Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Unwasted

I am in the middle of re-settling into my routine succeeding recent travel. There are letters to write, cookies to be decorated, phone calls to return, blogs to post, runs to eliminate Thanksgiving stuffing, pictures to edit... and some might add, a job to find, if entry level openings in fact exist.

Then, a minute late, Mom casually mentions The Cleaning Ladies are coming today. This announcement sends me into an immediate downward spiral of depression. Things get crazy chaotic when The Cleaning Ladies show up three hours sooner than expected... and Mom was out walking Louis. Fails: Mother 2; Daughter 0. I am left to finish turning the house upside down in preparation while The Cleaning Ladies begin doing the cleaning I mistakingly thought I had been doing all morning. The required work deepens my depression. I am infuriated and flustered, which lends itself to a basic algebra session. Nerd, I know, but I think we have already established that fact. The calculation: How many days--The Cleaning Ladies to blame--have I wasted? The answer: 474. Grrrrreat.

Come nightfall I will jump into a bed of crispy clean sheets... and all will be forgotten, that is, until Wednesday, two weeks from today. (End Prelude)

On the 'waste today' list was Target, Starbucks, Bed Bath & Beyond (Is there a store stocked with more unnecessary goods?), Bank of American't, the ABC Store, and Bloom. Somewhere between purchase a gift for S.M.S., girlfriend of C.D.H., and deposit check for C.A.H. we (Mom + me) came across Occupy Chick-fil-A.
Tomorrow is the grand opening of the town's first Chick-fil-A. 
The registration for the "First 100" began this morning at six. To claim your free Chick-fil-A for a year,  your presence is mandatory for the 24-hour stretch prior to the official opening. The daytime high is 42 degrees. This is a glimpse into the parking lot with seven hours down, 17 remaining:
And it gets better:
And better (for the omnivore)...
This jovial Cow Girl donated her earned free lunch to us... just because. Her generosity inspired me; Cow Girl has passion, and I am charmed by spirited people, undeterred by the fact her enthusiasm is, after all, for fried chicken. (My take on Chick-fil-A: Despite boasting a mean milkshake, increased business would result from the end of religious music in the bathrooms and more vegetarian menu options. Never lacking an opinion.)

Now, lest I remember this as a wasteful day. Eat Mor Chikin' America, eat on.

(And for those of you Southern born and bred, who know "First 100" recipients because Chick-fil-As pop up around you left and right, this experience was a first for me--do not take away my glory.)

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Capturing Thanksgiving

On Thanksgiving Day I was up early 'thought planning' the day--hoping the it would be one of meaning.

As soon as I had a black & tan coffee in my hand, all daydreaming was pushed to the back burner. Before long... my coffee disappeared... and the entire house was awake with Bloody Marys in hand. Our minds were right--liquid courage racing through our bloodstream, it was time for the annual family friendly football game. The teams were decided, positions determined, and the match kicked-off. My team came up on the short side; I, and recommend you, blame that on my quarterback of a father who refused to throw to his wide-open daughter. So not bitter(!!!).
We headed back to our quarters, following the post-game analysis, and gobbled down a French toast and hash-brown breakfast while those with tolerance sipped Mimosas. Everyone gathered around the outdoor television to watch the Detroit Lions/Green Bay Packers game--a tradition passed down from grandparents to parents to children, of both families gathered for the holiday--under near perfect temperatures. We upped the warmth--cheers be to the holidays--with a fire in the outdoor place. The audience might have been convinced this was year of the Lions, but when the Lions came up short... these Thanksgiving Day fans were not surprised.
 
