm sitting pretty.

STRIKE!!!

Hey friends. I'm loving that we got an extra hour of sleep last weekend, but the sun setting as I type this kinda blows. But I do love driving to work with the sun out. Gotta take the good with the bad...such is life.

Happy Hump Day! I had a pretty great day...got off work early. I had to work, unlike SOME people I live with. Working for the government has its perks (getting off every possible holiday).

This past weekend I went up to my favorite city, Chicago. My friend Liz turned 23 on Friday, and her boyfriend R.G. planned a great shindig downtown. Traffic for the first time was non-existent on 65. I made it there in exactly 3 hours (and gaining an hour was awesome). Liz, R.G., his friend Jordan and I headed down to Chicago to meet Bonnie for dinner. We went to a great mexican restaurant that was underground called Twisted Lizard (I think that's what it was called...we had 2 pitchers of margaritas). R.G. had reserved a couple of bowling lanes at this amazing bar called Southport Lanes. It was the kind of bar I like: super old. I saw a Jim Gaffigan doppleganger, and I almost went up to him. I didn't obviously.

Some other friends met us at the bar and we bowled like champs. It was very old, and they actually had people behind the pins in charge of setting them up. And we had to keep score ourselves. I will say right now that I for sure won. No big.

We went to another bar called Deliliah's. It was....interesting. It was a whiskey bar. I think that's a good enough explanation.

I had to come home Saturday (sadly) but I hauled ass on the interstate and made it home in 2 and a half hours. It was amazing. Driving clears my head. I gave Jeni a Mac Tutorial on Saturday night, and we had some amazing sushi (it had been too long since I had any).

Sunday was Colts football, and raking leaves (gross). Since someone has no upper-body strength, I had to drag the leaves out to the cornfield. I wasn't bitter, though.

Halloween!

Can you believe October is over? This month FLEWWW by!! I haven't blogged in a couple weeks, so here are some updates:

-Last weekend was my best friend Abby's Bachelorette party! I had such a great time! Her sisters Katie (she will always be Katie to me) and Jen did a fabulous job planning everything! I picked up Abby at her mom's house then we headed to Indy to pick up Taylor, her friend from Butler and fellow bridesmaid, as well as her cousin Kerry (also a bridesmaid). We then headed to the Embassy Suites Hotel, where Katie and Jen had set up the suite for a Lingerie Party! After some margaritas and presents, we headed out to the Spaghetti Factory for dinner. I hadn't been there since Middle School! It was only a 5 minute walk from the Hotel, and luckily it was beautiful weather! We didn't realize how close Howl at the Moon was to the Spaghetti Factory, and we had some time to kill before we had to be there by 9 so we stopped in at a bar next door for a quick drink. We then went to Howl at the Moon, which I had never been to. Katie and Jen got Abby a special package for Bachelorettes (the last hurrah I think it was called), so we were front at center with 2 tables in front of the stage, where they had 2 dueling pianos. It was so loud in there, we had to scream to talk to each other! Katie was such a trooper since she couldn't drink (If you read this Katie, I wanna know if it's a boy or a girl!!!), so she took plenty of pictures. You will be surprised that I didn't talk Abby in to dancing on stage (that would be Taylor), but that didn't mean I didn't enjoy it none the less! We went to Steak and Shake for some late night food then crashed at the hotel. In the morning, most of us had sore throats from screaming at the bar, but overall it was a successful night! I got plenty of pictures and us girls behaved (for the most part...).

-Work has been pretty crazy lately. People are always traveling and out of the office, so it is really quiet right now. I think we just want to make it to the end of the year and start over fresh in 2010! I am learning more everyday about the pharmaceutical biz, and there's even more to learn!

-I love Halloween!!! We always went all-out in my house growing up with decorations and costumes! This year will be my first year since high school where I'm home for Halloween! I have been designated to hand out the candy (I hope we don't have TOO many Reese cups...I can't help myself sometimes). Since my mother procrastinated, I had to go out and find a Pumpkin today so she could carve it (I found a rather sad looking one finally since they were gone at EVERY grocery store it seemed). The chili is in the crock-pot and making the house smell amazing!! Last night I babysat 5 kids with the help of my lovely friend Sarah and threw an impromptu party for them. They bobbed for apples, wrapped themselves like mummies, and played a pumpkin bozo game. It was fun, but I was exhausted!

