growing up

Tonight I am sitting down with my mother to a glass of wine while the water boils for dinner. It's a good night. We have been busy the past couple days preparing for a garage sale. As we rummage through childhood memories and old apartment decor, we both are reminded about how quickly the time passes. I realize how I have forgotten about so many things that were such a significant part of the preteen I use to be. I flipped through a few pages of my 4th grade journal: My enthusiasm and obsession for soccer was obvious throughout the pages with mention every few days. I talk about how my sisters are obnoxious and my best friends are the coolest. Playground activities, church choir and the girls group called G.A.s - for "Girl's in Action" were also mentioned several times in a few weeks. All these are things that have changed and put on the back burner. I quit playing soccer at age 14, I have a real relationship with my sisters (ones that I enjoy), and my friends, who are still pretty cool, have changed.

It's a funny feeling when you think of yourself as being the older twenty-something that was unimaginable at age 10. I am proud of myself actually. While living at home doesn't sound as good, I see signs of growing up. In addition to holding my tongue when I need to and accepting criticism from my mom... sometimes, I have built a resume, earned a college degree, and my unpaid internship has turned into a full time job. Yay!! I'll take this time to announce my official job title as Associate Manager for the American Diabetes Association. I will be continuing my commute to downtown Atlanta but with a few extra dollars to put away at the end of the day. Ah it feels good.
(for now - talk to me again after I start paying for the 1700 insurance bills I'll receive in a couple weeks)

6/10/2010

Defining Priority

Tonight I should be getting to sleep. Tonight I should be typing up an excel sheet for work. Tonight I should be reading scripture. Tonight I should be pondering my career path. Tonight I should be folding the laundry that has been sitting in the dryer all day, or tidying up my room, folding that blanket over there, or fixing lunch for tomorrow, or have gone for a run, or putting away my winter clothes, or clearing off the 1,2,3,4... 5, if you count the one in the bathroom, cups that have collected on my "office" table.

Tonight I should be stressing about how much I have to do and how little time I have to do it.

Tonight I remembered that quote, "don't put off until tomorrow, something that can be done today"

Tonight I remembered that I hadn't done a blog post in over a MONTH!!!! Priority rules.

Crazy Love

FAB - U - LOUS!!!!

Sunday night was my Christmas present from Mom to all the girls in the family, including herself. Only Dad was left out, who I think felt a little jealous. Since opening the origami fortune teller which had a picture of Michael and the date March 14th written on it, I have been memorizing his newest songs and falling more in love with swanky forties music and jazzy oldies.

Sunday night rolls around and I can feel the teenie-bopper inside me starting to "buble"-over.

This may embarrass me:
Michael came on stage accompanied with fire crackers and started the show off with a familiar tune. He was so great!!!! The whole time... GREAT!! I wish I could find a better way to show a more educated vocabulary but my excitement is disillusioning. Honestly, he was absolutely amazing! The combination of the tux, vintage dance swagger, MJ improv, heart felt melodies, sincerity in his lyrics, slight scruff on his neck, and a way of performing like he was singing to ME ONLY, was enough to drive any girl crazy. Literally, women of all ages were jumping, waving their arms, and shrieking like the people you see in the movies when Elvis thrusts his hips around. Oh baby! My personal experience is exceptional, though. I got luckier than every other person there because he was looking RIGHT AT ME when his eyes came anywhere close to my section of...what, 400 people? haha - snap out of it, Carole!

He left me feeling like He Just Hasn't Met Me Yet and that I could give him Crazy Love!! haha, was that appropriate? what the heck? I just want to see him again and again.

Honorable mention: opening act was surprisingly entertaining with their acapella show. Look 'em up: Naturally7

Side thought: How much does it cost to hire Michael Buble?

A day off

I made my lunch, picked out my outfit, went to bed early. The next day, this morning, was my first day at American Diabetes Association! A real unpaid, temporary, full time JOB! When my alarm went off I took advantage of my excitement and only pressed snooze once. After coffee, hair, make up, and one and a half blueberry muffins, I was running out the door to fight rush hour and listen to talk-radio like real adults do. I glanced at my laptop as I grabbed my keys, noticing one recent email. After a slight hesitation from debating how long it was going to take to check the email, I check the email.

Email is from my boss at Am. Diabetes saying she is sick and that I don't need to come in until Tuesday... "All dressed up and no place to go" (facebook status update in my moment of self pity)

With a text asking what I was going to do with my day off, I had a change of heart. A day off? That's right! Carole, take advantage! ...and so I did

Today's tasks consisted of: (1)starting Season Two of 30ROCK (2)matching returns with receipts (3)making returns while also making purchases (4)reheating leftover pizza (5)"training" for my half marathon(6)finishing Season Two of 30ROCK while blogging and next Ill be making my lunch for tomorrow, picking out of outfit, and going to bed early.

