Ta Da

Homecoming is over! What a great weekend! The only downside, well the main downside, to working Homecoming is that you don't get to spend a lot of time with friends who come to town. I had many best friends here over the weekend, and I was only able to spend minutes with them. So sad! Same goes for family...good thing my parents came to some of the events or I wouldn't have been able to see them!

I've decided that since I was only able to spend a short amount of time with my friends at Homecoming, I need to go visit them. It was a tease...just a taste of the fun we used to have and can still have. Therefore, I've made the decision to visit as many of them as possible between now and the end of the year! I've said it on my blog, so I must stick to it! So, those of you who live far and away, be looking for an email or a call from me very soon...I'm coming to see you! Especially those of you who live in DFW...we're way overdue for a game night or camping trip!

I'm going to Lubbock this weekend and I'm totally pumped! I get to see my pals Julie and Mel. Julie and I are going to the Texas Tech vs. Texas game. Should be an awesome game! I'll of course yell for Tech...hello, I'll be on their side wearing a Tech shirt! But, it's one of those situations where you can't be sad with whatever team wins! What an amazing showdown! It should prove to be a tough game for both teams! Speaking of football...GO CATS! Much like Texas and Tech, ACU Wildcats are 8-0 this season! I'm so proud of our boys! They play in Abilene next weekend and I'm totally pumped! I've vowed to attend the championship game in Alabama if they go all the way! I may not be their "#1 fan", but I'm right up there! We're ranked No. 1 in the region, No. 2 in the nation!

Here are a few pics from Homecoming...


ACU Parents of the Year...my mom and dad!


My sister marching in the parade


Fam after Homecoming chapel


Me and Caddie after chapel

One Down...
One more to go! A Prairie Home Companion was a huge success! We almost sold out Moody, APHC had a fabulous show, no major mishaps, and everyone left happy! What more could you ask for?!

I haven't been that tired after an event in a really long time, but every sore muscle, every hour of sleep lost, every high maintenance patron, was well worth it...what a great experience!

Here is the link to the Prairie Home website so you can see what they said about Abilene!



On a completely different subject...I was kept up all night last night due to a domestic disturbance next door. Part of me wanted to call the cops, part of me wanted to knock on their door and ask them to please be quiet...but a big part of me wanted to sit in my bathroom with my ear pressed against the wall listening to them arguing (which is what I did). :) At one point in time, the girl ran out of the house screaming. About 15 minutes later she said "I just wish someone would help me." It was at this moment I contemplated calling the police. But I didn't. I was afraid of what they'd do if they found out I called the cops. They're not very good neighbors AT ALL! If I find out the girl was murdered last night, I'll feel absolutely horrible. But I'll be a good witness! I'll be like one of those old nosey ladies who listens to everybody's business in the neighborhood. How pathetic is that?! There actually were several moments in the night that I was afraid. So, I slept with a kitchen knife beside my bed and cell phone in hand. It was officially the first night in my three years at the duplex that I've been afraid.


Onto ACU Homecoming!

Madness

The Madness that is my next two weeks has begun! A Prairie Home Companion is coming to ACU this weekend and I'm over all of the production for the show that has sold over 3,000 tickets. It will be a great performance, but an intense weekend! I'm actually really excited!

Then, onto Homecoming. We basically clean up from APHC and head right into ACU's 2008 Homecoming, "Go Cat Go!" It's an Elvis themed homecoming, based on this year's musical. So, for the next two weeks, I very seriously doubt I'll be able to post much. I'm crazy excited about Homecoming though. It's my favorite time of year on campus! My parents are coming to town to ride in the parade (ACU Parents of the Year), my best pal Caddie is coming in from Cali, a lot of my friends from college are coming in from Dallas and various other cities...It will be wonderful! If you're an alum, you really should be coming! Unless, of course you've recently had a baby, which seems to be a lot of my friends!

In between all of the madness, I'll turn 27, which I really can't deal with right now. Three more years until turning 30 just doesn't settle well!

Until we meet again, have a great day, week, month, etc...

Season

“There is a time of year when even before the first leaf falls, you can feel the seasons click. The air is crisp, summer is gone and for the first night in a long time you need a blanket on your bed.”

“ It was official a new season had begun. Maybe our mistakes are what make our fate. Without them what would shape our lives? Perhaps if we never veered off course we wouldn’t fall in love, or have babies or be who we are. After all, seasons change, so do cities, people come into your life, people go. But its comforting to know the ones you love are always in your heart and if you’re very lucky, a plane ride away.”

Those of you who are Sex and the City fans may recognize the passage above from the “I Heart NY” episode. It’s one of my favorite episodes…in my top 5. I love the opening and closing lines, and over the weekend felt they completely described the current season of my life.

Paula Shadoll

I went home this past weekend to catch up with my parents, help decorate the restaurant for fall, and shop at First Monday. My cousin Jody and her two kids were planning on heading to Van for First Monday so I decided to hitch a ride w/them! Since I get so car sick on road trips, I drove their van...we headed out of town Friday afternoon and arrived in Van late that night. I enjoyed seeing my parents, catching up, shopping, eating, decorating...I really had a great weekend.

