February 23: Hammocking

I love the granola side of Auburn.  Almost as a collective campus, we embrace outside and this wonderful pre-spring weather.  I'm looking forward to a spring full of laying outside in the afternoons and hiking around Chewackla State Park right down the road.

One of my favorite crunchy trends at Auburn is the Eno hammocks everywhere.  On a sunny day, there are very few spots on campus where you can do a 360 and not see at least one hammock up in some trees.  Today, Erin and I sat in the lower Quad and watched some of our friends hang up their hammocks high up in a tree outside Lupton and just did some homework in their hammocks for a little while.  It looked so wonderful and I want a hammock now...Erin gets hers in the mail next week.

 Operation intercept hammock package is in the works (:

February 22: Evangelism?

Today was my first encounter with an evangelist screaming condemnation on a crowd. Although you can't tell from this picture, a good sized crowd was flocked around this man and his wife for most of this afternoon as they stood on the Green Space outside the student center preaching a largely works-focused Gospel while completely pushing away anyone who was not a Christian and discouraging the large number of Christians there.  Even though some of the things he said were true, there was a lot of misinterpretation and even misquotation from the Bible.

This was upsetting to say the least.  After my roommate Anne Caroline, Erin, and I had stood and listened for around 15 minutes, we couldn't take it any longer and had to go home to just vent for a while.  We were so frustrated because all we could see is this man pushing college students away from pursuing the Gospel.

But now, I am confident that God can use even this for His own glory. If anything, the experience has created great conversations around campus all week.  I've overheard so many people talking about their reactions to it therefore bringing Christ into everyday lunch and between class conversation.  

Even though things like this break my heart, God is so much bigger and so much stronger.  How can one man riling up a bunch of college kids hinder God's plan for His kingdom?  The wonderful truth is that it can't harm it one bit. So we use this experience to challenge us in the ways we lead our lives and speak about Jesus, and we don't worry about the rest. 

 God's got it under control, so pressure's off and life it good!

February 21: Tragedy at Toomer's

Last Wednesday, the Auburn campus and the rest of the country got the horrifying news that the Toomer's Corner live oaks have been poisoned.  Even though the university is doing everything that they can help the trees, it has been repeatedly confirmed that there is way too much herbicide in the soil to save the trees. Needless to say, the community is devastated.  Rolling these trees after victories (which we have had quite a few of this year) is such a special part of being an Auburn fan, and it's hard to explain to someone not an Auburn fan how important these trees are to us.  

But when I saw this banner hanging from ole Leischuck today, it was semi-frustrating 1) because "War Treegle" is embarrassingly corny and 2) because saving the trees themselves is ultimately not an option anymore.  As hard as that is to admit and as much as I believe that a miracle could happen and the trees could somehow just choose not to die, it is more than likely that the Toomer's tradition will have to change drastically before a graduate.  

However, the thing that is encouraging to me is that even though the trees may not last, the spirit and the community that you feel downtown on College and Magnolia Street after a win is not going anywhere.  If anything, it will only be strengthened by this hard time in the midst of such an amazing year for Auburn.  And whether we end up rolling all the other trees on Samford lawn or they put up bronzed trees on the corner (the university will do something) we will keep the spirit of the tradition alive!

So, yes, just this one time War Treegle!

February 20: RUF!!

I creeper snapped this shot from the back of the room during the last meeting of the conference this morning.  I didn't feel like I could leave with a picture of an actual meeting because not only was it such a great weekend, but it was especially wonderful to get to worship and fellowship with other students and hear messages from the Word.  I wish we had more concentrated Jesus times like this, when we all get reminded that this world is so brief and although our relationships here are very important, glorifying God is what we're really made for.  And it is such a blessing and a relief that our purpose is something so much bigger than ourselves.  Living for myself will always leave me disappointed, but living to glorify the One who sustains me everyday is what will have an eternal impact.

  Now that is something to rejoice in!

