A story of honor and bravery.

I am done with the LSAT. Forever. No matter what. DANG that feels good. I'm halfway tempted to create a little (illegal) bonfire on my patio of all my books and practice tests. I stick to the letter of the law though (and it would be ironic to break the law while burning study materials for the Law School Admissions Test).

The last battle between LSAC (Law School Admissions Council) and my brave, noble, persevering self took place this Saturday. It was a pitched battle beginning in the wee hours of the morn. I arose, clothed myself in splendor (Akili shirt and sweatpants. What up) and journeyed to the unfamiliar territory of UT campus. I arrived almost an hour too early and motivated myself with epic music within my trusty steed, Delilah the Fit.

I was interrogated and fingerprinted upon my entry to the testing chamber. No full body scan, however. My fellow warriors settled in and the Emissary of the Dark LSAC read the rules of the conflict. No hoodies, water bottles, digital watches, things that beeped, cell phones, mechanical pencils, or any other such frivolity would be allowed in this sacred chamber. I solemnly sharpened my 10 #2 HB pencils (one can never be too safe), popped open the seal and began the fight that might define my future.

I faced Reading Comprehension first. A fair weather friend, it can either help me greatly or harm me severely on my quest. However, this time it accepted an uneasy truce and I fought through valiantly with time to spare. Next with Logic Games. A horrifying, demonic section usually, this one proved to be more like a kitten than a roaring dragon. I eyed it with suspicion. I feared, and knew (in my heart of hearts) that this must be the dastardly Experimental section that counts for nothing! It is only a farce to weary the valiant and delay their quests. Before I could rest or eat I had to face one more foe. Logical Reasoning. It fell to my sword easily. We were allowed 15 minutes to eat and use the facilities. I only wet my mouth, knowing that troubles still laid ahead.

After the break I opened the Tome of Destiny and gaped in horror. Not only was it Logic Games again, but there was no room to swing a sword (or diagram a hypothetical). Panic set in. I couldn't seem to draw a breath. The enemy closed in around me. I took a deep breath and plunged through. I did not escape unscathed. I fear I lost points, and lives, but I persevered and ultimately declare dominion over the problems. Lastly, I faced another Logical Reasoning foe. This warrior put up a far more challenging fight, but in the end he was defeated like his brethren.

I celebrated with my comrade and training partner Caroline and we feasted upon queso, spicy jalapeno ranch and pico de gallo. Once refreshed, I began the long trek home. Exhausted, mentally and physically drained, but victorious (hopefully).

Only time will tell the results of this quest, but the fight was fought with honor and bravery. My soul is at peace whatever the number may be.

(Seriously, I think it went alright. But this was way more fun to write. I find out at the end of the month. I already have been accepted at Wake Forest again, so a lot of the pressure has lifted. I could be very happy there, but I am hoping for UT!)

T-4 Days

I just took the most recent LSAT that is available (PT60: June 2010). I got a freaking 172 on it. I got a 175 on October 2009 earlier this week. Now why can't I do that on test day?? I know I'm capable of scoring well, and I will be so disappointed if I don't perform up to what I think is my potential on Saturday. This is my last chance. It's almost nauseating.

I'm not even looking for a 172 (thought that would be incredibly legit), I would be pretty darn ecstatic with a 165. Like crying with joy ecstatic. I saved that champagne from October, I really hope I get to use it with happiness. If not...I'll figure stuff out. If I can't improve, I'm probably going to maybe consider some other career paths. With the economy, job stuff is scary. I want to give myself the best shot possible.

I start work at Dirty Dog on Monday! I'm really excited, but a bit scared. I have so much to learn! I'm also thinking about volunteering ...somewhere. I haven't really figured that out yet. Maybe with a shelter for battered women? Or having to do with juvenile justice? I just don't know if I'll be able to find a better job, and this way I can have (to quote Hannah Montana) the best of both world. The BESSSSSSSSSST of both worlds!

Tonight is Indy's last agility class. It's been pretty awesome, to be honest. I'm going to ask the trainer tonight if she thinks Indy should take Agility 2 or Obedience 2. If we do Agility, well hooray! I'm kind of worried how that might work with law school next year though. If we do Obedience, Indy can get his Canine Good Citizen award and maybe start Therapy Dog training? I think he's got a bit of settling to do before that could be a reality. It will be interesting to hear what the trainer says.

