Downtown in December

One day I would LOVE to go to New York City at Christmas time, walk through Times Square, see the giant Christmas Tree and go ice skating (basically live out a movie montage while "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" plays in the background). But for now, Oklahoma City will have to suffice, and I have to say, it is doing a great job. Devon Energy is putting on "Downtown in December" events, most of the restaurants and stores are decked out with lights and decor, and I am absolutely eating it up.




Saturday, Cole and I took part in the SandRidge Santa Run 5k. As previously stated, I am not a good runner. I really dislike it and am incredibly hard on myself and get discouraged easily. But for some reason, I keep running, keep signing up for 5Ks and keep thinking I will begin to one day "like" running and get better at it (still waiting on that day to come....). After finishing the Dallas Turkey Trot at Thanksgiving (and actually enjoying it!) I was hoping to enjoy this race as well. Although it was cold and I was stuck at the back of the pack with the stragglers with a horrible side cramp, I managed to shave a minute off my Turkey Trot time, finish in the middle of my division, AND finish in a good mood (thats the big shocker). Good for me! Cole, on the other hand, got 5th in his division, hey oh! (Although he may or may not have been signed up under the wrong gender..... whoops!).



Saturday night we went out on the town to the tastiest Burger Joint in the history of the world (seriously), S&B. If you have never been, go. I'm not kidding. You won't be disappointed. I recommend just about everything on the menu, but the Elvis Burger and the Hot Mess Pie could possibly be two of the best things I've ever tasted in my entire 23 years. By the way, isn't the picture in front of the lights the cutest ever? I think so. 

Finally, Sunday night, we went downtown once again to a Thunder game. We sat in what I like to call the "French Fry Section," and my seat was right next to the Thunder Girls. Now, I'm not saying I believe in my head that I'm a professional cheerleader, but I'm not saying I don't. I spent the better part of the game memorizing their routines (I got it down pretty good - LETS GO THUNDER *shake shake, shake shake shake*) and feel that with a little fine tuning in the dance department, I could make the team. Thunder Up! Maybe I'll take some time off of running and try some dance classes..... Anyone want to join??!

OKC, props to you for being a good NYC substitute in my Christmas movie montage. Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds can be our stunt doubles at any time..... I'm sure it would be a big hit. 
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santa clause & hohoho & mistletoe & presents to pretty girls

'tis the season! It is officially December and I am officially in the Christmas mood (even though its a balmy 75 degrees outside). I got my house decorated, convinced Cole to let me put up a Christmas tree at his house, and have been consuming my fair share of egg nog and peppermint cookies. I like to call myself the Christmas Queen, don't judge.


One of my favorite parts of decorating the tree is unwrapping all of my ornaments and remembering the stories behind them. The little bear is one of my favorites, my dad got him for me, and I think he is adorable. Even though the large quantity ballerina ornaments were not allowed to be hung in Cole's house, I still managed to sneak Sleeping Beauty on the tree, thank goodness! Although it is sad that I won't be there to help decorate the tree at my parent's house this year, it is fun to have my own tree. 

Although decorating my house and my own Christmas tree is fun, writing my grown up Christmas list is not. I've reached the time in my life where my list consists of things I simply don't want to spend money on. This means they are all boring things like a Swiffer mop or heater fan, or incredibly expensive things like a new laptop or giant flat screen TV. And of course a Bernese Mountain puppy, a new Jeep Wrangler, and an all expense paid trip to Tahiti. 


Chloe's Christmas list is pretty simple: things to chew on. After discovering my cable and internet was not working, talking to three separate Indian dudes for an hour at a time, and getting a whole new receiver box, I discovered a certain someone had chewed through the cords that were attached to the outside of my house. Said someone has been staying at Cole's house until I can get the replacement cords idiot-proofed. Turns out, she had a liking for those cords, because she did the same thing a few days later at Cole's. What a jerk. Luckily, Santa brought her some new chew toys that resemble rubber wiring, so hopefully that will keep her happy for the time being. Also, if anyone wants to give me a new pooper scooper, it got chewed up too....... I'd like a big red bow on top, please. 



With the beginning of Christmas season comes the end of football season. Every year I wonder what I'm going to do with all the open weekends. This year, however, I'm really looking forward to having some free weekends to simply do nothing (how old does that make me sound?!). 