February 19: Pandora in Tennessee

This afternoon at Winter Conference, we got the chance to explore Fall Creek Falls state park which included getting to hike down and around this beautiful waterfall.  Maybe it was because I haven't seen a waterfall in a while, but I was so excited to get to hike down to the falls and climb up in the rocks behind it (little white dots on rocks = people!)  When Erin saw the waterfall, she immediately shouted "Avatar!" and then everyone with us agreed that this waterfall and the mountains spotting the panorama completely reminded us of the movie.  And that fact which shows that the amazingness of nature is something we see far too infrequently makes me wish that I lived in a place like this so I could see a view like this everyday!  God showing Himself in nature like this absolutely thrills my heart and blows my mind. It is so cool to me when I get to experience God's power and gorgeousness in ways like this, and I love it! (:

February 18: A bump in the road

I've only ever been in one other wreck (at least a wreck with another car - I don't count backing into my garage, porch, or very aggressive bushes as wrecks) before tonight.  However, on the way to the RUF Winter Conference, a slow down of traffic passing downtown Chattanooga resulted in our "random ride" getting rear ended by a girl who was "pressing 'end' on a phone call" (aka texting).  Thankfully, God kept everyone in both cars completely safe and only shaken up.  This was the first wreck for the sweet girl driving, and she handled the whole thing impressively well! 

Two things that made me want to take a picture of her torn up bumper later tonight:

1) The car we were in is the same model as Toby. Only one more reason that I love my little 2005 CRV - the plastic bumper is as forgiving as an oversized tshirt and at the same time surprisingly durable (as you can see, the bumper is not that torn up considering the impact).  My car is the best.

2) This little incident bonded our group of four acquaintances very quickly.  So many inside jokes came from those 20-30 minutes while the police wrote up the report. 

 Yayy for bonding un bizarre ways and CRVs(:

February 17: Steve and Ben!

February 7th I wrote about Erin being awesome and buying us tickets to see Steve Moakler and Ben Rector in Birmingham..well tonight was the night!! Erin, Kristi, Kristi's sister Ashley, and I road tripped up to Bham this afternoon in a surge of planned spontaneity (because who takes a four hour round trip road trip on a random Thursday? - well apparently not me before now. yayy adventures!)  And the concert was completely worth the 4 hours on the road.  Steve Moakler especially was incredible - better live than recorded - and common consensus between our group was that he slightly outshined Ben Rector (who we have seen before in Auburn and was phenomenal then)!  Not hating on Ben, but just appreciating the surprise of Steve's awesome performance.  I'm loving that concerts keep on popping up this spring (: I'm so excited for many more spontaneous, music-seeking adventures to come!

February 16: This is Bizarre

There's not much of a story or explanation behind this picture except that when Kristi, Olivia, and I walked onto the concourse tonight on the way back from chapter, we all just stopped for a second to observe this weird sight.  Rarely is the concourse completely deserted and especially at night, it had this eerie, foreign vibe to it.  It felt a weird kind of get-your-adrenaline-pumping cool like a scene out of a movie and for whatever reason, I liked how empty and different it felt from the busy Concourse of weekday mornings.  Maybe if I lived in the Quad, this wouldn't be such a big deal, but still...and now I'm managed to talk about nothing for far too long.  Excuse the weird post to go with the weird situation, it was just too striking a view to pass up!

February 15: Do what you love, love what you do

This week is my first real extreme test week, but - silver lining - one of those tests is Basic Crop Science.  When I realized I had yet to write about this class, I was surprised at myself, because when people ask me how my semester is going so far, Crop Science is the first thing I talk about.  It is my first class in my major, and it makes me feel like such a nerd, because I absolutely love it. Sitting on my bed studying tonight, Abby looked over my notes and said, "How do you stay awake through this stuff? I would be asleep before I finished reading the words 'Fertilizer Calculations!'"But, for whatever reason, this stuff is so cool to me and was actually interesting to study for this first test.  But I guess this is the way it should be - I should love learning about things in my major!  If Basic Crop Science wasn't exciting to me, I would not need to be in Agronomy and Soils.  Hopefully this class is the first of many more agriculture classes that I will enjoy rather than suffer through. So for now, I'm learning to embrace this ag nerd in me so I can keep loving what I'm doing (:

February 14: Spring Fever on Valentine's

Today felt like the first day of spring. Although it is very likely that the weather was a complete tease, it was nice to have a Valentine's day that was sunshiney and beautiful instead of cold and wintery for a change. And apparently a day as beautiful as this one completely calls for taking a creeper picture of all the girls like me doing homework on the lawn behind Terrell.  Warm weather thrills my heart like no other! I do not completely despise winter, but after a while, waking up to the cold gets me into the winter hibernation slump.  But even little teasers like today can break up the cold monotony to get me through these last couple of potentially chilly weeks before Spring Break! Not even studying for a chemistry test could spoil a February day this beautiful.  