Whoops-y-daisy

It's been almost a month. My bad.

Brief life update:

Got a job working at Dirty Dog Self Service Dog Wash. I have my training on Monday. I'm very excited. Pretty sure this blog will turn in to anecdotes of work soon. Indy is doing great. He is a veritable agility superstar. I retake the LSAT for the 3rd and final time next Saturday. It doesn't hurt me to retake it and it could sure help a ton. I've been doing really really well on my practice tests and working very hard so hopefully it pays off. I'll hear in early January what the verdict is. I'm training for a half-marathon in February. I'm still leading my awesome D-Group of 7th grade girls with my great friend Hannah. Texas Callie and I got to hang out and have an epic play date for Zippity and Indy. Pretty much the cutest thing ever.

I've started doing two things I swore I would never do, drinking tea every night and lighting candles. Who am I?

Devin's TV Recommendation: The Vampire Diaries.

I know, I know. The title has the word vampire in it. And yes there is a love triangle. Other than that, this series bears no relation to ...Twilight (I hate to type the name). The first few episodes are a little slow (of the 1st season) but it rapidly picks up steam. It's scary, extremely fast placed and the characters are genuinely interesting. The real reason I recommend it is the pacing and plot. It actually moves forward *gasp.* They aren't scared to kill off characters, often without warning. The 'villains' are excellent and full of twists and turns. Honestly, give this show a chance. Joe Muck even admitted it was good.

dreams. plans. happening now!

In case you haven't heard, the October LSAT did not exactly go as planned. I got the same exact score as the last time I took the test. This was extremely disappointing for me to hear. I found out on Friday evening and dealt with the sadness, denial and anger (mostly) on that night.

Saturday morning was spent trying to salvage plans and dreams that seemed out of my reach now. Yesterday I came to the realization that I need to beat this test. It's won two battles, but I have one more chance to dominate.

I have registered for the December LSAT. I'll take this stupid (insert a variety of curse words, including AVADA KEDAVRA) test for the last time on December 11th and should know my score after Christmas.

I have 40 days (including today) and I'm hitting the books HARD. I will be studying for about 4 hours a day (at least). There are 60 "PTs" (prep tests=real administered LSATs) available. I've taken about 15 or so in preparation for my other tests. Before the December LSAT, I want to take all of the remaining tests. That's about one a day. One PT takes about 4 hours to take, not including reviewing of answers. I need to get a strong average going. I'll also be practicing Reading Comprehension every morning right when I wake up because I tend to lose points if it's the first section on a test. I have the Logic Games Bible and will be working through that in it's entirety along with the rest of my practice problems/homework from my class. I also have a friend from class that will be studying with me.

I'm planning on using this blog to keep me accountable not only for LSAT-related things, but running, eating healthy, and being in control of my life. This will not be particularly exciting, but I think it needs to happen.

Tomorrow's Plan:

Take Indy to the dog park early AM

Give Indy a bath at Dirty Dog (yay clean puppy!)

Take a PT at Barnes and Noble ---review answers thoroughly

Groceries

Make lemon/parmesan broccoli pasta for dinner

Indy's Agility class from 7-8

Do the dishes!

To sleep early so I can run Wednesday morning

Adrift

Since graduating, 'adrift' best describes how I feel. I'm still glad I'm taking a year off between Whitworth and law school, but it feels just like a stop-gap effort. I'm living in an apartment...for a little while. I'm trying to find a job...but not a permanent one. I need a job I'll like (at least marginally) ...but can leave after 9 months. I took the LSAT...but I'm waiting for results that will directly change the course of my future (no pressure).

It's frustrating to feel so without purpose. Even on my "productive days," I get up early, run at Town Lake, take Indy to the dog park, give him a bath..........that's it. I've been watching loads of TV and reading a bunch, but I just feel so lost! I'm sure I'll miss all this free time the second I get a job, but it feels like it's smothering me right now.

