Football!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nothing is more exciting than a first home football game...except when it is the first football game in the history of football at GSU. So here is how the week of amazingness went down!


Monday - Parents Association E-Board meeting. I love parents and I love the e-board. I don't love starting meetings late and I do not like 2+hour meetings. Followed this wonderful meetingness up with Inceptor Karaoke. Karaoke in itself is crazy and can easily get inapprop very quickly. Add college students from GSU and its definitely bound to get crazy. Let's just say the VP of Student Affairs walked in when students were rapping to Eminem and I might have karaoke to "Get Low." Those kids are crazy.


Tuesday marked my first bad-ish day. I was just not feeling it and things got stressful. I also had a conversation with some Missouri State folks and that just made me miss MSU a lot. The thing I missed the most were my connections. Its difficult coming to a new school where you basically have to start over from scratch to get things accomplished. I don't like this at all. At MSU I knew so many people it seemed easy to get things done, but at GSU I am still learning. When someone else messes with my relationship building I get extremely frustrated. This is what happened on Tuesday - how can I possibly build good solid relationships if there is someone who is preventing me from establishing them. It was just a bad day that was bound to come at some point. I am just glad it came sooner then later. Apparently my co-workers were amazed it took me this long - which is kind of a scary thought. I guess they really haven't been around me enough to know that I am totally a positive person. This fact is something I can tell irritates at least one of my coworkers that and the fact that I love mornings.



Wednesday was the norms. Pretty quick uneventful day. I honestly can't even think of anything that happened on Wednesday - that's sad and scary. I'm not old enough to be losing my mind yet. Well I guess Kyle and I did go GSU clothes shopping for the big game on Thursday.



Thursday was the big day. The first football game. I was excited because I got to wear my first GSU apparel to work. That and football season was upon us. It was basically just a random office day, since there was so much going on I didn't get much accomplished. I did go to Varsity for lunch and then to the pep rally. This was followed by preparation for the game and then left work a little early to get over there. I have season tickets, but I still wanted to check out the tailgate scene. Plus I had never been to the dome so it was exciting just to be there. Of course there were the normal tailgating stuff put on by the Athletics department, much like that of MSU. And of course there were the Greeks, with their massive amounts of beverages and food. It was just like any other football game I have ever been too. The exception was this is the first time GSU has ever had this happen. The student line to enter the dome was MASSIVE. I think 3X as many students were there 1.5 hours before the game then we saw combined at any MSU game ever. I was happy to see the school spirit. Its nice to have the support, especially just starting out. I made my way around the dome to my seat - 4th row, 20 yard line behind our bench. As the seats filled in I started to worry because no one was sitting next to me. Then as the teams came out some students decided that because there was no one sitting there that they would just help themselves. I don't mind students because I was just one of those crazy people a year ago, what I don't like are drunk off their asses students who have no respect for the people around them. As the people whose seats they actually were starting coming in including those sitting next to me - some of the students threw a big fit. Sometimes kids will just never learn. I was happy to find out that sitting next to me are my favorite kind of people - PARENTS!!!!!! Yah. We talked off and on throughout the game as they both drank beer and cheered on the Panthers. On the other side of me sat an alumni couple. In front of me sat a non-traditional woman and her husband who is an Alabama football alum. Basically this is the best bunch I could ask for in my random single seat. Behind me sits some GSU staff so I am definitely in good company.

As the start of the game came we were playing really well. GSU scored within the first 10 minutes of play and it was all GSU from there on out. We gave up a touchdown in the 4th quarter, but really it didn't matter so much. The band was not that great - I mean I am used to the MSU Pride marching out in full force with a sound so loud it makes you listen. Basically it was hard to even hear them over the ramblings of people talking throughout the dome. It's their first time out so I got to give it up to them, that they were good, it just seems that to fill the Dome they are going to need to be more powerful.

We won 41-7. It was a fabulous win for the Panthers in their first ever football game. I am actually astonished that we stomped on Shorter College. Everyone played well and the crowd was fabulous. The crowd totaled 31,300. We beat out the Braves in attendance that night. I hope that all of them plan to return in the future so we can really give the Panthers a home field advantage.

I will always bleed Maroon for my Bears (who also won their season opener), but I am enjoying the new found spirit that has ignited on the GSU campus. GO Panthers!!!!!

Internet and a crazy cat

Finally Internet. Last Monday the Comcast guy came to install my Internet. I am so thankful to finally have a mega distraction back in my life. Not to mention I can avoid getting hit on by the creeper in my building. It is nice to have it up and running if for only the purpose of watching shows online. I have decided to forgo getting cable for a while because most of my shows I can either catch on network TV or watch online. It is an unnecessary cost right now.



For my family they know that Rascal is a bit crazy, but lately its like hes taking kitty crack. Worse then the normal ADD that my mother swears he has. I think he is still a little bitter that I took him from the only home he has ever known. He will be laying next to me and for no particular reason bite me. Its just not cool. A couple weeks ago he bit me so hard that I currently still have the mark. His other mood is his insistence on playing fetch every night, if I don't pay attention to him he continues to bring me stuff to throw until I give in and throw something. Honestly, I give in because I am afraid of being buried alive (jk, but it is a funny headline "Woman refuses to play fetch with cat; smothered by toys"). At night he constantly fiddles with the mini-blinds in the bedroom. So much that I generally lock him out of the room. He gets upset about this as well. Since he was a kitten he hates having doors closed on him, being locked out of the bedroom is a major punishment. I recently put up curtains in my room which I can close at night. Therefore I have pulled the mini-blinds up so he can't mess with them. Now he doesn't have to have doors shut and can snuggle up on the window seal.



I also have been caught up with looking at pets online. This is an awful thing to do. It started with looking for a vet. Its time for Rascals shots and so I thought I would browse local vets before I asked my coworkers where a good place to go. I also then started looking because i thought it would be a great place to volunteer some time. This may also be a reason that Rascal is none too happy with me. I didn't find any dogs or cats though that I was totally in love with, so for now Rascal remains an only child.



Oh you crazy skitty. (yes I said skitty)

Weekly Recap and Update

I did not provide an update last week as I was getting sentimental with discovering my passion behind working with students. So...this is a recap for 2 weeks. Here is the brief rundown.

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday = Incept days. The last full week to be exact. It was a week of Incept that resembled a roller coaster ride of sorts. Many different emotions were flying and the groups were entirely diverse in their attitude towards the Parents Association. Which further ignited my passion to work with them.

Monday and most of Tuesday my apartment went without air conditioning. Therefore Monday night I went to IHop with a few of the Inceptors. They are a crazy bunch let me tell you. College students make me laugh - most of the time out loud. Not laughing at them but with them. I know it wasn't that long ago, but I sort of wish I could have those days of worrying about tests and getting along with people back. Now I feel like I just don't really care as much if you don't like me because I am who I am. "You can take it or leave it. This is me, this is who I am." (Yep that's a song quote)

Wednesday = BBQ Day at DAB BBQ with the Men of the Office. (*Yes I called you both men*). Also a staff meeting. Fun times. Pretty legit day.

Thursday = The Kids are All Right movie night with Inceptors. It was a darn good movie I must say. Super emotional, but good message. I recommend it. On the journey to drive to the movie, I had left my ticket on my desk so I had to go back to the office after picking up two of the Inceptors. On our way back we were stopped at a light and I noticed a very odd site on the sidewalk. Now just so you know there are many homeless people in Atlanta. It is like common nature to just have them around no big deal, but this was different. I turned to one of the Inceptors and said "I think he has an Ipod," to which she responded "I bet it's not his." Laughter ensued. Then I saw him pull out a bottle of hand sanitizer. Holy smokes I about couldn't drive because I was trying to evaluate the fact that this man - who was looking very homeless sitting on the side of a road had both an Ipod and hand sanitizer (that he was using mind you). I mean my first thought was, that's awesome hes taking care of himself. Funny stuff. At the movie, we were talking with these people in line in front of us, they were super nice. I apparently looked related to them because an Inceptor asked me if they were my parents. HA HA. If only my parents were with me.

