The State of Us

So, almost three weeks ago now (how did 3 weeks pass already??) I graduated from Mississippi State for the second time.  This time I've been deemed a Master, but, I must admit, I don't really feel like a master of anything!  Sometimes it just seems that I know a little bit about a lot of different stuff, when isn't it supposed to be the other way around??
I was more emotional about graduation than I expected to be.  Honestly, I was more emotional throughout the process of graduate school than I ever imagined I would be.  As many of you have read/heard me say before, it was a bit of a three-year rollercoaster ride, filled with such highs and lows as, say, gaining a whopping 60 pounds and, to date, losing 20 of that; helping my mom through 2 knee replacements; moving out of my mom's house only to move back in two years later; making the best grades I've ever made; making great friends in my program, unlike my undergraduate degree where I flew solo throughout much of my schoolwork; and, finally, working toward an actual profession:  school counselor (as opposed to an English major trying (often unsuccessfully) to rationalize how I fit into a certain role).
Although I remain wholly baffled by the oddity of the costume outfit uniform costume graduates are required to wear, here's a few pictures from graduation.  I mean, seriously, why is it necessary to wear such a ridiculous get-up for such a meaningful and heavily-photographed day?  And that hat?  Don't get me started.

In the three weeks since graduation, I've thought a lot about my time at Mississippi State and in Starkville and all that it means to me.  Yesterday I went to campus to have some final paperwork signed, and, when I realized it was very likely my last piece of business as a Mississippi State student, I was really overcome with how much the university has meant to me over the past eight years.  So, in my usual way, I've made a list of all the things I love most about Mississippi State and Starkville.
Here we go....
101 Things to Love about Mississippi State University and Starkville
1.  Roadrunner tours
2.  Having class in Lee Hall with the windows up
3.  The Reveille
4.  The view from the top of the stadium
5.  The night route
6.  Dancing with the band at Mugshots
7.  The Reflector
8.  Listening to the chimes at the Chapel of Memories
9.  Cowbells
10.  Taking a walk on campus
11.  Maroon bikes
12.  Concerts at the amphitheater
13.  Finding the perfect study nook at Mitchell Memorial Library
14.  Bumping into your favorite professor at dinner or the bar
15.  Reformed University Fellowship in Dorman Auditorium
16.  The view from the M-Club
17.  Basketball at the Hump
18.  The smell of University Florist
19.  University Drive
20.  Celebrating in the Junction after a home game win
21.  "Energy bars" at City Bagel Cafe
22.  Maroon Fridays
23.  Daffodils blooming on campus in the spring
24.  Drinking beer waiting to set up tailgates
25.  Left Field Lounge
26.  Buying McCarty pottery at University Florist
27.  The Presiden't house
28.  Being the only person walking across the Drill Field on a gorgeous afternoon
29.  Watching the sunset on the Drill Field
30.  Old Venice Pizza Company after a football game
31.  Reading on the Drill Field
32.  Sunday lunch at Perry Cafeteria
33.  Easter Egg Hunt at the President's house
34.  The very beginning of a home football game
35.  The winery
36.  Watching the seasons change on campus
37.  Tailgating in the Junction
38.  Bulldog Bash
39.  Super Bulldog Weekend
40.  Sorority row at Christmas
41.  Shipley's donut holes
42.  The Drill Field
43.  Studying at Barnes & Noble
44.  The stories and legends of the university's history
45.  The maroon and white game
46.  Mississippi State birthday party
47.  "The only prescription is more cowbell."
48.  Game day polos
49.  Finals week at Mitchell Memorial Library
50.  The Drill
51.  Hail State
52.  Crawfish at the fraternity houses on Super Bulldog Weekend
53.  The Dawg Pound Rock
54.  Drinking wine in the afternoon at Bin 612
55.  Sorority row
56.  Going to a play in McComas
57.  Playing the piano at the Chapel of Memories
58.  Senior Celebration
59.  Who Let the Dogs Out?
60.  Going to the movies on a Friday afternoon
61.  The rose garden
62.  Seeing a concert in Lee Hall
63.  Sitting on my back porch and listening to bands playing in the Cotton District
64.  "You guys ready to let the dogs out?"
65.  The Jumbotron
66.  Cotton District Arts Festival
67.  State Fountain Bakery
68.  Spending the afternoon reading/studying at City Bagel Cafe
69.  The Cotton District
70.  Boys Bid Day
71.  The Egg Bowl
72.  The balcony at Mugshots
73.  Starbucks in the Union
74.  Brown bag pasta dinners at City Bagel Cafe
75.  Pancake breakfasts on sorority row
76.  MSU Choir Christmas concert
77.  Walking to campus on a home football Saturday
78.  Brunch at Restaurant Tyler
79.  Alumni Delegate maroon blazers
80.  Sushi at Umi
81.  Running to the sorority house on Bid Day
82.  Maroon Alerts
83.  Homecoming Parade
84.  City Bagel Cafe
85.  True Maroon
86.  Finding the perfect gift at Aspen Bay
87.  Rounding up maroon clothing from all over creation
88.  Seeing Dan Mullen running on campus
89.  The State spell-out
90.  The Dawg Walk
91.  Famous Maroon Band
92.  The Christmas tree in the library
93.  Game day stickers
94.  "From Dixon with love"
95.  The real bulldogs
96.  Maroon and white
97.  Mississippi State choir
98.  The Christmas tree in the Junction
99.  Blue plate specials at The Veranda
100.  Football at Davis Wade Stadium
101.  Bully
Man, I love Mississippi State so much. 
In other news, I'm hoping my favorite favorite American Idol contestant makes it into the finals tomorrow night... Come on, Scotty!!
Also, I'm off to Tuscumbia, AL, tomorrow to celebrate the nuptials of these two crazy kids:

