It is not humanly possible for me to happier for Dan and Shells than I already am. Being a part of their wedding party for the past two nights has been a perfect ending to my time in Omaha. Now it's hitting that tomorrow I leave. Sure, I'll see people again, but our lives together, every day every weekend are over for the forseeable future. Goodbyes are hard. Leaving was slowly eating away at me. Now it's tearing me up. Saying goodbye tonight will be worse than anything I have to go through for a long while. Leaving will only emphasize it, however. Love you all.
So last night was just incredible. It really was. The salon held a going away party for me at Mockingbird Lanes, and nearly everyone was able to make it, including a lot of their husbands. It was hilarious!! It was from 9 to midnight, and we went cosmic bowling, which I'd never done before. I'm a HORRIBLE bowler, which made the situation even funnier, with everyone trying to give me pointers. I kind of flopped a couple of times, granny bowled, skipped down the lane, etc. One of the girl's husbands was sitting facing the lane, and it was so funny to walk back and see him roll his eyes. Crazy. I did get to strikes though after I warmed up for um, three games. My lowest score was 21, and my highest was 65. That was pretty good for me. lol. The owner's husband bought me a diet pepsi, and there were the disco balls goin and everything white was glowing in the dark (and some of the balls) and crazy stuff like that. i got a baby ball. lucky for me, i have small fingers, so it was no problem to fit them in the holes. you could seriously throw the ball around. i tried lifting heavier ones, though, and you know it just didn't work out. lol. three of the girls got me a cute wire bath cady with a quick-dry hair towel, a pedicure kit and a nightlight/airfreshener. another one of the girls got me a cute card with a 135 minute phone card, and another one of the girls got me a $25 gift card to SuperT, which i'm very excited about. i think i may go use it this morning. on friday al and mand and i had a goodbye lunch (for al) and al gave me a $15 gift card to SuperT. i used it to get photo paper (which i'll need for my portfolio) and hose and jewlery i'll need to make my dress liveable for dan's wedding. i'll be black with a lil blue, and i think they'll be rose. i hope that's ok. i may double check colors when i go today. annnnnnnnyways ... so yeah last night was just awesome. they had huge screens every few lanes where they played music videos and susan and i sang like crazy!! and commented on all the cute guys. i have NEVER EVER met anyone else who thought bebo norman was gorgeous! but he just got married. haha. anyways, ESPECIALLY CLAY AIKEN. dude we sang that song to nicole and it was just hilarious. we were all dancing and stuff (especially to ur-sher) and susan's like, "wow i'm seeing a new side of you - the dancing side!" and i was like, oh, that side doesn't exist - trust me. i'm just playin around. and she's like, no, you're good. and i was like hmmmm .... ook susan. whatever. lol. one of the girls tried to call her brother to see if he could come (i just got up the nerves yesterday to tell her that i like him), but he was OT. hopefully, though, before i leave they're going to try to hook us up or exchange info or somethin. he may not be ready/not feel the same way though ... and that would be ok. i have to tell myself that, though. it's been a long while since someone's given me butterflies ... not like that necessarily means anything, but i figured that fact supported me going out on a bit of a limb. even if this doesn't work out though ... the situation ... which, i mean, could happen again at any time ... it could just be weird if he walked in and was all like "so you like me?" and i'd have to answer all cute and sly .... "maybe, what's it to you?" right. erin gets too tounge tied. and then it'd be a bummer if we went out for coffee or something and then things were just awkard and we realized we were just better as friends or something. that's why friends can morph into the best lovers, i think, because you have the friendship to start with (which is key) and then you build up to a relationship, if applicable. annnnnnnnyways ... we'll see. he probably doesn't like me back/it won't work out anyways. all i know is i've never had butterflies like that ... in years and years. and i'm 18 now. i don't know what that says. but i do know he's Christian, he just turned 18, has a wonderful smile, is a bit reserved, and is just an angel to everyone and treats them all equally. and he's in the plumbing business.
well, a lot to get done today. last night rocked. leaving will suck. i'm out.
I'm curious as to who reads this. If you do, will you leave me a comment and say hey?
I can't make you, you know. But my curiosity is getting the best of me. ;)
Ok, so I'm leaving for college in 16 days. That's not right, 'yall. Truthfully, I'm super nervous. I mean, USD seems great - and I couldn't be happier about the scholarship. I'm truly blessed. The journalism program will provide limitless opportunities. And I really like the size. Have met some great people. Aside from all of that wonderful stuff, however, I would have liked to have gone some place warmer ... in a bigger city. Not like I'm be suffering from small town syndrome ... there will be plenty of chances to get out (I wouldn't go if there weren't) ... but I'm nervous. About my roommate and about the fact that ... well ... I don't think housing even looked at my roommate preferences. I know things are work out for the best ... and God has a hand in this, of course (duh!) ... but it's just lookin weird, the whole roommate situation. Good grief. I want to live with someone who ... ok I'm just going to stop there so I don't get rude.
