5-0

 Happy Birthday to the world's best mom :)

The best of $2.18

Thank you Publix for supplying me, Sir Lexicon and Kujo with hours of entertainment for only 2 dollars and change!

infinitely beautiful

Life is an infinite source of chaos. Whether a believer in Karma, "everything happens for a reason", religious, or atheist, it is undeniable that the events in our lives never solely affect just us. We share experience and emotion with those around us to help ease the burdens, share in the joys, organize the day-to-day catastrophes, and to just plain let out some steam every now and then. How we manage and how we cope affect those around us, from a family member who shares in the heartbreaking news to the store clerk who you didn't smile back at. All of us are bound in this infinte ride that life has in store for us. Personally, I'm happy to have a few people close enough to share my moments with. And equally as happy to have a thick exterior to keep my internal chaos as far away from others so I don't rain on their parade.

Love.

I feel like such a grown up this week. I got my first real world job offer in the realm of Occupational Therapy today ... now I only need to finish my 5 weeks here, 12 weeks at CHOA, make 2 A's in my online classes, take my boards get my licensure in GA, and take my physical agent modalities certification THEN i'll start my real world income!!

Let the craziness begin .. YIKES!!

::deep breathing::

It has been such a relaxing weekend. I am floored at how calm and refreshed I feel ... and wondering why this feeling can't happen more often!!

Spent Saturday with my nephew at my mom's place taking tons of obscenely cute photos. Like ...

With a few more of my favs being ...

&&&

 

irish is better

I want this new album ... but it's only out in every continent except the USA. Anyone wanna fly to Dublin and bring me back a copy ... and maybe one or two of the band member!!

click here to hear hallucinations by Delorentos

cuh.razy

The Barbarian Challenge

Just registered for my next crazy event of madness! The description of this one is:

The Barbarian Challenge is THE RACE for athletes  seeking the ultimate competitive event.   You'll test your endurance and stamina on 3.4 miles of gut wrenching mud, sand-hills and swamp water with a dozen dirty obstacles of tunnels, tires, walls, junk cars and fire.  In the end, you'll party with thousands of friends at the biggest Barbarian Bash South Georgia has ever experienced!

 

Battlefield Image

I think my favorite part is in the FAQ's when it says, "What is the Barbarian Challenge?

Some people call it a big beerfest costume party in a mudpit with an awesome race thrown in for good measure.  We call it the hardest race you’ll ever freaking love"

4:LVR

There's no place like home. 

Especially one with as many memories as this one, right?

: )

(It's missing a huge floor lamp still, which means  might have to move this small lamp ... which means I might have to move the picture frames ... but you know, other than that it's done!!)

POD

Project of the Day

A nice before, after, and my mess in between my construction of a small trunk into a coffee table. 

It's a perfect fit for the space. Not pictured is the other half of my living room (which yes, I have rearranged 4 times this week) that has another 2 sections of sofa with a real coffee table in front of it. Best part about this is that this one is a chest, so I can put a blanket inside it and keep the kitty hair off it during its downtime! - Sorry Kuj - 

So as with pretty much every DIY project, there are those great moments when you say, "Really? Damn."

Here are a couple of mine ...

Left: I stood the newly formed table up and it was too tall. 

Good thing I own a battery powered hand saw! 

See ya 3 extra inches. 

Right: Closing up the stain for the legs and chest the ring 

of the can splattered ALLLL over me. The clothes 

I could care less about ... the fact that Im gonna look

like a giraffe for the next few days I could do without. 

SSID

In light of my recent computer malfunctions, I supped up my wireless internet access at the luxurious Foxcroft Condominiums. -- Yeah I switched from a free wireless router with no security to a $10 one with all the bells and whistles.

The best part: i got to name it!! None of that Netgear or 2WIRE crap that most companies make you stick with to brand themselves. Nope, not me. My internet is now affectionately found in the wireless connections list as .... RedPanda

Why? Here are a few reasons ... 1.The most adorable creature ever.

 

2. it is also commonly referred to as the 'shining cat'

3. they are listed as 'vunerable' on the endangered species list

viral infection

AGAIN...

once again my poor computer has fallen victim to a viral infestation of who-knows-what from the Internet. this marks 3 computers in 6 years that have bit the dust do to circumstances mainly out of my control. the first computer, sure i was downloading from an unsafe musical 'borrowing' site here and there, but i learned my lesson after the screen of death invaded my main page. the second computer caught some nasty postpartum GA virus just as i got to los angeles. AND since i had learned my lesson, i didn't do any crazy downloading, and kept my antivirus software up to date like it was my religion.

Apparently hackers are getting more sophisticated ... which seems to be correlating with me becoming more broke. Honestly people, don't you realize that if you steal my bank info then crash my computer that there is only less money for you to then steal from me because I'm being asked to spend $199 to get my old comp back, $350 to get a new laptop, or pondering the $1,000 for a mac book that doesn't fall victim to your antics.

the nasty virus that my laptop has

I think the most frustrating part is that I read how to get rid of it, followed all the directions, had my computer running great for 2 days, then BAMMMM. Computer no longer turns on. Uhhhh ... yeah. 

get noticed

Excited to hear one of my current ipod fav workout/drive with the windows down songs on the radio today! 

ten minutes of me

Walked in the door from work tonight right before the sky let loose. Decided to enjoy the moment and uncorked a bottle of wine, grabbed my book, slid open the ridiculously heavy balcony door and swigged wine from the bottle while I finished the last 5 chapters in my book and watched it storm intensely. Thanks GA weather, I needed that.

this or that

to hair cut or not to hair cut, that is the question.

ive been cutting my own hair since i moved to LA and now back to GA ... it currently looks like 

and i'm debating on going back to the older look of the side bang/sweep...

