Zoo, Zoo, Zoo

"I am tired of walking!" -Whiney Child

"Well we are walking right now so we can eat dinner later... Do you want to eat dinner?" -Agitated but not terribly concerned father

"Ugh... But Daaaaad!!" -Same wimpy kid

"Walking is better than jogging!" -Less than creative Dad

End of conversation.

This sums up the day.

How long were we at the zoo?

6.5 hours.

While I wasn't whining at Joe Jones (because he would have punched me after the first exchange), I was whiny on the inside.

Mainly it was because of the lack of exhibits. You would walk slash hike 2.2 miles and end up at some LAME-O exhibit with water fowl and carp... Or, even better, one, I repeat... ONE... decrepit elephant.



Some points during the day I caught myself photographing flowers because no animals were in sight. To me, a Zoo should ALWAYS have an exhibit in site. Or at least have free range animals roaming around like peacocks or squirrels.





Today I saw Malibu's cousins in several forms... It made me miss her REAL bad! Just look...



Malibu...



Cousin 1



Cousin 2



Cousin 3

Presh. I know.

If you didn't know.. I <3 zoos. I LOVE the OKC Zoo! My family loves going to the zoo together but I always forget the exclusivity of the zoo...

Regulars at the Zoo:

1. Families with small children. (newborn to 14 years of age would qualify.)
2. Awkward couples on dates. (You know, the ones who are holding hands and being sketch.)
3. Corporation picnics. (They wear the name tags and have dibs on the pavilion.)
4. School groups. (The ultimate worst group.)
5. Grandparents with the kids. (Those children are always the brattiest!)

Do you see a family of four with children, the ages of 19 and 23 on that list?



No.

We look KINDA weird when we go.. I RARELY see another family like ours. I feel like a sore thumb.

Also, I find that the zoo is one of the best birth controls around. Hearing screeching screams reverberating off the indoor exhibit walls, and watching parents push impossibly large strollers and children uphill is enough to make you decide that children are a terrible investment. Not to mention their crazy shenanigans like running in front of people, away from you, and demanding you carry them 89% of the time.

I decided the only way I would have children is if I adopt one at the age of 7 so they can push the stroller. I noticed that those families who staggered children would reap the benefits of using the eldest as free child labor. Adopting an older child and not having to participate in the stroller stage with them would just be taking the genius-ness of it all to a new level!

Well enough of me babbling about my future child slaves AKA children....

Let's look at some pics!



Hydrating Orangutang!



Extinction is no laughing matter.



Random zoo employee watching the animals and being too serious for comfort.



New SPCA spokes animal. "In the arms of the angels.... Fly awayyyyyyyy"



Peacock jumping off the roof -- Caught the tail end



Favorite animal print!



Mini Toadlet! Loved them.



Grizzly being sassy!



Swimming with the penguins!



Jelly Fish



Litter Bug Sign -- All of the Zoo signs were creative like this!



"Butt Flies" -- This is what the small child on the leash said in lieu of the boring and tradition name: butterflies.

The Falls

Happy Birthday Dad!

My Dad's 50th Birthday was today!

(PS- We used the Garmin and the Pagoda voice-- knock off Yoda voice -- is HILARIOUS! My dad may, or may not giggle every now and then when the little dude says something off the wall.)

Currently we are in Toronto (Canada). Yesterday we did Niagara Falls and today we hit the outlets.

I would love to go into detail about the trip so far, but we are going to the ZOO tomorrow and the wake up call is 6:45 am (5:45 am Oklahoma time).

I am exhausted! But I wanted to throw up some pictures and give you a dose of the dry sarcasm I know you love (and is probably one of the only reasons you visit my blog.. But I'll take it!!)

So Niagara...



I always imagined it to be majestic, serene, a place of awe and serenity. A natural wonder full of mystery and intrrigue...

Wake up call.

While the falls were quite AMAZING... that was where the buck ended folks...



