Back to BAYLOR and VEGAS!

Entering into my forth week as a Senior at Baylor is already stressing me out! So much to do. Vegas was a BLAST! Hillary and Rebecca and I hit the night scene pretty hard but we also took time to relax during the day. We went out to nice dinner with the Madres and relaxed by the pool during the day. We met people from all over the world (mainly boys...) and even gambled away some cash. I quickly learned that I am a very poor sport when it comes to gambling. After losing two hands at a 15 minimum table (30 dollars gone in about 2 minutes) my mood quickly turned into frustration. I stopped playing after that. The Asian women dealers are VICIOUS. We also saw the Beatles Love show, it was incredible!! Great music and great entertainment. Reb Hill and I managed to go to all the clubs we were hoping to see- TAO, XS and LAVO. They were all in sane and we didn't get home until 4:30 both nights. FRAT.

Recap of my first few weeks at Baylor...
- Dallas weekend for Katie's birthday! So fun!! Went out, ate chick-fil-a breakfast for the first time. I am obsessed now. Aand spent time with friends
-Davis and Leanne's wedding!! Very good dance parties with both sides of the fam.
-Vegas
-Parents weekend, Buffalo game

Next home game I aspire to run the Baylor line. It will happen... pictures to follow.

Here are some pics from Vegas!

Longs Peak

We did it!!! I felt like death but we actually made it to the summit and back home after 13/14 hours of climbing. It was definitely one of the hardest things I have ever done. But also very rewarding and beautiful. It wasn't at all what I was expecting. I didn't realize how intense the actual climb would be. We watched the sunrise as we got to the Boulder Field and the weather that morning turned out perfect. Once we reached the summit it was too cloudy to see off the top, but the views on the way up were incredible! The weather on the way down took a turn for the worse. It hailed on us all the way from the keyhole to treeline. Of course, once we hit treeline, the sun comes out. But I actually enjoyed hearing the thunder echo against the mountains. My whole body felt like jello by the trek down and the last 4 miles dragged forever. But overall it was an amazing experience! Much more impacting that I expected. I was super proud of my 52 year old Dad also. What a beeeast. He even had back surgery less than two months ago! Jennie and I were delirious on the way, laughing at practically everything and wondering why the heck we decided climbing 16 miles was a good idea. But we were both so happy we did it and had so much fun, despite the following soreness for the next few days. Here are some of the pics!! They don't even begin to capture how big everything is in front of your eyes.

Estes Park, CO

My first vacation of the summer has finally arrived! We have been here since Friday and have been taking advantage of every minute. We hike to Ouzel Falls, went to Mary's Lake beach, ate at Mama Rosa's, walked through town, and made a delicious dinner tonight! Oh... and we have at least 4 more days. Tomorrow we're hiking Spruce Lake with my little cousins. That should be interestinggg. The next few weeks of my life are going to be super crazy so I'm trying to use this time to relax as best I can. When I get home I will leave for Chicago on monday (6 am flight eek). I'll be working at Lollapalooza for my internship. I feel very lucky to get to go and I just hope I don't screw up... That will be a crazy 9 days for sure.

Jennie and I flew in to Denver on Friday and ended up meeting up with a Baylor friend, Luke Whyte. We spend the afternoon/night in Boulder. I loved Boulder! It has a very Austin feel but all of it is confined into a smaller area. Street acts such as violinists, contortionists and more were performing all up and down Pearl St. Mall. Jennie and I met some of Luke's friends and wandered into a VERY hippie store. Some of Luke's girl friends were getting feathered extentions put in their hair. Immediately I was intrigued but did not consider getting one myself. Thirty minutes later we both walk out with them... HA.


Indigo on Pearl St. Mall


Beau Jo's was out dinner spot in Boulder. I was so pumped to go here because it was featured on my favorite t.v. Man Vs. Food for it's amazing pizza. And pizza is my favorite food. Check out this hamburger pizzaaa mmmmmm





Here's the Cabin in Estes where I come every summer. So many memories here. We added on the porch a few years ago but the original cabin was built in 1802. It has been updated, clearly, but it still has some of its original character. The hummingbids go crazy for those feeders. If you ever thought hummingbirds were peaceful and delicate creatures... think again. Flick from Pocahontas makes so much sense now.




Tonight for dinner we made Top Sirloin and Bell Pepper Kabobs with Pesto Couscous and Sweet Potatoes. It was delicious! Here's Jennie and I at our domestic best...