I have a lot of good stuff to look forward to in the future though, so I'll focus on that. A week in Spokane (heaven!) with amazing amazing people, Indy's agility classes starting up, Indy getting old enough that I can take him running with me, going out more frequently, going on some dates with my online suitors (woohoo), and discovering more about Austin! There, I feel better already, cold aside.

it is finished.

LSAT conquered. dominated. subjugated to my will.

20 days til scores are released.

the Beast looms...

The LSAT is Saturday. The LSAT is SATURDAY. THE LSAT IS SATURDAY!

No lie, I am freaking out a little. However, I earned my best score ever (!!!) on Tuesday when I took my last practice test. Seriously, it was fabulous. I was planning to take one more today, but I didn't want to ruin my serious injection of good mojo.

So much depends on this silly little test. I'm trying not to think about it too hard, but it is reality. 3 points could drastically change my future! Yikes. Oh well, any improvement I make over last December will be well worth it.

As a well-deserved (in my opinion) reward for working my butt off on the LSAT, I get to visit Spokane on the 13th! I'm very excited! I kind of wanted to visit a little later to ration out the awesomeness, but with no viable employment offers currently, it made the most sense. I'm looking forward to almost a week of friends, fall, Greenbluff?, and chai! There are so many people I want to see. Friday frisbee? Running in gorgeous weather? Hanging out in the coffee shop or in the Loop. Ahhh...

LSAT studying is ramping up. I don't have that many days left before, the "big day." Gosh, I am quite a bit nervous. It's been going pretty well though. I have class 2x a week from 6:00-10:00 (pm!). So that's 8 hours a week right there. Plus, I'm hoping to take around 3-4 practice tests a week AND study around 2 hours a day additionally. It feels like a lot but that is the reason why I quit (well one of the reasons why I quit) my job.

Plus, it's not like I have a whole heck of a lot else to do. I've been struggling with loneliness and isolation pretty much since I left Spokane. Indy helps, but it's pretty darn lonely here. It's really mostly my fault though. Especially the last couple of weeks. I just don't want to do anything but sit on my couch and watch bad TV. It's frustrating. I know I should go be with people but something is holding me back. I don't know if it's fear or laziness or what. I miss Whitworth. I miss having so many awesome people around me at all time. Community was easy there.

Sorry this is such a complain-fest. I just don't like not understanding myself. I miss being happy.

another post about Indy

This is mostly for me, but I wanted to write down my training goals for Indy (especially now that he is pretty much a teenager!).

• Better manners at greeting people (no jumping!)
• Sits in his bed when people come in until released
• Walks better on a leash (this is really my fault, I've been taking him to off-leash dog parks so often that the dude hasn't really had a chance to learn)
• 100% at "leave it" "drop it" "come" (we are at 90% currently) and "down"
• At least 1 more awesome trick ala Avada Kedavra
• Longer sit-stays and down-stays, even if I run away
• Fetch (he kinda gets it...)
• He needs to figure out cats. He did try to be friendly this morning and licked one, but it was not a fan.

This is kind of all in preparation for our first Agility class on October 26th. Yes, this is a long time away. Yes, I'm freaking out because he's never been in a group class and I'm super worried he's just gonna go bananas. I want to be prepared and on top of things. I don't really know a ton about agility but it seems really fun and he's definitely smart/athletic enough for it!

Plus it gives something for me to worry on that isn't the LSAT. Yikes. October 9th guys.

Inspiration

What is it about sports that has the power to inspire us so much?

Having just watched the Blind Side and Invictus ( I had a migraine, ok?), I was wondering just this. Why are there some many movies about sports? It isn't just that they are fun to watch or that we are, by nature, competitive people. I'm sure that is part of it, but you could just watch the gazillion NFL games or college football games going on. There has to be something beyond just winning. It's not just the trophy that matters.

I think that sports are things that cannot be won without blood, sweat, and tears. There is something honest about the work required to succeed at sports and the power of a team. Even the most talented individual cannot win a football or rugby or soccer or basketball game by themselves. Maybe that's why individual sports don't really appeal to me as much. There is a dependence and trust upon your fellow players in team sports that can't be matched by golf or tennis (though I'm sure they have their appealing features as well).

