2 weeks & counting.

hello out there world! my, my it's been a while since i've enlightened you with the exciting details of my life. speaking of life...it has been EVER SO crazy here this past month and i have a strong sensation it is not going to slow down or get any better in the coming weeks.

first off, chilifest 2010 was a complete success! (minus the fact that a port-a-potty ate my camera. grrrr!) beer was slung, fist pumping was mastered and semi-forgetable memories were made! i tried to make it a good one, seeing as i think it was my last...the "real world" has no time for chilifest...or does it?!

secondly, i FINALLY dunked my aggie ring! 50 SECONDS & 4.5 beers were gone. let me just say, this fine tradition was one of the factors in my "where to go to college" decision making and though i had an AMAZING time with friends and family on the day of the dunk, that was the single most miserable experience of my life...for a good 5 mins and 50 seconds! then once it hit me i was feelin' too good to care about the pain my body had just endured. pictures of this glorious occasion do not even do the deed justice, so here is the video (via twitter).

a lot has happened since the passing of these two momentous occasions, and by "a lot" i mean a CRAP TON of school work! graduation is 2 weeks and 2 days away and apparently i was not prepared for this! projects, presentations, group meetings, tests, quizzes...i don't know what happened this semester but, i have never had so much outside of the classroom "busy work" than i do now. in fact, this blog is being used as a project for one of my classes--two birds with one stone :) !!!

so, like i said, graduation is approaching rather quickly and i have still yet to find an employer...which is also something i thought would come easy towards the end of the semester. WRONG! i do have an interview tomorrow in Houston which is VERY exciting! hopefully all goes well and i won't be living like a gypsy out of my car, crashing on couches come June.

welp, that's just about all i have time to update you peeps on today. time is precious these days! hopefully the next time you hear from me i will be care-free and easy livin'....feelin' just as cool as my nugget boo does here:

yes, i'm ALIVE!

oh. my. word. times have been BEYOND crazy & here i am again, weeks from my latest post. tisk, tisk!

where to start? well, i guess i can begin with an official countdown to graduation:

6 weeks and 2 days (i can't count mins/seconds) till i am POST grad!

now, that may seem like a good while but, considering every weekend from now on is consumed with exciting adventures, it will be here before i know it. i am so ready for college to end & to start my NEW and IMPROVED life elsewhere. college station has been a blast, don't get me wrong, but it's most definitely time for a change--and a big one at that!

my plan (as of now) is to move to austin come June. i've already started looking for apartments and found a GREAT deal, went by for a visit and have basically fallen in love with the 700sq ft box i could call home one day. the only thing holding me back from jumping to sign a lease is the fact that i have YET TO FIND A JOB!

ATTN: journalism industry/music magazines/anyone who will hire me to write for them -- i need your help and i need it now! times are tough and i cannot pay the bills without you. thanks!

it's not like i'm just sitting around all day and not trying or looking for something, i've applied for a TON of jobs...it's just that no one is bitin'. which is understandable. i keep hearing, "we generally hire people with more experience." can someone please tell me how i am going to ever gain experience in the real world if i am not given a chance? anyone?

one positive is, i had some very HOPEFUL meetings in austin last friday (which was also when i went looking at my new apt. i'm just going to call it mine because, in my head, it is!) and let me tell you i am VERY excited about the results. no, noone hired me on the spot...but i did get to meet with some amazing people at some amazing publications & let's just say i'm praying that one day, in the near future i hope, you will see my name in a byline. FREELANCE WORK HERE I COME! (freelancing is how i am going to gain that "experience" everyone keeps telling me i need. so, bring it on!)

now, a story here and there won't pay the bills completely; this i do know. i plan on finding a job to keep me goin' and so far my options are:

1. a teller at a bank. (not sure if i can deal with ignorant people on a daily basis, but i'll just suck it up!)
2. wait tables. (i'm almost positive i'd spill a tray or two.)
3. office work. (i know i can answer phones, type, file, etc. been doing it for years already.)
4. pimp myself out. (i think i need to start working out more if this option wins.)

any thoughts? suggestions? i'm open to them all!

after i returned how from my two-week stint at RodeoHouston, all i wanted to do was sleep for days...but class & work were calling my name. i have to admit, i am STILL (two weeks later) not back in school mode. and it is killing me! projects, papers, quizzes, presentations....they are all coming up and there is not enough Red Bull in the world to keep me up to get all of them ready. but, who needs sleep anyway...i guess?

this weekend is Easter. i think, with the exception of my birthday, Easter is my favorite holiday. there is just something i've always loved about the Easter Bunny (except the fact that he has eggs? not a reptile, but kids don't know the difference) and well, candy is my weakness. i'm pretty pumped about going back home on friday to spend the weekend with my family and do little E-egg hunting with my 14-month-old niece. my mom sent me some pics of her hunting eggs at our church. she is a little CHUNK & i really want Chelsea Lately to put her little nugget pictures on the show one night!