So, Sunday afternoon, Jody, the kids and I left Van and headed back to Abilene. Around 6:30pm we decided to stop in Weatherford for a potty break and a quick bite to eat. After a quick dinner and a run to the potty, we buckled the kids in, got our seat belts on, and proceeded to start the car. Actually, I should say attempted to start the car. It wouldn't turn over...no lights, no DVD player, no power...no battery.

"Don't panic...remain calm...if you worry, the kids will worry." These are the words I'm saying over and over in my mind. I looked a Jody and we can't help but laugh! Here we are, stranded in her minivan in Weatherford, TX in the Schlotzsky's parking lot across from the Wal-Mart and local car wash...yes, it was that bad!

We calmed the kids, told them this was an easy problem to fix, we'd be on the road in no time. Jody called Casey (her husband) just to touch base and see what he recommended, while I went into Schlotzsky's to see if anyone had any jumper cables we could use. No luck. So, Jody went across the street to the E-Z mart/car wash to ask those fine, upstanding citizens if they had any jumper cables. A few minutes later, Jody returned to the car with a gas station attendant, a car wash attendant, jumper cables, and a random car. We attached the jumper cables, started their car and again attempted to start our car. No luck. Nothing. The lights were a little brighter, but the engine wouldn't turn over. So, the gas station attendant who was a woman, yelled for her friend "T-bone" to come over and help us out.

As you can imagine, "T-bone" was a colorful character. He, I'm sure, was Weatherford's finest! Covered in tattoos, wearing cut off jean shorts, shirt and a pair of flip flops, I quickly figured he must work on old cars in his front yard...in front of his trailer house. He played with the battery a little, had me try to start the car and, the genius that he was, immediately decided it had to be the starter. So, pulling out a tire iron, he proceeds to bang and hit the inside of my cousins van...because every great mechanic knows that sometimes if you hit the car hard enough, it will start! He decided to crawl under the van, and while under there, I noticed "T-bone" was wearing blue nail polish on his toe nails. Ok "T-bone"...thank you for your help, but I believe you've taken us as far as you can. In one last attempt to start the car, he asked me to vacate the drivers seat so that he could try to turn the key. Two thoughts raced through my mind:
#1 What makes you think you're going to turn the key any different than what I'm turning it?! If he gets the car started I'm gonna....etc.

#2 If he steals the car, Camden and Jadyn are in the back. I need to get to a place where I could pull them out fast if I needed to or I could jump in the car to protect them if I had to.

So, I let "T-bone" into the drivers seat and before he could get both of his blue polished feet into the car, I was on the other side, ready to pull the kids out if I had to! Cat-like reflexes! I'm so sure!

So, "T-bone" and his crew had no luck w/the car, so we tried for an hour to reach Casey's parents who live 45 minutes from Weatherford. We finally got in touch with them, and Casey and his parents headed our way. Help was coming!

How do you entertain a 4 year old and 2 year old in a van with no power in a parking lot you might ask? Well, Cousin Jenni and mom had plenty of tricks up their sleeves. We played paper, rock, scissor...we played eye/spy...Jody found random glow sticks in her purse...we basically did everything we could to keep the kids happy! At one point in the night, we began the philosophical discussion of why "T-bone" had paint on his toes. I told Camden that boys shouldn't wear nail polish...nail polish is for girls. Boys shouldn't wear nail polish at all. My exact words were..."Boys shouldn't wear nail polish...not any color. Just no polish at all." Well, Jody heard me say all of that, except my last sentence...she heard "Just no Paula Shadoll." You can imagine the delirious laughter that broke out between Jody and I after she figured out I wasn't talking about a lady named Paula...I was saying "polish at all."

By 10pm, the cavalry had arrived. Casey's dad took care of the battery, we ran through Starbucks, and headed back to Abilene. Let me tell you, I was very ready for my bed! Here are a few pics of our experience. They're not great cause my phone was the only camera I had!


Cousin Jenni and the kids...in the van...in the parking lot...down by the river!


Jody and the kids. They're doing "WT" with their hands because...well, that's what we felt like!


Jody and Jenni...we always seem to get into trouble!


Our trusty steed in the parking lot...notice the restaurant sign.

Pumpkins

My cousin, Jody, and I took her two kids to the pumpkin patch last week at the Disability Resources center. We got great pumpkins! All different sizes and colors! The kids were so cute and so excited! Disability Resources is a program for mentally challenged adults, so in an effort to remain "pc," I won't put any of my funny stories on my blog, but if you want to hear them, just ask me next time you see me! Camden and Jadyn were precious picking out their pumpkins...picking out the biggest and the smallest! Here are a few pictures of our outing...too fun!


Camden inspecting the pumpkins...he picked the biggest one in the patch to take home.


Jadyn picking the perfect pumpkin, little sweetiekins!


Cam and Ja w/their favorite second cousin...Cousin Jenni...or "Yenni" as Jadyn says!