-Next weekend I'm going up to Chicago to see my friend Liz! We have tried to visit each other every month, but we have gone almost 2 months this time! It's her birthday next weekend, and we may go to a KISS concert with a group of people. I hope it happens, because that make for a great blog entry, don't ya think??

-Abby and Brandon's wedding is about a month and a half away!! Our bridesmaid dresses should be here any day, and I can't wait to get mine! It's going to be such an amazing wedding, and I can't be more excited for them!

-Finally, how about those Colts? I find myself more excited each week watching them! I can't remember the last time we played San Fransico, though. I'm STILL waiting to get my Addai jersey sewn up (AHEM, AHEM) so I can look like a legit fan.

P.S. I'm SOOOO ready for college basketball!! BOILER UP!! (and GO CARDS!!!)

wedding circuit round 6

So last night, one of the court kids got married. Leslie and Matt were too adorable, and they look so in love! It was a fun time, especially getting to see people who I haven't seen in months.

My (former) neighbor Ryan and I got in to a discussion on what number court wedding this was. I thought it was 5, but after a careful (and somewhat tipsy) recount, we settled on 6. That's right, about half of the court kids are married now. These include (in chronological order): David, Matt, Amy, Ali, Ryan, and Leslie. That's some wicked good memory on my part, and I was lucky enough to have attended all of these lovely weddings. However, David and Matt's were somewhat different for me since I was in high school at the time.

It really is crazy to think about how much all of us have grown up. We got a picture of all of us last night, with a few people missing (I'm still mad at Brian, who was up at Purdue for the major OSU upset game...I'm over it...kind of). I of course chimed in after the picture as the proclaimed youngest of the group (Brian normally takes this honor, but by just a couple weeks).

Most people find it weird that we are so close with our neighbors. I remember going to college, and when speaking about people from home, many of my stories involved my neighbors. Many people were baffled that we did so much with the people that lived 50 feet from us, and I quickly found out that many people just aren't friends with their neighbors anymore. I practically LIVED in the Rieck household growing up, and as an adult (until they sadly moved to a smaller home a few years back). In fact, we had an open door policy (as well as an open fridge policy, since ours was always stacked with the good stuff) with everyone. So I found it disappointing that people didn't have the same experience growing up that I did.

I could go on about The Court, but there are too many memories to type. 16 year's worth to be exact. I'm just happy that we are all still close, even as adults with busy lives. And it's pretty awesome to see the group expand, with the addition of wives, husbands, and children over the past few years.

*Editor's note: This pertains to Jeni, one of my main readers. Speaking of open door/no knocking policy, a couple weeks ago when I came to your house, I just walked in and sat down with Pat and Mags. Maggie goes, "How come Laura doesn't knock?", and without missing a beat Pat said, "Because she's family." It was a major, major loving moment (in horrible British accent).

Whoops! Update!

So I said I would blog more, and here I am not doing it!

So I started my new job last Monday. It's with a company called Harper Global, and they are a market research company mainly dealing with medical and pharmaceutical fields. It's a great company with a lot of growth potential, so I'm really excited!

Fall is kicking in to full gear, and I am loving EVERY second of it. You all know that it's my favorite season, and with Halloween fast approaching, I'm even more excited! (I wish it was still socially acceptable for grown- ups to trick or treat!) I love lazy Sundays watching football, and the smell of the heater when it kicks on (it's a weird thing of mine...I can smell the heat. Even typing that, I know it's weird). How about those Colts?? I wish my Addai jersey didn't have a massive hole in it still from, ahem, 2 years ago that still hasn't been fixed. It looks like I was the Hulk or something and busted outta it.

That's about it at the moment! I have a wedding this weekend to go to, then it's about 2 months til my best friend's wedding!!! I'm so excited, and next weekend is her bachelorette party, so it is going to be a lot of fun!

oh what a blustery day

I lived for Winnie the Pooh as a kid. We owned a bunch of VHS tapes of the different cartoon episodes. HANDS DOWN the best was Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day. You know what I'm talking about. The one with the windy fall day a.k.a my favorite weather in the world. Coudln't use a better word to describe today's weather. Our poor tree in our backyard is taking a beating with these high winds.

