Whirlwind

Ok, so I realize that I haven’t written in awhile, and this has been a combination of a few things.  Before I get into that, I will tell you a little bit about my last week with the AJGA in Norman, Oklahoma.

Now, as you can imagine, I wasn’t too pumped about heading for a week of heat, humidity, and Sooners, but, I was pleasantly surprised upon arriving in Oklahoma City.  It wasn’t as ugly as I had first suspected!  Actually, the OU campus isn’t so bad either.

Sunrise off the No. 1 tee - Not too shabby

I landed around 2 in the afternoon on Friday, and was picked up by one of the interns.  We didn’t have to head to the course that evening, so we just washed up and headed to dinner at none other than Red Robin.  If you know me at all, you know that I love Red Robin, especially their burgers.  YUM.  After the burger feast, a few of us decided to head over to the casino.  Now, one thing I realized quickly is that there isn’t much to do in Norman, and so, the casino sounded pretty inviting.



I am kind of proud, and a little embarrassed to say, that I had never gambled before.  No poker, blackjack…nothing, so I felt a little lost walking into the bright lights.  Sure, I had gone to Vegas for my 21st birthday, but that was focused more on alcohol than it was on gambling.  And so, I knew my first time would be a definite learning experience.

Thank goodness the minimum bet was $5.  I don’t think I could have afforded anything else!

I walked around a little and kind of got a feel for the game.  One of my co-workers gave me some tips and explained a little bit of the strategy.  Once I felt comfortable, I dove in headfirst.  I only bought $25 worth of chips, and started betting.  The first hand I bet $5, and won!  I thought I was off to a good start.  Not really – I lost every hand thereafter and ended up loosing my loot in less than five minutes.  Bummer.  So I left the table for a little, and ended up coming back to another table with the remaining $15 I had left in my wallet.  (I think that going to the casino with a set amount of money you are willing to lose is probably the best way to do it.)

Getting my Tebow on - praying for good luck

Anyway, I had much better luck this time around.  Thanks in part to a new friend we made, Jodi.

I lost my first hand, won my second, and won my third.  By this time, we had already started chatting it up with another one of the players, and she started throwing chips at us to bet.  I think we appeared to be a bunch of poor college kids, (exactly what we are) and she took pity and wanted to help us win some money.  Now, keep in mind that she was betting $100 to $200 every hand, so a measly $25 chip wasn’t much to her.  As soon as I got my hands on one of those chips, I bet on it and won.  Crazy how quickly you can win, and lose.  I had had my fair share of both.  Turns out I was going to have a bigger share of winning.

I ended up winning several more hands, and I got a bit bolder with my bets.  $10 and $15, winning the majority of the time.  I think I got up about $150 or so, lost a bit, and then decided to call it quits.  With Jodi’s extra $25, I ended up making about $115, so about $90 of my own.  Not too shabby.  Thanks Jodi!

This stadium is small in comparison to UT, or at least
it is in my opinion : )

The week was off to a great start.  On top of the casino trip, we also got Saturday off!  Turns out one of my friends from high school, Devon, is working as an engineer in Oklahoma City, and so I was able to meet up with her and her fiancé for lunch on Saturday.  I can’t believe the number of people I have been able to see throughout the duration of this internship.  Incredible.

After such a great start to the week, I was eager to get to the course and get to working.  As much as I hate to admit it, OU has a wonderful golf course and campus.  (OU and Texas are HUGE rivals for those of you who don’t know…so, out of respect to my new university, I had to be totally against anything OU).

Vodka soaked gummy bears - great to take the
edge off two days of packing

This rivalry is incredible.  Coincidentally we were staying at the Sooner Legends hotel.  This hotel is packed with OU memorabilia – football jerseys, basketball nets, pictures, and even paintings.  And you know what?  All of them were against Texas.  Of course, me being new to the university and rivalry, I jumped right in.  I wore my Texas running shorts every opportunity I got.

The tournament went off without a glitch, until the final round.  Of course, my last day working for the AJGA, there is a four-hour delay.  Rain, rain, and more rain.  I guess they just didn’t want me to leave!

As I look back on my spring and summer, I have realized that this was an incredible opportunity and experience.  I am so thankful that I was chosen to represent and work for the organization.  In addition, working for the AJGA has also sparked my interest in golf.  Yep, that’s right Dad, I think I might take the old irons out for a swing sometime soon.

