Why I've been gone.

Dear Internet,

Sorry I've been so neglectful. I swear that I have a reason this time. Really, I do. I even have photographic proof.



You see, it all started with a tiny leak in the roof. And the rainiest year that Atlanta has seen since Noah built the Ark. During one particularly rainy week, we noticed that there was a strange black spot on the wall. By the next day, we had the order from the landlord to move out... asap. That was Friday, by the time Monday morning rolled around I was living in a new apartment. For the past 3 weeks, I have been living in a temporary apartment in my new complex.

However, yesterday, I moved into my new 1 bedroom apartment where I hope to stay for the next year - just in time for the end of my quarter (i.e. the busiest 2 weeks ever).

Oh well, better luck next time.

Smooches,


e

Mt Monadnock - you got owned.

Once I was done playing with (undoubtedly diseased) chickens in Brooklyn, I hopped on the commuter rail and went home! After a day or two of kicking around the house - actually painting a whole flight of stairs and 2 Adirondack chairs, I needed a break. So, I decided to climb a mountain - but not just any mountain.

This mountain has been the albatross of my life since the 7th grade. (Long story short, my 7th grade class went to climb it. My group was too slow and we had to turn back 20 minutes from the top. How embarrassing!) When I told my Mom that I was going to climb Mt. Monadnock all by myself, she got kind of nervous. Something about climbing a mountain by myself in unpredictable fall weather... can you tell we watch a lot of CSI in my house?

After making sure I had a lunch, extra fleece, a hat, mittens and my cell phone, my Mom finally let me drive the family car up to New Hampshire (3 hours away). I was pretty psyched for the climb, until I pulled into Monadnock State Park... right behind SIX (6) BUSES FULL OF KIDS. (shit.) That's approximately 300 screaming 8th graders. From Massachusetts. With that accent.

I did eventually make it to the top (the kids set me back by stopping repeatedly in the middle of the trail... usually as I was right behind them). Unfortunately, the second I got to the top (where you can see all six New England states), the clouds rolled in... and it started to rain.


This was taken right when I got to the top.


Five minutes later...



Having forgotten the extra fleece, hat and mittens in the car, I started to make my way down. Thankfully the kids were too busy playing at the summit to realize the weather that had just rolled in. I got my first peaceful moments of the entire day... and a few better shots.



The only excitement of the day came when some girl sprained her ankle on the way up... and they actually called Mountain Rescue. This happened as I was starting my way down, the rescue team was just starting up the mountain as I was walking into the parking lot... 1 and 1/2 hours later.

(Oh, and I accidentally stumbled on the EMS factory store. I found out that if you show them your student ID you get 15% off!)


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Do you think I can steal it?

The other day, I went to an open house at Moxie Interactive for a Digital class I am taking (digital marketing makes my head explode). It was a pretty interesting presentation on Digital Out of Home Marketing (the caps are theirs, not mine); however, the best part of the night was this thing.



The picture isn't that great. If you can't tell... it's a touch screen table! My teacher wasn't able to tell us if it had any business function (it was probably just a freebie from Microsoft), but it was still pretty awesome - kind of like a giant iPhone.


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The short answer is that I had to pee...

I went to the movies the other day (I saw "Bright Star"... sad and kind of moody, but good) and in the bathroom of the movie theater was this. There were a few other quote gems stenciled on to the mirror, but this one was my favorite.


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I want.

This product is almost entirely useless. But I want it.

If you can't see, it's a thumb drive. Shaped like a Star Wars character. They were all out of C-3PO or Darth Vader... otherwise it would be mine.

If you want a nice laugh, go to the Mimobot website and look at all of the wonderous thumb drives they sell. It's like nerd heaven.


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What'll they think of next?

The other day I was having lunch in a Subway... in a gas station (this part is not important, but comical nonetheless). I ordered my usual (veggie with extra pickles and jalapenos - the very sandwich that can turn the whites of my eyes blue) with chips and a drink. As I went to fill my drink, I saw this...



Apparently Coke is rolling out these amazing machines to restaurants. Your eyes are not deceiving you... it's a computerized soda fountain. There are approximately 21 different beverages, each with about 3 different choices (Minute Maid Lemonade had 5 choices - raspberry, straberry, etc...). The possibilities of this machine are endless!!