I'm pumped to some of my most favorite people in the entire world (one of whom I haven't seen in a year-and-a-half), and I know it's going to be a great time.  I'm sure we won't tell any embarrassing stories on each other, take a single picture, or laugh so hard we disturb other restaurant patrons/hotel guests/general bystanders.
Yeah... right.

Bye Bye Love

Dear Paul McDonald,

Although you were voted off Let's See How Many Ways We Can Shamelessly Promote James Durbin American Idol tonight, you're still my main squeeze.  I love your pearly whites and your skinny-as-a-toothpick legs and your wild hair.  I love your strange floral suits, your Rod Stewart rasp, and, oh yeah, your thousand gigawatt smile.  I also don't mind that you're a true southerner, a true musician, and did I mention you have a great smile?
I can't imagine why you've been given the boot before Even-Though-I'll-Sing-A-New-Song-Next-Week-You-Won't-Be-Able-To-Differentiate-It-From-My-Previous-Performances Stefano or I'm-Not-Half-As-Cool-As-Janis-Joplin Haley. However, seeing as I imagine you to be this guy who was just walking down the street one day and said, "Hey, I think I'll audition for American Idol today," I feel like you'll bounce back from this just fine.  Let's be honest, you're a pretty cool guy; I doubt you'll have any trouble drawing an audience (which will, of course, include me).  
Even though I've never actually voted for American Idol (or any other reality show, for that matter... I can actively turn my brain to mush by watching them all day long, but, for some reason, I just can't bring myself to cast a vote.  It's a line I just can't cross.), and I've never actually watched a full season before, you're my Idol, for sure.

Loving you like Randy Jackson loves a cardigan,

P.S. What kind of toothpaste do you use?  Does it have some sort of special whitening aspect, or do you simply practice excellent dental hygiene?
  

Thanks a Million

This November, I'm going to try to post everyday about something I'm thankful for.  My life is so filled with blessings that I know I will have no trouble finding something wonderful in my life everyday!

Tonight I am thankful for laughter.  There are few things I love more than unwinding at the end of a long workday, stretched out on the couch in my pajamas laughing at whatever hilarity I can find on television.  Tonight it was the Women of SNL special, and I pretty much laughed for two hours straight, remembering some of my favorite characters and discovering some new favorites, too.  It seems like all the dirt and grime of the long day slough off through a little bit of laughter, and some days it's all that keeps me sane, it seems.  Be it a great book, hilarious movie, favorite television character, or, of course, one of my oh-so-humorous friends, laughter really is the best medicine, and it almost always seems to cure whatever's ailing me.