Niagara was like Destin and New York City had a baby and Niagara was the end result.

You know in Destin how there are tons of big, trashy tourist trap shops, one after the next? And then in NYC there are crazy street vendors and people of all sorts... Well Niagara is the redneck cousin of the two destinations.

They have TOTALLY found a way to capitalize on this place.

I was so disappointed about how touristy and cheesy it was... Not to mention EVERY ethnicity, race, religion, gender, culture, and age bracket was represented... I guess I assumed old people were the only ones that went to Niagara... Like with their assisted living home, their church group or with their family for someone's 50th birthday...

Besides the semi-trashy environment, the actual falls were FASCINATING! So much water... ALL THE TIME! I kept thinking it would stop at any moment... At any moment there would be a big hand that turned off the faucet and it would stop for a few seconds! Never happened. Kept coming like crazy!



We did Maid of the Mist and something called Cave of Winds... Both were wet, windy, and misty.

If I could describe Niagara Falls in one word....



Damp.

I always felt like there was moisture on me. I didn't even drink very much that day because I think my epidermis was being sufficiently hydrated externally. Why buy an $8 bottle of water when I can stand next to the Horseshoe Fall and become moist in a matter of seconds?



Twice I had to ask myself if it was mist or rain falling... You get the picture.



Besides being incredibly gorgeous, the falls raised many questions that I ended up researching online until midnight last night. Things like, "Maid of the Mist suicides," "Humans surviving going over Niagara Falls," and an extensive search on Netflix for documentaries (Put 2 in my DVD Que!)



I mean, I don't know if it is normal to want to know those kind of things, but listen... I couldn't STOP THINKING ABOUT IT! I wanted a barrel or a human (real or mannequin) to go over the falls so bad... Just to witness the power of the falls and the possible scenario. Call me morbid, but I think I got this from my love of Science and the desire to test a theory.

This was my website of choice in case you are weird (like me) and want to read some of the stories:

http://www.niagarafrontier.com/accident.html

Nothing says "avid tourist" like researching disturbing facts online after a day of sight seeing! I would encourage you to try it out on your next vacay!

Signing off from Canada,
Cameron


Amish crew was there and I was being a creep and taking pictures of the Amish Double Date.


Horseshoe Falls


AMERICA!

Colorful Hands

This is my life during the summer of 2011.

I work at a quant establishment.

Basically it is a glorified concession stand.

Things we have: Fountain drinks (Pepsi and Coke), Tea (Sweet, Unsweet, Flavored and even diet), Shaved Ice (we serve it with a spoon), Coffee, Cappuccinos, Smoothies, Iced/Bended Coffees, Candy, Popcorn, Burgers, Fries, Chips, Nachos, Hotdogs, Sandwiches, Frito Chili Pies, and Cheese Sticks, etc.

We also serve breakfast all day... I'd love to name you some of those awesome treats, but I don't really want to waste your time. So just know we have a pretty good spread for breakfast, too.

I work the afternoon shifts. Some days I walk away from work looking like I work at some snow cone shack in the middle of an elementary school convention. There are colors all over my hands, shirt, and even my comfy kicks (not the peeds though.)

There are several people out there who think it is cool to ask for special requests when ordering shaved ice. That is fine. I get paid minimum wage to make your snow cone dreams come true. However, it still doesn't stop me from resenting your shenanigan requests.

Such as...

"Yeah. Um... Oh crap... (looking at the menu) Oh man... I don't know what I want. Like I know... But I, uh... Hm. (long awkward pause) Oh yeah! Can I get a cherry snow cone?"

• Please make sure you take a good, long look at the menu before pulling up to the window and ringing the bell. Me standing there and watching you is awkward... But I know if I walk away you will have an epitome that Cherry is the flavor that you want.

"Can I get Dreamsicle with not a lot of sauce?"

