End of the Summer Bucket List

Funny how we throw around the term "bucket list" since that movie hit theaters!!!! I remember seeing it with my dad and trying not to cry at the ending because I didn't want him to see me cry.
So, here is the bucket list that Stuart and I have made for the rest of the summer. We realized recently that we haven't done half the things we said we would, and because I'm a list-maker, here is the rest of our summer for you all to see.They're all very simple since we only have two weeks left of summer, but I think they're doable.

• Eat at The Coffee Shop in Sylva
• Eat at The Ice Cream Cafe in Sylva
• Walk through downtown Waynesville
• Make a fire pit in the backyard
• Finish the Joshua devotional pdf
• Eat crepes at The City Lights Bookstore Cafe
• Go river rafting without losing my car keys in the river
• Finish "Friday Night Lights" series on NetFlix
• Write a final letter to my adopted soldier pen pal in Afghanistan

I think that's it. There's the rest of my summer... plus all the seminars and staff bonding activities with The Western Carolinian staff next week! It's going to be fun!!

The Must List, July 29

This week's Must List was written a few days earlier, but here it is with fashion, animals, movies, and more!!

1. Safe House on DVD
What a fantastic movie with several twists!!! Ryan Reynolds wins again!!! He does, however, win in The Change Up. It was so bad that I'm not going to even post the trailer as a link! Spare yourself and don't watch it. Rent Safe House instead!

2. Bubble purse
I have a bubble bag for the beach, and it is the cutest and most efficient accessory of the summer. I could cram my entire DVD library, Sparta, and two yard gnomes in that bag if I wanted, and it'd still be chic and cute! I can't get enough of this bag, and I've gotten several compliments on it. Mine is blue with little daisies dancing everywhere. Seriously, me + this bag + the beach = cute and fun!

3. Amazon Prime (free trial)
It's free... do I need to say anything more? Amazon Prime is great. We got free 2-day shipping!! Seriously, do I need to keep going? Yes? Ok, streaming movies and television. Free standard shipping if the 2-day thing doesn't work out. And if you decide to keep Prime for good... it's less than $7 a month. That's cheaper than NetFlix these days.

4. The Summer Olympics
The Summer Olympics are my favorite. Winter just sucks! You got beach volleyball, horseback riding, swimming, diving... and it's all in the summer!! There's actually a Western Carolina alum going to the Olympics this year for cross country. Just go away, winter! Let's replace winter with a second Summer Olympics!

5. Small cute monkeys
I'm not a monkey person (and I DEFINITELY DON'T DO APES) but this below is a Must!!How can you resist that?

6.Mini-pop Indian corn hamster treat
It's the treat that lasts forever. This treat is a mini corn cob to give to your hamster either as a corn cob or as popcorn!! The cob can be microwaved for mini popcorn for your rodent or you can let him or her gnaw down those ever-growing teeth against the cob. Nutmeg loves them. We haven't tried the popcorn yet, but she chewed and chewed on that cob for over a week!! And, it is reasonably priced!

Movie Minute: Fireworks Finale at Lake Junaluska, NC

This was unbelievable!! The fireworks exploded over the lake, and we had an amazing seat!!!! The Lake Junaluska team really put some effort into this with the show starting just after 9:45 p.m. and lasting around 20 minutes! Happy Fourth of July!

Photo of the Day: June 23

I keep forgetting today is Saturday.
Stuart and I spent a good few hours at the Jackson County Animal Shelter. They had SO MANY KITTENS!! And the most adorable Scottish Terrier. He looked like he hopped out of Disney's Lady & the Tramp!
This photo was taken in 2010 of the family dog Candy!! She LOVES watermelon! It was one of the great parts of summer: corn on the cob, hamburgers, swimming in the pool, Cats & Dogs, going to the beach, and watching Candy eat the watermelon rind!

Play On and On and On

It is the beginning of summer, which means it is time to jump in the car and go on a...

ROAD TRIP!!!!!!!!!!!!

But, you can't go on a road trip without the right music!!! You have to have the right tunes to get through

• awkward silences
• when the conversation runs out
• when the road trip games take their toll
• when you can't stand to hear anymore about your dad's five-step success plan (as in Little Miss Sunshine)
• and just in general!

So, here is a list of 25 MUST HAVE SUMMER ROAD TRIP MUSIC (in no particular order) that you should definitely consider downloading before your next trip to the beach, Grandma's, or the nearest national monument. You can thank me later! Also in the list are hyperlinks that will take you to one of the many YouTube lyric videos for the song!!! There are some new songs that just came out and some oldies! Prepare and enjoy!!!

