let the good times roll

In about twenty minutes I’ll be leaving the office for the weekend, so I might as well do something productive while I’m here. Fridays are typically more upbeat than this, but today I haven’t had much to do, which doesn’t help the fact that I’m about to pass out. I think I might make a quick trip to the break room to guzzle down the left over morning coffee for a quick pick-me-up.

I have got to stop procrastinating. This week I have run myself ragged trying to catch up on everything before I leave this afternoon, and am still behind. (In my defense, my “productive plans” were put on hold for some long over due friend time.) Fortunately, I will be at the lake tonight, and the forcast for the rest of the weekend has “relax” written all over it. (With high percentages of partying throughout the weekend.)

Though I didn’t get all my tasks done, I did manage to get in a few unimportant things done, big surprise there. I got my nails done, went on an outrageous shopping spree that I don’t even feel guilty about (yet), rode almost every ride in Six Flags, emailed whom I thought was my roommate for next semester (turns out it was the wrong person), and contemplated piercing my nose. Wow, obviously the pre-August “start being a little more responsible so you’re ready when school starts again” mode is not functioning yet.

I still need to change my oil, get my hair cut, get my horse back in shape, move furniture out of my house at Murray, and start that diet that I meant to start…last year.

Oh well, it will all get done in due time, (hopefully before rodeo week!)

It’s about time for me to head out the door, so I hope everyone has a good weekend like I’m about to! Thanks for reading….love you all! Until next time, go out and buy yourself something nice, trust me, it feels pretty good! After that, sit back with a little umbrella in your drink and let the good times roll.

Love always,

Addie

“Barmaid, play me some Buffet,  I’m in a mood to get away
So Pour me a vacation, I need to leave here right away
I got to get out by the ocean, if its all in my mind
Take me out to paradise only for tonight
I can leave it all behind.” -Great Divide

always dreaming…

Went to see the movie Inception last night. Let me just say, it took some analyzing and some thinking to get through that one, but I would love to sit down and have lunch with the writer of that movie. Absolutely incredible, and I’m definitely going to need to see it again to make sure that I put all the pieces together correctly.

Over all I had a very interesting night even after the movie was over. It rained, and for those of you from the Bootheel, you know that when it rains, it pours. Usually I’m out like a baby when the thunder rocks and rolls me to sleep, but last night was different. My brain definitely wasn’t ready to shut down and I’m not sure if it was due to the fact that I thought someone might infiltrate my dreams (doubtful, I don’t get persuaded that easily), or due to other things weighing on my mind, but either way I kept waking up about every hour. (Ok, so it could be to the fact that I was having to share my bed with an oversized dog because he is scared to death of storms.) Regardless of the culprit, I’m actually not that tired today, and the weather has cooled off thanks to the down pour so it’s a very nice day!

Through it all last night I couldn’t quit thinking about several quotes from the movie:

1. “Never recreate from your memory. Always imagine new places.” – we shouldn’t live in the past because trust me, it turns out bad. (People like Mal will haunt you and your every dream.)
2. “You mustn’t be afraid to dream a little bigger.” (as he pulls out a grenade launcher)- nuff said.
3. “You’re waiting for a train; a train that will take you far away. You know where you hope this train will take you, but you can’t be sure.”- sometimes we have to take chances…you can’t get something you’ve never had without first doing something you’ve never done.
4. “You keep telling yourself what you know. But what do you believe? What do you feel?”
5. “Dare you take a leap of faith? Or become an old man, filled with regret, waiting to die alone.”
6. “What’s the most resilient parasite? An Idea. A single idea from the human mind can build cities. An idea can transform the world and rewrite all the rules.” – I think this is very true. We have the power to do anything we want to. And ideas really are like parasites of the mind…once you get one, you can’t get rid of it. Idea’s that pop in your head continue to pop up until you do something to act on them. Crazy.

I love the depth and complexity of this movie. Mind boggling? Yes. But definitely worth the headache.