Now, after ending my final week with the AJGA, I had about 72 hours to pack and then leave for Austin.  I was a little nervous.

The siblings and soon-to-be in-laws : ) love every one of
them!

I left Oklahoma at 6:00 am on Friday morning, arrived in Spokane around 9:30, and was greeted by family.  Ben and Tori were there to pick me up, and they took me to the most delicious breakfast at Chaps.  Blueberry muffin French toast, orange juice, biscuits and gravy…yum!  As soon as we finished with breakfast, we headed home and I started packing.  I packed and packed all day, and got a good deal of it finished.  Thank goodness too, as I needed a day of relaxation out at the lake.

After packing and a day at the lake, it was back to more packing.  My mom and dad picked up the Budget rental truck, and we started loading it all in.  It only took about four hours!  Good thing too, as we were planning to have dinner with the entire family that evening.  
My last night in Spokane went by quickly, but it was perfect.  Ben and Tori, Jeff and Jess, Mom and Dad, everyone was able to come out for a nice dinner together.  I am so thankful I was able to see all of them before heading out for school.


And so it began: 2,010 miles before us, my mom and I headed out on I-90.  11 hours later, we made it to Sheridan, Wyoming, and I’ll tell you what, I never realized the state of Montana was so big.  Holy cow, it took forever to get out of there.

The second day was a short eight hours to Colorado Springs where we were going to stay the night with my granny.  It was such a nice visit.  We arrived around 3:30 and sat and talked, had a wonderful dinner, and had a great night’s sleep.  My grandma was also able to come over for dinner.  How lucky am I to see so much of my family!

3 generations - so great to see Granny and Grandma!

The next day, we drove the entire way to Austin.  15 straight hours.  I hope I never have to do that again.  I’m just thankful that we didn’t break down anywhere in West Texas.  That is the most desolate area I think I’ve ever seen, and I have seen some bleak landscapes.

Not the exact route we took but you
can get an idea of how far it is!

Austin is everything I hoped for and more.  There is so much to do here, especially for minimal cost.  There is so much good food and music!  I can’t wait to explore a little bit and get a better feel for what this city has to offer.

So, we made it to Austin in technically three days, but we didn’t move into my apartment until the fourth day, Thursday.  We got everything moved in and set up the bed, but the real work started on Friday.

Trips to IKEA and Bed Bath and Beyond, setting up, and organizing really took a good 2 ½ to 3 days.  I know I budgeted for buying new furniture and things for the apartment, but I have never spent that much money in that amount of time.  And then having to assemble the darn things on top of it!! My hands were blistering from all of the screws and nails I had to put it.  But it sure looks good!

I also can’t get over how gigantic this campus is.  I feel like I’m in a mini-city.  There are restaurants and laundromats, bookstores and bus stops.  Coming from small NAU it’s a bit of a shock.  My mom and I explored the campus a little bit, thank goodness.  I feel a bit more comfortable as I start my first week at school.

I get to look at this every day before I head into work!

Another cool thing I was able to do was see where I will be working for the next few months.  I will be working at the Stark Center, which is a sports museum that is actually located within the football stadium.  My office is right above where the football team will ‘stampede’ into the stadium before every game.  It’s pretty darn cool.  There have been several famous athletes that have been to the museum, mostly concerned with strongman competition type athletics.  Pretty cool!

Now, I am just trying to get settled in a new city, in a new home, and in a new life.  It is incredible how drastically your life can change in just a few months.  It is also a great feeling seeing your hard work pay off.  I started planning for graduate school more than a year ago with the GRE.  I took the test in September and then stared looking for schools.  UT was at the top of my list with the size of their athletics, the size of the school, and the success of their program.  I am very excited for the coming months, and I sure hope I can get a grip on this whole graduate school thing.

Keep on checking back!  I am planning on continuing my blog.  I can’t guarantee how often…guess it depends on my workload!  Miss you all in Spokane.  I will be back at Christmas : )

Devon is a friend from high school.  It's crazy where I run into
friends!

Family Matters

I never would have guessed that out of all the wonderful places I've been this year that Longmont, Colorado, would by far and away be my absolute favorite.

Sunset in Colorado

It's amazing the things that friends and family can do to a place.  Somewhere as simple as the small town of Longmont can be transformed into a wonderfully brilliant destination, all because of those you are able to spend time with.

Ok, before I start sounding too sentimental and sappy, I'll just get right to the good stuff.