OSU, God bless, managed to get a bowl game on New Years at the Cotton Bowl...... No, not THE Cotton Bowl, the "Heart of Dallas" Bowl against Purdue .... yeah, whatever that is. But, as the "loyal and true" alum that I am, I will still be cheering for my Cowboys come New Years for the last game of the season. Until then, there is lots to get done, hot chocolate (with peppermint schnapps) to drink, presents to wrap and carols to sing. And don't forget, the best way to spread Christmas cheer, is by singing loud for all to hear. :) 


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All horses deserve, at least once in their life, to be loved by a little girl.

I spent the last two weeks working in Tulsa, Okla., at the 2012 Color Breed Congress horse show.

I grew up showing Tennessee Walkers and Hunter Jumpers, so the horse show circuit is nothing new to me. However, being on the business side of things is. Being there and not having my horse with me and not being able to show made me realize just how much I miss it. I miss the long hours preparing for the show, the road trips there, the running around the show grounds with your horse show friends. I miss the sparkly outfits, the lucky tall boot socks. I miss having a trainer. I even miss waking up before dawn with the anticipation of the day's events (its MUCH easier to wake up that early when you're showing instead of working the show). But being on the other side of things allows me to experience horse shows in a different way.

One of my favorite parts of it is seeing the young girls who clearly have a bond with their horse. It reminds me of me. Of course I love my horse Warrior, but I miss all the other ponies I used to ride. Tommy, Sally, Glider, Wheel, Fatty, Replay.... the list is endless. What I would give to still be that horse crazy 14-year-old without a care in the world. I loved the bond I shared with each of those horses, trusting them and loving them as they did me. The bond shared between a girl and her horses is something not everyone understands, but if you've had it, you know exactly what I'm talking about.


There is a quote that says, "All horses deserve, at least once in their life, to be loved by a little girl." I'm glad I could give that love to so many horses as I was growing up. Each one left a hoof print on my heart.

Although the days of loping through the pasture, souring over jumps and having horse poop fights with barn friend (yes... we really did that) are long gone, I'm glad I still get a chance to see others enjoy it. Maybe one day, I can be the cool old lady at the barn who takes the little girls on trail rides and still competes in the elite amateur division. Here's to hopin'!

For now, enjoy some of my favorite pictures I took at the show. I guess if I can't ride, a front row seat with a camera isn't a bad second option.






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Three things I have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics and the great pumpkin.

This is halloween! This is halloween!

If you've ever met me, you know I love the holidays. I never matured past the age of seven when it comes to celebrating them (except when I was 13 and "too cool" to take a Santa picture for my mom). But as a 20-something working girl, this time of year makes me giddy and takes me back to the good ole' days. Halloween has a ba-jillion memories for me, from watching Its the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, to decorating with "Oscar" the giant spider, to dressing up, to carving pumpkins.... I love it all.

As a kid, my costumes often had a Disney theme to them... Tinkerbelle, Nala from The Lion King, Esmerelda from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Cruella de Ville from 101 Dalmations... I rocked them all. I was also a princess (several times), a genie, a pirate, and yes, an orange crayon. You know what they say about 20-something girl costumes though, often the same things you were as a kid but the slutty version. I guess I fit that criteria. I was a genie again, but this year it was I Dream of Jeannie style. Nothing will ever, and I mean EVER, beat last year's Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader costume, but it was worth a shot. However, I didn't get a single good picture because SOMEONE who shall remain nameless wouldn't cooperate.




As they say in Mean Girls, "In girl world, Halloween is the one night a year when a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girl can say anything." True that.

Carving pumpkins had the same outcome picture-wise (see below) but luckily I ended up with one good one. I am very pleased with my Pistol Pete 'stache pumpkin. And Cole's creativity just blew my mind! We even roasted the pumpkin seeds after we were done carving (first time for everything!) and they were quite tasty.

One of my favorite Halloween traditions is the annual reciting of a poem with my mom and my aunt, Karen, Look out for Spooks!
"When hallereen time comes around 
And frost is pokin' from the ground
Them ghosts 'n witches like to roam
So you just better stay at home! 
Cause if you don't they'll getcha sure 
And eatcha up and yell for more..... 
Look out for spooks!

A little boy named Jack
Was comin' home when he looked back
And underneath an old oak tree 
He saw a pumpkin head 
He said "I ain't scared!"
But after 'while 
That pumpkin chased him 40 mile.
Look out for spooks!