In any case, to anyone who I told that things were wrapping up ... just kidding!! Things are nonstop. Awesome, because I love being busy and doing stuff. Bad, because this summer has flown by. I've done a TON ... truly had a blast ... but as always, some stuff just doesn't get done. I'm going to purpose, during those first few days of college when (hopefully) there isn't a lot of class or Volante work, to finish the AP Style book, E.B. White's grammar book, Neuharth's book and the Arco newswriting handbook. Hopefully these will put me ahead of the game. I think it will be a struggle to get out and meet people. I'll probably, at least part of me, part of the time, will just want to burough in my room and finish those books. And there's another thing I need to purpose to do the first Sunday I'm there: check out a church while everyone else is sleeping in. Lord, help me. Seriously. Maybe it'll also be a chance to meet some good people ... anyone who seeks a church out on their 2nd day in Vermillion after moving in the day before can't be half bad, let me tell ya. haha. Hmmmmm nerves. Very nervous. How silly I am.
I think the main thing is ... it'll be crazy. I do this thing where, I'll think, man 24 hours ago I was ... and then I fill in the blank. And Saturday morning when I'm in Vermillion, it'll be like ... 24 hours ago I had this life in Omaha. I was at Dan's wedding. Etc. Etc. Etc. I'm so excited about Dan's wedding, btw. But I've really come to appreciate ... the friends I have at church, THE KIDS as always ... the girls at work ... the incredible nature of this three month internship I've had this summer, the fact that ... this summer I've truly been out on my own about 10 hours a day ... this summer has been a phenom. I went to D.C. alone, but more than that ... I've had wheels and three jobs and responsibility and a say in a huge handful of magazines. I've been an editor, a managing editor, a photographer, I've covered concerts and Omaha 150 events, I've been behind red tape and past security with my wonderful press passes ... I've been on four photo shoots in a row downtown, I've eaten dinner alone at 10th and Pacific and gotten lost in Council Bluffs ... and there's just something about that independence that ... sometimes makes you lonely, but other times just makes you think, wow, I'm finally somewhat on my own. This internship has truly made me discover just how much Omaha has to offer. I'd love to think I'd come back here some day to raise kids, and maybe I will. However, I wouldn't come back to work for the OWH, lol. Anyways ... I've had summers ... wonderful summers before where I've done a lot more traveling, but this summer's experiences have been unbeatable ... and I'm grateful for that. I'm (almost) an independent adult ... and certainly am in many aspects ... and now I have to go to school and work on a student newspaper. Award-winning, I might ad. A major news source for the community. I'm very excited about it, and I know I'll get super duper into it. At the same time ... it's always hard to give up an internship/job with the caliber of leadership I've had to go to school. It will be an adjustment and a learning experience. Much needed. At the same time, it will be hard. I'll be thinking, man, just a week ago I was out finishing an invesgative piece and having business lunch in the old market and talking to media reps ... and now I'm in class and covering the door stolen from the 2nd floor of the residence hall. I hope to bring things to a new caliber, and that will be a challenge ... but I can just see myself wanting so bad to go back to Omaha and have that responsibility again. At the same time, I have a TON to learn ... and on my way up the ladder, this is a necessary step.
Well, I've done a lot of random talking to myself. As usual. I made an "Appointment" today to go to Von Maur & A&F with Shala today. I got a cute off-the-shoulder pink shirt that says "Creme de la creme." I wonder if that's where we get the saying "Cream of the crop." If it's a hick-American prostitution of a classy French saying. Then I realized I was wearing a corrupted Latin phrase on my chest. I wanted to cry. But it's still cute.
If you don't get it, feel free to ask, but really, be prepared. I'm silly. And it's long.
I don't want to say goodbye to Mandy. Or Al. Or the girls at the salon. Or Graden. Or Bill. Or Matt or Billy or Christine or Joe or Liz. I'll see people again, of course, but certainly not as often as I'd like. I'll see Dan on the 28th, but then I'm sure I won't see him for quite a while. He taught me so much, and I don't even think he knows it. Amazing how God gives some the gift of blessing others by example. That's the case with him. Talked to Justin tonight. I'm going to miss him too. He's always got a smile on and is such a great listner. I'm hoping to write him some while I'm @ college. And Jay ... it's been a ton of fun getting to meet with him some this summer. I'm going to miss getting to do that too. I guess it'll make the little time I do get with these people all that ... more special? Specialer? haha. But still. Adjustment.
Well, I have a midnight deadline and I've been procrastinating.
I did register to vote today while renewing my DL, which had expired. I asked the lady why it expired so soon. She said it was because I was 18. O-Tay. Whatever floats their boats. If you think about it, you'll come to the conclusion that it makes no sense at all. The lady was evidently doubtful that the pic was me since my hair was straight. Get some glasses, hun! It was the same lady who asked me to bring her a seashell from Cali two summers ago when I failed the test for my permit and had to get a state ID so I could leave. Right.
I'm not bitter.
Anyways, circled the big R, baby. Ok, so it wasn't big. In fact, it was the full word "Republican," sandwhiched in between "Democrat" and "Nebraska Party." Silly Ranchers. Why did I caps that?
And, contrary to popular belief, I would vote D if there was ever a morally reasonable one. Which I don't forsee ever happening. But hey, Tim Pendrell man!