IT'S SUMMER!

1. "Paradise" by Coldplay
2. "Underneath" by Adam Lambert 
3. "Blow" by The Prom Kings
4. "Los Angeles" by Sugarcult
5. "Trespassing" by Adam Lambert... which has a very Queen vibe
6. "Starships" by Nikki Minaj
7. "A Thousand and One Nights" by the SMASH cast
8. "Boogie Wonderland" from Happy Feet... because you've got to have something from a musical, as if SMASH wasn't enough!!! Give me some credit, I didn't include anything from Glee
9. "Wild and Young" by American Bang 
10. "Blackout" by Breathe Carolina
11. As much as you can get from the Adventureland and Elizabethtown soundtracks!
12. "Touch Me" by the SMASH cast
13. "Never Close Our Eyes" by Adam Lambert
14. Anything by Carbon Leaf
15. "Let's Don't Call it a Night" by Casey James... in case you're into that country stuff
16. "Dulaman" by Celtic Woman
17. "You're Not Thinking" by Drake Bell
18. "Any Way You Want It" by Journey
19. "You Give Love a Bad Name" by Bon Jovi... from Barney's Psych Mix (How I Met Your Mother)
20. "Never Leave this Bed" by Maroon 5
21. "The Cave" by Mumford and Sons
22. "This City" by Patrick Stump
23. "I Don't Care" by Fall Out Boy
24. "Cuckoo" by Adam Lambert
25. "We are the Champions" by Queen... because you can't take an awesome road trip unless you're a champ!

Photo of the Day: May 28

This was taken in the summer of 2010!! I am missing my kitty so much right now! I can't wait to cuddle him again tomorrow! :)

5th Time's a Charm

 Well... I find it ironic how much I hate change and have the lifetime desire to find my perfect home, but I keep moving. This will be the fifth time I've moved in two years! Thankfully, I'm not moving across half the state this time. It's just from Cullowhee to Sylva.

Welcome to Sylva, North Carolina

As much as I'd love to divulge why I'm moving again, I'm going to wait until I get my deposit back before I spill the illegal secrets of my landlady and her so-called "business." I always had a twinge of worry in the back of my mind since I never saw the place or met her before I moved into the single wide, two-bedroom trailer up on a mountain covered in tall trees, llamas, and mini horses. Still, even if I had gone over the trailer with a comb... there would have been no way Justin or I could have seen the kind of trap we were moving into!
Right now, I am pet sitting three large and friendly dogs in Greensboro. The day I get back... WE ARE MOVING OUT AS FAST AS WE POSSIBLY CAN!!! Already, Stuart and I have taken box after box over to the new place in Sylva in an effort to just get out of that trailer!! Believe me, I want to get as far away as possible as fast as I can!

The new place!!! <3

The new place is a longer drive from Western Carolina than I would have liked... but it's so beautiful and CLEAN!!! Like you don't think of a trailer as being clean... that's not anywhere close to the stigma that goes hand-in-hand with a trailer. But this... is only two years old, custom ordered with extra insulation, and was kept very neat by the woman who used to live there. The trailer has two bedroom, carpet everywhere except the kitchen, and comes with a beautiful tan leather couch that could double as a bed. No puke green walls or stained carpet!!! It sits on a small property with view and access to Scotts Creek, a small-sized, fast-moving river. There's a yard in the back and on the sides where we will plant a garden and have a screened awning in the back overlooking the creek. The bubbling creek cancels out the noise of the traffic on Main Street, which is across the creek. It's a short walk to the library, the Farmers' Market, downtown restaurants, and the City Lights bookstore from our new place. Sadly, Jack the Dipper ice cream parlor isn't downtown, too. That would be ideal!!

Jack the Dipper ice cream parlor... not in downtown

It will also be the first time since the summer in Raleigh that I will have both of my pets, Sparta and Nutmeg, in my house on a full-time basis. I am so excited to get Nutmeg back. I've missed that crazy hamster, and after reading a hamster care book, Stuart and I found out that we've been caring for her all wrong this entire time!!! And somehow, she never died!! Yesterday, I purchased a wire cage high rise, which attaches to her glass cage in order to give her three extra levels for more fun, more exercise, and more air flow as compared to the stuffiness she has experienced in her glass cage. At the same time, the high rise is easily detachable so we don't have to worry about Sparta trying to pry apart the wire top when we're gone or can't watch them. Stuart and I also plan on feeding her more fruits, a spoonful of fruit yogurt now and then, a pinch of meat once a week (yes, meat!!!), and provide nature's own joys like branches from a willow tree or washed grass. Apparently, hamsters LOVE this stuff!
Now, as to my roommate... well, I'll announce that later on, but I can't wait to tell you all (my four devoted readers, I adore you all). In the meantime, I'm chilling in Greensboro, waiting... waiting... waiting........... I JUST WANT TO MOVE... RIGHT NOW!!!!!!

