The Top Ten Reason I Love The OKC Thunder

For those of you who don't like basketball or have been living under a rock, The NBA Championships started last night.

Yes. They are amazing. 

For those of you who don't know, the competitors are the OKC Thunder and Miami Heat. (also, if you don't know this, we're probably not friends. Just saying'.)

As you should know by now, I'm an avid, die-hard OKC Thunder Fan. I love my boys. I root for them, I laugh with them and I cry with them.

OK, I've never actually met any of them, but I still feel emotionally connected to them. It's called fandom. If you've never partaken in it, you won't understand. If you have, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

#10- They play amazing as a team. No really, they are so cohesive. Sure, individuals are prima donnas at times, but in general, they're very team oriented.

#9- My team plays the game. And they play HARD. Every.Single.Time.

#8- Scotty Brooks. We acquired the Thunder (previous Seattle Supersonics) only four short years ago. Needless to say, Scotty is one hell of a coach. And he is always level headed whether we are down or up. It's amazing.

#7- We're the "underdog" who as prevailed. We were always too young, too inexperienced... too... too... too. Yeh, we've proved that wrong.

#6- The unity they've brought to Oklahoma. Male or Female, Young or Old, Sooner or Cowboy, we all love them. ALL OF US.

#5- The Beard. Have you seen that thing. You should fear it. No really, it's full of secret's James himself doesn't even know.

#4- How we play in the fourth quarter. We've been down by double digits and come back to win. That's not luck. That, my friends, is skill. Not to mention, Kevin Durant is freaking clutch.

#3- NICK.FREAKING.COLLISON.

#2- The Peake. (aka Chesapeake Arena, Home of the OKC Thunder) The energy is ALWAYS amazing. But during playoffs, you're lucky if you're able to HEAR when you leave.

And the number one reason I love the OKC Thunder..

#1- The Fans. Because no matter what, if you encounter another dedicated Thunder fan, you automatically have a connection and a Thunder family that you will gladly be welcomed into.

All these things being said... THUNDER UP!

This is a little more than "Ow, I stubbed my toe"

So there's a blog that I follow somewhat regularly. I pop on over there from time to time. He writes funny stuff and serious stuff.

Today's post really hit home for me

You can read it here. Lengthy, but worth it.

For those of you who are somewhat lazy  don't have time to read it, let me sum up for you.
It's based loosely on this quote


Henry David Thoreau once said, “the price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it."

Time is the only thing that is equal for all of us. Money, things, even relationships can be replaced, renewed. Time cannot be.  He then went on to say how often we fight for the things that CAN be replaced. In doing this we give up precious time- often days and years- that CANNOT be replaced.

Really, it's worth the read. If you stop reading this now and just go read that, I'd call this a successful post.

But for those of you that will stick around, this got my mind thinking about things that have been on it for awhile now. I'd say a simple, yet complex lesson that I began learning 1 year and 9 months and 6 days ago.

People. Will. Always. Be. More. Important.

It's so sad that losing my dad had to be the catalyst that got me to realize is true. But it was a learning experience in so many areas of my life; this was no exception.

You see, I've always been kinda a perfectionist (shocker, I know) But you know what I realized after my dad passed away? Memories that you make during your life are some of the most precious things you can and will ever have. You never get that time back to make them over again. And, if you're doing it right, it will probably never seem like you have ENOUGH time with those people you cherish.

How has this changed me?

Well for one thing, I'm so much less afraid to say what I'm feeling now. I'm super emotional. Always have been, probably always will be. Some would even say sappy. I wear my heart on my sleeve, but many times in the past, I've been less than open about my feelings toward people or telling them how much they mean to me. Not so anymore. Life is too short to withhold love (I use that word loosely) from those around you. Don't you like being built up? Feeling like you're important to someone you care about? Hell, I know I do. In fact, it means the world to me. I say I love you a lot more now than I used to. Not because I feel it more, but because it is more important to me for the people in my life to know they are valuable to me. That they add to my life.

Secondly, I'm not as worried to be "judged" by the things I do say. Yes, I might go overboard sometimes. I might just be overcome at some point, say something ridiculously cheesy/sappy, but guess what? That's me. And it is completely genuine. That's how I was feeling. As long as it's not a negative feeling, I see no reason to feel "bad". Yeah, I might feel silly for a few minutes or a day. But in the long-run, I'll be much happier that person knew how I felt. And I'll think "Oh Well" instead of "What If". It's a freeing feeling.

