Indy Fun Weekend.

Fortunately, this weekend was the low-key affair that I desperately needed. Much of it was spent sleeping, eating, and watching basketball, but Wheat and I decided to have a fun day on Saturday.

First, we headed to the NCAA Hall of Champions downtown. I'm so glad we had a coupon because we were pretty disappointed. It was primarily geared toward kids, which explains why Wheat's favorite part was shooting around on the half-court upstairs.

Next, we went to Bazbeaux for some delicious pizza before checking out Stout's Shoes, the oldest shoe store in America. The best part? Ripley, the talking parrot that lives inside. I spent five minutes begging him to talk and as soon as I gave up and turned around, he said bye.

On a whim, we decided to go to Orange Leaf for some ice cream. We hit the absolute jackpot because it was a $5 all-you-can-eat buffet day. Toppings galore. After finally dragging ourselves out of Orange Leaf, we decided to explore Butler's campus for the first time. We checked out the beautiful gardens, walked around the student union, and, of course, I took tons of pictures.

Is it really Monday already?

Happy Thoughts Thursday!

After the ridiculous outpouring of love and support regarding my last post, I feel so lucky and ready to take on this journey with my mom. I can't thank everyone enough for the kind words, support, prayers, and encouragement that are being sent our way. My mind is right and when that happens, it's easy to pick out happy thoughts. So, let's do this.

- Baseball. It's happening soon, folks. I know the weather doesn't feel like it, but it's coming - no matter what. I really can't wait for night games, ballpark hot dogs, and the inevitable implosion by the Reds.

- Reunions. Matt, Andrea, and adorable Lily came to Indianapolis on Sunday, so we had a little grad school reunion at Scotty's. Although we were missing a few good friends, the food was great, the company was better, and I finally got to hang out with my new best friend.

- Free weekends. This weekend will be the first plan-free weekend Wheat and I have had together in months. Between Pacers and Cyclones games, trips to Lebanon, and other obligations, we have seriously had something scheduled every weekend since I can remember. With the playoffs quickly approaching for both of us, I'm hoping we get some FUN in before our lives spiral out of control.

- Penguins. Two penguins from the Newport Aquarium dropped the ceremonial first puck at the Cyclones game last weekend and the only thing that would have excited me more was if the Penguins were actually Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

A couple of surprise guests from @NewportAquarium dropping the puck tonight. #WaddleWaddle #CincyCyclones pic.twitter.com/Ixp9OdzJYk
— Cincinnati Cyclones (@CincyCyclones) March 21, 2014

- "I Love the Rain the Most" by Joe Purdy. Wheat introduced me to this song a while back and I love it. The driving force of the guitar, his voice, all of it. Enjoy.



Do you think your baseball team will disappoint you this season?
Have you ever contemplated stealing a baby? Me either...
What is making YOU happy this week?

Here We Go

In complete honesty, I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to write this post. I've started it a few times - typed a few words, then deleted it entirely and logged off. I haven't even been reading other blogs lately because they served as a painful reminder that eventually I'd be typing the following words:

Three weeks ago, my mom was diagnosed with stage 3B ovarian cancer.

After 21 days of processing that information, learning as much as possible about the disease, and crying more tears than you would think are humanly possible, I think I'm finally ready to do what I have always done with my problems - write about it.

I'm not going to document the symptoms, surgery, or diagnosis right now. Frankly, it's still too raw, too real and I don't want to relive it anytime soon. Instead, I'll focus on the here and now because, as much as I'd like to pretend otherwise, that's the only thing any of us can control.

My mom, my best friend, confidant, hero, and person, started chemotherapy this morning. This appointment starts a five-month journey of unpleasant treatment that will ultimately make her better.

...and that's exactly what will happen.

She will get better. My mom is the strongest person I know, bar none. She is also the kindest, most thoughtful, and giving person I know. I have absolutely no doubt that, with the support of everyone that loves her (and let's be real - that's everyone that knows her), this will be a story of triumph in a few short months, one that I have no problem writing about because her strength and resilience will be easy to share.