Photo of the Day: May 26

I haven't been doing very well with my Photo of the Day posts... it's more like the Photo of Every Two Weeks!
This photo was taken in the summer of 2009. KATE HAS A MOHAWK OF WATER!!! 

The Summer of 2011, a Review

The summer is coming to a close and quickly. I have finally found a place to live in Greensboro, and the keys are jingling on my key ring. It's a cute house close to campus I'm sharing with Joe and Anna (or JoAnna) and our three pets. I move in on August 6th and start my new job as a Sandwich Artist at Subway on August 10th! School starts soon after!!

Best thing that happened: moving in with Stuart

Worst: Car insurance business and never finding a job...

Best single day: First day at the Outer Banks with Stuart for our 9-month anniversary

Worst: Being sick because of the heat when the air conditioner was out; Ralph the bat being put to sleep!

New friend: Kerrigan, Mitchell's daughter

Song of the summer: "The Last Goodbye" by David Cook, "Sleepwalker Glam Nation Live version" by Adam Lambert, "Friday is Forever" by We the Kings

Artist of the summer: We the Kings

Best day trip: Going to Greensboro and finally finding my new house!!

New house on Milton Street

Wish I had: been able to swim more

Movie of the summer, DVD: Long Way Down series, 300, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Movie of the summer, theaters: Water for Elephants

Most proud of: Making it work with Stuart and working hard on my new novel

Could have lived without: Cleaning out the Cullowhee apartment

Couldn't have lived without: Stuart

Loved: How hard Stuart tried no matter how sick or bitchy I was

Wished: Stuart and I had had more time

Dreamed: Many strange things!

Surpised by: Talking to The Viking again?! What?? Didn't see that one coming.

Appreciated: Stuart's tireless efforts to make sure I had the best summer

Hated: Family drama, money problems, Ralph the bat's untimely death!

Stressed over: Never finding a job, keeping my car, finding a house in Greensboro, getting my college stuff organized

Smiled at: My adorable hamster, my silly Sparta, my adventures in Mount Holly, being with MK, and Morgan asking me to dance at Vic's Italian Restaurant

To be continued: Finish my novel, never give up on my relationship, and trying new foods

Ma's wedding

Lex's Secret Camping Trip Part 2

Right from the start, the trip started out wild. After loading up the car with a tent, tent stakes, boogie boards, inflating mattress pads, and various other instruments and tools I had never before taken on a trip, we set off in Little Honda across the Coastal Plains of North Carolina.
The night before, the surprise was ruined for Morgan by a third party when he found out we were going to the beach. I was devastated. I had worked so hard at trying to keep it a secret that I sobbed hysterically for quite some time before trying to put on a happy face. Thankfully, Morgan had no idea which beach we were going to. He was quite thrilled to find out halfway to the Outer Banks that that was our actual destination. We stopped at a small gas station/restaurant where we ate a cheap lunch then crossed several large bridges to the Outer Banks.
I momentarily got us lost in Nags Head then turned back around to head down the long stretch of solitary highway through the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. During some spots, you can clearly see the Atlantic Ocean on one side and some sound or the Oregon Inlet on the other as the spit of land is so narrow.
We weren't barely past Bodie Island Lighthouse when things got spooky! I knew it was going to rain as Weather.com had been reporting isolated thunderstorms for the entire length of our stay. What we saw though neither of us were prepared for!
As we headed down the highway, the sky blackened. It was like a thunderstorm brewing over the plains of Africa. Clouds as dark and sinister-looking as Satan's own cape of evil began churning overhead. Suddenly, a deluge of water came sloshing down from the sky. Morgan looked out the window on his side and pointed.
"What the hell is that?" I cried when I saw what had caught his eye. "My gosh, that's a funnel cloud."

It was like I was watching my television screen tuned in to the Weather Channel. About 20 to 30 yards away, the perfectly shaped funnel cloud was slowly drifting down to land. It was your stereotypical image from a Storm Watchers program. Simultaneously, I was scared out of my mind and amazed! If we weren't about to die from being unable to see five feet in front of us from the rain, I would have watched its continued descent, mesmorized.
However, I was driving and had to focus on the road.
"Find a radio station," I told Morgan. If there was actually about to be a tornado, I wanted someone who knew what they were talking about to tell me where it was going to land and what I needed to do.
Then without warning, the funnel cloud disappeared. It was as if Morgan and I had dreamed the same dream.
It was then I realized that the crazy happenstances that followed my mother around wherever she went weren't just hers. It was a gene thing. It had been passed on to me!