Thirdly, and probably most difficult for me, is dealing with hurt. I think this is why that article spoke so much to me. You see, I don't have very thick skin. I never really have. When someone says something to me, I often times take it very personally. This opens me up for a lot of potential hurt. Hurt, it eats away at you. It eclipses your life, eating away at relationships, self- esteem and just about everything it can touch.

And let me tell you- I've had a lot of hurt in my life.

Which is why this article was so good for me to read.

Regardless of what the hurt is from, we have a choice. We can choose to embrace it or acknowledge it and move on.

Yes, I have been hurt in life. Yes, I will continue to get hurt in life. That's life. It comes with good and it comes with bad. But I have the choice whether or not to DWELL on it. and I choose not to.

I say this now, which I'm sure means tomorrow, I'll wake up and there will be a hurt in my life. Be it big or small, it will be there. Taunting me and trying to burrow into my heart.

Thank the Lord I have a Savior who is stronger than that. Because how I see it, it then no longer becomes about the hurt. It becomes about the surrender. Saying "Lord, hear is my pain. I have no idea how you're going to use it for good, BUT I know you can."

I know this was kind of a serious, lengthy post. Thanks if you read it all.
I'd love your comments about this post. Let me know what you think about  Dan's article, my thoughts or just life in general. Hope to hear from ya!

Drugs? No Thanks.

This morning, I woke up feeling horrible. Head hurt, sour stomach, nauseous and just in a foul mood all together.

I am a pharmacy student. Even a good one, I like to think. So I know how to treat all those symptoms so I feel better.

But did I do that? No. Instead, I've decided to tough it out. Why you might ask? Because that's what I prefer to do. I only take drugs if I
A) Have a migraine
B) Have a fever
C) Have an infection

The funny thing is it seems like most pharmacy students either over-utilize or under-utilize drugs. Has anyone else noticed this phenomena? How do you feel about using (legal) drugs? When do you or do you not use them?

No please excuse me while I nurse myself back to normal with Sprite and Saltines.

PS- Don't forget to watch the Thunder Game tonight. Tip off is at 7:30!

Vacation- The Aftermath

Today... was a good day. Let me tell you why.

Since Monday morning, I've been in Florida. It was wonderful. Sun, Sand, and no alarm clocks.   Mom booked the vacation...3 days before we left. It was the most spontaneous vacation that we've ever taken. And if you know me/us, you know that's a feat. It was really just what my mom needed, as she's been overly stressed for basically two years now. 

In the end it turned into a little too much togetherness that came to a head when my sister and mom got into an argument. about lunch. in the middle of an airport terminal. *sigh* by that point I was glad we were going home where we could lock everyone in a different room. 

But after getting back late and spending time with my friends last night, this morning I had to attack my dun dun dun suitcase. Does anyone else absolutely hate doing vacation laundry? It's not just that it's a week of laundry, but something about it being stuck in a suitcase and lugged back from a fun place, just makes it less fun to do.

But on to why today was a great day

1- I woke up in my own bed. Nothing like that!

2- I cleaned out my entire closet. If you know the enormity of my wardrobe, you should be impressed.

3- It rained. And then turned sunny. 

4- I was sweetly reminded how lucky I am to have my friends. They're amazing and supportive. How'd I get so lucky?!

5- I realized I tanned instead of burned this past week. Major win. 

Anyone have any good vacation or post vacation stories? If so, please share! :) Have a great Friday night!

One Step Closer to Not Being Homeless

This morning, I did something I had never done before in my life.

I applied for an apartment.

While some may think this was a very small thing, it was a big step for me. Not because it was difficult, or because I was afraid that they might turn me down, but because of what it meant.

You see, 5 years ago, I was adopted into a wonderful community of people which very quickly became family. And I was just lucky enough to live with all these people. All 200 of them.
So to me, moving into an apartment with just one roommate is a new thing.
I will no longer be surrounded by my second family of Stewart Hall.
I will no longer be just one flight of stairs away from familiar faces, hugs that last as long as I need them to and constant word of encouragement.

However this move also means, I will no longer be bombarded by the constant stress of school, the long hours of being an RA or the horrible decision between sleeping or studying. (studying won out far too many times this past semester). Those things I am more than happy to give up.

The wonderful thing is that I don't leave behind any of those important, wonderful relationships. I know that if I need encouraging words, I can pick up the phone and call Alli.
If I need to be slapped back to reality, I'll give Erin a call and she'll give me a "real talk".
And if I need any number of other things, all those "family members" are just a phone call away.