I have known for some time that I would be coming to Longmont this week, and so my grandma planned to come and visit.  First thing to look forward to.  Next, my cousins caught wind that I'd be close to where they are, and so they jumped on board to come visit, along with my aunt and uncle.  Second thing to look forward to.  THEN, last week I was talking with my best friend KK, and she was home from work for about two weeks.  She lives in Kiowa, Colorado, about three hours from Longmont.  She said she would come see me too!  Third thing to look forward to.  Needless to say, I was counting down the days until I could see all of these people, and it came faster than I could hope for.

I was a little nervous on Friday.  I didn't have a problem flying from Fort Wayne to Detroit, but when I got to Detroit, the plane I was supposed to board just happened to be missing its front tire.  In all of my brilliance, I concluded that this probably wasn't a good sign.  Because of the fiasco trying to get to Indiana the week before, my initial thought was doom.  I wasn't going to get to Colorado tonight, or tomorrow, or ever.  Once my dramatic side calmed down, things turned around.  There just happened to be another plane, extra plane I guess, that we would be able to take to Denver.  I only arrived about an hour later than expected.

Longmont is only about 45 minutes from the Denver airport.  By the time I landed, my grandma had already been in town for about two hours.  As soon as I was dropped off at my private housing, Grandma and I headed out for the night.

Best friends are what you need most! <3

We drove to Boulder, which was about ten minutes from where I was staying.  I had never been there, and so it was nice to be able to share that with my grandma.  We ended up going to The Cheesecake Factory, grabbed some gelato from a street vendor, and watched a couple of interesting street performers as the sun set.

The next day was filled with highs.  I spent the morning with Grandma, just running errands and catching up together, and then we met my best friend KK and her mom for lunch.  They stopped by the hotel where my grandma was staying first, and I almost broke down the door when they knocked...I couldn't get to KK fast enough!! We haven't seen each other since October - too long for best friends - and a hug was long overdue.  We caught up for about an hour and then headed to lunch at this quaint little Italian restaurant called Pinocchios.  Great food, and even better company.  It was really hard to say goodbye to KK, but I know I will see her soon.  She is working as a graduate assistant for the strength and conditioning program at Mizzou, and I'll be in Austin for graduate school in the fall, so it'll be a little closer.  At least closer than Spokane to Mizzou.

After lunch, Grandma and I just kind of rested.  Talking and eating can take a lot out of you!!  I was restless though; I couldn't wait to see Aunt Mary, Uncle Mark, Paul and Caroline.

We had planned to meet at this little Mexican restaurant, Deli Cioso (I guess we were trying to get in all our foreign foods of the world this day).  We pull up, and Aunt Mary is waiting outside to greet us.  One thing I love about my friends and family, they give the BEST hugs.

Caroline, Uncle Mark, Paul, Me and Aunt Mary

As soon as we sat down, I ordered a giant margarita.  DELICIOSO!!! Paul, Caroline, and Paul's girlfriend Mary and I all talked and talked and talked.  It was wonderful to see them, and to hear about all the great things happening in their lives.  Paul is heading back to school to teach for his second year (4th graders!), and Caroline has several options for internships in production this next school year.  It's crazy to think that I probably won't see them all until next summer at my brother's weddings.

Saturday was a full day, and I was so thankful that I have so many wonderful people in my life.  I was able to see my grandma one more time Sunday morning, and then it was off to work.  I did get one more surprise though.  One of my old teammates, Aly, lives in Fort Collins, only about 30 minutes from Longmont, and she drove up on Monday to have dinner with me.  I haven't seen her since October, and it was great to catch up.


The tournament at Longmont went pretty smoothly and was quite uneventful.  I filled in as a communications intern, as well as our other CA Alexis, and we called ourselves the Dream Team.  I think we had the shortest post-round recorded to date, 55 minutes, worthy of a gold medal.  I enjoyed the team I worked with, as well as the Tournament Director Adam and assistant Curt.

This trip has made me realize how lucky I am.  During this internship, I have been able to see four of my old basketball teammates, five of my family members, two of my best friends, and put me within driving distance of a wedding.  I have seen parts of the country I never would have seen otherwise, and I have met some really great people.

Now I'm gearing up for my last and final week with the AJGA in Norman, Oklahoma.  Holy cow is it going to be hot.  One more week!  I'll be in Spokane on the 17th and then it's off to AUSTIN!!!

