Woah it's been a while...

Here is the fastest recap of all time (yeah right):

The weekend of 9/30-10/2: I went to Denver! Poppy (and my parents) were SO excited to see me! I did laundry and went to Sing Sing (a dueling piano bar) with Brett's glorious girlfriend, Elika. There was a grandmother dancing too sensually and a man respectfully dancing with his hands clasped behind his back. Good times were had by all!

Thursday, 10/6: We had the Annual "Red River Rivalry Pigskin Plane Pull" celebrating the OU vs. UT football game! That was a BIG production, especially considering the fact that I went to a college without  football!

The weekend of 10/7-10/9: I went to Nashville! I had dinner with Jenny Heath and drinks with a bunch of people at good ol' Greenhouse Friday night.  Saturday morning Leigh and I both had our first Loveless Cafe experience, which happened to be the same day as some Bluegrass festival.  Saturday evening Paige and I went to Carly Powers's beautiful wedding in Manchester.  It was a little bit hectic getting there after the ceremony started and wearing black tights with brown shoes, but it was great to get to see Carly and spend time with Paige.  Saturday night I watched the worst movie of all time with Christopher and Matthew.  Sunday morning I got to see my dear ethos family and have lunch with the delightful Caroline Bumpus!

The week of 10/10-10/13: I was sick, so I had to go to the doctor and get a steroid shot in the rear! As if that wasn't bad enough, I had to help out at the Intern Amazing Race Wednesday instead of participating because I could barely type without hacking up a lung.  It was still a lot of fun, though.  Thursday we participated in the Southwest Airlines 3rd Annual Meals on Wheels Blitz, which was not at all what I had expected after the informational meeting. It was still a great way to give back and get more involved with the community around Headquarters.

The weekend of 10/14-10/16: I got to go to Salt Lake City to meet Stephie's fiance (boyfriend at the time) Nate!  The flight that looked best had a layover in Denver Friday night, so Mom met up with me for dinner in the terminal.  My flight to SLC was severely delayed, and Steph had a test the next morning - so I decided to spend the night at home and fly out the next morning! I got to see Poppy (and Dad) again too, which was pretty nice!  In SLC Steph and I went to Temple Square to see more of the displays and have lunch at the Lion House Pantry.  We also worked on a craft, watched cheesy Mormon movies, and had dinner with some other Grandview grads.  Before I knew it, though, it was time to head back to Dallas early Sunday morning!

The week(end) of 10/20-10/23: Thursday we had the big 3rd Quarter Earnings Call, which had been causing quite a bit of stress and long hours.  To celebrate being finished with that hurdle, we went to lunch where I shared the story of giving Linnea a rooster for her half birthday in Cuba. Everyone was in tears from laughing so hard!!! The day was even more fun when we got to go to the Texas State Fair as our intern fun activity!  I didn't try anything too crazy, but my cohorts tasted the crazy fried foods it's known for.  Saturday Mom flew into South Padre Island, so I joined up with her in Houston.  They are experiencing Red Tide, so there were a lot of dead fish on the beach (ewww). We still had fun looking at Sand Castle Days and driving over precariously sandy roads!

PHEW! Now I am caught up until I let things get out of hand again!

MAJOR RECAP - including my first weekend trip!

 Oh my word I have really let this thing go... I have been extremely busy, and when I get home the last thing I want to do is get back on the computer - even if it's to blog about the fun things I have done!

SATURDAY 9/17-FRIDAY 9/24

Finance Survivor 2011

• Saturday we went to Oktoberfest in Addison, where I had my first wiener schnitzel and langos in AGES!  Then we went with Lindsey's family to see the Lion King 3D, which was better than I expected.