I want one in my new apartment.

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Kapparot, or why are there so many chickens?

My friend Emily lives in Bedford Stuyvesant in Brooklyn. It's an up and coming neighborhood (there are now a few decent restaurants in the area); however, it still has it's moments. One particular moment happened while I was staying at Em's last time around. Emily's roommate Corey came upstairs and announced that there were chickens downstairs. Em and I were going out to dinner, so we decided to leave a little early to see what was going on.

Sure enough. There were chickens. Crates and crates and crates of them. One by one they were being taken out of the crates and carried around and then put back in the crates. I have never seen more scared chickens in all my life.

Thanks to Wikipedia, we were able to figure out what all this nonsense was. It was Kapparot. The chicken whirling holiday.

I was so mystified, I had to take pictures.



I was so traumatized, I needed fried corn on the cob.



Delish.


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Arrrrrg.

September 19th (the day that Emily and I ventured to Governor's Island) also happened to be "Talk Like a Pirate Day". Because I am such a ruiner, I generally don't participate in these types of shenanigans. However, I will openly mock and/or photograph others who enjoy such activities.

For your viewing pleasure.





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Because we all need a little Dutch in our lives...

After Em and I were full up on salad and pizza, we decided it would be a fabulous idea to board a boat and go to a dutch festival. Just cuz. I mean, do you really need a reason for a festival... of dutch people. Well, it turns out that it wasn't so much a festival, but an art installation on Governors Island. The whole thing was kinda cool, but would have been significantly lamer if it hadn't been for the gelato... and the big plastic letters that we climbed on.

Without further ado...








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First Order of Business.

Those that know me know that food is very very important to me. Living in Atlanta can be a little difficult because some of my favorite delicacies just don't exist in the abundance that I enjoy. One of those things is pizza... and wonton soup... and well, every street food in New York.

One of the very first things I did when I got off that Airtran flight was get pizza (actually it was to get some kickass Indian food... naan nom nom). The great thing about this pizza? It didn't come from a fancy restaurant, it was from a regular restaurant in Brooklyn (if you're ever in Brooklyn Heights, go to Monty Q's on Montague Street... you won't be disappointed).

A small part of me wishes I could have pizza mailed to me. Seriously.


(That's my awesome friend Emily - she not only let me stay on her couch for a million night, she also indulged by stupid cravings for street food. However, we never did get the food from a truck that I wanted.)


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My Summer Vacation...

Hello there...

Sorry about the radio silence. Keeping a blog going is like keeping a diary. I haven't been able to keep a diary for more than 2 weeks in my entire life. So let's try this again.

A few weeks ago (seems like years), I went home on my "summer vacation". It was actually my fall vacation, but who's counting. Every 10 weeks, my crazy school gives all students 2 weeks to reboot their brains, sleep, eat normal foods and call their family and friends.

For the first 2 days of my vacation, I sleep and clean my room. Then, I board a plane and get the heck out of Atlanta. (Sorry, Atlantans.... I just like New England better) This time, I brought my camera and actually took pictures. Lots of 'em.

My next few posts will be of my adventures.



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Well, that's one way to spend a Saturday...

It wasn't on the 101 in 1001 list, but last Saturday I took part in an "interesting activity"... tubing down the Chattahoochee River. I don't know about you, but when I think about tubing, I think about quick moving water that isn't full of drunk high schoolers - unfortunately, that is not what we got. The water was a wee bit shallow in places, as well as fairly slow moving (not to mention the high schoolers). However, it was definitely a fun experience and a great way to spend a Saturday. I didn't bring my camera on the river, but I did take a few polaroids before and after. The one above is of some of my school friends who also went down the river (from left: Ben, Bronwyn, David, Chris, Ashley, Joel and me).


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PIE.

I said that I wanted to learn to make pie, and this past July 4th, I decided to jump in feet first... in front of a crowd. The whole fam-damily (minus Krista... bummer) was at the casa for the holiday. I started by trolling the internets for some decent recipes. After a few thousand web pages, I settled on two: Bourbon Peach Pie and Blueberry Cobbler.

