Ideal Sunday: Walk Drake up to Belly General Store w/BT. Sit outside, Drake in his own chair, while eating a fresh bagel & delicious OJ. Smile, make small talk with people passing by. Come home, lay askew on the bed with the Ninja Turtle blanket for an hour. Rise, eat a bowl of my latest obsession. Go to Target, get household supplies. Go to Old Navy, get tattoo-hiding-friendly Easter outfit. Run into Cheri & Christy. Go to Publix, get groceries & subs. Eat aforementioned subs, drink grape soda, watch Religulous. Call the family, talk about our week. Shamelessly watch Rock of Love. Sleep.

Today was an ideal Sunday...although it could be a little sunnier and maybe ten degrees warmer. While I truly am happy the drought is "officially" over...this kid wants some 75 degree, not a cloud in the sky, no chance of rain, days.

As far as grad school news go...I haven't registered yet, but it looks like I will be in the following courses:

• Southern Studies Graduate Seminar I (required for first-year students)
• Special Topics: The Global South
• Documentary Photography & Oral History

Um, stoked. Classes Mon, Tue, & Wed only. 1 - 3:30 on Monday, 4 - 6:30 on Tue/Wed. Hopefully I will be able to get a job on campus to soften the blow of the $25,000 of tuition alone for the next two years.

Getting really excited to move. Three and a half months left, roughly. Kind of sad, mainly happy. Ready for change. Don't regret taking a year off, but ready to achieve what I know I was meant to.

I attempted to take a picture of Drake since I am sending holiday cards for the first time.

This was the result.

October in full swing.

This year has been a year of trying new things (shooting range, kayaking, camping, etc...), and I have to say, I've really enjoyed it all. Trying to get as much experience out of my early twenties as I can without going flat broke. So far it has worked out pretty well.

Hangliding was amazing. Definitely one of the coolest things I've ever done. On Sunday Danielle, Laura, and I made the relatively short (1 1/2 hours) trip up to Lookout Mountain to begin our unconventional 23rd birthday celebration for the two of them. We ended up getting there about an hour before our reserved time, so we headed to Cloudland Canyon to walk around for a while. Again, so amazing how nature molds itself. After that, we checked in for our 3:30 reservation and went down to the launch/landing site to watch a quick video and put our harnesses on. I was the first one to go. My instructor, Pete, was pretty cool. He eased my nerves (I had told him I was afraid of heights). They have a little plane that almost looks like an old crop duster plane that tows you up to altitude (2,000 feet) then lets you go. That part was by far the scariest...the plane tows you at like 30mph then lets you go with a snap. After that, it was smooth sailing for about 20 minutes. We caught a couple of lifts which brought us up to 2,5000 ft at one point and flew next to birds and over the mountains. When he asked if I wanted to do any "roller-coaster type" tricks, I declined, being so nervous; I wish I would have now though! I didn't even let go of the handles on his harness; I should have not been such a pussy and grabbed the bar. Either way, it was an awesome experience, and I'm so glad I didn't wuss out.

Thanks, Lookout Mountain Hang Gliding!

I either don't want to see any movies coming out, or I want to see all of them. There is never any middle ground. Religulous looks amazing, and I've heard good things about Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. Although I hate admitting it, I kind of want to see Quarantine; it opens at the Starlight on Friday, so maybe BT & I will go. It looks like a good drive-in movie, especially now that Halloween is close.

Speaking of, I need to go get Drake a Halloween costume. Target has a super cute Batman costume and a Superman one as well...I'm leaning towards Batman for him, but we will see...

In conclusion, all I have to say is:

A third of the way through September - seriously?

I'm finally feeling back to my old, healthy self. Last Wednesday, I went to the doctor with horrible fatigue and body aches, 103-degree fever, and a 124 heart rate; I had a gross virus that had mutated and spread throughout my body and was pretty dehydrated. I was hooked up to an IV and got a sodium chloride drip then was put on antibiotics for 14 days. I am feeling much better, and according to my blood test results, I don't appear to have the flu or mono. Very happy with that, and very happy to be feeling not like a blob.

BT and I took Drake to Bark in the Park at Turner Field on Sunday. It was the first time I have actually gone to the event, rather than working it. We were on the jumbotron (aka Braves Vision) - a first for us all! As you can see, Drake (and his human counterparts) had a blast.


Other than being sick and going to Bark in the Park, not much has been going on in this kid's life lately. I am settled into my new place, and it feels like home. Work is slowing down, now that kids are back in school, and the holiday season is over. I'm still planning on taking the GRE next month, although I need to get my brain back into shape. I haven't had school in almost four months; I'm pretty sure that is the longest time I have gone without it. I am trying to enjoy my year off before heading to Ole Miss, but I just feel restless; somehow working at a dog daycare still just isn't cutting it. At least Drake benefits from it.

