Countdown Starts: Day 5

Stats
Emote: (Insert some semi-happy-yet-complicated-emote here)
Drinking: (Insert some interesting and hipster really-bad-for-you-but-still-trendy-drink here)
Eating: (Insert some green-leafy-goodness so people think I eat healthy here)
Countdown: 5 Days.

Hello everyone! It's been a few days since I've updated you guys (sorry about that!).
First, I've got to tell you; I'm exhausted. So this post may or may not come out more or less exciting than they usually are (or I hope they are). I'm current secret base is my grandmother's house because of my work schedule this week. I get to see grandma, papaw (and my aunt and her kids because they're staying here (my grandma-ma's) due to some personal relationship problems that left her without a home. Men can be so mean sometimes...) save on some gas, and have an awesome breakfast every morning!

That's like, three or more birds with one stone.

Oh and for those of you who care; An Update On My 20lbs in Forty Days Challenge:

My forty days is almost up. I have maybe...3...4 days left.
I have went from 138lbs....to 126lbs! That's 12lbs gone. (Not hatin' on anyone's maths skills here) Unfortunately I don't have a picture to put up of my success...you can't tell much anyway. I can't see it anyway. My mother commented I looked like I had lost some a few days ago.

Honestly, I didn't really do any exercise, so the toning isn't there. I just changed my eating habits (starving myself not in those habits):

• I stopped drinking pop and sugary beverages all together; I kept to tea, real-fruit juices, coffee and water. Lots of water. 
• That yummy slice of chocolate cake or that milkshake I could have easily made for myself at work? Nope. I resisted. 
• Lots of fruit. 
• Lots of protein, not so much processed meat, but chicken.
• I tried to lay off the fast foods, which is hard when I work at a restaurant, so again, when I HAD to eat something there, it was grilled/fried chicken.

Just little easy things like that. I'm not too sure how it worked myself, but it did. I'll get a picture up at another time.

But now, what I really want to tell you all (and literally shout from every rooftop).

I get to see my Austin in five days. FIVE DAYS! Yes. Yes. And yes. We have made the decision that I will be making the 10-hour drive myself. Which sounds difficult...but I honestly don't have a worry in the world about it. (Maybe that's just because I'm too excited though.) My mother and my family are a bit worried about me driving the whole ten hours by myself, and I can understand their concern.
I'm a single young woman driving 610 miles in 10 hours alone. 
However, I know I can do it. I've been praying for the last week and a half about it since Austin told me he had a 72 coming this weekend, wondering if it really is OK for me to go.

"Go." That's what I'm getting. I've prayed about it, and I know that God will keep me safe and sound there and back. I don't have any doubts; all I've got is faith in what I'm asking from Him.

So, I'm printing out my route and picking out where I'm going to stop before-hand. I'm probably going to be giving a copy of that to both my parents, and Austin's parents, if just to ease their worries. I'm planning on driving in the daylight, leaving early and getting in Jacksonville by dark where Austin will meet me in town and I can go on to sleep at the hotel. I can only imagine the every-hour-phone-calls that I will be receiving.

But I'm just so excited to see him! I can't wait. I still have to get my car checked (which my mom, my dad and my grandfather all want to look at before I go), pick out what I'm going to wear on my stay, and go shopping for a few things I need. Like, I'm out of facial lotion. My face is getting seriously dry and I've just been too lazy to get off my bum and get some.
I plan on taking lots and lots of pictures too, whether Austin likes it or not. He will comply.
or so help him...

I get to see Austin in five days, but for now, I still have work today at four and work with my grandfather tomorrow. Life is good. God is good.
All the time.

Thanks for reading!

-Sarah

A Phone Call and Update

I love phone calls and I never used to. It was after I met Austin that I really started to get excited about them. Hearing his voice, about his day, what's been going on in his life...it just makes me happy. I love him.

This is the signed Ever After coat receipt from the book I got for Austin.
He literally whined for it over the phone and made me promise
to get it for him...he hasn't ever even read the first book.

 Austin called while we were waiting in line to get the book signed by Kim. 

He's moved units and is "actually starting training" now. 

(today he's doing something with engineering...) 

We talked about my coming down to see him. I'm buying the round-a-bout tickets (at an awesome price I found on Priceline! a lot less expensive then I thought it would be) and such, then we're just going to pick the hotel when I get there. 

I'm thinking I'll stay from a Thursday to Monday; if just to make sure I get to spend every second I can with Austin while I'm there. 

I'm just anxious to see him since he told me about his deployment that'll be happening in around a year. I want to be able to see him as much as possible while I can. Austin will be going out to California for training before then too...
I don't know how I feel about it all. It hasn't really sunk in I guess. The thing is I'm not really feeling sad or upset and I feel like I should. Like I'm betraying him by not crying or feeling depressed.

Actually I'm at peace with it. I mean, I've known that he'd have to deploy sometime, I just didn't know when and now that I know...I'm still just at peace with it. All of this got confirmed only last night...

And the only thing I'm crying over is the sad ending to this Drop Dead Diva episode. 

