Awkward and Awesome: All the Phone Calls

I am not a person who likes talking on the phone. I never have been. In high school, I worked (briefly) in a doctor's office and I dreaded having to answer the phone.

That said, today was spent making any number of phone calls. I had a list of to-dos that I had been putting off and I finally made a list and got almost all of them done. I still have one more phone call to make (okay, maybe two), but at least everything else got a check mark beside it.

Anyways, I thought I'd take a couple minutes to recap the awkward and awesome moments of my week.

Awkward:
- A complete lack of motivation. I was only successful today in getting things done because I made a list. (Perhaps there's a lesson to be learned there.) Next week, I start working again, and at 7 a.m. too, so I won't be able to be quite as lazy going forward.
- The place where I'm house sitting has an old school rotary phone and the ring is so loud. Seriously.
- There's also a mail slot in the door. The mail scares me every single day I hear it come crashing in. The first day I literally jumped. And then was embarassed because I was also still in sweats.
- My love for Biscoff cookies (or speculoos, as the non-branded name goes). I bought a package at World Market (a.k.a. the most dangerous store ever) over the weekend and they were gone by Tuesday. Tomorrow I plan on attempting to bake some of my own. Bad plan? Probably.

Awesome:
- I finally watched the first episode of Downton tonight. I know many of you have seen the whole season already, but I've been saving it. While it seemed a little slow, I love the dialogue and varying unfolding plot lines. Plus, a friend came over to watch while we snacked and enjoyed some wine, so it was a pretty perfect evening.
- I'm headed to Portland for the weekend with my mom. One of my oldest friends, since we were months old, got engaged and her family is having a party. Then we'll watch the Seahawks (win, fingers crossed!).
- But first, I'm having brunch with some lovely ladies I met via blogging and social media. It's so fun to see community formed through the Internet.

Apparently most of my awesomes are in the future, but at least I have something to look forward to. What have been the awkward or awesome moments in your week?

Awkward and Awesome: Third Time is Not the Charm

(Also known as the one where I seem to lose my marbles. Don't believe me? Keep reading.)

(Also, also known as the one with all the parentheses.)

This is attempt number three at trying to write this post. I'm up at my parents' for the weekend (hello, free food and family trip to see the Hobbit). I was trying to type up my awkward and awesomes from my phone earlier.

One time I forgot the save a new draft when I went back in, losing countless tens of minutes of work (okay, maybe ten). The second, when I went to save it just disappeared, leaving you all to sit through this long explanation that you've now wasted a few precious seconds reading.

Now it's actually Friday, not the usual Thursday.

Basically, we all lose. You're welcome.

One to brighter news. I'm a B.A. M.C.!!!

And, no, that doesn't mean I'll be holding a mic onstage, keeping others entertained anytime soon.

I'm done with school. (Captain obvious alert!!)

(I just spent untold minutes trying to remember the phrase "captain obvious alert." I actually ended up resorting to Google.)

Let's move on to the main event. The best and not-so-best moments of the week. Not all of them involving me.

(Is that cheating? I don't care.)

*ahem* Anyways...

Awkward:
- I was scolded by the mail woman for not picking up the mail. She rang the doorbell and there I stood in basketball shorts and a sweatshirts. (Now that I'm graduated, I dress how I want. Also, I have fewer reasons to leave the house.)
- My sleep schedule recently. I blame no longer having a job start at 6 a.m. and finishing school. Example: one night this week I slept from 2:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
- My parent's dog, Jamaica, has a cracked shoulder. I treated her with snuggles all day. And made her scrambled eggs with leftover chicken and rice because she hasn't been eating her regular food.
- My dad and sister went to get the tree last weekend and it's still naked. Other things have taken precedent, like a pipe bursting and flooding the basement.
- I asked for addresses for cards early this week and I still haven't even ordered the cards. Holiday season 1, Elizabeth 0.

Awesome:
- Finishing school. Duh.
- I was a baking fool this week, thereby (hopefully) curing myself of the need and having the chance to increase my cookie dough consumption. I'll post soon with pictures and recipe links, just in case you have the same craving.
- I'll be house sitting for one of my professors for January and part of February. This gives me a job hunt buffer period, gives me a shot a waiting to see what posts in the New Year, and allows me to perfect my resume instead of rushing to get it out.
- An amazing dinner Tuesday night wrapping up my last class. We did it potluck style and everyone contributed something delicious. The best.
- Have I mentioned I have a Master's degree?

So, what's been awkward or awesome about your week?