I have to run some errands, and here's hoping that I don't blow away.

P.S. How about those Colts? I'm lovin me some Reggie Wayne.

hook em horns

So last weekend I went to Austin to surprise one of my best friends, Abby, for her 23rd birthday! I had an amazing time in the Lonestar state.

So last Tuesday (the 15th) I really started thinking about going to visit Abby and Brandon (her fiance). They have been down there for about 2 months, with Brandon going to grad school at UT and Abby teaching kindergarten at a nearby school. After talking to Abby on the phone, I decided that it would be great if I came down for her birthday weekend! That's when Brandon and I got really sneaky.

Basically I found a ticket Tuesday night, and called my lovely sister to tell her about it. Then I found out that she had won 2 free airplane tickets for anywhere in the country that expire at the end of the year. Damnit. Literally it had been like an hour since I booked my flight when I found this information out. Oh well, can't spend it when you're dead I guess.

Luckily, Brandon was able to pick me up at the airport Friday afternoon, so it was just a waiting game for Abby to get home from school. I hid in the back room, and when she came in the house I came out and surprised her. It was great! I wish I had recorded it because it was priceless, and executing a surprise like that can be tricky but it turned out great.

Friday night we went to an awesome Mexican restaurant called Maudie's Milagro that my friend Kyle suggested. He goes to Purdue and is from Austin and always tells me how amazing the city is (you were right!). We sat out on the balcony and had huuuuge margaritas (well Abby and I did...). Then we went to Brandon's friend's apartment and hung out there for a while. Side note, Brandon has made some awesome friends, and they were funny and just great guys!

We decided to go out to the bars on 6th street, which I guess is pretty well-known in the Austin area. After unsuccessfully waiting for the bus to take us (it was literally packed with people) we started walking. Now, unlike in Indiana where it gets cooler at night, Austin pretty much stays the same temperature, which sucks for girls like me who sweat after being outside for 2 minutes of exposure. We ended up walking over 20 blocks to the bars, and I will admit that I complained. I wore gladiator flats which was a poor choice on my part, and my dogs were barking as Jeni would say. We actually were only at the bar for about an hour since it took a while to get there.

Saturday proved to be a somewhat of a lazy day. We woke up and watched football all morning. My Cards lost to the Kats which made Brandon happy (he's a UK alum....disgusting). Then we went to campus to tailgate for a bit for the big UT/Texas Tech game. It was a night game and College Game Day from ESPN was there. Unfortunately, Abby and I didn't run in to Kirk from College Game Day. I wanted to get his digits! Sooo hot.

Brandon scalped his 2 tickets and we went home to watch the game on TV. My flight was a 7am Sunday morning, so we thought it would be wise just to stay in. Texas ended up winning (which I found out in the morning since I had gone to bed already).

Overall, I had a fantastic time. It was lovely seeing Abby and Brandon as well as meeting new people and experiencing a new environment. Best money I've spent in a long time to make my best friend happy!

P.S. I will never wear that hideous burnt orange color, which my friend Joe corrected me: "It's called Texas Orange." Whatever. I will always be a Black and Gold girl!

top 25

We all know music is awesome. It makes everything better, from driving to cleaning your toilet. This we can all agree on. However, when it comes to taste in music, everyone has a different opinion. Opinions are like assholes, everyone's got one.

I think it's really interesting to look at the songs you play the most. Everyone has their own comfort music, a go-to list of songs that they never get sick of. This is when I look at my Top 25 Most Played playlist on my iTunes. It is a very diverse group of artists, and coming in at #1 is Robin Thicke (not a competition...the next song came in 27 plays less).

