I apologize for my complete abandonment of my Week in Ten's. I guess I am just not interesting enough to myself to have ten things to talk about each week. We need to work on that. But without further ado, my week (for the past 3 weeks) in ten!

1. Sitting outside during finals week studying for an hour or two in a tank top and coming back to my room with a gnarly, painful sunburn. This skin was not used to the sun, obvs. Pasty, pasty, I am (working on was).

2. Getting a $500 off a new Subaru coupon in a race packet I received. This is fate. Looks like I am waiting one more year. (I've moved on from the gas guzzling Jeep for now to my new obsession, a Subaru Forester!)

3. Finishing my first year of COLLEGE! Time flies. So did finals week. 

4. Coming home and staying here for a whole sumer!

5. Transplanting some flowers from our front flower beds to some pots. I am taking these to plant in front of my (hopeful) house next year... it needs a little bit of TLC. I was careful to take off as few root hairs as possible, because as we know, root hairs have the biggest surface area uptake of nutrients- each one cell thick. Thanks BIOL1134.

6. Starting my summer job at Pottery Cafe! And really enjoying it. Also getting my first paycheck of the summer, cha-ching!

7. Speaking of Pottery Cafe: really wanting to paint this for my house next year. If you know anything about the Anderson family, you know we love our butter. On everything. So I've gotta have it next year!

8. Lots of letter writing to Potato. It's still strange to address a letter to "Jurassic Sparks". But we've begun round two of PC letters. Already counting down the days until July 2. But excited for his summer!

9. I'm now a commissioned artist (please, take that with 7 heaping tablespoons of sarcasm). My friend Sara- see kayaking post below- wanted me to paint something with a Starry Night motif and the quote from Eat, Pray, Love "I think I deserve something beautiful". I think it turned out OK, could have tweaked a few things. And of course I forgot to take a final picture. So here it is before any words were added. 

10. Running errands in the Cooper with my favorite road buddy, the Goose. I really love to drive around with him because when people see such a big dog in such a small car with his head hanging out the windows, they can't help but smile. It's the small things.

Here's an extra 11) Going to the beach the second week in July! Already trying to get my tan and fitness on! 

I've been itching for a day out kayaking for a while now. I really enjoy being in the water and kayaking/canoeing. Because HJP is not home for a while, I wasn't sure who would go out a kayak with me (because let's be real, that's not something normal people often do!) But I have two awesome friends who ventured out to Tyler State Park with me Wednesday for a kayak trip! We packed our lunches for a picnic and had a great time!

Comrade number one. Brown sugar oatmeal.

Partner number two. Tandem kayak partner!

Sweet, sweet friends!

Always repping the MJ! And my great paddle partner. 

I wish you weren't leaving me for Arkansas!

Getting all indie on me!

I'm really wanting to buy an inexpensive kayak for the summer to take out to Lake Tyler/Palestine. My family thinks I am crazy... and let's be real. There is probably a little truth to that. But if I end up at A&M, there is a lake 12 miles away from my house. Perfect opportunity for fall and spring! Yes, it may be impractical, which is why chances of it happening are slim to none. But if I find something on Craigslist for cheap, or decide that I really want to do it after much thinking, I might! I'm not betting on it. Maybe when I'm older. Or in a month. Ish whatevs!

A life goal I have set for myself whilst cleaning up and clearing out my room:

Have a closet full of matching hangers. Sooner than later, preferably. Right now it is an assortment of greens, whites, and a few black hangers. At least I can still color coordinate my closet. Yes, I am that girl.

This means I am home. And I am so happy. I'm going through everything in my room, much like a lot of my just-home-from-college friends. My room is a war zone. It's kind of difficult, though. Like what to do with all the socks whose match you can't find!? And old dance clothes that could possibly come in handy at some one point or another. But it's coming along, slowly but surely. I am thinking about taking some clothes to a consignment shop. Or possibly just putting things in a garage sale with one of my friends. I cannot decide which will be better.

All in all, Mildred loves me, Gus is still bad, my dad is not quite out for summer, and I am left to sit by the pool and craft here and there. Oh, and Thursday I start my job. Which I am excited about. Hayden left for camp yesterday. I got home Saturday afternoon from OU and he left Sunday, which left little time to catch up. Camp means a month and a half of no communication, except on Saturday afternoons. It's not fun or easy, but I know he is having an amazing time. Hopefully this month flies by. Anddddd </pity party>. In other words, I found out I got an A in my Evolution, Ecology and Diversity class, which was extremely relieving. French 1225 takes my only B this semester. Don't even get me started. But it'll be OK. Transcripts are released May 23 from OU, and one is being promptly sent to A&M to be added to my application. Hopefully I will know whether I am in or not before mid-June. One can hope.

I apologize for lack of posts recently, although I doubt any of you are extremely heartbroken. Lucky for you, I'll be pretty unoccupied this summer, so definitely be expecting a more regular cycle of posts!

This post really has no rhyme or reason, other than a little bit of Seuss.

We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love. -Dr. Seuss

This is one of my favorite things from one of my favorite people. This card's worth big money, let me tell you. I keep it as a book-marker in my bible.