Awkward and Awesome: Finishing

I've been feeling only marginally productive over the past couple days. Things are getting done, but not with as quickly as I'd like, the blame for which lies with me. Obviously.

Tomorrow I plan to go for a nice long walk and do some work at a coffee shop, away from the distraction of hooking my computer up to my TV and catching up on shows.

I also wanted to say thank you for all the well wishes finishing about school. It's been just the boost I needed to get through the last week or so of work (fingers crossed I'll be done with everything by next Tuesday evening).

I wanted to pop in to share some of my awkward and awesome moments from the past week. Because I'm always up for an excuse to "take a break."

Awkward:
- Getting sucked into Battlestar Galactica. I swear, Amazon Prime Instant Videos are the best/worst thing to happen to me. I've only seen a couple of these shows previously. Now I'm through the first two seasons. My watching has slowed down in the past couple weeks.
- School loans and not having a job lined up has me a little stressed.
- My roommate's cats have fleas. Not many and they've been treated, but I've banned them from my room (they love to hang out with me during the day) for a few days.
- Criminal Minds. I love that show but this week's episode was too much. For serious.
- This may sound silly, but the recycling at our apartment always fills up way before it's picked up. So today I took down all the recycling that had built up in our kitchen right after the truck came by.
- I've really, really been wanting to bake something, but haven't because I'm trying to eat fewer sweets and a batch of cookies would not support that plan. Because I would eat them all. The end.

Awesome:
- Feeling super supported by my program's community as I transition from student into (hopefully) the professional world.
- A delicious lunch at an Indian buffet today, to say goodbye to a classmate. The food was delicious and the company was great.
- Plans filling up my weekend: Friday night, most of the day Saturday, with Sunday open for laziness and football. Perfection.
- Having pretty much all my present purchased for Christmas. One more person to go and I'm set.
- My sister came down and hung out all last weekend. It was so good to have sister time again. I love that we can just sit side-by-side and read and totally enjoy ourselves. :)
- Fatmumslim's Photoaday for December. I love having prompts and being reminded to take photos every day. Plus I love meeting new folks on Instagram.

So, what's been awkward or awesome about your week?

Awkward and Awesome: Rambling Along

Can I just share one blogging pet peeve with you all? I have to, I've been holding it in too long. When people have posts dedicated to photos and then put all the captions at the bottom. It's impossible to see the picture and the corresponding info.

</endrant>

Sorry I just had to get that off my chest.

Also, feel free to let me know if there's something I do (besides really infrequent posting...) that drives you nuts. Really, friends tell friends that stuff.

This week has been cray-zee. So I'm a little (a lot) loopy and already counting down the minutes until I go to bed.

(I'm thinking 40 min...just kidding....kind of.)

Tomorrow I work, then I'm chaperoning a bunch of high schoolers with my dad then I'm headed to my parents' for the weekend. Expect gratuitous puppy pictures when I return. For now, enjoy my awkward and awesome moments.

Awkward:
- Trying to leave a blog comment but not getting the comment verification (a.k.a. sanskrit) right three times in a row. I gave up. My mental health was at stake.
- My busy-ness this week has led to very little sleep. It doesn't help that I somehow decided it was time to start reading for pleasure again. I really don't have time for that stuff. All this to say, I haven't gotten near enough sleep (and haven't even taken one nap).
- Speaking at an event today, being asked a question, answering a question and completely blanking on the second half.
- I've consumed an entire gallon of egg nog already this year. I don't even know what to add to that.
- Me in a grocery store alone. Or maybe it's because I just cook for myself. I can't go for just a couple items. I come home with random stuff. I wander around forever and mutter to myself. I'm not even being dramatic right now.
- There not being any cheap Halloween candy at the grocery store today. I think I was in a healthy neighborhood or something. Needless to say, I was bummed not to find any good 50% bags.

Awesome:
- Being asked to speak at an event about my experiences covering the election for school.
- I've only gone to Starbucks once in the past two weeks. I've actually been using the egg nog as motivation to make my coffee at home. I substitute the nog for creamer. Yum!
- New shoes! There not here yet, but I can't wait!!
- I got to attend a cool event about technology trends and creativity. I learned a lot. And got to meet some new people.
- Waze. It's a crowd-sourced map app. I've been hating the new iOS upgrade (for many reasons) and was looking for good directions. This one gives you the shortest route based on traffic as reported by other drivers using it. And it seriously works.
- A night at Teatro Zinzanni for Halloween. Even though it contributed to my lack of sleep, the evening was amazing. There was singing, acrobatics, acting, a really delicious 5-course meal, and the Food Network was filming. Fun!
- Meeting up with a Twitter friend last Friday for dinner. Thanks for hanging out Ashley! She was in town from CO for a few days. And she didn't even mind when I was ready to head home to bed at 9 p.m.

