A Parking Disaster!

This morning I was on my way to my Human Communication class which started at nine. I was proud of myself for being fifteen minutes early as I pulled into the OTC parking lot. Cruising the first lot, along with a lot of other people, I saw that there weren't any spaces to be had.

Despite the disappointment in the first lot, I traveled over to the second lot. I went down aisle after aisle, but there were still no spaces. So, I went to a third lot. By then I was starting to get worried that I wouldn't find one! I cruised the third lot, and sure enough, there weren't any spaces.

I went back to the second lot and look again, but there were still none. By then it was five minutes until my class started. I was starting to get really angry. I looked for people getting out of class who were going to their cars. There were a few, but there were so many people trying to get parking spots I didn't have any luck at getting one.

I glanced down at the clock in my car and it said it was nine o'clock! I was late, and to top it off, my class is on the third floor! By then I was furious. I finally said screw it and went across the street to park.

I got out of my car praying I wouldn't get a ticket in the fifty minutes I was gone. I had a long hike to my class, and I was already late. I went as fast as I could, but it took me awhile to make it across the treacherous street. I hustled up the two flights of stairs to make it to the third floor. Breathless, I finally entered the class a full ten minutes late. Luckily though, I hadn't missed anything important and the teacher didn't mind.

Apparently from now on I am going to have to arrive at the college at the crack of dawn in order to secure a parking space or else I will be subjected to parking across the street again. Parking is a disaster at OTC, and I can't wait to tackle the same problem every day for the next two years!

A Sleepy Farewell

This morning while most of the United States was sleeping, Amber, Chelsea, and I got up to depart from the absolutely gorgeous beach in Gulf Shores. We woke up around 4:30, got ready and took off. Although I truly did miss my family and Puggy, I couldn't help but feel a slight bit of sadness as I watched the beach disappear in the rear view mirror.

The past few days on the beach served as an escape for me. I didn't have to deal with anyone's problems or even my own. I could just forget all of them and relax. I enjoyed the chance to write and to just sit back, watching the waves roll in. Leaving the beach meant I would have to enter back into the real world. With a final glance back, I said goodbye to my vacation and to my summer. Heading back to Missouri meant that it is time to start college and make something of myself. I am looking forward to it, but I will definitely miss the carefree nights on the beach.

The Pink Pony Pub

While on our way to Gulf Shores, I was texting one of my former teachers. She said for us to stay away from The Pink Pony Pub in Gulf Shores. Naturally we were intrigued, and we Googled it as soon as we arrived at the condo. We we anxious to go find it, but we didn't actually have a chance to begin our search until late this afternoon.

We started out our search with great confidence, after all, we did have a GPS. We weren't looking to go in the pub, but we knew we definitely had to take a picture in front of it. So under the authority of Caroline (we named the GPS) we were off.

Traveling down the roads of Gulf Shores, we took all the turns Caroline told us to take, that is until I accidentally turned one street too early. Luckily Caroline is a GPS, and she could calculate the unexpected turn into our journey. Following her directions we traveled in a square which we thought would lead us right to the pub. But then as we found ourselves continuing driving, we noticed we were passing all of the same spots in the square again. Caroline took us around the square twice! Then when we did finally arrive at the destination, it turned out to be a light pole and some trees. There was no Pink Pony Pub to be found. Caroline had definitely let us down this time.

Chelsea called her mom and had her Google the address for the pub, after explaining why we were even going in the first place. She gave us the address, we entered it into Caroline, and we were off. We traveled down a whole new set of streets, traveling for about ten minutes when we noticed we were very close to our apartment. It turns out the address we got was on the road right beside our condo, and it led to a pink house but not a pink pub. We were disappointed, but we were bent on finding the place.

So after that whole ordeal, we went ahead and went to our condo where I Googled the pub and sure enough, the address was for the house right beside us. After some more in depth searching, I found a new address and decided to try it out. After driving about three miles, we found that we had pretty much passed the pub while on our search. It was just hidden behind another place.

We were so excited that we found it, but unfortunately I missed the turn because we didn't find it until I was already past it. So I turned around and on the way back I was getting ready to turn in at the stoplight, but I realized it was a one way street and I couldn't turn. Once again, I drove past the pub. After turning around again, I came back and turned into a parking lot I was sure would get us there, but alas, no, it just got us to hotel parking.


After that, I turned back out onto the road and tried the next turn off. It turned out the parking lot was close by the pub, but it did not lead to The Pink Pony. So I exited out of the parking lot and decided to try one other road. When I turned, I immediately noticed that the road led to the public beach access and you had to pay for a permit to park there. I turned around and exited another parking lot yet again.