The fact that women are "flocking" to Sarah Palin just because she has a damn uterus makes me sick. And as for people referring to her as a feminist icon, she most certainly is not. Not only as a Democrat, but as a woman, I would never even consider voting for her, or voting for McCain just because he picked a woman as his VP running mate. When asked if her own daughter was impregnated by a rapist, what she would encourage her daughter to do, she replied "I would choose life." First off, it should not be her decision. Second of all, everything about that sentence makes me sick. Not to make this blog a forum on abortion, but it is my strong opinion that nobody should have control over a woman's body except for herself, not even her mother. Aside from that, she fired a librarian because she wouldn't ban or censor books that Palin found offensive or objectionable. Let's see; so far, she doesn't believe women have the right to chose what happens to their bodies and apparently doesn't believe in freedom of speech either. That's who I want in charge of my country should John McCain die. I really hope after the initial media frenzy around her dies down that people, women and men alike, will wake up and see her for what she really is.

While on the subject of womanly issues that disgust me, read this article, and tell me this isn't prostitution. Capitalizing off of your sexuality? Yea, I'm pretty sure that is considered prostitution (strippers aside). And seriously, selling your virginity to pay for college tuition? I want to get my Master's without taking out loans just as much as the next person, but there are things called financial aid and scholarships I intend on looking into. Not auctioning off my body. Oh, people of America, you never let me down.

A few exciting things going on in the next few weeks...Brandy is about to have her baby...going to see Les Miserables with my mom next weekend (probably should warn her of my latest tattoo first)...taking a weekend trip to Asheville with BT at the end of the month...and fall is just around the corner (although I'm sure it will continue to be 80 degrees until mid-October).

Also, Drake and I have a shared love of Yuengling:

Obligatory Monday post.

Things just keep getting better and better. Seriously, it must be the horseshoe. Or maybe someone just decided to cut me some slack. I'm the happiest I've been in a very, very long time.

It's so weird that school is starting, and I'm not going back. It's borderline bittersweet. No more $7/day parking down off Decatur Street. No more homeless people hassling my broke ass for money. No more fighting through the plaza during the daily lunch hour rap offs. No more climbing five flights of stairs because the elevators are so damn crowded, it takes ten years to get on one. So yea, maybe that's not such a bad thing...

You know you are getting old when you get excited about things like new towels and sheets. Yesterday I bought these Thomas O'Brien bath towels for the new place, and they seriously are so big and soft. I'm going over to paint tomorrow, and I'm even excited about buying paint. Seriously. What gives?

Girl Talk's new record "Feed the Animals" is awesome. BT was listening to a song last week, and I was pretty into it so I went home and downloaded the rest of it. The way he mixes hip hop with classic rock is awesome; it's unexpected, but it works. It definitely makes me want to start working out again, ha. I think once I get settled in my new apartment and the bank account is done getting a beating, I may join LA Fitness and try and get on a 2x/week routine and work my way up to 3x by winter.

The Olympics have been really great to watch. I wasn't really watching that much of them when they first started, but this past weekend I've gotten really into the swimming, gymnastics, and track & field. It was ill watching Michael Phelps get his 8th medal. I wish I had an ounce of athletic talent in my body, but it looks like it's just always gonna be pen and paper for this kid.

I got my b&w roll from the train yard developed and printed, and they came out pretty good. They aren't as sharp as I'd like them to be, but I think the Holga just isn't a good camera to shoot with no flash indoors without lots of light. I bought four rolls of all different types and speeds of film, both b&w and color, and I'm really excited to go shoot. I need new locations to go though, so I believe a little urban exploration is in store.

BT and I took Drake for lots of walks this weekend, and I'm ashamed to say he is horrible on a leash. Coming to work with me has definitely spoiled him since he doesn't have to go for many long walks on a leash. For being a small dog, he pulls like a freakin' Rottweiler. I need to start getting my Cesar on with him. Last night, we walked around Inman Park to look at all the amazing houses and found that he has an interesting habit; whenever we are walking next to a yard that has a low wall, Drake likes to hop up on it and walk for a few feet then hop back down. It's so silly looking; he is just like a little kid. Best dog ever, seriously.

Tonight is the premiere of the fourth season of The Hills, and Danielle and I are having ladies' night in celebration. That show has been my guilty pleasure for years now, so it's only right that I ring in it's new season in style. We are eating lasagna, drinking beer, being dudes, and eating this for dessert.


Seriously, could it get any better? Doubtful. And this pretty much embodies my weekend:

So content.

Seriously, America? Seriously?

Wow. From my understanding, the artist meant it as a satire for the way right-wing media treats Barack & Michelle. I think I speak for most people when I say it failed badly - very badly.

Brief:
-I've started taking melatonin at night; however, I've also started having chronic headaches. Not sure if this is related but it is possible.
-Two days till I am en route to Oxford! I am hoping very hard (my personal version of praying) that I can hide the tatts from my grandmother for 72 hours.
-"Everlong", "Ramblin Man", AND "My Own Worst Enemy" on Rock Band II?I really do need to hop on that bandwagon.
-Oh, Josh.
-Drake does my job for me:

Rebels '09.