Those cooking assumed position in the kitchen to begin heating all that had been prepared in advance... while others showered... and made way to the driveway for the fried turkey cooking show. And those familiar with this Southern tradition should know there is nothing to actually see... so the entertainment became a vodka taste test instead. The winning brand by unanimous vote: Kirland Signature Vodka.
The Dallas Cowboys/Miami Dolphins game began, appetizers were offered to cleanse the palate, and the anticipated meal was served at the half. Two tables. Two turkeys. Twenty-two sides. The indulging... topped off with misery, or dessert.
When you do not help cook, you clean. I will forever think 'dish duty' is a great bargain! The remains were scooped into Tupperware for leftovers. The dishes were collected, rinsed, sudsed, dried, and returned. Then it was time for a neighborhood walk. A break from togetherness upon return led me upstairs to my phone, where I had a voicemail from J.M.S. announcing her engagement. (Tangent: To say I am elated for the perfect couple would be putting in mildly. My friendship with J.M.S. dates back to August 2005, freshman year of college. I am honored to be in the wedding party, and cannot wait to celebrate her fairy tale day in December of next year.)

We capped off the evening with a lengthy game of Yahtzee over a glass of Baileys. At the conclusion of our game, the exhaustion set in. I retired to bed--filled in the best way.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Orlando, Florida

I had the luxury of escaping the premature winter temperatures for a weekend in Orlando, Florida with a couple of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers. These are people I do not keep up with in everyday life, though I find their company quite pleasurable. My experience in Lesotho turned me anti-winter, speaking on behalf of currently serving and returned volunteers I doubt many would disagree. The cold water bucket bathing, lack of heat, short days followed by long nights, bitter winds, and wet snow are hard to forget. The toughest of nails cringe at the faintest sign of the African winter.

When the opportunity to congregate in the Orlando area presented itself, I had no objections on location. Upon arrival at our host's home--I knew the decision to join the troops was a good one; C.C.J.'s place sat comfortably outside of Orlando, near enough to the beach, and came equipped with a screened-in porch and pool overlooking a deceptively large lake. The weather was a cloudy 75--warm enough for us to take a dip in the pool (and ocean). You can imagine where the majority of our time was spent.

Florida's economy is based largely on tourism, for the average tourist there is plenty to do. On the readjustment scale, we are all well beyond the 'reverse culture shock' phase; I have no doubt we could have handled Walt Disney World, an afternoon on the golf course, the Orlando Museum of Art, or time at Wekiwa Springs State Park. The want and need for scheduled activity was nonexistent though; being together brought a sense of contentedness to the group. Across-the-board we are practical and simple-minded people. Or maybe that's giving us too much credit(?)--as a unit we were indecisive. We met in the barren land of Lesotho and managed with the company of one another. We were gathered on the late-November weekend for our missing mutual friend--but I think we were all ministered to greatly ourselves. The conversation was intentional; we shared memories and spoke of the future.

As I traveled home and tried to recount to myself how sacred the weekend had felt--I found myself at a loss for words. (That doesn't happen often!) I think the best way to summarize it is this: being together in laughter, encouragement, silliness and many emotions in between rejuvenated me. Beach patios. A sandy football game. Cocktails. Music. Swimming. Card games. Frozen in these moments, I was relaxed. I could 'just be' as the overwhelming outside world floated gracefully on by.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

A Sickly Saga

My jams, positive and upbeat, were flowing through my iPod as I jogged alongside the wind on the unpaved roads of Northern Virginia one sub-40 degree morning when my stomach started a beat of its own. I had to stop my run, nearly two miles in; I decided to take six minutes to tend the aches before I continued on my running way. I made it another 15 minutes before my stomach, negative and nagging, needed another reprieve. At this point, I had the option to turn home... but I'm stubborn... so I continue running... until my stomach said no more. I walked the remainder home to calm the agony. Hoping this "run" was no omen for the upcoming Virginia State Cross Country Meet, I took the 20 minutes I had to prepare before the family's departure to shower instead of eat--my system was simply not taking food orders.

We arrived at Great Meadows with plenty of time to gear up for The Race. The wind was still whipping--more powerfully across the open polo fields than the wooded roads, but the sun was shining brightly above, the ideal condition for a late-fall windburn. After all the race day commotion, I realized my appetite had returned, though before I could get home to appease the hunger, a headache was setting in. I chalked it up to my morning outdoors and attempted to suppress the discomfort because the Clemson game was on. (I have no regrets--this Saturday, November 12 would mark the final game of the 2011 season as we had come to know it. The following week would symbolize an all too familiar story of feigned success.) As the game progressed, I knew this was no headache, I had progressed into migraine territory. And it was time for full combat mode: bed before eight, no lights, no noise. The demon kept me up a majority of the night and lingered throughout most of Sunday. Evil.