This was the very first time I had ever baked a pie from scratch (pie dough included), and you know what... it didn't suck. I'm not going to win any blue ribbons, but I didn't get pie thrown at me (knowing my family, it was a fear).

Here is a picture of my sister-in-law Chloe getting her slice of the pie:




Don't worry... I think I have to perfect my technique... with more PIE.


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101 days in ... a little recap, shall we?

I thought that I would do a little update on my 101 in 1,001. Some of these are in progress (as noted)... some are complete... and some I just haven't gotten around to (wanna make something of it!?!).

1. Climb Mt. Monadnock... finally. (I hope to do this one when I go home in 10 days!)
2. Go to Bonnaroo
3. Go on a date
4. Grow out my hair (only a few more inches left)
5. Finally read all of the books in my bookshelf
6. Hike the Georgia portion of the Appalachian Trail - 79 miles
7. Go camping twice
8. Go skiing at least once per winter
9. Take a trip by myself (technically, my drive to and from CT in Mar/Apr counted!)
10. Take a roadtrip with friends
11. Read all of the Jane Austen novels
12. Wear my hair down at least twice per week (I'm working on this one...)
13. Write 5 letters, just because (1 down 4 to go)
14. Learn calligraphy
15. Take a picture a day for a month
16. Get my Leica fixed... and learn how to use it
17. Go to Savannah, Georgia
18. Go without TV for a week
19. Consciously learn one new thing a day for a week
20. Make a surprise visit home
21. Visit Danielle in Seattle
22. Take a hot air balloon ride
23. Go bungee jumping or skydiving
24. Visit 4 states I have never been to
25. Lose the 20lbs I have gained since college
26. Call a college friend at least once per week (I'm trying...)
27. Visit four new restaurants a week for a month
28. See four movies by myself in a month
29. Get my golf game in order
30. Turn off the email in my phone for a week
31. Learn how to grill well (we have a grill, and I use it as often as possible!)
32. Learn how to bake pies
33. Cook every recipe in a cookbook
34. Do yoga every week for two months
35. Visit Machu Picchu
36. Build a house with Habitat for Humanity
37. Visit New Orleans, Louisiana
38. Find a red wine that I like
39. Save $500.00
40. Take a spinning class
41. Learn to do a pullup
42. Climb a rock wall
43. Floss three times a week for a month
44. Get a makeup lesson
45. Organize all slides and photos
46. Read two books on American History
47. Read two books on European History
48. Read two biographies
49. Go to three minor league baseball games
50. Go to an Atlanta Braves game
51. Go to the Atlanta Aquarium
52. Go to Zoo Atlanta
53. Go to the Fernbank Museum
54. Visit a distillery (Jack Daniels, Makers Mark, etc...)
55. See a drive-in movie
56. Donate blood twice
57. Send a postcard to Postsecret
58. Do a Crossfit session
59. Learn to bake bread from scratch
60. Relearn to shoot a bow and arrow
61. Relearn riflery
62. Finally try lobster
63. Graduate from the Creative Circus
64. Do at least two blog postings a week (epic fail... but I'm trying)
65. Tell Ryan Dodge that I like his blog and think he's really cool
66. Spend a day at the beach
67. Finish my daisy needlepoint
68. Set up reminders in my Google calendar for my friends birthdays
69. Go visit cousin Michele in Maryland
70. Get a job
71. Get a dog
72. Go to Waffle House
73. Move to a new city
74. Break one of my rules
75. Be able to run 5 miles
76. Take a spontaneous trip
77. Go to Europe ... again
78. Buy a little black dress
79. Kiss in the rain
80. Sit outside during a thunder/lightning storm
81. Send flowers to myself
82. Send flowers to a friend anonymously
83. Actually remember my little brother Jake's birthday (fail...)
84. Go one week without buying anything unnecessary (gas, food, bills are excluded...)
85. Snorkel
86. Send a thank you note for ALL gifts received (doing pretty well with this one...)
87. Go to Charleston
88. Go out one night and NOT be Designated Driver (St. Patty's 09... nuff said)
89. Keep a sketchbook for my time in Atlanta
90. Wear my bathing suit in actual public
91. Learn to sail
92. Go swimming in the ocean
93. Take a flying lesson
94. Flirt shamelessly with a boy
95. Buy a guy a drink at a bar
96. Learn to do a headstand in yoga
97. Let Ashley Reid make me a one day playlist
98. Do a beer bong
99. Do a keg stand
100. Call in to a radio station (did this and won $25 to Highcountry Outfitters!!)
101. Take a ballroom dancing lesson.


