I don't even know where to begin... so here are a few really quick updates.
I guess I can start with Kevin and my Disney trip. We had an absolute blast in the 8 days we were there, and it was definitely a much-needed vacation. I've posted my pictures online, so if you get a chance, definitely check them out.
I also graduated this past weekend! Yaay! I've still got one more class to go this summer, but at least I'm almost officially done. I'm in the middle of a grade appeal, though, because I got a B in my last class. I technically made an 89.6 in the class, so my instructor rounded it down to a B. I've had a 4.0 in the entire program, so this B dropped it down to a 3.89. I shouldn't really complain about making a B, but I've worked really hard to make a 4.0 in this program, and I hate that 0.4 took me out of that game. Not cool...
I'm also starting P90X on Monday. I created a separate blog about it (laurensp90xadventure.blogspot.com), so check out my progress throughout the entire program!
Anyway, I know this is really brief, but hopefully it gives you a little bit of insight on my life for right now. It's crazy, but maybe I'll be able to blog a little bit more this summer. :)
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Time to go Racing!
Daytona International Speedway. A race track with a tradition of excellence, speed, and craziness. This weekend marks the 52nd annual running of the Daytona 500, and so many epic milestones have or will be reached by the end of the race on Sunday.
To begin, history was made in the Nationwide Series in two ways. We'll start with the female addition to the male-dominated sport. The Daytona Nationwide race was the first race with a female participant since a few years ago, but here's the kicker: all the media grabbed on to Danica Patrick, but no one remembered that Chrissy Wallace was also making her first start in this series. It particularly rubbed me the wrong way when the ESPN ticker only mentioned Danica's history-making start and conveniently forgot about Chrissy. Then, while watching the Speed Channel's Nascar Live coverage, none of the commentators mentioned Chrissy either. Apparently all the media was too absorbed in Danica-madness to remember the other female entrant. Did Chrissy have a pre-race interview to ask her about her start? Nope. Did Danica have a pre-race interview? You betcha. She also got in-race video and audio feed, as well as about a katrillion interviews after she got caught-up in a wreck. It would have been horrible to be completely overshadowed when both of them were almost equally skilled drivers making their debut. Danica's debut lasted more than Chrissy's, but still - both of them need to have coverage; not one or the other.
As some of you know, I haven't jumped on the Danica Patrick bandwagon and don't intend to. Yes, it's awesome to see a female driving; however, I'm not really a fan of how she markets herself. Participating in provocative GoDaddy.com commercials and posing in Playboy and Sports Illustrated apparently is a way to get fans, but let's think about this for a minute. Nascar is one of the only sports that allows every family member to root for a different team without having to flip channels to find that team. This means that lots of little kids will watch the races, oftentimes choosing a driver and idolizing that particular individual. So, would you want your little girl to see Danica's suggestive commercials or posters and think it's perfectly fine to do that? I know I wouldn't. Say what you want - I'm not jealous that she's successful or is making a name for females in Nascar, but I just think that talent should get you fans... not your half-naked body.
Anyway, the second historic event was when Tony Stewart won the Nationwide race earlier today. This marks his 5th win in 6 years. Spectacular. His car was pretty much unstoppable all day long, so he was definitely the most deserving winner. It was definitely a crash-filled race, especially with the huge wreck involving Dale Jr. and Harvick that almost touched Stewart, but that's just racing. That's how it should be.
The possible entrants for the Daytona 500 seemed even more stressed this year than in the past. There were many different individuals who geared for the last few 500 qualifying spots from the Duel 150s, including Michael Waltrip and Max Papis, so it would definitely be a Cinderella story if any of those teams won the race. It was very emotional for Waltrip when he found out he was in the race, but it was so awesome to see that passion in his eyes. You can tell that he's a racer for the right reasons. I also watched Max Papis' interview on Nascar Live earlier today, and he is definitely one admirable guy. He seems so humble and appreciative to have the opportunity to race, so he's definitely gained a lot of respect...or at least, a lot from me.
Before the 500 begins tomorrow, we've got to hit the truck series really hard. It's just about time for the start to the 2010 Camping World Truck Series, so let's see how it goes. If it's anything like the Nationwide race, it'll definitely be interesting.