• Sunday I went to church with Lindsey's family and lunch at Babe's, which was kind of like Monell's but better... I had dinner with my old neighbors (and favorite babysitter) the Livermore Neef clan!  It was so much fun to meet Melissa's adorable kids and talk to Brian about our fears of holding newborns.
• Thursday we had "Septemberfest" which included Finance Survivor.  It was fun to cheer on our coworkers as they went through an obstacle course, but I got a fire ant bite that is still purple!  Thursday night I went to do trivia with Lindsey and her friends, which was really hard... but fun.
• Friday I went to visit Becca Bennie in AUSTIN! I got to use the Employee and Crew line to go through security, which was amazingly quick.  One of Becca's law school friends knew the Shoshone chant from my Indian Princesses tribe, and another knew a lot of my friends from APAAS.  We had dinner at Homeslice, where we were joined by a loiterer and ended up getting free tiramisu from the experience.  They also had the Coffee Bean, which is my FAVORITE - so that was a very much unexpected delight!

SATURDAY 9/25- WEDNESDAY 9/28

Our view of the game

• Saturday we went to a professor's house for brunch and then stumbled upon the Pecan Street Art Festival downtown.  We saw some of the cutest accessories for sale and tons of yummy food, but waited to try one of Austin's iconic food trailers.  All of those were closed by the time that we got there, so we had Hop Doddy's because of my co-intern's recommendation. It was "the best meal [she's] had so far in Austin" according to Becca!  The quick trip flew by and before I knew it, it was time for me to fly back to Dallas!

Gary Kelly, "Head Coach"

• Sunday I got to go to my first (I think - maybe second) Ranger's game with Heather Jones! We had awesome seats in the Lexus Club Level and could see the whole from right behind 3rd base.  There were multiple home runs, one of which was a GRAND SLAM! I've always wanted to see a grand slam in person - especially after leaving a Rockies game minutes before one happened - so that was thrilling.

•  Monday began Spirit Week here at Southwest, so like any spirit week - we had a Pep Rally!  There were cheering competitions, pom poms, and people with costumes.  It was honestly more exciting than some other pep rallies I've been to, and we got to see Gary Kelly!

• Tuesday we wore black to represent our Warrior Spirit, and our coworkers thought it would be funny to make us wear bright yellow safety vests.  We had snow cones and hot dogs outside, but Sarah and I just went to get it for our coworkers who were too busy to go for themselves.

Sarah, my co-intern, and me!

•  Wednesday was a fairly normal work day, but we went out to lunch and I told my coworkers about Paige Reed and I having cameo conversations during Dr. Briley's class.  I also had dinner with Sarah Bagley, which was delightful!  We ate at Taco Diner, which was delicious. We talked a lot about how it is kind of hard to make friends in Dallas and also how good it is to get out of your surroundings and grow as an individual, even if it's in a city where making friends is tough. I'm so glad that she's down here too!

Sorry that I have been behind - I do plan on just doing intermittent updates on the most exciting events, but I haven't done well have I?!

What I've Done All Week...

Look at this being back on track!  It has been a busy week, but pretty wonderful because it was my first week as an intern with Southwest Airlines!

SATURDAY - Dad and I met Lindsey's parents, got a tour of her beautiful home, and began the process of bringing in way too many clothes for this little bit of time.  We also went to the bank to finally get my multiple account plan set up (nerd alert), got some sheets, exchanged shoes, and so on... Dad flew home Saturday afternoon and I practiced the drive from Lindsey's house to Headquarters!

SUNDAY - I guess all of the time on the road got to me because I overslept instead of going to church with the Heaberlins... oops!  I took a trip to the post office to send some cards, finished unpacking, and spent some time talking to Lindsey's family once they got home.  They had the small group from church over, which was super chaotic, so Lindsey and I helped with that... we talked a lot with her mom about September 11th, but I tried not to watch too much about it on tv because I would end up staying up all night thinking things over.

Our care package from SWA

MONDAY - I got to go to our Intern training with my lovely t-shirt that we had all received in the mail.  We also got a copy of the book Nuts! about Southwest and learned so much about being an intern and a great representative of the Company.  Sarah Riggs saw on twitter that we were taking a social media "class," which taught me to make sure to state that these ideas and opinions are my own, not Southwest's!  We had lunch at Celebration Market and met the rest of our department.  Two of the ladies I interviewed with hugged us, and everyone was SO nice!  Our cubicles were decorated beyond my expectations, and my co-intern is super sweet.  I did a lot of training and reading the annual report before heading home after a successful first day!



