Forever Like That

First of all, shout out to Alex for re-vamping the blog.  It looks great!

Okay, so I realize that Alex has outblogged me like 100:1 the past few weeks.  I'd like to say I'll do better.... but that's probably not going to happen.

Here's a quick recap of the past few weeks.

(1)  Bryan Adams concert with Daddy.  Confession: I knew who he was because of the movie "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron" (he was featured on a large portion of the soundtrack).  Turns out, he's REALLY good live, AND he sang a "Spirit" song.  

(2)  Lots of class.  This photo is me modeling "glaucoma glasses," glasses that imitate what it's like to see like a person with glaucoma.  Unfortunately(?), trying on different diseases is not the typical class.

Macie trying to read with glaucoma glasses

(3)  White Coat ceremony.  Three weeks in to class, UAB held a ceremony for their latest victims.  This coat is perfect for my "professional" wardrobe because a) it "matches" everything and b) I'm always cold.

(4)  BEN RECTOR'S NEW ALBUM CAME OUT TODAY!!!!!!  If you've EVER read my blog entries you know I have a Ben Rector problem.  I've lost count of how many of his concerts I've been to (9?), and according to iTunes I've played "The Beat" 262 times.  I fell in love with his song "Forever Like That" at a concert in October 2011, and I've been on pins and needles waiting for it to come out since then.  

Disclaimers: (1) the video below of "Forever Like That" isn't my own; (2) it's hopelessly romantic.

First thing I did this morning!

Now go listen to his album.

oh fall, how i love thee

1. early morning fog on gamedays 2. new coffee mugs 3. ice cream dates 4. big/little reveal 5. having class outside 6. small town barns 7. little white churches 8. new stationery 9. middle of the week road trips 10. small reminders 11. best seats in the house 12. bridesmaids dresses

I love everything about Fall. 

feel the rhythm.

Day 2 of Exam Week.
We are still alive (I felt this was necessary information).
Study mode is in full force around here. Last night, I was yelling at Caroline from my room. I asked her if she was still alive. I heard a weak reply that she was, in fact, alive and I felt like Derice talking to Sanka in Cool Runnings. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then I am truly sorry for your childhood. 

Okay, back to real life.


In about 4 days, I will be boarding a plane and heading to Guatemala for a week. Along with 15 other people from my church in Auburn, I will be doing outreach on several college campuses in Guatemala City. Playing frisbee, kicking around the soccer ball, getting coffee with local students, and hiking a volcano are some things expected to happen during this trip. Not only am I thankful for this wonderful opportunity, but I am also beyond excited and cannot wait to see what the Lord has in store. Please pray for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the Gospel (Eph. 6:19). 

Exam week

In honor of exam week, I will share two photos, both of which were taken yesterday (Saturday).  The first is what I wish exam week were like.  The second is what exam week is really like.

Idyllic bike rides around Auburn:

Not-so-idyllic studying for Separations:

On a different note, I just ripped the audio from this youtube video and listened to it on repeat TWELVE times.  (Signs of insanity?  maybe?)

stories to tell.

Title: Dave Barnes's newest CD, Stories to Tell. Favorite songs: "White Flag" and "Mine to Love"

I can't believe Junior year is almost over. 

Seriously, where has the time gone?

 Here's a little glimpse at what I've been doing with my last few weeks of the school year…

I took a few quick pictures of this awesome family

I went to the Atlanta Zoo for AOII formal with some of my favorite people

and of course I worked Auburn's A-Day

(Only 132 days until football season)

Life isn't all glamorous though.

I also wrote 3 papers in less than 24 hours,

Took 4 tests in one week, 

and am starting to mentally prepare for finals.

This may be how I feel about final exams now…

Unfortunately,  this is how I'll feel not too long from now…

Very unfortunate, indeed. 

moments.

1. auburn baseball games 2. birthday celebrations at bible study

3. more rainy days 4. distracting classrooms

5. unending homework 6. new shoes

7. it's almost senior year?? 8. sonic happy hours

A View of Our Week

{Prayers are appreciated}

Anniversary

Well yesterday we celebrate the 1 year anniversary of our blog... bloggiversary if you will.

And just as we wrote a year ago, exams are quickly approaching us.  And by that I mean I took one this morning.

And in honor of exams, I will share one (of many) nerd moment of the week.

Today, my GTA for my Computer-Aided Chemical Engineering class called me a nerd.  He is a PhD candidate.  This is an all time high-low (depending on how you look at it).  I might have peaked.