Monday: Despite my queasy stomach, my head was free of the brain pounding demon... therefore I planned to claim the roads as mine. BUT instead of running, I (actually) listened to my body (go me!) and walked two hours for exercise. I returned home to unbearable stomach pains. I showered because Latte Woman was having a coffee social I wanted to attend. BUT my stomach would not shut-up, and I would miss the coffee date. I laid on the couch in tears for four hours before I could move. After eating a plain bagel I perked up and spent a gorgeous afternoon on the deck finishing one book and starting another. I was alive. I hardly slept this night, little did I know... the real fun was about to begin.

Tuesday: Woke-up. Ran(!!!). Felt invincible... until I stopped, when the stomach god threw a party only my intestines were invited too. I got home and exploded emotionally, which hurt (and was embarrassing), so I stopped. I had five minutes to be at my human-sitting job. I crawled there, halving my normal pace; I was late, and my employer was forgiving.  

Moments later I called my mom for a dose of medication. Since arriving I had already tossed my lettuce leaves from Monday's dinner twice. I am fan of vomit (or the relief following a session)... but NOT at the neighbor's house. My mom appeared, magically it seemed, with pills for popping. She ended up sending me home, noting my disaster of a condition. I decided to shower, though the amount of water being wasted annoyed me. (Recall: I showered Monday. Forgive me: Running + Vomit = Disgusting) Then, I promptly threw up, round three--spoiling my cleansed body. When Mom finished my human-sitting duties, she took me to the doctor. (I could not drive; en route I debated an emergency room pit stop.) We arrived. I, ahem she, filled out mounds of paperwork. This proceeded my following the prompts of every existing test. 

The pain seem to diminish while I laid low and waited a few days for results. I went ahead with my scheduled trip to Orlando, Florida--starving myself for the three-day excursion to avoid any episodes of illness. My friends were alarmed; I was not willing to risk it. 

The doctor touched base upon my return. Doctor Woman told me to sit down for the results. Laugh on. Am I dying? The residual aches made me feel very much alive, though my body had been in survival mode lately. On top of what we already know, and among other "interesting" discoveries, a vitamin D deficiency was noted. Alter the diet and/or add vitamins--no big deal... except I'm skeptical--I drink half a gallon of fortified vegan (soy, almond, coconut) milk every other day. And when my diet wasn't so trendy, my skim milk consumption doubled that. In addition, unemployment allows me more 'fun in the sun' than anyone I know. Handing out vitamin prescriptions, read prescriptions, must be the newest fad.

Next I learned of a severe--EpiPen toting--allergy to seafood. This is false and ridiculous. I have been around seafood my entire life; my family inhales more than most. I have not had seafood more than four times in the past four years--my once yearly allotted tuna serving. I'm an on-again, off-again vegetarian, wanna-be vegan. Alarming and absurd. 

The saga continues. Opinions five, six, and seven will be sought out this week. More offices. More paperwork. More disbelief. More being thankful I'm insured. More convincing I'm allergic to fun.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Happy Tofurky Day

A revelation: This is my first Thanksgiving in America since 2008. The past two years I scrapped the traditional Thanksgiving in lieu of other pursuits. This year, being home in the company of family and close friends, I think I have actually learned to understand thanksgiving a bit more. I have a far better appreciation for the continued gift my parents pour out for their maturing children--the gift of loving us extravagantly. They want to share in this adventure of life, and I am grateful for this... and much more.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

The Time Away

C.A.H. enters my room, commenting, “You know you have not blogged in awhile.”
Me: “I know and it’s killing me!”

I encounter funks where I am sooooo over blogging, and it takes everything in my willpower to get some words down. This has not been the case during this eon away.  I have not processed exactly what the brief writing reprieve has taught me, above all, it’s been recharging. There are positive things happening in my life and all around me, but in this season, there is still a lot of junk—the negativity—weighing me down. And since I am not a strong writer, I am not sure, or always up to, challenging myself to find the purpose in each lesson. 

