Hey Buddy, wanna go pick some snowberries??

It's officially after Thanksgiving, which means it's CHRISTMAS!!!!! or well the Christmas Season. Christmas isn't for another 26 days. I have a rule for my life that there is NO Christmasy things before Thanksgiving...mainly because I get sick of Christmas music and Christmas movies and Christmas clothes and Christmas decorations if it starts before Decemeber. But tomorrow is December 1st and in case you were not aware of this...Christmas is in December. Woot.
The past four years, my friend Leah and I have always watched Elf and have continuously quoted it throughout the season. We're still planning on watching this movie together even though she lives in Knoxville, TN and I live in Norman, OK, but we'll see each other in Oxford before Christmas...and thus the Elf screening will happen. I'm planning on watching it before then though. Maybe every day...or every other day. We'll see...I am also looking forward to watching Little Women, A Charlie Brown Christmas, It's a Wonderful Life, and many others...I might even try out White Christmas...I've never seen it, but I hear it's pretty classic. Yay ELF!!!!!

Oxford and More

I've been rockin' the Thanksgiving break for about six days now. It's been awesome! Though it hasn't been as restful as I wanted, I have been able to go a lot of places and see some people I have missed over the past few months.

My break started with a brief visit with Lauren and Walt Jones who so graciously let me stay at their house in Ft. Worth before my flight left Friday morning. It was great to see them and catch up on what's going on in their lives and everything.

I made it home the next day with no flying problems whatsoever. That restored my faith in the airline industry...for now.

Saturday, my parents and I went to Tupelo. I kicked them out of the car at my brother and sister-in-law's house and continued on my way to the beautiful Oxford, Mississippi. Home of the Ole Miss Rebels! Who aren't doing so bad in football this year...not great...but better. I'm proud to be a Rebel. It was so nice to be back, even with most of the people I know gone, it felt like I was home. Bottletree was still kickin' and Square Books was just as great as ever. I loved seeing Lauren Babbitt and Whitney Williams and catching up with them. Check out why this place is so great...

Bottletree Bakery...as the sign clearly states...Best Coffee and Triple Berry Muffin EVER!!!
The inside of Bottletree...It's pretty much perfect...and where I spent about half of my money while I was at Ole Miss
Still Bottletree...that's the coffee...I bought some. Drink it with me...
Square Books...beautiful...*sigh*
Upstairs at Square Books...Where I spent the other half of my money...
Downstairs at Square Books...I love books. They're so great.

After going to Oxford, I spent some time with my brother and sister-in-law in Tupelo. And then came back to Huntsville. On Monday, my friend Shelton and I drove to Cullman, Alabama to have dinner with our friend Victoria. It was great!! I love seeing friends and being able to pick back up right where you left off. The rest of the week for me should be lower key. Tomorrow we'll get together with family and do the whole turkey and pumpkin pie thing and then I don't have anything planned. I'm not gonna lie, I'm really looking forward to doing nothing. It'll be so great!! While I love being home with family and friends, I am definitely missing my new friends and my new home in Norman. It's weird how quickly you can grow to like a place. I think that is a good thing. Woot! Thanksgiving.

Because I said I would?

I was tagged in a note of facebook that said I had to write 16 random unrelated facts about myself and tag 15 people in it. Normally, I don't participate in these things. But who doesn't like to talk about themselves? So, I am letting you people know as well.

1. I hate peanut butter, you can be offended, horrified, surprised or whatever emotion you want , I think it tastes, looks and smells super gross.

2. I was in a show choir in 6th grade that made me dress up like a clown and sing and dance...I never realized how creepy that was until I found out everyone's irrational fear of clowns

3. I sleep with a stuffed lion that I've had since I was two. His name is Azzie. He rocks. Most people think that he looks like a weasel or ferret or some other creature besides lion, but they are wrong.

4. I'm awake for approximately 18 hours every day.

5. I love coffee--just black coffee--non of that latte stuff. I'm done with that.

6. I used to only drink something with three ice cubes in it. Not two, not four, just three. I grew out of this. Don't worry I have other weird things to keep my OCDness going strong.

7. The sound of any kind of smacking or noise made with a mouth makes me feel like I'm going to throw up.

8. My third biggest fear is of sharks. They are terrifying. I don't get in the ocean due to this. They are in there and will more than likely find me and take an arm or two. I also hate sand. But I like going to the beach and not actually being near it. So maybe I don't like the beach. I like the mountains.

9. I used to iron my money. And occasionally wash it if it was excessively dirty. I don't do that anymore either.

10. My parents made me write all the verses in the Bible about honesty and deceit when I lied to them one time. I did that a lot when I was younger. Apparently it's not a good thing to do and honesty is a big deal in the Bible. Lying is bad. Don't do it.

11. I love the South and the charm it has...especially Oxford. I don't know if I could live there forever, but the four years I spent there were definitely worth while. I think I have idealized it since I've left. I love the trees and the quaintness of everything. The manners and the style. Bottletree, Square Books, Faulkner's Woods... I miss it.

12. Writing letters is my favorite. I would write anyone a letter especially if they would write me back. I think it is a lost art. There is something so much more personal about a handwritten letter than an email or text message or even a phone call. Feel free to write me anytime. 813 East Hayes Street Norman, Oklahoma 73071

13. I insisted on people calling me Romona when I was in preschool. It was a ballin' name back then...I don't think so anymore.

