Livin' and Lovin' in A-town

2009-06-07T16:02:00.000-07:00

Levi Has Left the Building...or Body

In an attempt to deal with being diagnosed with a tumor, my sister and I named my little growth Levi so we could laugh about it and joke around about carrying Levi on my back, Levi bothering me, etc. Well, I'm glad to say Levi is no longer with us!

I went into surgery at 7:30am Monday, June 1st expecting to be under the knife for at least three hours. By 9:15am, my surgeon was in the waiting room talking with my parents telling them my surgery was a perfect success and was much easier than they expected! Praise the Lord...literally! I have no doubt my surgeon's swift & steady hands and the ease of the surgery was all due to the many prayers lifted on my behalf and the amazing works of God!

My surgeon expected me to be released from the hospital on Wednesday, but because I was making such a speedy recovery, I was released Tuesday afternoon! I've been home resting since and am feeling pretty good! Thank goodness for the miracle of hydrocodone and muscle relaxers! I'll be resting in bed for several more days. I'm able to walk around the house some, but get tired pretty easy, so resting is definitely a priority right now. You really don't ever know how much you use your back until you're not supposed to use it!

I'll go back to work in July...until then, it's like a restful vaca! Can't say that I'm minding laying around too much just yet, however as I become more mobile, I have not doubts I'll be itching to get out of the house!

I really want to thank all of you for your prayers, visits, flowers, calls, messages, food and support. I'm so blessed to have amazing friends and family!

2009-05-07T19:35:00.000-07:00

A Quickie

Did anyone else get choked up watching Grey's Anatomy tonight? In my old age I think I'm becoming more sentimental. Anyway, it broke my heart.

As I'm typing, its 86 degrees in my house. My air conditioner is broken. Seriously, I'm pretty sure my appliances are about to overheat. My refrigerator is having a tough time keeping things cool it's so freakin' hot!

I hate that this was the subject of my first post in two months, but I've been a busy girl. However, I promise to write more very soon. In fact, I have my next 3 posts already picked out...
#1 - How I rescued my little cousin from drowning.
#2 - My trip to California, which includes my first visit to Disneyland
#3 - My cousin Camden and my cousin Jadyn's birthday party.

And yes, I have pictures for all 3! But, be patient my faithful followers...I must get through graduation first!

Looking forward to cooler temperatures...

2009-02-28T19:34:00.000-08:00

Alive and Well, I'm Here

Ended Sing Song weekend last Sunday and flew out to Las Vegas for a conference. It was a whirlwind of a weekend followed by an insane week in Sin City which led into another insane weekend of work. My life has been taken over by work.

In the midst of the insanity known as Sing Song weekend, I found out my grandmother has breast cancer. My mom's mother is my only grandparent left living, and while the doctors are optimistic the cancer can be removed by a lumpectomy or mastectomy, it's still a little scary. Being so busy last weekend and then leaving for Vegas didn't give me much time to process the news, but as I think about it now, I think about how scary that horrible disease is. Just to utter the word "cancer" brings fear. I just ask for your prayers for my grandmother.

I feel as if March is going to be a great month. Spring is around the corner and I think many of us could use a new month and a new season! So, here's looking forward to spring break, warmer weather, driving with your windows rolled down, flowers and the many other wonderful things spring brings!

2009-02-22T16:01:00.000-08:00

And Breathe

The weekend is over and all I can say is THANK GOODNESS!!!! This was the busiest Sing Song weekend ever! I had a ton of events and I am exhausted! I'll write more later, but I just wanted to give a shout-out to my cousin Jody who helped me this weekend. She was such an amazing addition to my team! Way to stick with us Jode! Hope you've had a second to rest your feet! Mine are still throbbing!

2009-02-15T11:09:00.000-08:00

25 Random Things

Those of you who are facebook fans have probably noticed the "25 Random Things" trend that's been going around. This past week I finally broke down and made a list and posted it on my facebook profile. I enjoyed it so much, I decided to make another list and post it on my blog. Some of these may be on my facebook list or be similar to ones I listed...that just means they're important. So, here's another 25 random things about me:

1. I love to drive. Most of my friends will tell you that I pretty much do all of the driving. I love it! Driving is one of the most relaxing things I do. I do my best thinking when I'm alone in the car. The only thing I don't like about driving...slow drivers! I hate slow drivers...and people who should no longer be driving. Kills me...take their license away already!

2. I love to travel...love love love to travel! This was on my facebook list, but it seriously warrants being mentioned again. I get excited even if it's a trip to Dallas...2 hours away and I'm as giddy as a little kid! I have several trips coming up in the next few months and I can hardly contain myself. If any of you ever needs a travel buddy, I'm there!

3. I hate taking food to-go from restaurants unless it is a fast-food restaurant like McDonald's or Taco Bell. The food from those places is meant to be taken with you. I can't stand it when someone says "Let's just pick it up from Chili's or Olive Garden or Pasados and eat it at home." It's meant to be eaten at a restaurant. It's best when eaten at the restaurant. Once you get it home, it's never as hot or crisp or flavorful as it would have been if it was brought straight to your plate. And it never fails they forget something. Don't even get me started.

4. I love blasting a good song in my car when I'm alone. Goes back to number 1...driving with a great song, windows rolled down, all by myself. I do not however love playing my music loud when people are in the car with me. It's weird...I only like loud music when I'm by myself. One song, if it's a great song, is sometimes ok. But in general, whether I'm a passenger or the driver, if I'm with other people, I like the music at a moderate level. Maybe it has something to do with hearing...I don't hear well anyway, so when there is loud music and people are talking, it's way too much noise for me to process. Or, maybe it just annoys me to turn down the music when people begin to talk. Whatever the reason, I'm a loner when it comes to blasting the music.

5. I tend to be overprotective of people I love...mainly family and close friends. I'm a protector and fixer by nature. I can't help it. If you have a problem, I automatically think of ways to fix it...whether you've asked me to or not. When someone is being mean to a friend, I'm like a bodyguard, ready to attack. Say I won't be an amazing soccer mom! Some kid starts pushing my kid around on the soccer field, I'm there! My mother is exactly the same way. You should have seen her the night I got slammed into the goal post and broke my jaw. Boy, Janine was about ready to fly off those bleachers! Even today, at work if there is drama or something going wrong, my mom is ready to stand in and take some punches. And, I can admit, I'm sometimes a hypocrite about it. It's ok for me to go to Las Vegas by myself, but if my sister did it, I'd freak out. It's ok for me to work 70 hour weeks, but when my parents do it, I'm worried about them. The list goes on and on.

6. I love ACU! I was born to bleed purple and white. My parents went to ACU and my siblings and I were raised that if we wanted mom/dad to pay for school, we had to go to ACU. I can't tell you how many Sing Songs and Homecomings I've been to. My memories of ACU are amazing and I'll love that school till the day I die. I might not always agree with its policies or decisions, but I love it. It helped make me who I am today and I can trace so many steps of my life back to that campus.

7. I love to travel, but I don't have a passport. All of my international travel was before a passport was required.

8. I desperately want an Infiniti QX56. It is my dream car...or dream SUV I should say. I will have one. I hope very soon!

9. I learned the most about life, people and work when I was the Catering Director for ACU. I've loved all of the jobs I've had, but I learned the most in catering. I think every person, for at least 2 months of their life, should work in the food service industry. It is a humbling experience and opens your eyes to literally a new world. If I have kids, they will spend at least one summer in a restaurant or catering. No questions asked.

10. Because I worked in catering, I learned a lot about jail, drugs, prostitution, stripping, stealing, abuse...and the list goes on. Sometimes I talk about jail or prostitution like I've been there...it's because I have. I've been to the jail to bail out my employees. I've visited them behind bars so I can tell them how their family is doing. I've been on the visiting list of inmates. I've gone to shady motels to pick up employees who are sharing rooms with prostitutes or transexuals...or transexual prostitutes. I've seen the track marks and bruises on my employees who were messed up the night before, but they knew they better show up to work, or I'd be coming to their door. My team learned a lot from me when I was their director...but none of them learned as much as I did. They'll never know how they impacted my life.

11. I am a procrastinator. I shouldn't be in my line of work and I'm trying to get better. But, by nature, I am a procrastinator. Always have been. Probably always will be. I'm procrastinating right now...I should be doing my production schedule for upcoming events...instead I'm writing a blog. Good use of my time!

12. I am horrible with money. I make a lot and spend a lot. I am a horrible saver. I have a savings account, but usually by the end of each month, it's empty. I can't keep a budget to save my life. Thank goodness for online banking or I'd have no clue what was in my checking account. I need to marry someone who is good with money. Someone who can budget for me...give me a weekly allowance and I'll be good to go! I am a spender! And most people who know me well will agree...I like to buy buy buy.

13. I keep a running list of dream jobs...the list includes owning a restaurant, being a travel writer, being a food critic and owning a ranch.

14. When I get married, I want to take a long honeymoon. I don't want one of these week long honeymoons...I'm talking 3 weeks. If that's ok with you, honey :)

15. Some of my favorite cities are cities I would never want to live in. I love New York, but I would never want to live there. I love Las Vegas and Los Angeles, but I would never want to live there. I would consider the outskirts of Los Angeles, but not the other two cities.

16. It amuses me how you can be so close to someone for years of your life, but how over time you grow apart and end up not really knowing them at all.

17. My favorite time of the year in Abilene is the summer. While it's hotter than you know where, it's still so great. The students are gone, the atmosphere is relaxed and I can spend a ton of time at Betsey's pool. Some of my fondest memories over the past few years have been at their pool. All day swimming and bar-b-ques at night. Simple pleasures.

18. I am a nosey person. I always want to know more details. I'm often the one who asks the inappropriate questions. I don't mean to be rude...I'm just nosey. If someone is telling me a story, I usually have questions for them at the end, and if they don't know the answers, it seriously bothers me! If you don't know all of the answers, just don't tell me the story!

19. I've been in several weddings, but I'm pretty sure I'll only have 2 people stand up there with me...Jes and Jody. That is, if Jody isn't too old by the time I get married ;)

20. I'm not usually an emotional person. I have a big heart, but I don't always let it show. I don't cry easily and I often seem cold or intimidating. Actually, about the only emotion I freely show is happiness/laughter. I am a laughing junkie! I LOVE to laugh! And it's pretty easy to make me laugh. I seriously laugh out loud all them time...even when I'm by myself. I often laugh when I'm watching tv all alone. Heck, I'll even laugh out loud when I remember something funny. People probably think I'm crazy when I do that.

21. My desk is almost always a mess. I can't help it. For me to be productive, it has to be a mess. I'm the only one who can navigate through the stacks of papers, post-its, etc. I hate it when people try to organize my desk. My co-workers and the janitors know to never touch the things on my desk...I know where everything is and it will rock my world if it gets organized! Don't get me wrong, I love the days when I take time to make neat little piles and my desk looks so straight and clean...but it doesn't happen very often.

22. Dolly Parton is my all time favorite celebrity. I realize that most of you know this, but I just have to say it. I adore her. I have to meet her before I die...or before she dies...whichever comes first. If any of you can pull any strings to get me to meet her, I'd love you forever. I'd pay an amazing amount of money to meet her. I know she and I are destined to be great friends!

23. I enjoy savoury over sweet. I will almost always go for something salty over something sweet. However, there are moments when I crave something deliciously homemade...a cookie or cake. The operative word being homemade. Don't give me store bought. Homemade!

24. I love thunderstorms. Especially daytime thunderstorms. Saturday daytime thunderstorms. When all you have to do is open the windows, smell and hear the rain, listen to the thunder, curl up under a blanket, watch your favorite movies and cuddle. Those are the best.

25. Every week night from 11pm to 1:30am I watch Frasier and Golden Girls. It's the Lifetime lineup. I start out with Frasier as I'm winding down, getting ready for bed. Then Golden Girls comes on. I usually watch the first show which runs from 12-12:30am...and I laugh out loud because I stinkin' love that show. Then from 12:30-1:30 I'm preparing my mind to go to sleep. I set the sleep timer, wrap my blankets around me and close my eyes while listening to those funny ladies in the background. Usually sometime between 11 and 1:30 I'll get a call from Lindsey or Caddie. With the 2 hour time difference, it makes sense for them to call around 11. So, talking on the phone and Golden Girls...that's my evening ritual.

2009-02-04T17:18:00.001-08:00

God, Give Them Strength

A good friend of mine from college suddenly lost her mother yesterday. My heart hurts for her and her family. When she called me yesterday afternoon, I was stunned. I was at a loss for words for what seemed like eternity, but was a fraction of a second. All I could say was how sorry I was and that she will be in my prayers.

I pray that God gives her peace and comfort. That her family will be a source of strength for her and that she finds comfort in knowing she has friends who love her and are here for her. God, give them strength.

2009-02-02T18:17:00.000-08:00

New Office, More Work

Well, I've moved into my new office. This past Thursday five movers and 4 IT guys came to move my office to the new Welcome Center on campus. It took all weekend to unpack and get settled in, but I'm finally here. With the exception of one wall, its all decorated and I'm back into the full swing of things. Work doesn't really wait for you to unpack your office! So, next time you're in Abilene or around the campus, stop in and see me! I'm pretty proud of my building (I say "my building" since I'm the building manager) so I'd love to give you a tour! I'll try to post pictures when I can.

Other than work, not a lot is going on in my life. I've seen two movies recently...Rachel Getting Married and New In Town. Rachel Getting Married was horrible. Do not go see it unless you are completely in love with independent films. I can usually handle most indie films...but not this one! New In Town was cute. Just your average feel good, chick flick. I'd recommend it! Plus, Harry Connick,Jr. looks hot!

Several of my all time favorite shows have been on Showtime...shows like Weeds and Secret Diary of a Call Girl. Well, Showtime has hit another homerun in my book! United States of Tara. If you haven't seen it, you need to! It's stinkin' hilarious! I love this show! Of course, if you like good, wholesome shows, then Showtime and United States of Tara are not for you. There is nothing morally redeeming about this show. It's probably pure smut...but I love it! It cracks me up!

Went to a Super Bowl party Sunday night. I thought it was a pretty good game. I really didn't care who won. Commercials as a whole weren't as good as I had hoped. My favorites were probably the Budweiser ones. Or the Cheetos one.

So, I guess this post is pretty boring. Not a lot to report from the life of JE. Fairly anti-climatic, I'm afraid.

I hope you all have a great week! Until next time...

2009-01-20T14:30:00.001-08:00

Brag Session

People don't always have the chance to brag on their parents, but this year mine have made me very proud! But don't take that the wrong way...I've always been proud of my parents! They're spectacular people and I love them very much!

Most of you know that this past September, they were awarded ACU Parents of the Year. What a great ceremony and such an honor! Well, their picture from the Homecoming parade has been one of the few selected for the new ACU Alumni website. There are several pictures that run, so just be patient. They're after the Sing Song picture. My parents are the ones waving from the car in the parade ;)

You can also look for them in the next issue of ACUToday magazine. Little cuties!

2009-01-15T14:22:00.000-08:00

This Should Make for an Interesting Story

Most of you now know, as mentioned a few entries ago, I have been diagnosed with a tumor on my spine. First, let me say thank you to all of you who have showed your love and support through comments, email, and phone calls. Most of you know I like to keep my blog lite...don't weigh it down too much with personal details, sad stuff, etc. But, I felt like this was a pretty important thing happening in my life. I also thought on the off chance I seem preoccupied in the next few months, this might explain a little bit.

I went to the neurosurgeon Tuesday. I'm going to have a pretty invasive surgery on June 1st. I'll be in the hospital for 3-4 days and out of work for 6-8 weeks and won't return to my full working capacity for approx. 2 and a half to 3 months after the surgery. It's pretty insane. The tumor is attached to a pretty important nerve (my left leg sensory nerve) and is really close to another important nerve (motor skills of left leg), so there's some risk involved. The tumor is growing on the outside of my spine and on the inside of my spinal column. It's grown inside my spinal sack, so they'll have to slice that open, operate, then sew it back. He's compared the consistency of the spinal sack to a piece of wet tissue paper. Can you imagine having to sew that up?! With this kind of surgery there's also a risk that I could end up leaking spinal fluid...in that case they'd have to go back in and repair the spinal sack. They have to take out a section of bone from one of my vertebra to get to the whole tumor. Having to remove this piece of bone will leave my lower back very weak for some time.

For my first two days in the hospital I'll be laying on my stomach at all times. Once I'm able to go home, the doctor said he expects me to do very little...basically nothing but laying down. I'm not allowed to lift anything over a gallon of milk during those first 2 weeks. After that, I can slowly start building up my back strength again. After about 3-4 weeks I'll be able to go back to work...but only for a few hours a day and only to do paperwork or computer work. No lifting, setting up events, etc. So, I'll basically be at home all of June. Then slowly go back to work in July and hope to be up and going full speed by middle of August...in time for Opening Assembly, Welcome Week, etc!

So, that's pretty much the readers digest version. I'm finally coming to grips with the whole process. I honestly didn't expect this to be a big deal at all. I think I was pretty naive in thinking this was going to be a simple, nearly pain-free process that would hardly interfere with my life! Obviously I was wrong. This week I was pretty much just letting the news sink in.

Anyway...it's set for June 1st! It will be convenient to have the whole summer! 2009 will be the summer I laid around! I figure the smart thing will be to lay outside as much as possible. If I'm laying around, might as well catch some sun while doing it!

Again, thanks to all of you for your kind words, love and support. I continue to covet your prayers...and expect you to come to me this summer. Not sure I'll be traveling to see very many of you! Love to you all!

2009-01-13T09:00:00.001-08:00

The 3's

My cousin sent me the following in an email, so I figured in an attempt to keep my blog updated for all three of my fans, I'd post my answers in my blog.

Before I get to my 3's...
Most of you know my office is inside Moody Coliseum. Chapel has just started as I'm posting this (yes, I'm posting during work) and they're singing "Shout Hallelujah!" This song reminds me of my little cousins, Jadyn and Camden. They love that song...and I love hearing them sing...little precious angels! They also love the song "How Great is Our God." They also enjoy Veggie Tales...which has a character named Pa Grape. So, when my little cousin Jadyn sings "How Great is Our God," she actually sings "Pa Grape is Our God." It cracks my stuff up! They are so stinkin' cute!

As I'm writing, they're still singing in chapel. This will be one of the things I miss most once I move into my new office. I've talked to several friends who have left ACU and miss the singing in chapel. I've been lucky enough the past year and a half to hear the beautiful singing and praise everyday at 11am coming from right across the hall. This I will miss.

Ok...onto my 3's!

3 Names I go by:

1. Jennifer
2. Jen
3. Jenni

3 Jobs I have had in my life:

1. Office Assistant
2. Catering Director
3. Director of Events

3 Places I have lived:

1. Van, TX
2. Abilene, TX
3. I've lived 3 different places in Abilene...dorms on campus, house on Squires and now my duplex.

3 TV shows I watch:

1. Law & Order SVU
2. Nip/Tuck
3. Top Chef

3 Places I have been:
1. Bahamas
2. Canada
3. California

3 People that email me regularly:
1. Caddie
2. Lindsey
3. Teena

3 of my favorite foods:
1. Mexican
2. BBQ
3. My mom's home cooking

3 Things I'm looking forward to:
1. The summer
2. Getting married (whenever that may be!)
3. Owning my own business

2009-01-12T15:46:00.000-08:00

"That SOB Pistol Whipped Me!"

My friend Betsey sent me some pictures today that I hadn't seen in months. Actually, I completely forgot about them! Be advised...they're a little graphic!

Caddie and I volunteered with the Abilene Fire Department, Paramedics, Police Department, Texas State Troopers, Bomb Squad and ACU Police this past May in what they called "demonstrations." I actually can't remember the official name, but they basically set-up random scenarios with gunmen, hostages, police, etc. So, allow me to explain what Caddie and I were doing. Side bar: all of this was taking place in McDonald dorm on ACU's campus which was under construction.

Ok...So, I was on the 2nd floor with a gunman and two other hostages. I was supposed to have been shot in the arm while running down the hall. The other hostages weren't so lucky...they didn't get away. So, as the police came up the stairs, I was supposed to yell "help, help! He's down here! The shooter is down here! Help! I've been shot!" I was there to assist in the mass chaos and hysteria. The cops would run by me, pull me to safety, and confront the gunman. It was kind of intense. I had to wear special helmets so I wouldn't get shot in the head by a bullet...aka paint cartridge that hurt like a mother when you got shot!

Caddie was a another victim, but was on the first floor. She was in the group of people who were attacked when the shooter first came in. Their job was to scream at the cops and beg them for help...then run out of the building screaming...running for their lives! They were then rescued by firemen and paramedics and were treated for their injuries. There were several times when we all got a little to "into" our roles. We were wannabe actresses basically! At one point, one fireman whisked Caddie from the front of the building onto the front lawn and asked her what happened. She quickly remarked "That SOB pistol whipped me!" There was hardly a straight face in the crowd!

It was a great day. We felt totally good having done our volunteer civic duty! And also very safe seeing how all of the first responders handled the many scenarios thrown at them. Here's a shout out to our public safety personnel! And here are a few pictures for your enjoyment!

2009-01-07T15:31:00.000-08:00

Under Pressure

After the most recent comments on my previous post, I'm under a little pressure to update my blog. So, in an attempt to satisfy all of my fans, here is an update on my life. I figured it would be easiest to construct a timeline. Basically, here's what I've done since I last posted. I'd also like to take a moment to apologize for the holiday background that is still up. I didn't have time to find a new background and update my blog, so I did what I felt was most important. You're welcome Julie and Jody!

November 24th-29th
This was the week of Thanksgiving, so pretty much what happened on Monday and Tuesday isn't too important except for my cousin Jody's birthday (had to give a shout-out). So, I headed to Van Wednesday morning for Thanksgiving. This wasn't our normal Thanksgiving because we were celebrating my grandmothers 80th birthday. So, all of my family from all over Texas, Michigan, Alabama and Arizona came to visit. About 30 people. It was fun, but those of you who have experienced large family Thanksgivings know what kind of a whirlwind they can be! I had to leave early Saturday morning to get back to Abilene for the ACU football playoff game. All I can say about that game is, we sucked. We blew it. Our chance to go to Alabama for the playoffs and we choked. I'm still pretty bitter about it, but I'm choosing not to vent on my blog. Staying positive!