Grandma and I outside of Pinocchios

Would we be good on The Price is Right?

Finally was able to meet Mary, Paul's girlfriend!

Aly and I - so good to see her!

Lovely ladies!

Sunrise from the clubhouse - these NEVER get old

Team 3!

Warsaw, Indiana...wait a second, isn't Warsaw in Poland?

Only two more tournaments left.  Where has the last six months gone??

Last week was a lot of fun, despite seemingly being in the middle of nowhere.  Cue Warsaw, Indiana.

Warsaw isn't so bad - sunrise off the 18th tee

The most difficult part was getting to Warsaw.  After my tournament in Colts Neck the week prior, I started my travel to Warsaw on Wednesday, and I was supposed to arrive in Warsaw that same day.  Well, Chicago had different plans.  My flight ended up being cancelled from Chicago to Fort Wayne, so I spent the night in Chi-Town.  This ended up being a blessing in disguise.  I was able to relax, workout Wednesday night and Thursday morning, do my laundry, catch my 11:30 am flight, and get to Warsaw no problem.  That extra night off really did wonders.

Now, upon arriving, I was surprisingly impressed.  Although it was a small, SMALL airport, they really try to make you feel a part of something as soon as you arrive.  There was a nice man handing out sugar cookies (I knew we would become quick friends), and I just as quickly discovered that Fort Wayne (the place I flew into) was the birthplace of the Vera Bradley line.  For those of you who know me, you know I'm a sucker for patterned wallets, handbags, and luggage.  I was pleasantly surprised by Fort Wayne.

After I was picked up at the airport by one of my coworkers, we drove the hour or so to Fort Wayne.  Our tournament director told us we had the rest of the day off, so we decided to stop at Steak n'Shake for some milkshakes.  This was the start to a junk food filled week.  (The shakes at Steak n'Shake are the most wonderful treats in the Midwest...save for the giant ice cream sandwich we were given, but we'll get to that later).

I ended up having my own hotel room in Warsaw, which was amazing, AND I was able to workout every single day but one.  I was feeling much better with all this ME time!

Friday was a pretty easy day, and then I was rewarded Friday night with a day off Saturday.  Could this get any better?? My own room and pretty much four straight days of simplicity.

Saturday I slept in, worked out, got some work done, and was able to see The Dark Knight Rises.  Despite all the awful things that have been associated with that movie, it was great.  I loved it and would recommend seeing it.

I have my game face on, but I couldn't
even finish that sucker.

The week went pretty smoothly.  It is getting to be that time when everyone is leaving for school or other jobs, and so I have started filling in as a communications intern, so I have been able to do some of the same jobs I was doing in the spring.  This week, I was on photography.  Let me tell you what, I took photos on Tuesday for eight whole hours...straight.  We have to do player photography every week on the day of the first round, and this week was a 144 player field ---- so I took photos of every single player, and it took eight hours.  Long day!!  But I tell you what, I am sure getting impressively skilled at taking photos of junior golfers taking their tee shots.  I can't tell you when that will come in handy again, but I know I'm great at it.

Now, I will tell you about those giant ice cream sandwiches from earlier.  From the moment we arrived at the course on Friday, I have been hearing stories about these treats.  I had heard we would be getting them on Tuesday, then it changed to Wednesday, and so on and so forth.  I felt like I would never be united with my supposed better half EVER.  Well, the time came, and it was totally worth the wait.  These sandwiches were pancaked with humongous chocolate chip cookies on either side with soft serve at least and inch and a half thick in the middle.  Yum.  I hope you all get to experience this heaven at some point.

Warsaw really has grown on me.  I don't know when I'll ever be back, but I know that you can definitely have a good time there.  Now, I have made it to Longmont, Colorado, where there are an abundance of Dumb and Dumber quotes that come to mind.... : )

The Tunnel at the Detroit airport on my way to Denver

Living in fast forward

I can’t believe it has already been about two weeks since my time in Spokane.  I have already finished two more tournaments, and I only have three left with my internship at the AJGA.  It is crazy to me that it is already almost August, it is crazy to me that I have already helped to run more than 13 tournaments, and it’s crazy to me that after three more, I don’t know when I will be a part of another golf tournament. 

Sunrise off the No. 7 hole

That being said, I am very excited about the future – moving to Austin, and beginning a new chapter of my life.  For now, I’m going to focus on the present.