To begin, history was made in the Nationwide Series in two ways. We'll start with the female addition to the male-dominated sport. The Daytona Nationwide race was the first race with a female participant since a few years ago, but here's the kicker: all the media grabbed on to Danica Patrick, but no one remembered that Chrissy Wallace was also making her first start in this series. It particularly rubbed me the wrong way when the ESPN ticker only mentioned Danica's history-making start and conveniently forgot about Chrissy. Then, while watching the Speed Channel's Nascar Live coverage, none of the commentators mentioned Chrissy either. Apparently all the media was too absorbed in Danica-madness to remember the other female entrant. Did Chrissy have a pre-race interview to ask her about her start? Nope. Did Danica have a pre-race interview? You betcha. She also got in-race video and audio feed, as well as about a katrillion interviews after she got caught-up in a wreck. It would have been horrible to be completely overshadowed when both of them were almost equally skilled drivers making their debut. Danica's debut lasted more than Chrissy's, but still - both of them need to have coverage; not one or the other.
As some of you know, I haven't jumped on the Danica Patrick bandwagon and don't intend to. Yes, it's awesome to see a female driving; however, I'm not really a fan of how she markets herself. Participating in provocative GoDaddy.com commercials and posing in Playboy and Sports Illustrated apparently is a way to get fans, but let's think about this for a minute. Nascar is one of the only sports that allows every family member to root for a different team without having to flip channels to find that team. This means that lots of little kids will watch the races, oftentimes choosing a driver and idolizing that particular individual. So, would you want your little girl to see Danica's suggestive commercials or posters and think it's perfectly fine to do that? I know I wouldn't. Say what you want - I'm not jealous that she's successful or is making a name for females in Nascar, but I just think that talent should get you fans... not your half-naked body.
Anyway, the second historic event was when Tony Stewart won the Nationwide race earlier today. This marks his 5th win in 6 years. Spectacular. His car was pretty much unstoppable all day long, so he was definitely the most deserving winner. It was definitely a crash-filled race, especially with the huge wreck involving Dale Jr. and Harvick that almost touched Stewart, but that's just racing. That's how it should be.
The possible entrants for the Daytona 500 seemed even more stressed this year than in the past. There were many different individuals who geared for the last few 500 qualifying spots from the Duel 150s, including Michael Waltrip and Max Papis, so it would definitely be a Cinderella story if any of those teams won the race. It was very emotional for Waltrip when he found out he was in the race, but it was so awesome to see that passion in his eyes. You can tell that he's a racer for the right reasons. I also watched Max Papis' interview on Nascar Live earlier today, and he is definitely one admirable guy. He seems so humble and appreciative to have the opportunity to race, so he's definitely gained a lot of respect...or at least, a lot from me.
Before the 500 begins tomorrow, we've got to hit the truck series really hard. It's just about time for the start to the 2010 Camping World Truck Series, so let's see how it goes. If it's anything like the Nationwide race, it'll definitely be interesting.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Ghost experience... no lie!
No joke. I saw a ghost on February 8, 2010.
I came home from an event in Blue Ridge really late that night, so I pulled into the Brenau Admissions parking lot at about 10:00 pm. I parked the Brenau car next to my car so I could easily move things, and started to unload. As I opened my car door, I saw something move in front of the hallway light in the kitchen inside the Admissions Office. Inside the window, I saw - no joke - a grayish, blackish silhouette standing next to the refrigerator door. It looked like a female, and she proceeded to open the refrigerator door while standing there really still. She then turned slightly toward the window, looked my way, closed the door, and *poof*, she was gone. So, while this was happening, I stared into the window, unable to move because I didn't believe what I was seeing. My first thought was, "Oh crap! I'm leaving!" So, I leave everything in the Brenau car because I was peacing out of that parking lot. Well, as I ran around to my driver side door, I jumped in, started the car, and realized that the Brenau car's door was still open. Crap. So, I go running - I'm in heels, I might add - around both the cars to close the door, and run back to my car to leave. Like my luck always goes, I hop in, put the car in drive, and realize I left my phone in the Brenau car. Crap again. So, I pulled the car to the driver's side of the Brenau car, get out really quickly, grab my phone, and speed off. I was seriously freaked out. That doesn't happen often, but I'm not gonna lie. I was ready to drive away and never look back.
I know for a fact that none of my coworkers were in the office that night. No cars were even anywhere close to the building, and from what I've been told, Security doesn't have a key to our office for some reason. That's what makes it even more freaky. I think I'm going to leave a voice recorder in the kitchen to see if I can find anything. Doubtful, but you never know. There's no telling how many ghosts are really on Brenau's campus.
Needless to say, I'm never going inside or near the Admissions Office at night ever again. Ever.