Just part of the travel explosion

 TUESDAY - Sarah (my co-intern) and I decided it would be best to do the 7-4 schedule and avoid traffic, so we got there nice and early.  We had a lunch meeting about Safety and Security, where I had my first Potbelly sandwich.  I had heard a lot of great things about them, but I was a little bit disappointed... hopefully just because it was catered.  We had treats with all of the people in our department where Sarah and I had to pass a name test, but we did a great job even with the decoy names in the bag.  After that we had another meeting to learn more about what everyone in our department does and how we will be helping... after all of that, we were exhausted upon heading home.

Delicious lunch at the Landing

WEDNESDAY - I got more training about the accounting reconciliation software (nerd alert #2) and filed with Sarah while our coworkers were in meetings.  We had lunch in the cafeteria upstairs, which was so much nicer than I expected it to be!  Then we had Cockpit meetings, which are the opportunity for other divisions to explain their variances.  We ended up filing a lot on Wednesday, but it was nice because we would talk about the different cities as we filed documents for each airport.  There was an Intern Happy Hour after work, which was nice.  It is interesting to see how different the interns are that are living with other interns versus living with family or friends, but I love the situation I am in.

THURSDAY - All of our meetings and staying late Wednesday meant that Sarah and I were going to end up working too long, so I came in a little bit late on Thursday and left an hour early.  We had a mandatory meeting to learn more about being paid and taking trips and another meeting to learn more about Outlook.  After that we celebrated a birthday in our department, so the day went by really quickly! I also got to start working on more specific and productive tasks, which always feels good.  I had a little bit of trouble when things weren't adding up, and noticing that problem (because of an overlooked instruction) really impressed the lady I was helping - so that was great!

FRIDAY - I came in late again to stay under 40 hours but still make it to the after work get together.  Believe it or not, coming in late wasn't as satisfying as I had hoped!  We had a group lunch, which included some tough movie and tv trivia and tasty pizza.  After work we went to Jake's in Uptown.  I got a little bit off track on the way there, but got to see a different part of Dallas that looks really neat.  Lindsey had texted me about going to the Addison Oktoberfest, but when we were almost there her friends were already leaving... we ended up going to a different Jake's location and hanging out with her friends and their friends.  Overall it was a fun night and a great, but tiring week!

Friend of the Week Wednesday Three!

It looks like being off schedule has already become a trend, which is kind of my problem for making such a schedule... I think I would rather do a couple short updates throughout the week than the huge Saturday recap, but I do like Friend of the Week Wednesdays a lot.  Because I have been out of town, it's been a little harder to decide who to highlight... but a phone call this afternoon has brought the honor to Chris Shappley!

Our relationship in a photo...

This is becoming quite a trend, but Christopher and I did not get off to the smoothest start either.  He was friends with my first roommate, so when he added me as a facebook friend before we had met I denied him -- twice.  I tried my best to apologize and explain myself when we finally talked to each other in Hotel T, but he didn't receive my efforts very warmly.  We spent hardly any time together in Vienna, and then something happened: Dr. Seals's Proverbs Class.  I think we were friends before that too, so I guess Caitlin Raby played a part... and Thursday night TV. Research on pictures to add revealed that we rode the Riesenrad at the Prater together, but other than that we each had very different experiences at the Prater.

This picture was his idea.

Christopher and I have spent a lot of time together the past few years in the Babbler office making snarky comments, meeting up at the arch in St. Louis, having heart to heart talks on the porch, and people watching at the dog park.  Even though he sometimes ignores my calls and gets annoyed with me, he can be so supportive and excited about my new job even when he is dissatisfied with his.  Chris stands up for what he believes in and is especially open about what he wants to change about things right now... Even though we have very different perspectives on life, I really value our friendship and conversations.  He has introduced me to Jackass, Bonnaroo, Twitter, and RuPaul's Drag Race.  I wish him all the best and know he will find his dream job someday!

I hope he loves his first Southwest flight and visits me in Dallas soon!

What I've Done All Week...

Well this week's post is a little late, so hopefully I'll get back on track soon!

