In flux

I don't know that I have felt like this ever in my life...or at least I didn't care enough to pay attention. It seems like I am on a ride and don't know where the twists, turns, and drops will be next. I just started working for Frazier and am settling into the responsibilities there. Weird to consider my career is starting...and wondering where it will lead me. I am also currently living in my in-laws basement. This has major pros and cons, but generally feels temporary. Temporary living is funny, all my routines are thrown off and I can't really set new ones until I get into a more permanent living situation...seriously wondering where that will be. We have looked at houses and have one we really like. I could potentially be getting into a home soon and that feels amazing (but intimidating since I don't want to make shitty decisions when the consequences are bigger!) I studying for the EPPP (big expensive test that I seriously do NOT want to take) and planing a class that I will teach in Dec/Jan...not enough time in the fricken day for this shiz. This post is probably sounding narcissistic and I'm sure no one cares about the ramblings in my head, but I think I might sometimes down the line. This is basically a public diary.

In other news, I am obsessed with Lana del Rey lately. Love her music!

Year in St. Louis- Part THREE

18 - Finally finished re-upholstering my couch that took FOREVER due to me getting sick and then lazy

December
 1-, 3: Big Sis and AK visited with Lily, Katie, and Ava. We had a blast! We took the kids to the zoo. Eric and AK went to a Rams game and then met up with us girls at the City Museum. We spent Ava's "last day of being 3" having fun.

7 - Came home to Louisville to run the data for my dissertation. I spent an afternoon with my chair and got it all finished. THIS finally was happening and giving me a BIG boost of motivation to get it written.

15 - Went out with my intern friends for Jamie and Melissa's birthdays. Had an interesting night...

18 - Finally finished re-upholstering my couch that took FOREVER due to me getting sick and then lazy

20 - Holiday Party at my apartment - Had my intern friends over to the apartment for an "ugly sweater" party. Fun times and White elephant gifts were had.

23- 26 - Home for Christmas - Spending time with family. Trying to drive home the day after Christmas through a massive snow/ice storm. Lou's 1st time in the snow.

29 - Playing in the park at night in the snow with Eric, Jay, Lou and Grunt.


January
 2 - Went to see Wicked with Eric at the Fabulous Fox Theatre. We didn't know when we bought the tickets that it was the same day as the Sugar Bowl! We wore our black, white, and red...and after the musical, we listened to the end of the game in the car....We were PUMPED as we heard the CARDS win!!

6 - Eric & I took Lou to the "12th night" kick-off of Mardi Gras season in St. Louis's Soulard neighborhood.
12 - Came home for a weekend alone. Went to Uptown Art, Tim Tam's and Waffle House with my OMOS girls and our sisters

17 - My dad's lifelong friend (and basically my uncle), Ricky Young passed away. I didn't know it but this was the 1st of too many deaths in my friends/family for the year. I never knew that I could be sad to not get to go to a funeral. Being able to pay your respects and celebrate someone's life is a privilege and helps in the mourning process.

Luckily, I had some sweet boys to spend my time with...

29 - Date night with my boo to see Louisvillian, Jennifer Lawrence, in Silver Linings Playbook at the High-Pointe theatre. Got caught in the rain running in, but it was a great movie and date, so totally worth it.

February
2-3 - Eric's cousin Danielle and our friend Justin came to visit for the weekend. He had a comedy show...in a place with seats from cars. It was FUN.

3 - Walked Lou in the Mardi Gras Pet Parade through Soulard


6 - Pastaria - Just one of many restaurants I tried with my fav interns!

8 - MARDI GRAS with Kevin, Shannon, Ben, Scott, Mike Higgins, and my STL friends. There was a mess on the front porch and a lot of dancing in the streets ("It's Will I Am and BRITNEY B****").

19 - Another death. Michael Chester died tragically and I could not wrap my head around it. We are the same age...I still can't believe it.

22 - 25 - Vacation to Colorado with Eric - Visited with our friends who live there, snowboarding, eating some bomb pizza, seeing Red Rocks, and visiting IKEA for the 1st time :)

Hustle and bustle

Trying to get all the things wrapped up here in St. Louis, pack our apartment, turn off utilities, get things ready to leave for Europe (6 more days!!), AND getting my materials lined up to send off for temporary licensure. CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING! Byt his time next week, I will live in Louisville, but be in London, and in one month I will be working (in a REAL GROWN WOMAN JOB!!).

