Over the weekend.....

This weekend was BUSY - crazy busy with stuff for my internship!

Friday: I worked at our booth at 4th Fridays, which is basically where the shops in Westerville (town where I go to school) stay open late and businesses can set up booths. It was dog night apparently and adorable puppies were EVERYWHERE - I even saw an adorable Basset Hound named BoJangles, sooooo cute! Afterward Andrew and I along with his parents, went to dinner at Roosters.

Saturday: We spent the morning at an auction, where Andrew got a lot of nice tools for pennies on the dollar. Everything I wanted went too high but it was okay. Afterward we came home and relaxed and then headed to my Intern Appreciation Cookout! It was a great night, lots of good food, laughs and story telling. Here are the girls I work with on a lot of projects, the tall chic standing next to me is the one I work the closest with.
After the cookout, we met my brother and his girlfriend downtown for some drinks. I really don't ever go downtown anymore, mostly because its expensive (not just the drinks but paying to park and get into the bar) and because I'm old, but we had a lot of fun. The people watching seemed to be at a premium that night!
Oh goodness, its a good picture of us! We've both lost around 5lbs since we started the diet, I can tell a little with my clothes and I'm finally adjusting to no carbs (although we cheated a little at the cookout).
Me and my brothers girlfriend, who I adore and always have fun with!

Sunday: Spent the morning cleaning and doing laundry. Then we were off to the Columbus Clippers Baseball game (farm team for the Cleveland Indians) for my internship as well. It was a fun night and although the sun was beating down on us for the first four innings we enjoyed ourselves and found our fave wing place Roosters there to eat!
This is probably the busiest weekend we've had all summer but also the most fun. Labor Day is looking calm for us and I have a pretty quiet week to catch up on some things around here.

So what did everyone else do this weekend?

Changes are coming

I'm finally done with my summer classes, as most of you know and I managed to pull off an A- and B. I've been really busy with my internship and most recently this diet and workout plan. I think I've lost about 5lbs so far but its been really hard to resist the temptation of carbs.

I have three months of school left, which is really hard to believe and my graduation date is set for December 1st. Finals will be done in the days before Thanksgiving.

I'm anxious for everything that is about to take place and I'm nervous about finding a job.

I'm hopeful that I'll loose this weight and be able to keep it off. There is a good possibility that in the next two years I'll be getting married so that's more incentive to loose weight!

Hope that everyone has a great weekend, I've got a busy one but I'll be sure to post a weekend wrap up to fill you all in!!!

Summer beauty

Andrews parents have a beautiful farm. In the summer, in front of their Ohio Bicentennial Barn they plant sunflowers, which were 14ft tall this year. I could take pictures of the barn and the farm all day but here are a few of my favorites that were edited slightly with photoshop.

My inner struggle

I've been thinking a lot about babies, more so than I normally do (not sure what is "normal" when it comes to thinking about babies). I go back and forth in my head, and in conversations with Andrew about whether or not I/we want to have kids. I feel like if I don't, I will regret that decision, but that if I do I may feel the same way. I know that sounds horrible to the mothers I know, but really a part of me doesn't want to have kids.

I love that its just me and Andrew, our dog is kind of like a kid. I like that we can go places and do things without dragging along a baby and all of its necessary stuff. I like the thought of having extra money when I start working to go on nice vacations, buy a little sports car and to save for our next house. But then I see our niece, with her curls and blue eyes, playing so sweetly and I want to just snatch her and take her home. She makes me want to have a baby. Maybe I'm too selfish, maybe I think of myself too much, but its hard to think about having a kid.

I see pictures of my friends pregnant bellies and cute maternity clothes, then their sweet newborns so tiny and soft and my heart turns to mush. But then I read about people having postpartum depression, babies with colic and horrible labor stories and then I don't have a mushy heart anymore.

Andrews dad told us about an awesome acronym, DINK - Double Income, No Kids - and to me that sounds great! I have so much student debt and we'd love to pay off the house and just pay our taxes every 6 months. In order to do both of these things, we both need to be working. I didn't go to college for all this time to just not use my degree, I don't think there is anything wrong with being a working mom. My mom was home with us for the first five years or so, then she started teaching preschool. She was there after school and on weekends and in the summer we got to be with her at the summer camp her work hosted. I never thought my life was bad because my mom worked.

I know I still have time to decide about babies, but for now, I'm not going to think about it too much. I want to enjoy this time with Andrew, our pre-marriage, living in sin days will last a little longer I'm sure.

