Ode to the Secret Spot

O Secret Spot O Secret Spot

Your elusiveness is charming.

You hide behind the building

the fact you even exist is alarming.

Everytime I drive down the row

I drive by you ever so slow.

Most of the time, o spot, you are filled,

but tonight I looked and my heart stilled.

You were empty, o spot, with no car insight

You were empty, o spot, much to my delight.

So now, o spot, my little blue car

is in your warm embrace so I don't have to walk far.

So thank you secret spot for your very existence

finding you empty took lots of persistence.

A few fun websites to distract you...

http://www.starbucksloveproject.com/

---Create a love drawing

http://www.eatingalabama.org/

---Cool blog to follow-- these people went an entire year eating only Alabama locally grown foods. Now they work to advocate eating/shopping locally and cooking your own meals.

www.mysterygoogle.com

---No matter what you type in, the results from the previous person's search appear. Crazy results!!

http://www.instyle.com/instyle/makeover/

---Get a new look from hair to make-up!

Thoughts by M.A.

I admit I stole this idea from the chain e-mail that has been going around...but these random thoughts are completely original.

Whenever I am driving through a school zone and pass the traffic director, I always look back in my rear view mirror just to check that that neon vest is still standing. Alarming?

The other day someone was telling me about her twin sister. When I asked if they were identical, she looked confused and stated, "No she's not my twin." Oh...right.

Why is it that we insist on getting the parking spot that is two spaces closer to the building? Do those five extra feet really make much of a difference in the long run?

If I ever catch someone staring at me, I prefer one of two approaches to reciprocate the gesture. 1) Stare back at them until they feel as uncomfortable as they have made me feel (who's the starer now??). 2) Begin laughing to myself while staring contemplatively at the ceiling...all the while seeing how long it takes them to look away. Might as well give them a little show, right?

At weddings, as the doors open and the bride enters the church, I like to be the one to turn around and catch the face of the groom. Oh wait, that idea was already in a movie. (I've now noticed more people doing that since that movie came out, by the way).

Though I am now 20 years old, I still never fail to avoid stepping on the sidewalk cracks. Mom has just had too many back issues to mess around.

Why is it that if I see a penny on the ground, then I will dodge traffic, risk contracting a bacterial disease and bend over in front of everyone behind me in order to pick it up? A dime on the other hand? Nah.

I always feel like the communion plates passed around at church serve as some form of competition. OK we have Bill handing it in from the left...Martha grabs it too quickly and I miss the opportunity to place my offering in it...panic...if I act fast, I can hand my money to the guy behind me to deposit once he is handed the plate...mild hysteria...pass-off occurs...dabbles of sweat break out across my temple...he lands it in the bowl...breathe.

Every once in a blue moon I get the sudden urge to yell out a word or phrase in some absolutely inappropriate place (class, church, etc.). I then pause and think about how this one spontaneous blurt could possibly alter the path my life then takes. I could become a complete social outcast by this mere mutter...I could ruin my grade in the class...I could simply dismiss the outburst as a misinterpretation of some other word phrase (My dog has fleas!!! What? No, I said the answer was B) and move on with my life. Should I really have to contemplate to that extent before making said decision?

I absolutely loathe when I am shopping and making my way down a rack of clothes and someone on the other end, making their way towards me, seems to think I need to move out of the way as they peruse my half. OH friend. I beg to differ.

Elevator buttons remain, to this day, one of the most exhilarating sources of enjoyment.

I simply don't understand when there is a toilet left unflushed. I mean, do you plumb forget? Pretty sure you should have learned that one by now.

There have been many a days when the free samples at Sam's Club have served as my buffet-style lunch.

Speaking of free samples, my life would be incomplete without them.

Why is it that I have a massive test in the morning, an article to critique, a basketball game that I could be attending, a weekly schedule to plan, a body to exercise, a pair of eyes to sleep, a parent to call, a to-do list to stress over, a life to live, a husband to marry, a child to birth, an itch to scratch, a memory to reminisce, and a tale to tell yet I am sitting here writing this blog? Just a thought...

How to save a life

Today I did a good deed. I don't mean to brag but I saved a life.... I donated blood. You see we have the beat auburn blood donation event going on and hating everything auburn as I do I decided to participate. I tried to round up some of the other bookends but Kathy replied with a resounding No and Mary Alice went on to describe the trauma her arm had received of late- lunch lady injuries, TB test ,etc. I do not blame MA for backing down.... if I had been injured in the lunch line of duty I probably would have said no too. Anyways.... I traveled outside the AGD house and to the LifeLine bus which was conveniently located down the row. I stepped inside and waited to go in the little room which I have dubbed the room of inquiry. You sit down with a lady you don't even know and she asks you a series of very interesting and sometimes incredibly personal questions. I wonder if she has gotten any good stories from people saying yes? After I was all cleared I went to the middle of the bus and sat down in a donation chair- right arm please. They pumped my blood and when I was "100% myself" I was cleared to leave. I am now proud of pink wrap of honor. Yes my arm hurts and I will probably bruise like crazy... its my amazing talent, but it was worth it. Life saved today? Check!

Fro Yo from Yo Mo

Last night, my friends and I climbed the mountain. The Yogurt Mountain. Let me tell you, it was epic. This place made me feel like a kid again. First, we grabbed a monstrous cup for the frozen yogurt. There were several types of frozen yogurt to choose from. I personally recommend the Cake Batter, although my friends who got the Cookies n' Cream said it was wonderful. Next, we proceeded to the "topping bar" where there were countless amounts of delicious toppings available to us. There was everything from fruit to cereal, which I never really thought of putting cereal on top of ice cream, but hey, some people might like it. After loading my Cake Batter frozen yogurt down with cookie dough bits, Reese's cups, Twix pieces, and yes, a few pieces of cinnamon rolls, I was set. Now, $0.45 an ounce does not seem too bad. Oh, but it can be. Those little ounces add up so fast that before you know it, you'll be eating a whole pound of frozen yogurt and toppings. Beware: an ounce is MUCH less than you think it is! For me, I will probably never go there unless I have a coupon. I did have a 50% off coupon last night, which definitely came in handy after purchasing my 10.7 ounces and only paying for half. All in all, Yogurt Mountain (or the "YM" as I will now refer to it) it a pretty cool experience. Go climb that mountain.

So, I am sitting next to Kathy and she is forcing me to write on this "awesome" blog. I am not much of a blogger, but I do not want to study for my test, so here i am. Ok Kathy....This is for you. Hi. This is my blog.

Down Came the Rain

Today, Ida hit campus! I'm sorry, I did not realize I needed a canoe to get to Shelby Hall! I set out for genetics class at 9 am in shorts, a t-shirt, my new rainjacket and my every trusty chacos. By the time I reached Shelby I was soaking wet. The kind of drenched where you have to dry off your legs with paper towels in the bathroom. Where your worried you may catch hypothermia in class because your shirt is wet. We were given four questions in genetics- two of which I got wrong so I should not even have braved the weather anyways. Also, the new rainjacket- epic fail!!! So for now I will put on my Target rainboots and brave the lake that was formerly known as the quad. Happy Sailing!