A Photo Retrospective, Part One

This morning, I thought we'd take a little trip together. We're going to have a look-see at the photos I've been meaning to upload, or just simply couldn't figure out how to upload them until now. A nice little retrospective of the year, so to speak...

Baby Cate was finally born! 

She's not too excited about being out in the cold, though.

I took a trip to DC with a high school group (as a sponsor, thanks) and scouted out the school I wanted to attend. We saw the monuments at night, which I'd never done and it turned out better than I thought!

Also, the First Lady's Inaugural gown and it was much more beautiful in life than in this photo!

It was after that trip that I decided to go for it. Follicly.

Aaaaaahhhhh. It felt so good to be free of the hair!

 

And then the magic happened. Divine intervention....well, intervened, and I met my Sweet Man. Again. (We first met in high school.)

This is our first snapshot together. Awww!

 

Then my Sweet Man and I went to Philly and DC together for his good friend's college graduation. I loved this building!

I have to get ready for classes now, but there is plenty more to come!

(I'll try and keep the photos of Dane and I to a minimum, though I do love seeing them, 'cause it reminds me that he's all mine. So BACK OFF, GIRLS.)

Love ya!

Lo

Too Young for a Heart Attack

I've been avoiding writing.

I'm sorry.


The past 2 weeks (3?) have been hectic, naturally, and I've been completely beat. When I have had time to post, I haven't had the energy, and vice versa. I'd like to think I'm still adjusting to full-time college/almost full-time work/ HARD CORE MISSING MY MAN, and that things will smooth out to an even, albeit nutso, routine. It better, or this college campus is going to have one hateful woman running around, screaming at the other girls in the dorm. STOP SLAMMING YOUR DOOR, WHY CAN'T YOU JUST CLOSE IT LIKE THE REST OF US. (Thank you, Dooce, using all caps does make everything better.)

So last night, I was forcing myself to stay up later and work on some homework that I'd already put off doing all weekend and finally decided that 12 hours before it was due that I should start doing it. Smart, right? Say it with me people: magna cum laude.

I realized that I hadn't heard from Dane, as we always talk when he gets through with work. Being so far apart, we know each others' schedules thoroughly and take every possible opportunity to take Verizon up on its free Mobile2Mobile feature. I texted him and didn't receive a reply.


Let me make it clear that I am NOT that type of girlfriend. He does his thing and I do mine, but we also have a routine, and breaking from that routine is odd and something to be noticed. I never want to be a leech, but YOU BETTER CALL ME BACK.

An hour later and I still hadn't heard from him. This is where all the images from every Law and Order, E.R., NYPD Blue, and Magnum P.I. (What?? Have you seen his legs?) start running through my mind and How would the police contact me if something happened? If his phone was crushed, what would they do? His mother's out of the country with his sister, his other sister lives out of state, and I'm not legally connected to him (YET) so I'm not going to show up on any search they do on their little computer-thingies. HOW WILL I KNOW HE'S IN EMERGENCY BRAIN SURGERY TO STOP THE HEMORRHAGING IF I DON'T TAPE MY CELL NUMBER TO THE BACK OF HIS DRIVERS LICENSE??? I'm clearly imagining the angle of his leg as it's broken, crushed from the frame of the car that's been hit from the crazy drunk driver that ran the red light. This train of thought is not helping my heart rate or my ability to sleep, because 1:30am rolled around and I'm laying in bed breaking into a cold sweat trying not to hyperventilate. I need this man in my life.


Fast forward a whole 30 minutes and I'm roused from my sleep from some jingly noise that I finally recognize as Dane's specific text message sound. The first thought that runs through my head? Why didn't the state trooper just call? I can't text this early in the morning. Of course, it was Dane letting me know that he's sorry, but he just left work after a 19 hour day. He was on call after his shift ended at the hospital and he needed to stay and work. And guess who figures she was told about said call shift but totally forgot and worked herself into a panic when her boyfriend didn't call her?? Hmm? Any takers?

Fortunately, Dane flies up here on Friday and I plan to slather him in hugs and kisses as if he were long-lost and then found with a bag of gold in his hand and birthday cake on his forehead. (I want the good icing too. None of that "Bettercream" crap.) 

I miss that boy.

I refuse to sacrifice some things, okay?

...like my coffee, dangit.

