New Shirt

I'm pretty sure I'm going to buy this shirt

Only in Utah

So Colin's sister found this article.

If you're one of those people who are too lazy to click links and see what the story is, I'll give you the low down.

Apparently this poor sucker is 31, living in Provo, UT and unmarried. His co-workers got together and decided they needed to take action. They've decided to pimp him out on a huge billboard to the side of the freeway. It's true! Check out the site:

www.datelance.com

Be sure to click on the video to see his reaction to seeing the big billboard with his face grinning back.

Ahhhh, where else would a group of people get together and decide that not being married by the ripe old age of 31 necessitates public advertisement?

Only in Utah.

D*** you JK Rowling!

Last night I was determined to finish the new Harry Potter book.

Exhaustion had other plans.

I passed out with only about 15 pages of the book left.

This morning after my shower I climbed back into bed and finished it up.

Now I'm melancholy and sad. It's ruined my whole day. The sky, even though it is is a brilliant clear blue, seems flat and dull. The fluorescent lights of my office beat down mercilessly on the tops of my keyboard caressing hands. The usually reassuring hum of my computer now mocks the emptiness of my chest cavity, the former repository of my heart.

JK Rowling is the DEVIL and has ensnared me with her poetic gift or story telling.

What the heck am I supposed to do with myself now!?!?!?

Smelly Girl

The last three times I've gone into the bathroom closest to my office the automatic air freshener has sent a puff of flowery scented chemicals into the air.

It's starting to make me feel self-conscious.

I must really smell bad to make the machine go off with such regularity.

Freaking out

Yesterday I started to freak out.

Holy cow! I'm moving up into Boulder this weekend and I start grad school in 3 weeks. I don't know where to go or who to talk to. I don't even know where my first class is or who my advisor will be or where the best place to have lunch on campus is.

I haven't picked my "first day of school" outfit yet.

I don't know where to go for my mandatory TA training.

I don't even know what class I'll be TA-ing.

What if it is something I've entirely forgot in the past two years?

How am I going to keep up with everyone else who hasn't taken a break from school?

AHHHHHHHHH

Birthday re-cap

This was the first birthday of my life that I've been dating someone.

I didn't know the protocol.

I just figured I would plan something for myself since that's what I've done every other year.

Boy was I wrong.

It is SOOOOO much more fun to have someone who cares about you plan something to make you feel special.

Friday night I took the ear doctor out to the Colorado Shakespeare Festival to see a Winter's Tale. I'd never read that play before, but it ended up being a great way to celebrate him finishing up his prelims for grad school.

When he dropped me off at my house it was about 12:15. He was the very first person to wish me a happy birthday. He also told me to be ready for him to come pick me up at 9am the next morning.

I complained because I wanted to sleep in late on my birthday, but he said that was when the festivities began, and there would be no further discussion on the point.

I turned, climbed upstairs and into my bed.

My eyes popped open at 6:45 am and I was too awake to fall back asleep.

I reached over and read some more of the new Harry Potter book. There is nothing I like more than waking up on Saturday and laying in my bed and reading.

I got ready and the ear doctor was at my door promptly at 9 am.

He handed me a pretty shiny bag from Nordstrom that had two little boxes inside.

With giddy, childlike excitement I opened the first.

It was a beautiful, green and blue necklace. It had big, chunky stones in it and looked very retro and awesome. The other box contained earrings to match.

He then scooped me up and set me down in his car and told me that we were going to pick up Sarah and Colin and go to breakfast.

Just so that you know, going out to breakfast is one of my favorite things to do. I love breakfast food.

When we got to Sarah and Colin's house I knocked on the door. As they opened the door to their new, very cute apartment, I was overwhelmed.

The ear doctor had arranged a surprise breakfast party for all my friends!

I was so overwhelmed with the feeling of being loved that tears started to well up in my eyes.

After a stirring round of happy birthday and my hearty breath of candle extinguishing air I went around the room giving everyone there huge and very sincere hugs. We all sat around until noon talking and laughing. I opened presents and pretty much felt like the coolest thing since sliced bread.

After everyone took off Sarah and Colin gave me their present.

It was a card.