Paige making eggs

SATURDAY (9/3) - Paige and I hit the road bright and early, with some help from Anna, and headed out West.  We stopped at Paige's parents' lake house in Kentucky for some breakfast, hugs, and parental advice.  That was a pleasant surprise, but it took away the time we had planned to spend for lunch in St. Louis... and we were on a schedule to see Aunt Karen and Uncle Tim! Paige had never been to St. Louis, but she took a ton of pictures of the arch as we kept getting closer going through the city.  We got caught in traffic and may have taken a longer route, so we ended up getting to Aunt Karen and Uncle Tim's house when they had already gone to their dinner party.  We took a trip down to the Plaza in Kansas City for dinner and to see the beautiful shopping oasis in the middle of nowhere.  Once Aunt Karen and Uncle Tim got home, we visited with them for a while and went to bed.

Once she calmed down...

SUNDAY - Aunt Karen and Uncle Tim made the most delicious breakfast burritos and it was time to hit the road once again.  Paige and I tried to go to Oz Winery in Wamego, KS, but it was closed because it was Sunday.  While we were off of the freeway, we went to get gas in Alma and made friends with a Serbian student who had just moved to Little Switzerland from Peoria, IL.  That made up for our disappointment over the winery being closed.  We also stopped at what used to be my favorite gas station restroom near the World's Largest Prairie Dog, but it has fallen from grace.  Garrett wanted a t-shirt from Deer Trail, CO about the World's First Rodeo, but they didn't have anything to buy in that tiny, run-down town.  We finally made it home, where I was exuberantly greeted by little Poppy!  Mom made one of my favorite meals, and we played Just Dance on the wii with Elika before watching an episode or two of Glee.

MONDAY - The whole family had brunch at Snooze, which is my favorite breakfast place in Colorado. The Original Pancake House is a very close contender, though!  After brunch Paige, Elika, and I went downtown to walk around and look for gifts for Garrett and Paige's sister.  Instead we got clothes at Forever 21 and found the neatest furniture store on Larimer.  We came home in time for Auntie Shawn and Uncle Joe's Labor Day BBQ.  It was fun seeing all of their friends, my grandparents, and letting Paige meet the rest of our family.  Stephanie and her brother Mark stopped by on the way to take Stephie to the airport, so that was great!  We shot off some tank fireworks before watching Glee and going to bed.

Like a whole new dog!

TUESDAY - Poppy was in desperate need of a haircut, so we watched TV and lounged around waiting on her to be ready to pick up.  As you can see, it was quite the transformation!  It was necessary, though, because Grandpa and YiaYia let her fur get out of hand... Anyway we went to Ikea for the fastest visit imaginable.  Paige got a rug she and Garrett had wanted, which we insisted could be checked like luggage.  We also went to Park Meadows to run some of my errands, like getting my dream wallet and some new flip flops.  Dad got me a standby ticket so I could wait at the gate with Paige, which turned into more hilarity from the TSA agent calling her a kid and the man recording on his phone as his kids talked to us (that was creepy, but it let us know that her flight was boarding).

WEDNESDAY - I went up to Boulder to visit Vanessa and get Poppy a new harness at Farfel's Farm. The lady at the store kept commenting on how well-behaved Poppy was when trying on the new harnesses, but I guess she used up all of her good behavior by the time we got to Vanessa's house. Sorry, Zoey!  I ended up driving Vanessa home with me and then spending some time with Auntie Shawn and Grammie Bob (Auntie Shawn's mom).  When I got home, it was decided that we should leave Friday, which was not music to my ears...

THURSDAY - I spent all day doing laundry and repacking what had been undone over the few days.  I also went back to Ikea for some more things to take to Dallas and to exchange my bedspread.  I also got delicious ice cream from Sweet Action in Denver and hit all of the Nordstroms and Nordstrom Racks before I commited to my wallet (it is a big decision).  I went to Auntie Shawn's house again at 10 PM to say goodbye and then went to bed for the long day ahead...

FRIDAY - Dad drove the ENTIRE way from home to Dallas.  We took the "scenic" route, which still wasn't very scenic.  We had lunch at the "steakhouse" in Cimmaron, OK and dinner at Braum's.  Dad had the largest milkshake you can imagine, which made him want to keep driving far longer than I did. We finally got to a hotel and were done driving for the most-on-the-road-week of my life!

