Yeah, so I've been MIA, oopss!

So yes, I have been MIA the past two weeks and its because of a lot of things... first, Thanksgiving break I was busy busy spending time with my family, playing with my nephew, cooking, baking, seeing the Blindside, seeing my cousins, hanging out with Drew, going to the aquarium, attending a comedy show, spending time with my sisters and of course, working on just a little bit of homework. My Thanksgiving break was wonderful!

BUT THEN.... it became one of those weeks when everything goes wrong.... on my way back to Charleston someone crashed into my car, which then made me collide into the car in front of me. Everyone was okay but obviously it was terrifying and after recovering for an hour waiting for the police, I had to continue to drive 100 miles to Charleston with my car falling apart, cracking and creaking. I pulled off on an exit and lucky me, some really nice man stopped and helped me out by bungee cording my bumper on and tying up my trunk so it would stay closed. I was calling my parents and Drew about a million times to ask their opinion about my car, the wreck, what I should do, what they think is going to happen, etc, etc.... I don't know what I would have done if my friend, Alison, wasn't there with me to help me out the whole time. Thank goodness, or else I would have been balling crying and probably call a tow truck home.

So.... after this fiasco, my week was completely out of control. Well, it started out fine because my roommate had a birthday so we had some fun celebrating just a bit on Monday night...

 but then..... due to my bad decision to go out on Monday, I had to pull an almost-all nighter doing homework and studying on Tuesday night. I had so many projects this week and being the procrastinator I am, I got nothing done ahead of time and saved it till the last minute. Even after getting just two hours of sleep Tuesday night, I still was not ready at all for my final exam on Wednesday because I was working on other important projects for that day, and I had to work Wednesday before class, so, you know.... I was screwed...

THEN... I woke up that morning to my street being flooded by a huge monsoon. You know how last time I was raving about it and said that as long as my car and house were safe that I thoroughly enjoy having a river as a street??? Well, I have completely changed my mind... well, only because my car wasn't safe this time and got flooded with rainwater and I was forced to walk through it. The rain was literally up to my thighs when I walked through it and you don't even want to know what kind of gross things I saw floating in the water while I walked down the 'street' to go to work.... well, stop reading if you think you might throw up because I'm going to tell you anyway... I saw beer cans, cigarette butts, dog poop, a used tampon, a container of chewing tobacco and not to mention, trash cans were floating around in the street along with trash bags full of trash.... can you say EEWWW EEEWWW EEEWWW EEWWWW EWWWWW!!!!!! I never even thought about all that nassssttyyyyy stuff last time it flooded. The grossest thing is I had to go straight to work after walking through that. UGGHH GROOSSSS! So while I was at work, my car was filled with about three inches of water on the floor, just sitting there, with no one to take care of it. I don't think I could even count the number of times I called Drew crying on this day... oh I was so worried. My poor car has been through so much....

So... to continue my ranting and raving... I'm sitting at work yesterday, not prepared to take my final exam, not ready to turn in my paper for that same class and my car is flooded.... I leave work to go directly to my class so that I can fail my exam and not turn in my paper....... when suddenly, I hear that CLASSES HAVE BEEN CANCELLED FOR THE REST OF THE DAY!!! ohhh myy goodness.... the man above has completely saved my buttocks... after all the terrible, horrible things that have happened, I still get to be the luckiest person alive. Oh yeah, I also got a parking ticket that day, because I moved my car, and in my frantic mode of being an hour late to work due to the flood... I of course forgot to pay the meter.

So, my engine didn't get ruined (thank goodness), but I spent a long time in the parking garage looking like a silly person soaking up the water on my floor with an uncountable amount of towels.... ohh jeez. So today, not to complain even more (except I just can't help it), I spent all day working on this other project due today, (that I had all semester to work on...oops) and I turned it in at about 6:00 p.m., JUST in the nick of time! My teacher just happened to still be there, even after the doors to the education building were locked. HOW LUCKY AM I?!! She just laughed at my frantic state when I turned it in... HA!

Soo... to conclude my long ranting and raving about my past week, I have realized that even though all of these unlucky, annoying things have been happening to me (and I will admit, the school stuff is my own fault), I still happen to be incredibly lucky through it all.

In my car accident: I wasn't hurt, it wasn't my fault and the other person's insurance is paying for everything (plus that man helped me mend my car for the drive back, oh, and alison was there to keep me sane)...

In the flood: my engine still works, I have been able to dry out my car with a wet vac and even though it was an annoying, horrible hassle, and I thought my car would turn into a big lump of mildew, everything is going to be fine....

Final exam: the storm just happened to cancel my class!!!!...

Project: my teacher just happened to still be in her office at 6:00 p.m on a Thursday!!!! WHO AM I??? and why is everything going so wrong yet so right all at the same time??

OH yeah, and the stuff I DID manage to turn in just in time this week... I am such an absolutely and unbelievably lucky duck.

Amazing. Just Amazing... Whew.

My overachieving big sister...