South Beach Diet Part 1

So as of tomorrow, Andrew and I will be starting the South Beach Diet. Tonight to celebrate we are going out for Mexican food and beers - I am calling this the last horrah! I've done this one in college with my old boyfriend and its pretty effective. After the first two weeks of total carb and sweets withdrawal, you slowly get back into eating normal foods but cut out a lot of "bad carbs" as well as sugar-rich foods.

I'm really nervous about the next two weeks, but this week at the store I bought the following for meals this week:

• Pork chops
• Chicken
• Shrimp
• Catfish and Cod fillets
  
• Salad stuff such as green leaf lettuce, spinach, bell peppers, tomatoes (from my garden)
• Leeks and Onions
• Low fat, plain yogurt
• Berries to put in the yogurt
• Eggs (yup you can still have those!)
• Low fat string cheese
• Hummus for veggie dipping
• Laughing Cow garlic and herb cheese
• Ground turkey
• No salt added trail mix

I'm a total bread and pasta lover. We have already cut out "white carbs" like regular pasta and white bread a long time ago. But for these first two weeks, I can't even have those. No wine either (AHHHHHH) but this will slowly be reintroduced in the second phase. I got the South Beach book today as well as the cookbook that stresses easy meals in 30 minutes or less. I'm going to continue with my workouts and try to up the miles I do on the elliptical and lift more weights.

I researched this diet a lot and a few magazines, including Forbes, listed it as one of the Top 10 diets. I thought about the Vegan thing, but I just don't think I could deprive myself of all of that stuff plus most people I know who do it cheat all the time anyways. You loose weight at first, but then get sick of all that stuff and start eating bad again. I think this is true for most diets, but it seems that South Beach is something you really can do for a long time!

I'll be updating as the week goes on with how its working! Supposedly you can loose 8-13lbs in the first two weeks :)

Summer vacation, puh-lease

I thought that not working this summer would mean lots of time for fun things. I knew school would consume a decent amount of time, but not ALL of my time.

Well I was wrong, so who needs a summer vacation when you could...STUDY till your eyes fall out of your head!

For one class I had to do the following: read six novels (which included one Shakespeare play, King Lear, which I did not enjoy), write three rather long essays and participate in class discussions and journaling on a weekly basis. I loved the professor and she made most of what we did fun, but a 4 hour class that is once a week - well there is only so much that a person can take. Thankfully for our final, she let us use our notes and I ended up with an 'A-' in the class!

Then just when I thought the fun couldn't get any better my Spanish class started. I haven't taken Spanish in about four years, so I knew this was not going to be easy. I was lucky to have a tutor who was fluent and could help me with my homework, and boy was there a lot of homework! Everything was done with an "online workbook" which had multiple choice and written sections along with parts where you had to listen to someone speaking Spanish and then write about what they said. Sounds fun, right?! And my professor was really hardcore - she wasn't exactly nice when someone asked a question and liked to assume that everyone was a native speaker!

So who needs a vacation, well certainly not me. I'd much rather sit in my air conditioned house or the school library, reading books and writing papers then sit on a beach and play in the ocean.

Staring Cancer in the face

My internship deals with cancer. I knew it was going to be hard when I first started, but it never really hit me until this weekend.

I met a girl who is Andrews age, 27 and she is fighting a very hard battle with cancer right now. She has been for five years. I was expecting her to be frail and thin, bald and weak and so many things you think of when someone says, "they are not good." But she was the opposite (mostly) of what I'd assumed. I felt a kinship with her because she too was a Public Relations major and loves to watch sports. She looked tired but her spirits were amazing, she wasn't bald and she wasn't frail. As we talked about her life, her diagnosis and her love for her family. In the love seat next to her sat her mom and dad who looked weather-worn, but appreciative that we were there to listen to their daughters story.

As we talked, I couldn't look over at her mom who's face was wet with tears and her dad who would occasionally start crying as well. I knew before we met her that she was trying one of the "last resort" treatments and looking into clinical trials all over the country. I didn't know she had cancer when she was 14 or that she was alone when she got her second cancer diagnosis at age 22. All I kept thinking was that could be me, I could be her, sitting there telling my story about cancer and watching my life slowly pass before me. I didn't want to cry, I didn't want to think about the fact that this could be the only time I may ever meet this amazing girl.

On the ride home we talked about her chances to go on for another year or even six months and about her interview. "Make sure you save the recording of her interview, I am sure that her parents would like to have that when she is gone." I think just hearing someone say that was the worst part (although amazing that they would think to do that for her family).

I'm not sure that any of us on a daily basis look at our life and think about how precious it is or how one day could change the entire path of your life. I think I didn't mention in my previous post that what I've experienced has made me appreciate my life so much more. I think we all need to take a moment to just breathe in our life and remember it could change in an instant.

