Catching Up

I've been somewhat MIA the past few days. This is due to the fact that it is 'dead week' at my school. The term 'dead week' makes it sound like it is a relaxing time to start studying for exams, right? WRONG. 'Dead week' is usually a normal week in your freshman and sophomore years, but when you get into your junior and senior years it is another story.

I have been swamped with group projects and presentations. The amount of work during 'dead week' is enough to make you go insane. Just the other day I saw an article in the school paper about how 'dead week' is being abused by professors. It was obviously designed to be a relaxing week for students to start organizing for exams and not have new material introduced. Well because the University doesn't really enforce it, teachers go on with things as if it is just another week.

Well let me tell all of you professors something: IT IS THE WORST WEEK OF THE YEAR. In an effort to "lighten your exam load" teachers have finals during this week, projects due and all kinds of stressful assignments. I'm done with my week...and it was stressful. But I'm glad someone spoke out about it in the paper so maybe my final 'dead week' ever (in the spring) will be somewhat lighter.

In other news, things with Dru are going good. I think I just freaked out there for a while and was hurt by him not coming to visit. He has been pretty sweet since then, we talk on the phone often, and he even called to make sure I was up in time for my presentations yesterday. I finally got around to asking him when he was going to come visit. He said maybe he will come the weekend of the 19th. He hasn't bought a plane ticket or anything yet, so I'm not getting my hopes up...but I really do want him to come. A friend of mine is having a Christmas party that weekend which would be a good one for him to come and meet everyone. We still haven't talked about "what we are" but I promise to everyone (me, roomie, and y'all) that I'm going to talk it out next time we are together (in person). I don't want to have that talk over the phone because I won't be able to gauge his expressions and responses as well. I feel like the conversation will be much more truthful if it is done in person.

Roomie's birthday is Monday, so that means we will be celebrating all weekend. I have no idea what to get her...but I'll go shopping tomorrow and surly find something! Other things going on this weekend that I am so excited for I could just pee my pants:

• Alabama/Florida game (Dru & fam are going...ROLL TIDE!)
• Oklahoma/Missouri (Dad is an OU alum...GO SOONERS!)
• Panthers are playing MNF! We rented the theater at my apartment complex for the game!
• Some of our friends just move in down the hall...endless nights of laughs!

What are your plans this weekend?

Warning: This may gross you out...

I had a really disturbing, very realistic dream last night. Most of it was alright, but there was one part that still is messing with my head today. The dream started out with me being a student at UNC (which I'm not) and I was living in a super nice hotel room. Weird...I know. I was having trouble finding something to wear when some girls from my high school came by and helped me pick something out. This was also weird because these girls have no fashion sense. Anyways, as I am walking around my room, I notice this bump on my right arm. This is where it gets gross. The bump had a little hole in the top, and as I looked at it I noticed a little worm-like thing go into the hole! In the dream I knew it was a worm, but it looked more like a green and white piece of string or thin rope. 

I knew that it probably wasn't good that I just had a worm go into my body, so I squeezed the bump like you would a zit and the rope-worm-thing poked out of the top. Except now it was red and white. I grabbed it and ripped it out. It had grown to about 6 inches long and had gotten thicker. But it didn't come out like you would think, I ripped it out down my arm in a line rather than just all through the bump. It hurt like hell. I looked at my arm because I expected a long gash to be there from where it came out, but there was nothing. It had magically just morphed through my skin or something. Creepy. But it burned soooo bad. I told my friends about it and they said I shouldn't have ripped it out. Apparently when I did that it made a ton more little worms in my skin. I was supposed to wait until it turned back green then have it removed.

I woke up and my arm was actually hurting. I was so grossed out by the dream that I almost got sick to my stomach. I keep looking down at my arm today thinking I'm going to see something. And I can still feel where the bump and worm was on my arm. My dreams are always so realistic, and usually I can gather some meaning from them - or relate them to my life in some form or fashion...but this one totally stumps me. What's your weirdest dream?

Giving Blood

I went yesterday to be a good citizen and give blood. Let me just say I have a VERY high tolerance for pain and I'm not grossed out at all by blood. In previous surgeries I have even requested to stay awake and watch the procedure. So all was well while I was giving blood yesterday.

Until I got to the snack station.

I knew I should probably eat and drink so I had some pretzels and diet Pepsi (gross). As I sit there watching a rerun of Desperate Housewives, I start to get hot and weak. I wanted to raise my hand to call someone over, but I couldn't move. At some point I guess I closed my eyes and the next thing I knew, I was laying on the ground with 5 Red Cross ladies hovering over me. They were asking me my name, which thankfully I knew, and telling me to cough really hard. Somehow I had been put into a wheelchair and they took me back to a bed to lie down.

