Summer jams

My Ipod has never been happier this summer. So many delightful playlists for the many delightful adventures I've been having, the most current one being named, "Last name 'ever', first name 'greatest':"

1) All I Do Is Win (T-Pain, Ludacris, Rick Ross, Snoop Dogg)
2) Drop the World (Weezy and Eminem)
3) Only You (Josh Kelley)
4) Hello, Good Morning (P.Diddy, T.I, every other artist you can think of)
5) I Like It (Enrique Iglesias, post-mole, and Pitbull)
6) Chelsea Dagger (The Fratellis)
7) Lisztomania (Phoenix)
8) Maybe (Ingrid M.)
9) Relator (Scarlett Johansson and Pete Yorn)
10) You and Your Heart (Jack Johnson)
11) Drop It Low (Ester Dean and Chris Brown)
12) Hallelujah (Lee DeWyze)
13) Can I Have It Like That? (Gwen Stefani and Pharrell)
14) Bigger Than My Body (John Mayer)
15) Beautiful (Moby)
16) Eenie Meenie (Sean Kingston and Justin Beiber. Shut up. I know. I can't help it. It's a guilty pleasure.)
17) Suddenly I See (K.T. Tunstall)
18) What Them Girls Like (Ludacris, Chris Brown, Sean Garrett)
19) Song for the Dumped (Ben Folds)
20) Rock 'n Roll (Eric Hutchinson)

These songs are in a random order, I know. But that's what I feel like summer's been so far: all over the place, but so, so good.

Will & KiKi (not Grace) and other musings

I have never moved so fast on Facebook in my entire life. Trying to make contact with one of your high school best friends who is halfway around the world doing some pretty amazing things can be pretty difficult, but if you have quick fingers, a computer positioned at the right angle (so you won't lose internet randomly), and a habit of refreshing your page every couple seconds, chatting in different time zones can work out splendidly.

This is Will (taken at a grad party from high school...ignore the horrendous khaki capris I'm sporting)
:
Will is a year younger than I am but man, we hit it off when he was just a wee little freshman in high school. What a friend! Smart, passionate, always moving in a frenzy, this guy was my go-to if I ever needed a pick-me-up or just wanted to talk about, well, everything. This picture describes us to a T. We had some amazing talks in high school that I still remember today and listened to some pretty awesome mixed c.d's while going on various little adventures. Speaking of, Will is on an incredibly cool one right now; he's been studying abroad in Argentina for the semester (He goes to UNC-CH), and when exams are over, he'll be globe-trottin' to Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay...you name it, he's probably going there. Just like Jackie and Carolyn, even if I don't get to talk to him as often as I'd like to, I am constantly amazed at how much he takes on and how positive and upbeat he stays. When I was skyping with him tonight it was like time hadn't passed at all! I love having friends like that; months may go by, but the minute you get on the phone with them it's like they've been with you that whole time. I'm so excited to see my "Willums" when he gets back and have our always-talked-about-but-never-done bagel date. Yessss!

Fun facts of the moment:

+I'm going to Boone tomorrow to help move in the famous Catie "Busta Cap" Hiztigrath
+I made Kellie a, "We're Going to Boone!" mixed c.d.
+Puck is curled up in my lap and I'm thinking of changing his name to Satan. He's worse than a child on that show The Nanny. And he's an animal for God's sake
+Sheryl and I did stadiums in the amphitheater...and felt like beasts after.
+My Meredith ring has a piece of dust in it and it will not come out. I feel like this is a crisis. But it's not. But it is.
+I'm trying to learn how to make pancakes to prove that I can cook. Volunteer taste testers? :)

Oldies are always goodies

I'm that girl who knew a lot of people in high school but could count the number of super close friends on one hand. And even though we've separated and don't talk as often, I can pick up the phone and call any one of them and it's as though nothing has passed and I'm in the room with them, drinking lattes and looking through magazines with hot men on the covers.
Meet Jacqueline (Jackie/Jack-Attack/Fashion Jackie), one of the truest, bluest pals a girl could ever ask for. I was lucky enough to see my on-the-move best friend before she jets off to-get this-New York to intern for Cosmo and The Knot magazines. Simultaneously. Man, you are a slacker, Jackie. Get on that, would ya ;) ? Through high school it was always me, Jackie, and our other third of the triangle, Carolyn (Caro/Blue Eyes/YO GIRL):

Picture taken in a Starbucks lot, year 2006-7ish. Carolyn, the blunt, "don't-hurt-my-friends-or-I'll-cut-you" one; Jackie, the fashionista and not-so-closeted music nerd, ready to take over the world with her magnificent style and sharp writing; and me. I hate doing me. The dreamer? The actor? The worrier? The therapist? Probably all of the above.

We've definitely had our ups and downs sometimes, but really, it was more ups than anything. It didn't matter what was going on at the time; if one was in trouble (and of course, true to girl-fashion, it could be a myriad of things: boys, clothes, families, other girls, typical adolescent crying jags...), the other two would be there to fix things. And if we couldn't necessarily fix that something, we would do the next best thing: pig out on Brueggers and Starbucks and watch trashy television shows. While Carolyn's been beaching it up at Wilmington and Jackie's sporting her own true blue Carolina colors, I, being crazy busy with all things Meredith, haven't had much time to talk to them. I've seen each one separately but we all haven't been a united triangle front.

But ya know what?

If I were in trouble, I would still call them. And they would come running. And this is why, five years later, we're still going strong.

Oh, and:
Meet Puck. Yes, I named him after hot Puck on Glee. But also because he reminds me of the character Puck from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and he shoots around like a hockey puck, clawing, meowing, and yes, farting. He's my man on four furry legs.