I came home from an event in Blue Ridge really late that night, so I pulled into the Brenau Admissions parking lot at about 10:00 pm. I parked the Brenau car next to my car so I could easily move things, and started to unload. As I opened my car door, I saw something move in front of the hallway light in the kitchen inside the Admissions Office. Inside the window, I saw - no joke - a grayish, blackish silhouette standing next to the refrigerator door. It looked like a female, and she proceeded to open the refrigerator door while standing there really still. She then turned slightly toward the window, looked my way, closed the door, and *poof*, she was gone. So, while this was happening, I stared into the window, unable to move because I didn't believe what I was seeing. My first thought was, "Oh crap! I'm leaving!" So, I leave everything in the Brenau car because I was peacing out of that parking lot. Well, as I ran around to my driver side door, I jumped in, started the car, and realized that the Brenau car's door was still open. Crap. So, I go running - I'm in heels, I might add - around both the cars to close the door, and run back to my car to leave. Like my luck always goes, I hop in, put the car in drive, and realize I left my phone in the Brenau car. Crap again. So, I pulled the car to the driver's side of the Brenau car, get out really quickly, grab my phone, and speed off. I was seriously freaked out. That doesn't happen often, but I'm not gonna lie. I was ready to drive away and never look back.
I know for a fact that none of my coworkers were in the office that night. No cars were even anywhere close to the building, and from what I've been told, Security doesn't have a key to our office for some reason. That's what makes it even more freaky. I think I'm going to leave a voice recorder in the kitchen to see if I can find anything. Doubtful, but you never know. There's no telling how many ghosts are really on Brenau's campus.
Needless to say, I'm never going inside or near the Admissions Office at night ever again. Ever.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Haiti Earthquake
I'm sure you all have heard about this by now, but there was a massive earthquake in Haiti a few days ago. It was a 7.0 magnitude on the Richter Scale, which is next to the top level on the Earthquake Severity scale, and was the worst one to hit Haiti since 1770. One website compares a 7.0 earthquake to the equivalent of 32 million tons of TNT (http://www.seismo.unr.edu/ftp/pub/louie/class/100/magnitude.html). Wow. Seeing all of the damage and people hurting really makes me want to go over there to offer my assistance, but I know that isn't really feasible with my schedule. The country definitely needs our help, so instead of offering physical help, I want to encourage all of you to monetarily help and donate to CARE (www.care.org) or the Red Cross (www.redcross.org). I just donated $100 to CARE, which is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals in impoverished countries. They're heading a disaster relief effort in Haiti and are putting all of their blood, sweat, and tears into this effort. So, I just want to encourage you to take a few dollars out of your pocket and put it toward helping the earthquake victims in Haiti. They need all the help they can get right now.
Monday, January 4, 2010
I love watching Home Improvement at night... one of the best shows ever.
Happy New Year, everyone! It's so weird that we're now entering another decade. Only time will tell what will happen...
My Grandma turned 80 this year, so we definitely had to celebrate this one! We surprised her and took her to see the Rockettes perform at The Fox. She absolutely loved it! She said that she'd always wanted to see the Rockettes, so I'm glad we got to help her with that. She also had a birthday party (that she pretty much planned herself), and it was so much fun. I really think she enjoyed it because she was surrounded by most of her family and a few close friends.
So, now it's time for some updates:
My Grandma turned 80 this year, so we definitely had to celebrate this one! We surprised her and took her to see the Rockettes perform at The Fox. She absolutely loved it! She said that she'd always wanted to see the Rockettes, so I'm glad we got to help her with that. She also had a birthday party (that she pretty much planned herself), and it was so much fun. I really think she enjoyed it because she was surrounded by most of her family and a few close friends.
The weekend after my Grandma's birthday marked the end of my 7th class for my MBA program. I've only got three more, but unfortunately, those classes will most likely be my most difficult ones. I think I can handle it, though. It's probably good that it's worked out for me to take my hardest classes in the Spring because it's a much less busy travel season for work. I've got a 4.0 so far, so I'm hoping to continue that streak and graduate with a 4.0. That's one of my educational goals... along with getting into Phi Kappa Phi. I think the criteria for that is that I'll need to be in the top 10% of my graduating class. The invitations for that honor society go out sometime this semester, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
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I'm pretty sure the 2009 Christmas was the best one in a LONG time. Kevin came over and spent Christmas Eve with my family and me (we're boyfriend/girlfriend again, by the way), and he stayed until around lunchtime on Christmas. We had a great time hanging out with my family and just spending time together. He really stunned me because he got me this gorgeous diamond heart necklace for Christmas. He had originally said he got me "a little something," but boy was I surprised! I think my family really enjoyed seeing him again. I know Jase and Devin definitely did! :)
I also got to spend New Years with Kevin in Birmingham. We went to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse on NYE, and I really think that was the best food I've ever had in my life. It was fabulous! If you've never been there, I'd definitely suggest for you to try it. Anyway, I enjoyed the trip - we just chilled out and watched movies while I was there. He had to work a couple of days, but that was okay because I needed to work on some stuff for my job. I also got to spend some time with his parents, sister, and brother-in-law, so that was awesome to get to catch up with them.