14. My family is awesome and hilarious. Really you should hear the stories. They are probably some of my most favorite people in the world. I love spending time with all of them. There is never a dull moment. Mary is always doing something or Bill is saying something that is not quite what you would ever expect from them. Unless you know them of course and then it is totally typical. Love it.

15. My favorite tv show is Friends. Thought Arrested Development comes in at a close second maybe even infringe on the number one spot. The Office and Seinfeld are also in the running. Those are my top 4 favorite shows. I guess if I'm completely honest Lipstick Jungle would fall into the number 5 spot, I know, it's a really really dumb show. I got sucked it.

16. I like learning and reading. Especially about things that interest me. If I could choose between books, movies, and television. I would choose books. But I would miss movies and my top 5 favorite shows.

So there you go. Anything else you want to know. You can ask, I'll probably tell you, but no promises.

Hypothetical Ben

So...my beloved brother called me today and told me some very good news. For some background that don't know, I LOVE my brother and sister-in-law's dogs, Pippin and Lola. I have half-heartedly been entertaining the idea of getting a dog, but all the ones I have looked at have been substandard to Pippin. He is such a sweetheart and sooo cute. He is a pomchi. Well, Jonathan, my brother, called me and told me that the parents of Lola are having another litter of puppies and that they would be ready right after Christmas. AND they are FREE!!! even better! So, my half-hearted thoughts have turned into whole hearted ones. And I'm thinking about getting one. I will possibly name him Ben. I love him already. I love Jonathan and Amy too. Aren't they pretty?

A Fork in The Road

I've come to a pretty important decision in my life...should I ski at Winter Conference or should I snowboard or not participate at all in the wintery sporting world? My past experiences with skiing have been 50/50 on good and bad. I've only been twice. The first time, I totally rocked out at ski school and tore up the bunny slopes and even moved up to the greens and blues (those are the categories, right), BUT the second time I went, I had suffered an injury in a climbing accident and had convinced myself and others that I was fine enough to ski. I was not. I don't think I have ever experienced so much pain as I did from a tightened ski boot around my semi-swollen foot. And then standing on it not even skiing was excruciating. Needless to say, I did not ski very well because of the pain and because of the terror I felt of becoming injured again. Sitting back at the hotel watching the Lord of the Rings over and over was definitely a good use of time and money on that trip.

Now, I am no longer injured from climbing and I do like adventure. But, I don't know what I should do. I've never snowboarded. It could be new. Or I could just hang out the whole time and not do either. I'm slightly leaning towards that. What do you think?

Twilight

Apparently there is movie coming out next weekend that is a HUGE deal to many of the girls in America. This movie is Twilight. It's based on a book called, you guessed it, Twilight, by Stephanie Meyer. I don't really know a whole lot about this book or the series of four books and from what I just googled apparently a fourth is coming out. I had heard of this book previously from my good friend Leah, who worked at Borders recently and said that EVERY female in the Memphis area was coming in to buy multiple copies of the book for their daughters, sisters, friends, mothers, grandmother (maybe not grandmothers, but is seemed that way). I just didn't really pay much attention to it since its story line didn't sound all that interesting. I mean a love story about a vampire and a girl...weird and kind of dumb sounding. But before all of you that have read the book fly off the handle, I'll have to say that your interest has made me want to see what the big deal is. I cannot promise a love for it, and actually hope that is not the case...I would prefer to consider it an entertaining story that is completely unrealistic. I have been told that I will FOR SURE be in love with the main guy, Edward Cullen, of the story by the end of the book. We'll see about that.

I went to the bookstore yesterday and bought Twilight. The guy at the counter told me I should go back and get the rest because I would inevitably be back tomorrow or at the latest on Saturday. I told him I was ok with coming back and I was really just reading the book so I wouldn't be left out of the discussion of comparing the movie with the book. He didn't looked convinced. I felt like a poser. or a loser. Oh well. I started reading it. It has been entertaining, but I can put down. Ask me tomorrow, I might feel differently. Peaces.

Furniture

So, my roommate is getting married in January. I might have mentioned that before, but SHE has all the furniture that furnishes our house. Next semester I'll be living with two girls that are studying abroad, Sally and Amanda (word to the both of you). I'm super excited. But back to the point of this whole blog. I bought my very first couch today. I found it on craigslist. It's pretty ballin' I'm not gonna lie. Next semester everyone should come see it, possibly sit on it, but at least come hang out. Or you could come before next semester and just be awesome. I guess that's all.

Peaces.

Election Day is here!

So, it's finally here. The day the madness ends or for some the day it begins. Either way, I'm glad a decision will be made and we can all go on with our lives as usual and begin to adapt to whatever changes are in our country's future. I'm not really a politics kind of girl. Sure, I care about the direction the American people are heading, but campaign time does not present its candidates with the most clarity for educated choosing. I, for one, am not voting. Not because I don't want to, because I do. However, I neglected to submit my absentee ballot application in a timely fashion and the 11-hour drive to Huntsville seems needless, my vote would not swing Alabama in any particular way. I have a feeling I know which direction it is going anyway.

It's always fun to get a new president. New jokes, new weird character quirks for comedians to make fun of, new chance for them to totally mess up...and they will, they all do, they are human too...I just hope they are wise in their decisions and don't expect to be the savior of the world. So, I'll be waiting to hear who's the next victim of the American media. I'll probably find out Thursday or Friday. I'm not very well informed. So, yay America!