lately!

so i lied. I had promised in my last blog that I would blog more often but i havent. woops.

So here is a little of what I have been up to lately.

I got to go to Nashville to see Kree and Liz in Nine! Jason picked me up on the side of the road in Leeds and we hauled it to get to Franklin on time! We might have bobbed and weaved/sped like we were in a NASCAR race but we made it at 8:01!

They let us in and Jason and I wound up getting AMAZING! seats! We were both so proud of Kree and Liz! They did such a great job and the ensemble was on stage almost the entire show! Liz and Kree were easily the two tallest people in the show (and the most beautiful/talented of course) but I loved because of their height( for those of you who know Kree and Liz, add heels and a bumpit that just wont quit to both of their statures!) they were always splitting center or in Kree's case acting as a beam or giraffe. Jason and I lost it over the jungle montage and kree was in the back acting like a giraffe. Liz was adorable and got to speak in German which I thought was so fitting for her(our sweet little Derliebe). All in all the show was great and I was so proud of my two professional actress friends!

We all went out that night to a little place called Tin Roof and we had a great time people watching and catching up! It's great to know that even though some significant time had passed since I had seen these three friends that it was so easy to jump back in to the ease of our friendships ( that includes when the girls turn into shameless British women and I have to be the American friend!) I dont know if Kree/Liz/Jason read this but THANKS FOR MY ONLY VACAY ILL GET ALL SUMMER! I LOVE YOU THREE!

When I returned from Nashvegas I returned to an emptyish office. Most of the staff had left to go on the NYC mission trip. Clearly I was sad they had left me in Bham while they all went to my favorite city in the world! I just have to keep reminding myself I am moving there in less than 6 months. But needless to say the office was very quiet this week! We did however get a pet for the office. We got a Beta fish and named him Bieber ( yes in honor of Justin Bieber). We feed him far too often and sing all of his songs to him throughout the day!

The most exciting thing that has happened lately is my weekend trip to Auburn this weekend! I left work Thursday and headed to my old home! We all went over to Dev and Lee's place and Dev cooked dinner for all of us! It was nice to have everyone all in the same room! We ate and joked around and watched TV and it felt like I had never left. Shane was being hilarious and Dev slaved over our dinner. Jessica was being wildly un "PC" as we watched various TV shows but thats why we love Jess. Molly and I played our game while we watched SYTYCD and Laura was catching me up on work stuff showing me youtube videos and it just felt like home! Suz showed up later and it felt nice to have the whole fam in place ( minus Pat and NAt who came later this weekend! and Payne and Kristi who are in Mantoe and Lee who was workin for the man)

I had breakfast with Joey the next morning and he as always was full of tough love inspiration and encouragement. Joey is easily the best teacher I have ever had in my entire life and I am so glad I can call him my friend!

I also got to see married morgan in her new married home. It just suits her so well. Their apartment looked awesome and of course Morgan had whipped up a feast and we chatted for hours and played with their new puppy!

Tim and K.A. met Laura and me later at Tutti Frutti and we stayed an innapropriate length of time. We were just all laughing so HARD. this group of friends is so fun bc I feel like all we do is tell stories and laugh til we cry.

I got to see Khop which is always hilarious and a half. I adore that crazy girl!

Natalie came home from camp that night and we all went to the Q that night for old times sake and who do we see but my little brother there with some of his friends. We also ran into good ole Jason! The next day we all just hung out all day together at the house and then NAt and I went and ran errands and had dinner. I stayed til the last possible moment. I felt like I was moving out all over again. It was a blue little car ride home but I was so so glad to have gotten to spend so much time with so many people I love.

The office should be back to being loud and full this week since everyone is back. We are going to White Water with a bunch of middle and high school students on Wednesday and that is going to be NUTS.

just catching up

i havent blogged in a while and its for two reasons. 1)I have been crazy busy working non stop and 2) the internet at the Hammond residence is gonezooooo. soooo now I am finally getting to blog so I have a lot to cover.

Top 10 things have been going on lately.