(without the cat ears, of course)

Yup, I realize it's stupid to blog about a hair cut option, but I needed something light and airy to break up the philosophical posts!

fumes

It's simple really:

Food : Chelsea :: Gas : Mazda

(Yes, as my speedometer indicates, I took this as i was driving 40 mph down the road to immediately stop at the 1st gas station I saw) 

projects galore

Plays wasted words, proves to warn that he not busy being born is busy dying.

-- Bob Dylan

With the move,  the new roommate(s) --hoping for a 2nd by tomorrow evening!, and working full time, I've got real little down time. Needless  to say it has taken about 15x longer to resettle in my niche here in Foxcroft. I am finding that there are so many things I want to complete to return my house into its former "home" status and that there are just not enough hours in the day nor dollars in the bank! 

What I've currently tackled .. (bear with here)

My room/office/study corral ... the partition is mainly so that I don't feel like my new roommates have total access to my living quarters when I'm home if they want to do laundry. My bed FiNALlY has a box spring, mainly in part to my step dad being the only person who responded to my text messages today (with exception .. but he was too late).  Any way, all of these areas need a little love ... for example .. the study corral (aka my desk). 

Diplomas, check. Computer, check. Clutter, check. Actually to have used it as a desk, un-check. 

On to the main rooms, because my room is well uhh, not as complete. Well, neither is the dining room ... or all of the living room,  but man, that one small portion of the living room is stellar! 

The only part of my house that I feel is cozy so far. 

So it's all a work in progress. Next update coming soon ... THE DINING ROOM... yikes. (This will not be taking place until alllllllllll the boxes make it to the dumpster and I have all the negative to the photos I want to hang.. could be awhile people, so don't hold your breath)

Wish upon a star

Today I wish that I was here. 

but I'll stay right where I'm at anxiously awaiting the call from a person I love dearly to find out if Baby R is a he or a she!!!

waiting it out

Moving. 

we've all done it.

 the boxes. the schlepping of the heavy, cumbersome, and then the mystery of opening each one to find things you forgot you had or wish you didn't. 

So what is it that motivates us to keep straining, stressing, and relocating?

For most of us it's the ongoing pursuit of happiness -- whether it's to be closer to friends and family, to be with a loved one, or to further your education. Most importantly, I believe it's about finding a place where you just know you are supposed  to be. 

Currently my former LA roommate is learning the art of higher education paired with a brand new city -- I know the feeling, and I can only empathize with the roller coaster she's about to experience! The most difficult part of a new place, space, and no familiar face (yeah, that rhymes and it wasn't intentional) is learning to cope with the silence around you and the endless shouting that comes from inside -- and no I don't hear voices!

So over the past few years of trying to balance the silence with noise Ive started collecting the cards, scraps, and photos that really just make me smile. One that I always go back to is a card that I got in the first month I lived alone in Los Angeles. It was the first real mail I got after all the people who made me feel sane filtered back to GA. 

It wasn't a "You can do it" or an "I miss you" card, but more a 'you've been on my mind", "let me share my life experience with you" and a reminder why I was doing what I was doing card. It made my month then and again it brightened my day when I happened across it again unpacking a week or so ago. 

I am a firm believer that life needs more moments that stumbling across the simplest of cards can bring. 

Miss you! 

hurts to be so right

All day yesterday my leg couldn't shake the awesome stabbing, throbbing, pins and needles aching that is likes to  put me through 16 hrs before it rains. I left the mountains around ... ooohhh 2pm yesterday talking to my mom about how  excited I was to drive home in intense amounts of knee pain. I got home, curled up on the sofa with a bottle of Rx Ibuprofen and waited for it to pass. Driving home from work today it was 5:30 --- 15.5 hrs from when my leg started throbbing --- and this is what it looked like ...

(Roswell Rd and Abernathy Intersection)

5 minutes later, downpour. Thunder. Lighting.  The whole nine. I like being right and all, but COME ON!!!!! 

comin' round the mountain

welcome to the coziest, most serene place on earth:

Mineral's Bluff, GA

home of this (below)

(the back deck)

My parents  bought this cabin right before the winter of .... 2005? Anyhow, it's by far one of my favorite places and holds some of my favorite memories  - most which are with the crazy friends I've taken up there. Things like Spring Break 2007, The 'Danger Scale', and copious amounts of coffee, biking, hot tubbing, and alcohol. 

Some of my favorite memories to date .... 

(Maggie & Vicki and I's biking/coffee extravaganza)      

Spring Break of Shenanigans 

And now for one of my favorite NEW memories

I am absolutely fascinated by his ability to learn and grow everyday. His amazement to life inspires me to slow down and take it all in.