These past 11 days have been filled with celebration, illness, travel, and friendship. I have much to report on, but it will have to wait a few more days because I am dedicated to embracing my surrounding company for this late November holiday. (I did update the last post with the results of the cross country season.)

I arrived in Atlanta, Georgia today—the clouds were rolling in, but the temperature was steady at 75 degrees. We reached our final destination around 5 pm, and I haven’t moved much. Why would I? I am on the screened in porch. The rain, which was only a possibility a few hours ago, is falling steadily outside. And despite the Southern temperatures, there’s a fire radiating from the outdoor fireplace. The Michigan/Duke game is playing on the (outdoor) television. The holiday we’re gathered for is two days out, and I’m already in a food coma. Though a child from each family is still in route, waiting with ‘my people’ over flowing dialogue is pleasantly passing the time.
Back to embracing... or the final two minutes of The Game.

Friday, November 11, 2011

"All it takes is all you got." (Marc Davis)

On Monday C.A.H.'s Achilles tendon made its presence known; the pain in his face was undeniable. This late-season injury has been weighing heavily on his heart throughout the week, with the Virginia Cross Country State Meet looming on Saturday (tomorrow). As he wobbled around the house, we all wondered if he would even lace up for The Race. The decision has been made--he's in.

Though there is only one race left, it's the race he has been training for since the start of the year. He has built mileage. He has fined tuned with grueling speed workouts. He has raced to a new personal record, while contributing to two team school record finishes in the process. He partook in a Mountain Dew fast (=SUPER BIG DEAL!). He has tapered. And this week, the primary focus has been tending to his injury. He has popped pills. He has rested. He has iced. He has compressed. He has elevated. He has heated. He has stretched. He has devoted hours to healing. 

I have been hoping for a miracle all week. Where the is witch doctor when you need her/him? My final prayer, to my broken brother, the one with the crumbling spirit:

Dear C.A.H.,

Your goal for The Race has been reduced to finishing, which will be no easy feat. I know how badly you wanted to race with your teammates to a podium finish--to be part of your team doing something more than each individual, to compete for the hardware your were "robbed" of last year. You still can, despite the  crippled condition you are in.

Mute the screaming ankle. Strip yourself of the negativity taunting you right now, and hang in there for the length of time completing the course requires. You will be participating, when you had the option to sub-out.

Go out there and run YOUR race. You are awesome. You are strong. You CAN. You WILL. I will be there, encouraging you like a crazy person.

You have done everything to prepare; don't set limitations. Run with courage. And have faith.

Believe in YOU. With Love, Your Biggest Fan.

Updated November 23, 2011: The Raiders would wind up finishing a disappointing fourth in state. The atmosphere following The Race was somber--sluggish teenage boys unwilling to acknowledge their fans. After a few days to shake the upset, the Raiders would come to recognize that fourth of 90 in Virginia is worth celebrating, and although the end of the season, not actually the end of the world. And for more C.A.H. promoting, he sliced another two seconds off his personal record time, bum ankle and all.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

What If

What if I had never joined Peace Corps? What if T.C.M. and I had never met? What if T.C.M. had never been killed in front of me? What if I had finished my service in Lesotho? What if I had never went to Ghana? What if I had not been medically separated from Ghana? What if I never got a parasite? What if these nightmares never go away? What if my luggage had made it safely back? What if Peace Corps cared about me as a person? What if I remain a spectacle to the media? What if I had never moved back to South Carolina? What if I never find a job? What if I never start to feel again? What if the rest of life is just going through the motions? What if these migraines and stomach aches stay with me the rest of my life? What if something terrible happens... again?

Two years ago today, I picked up my life and sealed my heart for Lesotho. I bid a tearful goodbye to both my parents... and joined 28 people, who shared at least one common bond with me, in a hotel conference room in Philadelphia's historic district. Together, we sat through orientation, spent the night getting to know one another, and in the wee hours of the morning, boarded a bus to John F. Kennedy International Airport, and finally a plane to Lesotho via Johannesburg, South Africa. The memories began building that night... and continue to this day. So the answer to one of my many 'what if's' is I would be without the volunteers I came to know through this experience, the connections made through these volunteers, and my rural mountainside living adventure. And that would be unfortunate, but okay.