A naughty little girl named Nan
She said, "Ghosts can't hurt you, nothin' can!"
That same day she sassed her Pa
And acted scandalous to her Ma.
That same night the witches came
Since then she ain't never been the same
Look out for spooks!

When hallereen time comes around
And frost is pokin' from the ground
Them ghosts and witches like to roam
If you've been bad jee-roo-sa-lome!
They'll grab you just as quick as scat
And turn you to a dog or cat
Or maybe turn you to a bear
Folks can't find you anywhere.


But if you're good and don't play jokes
And study hard and mind your folks
Them ghosts can't hurt you none and all
But if you don't you'll hear 'em squall!
Maybe catch ya by the hear
Maybe kill ya till you're dead.
Look out for spooks!



Now I'm off to Tulsa for to work the 2012 Color Breed Congress for the next two weeks.... Wish me luck! Until next time..... Look out for spooks! :)
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the dog days are over

I like to pretend I'm a "runner." Technically, I guess I am. I run several times a week, but I hate it. I don't think I will ever enjoy it....but I still make myself do it. Somehow I got the bright idea to sign Chloe and myself up for a dog 5k..... The Ghost Runner's 5k Dog Run sounded fun, plus it benefited a dog rescue, couldn't go wrong with that! It also killed two birds with one stone: keeping myself in shape AND giving a 70-pound city dog the exercise she needs. The latter has been a large part of my motivation.

Chloe and I definitely had our struggles during "training." Turns out getting a dog ready for a 5k is a lot more challenging than just getting yourself ready. However, I am very very proud of her - she kicked butt, finished the race, and didn't even dislocate my arm OR stop dead in her tracks (at least not until after the race when we tried to walk through a gate....). There were a lot of dogs that  had to be carried, had to stop in the shade because they were over heated, or couldn't finish at all. Not Chloe, she was a trooper. She got rewarded with a new toy afterwards and is currently shredding it to pieces.

Although the race itself went great, it took a lot of work and frustration to get there. Chloe, bless her heart, is terrified of bridges, metal grates, lawn mowers, garages, doorways, wood floors, stairs, and doesn't seem to understand that not everyone at Lake Hefner wants to say hi to her. Can you believe those jerks?!


I wish I could say this only happened on one occasion as we prepared for race day.........


But it didn't.....

Something about bridges, man. Maybe she heard a story about trolls? Luckily there were no bridges or changes in the pavement on the course.

When Chloe and I first started running together, it was a disaster. She was slow, uninterested, and didn't understand what I wanted. I wanted to run fast but couldn't run at a consistent pace. It was a mess. She has come SO far (as have I!). Turns out having a running buddy, human or canine, really helps you keep a steady pace and have more motivation to hit the pavement. She slowed me down enough to find a workable pace and I figured out how to communicate to her what I wanted her to do. As she matured, she got faster, too. Although this is nothing special for a lot of you, we are currently running 10 minute miles without stopping. Thats a huge improvement for me and I have Chloe to thank. Although she seems to enjoy sprinting down the street with Cole more, she still makes my runs much more enjoyable.....even if its just with a funny story to tell later about another bridge catastrophe.

 

Even though the dog days of training are over for now, she will still be accompanying me as I get ready to run the Dallas Turkey Trot with my brother and cousins on Thanksgiving, as well as the Midwest City Holiday Lights Spectacular Night Run in December (I hope!). If you want to start running with your dog, I recommend checking out Runner's World, they have some great tips! But make sure your dog is up to the task and start slow....and watch out for bridges :)
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never jump into a pile of leaves with a wet sucker

Hellooooooo fall!

Compared to the calendar, its been "autumn" for a while now, but today is the first really crisp fall day in good ole' Oklahoma. I'm wearing a sweater for the first time, had to turn on the heater in my car and could see my breath as I walked into the office (OK, that part is a lie). I'm in heaven! I've been drinking apple cider (sometimes spiked...), burning apple and cinnamon scented candles and pretending its cold enough to wear sweat pants for a while now.... But something about it being iced cider and paring sweat pants with a tank top and flip flops just didn't feel right.

Even though the leaves don't reeeeally change color here, they still fall from the trees and need to be raked. As happy as I am that I'm about to NOT have to mow any more, raking has never been my favorite thing (cue the blisters, folks!). Luckily, my little friend Linus has given me some good advice..... "Never jump into a pile of leaves with a wet sucker!" Hopefully Chloe will be as helpful as Snoopy.


