Urban Development

Let's just clarify, at a Big10 school, football is life. So when your head coach gets caught up in a scandal [coughJIMTRESSELcoughcough] it can be heart wrenching. But, here is Ohio State's newest ray of sunshine. Head coach Urban Meyer!

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Urban Meyer joins the Buckeye family! Could not be more excited about our new head coach. I'm upset I have to wait until September 1st to see all the wonderful things he will do. 

#gobucks

525,600 Minutes

While individually some days this year have dragged (as is expected) as a whole the past 365 days have flown by. For me it has been a year of change and a year of transition. But best of all it has been a whole year with Bryan. I honestly don't know if I would have made it through the last year without this kid. This picture is a two of us this past weekend at the Big House as we watched Ohio State put up a valiant effort against M!ch!g@n. The OSU/UM game is where it all began, and hopefully this is the 2nd of countless football games we will watch featuring the best rivalry in college football.

A little background on Bryan and I. We met in May of 2010 at USNA's Ring Dance [Ring Dance = Prom for adults almost adults]. I had gone flown out to go to Ring Dance with a friend from my hometown. Bryan had a "mishap" with his date for the night, and ended up joining the group I was with for dinner/the dance/and our after party at the house we were renting. Bryan and I happened to get along wonderfully, and kept in touch. 

[The First Picture of Bry and I in existence. He's top left and I'm bottom right]

Bryan and I continued to talk almost daily for months. Some days it was just a single text or Facebook message, and other days we would spend hours chatting about everything and anything. Come middle of that summer Bry happened to be in Chicago at the same time I was and we met up again to catch up. He was just as goofy and adorable as I remembered. The constant communication continued until that fateful November day...

Unfortunately for him, Bryan somehow grew up a M!ch!g@n fan. He had always wanted to attend an OSU/UM game, and the two of us scoured Craig's List until we found a reasonably priced ticket. Insert M!ch!g@n weekend 2010 were the two of us actually started dating. It was amazing how it seemed like we had known each other forever after only a few short meetings. 

[Ohio Stadium, November 2010]

Now here we are 2 countries. 10 states. 28 plane rides. and 365 days later. I couldn't be happier waiting to see where the next 365 days take me with my favorite man.

[Sorry that lasted forever!]

Amy

Please Don't Feed the Dustbunnies

I will always be the first to admit that I am far from a neat freak (it is also evidenced by the scattering of shoes, jackets, purses and textbooks on my bedroom floor), but there are certain things that just give me the heeby-jeebies and a dirty bathroom is at the top of that list.

Armed with a glass of wine, all purpose cleaner, and Drain-O I tackled the bathroom of six college girls with hopes of making it shine. Sparing the dirty details it quickly became evident that this was not going to be an easy job.

In the end the bathroom was spotless, 12 towels were washed and I even moved on to tackle the kitchen. Currently stalling before I throw some more organization time into my bedroom. Did I mention I have two midterms and a paper due within the next 10 days? It's amazing when the cleaning bug will get ya ;-)

Not to mention boyfriend Bryan will be here Friday. It will have been 2 months, 2 weeks and 6 days since the last time I saw him. Friday cannot come soon enough! I hope P-Cola has been nice to him, but I figure the least I can do is have a clean house and some baked goods that rival his step-mom's. I can just pretend that the Dollhouse looks like that all the time

Guess Who's Back...

After months of a hiatus, I realized I should probably pick up this blogging thing again.

It's amazing how in three months I feel like everything yet nothing has changed in my world. I'm once again back at the best school in the nation, trying to keep my procrastination in check while still enjoying my senior year of college.

Some things I've enjoyed since my last blog update...

Some quality time with the sister down in Florida. It had been too long, and I cannot wait to see her lovely face again for Christmas

In addition to seeing Cait and her hubs, we also met up with his brother who is stationed down south as well. I'm lucky enough to be with four of my favorite people in the world here.

A few trips to visit two of my best friends from high school down at their Big 10 school.

Some [not so high quality] Buckeye football games

And bonding with the best roommates in the world at an empty bar

So here I go again, keeping the world updated with everything they did and didn't want to know about my life. Here's to hoping this time I keep up with this better than last time!

How did all of you get yourself to keep blogging?! I know I need some sort of outlet, but I stink at keeping up. Any tips/tricks are always appreciated. 

Until next time,

Amy

The Troll

Sunday night I was dubbed a troll.

A few of my Pizza Pals were having some beers Sunday night after everyone got off work. I babysat Sunday night, but then went over to join them after E and Mo were tucked safely in bed with their parents [Mind you I was coming from babysitting, so I had on shorts and a tank top, nothing fancy in the slightest] I got out of the car and my friend Nick didn't even recognize me. I was told that "the transformation was magnificent"

Magnificent? Apparently wandering around in a hundred degree kitchen with an ill fitting polo and my hair up in a ponytail does very little justice to how I look outside of work.

