Updates and Oddities

I don't know if oddities is a word, but I like it and will start a petition to have it added to the dictionary if y'all feel the same.

Updates: Things with Dru are going great. I got over my obsession with having a title, and never said anything. Which now I am thankful for. I had a pretty good weekend, went to a football game and out with friends.

Dru had a work function down in Destin, FL. His boss takes the whole company once a year and pays for everything. Dru said the first night he was out with one of the senior managers and about 20 other people. After 4 hours of drinking their tab was...$6500!! Woah. Dru thinks the guy who owns the company (and pays for it) probably spent close to 3 million dollars.

I can't even fathom that.

Also, I talked to him Sunday. I am going back down to visit next weekend. My school has fall break so I don't have to go to class Thursday or Friday. Thursday is my mom's birthday so we are going to drive down to Atlanta. She has to do a little bit of work, but we are going shopping and out to eat. Dru is coming to pick me up Friday night (and go out to eat with my mom and I) then we are driving back to Birmingham. He mentioned on the phone that we could go SKYDIVING on Saturday!

I almost fell out of my chair. The one thing I have ever wanted to do is skydive. Always. I can't remember ever telling him this, so I guess it was just a coincidence. I don't think this guy could be more perfect!

It turns out he bought the vouchers for his dad and him to go for his dad's birthday one year. His mom checked the life insurance policy and noticed that if his dad died skydiving they wouldn't be able to collect life insurance. So...his dad never wound up going and Dru has these two vouchers that he has been meaning to use!

I didn't get to talk to him last night, but as of Sunday he was going to check into it and make sure everything was still a go! I really hope we follow through with this and actually do it! I can't wait to see him either. I wish I wouldn't let myself get so absorbed, but hey what's the worst that could happen?

In other news, this was the weekend that Ed was in town. I didn't see him once. I never even talked to him before he came. I noticed on Facebook that he had told a mutual friend he was staying with Gary. And this is without having talked to me about it at all! Which is nice, because we didn't have to have the awkward conversation and I guess he just kind of got the hint.

He came to town, they went out, I never saw him and then I get a text from him late last night that was kind of offensive. This morning he texts and (jokingly) says 'Glad I got to see you'. So I asked him about the offensive text from last night and he claims he doesn't remember because he was drunk. I refreshed his memory, and asked him a question about it to which he replied, "Jesus Sarah, it was funny at the time. F*cking chill."

WOAH.

I don't allow people to speak to me like that. I think it is completely disrespectful and tacky for a boy to cuss at a girl. So, I didn't respond, and I'm not planning on it. I don't know what the problem was, but I'm going to rid myself of any communication with him. I just don't see why I need him in my life right now. Dru is great and I just want to focus on the good things. I'm almost 100% certain that Dru would never speak to me like that.

But it did kind of motivate me. I think I'm going to start working out again. Why this motivated me? I have no idea. But I'm kind of glad it happened.

OK now that my love-life update is out of the way I thought I would share this with you in light of the Freaky Friday trend I miserably failed at.

I read this blog Dlisted, which is ABSOLUTELY hilarious. It is celebrity gossip by a fabulously opinionated gay man. If you shy away from bad language and crude topics, you may not enjoy this particular blog. However, I love all things racy and straight-forward. Anyways, he did a post today, It's Not Even Halloween Yet!, that reminded me of the Freaky Friday stuff. I hope you all read this post, laugh, then go check out the rest of his blog. It will keep you entertained for hours - I swear.

Olympics!

I love love love the Olympics! The opening ceremony is always entertaining. However, this year, the opening ceremony was AMAZING. The discipline of the Chinese performers was awe-inspiring. The drums that lit up when hit at the beginning were great. And the pillars that moved up and down like machines (when they were actually people) were crazyyy! I wonder how long it took to rehearse that. And what the penalty was for not performing correctly...an arm? Leg? Your first born?

Sorry. I have problems with China, but I won't let it taint what a great performance it was. The lighting of the torch always makes me teary-eyed (seriously). It just signifies so much and I feel like a pansy for saying it, but it really makes me want world peace. Too cliché? Ok.

I have to say, the Olympics make me love America even more. I know we haven't and will never win everything, but I like to think we are better anyways. I always feel like team USA is like the bad ass of the Olympics. We do things big: big teams, big muscles, big stories, big everything. Maybe it is because we have a president who comes from a state hailing, "Everything is bigger in Texas."