When I opened it up I noticed there was an extra rectangular piece of paper in the card. I turned it over and saw that it was a ticket for the Tim McGraw concert up in Cheyenne, WY that night! They all told me to pack up my stuff because we were taking of for Fontier Days in Wyoming right away.

We drove up there and wandered around the fair for a while until the show started. We ate fair food, went of rickity carnival rides, looked at strange stands of Native American art, went on a search to find Sarah the perfect cowboy hat, and I almost bought a belt with my name engraved on the back.

Our tickets were for the standing room only section right up next to the stage. We packed ourselves into the huge mass of drunk cowboys and waited for the show to begin. Just as the opening band began, it started to pour. We were soaked to the skin, but having such a great time it just didn't matter.

When Tim came on stage everyone went crazy. There was pushing and shoving and chaos, but not the angry kind that you get at punk shows.....Everyone there was too happy for words.

The crowd belted out every word of every song, there was rampant dancing and just a great energy, despite the rain and cold.

After the show we walked back to the car and I thought about all the amazing birthday's I've had and realize that this was WAY up there in the ranks. I got to spend it with two of my best friends and my sweetheart. You really can't beat that!

All Hail Panera

I'm trying to be more frugal. Trying my hardest not to satisfy every whim I have. I'm trying to re-learn self control because in a month I will be going from cool, working professional woman, back to poor, starving student girl and I don't want it to be too much of a shock.

I'm starting out with the little things. Every morning I wake up and CRAVE a jamba juice before I head into work. The store is on my way so it doesn't require any extra time to get there. But, I realize that this is a silly little indulgence to the tune of $4/day. That is $4 a day that I could be saving so that I can go to the movies once in a while as a break from studying.

This morning I succumbed to the enticing lure of the jamba juice tornado and drove up to the store.

While I was ordering my cranberry breeze, a man walked up to me and told me to come over to the new Panera Bread after I got my juice.

I tilted my head slightly to the right, furrowed my brow and said, "I didn't think it was open until Saturday"

With a grin spreading across his face he said, "Yes, that is true, but today we are doing a test run for the bakery and all the new employees. Come on over and have a free bagel!"

Oh joy of joys! Oh wonder of wonders!

After procuring my juice I sauntered next door.

As I pushed the squeaky clean glass door open the warm smell of fresh baked bread washed over me. The lady standing next to the door handed me two green bills that each said $5 on them and suggested that I bring in a dozen bagels to work.

For a moment I was overwhelmed. I'd just been given $10 for walking into a brand new store of one of my favorite establishments!

In a dazed stupor I stepped up to the counter and ordered. Sure, they took FOREVER to get my order together, but I was just so happy to be receiving free food it really didn't matter.

After collecting my free goods I turned and walked out of the store.

I called everyone I knew who lived in the area to tell them about my good fortune.

It is only just now that I realized that I spent $4 to get $10 in return. What a good karma day!

A little question

Why is it that even though I love my job, have tons of really interesting work to do, I still want to take off early when my boss decides to take the afternoon off? Human nature? Or is it they way we're brought up in the US?

You know how in elementary school whenever the teacher called in sick and you had a substitute you just ran WILD?

Or in high school when your parents are out of town you throw a party and have friends over?

And now when my boss isn't here I find myself yearning to ditch work, go home and finish up Harry Potter.

No more office

I found out yesterday that when I start school in a month I'll be losing my office. I'll be doing the walk of shame back to a little hovel of a working space. Cube-land here I come.

I know I've only been working for 2 years and there are some people around here that have been working for 10 years and are still in cubes, but it's just hard to take that hit.

I'll miss my door.

I'll miss my walls that go all the way up to the ceiling, thereby preventing some annoying boss from casually sticking his head over and talking to me.

I'll miss my whiteboard hung at a height convenient to write on while standing.

But, I guess I'll struggle through.

It's just hard to take a step back like that on the corporate ladder.

Supporting the Retail Industry

When I was younger I lacked tact.

Not that I posses it in abundance now, but I have significantly improved.

Once my mom spent a lot of time making me a navy blue shirt covered in bright yellow stars and suns (I was very into this kind of thing at the time). It even had buttons in the shape of suns. I'm sure she spent the whole time making this shirt for me thinking of how much I would like it and see that every stitch was a physical manifestation of her care for me.