1. Shooter by Robin Thicke feat. Lil Wayne

2. Bodysnatchers by Radiohead

3. Got to Give It Up by Marvin Gaye (shout to to Liz on that one!!)

4. FutureSex/LoveSounds by Justin Timberlake

5. Paper Planes by M.I.A

6. Look Into The Air by Explosions in the Sky

7. Shake It by Metro Station

8. Magic Hours by Explosions in the Sky

9. Sex on Fire by Kings of Leon

10. Let It Rock by Kevin Rudolf feat Lil Wayne

11. Whatever You Like by T.I

12. I Feel Fine by The Beatles

13. A Song For Our Fathers by Explosions in the Sky

14. Notion by Kings of Leon

15. Glittering Blackness by Explosions in the Sky

16. Freeze by T-Pain

17. Remember Me As a Time Of Day by Explosions in the Sky

18. Paperback Writer by The Beatles

19. Snow and Lights by Explosions in the Sky

20. Fans by Kings of Leon

21. Time Stops by Explosions in the Sky

22. Single Ladies by Beyonce

23. Champagne by 311

24. Womanizer by Britney Spears

25. Time to Pretend by MGMT

So when I saw this list, I was genuinely surprised. Everyone knows my devoted love for the Beatles, and yet they were only on here a few times. Explosions in the Sky is one of my favorite bands. They don't sing, just make beautiful music. I always listen to them when I study and before bed, so that explains why they are on here so much. When I listen to the Beatles, I always listen to the full album instead of songs on repeat. But if I had to pick my favs, they would be: Paperback Writer, Day Tripper, Helter Skelter, Back in the USSR, I Feel Fine, Get Back, Don't Let Me Down, and Come Together. That was hard.

I consider myself to be open to all sorts of music. Just don't make me listen to country music.

So sorry...

Sooo apparently I haven't blogged in over a month. My bad. I guess I just didn't have anything fun or exciting to say. Well, the same can still be said. I can always think of something, though.

This weather lately has gotten me really excited. Why, you say? Because fall is the best season of all. Without question. Fall has the best temperature, not too hot or cold, that great fall breeze...can't be beat. I love bonfires, even though I smell for a week after it...and I know that my sheets will need to be washed the next morning. I love apple cider and picking pumpkins. I love Halloween, even though I'm considered an adult now. I love Thanksgiving, and being with my neighbors who are my family. I love putting on my first sweater of the year, and taking a deep breath in, so that I can smell the distinct scent of home.

Only a couple more weeks until it's "officially" fall, but lately I have gotten a taste for it, and it makes me long for it even more.

what dreams may come

Aren't dreams amazing? I find myself truly fascinated by them. I read an article a few years back about dreams, and it was awesome (and I sadly cannot find it). For instance, if you want to dream about someone or something, 15 minutes in to your lovely night's sleep, you will no longer dream of that certain thing. I'm sure there are exceptions, but it makes sense for the most part. So when someone says, "Dreaming of you", they are basically full of shit. There. I said it.

I've been meaning to keep a notebook by my night stand so when I wake up in the morning I can jot down my dreams from the previous night. I find that as I get older, I can retain my dreams more so than when I was a kid. How many times have you started to tell someone about a crazy dream you had, and halfway through you forget? More times than I can count.

Lately, I have been having some messed up dreams. I mean, the type of dreams that border on nightmares/did I take PCP before bed time messed up. I was talking to my friend Sarah about one of them from a few nights ago. It involved me going to Kentucky for a wedding, finding out that my Aunt Patty had 2 other kids (a 7 year old and a 2 year old), my older cousins getting pissed at me for not knowing they had 2 younger brothers, meeting Ina Garten in a book store (for those of you who aren't totally cool like me, she hosts a cooking show on Food Network called Barefoot Contessa), and here is the clincher: there was a serial killer on the loose. I kid you not, it was the weirdest tale. And let me tell you, it was WAY TOO REAL. I woke up with my heart racing.

You spend most of your life asleep, but at least you get some entertainment out of it.

why deadliest catch is awesome

So, recently I have become mildly obsessed with Deadliest Catch. What is Deadliest Catch, you say? One of the VERY VERY few GOOD reality shows out there to date. Probably because it is on the Discovery Channel, and not VH1.

I remember a few weeks back to when I stumbled across this little gem. It's not a new show by any means (this is its 5th season), but it was new to me. I had heard of it before, but I would actually just change the channel before even giving it a chance. After watching a few episodes of Cash Cab (I love random trivia facts), Deadliest Catch came on. Now I don't know if it was laziness on my part to change the channel or what, but I was hooked.

Lucky for me there was a MARATHON of episodes all 4th of July weekend. So I of course DVR'ed all of them, and in the process got my mother addicted as well.

