Domestic Achievements

It is Sunday afternoon in the Bentley domicile. Just like clockwork, Greg came in and turned on "The Race." That's right ladies and gentlemen: NASCAR. It has somehow made its place in MY home of all places. Being a woman who was only brought up watching the Golf Channel on Sundays, the surround sound "vroom vrooms" have taken some getting used to. Might I also add that the race has now been on for over 2 hours and Greg is sleeping soundly on the couch. Paying it zero attention, but you can hear the vroom vrooms throughout the entire house. How that man falls asleep with the eardrum-burstingly loud television on will always astound me. While Greg sleeps, I've decided to take a little break to brag on us as a domestic couple. We've done a lot this weekend!

You may ask what I have been doing while waiting on the winner to be determined in "the race". Welp, I have successfully made my first ever batch of chicken salad (from scratch). Yes, you heard me correctly. I bought and boiled the entire chicken, boiled eggs, added celery, apples, seedless grapes, sweet pickles, a little mayo for binding, and salt and pepper to taste. How crafty am I? Thank you to my mother, Pearl, for setting the standard as far as chicken salad goes. My first batch doesn't come anywhere close to hers, but it will do for this week's lunch.

Continuing the bragging on my domestic skills:

I also successfully made my first crock-pot roast overnight. Going solely off of a wing and a prayer with no real recipe, I'd have to say it wasn't half bad! It was GOOD actually. Just ask Greg. He went back for seconds on all of it. Our roast recipe went like this: Worcestershire, salt, pepper, sliced onions, minced garlic, and water. What will I do differently next time? Add beef broth. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the roast, but I think the broth will help give it a meaty flavor.

It was so nice to come home from church today and have lunch ready when we walked in. I think the Crock Pot may be my go-to appliance on Sundays. At least while I'm just having to feed Greg and myself.

Greg is taking over the kitchen this evening for supper. He has a deer tenderloin marinading. I have been saying for weeks now that we need to "get on a plan." Who all out there has said that 1 million times also? So, in an effort to do better with our balanced diets, we've turned to deer meat. I hope Greg has a successful hunting season this Fall. Our freezer will be barren by then at the rate we're going. WE had deer cube steak last night. They were delicious. I highly recommend them.

Stepping away from the kitchen:

Tomorrow, Monday, marks the first day of classes at both EMCC and MSU. This is also the perfect time to prepare for a new routine. Yes, I have already made my lunch for the week. Yes, I have bought grab-n-go breakfast and lunch options for my husband. Yes, I have cleaned our house from top to bottom knowing we may be just a little bit more fatigued when we are off of work, but there are still things that I would like to finish before tomorrow comes. I have a mound of Thank You cards to write from our wedding. Yesterday I wrote 25. Today's goal is 40. We are blessed beyond measure to have such support, but I am finding it quite difficult to make the time to write those notes. Y'all pray for me and my right hand as we embark on this venture. I also need to finish laundry. This is something that I need to make more of a priority in our home, but such is life. I have friends who wash a load every night and dry that load every morning. I have friends who send theirs to the dry cleaners, but I have come to realize that Greg and I have not set a good routine. Every week we fill up over 4 hampers with an array of towels, socks, unmentionables, work shirts, pants, and PJs. It's a vicious and never-ending cycle of clothes. I think a yard sale is in order. Maybe selling half of our inventory will help make me want to wash clothes more often. Maybe.


I hope you all have a wonderful week! It is going to be a fun and busy Fall, and I hope I can make time to blog every now and then. Sorry for the bragging on our domestication, but we really are excited to try new things and get on a "plan". The race has 12 laps to go, and my husband is stirring. Time to go give him a hard time for being deaf.

-Brooke Bentley

Hi from the Road!

Hello to everyone from inside a room at the Hampton Inn in Cleveland, MS. It is currently pouring down rain, which is not offering me any chance of moving from the supine position that I am currently in. After a day of driving, recruiting, and a bit of light window shopping, I am calling it a day. I'm spending the rest of the evening preparing for a presentation that I have tomorrow night (my last presentation prior to graduating with my Masters!!!!), reading a book for class, writing postcards to my sweet students who have applied to MSU, and enjoying some peace and quiet before another big day recruiting tomorrow.

The transition from student to full-time employee is still commencing. Right now I am 5 people at any given time: student, teacher, Admissions Counselor, Intern, and Graduate Assistant. What a juggling act this has proven to be. One more month and I will fully transition into my Admissions Counselor position. I am SO excited to finally be able to give it 110% of my time, effort, and focus.

I do realize that it has been at least three months since I have posted to this beloved webpage that I call my blog, and I have missed it. Let me get you up to speed in a few sentences...