Opening ceremony aside, the games are equally as fun to watch. My favorite is women's gymnastics. Growing up I was a gymnast and went on to use my skills in cheerleading in high school. I was on many competition gymnastics teams when I was younger, but quit suddenly...as I did with many sports. I used to train at the same gym as Shannon Miller. Don't know who Shannon Miller is? Were you alive in 1992 & 1996 and did you catch any of the games?

Well to summarize, she is the most decorated American gymnast. She was sick back in her day. Accompanying Miller on the USA team in 1996 was Kerri Strug. She is known for her brave second attempt on vault after injuring her ankle. Here is a little diddy to help jog your memory:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIImbyIBm-s

Anyways, I idolized these women. And I thought it was all within reach. The Olympics only seemed natural for me. I was sure that I would just continue to train in gymnastics and eventually be in the Olympics. That was the only option for me. What finally provoked me to up and quit? I don't remember. But I regret it so much everyday. I miss gymnastics and I can't believe that I let such a dream die. Especially today when I see so many people my age succeeding and only smashing their dreams with a better reality (read: Michael Phelps).

So I continue to watch and love the Olympic Games with so much passion. I have taken a liking to sports I never thought would be entertaining to watch like swimming, diving, volleyball, etc. And since I let the dream of being an Olympian die, I have now reconstructed my goal and will try with all my power to make it to the Olympics as a spectator. I would love to go watch these athletes in person. I'm not sure where the games are being held in the up-coming years, but you better believe right after I hit "Publish Post" I am jetting over to Google to do some intense research.

Oh and PS - GO TEAM USA. Last night/this morning Michael Phelps and the other American water warriors won the relay race. Yay! I'm super psyched about this because the jerks over on team France talked a big game. Saying that they were coming to the race to "smash" team USA. Well HAH. Not this time pansies.

UPDATE: London will be the location of the 2012 summer Olympics. England, here I come.

GMA Rocks My Socks

My morning regimen consists of getting up at 6:30 for a run, showering, getting ready and having breakfast before heading to work. Most of the hour and an half I have given myself to get ready/eat breakfast is spent watching Good Morning America. I have come to love this show and have based my getting ready rituals around the commercials and local news breaks/weather (because once you see the forecast once, you really don't need to see it again right?).

Robin, Diane, Chris and Sam rock my mornings. One of my favorite segments is the 'Summer Concert Series' where musicians will come and perform in Bryant Park or in the studio. I always look forward to these. Recently I have seen Miley Cyrus, Usher, and many others to which my brain is too stupid to remember right now. But Friday is the Jonas Brothers. I didn't even know who these kids were until last week when my 7 year old cousin attended a concert. Apparently every little one in the nation is in love with them. Hanson anyone?

Anyways, the GMA cast is always so bright and cheery in the mornings. I can't help but to catch some of the good vibes. I love how all of the colors (their main color being orange) pop from the screen. The outfits Robin and Diane wear are always tasteful and fashionable at the same time. Props to Robin for surviving cancer - that makes me respect her even more. And Diane! She is so much fun! I used to think I didn't like her, but I have really been able to see her personality on GMA. I sometimes wonder is Sam gay...? He is so hot and funny that I hope he is available to women...preferably me. Chris is also hot as can be, but I know he is married and with children. I'm not a home wrecker.

Well, GMA did a segment on working from home a couple of weeks ago, mainly for retired people who want to continue to make just a little bit of money. Apparently they got such a large response from viewers of all ages, they decided to do another segment. Tory Johnson, GMA's workplace contributor, has written a book on this very subject (Will Work From Home)! And today's segment was the Top 5 Work-From-Home Jobs.

I am completely fascinated by this. When I saw the segment this morning, I thought to myself, "I wonder if there is a job I could do from home in my spare time?" Casually, I released the thought...until I got to work this morning. I realized that after this pay period is up, my paychecks are going to be getting dramatically smaller.

Yep. That's right. School starts the day after I return from LA, and I will only be working 2 days a week due to classes. I plan to babysit as much as I can, but I also am going to explore more into this work-from-home idea. If there is a job I can have that will allow me to do some work at nights after school/work I would be more than happy to partake! I plan on heading over to BN after work today to look into Tory's book. If anyone out there has suggestions for work-at-home jobs let me know!

I'm out for lunch and the dentist...wish me luck (on the latter).

Dilemma's #3 & 4

Well I know one thing is for sure, I can always post my problems and ask for advice!

Dilemma #3:
I want/kinda need a new car. I currently drive a SUV and it is getting old. I want a new car really bad, specifically a Lexus IS 250. I am in no shape to take on a payment without getting a loan. Here are some of my thoughts...

