8 days with EYB

Day #4: When It Rains
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMF4B3wDO_E&ob=av2n




If anyone has known me for a while, they know that I find the rain completely irresistable. Something about it just gets to me every time. I love the smell in the air. I love how relaxing it is. I love how well I sleep while it rains throughout the night.

Even though this song is more of the depressing side of rain, I still LOVE this song, the way it sounds, the lyrics, everything about it.

Hearing all of these, I hope you start to love Eli Young Band as much as I do. I just can't get over the sound of Mike Eli's voice.

"When it rains

I don't mind bein' lonely

I cry right along with the sky

When it rains

I don't pretend to be happy

I don't even have to try

When it rains

Some people get down

They're sportin' a frown, so I fit right in

Yeah the sun may brighten your day

 But if I had my way, I'd take the rain"

8 days with EYB

OOPS. In my absentmindedness, I forgot to update this post completely. Please see the completed post below. Thanks for bearing with me! :D


Day #3: So Close Now
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nFy7O8wPbc


This song was the very first song I was introduced to by EYB. The first time I heard it, I fell in love. I decided immediately  that I had to download MORE songs because the lead singer's voice was amazing. And I did. And I've been obsessed ever since.

"I can't keep fighting the urge to go

I've got nothin' in common with the town I've come to know

So I am so close now to walkin' away

About to walk a path I gotta take

I am packin' up, headin' out

'Cause I can't sleep I'm dreaming way too loud

I'm so close now, so close now

To gettin' out

...

I should have known how hard it'd be to leave this town"

8 days with EYB

Today's Eli Young Band song is very dear to my heart.

Day #2: Oklahoma Girl:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9ioJ9Rku2E

I've been trying to embed the videos, but it's not working for some reason.

I love this song for obvious reasons.

#1 I'm an Oklahoma girl, born and bred.

#2 Even if you ARE from Texas, the words are pretty catchy.

#3 The guitar parts in this song are amazing.

#4 This was the third song I ever heard, what better way to fall in love?

#5 Memories.

"I fell in love with an Oklahoma girl

She stole my heart, took over my world

She lit my cigarette and never had to ask

One look and I was gone like that

That's okay, I don't mind

A Texas boy just might find something in an Oklahoma girl"

8 days with EYB

Last week, I decided that I was going to see Eli Young Band while they were in town for the Tulsa State Fair next week. I LOVE Eli Young Band. Ever since the first song I heard from them, I was hooked. Today on my way home from work, I decided that I was going to share with you all some of my favorite songs they sing!

Ladies and gentlemen, 8 days with Eli Young Band. Day one: Crazy Girl:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3HwFtdVTfM


I decided to start with this one because it's their most recent single.
Reasons why I love it: When you read the title, you think it's going to be talking down on some psycho lady. Then they sing it and you realize he's in love. What girl wouldn't want that sang to her?!

"Before you ever came along

I was living life all wrong

The smartest thing I ever did was make you all mine

Crazy girl, don't you know that I love you?

I wouldn't dream of going nowhere

Silly woman, come here let me hold you

Have I told you lately I love you like crazy girl"

fantastic music and a little soul cleansing

Music always gets me. I'll be watching one of my favorite shows and a song will start playing that so beautiful that I instantly go download the song to put on repeat. I'll be on my way home from work, and my favorite song of the moment will come on and I can't help but sing it at the top of my lungs because it's more than I'll ever be able to say and it's exactly how I feel at the same time.

I slightly mentioned in my post last night that I went through totes and totes and totes on Saturday afternoon. I never realized how much I needed to go through all of my stuff to just kind of clean everything out. I'm getting rid of a bunch of things that I would have been super upset over throwing away years ago. It was refreshing to be able to rid myself of things that I haven't even thought about in 5+ years.

Getting rid of possessions is making me want to clean up the other parts of my life. I yearn so desperately to get back into the habit of jogging/running on an almost daily basis. It kills me to know that this time last year, I was in the last month of preparation before my big race, an now I don't even think I could run a 5K.

I've got to start somewhere, I just don't know where, how, or when. But a change is coming soon.

Weekend Recap

I really didn't get too crazy this weekend.