So what makes me like this show so much? Maybe it's because I get to witness one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, and the fact that Mother Nature is in total control of everything. Maybe it's the fact that the captains on the show crack me up. Maybe it's the fact that you actually care about each person on the boats.

Check it out if you get a chance, because you will really love it. Sig on the Northwestern is by far my favorite, because he cusses like a sailor, and has the wittiest comebacks. My kind of man.

Smile

So I've been looking at old photo albums, and I must say, my sister and I were pretty cute kids. I have freakishly looked the exact same since pretty much the day I was born (no lie). I came across a picture, and I couldn't help but smile. I mean, when is the the last time you got THIS EXCITED over anything, let alone a little snow globe? I miss opening a simple present and having a look of shock and awe come across my face, and having my mom there to capture it on film. Kinda puts things in perspective. So just take a moment and realize that it's the little things in life that make you smile.

And the infamous McDonald's picture. Now that's service with a smile.

hilarious

So I just got home from the Elks (yeah I know...but it is a damn good time sometimes), and it honestly was a hoot, as Steve McKee would say. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time, and the company was honestly ridiculous. And it was pretty awesome that we all drank for free the whole night (genius juice=pretty amazing...and I hate hard liquor). Man I love my friends.

P.S. Bruno was just as ridiculous as I thought it would be.

finally

So I have been getting some threats that I haven't been doing enough posts, so here I am (I'm pointing at YOU Abby).

So when you don't have a job, and you are looking for one, you have a lot of time on your hands. I have done enough cleaning to feel like I should have a professional maid's license. Do those exist even? I know that if I ever hired a maid, I would want her certified (not that I would...cleaning is my thing).

I have had many a conversation with friends about what the hell we are going to do with our lives. These conversations normally end with us freaking out, questioning why we majored in what we did, and could we have picked a worse time to graduate? While the last thing was out of our hands, the things we did to get here we have to own up to. Sure, looking back now it would have been awesome to major in Nursing or some medical-related field. People are always going to get sick, so that will be in demand. But for some reason or another, we didn't choose that path, instead opting for teachers and accountants and trainers. Such is life.

You know how many times I wished that I had a different major? More times then I wished I had a dog that didn't poop in the kitchen. That is A LOT. Speaking of that, Baxter, PLEASE. You are almost 9 months old. It's time to kick that habit. However, while there are times that I regret what I chose to do with life, I love it. I miss it. I want to do something with everything I learned in the past 4 years. Except accounting. That shit I will PASS on. Nothing like a big slap in the face in the form of a big fat D on your final grades sophomore year. Taking the class twice was just the remedy. I hate New Zealanders. Is that what they are called? I could care less. I'm not even looking it up because Tony, you aren't worth it.

Thank God I have supportive friends and family, because now is the time when you need them. And I stay positive most of the time, but I have my days. Who doesn't? I never said I was perfect. But I guess what I am trying to say is that I am ready for life. Not that I haven't enjoyed kicking back for the past 2 months. As my lovely friend Jeni says, "You have your whole life to work. Enjoy it while it lasts." And I have. Life is finite. There is a beginning, a middle, and though no one likes to talk about it, an end. Remember that the next time you think you are having one hell of a bad day. One of my favorite quotes: "Just when you think you have it bad, someone out there has it 10 times worse."

In times like this, those words ring true in everyones' ears.

the beatles

I absolutely love the Beatles. It makes me sad that I wasn't alive when they came to America and took over the nation. The great thing with music, however, is that it stands the test of time. This is true with the 4 boys from Liverpool.

Who honestly doesn't like the Beatles? Hopefully no one I know. Because I would have to have a long discussion on why you suck at life. Just kidding. But not really.

I took a History of Rock and Roll class junior year at Purdue, and it was hands-down the most amazing class I have ever taken (yes, even better then Wine Appreciation). My teacher looked EXACTLY like Albert Einstein. This man had more energy then anyone I know, and he let you know it. He was the kind of teacher that you wait your whole life to have, especially when you are used to the most boring econ or finance teachers Krannert has to offer (I'm pointing at YOU Bob Holland).