Not too shabby, eh? However, I should probably work a little harder on some of these.

e

#2... Done in the best possible way

My #2 goal was to finally go to Bonnaroo. For those of you who don't know, Bonnaroo is a 4 day music and arts festival in Manchester, TN. It is a pretty raucous time full of amazing music and dirty hippies (two of my most favorite thing... as I am about 48% dirty hippie myself). The only downside?? ... tickets to Bonnaroo are expensive... like $300 apiece expensive... plus you have to buy a camping spot... gear... food... and gas to get there. On a student's budget, it was just not feasible.

Enter my friend Ashley.... who just happens to be from the town over from Manchester. Long story short, her brother's wrestling team had volunteered to pour beer in two VIP tents, now all they needed were volunteers. I didn't even hesitate when asked.

(Did I mention that Bonnaroo was the weekend before my final panel review... and it doesn't end until the wee hours on Monday morning... and my panel was scheduled for 1pm Monday - way to go Eliza)

None of us expected the weekend to be as amazing as it was... we basically got run of the VIP Guest section (home to media, friends of the talent and holders of the THAT pass). This meant catered food, comfy chairs, concerts on plasma tvs, wifi, a/c and massages if we wanted them... oh, and BACKSTAGE PASSES!! That's right. I got to see Rodrigo y Gabriela, Erykah Badu and Snoop Dogg (stop judging me!) from 30 feet away. It was an amazing experience.



Plus, Ashley's family generously donated use of their house, so that we could sleep inside and have hot showers. We owe them big-time.

All-in-all... one of the best experiences of my life.


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Quote of the Day...

"I must learn to love the fool in me--the one who feels too much, talks too much, takes too many chances, wins sometimes and loses often, lacks self-control, loves and hates, hurts and gets hurt, promises and breaks promises, laughs and cries. It alone protects me against that utterly self-controlled, masterful tyrant whom I also harbor and who would rob me of human aliveness, humility, and dignity but for my fool." -- Theodore I. Rubin, MD


Think about it.


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Interesting article...

10 Tips for 20-something transformation....

My friend Hunter (of The City Hunter, check it out!), posted this on his facebook wall. As a twenty-something myself, I instantly decided to share with all 3 of my readers (whazzup!!).

In the past few weeks, I have found myself looking back on the past year and wondering what the hell happened to my life. Almost exactly a year ago today, I had a decent job (there was a steady paycheck and benefits.... albeit complete craziness in the office), a kickin' apartment (on one of the most desirable streets in the world), a bevvy of friends (most of whom, are still my friends, thankfully) and a pretty cool social life.

Now, I live in Atlanta.

Nothing against the ATL, but it's no NYC. As I figure it, this blog, school and my 101 in 1,001 is pretty much the only thing keeping me sane at this point. Having a goal and a destination for the next 18 months is crucial. Also, after taking a gander at this list, I have decided to take stock of what I am doing right and what I am doing wrong. So far, I have 5, 6, 8 and 9 taken care of. I need to actively work on 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 10... it seems like a lot, but hey, what have I got to lose??


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Blog Fail...

Who sucks at blogging... I think I do.

I will say that I've been pretty busy over the past 10 weeks (this school I go to is a real b*tch). But, now I am done with the quarter and I have some pretty exciting stuff to share! (If you happen to be one of my facebook friends... you already know, but I'm still going to post)

So, here's to less blog failure... hopefully I can learn to suck a little bit less.



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Who Uses the Term Con-Man Anyway?!?

Apparently, the state of Georgia has a con-man problem. I witnessed this particular sign while I was driving to school.

I chuckled for at least 4 or 5 minutes.


