Drives Me Crazy, Drives Me Insane

Oh bonjour! 

Dear anyone who is considering learning French because they want to speak the 'language of love' and all that good stuff, 

French is hard and sounds anything BUT romantic when anyone other than native speakers and people who have had many years of lessons use it. 

I sound like a mess and often use German words when I'm not quite sure which French word I'm looking for. 

It's quite the mashup, believe me. 

Just know what you're getting into- French. Is. Hard. 

And I have an exam in 3 hours. 

I decided it would be wise to wake up really early to study and clearly that was a good idea since I'm now updating my blog... 

So I was inspired last week and did this really wonderful thing. 

I created an iTunes playlist with all of my favorite lovey-dovey, daydreaming, futuristic, folky, singer-songwriter music. 

I listen to it pretty much non-stop. 

It's becoming a problem. 

Seriously one song is called 'Daydream' and when it starts playing I automatically stop whatever I'm doing and just sit with a big smile on my face. 

Then I continue to waste away 4 minutes and 1 second of my life just sitting and smiling.

I know what you're thinking- Caity that is NOT a bad thing to waste time sitting and smiling and possibly humming along to a song that so clearly defines your life! 

Yes friends, but it becomes a bad thing when I have a French exam in a few hours followed quickly by a Communication Theory exam, class until 7 and then the CMA awards show at 8. 

I just don't have enough of time in each day to allow so much of it to go by so unused on such a regular basis, you feel me? 

But I do love this playlist. Yes, it's playing now. 

Are you a daydreamer? Maybe a hopeless romantic who enjoys a nice fluffy song about the good things to come in life? 

My new favorites are Tori Kelly and Olly Murs. 

They make up a good majority of this new playlist. 

Ben Rector too- he's singing to me right now about how he likes me.

Thanks to my good friend Harry who sent this broke college girl 10 of his very own CD's. I am quickly falling in love with them all. 

Oh my, I just love Tori Kelly. 

So this past weekend was Cornhuskin' - the last one of my Meredith career! 

Since Friday couldn't get his crap together and refused to stop raining, the main event was moved to Sunday night. 

That meant the fam couldn't stay and watch. 

They got to see the parade though- the wet and rainy parade. 

Bathtub Ring rode on a "Tis the season to be corny" float. 

We had a bathtub with makeshift bubbles and we loved it. 

Then we all ran back to my apartment where we threw our wet clothes into the dryer and waited for either the rain or the dryer to stop. 

The rain never stopped, but the dryer did. 

The parentals were a bit bummed that they wouldn't get to see Corn and watch BTR perform afterwards so we decided to have our own private concert for our out-of-town families on Friday night. 

Dad proudly recorded every song we sang and started the waterworks during our first song (Wagon Wheel, or as he likes to call it- "Rock Me Mama"). 

Mom, Grandma and MC sat very ladylike and smiled along throughout.

Dan spent his time half listening because he was too interested in finding his blue-eyed blonde with a thick southern accent. 

Grandpa and Lynda sang along with what songs they knew- Lynda the more recent pop songs and Grandpa the old traditionals. 

After our first song Grandpa started chanting, "SING MORE, SING MORE!" 

And I said, "Grandpa, we will."

Carter was there too, sitting and smiling along like Mom, Grandma and MC but in a less ladylike way. 

Dad sent me all of the videos he took of us that night, then I promptly deleted them all because I think through my actions.

No, no I don't. 

Saturday we started off at the farmers' market.

MC and I weren't going to go, but then we wanted to be with everyone so we went. 

Boring.

Unless you're there to buy fruits and vegetables or maybe candy or strange pickled things... the farmers' market is boring. 

So MC and I made our own fun. We invited Dan, but again he was on the hunt for a southern lady-friend.

The trees were all such fantastic colors so we wanted to take pictures with them- duh. 

Too bad it was in a parking lot. We just had to get really creative.

We love fall! 

There were a lot of other fun things too, but I forget and I need to get back to French so details and specifics are going to be limited right now.

We're just going big-picture. 

Dan and Grandma were super cute...

And so were MC and Grandpa...

I was super annoyed because all weekend my phone decided to be stubborn and refused to take pictures. 

"Cannot take photo. Not enough space available." 

BUT YOU'RE AN IPHONE. MAKE SOME SPACE! 

So I took very few pictures. 

None of the parentals =(

and none of the pups. 

