drunken sailor

Last week I tagged along with some of my work friends to the pumpkin patch in Roca. I didn't get to go last year, and kind of forgot how much fun doing fall activities is.

My coworkers, who are all married with cute kids, brought along their batch of almost two year olds, who also all attend the same daycare. I brought along my camera and got to take my first batch of "taking pictures of something other than trees and brick walls."

The thing that really got me was the awe these kids elicited when as they teetered around the farm, seeing things they had never seen before Sure, I probably had never seen some of these sites either, but children look at the world with so much appreciation. The bunnies in Candyland weren't just ANY bunnies, but new and exciting creatures they were seeing for the first time. They looked at them the way I probably will look at the pyramids.

As we explored the grounds, their enthusiasm never wavered. I watched them closely, taking pictures whenever I could, and discovered that Johnny Depp WAS right: kids walk like drunks.

Why, hello internet. It's been a while.

Well, not for me and the internet...but for me and this blog.

Life pre-blog, I had plenty to write about. Things were happening. Lives were being lived. Life post-blog however, I find I have no words. Or really, probably, I don't feel like writing about certain things on the world wide web. But since I'm not writing about that, I'm going to write about something much greater: I currently have a plastic eye patch on my head.

Today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day, and I am pleased to say my work has fully embraced it. I have heard several "arrrrrr"s from my vice president. Which, when you hear your vice president utter "arrrr" it's kind of like getting handed a pint of ice cream and being told "eat it. you won't gain any weight." Otherwise: best thing ever.

I also was able to show off my intense love for Cap't Jack Sparrow. Who knew someone who probably didn't brush his teeth was so dreamy?

Hope you're out scallywagging someone or whatever pirates do.

Light Bulb Moment

I just had a fantastic idea.  Of course, this idea is probably only going to be interesting for me and .... me.  But stay tuned!  I have a funeral tomorrow and then I will be BACK to roll this out.  Ole!

I suck!

So I have contributed nothing to this blog so far, as you can see.  I am embroiled in research for grad schools, and thinking of different ways I can convince them to let me in, despite having little to no experience in my desired field!  Do you think that they will see through the sudden vigorous volunteering I have taken up?  Probably.  Can I think of 3 people to ask for letters of recommendation?  Probably not.  Have I visited ANY of the 5 schools I am thinking of applying to?  No.  Clearly I am off to an excellent start.  I probably should have been planning this out since this time LAST year, but I didn't know that I wanted to go to grad school at this time last year.  

Right now this is seeming like a task too large and unlikely to work out.  I'm trying not to get discouraged as I read the requirements for prerequisites, and read about financial aid information.  Not to mention the added complication of having to worry about the impact my decisions have now on another person.  Silly marriage! For the first two years after my graduation from college, I was the person helping people get into school!  And now I can hardly stand to do the same for myself.  But I know I have to because now that it's September, and everyone is back in school, I realize that I wish I was there too.   

I have decided to start consulting a magic 8 ball for all important decisions, and since I don't physically have one, I have to use this one provided for me, as far as I can tell, by someone from Purdue with too much time on their hands.  

Dear Magic 8 Ball:  Will I get into grad school this spring?

"Ask again later"

Well shit.   Maybe I wasn't clear enough.

Dear Magic 8 Ball:  Will I get into grad school for the 2009-2010 school year?

"Yes"

Excellent! 

best.day.ever

Sweet Jesus. I can now die happy. Now if Angelina Jolie would only come out with a wax lip line.

Only approximately 2.5 months...

till my birthday. I know some of you may have been like "Till ELECTION DAY! WOOOOT!" But not me. I'm selfish. I'm turning 26 in 2.5 months. Way more important.

Is 26 still "mid 20's?" I mean, it's not really LATE 20's. I'm still mid. If someone where to ask you "On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest, how are you feeling today?" and you said "6," that other person would be all "oh, just OK? Just slightly above the middle? Why is that? Would you like some pancakes to bump that up to at least a 7?" and you'd reply "yes, that'd be lovely" because pancakes ARE lovely.

I love birthdays. I do not get people who don't like them. I much prefer OTHER people's birthdays so I can make a big deal out of them. But, I enjoy mine as well.

The point is: I've started my birthday list. Having a birthday so dangerously close to Christmas could hinder my present-getting, but my parents have been pretty freaking awesome about celebrating the day I was brought into their lives. However, the older I get, the more I notice my parents buying me more "practical gifts." And me liking them. I never thought I'd enjoy getting that high-end skillet, but now I can make you pancakes that slide gracefully out of the pan and land perfectly onto your plate next time you're a "6."

All by myself...

I forced Jaclyn into writing a blog with me. All the fun of a blog, without all of the commitment of being the only writer. We could write about all kinds of stuff. Like...the unfortunate downturn of Mischa Barton's coolness factor or how today is National Raspberry Creme Pie Day.

However, she has left me for an exciting weekend in St. Louis. I've only driven through, but I hear good things.

So, in her absence, I will probably write a lot of posts involving hyperlinks. Cause I love to show the reader EXACTLY what I'm talking about.

Also, I feel like our first post should include a music video. I currently love this one by Gnarles Barkley. Even though you can't really hear the song, and there's lots of computer animated blood: