I'm officially moved to Denton now. Have been since Sunday. Since then I have been unpacking things. My room is almost all put together. I'll have to give you a walking tour soon. The other Laura arrives today sometime, and Katherine comes in a couple days. It's happening!

I like it. My apartment is nice. Denton is cool. Ryan is close. Friends and family are not too far. I'm anxious about starting school and wondering what my routine will be like. Looking into getting a job--maybe tutoring. I need to get working on applications though.

My bathroom is the only room that is all put together, so right now it's my favorite room. And I just filmed a really awkward and dumb video of my giving you a tour of my current favorite room. Dare I show it to you . . . ? Ok

I'm sitting, chilling next to Sherbasky on the Carmack couch. And by "Carmack" I don't mean me or my parents. No, I am in the Rob and Caroline Carmack household, chilling with their pups and stuff while they are on vacay to somewhere less humid.

I have had a pleasant evening of Twilight and Panda Express thus far. I watched the movie Twilight, though I didn't finish it. I just couldn't bring myself to. I was getting bored, and I have seen it and read it already. Now I'm jamming out to the "Symphony Hall" music channel and about to read more of C.S. Lewis' That Hideous Strength.

I tried to get a picture of Sherbs, Lola (the other Carmack dog) and myself on my Photo Booth but it was a little diffcult. Here are some of the results.

This is how most of the pictures turned out . I'm saying, "Sherbs! Look at the camera!" Sherbasky is the snout on your left and Lola is the white fluff on your right.

So I decided that both dogs at once was much too impossible, and started focusing on one at a time; here is the clearest picture I could get of Lola.:

And here is the best of Sherbs and I. This one is not half bad:

So see Rob and Caroline, I haven't killed your dogs.

In other news, a year ago from tomorrow Ryan and I went on our first date to Food for Thought and the Lake Waco dam. It's an anniversary! Astounding. We are going to celebrate. You should too! And I know you guys can't get enough of pictures of Ryan and I, so here we are many months ago, being awkward (also taken on my Photo Booth).

I had a first today--getting a massage. It was wonderful and felt marvelous--an hour long. And now I smell really good from the lotion rubbed all over me and feel very soft. Hmm.

It has been a whirlwind past couple of days. Ryan is in Colorado, and since most of my time of late has been spent hanging out with him (and well spent), I thought I would just be sitting around, twiddling my thumbs. Instead I've been pretty busy--catching up with people mostly. I forgot how popular I am! Just kidding.
Sunday I took an impromptu trip to Killeen to visit Rachael at Peaceable Kingdom Retreat for Children. I didn't feel like driving the three hours back to Colleyville and so spent the night in Austin with Melissa and Tinsley. I ate breakfast with Melissa, did a little shopping, and then met up with Tinsley for lunch. I made it back to the good ol' metroplex just in time to eat dinner with Julia. Phew. It was good to see all those girls and hear how their summers have been going. And tonight I will eat dinner with another good friend--Linh. Our friendship has been going strong for seven years now:

Excited to see where she will be in the next seven years!

I also registered for my first semester of grad school today. In the fall I will be taking Writing About Art, History of Art Education, Teaching Theories, and Literacy for All. Woot! Two of those classes are internet classes. That'll be interesting; I've never taken an internet class before. Hopefully that means they will be easier? There is no tellin with grad school I suppose. The other two are once a week, evening classes. It seems like my program is designed for people with daytime jobs. Maybe I should get one then. If I find myself not too busy with schoolwork, maybe I'll try substitute teaching or something. We shall see . . .

My clothes are dry now so I am going to go fold them.

I was tagged by Beth, so now here are six little things that make me happy. . .

1. Dogs. Particularly this one:

Dogs' loyalty and joy make me happy.

2. That picture reminds me of another little thing that makes me happy, swimming on a nice (hot but not too hot) summer day. Especially accompanied by a good book and a pool chair.

3. Making a yummy dinner with Ryan (and it's always yummy when we make it):


4. Sitting for hours at a coffee shop, reading a good book (or even studying) and sipping on good coffee or tea (like at Buon Giorno).

5. Swing sets:


6. Listening to my momma play guitar.


Phew! Finally got it done. I have been working on these six things for awhile. I kept starting it and getting interrupted.

And I want you to note that these are six little things. There are also many big things that make me happy that I didn't even mention--like my family, friends, lofties, Ryan himself. So don't be offended if you didn't make it into my six little happy things, because that just means you are a big happy thing.

And now I tag six people that make me happy:

Ryan
Claire
Christy
Molly
Robert
Rob

So if you were tagged, you must now list six little things that make you happy.

Back in C-ville now. The back-and-forth between c-vill and the 'co is over now (except for August, when I go back to graduate). In a month, the back-and-forth between c-vill and D Town (Denton) will commence, as I prepare for the beginning of the next chapter of my life--grad school. Until them I am chillin' here, waiting tables and chillin with friends and fam. Even after being at Baylor for four years, this place still feels like home and it feels good to be here. I know that's not the case with everyone, once they move out of the house, so I'm thankful.

Tomorrow I start at the tea room. Come visit!

I thought that I would know everything by the time I graduated college. Well that certainly isn't the case. I want my money back! Probably after grad school I will for sure know everything though, right?

But the more you know, the more you realize you don't know. So really , I must know at lot since I think that I don't.
I thought when I graduated college I would at least know everything about Art History, and at least know everything about myself. I feel like I know only a small portion about both of those things. Certainly a lot more than four years ago (especially the later), but there is still much to know. But that is part of the fun of life, eh? Ay.

On the drive back from the 'co, I spent a considerable amount of time talking to some of these girls on the phone:

That was us outside of UBC on our last Sunday in Waco together. I love them, and hopefully will know them for the rest of my life. I just have to get better at calling and writing people. Something else to put on my to do list.

I'm hungry. It's about that time of day again . . .

Ug. So tired of Rome and her sarcophagi, her columns, her temples, her wall paintings, her mosaics. In the midst of studying for my final final. Going crazy with studying. Ryan is on his way to rescue me, a Chik-fil-A cookies-n-cream milkshake in tow. Yum yum. We also made a yummy dinner together, putting the last of our groceries together--spaghetti with veggies and chicken. It was yum as well.

He's here! I'm rescued! My hero. (as of yesterday we have been together for eleven months)

This week is my last week of summer class. I had my quiz yesterday and oral presentation today. I presented about this sculpture. It's a the portrait of a Roman matron as the goddess Cybele:

I think it went well, but it's hard to know with those kind of things. Next I have my final exam on Thursday and then I'm done. Finito. Done with classes at Baylor. It still hasn't hit me I don't think. Then I'm off to the next phase of my summer, taking place in Colleyville.

I had another adventure-filled weekend. Went to Austin and went camping for the second weekend in a row, this time at Pace Bend Park. Before that though, Ryan and I went to REI and I found a pair of Chaco's on super sale for $30! Usually they are $95. Now Ryan and I have twin feet:

See, you can't even tell whose is whose!

In my Roman Art class yesterday, we talked about the characters of Gladiator (such as Commodus below, played by Joaquin Phoenix)


Gladiator is one of my favorite movies, so that was a highlight. I brought up the movie in class and asked if the professor knew how Commodus actually died, if it was indeed at the hands of a Gladiator. He said he didn't think so, though Commodus did like the games and participated in Gladiatorial combat on occasion. Cool. Hopefully there will be a question about Gladiator on the final: Compare and Contrast the events in the movie "Gladiator" with real historical events of the second century CE.

Ryan and I:

Went to see St. Vincent last night:

They were awesome, I'd say. She is kind of eerie though, super talented and amazing, but kind of eerie. Like a mannequin--in the way she moves and looks. She is haunting--her voice, and her way about her.

And now I'm listening to the new Regina Spektor CD streaming on NPR's First Listen fo free. Fo sho. If you go there (which you should) and only have time to listen to one song, listen to "Laughing With" (you can scroll down and pick individual songs). I really like it.

I'm going to Dallas tonight with Ryan to see a concert. St. Vincent:

I'm super excited about it! Will gave me her CD for Christmas a couple years back (She is from Dallas). Thanks Will.

We also went canoeing and camping this past weekend:

I had an invisible canoe

Also, speaking of resurrected hairstyles. At least this Roman hairstyle hasn't come back in fashion yet. It would be a lot of work:

I am now almost half-way through with my summer class! That's wild. I'm liking it though, I think Roman Art is interesting.

I had the most yummy lunch today. I just have to share. The yummy-factor was quite unexpected, as I just threw together an egg burrito, but it was sooo good: scrambled eggs, goat cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, spinach, cilantro, onion, and salsa. And I have discovered a yummy and healthy dessert. Frozen cherries and a glass of goat milk. I don't put them together, I just eat the frozen cherries (real cherries, not marciano) and drink the goat milk (which I buy from the World Hunger Farm, so I know it is fresh from the goat). I know not everyone likes goat milk, but personally, this combination of frozen cherries and milk satiates my craving for ice cream. And I have frequent cravings for ice cream on these hot summer days. Not to say that I am abstaining from ice cream, I'm just trying not to eat too much sugar. Anywho, my tummy is really happy right now.

I have been tending to write and talk about food a lot of late. It has been on my mind, because of various digestive problems.

There were many people getting married this past weekend. Many weddings. I went to one, celebrating the marriage of David and Melyssa:

It was a great wedding. Beautiful, and tons of fun. Much dancing and merriment:




It was a great weekend, and the wedding was the highlight. I'm really liking this summer so far, even though I am taking class. It is hard to study, though, when everyone you hang out with is not taking class.

I am at work, making Roman Art Powerpoints and had a quick thought, about how styles are continuously resurrected from the past, even hairstyles. Like the hairstyle of this woman from the first century BCE:

Whose hairstyle looks similar to this woman's:


Ha!

Okay back to work.

I'm chillin at my new apartment in Waco. Ryan is behind me, supposedly napping, though this picture proves otherwise. Its fun living by myself for a little while. It has only been three days, but I'm not tired of it yet. I can put my stuff wherever and walk around naked. Blare music. I don't have a TV at all, only a plant where the TV should be. It's a pretty entertaining plant though. Lots of colors (mainly green). I have been making a lot of smoothies.

Today summer classes began. I went to my Roman Art class and went to work. Nothing too exciting. It's nice though. The summer is slower in Waco. Though class is faster, people move slower, and there are less people around in general. But still enough to keep me entertained. Tonight I will be visited by some of my favorite Baylor people--Tins and Melissa. They will sleep on my floor and my couch.

I'm living in the same apartment unit my Dad lived in for a spell when he was getting his undergrad at Baylor. Crazy! It's a nice, and quiet, and safe place.

I go back to Waco tomorrow. Weird. I already said bye to you Waco, yet you keep playing with my heart. Not really, its okay. Got one more class to take before I can graduate. These past two weeks have been so great and relaxing, I don't really want them to end. They have to though, because one can't have too much relaxing. Then one gets bored and lazy and fails to appreciate it. And it'll still be pretty slow in Waco, as I am taking only one class now instead of two--Roman Art--and working in the art building--which is a pretty chill job. Way better than standing behind a cash register and making wraps. I'll be sitting at a computer, probably making powerpoints most of the time, for the Roman Art class I'll be taking, so I'll also be studying.

So I'll be returning to Waco a little tanner (thanks to time spent by and in the pool), a little thinner (thanks to the colitis), not totally back to normal, but closer to it anyway.

If you are a reader of my mom's blog, you know that on Tuesday she and I played at Buon Giorno's open mic night. It was great fun. We both played two songs, me first and then momma. Momma was for sure the hit of the night. As she was playing, all the baristas stopped working and listened. To each other I heard them say "She's really good." And to me they said, "Any mom that can play guitar is okay with me," and, "Did she play you to sleep when you were little?" and, "She looks like a rockstar!"

Here's my rockstar mom:


She is a natural.

And then here is me


It was great fun.

Figured it was time to write again, since it has been a week and all. I'm chilling on the couch, Momma is on the adjacent chair. We are both on our laptops, probably both writing on our blogs.

On the health front, I have still been having some digestive troubles. I have Ulcerative Colitis, which is an Irritable Bowel Disease (click here to learn more about it, if you are curious). I've known I have had it for a while, but have been fortunate in that the symptoms haven't flared up much. But right now they are flaring and have been kicking my butt. So I'm back on my meds and really monitoring my diet. There has been some improvement.

My family and friends have been really great about it. My great Momma is making me scrambled eggs right now. Ryan has been by my side and helping me through all of it. Great people. I feel really loved.

Summer school starts next week so I will be back in Waco. I'm a little nervous about it, mainly because I was hoping to have been feeling better by now. I was hoping to be back to normal before starting summer school. I still have some days left I suppose.

The eggs are ready.

First, for Caroline, here is a picture of how my semi-permanent hair color has lightened up in the past week:

It's lighter but still there.

Man what a week it has been. It was been full of packing, camping, tubing, packing, moving, hanging, stomach aching. And yesterday I went to the Emergency Room again. But this time it wasn't for me, but for one of my roommates who ended up having a kidney stone and kidney infection. Yeesh. We are all just too stressed out. Quarter life crisis.

But I'm moved out now. I couldn't have done it without the help of Ryan, Momma, Will, Bailey, Matt, Nick, and Robert. Thanks guys. I expected move out day to be really sad, but it was more just stressful. The least stressful part was the Emergency Room actually. I just chilled next to said roommate from 9 am to 3 pm whilst the aforementioned people moved my stuff into a UHaul for me. Then I joined the fun. I didn't finally get back to my home in Colleyville til a little after midnight. Phew.

It has been a good past week, even though there have been health issues and sadness over leaving. There has been lots of quality friend time and lots of cute pictures taken. Like this one, from camping last Tuesday.

Ah! I dyed my hair! Don't worry it is semi-permanent and will probably only last a couple of weeks.
But that isn't the interesting part of my day. Oh what a day.

I went to the Emergency Room this morning for tummy troubles (thanks for the ride and support Claire! I got her out of bed to take me). They stuck a tube in my nose to my stomach. Good times. My friends and family proved themselves though, by coming out in record number to keep me company. So wonderful are they. We got in trouble because there were too many people in my room.

And then I sat around in my apartment for the rest of the day. I got bored so I dyed my hair (thanks for the help Tinsley). I feel better.