Being forced to depend on each other breaks down barriers that might otherwise survive. How can personalities, race, or politics matter when you have to get the frisbee to the other end of the field. It may seem trivial to some, but in the moment the game is the most important thing. It allows us to transcend the things that appear more important in "real life."

This poem serves as the theme of Invictus. I think, in a way, it captures how I feel about sport and about perseverance.

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

The great stories are never without struggle. They have to walk the line between failure and success, and win. To quote Veronica Mars:

Veronica: "Come on. Ruined lives? Bloodshed? You really think relationships should be that hard?"

Logan: "No one writes songs about the ones that come easy."

Focus

The LSAT is less than a month away. The LSAT is LESS THAN A MONTH AWAY. THE LSAT IS LESS THAN A MONTH AWAY.

This is pretty much what is going round and round my head. In short, I'm freaking out a little. It's so crucial that I do well. A good score increase means a heckuva lot more opportunities for me. I want to go to a good school and hopefully not at full price. I'm feeling pretty good about my progress and my potential score. My class is taking another practice test tomorrow so that'll be interesting to see what the score is.

In other news, I quit my job. This goes along with the theme of focus. I'm aiming to be spending around 3-4 hours a day studying the LSAT. I talked with my dad about it and we went back to the whole 7 Habits of Highly Effective People thing, you have to put the big rocks in before you put the little ones. My "big rock" is the LSAT but it was getting squished by the "little rock" of work. I don't have to work right now. (for this month anyways) I have to do well on the LSAT. The end.

Cooking update. I made Indian food! The sauce was pre-made but I made the Basmati rice, grilled the chicken, and made Naan bread. It was really good! I added lemon juice, cilantro, and curry powder. I put butter in just about everything. I firmly believe that when in doubt, add butter.

Tomorrow I'm making good ole Manghetti for some friends. Vodka sauce, parmesan cheese, ground turkey, garlic bread and maybe a salad? I really like to cook, but it's hard to do it just for one person and I hate wasting food.

One last thing, I really like the show, Weeds. I just started season 2 and am SO glad they changed the theme song that plays during the credits. It used to annoy the crap of out of me. I hate the word "ticky-tacky" still.

I don't understand how it doesn't compute to people that playing music loudly at MIDNIGHT on a week night is really NOT OK.

Why would you think it was ok? Especially after I asked you very politely to turn it down.

Nostalgia

1 year ago, I was moving in to the Yellow house (let's be honest, we never called it the Yellow Submarine or the Magic Schoolbus) and getting a mattress home with a piece of twine with Calli. Laura made us delicious crockpot food (lentil chili, yum!) and we had wine around a squished dinner table. Arend and East dominated at Mock Rock and Yell-Off and I felt like I was home again.

2 years ago, I was a month in to BISP. Starting to get a bit tired, starting to understand the Tube. Already loving kebabs and Indian food. Learning how to be independent and brave. Figuring out (with limited success) how to meet guys in bars. Having "Mama Iris" get me all dressed up for going out and watching drunk Tyler S. getting chased down the street by Zach. There was pole-dancing and Joe, J-O-E, Joe.

3 years ago, I was starting my year as a RA in Arend. Probably one of the most important, hardest, full of laughter, BEST years ever. I was still so intimidated of most of the people on the team. I didn't know how I got the job. I still don't know. I was making a poster of a sad cat to keep people out until 10 am and Scott helped me put up streamers for hours. Emily had a squashed foot.

4 years ago, I was starting my time at Whitworth. I was scared, excited and frequently sweaty. A chance run-in with Scott and an invitation to watch the Office started an awesome friendship. Dani King knew everyone and danced like a fiend, so did Tyler Hamilton. I had a short-lived crush on Jesse and took my first sociology class with Raja. I loved learning the Yell-Off cheers and wooing, but wasn't big on Mock Rock. (I suck at choreography unless it's simple and repetitive).

4 years ago, I came home for the first time to a place called Whitworth. It's hard for me to summarize the way the past 4 years have changed me, but as they say in Wicked, "I have been changed for good." I miss feeling at home. Yes, I'm back in my hometown, but Whitworth was the first place I really felt accepted and loved for who I was. I wasn't just the dork that Stephanie Rosenfeld made fun of in 6th grade (ok, it was really scarring, alright?). I got to be who I wanted to be and people actually liked me.

