ScatterBrain (3)

Ash –

Okay. Get excited. We officially have our new logo for Scatterbrain! Matt #2 (aka The Boy’s roommate Matt Hansen) was kind enough to help us out. Give him a big blogging round of applause.

With our third Scatterbrain and a real logo, it’s actually starting to feel official. Crazy, right? I think our next goal is to re-design certain parts of the blog. Such as re-do the “about” section (kind of boring at the second, right?). Or make good on our promise to create a separate tab for the “101 in 1001.” Maybe even create a blogroll similar to Kyla Roma (if you’re a blogger, you HAVE TO check this out – I think my jaw dropped the first time I saw it). Either way it’s a work in progress.

I admit I’ve been going through kind of a funk lately. It’s hard to imagine feeling so alone when I have such great friends, family, and not to mention an adoring fiancee. But I have. Yesterday’s blog, Matt talked about how we are in a transition… for television shows.

But he and I both have been talking about the transition we are currently at in life. I’m sure many of you can relate to how things change back home even while you’re gone. A weird feeling when you first go to college. Doesn’t it feel like it should stay the same? And yet younger siblings grow up. Friends slip away. Suddenly there is an Olive Garden or a stoplight where there never was before. For me and Matt, there is only a year left before we graduate, get married, move cities, and start a new phase altogether.

It’s a lot. And I don’t always embrace change like I should. But I’m trying. I’m pretty sure a lot of these feelings are brought on by the pronounced end of the semester. Finals start in exactly a week (mine are all back to back which is good and bad), and then we are officially done with our third year. In the meantime, I’ve made it my goal to focus on studying (hey those A’s aren’t handed out for free) and being fully present in the moments that make me smile.

Awkward moments – There is a guy in one of my classes named Gerad. Not the usual spelling of “Jared” but sounds exactly the same. However, our teacher has spent the entire semester calling him “Gerard.” For some reason, nobody ever corrected him. I think we felt like Gerad should be the one to do it, and if it didn’t bother him why should it bother us? Final week of class, and our teacher says, “Gerard. By chance are you related to or named after the poet Gerard de Nerval?” Snickering to ourselves, we were kind of surprised when Gerad actually said, “Uhhhhh. Well actually it’s Gerad.” Silence. “Hmmmm. Well you should really pronounce it Gerard. It sounds better.” Simply wow.

Texas – I know I’ve said again and again how much I love Texas. Sure it’s big. Some of you could reach another state before I could get from here to Houston (approximately 3 hours). But look at all the pretty things I get to stare at on the drive back. (Pictures provided by family)

Pioneer Woman – She is a legend around the blogging world. In fact, I’m not even going to pretend that I can do her justice. I’ll let the Pioneer Woman introduce herself: “My name is Ree. I’m a desperate housewife. I live in the country. I channel Lucille Ball and Ethel Merman. Welcome to my frontier!” Most people know her for her recipes (which are AMAZING). I personally adore her cookbook. She’s also a hilarious writer. Right now, I’m in the middle of how she met her husband “Marlboro Man.” Granted the story has something like over 40 parts (I’m on #13). The general collection is called “Black Heels to Tractor Wheels.” Too cute. Reading her story is just as good as any ol’ book, and it’s FREE. Now what part of that doesn’t put a smile on your face?

Bear Pit – Matt mentioned it yesterday. But I want to make sure everyone knows. I am marrying Bear Pit’s next VICE PRESIDENT. The power of the pink hat has spoken. Future power couple status? I think so.

Can you spot the hat?

Surprise lunches – Tuesday I was worrying about calculus. I always get that way the day before a test (it could be an underwater basket weaving class and I’d still probably get that way). What makes a stressful day better? Your fiancee offering to take you on a spontaneous lunch date. That’s what my friends. Even more awesome than a lunch date? When he insists on driving to Temple (30 minutes away) just so y’all can eat something outside the Waco norm. We’re going to pretend that the oh so delicious hamburger pizza at BJ’s did not make me gain two pounds. The perfect way to end a perfect lunch date? The carwash. I’m not even kidding. I love going to those older car washes where you get to stay in the car. The carpet strip things look ridiculous, and the soap smells GREAT. Plus it’s a fantastic opportunity to wash away the “transgressions of our avian offenders” (I’ll let you translate that one).

Dancing in the Streets – And okay I wasn’t present for this last one. But it’s moments like these that remind me why I chose Baylor.