Friday = Well Friday was the end to a long long Incept week it seemed. I had all intentions of doing something productive on Friday night, but instead just chilled in my apartment and read a book.

Saturday = I went to open an account to finally cash my check from GSU, but I didn't have my official licence just my temporary one. They couldn't open it without the official one. I also had a wonderful conversation with Mana B. Makes me miss home a bit, when I talk to my good friends. It was my "discover Atlanta" day so I headed up to Buckhead to the Atlanta History Center. What a great opportunity to spend some time reflecting on history and enjoying beautiful gardens. I will try to add pictures soon. At the Center they have an old 1928 mansion (Swan House) that was gorgeous inside and out. Beautiful structures and decorating - birds were the theme. There was also a tour of a 1800's style plantation farm. It was interesting. The rest of the outside portion was dominated by flowers and trees. Little paths wrapped around and if it hadn't been so dang hot I would have walked around more. I then headed inside to go through the exhibits: Native American Heritage, Golf and Baby Jones, Civil War, and Centennial Olympic Exhibits were all viewed in that order. The last area that I visited was what had sparked my interest in the History Center before my arrival. An exhibit dedicated to the Black Student Movement in Atlanta. I guess it is the huge nerd in me that found this exciting and completely interesting. It may also be a sign that I did indeed choose the correct profession. i spent roughly 4-5 hours at the History Center so on my way home I decided to stop by O'Terrills (an Irish Pub) which is just down the street from my apartment. Good beer and awesome food. There was no one in there and it was pouring down rain outside. It was super relaxing.

Sunday = I spent most of Sunday doing absolutely nothing. I wanted to go to the pool but there were an obscene amount of lightening strikes and it was looking like rain. I opted to stay in and just relax for the day. I did homely things, like laundry and dishes.

Monday - Friday of last week was a pretty relaxed week. Nothing big happened because it was the week after a full Incept. I got a lot done and accomplished in my office - no decorations yet though just pictures waiting to be hung up. I will have Internet up and running in my apartment as of July 31st. This is super, so I can avoid being hit on my creepy guys. I went grocery shopping. That was fun. I helped students discover their paths to greatness - one to student affairs. It was a week to wind down after a busy Incept season. I think we all needed a cool down time. Did go to lunch at three different hot spots with Jonathan. Checked out The Varsity, Bullpin BBQ, and Tin Lizzys. Good places. The Varsity has been on my mind since Crain and I came to visit and he mentioned it as a staple here in Georgia. Tin Lizzys has some really awesome tacos that are very non-traditional and fried pickles. I love fried pickles. Bullpin was the BBQ pick of the week. Its close to Turned Field (home of the Braves) so it is a hot spot for pre/post game times, not so much lunch time. It was alright, nothing great, but just alright.

Saturday - hmmm...I was super boring this week and went to Barnes and Noble for a good 3 hours. Found a couple books and had my first latte in over a month. Holy smoke you would not believe how amazing that was to have. I still am in love with them, but I don't have Kaldis right down the stairs for me so it has been easy to avoid getting one each day. Don't think I don't drink Coffee because I still do every day. If I don't brew it myself I get it from my apartment coffee maker. Basically I still have an addiction, but its not costing me money anymore. This is a much better option.

Had my 1 month review and I am flying through. No problems just compliments. This was good news too.

Well I think that is a good update for now. More to come hopefully sooner than later.

Providing love and support

I was reminded this week of why I do what I do and why I believe what I believe. It is funny how you have moments like this when you least expect them. Nothing out of the ordinary this week, but as I was settling in for the night on Friday I pondered where I plan to go in my life and the people who have always been there to support me. This is the essence behind this post.

As I talk with parents each day at my job I have begun to realize the true meaning behind my passion for parents and families. Besides the obvious that they are under served and pay the bills so we have to provide something. It is much more then that. I believe my passion for parents comes from the love and support my parents have given me. If I did not have that unyielding support I would not be the person I am today. Everyone says their parents are supportive and I whole heartily believe that, but it is what I can do with that support that makes the difference in me. I am reminded of a talk I had with the Graduate Assistant in the SOAR office before me. I talked about how I really love parents because of the unique perspective they give and his response was something like "until they yell at you or won't let you tell them reasons." I remember thinking - "You're probably right, but I think it takes a very special person to deal with parents. Much like it takes a special person to teach kindergarten." I still believe that there are few people who can handle parents on a daily basis, just as there are few that can handle college students on a daily basis. And watch out if you are one who has to not only handle parents but also college students on a daily basis. I am not saying I'm special or that I am better then any other person that works in student affairs. Just that my parents have helped me to understand the parental perspective through support and love that I only want to help bring that understanding and joy to others.

Parents are feisty. They always know what is best for their student, which is probably true. Part of growing up though is letting go and letting students figure it out for themselves, just as you (parents) had to do when you were college age. This is perhaps the biggest lesson my parents have given me. I was allowed to make my own choices, my own mistakes, and my own solutions to problems. No worries though, because if I didn't have the correct tools my parents were there to assist me - not fix the problem for me - but assist me. As a stubborn student/child I rarely wanted to admit I needed their help, but as I grow older I know when I to ask and when I am on my own. A skill that I could not have successfully learned without constant support when I was younger.

Support and love. Love and support. Seem like pretty simple words when you are talking about children, but not so easy I am sure. When I started college I was in the Moving On part of my life, where I wanted nothing to do with home. It was my time to escape. My mom respected that and really truly left me alone. As the weeks went by she rarely talked to me on the phone and we weren't communicating effectively. But what I didn't understand was I had asked for that and my mom was just giving me what I asked for nothing more nothing less. After I conversation with tears involved we discussed the type of support I was really in need of while away. From then on my mom and I have had better communication and I am able to tell her when extra support is needed or when I need my space. Then when I decided I no longer wanted to be a Physician Assistant and instead opted to go into student affairs. I was scared to death to call my parents. I mean for Pete's sake my major was cell and molecular biology and I was going to give up that to work at a college my whole life. I could hardly believe I had made that decision how in the world were my parents going to accept it. I made the call and told my mom. She was like well, if this is what you want. Not going to lie I was a little taken back by this - not that I should have been, because they have always been super supportive of my decisions (well most of them). When I called to tell my dad he said something like "Oh I knew you would never leave college." I was flabbergasted. How could my dad have known I would want to work in a college from the moment they dropped me off at Freddy hall 4 years earlier, and who in the world did he not tell me this? I have since realized that they were giving me the support I needed to make my own decisions to ignite my own dreams and to live my own life. Making hard and bold decisions is apparently not uncommon in my short life because moving to Atlanta was pretty darn random. Parents are not without their own lack of support too. They need us as children to support them when we move on, and to remind them that we love them very much. The call I made to my mom after I received the call saying I got the job here at GSU was the most heart wrenching. I had talked with my mom several times about the possibility and she seemed fine with it, but when it actually came time to make the ultimate decision she said something like "Oh (giant pause) that's great" and then "Hunny that's really far away." I was heartbroken. I couldn't understand why she wasn't excited for me. I had a JOB. In all honesty, she was scared that I would be far away from my family, far away from my support. Things I still am scared to be away from now. Later when I talked with her we discussed the big move. She had given me the tools and values and support that I needed to make this move, and even she said "How could I expect you to not utilize those values and tools I provided?" Nicely put mom.

Grandparents can also not be forgotten. My grandparents have always been my third set of parents. Acting as the foundation for everything I believe. I love my grandparents greatly. They have been loving supporters all of my life, even when it was tough to be supportive. My grandma it seems is always ready for an adventure and has often accompanied my mom to my events in Springfield, including a trip this last October for Homecoming. One of my favorite things in the in world though is hearing "I love you" from my Grandpa. My grandma is the one person who I know if mom will not be happy will at least support me in my decision, even if she herself isn't fond of it. They are always concerned with my safety and check up on me frequently. I appreciate all they do for me, I could not do it without them. They are not alone in the grandparents support system though, I have two sets just like everyone else. Well I guess really I have 4 sets. Anyway. My grandpa on the other side always strives to keep me informed even if no one else does. When he was recently in the hospital he made sure that I was contacted and kept informed. I know that Grandpa would do anything for me and would love to be near me more then anything, but he also is continually excited to hear of the new things I am doing in my life and how much fun I have in Atlanta. I love all my grandparents dearly. They provided the backbone of support for my parents and for me.