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#83.... FAIL

For those of you that don't know, I have a younger half-brother. In fact, I have two younger half-brothers. Both are my father's sons, but with different mothers. (Seriously, it's complicated... but not nearly as sketchy as I just made it sound. My dad has been married three times... and has 5 sons and 1 daughter (me).)

For #83, I thought I would try to make an effort to remember my brother Jake's birthday for the next two years. I was doing really well too. On April 25th (the day before his birthday), I looked at my watch and said to myself "self, tomorrow is Jake's birthday... don't forget... this will have to go on the blog". On April 27th (the day after his birthday), I looked at my watch and said to myself "shit! Seriously? You forgot? Again? For the millionth time in a row! Bad sister!". So, I wrote him a Facebook wall post saying precisely that (yes, I swore on my 17 year old brother's facebook wall... where his whole family (mother included... hi Jane!) could see).

Now, I just have 360-some-odd days to remember again.

Better luck next time.


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#50

A while back, my friends Ashley, Jaime and Jaime's boyfriend Troy kicked some major butt at trivia night. Now, I will admit that we were playing against a team of 8 year olds, but still. We rocked it. The 1st and 2nd place prizes for that night were 1) 4 tickets to an Atlanta Braves game and 2) $60 to ESPN Zone. Sweet.

The game was on April 15th against the Florida Marlins. As a New York Yankees fan, I was conflicted. Cheer for the ... Braves (eeep) or the Marlins (hmm)? In the end, I cheered for the Braves; however, I refused to do the "tomahawk chop". I don't know why, but something about it seems wrong.

All in all, it wasn't a bad experience. For some reason, I always sit in a section full of kids, so my swearing doesn't go over too well. Especially since the Braves lost ... badly.


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#62

I'd love to say that there is a really good reason for my extended absence. Unfortunately, there is not. I. Am. Lazy. There, I said it. I look at the "My Blog" link in my bookmarks bar... and I can't bring myself to do it. I will try harder.

So, while I was home for my "between quarter" break, my oldest brother had a birthday (#32 if you can believe it!). In celebration, my Mom took a whole mess of us to Smith & Wollensky for dinner. That night, the appetizer special was seafood. A LOT of seafood. I believe that it was something like 4 king crab legs, 2 full lobsters, and a fleet of shrimp. After much hemming and hawing, I decided to try a bite of lobster.

It wasn't half bad.

Aside from the fact that it was ice cold (not the desired temperature) and there was no butter, it didn't suck.

I also tried shrimp... but I didn't like it very much.

It only took me 25 years to figure it out.



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#88... with a bullet

I'm keeping this one short. #88... been there, done that. I don't think that I will be drinking for a while.

Also, while we're on the subject, I am using executive power and changing #101 to: take a ballroom dancing lesson. More fun for me... and no one gets hurt. Hopefully.


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New URL

You may (or may not) have noticed, but I changed the URL for the blog. Originally, the term "Yankee Interloper" came as a suggestion from someone I went to college with. She had heard the term from a gentleman who used it to describe himself. Long story short... the gentleman is now her gentleman-friend, and he would like to use it to blog. So, because I am such a darn nice person (and because I knew that no one would notice), I dug deep and thought of a new URL for the site.

So, welcome to elizaofalltrades.blogspot.com. Same great blog content... just a new location.


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#72

I have officially checked off something from my 101 things list... #72: Go to Waffle house.

I went after my first quarter panel review was completed. I was accompanied by Jaime, Ashley, Nayoon, Caroline and Caroline's son Arthur. I had waffles and grits... how very southern of me. All in all, not too shabby... I might have to be drunk to go back again though!!



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My 101 Things...

My sister-in-law, Krista, posted a list recently of 101 things that she is going to do in 1001 days. It is part of the Day Zero Project. After reading it, I was inspired. Having recently moved to a new city and basically shaking my life totally up, I decided that I needed some goals. Specifically 101 of them. Some of them are stupid, some are ridiculous and some are the most unoriginal things I could think of. However, I committed myself to starting it on my 25th birthday. Even though my birthday was yesterday, I have begun thinking about how I am going to accomplish all of these things. So, without further ado... my list.

