Dedicated or Stupid?

That's what I kept asking myself as I drove to class in ice and snow after work this evening. After my hour and a half drive home, I've decided that it was more stupid than dedicated. It was basically my car and a bunch of Mr. Plow's out on the road tonight. I had to stop twice because my windshield wipers iced to the point where I couldn't see.

I do admit, I'm glad I got the study materials for my test next week. Also, because this was the worst weather I've driven in, the driving experience was good for me. I'm sure this is just the beginning of the cold weather.

In the spirit of my Thanksgiving leftover dinner I'm indulging in, I'd like to share what I am thankful for tonight:
1. That I don't drive a badass Nissan 350Z.
2. That I don't drive a stick shift.
3. That I have a carport.

A Drink of Heaven

"It's like drinking a dream" as my friend put it once. Yes, I'm talking about Starbucks drinks. For me, it is a white chocolate mocha for the fall and winter seasons and a caramel frap for the spring and summer seasons. Both with whipped cream, of course. How posh do I sound already? I can't help what I like.

It was an interesting evening of reading and people watching. Despite the steady rain, people flowed in and out of the coffee shop. The angry businessman at the table in front of me made interesting entertainment. With 7 Starbucks cups cluttered on his table, he sported a laptop and bluetooth earbud. Furthermore, he kept getting refills. Perhaps he started a bar tab at Starbucks? It looked like an expensive one. I wonder where he works? I gathered he dealt with real estate and is in some level of management. A twenty something guy sat behind me reading a book quietly. I wonder what he was reading?

Most others came in pairs. Pairs of friends. Pairs of boyfriends and girlfriends. Pairs of parents and children. The most interesting pair was a pair of friends studying in the back. A guy and girl reading and conversing diligently. Reminds me of well... me in my "old" college days. I wonder what they were studying, what they hope to be, and if they'll become what they hoped for? I'm rooting for them, anyway.

Then I thought, "I bet most people here are doing the same thing as I am- people watching, and that includes me!" What do they think I'm reading? How do others guess what my life is like? I know I make up life stories about strangers. My life may be full of adventures I'm unaware of. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to my next trip to Starbucks.

The Chiefs vs the Raiders

Between getting the 24-hr flu and driving home for Thanksgiving, I now have a chance to sit and write about my first NFL game experience. You probably have guessed that going to a Kansas City Chiefs game is awesome! The Chiefs fans are known for their tailgating. With their grills and impressive flag poles set-up in the parking lot, the fans know how to do it right. My group and I tailgated before AND after the game and still had leftovers. I had the best 1" pork chops ever with cheesy poofs.

The game was exciting with a Chiefs win against their rival, the Raiders, with a final score of 17-13. My favorite part, however, was the surprise fly-over of the B2 stealth bomber during the national anthem performance. That was absolutely breath-taking.

The B2 is in the upper-right corner of this picture on its way to Arrowhead Stadium. I didn't take this photo, though. I was too mesmerized and too engaged in the whole experience.

This was my view, and I had a great seat on the second level. My friend insists we'll get front row tickets next season for a game of my choice. I think that's a great idea.

This is my siblings and me enjoying the game.

Stepping Into MySpace

No I haven't, but I'm thinking about it! I've actually been meaning to join MySpace for awhile now. I have a handful of friends on MySpace, instead of facebook, that I would like to keep in touch with better. So what's been holding me back for the following months from joining MySpace?

1. When I pull up a MySpace page, I feel like I've just walked into a casino: overwhelmed. There are flashing banners, music, busy wallpapers, and moving pictures. I am still accustomed to the simple document style of facebook. I'm sure the MySpace format just requires getting used to it.

2. It's one more login. I keep asking myself do I want to have one more thing to check? I already check 3 e-mail accounts, facebook, blogger, and webct regularly. That's before I begin surfing the net. How much more should I tie myself to my pc?

3. How comfortable am I about posting more information about myself online? The more time I spend online, the more comfortable I get with revealing more information about myself without realizing it.

Perhaps one day I'll join the MySpace craze. For now, I'll spend my time going out... or uh... writing in my blog.

Warmer Days

The temperature is 37 degrees F with a windchill of 28 degrees F right now. This combined with the fact that I wake up to a sunless morning just to leave work with the sun already fallen has made me think of wamer days...

This was when I ran track for Corporate Challenge for my first time this past summer in KC. I have never eaten so healthy for 2 weeks in my life as I did while I prepared for my track events. I also learned that running relays is nerve-wracking, especially running against the Cerner team. The Cerner team should really consider quitting their day jobs and trying out for the U.S. Olympic track team. I think they have a good chance for the gold.

This is a picture of me taking a picture. I actually like this picture better than the one I took. This was my summer excursion to Stillwater. My fond memories of the Student Union mostly revolved around food: Chick-Fil-A and pancakes. In the old days, Chick-Fil-A AND Burger King served the many hungry students of OSU on campus, but I guess those are off-campus now.

Here's me picking out some peaches at downtown KC's City Market. Can you find me? It's like finding Waldo, except my shirt's not as cool. I loved going to city markets and even had a chance to check out Overland Park's city market before the summer ended.

I'm glad I got all my warm, summer memories out of my system now. I'm ready for the cold. Bring it on.

Livin' On Tulsa Time

I kicked off my weekend in Tulsa with the 5k Tulsa Run. The morning was very cold, but gradually warmed up toward the end of the race. One suggestion for improvement is the bus system that takes the runners from the parking lots to the starting line. My brother and I waited for 45 minutes without getting on a bus. We decided to run to the starting line instead, which was about a mile away. We got to the start with 3 minutes to spare, just enough to catch our breaths. The picture above is at the beginning of the run. I'm in the middle with the black outfit.

This is my brother and me right after crossing the finish line and right before we raided the tent full of candy bars, yogurt, and fruit.

On the drive back from the race, I stopped to take a picture of the fall trees.

I'll Drink to This!

Here's a recent article on the debated issue of wine and health published in the Wall Street Journal.
Substance in Red Wine Appears to Let Mice Live Longer

Hi. My name is -----, and I don't watch Grey's Anatomy.

How many characters can you name out of the picture above? I admit I can name two: Meredith Grey and Dr. McDreamy (but knowing that answer was school related). Grey's Anatomy has been a huge hit in the U.S., but it hasn't tapped into my tv schedule. I simply prefer other shows. What I find interesting is my exclusion in conversations because I don't watch the show. Here is what happens:

Friend: Hey... did you see this week's Grey's Anatomy?

Me: No.

Friend: But you watch it, right?

Me: No.

Friend: Oh. Nevermind. *Silence*

(End Conversation)

I think it's funny, but this has happened to me at least three times this past month. Crazy.