-I have heard it is easier to get a loan while a student (maybe easy isn't really the right word, but I'm referring to the interest rates...they are lower for students?)
-The Lexus dealership in my city offers a special leasing program for students about to graduate and those who have recently graduated (I don't know the specifics of this program though)
-I am pretty sure if I were to lease said car I would be able to keep it under the mileage limit
-My car is occasionally doing some funky stuff that my dad believes to be transmission issues

So, my question to you is - Do you think I should sell the car before it completely dies and buy/lease a new one? Also, does anyone have any opinions about leasing. I have never experienced it first hand (my parent's have always bought cars) so I don't really know the pros and cons (except the mileage thing).

Alsooo...I heard on GMA this morning then read an article in The Consumerist about trading in an SUV for less of a gas-guzzler might not be the best decision. The article lead me to this website in which you put in the car you want and the car you have and it basically tells you how long it will take to break even (saving gas) if you purchased the car. I think for me it said a ridiculous amount of time like 19 years!

Dilemma #4:
I know I told y'all that I was going back to LA, but I don't think I told you the story behind my return visit:

My friend Al (who is like my BFF-dude) just turned 21. His family took him on a series of vacays for his birthday. They started out in Disney World, then went on a cruise to the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos. Next he flew up to Chicago to visit friends that he met while studying abroad, headed down to Indiana (where he currently is now). Next Al will go to Las Vegas with the family then over to Colorado to visit more friends from study abroad. His last stop is lovely Los Angeles.

And this, my friends, is why I am going back (and because of Ed, the partying and I just love the city).

Ed and his roommate Pat will both be working the whole time so I took it upon myself to be Al's tour guide around the city. I have planned the whole trip out, itinerary and all. The last full day we have in the city we will be attempting to attend a taping of The Price is Right.

The first two times I went to LA I tried to get on the show. Both times arriving just a tad bit too late. This time, however, I will not be making that mistake. I really really really want to go to the taping (even though Bob Barker won't be there). There are three things I know about going to the show:

-show up early
-bring your ss card
-be entertaining in line

I know there is a slim chance of anyone actually relating to this dilemma, but if you or anyone you know has ever attended a show/knows anything about attending the show - I would love some insider tips!

What A Wonderful Day In The Neighborhood

Good news Time Warner Cable users! (Well at least those in my area) Project Runway is moving to Lifetime next season! For all of you who currently get Bravo, let me explain. Where I live, Bravo is a myth, a channel with great shows that is a mystery to us all. When I was in LA (why do all of my sentences start with that phrase these days?) I was exposed to Bravo. And I loved it. I spent a whole day watching the first season of Project Runway (woo for marathons!).

When I returned home, all of the blogs were buzzing about the premier of the next season. Then I heard how great it was. And it just made me long for California even more. (Y'all have noticed I am obsessed with that state right?)

Well HA BITCHES. Next season I will get to watch! However, I still won't be able to view the rest of the great shows on Bravo. But I am going to write letters to TWC until they get the point that they need to add this channel.

P.S. I ran the whole time this morning! So I started running Tuesday. I walked about 1/4 of the time that day. Then yesterday I walked only like half of that. Each day I have shaved off about 2 mins. Today I didn't walk at all, so I have shaved off about 4 mins. total. Go me! Go me! Go me!

Long Post

I have a lot of writing to do to catch you up on my trip. I attempted, as you can see below, to keep my blog up-to-date while I was in LA. But due to the fact there was not a single night I did not get trashed (yeah I know-alcoholic) I didn't really feel like expending any more energy than necessary during the day. OK this is going to be a long post because I don't want to leave anything out...

Let me just clarify some things: I am out in LA to visit two of my friends with whom I went to high school with - Ed (my better friend) and Pat (his roommate).

I'll start with the 4th since that post was pretty weak. As I said, we went to a party at a house in the hills. There were actually 2 other girls from my hometown out to visit Pat. They are really pretty nice (to people they know) and it was good to see them. I haven't talked/seen either one of them in years. One of them got extremely drunk and made out with this dude who looked 35 and was most definitely a drug dealer. HAHA We drank and ate hamburgers and hot dogs and had a typical 4th of July with sparklers. The best part was looking out over the city and seeing fireworks in the distance.

All of my days are really a blur at this point...but one day Ed was off of work so we just hung out...he needed to do his laundry so we went to a laundromat (sp?). In all of my spoiled-ness I have never been to a laundromat so that was a fun (read:interesting) experience.