"forget the eggs...i'm what's for Easter!"


my little super model! it's a baby GAP Easter ad!


we can find candy pretty quickly in our family!

"gimme dat snickers!"

i knew this post would get pretty lengthy, based on my ability to ramble--hence, the name of the blog--and on how much time has passed since my last rant! bare with me people, there are some pretty exciting times ahead in the next few weeks:

• Chilifest! basically the highlight of my year & about as fun as christmas on crack--or at least what imagine that'd be like. the line up for saturday is a tad disappointing...but i am more than anything looking forward to FRIDAY night. good shows. good friends. and a good time sleeping in a tent with 10 other people. (ok, so it's not really that GOOD of a time, but it could be!)


• DUNK jam! my aggie ring dunk name. pretty cleaver, huh? caroline and i will be dunking our rings at 2:10pm on April 17th. day drinking is always a good thing! we're on a mission to find an amazing "something" to have screen printed on some aprons...so, if you have any incriminating photos of us, please send them our way! thanks.


• Duck Jam not to be confused with the latter--both are going to be equally as good of a time. friday night line up: randy rogers band, wade bowen, coolio (yes, the rapper) and jonathan tyler and the northern lights! saturday: willie nelson & family, kyle park & rich o'toole. the MAJOR plus is that the venue -- Wolf Pen Creek Amphitheater -- is legit, right across the street from my house!

check back in for photo's capturing each of these days & see if you can guess who passed out first in all of them...fingers crossed, it won't be me!

i think that is enough for today! though, i must say, i've noticed how this blog has, in some ways, evolved into more than i thought it would when i began. at the start of it, i was FINALLY getting over all of the bad and coming back into who i am. now, i get on here to write about the happy and the good. not about trying to FEEL happy and good & i just love that!

greetings from the RODEO!

(view of the stadium from an 8th floor suite--very high up!)

ahhh, what an AMAZING time this internship has been! i have met some of the most amazing people and seen some of the best rodeo action. today is the first if 5 days i have left before reality hits and i return to college station for class...but let's not think about that now.

so far, i have met Rascal Flatts and Blake Shelton, watched Hootie (aka Darius Rucker), Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton and Lady Antebellum in concert, and learned so many new and exciting things about how the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo works--overall, i give my time here an A++!

if i HAD to complain about one thing (which is hard to do) it would be the walking around in boots ALL day. don't get me wrong, i love my boots, i just have a hard time keeping up with socks, and thick socks at that. let me just say, thin, ankle socks do NOT go well with worn in boots...you end up with toe socks by the end of the day.

there are a lot more things to be done and people to meet over the next 5 days and i when i get back home, and can sit down and really write, i will fully document (with photos) my two weeks at the Show. for now just a small little update to let you know i am still alive and kickin'!

oh, i forgot to mention! a WONDERFUL contact i made at the Austin American-Statesman, Sue Whaley (an old Aggie journalism major), has done a wonderful thing to try to help me find a job, more contacts and what not. check out the blog post she did about me, my time at Texas Monthly this past summer and more: Aggie senior goes from Texas Monthly to rodeo writing

'til we meet again, i will leave you with this: i thought, since i am enjoying two weeks filled with death-defying rodeo events i'd try to find a little humor in one of them. i found this video:
BULL FOOTBALL

again with the neglecting!

once again i have been a bad blogger, blogee, blogette (whatever) and let more than a week pass since updating all of my eager readers on my ever fabulous life. a lot has happened and i will make this short and sweet!

first of all, i have found and fallen in love with another blog. being the highly self-proclaimed Texas Country fan that i am, it is always fun to read other peoples' thoughts on the "scene". Rita Ballou keeps it real & i must say has become my blogging hero! read her "Rawhide & Velvet" daily...you will guarantee yourself a laugh at least once.