Ouzel Falls was beautiful and it was a good distance for our first hike, 2.7 miles each way. Everything was so green and alive. My dad caught a few fish and Bill caught some trees... Jennie and I are going on an overnight fly fishing trip on Tuesday. I am so excitedd. I love fly fishing but I have never been on an overnight. Mary's lake is one of my favorite places to go hang out during the day in Estes. It has a mini beach and it's surrounded by boulders and mountains.

Food Network- I love you

FOOD.
I don't spend much time watching T.V. But when I do, I watch the Food Network. The only downside is I always find myself wandering into the kitchen during commercials. I love watching people make food. I end up learning new ways to cook and I also learn of great restaurants and recipes. Cory and I even visited a burger spot we saw on Man vs. Food. Man vs. Food is actually on the Travel Channel but it's a show about food, so naturally it's another one of my favorites. The restaurant is called Twisted Root Burger Co. in Dallas. I highly suggest it! I had a buffalo burger and Cory had a blue cheese burger with bacon. They were heaven.
Some other recent delicious foods I've enjoyed lately-
Fruit Cobbler at Z Tejas. There are no words to describe. This cobbler is served still sizzling in the skillet with a large scoop of melting vanilla ice cream. Enough said.
Reed's salad with Salmon at The Grove in Westlake. Everyone likes there salad's differently. But this salad was made for me. It has the perfect amount of dressing with carmelized pecans and feta cheese. The salmon was perfect. YUM! My girlfriend and I also shared a bottle of 2008 Sauvignon Blanc- Robert Oatley, from Western Australia. I can't wait to go back! I think it's becoming me and Hillary's spot...

FASHION.
I found this polish at a salon in Westlake the other day and couldn't resist. I think I've found my summer color!
The polish is called No Room For The Blues by OPI



Today I wandered through Anthropologie and really wanted to buy this.



And this.



And this.




But then I reminded myself I didn't need anything. And I walked very slowly to the exit...


TRAVEL.
I booked my flight to Colorado! I can't wait to be in the mountains. Cory and I leave July 23rd and come back August 1st. I'm so excited to hike and fly fish and get out of the heat for a while. I'm finallyyy going to hike Longs Peak. This summer is the summer! Here's a picture her massiveness...



Long's Peak is the only "fourteener" in Rocky Mountain National Park. My brother did it when he was 9. Ridiculous. July 23rd can't come soon enough!

My List, etc.

First post on my new and improved blog! I'm excited to keep and maintain this blog, unlike my last sad attempt. I'm much more motivated this time around. First topic of the blog: Things to accomplish before my 22nd birthday.

Lists are such a convenient thing. Lately I'll make lists for things that I honestly would have no problem remembering mentally. But it makes me feel organized and accomplished when I look down and see all the items crossed off. When I decide not to make a list, regret inevitably follows...I forget the plastic forks or the ice. So, I have learned to always opt for making a list. The following is kind of the "grocery list" for the 21st year of my life. I will continue to add to my list along the way. But I'll attempt to make some headway tonight. Some things I'm including I've already done, but most are things I've decided I must do before my 22nd birthday. Roughly 355 days on the clock, here we go...

1. Skydive
2. Buy something vintage
3. Listen to a record, on a REAL record machine.
4. Pick up a hitchhiker (not alone)
5. NOT lose all the spanish I've learned over the past three years.
6. Read more books
7. Run a half marathon...yikess
8. Make ice cream from scratch
9. Swim a mile
10. Rescue an animal
11. Tye Dye my own T-shirt
12. Go on a picnic
13. Explore a new place
14. Learn to snowboard... and be decent
15. Make something crafty
16. Finish all the books I started, but never finished.
17. Become more politically educated


Ok so there's a few to get me started. I want to start posting pics along with my list as I check things off, but I am currently without a camera. Hopefully that will change soon.

This weekend was Davis and Leanne's Stock the BarGE shower. Here are a few pics that will sum up the day...
The bottom picture- group shotgun. Yeppp that's impressive.
Congrats D and Leanne!!





Books...
I am working on finishing my most recent book right now, A Million Miles in A Thousand Years By: Donald Miller. I'm loving it so far and I'm hoping to post some of my favorite quotes or lessons I've taken away from the book in the next couple of days.

Music...
New Band Of Horses CD- GET IT NOWWW. It grows on you. Dilly, Blue Beard, Laredo, and Compliments are the best tracks in my opinion. Some of the others get to moany and slow for me. But overall the CD is excellent... it won't disappoint.