Presently, I have decided that I am not a fan of the New Jersey road system.  Have you ever heard of no left turn lane?  NO LEFT TURNS…at all.  Well, this seems to be the norm in New Jersey.  Apparently they believe that if you make enough right turns, you will end up going left.  I understand that this is a true fact (if you keep turning right you will eventually end up going the same direction as you would if you made that initial left turn), but I would rather not accept this fact.  It takes way longer, and it just causes more frustration. 

The senator of New Jersey actually made an appearance at our qualifying round this last week, and I have decided that I will bring this left-turn issue up to him the next conversation we have.  Whenever that may be.

Despite the no left-turns and crazy thoroughfares, New Jersey was quite enjoyable.  We were able to work at a gorgeous course – Trump National Golf Course Colts Neck – with some incredible facilities.  The clubhouse and pro shop were almost disgustingly nice (the paper towels had the Trump National crest embellished on them, and the golf carts had white leather bucket seats), but they were infinitely comfortable and irresistible.  I would expect nothing less from Mr. Trump!  I hope one day I will be fortunate enough to enjoy these finer things again. 

Clubhouse from the front - Pro Shop is out of the photo
to the right

This tournament was quite unique, as it was set up similar to that of a collegiate golf tournament.  We had our qualifying round on Saturday at a different course, but then Monday and Tuesday we had our championship rounds.  It was set up with two shotgun rounds on Monday, and then a final round on Tuesday.  Yep, you read that correctly.  We played 36 holes of golf on Monday, and if you factor in the rain delay, we were working from 6 am to 10:30.  Crazy long day, but it went over smoothly for the most part.  Finishing post-round communications duties that night, my brain was working in overdrive, and I don’t remember the last time I was that focused or alert without caffeine.  It was weird and unnatural.  After 15 hours working, no one should be able to work that well.  Guess it’s all part of the job!

My experience at Colts Neck was pretty great though.  Upon arrival, there is a gatekeeper who will grant you access into the course.  We drive down a winding road, and the clubhouse appears out of nowhere.  It’s huge, with a large fountain in the middle of a roundabout heading into the parking lot.  There’s a pool to the left, hidden by well-maintained landscaping. 

Goldfish anyone?

Once we walked in, you can hear classical music playing.  There is a restaurant/bar to the left, and to the right was our headquarters.  We were in what is normally the Ladies Lounge, and as such, there were several couches and chairs for our use.  The chair we were able to use at our tables were so soft, with leather seats that felt like heaven on your bum.  We even had a few snacks available to us.  Apparently if you pour Goldfish into a classy glass jar, it turns into a wealthy snack.  Who would have thought?

The staff at Trump National definitely made us feel welcome.  They always brought us beverages, like pop, juices and water, and they would always stop by to check on us.

This week was stressful, long, and tiring, but it was very successful.  I am looking forward to the next few weeks.  Heading to Warsaw, Indiana this week (I have absolutely no idea where that is, so don’t ask), then to Colorado (I get to see some of my family there!!), and then I will end in Norman, Oklahoma at the University of Oklahoma home course.  These next weeks are going to fly by, so I’m going to make the best of my time before it’s over. 

Clubhouse from the back

One of the pristine holes

Fountain in the front of the clubhouse

Beautiful clock!

Sun peeking through after Monday's rain delay

Rolls Royce of golf carts...white leather bucket seats!

View from headquarters

Whirlwind

Spokane: just one more stop on the itinerary.  And probably my favorite so far!  

I mean, Aspen, Vegas, Vermont, you all were pretty cool, but I'm sorry, you can't compete with home...or the LAKE!

Parker and I on the boat! Finally made it to the lake :)

I arrived home from Columbus on Sunday night, slept a little, and then hopped on the motorcycle with my brother Ben and jetted out to lake Coeur d'Alene.  What a life!  There, we were greeted by Granny and we spent the day talking and catching up.  The weather wasn't great at first, so we just hung out inside chatting, then decided to boat to lunch at Shooters.  We all shared a Derailer, (probably the best giant mixed drink ever), and then headed back to the cabin.  Later the sky cleared up, the sun came out, and I was able to enjoy the water for the first time all year.  It was fabulous.

Ben and I went wakeboarding for a few short rides.  It was rewarding knowing that I can still land my 180, even after a year!

Pure happiness

I was so thankful that I was able to see both Ben and Granny.  I haven't seen Granny in quite a while, and this is the last time I will see Ben until Christmas.  One of the bummers of growing up and getting into the real world I guess...you don't get to see your family as often.