When she gave me the shirt I took one look at it, turned up my heartless little nose and refused to even try it on. I think I said, "thanks mom, but I will NEVER wear this thing"

Rude, huh.

She never got me another article of clothing again without first running it by me.

To this day she thinks I am fickle and high maintenance about my clothes (which, admittedly, I am a bit).

Anyway, this has experience has left me with the impression that everyone is picky about their clothes and has scared me from buying them as a gift for anyone except my little sister (I've pretty much got a lock on her style).

Well, last night I went out on a limb and did something I've never done before.

I got a shirt for the ear doctor as a congratulations present for finishing his first day of preliminary exams for his PhD.

It was really cool and on sale at Nordstrom, so I got it.

And, he loved it.

I've never bought clothes for a boyfriend before and I think that is a definite indication that this relationship is moved to the next level. The retail level. Pretty big deal, huh. (wink)

Ah, yes, I almost forgot

My dear friend over at the Pink Poodle has reminded me to remind you all that my 24th birthday is on SATURDAY! Hooray!

I could die happy

I did it!

I have achieved the impossible.

I actually made the lady at the DMV laugh while I was there getting my drivers license renewed.

Beat that!

Doing it by flashlight

There are only a few things in life that can make me feel better than what I did yesterday afternoon.

I think it is because it reminds me of being little when things were uncomplicated, simple, straightforward and predictable. I feel in control of my surroundings. I feel isolated from the rest of the world's omnipresent and incessant attempts to convince me that I should have a faster car or an ipod.

Yesterday after church I took my brand new copy of the Half Blood Prince down into my unfinished basement. The rest of the house was sweltering in the 90+ degree summer sun, but the basement was a refuge. It was cold and quiet. No one knew were I was or even looked for me. I left my cell phone in my bedroom with the ringer turned off. I sat down on a my folded up fouton mattress, propped up by a mountain of pillows. With a childlike innocence, I curled under the brand new bright purple afghan that my grandma crocheted for my birthday. A glass of milk and bowl of hot, buttery popcorn sat next to me while I indulged myself in the next fantastic adventure of Ron, Harry, and Hermione.

I've always liked to steal away with a book. When I was little, I lived in a house whose staircase was right in the middle of the floorplan. It was L-shaped. This stair configuration created a huge, very deep closet under the stairs. The closet was dark and kind of scary. My mom hung coats in the front half of it and used the back half to store quilts, a bowling ball, the glass top to a table we never used, and all sorts of other things that are rarely used, but can't be thrown away.

When I wanted to get away from my family I would slowly approach the closet door. Reaching my hand up to grasp the gold knob I'd hesitate and take inventory of where everyone was in the house. My little sister would be out playing on the swingset. My mom was in the sewing room working on her quilt and my dad was at work. Perfect for me to sneak into my favorite secret hiding spot.

With lightening fast speed I twisted the knob, opened the door as little as necessary for my small frame, slid into the darkness, and quietly closed the door behind me.

For a moment I was lost in darkness, with my face pressed up to my mother's long fur coat. I bent down and searched along the edge of the wall until my knowing fingers closed around the flashlight I'd placed there for just such a circumstance.

In a very Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe-esqe way I pushed aside the coats and entered my little cubby hole.

Carefully, I would step over the bowling ball and between the glass table top to the tall stack of quilts. My flashlight would quickly point the way to where I had left my copy of A Wrinkle in Time. Picking it up and settling in between the top couple of quilts was my ticket to explore a place that was all my own.

And that's what it made me feel like yesterday when I hid myself in the basement and read my new Harry Potter book.

Random thoughts for today

1. I saw a guy wearing a cast at work this morning. And guess what...no signatures on it. What a waste. If you have to wear a cast you might as well use it to show everyone around you how popular you are. I think even when I'm 65 if I have to wear a cast for some reason I'll have people sign it.