Anyways, I immediately fell in love with this course. I NEVER missed the class, which was a miracle in some peoples' eyes since it was my only class on Friday. I did however go a little bit buzzed/drunk (you be the judge: I had given up drinking for Lent and my birthday happened to be only 4 days after Easter. Tolerance=crap) to class one time on my 21st birthday, but we were watching Spinal Tap, so it was all good. Even though I was the loudest one laughing, and still laughing 5 minutes after the scene. I always sat in the 2nd row because I didn't want to miss a single minute of the class.

Then the amazing day came: The Beatles. Not only did we talk about them the ENTIRE 50 minutes, but a SECOND lecture for the next day as well. It was awesome. Watching them perform for the first time on the Ed Sullivan show made me want to be there so bad. I still get goosebumps.

I guess I just love the fact that a band that has been around for over 45 years still impacts people of all ages. And the fact that I sing AMAZINGLY to all of their songs doesn't hurt either.

friends

I got to talking with one of my longest and best friends, Abby, the other day. Her and I got to talking about why we lose friends over the years, and it comes down to one little thing: effort. None of my close friends went to Purdue, so I knew that if we wanted to remain friends that it would have to be a 2 way effort. This was also true with many of my other friends who went to various colleges. For the most part, we came out on top, but there were some casualties of not staying in touch, and finding out that we don't have a lot in common anymore. Such is life.

I've said this a million times I think, but it is not difficult to remain close with someone, even if distance is an issue. I can go months and months without actually physically seeing someone and still feel like I haven't missed out on anything in their life. It's called a phone call. These things aren't hard or time consuming, so it always perplexed me when someone would say they are "too busy" to call. Really? 5 minutes is all you need, and if that means keeping someone special in your life, then you bet your ass I'll give them a 5 minute phone call.

As we get older and move away, this will become even harder. I know this. But I believe that I have firmly established who I want in my life and vice versa. That means having to "cut" some people out that really didn't want to be there in the first place, as evidenced by the past 4 years. I'm not mad about it anymore, because I know that you have to just roll with the punches. And trust me, you CAN'T be friends with everyone. Good lord, I know that's true.

backyard

I love my backyard.  It's big, green, and full of trees.  When people ask me where I live, I always tell them, "Well there are cornfields in my backyard.  That gives you an idea." I love it.  I would find it difficult to grow up in a neighborhood that didn't have trees (basically any new neighborhood development today).  Today was beautiful, and nothing makes me happier than sitting on the deck, reading a book.  Most the time I find myself looking up at the sky.

Don't go under the willow trees, though.  There are ticks in it.  At least that is what our parents used to threaten us with.  Who knows if there are ticks there.

life

So graduation was just this morning. And it was great.

Now what?

harry's

Harry's is my favorite place at school.  I love the atmosphere and the fact that you can actually sit down and have a drink, which is rare at college bars.  I didn't start loving the joint until I moved in to my new apartment this year, which just so happens to be a block from this fine establishment.  

Just on Wednesday, for example, a couple of my friends and myself went to get our eyebrows done (threaded...so painful, but soooo worth it) and came back to my place for a glass of wine.  Bonnie was hungry, so we headed down to Harry's to get a pitcher and some food.  I don't know what it IS about Harry's, but you lose all track of time.  Seriously.  We went around 5 and next thing we know it's 9:30.  Passing the time drinking pitchers, playing awesome music on the juke box (some Styx...you know it!), and having ridiculous conversations.  Like how the homeless guy was freaking us out in the bar. Yikes. Liz called him Meth Face (which is totally inappropriate yet freaking hilarious at the same time).

A few months back my friend Sarah came up for the weekend, and we went to Harry's as well after school on Friday.  We ended up staying there for over 6 hours.  It was ridiculous!! But I swear, there is some type of magical power that Harry has over us, because it goes by so fast.  As does college, sadly.

I'm truly going to miss Harry's.  It represents Purdue, and I love the fact that it is super old and worn down.  I have had some amazing memories at that place, and I'm going to make some more with the couple weeks I have left here.

memories

So my neighbor Maggie is having her first communion this weekend, and it got me thinking about my first communion. Which was ummm 15 years ago?!?!?