Without family support we can become lost in the shuffle of life. I think this is partially the reason I am so in love with working with parents and families. It gives me an opportunity to support parents as they go through tough times too. They might not have the tools or knowledge because their students are acting like I did my first semester at college. This just means they need more support then ever so that they can be supportive to their students. My parents and family is the reason I do what I do, without their support and love I would not be the person I am today. Not in the slightest bit.

Heart you all!

The Heat and Shenanigans

So I woke up in the morning feeling like...a hot mess. Currently I am not in my apartment because its 85 degrees in there. Yeah. Apparently when Georgia Power went to turn off the electricity in the apartment above me they also turned off my AC. Yes so basically it is working, but blowing hot air. I thought maybe it was just a little issue, when I called this morning to report it they told me they would get someone in there as soon as possible. When I got home, it was 82 degrees in my apartment. Which really when you think about it is not super bad, but there is also no circulation like outside and I can't open the windows because it was pouring rain. I basically ran downstairs as soon as I got home and noticed it was still scorching in my apartment. After talking to the leasing agents in the office, they gave me a temporary key to one of the open apartments so that I at least had a cool place to rest my head. I greatly appreciate this - and so does Rascal.

In the office today, I started off in a semi-bitchy mood. I actually at one time am pretty sure I pulled out my bitch card. LOL. Not that the men of the office would even notice, but I know when I am in a mood and for half the day today I was a little bitchy. That changed around lunch time when I got to chill with the parents and hang out with the lovely people of GSU. The end of the day was marked with finger mustaches and a mini-dance party in my office. Yeah that's how you end a good day. It poured down rain when I was leaving work, and I drove 5 of the Inceptors to the Commons because of the rain. Tonight since I am basically without a full apartment to live in, I am going to Ihop.

Anyway I know this is a short post, but I had some free time so I thought I would put down these thoughts.

Offically a Georgian!

This week also marked my official leave from Iowa residence and into the life of a true Georgia native. Yes I feel as though I lost part of my identity. Giving away that Iowa drivers licence was like losing the any game to Crieghton. Heart breaking and difficult to take. I seriously almost shed tears...but I didn't. By the way I put this off as long as possible. You are supposed to change your licence during the first 30 days of becoming a resident, which I did on June 9th. On Thursday (June 8th) I went to get my licence during the middle of the day. It was ungodly hot out that day and of course my air conditioning was choosing to not work. As I pulled up to the DDS (Department of Drivers Services) I knew I was in for a treat. There were a handful of people standing outside the DDS bitching about paying tickets and how no one told them or Complaining that they couldn't get their licence because of tickets or arrests. Basically a joy to witness. Making my way to the desk the couple in front of me was about in tears. They just were mumbling about forms and how they didn't have something that was essential. Finally they just stepped aside the lady handed me my form to fill out and I took a seat. They always hand you one of those numbers that doesn't correspond to any particular window so there is no telling how long you will have to wait. About 10 minutes after sitting there I realized I didn't have my phone - well I hope nothing goes wrong I thought. Although now I wish I had my phone on my because then I would have proof of what happened next. Soulja Boy followed closely by this manager or some dude dressed in a nice suite approached the window straight in front of me. Just so you know I would not have known it was him if some other lady had not blurted it out that it was indeed Soulja Boy. I think one of my coworkers said it best "I guess even bad rappers who know one knows need Drivers licence too." HAHA so true. This lady though was in love with him. She got his autograph and everything. Funny. So I got my picture taken, I got my temporary license and was on my way. They send you your real licence within 30 days, but in the mean time I have this really awesome paper copy. Its very strange to me that they do it this way, but whatevs.



Besides getting my license nothing else really happened of significance on Thursday. Big Brother started. Man I love this show. Its a CBS classic and my first reality TV show love. This show is what got me hooked on reality TV in the beginning. Speaking of shows. Not having cable I have fallen in love with So You Think You Can Dance, Hells Kitchen, and The Bachelorette. I can't help it they just draw me in so much. Even if they are crappy TV, I feel slightly better about the fact that I watch network reality TV instead of MTV or VH1 reality. Its a step up.

Friday came and it was filled with another Incept day - except that the Inceptors seemed to be a little grouchy and angry at each other. I know they all have their days, but many seemed to be emotional. SOAR leaders were the same way. There were just days when the team as a whole was feeling a certain way and nothing could be done to change it. Good thing it was a Friday so everyone could regroup and come back. My day included meetings as well and a great conversation with some of the parents. Every time I talk to parents I am reminded why I fell in love with them to begin with. There is just so much fear and passion behind what they say, that its enjoyable just listening to them.

Saturday I decided it was time to get my air conditioning in my car fixed. I could not handle the inconsistency anymore. I got up early in the morning and went to the car shop. I was pretty positive that the blower motor was the problem, to verify this they needed to do an electrical test. While my car was in the shop I met an Inceptor for breakfast at Ihop. Good conversation and food. Plus who can forget the endless coffee supply I can get there. I heart it very much. Talking with intelligent people is awesome because I can openly discuss my views and aspirations and have someone who understands what I am saying there to listen. I also have been practicing being a better listener with students especially Inceptors. Even if they don't necessarily pull me aside to talk, I can usually pick up on subtle cues that something is wrong or that they want me to ask questions just by what they are saying. At least if I am listening I can pick up. Needless to say it was a great convo day and my car was fixed by 10:30am. Blower motor it was and of course some electrical stuff too. I don't really want to talk about the cost, because it hurts me.

On a side note - Demps and I didn't have to pay rent this month, not sure I typed that in here yet. So that is good news.

I decided that shopping was in store for me and headed to Atlantic Station - a big shopping area with tons of activity happening all the time. Although I have heard its not a fabulous place to be at night. Lots of robbings and such. No good. The shopping though was nice. I just looked around in most of the stores, bought a few things from Old Navy before heading out. I headed to Ikea to see if they had the lamp I wanted for my apartment and you never know what else you might find there. They did have my lamp and some other things I thought I needed. On my way out with my cart I am positive that people got stuck in the elevator. OMG I would freak out. I talked to a lady that was waiting with me about how long it was taking for the elevator to come up when the other elevator came back up twice. We got into the other elevator to scorching heat. I cannot imagine what it would have been like to be stuck in that elevator with a bunch of people and their carts with humidity and heat combined with body heat. DISGUSTING. I don't think I claustrophobic, but in that situation I think I would be. Anyway. Target was next on my list of places to visit. This is so I finally could get the frames I wanted for my office. Yah for decorating at last. I settled on colorful frames and headed back home with another dent in my wallet. I have come to the conclusion that I can take one big shopping trip every month and that's about it. I believe I am now done with things I need for my apartment - besides paint (I really think I would like to paint).

I spent the rest of my night unpacking my graduation frame deciding which pictures to put in each frame and watching an awful movie. (I don't even know what it was called) Then...Sunday was scheduled to be my pool day. Man I love this plan. Went to the pool around 12:45 and stayed till about 5:30. It was HOT. Not like normal Atlanta hot - it was hot hot. I am more tan then I have been in a long time. I also am almost finished with book number 2 of the summer. I am thinking I can start breaking out the FYE conference books here soon. Not sure which one I will pick up, but it should be good. Sunday night, I cooked myself dinner and that was the extent of my night. Wow - I just realized how extremely boring reading my blog must be. I didn't have much excitement this weekend.

Back at work Monday - I am taking over for a colleague who is going on medical leave. Not sure how I will exactly accomplish this, but it will happen. I don't think I am exactly good at taking over after something is 90% planned and not being able to make sure its to my liking. Those who have ever planned things with me before know that I have a certain way of accomplishing perfection in my mind that is unlike other peoples understanding. I think out of everyone Laura probably understands this best, because of our endless hours of video making and GRW committee. So we shall see how this turns out. Another great day with parents decisions were made and good things happened. That's my life in a nut shell.