Ritia, if by some chance you read this...we should be best friends, just sayin'!

secondly, things with TCM are going amazingly well! last friday i had the chance to sit down with one of my favorite texas artist for an interview. it was none other than Mr. Brandon Rhyder! his new CD "Head Above Water" came out a few weeks ago and he was in College Station promoting it with a show at Hurricane Harry's. the interview was a huge step for my music journalism career and it was incredibly wonderful meeting him. BR is quite honestly one of the nicest men i have ever met and very sincere and passionate about his music! check out my story on TCM and look for more profiles coming soon!

here are some exciting photos from the experience:

Brandon & I after the interview

BRhyder performing at Harry's

just enjoyin' the show! we loveee BRhyder!

thanks BR for an amazing show!

on another subject, this week as been absolute HELL as i prepare for leave for my two week internship at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. (which i am beyond excited about starting!) it just seems like everything i have due, basically all semester, was due this week or will be due next week. i've been stressed to the max trying to get everything done and in on time while also washing everything i own, stocking up on new goodies, and packing my entire life into a suitcase. i am happy to report that all is ready to go (minus the packing, i am still in the process of that) and i will be leaving in the morning, RodeoHouston bound!

tonight is my sororities formal, Monmouth. i am pretty pumped about it mainly because it's casino themed, and although we won't actually win money i will be able to feed my need to gamble...i hope.

to quote my favorite movie, the hangover:

"you guys ready to let the dogs out? you know, who let the dogs out...who, who..."

overdue.

i feel a little like i've been neglecting this blog since joining Jessica with the Texas Country Music blog--forgive me!

a lot has happened since my last post and as we speak, it is SNOWING in college station! it started around 11 am and has been going ever since. i braved the cold and went to class earlier--like the good student i am. here, have a look at the snow falling for yourself:

if you're not from Texas (or any Southern state for that matter) you may be asking why snow is such a big deal? well, when you're used to it happening maybe every other year it's just so MAGICAL! i want nothing more than to be in hillsboro right now, sledding down the HCC hills with my sisters on golf cart hoods--we like to keep it classy!

besides the snow, some more excitement was my FAB trip to san marcos this past weekend to stay with one of the most amazing people i've ever met in my life! i've learned since being in college that you'll meet those people who will be your friends for the next four years and then you'll meet those people who will, no matter what, be your friend for the rest of your life. i feel so lucky to have found those few people in my life who i know are true friends and that will always be there for me--basically listening to my long, drawn out, BS stories!

here are some pictures from our weekend/Friday night Josh Abbott concert @ Midnight Rodeo in Austin:

amanda & i with our new friend.

the three musketeers!

the Josh Abbott Band rockin' on stage!

school doesn't start up till 10 tomorrow, due to the wintry weather outside, so looks like i get to sleep in and miss my only class! God Bless this Texas weather--no matter how tricky it is!

freeze frame time.

what a week this has been! VERY exciting things have happened and it's only WEDNESDAY! i just love days/weeks/hours/minutes like this...they remind me why giving up is never an option when it comes to going for what i want in life.

a friend of mine asked me if i would like to start helping her manage a blog she has about Texas Country Music (aka my life) and of course i jumped on it! i am so thankful to have people in my life who trust in me and believe that i can (and will) do what it takes to lend a hand. my ultimate career goal (besides writing for Texas Monthly one day) is to write about music--Texas music--and this opportunity is helping me get my foot into that door and hopefully some guidance on how to keep doing what i love on a wider scale!

thank you jessica SO VERY much for this chance, and i promise to deliver my love for Texas Music to the pages of the Texas Country Music Scene blog to the best of my ability! If you have Facebook, become a fan of Texas Country Music Concerts (i'm helping out with that a little bit too)!!

another fabulous thing that has happened this week is this BIG TIME group project i have been busting my butt on for a good while now is finally finished! it was a lot of fun to work on and all of the people in my group meshed really well together! (we're pretty funny people if i do say so myself!) check out our finished product here: Team WOW!

also, my FINAL project as an intern for Texas Monthly just came out in the latest issue--March 2010!! it is the first interview i got to do this past summer when i was an intern; it's with Trevor Brazile, the current (and 7 time) world champion all-around cowboy in the PRCA! i hope to see him at the Houston Rodeo while i'm there interning too...that way i can properly introduce myself and cheer him on in the roping events there as well! the piece in TM is a mini version of our interview in the Horse's Mouth section: Being a Rodeo Cowboy...go have a look-see!

i have been very very blessed here lately and i cannot wait to see all the amazing things my future holds for me! just like Mr. Brandon Rhyder says..."these are the moments, i wish i could freeze frame time!"