November 30th - December 6th
Nothing too interesting happened at the beginning of this week. I had a lot of meetings and my sister turned 21 on the 2nd. On the 3rd I went to see my back doctor. Some of you know I've been having a little trouble with my back this past year, so I went in for my follow-up appointment. We've thought for awhile that it was a herniated disk. Actually, my first doctor told me that's what it was. But, after an MRI, my new doctor told me I have a tumor on my spine. Needless to say, I was pretty shocked. He thinks the tumor is benign, but doesn't know for sure. He's referred me to a neurosurgeon to see what the tumor is attached to and what steps need to be taken so we can operate. I go to the neurosurgeon next week. So, as much as I hate to be overly personal on my blog, I still covet your prayers. The rest of the week is kind of a blur. We celebrated my sisters birthday that week and I was able to spend time with one of my best friends that weekend, but honestly, I was still trying to comprehend having a tumor. That's just not something you expect to hear from your doctor, especially at 27.

December 7th - December 13th
This was a pretty busy week, filled with Christmas parties and two graduations. Shout out to Kim Smith who celebrated her 27th birthday on the 10th! The 12th was ACU's graduation and on the 13th I had Texas State Technical Colleges graduation. Both held in Moody Coliseum which I had to plan. But, they went off without any problems, so I was pretty happy!

December 14th - December 20th
A week full of even more Christmas parties! I think I went to more Christmas parties this year than I ever have! I also got more Christmas cards than I ever have. Is this what it means to be a grown-up?! The 16th I got my hair cut...I don't love it, but I needed some length off! On the 20th I headed home to spend Christmas with my family. I was really looking forward to spending some quiet time at home. Why did I think it was going to be quiet?!

December 21 - December 27th
It was absolutely wonderful to be home with my family. My sister was already there, so it was great hanging out with her, my mom and my dad. We were able to go shopping, do some holiday baking, and even catch a movie. My parents closed the restaurant for 3 whole days...Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the day after Christmas. It was very nice for them to have a break. My brother and sister-in-law got to Van on Christmas Eve. We all played games, ate great food, watched Christmas movies and laughed a ton! We were all very blessed to be together! I got some great gifts too...a lot of gift cards, clothes, cash, and a flat screen tv! I pick that up next week! I'm totally pumped!

December 28th - January 3rd
My parents had to go back to work at the restaurant and my brother and sister-in-law had to spend time with her family, so things started to pick-up by the 27th. On the 29th I drove to Dallas to pick-up my friend Caddie from the airport. Some of her luggage was lost so we ended up staying in Dallas that night so we could pick-up her bag the next day. We headed to the airport Tuesday morning only to wait several hours for her bag to arrive. We had plans to attend a dinner party that night in Abilene, so we were hard pressed for time when we finally got her bag and headed west. We were just a little late to the party, but it was fun spending time with old friends and catching up. Caddie spent the rest of the week with me in Abilene. We hung out with friends and family, ate great food, watched movies, and caught up on what's been going on. Side note: If you haven't seen The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, you need to! EXCELLENT movie! I loved it! I took Caddie back to the airport on the 2nd and headed back to Van for the weekend.

January 5th - January 7th
Well, this pretty much brings us up to this week. If you're in Texas, you'll know that a cold snap passed through most of our state on Monday. I had planned to return to Abilene Monday morning, but with freezing temperatures and sleet, I didn't really want to drive all the way to Abilene. So, bright and very early Tuesday I got up and headed to work...in Abilene. 4 hours later, I had arrived. I arrived to an office full of boxes. What you may not know is, I'm about to move offices. ACU has built a new building on campus, The Hunter Welcome Center, which offices over 100 people and has around 10 new event facilities. I've been named the Building Supervisor...along with my other responsibilities I have with being the Director of Events. So, we were supposed to move in on January 5th. But, you know how construction goes! They're behind. We found out today we can't move in until January 26th. Don't even get me started. It's a nice building. Next time you're on campus, you really should stop by and see it. I know someone who could give you a great tour! ;)

So, that's pretty much a summary of my life over the past month and a half. I apologize for not writing much and I will try to be better. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday! I hope January is a great month for you and that 2009 is a spectacular year! I think great things are coming in 2009! Here's hoping!

2008-11-24T09:41:00.000-08:00

WE'RE NOT DONE YET!

If you weren't at Shotwell Stadium Saturday, November 22nd then you missed a record-breaking, heart-stopping, awe-inspiring game! ACU vs West Texas A&M. 93-68. 'Nough said.

Over 9,000 fans filled Shotwell Stadium (not much compared to Big 12 teams, but great for our little D2 school) to watch history unfold! We were so close to scoring 100 points we could taste it. Good news...we have this weekend to try again for 100! ACU faces Northwest Missouri this Saturday, November 29th at noon. We're going for 12-0 baby!

Here are some links to stories about the game. It's a great time to be a Wildcat folks!

We were on Yahoo Sports front page!

Here's the D2Football home page...Offensive Explosion!

Here's Sports Illustrated...

And the Ft Worth Star Telegram.

And, to the site of our sad opponent...WT A&M

Those are just a few featuring the great ACU Wildcats. If you're close to Abilene Saturday, you'll want to come see what promises to be a great match-up. On to VICTORY!

2008-11-05T14:45:00.001-08:00

Gladys and Ellen

I needed a laugh today and the clip below was sent to me. I love Ellen! She cracks me up! I DVR her show everyday! Hope you find this as funny as I do!

2008-11-04T09:31:00.000-08:00

Vote

I would imagine that nearly every person in America realizes that today is election day. What a day?! A day that could forever change American history. What a privilege?! What a gift it is to be able to vote on who our next leader will be. There are people all over this world who are envious at the fact that we are able to voice our opinion on who will be our next President. People who would kill to have the right to vote on who would lead their country. People who would die to have the freedom we do, the rights we do. It wasn't that long ago that we as Americans fought to separate from a tyrannical society so that we might have our freedom to become our own people. Individuals with the right to vote. It wasn't that long ago that women weren't allowed to vote. That African Americans weren't allowed to vote. And yet, I hear people say everyday, "I'm not voting." "My vote doesn't count anyway." "We know who's going to win, why waste my time?" This is the most frustrating thing for me to hear right now! I could care less as to who you vote for, but get out there and vote! Last week on Ellen, Wanda Sykes said that she thought everyone who was registered to vote but didn't should be punished. Like, when there's a flu epidemic going around, everyone gets flu shots but those who didn't vote! I love it! My line is pretty much, "If you don't vote, I don't want to ever hear you complain about who is in office." I don't feel you have the right to complain, if you're not going to exercise your right to vote.

Most of my good friends know I dislike politics. I don't like talking about them, or listening to them, watching them, seeing them...I just really don't enjoy politics. I know enough, research enough, and read enough to make an educated decision on who I want to vote for, and I go with it. I don't vote straight ticket because I think it's lazy. If all of my candidates happen to be republican, great. If the majority happen to be democrat, fine. I don't force my opinions on anyone and I don't want other opinions forced on me. If you open your mouth and voice your opinion, you're opening the door for other comments...other opinions. Basically saying, come right in...help yourself...tell me what you believe. That's how politics work. Everyone has their own belief, their own opinion, their own candidate...and it is absolutely their right! We are a strong people! Independent thinkers! Free thinkers. The key being free.

I had the opportunity to visit two of my best friends this weekend, both very committed to what they believe in, both very knowledgeable about why they believe what they believe. They happen to be voting for a different candidate than I, but it was never an issue. We discussed how our thoughts and beliefs had changed since college. How we had matured over the years. How years ago we would have voted one way, said one thing, or thought one way...but now have begun to see things differently. Basically, we're growing up. It was wonderful to see these friends and have calm, rational conversations...even conversations that touched on politics.

I encourage you to vote today. If you haven't researched who's running, do so. Even in state and local races. They are often times just as important! If you're voting on laws, propositions, etc., know what you're voting on. They can change so much and effect so many people! Be thankful we live in a country where we have the right to vote. Be thankful we are a society of people who care who our leaders will be. Be thankful we are Americans!

2008-11-04T08:23:00.000-08:00

Amazing Grace

I DVR Oprah everyday. Not because I like Oprah, but because about once a week she'll have a show I'm interested in and it fills the gap if for some reason I don't have anything else to watch. So, last night I was clearing out all of my Oprah episodes and came across one that was endorsing her new favorite gadget...I was intrigued. The gadget turned out to be some electronic "book"...Amazon Kendall or something like that. Basically, you download books and it saves them for you in one nice, neat little notebook. Well, I'm not a reader so I could care less and subsequently deleted the show.

HOWEVER, before she introduced her new gadget, she introduced something she described as amazing. She was right. Il Divo performed "Amazing Grace" from their new cd The Promise. I had chills. It was beautiful. So, this morning I found the actual video on YouTube...don't you just love YouTube?! The video is below. I hope you enjoy. I still have chills and I've watched it several times. I think a lot of us need to be reminded sometimes that we're only here because of Amazing Grace. It was definitely a good reminder for me!

2008-11-04T07:43:00.000-08:00

Raider Power

It was probably one of the most intense things I've experienced in a long time. Definitely one of the most intense football games I've ever experienced! Texas vs Texas Tech. People are still talking about this game and will be for a very long time! I was there. Amongst the students, fans, Raiders, Longhorns, drunks, police...it was a night I'll never forget!

Me and Julie before the game

The band before the game...they had a freakin' awesome band

Watching the players run through the hall onto the field

Raider field entry

56,333 people packed into Jones AT&T Stadium which only holds 54,000

TEXAS TECH

The infamous 1 second

Storming the field...the third and final time!

'Nough said

2008-10-30T12:21:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-23T22:43:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-10-16T07:34:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-10-13T15:40:00.000-07:00

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.

2008-10-06T15:03:00.000-07:00

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.

2008-10-06T14:44:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-09-29T14:20:00.000-07:00

Here Comes October

My favorite month of the year is literally one day away! Now, you may be wondering why October is my favorite month...well, my friend, it is my favorite month for several very important reasons:
1-Fall, fall and more fall! Autumn is everywhere! Leaves are changing, the air is cooler (not in Abilene, but in normal places, leaves are changing and the air is cooler), the smell of wood burning fills the air, the scent of spices are everywhere and pumpkins are around every corner! And, I just realized I left Halloween off my list of favorite holidays a few posts ago. Dang it! Well, Halloween is around 4 or 5.
2-My birthday is in October! While I don't like the thought of getting older anymore (this happened when I hit 25 and someone told me I was half way to 50), I do so love my birthday! A whole day that is mine. However, the 21st falls on a pretty boring day this year (Tuesday) so both of you who read this need to make Tuesday, October 21st even more special!
3-Homecoming! My alma mater does a great job of celebrating homecoming and welcoming back their alumni. Even if I didn't work for the school, I'd still come to homecoming! Something about the craziness on campus, seeing old friends, packed football game...marvelous! I'm so excited about seeing so many friends! My pal Caddie is coming in from California and is staying with me...I can't wait to see her!

Here are a few fall pics I find inspiring!

My cousin Jody and I are taking her kids to the pumpkin patch Wednesday night. I'm so excited! I love the pumpkin patch and I love those kids...so fun! I'll take pics and post them!

Happy fall everyone! Enjoy this time of the year!

2008-09-18T11:53:00.000-07:00

Parents of the Year

Here is the link to the page with the annoucement that my parents are being awarded ACU Parents of the Year. They were also featured in today's Abilene Reporter News.

I'll follow up with more from the weekend!

ACU Parents of the Year

2008-09-15T14:00:00.000-07:00

For President...or Vice President I Should Say

Ok, I love Sarah Palin! I really really do! For those of you who know me well, you know that politics are not something I love. I hate to talk politics. I normally don't like to listen about politics. During the Presidential race, I check into the candidates, listen to what they have to say, make my decision and go with it. Now, just because I don't enjoy politics doesn't mean I'm not an avid supporter of our country or a huge fan of our right to vote. Believe me, I exercise my right to vote every chance I get! I would just rather spend my time talking about another subject other than politics. Until now that is. Have I mentioned I love Sarah Palin?! Anyway...this past Saturday, Tina Fey from SNL did a skit that I found absolutely hilarious...hilarious I tell you! If you haven't seen it, please see below. It's great!

2008-09-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

Randomness

These are just a few thoughts currently running through my tired, overworked, brain. Nothing too intense...nothing too special...and probably nothing too interesting...However, I haven't written in quite awhile so I wanted to let all 3 of you who read this know, I AM STILL ALIVE!

My Thoughts...in no particular order...

I'm a fan of Sarah Palin. Didn't know if I was going to like her when he first announced her name...probably cause I had never heard of her. But, after reading about her, hearing about her, watching her...I've decided I like her! In fact, I like the VP candidates better than the Presidential candidates!

I went to California a few weeks ago and I wish I was still there. I had an amazing time and it was absolutely beautiful. I seriously wish I was there!

Glimpses of fall have begun to show in A-town. The cooler weather and constant rain has been wonderful! I'm a huge fan of fall!

Football has begun! This warrants being said again. FOOTBALL HAS BEGUN! I'm so excited! I'm ranked fairly high on ESPN's Pig Skin Pick 'Em...my group is the Couch Potato FB Crazies. This weekend I have the pleasure to see 2 live football games. Friday night I'm watching my cousins husband coach the Cooper Cougars vs. the Abilene High Eagles. Then, good ole' ACU plays its first home game Saturday night! I am currently praying that it doesn't rain during either game...literally praying to God that the rain stop just for a few hours during His favorite sport!

Christmas is only a few short months away and I can't wait! As soon as Halloween is over, I will be pulling out the Christmas tree, Christmas music...Christmas everything! However, before Christmas comes my 4th favorite holiday...Thanksgiving! Which should be interesting this year...my entire extended family on my moms side will be in Van this year. My ranked list of holidays are:
#1 Christmas
#2 4th of July
#3 My Birthday
#4 Thanksgiving
#5 Easter
#6 Valentines Day
#7 St. Patrick's Day
#8 MLK Day (simply cause I get off work)
#9 Labor Day
#10 Memorial Day

I fell off a stage the other day and sprained my ankle. The fact that I fell off the stage is pretty funny, so go ahead and laugh. If I have the opportunity to show you how I fell off, I feel you'll laugh even harder! Thank goodness no one witnessed this spectacle of "non-coordination!"

I believe that post-it-notes are quite possibly one of the greatest inventions known to office supplies. They're all over my desk...those little gems!

For 2 years now I've gone without a working washing machine. My dryer works, but not the washer. I've visited laundry mats, friends, family...sometimes with the specific intent to do laundry. However, out of the kindness of my dear mother's heart, she offered to have a repair man come fix my washer...therefore, I NOW HAVE A WORKING WASHING MACHINE! Why haven't I had a repair man come fix it? I honestly don't know. It wasn't that expensive. I guess it comes down to laziness. Whatever the case, it's fixed now and I'm doing laundry like mad woman! You know you've crossed over into adulthood when such simple things excite you!

My mother visited me for a couple of days and baked and cooked like crazy! I have so much delicious food in my house, I don't know what to do! Aren't moms wonderful? Dad's are wonderful too...but this past weekend I was especially grateful for my mom! My parent's are receiving ACU's Parents of the Year award next Friday and we're so excited! I'll for sure be posting on that!

I think that my future posts will probably cover the following topics:
My trip to Califorinia
This weekends football games
Parents of the Year

I hope you are doing well! Have a fabulous weekend! I leave you with the following inspirational quotes that I find great.

Laugh as much as you breathe and love as long as you live.
Laughter gives us distance. It allows us to step back from an event, deal with it and then move on.
Clever people master life; the wise illuminate it and create fresh difficulties.
Sarcasm helps keep you from telling people what you really think of them.
The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.
Optimism: Waiting for a ship to come in when you haven’t sent one out.

2008-08-17T14:54:00.000-07:00

And They Lived Happily Ever After

On August 9, 2008 my little brother and his bride exchanged vows in front of more than 200 people in San Angelo, TX. It seems funny to say "little brother" when he's now a married man.

My family and many friends spent four days in San Angelo preparing for and recovering from the nuptials. What a weekend! Below are several of my favorite shots from our good times. It was honestly one of the best weekends I've had in a long time. We were able to spend a lot of family time together, see old friends, and witness two individuals promise to become one and spend the rest of their life together. Congratulations to Spencer and Alyssa. May God's richest blessings fall on you!

Alyssa, Jes, Me and Lindsey at the bachelorette party

Me and Jes at the rehearsal

Our last picture with Spence as a single guy

Me and Jes getting ready for the wedding

The wedding party

The new Ellison family

2008-07-16T21:06:00.000-07:00

WANTED

Tonight I went to see the movie Wanted and let me just tell you, if you don't mind a little blood and profanity, than this is the movie for you! Great actors, great storyline, great unexpected twist and great soundtrack! I left the movie wanting to drive fast, dodge in and out of traffic, race down the highway, pull out my pistol and instantly turn into an assasin.

Go see it...it's worth the $7.50! Movies I will be seeing very soon: Mama Mia and The Dark Knight.

2008-07-15T17:24:00.000-07:00

Round 2 to California

It was close to this time last year that I lost one of my best friends to Modesto, California. Lindsey left Abilene in July 2007 to pursue her career in the wine industry. Well, July and California has yet again taken a best friend. Caddie left a little over a week ago, Uhaul trailer in tow, heading west towards her future. It was one of the toughest partings I've ever experienced. My saving grace was that on the day she left, I headed home for the 4th of July and spent the next 5 days with my family.

Of course we'll keep in touch...we actually talk every day. But, it's not the same. I'm used to constantly having someone to run with, eat with, travel with, etc. It will take some getting used to.

After several job possibilities and interviews, she signed on today with Pepperdine University. I wish her the best of luck and know she will succeed at everything she does.

Rangers Game and we obviously had too much fun!

Rangers, second time around!

The first time I met Caddie was at the Warehouse...here we are at the Warehouse 1 year anniversary.

Our trip to San Francisco

2008-05-26T09:51:00.000-07:00

The Night the Lights Went Out In Plano

It was something straight from a horror film...or a Reba McEntire song! Caddie and I went to Plano this weekend for a few site visits for some upcoming events and decided to stay in one of the hotels where we had set up a visit. We've stayed in this area before, but never in this hotel. In fact, when we're in this area, we usually stay in one of our favorite hotels, the Westin Stonebriar because I get points for every stay. But, I've recently started acquiring points for another hotel chain, so we decided to branch out. First impression of the new hotel...its located in a great area, a somewhat posh neighborhood. We valeted the car, checked-in and went to our room. The view is spectacular (I'm writing this post from my hotel room). Our room overlooks a nice little pond with a great fountain and well manicured lawns. Definitely an area I'd love to live in!

So...back to when we arrived to our room! We got a late start on Sunday heading to Dallas, so we didn't arrive at the hotel until around 9pm, which meant if we wanted to make dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, we needed to hurry! So, we quickly re-grouped, had our bags brought to the room and prepared to head out. Caddie called her mom, told her we had arrived safely and in the middle of her conversation...BAM! BLACKOUT! No lights! No lights in the room and no light coming in from outside. Pitch black. I quickly stumbled across the room only to hear Caddie calling out my name and telling her mom she'd have to call her back. I got to the door and opened it out to the hallway and let a little light come in. "Hum...there's lights on in the hall." Just as I opened the door I heard a women in a somewhat panicked voice saying "get back in your room. I said get back in your room!" She was yelling at her kids. Another women stuck her head out the door and said "Do ya'll have power?" I said "No mam, but we're headed out anyway so I'll stop by the front desk and let them know." No big deal...I figured someone on our floor tripped a breaker or there was a small power glitch. We'd head out for dinner and make sure the front desk knew the situation on the third floor. No big deal. Right.

(Before I get much further, I need to tell you that the hall to the elevator has the ability to be closed off...closed off with huge steel doors...doors that look like every other door in the hallway so one would easily miss them if they were closed...and the doors to the elevators on the 2nd and 3rd floors were closed. This is important for you to know.) We headed out into the hall, turned the corner, encountered the lady who was yelling at her kids who quickly asked if our lights were out, to which we replied "yes." We kept walking down the hall...and all of a sudden a slight feeling of uncomfortableness (if that's not a word, it is now.) swept over me. By now we were at the end of the hall and the lady yelled "Are ya'll gonna tell someone the lights are out?" I turned and looked back down the hallway and suddenly felt as if I was experiencing something from The Shining. I said "Yes, we'll tell someone." We turned and headed down the hall...passing the doors leading to the elevators for the first time. As the room numbers continued to grow, the halls felt as if they were growing longer and smaller. We turned back, passed the elevator doors again(still not realizing they lead to the elevators), and saw an exit sign for the stairs. Every bone in my body yelled "Are you stupid?! People die in stairwells all the time in the movies!" But, my little friend who was quickly becoming impatient with the hall search pressed on through the door marked EXIT STAIRS. Down the stairs we went to the first floor. One door marked FIRE EXIT ALARM WILL SOUND and the other marked FIRST FLOOR. We chose the latter...locked. Back up the stairs we went. Walking through the third floor halls again...passing the elevator doors again, to find another stairwell. And yes, we enter to find the same two doors and the one leading to the first floor was locked. I was at this point telling myself and Caddie to stay calm. No big deal. There's bound to be an elevator somewhere. We decide to try the 2nd floor. We come out from the stairs, pass the 2nd floor elevator entrance (cause the stupid doors are closed on this floor too!) and see people walking through the hall. Surely they know where the exit is. Wrong! They're going to the pool...or some dark, damp hallway that said it lead to the pool. There was no way we were walking amongst the massive plants and workout equipment to get to the pool...which was on the 2nd floor anyway...its not like we could exit from the edge of the pool! We press on to another set of stairs. Same thing. Dang it! Who locks the doors to the first floor?! What about the people who can't take elevators?! We pass several people in the hall...all looking confused, looking to us for an answer. Mind you, the lights are out on the 2nd floor too. Then, a voice on the intercom says there's been a power outage on the entire block and they would have things back and running as soon as possible. All I want to do is get to the lobby!!!! The halls start to look the same. We've passed the dang elevator doors at least 10 times now and Caddie is looking distressed. These doors look like maintenance closet doors! Why not have a sign saying ELEVATORS?! At any moment I fully expect a man with a chainsaw to come around the corner and chase us down. We pass a room, see a woman standing in the doorway with nothing on but her underwear and a bra, then we see an old couple wandering through the hall. Doesn't anyone know how to get out of here?! We trek back to the 3rd floor and run into a man that says "Hey, the elevators are still working." Great! Can you tell me where the freakin' elevators are?! We walk, and at this point we have people following us who were also searching for the elevators, hoping we knew where we were going. But we didn't. We head down a hall, only to come to a dead end. I turn to look behind us. The people following us have vanished. There's no one in the hall. At this point, I've prepared to die. I expect to see little twin girls walking down the halls or REDRUM smeared on the wall somewhere. We start walking the other direction and simply by shear luck, I reach for the unmarked, steel door. PRAISE THE LORD! It's the hall to the elevators! Why the $%&* was the door shut?! We ride the elevator down to the first floor, enter the lobby and see what looks like a small riot breaking out. Hotel staff are running around with glowsticks. Guests are standing in the lobby, looking helpless. At this point, all we want is our dang car! We stop valet, get the keys and head to the Cheesecake Factory. Which, at this point is now closed. REALLY?! What else could happen?! So, dinner at Friday's was sub-par, back to the hotel where the lights were now on. Let's hope the rest of the trip is uneventful! Our first night was fun enough!