Hasta la Vista! :-)

Celebration for America and 1/2 the Work Week

I am going to go back in time a bit and discuss the 4th and then the beginning part of my week. Two post feature. Oh the 4th. People watching has become a pass time for me since I spend my weekend days at the pool and can pretend that I am listening to music. I can also hide behind my sunglasses. After last weeks blog I headed to the pool for a long 5 hour laying in the sun day. It was amazing. It was a great day to just chill on the roof and enjoy the sun. The temperature was pretty moderate it wasn't super duper hot but def not cold I mean seriously its Atlanta. Little kids are the funniest to watch because they just say whatever is on their minds no filter. One kid was talking to another one about how he wasn't as smart as him. I giggled a little. Kids really do say the darnedest things.

I did drink a beer or two as celebration. Not nearly as many as the Frat boys that were downing two coolers in a couple hours. Man. I love that without even knowing if they actually were fraternity boys, I could assume by the way they were acting and talking that they indeed belonged to a fraternity. I realize I am generalizing and there are people who fall outside of the generalization, but in this case it was accurate. They drank beer like crazy, played football in the pool, and didn't wear sunblock. It was entertaining to watch. They girls that were with them, were not all gf's they might have been trying to be gf's but they way the boys acted like they were still trying to impress these barbie dolls made me think they were not in relationships, just friends. Then the huge party. Someone had rented the side room on the roof for a party. They started bringing food and booze up at around 1pm and didn't finish bringing stuff till around 3pm. There was a stereo system set up. The music was fun. It was just good to not have to have my headphones in. I could then listen to all the convos around me and people watch even more.

Then the police office came - made them move the stereo inside. It was sort of ridiculous because no one was complaining. In actuality they moved it to the room but put the speakers facing towards the doors so nothing changed. The two girls sitting next to me at that time were expecting to raze a fuss if they tried me make them turn it off. Then came a hookah. Yep on the roof with a hookah. A guy brought it up and all I could think of was how much some of my cohort mates would have loved that. It was a weird site, because I don't imagine a hookah on a roof next to a pool, but hey its whatever. Shortly after the hookah people came I decided that it was time for me to leave the sun for a while - this was after 5 hours being in the sun. So yes it was time. I left to get some dinner and chill for a bit before going back up to the roof for the fireworks that everyone was hoping we could see.

When i walked back up to the roof at around 8:30 it was PACKED. crazy packed. There was barely even a place to walk through to the turfed area, but I made my way over there and just observed some more. Girls in their high heels and skinny mini bikinis were walking around - the frat boys loved this one girl in red who came over to play a game with them. Geez she was playing right into their hands or they into hers. I'm not sure who was enjoying it more. It was slightly not cool, but to each their own I guess. A person that I had talked with a couple of times downstairs in the common area made his way over, followed by a couple of people that he knew as well and I had seen at the pool a few times before. It was good to have convos with people. It turns out that the couple attends GSU so we talked about the campus for a while and enjoyed the lovely fireworks. We could see them from about every angle. The closest ones were from Centennial Park, but we could see the Lenox Square ones off in the distance. It was a good 20-25 minutes of watching fireworks. Fun times.

Monday well, I didn't do much. Just chilled a bit, read a bit - I went to rent a movie from Redbox because I had a free one. I watched Robin Williams' new stand up DVD. Its hilarious and very graphically dirty. Sorry grandma. I also made an excellent dinner for myself. It was pretty fabulous. Semi-homemade spaghetti and meatballs. Dang good. Its hard cooking for yourself because you always have so much left over - I had dinner for the next two nights. Oh well less cooking I have to do then.

Tuesday was a day. It was weird cause it was the first day back after a little break. Secondly it was not an Incept day so it was not as hectic. I was trying to put together packets for new members - this takes a while because I had to input all their information. I spent most of the day doing just that. Went to lunch with Jonathan and Kyle - a BBQ place. The conversations that are had are funny and allow me to really enjoy my job to its fullest. SO if either of you read this, you make my job enjoyable. Wednesday. Well I watched Book of Eli as I put together 125 packets for new members to the Parents Association. It was tiring and I did not really like doing it. I had meetings in the afternoon, but for lunch we went to Vortex. Apparently they were voted as having the best burger in Atlanta. This is probably true. the Burger itself was pretty awesome, the fries not so awesome. Sorry Vortex but its the truth. My afternoon meeting was dynamic and it reminded me of the diversity on campus. It is great to work in an excited office - there seems to always be at some point a group of students that wander in and just want to chat or laugh or whatever else they can think is appropriate or in some cases inappropriate to discuss. You just never know. Its always an adventure.

More of the week to come...after I spend my Sunday at the pool. Miss you all - expect those that are here in GA and reading this - I'll see you soon.

3 weeks down and now a Holiday!

It's it hard to believe that I have been working at my fabulous job for 3 weeks already. I think that the Associate Dean of Students said it best this week when she said to me "It seems like you have been here forever - it's hard to believe you've only been here 3 weeks." I like that. It's hard being the newbie, but when you have such great people surrounding you its easy to feel like one of the family. This week I experienced a plethora of meetings or engagements. (Man I love the word plethora - its such a good word to describe a large amount. I used it a lot in grad school to make a point ) Anyway. Monday and Tuesday were normal not so normal Incept days. I pushed back my one-on-one to take care of duties needed for my job...its weird to have duties that you have to miss things for. I have a fabulous boss though - who is always flexible with things such as that. Wednesday - well Wednesday began with the Student Affairs division awards at 8:30am. Oh and don't forget this was an Incept day too. This breakfast/awards ceremony lasted until around 10:30am. Then I headed to the Dean of Students Staff meeting at 11:00am. This was fun times. Then to a Birthday celebration at 12:00pm for the June Birthdays. Don't forget in between all this I had to make sure that the Parents who were helping that day were okay. I knew they would be and that it really was unnecessary to check on them, but since I am new I like to verify that everything is going okay. Then at 1:30pm I had a Homecoming meeting. This is a meeting I was totally looking forward to because I can't really plan family weekend without knowing what Homecoming has going on. (They are the same weekend - October 2-3). Then back over to Incept to give the Parents Association and Parent Relations talk. This group of parents was particularly talkative about FERPA. Sometimes they make me want to laugh so hard - but I have to hold it in. Finally after that I was good to go for the day. The time 3:30pm. I had barely been in my office all day and by that time I couldn't really do much else. What a day!

Thursday and Friday were much slower around the office because there was no Incept. Thursday some of us from the office went to Ruben's Cafe. Really good sandwiches, Andrew and I ate there when we came to visit. It was fun just taking some time out of work to learn about my coworkers and their outside work lives. It was another glorious day outside - even though it is very hot I like it. Friday was particularly quiet as it was just me and Sylvia for the most part in the office. I ate Chickfila for the first time since moving here. Man their lemonade is soooooo good.

Everyone knows I love me some sports. GSU is starting its first football season this year. I decided that I would go to the games even it was by myself - so I bought season tickets. We get a discount as staff so I picked some fabulous seats in the forth row. Did I mention these games are at the Georgia Dome? If not - the entire season is played at the Georgia Dome. Pretty stinking fabulous.

Friday I also ordered my much needed graduation frame from Missouri State. I love the connections I have made at the bookstore. They are fabulous!!! **As I type this another person just drove the wrong way down Piedmont!!!!** I went into the bookstore at GSU also - trying to decide still on my first purchase. After work Friday I went to blockbuster because I really wanted to rent Super Mario Bros for Wii, which I did. I now understand how people can get hooked on these games. I had to set a timer on my phone so that I would stop playing - otherwise I think I could have wasted my entire Friday and Saturday night. (I still didn't do much - but I didn't want to just play video games) Anyway on my drive home a car lost its hubcap. I giggled. I don't know why this was so funny - maybe because the other cars at the light just starred at it like they had never seen a hubcap before. I swerved to go around it as I passed through the light - the car behind me not so lucky. They just ran straight over it. Seriously how dumb can you be? That cannot be good for your car. Friday night was also strange as some random person knocked on my door - well I shouldn't say they were completely random I had seen them in the building before. He asked if some person ("Billy" I think) lived there. I said no and he apologized. The weird part is that he returned about 2 hours later - knocking and knocking like crazy. I didn't answer this time. Weird.

