Sunday, May 27, 2012

#s 5 and 8

Last night, Amanda and I tackled item number 5 on our bucket list: going to a baseball game. The Crawdads were playing the Lexington Legends on Friday night and the local Dad's League rented a box so we hopped right on that train. Did you know that when you get a box...you get free food? It was definitely one of the highlights of the night.

My family is ridiculously sports-oriented (I guess that's what you get when you're the granddaughter of a sportswriter AND live in the South), but I only have the foggiest when it comes to baseball. I've been to several games, but really, at baseball games, crowd-watching can sometimes take up all your attention. This game, I finally started to figure out what was happening! It was incredibly exciting. (I think I'm using far too many adverbs in this post.)

In Hickory, we manage to turn base cleaning into a lesson on the importance of dental hygiene. That guy terrifies me a little bit. 

In addition to learning the various rules of baseball, Amanda and I also managed to get into some general shenanigans (do you "get into" shenanigans? Sure, why not.). We jumped in the bouncy house--along with some other small child. Bless her. I hadn't remembered how exhausting that was! After what felt like forever, the girl running it turned to us and said "one more minute.". I wasn't entirely sure I could keep going! We stumbled out and Amanda made an executive decision to never again go in the "House of Pain". We sure learned our lesson.

After that, Olivia and Kinsey, who were also there, used some of their Dippin' Dots energy to go ride the carousel...and like the mature, grown-up, college kids we are, we joined in. 

After the carousel, we literally chased down the mascot and got our picture made with him. ...part of me is slightly ashamed, but I fully believe in taking every single opportunity possible...even if they include people dressed up like crayfish. (:

The photobombing kid also absolutely made my night. I have no idea who it is was...but I love him.

Right after we won! (It doesn't happen that often.)
It was fireworks night in honor of Memorial Day! And I love me some fireworks. We'll be in France during July 4 and fly out just before Bastille Day, so I was excited to see some! 

Saturday, we got cracking on #8: Finding an official Brimanda summer song. After much deliberation, some discussion and compromise, we discovered (lyrics): 


We're excited to be crossing things off of our bucket list! Neither of us has to go to school for the next two weeks, so more will be coming soon (as well as an awesome post about my dining room. It's exciting.)!
~B

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Wonderful Wednesdays...and Terrific Thursdays

Wednesdays are quickly becoming my favorite day of the week. Every Wednesday, my godfather, Sean, and his daughter Olivia, my "godsister", come over and we have dinner. It's so wonderful to get to catch up with some of my favorite people.

Yesterday, I wasn't feeling so great and just really wanted to curl up in bed and read after school...so I did. And sweet Olivia came up and snuggled with me as well and we shared some quality sister time:
After dinner, everyone but Dad, who had to study, trooped up to the auditorium to watch my school's talent show. It was fabulous; y'all missed out. There was singing, dancing, poem reading...I was super impressed with all of my school's amazing talent!

Will in his ducky pants; there was also a poem involved
There was some awesome Irish dancing by Miss Kelcie

Amanda getting ready to sing. <3
Final bows
Thursday was our last Family ever. Finals start next week, so the entire schedule gets blown entirely away...and then a lot of people just don't even have to be there. Our family is made up primarily of seniors, so to celebrate our last gathering, we all headed out to the park for the second week in a row.

There was some chillin':
Visiting:
And a lot of laughs. At one point, Will leapt on Alex's back and yells "Run Shadowfax! Show us the meaning of haste!" All Lord of the Rings fans instantly collapsed in laughter.

I'm going to miss these crazy kids. It's been a really excellent four years. Neither Amanda nor I have any finals this year, so I've gotten a head start on the whole packing-for-college, cleaning-out-schoolwork process...and the sappy nostalgia, as well. 

We've been working on our bucket list, but that deserves it's own post, so more will be coming soon!
~B

PS - I know there are some wacky formatting things going on in this post, but I've given up on trying to reason with Blogger. (:

Saturday, May 19, 2012

# .5

I love weekends. I especially love productive weekends and today already qualifies.