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2010 is sure to be a good year. I have a long list of New Years Resolutions, with one being about my fitness and weight loss goal. I want to be at a specific weight and body fat percentage before April 17th. There's a ton that's going on around that time - May Day for Brenau, our Disney World trip, Brad and Shannon's wedding, and my graduation. I want to reach my goal before then, and one of my ways of holding myself accountable is to blog about it. So, after every blog entry, I'm going to write an update on my progress. I'm excited about this transformation! :)
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Until next time...
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Hey, Soul Sista
Hey everyone! I'm in Rome, GA right now and figured it'd be a good time to post an entry while I have some free time. I'm listening to Train's new CD while I post this, hence the post title. The CD is one of the best ones I've ever heard - you should check it out if you don't have it already.
Life has been absolutely crazy. I love my job and am traveling a ton in the Northeast Georgia and South Carolina areas. I've been to Augusta, Hiawassee, Greenville... and the list goes on. It's been really fun developing friendships with the other recruiters and getting to see so many places. Travel season will be done for the year before Thanksgiving comes, but until then, it will be even more hectic than it has been the past few months. Fun times, fun times.
School is going really well - I'm 4 classes (including the one I'm enrolled in right now) away from my MBA, so I'm pumped. I'm currently in a finance class and am loving it, surprisingly. It's actually making me consider getting a finance certification to add on to my MBA. We'll see, though. I'm over the whole school thing for now - I think 19 straight years of school is enough for now.
As for my family, they've been pretty busy, too. After 38.5 years, my dad retired from Gwinnett County Fleet Management in September. I think he's enjoying it, but he's ready to get busy doing something else. My mom is doing really well - she's still a substitute teacher at the high school and occassionally at the middle school. Grandmama is doing good, too - she absolutely loves to play with the pup. It's funny because she'll call out our house and say, "I'm coming to see my granddog." haha :) Speaking of Della, she's a mess... in a good way! She's got 14 tricks now, including the Bunny Hop, Skateboarding, and a few other way awesome ones. She's so smart that it amazes me. This is her "whatcha doing" face as she peeked around the corner in the hallway:
My Little and I went to the Sugarland concert and had a blast! They are some of the best performers I've ever seen (they're second to Bon Jovi in my book), and it was cool to know every single word to every single song they sang. I also got to go to the UGA v. LSU game in October with *Anna and her family. I'm pretty sure that was the most intense football game I've ever been to in my life. UGA was so close to winning... so close. Even though they lost (and Joe Cox played horribly), I had a ton of fun hanging out with her and her family, as always.
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At the end of last month, I ran in Race for the Cure in Macon, GA. My dad and I traveled there the morning of the race, and I managed to beat my goal - I wanted to *safely* finish the race and beat my record 5K time of 34 minutes and 5 seconds. Well, I finished without hurting myself in 32 minutes and 39 seconds. I was SO excited! It was awesome to achieve my goal, as well as run for all the special people in my life who have fought cancer at some point in time.
The Atlanta Motor Speedway race was awesome this year. It was the first time they ran the cars "under the lights," and there was some really great, intense racing throughout the entire race. It was very exciting, and there wasn't a single open seat in the place. That hasn't happened since something like 1991, so yaay for AMS management finally making some changes to sell-out the race. I met Kurt Busch and AJ Almendinger, and they were really nice guys. Then, last week, I got to meet Jack Roush at an event at Town and Country Ford, and he signed a ton of stuff for me. I got three of my diecast cars, a couple of posters, and my Mustang's passenger side visor autographed by him. He was so nice and seemed to really enjoy interacting with everyone who came to the session. Kevin got me a really awesome pink Roush hat that Jack signed for me, so it's pretty much one of my favorite hats now. He also took my mom and me for a test drive in a black convertible Roush Stage 1, so I've got the fever for a Roush. It'll happen... it might just take a while.
Well, that's about it for now. School and work are my focus at this point. I work out when I can and specifically try to keep running so I can beat my new 5K best time. I want to run the Peachtree Road Race next year, so that's my new goal. I'm hoping to get back to playing my guitar and piano sometime soon, too. First things come first, though.
Hope everyone is doing well! :)
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