While I’m on the movie review, let me just say  that I appreciate the realism of Remember Me, but I personally was not a fan. I am a romanticist and I enjoy watching movies with a little “magic” in them. Though it’s not always practical, it’s an escape from the real world and reminds us for just a minute that miracles still happen and everything is possible. Gives me a chance to dream again. Not in this movie though. I wanted a good ending, this ending wasn’t magical, it was real. So for me, it wasn’t a “good” movie…it should have been listed under documentaries or something.

I just want to end this post by saying how regretful I am about Kendra Grey. I didn’t personally know her, but I know she will be missed by many. Always remember that the choices you make can influence other people’s lives forever. Even people that you didn’t even expect to touch. Think twice before acting.

Love always,

Addie

“You can’t live an undecided life.”

traditions

There is something to be said for traditions….I’m not sure exactly what because to me traditions come with more of a sense of pride. It’s a feeling you get, all swollen up inside you, that makes you so excited and proud at the same time. Or at least that’s how I feel for most of the traditions that I have been a part of. Some things are so special that they cannot and do not need words of explanation; they can only be expressed through feelings.

I have been a part of and witnessed many traditions over the years. One in particular, I got to re-live last night: “the Schindlers trip.” Ever since we were old enough to drive ourselves, a few of my friends and I have been making trips to Schindlers, always sitting at “our” table and ordering the exact same thing to eat: order of skins and baloney burgers all around. Our names were written on the wall several years ago, and have recently been covered by a “Boulevard Brewery” sign about a year ago, permanently (and now secretly) designating that area for “our” table.

In high school we typically visited “the hill” about once every two months, but now that we’re all in school and spread out all over the map, we can only go when it fits into our schedules. Every time the door opens and the smoke of the bar fills my lungs, my heart begins to sing, knowing that I will shortly be singing my favorite songs from the juke box, trying to play pool, and chowing down on a deliciously greasy baloney burger…and more than likely, finishing off the afternoon/night with a short road trip over the “sisters” and wherever else Mamie the navigator decides to take us. The simple word “Schindlers” brings up some of the best memories that I have ever made and always makes me anticipate the next trip. Last night’s trip ended in an obvious trip of “sisters out on the sisters” (inside joke), levee riding, bed surfing, and running through a pivot. Nothing short of anything I would expect to experience on a typical Shindlers night. I guess you can take the girl out of the Bootheel, but you can’t take the Bootheel out of the girl.

I was also really happy to see some familiar faces in the smoky, little hole-in-the-wall, last night. A small group of girls from Sikeston high school were gathering as we were leaving. The thought that they might be continuing our tradition made me smile.

I cannot believe how fast summer is flying by. It seemed like it was going to last forever until July hit. Now I will be leaving for school in a short four weeks. I haven’t even been to the river yet this summer! AHH! Guess I need to get on that soon, along with moving furniture from Murray, and picking out decorations for my new room in Mississippi. I bought some throw pillows the other day, but that’s as far as I have gotten. I found a rug that I liked, but of course it was $600, so I think I’ll pass. I have learned that my latest hobby is home décor, but it is a depressing hobby because I usually find that the things I love the most are the most overly priced. That’s when inspiration strikes and I get my “I’m pretty sure I can just make that” ideas. So far I have made three pieces that I fell in love with, and saved almost $100! Yay for creativity, sewing machines, paint, and glue!

I’m so happy with the way that this summer has turned out so far and I still have one month left, that if all goes as planned, will surely top the rest of the summer by far! I love where my life is heading and can’t wait to see how it all turns out. Not that I don’t ever run into setbacks, but I always try to stay positive about life and understand that without the bad, we couldn’t appreciate the good. Resiliency and humbleness are some my favorite words to live by. I love when I can feel the joy in my bones…today is definitely a good day! Keep smiling!

Love always,

Addie

“Dating is like trying to make a meal out of leftovers. Some leftovers actually get better when they’ve had a little time to mature. But others should be thrown out right away, No matter how you try to warm them up, they’re never as good as when they were new.” –Lisa Kleypas