Eat, Sleep, Read.

Pictured above: my reading nook along with some light reading

Eat, Sleep, Read:  Recently, my life can be summed up by those three words. This video includes my new theme song (around the 2 minute and 30 second mark).

Always makes me smile..no matter how many times I've seen it. War Eagle.

Library

I love to read.

I've loved to read since before I could read.  In Elementary School, I would go to the school library multiple times a day cause I'd read entire books in one day.  Now, I really have to control myself because once I start a good book I'm pretty useless until it's finished.

Vestavia just built a new library.  And I'm the girl who knows my JCLC card number from memory.  And this new library just happens on my old street.  Let's just say if it'd been built while I was still living on Round Hill Road, I might have taken up permanent residence there.

The new library is a fresh building nestled up in the "woods."  And I say this with quotations because, let's face it, it's Vestavia, it's not real woods.  

I've been going to the library quite a bit this summer to study.  It's just such a nice place to get away from the craziness at my house.  My only quibble is that I wish it had the same hours as the good ole RBD library in Auburn.  I got kicked out at 5 pm this afternoon.  I don't hit my stride 'till after 6.

I think being surrounded by books just helps me think more clearly.  I've even claimed my own table.  It's right by the wall of windows, so the sunlight is quite nice in the afternoon.  (Although there have been days I've worn my sunglasses inside... too bright for my eyes to handle.)

The afternoon storms are the best.  One day I thought I might blow away.

my view of the library from my table

adventures of lately.

hi.
if you don't remember me
i understand.
it's been a while...
but life's been busy,
actually just full of studying.
BUT school is over!!! for now.
Anyways, here's what we've been up to lately:

AOII's philanthropy is for arthritis. We had to. 

Aren't they just precious?

Ben Rector, I'm officially a fan of suspenders.

Matt Wertz

On Friday we went to the Matt Wertz/Ben Rector concert in Atlanta.
SO. AWESOME.
We stood on the front row, wrote a love note to Ben, and enjoyed great music.
Perfect ending to Sophomore year.
-Oh, and if you've never listened to Matt or Ben, go listen to their music. like now.

My Life of Late

my "cheat sheet" for Friday's final

In approximately 13 hours, my life will return to its normal state of semi-saneness.  

As a reward for completing finals (as if not completing them was an option...), Alex and I, along with some other friends, are going to see MATT WERTZ and BEN RECTOR in Atlanta tonight!  Woohooo!!  {Followed by a mad dash to move out of my dorm as quickly as possible... not looking forward to this quite so much.}  

I can't think of a more perfect way to end this crazzzyy week.

And We Meet Again

Well we come to the "fake anniversary" of our blog cause IT'S EXAM TIME AGAIN!

Boo.

I have had some not-so-enjoyable dates with my books: "Engineering Fluid Mechanics," "Physics for Scientists and Engineers," and "Fundamentals of Engineering Thermodynamics."  ("Fundamentals of Differential Equations" took early leave due to an exemption.  Take that, Diff Eq!)

So for the sake of brevity I will describe this week and next in one word:

STUDYING!!!!!

Addendum:

Top music choices for studying, Spring 2011:

Thompson Square's "Thompson Square"

Josh Kelley's "Georgia Clay"

Brad Paisley's "Old Alabama feat. Alabama - Single"

23 Years Ago

It's no mystery that some of the buildings on Auburn's campus are pretty old.  Parker Hall, where I have all of my math and physics classes, went up in 1963 (according to Auburn's website).  So I really shouldn't be surprised when I find stuff like this on the seat in front of me:

But I was surprised.  Fascinated actually.  It's just kind of crazy how college kids still do the same things, decade after decade.  Some kid was sitting in my exact same seat in 1988, thinking "Good grief, this circuit mess doesn't make a lick of sense.  Oh wait, maybe if they'd lay off the AC in this building I'd actually be warm enough for my brain to thaw, and I'd be able to learn something.  And wouldn't it be funny if I put this sticker [that those annoying people on the concourse gave me] on the seat in front of me?  I wonder who Bush Quayle is?"  So much is the same.  Granted the ash trays on the wall in this same classroom go largely unused, thank heavens, but you get the point.

Maybe in 2012, I'll put a cool _____, ______ 2012 sticker on the seat in front of me.  Then in 2035, some kid will think the same things I did today.  

And I sure hope that sticker has the name of our 45th president.