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Words of Inspiration for the Day

"you’ll be on your way up! you’ll be seeing great sights!
you’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights."
--oh! the places you'll go!
by dr. seuss

i used the poem as a guideline for a speech i gave my junior year of high school while running for an officer position in the FFA. i just love this poem, if you have never read it, excuse me but, what the hell is wrong with you!? do a google search NOW! it will brighten your day and motivate you beyond belief!

successful weekend.

made it home on friday and went straight to my sister Emily's for yet another Southern Belle Glamour jewelry party! i loaded up on some more SUPER cute stuff and we all had such a great time. it had just snowed a HUGE amount the night before and the yards and fields were still covered in the white powder--we only got nasty slush here in college station, so it was so good to enjoy the winter wonderland for a little while. and when you're from Texas, snow--even a few inches--is something to freak out about! here's some of what our backyard looked like saturday morning, everything was starting to melt but Izzy loved it!

saturday my parents and i headed up to the Fort Worth Stockyards to find a pair of new boots! the heavy heavy snow fall in DFW on thursday caused a tree to fall on a power line outside of Fincher's (as i mention previously, this is my cousin's store) so the electricity was out! Chuck still told us to come and let me just say, shopping by flashlight is a lot more exciting that i though it would be. after the sun set and we finally decided the flashlights weren't doing us any good anymore, i found the perfect pair and we headed out to have dinner! Chuck took us to M&M's Steak House, the smallest restaurant i'd ever been to in my life...but the size DID NOT matter, it was absolutely delicious! i love places like that, they are just so "homey" and comfortable and usually family-owned, which makes the service a lot better i've found. if you are in "F Dub" i totally recommend finding this little hole-in-the-wall and experiencing it for yourself...you wont be disappointed!

here is what my FAB new boots look like! they're Stetson "Bucket Boots"! i love them and cannot wait to wear them in houston...shoes really do make an outfit!

after we finished dinner we had to take Chuck and Judy back to Fincher's to get his truck and when we pulled onto Exchange (the main road of the Stockyards) this is what i saw across the street...i just had to get out and go take a picture. i even pet all three of them!! CRAZYYYY!!

yes, that is a MOUSE on top of a CAT on top of a DOG!!!

i will leave you with that! no words of inspiration today--i'd have to come up with something really good to top that MOUSECATDOG!

these boots are made for walkin'

i started out the week with a bang...missing class and work on monday due to the inability of keeping anything with substance down since 3:40am that morning. it was awful--food poisoning maybe? who knows. i'm just glad it was only a 24hr thing, i have way too much going on this week for all of that business.

now, of course it's already wednesday and i am just now updating since last week, but better late than never. quite a bit has gone on and i am happy to say that the Southern Belle Glamour party i hosted on friday night went AMAZINGLY well! afterwards, all of us a great time in our "peace, love & TROUBLE" shirts at the Wade Bowen concert too! he loved them so much we even got called up on stage to show them off--basically the highlight of my life! here are some photos to recap the evening:

(SBG's set up at my house!)


(southern belle's rockin' peace, love & TROUBLE!)
(my friends Liza & Caroline, SBG girls Rachel & Jessica, and me with my sister, Emily)

(the amazing Wade Bowen--such a good show!)

on another note i received some more good news about interning at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo this year: i got the communications writing internship as well so i will be staying in houston for 2 straight weeks this year! i am beyond THRILLED! so much great experience and new things to learn plus, i can't wait to see some familiar faces from last year. i will make sure to find time to update on here once i arrive and things start to get interesting. i love stock shows and rodeos...so happy to be a part of the largest and most exciting one in the nation!

this friday i will venture home to spend some time with my family and see my sweet little niece! i'm pretty pumped about this, seeing as saturday my parents and i are supposed to go up to the Fort Worth Stockyards to Fincher's and get me a NEW PAIR OF BOOTS and hopefully some much needed jeans that'll actually fit over my boots! I absolutely loveeee the Stockyards and have been going to see my cousin at Fincher's for just about as long as i can remember...always a good time! To get the full effect, read my write up on texasmonthly.com about the Stockyards, Talk Rodeo!

that's about it for now, i will post a picture of my new fabulous boots (keep your fingers crossed) when i get them on saturday! for now, i will leave you with this...