• It isn't sauce. It is juice or syrup. Sauce is something you put on spaghetti or dip your rib eye steak in. And another thing... Light on the syrup really doesn't make sense to me. There isn't much of a science to snow cones. I have been working at this place for a year and still struggle to make sure I don't OVER juice or UNDER juice your snow cone. I'll try to meet the demand of light juice, but no promises.

"Yeah... What does tsunami taste like?"

• My quench bud's are probably different from yours. Describing crazy flavors is nearly impossible. Southern Snow premakes them and we are just as in the dark as you. If in doubt, ask for a sample. Seriously, though... Just ask for a sample and save me the trouble of playing taste dictionary with you.

"How many calories are in your snow cones?"

• No clue. We use sugar water and concentrates. I don't think the calories are something you need to worry about. Your concern should be with the amount of sugar going into your system from the 32 oz. snow cone you just ordered.

"How sour is your sour?"

• Even our sour is made with sugar water... So not really all that sour. Sorry!

"Can you make a ________? (insert crazy name here: Ninja turtle, Barbie, Rugrat, Smurf, Cowboy, Frog in a Blender, etc.)

• A good rule to follow... If you don't see it on the menu, I probably don't know what you are talking about. Unless you can tell me how to make a Johnny Depp, you and I are both in an awkward position trying to play the, "Well it kinda tasted like..." -- Not good.

Tips for your next snow cone experience:

1. For future reference: our Tiger's Blood is Strawberry/Coconut.
2. Add cream to any flavor and you won't be disappointed!
3. Any more than 2 flavors per snow cone is annoying -- Only exception is the rainbow.
4. Changing your flavor when I come to the window with your completed snow cone is not appropriate.
5. If you are getting 2 flavors, specify if you want it half and half or mixed.
6. Get wild! Try a new flavor. Nothing is worse than a flavor rut...

In other news:

One more day of work until I get a mini vaca to go to PA and see my Dad on his 50th birthday! We are going to do the tourist gig again, but a little less intense than NYC. Still, look out for picture and blog updates on that experience!

My top 5 flavors:

1. Strawberry Cheese Cake with cream
2. Bahama Mama/Orange Pineapple
3. Mardi Gras King Cake with cream
4. Cotton Candy
5. Tiger Blood/Green Apple

Pinterest

New Obsession.

Pinterest.com

How it was explained to me:

It's like a website of virtual bulletin boards. You "pin" things on to them. You have categories like food, crafts, and places you want to visit. It is really helpful if you are online shopping and you want to buy something but not right now! You can pin that item and then when you are ready to purchase, you won't have to waste time finding it again!

I wasn't convinced at first... I don't really need another website to look at! Especially if it aids me in spending money... I am doing that well enough. (Check out the Retail Therapy post)

But I was wrong.

How I will explain it to you:

It is like Facebook creeping without the creepy part! (because you sometimes don't know who pinned the item you repin) You get to see all these neat pictures from precious puppies to delicious recipes and awesome DIY craft projects to great quotes. It is almost as if Facebook and PostSecret had a baby. Although you don't necessarily know the people you "repin," you feel like you get a sense of who they are and you connect when you like the same things as others. It's like have a huge FB "LIKE" button and browsing through all these items that peak your interest.

I have posted pictures up from #phototour2011. It makes me feel like I am contributing instead of just 'repin stealing' from everyone else. I will be posting a blog about the photo tour soon, but it is currently still in the works.

Only downfall: Pinterest is invite only or you have to be on a waiting list... But once you get in... Get ready! Cause it is a blast.

There is an iPhone application. Not as user-friendly as actually getting on your laptop or desktop, though.



Also, don't give up and call it off at first. Give it a chance. Look around. Explore and tap into your creative side. Listen... I have a board called 'Green Obsession' where I put things that are green. I also have one called 'Diet Coke' ... For obvious reasons. Be silly. Have fun.

Hope everyone had a Happy Father's Day.

T-minus 3 days till Pennsylvania!

Whipped into Shape

Prologue:

This whole debacle started when I needed to change my workout routine as well as please my nutritionist.