I'm looking forward to so much more outdoor studying this spring! Procrastination is even better when you're getting sun at the same time (:

February 13: 26.2

Last night, I drove from Dalton to Birmingham to join some friends/future roommates to watch our sweet friend Abby run her second marathon!  Kristi, Olivia, Kristen and I had so much fun running (aka semi-powerwalking) all over downtown Birmingham to catch Abby at different mile-makers in her very long race.  Every time we caught up with her, she smiled and waved, looking like it was no big deal that she had just run 20 miles and was just excited to see us cheering her on.  I was even more impressed that she had a smile on her face the whole time than I was with the facts that she finished in 3:26 as the first runner in her age group and qualified for the Boston Marathon next year!! 

Were Kristi, Olivia, Kristen and I completely inspired? Yes, of course!  Does that mean that that inspiration turns itself into motivation? Not so much, but I wish it did!  Abby looked so accomplished at the finish line, and I imagine that it has to be one of the coolest feelings to be able to say, "Yeah, I just ran 26 miles. nbd" 

We already have plans to continue to be Abby's race future groupies (hopefully in Boston next April!), and who knows, maybe someday soon she'll have us running with her...or maybe at least a half.  

All to say, I'm so proud of Abby and feel so blessed to have such a sweet (not to mention amazingly athletically talented) friend like her!  Today was so much fun, and I already know it will be such a great freshman year memory!

February 12: Memama

I am currently over a week behind on my blogging because I've been putting off writing about this picture. Today was a mixed bag of emotions for my family as we gathered in Dalton, GA to celebrate my Memama's life and also mourn her passing on Thursday.  The service with the eulogy from my Uncle John was beautiful and gave a wonderful reflection of her life both long before and during her battle with alzheimer's that had kept her from being herself for the past almost ten years.  

I would've loved to have known her better back before her mind started going.  It was clear from all the sweet words said about her by her friends and family today that she was truly a the epitome beautiful Southern woman both inside and out.  And all I can think about now, as I'm writing is how excited I am to get to see and know her one day in heaven, away from all the disease and pain of this world! What an amazing thing to look forward to, to get to see my sweet Memama again whom I love so much and who I know loved Ned, Julia, and I, and all the rest of her grandchildren and family so much!  We will keep missing her here, but we also all so look forward to being with her again someday!

February 11: Anti-Aging Activities

We've previously discussed how I have a problem paying attention in Chemistry. Well, yesterday morning, Erin was in a crafty mood and decided to encourage my wandering mind with a dot-to-dot from back in the day.  She colored it for me and then sent me off to class with it in hand.  Yes, I connected those dots in the middle of Chem with the people around me half giving me weird looks, half watching very interested (also distracted, of course) to see what the picture turned out to be.  Dot-to-dots are still just as much fun as they were in kindergarden (:

And so today, the dot-to-dot goes up on my wall as another one of the many random things taped around the room (remember the polygamy poster?). The colorful little merman (really, Erin? Why did you pick a merman?) is going to remind me to embrace my inner child because so many things (like Chemistry apparently) are so much more fun when taken a little less seriously!

February 10: Best personal assistant ever!

Snaps for Erin being the topic of he blog two days in a row!  Tonight I had a surprise Valentine's social, and I would not have gotten there without sweet Erin!  Last night at chapter, this "Grab-a-Date tacky Valentines" social was announced, and so everyone had 28 hours exactly to find a date and also an outfit for tonight.  During chapter I texted Erin, "Ahh I need a date for tomorrow night!!" and being the amazing person she is, within five minutes had a guy picked out for me, texted to see if he was free, got him to get out of previous plans, and gave me his number to call and ask him.  Erin is awesome.