Camping in the Rain Part 2

Here is part two of the camping in the rain. The leaks begin to get worse and life as we know is about to get wet!!

Camping in the Rain Part 1

This evening, Morgan and I returned from our camping trip in the Outer Banks, the chain of islands off the coast of North Carolina. They make up my favorite place in the world! I love the touristy essence of Nags Head, the history of Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills, the spookiness of Hatteras, the wilderness of Waves and Rodanthe, and the classiness of Duck!
It was an amazing, unbelievable trip! Morgan and I, celebrating our 9-month anniversary, enjoyed a relaxing though at times exciting trip. We spent the night in a two-person tent on the coast of Waves inside the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
The weather was nice...ish! Thankfully, it didn't thunderstorm all night like it was supposed to. But the next morning, we did see some rain. Here's part one of what happened:

19. The Pirates of the Caribbean The Curse of the Black Pearl

Book 19: The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl the junior novelization adapted by Irene Trimble (C+)

I have to keep in mind that this is a "junior novelization." The book was pretty much a direct screenplay of the favored film starring Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, and Geoffory Rush from the Disney Vault. However, it lacked all and any detail.
Captain Jack Sparrow is introduced as "... far below the cliff in a small, leaky bit of a boat stood one of the sliest pirates ever to sail the Spanish Main. Captain Jack Sparrow was his name" (13). Then, that's it! No description of facial features, clothes, or any indication of why he might be the "sliest" (which was incorrectly spelled in the book) pirate ever.
The jewel of the book lies in its short chapters, which all readers love, and sticking to the script. The only major line that wasn't in the book - and this is completely unforgivable - is "BUT WHY IS THE RUM GONE!?!"

Still, if I were 13 years old, this would be the perfect reading companion to the movie. It is a wonderful way to read one's favorite movie in a non-script-like fashion with all the favorite swashbuckling pirates, damsels in distress, and plundering.

Trimble, Irene. The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Junior Novelization. New York: Random House, 2003. Print.

18. Planet of the Apes

Book 18: Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle (B)

So, this wasn't exactly the story I remember from Tim Burton's movie (and by the way, there's a new Planet of the Apes film coming out called Rise of the Planet of the Apes which seems to explain how the planet of Soror became overrun and ruled by apes). Yeah, it's like Burton just got the idea of a ape-ruled planet from the book. But it's no surprise. Have you seen Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?
In Boulle's classic novel, three men decide to explore the solar system of Betelgeuse. After landing on a planet, they find humans physically like them. Mentally, they are like wild animals unable to communicate with language, tearing into animal flesh like the big cats, and showing no signs of mental comprehension. The following day, the human pride is attacked by apes dressed to the nines and the main character is taken off to the main city. There, he learns that mankind has a evolutionary mental downfall and that apes excelled. They evolved into speaking, thinking beings that control the entire planet. 
The story has a downright scary ending that left me shuddering.

I believe the main point of this story was to prove how cruel and unusual operating on animals is. This concept was pointed out several times throughout the novel with the main character's disgust and opposition toward the scientist apes operating on human beings to study the brain. The following conversation is between the main character and his ape ally.
"And you carry out these experiments on men!"
"Of course. Man's brain, like the rest of his anatomy, is the one that bears the closest resemblance to ours. It's a lucky chance that nature has put at our disposal an animal on whom we can study our own bodies. Man serves us in many other fields of research, as you'll come to realize... At this very moment we are undertaking an extremely important series of experiments" (104).
Boulle uses a world of apes experimenting on men to show a unique point: what if apes were just as aware of the world as us humans on Earth in today's world?? Would it still be ethical to operate on them in horrible ways? Removing their sense of self. Removing their sense of motherhood and protecting their own offspring. Giving them human diseases to fund human cures.Which scientists go further than what's actually "humanely" allowed already?
If you want something to think about, pick up this book!