The nutritionist said I needed to do something different! Something outside the box like a kickboxing class or something that would allow me to interact with others like volunteering at the Humane Society. She wanted me to do an activity that I never would have done on my own...

I looked into a kickboxing class, but it was way too intense (The name of the place was Elite Combat... Hello, Goodbye. Not that brave.) Then I looked at joining the Colvin over the summer for FIT classes... But that would defeat the purpose of the new treadmill I insisted I get in order to avoid gym fees and wasting gas money. As for the Humane Society... I just feel like a loser going to pet animals by myself. In the sorority, we tended to go in groups to play with needy animals.. We didn't go alone.

Finally, I researched a little online via Netflix and found an interesting workout video. No, this doesn't really met the nutritionist requirements, but I needed a change in cardio and I would never have done this in public, so it is a "meet in the middle" compromise. Fingers crossed, I enjoy it and actually finish it...

Day 1

I just completed my very first workout video: Dance off the Inches: Fat Burn Jam with Michelle Dozios. One of the few workout videos that Netflix instant streams.

Guys..

That was embarrassing with a big helping of pathetic.

It wasn't that I couldn't keep up with the video because I was about to pass out from panting, but it was more that the "simple" dance moves seemed to be at the skill level of the dancing Asian boy on Glee.

We were salsa-ing, hip hopping, and jazzing our way to weight loss... Well, that was when I wasn't trying to fend off Malibu or learn what the heck a double hip touch was... It is very hard to follow someone who is facing you. It's like a mirror and you have to do the opposite... While keeping rhythm... To an obnoxiously peppy song... Difficultly Level 100.

Let's visit back to the days of childhood, I was an avid dancer. (Similar to Ashley on this season's Bachelorette minus the baggy cut off sweats and sports bra get up.) I have boo-coos of pictures of me at dance recitals including videos of me tapping, balleting, and jazzing all around the stage with sequin scrunchies to match my Toddlers and Tiaras-esque talent outfit.

I had rythem back then because I can clearly be seen in the footage on the front row! I wasn't shunned to the back like the kid with two left feet who barely made it alive through the dance routine...

Fast forward to sophomore and junior year of college... I was Tumbleweed's #1 fan. I could two-step, waltz, and line dance. Not to mention I could bust some moves out during the Midnight Remix. I wasn't bad! I spun around the dance floor and only fell 3 times total in the golden years! I was even rumored to have visited Tremors a time or two and hold my own in the booty shaking field of dancing...

All of this history should lend itself handy when trying to compete with Miss Dozios on workout dance floor! Her and her 4 fit friends who are in sports bras and shaking their non-existant booties should be no match for my varied experiences with dancing!! However, they were on fire. I was not. I couldn't keep up and I sure as heck didn't look sexy in my attempts.

Apparently there is a tutorial video that slowly shows you the dance moves and how to make them effective so you actually burn fat and tone up... Welp, Netflix thought that it was unnecessary and didn't care to stream it instantly. Although to be fair, I didn't take any time to research and see if I could locate a youtube video to bring me up to speed. Ultimately, both factors left me fending for myself and painfully thrashing my hips, arms and legs in an attempt to get fit while dancing.

And added bonus: About halfway through the video, Malibu came to investigate the train wreck happening in my room. She was so appalled with the tragic scene that she barked at me for 10 minutes until I sashayed on her paw. She didn't like that very much, but it shut her sassy pants up and she left me in peace to finish dancing strong.

At the end of 40 minutes I was sweaty and had an increased heart rate. I'd like to call that success. No, probably wasn't squeezing the abs or the glutes in the right way to tone up, but it was an effective cardio workout.

Hopefully this qualifies in the nutritionist's eyes as a worthy activity, or I might need someone to accompany me to the Humane Society for some volunteering... Or offer wisdom on a more achievable workout video...

