Weird Wednesday

I grew up in the great state of Oklahoma. If you aren't from Oklahoma, there are some things you must know:

• 'round here we might have an accent. None of us believe it, and don't understand why some people think "y'all" is a funny saying. 
• Yes, we are an obese state. But when you have places like Eischen's that specializes in selling whole fried chickens, how can you blame us? We know good food.
• We are friendly. When I drive around 71st and Memorial on a Saturday, I'll probably beg to differ. However, if there is one thing I have learned in my travels--- it is that we are one of the few areas of the U.S. where people are nice or considerate to strangers. I don't know how many times I've told a stranger how may day is going, or waved and smiled at them as we walk past each other.

So why does this matter? Well, it is what makes this Weird Wednesday topic tick:

When you and one other person are alone on an elevator and don't speak to each other.

There is about a two second period of time where you can establish communication. If that two seconds passes and the only communication was an awkward eye glance followed by an intense interest in your watch, then you are doomed for 30 seconds of awkward silence. And it feels just like this:

 

I must admit, I am guilty of this myself. Sometimes, I freeze and don't know what to do. I'm trapped in a metal box. I hope and pray that the person next to me will save the day with a great piece of small-talk. Anything. The weather, the day of the week, sports, heck I'd even accept breaking out into song High School Musical style (though I must admit, I've always secretly wished for my life to be a musical). Being from Oklahoma, I just expect communication with strangers. This silence throws me completely off my game.

Sometimes there just isn't any avoiding it. And apparently there will never be a solution...

Darn.

Weird Wednesday

Taken from the wonderful world of Youtube. Not my video.

I am majorly creeped out by the talking crosswalks. The first time I heard them I was in Norman and walking to the sorority house. Previously, the crosswalk made happy chirp sounds when it was time to walk. I thought those were pleasant, and I enjoyed them. Then one day, I pressed the button, and it told me to wait. "WHAT?! Is someone hiding in the bushes???" was my first thought. Then I realized there was a robot talking to me. "Oh hello Mr. Robot, let's be best friends" was not my next thought. Instead it was, "This is scary, why is the crosswalk talking to me?!" I really thought that if I jaywalked that flames would come out from the stop light and burn me alive.

Rather rapidly, it seems like most cities are adapting to this style. I feel like I am living in a world of Big Brother that stalks me. Yes, it cares about my safety. But it does not care about my desire to cross the street when there is a break in traffic. Instead, it guilts me into waiting an extra 2-3 minutes until it gives me permission. I have always been a rule-follower, and this robot of a crosswalk has found its way to control my life.

Does anyone else find these weird/super creepy/or ..*cough*..even awesome?


Note: I understand-- they are great for the blind. I am not hating on the handicapped, and I am very glad that this exists for you! I don't want them to go away, however, they still creep me out. 

Weird Wednesday

Nope, I haven't already forgotten my blog again. My computer has been sent in to the lovely folks at Dell to fix it up for the last time (my 4 year warranty has taken its final bow). Since my pictures are all with it, I am putting a pause on the summer-picture-catching-up. 

So, I really like memes. Memes of all types. Because of this, each Wednesday will now be Weird Wednesday. This is part because I am weird, and part because maybe I will finally get used to spelling weird correctly (my brain is positive it is spelled "ie" not "ei"-- it is wrong). This might already be a meme in Blog Land, but I am too tired to search and find out.

Each Wednesday I will post something that I think is really weird. 

Weird Wednesday:

When people eat string cheese without stringing it. Why don't you just call it "mozerella" instead?? String cheese is called STRING cheese for a reason!

RIGHT WAY TO EAT STRING CHEESE:

  
Peel the cheese! Look how happy this girl looks, because she is having so much fun eating her cheese.


WRONG WAY TO EAT STRING CHEESE:

  

DO NOT stuff the cheese in your mouth!! This baby already looks miserable, and why would you want to be an angry wolf?? I sure don't want to be an angry wolf.

Why you should eat String Cheese the correct way:

  

Look at all the fun you can have when eating it the string way!