So today, is bittersweet. Ok it's mostly just sweet because I CANNOT WAIT to move into my own place, but I will miss the community that came with my room for the last 5 years. It will take awhile for my new place to become a home. And somehow, I'm just not quite sure it will be able to live up to my Stewart Hall home.

Hopefully a kitchen will help fill the void. ;)
Oh, don't worry, there will be fresh love cookies every time someone comes to visit :)

Update - Just found out my application was accepted. WOHOO!

This time, it's ok to be a bit of a snob

I have a confession. Today, I might have realized that I'm a bit of a snob. I like nice things. And today, I came to the realization that this (not surprisingly) extends to my choice of residence. 

You see, today I drove an hour and a half to look at 8 perspective places to live. It was both exciting and overwhelming. Exhilarating and exhausting. Liberating and tied me down.

Basically I'm saying it was both good and bad. 

A little background for you...

A little over three months ago, one of the worst things that I thought could ever happen, happened. 

You see, in your third year of pharmacy school, the didactic work stops and you go on rotations. These consist of anything from working at CVS, a hospital pharmacy, a pediatric wing or a an anti-coagulation clinic. It's a whole new aspect of school that every pharmacy student CANNOT WAIT to get to. It's like the cherry on top of the sundae that is pharmacy school. 

And you see, there were too many people who wanted to be stationed in the same place that I also wanted. So, to be fair and balanced, all our names were put into a bowl and our fates were left up to "The Draw" (if you're now picturing something sort of like the Hunger Games, you'd be correct. Minus the blood. And killing. But basically everything else was the same).

So you see, there I was, so sure that I of all people would not fall victim to the draw. There were too many others. It would be unbearable if I had to up and move. No way would God do that to me. He's put me through enough, surely He won't allow my life to be uprooted again.

(If you can see where this is going, please feel free to laugh at this point. If not, you'll have your chance later.)

So, the draw happened. And out of that purple $1 bowl from Walmart, my name popped. Shock, disbelief and elephant sized tears followed shortly after. 

This aforementioned event is what brings us to today. Because of the fateful day, I got the chance to start an incredible new adventure called "moving to Tulsa". Although it took me awhile to see this as a blessing, I'm now embracing it. Let's see what you've got to offer Tulsa!

Enough tangents; back to the lessons I learned today.

- If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Especially if that it's a 2 bed, 2 bath apartment in South Tulsa for less than $800. 

- It's good to keep an open mind... but if you like something, you like it. Just go with it.

- If you're in a new city, it can be fun to get a little lost. Scary, but fun.

- If the siding on the side of the building is falling off, just skip the tour. I promise the inside doesn't look much better.

- It's your money. Get your money's worth. This goes for everything in life, not just the place you're living.

All this being said, I'm about to apply for my first apartment. Wish my luck and say a little prayer.

Weekend Fun with a smattering of lessons.

This weekend... well it was a busy weekend.
Friday I had a bachelorette party ( the FIRST among my high school friends, thus indicating the end of an era.
Then my Kansas best friend graduated and I spent time with her and her family Saturday and Sunday.
My weekend ended on Monday (yes, I'm that awesome- I got a three day weekend), with an encouraging talk from two wonderfully godly women followed by a fun breakfast that I turned into an enlightening conversation. Let's just say it was a good end to an long, exciting weekend.

SO yeah, it was  a busy weekend to say the least.

Lessons learned this weekend?

-Bachelorette parties will ALWAYS turn inappropriate. Embrace it early, it makes it more fun.

-Drives by yourself are more fun with good music. And at least one subwoofer.

-When you're accepted by your best friend's family as one of their own, you know you've made it. This is kind of how I envision fitting in with my future in-laws; just mesh right in-like I should have been there all along.

-If you're going to be outside in the sun for FOUR HOURS, for the love of all that is good and holy, use sunscreen.

-Patience is a lesson we constantly have to learn. Apparently whether you're 22 or 62, God still doesn't give you the whole road map. Bits and pieces, yes. The whole thing? No way.

-If you have a question for someone in your life, ask it. If they care enough, they won't care if the question is dumb or obvious or a combination of those two. They'll probably laugh at you, the ridiculousness that you create in your own mind, but then they'll humor you and make you feel better about the situation. And if they don't...well then they obviously aren't worth a great chunk of your time.

Now kids, it is time for Game 5 of the Thunder vs. Lakers.  THUNDER UP!