Paid to Laugh

Do you ever think about your dream job?  The thing you'd do if you could do anything in this world you wanted to do?
I think about mine all the time, which probably doesn't come as a shock to many of you.  If talent, time, opportunity, and money were no barrier, I don't think I'd have any troublesettling down to a job I adore.  I have several that come to mind pretty quickly, actually.
Photographer.
Florist.
Novelist.
Host of a travel show.
Stand-up comic.
Bookshop owner.
Food critic.
Movie critic.
Book critic.
Writer for late night talk show.
Writer for SNL.
Singer on Broadway.
Costume Designer.
However, as wonderful as I think these would all be, there is one that stands out in the forefront as, in my opinion, the world's perfect job.  Here's a few hints:

Roseanne

The Wonder Years

The Office

Murphy Brown

The Mary Tyler Moore Show

All in the Family

Growing Pains

The Facts of Life

Saved by the Bell

The Cosby Show

Will & Grace

The Golden Girls

Seinfeld

Friends

Have some of my all time favorite sitcoms given it away?  So, here's the scoop.  If I could do annnnnnnnyyyything in this world, there's no doubt what I'd do:
Sitcom Actor.  I would probably even settle for sitcom writer, but actor would certainly be my first choice.
Let me explain why.
Top 10 Reasons to be a Sitcom Actor:
10.  If your sitcom is a success (and my dream one would be, of course), you would get paid loads of royalties.
9.  You meet amazing guest stars all the time.
8.  You get to bring laughter and happiness to the entire world weekly and in syndication for years to come.
7.  Even when sitcom families are disfunctional, everybody laughs and things are still funny.
6.  No matter what they are or how big, your problems are almost always totally solved in thirty minutes or less.
5.  You go to work everyday with some of the funniest people you've ever met.
4.  You work with some of the most talented writers in the world, and you get to be real life friends with them.
3.  You can watch your own gag reel and laugh all over again. As funny as gag reels are to the viewers, imagine how funny they are to the people who know how funny it was in the moment. Did that make sense?
2.  Your job would be hilarious.  Every day.  You're being paid to be funny, and the harder you laugh (and make other people laugh) the more you get paid.  Everybody wins.
1.  You get to go to weekly table reads, which look like the most amazingly fun things on the planet.
So, what's your dream job?  If there were no barriers and worlds of opportunity, what would you be doing??  I'm dying to know!

Gimme a Break

Ok, so I love late night television.
This is a totally new thing, as I am usually reading or sleeping during these shows, but, as of late, I can't miss my late night favorites.

I enjoy Jay Leno, and I think he's pretty funny a lot of the time.  I especially love Headlines, and he's crazy funny with his guests. 
My real love, though, is Jimmy Fallon.  Jay is really just a gateway to Jimmy, for I cannot miss him these days.  He is the biggest goofball most of the time, and he is incredibly awkard a lot of the time, too.  He breaks character and laughs his way through sketches all the time, and I think it's hilarious.  All of it.  I scream with laughter on my couch watching him almost every night (all three weeks I've been watching him religiously, mind you).  He is really a total idiot with his guests, and he thinks he has this great singing voice that he always wants to show off.  He calls everybody pal and he asks the most awkward questions and he plays the most asinine games with his audience.  I adore it.  His thank you notes practically knock me out of my chair I'm laughing so hard, and his impersonations and voices are a total scream.  I am ridiculously obsessed love him.  Obviously.  Plus I think he's a doll.  I have absolutely no business staying up until 12:30 every morning, but I can't miss any of Jimmy's hi-jinks and shenanigans.  He's just too funny.  I'll have craters under my eyes in the morning, but at least I'll go to sleep laughing, I guess.

In other news, it's spring break... whoop whoop.
Spring break is definitely one of the perks of still being in school at age twenty-five and an even better reason to pursue a career in education.  Spring break for life?  Don't mind if I do.
Tomorrow morning I'm headed to Dallas with some insanely fun ladies--Becca, Kat, and Anna--for a fun visit and the Black Eyed Peas concert.  I'm sooooooo sooooooo excited, and I know we are going to have the best time!
Those of you that are on spring break:  I hope you've had an amazing week.  Those of you that aren't:  er... sorry.  If it were up to me, there'd be spring break for all. 

One Week of Life

This past week has been a really great one.  I was planning to write this post over the weekend (yes, I sometimes often plan my posts...), but I was too busy doing fun stuff to stop and compose my thoughts.

I'll start with last Tuesday, when Lindsey and I headed to Birmingham to see John Mayer.  We started off with an amazing sushi dinner at Sekisuri Pacific Rim in 5 Points.  I love that neighborhood, and our sushi was delicious.