I HAVE to put this picture up.  This just sums up the "style" (as my mom would say) at the time.  I rocked the ankle socks like it was my job, and Whitney on the left was getting married apparently. Love you Whit!

I also remember having a cake that looking back now was super weird.  It had a huge plastic cross on it with a plastic rosary.  Is it just me or is that weird? I did get an amazing gold cross necklace from my grandparents.

concerts

I got to talking to one of my friends yesterday about concerts, and I realized that I haven't been to one in over TWO YEARS.  How lame is that?  I remember the summer of 2006, I went to 7 concerts.  And easily spent about 400 dollars.  The best one?  Hands down 311.  But I'll get to that later.  The weirdest?  That would definitely be Def Leppard/Journey.  Seeing people your parent's age wasted in the lawn is a memory that I would like to forget. 

About 97% of my friends don't like 311, no matter how hard I try to get them to like or even LISTEN to them.  Luckily, my friend Sean and I went to see them on the lawn at White River State Park in Indy (which is an AWESOME venue to see a low-key concert).  We saw them 2 summers in a row, and I had such a great time.  Great set list, beautiful sunset, and good company.  Even though I got jacked in the face when we moved closer to the stage. MY BAD.  However, there is one song that almost everyone likes by 311 that I have to convince them to listen to.  "Champagne" is a great song to relax to, and reminds you of summer.  Listen to it.

It makes me really sad that I haven't been to more concerts the past couple of years.  This summer was impossible with my internship, and the summer before I was looking to save money I guess.  Nothing will ever compare to going to Tom Petty when I was 19 and getting out of control in the lawn with Slim.  And took like 78 pictures in 3 hours.  Call Guinness on that one.  It has to be a record.  Or slow dancing to a Dave song with a beautiful summer sunset over the pavilion.  I have many summer memories spent at Deer Creek (screw you, Verizon) that I will always cherish, and the best thing is that I can reminisce by just turning on my iPod.

nerdiness

I fully admit that I am a nerd.  I love sudoku, I love reading, I love calculus.  I just realized my "nerdiness" as I call it just now when I watched the newest Harry Potter trailer. Umm hell yes.  Only a special few of my friends have read Harry Potter, so sharing this great news means little to the majority of my friends, but it looks bitchin.  Nerdiness is something that everyone has, no matter how cool you think you are.  I think everyone should embrace their nerdiness, and learn to be happy nerds together.

Oh and one of my dreams is to be on Jeopardy.  And don't act like you wouldn't want to be on that show either.

t-shirts

I have a lot of t-shirts.  I mean, A LOT.  If I had to put a number on it, I would say easily 75.  My dresser at my apartment has 5 drawers.  THREE of them are fully devoted to my abundant t-shirt collection.  There is also a stack on the floor next to my dresser for the ones that don't fit.  My oldest t-shirt would have to be my Little Millers travel team "jersey".  Funny that it still fits.  I think everyone's parents used to order large shirts for us, even when we were 8 (so that it would get longer usage...DUH).  It's fun to put on a shirt because of the memory it produces.  I'm wearing one of my Paddy Mac's Cornhole Classic shirts from our court's annual Cornhole Tournament.  Which I totally kicked ass this year.  I guess it's more that just the shirt itself.  It is the collection of awesome times in my life that I have to wear.

music

Who doesn't love music? I listen to it when I drive, clean, shower, get ready, and study. I love all types of music from classical to rap to motown. Nothing is better than finding a new song or artist that many people don't know about.  I just watched Slumdog Millionaire the other night, and this idea rang true to me when M.I.A's song "Paper Planes" played throughout a scene.  I remember listening to M.I.A 4 years go and thinking that her music was just bitchin.  It is so great to hear her songs on the radio as well as films knowing that she has been around for quite some time under the radar.  I hate it when people listen to a song and say, "Ugh I heard this song 2 months ago before it came out."  It's like, congratulations for finding good music.  I guess I am just happy that an artist that I have followed for some time now is having some success.

blog

So I decided to start a blog, after some support from my friends Sarah and Whitney.  Actually it was after a few drinks, which I of course was lame enough to pass on. Hey-o drinking water in a bar!! I'm always thinking of the most random things in the world, and I day dream most of the time so this would be a good place to share my randomness.