I lurve coffee. I drink some every morning, even while I'm living in the dorm. I have this wonderful little coffee maker that brews by the cup and doesn't have a warmer on the bottom, so it's not a fire hazard (apparently). I have my trusty coffee grinder and plenty of filters, along with the six different travel mugs haphazardly sitting around my room, all waiting to be knocked over to spill their contents on something expensive, like my MacBook. (It shaved ten years off my life, at least.)

I don't have a lot of money to spend, so I'm always looking to try something new that doesn't cost more than a few dollars per bag, but still tastes great. I found that in Eight O'clock Coffee. Hazelnut, to be specific. 

It's got a great, full-bodied flavor, yet it doesn't have a cheap hazelnut taste. You really don't even notice it, but the hazelnut seems to give it some oomph. I like oomph. Always have.

 

If you're not trying to spend a tank of gas on a bag of coffee, give it a try and let me know what you think!

Much love,

Lo 

P.S.- Umm, so yeah. Those zoo pics might not happen... I'll keep trying though!



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HEY! Follow me on Twitter: @MsLauraJane 

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*So Eight O'Clock coffee has no idea that I wrote about them, and hopefully, that's okay. I mean, I said I liked it, a lot, so that has to be good, right? :)

 

National Zoo

This past weekend, I swore that I'd get away from the campus and go do, well, anything. I couldn't spend another day holed up in the dorm organizing, doing homework, or watching Covert Affairs on Hulu. I decided to visit the National Zoo, primarily because it's free.

I went this past Sunday, knowing that it would be crowded, but grossly under-prepared for the onslaught of families with small children and stroller. THE STROLLERS. Oh my word. Let me tell you something, all you people without kids, these parents have learned to use the most cumbersome part of child rearing to their advantage. Oh yes. They know. There's the mother with four kids, all under the age of 6, who uses the stroller to part the crowds in the panda exhibit so her little "angels" can watch the fluffy black and white ball of fur chow down on some bamboo. Then you've got the father who's in charge of the twins for the duration while his wife takes a spa day and he's decided to use the behemoth of a double-stroller to part the holiday weekend crowds as he swims upstream to get back to the parking lot. They have NO MERCY. Ankles will get nicked, flip flops will be yanked, and hips will be bruised as parents try to get their kids so tired, that maybe mommy and daddy can have some "us-time". Please? Please go to sleep. Here, here's an extra rainbow snow cone if you'll  JUST GO TO BED BY 7:00. Please?!


Other than the war zone going on, I generally enjoyed my visit. The weather was nice, there was plenty of shade, and I managed to see some cool animals. I have to say though, it is hard going to a zoo where the main draw is animals you've already seen in their natural habitats. It did make it easier to get through the families... A quick glimpse, then off to the gelato stand!




Much love to you all,
Lo 



P.S- I had some pictures ready to share, but I keep having formatting issues, so I'll post them as soon as I get that worked out... I promise!

An example.

"Hey!"

**loud laughing and running in the background**

"What's that? I can't hear you."

**stomping from room above**

"I'M SHOUTING INTO THE PHONE BECAUSE...."

**thump thump (moving furniture?)**

"*sigh* I'll have to call you back."

Thus is an exaggerated example of dorm life.

I'm way too old for this. Not in simply years, but in mental maturity as well. I'm adjusting, though, and trying to remind myself that the harder I work the sooner I get out of here!

The first couple days of classes have come and gone, and my work load is definitely intense. I'm taking six classes, for a total of 16 credit hours. (If that credit hour-per-semester rate keeps up, I'll be graduating next summer...) I'm taking a general health class, Jesus and the Gospels, Intro to Marketing, Principles of Management, Probability and Statistics, and what WAU calls Career Planning. Fortunately, they all seem to be interesting so far. Unfortunately, the reading requirements alone require hours of coffee-imbibing... But. I fully realize that college is more about being disciplined and accomplishing goals and proving you made it than the related material that you learn. So, I'm sucking it up, wearing my big-girl panties, and getting it done.

The heat here is killing me. I can't handle much more of 90+ degree weather, regardless of how beautiful the weekend's going to be. (Say it with me people: MID 70's!!!) Despite that little pathetic gripe, I'm feeling very fortunate to be here. I feel like I'm finally in it to win it, with my class load and all that. I'm READY. I was born ready! This girl needs an adult job!

I miss Dane quite a bit, but like he and I talked about before, neither one of us would be focusing all that well if I was back in NC. We're amazing time wasters. Quite experienced in putting off to-do lists, as well. I love you babe!

I HAVE A JOB. More on that later.

Love to all!

-Lo