Thursday, May 30, 2013

Hello 21st Century

Get excited, this girl FINALLY has a real smart phone.  I used to claim my phone wasn't exactly dumb seeing as how I could text rapidly and access the internet (mostly) at will, but it definitely didn't have the speed and modern features of this baby.  Don't get me wrong, I really did love my trusty Nokia E63(?); it treated me well for nearly five years (yes, really - what touch screen lasts 5 years?! - none!) and it was hard to part with 'tiny red,' but it was time...time for me to join my generation by getting on board with a touch screen smart phone. 



This fancy gizmo shown below is my brand spakin' new Samsung Galaxy SIII Mini.  From what I gather, the Mini is not quite as popular as its standard-size (large!) counterparts, but I think I prefer the smaller version anyway.  Unfortunately, the lack of popularity means fewer options for durable cases, but I'm hoping this pretty white case will do take fine care of my new gadget.  I'm super worried something is going to happen to its pristine condition before the case arrives.  Note:  Dear Amazon, please, preeeetty please, hurry along with your processing and shipping!


Anyway, I've officially joined the world of touch screen phones, which can only mean one thing - apps!!!  I'm super super excited to now have the ability to use apps!  Immediately, I downloaded the basics - Facebook and Twitter, then of course, Instagram was next!  Games were high on my list, with quick additions to include Ruzzle and Song Pop.  Since then, I've done a little more searching and ended up adding Pic Stitch, Snapchat (for Justin! @jmhdeuce), Flashlight, Skype, 4 Pics 1 Word, a QR code reader, and wait for it...Blogger!!  I hear Blogger is a great tool to help with posting photos in blogs, so just as soon as I can figure out how to best use the program, you can bet I'll be doing it!

What apps do you use?  I'm open to games, useful tools, anything.  Please share!!  I'm especially on the hunt for a good NFP charting app, but so far most of them seem pretty sketchy and the official one (Cycle ProGo) is subscription-based so I'm a little leery of trying it without exploring others first. 

Send me your suggestions, folks!
-Lauren



 

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Beezballs Are Out!

Beezballs is my silly word for baseball. I also have silly words for basketball and football, however, I digress. Baseball season is over!!! Can I get an allelujah??!? Wahoo!!!

I'd like to say the team went out with a bang, but the only bang was the metaphorical bang from self-inflicted gunshots aimed at our heads due to the miserable scores and hotter-than-hades temperatures in the press box this past weekend. Let me explain. Thurssday, the guys went down with a respectable 4-5 loss against the Cajuns. Friday and Saturday brought out the worst of the worst with resounding 4-12 and 1-12 losses, respectively. To make matters worse, the compressor in the air/conditioner for the press box went out on Friday afternoon, so even the coolest light-weight clothing didn't help the 88 degree indoor temperature (plus humidity, of course). This was even with the windows open. I'm fairly certain it felt better outside given the slight chance for an occasional breeze there.

Regardless, sports are out for the summer, and FINALLY the Edwards home can return to a normal schedule. I'm thrilled to have my husband around for more than two days a week now. We have a lot of DVR to catch up on, and even more recipes to try, places to visit, and honey-do lists to tackle.

I should admit that baseball is actually my favorite sport for Alex to cover, so generally I am pretty accepting or tolerant of the schedule. It's just sooo long, and travel takes up a great deal of time. Football on the other hand...don't get me started on that! You won't find this girl within a mile of the stadium come August. That's all I have to say about that!

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I'm trying to work on writing more frequent, less lenghty posts. Ya'll keep me accountable (especially on the frequency issue), okay folks??

Sayonara,
Lauren

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Return From the Abyss

Nearly 7 months later...I'm back.

Now that I'm settling into this new life - new home, new job, new husband - I figure it's time for me to revive the 'ole blog. When I posted my last entry, I definitely didn't expect for it to be so long before I'd write again. Planning a wedding, moving across state lines, becoming a wife, and taking on all things new takes quite a lot out of a person. However, I'm religiously reading blogs again (every day at work, I "allow" myself reading time) and so I've been itching to get back at it again.

It's been so long, and we're all so proficient at social networking that I really don't think it's necessary for me to spend a great deal of time bringing everyone up to speed. It would be nice to document everything over the last few months, but at this point the memories have faded and it would take so much time that I've convinced myself to spare you all the boredom. Instead, I'll make a list and try my best to not ramble...

In the last 7 months:
-We survived the wedding planning, everything fell into place, and Alex and I thoroughly enjoyed celebrating with many of our closest family and friends.
-Our honeymoon cruise to Honduras, Belize, and Mexico was all that we imagined, with a little extra "in sickness and in health" thrown in the mix. Looking back, I'm thankful we cruised BEFORE the 'ish' with Carnival began...
-I changed my name, got a new driver's license and social security number, and unpacked at the home Alex and I now share.
-I began work as the 4-H agent for a small program in northeast Louisiana. As with all new jobs, there are times where the work is hard and the payoff little, but with time I'm sure it will be a very rewarding experience.
-My grandfather passed away in early March, the day before my grandmother's birthday. One of the fondest memories of him I'll always carry is from the day I modeled my wedding dress for him before the wedding. He shed tears of joy despite my Nanna's insistance that he stop crying, but that's okay because it's the last time I got to see him as himself before he became hospitalized and eventually deteriorated completely.
-I turned 26 - no turning back now, I'll never again be eligible to receive health insurance through my parents' coverage. Guess I have to be a real grown up now.
-Alex and I adopted two kittens from the local humane society. Days after we brought them home, they required twice a day medication (antibiotics & a supplement) to fight respiratory infections. Now about a month later, we've begun introducing them to the dog and the outdoors. It's our hope that in not too long (sooner rather than later), they'll be sufficient indoor/outdoor cats. In the mean time, the little furballs of energy are growing like weeds and keeping us busy.

And now, summer is upon us. Work is picking up for me, yet settling down for Alex. I can't wait for him to come home tonight (even if it will be 1 a.m. or later) because FINALLY the travel part of baseball season is d.o.n.e. Soon, we'll get to go home to visit my family, then Alex's mom will be here in a few weeks, and we'll get to make the trip out to North Carolina later in July. In between all of that, I'll have a week at 4-H Camp, and a week at LSU too. Before I know it, it'll be August and football season (*cough*more traveling*cough*) will be around the corner again.

In any case, I'll try to be more regular in posting again. Without a real smart phone, it's hard to post pictures or share the latest news and gossip. I miss all of you out there, so give me a call sometime. And you know, snail mail never hurt either. ;-)

Until next time,
Lauren

P.S. The kittens desparately want to meet all of you as evidenced by their inability to patiently let me type this while sitting in "their" room supervising...seeing as how they can't be left alone without destroying everything in sight.