I am pretty much completely unpacked now. Just the nick knack shelf to put together and I am finished. I know this has taken me longer then I wanted, but after work each night I have no desire to do anything besides read or watch TV. Maybe that makes me lazy, but hey I don't really care.

I am likely the holiday weekend. But really I have had too much "I" time. I spend too much time alone it seems. I really believe that I have lost some of my "E" in this move. I am nervous to be around a large group of people that I don't know. Today though I am going to break this trend. I plan to spend my whole day (after this post) on the rooftop pool. Hopefully creeper will not be there. And yes I plan to wear plenty of sunblock! Its been two weeks straight of sunburns so I am going to try and break that trend. Also I am hoping that from the roof we can see the fireworks at multiple locations around town. If not, no big deal - the view is still spectacular.

Happy 4th of July to everyone!!!!! Miss you all!

Laughs, Creepers, and a box of food

When I was considering a title for this post, I could not imagine anything better then what title I gave it. It explains the essence of what this week has been about. Let me break it down for you.

Laughs -
This week especially I have been well accepted into the Georgia State family. This is a fabulous feeling. Basically this means that they feel comfortable enough now to crack jokes at the way I say words. First there is the southern word y'all. I don't really understand the point of putting it together. I say you all. Or as the "Midwest" supposedly changes it to you guys. I find it hard now to say either of these phrases. Saying you guys just reaffirms that I am indeed from the Midwest and no one knows what the heck I'm talking about. On the other hand saying y'all feels so foreign that I am unable to even utter it without thinking hard before saying it. Its like learning a new language...I think I need Rosetta Stone. Second is the word both. So I may be the only one that says it funny, but apparently there is a hint of an "L" in the middle of the word for me. The first time I said both my coworkers asked me to repeat it 5 times before they realized what I was trying to say to them. Third, the word bag. Bag is a bag here too just like it is in Iowa and Missouri. What is different about my version of a bag and the southern version of a bag is how long I say the "a". Jamie K is probably one of the only people that has ever gotten made fun of for saying this so strangely to people. To us its just a bag. Not a "beg" as some try to tell me I am saying. Eh. I am happy to not be losing my words because I am proud of my roots. Yes I said PROUD of my roots - which are in the Midwest. My branches may be sprouting in the south it would seem. The laughs because of my language are not the only laughs happening.

I was in a giggle mood most of the week which had to have made life interesting for my coworkers. Since I am new many, OK all, have not witnessed those days as I am sure some of you have. I just find everything enjoyable on days like that, and my coworkers were convinced I was on something. I hope many of my weeks include at least one day where I am in this kind of mood. I mean really how much better can a day get when you start it off by having "California Girls" by Katy Perry stuck in your head. 3 days in a row this happened. This promoted me to ponder why there are no songs about Midwest girls - leave out the country, I'm talking top 40 here. NOTHING. If you know of a good top 40 song written specifically with Midwest girls in mind please let me know.

Creepers -
Many close to me know this story but it got worse on Monday night. I can down to the common area for my nightly e-mail and coffee break. I settled in at a chair and plugged in my lap top. I was searching for frames to decorate my office with when in walked creeper. He has a name and I do know it, but I would rather call him creeper. I am not a mean person and have a hard time being flat out rude to people. This is something that I am going to have to change, because I will not deal with this any more. He came in shouting my name at the top of his lungs even though there was not anyone else around. Geez. He started asking me about my weekend and I am careful to only share generalizations. I said I went to the pool and the park. Then he proceeded to ask me what kind of swimsuit I was wearing. REALLY! What the heck? Remember that this whole time I am clearly working on something and not really looking at him or making eye contact, yet he is still talking to me. At this weird outlandish question, I quickly picked up my phone and sent a "HELP" text to Andrew. He noticed and said something like "why you always texting people when I'm talking to you?" to which I reply, because I am busy. Thank GOD for super fabulous friends because at that moment Andrew called and I began to talk to him. To my surprise he stayed in the area for a while longer while I tried to subtly explain to Andrew what was happening - we carried on with some small talk - until he left. Very creepy. Since Monday I have avoided the common area (hence no updates till now). Now whenever I leave my apartment I put my headphones in and listen to music before I even arrive here so that I can fully ignore if I need to.

Box of Food -
There now sits in my office a huge box of random food and another of bottled water. How did it get there? Basically I cleaned out some goodies bags that were cluttering my office. I hate clutter. I am not a fan of having random things around that you never use. Graduation items were also cleaned out from which 7 stuffed puppy dogs emerged. Remember that I was in a goofy mood. Well this meant that those dogs got placed in my coworkers office. HA. What was fabulous about the whole situation was that he knew it was me. What the heck? These dogs then got transferred back to my office and then back to his again. Now they are in the hands of some lovely new GSU students (given away as prizes).

Other things from the week:
*I am currently still wrestling with the issue of where my professional line is located. Basically I am unsure of exactly what is okay for me to do outside of work with the Inceptors and what is not acceptable as a professional. I know this will come with time, but it has caused me a bit of confusion this past week.
*Church - I went to a beautiful church this Sunday, but I am still on a quest to find the perfect one for me. I will be praying a lot this week for guidance.
*Students - I really adore students. I mean I love parents, but students are the reason I even have parents to work with. I have always said I would have an open door policy because I think students need to know they are free to come in and talk whenever they need. I can put off sending an e-mail or making a phone call to talk with a student for 5 minutes or more. This week I really felt like the students were beginning to see me as a person they can go to if they have problems or concerns. Many came to my office to discuss their classes, future, other students, or just to say hey. I could not be happier to have already begun to build these relationships with them.
*Parents - The Parents Association hit it big this week. I fell in love with some parents that are totally awesome. Since this is a big portion of my job I am super happy to have success. Talking with each new set of parents is interesting. Each session has its own set of personalities. Some are meek, others crazy and so on. Its fun trying to work my way through each new day and what the parents will be like. Oh Parents I heart you all!
*Sunburn and Society- my summer goal is to spend one day during the weekend at the pool and the other out in the community. This weekend I spent Saturday at the pool. It was hot (as if that's anything different then normal), but the wind was blowing so it didn't seem so bad and the passing clouds left a nice shade about every 15 minutes. I put sunblock on the same as last week, but this week I should have reapplied. The sun is awesome. I feel so refreshed after spending a few hours in the sun. This week I got a little red on my legs - still dealing with that a bit. My freckles are totally out and my Johnson birthmark is quite prominent. The other day of me weekend is taken by something very Atlantan. Last week I went to a park, this week the High Museum. It was awesome. I discovered I am more an Early European art fan then Modern art. Oh and the exhibit The Allure of the Automobile was going on which was pretty freaking cool. I don't even like cars that much, but it was still cool. While driving to and from the museum I noticed a bunch of places I need to go and eat or drink including a Gastropub and a wine place. I really need to get comfortable going places alone.

Well this week has started my settling in process. I am still the newbie at work and around town, but I now have a grasp on what I need to accomplish at work and at home.

Outdoor Adventures

The sun was shining, a few clouds in the sky and it was 89 degrees at 11am. That's where today's adventure began. I started the morning by grabbing some tea and my mail then headed off to Piedmont Park at around 11am. I wasn't positive where I was going, but I figured I would know once I got there. WOW. How I have been so unplanned lately. This is unnatural for me.

Oh Piedmont Park. You were everything that I could have imagined and more. I set out to just walk around the park and was stunned at the amount of people there already at 11am. Its crazy that people were walking dogs, running, skipping, and riding bikes in unison it seemed. I wondered as I set out on foot, if people would be able to notice that I was not one of them, that I a Midwestern girl from Iowa was not at all acquainted with Atlanta and the people that inhabited the parks. But after walking past half a dozen people that were exactly the opposite of the previous person, I gathered there was no common theme among any of them so I fit right in.