Because I'll be screwed if I have to resort to the mortal combat kickboxing classes. =/

New Afternoons

I loved the Oprah show.

I wasn't an avid fan, but if I have nothing to do on a weekday around 3-5 pm, I usually check what is going on with Dr. Phil and Oprah.

If there was a great show coming up, I would old school DVR (AKA VHS recording on my jank TV) and watch it at night. If I forgot to record it or the darn thing ate my tape, I would watch the rerun at 11 pm.

Recently, Oprah stopped the show and moved on with her life. That's fine, but it leaves me with a hole in the afternoon show routine (assuming I have nothing going on in the afternoon).

Where else can I learn about the cool celebrities, awesome gifts for the holiday season, see the entire cast of Sound of Music reunite, be insanely jealous of YOU GETTING A CAR! AND YOU GETTING A CAR! AND YOU GETTING A CAR!, witness calm interviews with serial killers, or witness a fellow woman struggle with her weight on a daily/weekly/monthly/yearly basis?!

Tonight, I was working on moving my pictures from my Mac to an external hard drive. I was only paying about 25% attention to the TV until I saw a random Ellen commercial. At 10:45 pm at night... Hm?

At the end.... I found out the most horrifying news.

Ellen is going to be taking the 4 pm slot on the TV. She will replace the Oprah show.

I love Ellen.

I have literally LOL-ed in the middle of the gym on a treadmill as well as alone in my house on the couch. She cracks me up EVERY DAY I catch her show. There is nothing better than watching her show in the morning before I start the daily demands....

Catch that?

Nothing better to watch IN THE MORNING....

I am not so sure I want to be all happy and giggly at 4 pm. Call me a pessimist, but I like a little doom and gloom in my afternoon shows. Or at least sophistication.

I do not want to watch audience members make fools of themselves in silly games for awesome prizes.

Don't get me wrong... Ellen can get kind of serious and keeps up with plenty of celebrities, but to me she lacks the level of sophistication I appreciate in Oprah. You know?

Oprah has that pompous, arrogant behavior that tells the star she is interviewing that while she appreciates them showing up on her stage.. Don't you (the star) dare forget that it is HER show... And they are merely the daily accessory.

That is the host I like leading me into the evening. It empowers me to go to organization meetings, take that pesky night class, or battle the kitchen in a dinner match.

Who knows... Maybe Ellen has a show planned that is a little less hyped up on pixie sticks and more grounded in some hard hitting stories and interviews. Or perhaps I will follow the Dr. Phil dysfunctional, love triangle show every afternoon with Ellen and Justin Bieber having hockey shooting contests...

Honestly, I will be student teaching in the fall and will probably never make it home to see afternoon television anyways... So I guess my opinion only half matters on this subject. For those who are still lucky to watch afternoon TV, keep me posted!

PS- I took some pictures tonight with the storms rolling in. I was in my front yard and my favorite picture doesn't even showcase the ominous clouds... Instead it is rather simple... Hope you like it as much as me!

Garmin Problems

I am not for sure if my dad reads the blog regularly, (honestly I have no clue who reads this...) but if he does....

EXIT OUT OF YOUR INTERNET WINDOW RIGHT NOW... Or else you shall ruin your Father's Day slash 50th Birthday present.

This will upset me, so close the window now. Please.

Last chance...

Okay! So when there is a celebration that honors my father that warrants a gift, I ask my mom what he wants. He isn't easy to please and doesn't like celebrations or attention, thus making it impossible to purchase gifts for him! Luckily, Doli usually has the 'in' on what he might like for a present. However, if all else fails I fall back on the iTunes gift card. The man loves music. Before MP3 and iTunes, my dad did CDs. He still owns over 500 of them and before that he had vinyl albums.

He is a Music Junkie Supreme.

At the end of May, I asked Doli what Dad wanted this year. Apparently he didn't want much, but his Garmin had completely crapped out and Mom thought it would be good for me and Mac to buy a new one for him.