Shasta and Iris made it down but I failed to document any of that cuteness. 

But we did do some sibling selfies...

Aaaannd they might kill me for those. 

Then Sunday they all left and the weekend was over. 

Except it wasn't because we had corn all day on Sunday. 

ALL DAY. 

Not really, but it felt like it! 

It was all fun and stuff- seemed to go really fast! I even did some dancing guys! I know, right? 

Getting fancy.

And guess what? 

The senior class won! 

It's a big deal. 

That was a good day. 

And here is one of the songs Bathtub Ring did after all the festivities ended. We each tried to have a friend record one of the songs and this was the one I was responsible for. 

So here we go, Cigarettes and Whiskey for your listening pleasure. 

Apparently it's MC's newest favorite. She tells me that a lot- she must really like it.

I'm really disappointed in the lack of photos from this year! I did a terrible job! 

Last year I had SO many pictures, what the heck happened?

My phone got stubborn, that's what happened! 

Oh well. Maybe next year I'll get snap-happy again. 

Yes, next year. 

Oh Mary Catherineeeee! 

Study, study, study! 

Ready or not, here I come French exam! 

Only 20 days until Thanksgiving break!

I Think it Goes...

This is my 72nd post, can you believe that? 

Seems like just yesterday I was stressing over the fact that I was a college freshman, could not for the life of me think of a blog title, was worried that biology was going to ruin me, and confused with the fact that North Carolina which, contrary to its name, is actually a very southern state. 

North Carolina is the south. 

It's the real Carolina. 

(Or so I've been told.)

But here we are, on the home stretch and we now have 72 posts under our belt. 

Well, I have 72 posts under my belt. 

Not quite sure what you have. But the chances of you having 72 posts as well is highly unlikely.

And yes, the post title today is a lyric from a One Direction song. 

Best Song Ever. 

Look it up. 

Memorize it. 

Think of me- because it's fantastic. 

They're fantastic. 

You know what is frustrating me right now? My chair. 

This chair came with the room- it was a package deal- because believe me, if I had a choice (and a few extra bucks) I would have gotten myself a chair with an adjustable height lever. 

I seriously feel like I'm sitting on my desk rather than my chair. 

Talk about your neck-aches. 

I learned about ergonomics in Office Skills during my senior year of high school (shout-out to you, Mrs Wenger) and let me tell you... this chair/desk set-up has very terrible ergonomics. I may have just used that word in a very wrong context, but I don't believe I have used it in four years, so give me a break. 

I couldn't tell you many other legitimate terms from that class, but I do remember ergonomics for some strange reason. 

I remember the most random things. 

Like in Earth Science last year, for some reason the term "Albedo" was drilled into my memory. 

So now every time it snows or rains or something I'm all, "Hey mom, did you know snow and rain have a high albedo and that's why when it's raining or snowing you squint?" 

I'm such a random nerd. 

I think I may have referenced the albedo thing in a previous post. So sorry for the repetition but it just fit so perfectly and I couldn't help myself. 

Want to know what else is random? 

I have a box of Honey Bunches of Oats on my desk. Right beside me. 

Our cupboards are way too full. 

Food runneth over. 

This was the first year ever that I went home for Labor Day Weekend- isn't that good news? 

Lynda texted and was all, "Wanna go home?" So I responded with, "Duh." 

And it was settled. 

We drove up Friday night- that was exciting. 

Did you know they sell Turkey Hill in Raleigh now? They totes do and I was very excited about that. 

So I had a Turkey Hill tea to sip on in the car. That's basically irrelevant but you know- I'm an open book, baby. 

I took a couple of videos of Carter trying to sing all the lyrics to the pop station that we found in DC. They won't upload on here though, so you'll have to use your imagination. 

And if you're ever near me just ask and I'll show you. 

But it was good to be home. It obviously went way too fast, but what are we going to do about that? 

We might cry, but that's about it. 

And then our eyes are puffy and gross, our nose is nasty, and people think we're crazy.

Not that we care about what people think, but we also don't want to be ostracized by society. 

That's a whole other story. 

Anyway- the Blank family (minus the Randy Blanks) met up at Lapp Valley for a taste of the best ice cream on the planet. 

We also cuddled some 9 week old Yorkie puppies, considered buying a baby bunny for $10, watched a blind bulldog walk into a wall, and stared at some calves. 

This guy was borderline crazy. 

Do you see that eye? I think I may have gotten too close. 