It was so not fair of Grayson to kiss Stacy. She's not Deb.

Thanks for reading,

Sarah

Our Trip to the Hollows

 If you guys haven't been updated yet, my sister (Rachael) and I went to Cincinnati yesterday-ahem-the Hollows yesterday to see Kim Harrison at her book signing. It was all the way in Crestview Hills but our drive wasn't too bad. About 2 1/2 hours. Honestly I find the interstate fun. We just put point totals on all the cars and added them up as I passed....I ended up with about 3,000 points if you're curious ;)

Since my narrator skills are a bit...well...newbish, I'll just go ahead and put the pictures up.

Waiting for Kim Harrison to arrive! The wait was the worst part!

Rachael posing with her book.

We got some coffee to pass the time. It was so good! Raspberry Macadamia Mocha Latte!

And then...she showed.

And there was much rejoicing!

Q&A time with Ms. Harrison. So many questions answered! So glad she didn't agree on a movie/tv series. They were gonna take Jenks out!!! :((

This is Guy. Taking pictures of Kim during her speech.

...he shook my hand :)

Waiting in line to see Kim and get the book signed...

Still waiting...

While in line, we were teased with a bunch of products you couldn't look at because if you moved you'd lose your spot in line.

I was impressed with Joseph Beth's ceramic cat army.

This is my soul-cup. We resonated. I almost bought it.

I need this.

This is Galileo. A philosopher and astronomer. I thought of Austin when I saw it. Almost bought it for him. Almost.

Then the fog lifted and the sun shown overhead. I was overwhelmed and in awe of such majesty...

Finally. My life is complete.

 Yes, and you can find a video on my YouTube channel of Kim explaining how to say Algaliarept's name correctly. Enjoy!

And...

Happy late Christmas to my best friend and sister.

It really was a perfect day.

Ever After, Flickr, and a Road Trip!

First, sorry everyone! I haven't written in a couple of days...I've just been so busy!

I recently learned that my Financial Aid won't be coming in for my classes for another few weeks, meaning I can't start them for a while...which really, really bums me out. -apparently it comes this late every year, and unless i want to use my own money or take out a loan and go into debt for a few classes i have to wait-

Watching The Ravens win the Superbowl (like everyone knew they would) and studying for my upcoming ACT retake took up my time yesterday. Though with the game going on, not much studying got done...the blackout was a nice touch this year.

Oh, and have I mentioned I'm traveling to Cincy, OH tomorrow with my sister to get our book "The Ever-After" (from the Hollows series) signed by Kim Harrison on her Ever After Tour?
Well, um, we are and I'm way-way excited!!! I can't wait to meet her.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the Hollows Series; it actually takes place on the Ohio-Kentucky border around the river.It's been many years since The Turn, when a virus being carried in genetically-mutated tomatoes killed most of humanity on the planet.
Good thing not everyone was human.

"A witch, a pixy and a vampire walked into a bar..."
Well, lived happily, ever-after in a church.

The series centers around the three main characters:

Jenks (no last name): A pixy. A very sexy and charming loud and obnoxious pixy who, however he may not look it, has the ability to hack anything and everything that runs on electricity. Name it, he can do it.
Jenks in the only pixy to own his own land (pixies being seen as no more than bugs to the rest of the world) and keep all of his many, many children alive and well the way he has. His hero is Tinkerbell. He's a member of the business Vampiric Charms.

Ivy Tamwood: A vampire, who uses her sensuality to get what she wants. Coming from a rich and high noble vampire clan has its perks. She has more money in her trust-fund than you and I would ever see in a lifetime. Ivy takes on runs; work that they IS or Inderland Security (kinda the police force for the supernatural) cannot take on themselves. She is the most OCD woman you will ever meet. Co-owner of Vampiric Charms.

Rachel Morgan: A "witch" with the annoying need to do the right thing all the time. Rachel seems to attract trouble wherever she goes since she got rid of her death threat for quitting the IS. Loving all things leather and black boots, she takes on runs to pay the rent and buy the groceries. She has this little habit to keep nasty, little men in her back pocket. (Save for the sexy, blue-eyed 6'2 elf recently catching her eye) Co-owner of Vampiric Charms. You find out on in the series that Rachel is not just all witch...she's got a little bit more of something in her blood...

But don't let my horrible description of the series keep you away from it. Here you can see a video right off of Kim Harrison's page that explains series a lot better. Or just go to Kim Harrison's website yourself and take a look around.

The signing is taking place @ 7pm, February 5th at the new Joseph Beth store in Crestview Hills, KY. (Though I don't know why the address is that way, on the map it's clearly in Ohio...)
Maybe I'll see some of you there?

Also, check out my new Flickr Account! You can catch all of my photos and photography on there. I never even knew this site excited until Austin texted me yesterday (couldn't call because he was on duty) and enlightened me. Thoroughly enlightened, I'm using this site to it's full advantage.
 
So check me out and add me to your contacts! ;)
Username: slhallphotography
or email me: slhallphotography@gmail.com

Thanks for reading!

-Sarah