My problem. I had no clue where I was going or what path to take to get to somewhere. It wasn't like parks I was used to - having just one or two paths around instead there were like 50 different routes to take. So again I became a free spirit and set off in which ever direction called me at the moment. I discovered the mountains and lake that Laura talked about in Utah. Except my version was actually a small lake and skyscrapers. (See Facebook for a picture). I took a moment to take in my environment as I stood under a few trees and looked across the lake to the city beyond. I smiled to myself. There was a young family rocking on a swing behind me and it was warming to know that Atlanta was loving. I think that sometimes people caught me smiling and probably thought that girl must be on something, because I often was just enjoying the place I was in that a smile was escaping. I listened to music with only one ear piece in so that I could still hear the environment around me. This allows me to be in a world all my own, but still be observant enough to hear people talking about the weather or their dogs. Needless to say this was a super fabulous adventure. I paused about an hour into my trek to just sit in the grass on a hill overlooking "the oval." I put this in quotes because there were signs up about every 25 feet around the oval that stated - NO dogs, bicycles or strollers. (I think that's right) either way it was kind of funny. Every time I walked past one I giggled. It was really for everyone's own good, because I sat and watched the people running/walking/sprinting around the oval and there really was no room for anything other then single people getting exercise. Inside the oval were playing fields - a baseball diamond, open green area, and two sand volleyball courts. How fun!!! I observed a while longer then took off. PS It was extremely hot. Even in the shade I was sweating. I didn't mind one bit though it was actually quite refreshing to sweat. I finished my park adventure with a short trip in the botanical garden. Beautiful flowers and art.

It was kind of fun just walking and observing. Again I realized I am fascinated with people. Everyone has a story and I often like to make up the rest that does not outwardly show because it makes these strangers someone I can relate to. My favorites today included: the rollerskater, the dogwalker, the bikerider, the writer, and the poet.

1. The Rollerskater - yes apparently people still do roller skate. This woman and I should totally be friends. She had on her knee pads and hand gloves. Don't worry everyone she was working her arms. It reminded me of the people you see roller skating on Venice beach rocking out to the music in their head and swirving back and forth. I'm positive this is a good work out, but it was interesting to watch.
2. The Dogwalker or should a say Dog runner. Many people run with dogs but this was different. When I first say this man coming I thought how awesome that he takes that big dog for a run on a leash...then as he ran by me I noticed a chihuahua scampering behind (not on a leash). I think I might have laughed out loud. Every so often he would look behind just to make sure the little one was still there. It was hilarious to see, but for the dogs they seemed to be both enjoying themselves.
3, The bike rider. There are too many. My favorite the couple - one with a normal mountain bike and his girlfriend with a bike from the Wizard of Oz basket and all. FUNNY. I imagined he really loved this girl because otherwise who would want to ride in public with that.
4 and 5. The Writer and Poet. I don't really know if either of the guys I saw were actually writers or poets but I like to think they were. They sat on opposite sides of the mini-lake. One was thinking extremely hard and would scribble a little and then smile. He had a stack of journals next to him but was writing in a tinier one - he was the poet. The other dude was an older gentleman who had clearly been writing for a long time. He was steadily writing in his journal and would take moments to observe his surroundings and then write some more - he writes novels. I hope its a good one.

I finished my Sunday by wishing Happy Fathers Day to everyone and then retreated upward to the pool on the roof. Man what a view. I read and tanned - yes I do tan - but I definitely burned my back a bit (the part I can't reach). Anyway that's another adventure for the books.

Weekend Shopping Trip

Just like any other shopping trip you have alone its easy to people watch and you always pick up on the weirdest things. Today was no exception. I set out to find a Macy's because I have a gift card from my great aunt that I was looking to spend. The morning went a lot slowing then I had anticipated and I didn't get a start until about noon. No big deal because really what else am I doing. Its weird to not have to work on a project or do homework I just have the whole weekend to do whatever I want. Its totally awesome.

According to my GPS the closest Macy's is in Buckhead. Which really isn't that far but basically means I have to get on 75/85 the dreaded interstates of Atlanta. I don't mind it really. You just have to be much more defensive then when you are in Springfield/Sioux City. I also throw "Genny" (that's the name I have given my GPS) off because i make a wrong turn and she has to recalculate. I really don't mind making wrong turns because its just showing me more of the city and how to get out of certain areas the quickest. Well Genny freaked out ALOT on this journey because I was not very good at being in the correct lane at the right time to turn where she wanted me to go. Eh' its whatever.

Well the Lenox Square Mall was my first destination that is after I refueled. Genny tried to lead me to a station that was no longer in existence. This was extremely frustrating, but eventually I found another station and was back on route to the mall. Well I again took a wrong turn, I'm really good at that. It was really an adventure for me. I didn't care so much really. I saw some great houses in wonderful neighborhoods. If I decide to stay in Atlanta for a while, I may just have to purchase one in one of the neighborhoods I looked at today - hmmm...I wonder if I could find them again. LOL. Andrew you would have loved the houses I looked at - and if you come to the ATL I would suggest that area to you. Its really not far from downtown either - I may consider a house next year too.

So I get to the Mall - which I didn't think was super huge, I parked in the peachtree garage. Now garages for parking are not uncommon because of the space. I went to Target last weekend and they have a garage so I didn't think much of it. Until I stepped foot in the mall and it was like walking into Mall of America. HOLY CRAP it was huge. there are 3 floors anchored by Macy's, Bloomingdale's, and Nieman Marcus. Yep those three stores were also three stories. I felt a little overwhelmed, especially cause I don't normally shop alone. I stared walking the length of the mall in search of the Macy's. Actually I wasn't looking to hard as I wanted to see what else could possibly be there. It was like literally walking into the melting pot. Every group represented in every age group. I finally decided that I needed to at least go into one of these stores and took the easy way out by entering Bath and Body Works. It was a safe bet. I found some items and chatted small talk with one of the workers. We talked about the diffusers, since that's what I was buying and how sometimes you just need to get a brand new one because they get old and worn out. Yes it was a random conversation and yes I enjoyed it probably too much.

Finally though I was ready to take on Macy's in its three stories of wonder. I was in search of something anything that I either could wear or would be useful in my new apartment. I walked up and down the three levels not really finding anything expect items that were way to expensive and not at all what I as a 24 yr old would actually need in my apartment. After leaving Macy's I wondered through the rest of the mall meeting some rather interesting folks along the way. I didn't purchase anything else besides a few things from Bath and Body Works. It took me a good 10 minutes to remember the direction for which i entered this great mall. Remember how I parked at the Peachtree Garage. There was also a Lenox Road Garage and parking in the front and Valet Parking. YES Valet parking. I imagined as I walked out of the Gap what this mall is like on Black Friday. Immediately I thought to myself - I better be home because I will not deal with that (and I laughed to myself a little)

Here is a recap of the people I observed while at the mall -
1. The elderly couple. This was the cutest thing ever! An old may sat on a bench with this cane as his Wife was walking into Macy's. He yelled after her "Mable" but she just kept on going. I like to think that she heard him, but was just ignoring him.
2. "Waiting on a Woman" - This man reminded me of Andy Griffin in the video for Brad Paisley's song "Waiting on a Woman." He sat calmly on a bench and you could just tell he was content waiting however long it took. I want a guy like that someday.
3. The fundraising guy. I don't even know what made me stop as this guy called after me saying "Excuse me" times five. But I did. I was nice and courteous as I always am with people I randomly encounter. This guy was one of those magazine people that gets a free trip if he gets so many points. Well - he was a student at UGa (at least that's what he said). He kept referring to himself as attractive - which he clearly was not and he smelled like he had smokes 2 packs before speaking to me. I am glad I have learned how to say NO!!! I politely said sorry I don't have cash - he said he would take me to an ATM (really I'm not going to pull money out for you Mr.) I laughed when he said that and was like sorry not going to happen. And as I walked away I felt a little powerful.
4. The mothers are always fun to watch and they were out in full force. Some pulling their children along through stores and others pushing them in strollers. One child stuck out to me. She was skipping along coming towards me as I was just entering the mall. She was singing and couldn't have been more then like 4. Her dad was walking behind her a few feet. All of a sudden she lost a flip flop said whoops and kept on going. I laughed because she didn't bother to pick up her shoe at all - her dad did and he swooped her up into his arms - she was still singing.