My internship & school

I probably haven't talked a lot about my internship on here, and that might be good. I'm not going to say where I am interning on here (but if you're friends with me on Facebook, you know). But there is a lot I'd like to say about what I've experienced in the last five months.

• I've met some of the strongest and most amazing women ever! My internship is for a woman's cancer organization and my job is to interview survivors about their experience. Some young, some old, but all with the same amazing attitude and desire to live!!! They have given me hope and new zest for life that I may not have had without this experience.
• I'm becoming a better writer. After each interview, I write a profile on the person and for the last few months I've had some help but now I'm on my own and getting to improve my writing skills.
• I'm learning my way around Columbus a little better. I know this might sound dumb, but I don't go "downtown" that often because I always get lost (thank goodness for the GPS) but I'm starting to learn where things are and how to get home without needing directions.

As for school, that is also going really well. I got an A- in my writing class and I have my final for Spanish coming up. My tutor went out of town for 90% of the time I've been in this class so I've kinda been on my own, I just hope I pass with at least a B or C. I can't get any lower than that....I'm hoping I won't need to worry about a grade that low! I am just happy that for once things are going right, I'm doing well in school, there are lots of amazing people supporting me and in 3 months (OMG really!!!!) I'll be holding a diploma in my hands, probably screaming and crying too :)

I miss the friend you used to be

I miss being able to tell you everything, talking almost everyday whether it was at school or on the phone.

I miss our shopping trips with our moms.

I miss the fun, how we had so much in common and how you could always make me laugh.

I miss our inside jokes, our notebooks we would pass back and forth at school.

I miss singing together while we would drive around town because there was nothing else to do.

I know that it might be both of our faults that we're not as close. We don't call or talk like we used to. We don't see each other but maybe once a year now around the holidays. We don't call one another on our birthdays. I'm not sure who is to blame for any of this. Our lives kinda went in different directions about 6 years ago.

I really do miss you and if you're reading this you know who you are.....I know that once we talk again it will be as if no time has passed and things for a while will go back to normal.

But there are other friends I miss, friends I fought with for dumb reasons and now its been about three years since we've talked. I don't miss the drama, but I miss the fun. Friends from college who for whatever reason won't return my calls or emails anymore - they act as if they want to re-connect and then never follow through with plans. Ex's who I thought I ended on good terms with that won't talk to me anymore. Friends that I've all together lost touch with....it hurts my heart nearly everyday.

I'm fortunate to still have many good friends, so please don't think that my "friend life" is totally hopeless, but there are many of them I miss having in my life.

Do you have a friend you miss? What did you write about for Mama Kat's Writers Workshop?

Fun with hair styling!

I got my hair done about a month ago and went to Sally Beauty Supply afterward to get some shampoo. I decided to pick up some Velcro rollers while I was there. I've seen them used on TV shows and at hair salons and wasn't sure if they would work for me because of my thin hair but they worked great!

My hair had so much volume and looked so adorable (not that I'm trying to toot my own horn or anything). I've always had a hard time maintaining volume, but the trick with these is to dry your hair upside down and blow it straight if its wavy. Then use a curling iron close to the width of the rollers curl your hair, take it out of the iron and immediately wrap the hair around the roller and bobby pin it in place. After you have all the rollers placed, spray all over with hair spray and leave them in for 20 minutes or so.


If I knew how to "vlog" I totally would about this! I would also need a video camera so for now you'll just have to trust me that these little things do a great job. A pack of 6 costs around $4 and I got some that are about 3/4" since I have short hair at the moment. After taking them out I usually loosen up the curls gently with my fingers and then spray all over again!

I don't do this with my hair everyday because it takes a little time, but its a great alternative to straightening!

Do you have any fun hair tips?

Getting to know me Sunday

Well its that time again and since I really liked the questions this week, here they are!

1. Do you think mustaches are sexy?
No, I honestly don't. They are kinda creepy to me, but I do like goatees and beards. Andrew grows a beard every winter....some of you may recall the hot mess it was this past winter.

2. What's the last concert you've been to?
Went to see Tim McGraw with Lady Antebellum in April, such a great concert!!

3. What was your favorite 80's sitcom?
Does Punky Brewster count?!? lol I loved that show along with Pee Wee's Playhouse!

4. Were you named after anyone?
Nope, my mom just really liked the name Amanda which is like the 3rd most popular name from the year I was born. My middle name is the same as my moms.

5. When you buy new clothes, do you wash before wearing?
Just underwear, unless I buy something at the thrift store, then I was before wearing anything from there. I know its supposed to be clean but better safe than sorry.

6. If you didn't blog, what would you do with your spare time?
I would probably supplement blogging with more reading. I haven't had any time to read for pleasure because of being in school. I hope though come November when I am forever done with classes that I'll have more time!

7. What is your favorite department store?
I love Macys/Lazarus - always have and always will! I've been shopping there my entire life! They have awesome sales and I always find a great deal or a really nice staple item for my wardrobe.

8. If you were to get Laser Hair Removal..where would you get it?
I would for sure get it on my legs, along with the *ahem* area and my armpits!

You've got a fast car

I didn't have my first "real" boyfriend until I was a sophomore in high school, we'll call him Navy Boy (since he later joined the Navy). We had an English class together and he was new in school. He asked me to go the library with him one day after school so that we could find a book for an assignment and I agreed to meet up with him. He was pretty cute, blonde hair with blue eyes, outgoing and confident. We went to the library, picked out our books and he asked me to come over that weekend to watch movies. After that "date" we were officially a couple.

Not too long after we started dating he got a sports car from a cousin who lived out of state. It was a white Pontiac Firebird; I thought I had a picture of us standing next to it before homecoming but I guess I threw it out....anyways! Prior to this he had a pick-up truck which he gave to his dad to drive. He picked me up after work one day in the new car and I was giddy with excitement. I never had a boyfriend with a car and I didn't have my license at this time.

The next week he drove me home from school in it and we decided to go a back way home to look for a place to park and make out . The speed limit on this road was 35mph but I bet we were going around 50. Listening to music, holding hands and just crusing down the road. It was a warm fall day, lots to see outside and all of a sudden Navy Boy looked in the side mirror and saw a Sheriff with sirens blazing behind us. My heart nearly exploded out of my chest as he pulled over and the cop started walking toward the car. He immediately asked my boyfriend to get out, not a good sign. I couldn't hear anything they were saying but it seemed like they talked for an hour.

Suddenly Navy Boy was back in the car and told me the cop had been following us for a while. He had just called for back-up when we finally pulled over and gave boyfriend a hefty ticket (in Ohio you have to go to court for a ticket if you're under 18, they suspend your license in most cases and you have to take a remedial drivers ed class). Needless to say that night, his parents called mine and said that he wouldn't be driving for a while.

My first date in a car didn't turn out that great.......

So what did you write about for Mama Kat's Writers Workshop?

One of my favorite things

Every summer since Andrew and I started dating we've made it a point to go the Ohio State Fair. I love the fair, not just because of the food but also the people watching and exhibits. We especially enjoy the ODNR (Ohio Department of Natural Resources) area where we saw this beautiful bald eagle.
She had West Nile Virus and is now blind in both of her eyes. Just seeing one of these birds this close though was incredible. I saw one in mid-flight in the wild just a few weeks ago when we were in Indiana and we all broke out into singing "God Bless the USA" which I know is corny but that is literally how that makes me feel.
We also watched the Timber competition, which I must say I love! The running on logs bit is always a good one and these two guys were really good!

We also met an adorable Basset Hound at the dog agility show, she was about Bessies age and size and super sweet! We walked through and saw the beef cattle, sheep, ducks, chickens and turkeys as well and for the first time didn't eat any junk. Neither of us were in the mood for the greasy food and we had gone to another fair just a few nights before. We did have a lemon shake-up because they only taste good at the fair and for some reason this year seemed more fun than those past.

I even met a new boyfriend.....

Do you have any favorite summer events?

Getting to know you Sunday

So I've seen this blog a few times at Stephanie S. @ A day in the life of a grad students wife and thought I'd participate this week!

The Q's..

1. If you were to win an award today, what would it be for?
The Hardcore Student award - I feel like all I've been doing is studying and working on papers!!

2. What is your shoe style?
Currently, all I've been wearing is sandals and flip flops. I hate wearing sneakers in the summer unless I'm working out!

3 Does your car reflect your personality?
Um, not really....I drive a 2006 Chevy Impala, Silver and its actually Andrew's car. I think our little green Volvo 240 fits me better but its not a reliable car for all the highway driving I do to get to school.

4. If you could take over someones body for a day..whose would you choose?
I really like Kim Kardashians body, just because she is hot but has a booty and boobs too!

5. Love or be loved?
Love!

6. If you were on death row, what last meal would you choose?
Maryland crabs, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, a piece of apple pie with ice cream and a glass of milk!

7. Have you been on vacation this Summer, if so where?
We went camping for a few days at Salt Fork State Park, hopefully next year we can afford to go to the beach! We also went to Northern Indiana for a weekend and we've done lots of little fishing trips!

8. What is your favorite food related guilty pleasure?
I love this Organic Garlic Salsa from Meijer, its sooooo good that I can eat almost the whole jar in one sitting!