Who knew there was that much going on this past week. Thanks for making it to the bottom of the list.

What's awkward and awesome in your world??

Awkward and Awesome: Early morning edition

If only you could see me right now. My roommates cat's have me pinned. Since I work early mornings and then have school and other commitments most evenings, Napoleon, Mittens, and I spend a lot of quality time together during the day.

Whether I want to or not.

And if you follow me on instagram, you've probably noticed the sudden influx of cat pictures. When in Rome...

Anyways, my grand plans of prepping for the week and catching up on commenting kind of failed. Luckily I still have this evening to accomplish some of that. The commenting at least. I hope.

For now, though, I leave you with some of my awkward and awesome moments from the past week. At least you can count on me for these posts.

Awkward:
- Having to be at work at 4 a.m. I don't know how reporters do it on a regular basis. Seriously.
- I took my computer in once for a small problem and it was supposedly fixed, but I don't think it actually is. And now my headphone jack doesn't work. Awesome. I need to take care of a few things, though, before I can go back in to Apple, just in case they have to keep it a couple days.
- Never being able to grocery shop for just a couple items and always thinking just a basket will be enough. I always look ridiculous by the time I get to the register.
- Also, half of my $50+ grocery bill today was dairy. I don't know what that says about me, except that I'm definitely not vegan.

Awesome:
- Getting to go out with a reporter for a morning. It was fun to see how things work outside the station, even if we were outside all morning and it was cooold.
- We also got to ride back to the TV station in a cop car. My first! And no cuffs involved.
- Taking naps two days in a row this week, for a total of 7.5 hours. Bliss. I haven't napped today in hopes I can fall asleep early.
- Getting excited for the election. In part because ads will finally disappear, but also because I feel like I've been following things pretty closely and am interested to see how everything plays out. I'll be working that night too, so I won't have to get up at the crack of dawn.

Any awkward or awesome moments from your week? Please share!

Awkward and Awesome: Two Weeks Worth

Tomorrow is my catch up day for blog stuff (and napping). My schedule has been all over the place, and I've been doing a lot of writing--just not here.

In fact, if you want to get to know a completely different side of me, here are a few things I've published over the past couples weeks in other places: (Fair warning: half of these posts are for a political blog. Also, no judgement if you read none of them.)
- Monday morning round-up from last week of important stuff
- A local Startup event
- Video about #firstworldproblems...this is a must watch, seriously.
- Digital side of the presidential campaign
- The one where I rant about the cost of education

So there you go. Proof I haven't completely dropped off the face of the earth.

My goal tomorrow and over the weekend is to put a few different posts together so next week the blog can look a little less sparse. Also, I plan to leave a few dozen comments around the blogosphere. I'm coming for you!

In the meantime, here are a few awkward and awesome moments from the past two weeks. I've had some good ones.

Awkward:
- not waking up to my alarm one day and getting to work at 7:30 instead of 6:00. Impressive, huh?
- walking to the bus with my dress tucked under my backpack. My only saving grace was that I was wearing tights.
- breaking the blinds on my window with my Herculean strength. And then taping a tablecloth over the window, which turned my room into a cave
- sending an old version of my resume in *sigh*
- my level of tiredness. It's 7:45 and I'm seriously considering going to sleep.
- fantasy football has been a rollercoaster and not in a good way. I won't get into the details because you probably don't care, but let's just say injuries suck.
- my use of grammar/punctuation in this post. It's better if we ignore it.

Awesome:
- getting to hang out with my sister and enjoying some delicious pho.
- having a relaxing weekend with my sister and uncle out on the island. (I feel so high class saying that..."on my island home..." hehe)
- being halfway through my final quarter of school, probably forever. I've basically been on a college campus for nine years. weird.
- getting to see my friend's baby, Eli, finally. I hung out with them yesterday, exactly four months after he was born.
- having rockstar people in my life. seriously blessed.

On that note, I'm heading to bed. Let me know what's been awkward or awesome recently for you!

Awkward and Awesome: Sister Time

My sister is down for a quick visit. We had plans to go out to the island again this weekend, but schedules got mixed up and I'll be headed out next Saturday morning instead.

