"To Emily, Stay Wreckless"

Drama, from the MTV show Rob & Big, called me tonight!!!!! I talked to him on the phone, laughing like a giddy teenage girl and saying stupid things like, "I'm blushing right now." In the picture above, he is holding up the sticker he signed for me that says, "To Emily, stay wreckless." (Young & Wreckless is his clothing line).

I've always had a huge high school crush on Drama. Ever since I saw him on the reality television show Rob & Big, he struck me as the most real life person I'd ever seen on televison--like he went to my high school. The furthest thing from a reality telvision star. He was awkward in front of the cameras, loveable and quiet. And he was always getting harassed by his cousin Rob.

I LOVE HIM!

Trevor knew I had a huge crush on Drama and he has a friend who is a friend of Drama's so Trevor set the whole thing up. I can't believe it. I've never met/talked to anyone famous in my whole life. I'm so freakin' smiley right now!

Oh, and not to mention, I leave for Belize at six in the morning tomorrow.

I FUCKING LOVE LIFE!

Canadian Persuasion

I'm incredibly obsessed with Drake. He is the only celebrity I've ever truly claimed to love (aside from JC of N*Sync). Dark, tall, sexy, talented, looked delicious in a wheelchair as Jimmy on Degrassi and the lyrics of his songs don't make the feminist in me fume. I also melt when I see or think about his smile. Told you I'm obsessed.

The love of my life is coming to Ohio State to play a free show with one of my other favorite rappers (also Canadian), K-OS (check him out here, here, here).

I have to be at that show or I'll die.

Great Expectations

Remember Great Expectations? Charles Dickens's book about the life of Pip, a boy born into a low social class who desires to become a wealthy, respected nobleman. During his childhood, he meets the extravagant and contemptuous Miss Havisham and her adopted daughter Estella, who he falls in love with despite her coldness and cruelty. Pip begins his climb toward the upper class with the hope that one day he will be wealthy and distinguished enough to marry Estella.

Trevor claims that when reading Great Expectations in high school, the character Estella reminded him of me as a little girl. I don't believe I was totally Estella-esque but Trevor does have an impeccable memory and he remembers just about every exchange we had as kids...

As the story goes, Trevor moved into my neighborhood when we were ten or eleven years old. He began coming to the community center where my friends and I played after school and he claims that that's when he fell in love with me. But just as quickly, I broke his heart. I was allegedly manipulative and cruel, toying with his feelings. An especially Estella moment: during our brief time as boyfriend and girlfriend, he gave me a reversible ladybug/bumble bee stuffed animal as a gift (he seriously remembers these details) but I soon dumped him for another boy.

Before we entered middle school, Trevor moved away. But he never forgot about me and I never really forgot about him. We saw each other two or three times throughout the middle school and high school years. He kept tabs on me through Facebook and I sometimes clicked on his page to see where he had ended up. I had always wondered why he'd never tried to contact me (he would later tell me that he never had because he could never settle for being "just your friend.")

Last May, on my birthday (which is the day before his own), he wished me a "happy birthday" and suggested that we hang out over summer break. Little did I know, he had finally contacted me after seeing my relationship status on Facebook change to "single."

I didn't think anything of his invitation to hang out and I certainly did not think he was still interested in me after eight years. We finally saw each other again at the end of June. He later admitted that his ten-year-old crush was rekindled that night. And the rest of the story, you already know.

So I guess our story is kind of like Estella and Pip's. Minus the escaped criminal turned secret benefactor and the bat-crazy old lady with the permanent broken heart.

WHO DEY!!!!

“When was the last time you saw a Bengals team take the field saying, ‘We’re going to kick your butt?' They expect to win. They don’t hope to win,” Wilcots says. “This team has a mental makeup unlike any team I’ve seen them have. Their 2005 division champions weren’t intimidating. They survived their way to 11 wins. This team is rocking people’s worlds.”

-Former Bengals Defensive Back, Solomon Wilcots, on the Bengals vs. Raiders game today

$$$$

I have watched so much money disappear today on...

-Kid Cudi's new CD
-A new phone (although I came home and immediately sent in that mail-in rebate)
-Printing documents at Kinko's
-Toiletries and supplies for school--shampoo, conditioner, Neutrogena SPF 15 moisturizer, John Freida Dream Curls spray, Dove soap, headbands, printer paper, notebook paper, pens, pencils, Post-Its, staples, a planner, a calendar, a file organizer thing, etc.
-Housing for Tri-Delta
-A Microbiology 509 laboratory manual
-Chipotle for the family

And that is just in one day! And only what I can remember off the top of my head.

I still have to get my haircut, buy printer ink and white shoes for clinicals, and pay for a drug screen, hospital ID badge, the Kaplan Nursing Diagnostic Testing, and course packets for Nursing 301.01 and Nursing 385.01. Oh, and I can't forget about those ridiculously overpriced textbooks.

It makes me so incredibly grateful for my parents and their support. I can not even begin to imagine paying for everything by myself (like the $190 medical bill we received today for some blood work I needed for nursing school). I see how they've allowed me to follow my very expensive dreams and ambitions.

I love ya, Mom and Dad.

The greatest birthday party ever...

...for real.

Congratulations, Soldier of the Cycle

So, I have been putting off writing about my Georgia trip because...no matter how I phrase it, it inevitably sounds cheesy and lovey dovey. It was an incredible weekend that I want to share but I'll cut the real cheese "You complete me" kind of lines.

The trip got off to a pretty rough start. On Wednesday Dad, Sarah and I didn't leave Cincinnati until six in the evening (my Chem final in Columbus caused the delay) so we reached Atlanta, exhausted, around two in the morning. And a mere four and a half hours later, we were waking up to drive to Adam's 10 AM graduation at Fort Benning.

After carefully maneuvering around busy traffic and nearly hydroplaning in the schizo Georgia weather, we arrived on the base. The graduation ceremony had been moved indoors due to the torrential downpour - although, by the time the ceremony had started, blue skies and sunshine were peering out from behind the thick clouds.

Walking in the packed gymnasium, I saw over 200 uniformed young men standing perfectly still, facing the audience. I searched the sea of completely stoic faces only to find Adam standing apart from the other men, front and center. Tissues damnit, I thought to myself as a half sob, half ecstatic laugh escaped my throat.



We soon learned that the reason Adam stood apart from the other graduating men was for his recognition as Soldier of the Cycle. From what I could piece together (because Mr. Modesty didn't provide much of an explanation!), the award is given to the soldier with the best score on a board which tests overall Army knowledge, and who also receives the best PT score, best marksmanship score, etc.

I was beaming with pride as he received his honor - it made the whole eight hour drive through the night on no sleep entirely worth it. More than worth it. You know the person you love is special already but it feels good for others to recognize that, too. Facing all of the men, the Soldier of the Cycle recites the Soldier's Creed line by line for the other men to repeat back to him. Reverberating throughout the room, the cadence sounded so impressive:

I am an American Soldier.
I am a Warrior and a member of a team. I serve the people of the United States, and live the Army Values.
I will always place the mission first.
I will never accept defeat.
I will never quit.
I will never leave a fallen comrade.
I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills.
I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.
I am an expert and I am a professional.
I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy, the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.
I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.
I am an American Soldier.



When the soldiers could finally greet their friends and families, I was unsure how I should approach Adam - the soldier version of him. I didn't want to embarrass him or break his tough facade but I wanted more than anything to push passed everyone and jump into his arms. He was surrounded on all sides by people wishing to congratulate him...so I settled on wrapping my arms around his midsection and squeezing the life out of him.

As I stood beside Adam shaking hands, a woman came to face me, asking, "Girlfriend or wife?" I laughed for a second, taken aback - of course no one has ever mistaken me for a wife before. "Girlfriend," I replied. "Well, I hope you become an Army wife someday," she said, embracing me. Again I just laughed, too surprised to respond.

For the rest of the day, Adam was free. We spent the better half of the afternoon in the nearby shopping mall - which was teeming with newly graduated soldiers and their families. Even if we were simply walking through the bookstore, sitting in the Food Court or checking my Chemistry grade (A!) on a Verizon store cellphone, it was an amazing perfect day. Because for the first time in two and a half months, I could kiss the person I love whenever I wanted to.



I pick Adam up from the airport in Columbus on Friday!! Then we get to spend his two week leave together. YAY! I can't wait!

Happy Holidays everyone!

A month to go

Happy Veteran's Day, Dad!



Indeed it has been a very happy Veteran's Day for me...because, one month from today, I will be with Adam as he graduates from Basic Training.

God, I can't wait to be with him again. Forty-nine days down...only thirty more to go!

I'm the happiest person on Earth

December 10: Complete final exam at 3:18 PM, immediately get in the car with Sarah to drive to Cincinnati, pick up Dad, drive straight to Abby's in Atlanta

December 11: Drive from Atlanta to Fort Benning for Adam's graduation from Basic Training!!!!!!!!

December 12-14: Hang out in Atlanta to celebrate Abby's 30th birthday!

December 17: Adam is home for two weeks!!!!

Has a song ever spoken to you?

You're listening when, all of a sudden, you realize holy shit...this artist has transformed my exact thoughts at this moment into beautiful music.
_________________________________________

A blue, black shade of love
Sent from above
My hands are tied to worlds unknown,
And this I know
Your breath's like wine,
And just like clouds, my skin crawls
It's so divine, the sky it glows with fields of light

Did you know that I love you?
Come and lay with me
I love you
And all this day, I will love you
You make me feel alive,
and I'll love you
Until the end of time

My hands shake clasped with fear as you come near
To say goodnight, just like a dove
A peaceful sign
To help us by as you come in
Let this begin
Stars fall like dust, our lips will touch
We speak too much