But, not only did she get me a date, she was my fashion designer too.  At 6 tonight we made a Target run, expecting to easily find cute tights and some red clothes for the party. No luck. Walmart failed us as well.  We went back to the fabric section of Walmart to get some ribbon just so we wouldn't walk away empty handed after driving all over Auburn-Opelika, and she grabbed some hot pink tulle and said, "Let's make a tutu!"  Now, I'm not very crafty at all but I we didn't have much of a choice, so we bought the tulle and (with me very skeptical) went home to get working.  Two hours later after various attempts at tutu making that finally ended with sewing using a large kitchen knife and a paper clip, we have a looks-like-store-bought tutu and it 95% Erin's effort.  Add tights, black belt, bright red shirt, heart necklace, and bow and you would never know that the outfit was barely three hours old.

Erin is unbelievable. She went through so much trouble to give me a great night tonight. She put in tons of time and energy and unexpected stress for zero of her own benefit.  And she can make a tutu out of things we find lying around a dorm room. nbd.

Thank you so much sweet Erin for going above and beyond all friend duties! Love you so much!

p.s. This picture does fit the qualifications of my blog because, even though the camera is not in my hand, I set it up with the self timer and pressed the button. Loopholes (:

p.p.s. The social was so much fun, too! Completely worth the effort. Erin, you rock (:

February 9: "It's all important"

I'm not quite sure how I got through last semester without the painful realization that there will be times in college when studying will completely take over your social life, and you will take up a second residence in the library for hours on end.  Tonight, this is the story of poor Erin's life.  Two major tests last week and Organismal Biology tomorrow.  Observe the smart water, the binder, the highlighter, pen, iPhone + headphones, and the exasperated on her face look.  Definite signs of some serious studying.  Also notice how all of her notes are highlighted. Why? because it's all important.  There is no cutting corners here tonight!

  I'm feeling a little guilty just sitting getting ahead on French homework and blogging as she's stressing over yet another major test. Next week is my killer week, and we'll get to trade places so she can be the one distracting me while I pull my hair out over Chemistry and Lit.  

Important side note: This is a clearly a posed picture.  We're actually having a lot more fun than we should in the library, and as always, in the midst of studying there is comic relief in watching the weird people around us and getting distracted by facebook.

 Go studying for being a part of college life without being all there is to it!

February 8: Creeper Fail

Please excuse two days in a row of pictures of paper...I don't consider these quite 100% legit, but this lil pic of a program from "From the Top" can be explained.

For my Honors Forum for Freshman class I have to go to 6 performances/lectures over the semester and then review them. I emailed my professor and got this ticket having no clue that "From the Top" is an NPR weekly broadcast radio show featuring teenage musicians who are incredibly (and almost annoyingly since they are definitely prodigy level) talented - walking into a theater and sitting down to a show when you have zero idea what to expect is a very strange feeling.  People could've come running down the aisle singing in costumes, and I would've be perfectly happy just going with the flow.

I had already planned to take a picture of whatever this was tonight, so when they said "NPR radio broadcast" I was like "Oh cool, we're making real radio here and I can document it and maybe even this show is a big deal and I just don't know about it."  So, when the host said, "Please, no photography of any kind," I started feeling all stealthy and planned to snap a couple of phone pictures of the "behind the scenes making of 'From the Top.'"

And then the plan turns bad.  I did not even consider that all the house lights being down and my phone camera having an automatic flash would backfire.  Trying to be discrete, I aim at the double bassist playing in the only spotlight on stage, but when I press the button, not only a huge, long flash, but also a surprisingly loud shutter sound from my phone that was on silent.  Freaking out, I threw my phone on the ground as all the old people sitting around me including the usher standing 10 feet away turned to stare at me with extremely judgmental looks.  I could feel myself blush for probably 2 minutes after.

And so, we have a picture of the program taken later tonight.  Fail, McCamy, fail.

February 7: More concerts on the way!

Who knew that that awesome Dave Barnes concert last weekend would lead to even more musical fun so soon!  My super sweet suitemate couldn't go to that concert (which was a complete shame because she was probably a bigger collective fan of the three guys than me or Fran are), and so in what I think was a concert remorse frenzy this morning, she went online and found that Ben Rector and Steve Moakler (!!!) are coming to Birmingham next Thursday!  And so on my way to class I get a text about this concert, and then five seconds later she says "Do we need to discuss this further or can I buy our tickets right now?!??" which was quickly followed by "And by that I mean are we sure because I've entered all my information on the screen and my next choice is 'confirm order'" Exact quotes. Love her to death.