Charlotte doesn't Want us to Go. Raleigh doesn't Want us Back

Enjoying the pool

Last week, Morgan and I drove down to Charlotte to visit my mother and sisters. It was a full house that night with Kate, Kate's boyfriend Seth, Anne, Ma, Ma's boyfriend, Morgan, a dog, two cats, a turtle, a gigantic could-eat-your-hand goldfish, and myself.
Morgan serenaded our stomachs with Angus Barn beef burgers that left all of us crying over the beauty of such top quality meat that couldn't be found within a 100 mile radius of our local Food Lion and Harris Teeter.
There was a man of the house vs. me Wii tennis match. It took the three males and five matches to finally take me down and my Adam Lambert-look-a-like Mii! (Suck it!)
There was some intense swimming in the backyard pool, a luxury that Morgan clearly enjoyed.
I got to hang with my best mate MK. He recently graduated with his associate's degree from Johnson & Wales and I am oh so proud of him!
Overall, one of the best vacations ever!!! Then, we tried to leave!
After packing up the car, I followed Ma to a local country bar and line dancing joint called Coyote Joe's. There, Ma and her boyfriend met and line dance together to an assortment of country songs that follow the tractor trailer, love my hound, that woman's got some tight overalls, and swinging on the back porch swing is how I lost my virginity theme. For years, Ma has been trying to drag me there and finally, I decided to go to see what all the fuss was about and to wish one of my high school classmates the best of luck as he gets shipped off across the United States for some army training and work. Morgan, as equally unenthusiastic as me whose only connection to country would be if Metallica ever pulled a prank and covered a Toby Keith song, wanted to hit the road. I promised we wouldn't stay long.
And then, I locked my car keys in Little Honda in the parking lot of the club!!! (It was bound to happen some day!)
Thankfully, there was a friend of my mother's who carries around a break-into-people's-car kit in her back trunk. Dressed in her cowboy boots and country's finest blouse, she wretched open my car door with a rubber wedge and unlocked my car with a long pink hook as a small, curious crowd of country lovers gathered around the car. Instead of waiting an hour for AAA to show up, we gently applauded after 10 minutes of gawking at this woman breaking into Little Honda then spent a few minutes quarreling and yelling at each other as to how to turn off the car alarm that refused to be silenced!

~

On the road, things were good. Traffic was light through Charlotte and down into Concord where I-85 becomes two lanes and is a complete pain! We made it into an hour of our trip and since my cruise control is no longer working, I asked Morgan if he could drive for a bit. We pulled over at a rest stop and only then did I realize that my gas was low. It would have been more convenient to stop at a gas station and switch there. Now, we'd have to stop twice. Morgan got into the car and we took off down I-85 that had now doubled as I-40.

For those of you who have never driven the I-85/I-40 stretch toward Greensboro and Statesville, I'd like to point out that there is a long, terrifying stretch of NOTHING!!! No fast food restaurants. No state-owned restrooms. NO GAS STATIONS!! Can you picture where my story is about to head? Guess what area we were at when Morgan took over driving?!?!?!

Before long, the gas light went on. It's nearing 10:00 p.m.

I've never run completely out of gas before. Not in Little Honda, anyway. My dad ran out on the way to church or something like that when I was quite little. We had to knock on a stranger's door to use the phone (yes, people, there were no cell phones yet! At least not where everyone had one). Back to the story... I had no idea how long it would take before Little Honda called it quits. And every time Morgan let up on the gas, I felt my heart try to explode through my esophagus as I thought, "This is the end! We're stranded!"

We took an exit I thought had a gas station. Instead, it's a completely different highway that DOES NOT go back to I-85/I-40. Tensions are high and suddenly we're both snappy towards each other. It's eerily dark and there's a spooky mist over the road. We nearly run headfirst into a dump truck because the fog that randomly appeared as soon as we got on this nameless highway is so thick. I'm scared out of my mind. Not only are we now going to run out of gas, we're going to run out of gas on the side of a highway where we'll either be murdered in cold blood or dragged off into a cave by rabid wolves!!!!!! 

We turned around and somehow manage make it back onto just plain I-40 toward Durham. Then, the wait begins. We have no idea how long it will take to see an exit sign that has a gas station. A sign goes past. Another. 

My eyes are closed, my hands clasped together. Oh yes, the power of prayer has been evoked. I'm praying that I have as much faith as a mustard seed that God will allow us to see the beauty of a fluorescent light again. (I'm sure my mom is laughing by now as she's reading this. I'm also sure she's not the only one.)

Finally as soon as we hit signs that start advertising Greensboro, we spot a gas station! WE'VE BEEN SAVED!!!!!!! We pull into a gas station and I finally start to cry as Morgan fills up Little Honda's tank. 

"Baby, it's ok," Morgan said. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you. What did you think would happen if we'd run out of gas?"

We'd walk for hours in the pitch dark with a pen light and two cell phones between us as we tried to find a gas station and then walk back to fill up the car. 

We'd sit in the car waiting for help and an 18-wheeler would go off the road and smash into our car. 