1) Work has been non stop seeming. (but I guess thats what happens when you work in ministry.) I work at Briarwood Presbyterian Church until August (ish). I have worked as an intern at bwood before once after my freshmen year of college and again after my sophomore year of college. This is by far the best internship I've had a Bwood. The people I work with are amazing and I love the stuff I have been assigned to do. I have gotten to do some event planning which I have never done before but I really love. My boss is great and understands the gifts I have that make me good at this job but he also senses my flaws and encourages me to be better. Working with such an encouraging group of people has been priceless.

2) As I mentioned above the people I work with are great and I have been hanging out a ton wiht the girls I work with. My biggest worry leaving auburn was how would I find a group of friends that I could love as much as my roommates and theatre friends. But its not about comparing. These girls are different than my theatre friends and my roommates but spending time with them has been wonderful! Mere is such an encourager and Amy B is kinder than any human being on this planet, Linds is a little hippie and so thoughtful and is one of the most gifted people I have ever seen in ministry, and Barbs is an extension of myself and Rachel has me rolling at all times. I am so thankful the Lord has brought me girlfriends. What a blessing

3) I have spent tons of time with my family which is nice!

4) I have gotten to explore parts of Birmingham that I have never spent time in before. Its crazy I have lived here my whole life and now I am going to places and doing things I didnt even know were here. I went to a outdoor movie in Homewood Park and I have gone to a coffee shop I didnt know existed called O'Henrys and then ate a a cool restaraunt down town that gets all of its food fresh from farmers markets called Urban Cookhouse and it was AWESOME!

5) On a sad note my great-grandmother has passed away. She had a stroke about two weeks ago which was so sad. She has had Alzheimers for about 13 years and has been living with my grandmother for about that long. The dimentia took over a while back and she had been bed ridden for three years. She'd been sick so long but then the stroke happened and hospice was called. It was a really emotional week for me. I have never had to anticipate a loved ones death before. It was difficult for me. The hospice nurse gave my mom a booklet that she thought might help me deal with this event. The end of the book had an alegorical story in it that really helped me wrap my mind around my grandmother passing. The Lord took my grandmother to be with him last Thursday night. I know she is finally free from the Alzheimers and her little body and moind that has failed her for 13 years and now is in eternal paradise with her Savior and that truth is so comforting to me.

6) I am so excited about my two acting jobs I have rapidly approaching. Zorro at the Birmingham Childrens Theatre will be so fun! I need to work on my spanish dialect (o emily rourke where are you?) The second job I have is in Richmond Virginia in the spring playing Stuart Little in Stuart Little the musical. I am even more excited about it now because Payne got hired by the same company during the same time so even though we will be on different tours it will be such a joy to have one of my best friends in the world in the same city again!

7) I have been working out most every day with Kat Grilli. We walk over at Spain Park Park <> We walk a 5k everyday and solve all of the worlds problems and we walk through the trail. I have been loving having an Auburn buddy to hang out with on the reg and grillz keeps me in stitches <>

8) Ive kept in touch pretty well with several of my auburn besties but I would always love to get better. I talk to a roommate pretty much everyday. I have gotten to have lunch with Liz, and talked to Kree, Payne and Becky several times. It is a challenge with the business of trying to get settled and become this fully financially independent person and keep ties with all the people you love but it is such a joy everytime I hear from someone I care about.

9) I have been watching the Bachelorette like my little life depends on it. I dont really care much for the bachelor but the bachelorette is so FUNNY. I love the man drama. All these magazines have me doubting my deep affection for frank and his cute glasses, but i know that mr wrestler can hit the road asap.

10) I miss theatre right now. I want to see a play or audition. I miss kind of the thrill and panic of auditioning and the pleasure from seeing a show. I am hoping that I will get to see Kree and Liz in Nine. That would be such a fun little trip! I know though that I should be enjoying this theatre -less break because soon I will be doing it non stop. I am excited about moving to New York in January! That will be such an adventure everyday!

this is kind of all I have for now but I will be better about blogging more often soon!

excuse my cheese and sappiness. i went with molly suz nat jess laura to Loradoes and Quixotes for my last big hooorah in Auburn as a resident! I made up this toast with a terrible rhyme scheme but its how much I love them!