Friend of the Week Wednesday Two!

Here we are for the second ever Friend of the Week Wednesday!  After driving with me all the way from Nashville to Centennial, Paige Reed (Venable) has certainly earned the title.  Because we have been friends for a lot longer than Leigh and I, I feel like people have already heard a lot about Paige - but she is still so fun to talk about!

Auntie Shawn's Labor Day Party

Paige and I also did not like each other at first... I thought she was sassy and undeserving of using my name as her name, even though it's just her middle name. That bothered me a lot more than it should have in college, but I am older and wiser now. Just kidding, it still bothers me when undeserving people use a less-common middle name instead of their first name.  We bonded over elementary school stories, Lumpy, crossword puzzles, and Tuesday Night Talks.  She was also my little sister in Gamma Lambda, which gave us opportunities to spend even more time together making memories and annoying everyone with our obsession about our Family Tree.


Bid night for Bintu


She is the type of friend who will stay up with you way too late talking about whether or not your roommate issues are valid, what to do about family strife, and how God might be working through the unexpected circumstances in your life at the time.  We get the giggles, which turns into an all-out cacklefest.  Her husband (and some others) like to pretend like this isn't funny, but we know that it spreads joy (or headaches) to all within earshot.  Here are some of my very favorite Paige Reed memories: the drive back from Florida, going to Chattanooga, checking the rug as luggage, her wedding prep and thank you notes, hayride at the haunted mountain, and all of our phone calls. I could really go on for days!  Paige is one of the most wonderful friends I could ask for and so very supportive of this new adventure!

What I've Done All Week...

This weekly recap is coming a little bit early because I'll be on the road all day tomorrow with no time to blog and because I am currently waiting on tie-dye to dry!  I don't have my handy dandy planner, so this might be a little bit inaccurate... I do apologize.


SATURDAY - As I mentioned in the last weekly recap, I spent a lot of the day working on organizing the townhouse and then writing that lengthy blog... I am sure I did something else too, but I can't think of it! Oh, I remember now. Anna had a friend over who is going through a bit of heartbreak, so we tried to console her a little bit and then I worked on my room some more.  You can see why I failed to mention it the first time around...




The plate I made last week.

 
SUNDAY - It was my last turn to greet at Ethos, so Anna and I spent a leisurely afternoon talking about people and packing/organizing.  At church I stayed outside with friends during the 5:00 service, but was told to come in to be prayed over at the end.  Long story short, Dave forgot and I ended up staying through the 7:00 one where Caity prayed over me at the end.  I am really going to miss her and being so involved with my church family, but maybe I'll be back!

MONDAY - I went to Lipscomb to drop off that Gamma Lambda stuff, had lunch with Megan at the-place-formerly-known-as-Jim's-Nachos, and did some returns/bank trips/etc. Nothing too exciting... I feel like maybe I hung out with someone Monday night, but I can't remember a thing without my planner!



Ann, the helper, LOVED us!

 TUESDAY - Leigh and I drove out to Loretto, KY to go to the Maker's Mark Distillery Tour and dip bottles in their signature red wax as gifts!  It was so much fun to go on a trip like that just for the fun of it, even though the rest of the group took things far more seriously.


Together for the FIRST time



WEDNESDAY - Leigh and I painted the pumpkins that you saw in my last post.  It was not how I would have done a painting, but my way would have taken all day instead of 3 hours.  We had a lot of fun taking it less seriously than everyone else (which seems to be a theme of ours) and talking about where we could hang them.  I also bumped into Dr. Phipps, who was one of our chaperones on the Vienna trip.  She was the first person to inspect Lumpy, except maybe for Shyla, so we have a special bond to say the least!  The three of us roommates were all together and awake for the FIRST time in the townhouse since we looked at it.  That is INSANE.  It is also the only time... boo.

THURSDAY - I worked on the house and packing all day and then had lunch with Emily, a girl I studied abroad in Costa Rica with.  We always go to Back to Cuba Cafe because it is SO good and you can get guayabana juice.  Need I say any more?!  We actually tried to go somewhere new and different each time we got together, but ever since Back to Cuba we've stopped exploring new options.  Then I went to Greenhouse for a little going away get together, which was really nice. 