After some regular Pepsi (still gross - I'm a coke girl) I started to feel better. The ice pack on my neck helped too. After about 10 mins. I was able to get up and drive home. I wasn't feeling completely better by that time, but it was closing time and I knew they all wanted to get home. So the whole way home I continued to make myself cough (it apparently gets the blood flowing in your head) to avoid passing out again. I made it home safely but felt like crap the rest of the day. I still feel tired today, but I'm hoping that is because it is an ugly day and not because of my debacle yesterday.

The Red Cross ladies kept telling me that this happens a lot to first-timers and that it probably won't happen again. I really want to give blood often, but I don't want this to happen every time. I guess we'll just have to see next time I go!

What are you experiences?

Happy Thanksgiving!

I lieu of the holiday, I would like to share some things I am thankful for:

• My cousin returning safely from Iraq


• The healthy birth of his son, Jackson


• My parent's ability to pay for my college education


• My best friend, roommie


• Of course, my family


• My dog recovering from his initial crisis and diagnosis of Addison's Disease


• The experiences I have gained and the people I have met over the past year


• My job


• The good teachers who have brought so much to my education


• And most importantly, I was blessed by not having to endure the pain of loosing someone close to me this year

I hope all of you have a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving and are able to give thanks for many many things!

Hump Day

Happy hump day! We are out of school today for the Thanksgiving holiday, and since I usually only work Tuesdays and Thursdays, I won't be doing anything today! Actually, I have to pass a computer proficiency exam on December 6 where you have to know everything about the new versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access. I think I'm good to go with the first three, but I have never used or heard of people using Access. So I will be spending the day studying for that test and possibly helping my mom paint. Oh - I should probably go for a run too, since I will be participating in the Turkey Trot 5-K tomorrow and I have only run once in the past two weeks!

I also need to get many things organized for my other exams in the beginning of December, so this break will be great if I can motivate myself to get all of it out of the way. A few more goals of mine over break are to seriously look into jobs and schools, and update my resume. I also hope to get some books on taking the GMAT and GRE (both since I don't know what I want to study when I get done).

Whew, this break isn't going to be as relaxing as I hoped. What will you do over the holiday? Any travel plans?

Thanksgiving Holiday!

I loveee food. I love to eat, and thankfully my body still allows me to eat the things I want...but I'm sure this won't last long! So I have put together my family's Thanksgiving menu (it's pretty traditional):

Turkey
Stuffing (my favorite part!)
Green beans
Homemade bread
Cranberries (from the can)
Mashed potatoes
Banana nut bread (for breakfast)
Wine
Tea
Pecan, Cherry and Pumpkin Pie (usually frozen)
Fudge - recipe on the back of the marshmellow container

This all sounds pretty normal, I'm sure. I love the meal my mom makes and have loved it all 21 years I have been around. But when I start cooking for my own family I will do a couple of things differently (except for the stuffing - I will NEVER change that):

1. Mom doesn't brine or season the turkey with anything except salt and pepper. I want to go all out with mine and brine it the night before. Also I will flavor it by putting onions, celery, carrots and lemon inside. Who knows - I'll find something besides plain old S&P.
2. I will make homemade cranberries from frozen whole cranberries and orange juice/zest.
3. All pies will be homemade.
4. Homemade bread will not be made from a mix in the bread maker, but by hand and cooked in the oven.

If you can't tell - I like things homemade...not semi-homemade or from a can/box/container. I would love to implement these things into this year's Thanksgiving meal, but I might hurt my mom's feelings. So I'll just have to wait until I get a family of my own to try them out.

What do you cook on Thanksgiving? What is your favorite part? Or do you cook something out of the ordinary?

I Just Don't Get It

As you all know, Dru didn't come this weekend. And I expected him to call this evening...but he didn't so I texted him and said, "How was your weekend?" to which he responded, "Unbelievable you have to hear this I'll call in a min." That was two hours ago. He hasn't called and I don't think he will tonight. It is highly likely that he is at a friend's house and doesn't want to be the guy to step away to talk to a girl. Or maybe he is at his parents house for Sunday night dinner. But the point is he said he would call 'in a min' and when I haven't talked to him in almost a week that really bothers me. I just don't know what to do. Now I actually have a reason to be mad, and I am. But I don't know how to tell him that. I feel like we are still on a shaky ground what without us having talked about what we are. I know it sounds silly and I keep coming back to it, but I don't know what to expect and that makes it hard because I get my hopes up. Without a defined relationship (of any sort) I don't know how he will receive me calling him out on what seems like such a petty matter. 

How should I approach this? Next time I talk to him do I tell him it bothers me that we don't talk much anymore? Ugh, this is so frustrating. I'm sorry I keep bogging everyone down with my love life, or lack there of, but it is the only thing on my mind, and until I get some kind of answers it will most likely still be the only thing I can think about. I appreciate the advice, as always.

Update: Ok so I guess I jinxed it by writing that post. He called. We caught up and all of that good stuff, but I didn't mention anything about me being mad or anything. I'm such a wimp. So I'm happy for now and promise to have a post that isn't related to Dru at all tomorrow!