______________________________

Words of Inspiration for the Day

"find the strength to rise above,
you will find just what you're made of
...one day you will."
--Lady Antebellum

love, love, love Lady A! they are my sister, Emily and I's go-to-band for just about every road trip or semi-long car ride we take together. they are going to be at the houston rodeo while i'm there, can't wait to finally (and hopefully) see them in concert. i love this song, One Day You Will; every time i hear it is just reminds me that everyone is going to have problems and hard times that make you feel like the smallest person in the world, or all alone in a crowded room, but you just have to keep looking forward to the bright side at the end of the bad.

life organized.

i finally went and got a planner!! i cannot even express how much better i feel now because oh man was i lost without one. it may not seem like it, but i do like to plan ahead and keep a schedule of my (ever) busy life...it's the OCD i guess! i was told it's "very betsy" whatever that means, check it out:

(my fabulous new planner!)

the week has been pretty slow, lots of school work and trying to get things ready for this weekend when my sister and the Southern Belle Glamour girls come to College Station! (i.e. cleaning my house, going to the grocery store, etc.) i love entertaining people so i am planning on making cocktails and snackies for the jewelry party friday night--i think i just went into blabbering about nothing mode; forgive me.

lets see, on the workout front...ok, so there has been no workout front these past two weeks. i know, i know but the weather has been so draining and my tentative class/work/projects due schedule has been boggling my mind. once i can get back into a routine i am going to try to start going to the REC. i really don't mind staying on an elliptical for a long time--and i can watch television while i do so! (a major plus for my sitcom addiction!) also, my mom sent me all of her old Weight Watchers information...so i am planning on trying this "non-diet" out for kicks--we'll see how well it works! i got some good ideas from a fellow college-going-weight-watcher on how to manage being a student and making a lifestyle change and here's my thought: if someone else can do it and succeed, then why not me?

so starting monday i am going to start keeping points and hitting the gym again--there really is no excuse except for pure laziness, and no one likes a lazy fool! for the few that read this, a good Web site that i was told to use during my WW-venture is Hungry Girl!!

for the rest of this week and this weekend i am going to enjoy myself, eating what i want, when i want because starting monday...it's on!

_________________________________

Words of Inspiration for the Day

"you shouldn't have to sacrifice who you are
just because somebody else has a problem with it."
--Carrie Bradshaw (Sex & the City)

loveeeee me some SATC and this quote especially! i have it on a sticky note on the desktop of my computer so that everyday i can read it! there is no problem with altering your life or yourself to please YOU--but the second someone else starts telling you to change who you are...i say if they don't like it, they don't have to look!

busy week. busy me.

today i have been recovering from the most outrageous weekend i've had in a really long time. i had so much fun just hanging out with friends and not having a care in the world!

i just got some really exciting news that i am going to be interning for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo's Executive office during the last week of the show! i am PUMPED! i was able to intern last year as a writing intern (which i also hope to do again this year) and now being in the executive office is going to be AMAZING! i'm not completely sure what my duties will in entail but i know that whatever they are i am just going to love being at the Show and spending my spring break making some hard earned money! i have no life, which means no SB trip planned; ever actually. i have never taken a spring break trip, except my junior year of high school i went snow skiing during SB, but it doesn't really count because i got to miss a week of school. i had just moved high schools and my new one had SB the week after my trip was planned. one of the perks of being the principals kid! i love HLSR and i cannot wait to be apart of it again! plus, there is some great entertainment lined up this year. check it out:

(from HLSR facebook page)

school has been going just about the same lately, except for the 3 big assignments i have due this week! i can pull them off though...one is really neat and i've been having a lot of fun constructing it!

this weekend i am hosting a jewelry show/happy hour @ my house for Southern Belle Glamour. I am veryyy excited about it & afterwards we're (my sister, the SBG girls (rachel & jessica) and some of my friends) are going to see WADE BOWEN play at Hurricane Harry's! my favorite Texas country singer and my favorite bar, with my favorite people all in one night!