2. The drive into work this morning was particularly enjoyable. I drove, with my sunroof open, down a twisty county backroad. Sure, it takes longer, but there aren't any other cars going that way. The green leafy trees stretched out on either side of the road making a breezy beautiful canopy for me to drive on into my wonderful job. Add to that wonderful ambiance that Salt 'n Peppa's Shoop came on the radio and I could belt out "if looks could kill you would be an oozie, or a shotgun, bang, what's up with that thang?"

3. This evening we have a kickball against a team with a psycho lady as coach. She is a really hard core old woman (and I mean old here) who was yelling at her team when we last saw them. The ear doctor's goal is to pummel her team into the ground. He'll probably do it to if he isn't distracted by the throngs of groupies that follow us around everywhere because he is so famous.

4. Today I'm wearing a new t-shirt. It is kind of a blue green color with an abstract picture of a girl with long curly hair. The girl's picture is brown/red. I thought it was totally cute. Last night when I showed the ear doctor he said, "what, is that supposed to by you on your shirt?" Now I'm slightly paranoid that people are going to think that I'm promoting myself on my own shirt. Tacky.

5. The new Harry Potter book comes out this weekend. I'm so excited that the only way to describe it is giddy. I've had a copy on advance reserve since April. I'm a nerd.

IQ Quiz

Alright, here's a real brain buster for you all.

What do these three people have in common:

1. Katie Holmes
2. Cameron Diaz
3. Me

Yes, you guessed it....we are all dating celebrities.

I really feel like I can now related to the pressure of a being with a celebrity. It is just so hard to have a normal relationship with all of that money and flashing bulbs and money and screaming fans and money. It has really taken its toll.

The ear doctor was featured today in the Louisville, CO local newspaper. The story was about our kickball domination, and it even included a very charming picture of my lovely bf....complete with red Bruce Lee t-shirt and sweat headband.

I'm really so proud of him. All I can say is that I hope with this new found glory he still retains the ability to relate to the little people like me.

This fame might spoil everything.

Oh the horror.

Contraband

Stolen from a cool girl with the same name.

ten random things about me:
1. My hair is curly but I straighten it every day
2. I love going to rodeos
3. I think the best place to dance is the kitchen
4. I love to buy pants more than any other article of clothing
5. I really really really want an orange kitten
6. I can touch my tongue to my nose
7. I love going to the movies...Especially on a Saturday afternoon
8. I've found a way to cook acorn squash that I absolutely love
9. I'd rather walk than run
10. I make my bed every morning

places I've visited:
1. London, UK
2. Havasupai Indian reservation...the only place left in the US where mail is still delivered by donkey
3. Puerto Vallarta, MX
4. Grand Canyon
5. State College, PA
6. Austin/Dallas, TX
7. LA/San Diego, CA
8. Seattle, WA
9. My grandma's house

eight things I want to do before I die:
1. Set foot on every continent
2. See my kids happy and successful
3. Always spend time with my parents
4. Play fiddle in front of a packed house
5. Find the perfect gift for my sister
6. Be called "Aunt Katie" by someone other than my real nieces and nephews
7. Spend a month in Washington DC and see everything
8. See a broadway show in New York

seven ways to win my heart:
1. Leave something for me under my windshield wiper
2. When you visit my parent's house with me, make your bed
3. Send my grandma a thankyou note
4. Tell me I'm pretty
5. Make me laugh until I almost pee
6. Not only let me be goofy, but inspire me to be
7. Genuinely care about my friends

six things I believe in:
1. If you work hard, good things will happen
2. There is a bigger plan
3. God loves me...more importantly God loves everyone, regardless of how they act or what they believe.
4. Timing is everything
5. Never stop learning and growing
6. My sister is pretty much perfect

five things I'm afraid of:
1. Ticks....Deathly
2. The bathroom mirror in the dark
3. Being lonely
4. Tight places
5. My fly being down in front of people (wink)

four of my favorite items in my room:
1. Blankey
2. My bathrobe
3. My violin
4. My family photo

three things I do everyday:
1. Make my bed
2. Think of the ear doctor
3. Miss my friends I don't live near

two things I'm trying to do right now:
1. Pass the time until I can leave work
2. Figure out where I can scam some free candy

one person I want to see right now:
1. Genius

You know you really should work out more when...

you're still sore on Tuesday from what you did to yourself the Saturday before.