2008-05-22T13:47:00.000-07:00

You Want Nail?

Is it just me or does everyone have the same experience at a nail salon?!

2008-04-03T09:23:00.000-07:00

Lifter of My Head

I don't normally write about emotional or spiritual things on my blog. I usually like to keep it to light-hearted stories, surveys, updates, movie critiques, etc. I guess today I feel different. I just thought I would share a moment from my day.

Have you ever had a moment where you're thinking about all the things you have to do, all the stresses of the day, all of your problems that you're currently dealing with, all of the things you worry about...and in one instant, all of that is taken away, you feel wrapped in a love much stronger than the problems you're analyzing, the stresses that are causing you to worry?

My office is in the concourse of a coliseum. In that coliseum, everyday at 11am, a chapel service is held. With around 2,500 people in attendance, the service generally involves a few songs, a prayer or two, a scripture reading, and a short devotional. My office is right by one of the entrances to the coliseum, so I can clearly hear everything, and I mean everything, that goes on in chapel. Not that this bothers me, but I generally try and tune out the noise while I'm working.

Today was different. I came back into my office from an appointment towards the end of chapel, so my first thought was "I'm not going to get too involved in a project because pretty soon I'll have 2,500 people walking by my office and I won't be able to focus." So, I sat down at my desk and started reading my to-do list. Then I started thinking about all of the things I had to do today, the rest of this week, this weekend, doctors visits, money, upcoming events...that feeling of tension began to rise and at that single moment when I almost felt overwhelmed, I heard a familiar song. It's a song they've sung in chapel for years...my friends and I sung that song in chapel, we've sung it at church and devos and it's always been one I've loved. But today was different. I heard the words "Thou oh Lord, are a shield about me. You're my glory, you're the lifter of my head. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, you're the lifter of my head." I heard nothing else, I felt nothing else but complete comfort and safety. As if someone was saying "Calm down, things are fine. None of that matters right now. I've got this."

I've got this.

2008-03-31T15:08:00.001-07:00

Survey Says

I received the following survey over the weekend. Thought it might be fun to answer.

What is your favorite:

* GUM: Orbitz Spearmint
* RESTAURANT: I've recently fallen in love with Flemings, a steak and wine bar in San Antonio. Delicious!
* DRINK: sweet tea or Coke...tough choice!
* SEASON: Fall
* TYPE OF WEATHER: 60s or 70s...cloudy or sunny, doesn't matter
* EMOTION: excited
* THING TO DO ON A HALF DAY: cook-out on the back porch on a fall or spring night
* LATE-NIGHT ACTIVITY: playing games or watching tv
* SPORT: to play - football or softball to watch - hockey, football, soccer
* CITY: wow, I love a lot of cities!
* STORE: Target

When was the last time you:

* CRIED: last month
* PLAYED A SPORT: November...gosh, that was forever ago!
* LAUGHED: Today
* HUGGED SOMEONE: I randomly got a hug at an event yesterday. The florist hugged me good-bye and said "God bless you" Guess he thought I needed a hug and a blessing!
* KISSED SOMEONE: yesterday
* FELT DEPRESSED: last month
* FELT ELATED: two days ago
* FELT OVERWORKED: this one made me laugh! I feel overworked about once a month
* FAKED SICK: months ago...a really long time ago
* LIED: hum...a little lie, today. A big lie...I can't remember the last big lie I told.

What was the last:

* WORD YOU SAID: Bye
* THING YOU ATE: Chicken roll from Joes Pizza
* SONG YOU LISTENED TO: Something in the car last night
* THING YOU DRANK: Coke
* PLACE YOU WENT TO: Meeting in the Campus Center
* MOVIE YOU SAW: Mad Money
* MOVIE YOU RENTED: I can't even remember
* CONCERT YOU ATTENDED: Bette Midler in Vegas

Who was the last person you:

* HUGGED: The florist in San Antonio at our event yesterday
* CRIED OVER: Gosh...I can't remember
* KISSED: hum...getting a little personal here!
* DANCED WITH: I car danced with Caddie last night on our way back to Abilene
* SHARED A SECRET WITH: Jes
* HAD A SLEEPOVER WITH: Not really a sleepover, but Caddie and I stayed in a hotel this weekend in San Antonio for an event
* CALLED: Teena
* WENT TO A MOVIE WITH: My mom and sister
* SAW: My student intern
* WERE ANGRY WITH: Caddie
* COULDN’T TAKE YOUR EYES OFF OF: hum...again with the personal questions!
* OBSESSED OVER: If I obsess over anyone, that would be Dolly Parton! :)

Have you ever:

* DANCED IN THE RAIN: Not danced, but I've played in the rain
* KISSED SOMEONE: Yes
* DONE DRUGS: Not the illegal ones...maybe someday!
* DRANK ALCOHOL: Yes
* SLEPT AROUND: No
* PARTIED ‘TIL THE SUN CAME UP: Oh yes
* HAD A MOVIE MARATHON: Yes! I love movie marathons!
* GONE TOO FAR ON A DATE: Uh, yes
* SPUN UNTIL YOU WERE IMMENSELY DIZZY: Yes!
* TAKEN A SURVEY QUITE LIKE THIS BEFORE: Why yes I have!

2008-03-27T22:33:00.000-07:00

A Friendly Encounter

Do you ever meet someone and instantly know you want to be friends with them? You've enjoyed their company so much on your first encounter, you hope to run into them again. Go to dinner with them, go to a movie with them, go to a party with them. This feeling of connectedness has only happened to me a few times in my life and I'm happy to say that I'm friends with those people still today. I broach this subject because I had such an encounter tonight...Thursday, March 27, 2008. The date is only relevant for two reasons...My friend Caddie turns 23 on March 27, 2008 and in a year when I re-read this blog, I'd like to remember this exact date.

The description of my encounter, or should I say, our encounter:
Since it was Caddie's birthday, I felt we should have a night on the town...you know, good ole' Abilene. While we were out, we met two of the most fabulous men. Now, when I say fabulous, I don't mean gorgeous, "I want to marry him", "I want him to have my babies" fabulous...I mean fabulous like he could pick a great pair of shoes, design a room, tell me all about Barbara and Judy fabulous. Get my drift? So, for the next 2 hours, Caddie and I sat chatting and laughing with two of the most fabulous men in Abilene. We both instantly loved them! How fun?! Two stunningly delightful men, devilishly charming, and wickedly funny. Could you ask for anything more? We have several of the same friends, run in the same semi-circles, our paths have just never crossed. Well, I can assure you our paths will cross again! We will simply have to rendezvous with this fabulous couple once again!

Much love to our new duo!

2008-03-27T22:12:00.000-07:00

A Not So Tiffany's Moment

Ok, so it's really just coincidence that my most recent entries have been stories from other people. I really can write my own material, I just couldn't help but post the last story and now this one.

What you're about to read really did happen. The girl in this story, I'll call her Cari, is related to my cousin by marriage, so we've hung out at family functions, weddings, etc. Cari is dating a guy...I'll call him AC.

AC plans a nice date for Cari last weekend. He arrives at her apartment and before he goes to the door, he takes off his sports coat and hangs it in his car. He then went to her apartment, waited a few minutes for her to finish getting ready, and then off they go, out the door to his car. When they arrive at his car, they see that all of the windows are busted out and several things are missing, one of them being his sports jacket. He's devestated. Whether they go to the police station or the cops come to the apartment, I do not know. What I do know is that as AC was giving his statement to the police, Cari overheard him say that in his sports coat pocket was the Tiffany's engagement ring he was going to give Cari that night! He had plans to propose, but sadly, things didn't work out as he had imagined.

Truly a tragic story.

2008-03-12T07:34:00.000-07:00

Interesting Story

A good friend of mine recently sent me the following story. While it doesn't completely follow my life or the lives of all of my friends, I still find some truth in the words written by this seeker of a perfect life. Whether or not it speaks to you or portrays the path you are headed down, we've all had similar thoughts or know people who have struggled with the same dreams of grandeur and dignity.

For the most part, my women friends and I were kids of
upper-middle-class privilege, raised to believe that, with hard work
and a little courage, the world was ours. We climbed mountains at
summer camp, went to Europe on high-school class trips and took family
vacations to New York City and the Grand Canyon. Our parents, like
theirs before them, told their kids they could go anywhere and do
anything. We took them at their word.

By the time we hit adulthood, technology and globalization had brought
the world to our doorstep. Now in our mid-20s, we're unsteadily
navigating a barrage of choices our mothers never had the chance to
make. No one can complain about parents who started sentences with
"When you're president..." But we are now discovering the difficulty
of deciding just what makes us happy in a world of innumerable
options.

Three years ago my friends and I barreled out of the University of
Wisconsin ready to make our mark on the world. Julia headed to France
to teach English. I started law school in Minneapolis. Marie and
Alexis searched for work in San Francisco. Bridget started an
internship in D.C. Kristina landed a job in Ireland. The list goes on.
Scattering to our respective destinations, we were young enough to
follow our crazy dreams but old enough to fend for ourselves in the
real world. At a time when our lives were undergoing dramatic changes,
so was America. Three months after receiving our diplomas, the Twin
Towers came crashing down. We realized that, in more ways than one,
the world was scarier and more complex than we'd ever imagined.

Since graduation, we've struggled to make our own happiness. It seems
that having so many choices has sometimes overwhelmed us. In the seven
years since I left home for college, I've had 13 addresses and lived
in six cities. How can I stay with one person, at one job, in one
city, when I have the world at my fingertips?

Moving from one place to the next, bouncing from job to job, my
friends and I have experienced the world, but also gotten lost in it.
There have been moments of self-doubt, frantic calls cross-country.
("I don't know a soul here!" "Do I really want to be a __?")
Frustrated by studying law, I joined friends in San Francisco to
waitress for a summer and contemplate whether to return to school in
Minnesota. Unhappy and out of work in Portland, Molly moved to
Chicago. Loni broke up with a boyfriend and packed her tiny Brooklyn
apartment into a U-Haul, heading for Seattle. Others took jobs or
entered grad school anywhere from Italy to L.A. Some romances and
friendships succumbed to distance, career ambition or simply growing
up. We all lost some sleep at one point or another, at times feeling
utterly consumed by cities of thousands, even millions, knowing that
even local friends were just as transient as we were.

Like so many women my age, I remain unmarried at an age when my mother
already had children. She may have had the opportunity to go to
college, but she was expected to marry soon after. While my friends
and I still feel the pressure to marry and have children, we've gained
a few postcollege years of socially accepted freedom that our mothers
never had.

The years between college and marriage are in many ways far more
self-defining than any others. They're filled with the simplest, yet
most complex, decisions in life: choosing a city, picking a career,
finding friends and a mate--in sum, building a happy and satisfying
life. For me and for my group of friends, these years have been
eye-opening, confusing and fabulous at the same time.

The more choices you have, the more decisions you must make--and the
more you have yourself to blame if you wind up unhappy. There is a
kind of perverted contentedness in certainty born of a lack of
alternatives. At my age, my mother, whether she liked it or not, had
fewer tough decisions to make. I don't envy the pressure she endured
to follow a traditional career path and marry early. But sometimes I
envy the stability she had.

Once again I've been unable to resist the lure of a new city. So, as I
start my legal career in Chicago, I'm again building friendships from
scratch, learning my way around a strange new place. Yes, my friends
and I could have avoided the loneliness and uncertainty inherent in
our journeys, and gone back to our hometowns or stayed in the college
town where we had each other. But I doubt any one of us would trade
our adventures for that life. I have a sense of identity and
self-assurance now that I didn't have, couldn't have had, when I
graduated from college. And I know someday I'll look back on this
time--before I had a spouse, a home and children to care for--and be
thankful for the years that just belonged to me.

2008-01-24T20:00:00.000-08:00

Simple Ramblings

I miss a lot of my friends. For the past few months I've had several trips planned to see friends in different cities and none of them have worked out. I had hoped to never turn into one of those people who simply doesn't have time to work on relationships. Good try. I have friends as far away as California and as close as across town...several in Lubbock, Dallas, Fort Worth, Van, Tyler, Midland, Friona, Nashville, Houston, Early...the list goes on. I rarely see any of them. Thank goodness for phones, email and text messaging! To my friends who I haven't seen in awhile (which is most of you), please know that I miss you terribly and think of you often. I will come see you soon...hopefully!

I'm currently in love with the song New Soul by Yael Naim. Check it out.

I saw the movie Mad Money last weekend. Funny movie. I'd recommend seeing it. I want to see The Bucket List. Anyone seen it yet?

I love American Gladiators. I watch it every week. I grew up watching that show, and while I don't remember it being so cheesy and over exaggerated, I've rediscovered my love for the simple pleasure of watching men and women battle one on one in hopes to become the next American Gladiator. I'm also kind of into Celebrity Apprentice. Mind you, I can't stand the Trump family...they all get on my nerves...but something about the Celebrity part of it is intriguing.

January seems to be creeping by. Don't get me wrong...I'm not quite ready for February because its one of the busiest months of my life...but, January just seems to be so long. It's taking forever just to get to the end of the month. Anyone else feel that way? Thank goodness for MLK...having Monday off was wonderful!

So, I'm off for now. Hope to write again soon, but don't hold your breath. Peace to you all and best wishes.

2007-12-09T16:54:00.000-08:00

The Great Return

Well, I'm not certain this will be a great return, but no less, it's a return! I can't believe I've gone this long without a post. Quite possibly the longest I've ever gone without giving the world an update on my life. I'm not going to write a ton in this post, however I do promise to be a more dedicated blogger.

Where to begin?! Work is great, but crazy busy. Since I last posted I've had over 20 lunches/dinners, Homecoming, pre-game parties, business trips and this week I have my first graduation. Never a dull moment!

Most of you who read this spent time with me in college and I'm sure remember me playing intramural football...you may have even played football with me. The fall semester after I graduated, I played again for our social clubs team and really felt that my time for intramurals has passed. WRONG! You can imagine my excitement when I was asked to play on an alumni team this semester! All girls who graduated within a few years before or after me...all from either GATA, Sigma Theta Chi or Alpha Kai Omega...and actually we had one or two who didn't go to ACU but they're doing their grad work here, so we recruited them. We called ourselves Sigma GATA Kai and we were great! It was so much fun! We made it to the 2nd round of playoffs before losing in a heartbreaking game...literally broke my heart. For those of you who have played with me, you remember how competitive I am. It was a great season filled with many memories...and injuries. I tore a ligament in my foot and busted open my knee cap. Sweat, blood, grass stains...heaven. Here are a few team pictures.

The next major thing that happened was Thanksgiving...well actually, it wasn't so much Thanksgiving, but what led up to Thanksgiving. My little brother...four years my junior...proposed to his girlfriend. Yes, I'm going to have a sister-in-law in approx. eight months. And yes, I'll be wearing a dress in their wedding...you guessed it. I'm a bridesmaid. My sister and I are thrilled. And if you know me well, you'll know it's impossible for me to be thrilled about wearing a dress! However, I am totally excited for my brother and his fiance. She's adorable, fits perfectly with our family and he worships her. Below are a few pictures of the two of them.

When I said she fits in perfectly with our family, I left out the part where she's about a foot shorter than all of us and she's tiny...well, shorter than all of us except my sister!

So, it's sort of been a whirlwind couple of months, but life is good and I have no complaints. Thanks to the few of you who have checked back with me and have not given up hope. I promise I will write again!

Anyone else crazy excited for CHRISTMAS?!

2007-10-01T08:40:00.000-07:00

Something to Believe In

I read the following this morning and was instantly comforted. Out of the few of you who read my blog, I can think of several who are hurting right now. I can think of several who have hurt in the past and I know we will all at some point in time experience pain or heartache. Sometimes when you're searching for answers, they come when you least expect them. I pray you find the same comfort in these words that I did.

We have troubles all around us, but we are not defeated. We often don't know what to do, but we don't give up. We are persecuted, but God does not leave us. We are hurt sometimes, but we are not destroyed. II Corinthians 4:8

2007-07-26T20:21:00.000-07:00

A New Opportunity

Several of you know I've been looking into a new job opportunity for awhile and I want you to know how much I've appreciated your prayers and support. I'm happy to let you know that yesterday, it all paid off. I received the phone call yesterday offering me the position of University Events Manager at my alma mater. It's been a position I've been interested in for a few months now, and after much thought and prayer, the offer finally came through. It's such an exciting opportunity, but intimidating at the same time!

I turned in my resignation to my current company today, and without sharing too many details, I'll say that my day was pretty crazy. My current company is in a sort of tail spin right now since this came as a shock to the majority of our team. However, even with the begging and pleading for me to stay, I feel like God is leading me down a new path and I'm back on track towards my ultimate goal. Events are what I'm passionate about, so I'm very excited about this opportunity and hope for the best!

Thank you again to all of you who have lended support over the past month or so. My last day in my current role is August 16. I ask that in your prayers, please ask for a smooth transition for my team and that in the end, they be taken care of as well. This decision was bittersweet for me. Such an excellent opportunity, but I'm also leaving a great team of people who worked under me. I learned a lot in my current role, saw a lot of interesting things, met a lot of great people, made many friends, and grew a lot both professionally and personally.

2007-07-15T21:39:00.000-07:00

Life Is Beautiful

So, this may turn out to be a long post...just warning you!

In the previous post, I promised great pics from my travels during the week of the 4th. But, before I tell you about the amazing week I had, I'll tell you about the rough weekend before that.

My alma mater celebrated its Centennial last year and I was privaleged enough to plan many of the major activities for the year long celebration. I was blessed with many things during that year, but one of the biggest blessings I received from that experience was a best friend. She came to me as an intern and ended as a roommate. In the year of knowing Lindsey, we had many adventures...made many memories...had thousands of laughs...took tons of pictures...and became great friends.

On Saturday, June 30th, Lindsey left Abilene and moved back to her hometown in California. I've known from the first time I met her she was destined for things bigger than Abilene, so it wasn't a shock that she had decided to move. The opportunities that await her in California are endless and I'm so excited she has begun her career. But, at 5 on that Saturday morning, nothing in me wanted her to leave. The Thursday night before, several of us took her for a night on the town in Abilene and I've posted a few pics below. I said my good-bye, tearfully, Saturday morning standing in our driveway and watched as her red Eclipse pulled onto the street. She's gone. Now, of course I'll see her again. We've talked on the phone, through email and through text messaging many times since she's left. I'll visit Cali and she'll visit Texas. But, its still not quite the same.

Ok, onto happier times! After the sad weekend, I needed a break. I took the next week off of work and my great friend Caddie and I headed to the Big D! Now, some of you might be thinking "why go to Dallas for a vacation." Well, it's close, cheap and you can have a freakin' awesome time! Plus, the fireworks in Dallas are much better than the ones in Abilene! We stayed in a great hotel, ate fabulous food (with the exception of a meal at Cheddars), slept late, and caught several fun activities!

Caddie is not a spontaneous person. She's a planner. Monday I mentioned to her that Lone Star Park was having a fireworks show after the horse race and it might be fun to go, but I received less than impressed feedback from Caddie, so I figured we'd have to find something else entertaining for Tues. night. So, you can imagine my surprise when while driving down I-30 about to pass the park, she suggested we just stop by the races and scope out the park. I jumped on the opportunity! We quickly wound our way through the parking lot, found valet, paid the $9 to conveniently receive curbside service, bought our general admission tickets, found excellent seats and watched 5 races. It was thrilling! Our seats were right on the finish line. As they moved the starting gate closer to us, Caddie trotted to the fence to get a close up picture of the horses. (Sidebar: the two of us are dressed in casual, yet preppy, outfits. Polo shirt, button-down shirt, nice jeans, cute hair etc. so we didn't exactly fit in with the other general admission folks if you get my drift.) As little Caddie struggled to get a good place on the fence, a kind woman looked down and said, "Oh, do you have a horse in the race?" I told her she should have lied and said yes, but Caddie simply replied "no, I'm just trying to get a picture." When we return to the races, we will purchase a box suit. Then we can act like owners! The races were exciting and the fireworks were breathtaking! Here are a few pics...

Next activity on the agenda was 4th of July at the Rangers game! Can you honestly think of anything better than baseball and fireworks while America celebrates its independence?! My friend Kim joined Caddie and I at the game and the three of us had a blast! The Rangers won, our seats sucked but we didn't care, the food was great, the drinks were even better, and most importantly, the fireworks were spectacular! Here are a few pics...

Ok...I told you this would be long!

We headed back to Abilene Thurs. where we stayed for approx. 12 hours before getting back on the road. We headed to Lubbock because we both have friends there we haven't seen in quite some time. I dropped Caddie off with her friend Jenn and then I headed to spend some time with my friends Julie and Mel. Friday was spent catching up with the girls, chatting, eating, and getting some much needed frozen custard! Saturday we went to see a movie, ate lunch, hung out and prepared for a night on the town. We met up with Caddie and her friends and ate at a swanky wine bar in the Depot District of Lubbock then went to hear a great band afterwards. It was another great night! We headed home Sunday and both Caddie and I looked forward to a night in our own bed!

So, that's pretty much my holiday week in one post. I said good-bye to a best friend, took a road-trip with another best friend, visited with ones I hadn't seen in a long time, cried some, laughed a lot, put several miles on my car, and built many memories! Life is beautiful!

2007-07-11T19:27:00.000-07:00

More to Come

I have some great pictures to post from my week in Dallas during the 4th of July, my weekend in Lubbock and a few other things, but I'm waiting to get my friend Caddie's pictures first. I only want to post the best! So, in the absence of something extremely interesting, I'll tell you this...

I went to see the new Harry Potter movie. Got tickets to the sold out show, bought popcorn, drank a coke. It was wonderful. We certainly enjoyed ourselves. Downside of seeing a very popular family movie on its release date: many, many children in the theatre.

If you're a Harry Potter fan, don't wait much longer to see this one. It's pretty good! And pretty intense. Good times!

Just as a side note...for those of you who know what my predicament is that I refer to in my previous post, it's still here. Very here.

2007-06-21T22:59:00.000-07:00

Predicament

Have you ever been attracted to someone you know you have no business being attracted to? I think it's the thrill that is so enticing. Or maybe the flirting.

Such a predicament.