First, I had to figure out: TomTom or Garmin. I thought TomTom would be the better option... Why? I have no clue. Personally, I use Google maps on my iPhone and have never been interested in a GPS system. I think I associate TomTom with Toms (the shoes) and those are cool among the hip kids, so the GPS system must be cool, too... Right? And Garmin is like garments. Similar to Medieval garments... Which are lame. (Solid logic, I know.)

But oh how I was wrong...

APPARENTLY the Garmin is way better than TomTom. I checked a lot of customer reviews and product reviews to come to this conclusion. Hands down Garmin is the better system. Again... Not really for sure why, but I trust the internet sources. Although I will say that the TomTom website is more customer friendly than the Garmin website in figuring out what someone should buy.

Anyways, this morning I decided I might want to purchase the Garmin seeing as I will be in Pennsylvania in 2 weeks to celebrate my Dad's birthday...

Guys, it was a 2 and a half hour process. 150 minutes. 9,000 seconds.

I was about to throw my mac book. I couldn't figure out what was cool, helpful, or even necessary for a 50-year-old man who just needs directions! After consulting my mom, she said the criteria was quite simple... Her exact words -- "No need to stress Cam."

1. Don't buy the cheapest model
2. Don't get the most expensive model
3. GPS Coordinates would be great
4. Yoda voice (absolute must)

Awesome. Real helpful. Especially when my options are things like "lifetime traffic, Bluetooth capabilities, street names, Locate me, EcoFuel routing, lifetime maps," blah, blah blah! Nothing about coordinates except with the handheld hiking systems - not helpful - and CERTAINLY nothing about anything Star Wars. However, there are voices for Sponge Bob Square Pants, Dora the Explorer and Fashionista... Um, yeah... What the heck is that about?! Is the 5-year-old child a big market for Garmin??

Finally, I found a rando website that sold crazy voices for the Garmin and one character was Yoda-esque. Obviously there are some copyright issues, but the Yoda knockoff made the cut at $10.

I settled for a Nuvi 2450LM.

Do I know what this is? No.

Do I understand what it can do? No.

Do I care? Not so much.

It met the price requirements and I think it is compatible with the Yoda-like voice program... I have no idea if it does the coordinate deal... But I believe it is a good present for Dad. Especially since Yoda will be saying crazy shenanigans like, "May the force be with you in 300 FT."

Crossing my fingers that he likes it!

Happy "Over the Hill" Birthday Dad.

Love,
Your Favorite Daughter

Retail Therapy

I have never been the type of person who enjoys shopping. I was bestowed with my father's genes and absolutely loathe my hard earned money being taken out of my wallet and spent... Even if it is something I want! I figure I can mark it down on the wish list and wait till my birthday or Christmas. Why pay for it now when someone else can pay for those frivolous items?

I always follow the 3 day rule. You know... You see something you like, but you really don't know if you should buy it or if you have the funds to do a splurge. So, you wait three days and if you are still thinking about the item. During the three days you should have thoroughly went through the pro's and con's of the purchase. If it passes the logic and wait test, then you can buy it. It works for me and has saved me countless amounts of crazy purchases at Wal-Mart, Bath and Body Works, and the ultimate Mecca of out-of-control spending-- Hobby Lobby.

My New Year's resolution was to save from each pay check around 10-15%. I am proud to say I have been on target with my savings and even putting in 20% if I worked over the usual amount of hours... And it has been great! But even with the extra money being put back, I still seem to accumulate some extra funds... I suspect that the extra money is from the non-existent sorority dues that I am now free of! $65 extra per month now! Anyways, this factor has enabled the latest nasty habit of mine: Retail Therapy.

