7QTs on Camp Reunions, Running into People on the El, and Cats on Ottomans

--one--

I've lived in Chicago for 6 1/2 weeks now. Can you believe it!? I hardly can. This has been such a great move for me. It has been so great to be in the city for so many reasons. The weather is getting nice here (it's going to be 60 today!!) and in a very short amount of time it will be nice enough to play on the lake! 

--two--

Tuesday was an AWESOME day for mail. I finally gave in and ordered an Erin Condren Planner and it showed arrived in bright and shining colors along with Shauna Niequist's new devotional!! I am loving the blank spaces in the planner to organize what I need to get done each day and just how colorful and fun it is! I can hardly wait to crack open Shauna's book. I'm waiting to start until I turn 25 next week. 

--three--

When Maggie and I met up when I first moved to Chicago, she said "my favorite thing about camp is that you constantly have friends around no matter where life takes you." Adding truth to her comment, I ran into these two wonderful girls on my way to work on Wednesday. I was lucky enough to have Pria as a camper for three weeks in 2010. I got to know her sister Shreya those three weeks two. It was the perfect start to my Wednesday.

--four--

Wednesday was a day full of CT love. Maggie and the Evoy's organized a CT Chicago alumni reunion. What's great about camp people is that even though I didn't know a lot of the girls that were at the reunion, by the end of the night we were all old friends. We played a game where you won fake points for each phrase from a camp cheer you could work in to normal conversation. Costigan won by a landslide - my favorite was when she exclaimed "Oh a day lay!!!!"

I'm so excited to stay close and connected with these friends I already knew, and even more excited to continue to get to know these new camp friends. We're going to make these reunions a monthly thing. It's going to be so great.

Pathfinders & Braves are best friends. 

--five--

My new boss, Danielle, had a birthday last week and mine is this coming Tuesday. We got out of a staff meeting yesterday, and I made a comment that I was hungry and wanted a snack. Lupe said she thought our Event Service Workers might have had a snack downstairs, so she was going to go check. She came up with a cake! Moral of the story: if you say you want a snack, someone just might show up with a cake. 

--six--

I have this little blue ottoman in my apartment that Kateri has claimed for herself. Doesn't it look like her Cat Throne?

--seven--

I'm really excited about where this project is going and the enthusiasm I've received from readers. Thank you so much to everyone who has responded to the survey with suggestions and to everyone who has shared the initiative. The survey and raffle entry are open through the end of the weekend, so you still have time to make suggestions and share the launch of the project. Check it out here. 

For more Quick Takes, visit This Ain't the Lyceum.

7QT on my week in KC [18]

--- 1 ---

The main part of my week was a fundraising spree. Four Masses over the weekend, lots of phone calls and appointments, newsletter sending, and relationship building with old and new mission partners. Sharing the mission of FOCUS with new people always energies me, and this weekend was no different. I went from an anxious/nervous wreck to singing on my way home from Mass.

--- 2 ---

Kurt was one of my closest friends after I moved to KC in high school. We were together all the time and always had so much fun. I don't think I've seen or spoken to him since our freshman year of college, so it was a treat to get to meet up with him for breakfast on Tuesday.

Kurt is in his second year of med school, so his life is all about studying right now. Ever since I've known him, he has wanted to be a doctor, so it is cool to see him well on his way to achieving that dream.

--- 3 ---

I love that some friends from other places have moved to KC, because that means I get to see them whenever I come home. Megan is my big in DG, and she is a super great friend. I love that we are still good friends and that I get to see her fairly often.

--- 4 ---

So...this happened...

look at that color and that shark! ah!

I AM SO STINKING EXCITED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY. I've been watching youtube videos and practicing and learning and it is so so so fun! I am definitely in D1 (zero skills, and pretty excited), and I'm basically as good as this guy. I mean, I can already play You are My Sunshine. Watch out, hollywood, I'm coming for you.

--- 5 ---

There was a very sad moment to my week. My new roomies are allergic to cats, so I had to say goodbye to Kateri for a short while. Megan graciously agreed to watch for until both of the girls with allergies move out this summer.

so glamorous.

Maybe I'll get a plant instead.

--- 6 ---

On Monday I drove up to see Tommy (the older of my two brothers) at KU and took him to lunch. Oh my gosh, he is just living the dream in college. He lives in the honors dorm and was telling me all about the community his floor has built. They hang out together all the time and have these fun games that remind me of camp that they play. It was so weird to see him in college (I can't believe I'm this old), but really neat to see KU from his eyes.