2007-06-21T22:32:00.000-07:00

Tis the Season

I spent this past weekend in East Texas where yet another friend of mine got married. We were best friends for years and years, so I was looking forward to heading home and seeing old friends, family and spending some R & R by the pool.

So, the R & R by the pool didn't actually take place because it rained for nearly the entire weekend. So, I watched a few movies curled up on my parents couch instead!

I spent some time with the fam up at the restaurant, got in a flower fight with my mom and sister, and ate some great food. There are a few family shots below.

The wedding took place Saturday evening and it was very nice. It was a simple ceremony, at a quaint Victorian house, with beautiful gardens and a precious chapel. It fit my friend Nicole to a tee. I was able to see old friends, meet new ones, and witness one of the most important days in my friends life. I've posted a few pics from the wedding as well.

2007-06-04T21:12:00.000-07:00

Kendall Bailey Harrison

This past weekend I had the privilege of traveling to Brady, TX to witness my friend Kendall's wedding. Allow me to break down the weekend for you...

-Julie arrives at my house to be my travel buddy for the weekend. We leave Abilene and head to Brady.
-Arrive at the Bible camp (wedding site) in Brady and "check" into our cabin. 12 beds lined up on two walls...we had our choice of beds since it was just Kendall, Julie and I who stayed in the girls cabin.
-Change clothes and head to the rehearsal.
-Play bride during the rehearsal since some people have superstitions that its bad luck for the bride to walk down the aisle before her wedding day. Apparently some people say that the person who pretends to be the bride is the next one to get married...yikes!
-Head to rehearsal dinner. Listen to embarrassing stories about Kendall's husband, listen to a great band, watch a grand total of 8 people dance, leave the rehearsal dinner at approx. 11pm.
-Cruise the great town of Brady looking for an open fast food restaurant. Stop at McDonald's and ask the two workers who are on their smoke break if McDonald's was still open. Of course it wasn't. However, they informed us that the Town & Country gas station was still open and they have great burritos.
-Head to Town & Country for snacks. Apparently everyone else in Brady had the same idea...wait in line to check out for approx. 15 minutes. Everyone could tell Julie and I were not from Brady. I wonder how they could tell.
-Go back to the cabin, get into our pajamas, eat our snacks, watch a few episodes of The Office on Julie's computer, go to sleep.
-Breakfast Friday morning at Burrito Express with Kendall and Julie.
-Head to Brownwood to drop my stuff off at our motel for Friday night, visit family, hang out with Mel and Michael.
-Drop my luggage off at America's Best Value Inn. The title does not say it all.
-Stop by the Brownwood mall, eat lunch, see a movie (read further for a review), change clothes, head to wedding w/Rachel, Mel, Michael, Jennifer and Lucas.
-Arrive back at the camp. Kendall gets married, nice ceremony, lots of mosquitoes.
-Rachel and I head to the reception tent to cut cake. Grooms cake begins to melt in the heat so I have to cut fast. Chocolate cake all over my hands.
-Bride/Groom leave, pack up Julie's luggage, head back to Brownwood for the night at our fine motel.
-Order pizza, watch tv, sleep.
-Head back to Abilene Saturday. Come home to an 85 degree smelly house. My air conditioner and refrigerator broke in the same weekend. Not a good smell.
-Clean house, sweat to death, call landlord.

That's basically the weekend in a nutshell.

Here are a few pictures...

Now, in case you were thinking about seeing the movie Knocked Up, I would caution you to think twice. The movie really, for the most part, isn't that bad. Until the end of the movie. Let me just give you a heads-up and say that if you don't want to see every part of a woman who is in the middle of child birth, don't go see this movie. Basically, if you don't want a repeat of the 5th grade sex ed. video where you have to watch a real birth, skip this movie. It was intense and I definitely gagged!

Have a great week everyone!

2007-05-23T07:48:00.000-07:00

A Leave of Absence

It has been two months since I've last blogged, which I'm fairly certain is the longest I've ever gone without writing anything. The following post will probably turn into just a list of random thoughts. I'm taking most of the day off work today, (I say "most" because I've already answered two work calls and I'm positive I'll have to go to the office at least once) so I thought it would be fitting to pound out some of my random thoughts for the two of you who read this.

Regis and Kelly are doing their show from New Orleans today. I think I would like to go to New Orleans this fall. It's too hot and humid in the summer. I haven't been back since the hurricane, and I'm somewhat interested in seeing the city post disaster. Plus, I'm not gonna lie...the food is freakin' amazing and we can all stand to gain about 15 pounds right?!

It's cloudy outside right now, and there's a chance for rain today. This makes me very happy since I plan on laying around the majority of today. It's rained more in Abilene the past few months than I've seen in a long time. I'm not complaining...we definitely need the rain and I won't complain about it unless it floods. However, the cooler temperatures and frequent preciptation hasn't allowed the pools to warm up just yet, which means that it's now the end of May and I haven't been swimming. Again, I'm not complaining. Lord knows July is going to be so freakin' hot, I'll wish it was May!

If my husband were to cheat on me with another woman, I'm pretty sure our relationship would end. If my husband cheated on me with another woman and she became preganant, our relationship would definitely be over. A lady on The View today took her husband back...and now has a step-child. Better woman than I am.

Ever wonder where you're going to be in a year? A year ago, I didn't think I would be where I am today.

A good friend of mine from college is getting married next weekend. I had many good friends in college, but six of us stood very close. Three of the six are currently married...Kendall will make the fourth. As for the two that remain, it will be awhile until we share the status of being married. Someone asked me the other day if it was difficult for me and Jules to be the last two. I looked at them, laughed and said that Julie and I are competing to see who is the last to get married! Now, don't get me wrong. I do want to get married someday. Just not right this minute. I wouldn't however mind dating someone right now :) It's the summer, so I have more time on my hands!

I want to travel a lot this summer...I WILL lay on a beach at some point in time this summer. I HAVE to! Problem: when do I have time?

I watched the movie Infamous last night. It's one of the movies about Truman Capote and his book In Cold Blood. I enjoyed the movie and I liked it better than the Academy Award winning one released the year before entitled Capote.

Well, this has basically just been a list of ramblings. I'm done for now...let's just hope I have more to write about in the future!

2007-03-19T15:45:00.000-07:00

Do I Have to Grow Up?

Anyone else wish they didn't have to grow up? Sometimes I find being an adult daunting.

2007-03-17T06:35:00.000-07:00

Not Your Typical Afternoon

The following story is best told in person. You are going to read what is only a glimpse into my experience, but there is no way I can do the story justice by typing the words. Next time you see me, please remember to ask me about the strangest 20 minutes of my life.

Me and my assistant left the job site in search of one of my employees who had not shown up to work that day. Why we were going to search for this employee is another story in itself. I soon found myself and my assistant pulling into my employees place of residence which is a motel...which I'm pretty sure rents by the hour if need be. What happened in the 20 minutes after my front tire hit the motel pavement still shocks and amuses me 15 hours later.

Next time you and I are together, please remind me to tell you how I hunted down an employee living at a shady motel, ran over a Chihuahua and argued with a transexual prostitute all in a matter of 20 minutes.

2007-03-15T21:18:00.000-07:00

Wedding Weekend

This past weekend, one of my best friends from college got married. I was blessed enough to attend the beautiful ceremony and see many of my good friends from our wild and crazy days in college. The bride and groom could not have been happier and the wedding was simply delightful. We all had a great time and it was wonderful catching up!

2007-02-05T21:31:00.000-08:00

Hum...

I love surveys and I really don't feel like writing a real entry, so you're stuck reading random information about me.

Are You:
1. A Cuddler?: Um, I guess it depends on who I'm with :)
2. A morning person?: Definitely not!
3. Are you a perfectionist?: On some things I am
4. Religious?: yes
5. In your pajamas?: nope
6. Left handed? No

Your Last:
1. Person/people you saw: My sister
2. Talked to on the phone: Alyssa
3. Messaged on the computer: Kim
4. Was today better than yesterday?: no

Your favorites:
1. Number: 21
2. Color: to wear, black...on cars, black...in houses, black, khaki, red...I guess I like black a lot
3. Season: fall

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Q: What was the first thing you did this morning?
A: hit the snooze button about 10 times

Q: Last thing you ate:
A: Chicken wings

Q: Do you have anything bothering you?
A: Not really

Q: What's the last movie you watched?
A: Pirates of the Caribbean 2

Q:Where was the last place you went?
A: Buffalo Wild Wings

Q: Do you smile often?:
A: Yeah, I guess so

Q: Do you wish upon stars?
A: no

Q: Are you a friendly person?:
A: Sometimes

Q: Where did you sleep last night?:
A: my bed

Q: What color shirt are you wearing?:
A: navy blue

Q: When was the last time you cried?
A: Christmas

Q: What was your last thought before going to sleep last night?
A: "Don't forget to schedule that tasting"

Q: What are you about to do?
A: Go to bed

Q: Rate life as of right now 1-10?
A: 7

Q: What do you hear right now?
A: Frasier on the television

Q: If you could drink anything right this second, what would it be?
A: My mom's sweet tea

Q: Anything hurt on your body right now?
A: my neck

Q: What's your favorite month?
A: October

Q: What was your elementary schools mascot?
A: Vandals

Q: What's your favorite bottled water?
A: tie between Dasani and Fiji

Q: What are you doing at 9 pm tonight?
A: I was working on menus for an upcoming event

Q: What's your favorite Starbucks drink?
A: Venti Black unsweet Tazo iced tea

Q: Did you attend your high school prom?
A: yes

Q: Did you go to someone else's prom?
A: no

Q: Do you prefer coffee or tea?
A: tea

Q: Something red within 5 feet of you?
A: cookbook

Q: Least favorite color?
A: turquoise

Q: Favorite kind of pizza?
A: Sausage and black olive from Jerry's Pizza

Q: Ever had Dippin Dots?
A: yes

Q: Ever make fun of a homeless person?
A: Yeah, actually I have. I'm a horrible person

Q: At what age do you want to get married?
A: I don't really have an age...but I'd love to be married within the next 5 years

Q: How many kids do you have/want?
A: none/none

Q: Name of a friend whose name starts with an "M":
A: Mel

Q: 4th person on your missed calls:
A: Jody

Q: 4th person on your outgoing calls:
A: Jes

Q: 4th person on your incoming calls:
A: Jamie

Q: Do you chew on your straws?
A: yep

Q: Do you have curly hair?
A: no

Q: What's the next concert your going to?
A: hum...not sure

Q: What was the last thing you said to someone and who was it?
A: I told Alyssa goodnight on the phone

Q: Do you watch TV?
A: uh, yes

Q: Have you seen the movie Donnie Darko?
A: nope

Q: Do you have work tomorrow?
A: yep

Q: Ever been fishing?
A: yep...I love fishing!

2007-01-21T10:32:00.000-08:00

90's

Most of my readers were born in the 80's, therefore, we could technically say we're children of the 80's, being born somewhere between 1980-1989. However, most of us REALLY grew up in the 90's...we're products of the 90's and the culture that surrounded us at that time. We went through Jr. High and High School in the 90's. So, when I came across the following list, I figured my readers would find it just as amusing as I did. Take some time to read, reflect, smile, and remember when times were different...when we were in the 90's.

You're a 90's kid if:

You've ever ended a sentence with the word "PSYCHE!"

You can sing the rap to "The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air"

You remember when Kurt Cobain, Tu Pac, River Phoenix, and Selena died.

You know that "WOAH" comes from Joey from "Blossom" and that "How Rude!" comes from Stephanie from "Full House"

You remember when it was actually worth getting up earlyon a Saturday to watch cartoons.

You got super excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school.

You remember reading "Goosebumps"

You know the profound meaning of "Wax on, wax off"

You have pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf.

You took plastic cartoon lunch boxes to school.

You danced to "Wannabe" by the Spice Girls, Females: had a new motto, Males: got a whole lot gay-er. (so tell me what you want, what you really really want.)

You remember the craze, then the banning of slap bracelets and slam books.

You still get the urge to say "NOT" after (almost) every sentence...Not...

Where in the world is Carmen San Diego? was both a game and a TV game show.

Captain Planet.

You remember when super nintendo's became popular.

You remember watching home alone 1, 2 , and 3........and tried to pull the pranks on "intruders"

"I've fallen and I can't get up"

You remember going to the skating rink before there were inline skates

Two words... Trapper Keeper.

You never got injured on a Slip 'n' Slide

You wore socks over leggings scrunched down

"Miss Mary Mack, Mack, Mack, all dressed in black, black, black, with silver buttons, buttons, buttons, all down her back, back, back" SHE ASKED HER MOTHER MOTHER MOTHER FOR FIFTY CENTS CENTS CENTS TO SEE THE ELEPHANTS PHANTS PHANTS JUMP OVER THE FENCE THE FENCE THE FENCEhe jumped so high high high he touched the sky sky sky and he didnt come back back back til the forth of july ly ly he jumped so low ow ow he stubbed his toe toe toe and thats the end end end of the elephants show show show

You remember boom boxes vs. cd players

You remember New Kids on The Block when they were cool

You knew all the characters names and their life stories on "Saved By The Bell"

You watched the original Care Bears, My Little Pony, and Ninja Turtles

NANCY DREW AND THE HARDY BOYS WERE THE BEST MYSTERY BOOKS

You secretly wanted to live the life of the Boxcar Children

Yikes pencils and erasers were the stuff!

All your school supplies were "Lisa Frank" brand.(pencils,notebooks,binders,etc.)

You remember when the new Beanie Babies were always sold out.

You used to wear those stick on earings, not only on your ears, but at the corners of your eyes.

You remember a time before the WB.

You've gotten creeped out by "Are You Afraid of the Dark?"

You know the Macarena by heart.

"Talk to the hand" ... enough said

You always said, "Then why don't you marry it!"

You remember when everyone went slinky crazy.

You remember when razor scooters were cool.

When we were younger:

Before the MySpace frenzy...

Before the Internet & text messaging...

Before Sidekicks & iPods...

Before PlayStation2 or X-BOX...

Back when you put off the 5 hours of homework you had every night.

When light up sneakers were cool.

When you rented VHS tapes, not DVDs.

When gas was $0.95 a gallon & Caller ID was a new thing.

When we recorded stuff on VCRs & paid $3.50 for a movie.

When we called the radio station to request songs to hear off our walkmans.

When 2Pac and Biggie where alive.

When the Chicago Bulls were the best team ever.

Way back.

Tag.

Get Over Here!!!! means something to you.

Hide-n-Go Seek at dusk.

Red Light, Green Light.

Heads Up 7 Up.

"Red Rover, Red Rover, let Jenni come over"

Playing Kickball & Dodgeball until your porch light came on.

Hopskotch.

Slip-n-Slides.

Tree Houses.

Hula Hoops.

HELLO....HOT WHEELS AND MICROMACHINES!!!!!

The annoying Giga Pets & Furbies.

Running through the sprinklers.

That "Little Mermaid"

Crying when Mufasa died in the Lion King.

Happy Meals where you chose a Barbie or a Hot Wheels car.

Getting the privelage to sit in the front seat of the car.

Drinking Sqeeze It "Squeeze The Fun Out Of It"

CAPRI SUN

Watching Saturday Morning Cartoons in your PJ's still wrapped up in your TMNT, Power Rangers, Barbie, Fairy Princess comforter.

You know what TMNT stands for.

The original Power Rangers

You looked forward to watching tv Friday nights…TGIF

Or what about:

Family Matters.

Rugrats.

Ren & Stimpy.

Double Dare.

Wild & Crazy Kids.

Clarissa Explains it All.

Salute Your Shorts(CAMP ANAWANA)

Are You Afraid of the Dark?

The original cast members of All That.

Doug.

Magic School Bus.

Hey Dude.

Dinosaurs.

Alladin.

Blossom.

Hangin with Mr. Cooper.

Martin

Beavis & Butt-Head

Wishbone.

Bill Nye the Science Guy

The Cosby Show

Saved by the Bell

Full House

MR RODGERS!!!!

Who could forget Snick? & Nick @ Nite with Bewitched, I Dream of Jenie, The Facts of Life & I Love Lucy.

Where everyone wanted to be in love after watching The Wonder Years.

PEE-WEE!!!

The Big Comfy Couch

Kool-Aid was the drink of choice.

Wearing your new shoes on the first day of school.

Class field trips.

When Christmas was the most exciting time of year.

When $5 seemed like a million, & another dollar a miracle.

When you begged to go to McDonalds for dinner everyday.

When Toys R Us overuled the mall.

Go back to the time when:

Decisions were made by going 'eeny-meeny-miney-moe'.

Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming 'do over!''

Race issue' ment arguing about who ran the fastest.

Money issues were handled by whoever was banker in 'Monopoly.'

It wasn't odd to have two or three 'best' friends.

Being old referred to anyone over 20.

A chance to skate as a couple at the local roller rink was like winning the lottery.

Scrapes & bruises were kissed & made better.

It was a big deal to finally be tall enought to ride the 'big people' rides at the fair.

When playing Nintendo was the hardest thing ever.

When Ninja Turtles ruled the world.

Another Baby Sitter Club and Little Sister (Karen) book came out and you put your name on hold for it at the library.

Before we realized all this would eventually disappear

Who would have thought you'd miss the 90's so much!!!!!

2006-12-12T20:24:00.000-08:00

The Holiday

EXCELLENT MOVIE! If you see one movie this holiday season...make sure you see The Holiday! Extremely cute! Superb performances from EVERYONE in the cast! And how hot is Jude Law? Oh, he's very hot, my friend! So funny, so witty, so clever...Basically, I can't say enough great things about it.

Quick salute to my friend Kim who graduates with her Masters in a few days. What an accomplishment! Congrats Kim!

Christmas is in 13 days and I am so excited! Four days after Christmas I'm heading to California for a mini vaca and then I'm going to Georgia for a conference. Then, I return to grand ole' Abilene and will be moving into a new residence. I have a pretty full couple of weeks ahead of me.

I've only purchased one Christmas present so far. When am I going to finish my Christmas shopping? Probably on Christmas Eve.

Ok, so my friend Mel is getting married in 10 days...not 4 as I previously posted. So surreal. It seems like yesterday we were riding on 4-wheelers on my farm, driving through tornadoes in Fort Worth, making costumes in Nelson Park, driving through town in White Lightning...those were the days. Here's to many more!

2006-12-07T23:01:00.000-08:00

He Has Arrived!

Allow me to introduce you to the new little love of my life...Sutton Gregory Peck.

I'll post better photos as soon as I can. Isn't he absolutely adorable?!

2006-12-05T14:43:00.000-08:00

Several Thoughts

First, I've seen two good movies over the past few weeks that I recommend: Happy Feet (I've seen it twice) and Casino Royale. Both great movies, however, I wouldn't take your child to see James Bond...stick to Happy Feet. Did anybody else who has seen Happy Feet have an urge to adopt baby penguins? Maybe it was just me. Did anybody else who has seen Casino Royale want to desperately be James Bond's girlfriend? Maybe it was just me. Hum...

This time one month from now I'll be moving into a new home. Still in Abilene, however much smaller than the house I currently live in. This will be an adjustment, but I am SO excited. Three reasons for my excitment: I will no longer be living with boys (boys is plural because my brother's friends are always at the house); my new roommate is so freakin' funny it's not even, well...funny. We're going to have a blast; and last, I get to decorate a new space! Doesn't everyone love a fresh start?!

I visited Lubbock this past weekend for a friend's wedding shower. It was so good to see the girls who came to town for the shower. I often miss my good friends from college. Weren't those the days? Homework was important. Social club issues were important. What to do on the weekends in Abilene was important. Stressing about how many chapel absences we had was important. Really? How important are those things now? Being able to see your best friends anytime of the day was taken for granted. Laughter and pranks were a part of everyday life. Those were the days. It was so good to be with those friends again, laugh and joke around. But, I couldn't help but notice that things are different. I'm assuming this is what happens as you "grow-up." Conversations turn to jobs, fiances, weddings, law school, family, political issues, etc. When did we get so boring? (I am in no way degrading fiances, weddings, law school, etc. I'm proud of all of my friends) Before too long, we'll be talking about jobs, husbands, kids, finances, church groups, politics, PTA, etc. Not that those things are bad by any means. I just find it humorous that we're growing up. I want our times spent together to be carefree, light hearted, and unconsumed by daily life. The problem is, our lives have changed. In college, we all had common denominators: club, school, friends. All of us for the most part had the same interests, the same schedules. None of us have the same interests or schedules anymore. We all have different jobs, some are engaged, some are single, some are married, some are in school, some live in houses, some rent apartments, some live in the same town, some are alone in their town. Things change, and so we have changed. Our time spent together has changed. Our relationships have changed. None of this is necessarily bad, and it has in no way changed how much I treasure these friendships...it's just different. What a journey we're on!

On a lighter note, within the next day or two, I'll be an aunt! I mean, not really an aunt. Don't worry...my sister isn't having a baby and my brother hasn't gotten anybody pregnant. However, one of my best friends is currently in the hospital waiting for her first son to arrive. Have no fear...I will be posting pictures as soon as little Sutton gets here!

2006-11-10T22:51:00.000-08:00

A Great Return

For those of you who have been reading my blog for the last year or so, you'll remember a time when I was quite the movie goer. And, you'll remember a time when I would blog about the movies I had seen and provide a "Jennifer review" if you will. Well, until now, it had been quite awhile since I had visited a movie theatre, however recently I've had the pleasure of seeing two new movies, so I thought I'd briefly discuss them.

A few weeks ago, my friend Lisa and I went to see Marie Antoinette. I'll bottom line this one for you...wait for the DVD. It was a mediocre movie with a fabulous soundtrack. My main frustration: the majority of the movie is set in France and not a single lead character has a French accent. Hello?! I seriously doubt Marie Antionette or Louis XVI sounded as if they grew up in the Midwestern United States! The movie dragged a little and towards the end I to yell out..."Go ahead and send her to the guillotine...we know how this story ends!" Overall, the movie was ok, but as I stated earlier...wait for the DVD.

Tonight, however, I saw an outstanding film. My two friends, Lindsey and Lindsey, and I went to see The Prestige. Bottom line on this one...if you haven't seen it yet, go see it! And pay close attention! It's a thinker. For me, it was one of those movies you leave the theatre talking about. One of those that you want to see again to catch the things you didn't catch first time around. The performances delivered by all three of the lead actors were fantastic. But, how could you go wrong with your three leading men being Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman and Michael Caine? And to top it off, the film featured supporting actors David Bowie, Scarlett Johansson and Piper Perabo (Coyote Ugly lead). And, unlike Marie Antoinette, the accents of the characters matched the film's location which was London the majority of the time. Needless to say, all three of us were impressed with the film and it will definitely be one I'll add to my movie collection.

