A Weekend of Bliss . . .and Burn

This past weekend, I had the divine pleasure of escaping from the world. My best friend and I traveled up to her lake house and spent the weekend lounging by the lake, exercising, drinking (which really made the exercising ineffective), and catching up with old friends. It was nothing but pure bliss. 

My friend, whose family owns a few homes on the lake, has been going every summer since she was a child. Every time I visit, I can't help but marvel at the sense of community and camaraderie that exists between the families on the mountain. Because most of the homes have been owned by the same families for generations, these people grew-up together and treat each other like family. It's touching to see the genuine care that each person holds for the community. 

So, dear reader, what did I do all weekend? Well, though much of my time was spent intoxicated, most of my fun is presently masked by the painful burn that covers the vast majority of my body. Despite diligent application of Neutrogena 70+ SPF with Helioplex, I burned to a crisp in 4 hours time. I have five witnesses that watched me reapply every hour (and each time I came out of the lake) and yet my skin is started to bubble and it hurts to wear clothing. Part of me wants to sue that damn company. Yes, I may be the epitome of pasty pale Scottish woman; HOWEVER, shouldn't 70+ SPF work?!

Obviously, I'm a little hostile right now. But, I did have the most relaxing weekend I've had since Christmas. I love catching-up with friends and learning about their adventures over the past year. I find it so interesting to see how a group of people who grew-up so similarly can end-up in so many different places.

Well, to be honest, I need to go reapply aloe vera. But, I hope that everyone enjoyed his or her Memorial Day weekend. And now I must go back to the grind. . . .

A Plan to Lose Myself

Clarification: A plan to lose my physical self. Just some of it. Most people would just call it a diet.

Dieting, starving, fasting, "losing a few,"etc. Whatever you call it, I'm on my way to lowering the number I see when I step on a scale. Now, I understand that "you shouldn't focus on the number" and whatnot, but I'm still determined to make that number go down. And why shouldn't it? I'm going to eat a balanced healthy diet and exercise like I'm in a 1980s Jane Fonda video.

So, here's the catch: I only want to lose my physical self. I feel like when many people diet, they lose their personality and become calorie-deprived monsters. This is something I'd like to avoid.

So, to all of you people out there in the virtual blogging world, consider this the start of my dieting blogging. I'll update occasionally, most likely when I have great triumphs and great failures. Here's to swimsuit season!

Cinema Disappointment Galore

Like many people, I occasionally like to relax by watching a good movie. Today, I decided to watch "Country Strong," starring Gwenyth Paltrow and Leighton Meester. Now, the movie has received fantastic reviews and I've heard nothing but marvelous feedback; SO, imagine MY surprise when I spend two hours of my evening watching the film only to feel down and disappointed. I felt as though the acting was half-hearted, the plot line was pathetic, and the singing was mediocre. And people wonder why there aren't more movies about country music. . .. .(though to be honest, I really do enjoy some country now and again.....)

But, the show must go on! Because the movie was atrocious, I decided I needed to watch a BETTER movie. Now, I seemed to be one of the few movie-watchers who hasn't seen the Graduate. Courtesy of Netflix, that was changed this evening. I, to much confusion, saw Rumor Has It a few years ago. As such, I had an idea of what the movie was about. Nevertheless, I was thoroughly disappointed. I felt that while the plot had a great basis, the implementation was poor. Certain parts of the movie dragged while others had a lot of action packed into only a few scenes.

Alas, I am rather frustrated with my cinema interaction this evening. Movies just aren't up to par lately. I suppose it's back to the books for me. . . .

The One with the Reunion

Friends are a funny thing, dear reader. Whilst most people do not undervalue friendships, I still find it necessary to discuss their vitality. In the musical Hairspray, one of the songs features a line that reads: "Without love, life is like a beat that you can't follow." When thinking of friendships, I can't help but think of that lyric. I believe the camaraderie and love that stems from friendships is invaluable. Friendships are necessary to happiness. I believe happiness should be a life goal. Ergo, friendships are necessary to fulfill life goals.

So, why bring this up on a muggy evening in June? Well, coming home from college, I have the pleasure of reuniting with many of my friends. I've spent the past few evenings reminiscing - laughing, smiling, and recalling all of those times we were sure we'd be embarrassed of forever. I love the feeling that fills me up after spending an evening with friends. As I'm driving through the lush fields and forest back to my quaint home, I can't help but smile.

Advice of the day? Measure your friends not by sheer quantity, but by the number of smiles they put on your face.

The First One

Well,  I can honestly say that I am new to the blogging experience. I don't envision my posts being ridiculously insightful or motivating or life-changing; however, I have many opinions and I plan on sharing them.

So, here we go. I've just returned home after completing my second year of college. Am I going to tell you where? Absolutely not. Because though the vast majority of people who read this will likely be normal, my pattern of luck leads me to believe that a crazy sociopath will use that information to track me down and kill me. Or not. But, hey, why not be safe?

So, what now? Well, a new adventure is about to begin. I've been hired to work at a summer camp (for ridiculously wealthy children) in Maine for 8 weeks. I still can't decide if I'm excited or concerned, though I expect it's a little bit of both. Here's to living in a cabin, spending paychecks on bug spray and sunscreen, and sleeping less than any person ever should.