1. Climb Mt. Monadnock... finally.
2. Go to Bonnaroo
3. Go on a date (don't judge me)
4. Grow out my hair (6 more inches and I'm there)
5. Finally read all of the books in my bookshelf (approximately 20)
6. Hike the Georgia portion of the Appalachian Trail (75 miles, give or take)
7. Go camping twice
8. Go skiing at least once per winter
9. Take a trip by myself
10. Take a roadtrip with friends
11. Read all of the Jane Austen novels (2 down 3 to go)
12. Wear my hair down at least twice per week
13. Write 5 letters, just because
14. Learn calligraphy
15. Take a picture a day for a month
16. Get my Leica fixed... and learn how to use it
17. Go to Savannah, Georgia
18. Go without TV for a week
19. Consciously learn one new thing a day for a week
20. Make a surprise visit home
21. Visit Danielle in Seattle
22. Take a hot air balloon ride
23. Go bungee jumping or skydiving
24. Visit 4 states I have never been to
25. Lose the 20lbs I have gained since college
26. Call a college friend at least once per week
27. Visit four new restaurants a week for a month
28. See four movies by myself in a month
29. Get my golf game in order
30. Turn off the email in my phone for a week
31. Learn how to grill well
32. Learn how to bake pies
33. Cook every recipe in a cookbook
34. Do yoga every week for two months
35. Visit Machu Picchu
36. Build a house with Habitat for Humanity
37. Visit New Orleans, Louisiana
38. Find a red wine that I like
39. Save $500.00
40. Take a spinning class
41. Learn to do a pullup
42. Climb a rock wall
43. Floss three times a week for a month
44. Get a makeup lesson
45. Organize all slides and photos
46. Read two books on American History
47. Read two books on European History
48. Read two biographies
49. Go to three minor league baseball games
50. Go to an Atlanta Braves game
51. Go to the Atlanta Aquarium
52. Go to Zoo Atlanta
53. Go to the Fernbank Museum
54. Visit a distillery (Jack Daniels, Makers Mark, etc...)
55. See a drive-in movie
56. Donate blood twice
57. Send a postcard to Postsecret
58. Do a Crossfit session
59. Learn to bake bread from scratch
60. Relearn to shoot a bow and arrow
61. Relearn riflery
62. Finally try lobster
63. Graduate from the Creative Circus
64. Do at least two blog postings a week
65. Tell Ryan Dodge that I like his blog and think he's really cool
66. Spend a day at the beach
67. Finish my daisy needlepoint
68. Set up reminders in my Google calendar for my friends birthdays
69. Go visit cousin Michele in Maryland
70. Get a job
71. Get a dog
72. Go to Waffle House
73. Move to a new city (it can be one that I have already lived in)
74. Break one of my rules (there are many...)
75. Be able to run 5 miles (without collapsing)
76. Take a spontaneous trip
77. Go to Europe ... again
78. Buy a little black dress
79. Kiss in the rain
80. Sit outside during a thunder/lightning storm
81. Send flowers to myself
82. Send flowers to a friend anonymously
83. Actually remember my little brother Jake's birthday
84. Go one week without buying anything unnecessary (gas, food, bills are excluded...)
85. Snorkel
86. Send a thank you note for ALL gifts received
87. Go to Charleston
88. Go out one night and NOT be Designated Driver
89. Keep a sketchbook for my time in Atlanta
90. Wear my bathing suit in actual public
91. Learn to sail
92. Go swimming in the ocean
93. Take a flying lesson
94. Flirt shamelessly with a boy
95. Buy a guy a drink at a bar
96. Learn to do a headstand in yoga
97. Let Ashley Reid make me a one day playlist (all I can listen to all day)
98. Do a beer bong
99. Do a keg stand
100. Call in to a radio station
101. Go on a three-day bender... don't judge

I hope to be updating everyone on my progress for the next 1,000 days (remember, I technically started yesterday). I hope to have everything checked off by December 7th, 2011. Wow, that feels like really far away.

Let the fun begin...


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101 Things

My sister-in-law, Krista of Commitment is Liberating published an interesting post the other day. She created a list of 101 things that you do over the span of 1,001 days (approximately 2.75 years). It seemed like an interesting challenge; since I am going to be in school for the bulk of that time, I thought that I could give it a try. Right now, I am in the process of compiling my list of 101 things - I am up to 70 off the top of my head.