Next one on my agenda...Stranger than Fiction with Will Ferrell and Emma Thompson, both whom I love!

This weekend I'm going camping with some friends from college. Should be a fun time! I'll write about it when we get back.

2006-10-10T22:05:00.000-07:00

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I attended what I believe to be one of the greatest universities in the U.S. My great university is celebrating it's homecoming this weekend and I couldn't be more excited! I love this time of year. Fall has begun, school spirit is in full swing, friends come back to our alma mater and for a few days, life seems to be very similar to the good old days in college. Of course, things have changed...the school has received a face-lift, friends have gotten married, friends are getting married, friends have new jobs, friends have new degrees, friends are finishing degrees...but with all of those changes, our friendships have stayed strong and for a few seconds when we are all laughing and reminiscing, time stands still as if nothing has changed.

Basically, I'm just completely excited to see my friends, enjoy the festivities, and witness the energy on campus. For the love of the purple and white!

2006-10-09T19:19:00.000-07:00

A Good Quote

One of my best friends had the following quote posted on her MySpace page:

"I beg you...to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer."

Just thought it was an interesting quote.

2006-10-06T22:20:00.000-07:00

A New Stage

Everyone will be remembered, and if that's the case, you have to ask yourself...how do you want your story to go?

How do you want to be remembered? By what you did for a living? By what you accomplished? Or, by how you made people feel?

Everyday is another chance for you to decide who you want to be. A chance to challenge yourself to be a different version of you. A braver version. A person who isn't afraid to grab joy and take it for a spin.

Letting go is never easy because hanging onto the past feels good. But sometimes it's only when you let go that you can make room for the rest of your life to show up.

But as hard as you think it will be to leave the old you behind, sometimes when you do, it's the most alive you've ever felt. Standing at the jumping off point is a weird feeling.

2006-09-24T21:22:00.000-07:00

What's Next?

In five days I'll officially be unemployed. My job ends Friday and as of right now, I have no job waiting on me. It's not a great feeling. What does the future hold? Wouldn't we all like to know!

PS-If you happen to hear of any event planning job openings, let me know.

2006-09-24T21:14:00.000-07:00

An Icon Dies

For those of you who used to live in Abilene, you probably remember the guy who used to walk down North 1st who people called "hot pants." He wore tight, short blue jean shorts, baseball cap and tube socks. Well, he was killed by a train this past Thursday. Just thought you guys might be interested to know that he had passed away...an almost iconic figure in Abilene.

Here is a link to the story written about him this weekend.

2006-09-17T15:30:00.000-07:00

A Night of Games

I left Abilene around 2pm Saturday and headed to Dallas to see a few of my closest friends from college. It was definitely good to get out of town and good to see the girls. We went to a Rangers game that night, and thanks to our pal Misty, we had incredible seats! I had fasted all day so I could eat a ton of food at the game. And that's exactly what I did...hot dog, nachos, cotton candy, ice cream sandwich. It was wonderful. The Rangers won, so that's always a plus. An added bonus, fireworks at the end of the game! Not just any fireworks...they were in red, green, white and pink in honor of Mexican Independence Day. And yes, the show was choreographed to Latino music. Very interesting.

After the game we headed to Holly's house for a few rounds of Circle of Death, Pit and Balderdash. We were there until around 2:45am just laughing, talking and catching up. It was literally a night of games. It was so good to see the girls I've missed so much. For just a few hours, we were able to put away our lives and just be friends. Just laugh. Just talk. I love moments like that.

2006-09-15T12:13:00.000-07:00

Brief Insight

This entry is actually about several things, basically because I have a lot I'm thinking about today.

I received my GATA Homecoming Breakfast invitation in the mail yesterday. As I pulled it out of my mailbox, a smile immediately came across my face. I was instantly excited. I absolutely love Homecoming. It's the energy on campus, the closeness you feel to thousands of people, getting to see old friends, catching up on what's new, the parade, the football game, chapel and of course, Homecoming Breakfast. Those of you who know me well know that small things excite me. I've been told that I kind of slip back to childhood sometimes with my giddy laugh and innocent excitement. Well, I felt that excitement yesterday when I read my invitation. It's the same laughter and excitment I feel when I watch great fireworks or play Pit. It's the excitment of knowing that I'll be around my friends from club again and for a few hours, things will seem like they did three years ago.

Speaking of three years ago...it's pledging season on campus. Three years ago I was entering my last pledging term. We had given out around 30 bids to a great group of girls and were anticipating an excellent bid night and a wonderful pledge class. Pledging has officially started on campus. Bids went out last night, therefore the dreaded bid night is tonight. In my office I'm surrounded by people active in clubs...we currently have three sponsors, one officer, two members and one pledge. Out of that group, three clubs are represented - GATA, Delta Theta and Ko Jo Kai. It's been funny listening to the drama around pledging. Part of me thinks, "Seriously girls. In the grand scheme of things, pledging is so not that important." But, the other part of me remembers how important pledging and club really was and I actually miss the rush of bid night. The excitement of pledging activities. The closeness and drama of club.

I miss a lot of my friends. Today I stumbled across some pictures from a camping trip I went on almost a year ago and as I gazed at the pictures, I remembered the laughter, the cold night, the warm fire, the jokes, the rabid dog in the woods, the hike to the bathroom, pitching a tent in the dark...I'm feeling a little nostalgic today. I can't help it.

So, this past weekend ended the Centennial. It was an INSANE weekend, but completely worth it. My favorite part? Hands-down, the fireworks show. I wish everyone reading this could have seen the show. I've seen some great fireworks shows in my day(I LOVE fireworks), and I'm really not trying to brag here, but my show on Saturday, Sept. 9th was freakin' awesome. It rivaled the show at Ameriquest Field, Disney World, Celebrate Freedom. I mean, I was totally impressed. And, the best thing was, it was right in front of our faces. Literally the fireworks shot about 40 feet in front of us. Ok, I'm done talking about my fireworks...unless you ask me about them in person, cause I'd love to say more about them! I crack myself up!

Well, the Birthday Celebration meant the Centennial ended which means that on Sept. 29, I'll officially be unemployed. Or, I'm assuming I'll be unemployed unless I find a job between now and then. Which is what I'm doing. I'm currently wrapping up Centennial archives and looking for a job at the same time. What's the number one phrase I'm tired of hearing? "What are you going to do now?" Remember how tired you were of hearing that right before graduation? Yeah, it's still annoying. Bottom line, I'm currently looking for a job in the events industry and I'll go anywhere except New York. I'd rather not go to LA, but if it was the right job, I'd go.

Am I nervous about leaving? A little bit. I actually just dread the emotional part of it. I've been in Abilene now for seven years. I've invested a lot of myself in Abilene and it's difficult to imagine living somewhere else right now. Am I excited? Sure. However, I have no idea where I'm going or what I'm going to do, so forgive me if I'm a little hesitant when it comes to starting this new adventure. Will I miss Abilene? A little. What am I going to miss most? My brother and sister who just recently moved here and my friends. I have best friends who live here and it will be hard to leave them. Some I've known for five or six years...some I just met this summer. But, whatever the case, it won't be easy leaving them.

Ok, so...this entry has turned into a novel. I'll wrap it up by saying I'm completely looking forward to this weekend. I get to attend a Rangers game with some of my favorite people in the world and the best part...it's a fireworks night! The giddy little school girl laugh will come out during the fireworks, I guarantee it!

2006-09-01T21:02:00.000-07:00

55 Questions

A friend sent me these questions and I found most of them interesting, intriguing and just plain funny. Feel free to copy them for your own blog. You'll have fun answering them...I did.

1. Who is the last person you held hands with?
Don

2.If you were drafted into a war, would you survive?
I really don't know the answer to this, but I'd like to think I would survive.

3. How many times have you spoken French?
Does "répondez s'il vous plaît" count?

4. Have you ever drunk milk straight out of the carton?
Why yes I have

5. Have you ever won a spelling bee?
Nope...I've never been in a spelling bee

6. Do you have a job?
Yep

7. How fast can you type?
Well, in high school my record was eighty something. Not really sure what it is now.

8. Are you afraid of the dark?
Uh, sometimes.

9. What do you like to eat late at night?
Cereal or fruit

10. What is the longest time you have been away from home?
I've lived away from my home for 7 years now. What's the longest time between visits? About 2 months.

11. When is the last time you chose a bath over a shower?
Last month

12. Do you really knock on wood?
Sometimes

13. Are you drinking anything right now?
Water

14. What is the most obscure musical instrument you know?
I've always thought the accordian was a weird instrument.

15. Can you hoola hoop?
Uh, for like 15 seconds.

16. Are you good at keeping secrets?
Only when I have to be. One of my biggest faults is that I like to gossip. It's really bad, I know. I'm working on it.

17. What do you want for Christmas?
Money or gift certificates

18. Do you know the Muffin Man?
Yeah, he lives on Drury Ln.

19. Do you talk in your sleep?
I don't think so. Nobody's ever told me I do.

20. Who wrote the book of love?
Well, I can't take all the credit for it, but chapters 1-7 were definitely written by me.

21. Have you ever flown a kite?
Actually, no. I've never flown a kite.

22. Have you ever suffered from a broken heart/spleen/pancreas/kidney?
Weird question. Broken heart - yes. The other organs...no.

23. Do you consider yourself successful?
Yeah, I do

24. How many people are on your contact list of your cell phone?
157

25. Have you ever asked for a pony?
Yep

26. Plans for tomorrow?
Getting a massage, going to the office for a little bit and then going to Perini's for dinner

27. Missing someone now?
Not really...but if I think about it long enough I'm sure I would miss someone.

28. When was the last time you told someone 'I love you'?
Today I told my sister I loved her before she left town

29. Do you close the toilet seat when you are finished?
Yeah...flushing with the lid open spreads more germs

30. How are you feeling today?
Can't complain

31. Are you black?
Uh, no.

32. Have you ever been suspended or expelled from school?
nope

33. What are you looking forward to?
My massage tomorrow morning

34. Have you ever crawled through a window?
Yep

35. Have you ever eaten dog food?
No. Gross.

36. Can you handle the truth?
Most of the time

37. Do you like green eggs and ham?
I've actually never tried green eggs and ham

38. What 3 things you always bring with you?
Cell phone, watch, gum

39. Any cool scars?
I have a couple "good story" scars

40. Do you prefer the windows open or closed?
During the daytime on a cool fall or spring day, I love the windows open. However, I don't like them to be open at night or when it's hot.

41. How many kids do you plan on having?
None right now

42. What do you do when no one is watching?
Uh, pick a wedge. Sometimes I roll my eyes when people aren't looking.

43. Have you ever been in love?
Not really...just in like

44. Do you talk to yourself?
Not usually, but I have before

45. Is there something you want that you can't have?
A new car

46. Do you play video games?
Only at Jerry's Pizza or Mr. Gatti's

47. Who did you last hug?
Brandi Jo the night before she left for Ireland

48. Where is your phone?
Next to my bed on my nightstand

49. What was the last thing you ate?
Frostie from Wendy's

50. Have you attended any concerts lately?
No

51. Favorite Colors?
Black and red

52. What is the last movie watched?
I watched Rudy the other day

53. What song do you currently hear?
Not listening to music

54. Do you own a camera?
Yeah

55. What does 'obsequious' mean?
Attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery...or at least that's what Kim said.

2006-08-20T13:44:00.000-07:00

The Last to Arrive

The last in the Ellison family will arrive in Abilene today to move onto campus and begin life as a freshman. It's hard to believe that she's old enough to leave home and join me and Spencer in A-town.

It seems like yesterday she was begging me to play Barbies with her. It feels like just the other day we were baking Christmas cookies with my mom in the kitchen, riding 4-wheelers around the farm or shopping for her first formal. My little sister has left the small town and is about to embark on a new chapter in her life. College.

There's so much she'll learn during her four years in Abilene. I look back on my time in college and think of all the life lessons that I learned, all the fun I had, all the amazing friends I made. I know she'll have the same experience. I'm blessed to be able to witness her first few weeks of school. And before I know it, she'll be graduating. In four years, she'll be the last in my immediate family to walk across the stage in Moody Coliseum. The next four years will fly by just as fast as the past 18 years have. It will be here before we know it.

2006-08-15T21:48:00.000-07:00

Simple Pleasures

I know we've all gotten the random email stating life's simple pleasures like finding money in your winter coat pocket, fresh laundry and all of those other typical "simple pleasures." Well, I decided to make my own list...just a quick list of a few of my simple pleasures. They're in no particular order, just whatever happens to come to mind.

Jen's simple pleasures:
-Fireworks
-Starbuck's Tazo Iced Tea
-Getting an email from someone I haven't talked to in awhile
-Airports
-Flying in an airplane
-Giving fabulous gifts
-Camping with good friends
-Thunderstorms
-Football games
-Facials
-Etiquette books
-Staying at a hotel
-Cold, crisp sheets
-Fabulous restaurants
-Burberry perfume
-Facebook/MySpace messages or comments
-Movie/tv show marathons
-The Lord Bless You and Keep You with 4,000 people in Moody Coliseum
-Great IM conversations
-Listening to a new favorite song over and over
-Time with my family
-The smell of Johnson & Johnson baby oil
-The harmony of old-school country groups like the Gatlin Bros., Satler Bros., Oakridge Boys., Diamond Rio...
-ACU Friday chapel...Praise Day
-ACU's Opening Ceremony...gets me every year...Battle Hymn of the Republic
-Cymbidium orchids
-Breakfast
-Fun text messages
-Playing catch
-Laughing till you cry
-Making costumes
-Looking through old pictures
-Remembering the fun times, anticpating the fun times still to come

Take a minute to think about your simple pleasures. It's comforting.

2006-08-11T12:46:00.000-07:00

Was Life Really that Simple?

Bear with me cause this entry has a lot of random details…but there is a point, I promise.

For those of you who know me well, you know that I’m not a huge fan of children. Don’t get me wrong, there are a few in this world that I adore, but in general, children just aren’t my thing. This detail is important for you to know if you’re going to find this entry remotely interesting. It’s because of children I remembered how important the simple things in life are.

In the past few weeks I’ve had two random encounters with children…and when I say children I mean a group of ten or more. The other day, my friend Lindsey and I were running errands on campus and were using my office’s golf cart. We parked the cart outside the Campus Center, went in, did what we came to do and walked back outside. Now, the day we were running errands just happened to be a day when the university was having one of their kid day camps, so the campus was buzzing with kids of all ages. As we walked out of the CC, we noticed a group of first year campers…we’re talking a group of five year olds…little bitty things. And as we walked towards the golf cart, we noticed a little girl sitting in the back seat. As I got closer I said, “Do you want a ride?” She quickly ran away. But, as I started up the cart and began to drive off, she ran up to the cart and said, “I DO want a ride!!!” So, this little bitty girl with blonde hair jumped into the back seat and took about a 30 second ride with me and Lindsey around the mall area. Little did I know I had opened up a can of worms! As I pulled the cart back to the Campus Center to let the little girl off, another little girl came running up to the cart. She was probably one of the cutest kids I had ever seen. She was TINY, with brown pig tails with pink bows in each one, little round glasses, little camouflage capris and a pink shirt. She rushed up to me, pulled on my shirt and said “Can I have a ride?” How could I say no?

Within seconds, we were bombarded with five year old girls climbing onto the seats. One of their troop leaders got on with us, held the little girl with glasses in her lap, and we drove off. I made this ride a little longer…we took a longer route around campus. So, for the next two minutes I heard nothing but five year old voices screaming “yay”, “wow”, “faster”, and “ahhhhhh” at the top of their lungs. When I say screaming, I mean a high pitch squeal that only dogs can hear. It was hilarious! Lindsey and I were laughing so hard! These little girls thought that riding the golf cart for two minutes on the campus sidewalks was the coolest thing ever. So simple. Something I do everyday gave these kids such a thrill. Why can’t everything in life be that simple? Why don’t the little things thrill us anymore? A golf cart ride? So fun.

My second encounter with children came just this week. I was at church Wednesday night standing outside just waiting around and I caught myself watching a group of kids playing some silly game in the grass…running around, carefree, not a thing bothering them. In the 10 minutes that I was standing outside I got a text message, a phone call and a calendar reminder of a meeting I had the next morning. I suddenly became envious of the kids playing outside. They had no cell phone in their hand, no palm pilot attached to their hip. They weren’t worried about an alarm going off to remind them of a meeting. They weren’t concerned about receiving a phone call. They weren’t waiting for a reply from a text message. They were simply engulfed in laughter, the simplicity of a summer Wednesday night after church.

Do you remember those times? Before computers were your gateway to the world. Before cell phones, palm pilots, text messages, MySpace, Facebook, blogs, etc. ruled the majority of your time spent awake. Do you remember when you didn’t have a cell phone? When you couldn’t be reached? When people just couldn’t find you? When you weren’t 100% accessible? I do. I sometimes miss those times.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my cell phone as much as the next person…probably a little bit more. I love the convenience of high speed internet and text messages. I love being able to stalk people on MySpace and Facebook. Maybe not stalk, but “keep in touch with.” But, I sometimes long for the simple way things used to be. Do you think you could go away to a somewhat secluded area for a week without a television, cell phone or computer? Afraid you might miss something? Afraid someone might need you? Afraid you might need someone? Can you believe that people use to not worry about things like that? People actually took trips, drove cars, and went to work without cell phones. It’s definitely a different world. I’m a fan of technology and today’s modern conveniences. I’m just also a fan of simplicity. I’m a fan of the random, simple, fun times like riding around in a golf cart with ten squealing little five year olds…pig tails and all!

2006-07-22T17:05:00.000-07:00

Ready to Set "Sale"

Garage Sales are from Satan. I hate them, and yet for some reason, still unkown to me, I signed on to contribute to and work a garage sale. It was the largest garage sale I've ever been apart of in terms of merchandise and profit. For those of you who remember the big GATA garage sale at my house a few years ago, you can imagine how big this one was.

It was a "four family" garage sale and let me just tell you that only crazy people have garage sales in July. 102 degrees in good ole' Abilene yesterday and 97 today. Oh yes, we had a Friday and Saturday sale. Was it worth my time you ask? Basically, with the money I made and the time I spent, I figured that I made about $5.25 an hour. Now, I'm not complaining about the money...it's more than I started out with. I'm merely wanting to state how tiring and high maintenance garage sales can be. And I only worked Friday and Saturday. The other people involved worked on it all week. CRAZY!

Other news...hum...not really a whole lot going on right now. I got to see my friend Jamie last night and meet her fiance for the first time. They're getting married in two weeks, so I'm glad I got to meet him before they said "I do." Super nice guy and they make a cute couple! We went to Buffalo Wild Wings which is one of mine and Jamie's old "rest stops." Fun times. I'll be traveling west the next two weekends. Going to visit my pals in Lubbock next weekend and then the following weekend I'll be traveling to Jamie's wedding. And, other than my weekend trips, nothing else is very exciting in my life. Sad? Maybe. But, I'm enjoying the break because in a few weeks...it will be crazy again.

So, my friends...my basic message is this: Don't host a garage sale in July and Don't host a garage sale in July...or August for that matter. Simple.

2006-06-27T20:28:00.000-07:00

Random Information

Just a little bit of random information...I've recently been harassed for not updating my blog, so here's a few tidbits.

I've joined the craze of..........MySpace. It's actually quite interesting. I haven't quite figured out every detail of this new adventure of mine, but I'm learning. Within the last 24 hours, I've got 20 friends on my page. So interesting!

This weekend I'm going to see three of my best friends. I'm so excited! It's been a long time since I've seen two of them and I'm totally pumped!

Searching for jobs can be both gratifying and exhausting. Job interviews can be exhausting and scary. My current job ends in September, so I thought I'd get a head start on the job search and apply for positions this summer. Within the last two weeks I've had 2 inteviews and have two more this week. I'm interviewing in places from Malibu to Massachusetts, including Dallas and Abilene. Which one do I really want? Who knows!? Basically, it's a God thing now.

My sister and mother have spent the last three days at my house. They're here for Passport, which is orientation in my alma mater's terms. I can't believe that my sister will be a freshman in college in less than 6 weeks. Seriously! For the first time in over six years, my siblings and I will live in the same town. And, for all practical purposes, my parents will too!

My cousin just had her second child this morning. A baby girl, Jadyn Lynn. I haven't seen her yet, but my aunt and uncle say she has a full head of hair, has beautiful eyes and is perfectly healthy. I can't wait to go visit them. Basically, since neither of my siblings have children(and won't for awhile) I treat my cousin's kids as if they were my nieces and nephews. I am now the proud aunt of Camden Micheal and Jadyn Lynn. PRECIOUS!

4th of July is exactly one week from today. At the exact moment I'm writing this, in one week I'll be watching spectacular fireworks in Abilene. 4th of July is my 2nd favorite holiday, next to only Christmas. LOVE IT! This will actually be the first time in my life I have spent the 4th outside of Van, away from my family. I plan on swimming all day and watching the show at night. LOVE FIREWORKS!!!!

So, that's really all I've got. I really am going to try to update my blog more often. However, the summer isn't exactly full of worthy posts! Have a great week!

2006-05-24T07:34:00.000-07:00

This is Me Emotional

The last few weeks have been emotional for me. Not all sad moments, some have been really exciting, but even a few of the exciting moments have caused me to tear up. I'm sure a lot of it has to do with the lack of sleep I'm getting. Things tend to bother me more when I'm tired. Plus, I'm coming off of an adrenaline rush from the entire school year. We spent the year going 90 to nothin', barely had time to stop and now that the school year is over, things are calm and quiet. No adrenaline flowing here.

I guess my emotional state really began in late March(see last post) but I didn't have time to deal with it, so maybe things are catching-up with me. Anyway, I guess I actually realized I was emotional a few weeks ago when one of my best friends told me she was pregnant. I cried right along with her...not only because she was crying, but because this is something she and her husband have wanted for almost three years. It was an exciting moment and I'm thrilled for them. I really feel like I'm going to be an aunt!

The next two reasons for crying are actually stupid when I think about it. Several of you have posted entries on the Grey's Anatomy season finale. Well, the really emotional episdode for me actually came two episodes before the finale when the pregnant mom was in a car accident with her family. The mom dies, baby lives and the father is left holding the infant's hand in the incubator. Now, this episode came the week after my friend told me she was pregnant, so of course, all I could think about was, what if this happens to my friend!? Then, two weeks later came the season finale. I didn't cry during the finale, but I probably could have. Hello!? I was just able to accept the fact that Dr. Shephard was going to stay with Addison for this season and Meredith would be with the vet. But no, they mess with our heads, have sex in the OR, and then leave us hanging until next season where she'll probably choose to go home with the vet. Wow. The next stupid emotional moment came last Thursday when I said good-bye to four long-time friends. Karen, Jack, Will and Grace. I've watched them since the beginning. For eight seasons now I've been a devoted watcher and all I have to show for it is re-runs on Lifetime. Will & Grace has been one of my all-time favorite shows and there will never be a new one again.

