Every. Word.

You know those songs that you don't think about in your everyday life, or they're not on your playlists anymore, but then they come on the radio or in a restaurant and you know every single word? I love those. For me, it's mostly the country I grew up hearing in the car with my parents, and others are from those phases when I only listened to about two artists at a time with my friends. Here's a few:

Lorelei by Styx

I Can Love You Like That by John Michael Montgomery

One Step at a Time by Jordin Sparks

Any Man of Mine by Shania Twain (actually, anything of hers)

*I was at a Lady Antebellum concert recently, and when they surprised us with this song, the audience exploded and everybody was dancing and singing and it made my heart SO happy.

She Never Lets it Go to Her Heart by Tim McGraw

Little Bitty by Alan Jackson

Beautiful Soul by Jesse McCartney

Paint Me a Birmingham by Tracy Lawrence

My Maria by Brooks & Dunn

The entire Metamorphosis album by Hilary Duff

Forever and Ever, Amen by Randy Travis

I know every word, the backup vocals, the harmonies, the instrumental riffs...well, okay then! I love these little discoveries, it puts a smile on my face. Our memories hold a lot more than we realize--some memories just have to be recalled and then they're clear as day. How amazing. Now, if only I had more friends who love country music like I do...y'all are few and far between. But hey, we make it work, don't we? :)

Do you know any of these gems? What song sneaks up on you and has been sitting in your memory all along?

Alpha, Bravo, Charlie...

I have a very doable challenge for you this week: learn the phonetic alphabet! I found this graphic on Pinterest a couple of years ago and thought "hey, this is what the cops are using on all those TV shows!" You know, when they are relaying a license plate number and say "Charlie" or "Foxtrot" amidst the numbers. So freakin legit, am I right?! These specific words are chosen because they're pretty specific to that letter and/or that letter's sound.

*Disclaimer, some people use beta instead of bravo. Either one works.

I soon printed off this list and put it up at my desk at work so that I could learn it, pretty much just to say that I knew it (#guilty). However, I referred to it on a few phone calls when spelling or clarifying email addresses and it was extremely useful. The person on the other end of the line made no mistake knowing which letters I was using! I don't know why I was surprised that it worked well, but it was such a cool little, "I'm totally an adult who can be articulate on the phone" moment.

To memorize it, I just read through it a few times a day, and tried it without looking the third time. Then, practice using it by spelling your name. Use only the "code" words, as opposed to saying "V as in victor". For example, I would say, "My name is Meagan." They'd be all, "How do you spell that?" And I'd go, "Mike echo alpha, gamma alpha november." Now try your license plate number. Seriously, say it out loud...it's so cool! Why doesn't everyone always use this?! Beats me. It's resourceful and easy to understand no matter who you are. 

Next time you see me, I challenge you to a phonetic alphabet battle. *Insert fist emoji here* We'll just start going down the list, maybe altering between us every letter, and the first person to forget the word associated with that letter, loses! Now start memorizing and go impress your boss.

Let me know how it goes in the comments!

One of the Guys

I experienced elementary school largely in the same "sport girl" Nike t-shirt and ponytail, playing basketball and soccer with the boys at recess. It wasn't until middle school that it occurred to me that my hair could do other things, that my ratty t-shirt wasn't going to last forever, and that makeup was kind of fun. I also grew up with only brothers and played sports for as long as I can remember. This, inevitably, molded me into one of those girls that can be "one of the guys". I often met friends through pick-up basketball or because they had seen me play for our school team. My general knowledge of a few different sports makes me easy to relate to and gives us instant common ground.

Yes, there are some nice advantages that come with feeling like one of the guys, such as these:

• I can hook my friends up
• Get to see their soft side
• Don't feel the need to dress up or make too many plans
• They grow to be protective of you
• They're pleasantly surprised to see you all cleaned up and pretty
• Hear more of their side on dating and relationship matters
• Sometimes, they buy your food
• Real talk. No beating around the bush that is your feelings (it may feel like a con, but it's a pro in the end)

However, there are some not-so-awesome sides to it, including:

• No filter on their jokes (most of the time)
• Them forgetting you're a lady
• Being seen in a "little sister" light (ugh)
• FRIEND ZONE
• You get made fun of for any girly behavior

Furthermore, I think there is a misconception that since a specific girl can hang with the guys, all said guys want to date her. Oh, if only that were true! Other women tend to assume that because a girl can talk to men fairly easily, that she has her pick of them and you can count on her to bring all the guys to a party. It's just kinda silly and not true with most people. BuzzFeed knows what I'm talking about, check out this video.

I have to end with a shout out, though, to all my fellas. Having so many wonderful men in my life is the greatest and I love 'em all like crazy. They help me chill out, laugh at myself, and make me a better basketball player. ;)