Every school year I like to write a Top 10 list of events or memories of the year or semester depending. I ended up missing last semester’s Top 10 so here folks is the 05-06 Review in no particular order.

1. My Tattoo- I love it, and I am really glad I actually did it. The experience was a crazy one. Anne who was completely composed and me shaking like a leaf both did something we’d be talking about for months. It was a bonding experience for us and something crazy to represent the changes in my life this year. I love how I designed it and the meaning behind each piece of it. It was something I can't believe I did, but that I seriously do not regret.

2. The Zoo- My apt became a zoo with all the animals that passed through it. From Barnaby the dog, Zoey the dog, Crissy the hamster, and my fish Ma’a it was like we couldn’t live without animals. In the end Barnaby was puppynapped, Zoey was given away to a friend, Ma’a passed away (may he swim in peace somewhere), and only Crissy remains.

3. Black Belt Fever- My sis got her black belt! I wanted so badly to be there, but the way we had to leave Spring Break meant we’d miss her test. I am so proud of her. Kat really is just the best sister I could ask for, she is so much more than a younger sibling, she is a best friend. I couldn’t ask for more.

4. The Air Mattress Blues- Having all the trouble with the air mattress last semester. It was a crazy ride and I mean that literally. From the tiny pin prick sized hole all the way to the hole a child’s fist would fit in. Then the adventure in buying a new mattress which also had a hole in it…how’s that for luck? I never actually got another queen platform mattress and still sleep on the replacements replacement mattress, it has yet to pop or get a hole. *cheers*

5. Hair Dye Hell- After getting blonde highlights I had to get my hair dyed like every 3 weeks to keep my roots from showing, before I knew it I was almost completely blonde, and I suddenly wanted out. So in order to look less blonde I went from getting highlights to getting a weave. That is where some natural color is dyed into the hair with the highlights in an effort to keep from turning into the highlight color completely. The problem was that the “natural” color was at least 4 shades lighter than my actual natural color and I now had to pay even more to maintain my hair color. I finally gave up and dyed my hair back to its natural color over Christmas break, this however resulted in orange, and had to dye it the darkest shade of brown to cover it. Things are pretty much back to normal now, minus the lighter streaks of honey hair where my highlights used to be.

6. Homecoming- My friend Greg came to OSU and he, Anne, and I all went to the game. It was a blast to attend the walk around and see the huge scenes set up by the frats and sororities. The game was probably one of the most exciting of the season and I’ll never forget the insane cheering, wild dancing, excited high fives, and hugging in the first half as we stomped Texas. We lost the game, but it is one of the best memories I have from fall.

7. Family Feud- So many times I’ve gone around this in my head, and the only answer I have for it, it is what it is. The crazy times with my family made this school year the hardest I’ve ever gone through and I can’t say that it ever really got better. From where I sit today I feel more alienated then I did when I first met my Dad my freshman year in HS. I can only hope that someday things will be congenial if nothing else. I just wish this didn't affect how often I get to see my sis, I really miss her.

8. Twinkie Decay- The changes in my relationship with Jason have always been drama, but somehow even with the total change in our lives, his impending marriage, and my adoration for another, we’ve managed to still be the best of friends. I’m not sure that we will be best friends after this summer, but the ride was crazy and totally worth it. He is one of those people you know you were destined to meet.

9. Cheese me- Brett has been apart of my life in a steady sense for quite awhile now, but he really has become more than a passing phase for me. We hit it off from the beginning and honestly I’ve never met someone so different from me, and yet so alike me. My life has been crazy this past year and he has been there through it all with me. I love his humor, intellect, talent, easy temperament, kindness, and a million other things about him. He makes me happy, quite the feet these days, and I can’t imagine my life without him in it. I adore him and am excited that he adores me just as much, its Lurve, Luff, and a whole lot of that cheesy stuff =)

10. Titanic- Getting to go to the titanic museum in Branson with my friend Nikkie was amazing. Nikkie and I have known each other since I was in 4th grade; her sis and I have been friends since then as well. Nicole grew up like a sister in my life. She is a great girl and I love her dearly. We have a love for similar things and even more than that we enjoy spending time together. The trip to the museum was a blast and a lot of that was because she was there. I’m excited to spend time with her this summer.

Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen, by Mary Schmich:

Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

For the love of pete!

I have no idea how to write about anything right now…that said: Happy Friday.

Sometimes I get lost in myself and I don’t know how to escape.

and she hits a Grand Slam!

Who here is a baseball fan? *jumps up and down waving frantically* A few minutes ago out of curiosity I checked the spring schedule for the Cards. I love baseball so much that my life tends to start to revolve around it. Summers growing up were spent with my Papa watching every televised game, it was our thing. Having been raised on Cardinal Baseball, I’m a diehard fan. Unfortunately living so far away from St. Louis has made it more than a little difficult in the past few years to attend games. I even had to miss the final games in my beloved Busch stadium before renovation. Still I survived and even looked into season tickets or tickets for certain series. That being said, to me the largest rivalry for the Cards is hands down the Houston Astros. Hate really isn’t a strong enough word for how I feel about this team, and while I respect their players, for me Astros vs. Cards is just like Yankees vs. Red Sox…its really that serious. So as I’m looking at the schedule, guess who is playing a three game series exactly one month before my birthday at Busch stadium…oh come on…guess! That’s right, the Cards vs. Astros, now I just need someone to come with me…this would make my lame birthday amazing (even if its a month early)…I really want to do this! I can just see me in the stadium screaming and having a grand old time, finally enjoying a birthday, something I’ve been denied the last three years. I need to start harassing people about coming with me; unfortunately no one I know loves baseball quite like me. I bet I can woo someone or I might just have to kidnap someone to go otherwise, and going to jail for baseball is a little extreme, even for me.

Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind.
“Pooh!” he whispered.
“Yes, Piglet?”
“Nothing,” said Piglet, taking Pooh’s paw. “I just wanted to be sure of you.”

I cannot explain why I love this quote...I just do.

Contemplative

There are a lot of things in life I tend to forget, last night I was reminded of one of them. We went to Tulsa to grab my laptop AC cord which I had left there, but the most amazing part of this little adventure, the stars. I sat in the passenger seat and watched them twinkle with their beautiful pale light, and it made me long for home. In Grove I could sit on my front porch with the concrete seeping its cold in through my pajama pants and the stars blazing in the sky. I would just sit there for hours staring at them; I could be free of thought in those moments, free of everything, only me, the cold concrete, and those brilliant stars. It has been a long time since I’ve lived in a place where the stars shine as brightly as they do on that front porch. I’ve heard it said that things always seem more glorious in memory, but I honestly believe that the stars shine brighter no where else. There is a small town on the side of a highway where tractors drive down the main street, kids can still walk to school safely, everyone knows who you are and what you are up to, and in that quiet little town is a porch where the stars shine only for me.

Rush Hour...

I am not sure how to express what I'm going through right now. Last night Clarkie informed me upon my intuitive sense that something was up...He has moved his wedding up a year. A YEAR! Already feeling like my friendship with him was being stretched I'm sure that this will take the taffy to the limit. What am I going to do with this? I again repeat how amazingly happy I am for him, but I can't help but feel helpless in the sense that I'm losing my best friend...and that I'm losing a person who truly knows me. *sigh* I'm not sure where to go from here...