Now, for what is causing me to be emotional this week. My sister will graduate from high school Thursday night. I remember it like it was yesterday seeing her a few hours after she was born in the hospital. I remember the first day she came home. I remember her begging me to play Barbies with her. I remember teaching her how to play tennis. As I sit here, I'm overwhelmed by a flood of memories. Summers spent swimming and laughing, Christmas mornings in our pajamas, trips we've taken. She and I are different in so many ways, but very much the same. She is truly one of my best friends and I am so proud of who she has become. She's an amazing young woman. She's strong, courageous, witty, bold, intelligent and sassy. She has flawless fashion sense and a heart of gold. I am blessed to have her in my life. She'll be moving to Abilene in August and will begin a new chapter in her life. For the first time in seven years, all three Ellison children will once again live in the same town. So, here's to my little sister. May she continue to grow in the Lord, experience the wonders of college and live life to the fullest.

2006-05-09T15:50:00.000-07:00

An end in sight...

My three months of rest and relaxation begins in four days. I'm tired. I'm ready for my head to stop hurting. I'm ready to breathe. I'm ready to get a decent nights sleep.

The insanity will end on Saturday. My last event for the semester will end Friday evening, or actually Saturday morning, around midnight. There are 2800 people coming to this event and it has been, by far, the most labor and mind intensive so far this year. I'll write about this event next week when I'm in a more positive mood because it has the potential to be an absolutely amazing evening. We shall see...

2006-04-18T16:37:00.000-07:00

My Great Return

I've received several emails from friends wondering if I'm still alive. The answer is yes...I'm still alive, barely, but I'm still here. I've been out of the blogging world for over a month now, which means I haven't updated mine and I really haven't checked anyone elses. If something major has happened to you in the last month, I probably don't know about it unless you have called or emailed me directly.

Below is a small update on my life. For those of you who don't want to read the entire entry, it won't bother me at all. This just saves me a lot of time when it comes to updating my friends. And, for those of you who have asked about my dating life, if you really want to know, you'll have to call or email me. I'm not posting that on my blog.

Ok...I'll start on a low note, but I promise it will pick-up.
On Thursday, March 30th, Dr. Stephen Carter was brought to campus as one of our Centennial Speakers. Interesting man...a little high maintenance, but he spoke well and brought a nice size crowd to campus. I was with Dr. Carter from 7:30am until 2:30pm that day, but my thoughts were at home...my home in Van.

On March 30, 2006 I lost one of the most important men in my life. My grandfather, the only grandfather I had left, passed away early that Thursday morning. For those of you who were GATA officers with me, we went to his house on Lake Conroe for our officer retreats.

It was and has been one of the most difficult things I've experienced in my life. I say one of the most difficult because six years ago I lost my other grandfather. It was heartbreaking and my family still hurts. Death is never easy, and as much comfort as you get in knowing that they are in a better place, it's still difficult. It's funny how people handle things like death...people handle trama in so many different ways. I haven't quite grasped the fact that he's gone. I haven't dealt with his death and I dread the day that it all crashes down on me. He was a rock and the patriarch of our family. He loved life, his family, singing, sports and God. What a giant man.

I went home for the funeral and stayed all weekend, only to return on April 3rd with a very full week in front of me. One of my favorite events up to this point took place on Saturday, April 8th. Robin Roberts from Good Morning America came to campus as one of our Centennial Speakers. AMAZING! Hands-down one of the best speakers I've ever heard. She's dynamic, energetic, hilarious, smart and down-to-earth all rolled up in one neat person. The event went extremely well...a little over 800 people were in attendance, which makes it one of the largest events I've planned during the Centennial so far. Robin was spectacular and spending the day with her was fabulous! After the event Saturday night, I mentioned to Robin that I was going to be in New York that week and was hoping to stop by GMA. Sunday morning when I picked her up from her hotel, she handed me a piece of paper with her assistants name and number on it and told me to call her and she'd get me into Good Morning America...which leads me to my next paragraph!

I spent March 12-15 in New York City. My mom, grandmother, sister and I went for Jessi's senior trip. Too fun! We did all of the tourist stuff, i.e., Empire State Building, Time Square, China Town, etc. However, the three highlights of my trip were the two Broadway shows we saw and being on Good Morning America!

We went to see Phantom of the Opera...FABULOUS...and Mama Mia...EXCELLENT! Both shows were sold out, so the theatres were packed. They were spectacular shows! Friday morning we headed to Time Square at 6:30. We arrived outside of the ABC studios around 6:40am and were immediately taken inside to the main studio. We spent the next two hours watching the news cast from "behind the scenes" following around the reporters, watching the monitors and even sitting on the GMA benches where their celebrity guests sit! Robin came over to find us, gave me a hug, talked to my family, introduced us to Diane Sawyer, Bill and Mike and then her assistant took us over to be in two seperate tv shots. Friday morning we were on the front row during the weather and front row behind their guest singers! It was too fun! We had an amazing time...completely exhausted when we got back, but it was well worth it.

This week I'm playing catch-up and getting ready for my seven days of hell. Thursday I have a Centennial Speaker on campus all day, Saturday we have a Philharmonic event for over 2,000 people and next Tuesday we have John Maxwell, the author and leadership expert, coming to campus as our last Centennial speaker. When is summer going to get here?!

So, that's a brief...well, not so brief...run-down on my life over the last month. It's been insane but awesome at the same time. May 13th marks the end of the school year and it can't get here fast enough! I hope you are all doing well, and know that I miss you and promise to catch up when things slow down. All my love...

2006-03-16T14:04:00.000-08:00

Well Done, My Good and Faithful Servant

I firmly believe those words were uttered Tuesday evening. From this earth passed a strong and courageous woman who fought tirelessly against the horrible disease known as cancer.

I wasn't close to this woman. We weren't friends. We had three common ties: ACU, GATA and one of my best friends. We didn't hang out, we didn't email or keep in touch after I graduated. We really weren't much more than acquaintances. It wasn't until after she died that I realized I had a lot of respect for this woman. My heart hurts for her family and it hurts for her friends. Those who were with her in her final hours and those who didn't get to say good-bye. She was strong and she knew that life was a gift. She was a fighter.

Her funeral is tomorrow, and though we were not close friends, I think this funeral will be one of the most difficult I've ever attended. I sent a mass email out to fellow GATAs yesterday, and by this morning, I had 24 saying they would put in money to purchase a flower arrangement for the family. Not all of these girls were friends with her, but all of them realize that we share a strong common bond. It's the bond of sisterhood, held by strands of red and white, we support those who are hurting and those that need us most. As I was ordering flowers yesterday, I read the card that the sponsors are sending to the family. It hit me how strong the bond of sisterhood truly is. I leave you with those words...

"I'll think of you GATA, and smile when I do..."

2006-02-28T14:44:00.000-08:00

A Theory on Weekends

I have a theory on weekends. Well, not just any weekend...I have a theory on good weekends. I think there are two types of good weekends.

Type A: a weekend spent having a good time, enjoying yourself, taking part in activities that are fun, but not tiresome. The end result of a Type A weekend - satisfied, fulfilled and rested. You feel rejuvenated and energetic.

Type B: a weekend spent having a good time, enjoying yourself, taking part in activities that are fun and that wear you out. The end result of a Type B weekend - tired, worn-out, exhausted and drained, but you still had a great weekend.

So, normally, I try not to dispute myself, but this past weekend I found a Type C. Type C is a combination of Type A and B. I had a relaxing, easy weekend, but still ended up exhausted and drained. So, now I'll need two Type A weekends to recover from my Type C weekend. Which, that's not going to happen. Next weekend I'm going camping with some of my best friends...yeah, like we're going to get any rest!

So, enough of the "Type" talk...here are some highlights from my weekend.

-I got to see my family! My mom, dad and sister came to Abilene to visit me and my brother. They got here Friday night, my mom cooked dinner for us, we watched a movie, sat around my house, caught up on each other's lives and had a great time. Saturday morning we went to breakfast, they came to see my office, then we headed back to the house, baked all day and spent great quality time together. They had to leave early Sunday morning, but we had a wonderful visit. We were all in desperate need of some family time!

-Saturday night I went to an Acappella concert. Now, I didn't stay to hear Acappella, I was actually there to hear the opening act...Cornerstone. I was there supporting the tenor, who, by the way, has an amazing voice! HOT!

-The tenor showed up to my church Sunday morning and went to lunch with us afterwards. Good thing I was wearing a blue shirt to bring out my eyes! (If you want more about the tenor, you'll have to email me or call, cause I'm not posting it on my blog.)

-Our church has started having family circles(small groups) once a month on a Sunday night. This past Sunday night was our first round. My family circle is quite interesting...I'm by far the youngest in my group...the oldest is at least 80. However, the evening exceded my expectations...I actually had a good time and it's nice to meet new people. The old men in my group cracked me up!

So, that was my Type C weekend, paraphrased. Let's hope that the upcoming weekend will be a little more restful...yeah, right.

2006-02-21T09:08:00.000-08:00

An Interesting Subject...Me

Name: Jennifer
Birthday: 10-21-81
Birthplace: born in Tyler, TX...raised in the metropolitan area of Van, TX
Current Location: Abilene, TX
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: I'm going with dirty blonde
Height: 5'9" flat footed, but I'm usually in heels, so about 5'10"
Right Handed or Left Handed: right
Your Heritage: Not really sure, guess I really haven't asked
The Shoes You Wore Today: black heels
Your Weakness: I have very little patience
Your Fears: Failure
Your Perfect Pizza: I like a good pepperoni, but I'm also a fan of chicken bar-b-que
Goal You Would Like To Achieve This Year: Find a job in September
Your Most Overused Phrase On an instant messenger: LOL
Thoughts First Waking Up: "Already?"
Your Best Physical Feature: Eyes
Your Bedtime: Usually between 11pm and 1am
Your Most Missed Memory: Spending time with my nanny and papaw(my dad's parents)
Pepsi or Coke: Coke
MacDonalds or Burger King: I like them both, equally
Single or Group Dates: Either one is fine with me, guess it depends on the situation
Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: Lipton
Chocolate or Vanilla: Chocolate
Cappuccino or Coffee: In a meeting, coffee. In Starbucks, cappuccino.
Do you Smoke: not anymore
Do you Swear: Occasionally
Do you Sing: I love to sing
Do you Shower Daily: yes
Have you Been in Love: Not really
Do you want to go to College: Got my BS...not anxious to return
Do you want to get Married: yeah
Do you belive in yourself: yes
Do you get Motion Sickness: yes
Do you think you are Attractive: I think I have attractive qualities
Are you a Health Freak: yeah, no. That's funny
Do you get along with your Parents: yes...LOVE my parents, and miss them a lot!
Do you like Thunderstorms: yes, if I'm indoors
Do you play an Instrument: I could probably still play the sax...it's been a few years
In the past month have you Drank Alcohol: no
In the past month have you Smoked: no
In the past month have you been on Drugs: Just cough medicine
In the past month have you gone on a Date: well, I was set-up a few weeks ago
In the past month have you gone to a Mall: nope
In the past month have you eaten a box of Oreos: no, but I do love Oreos and milk
In the past month have you eaten Sushi: no
In the past month have you been on Stage: why, yes I have
In the past month have you been Dumped: nope, you have to be dating to be dumped
In the past month have you gone Skinny Dipping: uh, no...it's freakin' February
In the past month have you Stolen Anything: nope
Ever been Drunk: yep
Ever been called a Tease: no, teasing isn't my game
Ever been Beaten up: no, it would take a good fight
Ever Shoplifted: nope
How do you want to Die: wow, if I had to pick, I'd say in my sleep
What do you want to be when you Grow Up: Well, I'm getting there pretty fast...so I'd say planning special events
What country would you most like to Visit: Switzerland or Italy

In a Boy -
Favorite Eye Color: Blue
Favorite Hair Color: brown or blonde
Short or Long Hair: guys: short
Height: would love for the guy to be taller, but I'm finding you don't always get what you want
Weight: Bigger than me
Best Clothing Style: love me a guy in a suit, but I also love jeans and a t-shirt

Number of Drugs I have taken: zero
Number of CDs I own: somewhere between 25 and 50??
Number of Piercings: 3 if you count both ears
Number of Tattoos: zero
Number of things in my Past I Regret: Hum...I can't put a number on that...but I've definitely done things I regret

2006-02-16T06:35:00.000-08:00

And GATA Takes 1st!

Ok, so maybe not 1st, but they do have a good show this year. In fact, I'd say it's one of the best GATA shows in the last five years. Their props look great, their stage presence was good, and their lyrics are funny.

Now, granted, after last night's performance, there's no doubt in my mind that Sigma Theta Chi will be announced champions for the fifth year in a row, but last night I was proud of our girls in red and white. Or, actully black and white...for those of you who don't know, the women of GATA are sheep this year.

I went to last night's dress rehearsal and couldn't help but remember all of the random, fun times we had as GATA's. The gym smelled the same, they had the same technical difficulties, there was shouting from the seats, it was as if we hadn't left. I expected at any minute for Julie, Mel, Walker, Kendall and Rach to come and ask if we could all go to Sonic. I expected Holly and Kim to walk around the corner and ask if we wanted to get pizza from the campus center. I almost looked around to find my friends taking pictures, laughing, walking around the concourse, wishing we didn't have to be at Moody, but loving the fun times with friends. Anyway...I'm done reminiscing.

So, I was able to see all of the club shows last night and the host/hostess acts that followed. If I had to give awards last night, this is how I would rank the girls clubs: 1st - Siggies, 2nd - Alpha Kai, 3rd - Kojies, 4th - GATA. Now, after last night, I would actually say it was a toss-up for 3rd between Kojies and GATA. Kojies were not on their game last night, so it will be interesting to see if they pull it together. Now, GATA does have a good show this year, but Siggies were great(on a Wednesday night) and Alpha Kai was pretty good too. Out of the boys clubs: 1st Gamma Sigs, 2nd - Galaxy, 3rd - Frats, 4th - Pikes. Pi Kappa pretty much took the place of Sub-T this year...they really didn't have much of a show.

Now, as for the hosts/hostesses this year, I've seen better. I'm not sure if they were wearing their actual costumes last night, but if they are, they're a little disappointing. Now, I'm not going to name names, but one of the hostesses that I expected to be great...is not great and can't dance. For those of you coming to this year's show, you'll figure out who it is. The guys this year are average, nothing spectacular. The song selection wasn't wonderful, so basically it was just an ok performance. Granted, last night was dress rehearsal...I know things won't be fabulous on Wednesday night, but they could have been better. I know that once Friday night arrives, most of the problems will be worked out. They usually are. These are just my opinions from Wednesday night. We all know how things change from Wednesday to Friday.

So, I hope you all have a safe trip coming to A-town, but I want you to get here fast! I can't wait to see all of you guys!

2006-02-14T13:54:00.000-08:00

Let the Masses Come

In just a few short days, the masses from all over the US will be arriving in Abilene, Texas. You may ask, why on earth will people be going to Abilene, Texas? Well, my friend, it's February, and with February comes Sing Song, and with Sing Song comes Lectureship.

Now, I'm completely excited about this upcoming weekend for many reasons. I'll mention two of them.
#1 - All of my fabulous friends from college will be coming to A-town this weekend, the majority of them staying at my house! I love when we all get together! I laugh the hardest with these girls and I can't wait to see all of them!

#2 - The high for Friday in Abilene is 47 degrees! The high for Saturday in Abilene is 40 degrees! I love it when its cold outside! All of you gals coming to A-town this weekend...bring something warm to wear!

I can't wait to see you all! Sing Song weekend, here we come!

2006-02-13T14:40:00.000-08:00

Hence the Reason

I've decided I want 10 children of my own. This weekend completely changed my mind about kids. I want tons of them. A whole house full. I can't have them fast enough.

And all of you are saying..."yeah, right." Well, while this weekend did not change my mind about having children, it did test my patience level. As Kim stated in one of her comments on my last post, I am working on being a more patient person. And you may all stop laughing now.

So, Friday I escorted two little girls to Mr. Gatti's along with my friend Jama. Bottom line, one little girl was there for the games, the other little girl was there for the spaghetti, otherwise known as "spasketti." So, after we ate, or attempted to eat "spasketti," we made our way into the game room. Approximately 200 other children made their way into the game room at the same time. It was a mad house. A secret I found out: a motorcycle game flashing "insert coin" can be just as exciting as a motorcycle game that is actually working. And much cheaper! I was rid of children and at home in my warm bed by 11pm, where I began watching the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics that I had Tivo'd. The Olympics: my new obsession.

Saturday I awoke to my neighbor re-building his fence. Not a good sound at 7:30am. That's ok...the Olympics were already on. I managed to catch the women's hockey games. Then, it was off to run errands, see some friends, and return to child-proof my house. My little buddy arrived at 5pm on the dot. After a 5-minute run-down on his eating habits, his mom bolted out the door and I was left with my second test of the weekend. A secret I found out: you can never really child-proof your house. Another secret I found out: electrical outlet plugs are important. I don't have any. What did he want to do all night? Attempt to play with the electrical outlets. And by the way, babies are faster than they look. So, after an evening of legos, basketballs, Olympics highlights, chicken ravioli, peaches, milk and electrical outlets, his mom and dad came to pick him up. I needed some adult time, so a few of my friends rescued me and I was able to carry on a real conversation.

Sunday was no exception from the world of children. We had 10 kids in bible class Sunday morning. Neither of my autistic children were there, so that was somewhat of a relief. I did however have a first grader in there (he's a visitor) that kept asking if the bible story was real. I was like "yes, it's real. Now listen...you're scaring the little kids." Sunday afternoon I was privaleged enough to attend a baby shower instead of taking my nap. So, for three hours, I watched as the mom-to-be opened gifts, ate cake, talked about her baby, and then drove to the other side of town to help her unload the multitude of gifts. I've seen enough bottles, pacifiers, onesies, bibs, and toys to last me a life-time.

All in all, the weekend wasn't that bad. I learned a few things about children and God definitely tested my patience. I still don't want children anytime soon. I don't even want to be an aunt or a babysitter anytime soon.

2006-02-10T12:49:00.000-08:00

Lord Help the Children

My purpose in writing this is to solicite prayers. You have no idea what my weekend is going to be like. For those of you who know me well, you will laugh in a few minutes. For those of you who do not know me well, allow me to give you a little insight. I don't love children. It's not that I hate them, I just prefer adults to kids. I could go on, but basically all you need to know is that children and I don't generally mesh well.

The weekend that lies ahead of me is full of nothing but children. This evening I will be helping a friend babysit two little girls, both under the age of 5. We're taking them to Mr. Gatti's where they can join 500 other children at a pizza buffet and game room.

Saturday I am babysitting a little boy the ripe old age of 1. His parents are celebrating Valentines Day and didn't have a sitter...I'm single, will not be celebrating Valentines Day, so I'm the logical one to fill in. He'll be staying at my house that evening. My house is in no way child-proof. I have no toys, many un-locked cabinets, multiple sharp objects, expensive furniture, dangerous corners, etc. I'm borrowing kid toys from a friend of mine. I guess I'll child-proof my house tomorrow. This should be interesting!

Sunday morning I'll be teaching the 3-4 year olds bible class. I'm praying they are better than last week. I have two Autistic children in my class. One crawls around the class and bolts into the hall any chance he can. The other talks non-stop...the problem is you can't understand what he's saying, which frustrates him. So, he tends to shout his words, that really aren't words. I try to understand him and be patient. I usually look at him, smile, nod my head as if I know what he's saying, and talk to the other children. He's learning sign language at his real school...thank goodness I know the fundamentals! We usually average 11 kids. ELEVEN 3-4 year olds...am I nuts?!

Then, on Sunday afternoon I have a baby shower to attend. Now, there won't be any children there, but all we're going to talk about is babies, the pain of childbirth, the due date, baby names, blah, blah, blah. I'm not trying to be negative cause I am excited for this family. They're like my own and I love them to death...I just don't fit in well in child conversations. I do, however, have several fabulous gifts for little McKenzie Grace. She'll be precious.

I will update you all on Monday as to how my weekend of children goes. Please pray for me. Give me patience and understanding. And please pray for the children. They may need help after being in my care. It should definitely be interesting!

2006-02-08T14:24:00.000-08:00

A Great Return

I completely understand that it has been awhile since I have updated my blog, and while this may not be a great return, I would like to have a little fun and post a quiz. Actually, it's a link to a quiz. My pals Mel and Kim created a similar quiz so I decided to jump on the band-wagon and create my own. The link is below...I would appreciate it if you would publish your scores in the comments section, that way the whole world will see how well you really know me.

The "All About Me" Quiz

2006-01-19T15:44:00.000-08:00

A Trip With Oprah

This past weekend I was leaving Oklahoma, heading back to Dallas with Kim and Holly, when we began talking about a subject that has been in my head ever since. It wasn’t a topic of controversy, or a conversation of deep thought. We were talking about friends. Kim mentioned something that Oprah recently said about having true friends. Everyone needs one great friend. Someone who is honest to the core. Someone you trust, someone you can laugh with, cry with, travel with, etc. Just an all-round true friend.

Kim asked Holly and me if we had any REALLY true friends. Ones we could count on at all times. Ones who would tell us the truth, even if they knew it would hurt us. As I sat there and thought about it for a few seconds, three friends instantly came to mind. Two of those friends are my mom and sister. I asked if they counted and Kim just shrugged.

If they count, then my mom and sister are definitely two of my best friends. I know they’ll be brutally honest in any situation. They love me for who I am and for who I want to be. Hands-down, I laugh the hardest when I’m with my mom and sister. If I had to pick one person in the world to travel with, it would be my sister. She and I have the best times on our trips. She and I are complete opposites, but we’re completely the same! I know it sounds crazy, but that’s us! My mom and I are much more alike. I know that I can talk to her about anything. She always has the right answer. It might not be the answer I want to hear, but she knows exactly what to say. She’s who I want to talk to after a bad day and who I want to celebrate with on a great day.

If my mom and sister don’t count, then I can really only think of one friend that I would call my constant, true, die-hard, honest friend. She’ll tell me like it is, no matter what, I’ll get an honest answer. She’s seen me laugh, cry and a combination of both. I can count on one hand how many times I’ve been mad at her. We’ve argued, laughed, shopped, traveled, cried…the list goes on.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I have a lot of friends that I count as great friends. I’d even call some of them best friends, but those three stand out as my constants. So, what about the people who don’t have those kinds of friends? I don’t know what Oprah said about it, but I’ll agree with her when she says it’s important for a girl to have a friend like that. I’m not sure what I would do without my friends. It’s tough to imagine. Anyway, that’s been on my mind this week. I hope you are all blessed with friends.