All of our shirts!



FRIDAY - Today I have been busy, busy, busy! I wasted a bit of the day away this morning and then have been a packing and organizing machine.  Tonight I am taking a break to tie dye shirts and a hoodie with Jenny, Jill's sister.  I am going to finish making my bedroom a little bit more presentable and clear the last of the clutter in the main living spaces and then get lots of rest!

First Ever Friend of the Week Wednesday!

I have decided that since my friends mean so much to me (and a lot of them will never get to meet each other), I will profile a different friend every Wednesday! Before anyone's feelings get hurt, it will be in no particular order but probably influenced by whoever I've spent the most time with lately... which might put some of my oldest and best friends to the back of the list, but it's not on purpose!  I just think it will be fun to brag on a fun friend and let everyone else know who it is that I always talk about!

Our Pumpkin Paintings!

And for the first week, I will be profiling Leigh!  We spent tonight painting pumpkins and yesterday on a road trip to KY, so she has certainly earned this honor.  Leigh is one of those people I never expected to become friends with, even though those type of people usually make great friends!  I knew who she was from undergrad, and was surprised to see that in our MAcc classes she was friends with a quiet, conservative classmate even though that didn't fit the description I had heard of her... and I was right, but it helped us figure out fun things that we both liked to do even if Amy thought we were heathens.

In front of the Lincoln statue

Leigh is the type of person who will go on a spur of the moment road trip to KY with you just to dip a bottle in wax even though she got into town late the night before AND stop along the way just to take a picture in the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln!  She will also offer to write anonymous letters when someone's done you wrong or pick you up on a Saturday morning if you're too embarrassed to drive your banged up car to class.  She planned on being a counselor/therapist/psychologist (one of those kinds of things) before switching to accounting, so she is a great listener.  Her honesty and candid ways can sometimes catch people off guard, but it is a lot of fun to not be the only one sticking my foot in my mouth - even if it gets us in trouble with the Becker instructor.

Matt being too outdoorsy...

She will offer to come to lunch when the boys you work with are being dumb, lend you a pair of her running shoes when you can't find yours after moving, and go night fishing even though she's not outdoorsy if you and her boyfriend are excited about it.  Though we both hope that this internship turns into a full-time job, we have lots of things to do together like taking pottery classes at Vandy, passing the CPA, profiteering at the duck blind lottery, maybe going to Memphis, holding the spotlight while Matt goes bow fishing, and people watching downtown when I am back in Nashville.  She gave me a book with quotes and verses for each day, so we are going to both start reading it on Monday, Sept 12th to keep in touch about something other than work (even though we'll talk about that too).  I am certainly going to miss her, but we both get to start our new jobs the same weekend and help each other keep our sanity through this new chapter!

What I've Done All Week...

Well - this is for Stephie, my loyal follower and best friend, and for me to keep postponing packing as long as possible!  I can't wait until midnight to pack this time, which kind of stinks... But in case anyone else reads this thing, I will be on the road one week from today.  That means that this is my last week in Nashville for who knows how long, so I had better treat it right!

I guess I will begin by summing up how I spent last week so that I make sure this week is better... and I am really sorry, but this is LONG!

SATURDAY - I went to a middle school football game with two men from my church on a whim just to get out and enjoy a Saturday morning.  It's always fun to go to kids' sporting events where they aren't very good yet, but there is always a kid or two who is freakishly good for their age.  Middle school adds a nice dynamic too where the kids think they are the best thing to ever grace the field.  I explored the town of Lebanon, which you don't pronounce like the country, and found a TON of antique shops.  One was the antique shop for men with tons of taxidermy, knives, and even an electric chair!

SUNDAY - I greeted at Ethos, the amazing church I have been involved with in Nashville for the past three years.  The theme right now is "What if I became more like Jesus?" which is great because so many young people (and old) are bothered by the fact that "Christians" often act nothing at all like Christ.  Breaking down those stereotypes and the negative connotation church has gained is one of the things I like most about Ethos, but that can be its own blog post.  We studied Matthew 6:19-34, which could not have come at a better time.  Ness actually called me while I was greeting near tears about a situation that was stressing her out, and I STILL don't have a place to live in Dallas - so we really needed a talk from Jesus about not worrying.