It's not November yet, but consider this my thanksgiving post.

Indy has such a tough life...

I initially wanted this blog to be very picture-based, but unfortunately, I get self-conscious of having a camera around all the time. I'm not very bold in making photo-ops happen. Luckily, I'm not that shy about taking pictures of my dog (I don't know if you've noticed the plethora of photos of him on Facebook, that's just the tip of the iceberg folks).

Anyways, here are our adventures from today.

Indy was very excited to leave the apartment because of swarm of landscapers all over my apartment complex. They woke me up at 7. Not pleased.

Then we went to Town Lake and the Zilker Off-Leash area. It's my new favorite dog park because Indy runs around like a beserker (thanks Age of Empires) AND doesn't need a bath afterwards. Indy made friends with a couple of sadly shaven Pomeranians and ran around

After he got tuckered out, I added insult to injury and made him pose in front of the skyline.

He posed epically atop this cliff. And then jumped off it to chase a bird. It scared the living daylight out of me. I thought for sure he had broken a leg, but he was up and chasing the bird before I had even finished saying the curse word out loud.

This is the cliff he jumped off of. Freaking ridiculous. How did my scared little baby puppy turn in to...well... Indiana Jones?

Here he is in front of the cliff in question. That is a big jump for a little dog!

This picture proves I'm still alive and that these pictures/blog posts haven't been made by a robot. I actually really like this picture.

We drove home and Indy promptly drank a LOT of water and then passed out in his favorite spot in my apartment. On the tile in front of his own personal fan. He loves the cool air and will sit in front of it forever. I eventually have to turn it off because my apartment gets freezing!

a random collection of happenings

I'm currently trying Indy on this pre-made raw food for dogs to attempt to, ahem, firm up some bowel movements. It kind of looks like soup and actually smells pretty delicious. Plus all the ingredients are actual ingredients and not sick nasty chemicals. He is doing awesome on it! Right now it's just a couple of spoonfuls with his kibble but he is digging in with gusto and seems to (finally) be putting on some weight. He's actually currently licking his empty bowl.

He lost a pound as a result of diarrhea-gate 2010, which is a lot of weight for his size. The breeder thought he would hit 25 lbs, but at 7 months he is only 13 lbs. I'm guessing he will hit about 20 but won't actually grow that much bigger. He's a bit of a skinny-minny still.

On other Indy-related news, I'm planning on signing him up for a "pre-agility" class at this new facility within walking distance of my apartment. It's called the Zoom Room and is pretty competitively priced as well as insanely convenient. The pre-agility class is only $35 and would give me a taste of: A.) What Indy needs to know before legit agility classes, B.) If agility is actually something I want to try with him and C.) Whether he can handle a group class. I'm pretty excited about the potential of competing. I feel like it might be something really fun for me to do with him that would really challenge him mentally and physically AND make him a better trained dog.

LSAT class is going pretty well. It's kind of hard to sit in one spot for 4 hours and I hate driving downtown in the rush hour traffic, but the instructor is pretty great and I think I really have a chance to do very well on this retest. My diagnostic was a 167 after not looking at anything LSAT related for 8 months. A 167 surpasses where I was hoping to hit and makes me feel pretty good about getting in to some great schools with scholarships. Hopefully I can continue to improve.

My job stinks. I really really hate it. My boss is a nice guy, but not really the best boss. And by not really the best boss, I mean he sucks. I'm discovering I'm a pretty good salesperson and when I actually have things to do it's not that bad. The bad part is just standing...for hours...doing nothing. I get that maybe I should be grateful that I don't have much to do, but the time feels like it's stuck in molasses. I can't wait to get a better job after the LSAT. Currently I'm hoping for either something working with dogs (yeah, yeah I know) or something more related to my sociology degree. There was an advertisement in the paper for an adoption/foster placement position that sounded incredible and I'm actually qualified. We'll see.

The magic of music

I've never really understood the people who don't like music or are ambivalent to it. To me, it's not just something I mangled on a flute in middle school. It's little portable memories of people, events, places, and relationships. There are songs I can hear years later and they remind me of a person or a day.