S-S-S-S-Summa time...

I am in the possession of a teeny tiny black kitty that can be picked up with one hand. He's sweet, fiery, and has quite the sharp little claws. I would put a picture up but much like a frazzled mama of human babies, I have been running after this sweet little heathen all afternoon, so pictures have taken a backseat. However, he has a penchant for curling up on your tummy and happily shoving his face into one's Oddball wig, which makes him completely adorable. Notice how "he" doesn't have a name? This is the list I've been thinking of:

1) Scout
2) Boo (as in Radley)
3) Sebastian
4) Ferdinand
5) Charlie
6) Benji
7) Ollie
8) Pedo (which means fart in espanol...this kitty knows how to rock the apartment, let me tell you)

Suggestions?

Currently this week has been full of working, not sleeping very well, cooking, and reading lots. Oh, and watching television shows-LIKE GREY'S ANATOMY. That finale tonight? Whoooo buddy. McDreamy, McSteamy, Bailey, Hot Scottish Man, babies, DANG. I love the summer telly.

The girl with the iced mocha is a pretty happy person.

Fun Fact: I'm starting to wear my hair in its natural state: curly. And you know what? I think I like it.

I woke up at 11:51 this morning. I ran errands with Kellie and we stopped at Caribou and I bought myself the Almond Milk Chocolate Iced Mocha I have been craving. I went to the gym and ran on the elliptical while listening to part one of my summer playlist. But...ya wanna know the best thing I did today? Or rather, am starting to do?

Yup. I'm starting to tackle the disaster that is my room. I made a dent today; forty-five minutes, two garbage bags full. Sheesh. At least it's only papers, books, and clothes, and not, you know, rotting food. Technically this isn't just because of my sudden desire to clean. It's actually because of my mom. She surprised me in my apartment yesterday; my roommate let her in because I was napping. She crept into my room and gasped so loud, she woke me up. She didn't gasp because she was excited to see me or because I look like an angel while I sleep (ah, my modesty...), but because of the big blue bin overflowing with (clean) clothes and the fact that you couldn't see the floor because of a lot of soon-to-be-trashed papers. So after she took one of my roommates, MaryCatherine, and I out for dinner and a lovely dessert of chocolate cherry cheesecake, I promised her that I would clean. I mean, come on. I love my mommy.
And I figured she would be shocked with happiness :)

This past weekend has been absolutely divine. Well, divine and a little bit bittersweet. I went to the class of twenty-ten's Class Day and graduation. Saying a "see ya later" to Kellie, Amy, Wise Old SCR, Catie, Lindsay, Sam Cib, Sara, Abbey, Anna, Kasey, Amirah, Bria, Madison...the list of my goes on, but man, it was hard. It made think of what will be happening in about 363 days:

But for now I'm loving that my first week of summer has already begun on a pretty great note: plans of girls' trips to the beach and mountains, a possible trip to Maine, late night movie fests, roaming downtown Raleigh, reunions with best friends that I am so lucky to have but am cursed because they are so far, going to the gym everyday (I will make myself. I will.), Crime Show Wednesday night with Sabrina, thrift shop visits with Sheryl, quality time with my mom and dad, finally decorating my room, making lots of mixed c.d's for the everyday activities, READING things I like, learning to nap properly, experiment with my hair, reading scripts, writing everyday...the list will grow as the days laze on.

'E' is for elephants, Elphaba, and end-of-the-year...

Want to know a secret? I'm not that happy about exams ending. See, the thing is a lot of my friends are super excited about being top dog around our beloved campus and are already plotting post-Cornhuskin' practice Cook Out runs, wonderful fall break trips, and ideas about-gulp-what to do after. That's where I'm not so keen on saying I'm a senior...this whole "after" business. But I remember, I was like this when high school was about to end. I refused to say that I was officially a college freshie until I was actually on Meredith's campus...and I'm smiling because though these years have flown by, they really have been the best.


So maybe, juuuuust maybe, when I'm done on Friday at noon, after all of my exams and papers have been turned in, I'll take a chance...and say that I'm a senior. Here goes...

It's just a listomania

I have never been one to make a to-do list. Mainly because they never get done and they never get done because I don't like my life to be super tidy; I enjoy the spontaneity of things. However. This is what I found myself finishing yesterday afternoon:

Yeah.

I feel like my whole life has been put into short, succinct lists so I can get a quick snapshot of what's been happening and then move onto the next. Since we're on a listomania of sorts, here's what's been going on since last time I wrote:



1) Juniors found the crook with fifteen minutes to spare: If I had known in kindergarten that I would one day be rocking out some sweet dance moves and pig noses in Corn and digging in the ground looking for an inch of a stick, I would have laughed at myself. Halie Sue, I am forever indebted to you, you champ.

2) My room has added a new component of messiness: pillows.

3) I got a new phone: It's purple, sassy, and when it rings it reminds me of dancing in a club.

4) I'm realizing that I am a grandma: Lately I've been craving intense solitude where I can find a hammock, lay in it with a good book and just disappear from the world for awhile and not go out to downtown Raleigh.

5) I've decided that this summer is going to entail me working, taking trips to the ocean, and enjoying my last summer as a college student: And you know what? I'm okay with that.

6) Glozell's youtube videos legitimately make my life: Look her up and prepare to be lying on the floor gasping for breath. Thank you, Sam Cibs and Sabrina for introducing me to sheer comedic GENIUS.



My crook-huntin'-marathon-runnin'-rap-rockin'-sweet partner in crime, Brittany-she's what my younger cousins would call a "Forever Friend."