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Words of Inspiration for the Day

"so i hope this postcard finds you lonely
i hope you’re as lost as i was when you left me.
by the way i guess i should probably thank you,
cause a broken heart is the only way to be set free."
--Wade Bowen



not really words of "inspiration" per say, just a really good line from one of my favorite Wade songs, Resurrection. he is by far my absolute favorite artist and i love his music. this song really speaks to me, especially the new me! can't wait to see him on FRIDAY!

filler post.

well, it's been a whole 2 days since my last update and let me tell you...nothing important or exciting has happened. (except a complete blackout at the building i work in--no, wait. that happened monday.) i just live that kind of life, i guess. soon though, i will have fabulous stories to share with the world wide web (or maybe just the 4 people that i know read this).

the spring semester always seems to fly by --maybe it's due to the fact that i am constantly busy with something every weekend/some weeks are even full. events of the spring include:

1. dunking my ring in april. (yes, dunking it in a pitcher of beer. it's an aggie thing.)
2. interning at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in march! (one of my favorite parts.)
3. CHILIFEST! (if you don't know what this is...god bless your heart.)
4. the college of ag career fair (i am finally going to attend. i need a job.)
5. presentations/projects/homework (seems normal, right?)
6. WADE BOWEN & BRANDON RHYDER! (my two favorite texas country artists!)
7. visits to see friends & family/visits from friends & family
8. &&& finally, the best part of this semester--GRADUATION MAY 14th!!

that may not seem like a lot but when i look in my BlackBerry, every weekend is highlighted with something to do. i like staying busy...keeps my mind from wandering too far. i hope in the next few months all of these jobs i've been applying to (almost 30-something) start contacting me. i know it's still january, but i think i would feel much more at ease if i knew where my life was going to be after may. i have to remember that i cannot predict the future and that everything will just fall into place--things have been going that way for a while now for me, i hope it sticks around.

more later on. i'm sure after this weekend i'll have something more interesting to talk about!

men are from mars.

what a day! what a day! what a day! -- i had to say it three times because it has been that full!

tuesday's are my LONG days: On campus from 7:45 am till 5 pm then (starting next week, this week it was a meeting) a workout and my lab out at the astronomy observatory from 7:30 till about 10. throw in about 5 hours of work during my breaks and call it a tuesDAY.

tonight in my lab we learned how to use star charts to find constellations, main stars and whatnot. basically i can now tell you where ORION's belt is, the North Star (Polaris) and MARS! yes, mars! this may sound extra nerdy of me but, i cannot wait to look at these things through the telescopes! the universe fascinates me--learning about it in depth will be interesting.

wow, i feel extra nerdy for making this post all about astronomy...but i am really excited about this class. that is sort of what i saw--not as bright though. i'm guessing this is through a small telescope.

something not star-related: didn't get to workout today, which isn't an awful thing considering the pain i am still in from yesterday's lunges and butt kicking! tomorrow i plan on hitting it hard, i have to burn off the evil McDonald's i subjected myself to for dinner on-the-go. (i'm allowed to slip, just not everyday!) tomorrow is wednesday--i've expressed my feelings of this humpDAY--and i am hoping it goes by quickly; i am ready for the weekend! i need to have some college station fun with my friends, i feel like it's been far too long! hopefully something fabulous will happen in the next few days so i wont have to bore my MILLIONS of readers with crap-talk about my classes.

note: the title of this blog is not influenced by the male gender...it is only because we located mars & for some reason the book title has been stuck in my head. (wouldn't it explain a lot if they really were from mars though? maybe i should read it, might be insightful!!)

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Words of Inspiration for the Day

"it's easier to prevent bad habits than to break them." -- benjamin franklin

i used to be the queen of drive-through-dinners-lunches-breakfast-snack. NOT healthy. NOT okay! i like this quote; i have learned that old habits never die...you have to work hard and aim for prevention! slips happen, it's human nature to mess up, just have to keep motivated!

step & kick.

go team kick BUTT! (that would be caroline & me today!)

for the last hour we worked out harder than i have in a longggg time! 2.5 mile walk with lunges, glute kicks, side lunges, side kicks (for those pesky love handles) and high-knee skipping. i haven't pushed myself that hard in a good while and even though it wasn't the most ridiculous workout, it was still at 2 in the afternoon on a sunny day--my head is like a wet mop. we definitely burned some calories and i am going to feel it--in my my butt, my thighs, my calves, everything--in the morning!

i'm so proud of myself (and my roommates) for keeping this healthy, walking kick we have going! there has always been talk of "i'm going to start working out on monday," or "i'm so sick looking, i have got to start doing something about it." well, now i am...we all are! it's always easier to change your lifestyle when people you are around the majority of your time are on the same page. i can't wait to see some results--i can feel it working now but seeing it is a completely different story.

meet Izzy (my family dog)--this is about how i feel right now...pooped!