Someone would try to pick us on the side of the road and we'd never be heard from again.
We'd actually find a gas station and end up back in Raleigh.... haha, just kidding!

"All I had to do," Morgan continued, "was call AAA and we'd wait for them. And we'd be on our way."

....Oh yeah, that special service Morgan has! AAA, a three time duplication of the letter A that rescues drivers everywhere. WHY DIDN'T YOU MENTION THAT BEFORE??  I honestly believed he had tried not to imagine the worst. He probably won't admit it, but he was probably just as freaked out and nervous as I was. 

~

Now, we're back. Morgan's at work. I'm at the apartment trying to keep the place as cool as possible. The air conditioner has picked the best season to call it quits. I actually have a temporary job starting on Saturday. I'm caring for a woman's cat while she's on vacation. I'm honestly looking forward to it! It won't be heavy cash, but I got extremely lucky that she picked me over anyone else! Her little kitty is going to be the happiest cat in the whole world for one week! I'll make sure of it!

Being Handed a Prize

It turns out that today was just as good as my unofficial "last day."
As you all know, May 21st was not the Rapture. That, or I was left behind and so was everyone else! However, I tried to live my May 21st like it was the Rapture and spent the entire day with my family.
First, Ma and I remembered the old times by reenacting stories, telling new tales, and basically just laughing hysterically so hard that I made her eyes sting because her mascara ran from tears of laughter. Then, we did the woman thing to do and laid out by the too-cold-to-swim-in-yet pool and basked in the sun to where Ma suddenly raised her head and shouted, "Wow! There's a lot of wildlife today!" at the squawking birds, rustling lizards, and barking dogs. Then, I dined with Kate at Panera Bread - food that is so good it's worth shelling out way too much money for! I feasted like I'm a poor college student on a whole pumpkin muffin, a crispy apple, and hot macaroni and cheese with a small orange juice.

Kate and I haven't seen each other since she was diagnosed with asthma (sorry, Ma, if you haven't told the distant relatives yet and were saving that information for a lengthy phone call in the near future. Hi, everyone!). ...My baby sister has asthma. My other sister is profoundly deaf in one ear. I have hypoglycemia (or something a lot like it). Seriously.... Seth, Morgan... RUN!! You do NOT want to breed with us!!!! We have scary DNA and it'll pass along to your future children should you marry us. RUN AWAY before you catch it, too!!!
After lunch, I watched The Fighter with Ma back at the house. Holy crap, awesome movie! If you haven't seen this film yet, go to a Redbox quick because you're missing out on cinema awesomeness! It is not just another "sports" movie where that's all that matters and the loser rises to the top. The story is so much more... even though the trailer doesn't make it look that way. And yes the crackhead former legend brother is played by Christian Bale - that same guy who growled his way through Batman Begins and The Dark Knight (also good movies, if you haven't seen those then we're no longer speaking!!)
Then it was time for dinner and my "last meal" was a big, fat piece of juicy steak and an equally fat baked potato topped with butter! Delicious!!! I didn't come up to breathe until there wasn't any meat left on the bone. I took off soon afterwards to visit with my dad where we watched bits of Cartoon Network with Anne before I hit the road.
My last hour was spent clutching my teddy bear Mr. Mars as we cruised down I-40 through Asheboro territory, home of the NC Zoo. I sent Morgan a text during saying, "Baby, I love you so much. I can't wait to hug you." 9:00 came. 9:00 went. I continued to drive down I-40.

~

Today continued to be just as amazing as yesterday. What was a trip to see the border collie sheep herding demonstration at the Got to Be NC Festival turned into your stereotypical Nicholas Sparks couples date to the state carnival trip. Morgan and I pulled up into a large field and walked across the street to the fairgrounds where we instantly headed to the Grandstand for the demonstration. Two border collies - one long-haired and one short-haired - proceeded to show us different techniques in herding sheep. It was fascinating to watch these intelligent animals work. The long-haired, Ranger, was a young and obviously inexperienced. He wanted nothing more than to get at those sheep. Morgan and I watched transfixed as the dogs herded the sheep around cones, into a pen, and over a small bridge. 

When the show ended, we walked around the entire fairgrounds then stopped at two booths to get drinks. I got a strawberry daiquiri smoothie in a long tube of a plastic cup and Morgan got lemonade and strawberry "Moose Joose Slush." We drank our beverages away from the warming sun near the coolness of a large fountain at the far end of the fairgrounds as families bustled around us with their strollers and dogs. We attended the end of the Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show where we saw an ax throwing competition and a dog named Sandy beat a man at log rolling. 