I also had the pleasure of seeing my oldest brother Jeff and his fiancé, Jess.  They just bought their first house, and it looks incredible!!  It really was a weird feeling walking into their home...I mean, MY brother has his own HOUSE...What the heck!?! Where has the time gone??  That being said, it's perfect.  They are still in the process of decorating and moving in, and so I can't wait to see what it will look like when it is all finished.  So proud of my big brother!

So good to see Granny and my mom!

The next few days were filled with errands, all of them actually really fun!  I was able to get my hair cut and highlighted (this was extremely necessary...had you seen my roots lately??), and I had the opportunity to go car shopping!!!  Yes, my beloved 4Runner Henry died a few months ago, and so I need a new ride.  I had been looking into the Honda CR-V and the Subaru Forrester, but I just can't stray from Toyota.  And so, I will be the new owner of a Toyota Rav4 very soon!!! I CAN'T WAIT!!! Now, I just need a new name for this new ride....any suggestions?

Look at this beauty!

I have got to say that car salesmen are extremely pushy.  I understand they work on commission, but come on, it's a little ridiculous.  Our car salesman wasn't getting anywhere with my mom and I as we were only coming to test drive and gather information for purchasing.  Our plan was to research the cars, figure out the one that worked the best, and then buy the car in Austin so we didn't have to lug it around for 2,000 miles on the back of a U-Haul trailer.  Well, the manager decides to come over and reason with us.  

Man, they are good.  They got us to test drive it for the night.  

We decided that it was the right car, but we couldn't buy it now, so I was given the lovely task of returning the car to the dealership the next day.  I walked in and asked where to drop the keys.  I explained that our salesman was great, but it just wasn't the right time to buy.  (I was telling this all to the secretary.  What exactly she was going to do with this information, I'm not quite sure, but I tend to ramble when I'm nervous or about to do something epic).  Another manager sees me and I can see him make a beeline for me with my peripherals.  

Nice ride!

He starts asking what was wrong with the car, how we can make it work, how we can make the price work, yatta yatta yatta.  I explained to him our situation and he kept trying to make a sale, so I just reached my hand out to shake his and said very politely, "Thank you very much for your help, but it's just not going to work today."  I was very proud of myself!  I don't think he expected that...

After that triumph, I met my mom for lunch at my favorite restaurant, Wave, where we grabbed some sushi.  Delicious!!  That night, we decided to stay in town, and I was able to spend the entire night with my mom and dad.  It was great.  I was able to give my dad his gifts from Father's Day and for his birthday, drink some huckleberry lemonade, talk, laugh, and our favorite, get some ice cream.  Dad and I rode into town on the bike and ate ice cream like little kids.  Delicious.

Thursday was another great day.  I slept in, took the pup for a run, and then headed out to the lake.  And guess who met me there?  

Nick had met up with a friend who was driving across the country, and they ended up driving from Columbus to Spokane in about four days.  They both came to the lake for the day, and we all were able to hang out.  My good friend Kelsey came and met us, and it was a perfect end to my week off.  

So much fun!

And so, my week at home was quite a whirlwind.  I didn't really do as much catching up on sleep as I planned to, and I actually left with a bit of a head cold, but let me tell you, it was definitely one for the books.  I had a blast with my family and friends, and I can't wait to go back.  Thanks Spokane for a great visit, once again.

He sure loves the boat...maybe scouting out
some potential grub? 

Huckleberry Lemonade - my mom's specialty : )

Kelsey and I heading out on Thursday night -
you can tell we are at the lake...see my Tevas?
Not quite clubbing shoes 

Aren't we beautiful?

A week of firsts

I have to say, it never gets old explaining to people what I do for my job. 

Here’s how a typical conversation goes down:  It will be some derivative of the question, What do you do?, such as “Wow, I look at Facebook and see you in a new place every week at a new golf course…what the heck do you do?”, or “So, what’s this AJGA thing?”.  Anyways, you get the gist of it.  But I’ve got to say, I love being able to say:

Elvis was on-site on Sunday!

“Yeah, I have this great stint working with the American Junior Golf Association.  I have the opportunity to fly around the country to a new golf course each week, watch the nation’s top juniors play, use my degree, get a bunch of free merchandise, and meet famous athletes and coaches.”

