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weekend recap

Let's all give a warm welcome to Tuesday, the first day of my work week thanks to Memorial Day. And might I mention that today my last Tuesday at work-- woo hoo Summer!!! My departure is long overdue (3 weeks to be precise) and I'm looking forward to getting a little rest. 

My Memorial Day weekend was particularly wonderful this year. Saturday I traveled to good ole' Ripley for a wedding shower for one of my dearest friends from high school. And when I say high school, I mean kindergarten. Ellen is getting married in November and I am so excited for her. I loved spending the day with so many of my favorite people;  I am so grateful to have been surrounded by these wonderful girls for most of my life.

Sunday was my last day to pack for the move. So, naturally, that's when I did pretty much all of my packing. By the end of the day my room was disassembled and I began thinking back to that day in August 2009 when my parents moved me in. What a wonderful chapter the last three years have been here in the Hollow. But now I'm on to bigger and better things. (Really, it's smaller and just different, but you get the point.)

The sun rose a little too early yesterday as we began loading our 16-foot moving truck a little after 7am. But after only about an hour of carefully and strategically fitting pieces of our lives into the back of the truck, we were on the road. A short time later we were all moved in to our new apartment. That's right. It's ours. [And it's only 2.22 miles from my job- score!!] Of course, I won't actually be living there for about two months but it's so nice to have somewhere that will be our home for the next year or so... while we are looking for a home... it's a process, people.

Now just four more nights of sleeping on a palette on my floor stand between me and sweet freedom. Cue the party music.

Awkward and Awesome

1. Last weekend on the beach I learned two things: 

1- I will not/ can not read 50 Shades of Grey. I am uncomfortable hearing about its contents even second-hand.

2- The next time a guy tries to "pick me up" at a bar and is not fazed by my engagement ring (or my braces), I will casually lead the conversation into one about my virginity. I've never seen a guy stand up that fast. 

2. The manicotti at The Red Bar is one of my all-time favorites. However, that amount of cheese on an empty stomach is not my favorite. My stomach got pretty angry at me.

3. There is no graceful way to peel off a layer of your skin after a sunburn. My chest is absolutely molting. 

4. It is a universal truth that I am attracted to the loudest Wal-Mart shopping carts. And they have a bumpy floor in the lobby so I don't really know if it's loud until I'm in the middle of the shampoo aisle. At least everyone knows I'm coming.

1. I got to look at this for four days:

2. We made some big check marks on Tuesday. I picked up my "Full Time New Hire" packet with all my official hiring paperwork. Yay employment! Travis and I also signed our lease and started moving things into our new apartment! (by things I mean a box of books and a crock pot, but it's a start.)

3. I have the best neighbor ever. Yes, Travis, but more recently his roommate Thomas. One night last week when Travis was still at home in Madison, I was on the couch watching Gossip Girl minding my own business. Then, out of nowhere, a cockroach the size of a small bird flies into the room. It suddenly became apparent to me how these things will survive an apocalypse: that hard shiny armor and a look in its eyes that screams "I will hunt you in your sleep." I called Travis, and after about ten minutes of him trying to devise a plan for me to capture it and another ten of me sitting on the table vowing not to approach it, I went next door and got Thomas. A minute later the mutant bug was circling down my toilet drain and my goosebumps were starting to disappear. I don't do massive bugs, y'all. 

BIG shoutout to Thomas for saving my life.

4. I've actually made a dent in packing up my things for the move. If anyone has any extra boxes I am taking donations:)

5. 51 days.

...

I promise.

So this is what summer feels like...

I took off three days this week for some much needed down time. Yesterday, I came to Birmingham to babysit this little guy while my sister is on vacation:

So far the two of us have been basically useless, but it's been pretty wonderful. 

Tomorrow I'm making the drive back to Starkville... then to Jackson... then to Destin! Starkville to pack, Jackson to have a mini Travis visit and meet up with friends, then Destin for one of my best friend's bachelorette getaway weekend. 

Travis has been home since before Mother's Day, and let me tell you, I'm not making it too well without him. Monday night in Starkville consisted of me lounging on the couch and getting my Hulu fix. So needless to say I'm looking forward to some real human interaction with someone other than Lawrence the cat or my coworkers. 

Here's to a fabulous girls' weekend and Travis coming back on Sunday!

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jumping on the bandwagon

Is this really happening?

Am I really doing this? 

I'm afraid so.

I'm jumping on the bandwagon and adding an "Awkward  and Awesome" segment to the blog. And this is the point in which I should credit where I got the notion to do so, only that would require me listing about twenty blogs/bloggers, and I don't really know who started this little idea. I considered calling the segment only "Awkward", since most of my life fits into that column alone, but I've got some pretty awesome things coming up that I just can't leave out.

1. So I'm sitting at the front desk in our office, filling in for someone taking a lunch break. A young man swings open the door, runs to the desk and asks "Do you have a pencil?". I didn't. But he seems to be in a hurry to write down whatever it is he needs to write down, so I offer him a pen out of the tall cup on the desk. He says "Thank you!" and runs out the door. Um... you mean you didn't just want to borrow it? Alrighty. Well that wasn't my (awesome sharpie) pen. I'm just  glad he didn't ask for the stapler.

