July, It's Been Real.

I realized that I don't really blog anymore.  Sure, I post multiple times a week but it's all link-ups, which is fine, but I don't really post anything...well real anymore.  I always have every intention of blogging about certain things I do but then I either get busy with other things or overwhelmed by the number of things I've missed.  So, with that being said I'm going to try to do a lot better at keeping this updated with events in my actual life rather than just the multiple link-ups I participate in.  Each and every event might not get it's own post but I promise to try my hardest.  Until then, while I'm partying like a rock star at WeFest, here's what happened this past month.

 

 

July 1 I left Minnesota to make the 2 day journey back to Texas.  The first day I drove as far as Norman, Oklahoma.  It was awful (so of course I'm going to do it again August 6...).  It's a 13 hour drive from my hometown.  I was fine until I had about 4 hours to go.  At that point I just wanted to cry & for someone else to drive...except I was alone.  Within an hour I was fine & jamming out to my music again.  However, by the time I got to the hotel I was ready to be done so I just ordered pizza because I didn't want to venture out again. 

 

The next day I woke up bright & early again so I could get back to Houston & see the Fireman.  I had just under an hour & a half to go when I hit...wait for it...AN ARMADILLO!!  That sucker caused the damage you see above.  So I'm in BFE Texas, in a dress, & luckily made it to a gas station where I then proceeded to wait for AAA to come & save the day.  I did eventually make it to see the Fireman where he saved the day by making fun of me, giving me pickles, & a bumper sticker.

 

I had a great time while I was in Texas (& almost 0 pictures to show for it...I gotta get better at that too).  I spent some relaxing time with the Fireman, went car shopping (& didn't get one), had lunch with some friends, had pool time both by myself and with friends, & went to a going away party for a friend/co-worker who will be teaching in Iowa this coming school year. **PS that's the Fireman & his brother**

 

I left early on the 12th (3 days after I had intended but I decided to stick around for the going away party & my car needed to be fixed) & made the dreadful drive to Kansas City.  Due to leaving at the ass crack of dawn (just before 5:30 am) I was crabby & pouty for a solid 2 hours starting around noon.   It was nothing that 2 hours of sulking, a Dr. Pepper, chocolate, & a phone call from my daddy didn't solve though.  Once I did make it to KC I wished that I hadn't booked that hotel & driven farther because I got there around 4 or 5 & then had a ton of time to kill with nothing to do & crappy cable.

 

On July 14th I did the 5k Color Run with my friends Kristie, Sonja, & Melissa along with my cousin Becky & her son.  It was a lot of fun but if I ever do it again it's definitely going to have to be a lot more organized than this year...there was a lot of waiting around on people...I got home & signed up for another 5k in Houston on September 7th.  It's the 9/11 Hereos Run.

On the 19th I went to a bonfire with a couple of friends & then went "skinny dipping" (underwear & bras stayed on so technically it wasn't legit) with a couple of them late night at a lake near by.  Again with the poor job of taking pictures...not that any lake pictures would've been shared but from the bonfire!

 

On the 22nd I went back to my college town, which actually made me a little sad & very nostalgic, to hang out with one of my roommates from college.  We did a little shopping, drank a little coffee, & then just hung out at a beach for awhile talking.  It was really great to hang out with her.  She was pretty much my best friend in college & I haven't seen a whole lot of her, or even talked a whole lot to her in awhile.

 

On the 24th I had a girls' night BBQ with a couple of my friends.  We ate some armadillo eggs (jalabenos, cheese, & bacon!), burgers, & oreo salad.  It was good just hanging out with them & getting to relax.  I really am going to miss being in the middle of nowhere when I get back to Texas.

 

On the 25th I went back to St. Cloud again.  My mom had a meeting & then we did a little grocery shopping & had some lunch at Applebee's.  While my mom was in the meeting I decided to walk around my former college campus (St. Cloud State) to take some pictures.  I really do miss that place & spent an awesome 5 years there.  I was about to leave when I decided I wanted to go into Stewart Hall (The place where I spent most of my 5 years being a social studies major) & then on a whim decided to see if my former advisor/professor was still there (he's taking a sabbatical this upcoming semester).  He was!  I sat in his office talking to him about my first year of teaching & just what was going on in my life for a little over an hour until I had to go pick up my mom.  It was really great getting to talk to him & be back on campus again.  On a sad note: I was obsessed with Applebee's in college, we went there all the time for lunch & half price appetizers after 9.  We often had birthday dinners there throughout college as well.  NOBODY in Texas likes Applebees!  So I finally  get to go back after at least a year & ya know what?  I was disappointed!  I got the same thing I pretty much always got (the quesadilla burger) & it just wasn't the same...

 

On the 26th I went to the county fair with some friends.  I ate a baked potato, followed by a pork chop, followed by half a bag of mini donuts, followed by a cheese curd.  We checked out the animals & some of the other exhibit buildings before briefly stopping at the beer garden.  We got a drink before bailing.  It was SO cold y'all.  Like 50s maybe low 60s & cloudy and windy.  So we headed to the bar at 8:30 which is where we spent the rest of the night.  It was great to hang out with friends from my hometown one last time before I head back to Texas on Aug. 6th.  We even got our friend Ashley to stay out late.  That girl does not stay out late ever.  Of course I had to take 1...or 3...shots of Patron for the team in order to keep her going.  My next day hangover was totally worth her staying out all night with us.

On the 27th I butchered some chickens in the morning with my mama & grandpa.  Then I spent part of the afternoon making lunch & getting some food ready for a family gathering later in the evening.  Two of my younger cousins recently got engaged (one around Christmas & one on the 4th of July) & nobody but Christmas cousin's immediate family had met the fiancé so we all got together to meet her & spend time together.  I really like her!  She's so nice & down to earth.  It was also great seeing my favorite little girl in the whole world.  She may not be my child but she is definitely a mini me.  I also bought a new camera that I am in love with.  I was going to get a "cheap" one (like $80-$100) because I would eventually like a really nice camera.  However, I fell in love with a $180 camera & figured why not because I'll always want a smaller point & shoot & really when am I going to have $500 to drop on a nice camera anyway??  My favorite feature?  The panorama setting where I can just hold the button & move the camera...not have to take multiple shots to piece together.