2006-01-13T07:26:00.000-08:00

Friday's "Paint a Picture"

My friend Kim has a series on her blog called "Monday's Paint a Picture." Basically, every Monday Kim posts an entry about an individual, who happens to be a friend of hers, with the intent of giving her readers the opportunity to "get to know" this individual better. To give you an idea of what this looks like, here is a link to one of her "Paint a Picture" entries. This entry was pretty special to me.

So, over the past few months, I've been reading Kim's blog and I've realized that a very important person has been left out of the "Monday's Paint a Picture" series...Kim. Now, I completely understand that she's not going to dedicate an entire post to herself, nor is she going to ask her friends to comment on what a great person she is, so I've decided to take matters into my own hands and dedicate this "Paint a Picture" entry to my pal, Kim Smith.

I first got to know Kim through our social club, GATA, at our grand ole' alma mater. I knew who she was during our sophomore year, pledged with her, but didn't really get to know her until our junior year of college. Now, I don't remember the instant we became friends or the event that took place that brought us together, but I do know that my college experience would not have been as fun without her in my life. I can't even begin to tell you about all of my memories with Kim. Some of them I can't write down, some are just too long to even tell, and others no one else would find funny except the two of us. I have memories from intramurals, pranking, officer meetings, road trips, making costumes, Sing Song and the list goes on. Kim's a little bitty thing, but she's got a lot of heart and more determination than most of the people I know.

I'm honored to call Kim one of my best friends. I'm thankful that she and I have been able to stay close after we graduated from college and I'm blessed to have her in my life. She's honest, trustworthy, dependable, funny, strong, positive and much, much more. Below are a few comments from other friends of Kim's. If you know Kim and appreciate who she is and what she does, please leave a comment and let her know what she means to you.

Kim is a great friend for so many reasons. She's always willing to help someone else out, go out of her way to make you smile or send an e-mail that makes your day. I love her laugh, sense of humor and thoughtfulness.
-Misty Willcox

Well, I hate to encourage the growth of Kim’s head, but I do have to admit that she is an amazing gal! She has a wonderful and unique sense of humor that everyone seems to enjoy. I almost always end up laughing every time I see her or talk to her.
-Cheryl Leland

Kimberly is someone I take pride in knowing and in being able to call one of my closest friends. I have known her for over four years now. Those who don’t know her personally, or who have never had the chance to meet her, are truly missing out on something great. She offers up so many amazing things to this world that one cannot even begin to count them all on their fingers. Just a few of the things I love about her are: her constant pursuit of honesty, her awesome sense of humor, her outgoingness, her love of people and of friends, and her leadership capabilities. Besides that, she is also a great writer! People like Kimberly stand out from the crowd and are loved by many. Indeed, one can only hope to learn many great things from this unique, loving, intellectual, human being! -Holly Herr

My favorite memories of her are from my sophomore year when we lived across the "street" from each other - in Morris and UP, and also all the fun times we've had since moving back to the Metroplex. I'm also excited that she is working with me to accoplish one of my 100 life goals - to see every movie that's ever been named Best Picture! In short, if you're with Kim, you're probably having a great time! Love ya, pal!!!
-Misty Willcox

Some of my best memories were when we lived across the hall from each other in the dorms sophomore year. I remember on several occasions looking out my door and seeing Kim with her door open, "microphone" in hand, dancing and singing in front of her mirror (one of the things she does best). While she is so light-hearted and playful, she also has a serious side that she lets her close friends see. Kim and I have had many “deep” conversations over the years and she doesn’t hesitate to challenge my thinking. She is very intelligent and she loves to learn new things! Kim also seems to be able to find the good in almost any situation.
She almost always seems to be thinking positively, which can be very hard in some situations. I have to say, if there’s one thing that Kim can do well, it’s love life. -Cheryl Leland

I have many great memories of Kimberly. For one, she is a great pal to have as a partner in crime. I’ll never forget all the times we spent pranking together in college. She always came up with such clever ideas. If anyone ever needs pranking advice, she’s the one to consult! Also, I’ll never forget all the times Kim has cracked me up. If I had a penny for all those times I’d be a millionaire today! She’s good at taking ones mind off the troubles life can sometimes bring us all as well as helping us to work through them and helping us to improve. Some specific funny memories I have of and with Kim are of the times she and I would go grocery shopping at H-E-B or Walmart. We’d come up with the FUNNIEST stories while in the checkout line! We’d talk to each other as if we were serious about the story and the cashiers and customers in line would look at us so strangely. That’s Kim for you – always up for a good laugh and very good at improv comedy! Ha Ha. Gotta love it!
-Holly Herr

2006-01-12T14:42:00.000-08:00

A Weekend in Lubbock

So, I'm just now getting around to writing about my weekend in Lubbock, but better late than never, right?

My pal Mel celebrated her birthday this past weekend...actually, her birthday was Saturday, so we (Julie, Walker and I) were in Lubbock to help her celebrate. Walker flew to Lubbock from Dallas and I drove in from Abilene. We all arrived Friday evening for what promised to be a fabulous weekend! And, it actually was a great weekend, except for the fact that two very important people, Kendall and Rachel, were absent. If you don't know who Kendall and Rachel are, I apologize...they don't have blogs. But, the six of us were best friends in college and have tried our best to stay close since graduation. Anyway, I'm getting off the subject.

So, Friday evening we all arrive in the fair city of Lubbock and head to Mel's house where she had prepared a delightful dinner. The funny thing about Mel's dinner is that she cooked the main entree in her crock pot. How old are we? We're excited about a crock pot?! Good times! After dinner, we borrowed a game of trivial pursuit, drove around Lubbock for a little while, went to Julie's house, played trivial pursuit, and then headed in our different directions for an evening of uninterupted sleep. It was wonderful being able to sleep in Saturday morning!

Saturday afternoon we met up at Julie's and headed to Rudy's, a barbeque joint that was quite tasty. After lunch, we drove around for a little bit, discussed what we wanted to do for the afternoon and decided to see a movie. This is where I will combine my movie reviews with my weekend re-cap. We saw the movie Ringer starring Johnnie Knoxville. This movie is freakin' hilarious! I'd totally see it again...and will probably buy it when it comes out on DVD. Go see it, it's cute. After the movie we decided to go back to our respective "homes," change clothes and head to the Texas Tech Lady Raiders basketball game. Sidenote: United Spirit Arena is very impressive. The Lady Raiders took on the Aggies for a close game, and ultimately won the game by one point. I can confidently say that I now know the Texas Tech fight song! After the game, we stopped off at a quaint, yet jazzy little bar & grill, had a few laughs and then headed out to Fridays for late night snacks. We then decided to have an old fashioned slumber party and spent the night at Mel's house. Mel and Julie fell asleep fairly early in the night, but Walker and I stayed up until 3am watching 40 Year Old Virgin...not my favorite new movie.

Sunday we missed church, so decided to take advantage of the situation and enjoyed a nice, yet odd, brunch at Denny's. After Denny's, my pal Walker showed us her new business venture, which actually seems very interesting. I have the feeling that she'll be very wealthy within the next year. Then, it was time for me to say good-bye. I bid my friends adios, and headed back to good ole' A-town. All in all, it was great to see my girls. I often miss them, but I love the times, though they are few, when we get together. Never a dull moment!

This upcoming weekend, I'm hitting the casinos baby! I'm going to Dallas to see a few friends (more friends from college) and we're going to Oklahoma on Saturday for an alcohol-free, smoke filled run at the casinos! Nickel slots, here I come! Could I sound more trashy?! I love it! Until next time...

2006-01-03T14:31:00.000-08:00

About Me

I stole this from Janaye. Gosh...that girl just always has great surveys!

[x] I've consumed alcohol.
[x] I have lied to my parents about where I am.
[ ] I listen to political music.
[ ] I own over 5 rap CDs.
[ ] I own an iPod or MP3.
[x] I bake well.
[ ] I would wear pajamas to school.
[x] I have a job.
[x] I am sometimes self conscious.
[x] I like to laugh.
[ ] I can swallow about 5 pills at a time no problem.
[x] I eat fast food weekly.
[x] I've been out of this country.
[ ] I am really ticklish.
[ ] I've seen a therapist.
[x] I love chocolate.
[ ] I sometimes bite my nails.
[ ] I play video games
[ ] Gotten lost in my city.
[x] Saw a shooting star
[ ] I had a serious surgery
[x] Gone out in public in your pajamas
[x] I have kissed a Stranger
[x] Pushed all the buttons on an elevator
[ ] Made out in an elevator
[x] Kicked a guy where it hurts.
[x] Broken a bone
[x] Skipped school
[x] Played spin the bottle
[x] Gotten stitches
[ ] Drank a whole gallon of milk in one hour
[x] Bitten somebody
[x] Been to Niagara Falls
[x] Gotten the chicken pox
[ ] Crashed into a friend's car
[x] Ridden in a taxi
[ ] Ever had a crush on someone of the same sex
[x] Had feelings for someone who didnt have them back
[x] Lied to a friend
[x] Driven over 400 miles in one day
[x] Been to Canada
[ ] Been to Mexico
[x] Been on a plane
[x] Eaten Sushi
[x] Been Skiing
[ ] Been to a motor cross show
[ ] Lost a child
[x] Gone to college
[x] Graduated college
[ ] Done hard drugs
[ ] Had someone cheat on you
[x] Miss someone right now
[x] Made a snow angel
[x] Had a tea party
[ ] Flown a kite
[x] Built a sand castle
[x] Gone puddle jumping
[x] Jumped into a pile of leaves
[x] Gone sledding
[x] Watched the sun set
[x] Felt an earthquake
[x] Slept beneath the stars
[x] Been tickled
[x] Been Misunderstood
[x] Won a contest
[x] Ran a red light
[x] Been in a car accident
[ ] kissed someone in the pouring rain
[x] Hated the way you look
[x] Pole danced
[x] Questioned your heart
[x] Been obsessed with post-it notes
[x] Squished barefoot through the mud
[x] Been lost
[x] Been to the opposite side of the country
[x] Swam in the ocean
[ ] Felt like dying
[x] Cried yourself to sleep
[x] Played cops and robbers
[x] Recently colored with crayons/colored pencils/markers
[x] Sang karaoke
[x] Paid for a meal with only coins
[x] Done something you told yourself you wouldn't
[x] Made prank phone
[x] Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
[x] Caught a snowflake on your tongue
[x] Danced in the rain
[x] Written a letter to Santa Claus
[x] Blown bubbles
[ ]Made a bonfire on the beach
[x] Crashed a party
[x] Gone rollerskating
[x] Had a wish come true
[x] Worn pearls
[ ] Jumped off a bridge
[ ] Told a complete stranger you loved them
[x] Kissed a mirror
[x] Sang in the shower
[x] Had a dream that you married someone
[ ] Glued your hand to something
[ ] Got your tongue stuck to a flag pole
[ ] Kissed a fish
[x] Worn the opposite sexes clothes
[x] Sat on a roof top
[x] Screamed at the top of your lungs
[ ] Done a one-handed cartwheel
[ ] Talked on the phone for more then 6 hours
[x] Stayed up all night
[x] Didn't take a shower for a week
[x] Are scared to watch scary movies
[x] (been)Pushed into a pool/lake with all your clothes on
[ ] Been told you're beautiful by a complete stranger
[x] Been easily amused
[x] Caught a fish then ate it
[x] Caught a butterfly
[x] Laughed so hard you cried
[x] Had someone moon/flash you
[x] Cheated on a test
[ ] Had a Britney Spears CD
[x] Forgotten someone's name
[ ] French braided someone's hair

2005-12-22T13:37:00.000-08:00

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

At the risk of sounding cliché, I want to take a moment to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. If I wanted to be politically correct, I’d say Happy Holidays, but most of you know that I don’t stress out about being politically correct.

For some, this time of year is joyous, exciting, and heart-warming. It brings laughter and love. It’s a time for sharing, giving, receiving, spending time with loved ones, and taking part in traditions steeped with fond memories. To others, it’s a difficult time of being without those who were loved and are missed. To some, it’s a reminder of how little they have while others realize how very blessed they are.

Through the constant political battles of whether it should say “Happy Holidays” or “Merry Christmas,” through the debates of whether or not Santa is real, through the opinions on whether or not we should have Bible class on Christmas morning, I encourage you to find your meaning of Christmas. What does this holiday season mean to you?

I choose to look at this time of year as a gift. It’s an opportunity to spend time with family and friends. A time when the majority of the world has a sense of warmth and peace. I look at the symbols of Christmas. Santa, candy canes, stockings, bells, Christmas trees, etc. I find good in all of those and am thankful that I was raised in a family who took part, whole-heartedly, in this holiday we call Christmas. Around this season we celebrate the birth of Jesus, but I was fortunate enough to be brought up in a family who celebrates his birth everyday, not just once a year.

I pray blessings on you during this holiday season and the days to come. May God watch over you and guide you. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2005-12-20T09:11:00.000-08:00

Can't Help Myself

I can't help myself. I love posting these random surveys. I got this one from my pal Janaye who actually has quite a few of these.

Random Questions
* Nervous Habits: tapping my finger nails and bouncing my leg
* Can you roll your tongue? yep
* Can you raise one eyebrow at a time? yep
* Tattoos? None
* Piercings and where? Just ears
* Do you make your bed daily? Uh, no.

CLOTHES
* Which shoe goes on first? My right.
* Speaking of shoes, have you ever thrown one at anyone? Yep...but just playing
* On the average, how much money do you carry in your wallet? approx. $20
* What jewelry do you wear 24/7? watch, necklace, earrings
* Favorite article of clothing? jeans or socks...tough call

FOOD
* Do you twirl your spaghetti or cut it? twirl
* Have you ever eaten Spam? yep
* Favorite ice cream flavor? Blue Bell's Fudge Nut Brownie
* How many cereals in your cabinet? 2
* What's your favorite beverage? Gonna have to say water...but I'm also a huge sweet tea fan
* What's your favorite restaurant? In Abilene: Perini's...In general: PF Changs or Cheesecake Factory
* Do you cook? I can cook, but I rarely do it...doesn't make sense to cook for one

GROOMING
* How often do you brush your teeth? twice a day
* Have you ever colored/highlighted your hair? yep
* Do you swear? sometimes
* Do you ever spit? yep...especially when I'm on my farm...just something about it.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE
* Animal? I like cats
* Food? anything my mom makes
* Month? October
* Day? Sunday
* Favorite Cartoon Character? I'll say Donald Duck...but I like a lot of Disney characters
* Shoe Brand? New Balance tennis shoes...wow, I like way too many brands
* Subject in school? Used to be science...in college, I changed to Home Ec. :)
* Color? red or black
* TV show? Way too many...here's a few: Desperate Housewives, Gray's Anatomy, CSI, Law&Order...I could go on

IN AND AROUND ROOM
* The CD player? Christmas music right now
* Person you talk most on the phone with? my mom
* Ever taken a cab? yep...the ones in The Bahamas are freakin' scary!
* What color is your bedroom? khaki and white
* Do you use an alarm clock? every morning
* What's your sleeping position? fall asleep on my back, end up on my stomach
* Even in hot weather do you use a blanket? yeah
* Do you sleepwalk? No
* Do you talk in your sleep? Nope
* Do you sleep with stuffed animals? Uh, no.
* How about with the light on? I sleep with the hall light on
* Do you fall asleep with the TV or radio? I set my sleep timer on the TV everynight

2005-12-16T07:36:00.000-08:00

Seven

I was tagged by a co-worker to take part in this little, well, I'll call it a survey. Basically, I've fallen to peer pressure, and I need something to do this morning, so...I give you my "Seven Survey." Thanks Chris!

List 7 things to do before I die:
1. Visit every continent
2. Get married
3. Own a resort
4. Snow ski in Switzerland
5. Direct a major motion picture
6. Own a home in Italy
7. Meet Dolly Parton

List 7 things I cannot (or will not) do:
1. See or hear someone throwing-up
2. Run a marathon
3. Water ski
4. Use illegal drugs
5. Live in Louisiana, Arizona, or Utah
6. Speak a foreign language
7. Ride in the back of a car without getting car sick

List 7 things that attract me to my spouse(or Opposite Sex):
1. Devotion to Christ
2. Sense of humor
3. Got to be a big guy!
4. Loves my family and friends
5. Spontanious
6. Love a great smile and eyes!
7. Loves to have crazy fun!

List 7 things I say most often:
1. "Freakin' "
2. "Well, you see"
3. "Shut-up"
4. "Are you freakin' kidding me?"
5. "My bad."
6. "Son of a..."
7. "You're killin' me, Smalls!"

List 7 books or series that I love:
1. To Kill a Mockingbird
2. God's in Alabama
3. Sisterchicks on the Loose
4. Oh the Places You'll Go
5. I Married Adventure
6. God At Your Wits End
7. Notes to a Working Woman

List 7 movies I would watch over and over again:
1. A League of Their Own
2. Fried Green Tomatoes
3. Steel Magnolias
4. Dumb and Dumber
5. 9 to 5
6. Pocket Full of Miracles
7. "Christmas Vacation"

List seven people I would love to join in (if they haven't already done so):
1.Kim Smith
2. Julie Goen
3. Jennifer Walker
4. Holly Herr
5. Jamie Slagle
6. Melody Forest
7. Katey Earles

2005-12-09T14:47:00.000-08:00

Walk the Line

Two words: Over Rated.
Not necessarily in a bad way, but every single person who has seen that movie has said "Oh my gosh...it's the best movie ever!" "Wow...Walk the Line was amazing!" So, I had to find out for myself.

Two of my friends and I went to dinner and a movie last night. We ate at Chili's (one of my least favorite restaurants) and then went to an 8:15 showing of Walk the Line. Overall, I thought the movie was good. Great acting, wonderful soundtrack, accurate storyline...I just expected it to be so much better. It just goes to show you that too much hype(sp?) about a movie can be detrimental. I expected to be blown away...instead I left thinking, "Ah, ok...good movie." Not, "Wow...great movie." I would recommend going to see it, but go with an open mind. Don't count on seeing your new all time favorite movie.

If you're a Johnny Cash fan, get the soundtrack! Witherspoon and Pheonix did an amazing job portraying June Carter and Johnny Cash. And, I could have sworn when Mother Maybell Carter walked onto the scene, it was her in the flesh! They found a great likeness in her actress. Absoulutely loved Reese Witherspoon's performance. Cute girl!

So, go see the movie. It was good...it's just been beaten to death by positive reviews. Go see for yourself!

2005-12-08T07:30:00.000-08:00

100 Things About Me

I had some free time and felt inspired by other blogs I've ready lately, so I decided to post a list of 100 things about me. So, here they are, in no particular order.

1. I love surveys.
2. I sometimes write on my blog or look at other blogs instead of working.
3. I’m currently re-decorating both my house and office.
4. I wish I had an expense account for my house.
5. I want a new SUV.
6. I’ve never had a car over 2 years.
7. I usually wreck them.
8. I’ve been in 4 car accidents and have totaled 3 cars.
9. The constant weather changes this winter are making my head and knees hurt.
10. Christmas time (Nov.-Dec.) is my favorite time of the year.
11. Christmas is my 1^st favorite holiday.
12. Followed closely by Thanksgiving, 4^th of July and my b-day.
13. My family watches Christmas Vacation every Thanksgiving.
14. We watch White Christmas every Christmas.
15. I would like to have a home in Montana someday.
16. I’ve never owned a video game in my life(Nintendo, PlayStation, etc.)
17. Dolly Parton is my absolute favorite celebrity.
18. Mariska Hargitay is a close second.
19. Patrick Dempsey is one of the hottest men alive.
20. Grey’s Anatomy is one of my favorite shows.
21. I’m also a huge fan of Desperate Housewives, CSI(all of them), Law & Order(all of them), Criminal Minds, Sex and the City and Golden Girls.
22. I have perfect eyesight.
23. I have a home phone, but the only people who use that number are telemarketers, therefore, I do not answer my home phone.
24. I don’t believe I could live without my cell phone.
25. I’m allergic to cats, but they’re my favorite type of pet.
26. My second favorite pet is my sister’s dog, Maxie, who is a Yorkie.
27. I started college as a Journalism/Mass Comm. major.
28. I then changed to a Psychology major.
29. I ended up in Family and Consumer Science.
30. I finished my degree my junior year, so I picked up Business Management my senior year.
31. I hate Wal-Mart.
32. All of my close friends in Abilene are over the age of 30.
33. I’ve always wished to be older…not sure how I’ll feel when I’m 30.
34. I don’t love children.
35. I miss my friends from college a lot.
36. I broke my jaw in high school while eating mashed potatoes.
37. We later found out it was the result of a soccer injury.
38. I broke my nose during my senior year of college playing football.
39. I love sports…playing and watching.
40. I must marry a man who likes sports.
41. I must marry a man who likes to hunt.
42. Bottom line: I must get married.
43. I received my first perm when I was 18 months old.
44. I had very fine hair as a child and my mother thought it would hold curl better.
45. I had a perm every year after that until high school.
46. Failure is probably my greatest fear.
47. I’m also very afraid of ghosts.
48. I’m intrigued by Johnny Depp.
49. I become intrigued by people very easily.
50. I have one brother(20) and one sister(18).
51. My brother is a sophomore at ACU and my sister will be a freshman at ACU next year.
52. They’re growing up so fast!
53. I adore my family.
54. My mom and dad met at ACU.
55. My mom used to be a stay-at-home mom and my dad used to be an oil field engineer.
56. They now own a restaurant called The Farmhouse.
57. I love parades.
58. All of my ex boyfriends, with the exception of the gay one, are now engaged or married.
59. The last one to get engaged was the hardest for me to accept.
60. I’m becoming very good at handling crisis situations in my job. They’re happening a lot this year.
61. I hate wearing dresses.
62. I own a lot of suits.
63. I love PF Changs. I often crave their lettuce wraps.
64. I love a lot of restaurants that Abilene doesn’t have.
65. One of my dream jobs is to be a movie director.
66. Another of my dream jobs is to be a speaker with Women of Faith.
67. I’ve never told anyone about #66.
68. I have my entire wedding planned out with the exception of my bridesmaid’s dresses and my dress.
69. And, with the exception of the groom. Minor detail.
70. I want to live in a major city, downtown, in a flat someday.
71. LA/Hollywood is one of my favorite cities, but I don’t want to live there.
72. I really like Nashville too…I could live there.
73. My mom always wanted a daughter she could call Jenni after she saw the movie Camelot, so she named me Jennifer.
74. The only people who call me Jenni are my family and a few friends from high school.
75. Most people call me Jennifer, Jen or Ellison.
76. I guess I have one of those last names that people like to say instead of your first name. I’ve been called Ellison since junior high.
77. I sing in my car when I’m listening to the radio or to cds.
78. I love singing.
79. The only reason I miss chapel is for the singing.
80. I hate running, but I love the way I feel after I work-out.
81. My favorite work-out is Body Pump.
82. I don’t do cardio very often, but I have Body Pump every MWF…lifting weights is much more fun than running in place.
83. Slow drivers drive me insane.
84. I love baths, but I rarely take them.
85. I love buying books, but I don’t read them.
86. I have tons of books at my house, most of which I’ve never read.
87. I’m the youngest member of Rotary in Abilene. Probably in Texas. Could be in the US.
88. I relieve stress by lying on my couch watching TV or by driving around campus.
89. I love going home to my parents house and driving around their farm with the windows down.
90. I have one cow, named Meredith, who has had over 10 calves that make me a lot of money. I’m about to have to sell Meredith and I’ll probably cry.
91. I rarely cry.
92. My grandparents recently sold their house on the lake and now live in Van about a mile from my parents.
93. Both of my dad’s parents are dead and I miss them very much.
94. I hate scary movies.
95. I love smoking cigars with my friends on my back porch.
96. I hate it when people cancel out on plans, events, nights out, etc. When you make plans, stick with them.
97. One of my favorite things in the whole wide world is getting facials.
98. I love listening to and singing Christmas songs.
99. I sleep better in hotels and B&B’s than I do my own bed.
100. I think it’s hard coming up with 100 things about yourself.

