Friday Letters...

...because they're my fave.



Dear Heat Wave- Please go far far away. This isn't the equater. We aren't in hell....that I know of. Temps above 85 make me too hot, and when I get hot, I get grumpy. No one wants that.

Dear Bloggers- I absolutely hate reading sponsored posts. I get that you are doing it for money, but I always hit that red X at the top of my screen when I see that it's a sponsored post. And honestly, how many of you are being for real. You can't LOVE every single thing you're given to review.

Dear precious therapy kid- I'm so so glad I'm working with you again in therapy. You have changed so much in the past 6 months since I've worked with you, and have come so far. I've missed your sweet, little face.

Dear W & M- I look good in my pink tee. Hahahahaha. or something like that.

Dear Magic Mike- I'm. So. Excited. to see you tomorrow night. I'm just going to throw this out there...the plot looks so freakin' stupid, but I don't even care. If I can stare at a bunch of hot, semi-naked men for 2 hours, then I'm there. I'm on my way to the bank to pick up some singles now.

Dear Sarah (@Waiting on the Butterflies)- I hope to see your face tomorrow night. We are already internet bffs and twins, so we better make it official and become IRL friends too. Right? Right?

Dear Friday- Thank you for coming. #ThatIsAll

A week in the life (2)...

Seven days in a week - Three work days = Four days off!! = Amazingness

Seriously. The CIA is grueling. This week my emotions were more stable but my body was just worked to the bone. Fortunately, I now have an extra long weekend to recupe. And to heal some of the wounds I've acquired. Warning, watch out for the little ones...they bite.

Let me just paint the awesomeness of long weekends... Last weekend I read The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead (review here) and The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (review to come). And it was some of the best reading I have had in a long time. That type where you can't stop for a moment other than to refill your coffee cup. Loved, loved, loved them both. Then I spent time with friends going to movies in the park and sharing good meals together. Relaxing mornings, productive afternoons, and casual evenings. All you need.

In other news...

That's right...Roommate Cousin and I are making the trip to the great up north. We will head to our home state in early August to visit our grandparents, hike some mountains, drink in clean mountain air, and prove that we are more than just city girls. 

(Big Sis and I while hiking a mountain)

The CIA has been kind enough to give me a temporary leave of absence so that I can make the trip. They have only asked that I attempt to squelch the rumors and ascertain once and for all if Sarah Palin can actually see Russia from her house.

More on that to come. (The Alaska trip, not Sarah Palin's house. I can already tell you. She cannot see Russia from her house.)

It was a good week. I cried...a lot. But not distraught, "woe-is-me" tears, more just tears for the beauty and fragility of life. I think it was nostalgia. I think it was my heart telling me it was time to start writing stories again.

Anyway, hope you've all enjoyed your weeks! 

10 Years

It happened.
10 years has passed by in the blink of an eye.
The one event that I dreaded.
(insert creepy music and a "dun dun dun")
My 10 year high school reunion.
(insert scary high pitched scream)

Since the planning started last summer, I have dreaded, whined, shed a tear (Yep. Don't you judge me!), and argued in my head why I should not attend. Would the people still be mean heifers? Would it still be clique-y? Would I feel extremely uncomfortable and sad? I mean let's face it, guys. High school is hard. Facing people from high school is hard, especially when  you aren't where you thought you'd be.

The after. I forgot to get a solo shot before the reunion. Oops.

But I did it. I bit the bullet. I bought my ticket. I bought a cute dress, after trying on many. I had a drink before leaving. I could do it...I think.

So glad my bff, Meg, attended the reunion.
She didn't go to school with us, but luckily, she married someone that did.

And you know what? I'm SO glad I did. The mean girls? Well, they've grown up. The cliques? They still exist (somewhat), but everyone talked and caught up, for the most part. (I won't get into the ones that avoided me....) Being uncomfortable. Well that still happened too. But I got over it. All it took was some guts to walk up to people and start talking.

My awesome friend, Whitney, and  me.

And guess what. I even won the "Single Ladies" award. Yep. Classmates voted for "The Next Bachelorette," and I took that bish. At first I was embarrassed....but I wasn't the only single lady. I should have had some roses to hand out or something.

Barren Co. High School Class of 2002
Out of 202 graduating students, 32 students attended.

As much as I dreaded it, I'm so glad I went. It was good to see the people that I hadn't seen since high school. It was good to talk and to catch up. And honestly, it was SO good to see that people had grown up, and that I could finally change the opinions of the people that had left rotten impressions on me in high school. I think that was one obstacle that I was super worried about.

Have you had a reunion? How did it turn out?

Things I Love (From Saturday Night)

Fried pickles from Toots.

Meeting new people and clicking instantly.

Hanging out with some pretty great friends.

Listening to Easy Street.

Singing along to some awesome songs by Easy Street.

Laughing until I cried.

Drinking buttery nipples.

Dancing on a chair.

Dancing period (cause this girl doesn't dance in public)!

Late night trips to Waffle House.

Feeling like I might get shanked by the drunk girls in the booth behind us.

Staying out late and being completely exhausted (and feeling like I'm in college again.....).

Love these kind of Saturday nights. 

Cover Bands and Friends

I love cover bands. What's better than sitting in a bar with friends and a cocktail listening to songs everyone knows and can sing along to? Nothing, unless you are on a bar on the beach.

Saturday night, I went with some friends to a honky-tonk bar to listen to Easy Street, a band that does cover songs. I'd seen them in March at this particular place and had so much fun that I knew I wanted to go back. Mix in some fun country and rock songs, red bull and vodkas, my best friends and late night trips to get breakfast, and you have an awesome night.

Sadly, I only had two pictures from the night to turn out.

BYOB&B Club

I have never been part of a book club. Shocking, I know. As much as I love books, I have never had a group to love books with. Well, that is changing. Since my friends finally discovered the greatness of The Hunger Games, it seemed an appropriate time to start a book club. 

Thanks to Jenna's clever title and the willingness of everyone, the ball is rolling. Now, we have an official book club -- 

BYOB&B:

Bring Your Own Bottle and Book Club. 

pic source

If there is anything girls are good at, it is drinking wine and talking. What better than to drink wine, talk, and include books?!

As of last night, we had our inaugural meeting and compiled a list of books to read. 

BOOK LIST 

1. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak 
2. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
3. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
4. My Life in France by Julia Child
5. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
6. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (this will be in addition)

First up -- The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak: 

Hardcover, 550 pages

Published March 14th 2006 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .
Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.
This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul. (goodreads summary)

A book about how wonderful books are? Yes please.