After the mall I decided to go to a TJ Maxx and Old Navy that I say as I was taking wrong turn earlier in the day. Not so bad to get there - I only took a couple of wrong turns. LOL.

I shopped a little at both these shops as well as the Nordstroms and then decided I would head home. HA. NOT. I actually plugged Target into Genny and she led me to a Target Greatland. This was awesome because I knew they would have everything I needed. Oh Target how I love thee.

Then it was homeward bound. There was big time traffic, but I know my exit now and pretty much could turn Genny off and get home. Its pretty sweet to be able to do that. I did have to return a movie to redbox - I can get to that without Genny too. Backing out of my space to leave the parking lot I noticed a good looking man pushing his cart back to the cart holder thing. He headphones on and i thought man I should really get to know him. Then he climbed into his Porsche! YES I said Porsche. I thought again I really should get to know him. But that thought quickly changed as we both went the same direction on the street and he weaved in and out of traffic. I thought what dbag. Why do people that have expensive cars have to act like they are better then everyone else? I don't understand it.

Anyway. That was today's adventure. Tomorrow the park.

First week complete

I finished my first full week of work. It was pretty darn fabulous. The people I work with are great and really have made me feel welcome. Already I feel like I am one of the family - not to mention they tell me that too. Its just so nice to feel comfortable at work and know that people really care about you.

I was chatting with some cohort friends and realized that I am in the best place for me. Laura talked of mountains and lakes and beautiful sunsets. As I told her that my life was surrounded with skyscrapers and traffic - I laughed. It sounds funny to say that I prefer where I am now to where Laura is in mountains. There is just something about the architecture of the buildings and the craziness of the driving that makes me love this place. Maybe its the work that I'm doing, the students/parents that I interact with or the place I am living (free Starbucks 24/7) but I am making this place my home. I guess that's the most important thing.

As I was wrapping up on Friday I was contemplating what to do with my weekend. Its tough not knowing anyone and trying to explore the city. I decided that this would be my weekend of park hunting. And by that I mean I am going to check out the local parks. Piedmont park is like the central park of Atlanta I am told. So tomorrow (Sunday) I am going to go check it out. I am discovering more and more my inner "I". I am appreciative of the time I do have when I am with people, but I also enjoy my nights where I can sit on my balcony and reflect on the "newness" of my life. Its quite interesting the feeling that comes from being completely out of your element. My patients with people has grown greatly.

Oh the language. It cracks me up how many different dialects you can hear in one office when they are all technically from Georgia. Of course I had my first bout of people telling me I sounded like I was from the North. Yep they were parents too. I take great honor in where I'm from and definitely was glad to hear I hadn't lost that simple touch of home. Apparently I say the word both funny as well. It took my coworkers about 4 times of me saying it to understand what I was saying and then we all laughed about it for a good 20 minutes. Don't think it stopped there though - a couple of days later it came up again and laughter ensued. Its good to feel loved. HAHA. I also have a tendency to say you all instead of y'all which undoubtedly gets caught to which most reply "what did you say?" I tried saying "you guys" but it just doesn't sound right at all when I talk with them. Its all too funny to me.

If ever anyone wants to come visit just let me know. I'm not technically all the way unpacked yet, but I will be soon enough.

FIRST DAY!!!!!

Today was my very first day on the job. It started with a not so great night of sleep and ended with getting home past 9pm. Here's how it went down -



I had one minor freak out today when I thought I lost my keys before I even left my apartment. I seriously had a panic attack. I couldn't leave my apartment without them because there was no returning after I left my floor without my key (yes very safe). I had planned to leave my apartment by 7:45 even though I am about 5 minutes from my job and I wasn't supposed to be there until 8:30. Those of you who know me know this is not a far stretch at all to what I am normally like - very very punctual. Being on-time is for late people in my mind. So basically I said a bunch of mini prayers begging for help because I did NOT want to be late on my first day. Finally after retracing and retracing my steps I finally checked the last place ever I would leave my keys, on top of the washer, yes I know this is a very strange place to leave them, but that's where they were. Geez what a way to start the day.



The day itself was awesome. GSU has 2 overnight sessions for Incept unlike MSU which are all overnight sessions. This was the 2nd of those sessions this summer. So since I needed to learn a bunch I observed all day and met a bunch of really great people. GSU has an awesome rec center that I finally got to go inside of today. Its pretty sweet! The Inceptors also put on skits at the end of the day - serious skits that really bring to life the issues of sexual harassment, suicide/depression, and alcohol related incidents. I'm super happy to be apart of such a great team atmosphere and a place where they really already treat me like family. Although I do love my MSU family, I am happy to have a new family at GSU.



SOAR Leaders beware these Inceptors are giving you a run for your money.



All in all a great first day and I can't wait to get started tomorrow - lets just hope I don't lose my keys AGAIN.



Miss you all greatly. Oh and if you would like my address e-mail or call me and I would be happy to give it to you (bc I heart mail big bunches)

Driving Adventure Part 2

We finally arrived in Atlanta at 2:30ish on Wednesday after being on the road for an obscene amount of time. During the last leg of the drive I got word from my new supervisor that he would be okay with me not starting until Monday. Whew. That was actually a big relief because I was wondering how in the heck I was going to make this all happen in just one day. When we finally got here I went in and they didn't have my paper quite ready yet, so we waited a bit. Then after waiting about 10 minutes they let me have my keys so that we could at least bring Rascal up to the apartment. This way he wouldn't have to stay in the car for so long - he was already scared out of his mind and wouldn't come out from behind the UHaul seat. I had to pull him out by his tail (NO I did not like doing this, but he had to come out). Finally we got him out and brought him up to my apartment. I set Rascals litter box down and let him out of his carrier and he jumped into his box and peed. Dad and I laughed because it was so funny. He knew exactly where to go. He had not gone to the bathroom the entire trip so I can about imagine that his bladder was super duper full. While in the apartment Dad took pictures on his phone (because we left my camera in the glove box of mom's car - back in Springfield) and he sent them to mom.

Finally we went down stairs and my paperwork was printed up. They had a printer error so it wasn't ready the first time. Then as I started to sign things she asked if I had my money orders - to which I said can't I just pay in check. She said we have to have it in Money Orders. Although I had not been told this I said I would have to go get them and she directed me to the nearby Publix (that's a grocery store). Dad and I stopped and ate at O'Trolleys and had some good Irish Pub style food. I had a Ruben and Dad had a wrap. Good food for sure - I think I will likely go there again sometime because it literally is 2 blocks away. We ventured to the Publix got my money orders and a wonderful shower curtain and headed back to get my keys and start moving in. It was about 5:45 when we returned to find that the doors were locked. I freaked out a bit since I had no where to go. But at about 6pm a lady returned from a tour and I began to sign my papers. Dad started moving stuff as I did this part - essentially just to get the ball rolling. Finally keys in had I headed out to help Dad with the moving.

The nearest elevator to my apartment is actually quite a little journey so it took much longer then anticipated to get unloaded. By the time I joined Dad to help unload he had taken two loads up and it didn't seem like there was a dent in the things we had to bring. It took us until almost dark before we decided to call it quits. I couldn't carry another thing. Dad was looking like he was in pain although he wouldn't admit to it. After figuring out what to do with the UHaul getting me some gas for my car and some Gatorade for ourselves we got back up to the apartment took showers and hit the sack. I almost didn't even take a shower because I fell asleep, but eventually I did. The next morning we finished unpacking everything - it felt amazing to have it all finally in my apartment. I just looked after everything and realized I have a long long long unpacking road ahead of me. Grrr...