Just a few examples:

Calli and Matt on the bus on BISP --Open Your Eyes (and rocking out)

Josh Cleveland -- Be Ok (Carousels) and Closing Time (backpacking)

Dani -- I'm On A Boat --that one time we jammed in the car

Mom --Walkaway Joe --she used to sing it to me when I was little

Callie -- There Goes My Life --from that time you said "I wish I knew how to quit you" to me after our Senior Celebration

Scott and Kirsten --You Belong With Me -- from that time we lost the Intramural Championship game unfairly and had to eat Panda and scream this to feel better.

A song comes on my iPod and I'm right back there. It doesn't seem to really work for negative memories, though "Happy Ending" by Avril Lavigne brings me back to a rough break up in high school. Soundtracks and movies have almost the same power. Sometimes a song will just click with me and it will always mean something to me.

The right music can make me run faster, study harder, and score higher on the LSAT. It's incredible and not quantifiable and I love it.

This morning

I woke up.

Indy had pooped everywhere.

I threw up.

Indy vomited.

Indy got the poop/vomit rinsed off in the shower.

I gagged but surprisingly did not vomit.

I tried to clean Indy's crate.

I threw up.

Now we have a vet appointment at 10, one very sick and sad puppy, and one exhausted and puked out Devin. Awesomeawesomeawesome.

life as I know it.

Today I wanted to take Indy to the Shoal Creek dog park. I was like "hey, there is no water there, that means I won't have to bath him in my shower.

This was false. Indy found the sickest, nastiest puddle I have ever seen and literally submerged himself in it. Granted, he was warm, but still. He smelled like poop and algae. To make things worse, I was running late so there wasn't even a chance of him getting a rinse off. I returned from a 5 hour shift to find that now my whole freaking apartment smelled like poop and algae. Yay dog ownership...

LSAT prep class started on Monday. It's 4 hours a night on Monday and Wednesdays with a few Saturday and Sundays sprinkled in. I'm taking it through Powerscore. So far it's wonderful. The instructor got a 176 (that's really freaking good) AND I got a 167 on my first prep test in 8 months! (this is 7 points higher than my actual score and puts me in contention for just about every school I could possibly want) To further elaborate, with a 167, I would have a shot at Stanford ( a slim one, but nonetheless...)

Work has been eh. I've pretty much decided I'm going to find a full-time job doing something (anything) with dogs. I don't mind the work at Shoeboxes, it's more the lack of work. 5-7 hours takes a long time to go by when you have nothing to do. I shouldn't complain, I'm thankful for the work and for the paycheck and convenience.

I have so much I need to decide about my life in the near future. Where am I going to go to church? How do I make friends here in Austin? Do I want to try agility with Indy? Do I want another dog? Where do I want to go to law school? How does post-grad life look (with a puppy)?

(hence the name of the blog; post-grad doodles)

EDIT: Turns out my apartment smelled like poop because the algae made Indy poop all over his crate. I couldn't be mad because the poor guy had been stuck in it for a long time while I was at work. Cleaned it out (hopefully not with toxic stuff) and he's back in for the night. Hopefully makes it through without another accident.

I wish I had left on an adventure anyways.

That darn hierarchy

As a sociology major, I heard a lot about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs over my time at Whitworth. (I know it's technically psych, but we definitely borrow from all the disciplines...our bad). When I learned about it, I got that feeling of "oh sure, that makes sense" and moved on.

Now in my post-grad life I'm seeing how it is very true for me. I've been so worried about getting a place to live, a job, and some stability in my life that a lot of things have fallen on the backburner. And not just silly stuff like dressing nice (yes, I count that as silly for me), but big stuff like my faith, my health, and being intellectually challenged.

When I look back over these past few months, I haven't actually DONE much and that's frustrating. I know that when I get in these big self-improvement stages, I don't always accomplish everything I need to....but this is just embarrassing.

I have so many questions about how my life should look or go and I haven't really faced any of them. I have a tendency to avoid, but I'm hoping that I can actually do stuff now.

I need a small group badly. Austin is great, but Covenant doesn't have very many people my age and I'm going a little stir-crazy on the friendship front. How do you even meet people?! Whitworth was so easy like that, and I miss being in close proximity to my closest friends. I need faith and fellowship in my life right now but I'm struggling on how to achieve it. I don't want to desert my church, but I'm not even going to church right now. I may not know much about what my life will look like, but seeking Christ is the one thing that is clear to me.