McCamy + Erin + spontaneity + Thursday night road trips + Ben & Steve = perfection! I cannot wait!

February 6: Mountains vs. Plains

Now, these large hills are not exactly choice specimen of North Georgia mountains.  However, today as I was driving from Dalton, Ga back to Auburn, all of a sudden it hit me "Oh my lanta, I haven't seen actual mountains in months!"  Auburn most definitely lives up to it's nickname "the loveliest little village on the plains" in that although it is beautiful, it is completely flat.  Augusta is in the foothills of Georgia, so not exactly mountainous, but still there is a little more of a diverse landscape than the flatness of I85.  And so, today driving through parts of the north Georgia mountains was such a refreshing change of highway viewing pace. 

 I adore mountains and the way they exude God's strength and beauty.  Nine times out of ten, I would choose a weekend hiking and relaxing in a mountain house over laying out on the beach, just because everything about mountains says to me peace even in the midst of exciting adventure.  And when I think about mountains, what makes my smile even bigger is that the majestic beauty of mountains is only the faintest shadow of God's literally outlandish beauty and incredible power overall of creation.  The huge, powerful mountains that I love are only some of the many gifts that He has given me to teach me about truly amazing He really is!

 Because you see, "My Savior, He can move the mountains! My God is mighty to save!"

February 5: Brothersss!

Yes, this picture is fairly odd.  And yes, I had some pictures of my brother actually swimming since it was his state meet that took me to Georgia Tech's campus in Atlanta today.  However, it is this picture of Ned's dramatic emotional response to the random abstract sculpture we found on campus that really explains what today meant to me.

I have missed my brother so much since I've been at school.  I knew back in August that being far away from him would be one of the hardest parts of going off to college, but the silver lining is that it has made the little bits of time we get together during random weekends and breaks so much sweeter!  When we're together, we just feed off each other getting sillier and stranger to the point where the majority of our conversations are spoken in accents without even realizing we're doing it.  Example:  our nickname for each other both ways is "brothers" (said in a raspy whisper) which of course makes no sense because I am Ned's sister, but it is completely logical to us all the same.  We sing and dance to Miley Cyrus together in the car (I'm sorry Ned for spilling your guilty pleasure), we mercilessly tease our sweet sister Julia, and we have some of the most genuine, deep conversations about life and the Lord.  I am so thankful for the gift that our close relationship is, and I wouldn't trade it or change it for anything!

I can't wait for our friendship to continue to grow and develop as we become adults, get real jobs, and raise our own families.  It is so cool to me to think of him as the crazy, fun uncle that my kids will love one day and the amazing father and husband he will be to his own family!

So, clearly, I think the world of my brother.  Getting to spend this Saturday with him completely made my month!

Text me when you read this Ned (:  

February 4: Chills

Tonight, my sweet friend Katherine and I went to the Auburn vs. Kentucky gymnastics meet.  Even though I've seen the Auburn team compete before, I was blown away again!  The girls were all so incredibly talented, and I even felt a tiny tinge of regret that I gave up gymnastics when I was little because the stuff these girls can do is just absolutely amazing! 

In this picture, Rachel Inniss is about to make the last pass of her flawless floor routine (which tied her all time best - 9.9!) and she is striking a Heisman pose to a mix of "All I Do is Win."  Needless to say the crowd went absolutely WILD with excitement over this clever little Auburn inside joke.  Striking a Heisman was probably the easiest of all the moves in Rachel's routine, but it got the largest response because it has been a symbol that has united the community this year.  Which brings me to my real point of this picture - hearing Auburn fans all go crazy screaming with school pride is one of the coolest feelings ever (not to mention that seeing college guys jump out of their seats over women's gymnastics also makes me chuckle)!  It is a tangible and completely spontaneous display of Auburn's unity, and it is the perfect illustration of how real the Auburn family is!

February 3: Early Thursday mornings

Through an Auburn SGA program that I'm involved in, last semester I got connected to the Auburn United Methodist Church Food Pantry.  Now, almost every Thursday morning I go and spend an hour before class helping sort and package food to be handed out to people in the community who need some help.  Since I've started going, I've gotten so attached to all the sweet older ladies who volunteer there, and because they are always so excited to have volunteers and thank us over and over again for coming, I always feel like my time really does make an impact there.  I've always had a special place in my heart for service, but I really love the food pantry's mission of outreach to the community in need right around us!