If any of you eat string cheese the wrong way, I invite you to try the new way. You most likely already know how unless you have a sad allergy to bananas:

A New Beginning

After 5 weeks of awesome summertime, it was time to begin my career. Work began in mid-June, and I absolutely love it! In the first 3-4 months, all of the college new hires are in an orientation program to learn about the company. There has been lots of bonding time in between presentations, projects, and travelling. 

Team Building Activities:

Yes, we walked over set mouse traps. I am now fearless!

We had to all get through the nets, without touching, and without re-using holes.

I was excited and concerned at the same time.

What is one way to bond quickly? Have everyone touch your butt..

The 20 best friends that anyone could have!

We went to a Drillers game, and Hanson sang the National Anthem. 4th grade Katy came rushing back to take fifty a couple of pictures.

Jennifer and Kathryne, two of my new favorite people!

Club 807, representin'!

I have made some amazing new friends this summer, and I am so happy to start my new beginning with them!

And then the friends start getting married...

Before this year, I have only been to 3 weddings in my ENTIRE life. Including the one where I was a flower girl at age 7. 

This summer began that time in every girl's life when her dreams come true her Facebook fills with engagement pictures and her mailbox fills with wedding announcements and scares the crap out of her. I missed the first one, a destination wedding in Florida. Unfortunately I had no denero to go. In mid- June I got to attend the first wedding of 2012 (2 more planned so far, plus 1 that I can't attend). It was my friend Kayla's wedding, who was one of the girls I studied abroad with to China in 2010.

On the night of the rehearsal dinner...

Chinese Lanterns! (yes, like in Tangled)

College friends

Got to see a couple of other girls on the wedding day!

Weddings make me feel way too old. And I wanted to bawl like a baby. I will blame that on the fact that I had just started work and hadn't slept for two weeks. You believe me, right? 

:)

And tonight she blogs.

I am finally blogging! Yes, I suck. So I won't make excuses.

It basically all comes down to the fact that I didn't think my life was interesting enough to stop watching netflix to tell you guys about.

But now that I have graduated and become an "adult," my life is automatically more interesting (slash I don't live in a sorority house filled with my best friends anymore- just my parents who aren't as awesome and distracting) . So now I will continue to blog! I am first going to make some posts of the highlights of life since I died from the blogging world, and then I will continue with the fun awesome things that I prefer (like telling stories of my eccentric childhood and run-ins with the crazies).

To make it up to you guys for blogging hiatus, I leave you with a dose of cuteness:

*It has been so long since I have blogged that I have no idea what this new blogger business is. I am bad with change!

Life is a Whirlwind

In 4 weeks, I will be graduating from the University of Oklahoma.
Today, I was initiated into the Honor Society, Phi Kappa Phi, honoring the top 10% of Seniors.
I found out last week that I am being honored with one of Price College of Business's Outstanding Senior Awards.
I will also be graduating with Academic Distinction.

I am not saying these things to gloat, although I am damn proud of myself.
I say these things because I can't believe this has all happened. I can't believe that my days here are almost done. I am so excited to start my new life, but leaving here will be bittersweet. I know that life will never be like this again. However, I love confidently knowing that life will be so much better. Many of my friends are not this lucky, and while I pray for them to find jobs/grad schools/etc., it also serves as a reminder to not take for granted what I have been given.

I am so excited for all of the things I will be able to accomplish this next year as I begin my career. For years I have been living in an environment with competitive people who try to push other people down. I have learned a lot about myself and how to deal with this kind of environment, for which I will be eternally grateful. The lessons I have learned are invaluable. However, I will be moving home to an environment of people that constantly believe in me and inspire me to do great things. And that is what I want to do. I don't know what these "great things" will be, but I know they will happen because I will be surrounded by encouragement. I know this next year will be a big, BIG change, but I know that these changes will enrich my life for years to come.

I swear that it was just a year ago that I was playing on my elementary school playground. But here I am, preparing my cap and gown. Life is a whirlwind.