So I talked her into to coming down here for a bit instead. It wasn't a very tough sell. We don't have any major plans, but it's fun to hang out again after she left me down here in Seattle. ;)

Anyways, I wanted to stop in and share some of my awkward and awesome moments from the past week. I'll be buckling down this weekend to get a lot of work done, for school, for blogs, etc. The list of to-dos is getting done.

Awkward:
- Still trying to get my sleep schedule on track. I've been making some changes and trying some things out, but I'm still not thrilled. My body just really doesn't want to go to bed as soon as it needs to.
- Finding out that breakfast sandwiches and wraps count towards stars earned at Starbucks this week. And I do love those bacon gouda sandwiches. My bank account. Well, it sees things a little differently.
- How much working again makes me want to buy new clothes. I've worked really hard this past year not to shop much, but now that I have to look presentable, it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking I don't have much to wear.
- My blu-ray player not reading the Redbox movies we got tonight. Luckily I can hook my computer up to the TV, but it's still a little annoying.

Awesome:
- I managed to take two whole naps this week. It was monumental.
- Sister time. Delicious happy. Fun movies. And maybe a little shopping tomorrow.
- I was able to attend an interesting seminar about storytelling today at work. Since I'm working at a TV station, it was great to get a better idea of how TV works. It's not something I had knowledge of.
- I got to live blog the debates last night with a couple of political experts, and it was a cool experience. I didn't contribute a lot to the discussion, but I definitely learned a lot.

So I've run out of the brain power to think of more. What awkward and awesome moments have you had recently?

Awkward and Awesome: All the Awkwards

To be honest, this post is going to be heavy on the awkards. I'm feeling a little sleep deprived, punchy, loopy, etc.

In fact, it took me three tries to spell 'deprived', if that's any sort of indication.

I also just edited a 3300 word blog post for one of my other gigs, so that didn't help much either. There's a reason every blog post here takes me forever to write. And it's not because they are really long.

Anyways. I am going to move on from my rambling to bullet points. I think it will work better. Or less worse.

Awkward:
- Waking up an hour before my 5 a.m. alarm. Yucky. I'm still not over it. Obviously.
- I had to walk past a man sleeping outside my work's front door yesterday. I tried not to wake him.
- I wore a white top while cooking mole sauce. Very, very bad idea.
- My inability to nap is really a bummer with my current work schedule. I am not falling asleep as early as I need to and then I can't fall asleep during the day when I have the time to. So annoying. Also, I get off at 10 a.m., so I should have time to accomplish so much. But I don't want to. Because I'm tired. All that to say, I get why kids get so cranky when they lack sleep. I could go for a tantrum right now. </end rant>
- Feeling like an old woman. Random aches and pains.
- My roommate's cat Napoleon loves my window, but there's no screen, so I spend a lot of time worried he's about to fall two floors to the ground.

Awesome:
- Having a random guy on the street tell me I was beautiful. What girl doesn't love that?! Especially when it's not a sleazy/creepy.
- Being told I did a great job at work.
- My family already planning the menu for when I'm up visiting this weekend. Just one of the many reasons I love them.
- Peanut M&Ms

So, what was awkward and awesome about your week?

Awkward and Awesome: the short and short of it

This week has ended up being a bit crazy. I have only eaten one or two meals at home so far, if that says anything.

Due to that, this is only post #2 for the week. But I do have three more days to get another post up to meet my goal.

But before I have to head off to work (my coverage today changed from 6am to 3pm--a little different) I'd like to at least share my awkward and awesome moments from the week.

Awkward:
- 6:30 feeling like sleeping in.
- The amount of money Starbucks getting from me now that I have to be at work at 6am.
- Waiting until today, the day before the registration deadline, to sign up for classes (which start Monday)
- Injuries have decimated my fantasy football team.
- Having a whole bullet about fantasy football.
- Approximately 10 half finished blog posts. It's not that I don't have ideas or enjoy blogging. It's that other stuff seems to get in the way. Like playing solitaire. (Mostly kidding about the solitaire.)
- It's been cold in the mornings but hot by the afternoons. Basically, I have to make an outfit change most days. I'm such a diva.

Awesome:
- Catching up with a number of different friends. Plus the friend dates included brunch, lunch, and happy hour. So wonderful!
- Getting a comp ticket to a beer/food pairing event. 11 stations filled with local restaurants and breweries. So delicious.
- Having my work shift change for two days. I'm enjoying "sleeping in."
- Being able to use my old laptop so I can get work AND watch all the episodes of West Wing. Plus, once I finish I get into all the shows starting back up this fall.
- Freshly painted nails, that haven't chipped (yet).