MONDAY - I made this blog! Work was kind of miserable all week...  I know that I shouldn't complain about having an awesome opportunity and being able to save money to cover paying rent in two places at once, but the boys were being rude.  I was going to say they were being goobers, but they were being rude plain and simple.

TUESDAY - I picked up my diplomas (all three of them!) and had dinner with Leigh and Braxton at Burger Up.  They confirmed my suspicions that the boys were being rude and I just wasn't being sensitive, which is why I love friends like that who would have told me to get over it if I needed to... Leigh also gave me a book with daily quotes and verses about friendship that we are both going to start Sept 12th when we start our new (but different) jobs!

WEDNESDAY - I worked on a place to live and organizing my stuff that is ALL over the townhouse.  I am torn over how much stuff to put away because while I trust my roommates, I would hate for something to happen while I am gone and for that to be awkward and so on... so I am still debating on some things.  I also dealt with my orientation, which included a funny dress code quiz!

THURSDAY - My small group (aka House Church) from last year got together to paint our own pottery and spend time together before I left... It was really fun getting to see everyone, though the teacher and students were clearly already frazzled.  I am really enjoying not being in school, but I can't enjoy it so much that I forget how to study for the CPA (yuck!).  I tried a new technique, which involved blowing bubbles in my glaze.  It was a lot more time-consuming than I expected, so I am interested to see how it turns out!  My second roommate, Anna, finally moved in!  That was really nice because we have been able to spend some time together and plan to really enjoy our eight days of togetherness.

FRIDAY - After my last day at the bank, Paige Reed (she will always be Paige Reed to me, even when she's been married 50 years) and I went to dinner at Suzy Wong's House of Yum.  It was so much fun getting to spend time with her and act like we are cool city-dwellers that go out to hip restaurants and know exactly what to order, but the only easy decisions we made were about our drinks.  When we were on the way home, we stopped by Christopher's house to drop off some boxes I had taken from work.  He didn't answer and clearly didn't want us there, but Paige and I tried really hard to cheer him up!  When I got home, Anna had a friend over so I tried to talk to her for a while, but she was also wanting to wallow in self pity (it's the truth), so it didn't go very well.  Once they left I made a lot of progress in organizing my life (or at least my townhouse) until I got distracted by the policemen searching a car outside.  Long story short, I was going to ask them for help moving my TV stand until I realized what was going on - so instead I was going to take a stroll to the dumpster and investigate.  Anna had my key to the front door, so my curiosity was killed instead of me. 

And now, if you've made it through all that, we are to today! I am working on my room and finishing the downstairs, but I need to know if some big things are going to be taken by Gamma Lambda or if I am still in charge of them.  Thanks for reading this and allowing me to waste WAY too much time!

Here Goes Nothing!

Here I am doing something I kind of told myself I never would - at least not til I had kids or if I went on another great adventure - starting a blog. I think half of my problem is that I just don't like the word "blog."  It sounds a lot like "blah" with some "ugh" added in... who likes the sound of that?!

That being said, don't expect much in terms of profound statements, regular updates, or fancy html-y things to happen on here.  I am only making it because:

• Two of my best friends and I are starting a blog to stay in touch in a different way now that we're all working full time, so I had to get over my hurdle.
• I am going on an adventure of sorts - I'll be starting work at Southwest Airlines in Dallas two weeks from today!
• I already follow a lot of blogs, and wanted to combine the two email addresses I use to follow them all in one place (so efficient of me, but not at all interesting to you).
• AANNDD I wanted to get an extra entry in Caity Shinnick's amazing giveaway!  She is such a wonderful person and I should have known to expect a lot, but I have not wanted to win something this badly in quite a while!

I have also been told on a couple lot of occasions that reading my writing is just like listening to me talk, which I'll admit is usually pretty amusing - except I have my off days, like anyone - so this is probably a good way to keep connected with everyone on this next chapter away from either of my homes.

Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it!

PS It is only honest that I include "This is more fun than packing or organizing" as another reason why I am starting a blog tonight... I can out-procrastinate anyone. Try me.