My hetero life partner went to Kansas with her boyfriend this weekend, so I was left to hang out at my house or with our friend Emily all weekend long. Initially, Emily and I had made plans to watch the OU football game together, but I flaked out :(

Friday after work, I decided that I was going to go with my grandmother to the high school football game this week. Part of the reason is because I am no longer going to homecoming (it's OU/TX weekend), and part is because I honestly did not have anything better to do. I went and cheered on my high school, and the boys unfortunately lost by one point. It was slightly heartbreaking. I did enjoy getting to chat with a few of my friends though, and it was a fun night hanging out with my grandma and my cousin.

Afterwards, I decided to go to bed early, as I had a funeral to attend Saturday morning. This funeral was the father of another close friend of the family. What makes me sad about this is to realize that the friend is not even 40 and now has neither parents living. But her father's health has been declining recently, and I honestly think that him not suffering anymore will help put her at a little bit of ease.

Saturday afternoon, I went with my aunt Annya to the meat markets to pick up stuff for their dinner(s). I then went up the hill to my aunt Jessica's house, where I began sorting through junk. My junk that has been stored in her attic since they moved into their house. I went through eight 5-gallon totes, and one 20-gallon tote full of crap. Seriously, it was all pretty much junk and clothes I haven't worn or even thought of in years.

I've been wanting to have a t-shirt quilt made, so I cut out logos of all the shirts I would like to have. 2 totes of t-shirts were dwindled down to not even a quarter of the 5 gallon tote. So that tote now has all my shirt logos (and I still have more to go through here) and quite a few of my keepsakes. I have one 5 gallon tote packed and ready to go to the apartment, and I'm working on what to put in my 20 gallon tote because too much stuff makes it too heavy. A total of three 5 gallon totes went back into the attic; one with the keepsakes and t-shirts, one with a bunch of purses, and one with books. Three totes are here with me, waiting to be packed with stuff for the apartment, and one still needs to be rinsed out to get rid of all the dust it's collected. I had a total of 6 (maybe 5) trashbags full of junk.

I did find some interesting stuff though. LIKE A GREEN AND PURPLE WALKMAN! AND MY BEANIE BABIES! I threw the walkman away. I was having a real hard time throwing away the beanie babies (even though they have no resale value whatsoever), and Jessica gave me a good "excuse" to keep them: take them to the apartment with me so my youngest cousin can have something to play with when she comes to visit. I GOT TO KEEP MY BEANIE BABIES! :)
One of them I was going to keep anyways. I apparently have liked squirrels for a while; I had the squirrel beanie baby. As soon as I saw it, I immediately put it into the tote to go to the apartment. I'm going to use it for decoration :)  [for those of you who don't know, my sorority's mascot was a squirrel]

I watched the game with my aunt, uncle, and cousins, and then came home and passed out.


Today was absolutely gorgeous outside, and I got to spend a FANTASTIC 2 hours sitting on a picnic blanket with my good friend Eli from college and APO. I had not seen him since December, so we had a great time just sitting and talking and enjoying the beautiful weather. I had my camera with me, and for some reason didn't take a picture of us. womp womp.

Afterwards, I went to work at the concession stand for a few hours. I had a good time visiting with Sean.

After dinner, I finally got to see Emily and Shawna. The three of us and Shawna's boyfriend Andrew met up for dinner at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants, and we spent the couple hours that we were there talking, laughing, eating, and comparing fantasy football teams. Which mine SUCKED this week, in case you were wondering.

Today was an AWESOME day filled with great friends from start to finish!
Now I must get to bed before I have to be at work tomorrow. And I get to continue packing in preparation for my big move that will be occurring in NINE DAYS! I'm super excited!

Meet my BFF Jill #1

So this past weekend, I truly discovered who the women are that I consider my BFFs. Do you remember the old cell phone commercial that was about a mom and a daughter, and her mom asked who she was texting, and the daughter says "IDK, my BFF Jill?" Well that's where the title comes into play. And I decided that I talk about these ladies enough, but have yet to tell you enough that I am satisfied with the entire situation.


Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you my BFF Jill #1, Miss Erika Lynne (other middle name) Kettler:

The stats on EK:
Born: December of 1987. That's right, I'm older than my big.

Years I've Known Her: 4 years

How We Met: We initially met at the sisterhood retreat in the fall of 2007 for our sorority. I was blindfolded and we were doing a ropes course, and I inadvertently groped her. We should have known then that it was love at first feel. :)

Reasons Why I Love Her: BECAUSE SHE COMPLETES ME. But seriously, there are way too many reasons to list. However, I am going to attempt to do so here:

• We're slightly the same person
• We can go months without seeing each other, but our friendship still remains strong
• She lets me crash at her apartment in Phoenix for a couple weeks at a time
• She went to the Fiesta Bowl with me
• SHE IS SO SCANDALOUS THAT SHE TRICKED ME INTO BELIEVING THAT SHE WAS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IT TO MY COLLEGE GRADUATION, WHEN IN ALL ACTUALITY SHE WAS A LITTLE SNEAK AND SURPRISED ME. And I pretend like I'm angry because my graduation was a sensitive issue to begin with.
• She knows all my flaws, but for some reason she still wants to be my BFF Jill.
• We try to talk on the phone about once a week, but she doesn't judge me when she calls me at 8:30 (her time) on a Saturday night, and I'm already drunkenly walking around downtown Tulsa because it's 10:30 my time.
• We have a lot of the same obsessions....Hayley Williams, Natalie Portman, college football, irresistable boys that are bad for us, just to name a few....

I seriously feel like I could go on forever about Erika, but we don't have enough internet space for that.

I love her. You should love her too!

p.s. She also had no idea I was doing this today. :)

this has gotta be the good life

My life just kind of seems to be on the up and up lately. Not to brag, but I'm truly blessed beyond measure. There's no way it could get better at this point. I'm serious.

Last weekend, I got to take my beautiful momma out for a birthday dinner. I took her to an Irish pub here in town that we rarely ever go to. She and I spent a good two-three hours talking, eating, laughing, and drinking. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with her, and it was so nice to sit and catch up as friends.

Saturday evening I got to spend the evening with my bff Shawna watching the OU football game. I then drug her out to West Tulsa so we could hang out with an old friend of mine from high school. We met a couple pretty cool girls out there too! (Even though Shawna threatened to knock someone out too.) We decided that we definitely love line dancing, and will definitely be attending Caravan (a country bar here in Tulsa) on an almost weekly basis once I get out on my own. Line dancing here we come!

Since then, I have slept entirely way too much. But I am enjoying the new episodes of How I Met Your Mother, the new show 2 Broke Girls, and I have a couple other shows I'm looking forward to this week! I'm also re-watching season 4 of Gossip Girl in preparation for the new season that premieres next Monday! Super excited!

I will be moving into my own apartment within the next couple of weeks! I'm super excited but it's also making me super broke. Down payments for electric, insurance, cable, you name it, it's sucking the money out of my account. and I'm STILL having to pay for gas back and forth. goodbye social life for the next month! (But part of that is  my own choosing, I decided on my own to attend the OU/TX football game, so that's sucking the money out of my account as well!)

That's right, I get to go to OU/TX one more time! I'm super excited party people!

What did I tell you? I'm blessed.

Life recap?

I finally had some free time to sit down and type up a post last night. But I couldn't. The remembrance of what happened ten years ago made my life seem petty.

Last night my grandmother and mom watched the 9/11 tribute on CBS. I lasted 30 minutes and was in tears, I just couldn't watch the rest of it.

My life has been in the mundane routine the past couple of weeks. Go to work, hang out with Shawna, spend time with family. It's been great!

The other night I caught myself asking mom if she had found something out from Nana and Pops. The realization that the statement is no longer true hit me hard and I almost cried. It was awful.
Speaking of Pops, thank you all so much for your encouragement, support, well wishes, and prayers from my last post. I truly appreciate the compassion you all showed with some one you may have never met, along with a family you've probably never heard of before the post.