2005-11-15T08:32:00.000-08:00

Layers

I stole this from my pal, Kim. Just a few facts...

LAYER ONE
--Name: Jennifer
-- Birthday: 10-21-81
-- Birthplace: Van, TX
-- Current Location: Abilene, TX
-- Eye Color: blue
--Hair Color: dirty blonde
-- Height: 5'10"
-- Righty or Lefty: Righty
-- Zodiac Sign: Libra

LAYER TWO
-- The shoes you wore today: Nine West brown dress shoes
--Your weakness: Procrastination...I actually probably have a lot of weaknesses!
-- Your fears: ghosts...and failing
-- Your favorite food: now there's a weakness! I love MANY different kinds of food!
-- Goal you'd like to achieve: marriage at some point...I have a lot of other goals

LAYER THREE
-- Your most overused phrase: "freakin" or "hater"
-- Your thoughts first waking up: Just ten more minutes.
-- Your best physical feature: hum...I like my eyes
-- Your bedtime: usually between 11-midnight. Sometimes later, sometimes earlier.

LAYER FOUR
-- Pepsi or Coke: coke
-- McDonald's or Burger King: McDonalds
-- Single or group dates: depends on the situation
-- Adidas or Nike: Nike
-- Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: Lipton
-- Chocolate or vanilla: chocolate
-- Cappuccino or coffee: cappuccino

LAYER FIVE
-- Smoke: Not anymore
--Curse: occasionally
-- Sing: Love it!
-- Take a shower everyday: every morning...and sometimes at night too
-- Do you think you've been in love: I've only told one boy outside of my family that I love him...looking back, I'm not sure if it was really love or if we were just caught up in the moment.
-- Want to go to college: been there, done that...got a degree to prove it
-- Like high school: I loved high school!
-- Want to get married: yes
-- Believe in yourself: definitely
-- Get motion sickness: uh, yes! I don't throw-up, but I get very queezy and dizzy
-- Think you're attractive: I think I have an attractive personality...but with today's standards, I'm not a 10
-- Think you're a health freak: uh, no
-- Get along with your parents: LOVE my parents! We get along very well.
-- Play an instrument: I can play the sax, but I haven't in about 3 years.

LAYER SIX:
In the past month...
-- Drank alcohol: No
-- Smoked: No
-- Done a drug: No
-- Gone on a date: No
-- Gone to the mall: Yes
-- Eaten an entire box of Oreo's: No
-- Eaten sushi: No
-- Been on stage: No
--Made homemade cookies: No
-- Dyed your hair: No

LAYER SEVEN:

Ever..
-- Played a game that required removal of clothing: Yes
-- If so, was it mixed company: Yes
-- Been trashed or extremely intoxicated: Yes
-- Been called a tease: No
-- Gotten beaten up: No
-- Shoplifted: I think I stole candy when I was little, but not since then
-- Changed who you were to fit in: sure

LAYER EIGHT
-- Age you hope to be married: 26 would be great
-- Numbers and Names of Children: I honestly don't want children...but, if God chooses for me to have children, I'd take 1 or 2...not sure of names, but I would want them to be creative(not scary creative)
-- Describe your dream wedding: Are you kidding me? There isn't enough room on my blog! If you really want to know, call me or email me and I'll tell you.
-- How do you want to die: In my sleep
-- What place would you most like to visit: Las Vegas...or Italy...or Switzerland

2005-11-11T11:06:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile...

Well, it's been like a year since I've posted an entry, so I figured I'd take few minutes and just write a random update.

Basically, my life revolves around my job right now. But, I'm not complaining! This past Tuesday, the great Pat Summerall was on campus. For those of you who don't know who Pat Summerall is, ask your dad, brother, husband, boyfriend, etc. Pat was the voice of the Dallas Cowboys for years and was John Madden's sportscasting partner on Monday Night Football forever. Let me just say that he's much taller in person! He's a neat man. Nice, polite and gracious. He spoke on his struggles in life, dealing with an addiction to alcohol and how he completely turned his life around and followed Christ. He was even resposible for the baptism of the late baseball star Mickey Mantle. It was an honor to meet Mr. Summerall and be instrumental in his coming to our university.

So, the majority of this week has revolved around Mr. Summerall's visit. Monday was spent preparing for his arrival, Tuesday was the actual event, Wednesday and Thursday were spent recovering from his visit and today(Friday) I'm moving on to prepare for Lester Holt's visit. I'm completely excited about Lester Holt coming to campus. We already have 425 people who have responded, which means this will be twice the size of Pat's. How exciting!

Moving on...Last night I went on a whim to see the movie North Country with a few new friends of mine.

North Country...great movie. Once you get passed the language, the movie tells a great story. Very impowering. Actually, it gave me a new appreciation for the women that were portrayed in this film. Women in the workforce today owe a great deal to the women who forged a path through sexual harrassment and predjudices in America. The movie is based on acutal facts, and I felt that it clearly and accurately dipicted the way of life for these women and men. Go see it, and be impowered.

This weekend will be yet another weekend full of activities. Pretty sure I won't have a weekend off, or at least one with downtime, until Christmas. Tonight I think I'm going to go watch our volleyball game...our girls are in the playoffs and the first round is held here on campus. Our girls are REALLY good this year. Tomorrow I'm shopping all day in Dallas. I've considered just leaving my wallet in Abilene because I really shouldn't spend any money, but, we all know that one of my hobbies is spending money, so...I'm sure I'll be taking my wallet with me. Sunday, I'm praying for a nap! I truly believe it's a sin not to take the Lord's Day Nap...but, the past month of Sunday's I haven't been able to take a nap. So, I'm asking for His forgiveness and will hopefully make up for lost times during a nap this Sunday. Do not call me between 1 and 5 Sunday afternoon.

Well, that concludes my update for now. I hope this finds you doing well. Enjoy the weekend!

2005-10-25T14:41:00.000-07:00

Dreamer

I went and saw the movie Dreamer this past weekend with my mom and sister. It was a toss up between Elizabethtown and Dreamer…Dreamer won due to time constraints. For those of you who don’t know, Dreamer is the movie based on a true story about the race horse with Dakota Fanning and Kurt Russell. I’m completely into horse racing now!

Bottom line: Cute movie! It was a feel good movie with good acting, a wonderful screenplay, and a great message. Plus, how refreshing to sit through such a good movie with little language, no violence, and no sex scenes. I totally recommend this movie.

2005-10-17T12:50:00.000-07:00

A SpectACUlar Weekend

My favorite event at our university has passed. We celebrated our Centennial Homecoming this past weekend and everything was simply wonderful. God certainly smiled on Abilene this weekend and blessed us with absolutely beautiful weather...high of 85, sunny, cool breeze...we couldn't have asked for a more picturesque weekend.

I've been anticipating this weekend for quite some time now for many reasons. The main reason being that all of my closest friends from college would be back in the same town for two whole days. I often miss my friends from school...the majority of those friends being my GATA sisters. I miss the late night talks, weekend trips, making costumes, parties with friends...knowing that at any given moment, I always had someone to call if I wanted to go eat, watch a movie, drive around town, play at the park or just sit and laugh at stupid jokes that no one else would find funny. I miss those times. I miss those girls.

The other reason I was so excited was because it was our Centennial Homecoming! How many people get to experience that?! It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I was absolutely thrilled to be a part of our school's history! I knew Homecoming would be great this year.

The weekend kicked off Friday morning with Homecoming chapel. Chapel was wonderful. 4,000 people singing, seeing old friends, balloon drops, confetti cannons...It was a great start for our weekend. The rest of Friday was filled with the Queen's tea, golf tournament, the carnival and JamFest. All of which were fantastic events.

Saturday morning began bright and early at 6:30am with GATA breakfast. It was my first breakfast to attend since I pledged...so we're talking like 4 years. It was wonderful! I don't know if I was more excited to see all of my friends or just excited to be at GATA breakfast! I had reserved a table for all of my friends...wouldn't you know that when we arrived, my table was at the very front of the room! Seriously, we would have been just fine at the back...and probably would have had more fun...we tried to behave at the front of the room, but we still laughed A LOT! After breakfast we all went to the parade. I enjoyed watching the parade with the girls...then it was off to the Pre-game Party. The Pre-game Party was my event. It went off well, and we had about 250 people in attendance. After the Pre-game Party, it was off to the football game. We were slaughtered by WTAMU...I left the game a little upset at our team. Seriously, who can't score on the first yard line on a second down...or third down...or fourth down? We had three prime chances and blew it! That was only one of the many mistakes in the game, but I'm over it! After the game I had a reunion dinner, which was really easy, and it was nice to see many of the older people I have gotten to know with past Golden Anniversary Reunions. Then, after the dinner...it was off to my house!

This was the highlight of my weekend! Most of my closest friends all gathered at my house Saturday night for food, fun, games, costumes, pranks and a lot of laughter! I so miss times like we had Saturday night. My house overflowed with "catching up" conversations, stories of new jobs, updates on who is living where and who is engaged. It was just like old times. We sat around and talked, reminisced, laughed, ate, played games, listened to music and were perfectly content just being with the girls. We all made sacrifices to be there. Some left their husbands, some brought their husbands, some left their families, some gave up sleep, some came after the musical...some came for only ten minutes, but the important part is that we were there together. Nothing got in the way of our friendship that night.

Sunday afternoon several of us met to eat lunch and gather together one last time for the weekend. We said our good-byes, wished everyone well, and told them to be careful on their drive back home. It was a great ending to a wonderful weekend. It was a reminder how important friendships are. How important it is to maintain close relationships. Thank you to those who made our Centennial Homecoming so great. Here's to the next 100 years!

2005-10-06T13:18:00.000-07:00

October is Here

Today is an absolutely wonderful day! It is 51 degrees outside, cloudy, rainy and I’m loving it! Fall is finally here, although today feels like winter. I love October! It’s a month of change for me. The weather begins to shift, trees start to loose their leaves, the holiday season kicks off, and I turn one year older. Unlike many of my friends, I love my birthday. My birthday is MY day, and I love it! I love it almost as much as Christmas!

Now, when I said “unlike many of my friends” I mean my friends in Abilene. I make this distinction because all of my close friends in Abilene are 30 or older. We’ve all seen it in our lives…as people around us get older, they begin to dread their birthdays. 30 is old to them…40 is over the hill…50, you’re half way to 100…60, you’re close to a senior citizens discount…70, Medicare is in full swing…80, the nursing homes are knocking at your door…90, well, you’re just lucky to be here. That’s how many people view age these days.

I’ve thought a lot about age lately. One of my friends turned 30 last month, and I think…that’s just 6 years away for me. Where will I be at 30? One of my friends will turn 31 on Saturday. She doesn’t even want to have her birthday…she just wants to skip this one, and the next, and the one after that and be 30 forever. 30 used to seem old to me…but now that I’m six years away, it doesn’t seem that old anymore. Just think…where was I six years ago? It seems like yesterday.

I often get in a hurry to grow up. People try so hard to grow up so fast, and then spend the later part of their life wishing they were younger. I get told all the time to just enjoy my twenties. Enjoy being 23, 24, 25…single, free, hardly any responsibility. How am I supposed to do that when all of my friends are in their thirties and married? They can’t enjoy their twenties with me!

I’m not writing this entry to complain about my age, or the age of my friends, or where I am in my life right now. I truly feel that I am where God wants me to be, and I know that He constantly works in my life. I guess I just wonder, as I stare 24 in the face, where I will be at 30. Will I care that I’m 30? Will I want to stay 30 forever? Will age affect me as it does my friends? I guess I’ll know in a few years. Right now, I’ll just enjoy being 24 and enjoy the rest of October. It’s a cold, crisp day outside…I couldn’t ask for anything better!

2005-10-03T13:04:00.000-07:00

I Love Random Surveys!

10 years ago I was:
--13 years old, about to turn 14.
--Living in Van, TX
--Attending Van Jr. High
--Hanging out with my three best friends, Jennifer, Nicole and Meredith
--In the middle of volleyball season, about to start basketball

5 years ago I was:
--18 years old, looking forward to 19
--First semester of college
--Wanting to leave Abilene
--Had already changed my major twice
--Living on the first floor of Nelson

1 year ago I was:
--22 years old
--In my first job after college at the T&P Event Center
--Getting to know two girls who are now two of my closest friends
--Doing many things that I shouldn't have been doing
--Wishing I had more friends in Abilene my own age

Yesterday I:
--Went to church
--Went shopping, bought some new shirts and pants
--Went to one of my best friends house
--Watched Desperate Housewives/Grey's Anatomy
--Stayed up late playing with my new satellite tv system

5 things I would do with $10 million:
--Give to my church
--Get a new car
--Give some to my mom/dad and brother and sister
--Buy a vacation home
--Put the rest in savings

5 places I would run away to:
If I seriously needed to run somewhere I'd go to:
--My parents house
--Amber and Frank's
--Jama and Mike's
--Jamie or Lisa's
--Mel's house in Lubbock
If it was just to run away for the heck of it:
--My parents
--Michigan
--Los Angeles(if I still had 5 million)
--Hot Springs
--Dallas

5 things I would never wear:
--fish net pantyhose
--red skirt/white shirt/red shoes/red lipstick...oh wait...been there, done that!
--daisy dukes
--pantyhose on my arms and legs, blonde wig and a green tinkerbell outfit...um, did that too
--Blue and orange Alpha Kai Omega jersey

5 favorite TV shows:
--Desperate Housewives
--Grey's Anatomy
--Law & Order (all of them)
--CSI (all of them)
--Golden Girls

5 bad habits:
--PROCRASTINATION
--Leaving dishes in the sink
--Speeding
--Spend way too much money on...just about anything
--Taking care of my car

5 biggest joys:
--Laughing so hard it hurts
--Seeing old friends
--Knowing I've succeeded in something
--Slowly losing another pound
--Finding money in unexpected places

5 fictional characters I would date:
--Dr. Andrew Shephard on Grey's Anatomy
--Mr. Big on Sex and the City(he also looked amazing in The Perfect Man)
--Jake in Sweet Home Alabama
--Nick on CSI

I stole this from Kim. That's a brief look at several random areas of my life.

2005-09-27T08:54:00.000-07:00

FLIGHT PLAN

Friday night I went to see Flight Plan with my pal, Heather. I love Jodie Foster, so I had great expectations for this movie. Needless to say, I was thrilled when the movie didn't disappoint. It was an excellent movie! Filled with action and suspense, I left the theatre saying, "Wow...I totally didn't see that coming." The movie has a twist that no one expected. At one point, the entire theatre let out a gasp in amazement. Now, I'm not sure if we were really that shocked or if Abilenians are just easily amazed. But, whatever the case, the movie was wonderful; filled with fabulous acting, great suspense, and an amazing set. I can't wait til my next flight!

2005-09-22T14:56:00.000-07:00

SALUTE WITHDRAWAL

I would like to withdrawal my previous salute to Rita. I would not like to offer up a "Cheers" to her anymore. Thanks to Rita and all of her glory, my event was cancelled this evening. Now, before you automatically think that I'm just whining around and have no pitty on those on the coast...that is not the case. I have a lot of sympathy for those on the coast, even though the dang hurricane hasn't even hit. However, due to this catastrophic storm heading our way, my event, which was the opener of our speaker series, has been cancelled.

Our speaker for the night was Lester Holt. Before today, I liked Lester. I thought he was a nice guy, Christian man, and an easy guy to talk to. After today, I KNOW Lester is a nice guy...he's a great guy. Lester is a news anchor on MSNBC and a weekend anchor on the Today show. In the world of journalism, he is an extremely respected and admired gentleman. He's also a member of the Church of Christ, hence his appeal to us.

We received word yesterday that he was being sent to Galveston and there was a remote possibility that he wouldn't be able to come to Abilene. However, we remained optimistic and went on with our plans. But, just to be safe, we made a plan B and a plan C. Plan C was what would happen if he didn't come at all. I was up until 2am this morning talking with Lester's agent discussing flight arrangements and last minute details. We were both still very optimistic. When Lester called me this morning at 8:30am...he didn't sound so optimistic, but we still figured he'd be able to catch a flight out of Houston and be in Abilene by 3pm. Wrong.

At 9:45 this morning, Lester called to tell me the bad news. He had tried everything in his power. NBC tried everything in their power. Everyone was working so hard to get him to Abilene. But, nature was against us. Rita was against us. He sent his sincere apologies and promised to re-schedule as soon as he got back to New York.

My team and I immediately jumped into plan C. We called the media, the campus, the caterer, the florist, and all 450 people who had bought tickets to the event. My team was absolutely amazing. I couldn't have asked for better crisis management. Everyone was calm and took care of business.

We're not sure when Lester will be able to come to Abilene. We'll start negotiating dates when he gets home. But, I know that I will look forward, once again, to working with this man. If it had to happen this way, I couldn't have asked for a better situation. I guess in the long run this ended up being one of those life lessons. Something that prepares you for the future. So, cheers to my team. Cheers to Lester, his agent, and to NBC. And, cheers to Rita. Thanks for the lesson.

2005-09-21T22:41:00.000-07:00

margaRITAs from Houston

One of the guys in my office came up with a great way to make a quick buck off of the latest catastrophy about to hit the Gulf of Mexico coastline. We've decided to head down I-45 towards Huntsville and Houston and set up a stand on the side of the road and sell "margaRITAs" to everyone heading north on 45. Now, we realize this would take a liquor permit, but we could get a day permit and make a killing! By the time the evacuees drove a mile, it would have taken them 5 hours, so the alcohol would have completely burned out of their system. Can't you just picture CNN and MSNBC covering the story on the line of drunk people sitting on I-45? I can just imagine some drunk red-neck guy talking on the news wondering where all the Cuervo had gone. "Got anymore salt and lime?" "We're up to a category 5!? Woo Hoo! Who cares!? We're feeling good!" "Come on Rita!"

Well, we thought it was a good idea at the time. Cheers, Rita!

2005-08-30T09:16:00.000-07:00

A Nice Little Game of Tag

So, apparently, these top 10 lists are spreading around my little circle of blog friends rapidly. I was "tagged" by none other than "Miss Walker" who was tagged by someone else, who was I'm sure tagged by someone else. So, I'm going to share my top 10 list of songs at this moment...however, everyone who I would want to tag, has already been tagged, so I'll simply share my songs and move on!

Current Top 10 Favorite Songs:
You and Me - Lifehouse
These Words - Natasha Bedingfield
Unwritten - Natasha Bedingfield
Listen to Your Heart - D.H.T.
Beverly Hills - Weezer
Don't Lie - Black Eyed Peas
Come Back Down - Lifehouse
Best I Ever Had - Gary Allen
Baby Doll - Pat Green
Don't Cha - Pussycat Dolls

As stated earlier, this is just my CURRENT top 10 list. I could have listed about 30 more songs that I love right now, but these are the ones I play A LOT. Generally, I'm a pretty eclectic person when it comes to my music. I'll listen to main stream, alternative, country, oldies, christian, rock, and even a little rap.

Here's to great music!

2005-08-17T18:51:00.000-07:00

Time to Vent

I would like to take this opportunity to vent about something I feel very passionate about. I don't generally use my blog to discuss negative issues, but today, I can't help it. I have a new found hatred for construction workers. It seems that EVERYTHING in Abilene is under construction right now. The loop, North 1st, I-20 and our entire campus!

I moved into my office in December, right as the construction on the new dorm was beginning. For nine months now, we(me and my colleagues) have literally been a few feet from what I like to call "hell." Try to imagine the sounds I hear EVERY DAY...tractors running, tractors backing up with that stupid beeping noise, jack hammers, cement trucks, construction workers screaming out profanity across the parking lot, and not to mention the conversations held by the hispanic men who gather on their breaks right outside of our windows. Literally, right outside our windows...they sit in our grass, on our ledge conversing back and forth in a language I don't understand. We have their break schedule memorized! Imagine negotiating a contract with an agent from New York and trying to explain to her what all of that noise in the back ground is..."Oh, that's a tractor breaking up the concrete across the street and a bunch of workers standing outside my window eating lunch."

A few weeks ago, they placed a huge dumpster right in our front yard...this dumpster was two car lengths long...right in our front yard. We've had steam rollers in our drive way, trailors blocking us in/out, trucks nearly running us over...I can't take it any longer!

So, this week, on top of the wonderful masterpiece they are constructing...God said..."Ha! I'll add rain too! That will be really funny!" So, it poured for 3 days straight here in the good ole' city of Abilene...any of you know what happens when it rains for 3 days in Abilene? That's right...it floods. So, now what we have is a mud pile with a dorm in the middle of it. My car is covered in clay and mud...my shoes are covered in clay and mud...my pant legs have mud all over the back of them. If I thought they would understand what I am saying, I would go out to these workers and tell them what I really think...and hand them my cleaning bill! But...it wouldn't do me any good. They'd look at the crazy white lady and laugh.

So, for today, I'll glare at the construction workers, shoot them dirty looks, and pray that they are gone in two weeks. Which, if you are wondering, is a week after school has already started!