BE AWARE!

This is going to be a rather serious post.

I am writing this because I need and want all of my friends to be more aware.

On Monday (a holiday) I went to the movies at 1pm with a friend. The theatre was not crowded at all, in fact, most of the patrons were lined up to see Justin Beiber, or Gnomeo and Juliet. My friend Janice and I went to see No Strings Attached. I got up toward the end of the movie to use the restroom and a man followed me into the bathroom and took my picture with his iPhone while I was in the stall. I ran as fast as I could to Janice, we called the police, and they caught him across the highway on foot. They weren't able to prosecute him because he didn't have evidence of the picture, but they did confiscate his phone. They are looking through his phone and hopefully justice will be served and he will go to jail, and/or have some nasty tag attached to his name forever. What a sicko. Please, friends, be extra careful and aware of your surroundings. Go to the bathroom in twos (annoying I am sure for those who don't need to go), don't go in if it's empty, use the restrooms near the front, where most of the patrons are. Those are things I would do different at the movie theatre, but we all should be aware EVERYWHERE we all go. In fact, the officer said he gets reports of this kind of behavior at the mall. Ugh. The mall?! No wonder my mom never let me go to the mall alone, thanks Mom. Seriously though, be careful, there could be a creep waiting to do more than take a picture of your you-know-what.

She's afraid to swim. Weird, right?

The Friday Five

I could spend a lot of time answering questions, like these oh so interesting ones.

1. What are some hobbies you would like to try, but haven't done so? Biking. I'd like to own a bicycle and ride it.
2. Why did you not pursue these hobbies? I don't want to wear a helmet, but I don't want to get into an accident and smush my head, so I don't have a bike.

3. Do you often feel limited by your financial state with how you spend your free time? Um, yes. Doesn't everyone? If I wasn't limited by my financial state my hobbies would be traveling the Mediterranean, not bicycling around my neighborhood.
4. Do your hobbies play a major part of your life, or help define who you are? Yes, I run as a hobby, and it plays a big role in my life. It's a healthy habit and it's fun.
5. Do you have any hobbies you have made income from? Oh yes, someone pays me to read books and run around my neighborhood in a bad outfit. I wish.

Those were lame, right?

1. What is the one place you never want to live? I never want to live in El Paso, or Cleveland, OH. But really, I'd probably be okay living anywhere.
2. Do you consider yourself to be a "picky eater"? No. I eat anything pretty much.
3. What do you think people say about you behind your back? Hopefully something nice.
4. If you could own and operate any major business what would be? I would own and operate an animal shelter, of course I would. OR, I would own and operate a hair salon that has a quiet coffee shop in the back where you can drink coffee, read a book, or listen to music while you're waiting, or waiting for your hair dye to cover your gray hair. Because it's kinda annoying to wait and listen to people talk on their cell phones, or listen to top 40 radio. Is that a major business? AND, I'd operate a place that makes clothes for people who don't fit the "normal" body type (like me). None of my shirts are long enough for my long arms, my pants are never long enough, and although hats are adjustable, they don't end up covering my entire head. These ARE major businesses.
5. Do you feel as if you are a black-and-white only person, or a person who sees many gray areas? That is to say, do you have strong opinions on everything, or do you recognize the need to compromise? I recognize the need to compromise. I usually follow the rules as closely as I can, until I see fit to break them. So, I acknowledge the black and white, and often spend time in the gray.

The sun is shinin'

I think those are the lyrics to a country music tune, I am sure I've heard it at work. But, really, the sun is out and I got to run outside today. Finally.

Hi, I am April Iamsogoodatprocrastonating Lynn Kalousek Covington. Seriously, this semester is close to the pits. All of my classes are really cool, and I think I'd really enjoy them if I took them when I wasn't taking so many hours. I go to six classes a day and during each class I am thinking "oh wow, I can't wait to go home and read all about this," then I sprint over to my next class and forget all about it. Hopefully this crammed schedule will pay off with a job sooner than later.

sNOw, there's NO snow-day!

Snow does not have the same meaning as when I lived in Austin, or growing up in Houston. I think it snowed in 1988 one winter in Houston; we feverishly made teeny tiny snowmen and took many pictures that featured in our family photo album. Then, in 2005 it "iced" for a couple of days in Austin, and everything closed; I fell on the ice, and was afraid to drive out of the driveway. Those were the last memories of snow until my great adventure to the Texas Panhandle.

Unbearably cold temperatures entered West Texas this week without knocking. Today, this very morning, it was a mere 1 degree. It seems laughable, but it really was only one degree. I have adapted tremendously to this kind of lifestyle; you know, leaving the house when it's cold/snowy/icy. I got up this morning and in the sub teen degree temperature I went to the gym, ran four miles on the dreadmill, then drove very slowly home. It continued to snow all day, classes at Texas Tech were still being held, and business was as usual in Lubbock. I will admit I am pretty jealous of all of my non-Lubbock, Texas friends who have had three consecutive "snow days." I want to stay home in my jammies and watch movies all day-- even if the electricity goes out every fifteen minutes, dammit!