Mrs. McFrugal

Coworker: Are you still upset? Me: No, I'm better now, but I've been hitting this bag of licorice pretty hard. Coworker: You are SO Betty Crocker! Me: ..... What does that even mean?

Many have asked about my experiences at the American Idol auditions in Nashville this past weekend. So instead of telling the story 50 times, I'll just write it once :) The auditions were Saturday, July 17th at Bridgestone Arena. They began handing out wristbands 2 days prior...so Wednesday night, my friend Austin came to stay at my place so that he could go with me in the morning to get a wristband. This was to be his 3rd time auditioning for AI. We got downtown at 6:15am on Thursday morning, and were nearly at the end of the line!! They began giving out wristbands at 7:00am. As the line started moving forward, they staged everyone walking slowly by the camera for the show. There were all sorts of interesting people, but I didn't see anyone too crazy. Lots of cameras going around listening to people sing, asking why they're the next American Idol, etc. We stood in line for about 3.5 hours...once the sun came up, we were ROASTING! So then we found one of Austin's friend...

I had a WONDERFUL week in Michigan! It was sad to leave...I hadn't realized how much I've missed my family and friends, and the luxury of being able to drive 15 minutes to hang out with someone. And driving less than 10 minutes to a mall. And 5 minutes to church. *sigh* My niece is BEAUTIFUL! I feel like I'm missing every part of her growing up...she's already almost 10 months old, and I've only seen her 3 times. I know she doesn't need me in order to grow up, but I want to feel like I'm part of her life! Hard to feel like that when I never get to see her. She liked me though...it seems that looking like my sister is an advantage in that respect! The weather was so much cooler in Michigan...I know it was hot for them, but it felt great to me--even a bit chilly! I missed the beach, too...although I don't miss getting sand all over everything. People were actually swimming at 8:00 at night, when I was wearing jeans and a sweater!! Crazy northerners. I have...

A conversation I overheard between two co-workers regarding a picnic at work: L: "JP, let me have your drink tickets." JP: "No way." L: "Why not? You don't even drink anymore!" JP: "I don't drink any less, either!" I love the people I work with :)

I'm tired, and I'm not entirely sure why. It could be the sunburn I got on Saturday at CMA Fest, or it could be that I'm not eating right so I don't have enough energy...but I'm eating the same things I always eat, so nothing's changed there! Or it could be that I've stayed up a bit later than usual the last couple of nights so that I could finish reading Eclipse (for the second time, in preparation for the movie). I've been dreaming a lot, which I've heard is not the most restful sleep, so that could also be it. Or it could be the extreme heat we're experiencing (heat index of 105 today!), but I've been hiding inside so much that my body has barely experienced the heat. I even took my first vacation day of the year on Friday, so I could go to the Josh Turner fan club party. Very neat experience, but I doubt I'll ever do it again. It was too hot to do much else that day, so I went home and napped. Spent all day Saturday downtown at Rive...

I'm learning more and more that age is mostly a state of mind. You are as "old" or as "young" as you want to be. However, at 24 years, I feel like I'm somewhere in between. I feel like I'm just dressing up like an adult, playing the part...wearing "career clothes" and going to my "career" each day. Saying "grown-up" things and acting "mature." Buying a reliable car and kitchen appliances, paying the utility bills and rent. All I really want to do is wear jeans and flip-flops, hang out with my friends until the wee hours of the morning, spend the whole day sightseeing, take spontaneous weekend road trips, and spend Sunday evenings at the musical fountains in Grand Haven. But instead, I have to work from 9 to 5 every day so that I have money to pay for my reliable car, apartment and utilities. I can't stay out late at night because I know that if I do, I'll be too tired to function at work. I can't buy je...

Last night, my roommate and I went to the Tuesday night Opry. It was kind-of a rough night, but fun overall! Good thing I was watching the news while getting ready...had I not seen the live coverage of the line wrapping around Municipal Auditorium, Scout and I would've been the only ones over at War Memorial Auditorium. Speaking of the line wrapping around the building...since they moved the performance from the Grand Ole Opry House to War Memorial, then to Municipal, there were a lot of people (i.e. everyone) who needed to exchange their tickets for comparable seats. YIKES, it was a hot mess! I felt bad for the people visiting from out of town, especially if it was their first Opry experience. But I didn't feel too bad, cuz Scout and I definitely walked right up 5 minutes before the show was to start, bypassing the whole line of people, and didn't miss a minute of the show :) It was obvious that Carrie Underwood stole the show, although I also really enjoyed Josh Tur...

Irony is loving high-heeled shoes so much that you decorate with them, and being told by your doctor that your feet aren't shaped right and you should never wear heels again. Foolishness is wearing them anyway, and suffering the consequences of damaged feet at only 24 years old. It's better to look good than to feel good...but you don't look very good limping, no matter how cute the shoes are.

This is new to me. I used to have one of these online journals, and gave it up, but now I feel like I need a place to vent, and I'm sure my parents are tired of me calling them every night! My life usually goes like this: I buy 5 Lean Cuisine meals (a staple for single people), and after I pay, the register spits out a coupon for $1 off any 5 Lean Cuisines. REALLY?! Or yesterday, I went to Target to buy kitty litter (because it was on sale, naturally!). The big 35-lb tubs of litter that I buy were all crammed to one side of the bottom shelf. So I started tugging on one, but it was stuck on the lip of the shelf above it. So I shimmied it and finally got it loose, but GUESS WHAT...it was holding up the shelf above it! All the 25-lb containers of kitty litter on the shelf above came crashing down on me, and I was stuck holding a 35-lb tub that I couldn't set down. Oh, life. More to come. I have SO much to say...