abby vanduker, 20, oklahoma

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invisible children
charity: water
liberty in north korea

hi. lying around in a hotel room in tulsa with my dad drinking wine and listening to hysterical roy d. mercer tapes + an acoustic recording of collide by howie day while we should both be sleeping (marathon in the morning, but i’m not running due to my stress fractures- waah).

and you?

I’m running 13.1 miles in the Tulsa Route 66 Half-Marathon on November 21st, 2010.
I’m running 26.2 miles in the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon on May 1st, 2011.

This is not just another thing I’ll forget, just another thing that anything will be able to knock me down on.
Stress fractures, back aches, migraines- step aside. I’m dead serious this time around. 

and after that? What’s to come next? The Redman Triathlon? Swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and run 26.2?
Oh, goodness. I’ve really lost my mind this time around, haven’t I?

I have been booked solid from Wednesday night until now, tomorrow is filled too.

Straylight Run + The Dangerous Summer were so good, as expected. I love going to shows and having a large portion of my non-blood family there with me. I’ve noticed I’m attending less shows solely because I like who’s playing, but more shows as a whole because I know a whole lot of people I love a whole lot will be there with me.

Thursday was one great big whirlwind, every second of my day was filled with either class or getting to class or surviving off of almond granola bars. After I left my last class early, my dad (who I finally convinced to go with me), Chris and I headed to Tulsa. We ate cheepz and salsaz at a yummy little tex-mex place before arriving at Cain’s and meeting a spunky (to say the least) girl in the crowd before Brand New took the stage. She was quite the entertainment. Their over an hour set was more than I could have ever hoped for or imagined.
Although seeing Brand New in itself is an incredible experience, witnessing things like that along with my father is even better. I can’t begin to express in words how happy it makes me to attend a show with my dad like that, how happy it makes me to finally be bonding with him in the way I always hoped (and nearly lost hope) I would. Our past has been bitter, hateful, and cruel (to put it nicely, butter it up and cover it in sprinkles) but through personal experiences and shared ones we have both evolved to a place where the past is finally being put behind us.

Friday began with a throat that felt like an atomic bomb had been dropped there, followed by miserable classes. I went to lunch with my momma and good family friend Tod at Mimi’s Cafe, we had the strangest waiter I think I’ve ever had, anywhere. Taylor came over later and we made a yummy dinner and bracelets, then fell asleep five minutes into 12 Angry Men, one of my favorite movies.

Today was full of Taylor, pumpkin hunting, carving pumpkins, trick-or-treaters, making cat ears, and a neighbourhood party until about half an hour ago. My dad, just arriving home from the neighbourhood party with my aunt, knocked on my door and awkwardly asked if I could help him with my beyond trashed aunt. For my love of her, I’ll just say it was absolutely hilarious.

I hope to see all you Oklahomans at Owl City tomorrow in Norman, come on guys: it’s free!

All we are is all we’ve started.

I went to see Motion City Soundtrack in Tulsa Friday night with Taaaaaaylor.
There was no blizzard. I told you there wouldn’t be a blizzard, weatherman. There wasn’t one. I am a better weatherman than you.

The oh-so-lovely Hush Hush, Commotion’s van was a grumpy bear and initially didn’t want to make the drive up to Tulsa in the rain, but after a strict talking to it changed its mind. Scott and Andy played a wonderful acoustic set due to the fact that their van did not get out of its temper tantrum until it was too late for them to get there for their set time. During their set, I had a fat, dyed black hair, lip ring she couldn’t pull off scene girl refer to me as “stupid little preppy bitch”. I am now preppy? I was not happy about this. She then went on to text about how she could “jump up and down and kick and knee me”. Sounds like a good idea, fat assed scene girl. Why don’t you try kicking and kneeing me and see what happens. I may be small, but I am nothing shy of mighty.

Hush Hush, Commotion’s acoustic set was followed by The Nightlife, and I have absolutely no problem putting your band’s name up here right before I bash you only because you deserve it. Do not have your mommy sit behind your merch table with a beer with one shirt and a bedroom demo CD. That in itself is just lame, but your real boo-boo was completely forgetting or lacking the brain power to announce This Providence’s existence. You do NOT say “Motion City is up next!” and then not even realize / correct yourself that there was a whole other band playing between you and Motion City Soundtrack. It’s extremely disrespectful.

I then saw the extremely adorable This Providence play an acoustic set for the second time in a couple weeks. “He’s actually from Germany.” As usual, their set was stellar…but still in second place to Dan’s Aussie accent. So so so cute. “Everybody say bye, Gavin! Everybody say fuck off, Gavin! I feel like an arsehole. Am I an arsehole? I think I’ve had too many shottahs.”

Fiiiiiinally Motion City Soundtrack went on. For the first half of their set I was in complete shock that the brilliant Justin Pierre did not have fucking insane hair, now had a beard and had put on quite a bit of weight. Dan and I decided that he looked like an Arab hobo Jesus. Yes, that picture is of Justin. Anyway, their set was incredible. They played everything pretty much everybody wanted to hear and Justin was absolutely hilarious in between songs. I think I am finally over the fact that an ex-boyfriend of mine ruined their music for me for quite a while.

It’s been a rock solid good weekend.

“Darling are you dreaming, are you dreaming of me now? Screaming, are you screaming cause it’s such a nightmare now?”