1. I am done with my Comprehensive Exams
2. I have NOT found out if I passed or not
3. I am now employed by Mississippi State University as an Admissions Counselor (goal accomplished!)
4. I am almost done teaching my class of angels--Career Planning. It's bittersweet.
5. I am still in love with Greg Bentley
6. I still have the best friends and family a girl could ask for

I think that's all I've got, believe it or not. The hours of my day prior to October 18th and 19th (Comps) were filled with studying, and now they're filled with traveling and enjoying my multiple-personality life. No two days are alike, and I love that! You never know what you're gonna get.

I walked around Downtown Cleveland, MS today. Every single shop was decorating their window displays for Christmas. It reminded me that in less than 2 months Santa will be coming down my chimney. It got me in the mood! I am so ready for this rain to turn into snow and for the Man in Red to grace me with his presence...even if it is my mother who does the impersonations. 

In case I have failed to mention this, my mother is OBSESSED with dressing up as holiday figures. Need proof? Ok...

Pearl as the Easter Bunny--2011 (I think)

Pearl as Santa--2011

I am on the hunt for an adult turkey costume that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I think Pearl needs to get into the Thanksgiving spirit, don't you? My gosh I love that woman. She's going to kill me for this post.

Well, in the spirit of Pre-Election day and Christmas, don't forget to be politically correct this season:

Happy Monday!

-BC

Back in the Game

Well, this week marks my last first week of graduate school. It's kind of surreal how quickly the time has gone by. All of a sudden it is my turn to begin the job hunt, apply for graduation, and begin planning for an actual future as opposed to a future that is so far off it is only a fantasy. I had an Ah-Ha moment in class last night. One of the questions for our introductory spill was "Where do you see yourself in 3 years?" Welp, the answer to that question 3 years ago was "Working on my Masters degree here at MSU". Now the answer has changed to "I'm not really sure where the next 3 months will take me, much less 3 years. I hope to be working in a college setting in an office that allows me one-on-one personal interaction with students on a day-to-day basis." Vague, but precise. I have the idea of what I want out of my future place of employment, but I also have no clue where that place of employment might be. I've dodged this time in my life by continuing my education. Now that's no longer an option...until I can pay for it. Mom and Dad are probably chomping at the bits at the thought of pocketing tuition money and rent after December. The bird will finally leave the cage. The nest will finally be truly empty. (If my mom is reading this, I guarantee you she is getting misty-eyed. For those of you who know her, you understand how tender she is about certain subjects.) The eldest of two will finally be off the family payroll...except for the occasional slip of a little "Coke Money" as my grandmother calls it. Coke in reference to Coca-Cola...just to clear that up.

So let me enlighten you, my captivated audience, on the newest developments in my life really quickly. I hope this won't bore you, but if you find yourself dozing off while reading this, please do yourself a favor and make sure not to drool on the keyboard. It's not good for computers to mingle with water or liquid of any form. Okay, on to the happenings of Jessica Brooke Mistletoe "Misty" Unique Collins...

I landed an internship with the MSU Career Center. It is required that students in our Masters program complete an internship before graduation, so that's what I'm doing. I was somewhat shocked to find out that my internship would consist of me actually teaching Career Planning, a freshman-leveled 3 hour lecture that is meant to provide students with the resources necessary for them to use when taking initiative of choosing a major or mapping out their career goals. In case you don't understand what I have just said to you, please take a moment and read the sentence again. I AM TEACHING A COLLEGE COURSE. I am in control of 20 poor souls every Tuesday and Thursday. They are mine to mold and develop. Look out kids, it's going to be an interesting ride!

Okay, so on top of the internship I am still performing my contractual tasks with my loving officemates in the Office of Admissions. I really have enjoyed going from one office to the next everyday. Things never get boring, I'll tell ya that. I am also taking a night class taught by Dr. Keith, the Director of the Union and Associate Dean of Students. I'm going to LOVE this class. Pumped about having him teach it as well. Our program needs some new faces teaching our classes. BADLY.

So that's what is going on in the professional and academic world of Dr. Coach. Mrs. Ms. Collins. On the personal side, my boyfriend and I will celebrate our 6 month anniversary in a few weeks. Where has the time gone? I feel like it was just yesterday when we met on that fateful day in Thompson Hall in front of the big, scary polar bear scene (MSU people may know what I'm talking about...if you don't, just continue reading and trust me that our meet-cute was epic). The fact that we have been together half of a year blows my mind. It makes me realize how swiftly the time passes. I need to pause every now and then and thank the Good Lord Above for all the many blessings that He has bestowed upon me this year. Wonderful family, fantastic roommate/sister, loving boyfriend, solid support system, and all of the other opportunities that have come my way recently.

Alright, now you are all caught up on my life. I have the apartment to myself while my sister is at church and my boyfriend is in class so I have taken the time to blog while I have a moment of silence. Any of my friends that are not in Starkville, please feel free to update me on your lives as well. Every semester comes and goes and so do my local friends. We all grow up, get jobs, and move away...but regardless of where we are, let's try to stay in touch. Deal?

In Maroon and White,

BC

Idea Guru

Good Afternoon to my captivated audience. I hope my Mississippians have been keeping dry in this crazy weather. Sunshine in the morning, thunderstorms in the afternoon. Home sweet home.