Call the fire department

So it's been one of those weeks where luck isn't going my way. In fact, luck is actually sprinting in the opposite direction. Here's my proof:
Monday.
After class, I come back to the dorm and decide to make some popcorn.
Put the bag in the microwave and set the timer for three minutes and walk back to my room.
Return to the kitchen after ONE minute to see smoke everywhere and smell burnt popcorn.
React.  ME "Umm i think i just set off the fire alarm." CAROLINE(from her room): "No you didn't"...(walks into the kitchen) Oh yepp."
Ridiculously high-pitched noise emerges from our room. It stopped. I begin to relax. Maybe I didn't set it off? Nope, a few seconds later the Fire Alarm Goes off. Awesome.
I admit to everyone that the cause of having to leave the dorm in the middle of prime nap time is because of me and my stupid popcorn.
Come back to the room to find the bag of popcorn gone. Maybe the firemen took it for evidence?
Still to be determined...


Today.
I finally find time to officially change my major to English. This requires me going to the office of the College of Education, getting my folder (filled with my entire college career), and taking it to the office of College of Liberal Arts. Sounds simple, right? Wrong.
11:35 AM: Go to the Ed. office and fill out the transfer form. They tell me to take it to the college I'm tranferring into. No big deal.
11:40 AM: Arrive at Liberal Arts office, only to find it closed for lunch. Cool.
A lady sees me looking in the office and sees that I'm changing my major. She proceeds to tell me that the College of Liberal Arts just stopped accepting applications on February 28th and not again until April 1st. Well that's convenient. She says that I need to take my folder back to the College of Education so I don't get kicked out of school (Not her exact words).
11:50 AM: I go back to the Education office. They close for lunch at 11:45. Typical. Starting to get a little frustrated. Go to my dorm to take a shower.
12:45 PM: Get back to the Education office as soon as they open back up. The lady tells me I need to wait to see an advisor. Apparently she's on the phone. I wait...
1:45 PM: My impatience grows. Is she really still on the phone?? I ask the lady how much longer she thinks it will be. She goes to her office to check on the progress. She comes back to tell me that my advisor will be busy the rest of the day. You could've told me that an hour ago. But okay, I JUST NEED TO GIVE YOU BACK THIS DANG FOLDER (I didn't actually use those exact words). She tells me that there's nothing she can do for me and I will need to come back tomorrow.. everything should be fine. Thanks for being so reassuring.
Currently: Instead of being tucked safely away in the College of Liberal Arts office, the folder containing my entire college career is on. my. desk.

Maybe the rest of the week will get better. Maybe.

I wish

This poster was in the room I spent 3rd period in senior year of high school.  Obviously, I thought it was cool enough to deserve its picture being taken.

I really do wish that learning by osmosis was possible.  It would have made this week so much less painful.  I guess not everyone can have a cartoon kind of life.

"C" is for college.

 

A College Student's Survival Guide

          Things that I can't live without 

Coffee. Also known as my new best friend. I don't know how I managed to survive the first two semesters without it. (There are worse things to be addicted to).  Camera. A picture is worth a thousand words...enough said. Concealer. For girls only. Saves us from looking like death from lack of sleep/ too much studying (see Caroline's previous post). Cereal. Who doesn't like cereal? Honey Nut Cheerios dominate my food pyramid. Candy. Our dorm room has never been without chocolate. Everyone should reward themselves with something sweet every now and then. Cowboy boots. I have a mild obsession. Christ. Let's get real. We are  nothing without God.

the way I feel

just call me Larry

overboard

As much as I enjoy the Lord of the Ring's trilogy, I'm not sure how I feel about this:

Also, a big shout-out to Kevin Fly for living a near a LOTR fanatic.  Cool.

~~~~~

Oh, and just in case you were wondering (you probably weren't), while Alex was in Hotlanta for the SEC championship, I was here...

my desk

I think we all know who got the better deal.

Alex's Top 10 Ways to Procrastinate

Just in time for exams, here's a helpful list to put off studying.

Let me add that I've already completed this list for the week.

1. Facebook stalk

2. Watch shows on Hulu (Glee in particular)

3. Play with roommates

my awesome roomies :)

4. Look at blogs

5. Make a blog

6. Take pictures

7. Read a book for Fun

8. Make crafts

9. Make hot chocolate

10. Look up Auburn football articles

Apparently I was on tv 8,675,349 times during the Iron Bowl