Because, today, two years later, sans the bureaucratic garbage, I can all but guarantee I would be a better person. I would, first off, be happy and, second, employed or in grad school. Sure, I would have given up on a dream, but, unknowingly, be less damaged then living the nightmare. I would be the person I left, with many of the friends I had, instead of a phantom of my former self feigning interest in dwindling relationships. And even though that person lacked self-confidence and hated more than she loved, I liked that girl a lot. I might be 'stuck' with the mentality of my 22-year old self, which is probably not ideal... but that would be okay; I could make that work.

Before I left I valued happiness. I didn't need a 'rock-the-boat' night, in turn, a wasted two-year experience, to teach me how to work for happiness. I didn't need to be stripped entirely of control, to learn to manage my control issues. I didn't need to see the pain, work through the loss, and rebuild entirely new beliefs. In this season, I'm angry; I'm not able to care about anything the way I used to... I'm cold and mean... and know it. And when I have the best of intentions, they fail me. This was not my thought process a few months ago, and it may not be five years from now, and that will be okay.

This is today. May this not be tomorrow.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

A Look At Early November

Sleep: I was a champion sleeper throughout part one of my life, the 'prior to' September 3, 2010 half; these years were a sleeping heyday of sorts. No noise or action--an ambulance wheeling my dad off to the hospital mid-night, trains running along their tracks in the backyard of a childhood friend on sleepover weekends, a neighbor vacuuming my bedroom pre-sunrise, my roommate studying, or social-networking, on her computer, in our shared bedroom with the lights shining and television blaring while I dozed off to sleep, catching a nap while lacing up my shoes for the run I never ran as people slammed the apartment door on their way to morning classes, ones unintentionally skipped on this tiresome Tuesday, or animals cooing from their crawls to make their presence known in the darkness--was loud enough to wake me from hibernation, night after night I 'aced' sleeping. This might be part of the reason losing my greatest talent has taken its toll on my mental and physical well being. I never, ever learned to function without sleep.

Two days into November, my alarm sounded at 7:15 am for an anticipated average Wednesday... except this was different, following 13 months and 28 days of horrible, terrible, no good, very bad sleep patterns, I awoke startled from my coma of peace. I was alive, well rested, energized--ready to take on the world. Though the sleeping has drastically improved with each month, until I felt this calmness lingering over me from sunrise to set, I realized this was a first. I had finally experienced the nature of sleep that was routine in my old life. The rest of the week was not quite as hot, but I will cling to this night of security with hope.

Dog-sitting: The human-sitting tasks have slowed for the week, but I still spent plenty of time with a few of the neighborhood pooches. The fall weather has been extra crispy this week after the weekend snowfall--throw in the sunshine with the breeze and walking dogs has been quite enjoyable.

Letters: My final scripted tales were mailed to the training class I entered Lesotho with on November 12, 2009. The motivation to write has dwindled recently, consequently this batch of letters was kept brief and open-ended. Ending this exchange is bittersweet, though, expectant seems an appropriate adjective to capture the mood too. I want, or am ready, to close this chapter of my book. Lesotho will always hold its own in my heart, but the thought of being a collective group on this side of the world is refreshing. I have no idea what their individual homecomings will entail... or how many of them I will reunite with. I do know--these people matter--each volunteer played a role in my story; they will be definite priorities in the new year.

14 Months: Thursday, November 3, marked 14 months since T.C.M.'s passing. And if you think I've stopped noticing the world is minus one, you have down right lost your mind. I came across this photo two nights ago, and it made me really happy.
T.C.M. has not made an appearance on the blog in quite sometime, though he's still quite vivid in my mind. There are periods of deep intractable sadness and anger, but more often, when I think of T.C.M., it's when raising a drink in cheers, in happy remembrance, or in form of music, songs that have become his songs. 

