An Exciting Week

I find myself in the very lucky position of having somewhere to be every night this week with very different groups of friends.
Monday night I got the rare opportunity to hang out with Ben. He came home from San Diego for three days for Christmas. Monday night after my Violence in America presentation, we headed down to Spaghetti Works for some pasta goodness. He got to see my apartment beforehand and we did our gift exchange. I'm always bad at picking out gifts for guy friends, but I stumbled upon this really handsome leather Kenneth Cole watch. And since A) I knew he needed a watch that was both dressy and casual at the same time and B) he spent a lot of money on me for my birthday, I figured I could splurge on the watch. He got me a really cool necklace and a doodle book that I coincedentally purchased for my friend Marissa only hours before! I was looking at it thinking how I wanted to buy myself a copy because I thought it was so funny, and here Ben had it in his suitcase the whole time. It's crazy how our minds kinda ESP sometimes. After dinner, were we had the most brain dead server ever...I don't even know what must have been going on in her head, we went to the Max. We walked in expecting chaos and we were the only two people in the whole large bar! It was so prettily decorated for Christmas; I felt we were in a winter wonderland of alcohol. We had a good time, talking to the bartenders, getting free drinks, and playing pool. Love Ben!
On Tuesday, I did my Christmas with Ali and Marissa at California Pizza Kitchen. It was so yummy and our server was better than the other girl the night before. She made us crack up so much later because we ordered dessert and she told us the "tip" to eating it. Her tip consisted of her telling us to dip the cake in the vanilla sauce that was underneath it. Really? No, I was going to stare at the sauce and very carefully extract the cake from on top and avoid that sauce like poison. It was great. We did our gift exchange and they got me a web cam so we can keep in touch while they're in Spain. After, we took a series of ridiculous and hilarious pictures that involved an octopus balloon and the inside of my car. I'm going to miss these girls so much when they are in Spain :(
Tonight, I'm hanging with my Chang's bffs Aimee and Jess. We're going to catch a bite to eat and probably a movie. I'll update how that goes and the rest of my fun week.
Now, how do I have money to go out to eat??? I do not. Oh well, I'm picking up shifts before rent is due, so I should be semi-okay. lol

Goodbye, Captaincy

Yesterday was my last day as the women's captain for the Creighton Rowing Association. And while it wasn't my last day on the team, of course, I couldn't help but feel a little sad and as if it were the end of an era.
My first semester at Creighton was TOUGH. I felt so lonely. All of my best friends were in Lincoln, I didn't have many close friends in Omaha except for Laurel, Mallory, and Becky and I had just had my heart shattered. I wasn't living at home anymore, and although I enjoyed the freedom that gave me, I missed the comfort of having my family there. I cried alot and turned to eating. I gained so much weight that year and that only contributed to my sadness. The only thing I really had to look forward to during this time was crew practice. Everyone there was so nice and friendly. That first semester cemented some of the strongest friendships I have today. I've grown up with my senior class of rowers and it's crazy to think there was ever a period of time in my life where I felt that low, that unhappy. But my crew team pulled me out of it.
I was reading some old emails I had sent my dad at that time and all I ever talked about was what we were doing in practice, my new friends, and the goals and dreams I had for the team.
I was not a good rower at first. I was terrible in fact. I look at my first ergatta 2K time from freshman year and last year, and it is incredible how much faster I am now.
Crew also helped me with my immense weight loss that will forever be a part of my life. Once you get that big, and sink that low, there is NOTHING in your life that will ever bring you back to that weight. Crew helped me because it gave me a chance to work out, but after freshman year, after I started to become a better rower, it pushed to me to make those changes. I wanted to be a stronger rower and I began eating better and exercising outside of practice. I've lost 90 lbs since then.
I've always been an outgoing, humorous person and my best outlets for this were at crew parties and such. I think this new found confidence helped me to break out of my unhappiness and start making lots of friends outside of crew. Now, I have some of the greatest friends anyone could ask for and I love to go out and meet new people. Besides rowing, I think my number one favorite thing to do is meet new friends.
I learned so much as a captain of an autonomous team. Having to do everything ourselves cemented our bonds further and we came to rely and expect nothing but the best from each other. There are not enough words to say how much I enjoyed being an admin for such a great team and teaching the new rowers how to row. The crew team is a family. And the fact that next year, I will no longer be on the team is very hard to even comphrehend right now--and it scares me alot! I can't imagine my life without my team and it's very sad. But I KNOW I am a better person because of crew.
To the new officers of the CRA, this is OUR team. I hope you love it and take care of it as much as the seniors this year did. It's hard to pass over that mantle, but you are more than up to the challenge. And when this next semester ends, I hope we seniors have left a sort of legacy. The CRA has definitely left one in my life.

SNOW DAY!!!!!!!

So Papa Schleggs gave us all a little early Christmas present and closed school early Tuesday and all day Wednesday. This little mini vacay has been so wonderful. Heather and I made a gingerbread house, which we likewise destroyed the roof of and I got some wrapping done. We also braved the snow and ventured to HuHot for some yummy comfort food. If only everyday were a snow day. There really is nothing like a snow day to turn you back into a kid. Hot chocolate, anyone?