And now, back to studying for my last final. 

Memorial Marathon

As expected, here I am blogging when I should be studying French. But the fact that I must make a 94 on the final in order to make an A in the class, despite the fact I have an 89 in there currently really just takes the motivation right out of me. MICROBIOLOGY MAJOR hello. Enough on that.

So. My parents and I woke up at 4:00AM last Sunday morning to get ready and head over to OKC for the race. They got a hotel in Nompton and I stayed with them for the night. We were all feelin' a wee bit groggy come time to head out. I ate my two bananas (green ones, mind you), some bites of a Cliff Bar, and we were off. If you've ever gone anywhere remotely foreign with the Anderson's, you know that this can be quite the ride. Mom goes crazy thinking we are lost, dad doesn't listen to directions, and I just try to explain that I have a GPS mapper on my phone and I can tell them exactly where we need to go. (It's true, isn't it Em?) But miraculously we arrived downtown without a hitch, avoiding all traffic and making it into a free parking lot just in time.

And then it begins.

Massive downpour, lightening and thunder, all while the temperature outside reads a mere 40 degrees... (keep in mind this is MAY 1st!) My little leggies were trembling, so we staked out in a parking garage with a bunch of other people to wait out the rain. The race start time was also delayed by 30 minutes until 7:00AM. Come 6:35 we heard an announcement for the runners to start heading to their corrals (based on ETA at finish line) and get ready for the start. Fast forward a few minutes, it's still raining, and the gun is fired. It takes me about 13 minutes to get to the starting line (and for my time to officially start) because of the 25,000 people running that day! I see my dad sitting on some ledge of a building waving and taking pictures, and it starts a great run!

Waiting in the garage with my mom's sign. I have never really been sure why I was dubbed "Pookie"

Waiting for the gun

Can you see me?

The first 6 miles were amazing. I had no aches or pains whatsoever. However, I did have to wait in a line for 6 minutes at a porta-potty... thanks water. Running does this to me. After this the race got a little harder. It was still continuously raining (and would be the entire time) and it was freezing and my calves were screaming nasty things at me! But all the water stations and gels and amazing volunteers who braved the cold and rain just to cheer the runners on really motivated me to keep going! I ended up finishing when I expected to, which I was proud due to the conditions. I didn't train as much as I should have, hence my not-so-great time. But now I know what to work on! As soon as I crossed the line the rain became heavier again and I was shivering from head to toe. This continued about 45 minutes until I got back to Nompton and took a quick hot shower. Don't know if I have ever been that cold in my life.

Unfortunately because of all the rain my parents and I didn't get to tour the Memorial like we hoped. But we are definitely going to next time we drive through. And I just want to say thank you so much to my parents for standing in the rain and cold cheering me on and supporting me! I was so happy to see them at the finishing line. If you ever have the chance to do this run specifically, do it. The number of people and the joy everyone has is just incredibly motivating and moving. Do it, do it, do it!

Taking pictures in the warmth of my dorm room!

If you're looking for some good bloggin' this afternoon, head over to one of my favorite blogs Today's Letters.

Em and Mr. Loerke have been married for six years and write each other love letters everyday. I really love it because writing letters is something the Bum (or Scoob) and I have done for the past two years being long distance! It's so true that seeing a letter addressed to you is something that brings a smile to your face and really makes you feel loved! Anyway, Em is hilarious with every comment she makes and the pictures she takes. She's also really into everything outdoorsy and listens to some rockin' music, which makes us a match made in heaven. Yes, I feel like I am living in a space time continuum! I love waking up and reading their blog each morning because it just starts my day off right.

Another awesome thing they do is a thing called Fist Pump Fridays. Any of their (bazillions) of readers can send them pictures "fist-pumping" or "leg-kicking" celebrating any achievement they have made, and they post these pictures each Friday. Go and check out today's FPF and you might see a familiar face rocking a woobie cape and all! Then go read about what a woobie cape, the biscuit, and the MR340 (hello, bucketlist!) all mean! 

I hope you are all having a great weekend! Be on the lookout for my week in ten and a half update coming soon!

Things I love:

Getting out of my SECOND to last French class ever and hearing I won a scholarship! Even better, they surprised my dad at work with balloons, a cookie cake, and iTunes gift card! Thank you Peltier!

Selling my chemistry book back. I expected about $40.... received a whopping $104! Now I can replace my watch that was ruined at my race (not something I love).

Someone is officially taking over my lease for next year! This has been a HUGE sigh of relief. I was not wanting to be stuck here just because I can't get out of my lease. God answers prayer, for sure!

I have a practical in biology today. Of course I am studying, but you know what? What happens, happens! Just get me outta there!

Now the only thing I am waiting for is a "HIRED!" Hopefully my string of luck will continue today! I am planning on biking to Target after my practical for a little relief and a miniature shopping spree (think buying a new watch and maybe some edamame and extra sharp cheese.... this is how crazy I get!)

Quick preview of this weekends race! Do I look disgusting to you? Probs so since I ran the entire time in 40 degree constant rain. But best experience EVER. More to come.