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Words of Inspiration for the Day

"unless you puke, faint or die, keep going"--Jillian Michaels

basically, she scares the dog-tar out of me on The Biggest Loser and if her words can help people in need of a LOT more exercise than i do...then i am going to cherish them along my new healthy road.

whirl wind weekend. (say that 3x fast!)

first off, check out my niece's 1st birthday cake! It's amazing! (and it was quite delicious i might add--strawberry!)

weekends at my parents house are ALWAYS a good time! like i mentioned before, i love being around my family, more than the average college student i'm sure, and to clear something up...my FATHER is also one of my favorite people in the world! (he got a little sour after seeing i had only mentioned my mother and sister's in my "family" post. sorry daddy!)

when i arrived in hillsboro on friday night the whole family loaded up and went out to eat (we used to do this quite often but it had drifted off the charts recently) at el conquistador--el con for short! this is my absolute favorite place to eat when i go home. one of my best friends growing up family owns the chain and i have been eating there for literally, my entire life! some will argue, but el con is by far the best TEX-MEX in my opinion...maybe i'm bias?! if you ever drive north on I-35 towards dallas/fort worth, exit off in hillsboro and try yourself some el con, you won't be disappointed! (it's just across from the booming outlet mall.)

this week should be pretty calm, the school work hasn't really set in quite yet. i do have to get started on a project due next tuesday...should be pretty fun to do, so i'm not dreading it!

not a whole lot to talk about today--more later on this week! going out for dollar margarita's tomorrow night with my friend Jamie! she's leaving to student teach for the semester...it's going to be weird not seeing her all the time. off to the real world (sort of). we're all growing up so fast...not just my 1-year-old niece!

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Words of Inspiration for the Day

"it ain't that i can't see, or find my way home, it's just that i like to breath, out on country roads." --ryan bingham

Ryan Bingham is one of the best Texas musicians to date. his songs and lyrics hit home; this line from "Country Roads" reminds me that no matter where life may take me, i'll always remember where i came from--and late nights on country roads!

pushing through.

as a part of my new & improved self (or as my sister emily says, "Positive Patty") i have started changing the way i do things. this includes:

• actually putting on make-up and NOT wearing a t-shirt to school/work
• hour-long, 3-mile walks my roommates. (so far 3 times this week, yesterday was a day of rest in our house.)
• eating healthy meals, at least 4 times a day. (well, it's not McDonald's, Jack-in-the-Box or Taco Bell...so it's somewhat balanced. i can't cook very well, so i do what i can.)
• not freaking out about the little things that wont matter tomorrow. a habit i had come quite accustomed too.
• catching up with old/lost friends! it's good to know that even though things have changed people are still around when you need a buddy!
• being more updated on current events. i've started reading the Huffington Post daily! (i also applied for a job with them--keep your fingers crossed!)

so far those are the changes i have attempted to make and will try to continue to make in my life! it feels good to put them in writing on here...it's a constant reminder to keep pushing through every day.

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Words of Inspiration for the Day:

"even through a stone, a flower can bloom..." -- Miranda Lambert.

Miranda Lambert is a huge inspiration of mine. she is a "says what she wants to, takes-no-crap-from-anyone, god fearin' Texas woman," who writes some of the most powerful songs i have ever heard. i hope to go see her play February 12th in Fort Worth @ Billy Bob's Texas!

beans & rice. rice & beans.

today was pretty productive, for the most part. it started at 8 am and went till about 5:01pm...then i treated myself to a little retail therapy! i can literally be in the worst mood possible, walk into a mall and poof! everything fogging my mind vanishes...it's like magic. i do a lot of window-shopping. even though most would ask why the hell i gaze at unattainable purchases whilst i just got out of my funk? i love clothes. i love shoes. i love food. i love the creepy mannequins. i love the word "sale". i love it all. i don't have to buy these things to feel a satisfaction with my visit. (though, a little charge here and there does happen on occasion!)

i'm so excited for tomorrow at 4! i'm going home for the weekend to be with my family...which i do quite enjoy! (i know they read this...and NO i'm not just saying this stuff to make them feel loved. i really do love being at home.) my sister's & mom are the best friends i have. (no offense to my actual best friends, you know what i mean!) some people will say that family is family, they can't be your friends. that is not true with mine. and believe me, when the "Gina's" get together it's a damn good time!! we've even dubbed my niece "lil' G" (little gina...get it?)

here are some photo's to familiarize you with these people i have referred to:

Kati aka "Gina" (the oldest one.)