So, what's been awkward and awesome about your week?

Awkward and Awesome: Catching Up

It's been a busy couple weeks with a lot of free time (I'll leave you to decipher that one). I thought I'd use my awkward and awesome post to catch up on what's been going on.  Just in case I don't actually get everything posted that I've been meaning to.

Awkward:
- The amount of time I've spent watching West Wing recently. This wouldn't be bad except that I watch with my computer hooked to my TV, so I get absolutely nothing done while it's happening.
- Getting up at 5am. I am not and never have been a morning person. Case closed. Also, I fell asleep at 9:15pm Tuesday. And it still wasn't a full night's sleep.
- I planned to go grocery shopping on Sunday and still haven't made it. Although I'm a little bit proud of myself for successfully creating meals from what I had on hand all week (even if most of them weren't much to write home about).
- The size of my closet. It's tiny. My stuff is just wedged in there. Over the past year or so, I've gone from big to regular to small. I have purged and haven't really shopped much. I think I'll just have to keep jamming stuff in.

Awesome:
- The new job. I'm learning a lot and now about any current event that matters, all before 10am. And I know I complained about the wake up time (because it's not fun), but having my day to get stuff done, whether or not that happens, is pretty awesome.
- The weather here. We're set to be in the 70s for the next week. I'm not quite ready to let summer go, so I appreciate this.
- The West Wing. I love this show. And it's free to stream via Amazon Prime. I'm getting my money's worth on that one, just in the last week. (Seriously, I'm almost through season three.)
- The G-Whizz! app. I love it because I'm able to keep up with my blog reading on the bus, waiting somewhere, or while West Wing is playing. :)
- The number of new computer programs/systems I'm figuring out. I'm definitely going to learn a ton over the course of the internship.

So, what's been awkward or awesome about your week?

Awkward and Awesome: End of Summer

This year, Labor Day weekend is actually marking the end of my summer. School doesn't start for a couple weeks but I am starting an internship (more on that later) on Tuesday. So I am soaking up the last few days of freedom with a visit out to the islands.

Also, I just had the realization that this could be my last real summer. I mean, I have stretched it out for 27 years, but that doesn't make it any easier to stomach.

Anyways, onto the awesome and awkward moments of late.

Awkward:
- The amount of stuff you realize you have when moving (something anyone who has ever moved has probably said). I am so ready to downsize. But I am also trying not to go overboard since the closet at my new place is tiny and also has to fit my coats.
- Scaring my downstairs neighbor--the one I haven't met yet. I was opening my door right as he was coming out. He literally jumped. And then basically ran away.
- Having no clue what class to take to finish out my degree. I'm really unsure.
- Not actually getting this posted on Thursday. But it is getting posted.

Awesome:
- One last summer getaway this weekend. I'm headed out to the islands with the fam. My uncle is hosting us and we're bringing him some essentials.
- I got an internship!! I'll be working on the digital team at a local TV station starting Tuesday. So excited!!
- I'm at my parents' house for the night and the puppy is cuddled up next to me. He's in a bit of a hellion stage right now (we'll call it puberty), but he's so dang cute.
- I finally saw Dark Knight Rises and really enjoyed it. Also, I basically drove into town, changed into yoga pants in the parking lot (classy!), and walked in to see the first preview. Perfect!
- Officially only having one apartment. Bliss!

So, what has been awkward or awesome about your week?

Awkward and Awesome: Way Late

I had this post almost ready to go on Thursday, but then I felt guilty about hitting publish while in class, was on the phone while near wi-fi later, and feel asleep without thinking of it.

This no internet at home has made life a little more complicated, so sorry for the spotty posting here. It's not likely to improve in the next week or two. I hope you don't hold it against me too much. A little is totally understandable, but it's not like I'm doing anything groundbreaking here.

Anyways, I thought I'd still take a moment to share some of the awkward and awesome things I've dealt with in the past week.

Awkward:
- Finding my car locked into a parking garage. Luckily I got it out without too much trouble or worry.
- The weather has not been so summery recently. Come back sunshine and heat. Pretty please!
- Not having Internet at my apartment. Not even a little fun. I have too much work to do.
- Thinking in terms of theory when I'm used to thinking practically. The difference between the two is kind of huge.
- My eating habits. It's not that I'm eating all crap, but my diet is not well balanced.
- Finding out I didn't submit something needed to end my lease this month so we have to pay another month. At least we overpaid one month so it's not the full rent amount.
- I haven't gotten one of my loans because I hadn't filled out the master promissory note. But I wasn't told why it hadn't come yet. I had to call. And wait on hold for 20 minutes. It was a blast.