After dinner, we headed to the concert, which was so, so good--just as I expected.  I saw John Mayer in Memphis my freshman year, and he was just as fabulous as I remember him being.  Yes, he makes a lot of weird faces while he sings, and, yes, he has lots of tats, but I don't care.  I think he's gorgeous and super sexy.  I think he has mad, mad guitar skills.  I think his concert is the perfect chill concert.  In addition, he was super sweet to this couldn't-have-been-more-than-twelve-year-old girl who was front row center.  He kept talking about how cute she was and how she was singing along with all the songs; he gave her his pick, and he edited one song a little bit, saying, "I'm not gonna curse in front of you, cutie."  Although he didn't sing a few of my favorites, I found a fell in love with a few new favorites, namely Half of My Heart.

At the concert, however, I saw some funny stuff.  High school girls are funny to me.  First off, they were everywhere.  They practically ran over Lindsey and I walking into the coliseum, and I truly thought they were going to push us down getting inside.  Also, they were wearing the most fantastic clothes and taking millions of pictures with their Nikon/Canon super-nice cameras.  Seriously, when did this happen?  When did high school girls turn into sophisticated, self-assured, polished grown-up women?  My inner high school girl, complete with frizzy hair, ill-applied make-up, uncoordinated outfits, and nonexistent self-esteem, still cowers at the sight of them.
After the concert we had a little snafu finding the way home, for Bernice--my GPS--was determined to send us awry.  We outsmarted her, however, and finally got started in the right direction.  After stopping at a super scary, super ghetto gas station, we finally arrived home about 2:30 in the morning.
Wednesday morning I was blasted out of bed by the upstairs neighbor playing Pretty Fly for a White Guy at earsplitting decibels.  He becomes the bane of my existence more and more everyday.  The day was quickly saved, however, when I watched the most amazing episode of Criminal Minds, where Hotch pretends to beat the snot out of Reid so that they can distract an un-sub and Reid can shoot him between the eyes.  Wednesday night I finished the most amazing book, Garlic and Sapphires, and finally watched a true classic of American cinema, Rear Window.  Both were seriously awesome.
Thursday the talk was all about the weather.  Snow was expected for Friday, possibly ice, as well.  Of course, Friday morning dawned with no snow, which further solidifies my belief that meteorology is more a game of chance than a profession.  There was a little bit of snow midmorning Friday, but hardly even enough to make a proper dusting.  I did, however, manage to snap a few quick snow pics, just to document that we got anything at all.

Friday afternoon, I went to see Valentine's Day, which, for the most part, I really enjoyed.  After the movie, I was pretty much glued to the opening ceremony of the Olympics, which I simply couldn't get enough of.  I am not too proud to admit that I might have sobbed cried a little while watching it...

Saturday morning I headed to Columbus for the night.  I started off my visit with a manicure at Eden, which I thoroughly enjoyed because it was almost completely silent.  I am not one of those people who wants to chat with their manicurist, I just want to relax in silence.  Is that weird?  I followed that up with a fun lunch with some of my favorite hometown ladies, solving all the worlds problems and causing a scene in the restaurant, of course.  Saturday night Lindsey, Hope, and I went to an unbelievably fun engagement party for Florence and Mark.  The food and drinks were fabulous; the house and flowers were gorgeous; the company was spectacular.  I had an absolute blast.

Sunday mom and I went to a very nice shower for Florence, and I enjoyed a quiet Valentine's Day glued to the Olympics--my newest obsession.  I don't really understand myself, for I hate sports and have never really been immersed in the Olympics like this.  I just can't turn it off, though.  I have major crushes on Apolo Ohno and Graham Watanabe, and I'm sure I'll find a few more Olympians that catch me eye, as well.  I don't really understand why there are so many soul patches, though?  In addition, I wonder if there could be a more unflattering, unattractive costume outfit uniform for a woman to wear than thecomplete-with-hood unitard worn by speed skaters?  It is truly unfortunate.

Dude, what a random post.  

Happy Monday; hope you all have a great week!

The Criminal Code

Ode to Criminal Minds:

Hotch, you never crack a smile,

But I'd still want you on my case.

You love your precious son, Jack,

And your wife, too (who played Andie McPhee on Dawson's Creek).