Emily aka "Ra'Jay Jay" (the middle one.)

Jami Lin aka "Lil' G" (the niece.)

The Whole Gang.

it's only wednesday?

first of all, i don't understand the point of calling wednesday's "hump day"...yes, it is the middle/hump of the week, but to me wednesday's are just a tease. a big reminder that though it is not the dreaded-beginning-of-the-week any longer you still have 2 more days of work and class till the weekend. for me this week couldn't be going by any slower.

so far my LAST first week of school EVERRR (thank you jesus), has been just wonderful. my semester is going to be amazing and i cannot wait till i get deeper into the topics of the classes i am taking. here they are:

Cultural Diversity & Pluralism in Agriculture:
my prof is a 60-something, African American man from South Carolina. He also doubles as a pastor to his church on the side, so you can imagine what a powerful, motivated man he is. i am going to LOVE this class--being the opinionated person that i am--i can already tell that my mouth will open a lot and my participation points will sky rocket! we are going to learn about the proper things to say in the workforce, what is right and wrong (aka "politically correct"). i'm excited to share my open-mindedness with, what seems to be, a classroom filled with conservatives...my prof told me he was excited to hear the things i had to say and to not be afraid to speak up!

Environmental Design 101-Creative and Innovative Design:
This is a FRESHMAN level class...why i waited to take something like this till my last semester? i have no idea. but the good thing is that i feel as though i will somehow appreciate the things i learn more being older. the professor rode into class on a SEGWAY (you know, the two-wheeled, pedestals that look like something from the future). he is from Columbia and i absolutely love his accent and listening to him talk about how having a creative, innovative mind will only benefit you in the future. i'm really looking forward to this class...

Astronomy Lab:
basically self explanatory. i drive 15 miles outside of college station, in the pitch dark and look at the stars through telescopes. i'm excited to finally understand the sky and know what constellations are and all that gibber-jabber. should be interesting!

Floral Design:
i am going to learn how to make flower arrangements...and how to be more artsy! this is very hopeful, because if for some reason my journalism career doesn't take off maybe i can just get paid taking flower orders from local high school kids. they always have a new boyfriend/girlfriend each week.

the spring semester is going to bring a lot of wonderful things to me! i'm ready for all of them and for the end result of 4 long years at texas a&m. bring it on!

deuces.

i like copying caroline meinen...daily!

so, to copy my good and dear friend caroline (who recently updated her long over due blog as well) i decided to get on here and update my life to all my curious readers--i know there are SO many!

2009 = the worst/BEST year of my life. i am SO glad it's over--new start, new year!

my number one hope for 2010 is for me to be HAPPY! really and truly happy with: myself, my life, my aspirations, my writing, my health, my body, my words, my EVERYTHING! i figure why dwell in the past and look down upon myself for all the "imperfections" i thought were weighing me (literally) down. time to get past all the negative and become my OWN person with my OWN thoughts and goals! (something i thought i had always attained, but recent episodes of me feeling "sorry for myself" or "depressed" even have shown me that i only thought i had it all together--it's time to GET it together now!)

i've started applying--like a mad woman--to any and every journalism industry job i can get my hands on, even the really unrealistic ones that just sound so fabulous i couldn't resist. though people (i.e. my friends, family, professors, classmates, etc.) tell me i am "wishing my life away" by constantly expressing my burning desire to be DONE with school, i cannot wait to start my professional life. college has been amazing! don't get me wrong, but i went through so many hard times and emotional issues that i just want it all in the past. yes, i will miss the freedom of not paying my own bills and whatnot, but i am more than ready to take on the responsibility of supporting myself (my mother would be proud) and wake up every day to go to a job i may (or may not) love!! i want to close this book called "betsy's aggieland experience" and start a brand new series titled, "TBD: the tales of betsy post grad"--pretty catchy huh?!

i am going to try my hardest to keep blogging on here, if not 3 times a week than at LEAST once a week. my life, at the moment, isn't the most exciting thing in the world...therefore i don't have much to work with, but being a great writer is being able to write about ANYTHING. this is my challenge for the remainder of the semester: write more, read more, live more.

deuces.