Awesome:
- Tourist time in Seattle. Love this city and exploring new and old things.
- SYTYCD or So You Think You Can Dance. I love this show. The one show I look forward to in the summer. Fo realz.
- The number of times I've had fro-yo this past week. I'm calling this a win, especially because the shop has free Internet.
- Having a new place to live! In August! Close to most of my classmates and friends! I'm pretty excited.
- So excited for the new Batman! I'm not sure when I'll see it, but I am excited. (As a side note: my thoughts and prayers are with the victims and families in Aurora, CO. Such sad news to wake up to.)
- Less than a week to the Olympics. I cannot wait.
- Remembering to grab my headphones before heading out to mow lawns today. My cousin and I helped out my dad, and I was on a riding lawn mower. Driving in circles is only so much fun. Until you add dance moves! :)

I feel like this is getting plenty long, so I'll stop there. But before I go...what is the best thing that happened to you this week?

Awkward and Awesome: The Sunshine Edition

I'm back at my apartment for the first time in a while. And I'm staying for a week or so.

I'm looking forward to a little space for myself, at least for a day or two, and some quiet time to get work done. I left class tonight feeling like I have a lot of work to get done in the next six weeks or so.

For now, I'm relaxing and enjoying the chance to sleep in tomorrow without a puppy dog or two to wake me up.

Now, on to a summary of my week.

Awkward:
- The puppy used my glasses as a chew toy. And I didn't have a spare, so I had to wear contacts way more than my eyes appreciated and use my sunglasses inside. I was pretty cool.
- I put on sunscreen this morning, but missed a few spots. I have some really weird burned spots.
- Realizing that my class tonight is going to require way more work than I thought it would before the end of the quarter.
- My hair right now. I attempted to dye it lighter for the summer and now I have a weird reverse ombre with roots going on. I don't even know how to describe it.
- My cravings for sweets have gotten a little out of hand. With family visiting I'm constantly in vacation mode.

Awesome:
- A trip up to Vancouver that included seeing Taming of the Shrew in a park.
- Champagne grapes as a snack. Seriously, try them!
- My parents got an above ground pool and the weather makes it lovely. I actually worked from their patio this morning just to enjoy it.
- Maybe having a place to live for the fall. I'm meeting up with someone to discuss the possibility this weekend.
- As rambunctious as a puppy can be, I am loving my parents' new lab Cade. He's really laid back (for a puppy) and incredibly smart. My next plan: teach him how to high five.

What has been awkward or awesome about your week?

Awkward and Awesome: Break in the Silence

I hope that everyone had a happy fourth of July. I hope to be back tomorrow sharing a couple pictures and moments from my day. It was definitely wonderful.

I'm mixing it up today. Not two, but three categories for my awkward and awesome moments from the week.

Because it's just necessary.

Awkward:
- managing to shoot an entire day of video for class a few weeks ago without any sound. two thumbs up on that one.
- not enough sleep and waking up between 6 and 6:30 every morning for the past week. It should be noted that I don't have anything to wake up for specifically.
- my cousin's suitcase not showing up with her plane and my dad leaving his cell phone at the airport.
- when people talk quietly in class. Maybe I need hearing aids, or maybe they need to speak up.

Awkward AND Awesome:
- my parents' new puppy. He's adorable, mellow, loves to pull plants out of the ground, and grab anything he can get his mouth on. He's also part of the reason I am on the tired side.
- sweets: homemade ice cream, fresh strawberries with pound cake, cinnamon rolls, coffee cake, and much more. Delicious, but I might have unbuttoned my jeans one day this past week.

Just Plain Awesome:
- the Finnish family arriving for a month-long visit. Let the shenanigans (and eating) begin!
- the weather predicted for the next month around these parts. I feel for the rest of the country in the midst of a major heat wave. We're headed for 30 days of temps in the 70s and low 80s. Perfect summer weather.
- berry season. We picked 34 pounds of strawberries last week. I cannot wait for the raspberries to be ready. Favorite!
- random love punches. Perfect a little pick me up. Seriously try it!

I'm keeping it semi-short tonight. Because of the sleepiness, the schoolwork, and the family time. What's been going on for you this week?

Awkward and Awesome:

Happy Thursday! That means it's almost the weekend. Did you know this is actually my favorite day of the week? Except for this week. Just refer to the first bullet under awkward to see why.

I'm keeping my list of awkward and awesome moments for the week short and sweet. Again see the first bullet.