February 2: Here's the mail, it never fails..

I'm a little embarrassed to say, that I check my mail 3-4 times more frequently than I actually have mail in the mailbox.  But this is only because getting mail in college is 3-4plus times more exciting than it is at home.  Especially when there's a package supposedly on the way, my enthusiasm walking into the mailroom is so great that I can feel the mail ladies rolling their eyes at me and laughing to themselves when I walk out of the room empty handed. I have friends who have ordered free samples of useless things online and signed up for every single free catalog just to get some regular mail. Today I was expecting a book in the mail (not even a fun book; a book report book for school!) and I checked the mail twice only to remember while walking out disappointed for the second time that it's not actually supposed to come until tomorrow. That's how much I wanted that package!

However, yesterday I got a letter from a sweet friend back in Augusta that absolutely made my day.  She just sent a card to tell me she as thinking about me, but it made me so happy that I immediately sat back down and wrote her back, excited to maybe make her day with that letter as much as she made my day with hers. 

All this to say, the easiest way to make a college student's day is to send them something in the mail. I don't know why it's so much more special than an email or text message (but those are great too!), but knowing that someone took the time to compose in their own handwriting, find an envelop and a stamp, and then go put the letter in a mailbox shows that letting you know that they were thinking about you was worth the much effort just makes you feel so good.  Granted, sending a letter is not that hard, but it is definitely less convenient than a facebook wall post from a blackberry.  So thank you to everyone who has sent me a letter at some point during this year! I clearly appreciate it (:

And please feel free to send me random notes anytime (hint hint, wink wink)

February 1: Starting off the month with a bang

I did not imagine the first picture of myself coming about quite like this.  Observe, all of McCamy's gracefulness summed up in that nice lump on the right side of my forehead.  

This morning, after returning from World Lit, I was in surprisingly high spirits for a chilly Tuesday morning.  The ensuing accident happened like this:  I was just standing at the foot of my roommate's bed, and Erin was sitting on her bed telling me something about her morning. Then, as I was taking off my sweatshirt, she said something that I apparently thought was just hysterical because with my sweatshirt halfway over my head I doubled over with laughter only to very abruptly introduce my forehead to the bedpost at the foot of the bed.  

Although I didn't think the hit hurt that badly, within the next 30 seconds, I watched Erin's eyes get wider as she watched a lump on my forehead grow literally before her eyes. I've always thought that the expression "goose egg" was a figurative exaggeration.  False.  In less than a minute, a lump as thick as the sliced end of a boiled egg had grown onto my forehead, and after seeing it in the mirror, an ice pack was strapped to my head with an ear warmer until it was time to leave for my next class.

This is pretty much typical, so thankfully, it's all funnier to me than it is embarrassing.

But needless to say, it's a hat day.

January 31: That's not my name

Now don't get me wrong, I love my name! But one of the most challenging things about it, right up there with the mispronunciations and the following awkward corrections, is that any restaurant or coffee shop where you have to give your name when you order your food is an instant fail. I gave up a long time ago on telling the people at Starbucks or Panera that my name is McCamy.  The confused and usually annoyed looks were not worth my pride in my name.  So instead, I typically tell them "Helen" which is my first name, and this strategy usually works out for me just fine.

However, the people at the Starbucks in the student center apparently think Helen is just as confusing as McCamy, because even though I go there every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 10am and order the same thing, they come up with a new translation of Helen every time.  Maybe they look at me and think "Oh, she doesn't look like a Helen. She must've said something else" or that Helen is some crazy original name like Jerica or Colbie and just don't know how to comprehend it, but every single time I get something new and different.  Ella, Ellie, Ellen, Haley, or like today Kelly. I now respond to any name that has an 'e' or 'l' sound in it, and most of the time I get my own coffee and don't steal some poor random girl's drink.

Regardless of the name on the cup, I still enjoyed my macchiato and orange-cranberry scone while trying to get some reading for World Lit done in Starbucks this morning. And even though the food industry seems rebellious against calling me by any of my given names, I still love being one of the only McCamys out there.

