Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot (read: Remembered)

Well good gravy.
It's been about ten years and a day since I posted here. Guess I should make my life count, or at least for the last day of 2012 by blogging today. So that probably includes like the 12+ events of 2012 or something like that. We'll see where that goes.

1) Baby niece Amelia born.  She's so suitably fat now and I'm such a proud aunt!

2) State 2012. I think I cried for the whole damn thing. Every moment and it was super. We get to do that again in 2 months? I'm so ready to cry for several hours.

3) Watching my friend Ch-low Rad-cliffee do what she does at AFA. That was neat.

4) Surviving NFA to the surprise and accolades that we didn't expect. I've never been so genuinely surprised and overflowing with pride for what we speechies do.

5) Baby nephew Pete born. Although he looked like a grumpy old man for a while, he's learning to smile and getting cuter all the time.

6) May 18, 2012. I have a voicemail of Vanessa giggling.

7) Duluth with Lady Chelle Chelle. It was more than a moment, but it was important. It includes the apple pie baking and the porch sitting.

8) Climbing trees. Want a new perspective? That helps.

9) Giving a bike to a new teammate. Warm Fuzzies all over.

10) Oreo died. I forever miss my giant feline who hated snow, loved any holiday with bags and wrapping paper, and took two arms to hold. Now my heart holds you.

11) NCA. Dinner theater. Nuff said.

12) CinCC. I successfully cried in every performance in front of large audiences because that's where you cry. Love me some Guh chuh-wire fam.

Bonus: Throwing Better Cheddars because they're worse, not better. The moments leading up to that one were good too.

Ok so I should tell someone and this is as good a place to tell people as any about my new goal to blog more consistently than this semester.  No point to having a blog that you don't use and there should be amusing things going on in my life that you may or may not appreciate.

To those of you going abroad this semester, blog because you want to read your experiences in full and not through collapsed memories that get compressed and diluted. Do it then so you can laugh about it later. Also, then I won't have to throw Better Cheddars (or rocks) at you.

So cheers to a happy survivable 2013.  Love you all.

A Blog in Reflection

One year ago today, I left on the adventure of my life.

I packed all of my bags, said "Ciao!" to my friends and family, and high tailed it out of the country. That got me to thinking about all of the amazing places I've been in 365 days and holy crap, there are a lot of them.

You are more than welcome to peruse my adventures as they have happened to me here in this blog, but here's a little (geo)graphical explanation of my adventures: Map o da world. Or if you don't want to see the names of the places, here's just a picture.

But the link should show you all of the names of places too. Granted, I probably forgot some a long the way (like Assissi.... I loved Assissi. St. Francis is awesome)(And Duluth. I was for sure in Duluth this summer), got them out of order, or didn't list every time I was back in KC this year. But the main point is here are the 25 (more like 27 with the ones I forgot because I'm a dumb ass and Google Maps won't let me add more than A-Y) cities that I've considered part of my journey this year. 

I don't know if this year will hold as many cities, or as many "adventures" but I'm glad this one was so thrilling. 

'Murrica Pie

Let me regale you with the adventurous day of Duluthyness.

Michelle and I woke up at a respectable time (and I mean as in my parents, not my peers would be impressed) and headed out for a scenic river drive and a festive nature hike (pretty neat). So around Gooseberry park we walk. Taking in the sights, making fun of the awkward family photos being captured in front of root beer waterfalls and general frivolity. After that exhausting trek, we make our way to Betty's Pies where we had lunch and ate pie. A stunning blackberry peach crumble for me- but the pie theme had only just begun. This is real life, and we need more pie. So a plan was developed that we have a fancy house dinner where everyone contributes something. Much like family dinner, but I've only known some of these people for 24 hours-I'm not sure if they're ready to adopt me. And Michelle and I, being the industrious Americans we are, needed to make apple pies. And I do say pieS because we are so focused on individuality that we made mini pies. So eight apples and 3 home made pie crusts later, we have 12 stunning examples of freedom.

And if you're wondering how you roll pie crust without wax paper or a rolling pin? Let me show you young Skywalker. You improvise!

And they are delicious. We are proud bakers and proud wearers of patriotic attire-minus the eagles. If I can't carry around a real bird, I don't want it on my shirt.

And that wraps it all up. Happy 4th, whether you believe in the country or just believe in the people who inhabit said country-have a good one.

Reunited and It's All So Right

Your world has just collided with something so epic, it can hardly be comprehended by the interwebs. That's right. The infamous Michelle, of Just a Chef's Daughter and I are inhabiting the same house. (who? what? why? HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE MY LIFE SUDDENLY MAKES SENSE!) Yes, I know. The world is a better place now that we have joined our magical decoder rings in a triumphant stance over the things that keep us apart. And the things you have to look forward too: Themed Thursday- actual face to face combat. This is the kind of battle they'll be talking about for centuries. Alamo-no-mo, this is what will be remembered.

But for now, I'll give you the nice little summary of my day.
I worked for the first half, getting things tied up and decent before we all left for our varying levels of adventure (me: exponential, Justin: optional, and Kris: Why is this adventure geared for a younger crowd?). Then I had lunch and packed over another episode of Mad Men, and then loaded up my vehicle (good girl Scarlet) and drove my merry way up to Duluth. Lovely? I think yes. Well, except for that part called the Twin Cities and traffic-that part was unlovely.

Upon arrival, Michelle gave me a quick tour and we immediately went out to pizza (artichoke hearts on a pizza? Good ideas) and galavanted around Downtown Duluth. Seeing things like the lift bridge and walking placidly along the shore of Lake Superior. (I'm told it's superior, but to what? I don't get it...) So despite the scorching heat and the dastardly humidity, we managed to make a good night of it-catching up on all of the stories and generally enjoying life.

Life now makes sense.

Real Words Don't Have the Proper Emphasis: WHWPOWEIHLKJFHD!!

This is going to be a post about how obsessed I am with Mad Men (Mariecus can attest to this-I've watched 9 episodes in 2 days), and HOW INCREDIBLY PUMPED I AM ABOUT VISITING MICHELLE TOMORROW.

Letter leader board update:
Michelle zooms a head with her second letter. That leaves the following:

Michelle: 2
Joe: 1
Ben: 1
Spaulding: 1
Hannah: 1

But this is anyone's game folks. So get to it! If I'm feeling nice, I'll write the freshman one later this week.

But more importantly: TOMORROW WHEN I GET TO SEE MICHELLE!  I need to pack before then, I did laundry for this occasion... That's a real friendship right there. Michelle informed me that even despite the floodings, Duluth is not a nudist colony... how peculiar. But if that's the trend, I guess that's it.

And that sums up my excitement-except not at all. This is beyond epic, and I'm psyched.