Our last activity was Morgan proving he has the skill (that will never be used in real life except for that moment) of throwing a ping pong into the smallest fish bowl imaginable. To escape winning a live fish as we need no more pets in this apartment, Morgan had to throw the ping pong into just one bowl - the one on top of a pyramid of bowls that was perfectly blocked by a low hanging sign in the center of the booth. And on his third try, he landed that ping pong in the center of the red bowl!!! I was beyond thrilled and so proud of my baby!! Then, I was handed an orange plush clown fish that had been dangling over my head as I snapped pictures of Morgan proving his manly worth of winning his woman a toy from the carnival. We walked away with me cooing over my new toy and Morgan feeling pretty proud of himself. 

Remember when I was complaining about going to a carnival last summer with father...? ...And I wanted that Nicholas Sparks carnival moment so I won my own toy?? I find it ironically funny that then I won myself an inflatable clown fish that made me happy yet depressed at the same time because I was alone and heartbroken but I wasn't going to let that stop me. And now, a year later I have this amazing guy win me a plush clown fish. To whatever female pop star who says they don't need a man... getting handed a fish by the guy who just won it for me was so much better!

Summer Begins

For college students, summer has begun! Last week, Stuart and I packed up the majority of my belongings in Cullowhee and crammed them into his already filled apartment. I brought my TV, my DVD player, my framed poster of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” my stuffed animals, and all of Sparta’s things. We were a silly-looking caravan driving down I-40, me with a cat wandering around in my car on top of garbage bags of clothes and Stuart’s boat of a car filled to the brim with shelving units and random items.

The "new" living room

In the beginning, I wasn’t exactly thrilled with the prospect of moving in with Stuart. I hate the city of Raleigh for some reason I can’t explain and I kept wondering what would happen if we broke up over the summer. I didn’t have a job, but I didn’t have one in Cullowhee either. At the end of April, I officially ended my employment at The Western Carolinian, which was just as sad as leaving The Flaming Arrow at East Gaston High School. Now, I am actually enjoying Raleigh (for the most part) and now that I have my own belongings and personal flairs, such as my Van Helsing and Adam Lambert poster, tacked up on Stuart’s walls, I feel much more at home and happy.

And, I just found out yesterday evening while Stuart was grilling steaks on the landing that I have (finally) have a new job!!! After months of filling out application after application, I turned to my roommate’s mother for help. She’s in the journalism business and helped me contact some insider people. Meanwhile, I also applied for a job as an “examiner” at Examiner.comwhere I would write about a certain topic for the local audience of Raleigh. While I’m still waiting to hear from the insider people, I got an email from Examiner that said they’re happy to welcome me to their team as the Raleigh Pet Photography Examiner. While the pay probably won’t be near what I had at The Western Carolinian, income is income. I’ll be doing something I love about a topic that I love for a few extra bucks. 

Sparta and Stuart

In other news... Sparta is doing well at his new home. He absolutely adores Stuart's place with its long hallway that he can sprint through and the large windows in the living room where he can bask in the sun every morning and watch the birds every afternoon. Yesterday, he spotted and guarded his apartment against two stray cats in the parking lot.  The other day I dragged him to PetCo in Cary. I wanted to introduce him to walking on a leash inside of a building. While everyone in the store swarmed around him with coos and pets, Sparta was beyond annoyed, and after picking out a toy for Nutmeg, we left as quickly as possible. 

Nutmeg is also doing well. She's been a wonderful addition to the family. Every night, she scampers around in her exercise ball through the apartment providing entertainment to herself, Sparta, and us humans. She goes by several names, include "hamster," "Hamtaro," and Stuart occasionally calls her "rat" which I admonish him for!

So far, she's been easy to care for while providing fun and something new to love. It was interesting to see how something as small and simple as a hamster has really strengthened mine and Stuart's relationship as we jointly care and provide for an animal that depends on us. Whether he believes this to be true or not, I find myself mentally bearing all the responsibility for Sparta. At the end of the day, Sparta is my pet that I have brought into Stuart's life. Nutmeg, we bought and decided to buy her together. Sparta is like a furry kid from a previous marriage. He was part of the package of dating me whether Stuart liked it or not. Luckily, Stuart adores Sparta and vice versa. In fact, the whole reason Stuart and I got to know each other for we started dating was because he started coming to the apartment more to see my crazy, dog-like cat that liked to play fetch and use the furniture as a jungle gym. The fact that he liked my cat was one of the characteristics I found attractive about him. 