Later that day I took Dad to see some of campus and then to the airport. It was super sad watching him walk through the security checkpoint. I really am going to miss being in the Midwest and so far away from my family. After leaving him that day I wasn't sure what else to do with my life. I unpacked some more then checked my million and one e-mails. I forgot about how crazy my e-mails would be after a couple of days not checking. Then I crashed. I woke up every other hour to check on dad because he was driving back to Sioux City after flying to Branson. Thank you again to Andy for picking him up from the Btown Airport. He arrived safely back in Sioux City right before the big storms happened. This whole trip has been an adventure. Its been fun and crazy and emotional and rewarding. I love and miss my family big bunches.

Driving Adventure Part 1

What a long day yesterday (Wednesday) was for my dad and I. We left Sioux City around 3:30pm and headed to Springfield. I drove this leg of the trip which is roughly 7 hours. No big deal at all. My dad took a couple short naps so I just jammed out to come tunes and enjoyed the last time I will make that trip from SC to Springfield - at least for a very long time. We arrived in Springfield around 10:30ish. At this point I am a little tired since we both had been up super early - me since about 8am, Dad since about 6am. Already that is a long day, but we were just getting started. We grabbed the rest of the stuff from my apartment and loaded up the truck with any of the "extras" that we needed. Rascal was not ready to go and fought me just to get in his carrier. He was not okay with this trip at all - at least not for about 1/4 of the drive.

We left Springfield around 11:15pm. Filled up on gas before we left and headed down the road with my car being pulled behind the 17' UHaul. This was to be a very long and tiring trip - I still am astonished that we did it. Driving through Missouri was not so bad - Dad and I talked about the different Missouri State campuses and the random little towns that were on the road. I took about a 45 minute nap through Missouri and Arkansas. Yes only 45 minutes because Rascal kept waking me up I could really rest properly. We stopped for gas and a bathroom breaks along the way. For as heavy a load we were towing I am surrprised that I we got as good of mileage. Rascal finally calmed down after the first couple hours and went under the seat to sleep/hide. There was no one on the road - its was amazing that no one else was traveling. I mean it was really really early in the morning, but it was still crazy.

My mom called and check on us multiple times including a time at 12:30am and 3am. When she called at 12:30 she just wanted to talk to dad because she said she couldn't sleep without doing so - this is what I want. I want to be so in love with my husband that I can't sleep without hearing his voice. I love my family and this is one reason I am so family oriented - there is just always so much love. My dad and I were so lucky and are thankful for the continued thoughts and prayers that got us through this trip, we could not have done it without everyone's support.

I took over driving for a bit right before Memphis and drove part of the way into Mississippi and then I started getting totally tired and had to pull off. I know that Dad didn't get as much sleep as he needed during that time, but I could not safely drive any longer. He gladly took the wheel for me with no complaints at all. If I remember correctly he said "I got some juice left." Meaning he had some energy to drive longer. It is a true testament to how tough and amazing of a man my dad is. I am so blessed to have him in my life. (I am sure I will type this very sentence multiple times before trip blog is finished)

Yes I drove through Memphis - I did not stop to see Mana as it was early in the morning and we were on a tight schedule. Sorry Mana. We stopped for gas at one point and my dad must have forgot to turn his blinking light off. He was in the gas station and a gentleman riding a motorcycle stopped and talked to him. My family refers to the light on your forehead blinking "Tell me your story" if you get a random person telling you a crazy tale about their lives when there is really no reason to have a detailed conversation. Sometimes conversations are good and small talk is needed, but dads light was blinking just because someone wanted to talk and he got the short straw. I laughed for a long while about this one though because things like that rarely happen to my dad.

More driving and moving to come...

The begining of the trip (recap)

*I'm putting this travel adventure in a couple of different post since it is so long.

The beginning of the week was very difficult. We had a wonderful prayer service for my uncle full of all the wonderful memories we all have of him. On Tuesday we had the funeral - this was also difficult. My sister sang amazing grace at the funeral and I acted as a pallbearer. This was very emotional for me because of all those that could be chosen, Aunt Theresa wanted me to be one of them. Although the circumstances sucked it was good to see so much family, especially those I had not seen for a very long time. All of the cousins I rarely get to see were around and I was able to catch up with a lot of them. I just wish we could have come together for a much happier note. My littler cousins are all growing up so fast so I am happy that many of them still remember who I am or at least which family I belong to - in this family that's totally acceptable.

My uncle was an amazing man and as I continue my journey through my new job and life I will forever keep his laughter, humor, and peacemaker mentality alive in everything I do. I love you very much Uncle Dave and will miss you very much!!!!

A day of turmoil and sadness

Yesterday (Saturday) was perhaps the hardest day I have had in a long time. I just wrote at the beginning of this blog that I am not a crier - yesterday I was. At roughly 3:30am my Mom called to let us know that my uncle (My dads brother) was in the ICU. At that time it was difficult to tell what was going to happen, but we made plans to do a whole lot of driving so that we could see him, and get me moved in on time. The plan was to drive to Sioux City, see everyone then drive back to Springfield Sunday and on to Atlanta - all so I could move in on Monday and start my career on Wednesday. In the early afternoon the call that he had passed on was received. On top of the rest of the stress of this move I now am at home in Sioux City, IA to be with my family. I am torn by what to do about my start date which is Wednesday. The funeral is on Tuesday and I am to serve as a pallbearer. My apartment sits in a 17 foot UHaul truck in Springfield waiting to make the 11 hour journey to Atlanta, my cat sits with no place to hide in my desolate apartment, and I am grieving. Needless to say, my moving plans are still under construction.

My uncle was the most amazing man. He had jokes for everything and always knew how to make an entire family that was fighting laugh it off. The last time I saw him was over Christmas break when my dad and I had lunch with him at Theo's (it was his 3rd time that week). It was after a recent treatment for his colon cancer and he was still a little weak (although he would not admit to it) - but don't think that stopped him from making jokes about my would be career in Student Affairs vs. being a Physician Assistant. Uncle Dave and Aunt Theresa have always been so supportive of me and my envedors in life - a role they did not have to take at all. See Uncle Dave is my step-dads brother, but since my mom and dad got married I was one family. I appreciate greatly the time I was able to spend with him and know that he is in a much better place then we could offer him here. Last night as we drove in to Sioux City, my dad and I were talking about the clouds and he made a comment that rings true, "He has a much better view of them (the clouds) now, doesn't he?" That he does for sure.

Thank you all for your continued support for me and my family.

The adventure begins

Today is the start and end of many things. The start to moving (which will take roughly 4 days from start to finish). The beginning of my dislike for some peoples attitudes. The end of my time at Missouri State University. The start to a new life outside of the Midwest. This is scary to think about...okay not so scary.

I dealt with Georgia Power today and that was definitely an adventure. It was one of those moments that on top of all the other stressful things happening was the straw that broke the camels back. For this first time since this all began, I was almost in tears. Keep in mind I am always the last to cry even at very sad movies. *I didn't shed a tear during the notebook or blind side. Therefore it is very uncommon that things would get this emotional for me, but today was the culmination point and those tears almost broke through. No go though, def a no go. I held them back well and now all is good. Power will be turned on for MONDAY. yippee.

This week also included getting my final offer and approved for an apartment that I really love. (Even though a friend did not like it much) The apartment I will be living at includes a rooftop pool and great workout area. You can check it out at www.marquisvista.com.

Said "see ya later" today to wonderful SOAR leaders whom I have come to call my family. They really take great care of each other and I don't think there is another organization that can touch the relationships that develop during 2 months together. "See ya laters" we also in store for much the the student union staff. If I missed you I'm sorry. It was extremely heart wrenching to walk out the doors of the union, with all its memories, people, and vendors that I love. Its not that I don't think I will be back, because I know I will, but it will not be the same feeling that it is now. Now I can walk into the union say hi to the front desk working, chat with the blimpies folks, ride the elevator with someone I know, and go to an office filled with humor and uhh...productivity. That feeling will not be there when I return to visit, instead it will mark the legacy that I have left behind with those I have hopefully left a mark on.

Leaving is just not fun to do. Enough Said!