Sometimes you're really hard on your team,

But it's just because you care so much about your job.

The Reaper actually brought you to tears,

But that was before he tried to kill you and dumped you at the ER.

Gideon, how do you know it all?

No matter what the case, you always have the answers

Except, that is, when you let six agents get blown up,

And then ran off--never to be heard from again...

Elle and Prentiss, you're the ones I don't really feel like I know.
Prentiss, you look like a young Angelica Huston, but that's really all I've got.
Rossi, you're the one I like the least,
For sometimes you just have a 'tude.
You went on a book tour, good for you.
I would be fine if you went back into retirement.

JJ and Garcia, I love y'all.

Garcia, I always wonder just what is on your head (and what you're wearing),

And I think your computer-hacking skills are unbelievable.

JJ, I adore that you made Reid Henry's godfather,

And I think you're so pretty.

Morgan, I think you're great.

You're so easy on the eyes,

And you have the prettiest white teeth.

I love how you're like a big brother to Reid,

And you're so protective over Garcia.

(I loathe pet names, but I don't mind your banter with Garcia.)

Dr. Spencer Reid, my love.

PhD cubed--tallest, skinniest, most awkward boy ever.

Geeky clothes and a constant spouting of statistics.

I love your innocence and your naivete,

Your mad chess skills and your wild unkempt hair.

I love that your mother is Jane Lynch,

And I love that Morgan is trying to teach you to be a ladies' man.

Criminal Minds, what did I do before I knew you?

The un-subs, the victimology, the profiles, the guest stars,

The tiny, tiny personal insights,

And the way the team is like a family.

I love your black SUVs and your bullet-proof vests,

Your quotes and your time spent on the jet,

And the storylines that are sometimes almost too real.

I'm so glad you've come into my life.

Here and Now

Yes, this is still an operating blog. 
I've just been... uninspired.  Actually, not so much uninspired as just inspired to do other things besides blog.
More on that another day, though.
For now, I'm just reveling in the here and now.  And right now things are like this:
Yesterday I went to see Avatar, and was less than impressed.  Yes, you read that correctly.  I am perhaps the only human being, including those that make up the Hollywood Foreign Press and the Academy of Motion Pictures (you know... "I'd like to thank the Academy..."), who wasn't blown out of their chair by this movie.  Maybe my 3-D glasses were defective or something, but I just thought it was kind of dumb.  So... Avatar, thumbs down. 
Last night after coming home from the movie, I was ecstatic to find my new favorite show airing on repeat.  The show:  Criminal Minds.  I am so addicted it is not funny, which is why its so great that A&E plays the old seasons over and over again.  I'm slowly but surely getting all caught up and putting all the pieces together.  My favorite aspect of the show?  This guy:

He's this whiz kid who has something like three PhDs, and he's just as dorky as he looks.  I heart him.  So, Criminal Minds and Dr. Spencer Reid, thumbs up.

Today has been spent cleaning my apartment.  As in, that's what I've been doing since eleven o'clock this morning.  Although it had to be done, I could certainly have found a more fun way to spend the day.  Cleaning my apartment all day, thumbs down.

Because I cleaned my apartment all day, this dump is shining like the top of the Chrysler building.  (Note:  my apartment, albeit small, is not really a dump, per se; I just got carried away by my inner Miss Hannigan.)  Seriously, it is clean.  You could eat off the kitchen floor... or on a fan blade (yes, I dusted them)... or on the bathroom floor... or in the bathtub, for that matter.  (Who would want to do that, though?  Eating off the floor or in the bathtub, thumbs down.)  Anyway, having a squeaky, sparkling, fresh-smelling apartment, most definitely thumbs up.

So, I was supposed to go visit Katie this weekend in Oxford, and this visit was going to include a much-hyped Jersey Shore-themed house party.  (Y'all know my affinity for all things Jersey Shore.)  In the end, though, I had to take the route I hate sensible route and stay home, doing much-needed things like schoolwork and the aforementioned house cleaning.  Missing an amazing time with a great friend, thumbs down.

Wednesday night, however, I had a mucho fun dinner with some of my favorite hometown ladies to celebrate Summer's birthday.  I hadn't seem them in several weeks, so it was great to catch up with them.  There was storytelling, a little dishing, sushi, and, of course, laughing.  Laughing 'til you cry with people you've known forever, big, big thumbs up.