Side Note:  Bonus - When I'm walking around with a coffee cup that has a name that is not mine on it and then see someone I have only met once or twice and say hey, the awkward fumbling on their face as they think my name is McCamy in their head, but then see the name Eleanor on my cup is quite amusing. Not that I like confusing people or making them feel uncomfortable/awkward, but the whole encounter is usually pretty funny and a decent conversation starter to boot.  Go confusing names!

January 30: Sundays on the road

The downer on the fun road trip weekends is always the long drive back to the 'burn.  Now generally, I like driving down the highway by myself where I can belt along with my cds without embarrassing myself (at least not too much, you gotta love those awkward moments when you catch the person in the car next to you staring at you like you're crazy. Or maybe that's just me.), just thinking, or (cough, cough, not a nerd) listening to books on tape.  However, regardless of if the ride is enjoyable or not, the beauty of going to a school that is always at least a 3 hour drive away from everywhere I go in Georgia is that when I pass Opelika I start getting excited and when I see the Exit 51 sign it feels so great to finally be back!

Now this lil pic that I took today at the end of the exit ramp may not be my most well composed picture ever, but I'm super proud of it, because it was taken 1) while the car was still in motion and 2) while I was talking on the phone. I thought that was impressive.  

I love how familiar this sign already feels to me and how much more familiar I know it will continue to get over the next 4 years. It's not quite as exciting as I20's exit 195 Wheeler Road is quite yet, but I85's exit 51 College Street is definitely close to my heart already!

January 29: Dave!

This weekend, Mary Frances and I road tripped to Athens to see the one and only wonderful Dave Barnes.

However, we were not smart enough to buy tickets in advance online, so when we looked at the tour website Saturday morning in a UGA dorm room and saw the words "Sold Out," we almost had a heart attack.  All day long we were praying that there would be some way we could get the door guy to let us in, and we had 3 or 4 different plans for the evening that were combinations of checking the door and eating there or eating out with friends or begging people to let us in just to see Dave at 10.  

At 6, the doors opened and we headed over to the venue just to see what was going on.  The whole time we were standing in line we watched girls getting turned away and stared at the glaring SOLD OUT sign on the door.  When we got the the front of the line, the bouncer told us there was a 4% chance that we could possibly get a ticket that someone didn't pick up if we came back after the show had already started.  

Then, our miracle happened.  As we walked outside, I outbursted to the line, "Is anyone by any chance selling a ticket?!"  And then a girl sold us an extra she had. Simple as that.  After about 10 more minutes of asking people in line, the bouncer came out and offered us another ticket for $20 cash.  And there we were, only 30 minutes after the doors opened with tickets that we had watched other people walk away without.  Maybe buying tickets outside a concert doesn't sound much like a miracle, but we were so hopeless and so desperate that you would've thought we'd found a golden ticket in a Wonka bar by the way we were jumping up and down as the bouncer was putting on our wrist bands. 

After getting in we had an awesome dinner in this cool little venue, and then since we'd been there since 2 and a half hours before the show started, we ended up on front row to see Gabriel Kelley, Andrew Ripp (whose set list we got off the stage and autograph/picture we got after), and finally Dave Barnes who was hysterical and so amazing!! And so all the way around we concluded the night was a complete gift from God that we wouldn't have traded for anything!

January 28: ADPi hearts ZTA

Although in middle and high school, I somehow always assumed that Mary Frances and I would be in the same sorority, this fall during rush weeks at Auburn and GCSU we went pledged to be sisters of different sororities.  Now although it would have been cool to be "sisters," the only huge downside of being in different sororities is that we can't throw up cute little signs in pictures.  And so now that problem is solved. Our lil combination of adpi's diamond with zeta's crown is completely legit.  We love it, and we love being so cute and original (no we're not full of ourselves, haha).

This is a great example of how May Fay and I build each other up.  Basically whenever we're together, we think we're the shiz, and out of nowhere we get the confidence to drive across the state, run around random cities acting completely stupid.  We always have fun being stupid together no matter how many people look at us like we're 4 year olds.

So basically, because we think our little combo sign is cool, it is cool.  Simple as that. We are thebomb.com whether anyone else thinks it or not (: