I have nothing to say

It is true, I've got nothing. But then again, I can always come up with something to say. Sometimes when it would be better if I kept my mouth shut. But, since life has been fairly uneventful lately and my blog has been rather lonely, I decided to use my talent for saying nothing when something needs to be said. Get ready for some structured chaos*:

1. My parents go to sleep at 9:00 p.m. every night but Fridays and Saturdays. On those days they stay up until 10. When I come for visits, I have to go upstairs when they go to sleep and either follow their lead or play quietly by myself. For some reason, being here makes me extremely tired so I tend to sleep a lot more than normal. I'm not complaining though, but it is weird. Tonight, I read a book. One that had ZERO footnotes or citations. I know, shocking.

2. I really really like homemade mexican food. On flour tortillas. I don't like tamales. I don't care to go to mexican restaurants but I do like chips and salsa. Nor do I like the odor that permeates my clothing while at mexican restaurants. No thank you.

3. I tried my fake tattoo bit yesterday. Fail. What? Oh, I guess I better share the story. About a month ago I had a dream about getting a tattoo with one of my classmates. I don't want a tattoo. I don't like the permanency. Odd huh? I like making plans and knowing what lies ahead, but I don't want a mark on my body that will never fade. Scars are different. I have some great (and not so great) stories to go with those scars. But back to the story. I decided that over semester break I would use a temporary tattoo to get a reaction out of my parents. You know a, Tara,-the-calm-level-headed-one-who-would-never-do-that-sort-of-thing, reaction. I planned to put it on an interior ankle, but I had worn shorts so that was out. Though I had already been with them for a few days, I always had long-sleeves on so in theory, they had not seen my wrists. Anyway, I tracked down some tattoos that looked like "me" and put one on yesterday. It lasted about two hours before Mom saw it. First, she said "what is that on your wrist?" and about one second later she said, "whatever, it isn't real." Just like that. She obviously has no faith in my wild side. Daddy, on the other hand, did not mention it. I know he saw it. I was washing dishes with my sleeves pushed up and he was hovering for about ten minutes. He saw it. But didn't say a word. I don't have the guts to ask him about it. Church was this morning though so I had to take it off. What would those ladies think of me? I don't want to know. Thus, no tattoo anymore. I may put one back on just to get my three bucks worth.

4. Wrapping presents is fun for about the first four, then it just goes downhill. There's really no need for an explanation or story. The statement stands for itself.

5. Oh my goodness. The Indiana Jones saga came on TV this week. I hesitate to use the word "saga" because it automatically makes me think of the Twilight saga and old Indy is nothing like Twilight. The Jones films make me happy. I typically don't care for the female actresses in them, but I don't think they are supposed to be liked by anyone other than Indy. Oh well. Speaking of Twilight, the commercial for the movie Vampire Sucks makes me laugh every time I see it. The one with the segway. The first time I saw it I laughed and laughed until I cried. I don't know why it is so funny to me. I don't really have anything against Twilight, I just think the commercial is funny.

6. I'm going to see a 3-D movie on Friday. I'm pumped. I haven't seen a movie in 3-D since I saw something at Disney World in 3-D. I went to Disney World in 1994. Yeah, I'm pumped. The tickets are going to cost the same as a new pair of shoes, but it will be worth it as long as Aslan is in 3-D. He'll be huge!

7. Seems like a good place to stop and go to sleep. I've been having headaches lately and lights tend to make them worse. Computer screens not excluded. "Not excluded." Is that a double negative?

*I can't seem to get away from footnotes in some fashion. The "structured" part refers to how I've handily used numbered paragraphs. You'll notice that the paragraphs are true to form and convey only one main point or idea. The "chaos" part refers to the seemingly disjointed nature of this post. Heck, there's no seemingly to it, it is disjointed. I'm okay with that. You don't get a say, it is my blog. So there.

Today, 13.1 miles. Tomorrow, the world!

Ah, the long awaited half-marathon is over. Though I've never been in so much constant pain in my life, I feel accomplished and am glad that I did it. I will probably do more, but I'm hanging up my running shoes for at least a week. I hurt. I have some pictures because Matt went with me and did what he could to surprise me at several locations that I wasn't expecting to see him. I'm really glad he got to come down, I don't think I could have driven myself back to BR.

During the run, I amused myself by coming up with Facebook status updates. And one-liners without the pesky "Tara Jordan is" at the beginning. I wanted to share some of them.

1. Tara Jordan is an idiot for thinking she could run 13 miles in one go.

2. Tara Jordan might have died between miles 4 and 5.

3. Tara Jordan certainly died between mile 9 and 10.

4. Second winds are useful. Wonder if I'll ever get one.

5. Tara Jordan couldn't have made it without her handy sunglasses.

6. Men shouldn't be allowed to wear spandex. Ever.

7. Out of all the things that I could have forgotten, the anti-chaffing balm was the worse. I could have done without the extra bobby pins.

8. I have got to buy some new running shoes.

9. New Orleans is suprisingly busy for 8 o'clock on a Saturday morning.

10. 3 miles per hour is the perfect speed to really see St. Charles Avenue.

11. Tara Jordan doesn't like orange-flavored things. Only orange-flavored oranges. Makes sense.

12. Hal Higdon told me that adrenaline would get me through the last mile. Hal Higdon lied.

13. Girl: Man, y'all look worn out already. There are still four miles to go! Me (in my head): Girl, please. True story.

14. Tara Jordan is glad she didn't dress like a devil for Halloween like every other girl out here. That tail seems like it'd be annoying.

15. Tara Jordan is thankful for her Ipod, but has way too much Taylor Swift on it.

16. Tara Jordan wants to be a professional cheerer when she grows up. Cheering makes everyone happy.

17. New Orleans always smells bad.

18. Post-run Blue Bell Fudge Bars almost made it worth it.

19. Stretching is going to be my new best friend.

20. Tara Jordan still has energy to dance to "All I do is win" even when she can barely move.

And, as promised, PICTURES!

Don't let the smile fool you, I wasn't excited. I did, however, whiten my teeth the day before and wanted to show them off. That was all.

Depicted here is what I like to call "the running wait." It is where slow(er) runners, like me, line up towards the end of the line and then wait until the fast(er) runners get out of the way. We have to wait to run. See, I am logical.

Here is one of those surprised shots that I mentioned above. I was surprised to see Matt and he took a picture of me. Again, quite logical. Notice the calf muscle. Sick.

When I run "races" I like to sprint at the end. Notice the long stride. That was just past the 13 mile marker. I ran like all get out for .1 mile. That felt nice. I like being able to stretch my legs, jogging is so restrictive.



See that finisher's medal? I promise that I didn't steal it. Also notice that my race bib was crooked. On purpose. I have to wear my lucky pink shirt and a crooked bib number. I have to. Otherwise I die.

It may be hard to read, but it this is a screen shot of the results page. I was the 1,728th person to cross the finish line. No, I wasn't last. So there.

Alright guys, I'm going to go cut off the bottom half of my body. Catch y'all later. I'll run on my hands.

Things that make me smile

1. Fall, but we've already established that.

2. wearing long sleeve shirts and shorts. With flip flops.

3. Dancing in my seat during class.

4. Going shopping before class. I may have found some great sales today.

5. Smiling. I know, it is circular.

6. The idea of pirates. I don't think I'd care for real pirates very much. I don't even like Johnny Depp.

7. Meeting my water drinking goal.

8. Dress-up clothes for kids. One day, far far away, my kid is going to be dressed adorably. All the time.

9. PUPPIES!!

10. Matt, but that's a given. I couldn't leave him off the list though.

11. Old pictures of people that I know.

12. Sunglasses. All the time. I'd walk around with my eyes closed if I didn't have them. Sometimes I wear them at night. I wish it was socially acceptable to wear them indoors.

13. The number 13.

14. Giraffes. And hippos. I know, completely opposite. I like diversity.

15. Loud sneezes. Not by me though, that's embarrassing.

16. Catching mistakes before they happen.

17. Dr. Pepper. Oh how I miss thee.

18. Things that are monogrammed. Well, embroidery in general. Again, I'm all about diversity.

19. The idea of buying a new computer. Another one of those far into the future things.

20. Even numbers!!

Hello, my name is Tara and I am a judger.

Though the title probably failed, I wanted to convey a similarity between the upcoming post and the greeting at Alcoholics Anonymous. Not that I know from personal experience, I've just seen a lot of movies. Today was a day of self-realization. I am a judger. In other words, I judge people. Before I get to know them. If people were books, I'd be judging them by their covers. Too cliche'? I know, I'm just all sorts of fail today. That's okay though, I've accepted it. Also, I baked a flourless chocolate cake. Trust me, that cake, more like a torte, makes everything better. Even failure.

Here's the recipe: http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/chocolate-glazed-fudge-cake/bfb2a9aa-7dc5-4587-97d9-f2174b7ae35f/
- note, if you decide to try this, remember to temper the eggs before adding all of them to the melted chocolate and butter mixture. The directions don't say to do that, but you should. Again, trust me.

But back to the point. For the past couple weeks I've been preparing for a disciplinary hearing of a fellow law student for which I, along with three professors and one other student, had to decide if he was guilty and if so, the proper punishment (most likely expulsion). I reviewed pages and pages of letters, applications, and written statements. From this study, I painted a picture of, for lack of a better word, the defendant. In my mind, he basically looked like an chaos-spreading ogre who barely deserved to live in a cage-free environment, much less be in law school. The hearing was today and last night I barely slept because I was so nervous about the hearing. I mean, I was just a few hours away from ruining this ogre's life. After my first class today, I decided to look back over the documents again before the hearing. I did, intensively. Though I had read them before, this time, I looked for something different. Both sides of the story.

After three hours and my ten-pages of my own notes (not to mention highlighting, it is basically a habit now. I can't read anything serious without a highlighter.), my mental picture got a little less menacing. In fact, I was starting to think that this kid was more like an unruly pigmy goat (you know, the ones that faint) than an ogre. After finishing my review of the evidence, if you will, I was even more nervous than before. I was doubting my original thoughts. For me, this is bad. Doubting usually gets me wrong answers, missed parking spaces, and references to a certain Biblical character. I'm pretty certain that I was more nervous than the ogre/goat before the hearing. Once it started and the witnesses and defendant gave their testimonies and our questions were answered, I realized that my original thoughts weren't just a little wrong, they were a lot wrong. I took the information compiled by a very scared goat and turned him into an ogre. I judged him before I heard his side. I tried him, convicted him, and hung him before he opened his mouth. I shouldn't have done that. I can't say that I won't do it again. I don't always succeed (see opening paragraph), but I'm going to try to listen more and make decisions only after hearing as many sides as possible. I'm going to try. Granted, the goat wasn't exactly an lamb; maybe a crossbreed of goat and ogre. Like an ogregoat or goatogre. Either way. It is a good thing for him that I'm on the Ethics Committee and not on the Admissions Committee. But that's beside the point.

Also beside the point, leggings with a short shirt still merit harsh judgment. It is never a good idea. Ever.

Oh Autumn, my old friend.

Guess what guys. Today is October 12. Yep, twenty days past the first day of Fall 2010 (for you law students, that marks September 22 as the date - see, I'm considerate like that, I know that not all of us have an aptitude for mathematics) and it is a cool 85 degrees outside. Please note, 85 degrees is not cool. Heck, it isn't even all that comfortable out there except in the shade. I know, that is just how Louisiana is around now. I know that and I have accepted it. Personally, I like to wear flip flops for as long as possible. However, I also like Autumn. Who doesn't?


Nobody.


Everyone likes Fall. Football. Short, nippy wind. Leaves crunching on the ground, flying through the air. Hot beverages like hot chocolate, hot tea, and apple cider. Yum. Chili. Gumbo. Jeans. Cardigans.

Oh but wait. Not all of those things fit with Fall. It is 85 stinking degrees outside. Jeans are too hot. Cardigans are only useful indoors, and the only good hot drink is one with ice in it.

Know what can make everything better? I do. I bought one the other day. It is a..... candle.






That's right. A candle. The name? Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin. The place? Bath and Body Works. The cost? $10 each when you buy two. Sixty hours of happiness? Priceless.

Turned off by the element of pumpkin? Me too. I hate, excuse me, I seriously dislike pumpkins. Scratch that. I seriously dislike pumpkins that smell like pumpkins. I seriously dislike the taste of pumpkins. I seriously dislike the ickiness that is inside a pumpkin. However, the excellent thing about this pumpkin candle is that the only way it resembles a pumpkin is by the picture on the front and the toasty orange color of the wax. Instead, think of cinnamon and apple cider simmering on the stove, perfuming the air with rich tendrils of Autumn. Oddly enough, BBW offers an apple cider candle, but isn't as fragrant as this candle.

So if you are longing for a change of season, go out and buy one (or two) of these candles. When you get home, lower the temperature on your thermostat, light the candle, make some hot chocolate, get a blanket, and curl up with a book (law students, preferably a Successions treatise). You'll be in Heaven*. Well, not really, but you'll be pretty darn close to Heaven. And it only costs you $20**.

* denotes that the Heaven indicated in this blog is unrelated to the adolescent game commonly called "seven minutes in Heaven" and played at boy/girl parties. Instead, the indicated Heaven refers to a Biblical place that is entered into upon death (unless you're Catholic, then it may be awhile).

** denotes the price of the purchase of TWO of the large candles for sale at Bath and Body Works. The purchase of ONE such candle can be made for $19.50. Neither price includes local or state taxes.

My first 15K.

Yesterday I (sort of) ran 9.3 miles. It Europe, that equates to 15 kilometers. I like to say 15K because it sounds farther and more impressive. I say it in my head like that too. Point. What was it again? Oh, I remember. I ran this one alone. Granted, there were about 200 other runners there too, but it was the first run that I did not have a friend with me. The first one was with Marla, the second with Matt, Bill, and Elena. I have to admit, I was pretty lonely by myself. Though the half-marathon was supposed to be a family affair, a series of events caused Nick and Marla to change their plans. For some reason, training for a half-marathon takes time and some serious conditioning. I don't know why.

Anyway, back to the point. Towards the end of the 15K (see what I did there?), a couple of older ladies came up even with me. I was tired. I was coughing. I slowed to a walk. The ladies weren't having any of it. Instead, they told me that I had better not let a couple of old ladies beat me. To be honest, I didn't care if I came in last. At that point, I just wanted to be done. So they would stop teasing me, I kept running. Plodding along with my leg muscles burning, I kept at it. The ladies talked constantly. They hollered out encouragement and talked about what they were going to eat when they got to the finish line. For me, after I run I don't even want to think about food. I just want water. Cold, cold water. Their food talk made me want to gag. With about a half a mile left I decided that vomiting was the last thing I needed to do so I sped up. The ladies were so excited about that, they hollered and whistled at me. I kind of felt like a well-performing horse. Well, a cow really after all my plodding. But farm animals aside, I crossed the finish line in 1:48:23. I was so so excited. My goal was to finish in under two hours and I did it. My goal for the half is under 3 hours. My finish time in the 15K was right on track. Now, I just have to run more, walk less, and get a few more miles under my belt and I'll be ready. I'm almost there. No really, it is 27 days away. Between now and then, I have to 243 miles to travel. Nope Judith, I'm not following ole Hal's plan. I call this one "Tara's Big Running Program." The subtitle is "So I won't die." I'm looking forward to it.

Signs that the LSU home opener is approaching. Seriously, there are actual signs.

Ever since moving to BR, I've had to adjust to the LSU mindset. I actually did a lot to help me in the transition from red and blue to purple and gold. I bought a t-shirt, some LSU flip flops, folded away my Tech shirts (mostly), and got an LSU themed debit card. I know, I'm pretty extreme. I've also learned that Les Miles is the LSU football coach and everyone has a different opinion of him depending on what part of the year it is, tailgating is an all day and sometimes, all night thing, and my assignments are likely to depend on the Tigers' performance. I have also learned that by the time school starts, football frenzy is in full swing and the season can't start soon enough. Though this is just my third football season, I've also learned that one can have no clue as to the football schedule, but can easily spot when it is time for the season home opener. See below.

These are student season tickets. That's right, for about two hours I was the owner of season tickets to LSU football. Not to worry Tech, I gave them away. But anyway, the SBA has the lottery and hands out these tickets to lucky students the week of the first home game.

This is a billboard. I'm sorry the picture isn't framed perfectly. I was driving. Give me a break. This billboard came up about two weeks ago. There are several others in the area. Including a handful that feature Les Miles. He seems to be a big deal. Almost to the level of Derek Dooley's former fame.

Here's the first parking sign upon entering campus. That's right. A real sign. For some reason, the people who matter don't want tailgaters to park directly on the road. I can't imagine why.

This is yet another, actual sign. Please note, ticket holders and tailgaters can only park on the non-fraternity side of the road. I'm not sure why. Probably to ensure that drunk fratters don't run into parked cars.

Yep, here's another sign. LSU is all about signs. And preserving sidewalks.

And here is the most definite sign of all - the scattering of portable lavatories around campus. Charming, I know. Alas, a necessary evil. In fact, these treasure stores are on the grounds for the entire football season once they are placed. For this sole reason, I can't wait for January.

I'm no Martha Stewart

For the longest time I have wanted to make a frilly apron. You know what I mean, the Suzie Homemaker in an evening gown baking cookies kinda apron. I wanted to make one. And wear it. I bought a pattern around Thanksgiving of last year. Matt bought me the fabric I wanted to make the apron with - red toile - for Christmas. Finally, last night I made the apron. From start to finish. I was both impressed and disappointed. You'll see why in this picture laden post.



First, my work station. The machine - still in the box, the bed as my table, the fabric, the pattern, and my trusty sewing kit.

Next, a close up of my essentials. Again the sewing kit, fabric, and kit.

My favorite and most useful tool. The pin cushion and corresponding pins.

After adorning my pin cushion with. well, pins, I cut out my fabric pieces. This was incredibly complicated and difficult. Seems like it shouldn't have been. I mean, cutting. How hard can it be? Trust me, when you don't have a table and can't see the chalk line you are are supposed to cut down because the fabric is light-colored, cutting can be very hard. All the same, I eventually got it done. Please note, the little piece that looks like a pocket. I decided, after spending an hour cutting out that pocket, that I didn't want to put it on my apron. Such a waste.

Now, the next thing I did was attach the ruffle. After all, the thing I was most excited about on the apron was the ruffle. The picture below is the ruffle, only un-ruffled. I haven't read a pattern since 9th grade home economics, but I think I can safely say that the pattern did not have instructions for how to affix the ruffle to the skirt in such a way that the six feet of ruffle would match up perfectly with both sides of the top. I decided to wing it. I pinned it with my oh so handy pins and just went crazy with the ruffle. For about the first six inches. Then, I decided to just stick it in the machine and free style it. That worked amazingly well. Until about the half way point on the apron and I realized that I was out of ruffle. In fact, I used the entire six feet of ruffle in about 16 inches of apron. I know, I am a ruffle freak.

This is a picture of me, free-styling it with the ruffle. Look Mom, no pins. No, my mom does not read this blog.

And again. I know, I'm pretty handy to have around. So, once I realized my ruffle error, I cut out another six feet and free styled it some more. Just think, a total of 12 feet of ruffle on a 3 foot apron. Be impressed.

Looks pretty serious huh? Look closely. Notice anything wrong? You might not can see it, but I committed a grievous error. I free styled it a little too much. See how in the above picture the print is facing each other? Well, in my second batch of ruffle, I sewed the ruffle on to the apron backwards. Yep, I'm a winner. And by backwards, I mean that the part where it was stitched together was on the front and completely visible. In other words, wrong. Fail.

So what happens when you sew something incorrectly and care enough to want it to be correct? Ripping. Seam ripping. Know what the instrument is called to rip? A seam ripper. Pretty intuitive huh? Just think, about 18 inches of seams on 6 feet of fabric. Gross.

I fixed it. Finally. It may have taken about six hours, but I did it. Here's a picture of the finished product. Crafty. In know, right. Well, it isn't exactly perfect, but you can't tell. It was not my "vision," but it works. It is an apron. It has ruffles.

I don't think I'll be making anymore ruffled aprons. Next "task" will be onesies. With about a million babies coming to my friends in the near future, I can make the onesies and then spend the money on monogramming or screen printing. I'm excited about that. Perhaps I can make some with ruffles.

What I saw today...

Okay, so today I saw a pink diamond ring. It was amazing. I'm not really a pink person but I saw the ring and I coveted it. In fact, I seriously considered busting the glass and taking it. I decided not to solely because I was the only customer in the shop and am pretty certain I would have been tasered before taking a single step towards the door. Alas, I really wanted it.

Thanks to Google image, here's a picture of a pink diamond:

And here is one very similiar to the ring I saw:

See what I mean? It is beautiful! Though, in about a week or so I probably won't like them anymore....

Look at this great website!!

http://1000awesomethings.com/

Made my day today. It'll probably make my day tomorrow too. Check it out!!

I have a BIG test on Friday, so I'm procrastinating as usual

Well, I'm finally back in BR after a seemingly very short summer in Shreveport. I just have school and studying now, so I should post more often. Key word being "should" in that statement. I'll try, really.

I have a test on Friday called the MPRE. That's short for the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam. Theoritically, this test should be easy, I mean, I'm professionally responsible, right?! Sadly, I don't think I can just wing this one so I'll be studying like a fiend all week. I also have quite a bit more work to do for Trahan so I am slightly busy. I am excited about going shopping this weekend though for at least one new suit. Necessity requires this shopping outing, but I am hoping that it will be enjoyable. Oh trial ad, how I am not looking forward to you...

I won't see Matt until August 27th. That's 27 days from today. After seeing him every day this summer, I'm not sure how I will last these 27 days. I'm going to try to stay busy though, that should help. I also have a new studying strategy which calls for a serious time comittment from me. I'm also still training for my half-marathon and running all that way takes some time. It'll be hard, but I know that we can do it, we have fared pretty well the past two years after all.

Alas, back to studying...

The Good Fight

Usually, I use this blog as a way to jokingly complain about certain parts of my life. This post is not going to be like that; instead, this post is going to be a catharsis for me.

One week ago today, a dear friend of mine's father had a heart attack with essentially no warning. He was 54 years old, physically fit, and incredibly active. I was shocked and saddened but thought that it would be like every other heart attack that I've heard about the past few years. I thought that he'd have surgery, get a few stints, spend a few days recovering, and then be back in the saddle with a low sodium, low-fat diet. Instead, this time, it wasn't that simple. Instead, this past week has been filled with tears, heartache, and grief. My dear, sweet Chelse: I love you and I loved your daddy. He was an amazing man and will be missed so much by everyone who knew him. We're here for you.

Fatefully it seems, I was given a book last week to read. It was one that had been suggested to me many times, but I had never gotten around to reading it. I guess that I just wasn't meant to read it until now. The book was Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. If you haven't read it, I don't want to ruin it for you but I do want to share the last passage written by a homeless man, Denver Moore, on death. He wrote:

"The truth about it is, whether we is rich or poor or something in between, this earth ain't no final restin place. So in a way, we is all homeless - just workin our way toward home."


It is fateful that I read that passage this past Thursday because on the Tuesday before, Mr. Ronnie passed away. It is fateful that as I was contacting people to let them know that he had passed, my autotext feature on my phone kept wanting to type "home" instead of what I wanted, "gone." Had my phone had its way, the message would have said, "He is home."

I think, perhaps, the fate that lead me to read that book this week and the fate that wanted me to write "home" instead of "gone" was, in fact, God. He wanted to remind me that this earth is just a temporary dwelling place and our bodies are just temporary vessels. I needed that reminder. I still need that reminder. I'm pretty certain that I'm going to need that reminder every day for a long time.

During the funeral today, the preacher spoke of those verses in Ecclesiastes 3 that talk about how there is a time for everything. While I may think that Mr. Ronnie's passing was way too soon, it wasn't too soon. It was his time; whether I want to accept that or not. The preacher also spoke on 2 Timothy 4:7 where it says, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith." I have trouble even thinking about that scripture and not tearing up, but, in Mr. Ronnie's case, that scripture is incredibly appropriate. He was here for 54 years and did what he was sent to do without wavering from his appointed task. He just finished the course a little sooner than we were ready for him to finish it.

I know these next days, weeks, and years will be tough for all of us, but I know how I am going to get through them. For now, I'm just going to say, "goodbye Mr. Ronnie, I'll see you when I get Home."

A letter is stuck on my keyboard.

My computer and I ave never seen eye to eye, or and to keyboard as it may be. I, owever, ave been incredibly patient and understanding. I know tat it is only a macine and was made, or at least designed by umans wo make mistakes. I may not be one of tose people, but I understand te concept. Te concept of making mistakes, tat is, and te concept of being uman because well, I am. I don't make mistakes toug.

You may be tinking tat I do make mistakes since my post is full of "typos." I ave to inform you toug, te letter '' is not working on my keyboard. It does work if I press down ard on it, but it breaks my o so fast rtym so it usually doesn't work. O well. I am going to try and fix it myself. Te Dell people ave my number on teir "do not answer" list.

An Open Letter to My Neighbor

Dear Mr. Alabama,

We've been neighbors for two years now. So far, I can't really complain. Granted, you do like to do your laundry late at night and incredibly early in the morning, but since you are only in residence for about a week out of every month I have been able to overlook it. Yes, I am fairly certain that you are pretty high up on the narcotic distribution ladder but again, your absence has given me a chance to reevaulate my once negative opinion on drug dealers. I don't mind that your clothes never match and you dye your hair blonde. I am not the tiniest bit jealous of your Jaguar, BMW, or Mercedes as they all have Alabama plates and let's face it, Bama and I aren't the best of friends. I admit, your casual questions about my personal life are somewhat unnerving, but again, we are neighbors after all and I might need a cup of sugar one day ... or a new car.

All that being said, Mr. Alabama, the noise has got to stop. I can only take so much of the drawer slamming, the washer cycles, and the woman yelling. Please sir, leave the wife in Alabama next time. Her shrill voice has dogs for miles barking and I am this close to knocking on your door at 11:30 at night to punch her in the face. Excuse me, to punch her lights out (that's for you Alex Trebek). Also, here's fair warning. Next time the Merry Maids come to clean your apartment I am going to slip in, knock one in the head, take her uniform, and remove all the drawers and cabinet doors from your condo. I may even steal your washer and dryer. You now know and I can only take your silence on this matter as consent. I've got finals next week and can't take much more of you or Mrs. Alabama. Glad we could talk this through. I'll see you next month.

Fondly,

Your Neighbor

six-word wonder

Recently, our AG class was assigned a project to come up with six-word memoirs based on life, law school, the future, and ourselves. The inspiration was this site - http://www.smithmag.net/sixwords/. After I completed the project, I got on a roll and just kept going. Here they are:

1. June fourth two thousand eleven, hurry.
2. I sleep with a stuffed bear.
3. Pretty clothes make me feel pretty.
4. I always wish upon a star.
5. Never too old for Disney movies.
6. My heart’s gone, he has it.
7. I am the world’s best procrastinator.
8. Six words are too many.
9. Don’t touch my feet, I’ll die.
10. I can make the best lasagna.
11. Jane Austen makes me feel better.
12. Cleaning is an obsession. For someone.
13. Shakespeare wrote some pretty amazing stuff.
14. I am a fan of chicken.
15. I was once tall. No more.
16. I am scared of forgetting everything.
17. I want to be crafty tomorrow.
18. Milk and I do not mix.
19. Can we cover it in chocolate?
20. One day, I will be carefree.

I have to admit, coming up with these was kind of fun. Does that make me a dork?

For the first time ever, I feel... wicked!!

Okay, first of all, I am pretty sure that this weekend I uncovered my secret love of musicals. I admit, I haven't seen that many. Only one. Right, not many at all. Though, The Sound of Music is an old friend but I've only ever seen the film version. There's just something about Julie Andrews... she really can do it all. What was the point of this blog again? Oh, I remember.


WICKED!!!

I took Matt for his birthday and I may have loved it more than he did, but oh well, he got beignets out of it - twice. Here's the promo poster:

My favorite song (so far) is Defying Gravity. Here's a clip from the Tonys from the best known actresses for the production, but neither were in the one we saw:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc582myFziY

Look at Glenda's clothes in the other videos. I loved her clothes. Think I could get away with the blue sparkly dress? I do. Look out world, it'll happen one day. I just have to get my courage up.... and find the perfect dress!!

The point of the story is to get the perspective of the Wicked Witch of the West. I have to admit, I've read the book that it is based on and wasn't a fan. In fact, I was pretty dubious about seeing it. But the play was so so so much better than the book. I wouldn't recommend the book, but for sure the musical. If you like it, check out the other Wicked videos. The music is pretty great. In fact, I may have downloaded the soundtrack and have been singing all day...

Pray for You

Okay, let's talk about the new country song Pray for You by Jaron and the Long Road to Love. Here's the video (compliments of YouTube):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atBg9zLI2bA

and here are the lyrics:

I havent been to church since I don’t remember when
Things were goin’ great ‘til they fell apart again
So I listened to the preacher as he told me what to do
He said you can’t go hatin’ others who have done wrong to you
Sometimes we get angry, but we must not condemn
Let the good Lord do His job and you just pray for them

I pray your brakes go out runnin’ down a hill
I pray a flowerpot falls from a window sill and
knocks you in the head like I’d like to
I pray your birthday comes and nobody calls
I pray you’re flyin’ high when your engine stalls
I pray all your dreams never come true
Just know whereever you are honey, I pray for you

I’m really glad I found my way to church
‘Cause I’m already feelin’ better and I thank God for the words
Yeah I’m goin’ take the high road
And do what the preacher told me to do
You keep messin’ up and I’ll keep prayin’ for you

I pray your tire blows out at 110
I pray you pass out drunk with your best friend and wake up with his and her tattoos
I pray your brakes go out runnin’ down a hill
I pray a flowerpot falls from a window sill and knocks you in the head like I’d like to
I pray your birthday comes and nobody calls
I pray you’re flyin’ high when your engine stalls
I pray all your dreams never come true
Just know whereever you are, near or far,
in your house or in your car, wherever you are honey,
I pray for you. I pray for you

****

Don't get me wrong, it is catchy and I like the singer's voice, but I can't help but feel guilty every time I hear it and sing along. Seriously, we're supposed to pray for our enemies, but I am pretty certain that those prayers are to be for forgiveness, understanding, and redemption. Not so much for loneliness and embarrassment.

But all the same, I still like it. Now, where did I put my headphones....

I'm feeling introspective -- time for another ten things.

I really need no introduction as I'm sure you read the title.

1. I discovered today that after four years, I still get incredibly jealous. Though, I'm not entirely sure that I want that to change.

2. My side hurts a lot. I may vomit.

3. I cheated my Lenten sacrifice. More than once. I'm not sure what that says about the person I am.

4. Next time, I'll give up beef. I'll have no problem keeping that one.

5. I'm calling dibs on the name Emma Grace. Granted, if you have kids before me and use it, that's just fine. We'll just have a bunch of little Emma Graces running around.

6. I'm taking back my earlier post. I'm sick and tired of unsweet tea.

7. I really really really want a puppy.

8. I bought a second Wii-mote today (get it?). Now I can play with a friend. Though, the new one is black because the white one was $10 more. I saw a problem with this, but didn't mention it to the clerk as I wasn't in Mangham and might've gotten shot.

9. I don't pay a separate electricity bill but I play a little game with myself. The goal is to make the bill be lower than the month before. I never ask what the amount from the previous month was because I don't want to lose. I think I may have transferred my competitiveness to a less disappointing venue.

10. I'm incredibly excited about the possibility of seeing Matt every day this summer. That hasn't happened in three years. I may have to do the whole adjusting thing again in August. That won't be pretty.

creativity....

So, somehow I stumbled upon this website and may have signed up for their newsletter:

http://www.lisaleonardonline.com/

She makes jewelry. No, there isn't anything super-amazing or even amazing about her stuff, but for some reason, I like it. a lot. Check it out, but don't buy anything. We are all on a budget....

Here's my favorite (so far):

Here's something else I found on Etsy. I guess I'm feeling a little romantic today.... that or I just have indigestion.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=42632693

Okay, enough of the mushy stuff.

That's a cupcake AND a cookie. Take out the coconut and we were made for each other... Yum.

and, this just in, I'm seriously considering giving up beef. For ever.

you can take the girl out of the country...

Well, it has been awhile, but I'm back.


You know you missed me. Don't worry, I'll make it up to you. I have several updates.


First and foremost, I discovered this week that just because I don't live in farming country anymore it doesn't mean that I'll never be stuck behind a tractor again. Of course, I had my handy camera phone to document this momentous occasion. Enjoy.

Sadly, one of the unfortunate things about this particular road Mr. Deere and I were on is that it has a double-white line. You don't have to work in Road Hazards to know that you can't pass a double-white line. I'm lobbying for an exception to that rule. For those of you who don't know the area surrounding this fine specimen of small tractor, the building right in front is the Livingston Building, a.k.a. The Louisiana Department of Justice. Yeah. About one-quarter of a mile before this picture was taken, Mr. Deere and I passed the Louisiana State Capital. Goodbye homesickness.

Secondly, it saddens me to inform you that U-High has not yet implemented their busing program. Traffic is just as bad and the kids are just as wild as ever. In fact, one such juvenile delinquent and I almost had an incident yesterday. Luckily, I was expecting such deviance and stopped just in the nick of time. Darn troublemakers.

Third, LSU painted their prison buses!!! Look:

They look loads better. Now perhaps the self-fulfilling prophecy will be no more.

Oh, this isn't an update, but another picture. I took this one today while in the mall.

I thought Judith would enjoy it.

What else? Hhmm.

I feel like a 1L because it is 6:38 on a Friday night and I am in the law school library. Major difference between me and the girl a couple of tables in front of me (other than status) is I'm updating my neglected blog. She's enraptured with Federal Civil Procedure. Thank goodness I'm not her.

I really dislike that new song by Blake Shelton; something about Hillbilly Bone... maybe... (thanks Ash - yes, there is some sarcasm there too) I think he should go back to songs about Ole Red. Or just leave TRACE ADKINS out of it. You know, that's probably what I dislike most about that song. Trace Adkins. Gross.

I purchased a pretty significant piece of jewelry two weeks ago.

Oh, speaking of jewelry. I went to N.O. last week and bought the most adorable pewter Saints charm. It is a pig with wings. I haven't worn it yet but I'm pretty thrilled about it.

I gave up sweets for Lent. On that note, let me tell you right now that there will be no posting on Easter Sunday. I will be in a sugar coma. Two weeks in and I'm doing okay I think. It is a struggle everyday. I have discovered that I do like unsweet tea. I know what you're thinking - blasphemy. No, don't worry, I have not given up sweet tea forever - I will go back. But I do like unsweet tea too. I thought about including Dr. Pepper in my "sweets fast" but I realized that without Dr. Pepper law school would just be too horrible. No sweets, no Matt, no Dr. Pepper; I just couldn't handle it. Out of the three, Dr. Pepper was the only thing I could actually have and not (1) have to come up with a new Lenten sacrifice or (2) drop out of law school, so that's what I did, kept the Pepper. Trust me, everyone is better off because of it.


And with that, I take my leave.

I'm not that significant

Sorry about the lack of posting; it has been one heck of a start to the semester. I still don't have time to post anything interesting (from my perspective) or witty. Instead, here's a passage from Francis Chan's book, Crazy Love that a friend sent me:

"Worry implies that we don't quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what's happening in our lives. Stress says that the things we are involved in are important enough to merit our impatience, our lack of grace toward others, or our tight grip of control. Basically, these two behaviors communicate that it's okay to sin and not trust God because the stuff in my life is somehow exceptional. Both worry and stress reek of arrogance. They declare our tendency to forget that we've been forgiven, that our lives here are brief, that we are headed to a place where we won't be lonely, afraid, or hurt ever again, and that in the context of God's strength, our problems are small, indeed."

This was perfect for the way things have been going for me lately and definitely put me in my place. Perhaps it will do the same for you.

Baby, it's cold outside...

Matt and I (and his parents, of course) went to New Orleans for New Year's. It was AMAZING!! We had a great place to stay and had beignets for breakfast every morning. Though there were some frustrating moments, it turned out quite nicely. Now, for those promised pictures....



This is by far, my favorite picture from the trip. Matt looks like he just stepped off a yacht.

Yep, that's us. On the balcony of the condo we were staying in. Pretty amazing.

Matt's parents - Dr. Frank and Mrs. Susan. Mrs. Susan doesn't look particularly happy here, but it was the best picture and she'll never see this blog. Don't tell her about it.

Me and JUDITH at the Hornets' game. She and Kyle practically swam to the game.

Oh those tasty powder-sugar covered confections. How I love thee.

This was on our walk to the Aquarium. That's a bridge. Don't know which one. I just liked way it looked and forced Matt to let me take his picture. At gunpoint.

Hehe, they were necking. Get it?

It wasn't Sunday morning, but these penguins were having church. See, there's a preacher and three little congregants. They stayed like this for about fifteen minutes and then Matt and I got bored and moved on.

He was in very real danger.

Yeah, we were "those" people. I also have some pictures by a giant seahorse and in a shark's mouth. I have a bit too much self-respect to post those...

I swear, I had on make-up that day. That penguin may have had a crush on me. Or may have just wanted food, either way, Matt and I felt quite special.

We also went to Sucre and ate some amazing desserts. No pictures though. Sad face.

Leggo my Eggo!!

So apparently, Kellogg's is having trouble meeting the demand for the Eggo waffles due to the closing of two of their four plants.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Leggo-my-Eggo-Kellogg-fights-apf-2866532730.html?x=0

Personally, I am devastated. To think, I am going to have to go without waffles until the summer of 2010. How in the world will I go on? I may die.

Oh wait a minute. I can make waffles myself!! Incredible!! How silly of me to think that my waffle supply would be cut off forever.

This may be a good time to tell you that I have never eaten an Eggo waffle in my life. Know why? Well, let's see... my mother made waffles from scratch. What's that you may ask. It is this amazing process where one takes all of the ingredients for a dish and combines them and heats them in such a way as to create an edible product. Granted, usually my mom would add not so edible ingredients like dried apricots or flax seed, but all in all, she can make a pretty mean waffle. In fact, now that I have flown the nest, I make a mean waffle myself. And no, it doesn't come from a cardboard box.

The linked article above shares the story of one mom who bought a box and planned to ration the waffles for her four-year old daughter. I wish that I knew that woman. First I would shake her. Then I would take her a few aisles back in the store and show her flour, eggs, milk, and the lovely waffle-iron. Happily, in this technological world we live in, there is actually a piece of equipment known as the Belgian waffle maker that makes exact replicas of the treasured Eggo waffle. Then I would teach her the correct waffle-making process.

What's that saying - If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.

I think this woman, and perhaps most of America, needs to invest in a good rod and reel.

pictures, as promised.

Well, here they are; the pictures from Christmas. I have a few more in an actual camera instead of off my phone. Maybe I'll get those up later. The captions are BELOW the pictures, you know, in case you get confused.

Here's the 'forest' of trees. It is kind of hard to see the trees for the forest, but there are five trees there. One large one - about six feet, one medium one - five feet, two small ones - three feet, and one tiny one - about a foot. Mom insisted that we have an odd number of trees. She said it was more "organic" that way. Personally, I think her HGTV privileges should be revoked.

And now for Matt's present. And, yes. I am still quite nervous that he doesn't like it.

This is what Matt's present looked like before I started work on it. Again, it is kind of hard to tell, but it is a bench. This is only the top, the legs are really heavy and too short to let me work on it without getting a serious backache. Daddy did all my heavy-lifting and I wasn't about to look that gift horse in the mouth by insisting that he go ahead and put the legs on too. Sadly, I never took a picture of the finished product. But here was the beginning.





This is once I got the 'H' (you know, for 'Hoffmann' - his last name) cemented on - step 5 in a series of about one million. Before this, I had to go pick out and buy the tile and get the tile cement, grout, and nippers (those are just fancy tile-cutting scissors) - Kat helped me there via my mobile telecommunications device. Thank goodness for cell phones. Then I broke up the tile with a hammer, while wearing safety glasses of course. I'm a safety girl. But not exactly in a Julia Roberts, Pretty Woman kind of way. More like a Norm Abrams, This Old House kind of way. Next, I drew the outline of the 'H' and the fleur de lis (not pictured). Then I placed the tile and nipped the pieces until I got them they way I wanted. Wait. That is a lie. I nipped them until I settled for less than perfect. I'm a realist too. Then I cemented the 'H' and let it dry for 24 hours to make sure everything worked correctly.

Okay, 'H' down and FDLs cemented. As were those seemingly random background tiles, Trust me, there was nothing random about them. Marla helped me some with cementing in the background tiles. Then she said that she was going in to get some lunch and would be back. She never returned. Can't imagine why. I may have been cursing myself and my stupid ideas at this point. Well, my scratched and slightly bloody fingers were for sure. Did I mention that I did all of this outside? In the cold. Yeah, there may have been some silent cursing.

Okay, all the tiles were cemented and had to dry for 24 hours. I let them go a bit longer because it got below freezing that night. But I was happy, hard part over.

So there is undoubtedly a better way to do it, but I figured that covering the entire surface with grout was the best way to fill in all those little cracks and crevices. At one point, Daddy came out to look and started laughing. There was so much grout on it, he couldn't even see the design underneath. I may have had a bit of a heavy hand with the grout. The more the merrier right? Wrong. It took me forever to get the excess off.

This is, for the most part, the finished present. Mom and I went in and caulked and grouted the sides so that if some poor soul decided to sit on it, they wouldn't get cut. So just imagine concrete legs and a linen colored, leg protecting border and voila! Finito. Merry Christmas Matt.

That's all for now. I also have some pretty amazing pictures from New Orleans to post. Later though.