Now, here's my question, do you have any suggestions?

A few of mine are: Hike the Georgia portion of the Appalachian Trail; Go on a Date (don't judge); Practice Archery; Graduate from the Creative Circus (they don't have to be far-fetched or crazy); Go to an Atlanta Braves Game, etc...


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Funny signs that I see... volume 1

This sign is near my house. It says: Tax Service / In the Rear.

I mean, I always knew that taxes were painful, but ... really?


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The cool thing that happened at school...

So, every Friday afternoon, my school brings a working professional down to Georgia to talk to everyone. This past Friday, we had The UPS Guy. It was possibly one of the coolest talks I've been to in a while (I got to hear Brian Greene spout String Theory in high school, this guy came close). However, it got exponentially cooler when he re-enacted the UPS whiteboard commercial... on a WHITEBOARD. It was amazing. and hilarious.

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UPDATE: Denny's Free Breakfast

It was delicious! I can't say if it was worth driving 15 miles round-trip... twice. But it was good.

In fact, it was so good, that I forgot to take a picture. Whoops.

(Sidebar: I bought a Polaroid camera for $5 on eBay... I can't wait to give it a tryout)

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My reason for being so absent.

I swear I haven't forgotten about you... I've just been busy. Cosmically busy, in fact. I decided that the pressure of a really hard school wasn't enough. So, I decided that I should move in the middle of my quarter. However, the benefits have far outweighed the cost (except that I was sore, tired and grumpy all last week).

This also means that I have many posts in my head that I am just itching to put out there. Get excited.

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How Far Will You Go For Free $5 Breakfast?

I went 14 miles. Twice.

During the Superbowl, Denny's had a commercial offering everyone in America a free Grand Slam breakfast (retail price $5.95) on the next Tuesday from 6am to noon. Being a student... with a little too much free time, I decided to take them up on the offer. So, on Tuesday morning, my friend Ashley and I loaded into the car and drove 14 miles to the nearest Denny's.

Unfortunately, it seem that all of Georgia had the same idea. The line was 30 people out the door. Instead of waiting in line, the nice people at Denny's gave us Rain Checks.

Today is the day that we cash those suckers in...

To be continued...

You want to do WHAT with my soda?!?

Aside from Mrs. Winner's Chicken & Biscuits, the only place to eat that is near school is Wendy's. Since Wendy's is one of those familiar restaurants of my childhood, I go there about once a week for a baked potato and a Coke Zero (which they have IN THE FOUNTAIN... awesome). The other day, I was getting my usual Tuesday dinner when I happened upon a new sign on the soda fountain... 

Apparently, you can now add FLAVOR to your soda. 

I was (and still am) speechless. 

So I added cherry flavor and went upon my merry way. 

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Is that blue fire in your bedroom??

It was late afternoon when I finally left orientation at my new school (and the sole reason for my sojourn southward), so when I finally found my craigslist sublet, I was tired. However, since it was the beginning of January, it was also a bit chilly when I walked through the front door. I walked around both rooms of the apartment - not exactly the spacious apartment that was advertised - looking for a heater. After a few minutes of reading the note left for me, I figured it out... the menacing looking box with the gas line attached to it was my heating system. Hmm. I am pretty confident that this type of system wouldn't fly "up north", but apparently it's pretty standard around these them there parts. So now, every night when I go to bed, I am soothed to sleep with the glow of a blue gas flame... I just try to forget the warning on the heater stating: Not Suitable for Use in Bedrooms. 

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Welcome Y'all (what did I just say?!?!)

Ever since my car whizzed past the Mason-Dixon (which is much more north than one would think) a month ago, I have noticed the differences between this new city that I live in and the one that I have (temporarily) left behind are vast. Like Mississippi River vast. There have been entire days where this new world of drawls, ma'ams, y'alls and driving have left me mystified. So, to pass the time, I have decided to write about them. But since I am no novelist, there will probably be more pictures than words gracing these pages. 

So, sit back, relax and enjoy the hilarity that is my new world. 

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