I haven't added a "What I Read in August" post because I didn't finish a book in August. NOT. ONE. BOOK. I started off the month with high hopes for Eat. Pray. Love. but I just couldn't get into it. But I'm going to update you all on the entirety of my August reads when I do my September book review. That's right, there will definitely be a September book review. I refuse to go another month without finishing a book. I was kind of disappointed in my lack of reading.

My brother turned 21 on Friday. I love and miss him so very much. He will be back in roughly 7.5 weeks. Me, Shawna, and my other coworker BFF Kellie are planning a birthday extravaganza for the 4 of us in December. It's going to be a grand time :)

You know what, I OFFICIALLY have my own place! I signed my lease on Saturday, and you're reading the post of a girl who is super happy and excited to be having her own first place! I move in the first week of October, and I'm super excited to be moving into my first place :)

Shawna and I met up with a couple of our favorite guys on Saturday night and spent the night dancing and enjoying ourselves. It had been two weeks since we had gone out, and it was a FANTASTIC night out.

Last night I got a great surprise from a friend from high school! My friend Bobby was in town and decided to stop by for a few minutes to say hi. This Bobby is the same kid I mentioned a long while back ago in a 30 days of truth post. We have fought and stopped talking to each other since high school, but have also made up from it as well. He's a good guy, and will genuinely be there for the ones he cares about to the end. Bobby only stopped by for like ten minutes max, but it's great to see him doing so well and be so happy living out his dream. I love that kid like a fat kid loves cake.

This week has got some great potential to it, thanks to a hetero-life partner date coming up with Shawna! I hope you all had a great weekend, and here's to having a great Monday!

an explanation as to why I've been absent

The last time I was on  here, I promised more posts.
I tried to update, but I didn't feel I had anything interesting to say.
Then I was going to do my reading update on the last day of the month (like normal), but my world got turned upside down last Sunday.

On Saturday, August 27th, I did my usual--spend time with Shawna dancing the night away and getting some much loved attention from good looking guys.

Sunday I woke up and went to church, and I didn't even get to stay for the entire time.

My aunt got a phone call from a surrogate aunt and she was hysterical. She and my grandma left church and I stayed for about 10 more minutes. Then another friend of ours from church came and got me and said I needed to go to Margie's (surrogate aunt) right away.

Upon my arrival, my grandmother was in tears. I think I said something along the lines of "don't look at me like that, please tell me good news, I don't want to hear it if it's not good."
Margie's dad, and my best friend Jessie from high school's grandfather had had a heart attack. Jessie is in the middle of nursing school, and she initiated CPR to try to revive him until the paramedics arrived. They got a heart beat going again and then transported him to the hospital.

I was given the responsibility of making sure the wife (Nana), Margie, Jessie, and Jessie's sister Jacci arrived at the hospital safely. Other family members and friends of mine and Jessie's began arriving for support. We were at the hospital for maybe an hour and they pronounced him dead.

Last week, I was semi-numb to my emotions and feelings because I was just trying to be strong for and supportive of Jessie and her family. Jessie is one of the bravest women I know, and I honestly don't know how she kept it together for 24 hours.

I didn't sleep much last week, I didn't eat right, I drank a lot of alcohol, and I put my life on hold for a week. I went into my boss' office on Monday and cried to him saying I had missed two funerals this summer already and I was not missing this one, that I would take a personal day if I had to. He generously gave me funeral leave.

Melvin "Pops" Smith was around a majority of my life. He was more of a grandfather in my day-to-day life than either of my biological ones. He coached my softball team for six years. He gave generously. He claimed all of us as his kids or grandkids. He let me live with him during a summer that I didn't have anywhere else to go. He was a hardworking man, and he taught more than softball to my team.

Everyone on the team made it in town for the service Friday. It was nice to see my old teammates, but I hated the circumstances of it. I cried more on Friday than I think I've ever cried before.

I do not tell you all this to have pity on me. I tell you this to explain my absence, and to selfishly ask that you keep the Smith family in your thoughts and if you pray in your prayers. Everyone in the family is having a rough time dealing with this, especially the wife. She just had to bury her mother about six weeks ago. So please, please,take a little extra time to say a prayer for them. And once you do, tell the people you love how you feel about them.

Melvin was 65 years young; a life taken too soon; and always in our hearts.