Awkward:
- I'm on campus almost 14 hours today. Try to hold back all your jealousy. Please.
- I didn't have any caffeine before class this morning. Trying to keep my eyes open.
- Not being able to fall asleep when you really need to. Is there anything worse?
- Paying for and downloading the Windows version of software. I use a Mac. High five!
- The amount of food I cooked last night. For one person. Needless to say, I'm going to be eating chicken with quinoa and veggies for the next week or two. If only I were exaggerating. Okay, maybe I am just a bit.
- Having the apartment to myself. I mean, it's nice. Except for the fact I have to fight talking to myself. All. The. Time.
- The frustration that is iMovie. Probably because I don't have a clue what I'm doing. Grrr.

Awesome:
- A new computer!!! I've been thinking about it for a while and finally pulled the trigger this week (with a little encouragement from my dad). I'm the proud owner of a MacBook Pro. Just in time for a video storytelling class I'm taking.
- The NBA Finals being on a channel that I get. The first few rounds of the playoffs were a little difficult to watch.
- A really great trip to see my cousin in Boise. We had so much fun. At least I think so! Plus, the flight was quick and easy. I'll definitely be back there.
- Summer produce. I just spent $18 at the produce stand and go so much good stuff!
- Real live books. Okay, they aren't alive. But seriously, my kindle just doesn't quite compete.

Awkward and Awesome: Money Problems

I'm off to hike in the rain and do dinner with a friend. I'll let you know how awesome that is later.

For now, here is how the rest of my week has gone.

Awkward:
- Having my hairband snap while pulling my hair back up at a restaurant--it went flying. For all I know the band could have ended up in someone's food and I was left with slightly out-of-control hair.
- My rent check for May getting lost in the mail.
- Not being contacted by my landlord that it wasn't received.
- Having to pay $10 to cancel the check.
- The University hasn't released financial aid information for the summer. Class starts in 10 days. That should go well. I obviously have an extra $5,000+ laying around.
- The amount of hard alcohol in our apartment right now. The bottles are plentiful but we haven't paid for all it. So there's that.

Awesome:
- Road trippin'.
- White water rafting. I'm ready to go again. In fact, I think that might be my birthday outing this year.
- End of the quarter fun! Get togethers, parties, happy hours, and an evening cruise.
- Fun mini getaways planned for my week off between quarters. One close, one a little further away.
- Mixing whipped cream vodka with orange juice = creamsicle. So yummy! (But also kind of dangerous.)
- Two trips to the gym in one day. I really wanted to watch the basketball game so I lifted and did abs in the morning, and then went back for cardio that night.

What's been awkward or awesome thus week for you?

Awkward and Awesome: Roadside

Hey everyone! I'm somewhere between Minneapolis, MN, and Rapid City, SD. You know, just a normal Thursday afternoon.

I thought I'd share some of the great and not-so-great moments from the past week.

Awkward:
- My check engine light coming back on. I haven't dealt with yet because of the long weekend and travel. Add it to the to-do list when I get home.
- Trying to walk home from the grocery store with coffee, a gallon of milk, and a bag. Then trying to open the door to my apartment. It took some balancing skill but I pulled it off.
- Being told that I went through my presentation slides too fast and having to go back through them.
- The number of parents that brought their kids on a 3.5 hour overnight flight. I would not want to be dealing with that exhaustion tomorrow.
- Taking off my shoes for airport security and realizing they don't smell so great.
- Getting an e-ticket sent to my phone (awesome!) but the airport security couldn't scan it. So much for saving trees.

Awesome:
- The really good sore feeling after lifting weights at the gym. And working up a good sweat. I've missed that.
- Getting compliments from my classmates after our presentation. I love that people are willing to ask questions, but also show you love. The people in my program are awesome!
- Drew's round-up posts of The Bachelorette. Seriously the funniest thing I've read in a while. Go check them out!
- Class getting out early enough that I had time to run home, eat ice cream, and change before heading to the airport.
- Our purchases while on the road today: growler of cold-presses coffee, buffalo skull, super sized container of Tootsie Rolls. That's how awesome the trip has been so far!
- Getting 3 more hours of sleep after getting to MN. So needed and wonderful.
- Feeling like I've got my blogging groove back. :)
- It's almost officially summertime. My favorite season of the year!

So, what were your awkward and awesome moments last week? (Bonus points if it makes me laugh!)

Awkward and Awesome: TV, Driving, and Sunshine

I like taking things to the wire, which is why I'm posting my awkward and awesome moments from the past week now.  