With this hoop-la from males and females alike about how different I look outside of work I finally added jokingly, "What am I a troll at work?" And with this came barrels of laughter and a nods of agreement.

Thus a troll was born, and it was all my fault.

What that means to me is that I need to put a little more effort into my appearance before going to work at night. I guess I always figure that the restaurant is hot, and people aren't going to change what they tip you based on your appearance, but maybe I'm wrong.

Moral of the story: People are always watching. Though I have never been much of a "girly-girl" I also realized this week that I do not want to be referred to as a troll by my coworkers and customers alike.

Personally I would have preferred a different fairy tale reference, maybe the ugly duckling who turns into a beautiful swan? I even would have taken the frog that you kiss and it turns into the prince(ss)

Mo and E entranced by a dinosaur movie

Follow Through

I can safely say that I believe I have some of the best ideas in the world.

My biggest problem is that I am TERRIBLE at the follow through. I have tons of half finished scrapbooks or partially written in journals. I often begin a book and get bored or busy with something else and don't finish it. From this day forward (because hey, no day like today) my goal is only to start something I intend to finish. This goes from little things like home improvement projects to class work to relationships and everything in between.

I think starting on my 101 in 1001 will be a great way to help me with follow through. I have set goals that I put lots of thought into, and I have a time frame to complete them all in. Some of them are more lofty than others, but I do think that everything on there is something that I can accomplish.

With that being said here are some of my ideas on things that I believe would make the world a better place

1. Windshield wipers for glasses

2. Reusable beer bottles

3. Mandatory recycling bins in restaurants

4. Solar powered sidewalks (no more shoveling, the energy that they store up is enough to melt the snow/ice that accumulates on them)

5. A GPS on my keys that can be linked up to my phone for when I lose them

6. Laundry chutes that separate lights/darks and put them into the dryer automatically

7. Self applying makeup (namely eyeliner)

Do you have troubles finishing projects you start? Ever had an idea for an invention you think could change the world? Does anyone else perpetually poke them self with eyeliner?!

101 in 1001

The Challenge:

Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.
7.25.11-4.24.14

The Criteria:

Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on your part).

Why 1001 Days?

Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple challenges such as New Year's resolutions or a 'Bucket List'. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips, study semesters, or outdoor activities. 