Hamtaro

Today was a rather unlucky day (it is Friday the 13th). I am under the impression that I have strep throat and might have to go to the doctor's soon before it turns into something worse. I feel completely useless as I've slept all day or been lying about on the couch unable to focus on whatever TV I've been watching. Hopefully, I'll get better within a day or two and I continue enjoying my summer with Stuart. We have so many plans, so many adventures we want to have together.

April Always Gets Me

It's that time in the semester where I literally waste before your very eyes. It's like a magic trick except there's nothing magical about it. It's that part of April where I'm so stressed and so busy that I get sick and hardly eat anything and just run off of fumes until after exams.
I was waiting for the bus this morning - I take the off campus transit bus now because gas prices are too high and I have to save every mile for trips to Raleigh - and thinking about last summer. In fact, I've been thinking a lot about last year because I had a run-in with not only The Viking but also the girl he left me for... twice (twice as in we ran into each other twice... though now that I think about it, he did technically leave me for her her twice.). We passed each other as they entered and then we left the Courtyard Dining Hall, and the whole ordeal really shook me up since I haven't seen either of them in over a month, and I had prayed that I would be lucky enough to miss them across campus for the rest of the year. Lady Luck just wouldn't have it.

Anyway, last summer I arrived back in Mt. Holly pale, pasty, beyond thin, and exhausted beyond belief. I do believe I spent the first week or so of my summer sleeping constantly, zoning out with my iPod's ear buds crammed down my ear canal, or watching the television screen flicker away until the family came home from school. Then, I'd retreat to my room for more sleep. I was a walking zombie, broken and completely at a lost with how to cope with what happened freshman year and how I was going to handle sophomore year in three months.

Then as the big rumbling bus picked me up at the stairs that lead to the lower parking lot of my apartment complex, I walked on and took a seat in the middle to watch the scenery float past as we barreled down the insane hill of a driveway and out onto Highway 107 for drop off/pick up students from the University Peaks. The leaves have been flourishing on trees only now for the silky white nests of newly born caterpillars to devour them. I remember every spring going out in the yard after school with Kate and running around scooping up caterpillars and putting them in boxes. We'd give them names and treat them like pets until we either accidentally killed them or they spun themselves into a bushy coccoon where we'd then become bored and forget the boxes. The next spring, we'd do the exact same thing.

As I'm bogged down by my long distance relationship, which has now been made harder by not being able to talk on the phone beofre 7 p.m. because of no free minutes (and guess what time Morgan has to go to work!) and recently the loss of Skype by my laptop being infected again, along with papers and final exams, I wish more than anything to romp about the backyard with Kate chasing after caterpillars. The desire to be childlike overcomes the guilt of murdering innocent caterpillars.

The bus rolls up another insane hill that is the Peaks' driveway. I feel that as soon as the driver lets go of the brake we'll plummet backward down the hill with no way to stop then crash and flip upside down in a terrific and horrible explosion that my boss will write about in The Western Carolinian. But we don't. The bus continues on past the endless giant brick that is The Peaks Apartments and down a small drive to campus where our reflection oozes across the tinted mirros of the Ramsey Center.
Campus has changed since spring began. Students exist again. They're not just rushing to class. They're ambling along the new UC lawn and fountain. They're gathered on the banks of Cullowhee Creek in bikinis and shorts sunning themselves with a laptop on a blanket. They're walking dogs along the Intramural Fields track and playing Ultimate Frisbee. It actually makes me not want to transfer to UNC Greensboro. However, I know this is all a short happiness. This scene only lasts the last and first month of school. You'd never see this from September to March... unless it's snowing, and that's a different scene entirely.
I wonder how long my exhaustion will last after final exams. If I ever get a job in Raleigh (please anyone call me for an interview), it's doubtful I'd get my week of sleeping and utter laziness like last summer. Since recently I've been experiencing harsh headaches and nausea again, I've been wondering if I ever completely got over my mono last semester. My body tells me, "NOPE!"

And so April goes on... I leave for Raleigh on Wednesday and then to Charlotte to be with my family for Easter. I've been away from Charlotte for too long! I plan on sitting outside all weekend long and soaking up Gaston County air! I can't think of a better way to spend my time...! Please, I pray, no rain!! Knowing Lady Luck... it's gonna rain..............cripes!

Kodak Moment: Photo of the Day Feb 4

Today it's rainy and nasty here in Raleigh so I wanted my picture today to be sunny and crazy. The picture is a nod to my awesome summer in 2009. It was right before I was shipped off to Cullowhee, and I had a blast every second! This was taken at a friend's where we decided to jump off the diving board "High School Musical" poster style!