Monday, June 27, 2011

The Bored Board

In my state of boredom today when I came home from work, I began perusing the internet. I read the blog of an almost stranger and one of a good friend, twitterstalked a few lucky people, and at some point I came across the blog of a stay-at-home-mom talking about how she keeps her kids from sitting around in their pajamas all day during the summer by posting a "bored board" with different activities they can choose between.
Well I might not be in pajamas, but I certainly do become quite worthless when I get home from work. And although this Mom may or may not be using this as a ploy to get her children to do their chores, I'd like to take her idea for myself. If I have a list of things to choose from when I get home, maybe just maybe I'll do something besides sit in bed and watch 30 Rock (again) when I'm brain-fried after work!

Write a letter. Currently I only have one pen pal, but who says I can't send snail mail to anyone at any time? There are few things better than receiving a special note, whether its from your roommate or your best friend that lives too far away. Why not spread the joy? And who knows, maybe I'll get some in return!

Draw. Now, I'm no artist. And I get easily frustrated when I try to convey a picture in my brain onto a piece of paper. I'm gradually accepting the fact that I will probably never create a masterpiece, but I've become a fantastic sketcher of robots for now.

Organize my closet. At the end of this summer, I'll be leaving my apartment of two years for a house that I will share with a few girls that are very dear to my heart. I'm looking forward to having a bigger kitchen and living room, but sadly my closet will be shrinking. So here's to getting rid of that shirt I bought in middle school and haven't worn since!

Memorize the lyrics to ever Bon Iver song ever. Before I move, I'll be seeing Bon Iver, one of my favorite artists, in the lovely city of Atlanta. Based on previous concert experience, the more lyrics you know and the more songs you recognize, the more you enjoy the incredible-ness of the artist. I expect this to easily slide into my top three concerts of all time.

I should probably make this list longer for those days when I'm irritable and nothing sounds remotely enjoyable, but for now I feel like I've given myself more than enough to tackle! So kick that Summer boredom in the face, and if you have any suggestions for other boredom-busters for a cheap college student PLEASE TELL ME

Counting the days til August,
Becks

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Reasons My Dad is Awesome

I try to have creative titles, but you know, sometimes you just have to go with something simple. I know Father's Day has past, but I don't try to contain my love for my parents to just the holidays dedicated to them. So here are some great things about my dad.

Quotes. If he sees a funny church sign, or something posted in an office, he will write it down and send it to me. I don't know if he knows how much I love words, but he brightens my day with these surprises all the time!

Long Conversations. I wish I could count the number of times we've sat in the living room talking into the wee hours of the morning, discussing all sorts of topics from ethical issues to comics to old memories. Let me tell you, if you ever want a good story he has plenty!

People watching. I have inherited from my father the eye for seeing visual similarities between complete strangers and people I know very well. He will grab me and say, "That man there, don't his ears look just like Greg down the street?" We don't always agree, but its pretty entertaining.

Dessert. We both have an intense craving for ice cream, and he also has created one of my favorite sweet treats! I don't think we've ever named it, but you spread peanut butter on a saltine cracker, top it with half a marshmallow, and toast it until the top is just brown. They are incredibly delicious and easy to make!

I know this isn't a long list, but I try not to go on and on when I post. To sum it up, I love my dad. He has always been so easy to talk to, and he is so kind hearted. We haven't always gotten along perfectly, but I've never doubted that he loves me too, even when I know I don't deserve it!

Thursday, June 2, 2011

"She's got the smiles!"

No, I'm not quoting someone famous. This is a phrase that has been thrown around between my roommates and I during the past semester. Having "the smiles" is almost like a disease, the main symptom being of course an ear-to-ear grin that cannot be stopped! This summer I have been continually plagued by the smiles, and here are some of the causes of my sickness over the past week.

Good Food. Over the weekend, I was taken on a whirlwind tour of BamaCash locations, which led to the discovery of the cutest little lunch place in downtown Northport called Fifth & Main. It had a very fresh and local feel with a menu of mostly sandwiches, soups, and salads. I had the most delicious panini (pimento cheese and bacon) along with a side of the freshest fruit I've ever seen in a restaurant. It was an incredible way to start the afternoon!

Pool Time. Although I don't use it often enough, the outdoor pool at the Student Rec Center is a great place to spend free time when the heat of a southern summer kicks in. The lazy river is so relaxing and going down the water slide is still fun even for us college kids.

Good movies. I have watched four new (to me, at least) movies in the past week, those being The Royal Tenenbaums, Sunshine Cleaning, Black Swan and The Virgin Suicides. I enjoyed every one of them! I must say they were not the most uplifting movies and I have worked in a few episodes of 30 Rock in-between so I can have some laughs, but they were all good in their own way.

Literature. I was introduced to a few authors I had never heard of in my most recent lit class and decided to further explore their writings. So far, it has been very rewarding! I just finished reading Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson. First off, his name is awesome. He also is great at creating characters that I felt shed a new light on life.

I could go on endlessly, but alas, it is now time for something else that makes me smile: my nightly run with BK!

Farewell dear readers,
Becks