I have filled my day with mindless activities like reacquainting myself with Pinterest, catching up with the lives of my friends on Facebook, and testing my quizzical skills on Sporcle. Because of an on-campus conference, my practicum site has been super quiet today. Half of the staff is helping with the conference, so I am just enjoying this time to myself. I should be working on a research proposal like I had planned, but what's the fun in that? Absolutely nothing.

What in the world did we do before the World Wide Web? Furthermore, what did people use the WWW for before social networks and sites like Pinterest or Etsy? How did we get anything accomplished? My colleague, Beth, and I have been having this conversation this afternoon. It's amazing that we ever came up with a single creative idea on our own since we can now type a keyword into a search bar and POOF 100+ ideas pop up at once on command. Ideas that seem so much better than yours. Ideas that must come from professionals. You mean you can make 7 layered taco dip and indulge all you want to since the entire thing is only 200 calories? Oh my gosh!! Why didn't I think of that? But hold the phone, is that a home-made-antique-door-turned-into-a-headboard-slash-picture-frame? You've got to be kidding me. That's fantastic. Type, type, scroll, scroll. Mercy me, what's this I see? A picture of a piece of jewelry that I'll never be able to afford. REPIN to "If Only I Was Rich" board.

I would like to think that my female followers, at least, would get where I'm coming from. Crafty sites are addicting, but let's get serious...when in the world are we going to have time to drop everything we're doing so we can build a bookcase out of wine corks or fashion a hair bow out of real dove feathers. Cheaper than buying them? Maybe. Recipes with less calories? Perhaps. Worth all the trouble it takes? Doubtful. Fun to fantasize about? HECK YEAH.

Now that I've spoken my piece about the addicting world of crafty sites, I'm going back to pinning. Gotta have plenty of ideas for my wedding, future children, house, pets, and fashion. Another obsession? Someecards. Proof below.

Ta Ta!

BC

A Long Time Comin'

Dear Captivated Audience,

May I first apologize for my hiatus from blogging. I have missed it, but I am going to try to get back into the swing of things. Now that my summer classes have come to an end, some of the free time is back. One part of my Practicum class has been for us to blog about our experiences, so my blogging mind was completely focused on that task. Blogging about the professional side of higher education institutions is NOT as much fun as shootin the breeze on my own personal one, so I AM BACK to do just that.

I hope you will all enjoy this read. It's nothing fancy.

Summertime in Mississippi equals 5 things:

1) It is useless for me to straighten my hair. Even if there's zero chance of rain, there's still 250% humidity. This equals curly hair. No ifs, ands, or buts.

2) I get mad about having to wear work clothes. There is nothing worse than trying to dress professionally when it is 110 degrees outside with a heat index of "hot as Hades". There should be a statement in my graduate assistant contract that says I can wear shorts to work when the head goes past 95. It should be a public safety announcement. Idea: put it in the workman's comp contract. If I ever make it to the administrative level, we are instating that.

3) I hate my car. Although I am a stickler about having leather seats in my vehicle, they are literally products of the devil in the summer. It's amazing that I haven't gone to the hospital with third degree burns on the backside of my legs. The palms of my hands are also at risk. Darn steering wheel. Note to self: Invest in one of those aluminum foil looking things that you sit on the dash during the day...or hire a personal chauffeur, whichever comes first.

4) An overabundance of bathing suit pictures. Ok, I get it Miss 120-soaking-wet-too-tan-no-work-beach-bum-girl. You aren't taking class. You don't have to go to work. Your parents can supply you with endless funds. I understand. I, and I'm sure the rest of the world, just wish you wouldn't rub it in our faces. Not all of us can just pick up and leave for the coast whenever we want to. We don't care about looking at your perfectly pedicured toes on a beach with the ocean line behind them. Nor does anybody care about the fact that you have every Victoria Secret bathing suit known to man. I'm sure that VS is looking for a new swim suit model for their next catalog. They could probably save a lot of money by simply "copying and pasting" your entire Facebook album. They'd be set.

5) A lot of online shopping. Let's face it, shopping just isn't any fun when it's so hot. And I'm beginning to become more of a fan of online shopping anyways. I can do it from my phone, my computer, my e-mail. I'm not addicted, but I do enjoy "window shopping" aka browsing aka perusing through clothes, art, and books throughout the day. Recently I have made purchases for myself, my boo (his birthday is in 2 weeks...justifiable), and myself. I mean, I really needed those maroon jeggings (DKNY), and those pajamas (lanebryant.com), and that piece of artwork (lindatheobaldart.com). Give me a break. I got paid, and was tired of spending it on groceries and bills.


I know I vented a little on #4, but c'mon people. I know you've seen this girl, and you have thought to yourself "Huh. Must be nice". Mmm Hmm...

Okay, well I am going back to work now. I needed a mental break from the e-mailing.

Until Next Time,

BC