Saint Louis - Year in Review Part 2

October

4-6 Tommy and Nichole came to visit. We ate dinner at the Shaved Duck (BBQ place), went on the Anheuser-Busch tour, visited the Art museum, and tried a Mexican restaurant called Chava's (which was HORRIBLE). We also saw a car for sale with the description wirrten on the window "Runs like a beast." Probably the funniest parts of this visit were 2 things: 1) I accidentally walked in on Tommy when he was using the bathroom. and 2) singing "Swing low, sweet chariot" at the Art Museum...Tommy thought I was making this song up on my own!

 

12-14 Another visit home, but this time by myself. I got to spend some quality time with my family.

 

 

15 - Re-upholstered by hope chest that I've had since I was 14. 

 

20 - 22 Eric's immediate family visited - Ed, Allison, Ed, Heather, Kirk, Lori, Dayton, Alec, & Emmy...all in our apartment! It was a tight squeeze, but we had a lot of fun. The boys golfed and went by the race track, while the girls went to the City Museum (which Alec described as "BEAST!!") . The boys met us at City Museum and by then end we were ALL worn out. The next day we got to visit Grant's Farm, an animal reserve owned by A-B.

 

THE FALL SICKNESS - I was sick with an upper respiratory infection for a WHILE. It would not end. At the same time, Eric had a visit home alone to see Papa Tom. But I had Lou to snuggle me!

27-28 Zack and Katie visited. We had a relaxing visit...and may have seen a kangaroo masturbating at the zoo. How rude!

 

Halloween - Lou's Lion costume

 

November

2 - 3 My mom and Todd came to visit. We got to eat at a restaurant called Fitz's, where they bottle their own root beer.

 

5th = My 27th birthday

Went out to eat with Eric and the other interns at The Royale and received by "I <3 LooAVul" coffee mug...it's my favorite.

 

 

 

 
 

^ 12 - Paul McCartney concert with Eric. Dad and Becky came to visit and also went to the concert.

Dissertation working...BLAH

 

 

17-18 Uncle Kevin came to visit

 

21-23 Home for Thanksgiving- Animal noises with my siblings and nieces. Churchill Downs with Weiter's

 

24-25 Rae, B, and Bella came to visit. We let the cousin pups spend time playing and even took a photo shoot at the Arch. We also got to decorate our Christmas tree.

 

 

St. Louis - My Year in Review Part UNO

I have been in St. Louis for a whole year 13 months now! As I get ready to pack it on up and move back home, I wanted to take note of everything I can remember from this amazing time in my life. I am sure I will want to look back on it and reminisce someday!

2012
July 31 - Packed up moving truck - No more living on Harrison!

August
1 - Arrive in St. Louis and MOVE IN. Dad and Rae came to help us get everything unpacked, and we met our neighbor, Jay. He brought us water down...probably because we looked liked we were dying in the heat! Here are some pictures from move in day.

 August 4 - Ed and Allison came to visit - toured Anheuser-Busch, walked around downtown's sculpture park, had dinner at Blueberry Hill, and drinks at Stella Blues.

 

August 5 - 10 - flew to Pensacola and sistas picked me up to go to GULF SHORES. Eric was back in St. Louis working super hard during his first weeks at his new Valvoline on Kingshighway.

August 11 - First time visiting the Tower Grove Farmer's Market...then picked up Lou! This was the beginning of my favorite parts about St. Louis, taking Lou to Tower Grove Park!

August 11-12 - First visit back home...ALREADY?! I think we were a little homesick. Luckily, we got to spend time with bunches of our family/friends.

Once back to St. Louis, I spent the next two weeks lounging, repainting my coffee table, hanging with our new neighbor, trying to train Lou (going to his classes at the Comunity Center for Puppy playtime), and watching Law & Order SVU NON-STOP. Glenn Lee came to visit and we visited the Transportation Museum (Planes, Trains, Cars, and a Tug Boat).

August 22 - Got to meet some of the other interns at lunch - Schlafly Brewery - My memory of this was trying to figure out what to wear, and then thinking I was an idiot for shoving way too much food in my mouth at lunch and then not being able to chew it gracefully...the other girls don't remember this.

August 27 - Sept 5 - First day of internship, long days of orientation, and choosing rotations. Fun times going to lunch with the other interns.

Sept 1-2 - Home for the UofL/UofK football game!

Sept 5 - Yappy Hour at the Boathouse in Forest Park with the other interns and our dogs

Sept 21-22 - Headed to Northern Ky for Bubba and Kathy's wedding! Fun times dancin with family and the after-party in the lobby of the hotel. So fun that Eric woke up in the wrong bed :)




Sept 29 - 30 - Brent and Kasey visited for the 1st time. We got to go to a Rams vs Seahawks game at the Edward Jones Dome.