Job Hunting: Ongoing. Advised by many superiors I gave in--much to my chagrin--and joined, yet another, networking site: LinkedIn. Feel free to befriend me or network with me or do whatever people do on LinkedIn with or to me... or, better yet, just hand me a job(!!!). 

Regionals: C.A.H. and his teammates claimed the runner-up trophy at the Region II meet on Thursday. Watching these kids fly up hills over the thick un-mowed grass of the beautifully landscaped Northern Virginia at five minute mile pace is nothing short of inspiring. The crowd littered the course with chants and cheers of encouragement. My voice was hoarse from screaming, "You are awesome. You can. You will." at C.A.H. The sub-18 minute race was nerve-racking with the first place prize in sight, but after close tallies... the Raiders would come up short. Though, none of the hardware earning runners were complaining, medals pinned to their sweaty uniforms, the Raiders are one of four qualifying teams from Region II for the upcoming state meet. And coming from the most competitive (of four) region(s), winning state is not a far-fetched goal.
Frederick, Maryland: On a whim I went to the holiday open house at The Old Lucketts Store. The crowds left my shopping partners and I in a frenzy, so we headed out of town for Frederick, MD... where we squeezed in a bit more shopping before settling in at Acacia for an easy Friday lunch. This was my first time to Frederick, and I was a little shocked by the size; the town is much larger than I imagined. I will definitely have to go back, there's plenty of good vegetarian friendly eating, mixed in with 'vintage hip' shops. And when I return, I will bring my bike for a tour along the tree-lined streets, featuring quaint historic houses.

Clemson is sidelined with a bye this week; the Tigers should be thankful for the extra seven days to comprehend and dwell on the pitiful loss to the Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech. There's still plenty of other reasons to enjoy your football Saturday. For one, at this house--nine pounds of kettle corn awaits me downstairs. For two, three, and four, Michigan, Michigan State, and Georgia.

There you have it, you're all caught up--you have no reason to call.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

One Touch

Long ago, 1058 miles East of here, I was given the tip "touch each [piece of] paper once" for living a practical and organized life. I would not actually heed this advice until much later in life, like starting last week, and appreciate it until right about now. The motivation to organize each loose paper, in addition to the virtual paper cluttering my life, and willpower to see this tedious chore through to the end came from a part of me that has never before exposed itself. One might say it took a lifetime to get here, I will counter that... I managed with pure determination and a label machine.
And then I took everything to a whole new level, deciding this strategy for handling 'loose ends' was applicable to the communication (and fashion) world as well. So momentarily the necessary phone calls have each been returned while clothes and shoes have been given away.

You're admitting a first--this girl is on top of life. This time, I concur. Maintaining paperwork, returning emails, drafting letters, and answering phone calls are continuous chores, some more exciting than others. But, for now, everything has a home or a time slot. I could literally pick up my life and be out of here in minutes. That alone is refreshing.

And to keep it this way, there will be rules to follow:
  1. Mail will be read when delivered. Then each piece will be disposed of, filed, labeled for follow-up, or responded to immediately.
  2. Emails will be read in full and replied to as received... not 'starred' for do-something-with days or weeks later. 
  3. As worthy links are discovered on the World Wide Web the articles will be absorbed right then and there. If the site is a continuous stream, I will bookmark it for easy referencing.
  4. Text messages will be responded to as they are read. Postponing a reply only increases the number of times I check my phone throughout the day.  
  5. I will aim to carry my phone more often, thus ensuring I can answer calls as they come in, even if to announce talking would be preferable at a later date and time. This, of course, will reduce the number of voice mails, not that I ever previously listened to them. 
  6. Promptly after capturing life, pictures will be uploaded, virtually organized, backed-up, and/or printed to store in my progressive photo album of life. This will prevent (hours of) wasted time digging for particular pictures days, months, and years later.
  7. Clothes not worn for an entire season will be donated, without hesitation. 
These seven rules reveal my more uptight side. That's okay though--the unorganized madness was weighing me down. One can not imagine the medical paperwork accumulated by an ongoing parasite issue, the never ending legal paperwork associated with Peace Corps, the numerous bills from travel, the phone calls racked up by taking a seven week hiatus from the grid, the emails procrastinated on, the number of memory cards floating around (... chronologically "organized" as documented by random pictures on this blog), or the amount of clothes hoarded throughout my life.
There will always be occasions where time does not permit, but I have always believed, if I have time to accomplish 100 tasks, there is time for 101.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