Considering its fall, everyone is all about pumpkin this and pumpkin that. I really don't like pumpkin spice lattes (go ahead and call me crazy), but I'll go for some pumpkin bread or cookies any day. I found this nifty recipe on good ole' pinterest and just had to give it a try. I accidentally grabbed chocolate chips instead of white chocolate, but it was still pretty tasty. If you're in the pumpkin mood like all of America seems to be, give these suckers a try. They won't disappoint.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies



Ingredients
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups oats
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup pure pumpkin puree
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla 
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1 cup dried cherries
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt in medium bowl. Beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until light and fluffy.
  3. Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla; mix well. Add flour mixture; combine until all ingredients are incorporated. Fold in white chocolate chips and dried cherries.
  4. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets.
  5. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.


For those of you following the mouse hunt, I finally discovered the source of the smell. Chloe used her K-9 sense of smell and kept sticking her head in a basket of blankets I had. I figured she just wanted to shred the stuffed bear that was in the basket, as she has been in the destructive mood lately. But, after a few days of going straight to the basket every time she came in the house (and the smell not getting any better), I figured I better check it out..... Or get Cole to do it. Good thing I did...... When he pulled the blankets out and shook them, a dead mouse fell on the floor. GAG. Luckily, after getting it out of the house and throwing the blankets away, the smell was gone in a matter of minutes. Thank you, Chloe! I guess she is earning her keep after all. 

Also, for anyone interested, my latest issue of Pinto Horse is now posted online! Check it out here: http://issuu.com/pintohorse/docs/fall2012

Later alligator.  
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If you give a mouse a cookie.....

WARNING: the following post may contain disturbing images and may not be suitable for those affected by the sight of dead animals.

This is what I learned this week: mice like blueberry bagels and dog food. They also are stupid enough to fall for a trap even after Tom & Jerry has been a thing for a while now.


Tuesday, I noticed there was a hole in my brand new package of blueberry bagels. "Whatever, I probably ripped it when I took the twisty tie off." Wednesday, I noticed a quarter of a blueberry bagel was missing and there was a new hole in the bag. "Those little bastards!" I had to throw my beloved blueberry bagels away and invest in some mouse traps ASAP. Wednesday evening when I got home from work, my house REAKED of garbage. I assumed it was Chloe, who of course had been playing in the mud all day, but I quickly came to find out she just smelled like a dog; nothing like the stench coming from the living room.

Thursday morning.... dun dun dun.....




RIP Gus Gus. Of course, I screamed and jumped the second I saw this... What 22-year-old blonde female wouldn't?? I left it sitting there all day until Cole came and picked it up for me. Thank goodness I have such a brave knight in shining armor around.... However, the stench in the living room remains. I'm about 95% sure its a dead mouse in the wall. Good thing I have a Scentsy. All the research I have done says that small rodents will deteriorate within a few days and the smell will go away..... hopefully thats true, or else I may have to bust a hole in the wall and invest in a cat to put in it....or two.






"If you give a mouse a cookie (errr, blueberry bagel), he's going to ask for a glass of milk."

Next time: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies (I know you're excited).

Peace out Girl Scout.
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#candycorn

I forgot this thing existed.

In my defense, my life has been pretty busy the last nine months (we'll get into that shortly). And honestly, I don't want to be one of those people that assumes everyone wants to know everything that goes on in my life. I don't want to advertise myself, "Hey go read my blog!" or "I got seven views today! Three more and I'll update again!" .... I hate that (sorry). BUT, on days like today when nothing is going on at work and time is dragging by (Its 10:50 a.m. on a Friday and I've only had two emails....), I enjoy reading friends and family member's blogs to pass the time. So I thought hey, maybe updating my own will take up some time as well! I don't care if anyone reads it, I'm not THAT great of a writer, who are we kidding? But I can amuse myself, pretend that I'm funny and post a few pictures. So here goes.

RECAP:


January: The last time I updated. Life was swell. 
February: Nothing of any significance. 
March: I took the first step into adult-hood. I got a dog. Say hello to Chloe!


