Erin Akin Carroll

Thanks for all of your comments and encouragement on the exercise topic. I should have mentioned that before the wedding, I was going to classes five days a week and I loved it. I was doing Body Sculpting and Cycling. The Cycling is definitely something you have to get used to. The seat is murder! My friend still has to wear padded shorts to protect herself. After a couple of sessions with a great instructor who likes great music, I was motivated and determined to ride faster and harder each time. I love both of these classes.

Fortunately, for me, I can go to the on-campus gym for free. I’ve found that when I pay to use a gym I never go, but when I had access to this gym with no charge, I went religiously. I’m weird like that.

The summer schedule was no good and not designed around people who work, so I didn’t have many options there. I’m looking forward to putting exercise back into my routine, but without the motivation of having to fit into my size 4 wedding dress! I know that people put on weight during their first year of marriage similar to the way girls put on weight during their first year of college. I’m determined to stop this from happening.

Classes start today. Let’s think good thoughts that we’ll have great instructors who use great music– otherwise it’s all over for me! In the Spring classes, we had a Cycling instructor who had us listening to the most random techno music and she’d sing along. Not the most inspiring for me. I love the elliptical machine and the stairmaster, but you have to schedule a time to use those machines at this gym and that’s pretty much the opposite of convenient. The great thing about the classes is that you can build it into your schedule and there is some accountability with the instructor and your classmates. I love the sense of community! Last semester there were five engaged girls in my class.

I think I also deserve a big high five for being faced with 10 dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts this morning and not having a single, fresh from the oven, melt in your mouth, doughnut.

LOVE, love, love this Firefly Sweet Tea Flavored Vodka! It was used in our signature drink for the wedding, the Carolina Crush, but I had some the other night at our friends’ house mixed with lemonade. It’s perfect.

I’m sure my husband would disagree, but I just don’t feel like I have anything to say. The wedding is over, the summer is days away from being over, and I just don’t have a lot of exciting things going on– at least nothing that I think any of you would like to read about. Because I’m going to keep this blog going, I’m going to tell you what’s going on anyway!

What’s going on:
1. Boudreaux has a problem. He won’t stop chewing on his tail, rear end, and foot. He has “hot spots” and he is like Rain Man. He’s just obsessed with these hot spots and won’t stop chewing. He gets 3 Benadryl per day and is on antibiotics to try to heal up these spots. He’s wearing a cone, which is just a disaster. 80 pounds of love that has to be confined to a cone. The vet can’t figure out why he’s doing this. He had all three of these spots shaved yesterday, so he looks pretty bad from the back, but his sweet face is still as it should be. {I told you I didn’t have a ton going on and that I’d share the most interesting things of my week.}

2. Lots of welcome back events at work. I’m doing a welcome back luncheon for the faculty tomorrow– tropical themed. Then we’re doing a doughnut breakfast for all of the students on Thursday morning for their first day of class.

3. Hurricane’s-a-comin’, but it looks like it’s going to miss us.

4. I finished the entire series of 90210 yesterday. It comes on from 5:00-7:00 every day on the Soap Opera Network and I was DVRing it every day. It would sometimes take me weeks and full weekends to catch up, but I’ve seen every single episode of the series in the last six months. The finale came on yesterday and Donna and David got married. I think this affects Todd more than it does me. He’s just so thankful that it’s over and he doesn’t have to hear that awesome theme song anymore.

5. I’m seriously bothered by last night’s episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8. Lots of rumors about this family, blah blah blah. I still love to watch it and pretty much stop to watch any time it’s on. It’s one of my favorite shows and I’ve seen every episode and will still watch all of the episodes. Last night’s episode bothered me mostly because I thought that at least half of the kids behaved more rotten than ever. Just my opinion.

6. I’m still wrapped up in the Olympics. Poor Nastia Liukin last night, right??? What a crazy tie-breaker procedure. Alicia Sacramone {on vault} and Shawn Johnson {on floor} weren’t done justice either. Poor USA.

7. Tori and Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood is on tonight. Hilarious.

8. Last, but certainly not least, the Preppy Fall Swap. I got my swap partner, Southern Belle, yesterday and I’m so excited to get cutie preppy fall things for her!

What I’m looking forward to:

1. Gamecock football. The first game is next Thursday against NC State. We’re just so excited to be back at Williams Brice and I’m really pumped about hosting all of our friends in Columbia for LSU, Tennessee, and Georgia!

2. I start teaching on Friday. I’m teaching a freshman seminar course and I’m pretty excited. I posted my syllabus online today and I’m learning the ropes of Blackboard. This will be a really nice change of pace. I met my class on Monday and they all seem great.

3. Fall TV. Not that I’m not watching TV right now, but I miss my shows.

4. Our trip to Dallas. I miss my family.

5. Our trip to DC for my cousin’s wedding. I miss my family.

6. We’re going to Carowinds on Sunday with my wonderful friend and her boyfriend! So much fun!

See, there are things going on. It’s just nothing super exciting. I promise to have fun entertaining posts very very soon! 🙂