October Twitter Recap


 Samantha Hoehner 
it's monday night...  is takin' ov'r the town... it's gonna be a battle in the  tonight. are you ready for some football? 
 Samantha Hoehner 
I will remain a  fan despite the loss. 
 Samantha Hoehner 
Could it be that  &  fall this week as  and  did a week ago? I'd feel better if we went down together.
 Samantha Hoehner 
BUT I'm taking home this typewriter... The one of my dreams... and I could not be more excited. 
 Samantha Hoehner 
I'm in  territory.  football is not appreciated here. I'm not handling this well.
 Samantha Hoehner 
frost on the pumpkin
 Samantha Hoehner 
The alumni are rolling into A Squared.
 Samantha Hoehner 
i can think of very few good reasons to have your credit card number memorized.  
 Samantha Hoehner 
It's . The duties this week entailed exercising, reading, watching television, and drinking lattes.
 Samantha Hoehner 
so so so so so so so so so so so so so so happy to be back in my bed. so so so so so so so so so so so so so so happy my bedroom has a tv.
 Sophia rossi 
 by smhoehner
Texting me to "call you" is best way to get me to NOT call you.
 Samantha Hoehner 
There is no valid reason to stay up to watch the  or the play 
 Samantha Hoehner 
The  play high school football, all they do is run, and when they throw, they're disastrous.
 Samantha Hoehner 
How will I stalk airfares if I land a real job?
 Samantha Hoehner 
Few things are as peaceful as a 1:30 AM walk.
 Samantha Hoehner 
Did anyone notice my pants were inside-out all day?  
 Samantha Hoehner 
I could use a bye week. 
 Samantha Hoehner 
My friend  just sent me virtual flowers.  Nicest gesture EVER.
 Samantha Hoehner 
I'm watching  on a 13'' TV. Our big screen is viewing Garfield for youngsters. The medium screen:  . 
 Samantha Hoehner 
Where is the defense that held  to 3 total points? 
 Samantha Hoehner 
Not tonight. Not now . I'm not ready.
 Samantha Hoehner 
This house is divided.
 Samantha Hoehner 
 reading was replaced with tetris. 
 Samantha Hoehner 
dog treats should not smell like human food.
 Samantha Hoehner 
For the record, it is still raining.
 Samantha Hoehner 
No extra innings, no rain delays, no 8:37 PM starts--I may get to bed at a decent hour. And with the  win I have a content father.
 Samantha Hoehner 
rain.rain.go.away. do.not.come.back. i.do.not.want.to.play.
 Samantha Hoehner 
Turn Around, Don't Drown. That's encouraging.
 Samantha Hoehner 
My thirst is unquenchable as of late.
 Samantha Hoehner 
If you go to  everyday you will die. 
 Samantha Hoehner 
Are these the  for  sports?  and and  
 Samantha Hoehner 
bus rides are notorious for giving me headaches
 Samantha Hoehner 
Yabo Dabo Do! #8 I'm maintaining faith.
 Samantha Hoehner 
Tonight I learned all my delicious  desserts were cooked by a lightbulb. 
 Samantha Hoehner 
Nothing masks the sound of screaming children.
 Samantha Hoehner 
It's past midnight. I rarely stay up this late by choice.
 Samantha Hoehner 
A music playing gas station changes the whole experience.
 Samantha Hoehner 
Today may be the third of  but it's still raining.
 Samantha Hoehner 
The thermostat reads 64 indoors.
 Samantha Hoehner 
It's final.  has their first win. Chiefs n' Chopper!
 Samantha Hoehner 
The family goes 4-0 for the 2nd week in a row. Only  and  claim the 5-0 season start.
 Samantha Hoehner 
I'm finally believing in