Contentment

This has been one of the best weekends I've had in a long time. From the amazing time I've spent with my Brett to work going smoothly and quickly, things have just worked. I'm content, I'm happy, I'm in luff =)

Sorely Missed

The craziest adventure occurred for me this afternoon. I rode to Tulsa with Jason. I work this weekend and have been honestly been missing the company of my best friend. It was great when I realized that I could ride with him instead of taking the bus like I normally do. The trip was filled with us talking about music, friendship, and life in general. It was like it was fall again, before we were pulled apart by the typical symptoms of growing up. I miss him, and I realize that things are not going to be the same now that he is getting married. Married, how crazy that sounds. My little Clarkie, my Tex, my Jason...no longer mine I guess. I have no feelings for him, I haven't in a lifetime it seems, yet I love him. We are transcendent of all that we've gone through. Its amazing how life works out, things slowly become replaced and changed. We've both grown used to the distance that has started to occur. The rarity of seeing each other has become more and more normal for us. The beauty of it all is that he is madly in love, and I'd never begrudge him that wonderful thing. Perhaps someday I too will know what it is like to be loved the way he loves his fiancee'. I'm on an adventure of my own, perhaps more complicated and wildly dramatic, but mine. He was and will always be a part of me and I will always remember him, even if life takes us down different roads. He will always be my Anita and I will always be his Raul, and we will always make people laugh together, twinkies. He'll just be someone else's Zinger...lol yay for obscure inside jokes and food references. In the end I guess I've got my own Zinger to find =)
-Meg

Dance your cares away *clap clap*

I found the most amazing thing at wal-mart last night! I'm sure you've guessed it by now, Fraggle Rock: Complete First Season. There are around 6 DVD's in the case and it contains all 24 eppies. I was so excited I did a dance and began singing the song as Anne and I browsed the movie section. A random guy even clapped at the part of the song where the Fraggles Clap and then winked at me. It was pretty funny. You can get the theme song here if you are curious :)This show was a major part of my childhood and I have loved it every since. I highly highly recommend it for people with kids. It has great songs, lessons, and humor even for adults. I also purchased Valley Girl and Stephen King's TommyKnockers. Valley Girl is hands down one of my favorite movies. It cracks me up that to this day valley speak is still a major part of culture, like for real. Anyway if you love movies and like them cheap, wal-mart has a movie bin with all sorts of movies for $5.50. There were a million I wanted to buy, but once I found the Complete First Season of Fraggle Rock I had to put them back. They had What Dreams May Come which is also one of my favorite books, Panic Room with Jodie Foster, Hot Shots: Part Deux, Gattaca another one of my favorite movies, and a million and half more. Anyway that is my random blog for the day =)

-Meg

Loved?

I wonder what its like to be so loved that a person can't get enough of you? They put their friends, their school, their lives on hold to talk to you or spend one more hour with you. I sure know what its like to be friends with a person who loves someone that much...its lonely.

Waiting...

Sometimes I feel as if I'm just hanging out waiting...okay edit I feel like I'm always sitting around waiting, but for what? I was just sitting in my room playing Mario listing to Freebird and it struck me, in less than 8 months I'll be 23. This spring I was supposed to graduate from College, and I was going to do a backpack trip through Europe to celebrate. Over two years ago I realized this was just a dream and I'd be in school much longer than expected. What am I doing with my life? 23 is not old, I won't pretend that it is, but look how fast it crept up on me. Soon I'll look back and I'll be 30 and then 40 and before long I'll be my Papa's age. The years are increasing in speed and I'm starting to feel as if I'm wasting it. Clarkie came over tonight, and his fiancee called him. I listened to him talk to her and saw his demeanor change, and smack another shining example of people growing up. Why can't we stay here a little longer? Why can't Lost night be our thing for another 5 or 6 years? Why can't I always sleep on an air mattress and go to class and work? This is safe, this is comfortable, this is home...but for how much longer.

I have thought for a while about moving to Blogger, and recently I discovered some unhappy things about my former blogging home. I feel after much research this morning and the past week that I am indeed better off moving here. Not only do I know people who blog here, but I also feel that the way the site is set up and run is far better than previous blogging sites I've used. So I say a cheery hello to the blogger community :)
-Meg