How many fresh college graduates get to say that?  I’m crossing quite a few states off my list, and I have decided that I want to try to spend the night in every single state before I die. 

This week was a week of firsts for me for sure.  It was my first time in upstate New York, (which is gorgeous by the way), my first time spending the 4^th of July on a golf course, my first time renting a car, and my first time in Ohio.

The tournament went over pretty smoothly.  I got to spend the second week in a row with the same team, and it was great to get to know everyone that much better.

By the end of the week, we were dancing to YouTube sensations, cracking jokes, and making fun of each other.  It was great!

We were also fortunate enough to get to watch some fireworks last week too.  The course had their own show on the 3^rd, and on the 4^th we got off work early enough to catch the tail end of the entire city’s fireworks.  The hotel we were staying at was perched on the highest point of Rochester, on a cliff overlooking the whole area.  We could see about six different firework shows going on at the same time.  It was quite the experience.

Some of the fireworks from the course

So now onto my next ‘first’ that I crossed off my list: renting a car.  I was given this week of July 6-13 off from work, and it just so happened that my best friend Nick’s older brother was getting married in Columbus on July 7^th.  It was about $350 to fly the 300+ miles from Rochester to Columbus, and it would have taken about 12 hours to do so with all of the layovers and plane changes.  So, I thought I’d just rent a car and drive the 6 hours.  I mean, 6 hours is pretty short compared to most of the drives I’ve been making in the last few months.

My first rental car!!!

Thank goodness for USAA.  They saved me about $60 on the ‘under 25’ fee, found me a great deal with Budget, and made it as easy as possible for me to get to Columbus.  I had a little Chevy crossover type car, and I blasted my iPod and smiled the whole way.  What a great first experience!

Now for one more ‘first’.  It was my first trip to Ohio, and my first trip to

The Ohio State University (yes, they all say ‘the’ when they talk about OSU).  I also was given a VIP tour of some of the athletic facilities.  Nick’s sister Shelaine works at the volleyball arena, and Nick trained for his NFL Pro Day there last year, so I was able to see all of it.  Let’s just say Ohio State’s volleyball arena is bigger than NAU’s football arena…Pretty cool, huh?

Ohio State's indoor football training facility

Anyway, I arrived around noon on Friday, Nick and his friend Nick Melonas picked me up, and we went straight to work.  We needed to pick up chairs for the ceremony and help set everything up, so we got right to it.  Oh, and did I mention that there has been a ridiculous heat wave in the Midwest, and it was over 100 degrees?  Sweating bullets the entire time I was there.

Later that night we headed over to Shelaine’s house for the rehearsal dinner.  I had the BEST fried fish there ever.  I couldn’t tell you what it was, but it was goooood.  We played cornhole, drank some beer, socialized, and rode the quad.  It was such a fun night, and so good to see some people I haven’t seen in quite awhile.

The next day was a whirlwind.  We all were able to sleep in, and then the chaos started.  All the bridesmaids had to be up early to get their hair and makeup done, and then the groomsmen started getting ready around 2.  The ceremony started at 5:30, and I have never seen so many hot, sweaty people.  I was glad I chose the dress I did because you couldn’t see any sweat marks!! Score!

With Nick on the quad.  So much fun!

Just so you get a better idea of how hot it really was, there were three or four people who passed out.  Nick was one of them.  The poor guy – he made it through the ceremony and pictures like a trooper, and then he started to get a little wobbly.  Out like a light.

A few bottles of Gatorade, some bananas, and a clothing change later, he was ready to go.  He gave his best man speech and rallied.  Then the party started.

We all danced and danced late into the night.  It cooled off enough to feel comfortable, but by that point none of us cared.  We were having so much fun!!

Anyway, this last week was one to remember.  I had a wonderful time at the tournament in Rochester, and the wedding in Columbus was one for the books.  Now I am spending my week off at home with my family, and I couldn’t have asked for a better time.  Looking forward to my next five weeks with the AJGA, but savoring every moment I have left at home. 

Now, for the wedding photos : )

Waiting for Maggie to make her big entrance

Here she comes!

Saying their vows

Love this!

The Larson clan - J.D., Shelaine, Emma, Kristen, and Nick

Gorgeous view!

Picture time

Isn't he the cutest?

First dance

Nick cooling off - getting ready to rally!

Right after the ceremony

Sparklers!

Feeling better!

Let the festivities begin!!

My favorite :)

Finally made it to the lake!!