My thoughts on 30ROCK: hilaaarious. I love watching adults with the maturity level of teenagers but with clever banter that makes refernces to popular culture. My fav characters are Kenneth, the page and Alec Baldwin's sexy voice. Oh baby!

Training update: Two miles without stopping today!!

13.1 bound

I looked in the mirror thats provided for me in the basement here at my parent's house. It's a floor-to-ceiling, two door mirror that makes for a full-body reflection. Eee! Time to get down to business!
Today I started my training. My goal: 13.1 miles by April 24th. So far I can run one mile, walk half, then run again until the two mile marker. If anything, it's a start...
The race is the half marathon in Nashville. Not only am I doing this to boost myself esteem, start pumping some positive edorphins, but most importantly, get skinny. If that isn't enough, we've got about five people participating and I am honestly excited about the road trip! I've never been out in "Nash-Vegas".
I'm comforted in the fact that I have done it once before, about three years ago, with my sister, Jenni. I took an entire year off afterward to recover... Every once in a while now, I go through a two week phase of running and exercising. I havent run in about a month now. Things are about to change. This is not a new year's resolution, those never work. This is a "get serious or get chubby" deal!

Here we go!

Movie Review

I had heard it was profound. That was the only word Jenni could use when I asked her about it but her expression gave more. I knew it would be a good one.



Last night I saw The Book of Eli.



Please understand that I am a sensitive person when it comes to movies. However you are suppose to feel during a scene, I feel that way times ten! This is why I don't watch scary movies.
This movie had me amped up with emotion by the time I left. It took me a few minutes to get back to normal blood pressure. Have you ever felt that way or am I the only one? After a movie, it feels odd to go back out into reality. I was so distracted by the movie, that I forget that real life exists, temporarily, of course.

The movie was dramatic. It began with a depressing story of anger and killing. Not unusual for my man Denzel. After yet another murderous rampage topped off with an assumed rape, I turned to my date expressing my regrets for watching such an unsettling film. With knees brought to my chest for comfort, the movie changed course and began the road to one of the best, most gratifying movies I had seen in a long time. I was encouraged by Denzel's motivation and was intrigued by the fictional story of life after "it happened". If you ask me, I define a great movie with it's ability to effectively bring its audience to feel a wide variety of emotions while skillfully transitioning to each. Thank God for comic relief!

I strongly recommend the movie to anyone. Even those who don't like gory scenes, it is worth it in the end.

Atlanta Socialites

Atlanta Socialites: trendy, beautiful, confident, booze-lovers, pocket-full-a-business cards.
As a volunteer doorperson at Atlanta's chic, Aurum Lounge, I interacted with each person who walked in. The event: an issue release party for the Atlantan magazine. Guests: any and every contributor and mentionable, plus guest. I met artists, designers, chefs, and entrepreneurs. Starry eyed, I oogled over the high fashion and social etiquette of these elite Atlantians.

As the night progressed, I picked up on what seemed like a celebrity atmosphere but which turned into a mere party for the post-college who were born to live in the city. These people can gab and network with the best of them. Conversations centered around what you do, where you live, where you shop, where you eat, who you know, and how you've established yourself. It's fitting for the issue celebrated, "The Gold Standard", featuring Atlanta's bests in every category. Atlanta's best, including people, apparently. When I say best, I mean best-known.

For a quick how-to guide, to be "in" with this crowd:

1. Go to be seen
2. Smile... but not all the time
3. Always have something to say
4. Have a job
5. Visit art galleries
6. at least be able to recognize the big designers
7. Go to the popular restaurants but don't eat the food (skinny show-offs)
8. Have business cards in an easy-to-reach pocket and have a reason to give it out within the first two minutes of conversation. (comical to watch!)
9. Forget your insecurities. Especially if you are the youngest one there, wearing a borrowed outfit and shoes that don't go, never been to an art gallery, don't know designers, can't afford to go to restaurants, love food, and don't have business cards because you don't have a job!

It's this kind of scene that is inticing and if you can keep up, it even borders thrilling! The Aurum Lounge provides for a sophisticated place to taste the trendy new beverages (TYKU and Sapporo) or go for the old favorites of vodka-cranberry or your gin-n-tonic. I may be biased because of the people in attendance but I would bring my own group here on a weekend if we were in the mood to wear our heels (which means I would be braving the crowd measuring in at a mighty 6'3'').

Can't wait!