This little bundle of joy has become my baby. I am now THAT girl that constantly posts pictures of their dogs. If I'm not careful, this blog could quickly turn into my own version of a "Marley & Me" type column. My dear friend and Stillwater roommate Chasity brought Chloe and her brother Champ home one evening. They were found in a ditch on the side of the road when they were about eight weeks old. Being the dog lover I am, I couldn't bring myself to take Chloe to the pound. She was just too cute. And I had been looking for an excuse to get a puppy for quite some time. Sometimes I wonder what we were thinking keeping two puppies, but I am SO glad we did. Chloe brings me so much joy and even though she is a mess (there are currently about six chewed up golf balls, two Joe's cups, and four pieces of carpet in my backyard), I wouldn't trade her for the world. I don't know for sure what kind of dog she is, but I'm guessing some sort of Golden Retriever, Border Collie, something or other mutt. 

April: Ho-Hum


May: After months and months of counting down the days, Graduation finally arrived! I somehow managed to pass all my classes and graduate in exactly four years. Good for me! It was a huge weight off my shoulders. I was lucky enough to have several family members travel to Stillwater for the big day. Although I was too exhausted to go out on the town to celebrate like I should have, I was still able to spend the evening with my favorite people. I am so glad I got to spend those four years in Stillwater. I met some of my best friends there, hopefully ones that stay in my life for a long time. We had some crazy times; the good, the bad and the ugly. But through it all, we built memories that will last a life time. "Nights we won't remember, friends we'll never forget," is one of the truest statements ever sung (props to Toby Keith). Goodbye Stillwater, it was great while it lasted. 


June: I guess this is where life really begins? After going on a never-ending house hunt and re-locating to Oklahoma City for a job that turned out to be a no-go, I was lucky enough to score the perfect gig. I am now the Director of Publications and Web Master for the Pinto Horse Association of America. Hey ohhh! Combining my love for horses with my major makes it a perfect fit. After only being on the job for a week, they shipped me off to Tulsa for 18 days of the Pinto World Championship. I would definitely say I jumped in head first, but it was great to be back in the horse show world. Since then, it has been a whirl wind of magazines, newsletters and the dreaded website work. (Please don't go look at the website - it is a disaster. I am in the process of re-designing it. Can you say headache?) If you want to see what I do, you can view the latest magazines on line at http://issuu.com/pintohorse


July/August/September: Since returning to OKC, I think I have become an old lady. The OSU starting QB was born in 1994 (say what?!). Britney Spears "Oops I Did it Again" is considered old school. I can't drink more than three beers without getting a little bit hungover (the days of out drinking the boys are long gone). My days consist of work, working out, TV (usually Sex and the City or Friends reruns), dinner (sometimes just Cheez-Its) and going to bed by 10. Repeat. I guess thats what growing up is all about? Luckily I have my faithful companion, Chloe, and my incredibly attractive boyfriend, Cole, to keep me company. And when I'm lucky he cooks for me or takes me to S&B Burger Joint. What a sweetheart, huh? Since I am an alum now, I also get to tag along to OSU Football games and sit on the alumni side from time to time - do these people even remember how the cheers go? Or are their memories starting to fail?

All in all, life is great. I love where I am headed and look forward to each step along the way. Though sometimes I want to speed up or hit rewind, I have to remind myself to slow down and enjoy the simple things, because one day when I look back, they'll be the big things.

WOW, that was wordy. Don't worry, my plan is to keep posts short, sweet and simple from here on out (and cover more humorous and interesting topics, instead of being so diary-esque). Now I'm back to eating candy corn and staring at an empty email inbox.

Catch you on the flip side.
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“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.”

I got crafty. This relatively new website, pinterest, is not only highly addictive, but full of ideas for arts and crafts, decorations, hair styles, photography, wedding ideas, recipes, and more. It has been called, "Fantasy football for women." I highly reccomend signing up for it (if you're a girl that is...), you will become addicted and find a TON of great ideas. I have been pinning things for quite a while, but I never really did anything with them. Recently, I have been in quite the crafty/decorative mood, so I picked out a few ideas from pinterest, hit up hobby lobby, and got to work. 
The first one was the most fun. Who knew melted crayons could make such a cool picture? If I had only known that when I was 8, I might have become an artist.... All you have to do is hot glue crayons to the top of a canvas or heavy duty paper and blow dry them. Easy as 1, 2, 3! (But be careful, it splatters!) I added the "Kiss me in the rain" and the couple under the umbrella from my own imagination -- what a creative person I am. You can also put the crayons in different shapes (such as a circle or heart) and put a picture in the center -- wall-ah! A picture frame.