Either that, or I just spent the past couple hours watching New Year's Eve. 

You decide which.

(By the way, I only watch critically acclaimed movies. Obviously.)

Enough with the introduction, I need to get this done by my midnight deadline. Also, I want to go to bed.

Awkward:

- The amount of laundry I have to do. Good thing I'm going up to the padres this weekend.

- The fact that greek yogurt isn't always a good replacement for sour cream. Luckily mom salvaged the beef stroganoff.

- Having a sales person at Nordstrom take my sister and I seriously as we try on ridiculous hats. Oops.

- Forgetting to set So You Think You Can Dance to record. That show is basically the best thing all summer. Luckily this week was just the first tryouts. But still.

- My overuse of lists and fragment sentences. You. Are. Welcome.

 

Awesome:

- My manual driving skills today. Downtown hills are not for the faint of heart and I rocked it.

- Sunshine and a trip to the top of the Space Needle. I was being tour guide for some out of town visitors and they really had to twist my arm to get my to go.

- The soreness that follows a good workout. I'm riding the gym high, even if I probably won't make it back until after the weekend.

- The fact that this time next week I'll be in a completely different part of the country. I have another trip next week that I'll share details about soon.

- Three day weekend! Okay, so I don't have a job, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate it.

- Hearing all the things you were thankful for. Seriously made my day!

With that, I'm calling it a night. Can you tell the blood, sweat, and tears I poured into this post?!

What's been awkward and awesome about your week?

Awkward and Awesome: Deadline Edition

Happy Thursday! Okay really, it's Friday since the day is over. The good news about that, it's basically the weekend. Yay!

I just wanted to share a few moments from my past week. Hopefully I'll be back with more soon.

Awkward:
- The fact that it's been a week since I lasted posted. Sorry folks! I'll be back with more soon.
- Reaching the end of the day and realizing that I really need to go grocery shopping and don't really have a dinner option. Grilled cheese it is.
- The increased sun has caused my motivation to drop a little, just generally, but I'm hoping a couple relaxed days will get me back on track.
- The ending of Grey's Anatomy. I just caught up on the season today with my lazy day and that ending was a downer. Does anyone else watch?

Awesome:
- A really fun weekend in Portland. I got to hang out with some awesome people, eat some delicious food, and hear some great stories. Hopefully I'll be back soon with a round up.
- Booking a ticket to go visit my cousin in June.
- Receiving my first Vox Box from Influenster. It's full of beauty goodies to try out. I haven't had a chance to play with it yet, but hope to this weekend. I'll let you know what I think.
- Plans for breakfast in the morning to catch up with a good friend. The early hour is totally worth it.
- Enjoying the nice weather recently with some outdoor running. There's nothing like it.

I'm basically two weeks away from being done with the quarter. Crazy! What have you been up to?

Awkward and Awesome: Bullets Again

It probably seems ridiculous for me to do another bulleted list so soon (as in a day later), but there's nothing you can do to stop this madness. I don't even think I have the power to stop it.

Anyways, you have two choices: read it or ignore it.

Awkward:
- More mold in the apartment. The window surround in our bedroom was gross. And I found two pairs of my heels were beyond saving. Sad days. Also, I'm sharing this with before my landlord...but I did already clean it all up.
- The cover of Time this week. There's nothing you can say that will convince me otherwise. It's not even about the topic, but how the picture was posed and taken.
- My laziness and lack of focus the past two days. Seriously. My projects are taking me forever. Even this oh-so complicated blog post.
- Trying to grocery shop when my list is on the phone I'm talking on. I came with some things I definitely didn't need and without some important items. I'll make it worth.

Awesome:
- A classmate introducing me to the TV show Sports Night. It's pretty awesome and a total flashback. Probably has something to do with the lack of focus mentioned above.
- A trip to Portland this weekend in an RV. Woot woot. It's for class, but I'm hoping to meet up with some good family friends along the way.
- The weather. I mentioned this yesterday, but it's supposed to be in the 80s the entire time I'm down in Portland. I probably should be more upset about this as a sign of global warming or something, but I'm just going to enjoy it.
- Chocolate and peanut butter ice cream. Fancy cheeses. Tater tots. Though not together.
- Having Amazon Prime and getting things shipped in two days. It's especially good because my vacuum cleaner's bag was getting really full.

I better just stop myself there and try to get a few things done. I'd love to be able to check at least one item off my to-do list tonight. Even if it's just making and eating dinner.

Sadly, it might be a challenge.

Before I go, how's your week?