Upon driving by the pub, I noticed that the permit parking road was the one I needed to be on, but it was not worth it just for a picture. I was angry by then, and I just decided to keep driving down the highway to see what I could see. Amber asked how far I was going to drive before I turned back to head toward the condo and replied by saying that I was going to keep driving until I was no longer angry. Obviously this took awhile, because before we knew it, we were in Florida. It was probably only about thirty minutes away from our condo, but just thinking I had driven in anger until I had crossed a state line made me crack up.

Since I was feeling better, I turned around and we went back to our condo. Overall it was a fun memory I know I will never forget. We are going back tomorrow to get our picture, so I guess I can handle that.

Help! Need Gas Money!

After cleaning my car today, I decided it was time to start packing for the beach. I stuffed three fourths of my clothes into a suitcase, and as I did I remembered that I didn't have any of the travel size shampoo to take along. So tonight around eight thirty, I traveled to Target to pick up this much needed item. After getting the shampoo and getting into my car, I traveled out of the parking lot and onto the road where I was forced to wait out a red light. I was just leaning back listening to my music, when I noticed a woman standing at the corner of the intersection. She was probably in her mid forties, wore simple shorts and a t-shirt, and was on her cell phone. But when I looked closer, I noticed she was holding a sign. The sign read, "Help! Need Gas Money!" I knew I didn't have any cash on me or I probably would have given her a couple dollars.

As I sat there though, I couldn't help but be skeptical of the whole situation. Here this woman was standing on the corner of the road with no parked car even remotely near her, and she was on her cell phone. From her facial expressions, it didn't look like she was in hysterics. In fact, it looked like she was actually enjoying the conversation. Also, doesn't everyone have a debit card these days? I would think if you owned a car, you would definitely carry one. Plus, why didn't she just walk to the nearest store or gas station to see if someone could help her? Instead she was standing on the street corner in a dimly lit area. But then again, it was close to nine o'clock at night, and she certainly didn't look like a con artist. Even though I was skeptical, I probably would have given her some cash if I had had any.

As I drove off, I thought more and more about the lady. What was her life story? What got her to the point where she was standing on the corner of the streeet asking people for money? She looked like your average middle aged woman. Did she recently lose her job and was barely scraping by on what little funds she could save? Was she just passing through Springfield and simply ran out of gas...and cash? I will never know what her story is, but I will make sure to mention her in my prayers tonight and ask God to bless her and help her in her time of need.

I Thought I Was Pretty Gangsta...Until I Looked in the Mirror and Realized I Was White

I will admit it.....When I am driving down the road, just cruising the streets, the music that I am listening to is most likely that of the rap/hip hop variety. I like listening to Soulja Boy, Flo Rida, and all the other "gangstas." If I am alone while driving, it is almost a guarantee that I am singing along. Even though I struggle to keep up, and I don't always know the words, I still sing at the top of my lungs. It makes me feel like a bad ass, even though I am about as far away from being a rebellious bad ass as they come. I am a white girl who was raised in the country. I don't think I even knew what the ghetto was until high school, but I enjoy the music nonetheless. I drive around for about an hour, and after listening to my music I feel like I can swing my hips, get low, and party until the a.m. Then as I enter my apartment and pass by the mirror, I realize that I am in fact white. I am by no means racist, but it is a fact that I have no chance at a rap career. I have no rhythm, I always lost at limbo, and most nights I am asleep by midnight. But I will continue to listen to my "gangsta" music, because it gives me hope that someday some stranger will look at me and think, "Woah, that chick is pretty bad ass." :D

The Awkward Eye Contact...

Anytime we are at a stoplight, we always have the urge to look around, especially at the driver next to us. You can deny it all you wish, but once your foot hits the brake, and you are at a complete stop, it is as if some cosmic force is pulling your head to glance out the window. The more you try to resist, the stronger the urge. You try to ignore it, but finally the urge consumes your entire body, and you just have to know what the person next to you is doing. We try to be discreet in our efforts to glance at our fellow motorists, but as soon as we turn our heads, we are inevitably met with the piercing eyes of the driver next to us. Panic ensues as we realize they have seen us. What do you do now? Do you give a friendly smile? Do you just continue to stare? Or like me do you almost always find yourself quickly averting your gaze as if you weren't really trying to look at them in the first place? It was just a mere coincidence. Unfortunately though, you both know it was not. It was the most awkward five seconds of your day, but alas, as you once again get the courage to look up from your steering wheel, you notice that the light has changed to green and you can move on with your life, that is, until the next red light and awkward eye contact just down the road.