Ugh, I have to go to work. I will finish this tonight.

Overloaded.

I was really excited about working the two jobs I got, but after two days, I think I signed up for too much. As a result, I'll be "quitting" the yogurt shop job. I haven't actually started work there, but I think it's the right call. Shoeboxes is giving me quite a lot of hours more than I expected.

The whole point of this year (at least until October 9th) is to take the LSAT and rock it. It's necessary. I want to go to a good school and I would like to do it for not too much money. I'm wasting my time and money if I don't improve on the LSAT and I need to focus on it. Indy is wonderful and I love him so so much, but he is also a huge amount of my time and energy. Something had to give and the yogurt job is the easiest to cut.

Work has been pretty great. My main coworker is an older lady named Lisa who is hilarious and very opinionated about the boss. The cash register is complicated and there is a lot of un useful information about "comfort" shoes I'm going to have to learn, but the pay is great and i get a 50% discount on anything! What up.

This is crazy, but I kind of want another dog. Not a puppy (that would be insane, not just crazy). I'm thinking about getting one from a rescue? Or being a foster parent? I don't know, I just love life with Indy and I think he would love a companion. It's probably crazy. It's definitely not going to happen until Indy is at least 1 year old. Agh, Kirsten was right, puppy fever never leaves. And there are so many dogs that need a home. I wish I could help more.

Things I want to do this year:

1. Go to the Pecan Street Festival

2. Roadtrip to New Orleans for Mardi Gras

3. Run the entire Town Lake Trail

4. (then) Run a half marathon

5. Eat a whole lot of queso

6. Tube in San Marcos

7. Go see a concert in an arena

8. Eat at the Salt Lick (I've never gone)

9. Two-step at Midnight Rodeo

10. Go out on Sixth Street

11. Find some good hiking in Austin

12. Climb Enchanted Rock

13. Volunteer at SXSW

14. Go SUPing on Town Lake

15. Learn my way around campus

16. Run the Capital 10,000

17. Jet ski on Lake Travis

18. Go to Alamo Drafthouse

19. See Harry Potter at midnight

20. Throw a themed party

21. Do THIS http://www.mudquestrun.com/ YES PLEASE!

That's all for now. But trust me, more are coming.

Some of my videos of Indy

this one just made me laugh out loud (legitimately)

Apartment Mumbo Jumbo

Apartment hunting is a lot of work. It took me a solid week of looking every day to find one. Luckily, I found one that was a reasonable price, seemed nice, wasn't loaded with college kids (no offense, but the majority of college kids are loud!), and in a good location. So success!

I'm living in the "Park at Allandale" which is right off of Anderson Lane and near Northcross Mall. Hence, the Shoeboxes job is super convenient. The apartment is a whopping 700 sq. feet and even has a little laundry room that will instead be used for Indy's playspace. It's got a tile floor and I can use a baby-gate to shut him off. That way, when I'm gone at work or errands, he can play with his toys and not be stuck in his little crate. It's also got a nice little patio for Indy and is on the first floor so it'll be easier for me to get in and out. I'm also quite close to the gorgeous pool. Hooray.

Not gonna lie, looking forward to not having to climb our epic hill to go on runs. It's close to Shoal Creek, which is an awesome place to go biking.

Anyways, I'm excited. I cooked for my dad's uber-late Father's Day celebration last night and it made me miss shopping and cooking for myself. Not sure how long that'll last, but at least this place has a dishwasher and disposal. Towards the end of my time in the Yellow House, I chose my meals by what involved the least amount of dishes. It was ridiculous. Hopefully I'm going to be trying some great new recipes (ala Josh Cleveland) and posting them and pictures of them on here. What can I say? I'm a foodie.

In non-apartment related news, Indy is so close to not having to be on his leash all the time and getting to go to the dog park again! It has been a pain not being allowed to take him out anywhere! He has been going crazy in the house. He gets the "zoomies" where he'll just take off up and down the stairs and run in to walls. Too. much. energy. Not enough outlet! We went on a short walk yesterday but he was really odd for the rest of the day so we'll take it easy. Today he has just been sleeping.