It's funny - ever since I graduated, all I can think about is going back to school next fall. Even though I've still got a year before I plan on going, I still want to be as prepared as possible. Next week my mom and grandma and I are going to visit Oxford and tour Ole Miss (and Rowan Oak!!), and I am so freakin' excited. At first, I was really nervous about choosing the school as my grad school just because it's so far away from everything I know (6 hrs from the ATL); however, it is my only option if I want my MBA in Southern Studies, and I actually think Oxford would be a nice change of scenery. It only has a population of 20,000 (35,000 when school is in session)...a big step down from Atlanta's 5.3 million. The cost of living is pretty low, but the town still has some nice restaurants and bars with live music (Proud Larry's, anyone?), plus a lake nearby and this seemingly awesome bookstore called Square Books. I think I'll be okay there...as long as I get some visits from Atlanta folks, maybe for some tailgating at football games?

The MBA program is really small, and the Center for the Study of Southern Culture seems like it's going to offer a lot of hands on experience and will let me work closely with faculty that might be really helpful in landing a job later on down the road. Plus, they offer courses in documentary fieldwork and photography which I think may be a direction I try and follow once I'm there. Working on a documentary about Southern culture or about Southern writers would pretty much be my dream job.

I am really nervous about getting in though. It is the only grad school I will apply to, more than likely. I graduated magna cum laude from Georgia State so I know my GPA isn't an issue; I'm just not sure how that will really stack up against other people. Plus, I have to take the GRE still, and I'm not totally confident in how I will do - I hate standardized testing (especially analogies), and I haven't had any sort of math class since I was 18. I know can get two good letters of recommendation, and the 500-word statement of purpose won't be a problem. It's just that damn GRE - seriously scares the living daylights out of me.

I'm pretty nervous about what my finances will be like down there. Luckily, Ole Miss's tuition isn't too costly in comparison to other grad schools; if I go full time, out of state tuition in fees will be $5,000 a semester. Once I can claim residency, it will be split in half to about $2,500. Today at work I looked at a bunch of scholarships & grants that I want to apply for, and I'm going to try to get an assistantship so I can get a tuition waiver and maybe a living stipend. I probably will still take out of a loan because if possible, I'd like to be a TA and go to school full-time and avoid working and doing something like waiting tables. I need to check out some financial aid books from the library and fill out FAFSA when its that time. I'm going to try and start saving some money for when I do move, but honestly, it's hard to save money when you hardly make enough to live in the first place...

In non-school related news, as trashy as it is, I Love Money is an amazing show as pure entertainment. Oh, VH1 - always keepin' it classy. Mr. Boston might be the most awkward individual alive. Bless his heart.

Also, big ups to the Braves for winning the record-setting 17 inning game at Turner Field last night! We can always rely on Mark Teixeira to do something amazing and manage to adjust himself more than anyone else on the field while doing it.

Last weekend I went & looked at a basement apartment in a house owned by an Emory grad student in her mid-20s. I really liked the house, and she seemed really nice. It has a private entrance and a fenced in backyard; it's 1200 square feet (twice the size of my apt now), most of which is in the bedroom. I probably will end up buying some room dividers and making one half the bedroom and one half an "office" with my desk and such. It is a hideous salmon color with wood paneling that I definitely am going to paint a more neutral color. The bathroom is bigger than what I have now, and the living room is small but doable. The kitchen is a half kitchen with only a fridge, sink, and very little counter space. However, I am not exactly known for my culinary skills (that'd be Josh's job), so I don't need a big kitchen although if I did, I can use the one upstairs There is no washer/dryer hookup downstairs, but I have full access to the one upstairs. The rent is $75 cheaper than what I pay now, and my utilities would be split three-ways with the other tenants upstairs. I'm definitely going to go with it - this marks the fourth year in a row that I have made a move.

I leave you with one of my favorite pictures of Drake ever. This was on his first birthday last week with his new chicken toy.

Snow in the ATL.

It's snowing outside! I haven't seen this much snow in a hot minute. We had a snowball fight at work tonight - my first one in years. Probably the best thing at The Wag I've done and gotten paid for. It was Drake's first time seeing snow (in Atlanta, at least - he did come from Fargo); he liked chasing the snowflakes more than anything.

By the time I got out of work at 7:45, my car was completely covered.

I'm really, really hoping that Georgia State cancels classes tomorrow. The off day would be MUCH appreciated guys. It's so sad when not even two weeks in the semester I'm itching to get out.

Spring Break is the first week of March, and with all this cold weather, I'm definitely trying to go somewhere warm. Hopefully, a friend from work & I are gonna go to Mexico. Definitely not Cancun, but I do think Cozumel would be amazing. I honestly just want to relax, get a tan, snorkel, kayak, swim with dolphins, and see some ruins - all away from the ATL. Wonderful.

I know it's such awful television, but I can't help but watch the first episodes of American Idol. It really makes me wonder if people's families or friends even listen to them before they audition. If you knew somebody was that bad, regardless of how much you love them, would you let them humiliate themselves on national tv? Obviously, some of it has to be a joke, but come on. There comes a point where you have to be like, "Listen - you're awful. Don't do this."