2. It's pretty much been summer lately as far as weather goes, and I like to keep some windows open to let the breeze flow through the apartment. However, with the breeze comes the flies and gnats. I was cooking on the stove with a spatula in one hand and a fly swatter in the other. (They may have actually been in the same hand at one point- don't really want to think about that.) One particularly elusive fly landed on the counter. I SWIIINNNGG.... and miss. Not only did I miss the fly, I missed the counter completely. Spacial awareness has never been my thing.
Just fyi: I did finally kill the fly, but I don't know where it fell. I bet you're glad you aren't eating at my house.

3. I've been using Jillian Michaels's Killer Buns and Thighs video. It has several 30-40 minute workouts that really make me feel like I'm working. But after catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I noticed don't exactly look like the girls on the video while I'm doing these moves. So now I strategically position myself in front of my full-length mirror to make sure I've got the form down. I really hope no one walks in while I'm watching myself thrust my pelvis into the air.

1. Almost finished addressing my invitations! (3 weeks before I need to mail them, I might add)

2. I get to pick out my own graduation gift from my department. Score!

3. I'm getting my braces tightened today (trust me, this is awesome because I only have a month left)

4. Last night Travis and I made a late night trip to get milkshakes. Totally worth nullifying my workout.

5. Tonight I get to go to a worship concert put on by our friend Luke who is singing in our wedding. He is performing at a benefit to help his brother who is adopting a baby boy from Taiwan. You should go.


Well would you look at that... my week has been more awesome than awkward!

summer... lift

You can find this wonderful little workout here. The site includes all the videos and instructions you need.
You can thank me later.

Summer Butt Challenge

This challenge is designed to tighten, tone, lift and reshape your butt. You might ask:

Is this challenge easy? “No”.
Will I be sore? “Probably”.
Will it be worth it? “Definitely”.
How much time will I have to dedicate each day? “20 minutes or less”.

Sunday

100 Butt Burns (50 each side)
100 Prisoner Squats
30 Side Lunges – 15 reps each leg
30 Walking Lunges – 15 reps each leg…light weight dumbbells optional
50 Side-Lying Leg Lifts – 25 reps each leg…leg weights
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Monday
Interval Training – 4 circuits of the following routine (here we’ll be doing seconds rather than reps)
6 x’s 40 seconds = 4 minutes x 4 circuits = 16 minutes total
Step-ups – 30 seconds each leg; rest 10 seconds after each leg (use a flat bench or stable piece of equipment approximately 2′ off the floor)
Prisoner Squats – 30 seconds; rest 10 seconds
Stiff Legged Deadlifts – 30 seconds; rest 10 seconds
Butt Blaster – 30 seconds; rest 10 seconds
Heel Clappers – 30 seconds; rest 10 seconds
Leg extensions – 30 seconds; rest 10 seconds…ankle weights optional
___________________________________________
Tuesday
100 Butt Burns (50 each side)
100 Prisoner Squats
Glute video (90 Bridges; 40 forward lunges each leg; 40 leg extensions each leg…leg weights optional)
___________________________________________
Wednesday
Rest/Recovery
___________________________________________
Thursday
100 Prisoner Squats
30 Side Lunges – 15 reps each leg
30 Walking Lunges – 15 reps each leg…light weight dumbbells optional
50 Side-Lying Leg Lifts – 25 reps each leg…leg weights optional
___________________________________________
Friday
100 Butt Burns (50 each side)
100 Prisoner Squats
Glute video (90 Bridges; 40 forward lunges each leg; 40 leg extensions each leg…leg weights optional)
___________________________________________
Saturday
Interval Training – 4 circuits of the following routine (here we’ll be doing seconds rather than reps)
6 x’s 40 seconds = 4 minutes x 4 circuits = 16 minutes total
Step-ups – 30 seconds each leg; rest 10 seconds after each leg (use a flat bench or stable piece of equipment approximately 2′ off the floor)
Prisoner Squats – 30 seconds; rest 10 seconds
Stiff Legged Deadlifts – 30 seconds; rest 10 seconds
Butt Blaster – 30 seconds; rest 10 seconds
Heel Clappers – 30 seconds; rest 10 seconds
Leg extensions – 30 seconds; rest 10 seconds…ankle weights optional

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Just a little reminder.

wedding snapshot

Just a little snapshot of how the wedding planning is going:

scenery

Just returned from a walk around campus. I walked maybe two miles in about twenty minutes, including going up three flights of stairs and finding an office to deliver some paperwork. (It's still a work day, people.)  It was  nice having the balmy Mississippi morning air add just the right amount of moisture to my hair so it starts to look... fuller, I guess, is a nice way to put it. But it was good to get out of the office and take in some beautiful scenery. Scenery that I only have one more month to enjoy. 

I'm starting to get a little sad about that, but the closer I get to saying goodbye, the closer I get to beginning my new life, and I'm anything but sad about that.