Incredible.

So I asked for a job.

Within hours I had two interviews. I have a part-time job working at Shoeboxes that starts next Tuesday and my second interview tomorrow. Any time I feel tempted to doubt God's hand in my life....well, I'll remember this.

The Shoeboxes job seems perfect. Really flexible hours and I can pretty much walk to work from my new apartment. My boss seems really cool, though a bit talkative, and it seems like there will be a lot of person-to-person interaction with the customers. Plus a 50% discount off of really awesome shoes (Keens! Reefs! Fancy things! Rainbows!) and super cute dresses (remember that one I wore on the Senior Boat Cruise), and a whopping $9 an hour means it's just about perfection.

I have an additional interview tomorrow with a yogurt place. I don't really have a ton of details about the position (they haven't even told me if it's full or part time) but I figured I would at least check it out. It would be nice to have some more hours and some more moolah.

Anyways, I'm incredibly thankful and feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. I'm excited to move in to my apartment and start "real life" on July 31.

edit: Apparently I already mentioned the Yogurt place interview. Well, the interview went well, it just depends on if they are willing to work with my schedule.

A Yob

My plan is to study for the LSATs pretty much full-time until the big L-Day, October 9th. Then I'll find a job.

However, about two months off this summer has driven me semi-insane. It's not that I want to work full-time, I still have a lot of work with Indy to take care of. BUT I hate hate hate spending money and not putting any in the bank. As soon as I start paying rent on my apartment it'll be even worse. I need something just to fill a couple hours each day. Frankly, I need something that will get me out of my Nike shorts once and awhile.

So with that said, I'm pleased to announce I got my first interview today! I have to actually call and schedule it, but I would be a cashier at a yogurt place called Sprinkles (if I got it). It sounds pretty interesting and their application was actually fun to fill out. They asked about my hobbies and such. I don't really know the details or even if they are looking for someone just to work part-time, but I love yogurt and it's relatively close to my parents new house. So that's something.

I've also applied to be a dog bather, work at a dog daycare (fun!), and to work at a store that sells lots of nifty clothes and shoes. I'm not sure I'm fashionable enough for that last one, but eh. It's almost across the street from my new apartment and that is awesome enough right there.

The Big Snip-Snip

Indy was neutered yesterday.

He was drowsy and walking in to walls all yesterday. He is terrified of his cone and runs in fear of it.

Today is a whole other story. He is WIDE awake and raring to go for a run. He wants to play and run up the stairs and cause his usual ruckus. It is so hard to not communicate to him that this is for his own good. He seems to feel no pain from the surgery and just wants to zoom around like crazy. He's compromised by dominating his Nylabone and assorted toys.

Life with the Kraken

I've wanted a dog for pretty much my whole life. I've always loved animals and it near broke my heart when I found out I was allergic to dogs, cats, and birds. The last two were just salt in the wound.

I decided that after I graduated, I would finally get a puppy. I knew I need a "hypoallergenic" dog (heads up, true hypoallergenic dogs don't exist). I looked at Italian Greyhounds for a long time and thought that was the breed for me. I really wanted a dog that could run with me. I stumbled upon the whole designer dog craze and thought about Cockapoos for awhile as well. I couldn't seem to find a reputable breeder in Texas. Then I found Indy. He is an "XS Petite Goldendoodle" but I think the name is a little long. I wasn't sure about him even when we met. I was entranced with a smaller girl dog, but Indy just made sense. I wanted a jogging partner, a frisbee fiend and an active dog.

He's a puppy so we have our problems with housetraining, barking and the like, but he is such a good dog. He is smart, affectionate and so wonderful. My whole family has fallen in love. Even my mom, though you'd be hard-pressed to get her to admit it. We call him the Kraken when he tears around the house like a mad man.

You know those commercials that say "Having a baby changes everything" ? It's pretty similar with puppies. My whole schedule has changed to be better for him. We go on long walks

together and to the dog park almost every day. I

used to stay up late and sleep in, but we need to be out of the house by 9 at the latest to even pretend to beat the heat. Pretty much he is the best thing that could've happened to me right now and will probably be a big focus of this blog.