But for real- this guy needs to learn to shut that eye. 

 

He's just going to freak people out with the intensity behind that eye. 

This cow was much calmer. 

She was all- "Oh we have company? Well they weren't invited and my legs are tired so I'm not standing up." 

 

It's a calf life. 

Aw shame, and MC took the cutest picture of the parentals. 

 

Dad told me not to mess with him after I asked if he got a vanilla ice-cream cone. 

I mean they have peanut-butter twirl, chocolate chip mint, and cookie dough. 

Nope. Vanilla for daddy-o. 

Then Daddy and MC boarded mom's new ride and rode on home. 

 

Mom's new toy is a 2013 Softtail. 

I would tell you the colors, but apparently I wasn't really listening to what Daddy was saying because I have no idea where to even begin. 

Metallic something? 

White? 

Good enough for me. 

Mom was all dramatic about riding before they get a windshield because apparently it's "Unbelievably loud" and "Unbearable" without a windshield. 

Drama. 

Just kidding mom! Totally kidding =D 

Dad loves riding his bikes so it doesn't take too much convincing to get him to break it in. 

Then the Blank family came over for an evening of hot-dogs on the fire, Aunt Darlene's tasty poppy-seed salad, pumpkin rolls from grandma, Aunt Lisa's perfect meadow tea, and Carter's ridiculously delicious kale chips. 

It was pretty fun. 

We missed Kyle, Vanessa and Alyson- boo. 

I sat down next to grandpa at one point and asked, "Hey Grandpa, we should probably take a selfie."

His response was, "I don't know how to selfie. Show me how to selfie, Cait." 

So we selfied.

He liked that he could see his face so he started to make it look funny. 

 

He's famous for throwing his head back and laughing harder than everyone else around. 

I love when I laugh like that- so hard that my head goes right on back. 

That's how I know I'm really happy. 

And I love, love, LOVE when he does it. 

 

Sam Brown (that's his Amish name- not even kidding) is officially a selfie pro. 

I'm not sure who it was (Uncle Randy) then shouted about taking a walk while it was pushing 3,000 degrees outside- so we leashed up the dogs and headed up the road. 

After making it this far (about 2 houses down from ours) we were all kind of wondering who suggested the walk, but no one was willing to take responsibility for the horribly awful suggestion. 

I sort of forget who was responsible too. 

(No I don't. It was Randy.)

Just kidding guys. We had a fun time.

 

It was just hot. 

Really hot. 

 

But we helped ourselves to the whole road and somehow that made the walk slightly more bearable. 

Then Jess and Jordan showed up, and we did this whole dramatic movie-scene run towards each other. 

No one was around to capture the moment, we were all running dramatically. 

But the lack of capture is a real shame because I'm sure we looked pretty hilarious. 

So to the kind folks of Kingsfield, you're welcome for the Saturday night entertainment. 

 

What else did we do over the weekend? Well no Amish lady donuts if that's what you're asking. 

But mom did make some PA style iced-tea. 

Not Southern, by any means. 

But still delicious and still one of my favorites. 

 

And then she makes it all fancy with her old-fashioned glasses and pitchers. 

She's just the cutest thing around. 

We also visited with Grandma Martin for a few hours on Sunday. 

She had knee-replacement surgery last week. 

But she's been a real champ- she's got spunk, that's for sure!

Her first question when I walked in was, "Do you want to see my knee?"

One word: Stitches. 

She's a real hero- strongest lady this side of the Welsh Mountain. 

No question. 

You keep doing your thing Grandma. 

She's going to set all sorts of records for healing and all that. 

No doubt. 

But the weekend is now long gone and I've been forced back into this weird routine where I wake up at 7am, two days a week, because I like to drink my coffee slowly and watch the news before I go to my 9:30 class. 

Who does that to themselves?

Latest happening: Caitlyn got her first Mr. Coffee. It's a beautiful relationship, really. 

 Mr. Coffee doesn't ask questions. 

Mr. Coffee understands. 

Mary Catherine laughs at me for waking up so early when it's not necessary. 

Hear me now: 

I don't care if you don't understand me, because most of the time I don't understand me. 

And now? Now I'm off to a meeting where they've promised to give important graduation information, to reveal our Cornhuskin' theme, and to provide free Bojangles. 

Who doesn't want delicious chicken and warm biscuits at 9pm? 

If I'm wrong, then you've never had Bojangles before and that's too bad. 

Nighty night!