So you know how I was saying my sisters are overachievers??? WELL, my very ambitious, goal-oriented sister has set the most amazing and daring goal for herself. She has decided to run a 26.2 mile marathon to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. How awesome is that?? She has also set a goal to raise $5,000 for blood cancer patients before the race in April. It gets even better.... get this..... the marathon that she's training for is going to be held in Paris!!! I am so jealous! She just started training with a team in Atlanta, a mix of beginners and experts, so it should be an interesting and exciting experience for her. I'm so jealous that she has the motivation to do something so amazing and cool and for such a good cause!!! I'm going to make her force me to go running when I go home for break and I am probably going to slow her down on her training process, haha, oh well! So she's just getting started on everything, but if you are interested in donating to my fabulous sister's cause, visit her new little blog here and help her reach her amazing goal!!! She'd really appreciate anything she can get! Even 5 measly little dollars, it will go a long way! Plus, I would love you forever :)

{I also discovered that making important words bigger is amazingly fun and dramatic}

a short, but very sweet visit

{the only picture taken this weekend, thank you, self-timer}

Drew came to visit and we had so much fun! Just as I had predicted... we sat around my house watching movies, cuddling, laughing, eating and telling stories. Whenever we watch T.V., we don't actually watch it.... we just kind of goof around on the couch, and when we're not goofing around, we catch little snippets of whatever is on the T.V... its great. Its so funny because it always takes us hours upon hours to decide and agree on a movie to watch... but Drew brought up a very good point when he said, "Why do we care so much about what we're going to watch? We never end up actually watching it!" I thought that was a very true and wise statement, but I still care deeply about what we watch for some strange reason....

We were planning on cooking a fabulous and delicious dinner, but we were too busy snacking on spinach artichoke dip, salami, crackers and wine... I know, a very strange snack, don't judge...

We did get a chance to go bike riding, but for transportation purposes only, it was cold and rainy so it was not too enjoyable... we ate at Hominy Grill, which has the most delicious bacon I have ever eaten in my life... and then we spent hours at Kudu Coffee, chatting it up.

It was probably the shortest visit of my life, but I'm so thankful that he has the patience to drive 7-8 hours to Charleston just for the weekend! It was definitely worth it. Its amazing how doing nothing by yourself is so boring, but doing nothing with a person you love can be the most fun in the world.

prettiest cupcakes in the world

I made these absolutely beautiful cupcakes this weekend! We got these sample sprinkles that look like glitter and it makes the cupcakes look like they came from a magical wonderland... I made them to give to Drew's parents on Saturday but I didn't get a chance to see them! So then I was going to give them to Drew to take back with him but then I forgot! So now they're sitting on my counter being picked at by my roommates and I......! I wish i could freeze them and keep them forever because they're just that preettyy! I'm so proud!

my favorite person is coming to visit!

2 days and counting... Drew will be back in Charleston for a couple of days, and I can't wait! He's coming back to Charleston to move all of his things and I get to spend some fabulous, wonderful, quality time with him! Although it will be a short little visit, I am looking forward to every minute of it! Hopefully we will be going on bike rides, cooking, eating at our favorite places, spending time with Olivia and Tyler and staying up late doing fun things like bowling! Well... these are my plans, but I rarely follow through with my fun plans because I fall asleep or get in my lazy, homebody mood. However, I will be just as happy if we end up sitting in my living room watching movies, eating popcorn and eventually, snoring on the couch with cats lying on top of us.

what a sleeping beauty....

Big sisters are bossy, but for some reason I love them.

I've always been quite the jealous little sister. Both of my older sisters are much smarter, more mature and way more motivated than I am or ever will be. You may think I'm just saying that but its true... there are studies that show that older siblings are smarter than younger ones... its okay, I've accepted it. They always seem to be five steps ahead of me in life, although I guess its because they're older, its still frustrating. Rita is the most organized, on-top-of-it, creative and witty person I know. Jessica is the bravest and most adventurous, goal-oriented person I know... and I'm just the little sister trying to live up to their amazingness.

Its always been so annoying to be the little sister, because your big sisters are always first in being able to do things, like picking the better room, sleeping in the bed instead of the floor at the hotel, getting the window seat on the airplane, and staying home alone.

Plus, they have a way of making you do things you don't want to do, its weird. They have a technique of phrasing things so you feel like you have no choice but to do it. My sisters have always bossed me around, just because they can, and I'm a pushover. Recently, I have actually been standing up for myself and saying no to them when they tell me to go upstairs and get their shoes (I know, its taken me 21 years to be able to fight back, how pathetic).

Oh yeah, they're also much better shoppers than me. I hate shopping so I always stole my sisters' clothes growing up. I get lazy and don't want to look for the bargains at Marshalls, so I go to the expensive stores and buy what's on the mannequin and then spend all of my money on one thing... so stupid. They always yell at me for buying stupid things that aren't even cute. When I'm rich I'm going to pay my sisters to shop for me, it will be fabulous.

Anyway, my sisters are pretty awesome, despite the fact that they take advantage of my passiveness and are complete overachievers... I have learned a lot from both of them and I would probably be a complete loser if it weren't for them telling me that my outfit looks stupid or that I don't know how to put on make up or take care of my hair. They have also taught me how to behave like a normal human being, and not make a fool of myself doing stupid things. Even though I still do that often, like when I set my hair on fire. They've taught me a lot of life lessons. I was always the kid who knew about "older people things" before my friends did, because I had big sisters who would inform me about stuff that I probably shouldn't have known about.

Even though they boss me around, at least they are the only people on earth who are not scared to tell me that I'm being an idiot or that I look stupid in that outfit. I look up to them both because they're my big sisters, and I want to be just like them! I always have...

family picture, 1988

mmm... Chinese Food

Last night, in my attempt to relax, Claire and I ordered Chinese food for delivery (despite the looks, it was delicious). We chowed down while watching stupid yet fabulous shows on T.V. like "World's Strictest Parents" and "Supernanny". It was awesome. But then my fortune cookie said: "As long as you don't sign up for anything new. You'll be fine"... hmmm does the Praxis count as something new??? haha, oh well. Then I went to bed at 9:30... earliest I've been to bed since I was about 12 years old, it was amazing. I love laying around eating and doing nothing instead of stressing out, its so relieving!

I took the praxis. I have no idea how I did. I'll find out in a month, and that is all. Thanks for the comments, made me feel 290,489,323,829 times better!

... and I still can't wait till Thanksgiving!!!