i'm an assassin

this is what i have spent the last 24 hours of my life doing...

just in case this video is unclear, here is what is happening:
1. we are playing assassins for ruf...no humans were harmed in the making of this film
2. it is 12:30 a.m. on a tuesday night. should we be studying? probably. should we be sleeping? that would probably also be a better use of our time. but this had to be done.
3. yes, i did attempt a somersault on the sidewalk outside branscomb...the intensity of the situation inspired me
4. the bucket of water was in fact poured on the target while he was in his bed asleep, just in case it's not clear...let me just say, he asked for it. in normal circumstances with any other target, i would not have used such extreme tactics, but desperate times call for desperate measures. and i would say that the said target's slandering of my name for two consecutive weeks at ruf is a desperate circumstance. usually i'm not this competitive, but i had to defend my honor. and we did bake them cookies as a peace offering.


also, i think film is my calling. i am an expert actor and editor clearly. shout-out to elizabeth for being my partner in crime and the voice behind the camera.

greyhound, greyhound...the misadventures of a car-less college student

this weekend, i, mary raine, had the privilege of going on a little adventure to surprise my dear friend and bfsb (best friend since birth), sarah bellott, for her 21st birthday (halloween...coincidentally also my mother's birthday. she turned the big 5-0. she was very excited as you can imagine). i had pondered such an adventure for many weeks but failed to execute any semblance of a plan until the monday before the big day. after asking every person i could possibly think of that could want to make the 180 mile journey to knoxville for the weekend and having no luck, i had a genius idea: the greyhound. half-way joking, i googled and found the tickets very reasonable. after pondering my mental stability for a while, i decided to approach my next obstacle: parents. now, let me just preface this: i promise my parents love me. they love me a lot. in light of this, their response to my request to take a greyhound bus by myself for the first time halfway across the state might shock you. my mother simply laughed, thinking i was kidding at first, and then said "sure! just let us know what you decide to do!" later that evening, i purchased my ticket and sent my mom a text filling her in. when i woke up, i had a voicemail from her wishing me safe travels and a fun weekend.


that afternoon, my dear roommate, grace, offered to drive me to the bus station. on the way there, she gave me a pep talk and we discussed the primary goal: subtlety. when we arrived at the station, i realized that my pink vera bradley bag was anything but subtle. after surveying the crowd, grace decided to wait with me until i boarded my bus...i was glad for the company. now you may be asking yourself, who rides the bus anyway? before this adventure, i wondered the same thing. here is what i found: a LOT of interesting people. my bus was completely full. i took the last seat on the bus next to an interesting man from east tennessee who was returning to his "baby mama" (his words not mine) after living in california for a while. he was chatty, which foiled my plan to be uber-productive and keep a low profile on the ride. also, apparently a large accounting textbook is also not the most subtle accessory on a greyhound.

while my bus ride left me with some funny stories (also, still can't believe i really did that), it opened my eyes to the reality of the poverty and hardships of the world. was my experience uncomfortable? yes. was it safe? not really 100% sure about that. did i learn something? yes, way more than just the accounts receivable and bank reconciliations covered in chapter 5 of my accounting textbook. i saw another side of life. do i recommend the greyhound to others? yes. i think everyone should have the experience.


now to the real purpose of my journey: the one, the only, sarah raven. the weekend was full of tears (happy ones, don't worry), laughter, the jamaican bobsled team, the lesser known coach of the jamaican bobsled team (irv blitzer), pumpkin pancakes, mexican food, dance parties, non-alcoholic beer, tiny kegs, cat food samples at kroger, sleepovers, birth-day-pics, and sweet friends. i would say that it was a huge success. 

jamaica, we have a bobsled team

sarah is 21!!!! don't be deceived, i actually have no idea what i am doing

shout-out to the german/french/italian man who took our picture

one final question: Dave Barnes, did your wife really ride a greyhound? I don't know that I believe that...

just for inspiration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLUhdXRupOc

is this thing on???

well, i finally made it. it has been a lifelong dream of mine to have a blog...well sort of. i have been pondering it for a while (seriously pondering it for only about 36 hours now) and thought that it was time. i mean, why not? although i may not have many deep or life-changing things to say, i think i'll say them anyway. because i can. so, welcome to my life. it's pretty standard, but sometimes funny stuff happens. can't wait to share it with you (or just share it with myself and my blog if no one actually reads this...which i would be okay with--in the words of @lizfix).

peace. love. blogging.