1. Graduate College

2. Learn to knit

3. Run 5 5ks

4. Run a 10k

5. Find a big girl job

6. Spend an entire week visiting the Nana

7. Take a couples cooking class

8. Save $3,000 after paying for school

9. Start a blog

10. Eat my daily intake of both fruits and veggies everyday for a week straight (0/7)

11. Go one week without soda (0/7)

12. Cook dinner 100 times (1/100)

13. Start an expense log

14. Respond to all emails within 48 hours

15. Find a volunteer position I am passionate about

16. Stick with it for at least six months

17. Donate $20 a month to charity

18. Read the newspaper everyday for 10 days straight (0/10)

19. Attend a NFL game

20. Read 150 new books; keep a log (0/150)

21. Go skydiving

22. Visit a new country

23. Buy a Coach bag

24. Become financially independent

25. Do something spontaneously nice for my parents

26. Run 1001 miles (0/1001)

27. Workout on average of four days a week during the school year

28. Be in two places at once

29. Stargaze in a park

30. Jump in Mirror Lake fully clothed

31. Attend an Ohio State football game as an alumnus

32. Make a scrapbook

33. Attend a horse race

34. Go camping

35. Go to Las Vegas

36. Learn the basics of American Sign Language

37. Have a real Christmas tree

38. Go to a movie by myself

39. Visit the Harry Potter theme park

40. Take a pilates class

41. Learn how to apply makeup from a professional

42. Go to a shooting range to fire a gun

43. Attend a country concert

44. Compile a list of all my cousins phone numbers/email addresses/birthdays; send out to the whole family

45. Vote

46. Take a multivitamin everyday for a month (0/30)

47. Only drink from reusable cups/bottles for ten days (0/10)

48. Complete the Spanish language Rosetta Stone course

49. Spend a month only buying things on sale or with a coupon

50. Ride a mechanical bull

51. Watch every episode of friends

52. Plant an herb garden with at least three different kinds of herbs

53. Road trip to New York

54. Take at least 30 pictures a month

55. Decorate my room in my new house by October 2011

56. Visit three other Big Ten Schools

57. Go an entire week without hitting the snooze button (0/7)

58. Frame new pictures, take down ones that are no longer relevant

59. Attend 10 Cubs games (0/10)

60. Hand write thank-you notes to people who go out of their way to help me

61. Spend a day wearing matching clothes as Bryan

62. Donate 101 items from my closet (9/101)

63. Make an effort to spend at least one day in the city every time I am home

64. Read at least 70% of my assigned text book readings

65. Keep my nails manicured either professionally or personally at least once every 10 days

66. Work productively through anger

67. Have 10 different colored cardigans at the end of 1001 days

68. Wear heels at least six times a month by December 2011

69. Find an excuse to dress up for fun at least once a month, every month

70. Own something from Tiffany's

71. Own something with real diamonds

72. Wash all dishes within an hour of using them

73. Be able to identify 85% of the countries of the world on an unlabeled map

74. Keep a pair of Sperry's clean for six months

75. Finish a NY Times crossword puzzle with no help

76. Eat at 10 new restaurants in Columbus (0/10)

77. Go cabrewing

78. Visit a friend at a school I have never been to before

79. Visit Zoo Lights at the Columbus Zoo

80. Go Sailing

81. Learn how to do a handstand

82. Eat Jeni's Ice Cream

83. Try cooking with tofu

84. Do laundry at least once a week, every week (1/143)

85. Spend an entire week getting 8 hours of sleep (0/7)

86. Become CPR certified

87. Get my ears double pierced

88. Seriously research the idea of Lasik

89. Learn major politicians on local, state, and federal level

90. Watch all Best Picture films since 1990 (5/22)

91. Visit a winery

92. Organize my mom's photos - make her albums or a scrapbook

93. Complete the 100 push-up challenge

94. Complete the 200 sit-up challenge

95. Learn to drive stick shift

96. Start a recipe journal

97. Do something roommate only related twice a month (0/12)

98. Kiss under the mistletoe

99. Help build a house for Habitat for Humanity

100. Solve a Rubik's Cube

101. Document every goal that is reached (0/101)

Insomnia

As per usual, I spend an entire day thinking about how incredibly tired I am, but when bedtime comes I find it nearly impossible to get to bed. I am sure that I am not the only one who has this problem, it's like my mind is running a million miles a minute and won't settle down for some sleep.

This summer has been possibly the busiest one of my 20-something years thus far. I'm spending four days a week as a teacher's assistant in an extended school year program for autistic preschoolers. My kids are WONDERFUL, but incredibly exhausting. I come home with the best stories anyone could ask for, no one is more unpredictable than a four year old. After preschool I spend my days finishing up some of my gen-ed requirements for school. This summer has been a blur of Economics, History, preschoolers and pizza. Pizza you say? Well yes, in my spare time I moonlight as a waitress at a Chicago-style pizza place in my hometown.

Needless to say, I have had a pretty busy past month and a half. However; with that being said, this school is wrapping up for the summer. And that means I get to head down to visit the boyfriend soon enough. I cannot wait!

Boyfriend Bryan is a recent college grad currently serving in the US Navy. He just moved South for flight school, and I could not be more excited to go down and visit his new "big boy" house. Bryan and his college roommate are renting a place, but I have the horrible feeling it could all use a little sprucing up.

The two of us at Bryan's graduation. Have I mentioned he's close to perfect? He picked out that Lilly dress I'm wearing.

Moral of the story?

5 shifts with pizza

4 days of class

3 preschool classes

2 quizzes

1 weekend

Then south I go! 

The best part of all of this is that my older sister and her husband are headed to a wedding about an hour away from boyfriend, so I get to see them as well. The two of them are stationed out in the middle of the Pacific, so anytime I get to spend with them is time I look forward to [Have I mentioned sometimes I feel like I'm the only person in my life not in the military?] 

Despite the age difference my sister is my twin, and I'm excited for the shenanigans the four of us will have. Seems too far away. 

Cait and I with our third fake sister a few years back.

Well, goodnight for real my little bloggers. Hope to at least get a few hours of shut-eye in before the chit'lins. 

Questions to leave you with: How do you combat insomnia? Any advice for a brand new blogger? Anyone else have family or significant others in the military?

Guten Tag. Aloha. Jambo.

Well here it is, the first of [hopefully] hundreds of posts to this blog.

First things first. I'm Amy. I am a senior at THE Ohio State University who wants to stay in college for the rest of her life. I laugh more than anyone I know. I believe changing the world starts with changing the life of one individual. I love dancing like no one is watching. Chronic procrastination is the demise of my life. I'm not politically correct. I cannot tell time. Every third word that comes out of my mouth is sarcasm, but [almost] always delivered with a smile.

I wanted to start this blog to keep me doing the things I always said I will. I always make a list, but 95% of the time loose them before I accomplish all the tasks. Keeping a blog is my way of holding myself accountable for the things I want to do. This is my way of documenting trials and triumphs with school, loved ones, my [potential] career and everything in-between. Watch me as I learn life isn't always fair, and sometimes I don't always get my way.

Underneath it all though, I'm still hoping for my fairytale