Yesterday, we went to the Montessori dedication and it was absolutely beautiful. They were dedicating the new school building, after 10+ years of planning, fundraising, blood, sweat, and tears. They've been using the building all year, but it really came true yesterday. I love seeing something that meant so much to me continue to make a difference in other people's lives as well.

After that, Amanda stayed the night with me and this morning, we dragged ourselves out of bed to Zumba. It was totally worth the early wake up call and afterward, we sauntered over to the local Farmer's Market. We ran into a bunch of people we know and while our search for strawberries wasn't successful (apparently you have to get there really early), it was still awesome to go and see this part of our community.

After that, we headed to the mall. For Christmas, Amanda and I decided to buy a bear to share between us while we're at school. Of course, in our typical, procrastinatorial (because that's absolutely a word), way...we finally got him today; we realized that we couldn't properly start our summer bucket list without Charles--he's been added as .5. (:

So, everyone, meet Charles Nido Huntington III--the classiest bear ever (yes, that is a little tux; we decided anyone that is the 3rd and has baby Sperrys in his future needs a tux):

At Build A Bear, they place a guardian bear/angel inside the bear after you make a wish on them, but our wonderful build-a-bearer let us both make wishes for him:

We typed out a certificate and listed his owner as "Brimanda". His birthday? Our graduation date. Childhood, I will never leave you. We got to put in his full name and even take a picture together:

We also spent some time at Hancock Fabrics looking up patterns so that we can make him some clothes. First item on the list? An Oxford made of plaid with HPU purple, UNC blue and Newton-Conover red. This will be one school-proud bear.

It feels great to finally be started on our list and even better to spending time with my best friend--as if that didn't happen enough already. (: 
Here's to a fabulous Sunday!
~B

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

What Time Is It? Summertime!

Today, I realized how little time I have before college begins! AP testing finished today (for me at least), so now just a few chapter tests, 1/3 of a final project and just over two weeks stand between me and graduation. In the words of Babs from Chicken Run: "All me life flashed before me eyes...it was really borin'."


So Amanda and I have taken it upon ourselves to make it less boring. Tonight (after she moved out of my house! :( best two-week roommate ever.)  we began a summer bucket list (inspired by Katie Bower). It's going to take a little bit of juggling to get it all done, because my June looks like this (ignore all the reminders for Zumba; it's a repeating event):


(Click for a larger image)


And our July looks like this:


(Click for a larger image)


Then we begin the move-in shenanigans August 16/17/18/general area! Nevertheless, the fun must continue. I've already planned to go stay with her at High Point for at least one weekend in July, where we can continue our shenanigans--taking full advantage of our approximated 3 weeks together. We're still refining/editing this summer bucket list, but for now, here are our plans:


1. Get our noses pierced.
2. Go to a drive-in movie.
3. Go for a hike.
4. Watch the entire Star Wars series in one rainy day/weekend and play the accompanying drinking game (the non-alcohol version, of course). 
5. Go to a baseball game.
6. Play in water sprinklers.
7. Blow bubbles.
8. Find an official Brimanda summer song.
9. Go to an outdoor concert.
       - We're looking at the Greensboro Beach Music in the Park festival.
10. "Camp" outside at our house.
11. Go to a waterpark.
12. Have a picnic.
13. Go to Movies in the Park.
14. Have a Nicholas Sparks marathon. Cry all day.
15. Have a rubber duck/sailboat race in the river.
16. Fly kites.
17. Make homemade ice cream from our homegrown strawberries.
18. Go to a rodeo.
19. Play dress up.
20. Go to the Davidson Soda Shop.
21. Catch fireflies.
22. Go trail riding.
23. Make blanket forts on a rainy day.
24. Plant a tree. Or two. And some flowers.
25. Go swimming in a lake/swimming hole. Then go swimming somewhere that we can take underwater photos.


I ordered a new camera tonight, since I've sold my DSLR, and I'm beyond excited. It's a nice little point and shoot, which means that all of these will be fully documented and posted on here for posterity before we are allowed to cross it off the list. 


Here's to best friends and Summer 2012!
Sunnily,
B