--- 7 ---

In exactly ONE WEEK I will be on my way to MEXICO! My mom called me a little while back and offered to take me along with her and my sister and I am just so excited. It will be nice to relax and spend some quality time with them. This trip ends my whirlwind of a life and I (hopefully) won't be traveling for awhile after this trip. But, this was the perfect way to end all traveling.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

7QT on moving and traveling [17]

--- 1 ---

I've been moving this week, so I've been MIA. I found an awesome Living Social deal that allowed me to pay $50 for an hour with 2 movers and a truck!!!!!! Seriously, it was the best decision I ever made. They carried all my heavy things and then brought them to my new apartment. Praise God for movers, because I hate carrying boxes to/from the car.

--- 2 ---

Speaking of things I hate: packing/cleaning is another big one. It is seriously the worst. But...it's been my life the past 2.5 weeks and it will continue to be so the week following this because I'm not unpacked yet. Ugh.

--- 3 ---

Things I like: being home!! This post comes to you from Kansas City, where my family resides. I made the 9-hour journey today (it actually went pretty fast) & I will be home for the next week-ish. I'm here to work - I've been blessed with the opportunity to speak at my parish about FOCUS, so I'll be spending the week doing some fundraising. #pleaseballa

--- 4 ---

Today, I officially crossed into the realm of being a cat lady. One of my new roomies is allergic to cats (sad day), so my kitty needed a temporary home until the roomie gets married this summer. Megan, my big in DG, is going to keep her for a few months, so I didn't have to give her up. I was not looking forward to 9-hours in the car with a cat, but she did pretty well.

someone is not pleased.

How does this make me a cat lady, you ask? Please view the pictures below from when I stopped for lunch and gave the cat a chance to stretch:

I was totally being judged by some high school girls in Hayes, Kansas. #catonalease

--- 5 ---

This morning when I checked twitter, I had this awesome notification:

Yes, that is my mother below.

I was pretty excited/flattered to be noted as an "upcoming event planner." I love this career, so it's fun to be recognized by others in the industry! Way to go, twitter, for helping me grow professionally.

--- 6 ---

Speaking of event planning, I discovered this hilarious joke on the Pinterest that I am so obsessed with, I made it my twitter bio. 

HAHAHAHAHA.

--- 7 ---

Christina sent our team this video, and I am obsessed! Talk about talent. I'm currently watching it non-stop.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

7 Quick Takes on the Apocalypse Week [8]

--- 1 ---

I worked until midnight on Tuesday. And it was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Sure, I was glued to my computer literally all day and my phone did not stop ringing from 9-5, but hey, we got people registered! That was pretty great. To the missionaries I worked with, thank you, thank you, thank you for your patience and encouragement! Your hard work recruiting students on the ground level will allow all of these students to be trained by the best in evangelization and will have an eternal impact.

--- 2 ---

I've already failed at my December goals. My computer, my work phone, and our registration site are vortexes that suck me in for hours. Suddenly I'll look at the clock and we're way past prayer time and mass. I completely forgot to eat lunch on Tuesday (whoops). Starting today, I am setting an extra notification/alarm on my phone for prayer. We can always restart our goals, right?

--- 3 ---

To all the haters who hated on Carrie Underwood last night, a few quick things: No one tried to remake the movie. They were intentionally doing a stage production of the Broadway Version. That means the movie was the one to change things because the Broadway version came first. I understand that experiencing things that are different from what you're used to is hard. But if you didn't watch the broadcast with an open mind, you had no chance of liking it. Julie Andrews gave Carrie her blessing, and Laura & Audra (Elsa & Mother Superior - two incredible Broadway stars) have been behind Carrie 100%. So before you start complaining about how NBC changed the Sound of Music, please understand what they were actually trying to do. End rant.

--- 4 ---

As I was aggressively typing that last quick take, my cat fell off of my bed and hit her head on my night stand and wall as she was going down. I cannot stop laughing. Poor kitty.

--- 5 ---

My cat falling off my bed reminded me of my senior year in high school when I got a concussion. We were having dance evaluations during Thoroughly Modern Millie rehearsal. In the opening number there was a move where we would step and kick forward and then step and touch our foot to the ground back. My friend Lisa was giving her audition 100% and kicked back. Straight into my forehead. I don't really remember what happened, but apparently I finished the dance and then fell over. The show must go on, right?

--- 6 ---

I can't believe a week ago I was in Kansas and I will be back there in two short weeks. It was great to spend time with my family for Thanksgiving, and I'm looking forward for a full week at Christmas!

--- 7 ---

That's all I've got for today. It's time to sign off and go attack SLS planning for the day. Until next time...

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!