The next day Ed had to work so I went with him. He works at a store on 3rd street. 3rd Street is in Santa Monica where there are a lot of shops and is really close to the pier. I shopped all morning while he worked then I met up with his gay friend "Sam" (who I mentioned before in my Travel Day post). He took me home to get ready then we went to West Hollywood.

This part deserves to be in another paragraph(s). For everyone who doesn't know, West Hollywood is known for the gay population. It is also where you can find a lot of shops that the celebs shop at like Lisa Kline, Kitson, etc. Sam tells me we are going to gay bars (he wanted to break me in, seeing as I had never been to one) for happy hour then we would be back in time for Ed to be off of work. We get to The Abby - the first of the 3 gay bars we went to. It was so much fun. We drank right along side GEORGE MICHAEL. I mean like literally people I think I touched him at one point. I know...I know...Californians see celebs all the time. Well. I am not from California - so I was starstruck. But at least I didn't bust into song or try to take a picture with him. I played it cool.

Next, after being hit on by a lesbian in line for the bathroom (I have no problem with it, it has just never happened to me before), we went to another gay bar called Here. Woah. By this time I had drank 2 giant Red Bull and vodkas and one giant Kamikaze. It was dark now and there were strobe lights and neon everywhere. Inside there were stands for Go-Go dancers. When they came out I was blown away. These men (who Sam said are usually straight) had the best bodies I had ever seen. I felt like I was at a strip club though. It was really weird watching them dance. And it was even weirder watching the other men watch them dance. - I'm sheltered, I know - Sam insisted that I put dollar bills in their underwear? (if that's what you can call it) and I totally felt like a giddy little school girl.

After Here we went to another gay bar, but it was more of a lounge. Not as packed as the first two (which were shoulder to shoulder) but equally as fun. I can't remember the name of it, but we went there because Sam loves their cantaloupe martinis. They were good. We just sat and drank and talked and watched people go by. Ed finally got off work and decided to join us, but insisted that we go to a straight club. (Even though Sam is one of Ed's best friends...he is still somewhat of a homo-phobe) So we went to Area. Area is known for the celebrities that hang out there. Apparently they were having a private party that night but we were able to sneak in with another group - HA. This was another amazing experience. We were just hanging out when out of nowhere these beautiful girls come walking out in gold bikinis. They got up on stage and did a dance flinging their hair everywhere. I was totally jealous. Not only were there girls dancing up on the stage, but when we walked around I noticed they were dancing along the walls too. SWEET! If I ever move out there I'm totally applying for the wall-dancing position. We danced all night and I had the time of my life. I do wish I was a little more sober so I would be able to recognize any celebs there...but I wasn't so oh well.

Since that night was the most fun I'm going to end the post here and do another one continuing my trip in a little while. (I probably should be catching up on work now anyways).

Pop Off!

I love the beach. Everything about it. I love beach houses, the smell of the ocean, seafood, the hot sun, a tan you can't spray on, boating, fishing and so much more. Because of personal...pitfalls?...during the past year I do not get to the beach as much as I used to. My family, unlike most of our friends, does not own a beach house - and as I mentioned, invitations are rare these days. So when my mom had a work function at the Isle of Palms, we jumped on the chance.

The 5 days we spent at the resort were relaxing. This particular resort is brand-new (I mean literally just opened in 2008) and although could use a little more development, in the shopping/eating/entertainment aspects, it was perfect for the occasion. A great get-away from work, which has become increasingly stressful, and those woeful...pitfalls. Check out the pretty-ness.

Not only was this trip a great form of escape, our family also got a chance to bond. My sister is currently working on her PhD for Physical Therapy, I work and go to school (during the year), and both of my parents have jobs that require a lot of traveling. Needless to say, we don't get together a lot.

One particular story my sister and I enjoyed hearing my dad tell was one of his college days.* He lived in a house with two friends next door to a much older man who always complained about the noise they would make. One particular afternoon a roommate was shaking the fence between the houses and yelling when the old neighbor came out and starting yelling/cursing at the kid. At the end of his tirade he says, "All you kids do is come out here and POP OFF!" (My dad does the imitation with a deep southern accent and a high-pitched emphasis on the last two words)

Why is this story so incredibly funny? Enjoy. (There may be some offensive language so if you don't like it - don't watch it).

So, my sister and I have built this extravagant expression into our daily lives and the lives of our friends (which always evokes a barrage of laughter).

COMMENTS - What odd sayings/words have your adopted?

*College days being my favorite because my dad (who is almost bald now) had long hair and loved to party.