I need to say this before tears and ritas

with all of my heart i love my girls of Taleeda

As roommies we all fit like a glove

and i believe dearest friends its because of the way you all show love.

Suz is the sweetest and I'm sure going to miss her

and as we all know shes our most frequent little pisser!

She's got words of encouragement every single day

and despite our long distance i know we'll be ok

If you want quality time Molly is where you go!

She'll scratch your back while she watches her show

and even though we are working like distant busy bees

I know she'll miss me falling and scraping up my knees

Jess is the funniest and that's all I can say

and I'd bowl with you Jess any and every day!

She's funny and quirky and careful with a dollar

and if you ever need me Jess all you have to do is holler

Kristi I am missing while she is up in Mantoe,

being bored at the beach and watching Payne's show.

I'll see her again just wait and see

because I bet we'll be neighbors up in NYC!

Piggy is my girl, sorry I'm a sap,

but what will we do without each other at the GAP?

We're errand buddies for all time to endure

and you've loved me with acts of service for sure

Laura is our involved one, she's like a mirage,

but no matter what happens I'm living above your garage

You've always loved with gifts from the very start

and I've always loved your generous heart

No matter where we go or how life treats ya,

please know best friends youve got me, and we'll always have Taleeda.

scattered thoughts

im feeling scattered. i have packed up all of my worldly possessions and moved them out of my room of the last two years and have it all stored in boxes downstairs in kristi's room. its strange to be able to fit your whole life in boxes in the corner of a room. Ill be in Auburn another week which I am glad of. I get to be with Nat, Suz, Molly, Jess/her new puppy patches, and Laura! I'll be babysitting again next week which will be fun. We have all been so busy this year and absolutely pining for a break and now it ironic that we are all bored silly lately. I think everyone misses class because they miss having a sense of purpose. even tho we all have part time jobs at the moment, we still sit around all day. I am enjoying it <> but all my roommies seem miserable with the down time. im not ready to leave this bliss that has been college. ha its just been great. im just not ready to leave my comfortable home. ha and move in with my parents. i feel like im regressing back to high school. BUT im happy to be employed until dec. I am happy to only be and hour and forty five minutes away from my best friends who are still in Auburn. I am happy to get to live at home and save SO MUCH money before I move to New York in January.

julie and julia inspiration

I watched Julie and Julia last night with Laura and Natalie, and Julie blogs the whole time which really sparked my interest. Julie had some issues with her blogging habits and Im not interested in having the same experience so i might not even advertise that I have this for a while. But I do think this is an interesting outlet... but I don't want to let this be a way for me only to whine and vent: which I could see happening... thus with the career path I've chosen... so I have named it counting my blessings which is what I am going to try to do more often. It used to be so much easier for me to be positive. I want that ease to look at the bright side of things to come back. So I would like this medium to encourage that. So today I feel blessed because we had the BFBBQ. that is code for Best Friend Barbeque. My friend group is awesome. I have lived with Molly Natalie and Suzanne for what feels like all of college but I guess technically three years, Laura for one of those years along with Krispi and Jess this year. They are each dating guys that I absolutely love and who all love each other. So we all love to play! Tonight we all grilled out brought sides and deserts and pigged out, watched Lost, Glee and the Braves. Tell me what could be better?!? I leave these wonderful people in a matter of days. Sometimes I worry about having a community like this again. I crave being known by a community and I have that so fully in AU. But i know the Lord is not going to abandon me the minute I move out of AU and the loving arms of the Taleeda gang. I know God will be gracious enough to bless me with other fabulous friends. but the blessings I am thankful for tonight are: Suzanne, Shane, Kristi, Payne, Natalie, Molly, Lee, Jessica, Patrick, Laura and Dev. Biscuit Hole forever!