I love you, Mommles and I'm here every step of the way.

Happy Thoughts...Monday.

I know it's not Thursday, but I need all the happy thoughts I can get. So, here goes:

- The Sing-Off Tour. Wheat and I made a last-minute decision to see The Sing-Off Tour at the Murat last week and it was incredible. The tickets were super cheap and extremely close (second row!), which made for a great view, but some awkward eye contact with the singers. Home Free, the country group that won the competition, was awesome and surprisingly hilarious, but the biggest surprise for me was how great (and funny) Vocal Play was. Along with Filharmonic and Street Corner Symphony (from Season 2), the concert featured tons of songs that were performed on the show, the coolest beatboxing showdown ever, and of course, great music.

- The Walking Dead. I don't even have the words to describe this weekend's episode. Amazing. Creepy, but amazing. I can't believe there are only two more episodes this season.

- Green. It doesn't seem like it, but spring is on its way. It must be. The sun is staying out longer and soon enough, the grass will be green again! Today is also St. Patrick's Day and, even though I'm not doing anything festive, I did wear some green. Despite its vaguely toothpaste-like flavor, I also had a Shamrock Shake from McDonald's, as March tradition dictates. I held up my part of the deal - It's your turn, warm weather.

- Miami Valley Gaming. Wheat and I decided to check out the new casino near my house this weekend. Unfortunately, we missed the horse races, but we signed up for some cards and played the slot machines with $20 each of house money. We loved walking around the casino, picking out free buckeyes for good luck, checking out the hilarious games (Dolly Parton, Walking Dead, Wizard of Oz, etc.), and counting our earnings. The promotional money went fast, but we ended up leaving with $33...and if you know me at all, you know how much I love free stuff.

- My new job. I started a new, part-time gig with the Indiana Business Research Center. I'm mostly doing data verification and I love it so far. The people are great, the atmosphere is really relaxed, and I don't bring any work home. It's just what I need right now.

Are you still addicted to reality singing competitions?
What's the most you've ever won gambling?
What's making YOU happy lately?

Snapshots of Hating Winter

||Our first Miami hockey game||

||Miami lost to St. Cloud State, 3-0||

||The Ohio River on the first warm(ish) day of the year||

||Pink ice that was scraped from U.S. Bank Arena after breast cancer awareness night||

||Tulips overlooking Clifton||

Gulf Shores

I've neglected you yet again, my dear blog. Someday, I'll be better at this little hobby of mine.

After my parents picked me up in Mobile, we headed to Gulf Shores, my grandparents' winter vacation destination of choice. We spent the rest of the day, catching up with them and enjoying the view.

The next day, Mommles and I decided to go to the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo. The zoo is unlike any other zoo I've ever seen. It feels so intimate, almost more like a farm than a zoo. We even had food to feed about half of the animals by hand. There were wolves, tigers, deer, ocelots, capuchin monkeys, bears, and so many more. The zookeepers are super passionate about their jobs, too. Between 2004 and 2005, they had to evacuate every single animal three different times to save them from hurricanes.

Mom's favorite.

We always seem to see this at zoos.

Chuckie, the zoo's mascot, was the only animal they left behind during Hurricane Ivan.

Why do I find capybaras so funny?

Obviously, we stopped for ice cream afterward.

That night, we met some of my grandparents' friends for dinner in Pensacola at McGuire's Irish Pub. The restaurant's claim to fame? The million signed dollar bills on the walls.

The next afternoon, Mommles and I took a leisurely walk on the beach. We made our way down to the pier, admiring the amazing sand castles and looking for seashells along the way. The sand felt so perfect and soft and although the water was cold, it felt so nice to escape the snow for a bit.

Nothing, of course, was better than spending some quality time with my best friend.