After my break up, I went a little nuts. I threw my usually shopping personality and rules to the wind and spent some serious money! I was shopping online and shopping in stores. My two large purchases in person were at the Tiger Lily and Hobby Lobby. In total, the damage was a little over $200 in one day. I was shocked at my splurges and couldn't believe I had been so rash. It wasn't that I didn't have $200 to spend, it was the thought that I didn't really stop and THINK before I purchased these items. No thoughts were truly put into the $50 travel wallet (I don't even like traveling!) or the $40 in office supplies including a zebra print stapler and tape dispenser... (HELLO!?!?! I am QUEEN office supplies! I already had 5 staplers and 3 tape dispensers at home!) I was sick to my stomach unloading the car that evening. I needed advice, so I called the shopping expert: Doli, my mom.

After consulting my mother, I realized that this may be a tad bit normal considering the circumstances... And she applauded my efforts. Doli is an avid shopper and puts me to shame in the department of "power shopping" and things of that nature. But, alas, the retail therapy wasn't complete...

I have always been a faithful Amazon shopper for those randoms things that I think I need. So much so, that I buy and sell back my books through them for Amazon credit. I am also the recent holder of the Visa Amazon credit card, which gives you some sweet bonuses with point accumulation. (I am a responsible spender with the card... Seriously. There will be no bankrupt posts in the future. Promise!) But listen... Amazon is where it's at... All your needs minus iTunes gift cards and the achilles tendon of my splurge shopping: Vera.

I suggest you go to a retailer in person for Vera Bradley purchases because online shopping is dangerous. Even more dangerous if you follow Vera Bradley on Twitter and receive daily emails! =)

Needless to say, 3 day rule is less effective on online shopping... There are things called wish lists and the ever ominous thoughts of "price increase" or "out of stock" popping up if you delay your purchase. Between Amazon and Vera Bradley online... I think it is pretty safe to say that I should be near the ending of my therapeutic adventures. Well, at least my wallet is near the end...

Retail Therapy was fun while it lasted, but I think I need some detox. Not for sure how successful it was in the scheme of things, but a girl needs to let the finances loose every once in a while... Especially if she hoards her money like me!



The travel wallet and my Vera Bradley sunglasses with matching case.

Yes. I am obsessed with Baroque and can't wait until they retire it so everything in the pattern is sale price... Mainly because I have a goal to own every item made in Baroque... Judge me. It's fine.

Back to Blogging

Hello, hello.

Let me start by apologizing for my absence. Life got the best of me the past couple months, but I am back.

Updates:

I have yet to graduate with my undergrad. (Hopefully I will be done in December.)

My parents are now full-time residents of Sayre, PA. (I'll visit them at the end of June.)

I am officially a sorority has-been. (Not going to really hit me until I begin reading tweets about recruitment in August.)

And I am single. (Hence, life getting the best of me the past couple months.)

My lovely summer has so far been spent at the good ole job where I serve overpriced concession food and the oh-so-popular Shaved Ice to the Town Folk of Stillwater. In between the very stimulating and invigorating shifts at work, I have been studying for the GRE, walking on my sweet treadmill, surviving Photo Tour 2011 and doing a complete detox of college stress.

Another update-- Recently I have started myself on a "Less Diet Coke" plan. This consists of substituting Diet Coke with Sam's water (preferably peach) and only getting 16 or 20 oz. cups of Diet Coke when I do break down and have one. The caffeine headaches are brutal! We shall see how long this lasts!

Life after the active sorority member status may prove to be a little more difficult when trying to write for a Greek blog, but I am going to try. Greek to Me can technically describe the student teaching I will be doing in the fall, or graduate school (contingent on me actually getting accepted) or it can apply to the life of singleness and all the fun adventures that come along with that status. Who knows!?

Whichever direction I end up going, I hope my followers will stick with me. I plan to be more diligent this time around. (I know I have dropped off a few times on this deal, but I pinky promise I am coming back strong this time!) I am going to get the hang of the 'c' word--- CONSISTENCY!--- when it comes to updating. Already thinking about possibilities for my future posts!

I hope you all are enjoying the summer break along with the 95-105 degree weather. (At least for those in Oklahoma!) Look forward to some good posts coming your way!

-Cam