I have a growing list of other "Pinterest Projects" to work on in the coming months. Hopefully I can find the time between school and work to get busy on them... But lets not kid ourselves, they probably won't happen for quite a while. But in a perfect world, they include:
  • Bubble Art
  • A head board and coffee table out of pallets (and painting it to match my room)
  • A lamp out of old school camera negatives
  • A pillow with text/quotes written on it
  • T shirt blankets
  • Bottle top wind chime
  • Decorative wine bottles
  • Mason Jar Chendelier
  • A a butt load of recipes....
And thats that. I hope I inspired you to get creative. :) 


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grown up.

Another year older, another year wiser. At least thats what they say. Its not every day you turn 22, but I just did, and got to spend it in downtown Oklahoma City with some of my favorite people. I'd say nothing feels different about "being older," but for once, thats the biggest lie ever. I feel incredibly grown up. Not only did I get the position of Photography Coordinator on the editorial board of my capstone Cowboy Journal magazine class, I also scored a big girl job! Thats right, I will be working in Oklahoma City at a marketing firm that works with high end clients. Boom! I am just a little bit excited and experiencing a tiny bit of that thing called senioritis. Only 108 days to go....... not that I'm counting.

On a fun note, my birthday celebration was a blast. We (myself, my boyfriend Cole, his friend Ryan, and my best girl friends Amanda, Candace, and Shicka) hit up a pretty entertaining venue called Club Albee.




Now, it isn't my typical scene by any means, and I don't plan on going back any time soon, but it made for a night of stories and laughs. I also got to go eat at a delicious restaurant with Cole called Iron Starr. I highly recommend it, especially the mac & cheese. We also got to go to a Thunder Game (thank you Ryan for the tickets!) and although I felt like I was cheating on my beloved Dirk, I had a hell of a time and have found it difficult to change out of the KD jersey I got. If all you Okies are lucky, you might even catch me saying "Thunder Up!" on special occasion.

So thats that, real life is just around the corner and I am anxious to experience it. Now I'm sure one day I'll be saying "I wish I could go back to college when everything was simple," but lets not kid ourselves, the world is at my fingertips and I am pretty sure it can only get more exciting from here.
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2011: Recap

2011.... gone. Whaaaat?? In some ways this year has literally FLOWN by, but looking back on it, some things seem very far gone, and I'm OK with that. 2011 taught me a lot. I started it and finished it in two very different places in life. I went through a lot of crap, learned from it, and have become a stronger person because of it. Truly figuring out "who you are" and what you want is one of the most valuable lessons in life, and that is what 2011 has taught me. Let's recap.

I turned 21. I survived the Oklahoma Blizzard of 2011. I got dumped and put my life back together, for the better. I played volleyball and softball... badly. I went out with friends and really lived it up. I made the dean's list - twice. I lost friendships, gained friendships, and kept friendships... even re-gained some that I thought were lost. I gave up coke... for lent. I went to a rangers game. I ALMOST jumped the wake while wakeboarding - maybe I'll get it next summer. I spent two weeks in southwest Oklahoma with some awesome people learning about photography. The Mavs became NBA champs. I went skydiving. My best friend had an adorable baby boy, Neil. I spent the summer with my dad interning at a magazine and learning to drive his car like a bad ass. I survived the hottest summer in Texas ever. I got my work published in a magazine. I started my senior year - say whaa? I got to sit front row on the 45 yard line at an OSU football game. I won tickets to a Dallas Cowboy football game. I had dinner with OSU's President Burns Hargis.. cool guy. I spent a week at the Texas State Fair working with some really great people. I re-discovered my love for hotdogs. I lost my ID and found it a week later. I did a keg stand. I dressed up for Halloween. I met Justin Blackmon. I started running... and ran a 5k. I finally went to Bedlam, and stormed the field. OSU became Big XII Champs. I met a lot of really great people who have become important parts of my life. I had a crazy year that created a ton of memories, and looking back on it, I wouldn't change a thing.... weeellll, maybe a few small details, but we'll let those slide.

What's next for 2012?? I guess I could come up with a few "resolutions..", but do those ever last? Nah. Here are a few things I am planning on doing from here on out, no calling it quits:
- Run a half marathon - April 29, OKC
- Graduate college - May 5, Stillwater, be there
- Start blogging - here goes nothin!
- Run atleast 365 miles this year - 8 down, 357 to go
- and whatever else may come to mind or fall in my lap.. suggestions are welcome


Adios 2011, you were fun while you lasted. Thanks for the memories!








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