Last weekend my roommate threw a big BBQ. I was a little leary because it didn't really seem like she had anything planned, but I had a brilliant idea.

The ear doctor and I went to Wal-Mart and bought huge plastic drop cloths, staked them to the grassy hill in the little park next to my house, turned on two hoses, added a little Dawn dish soap and Viola! Instant giant slip 'n slide!

It was awesome. Most of the guys and a few girls (me included of course) started going down the slide in our clothes. Despite the fact that my pants pretty much slid right off showing everyone my cute purple Victoria's Secret underwear, everyone had a blast.

The party turned into 10 people sliding and about 10 people watching. The ear doctor and I had an evil plot. We had buckets of water and huge sponges waiting in the bushes. At the right moment we brought them out and soaked all the dry people. It was AWESOME!

I haven't had a waterfight that fun since last summer!

These straws look like poo

When my sister was little she used to line her change up in perfect rows. The quarters would be stacked 5 high all along the edge of her closet shelves.

When she made her bed the quilt on top would be run perfectly parallel to the sides of the bed, and the corners of the bed would line up within an inch to the centers of the square quilt blocks.

Maggie's carpet would always have straight, perfect lines after vacuuming and she would intentionally walk in specific areas so that it would keep that freshly vacuumed look.

This makes it sound like she's anal, but she's not. She just doesn't like change. Working on being more flexible will be her life's greatest challenge.

I always thought I was so much better at it than Mags, but turns out I was fooling myself.

This morning I went to the kitchen at work and made myself a cup of hot cocoa like I do every morning after I read all my email. I put the powder into the bottom of my white Styrofoam cup, and pulled back the tap on the coffee machine to let the blistering hot water fall.

As I reached my hand up to complete step 3 in the process I've been completing every morning for the past 2 years I hesitated.

Someone had switched my pretty, clean white stirring straws.

They had been replaced by brown and black straws.

After a moment of indecision, I grabbed 2 brown ones (I always use 2 as I feel they provide more stirring strength) and scurried back to my office.

Even now as I look down at my cup those two brown straws irk me.

I guess I can't handle change either.

Attack of the weird roommate (Part 2)

Last night I couldn't sleep.

I lay in my bed looking up at the ceiling wondering why, in a house that has air conditioning; I was lying on top of my down comforter just sweating.

In an attempt to allow the cooler breezes from the hallway to circulate through my room I'd decided to leave the door open.

The light stealthily bent its way from the kitchen, up the stairs, and into my dark and sweltering bedroom.

I glanced over at the blue glow from my cell phone to see that it was 1:30 am.

I was confused by the presence of the light and the slight stirring noises emanating from the room below.

After a few minutes the suffocatingly warm smell of pancakes lilted up to my room, although I don't know how they moved in the stagnant, heavy air.

A few minutes later the sound and smell of frying bacon accompanied the sugary sweet scent of maple syrup.

As I laid there in my bed yearning for a sweet slumber to descend I was totally confused.

My roommate had decided to get up in the middle of the night and make herself some breakfast.

She is so strange.

(Attack of the weird roommate Part 1)

Totally annoyed

So I went to Walgreens on my way home from the airport so I could get my photos developed from the wedding.

I specifically asked them to make CDs of my photos so that I could download all the pictures of my pretty sister onto my blog and share with my pals.

Did I get the CD?

No

Can I show you the pics?

No

Should I ever trust the 17 year old high school punk wearing a navy blue vest that only has 1 hour left of his work shift before he can go out and party with his friends?

No

Should I join the 21st century and get a really nice digital camera so I can just do all this stuff myself and not have to deal with developing film anymore?

Probably

Not a first child anymore

So Mags is married. She is somebody's wife. She now folds someone else's underwear and irons his shirts to be nice.

She's collecting cook books, dish towels and fine bone china while I'm looking through the banana republic catalog and thinking that I really should invest in fixing the molding on my car.

She's off on her honeymoon and I'm sitting in my poorly air conditioned office tying away while I avoid actually doing any work of value.

She's worried about saving enough money to move into her first little family apartment and I'm looking forward to moving into a cute, rundown rental house in Boulder.

She's thinking about the names she and Dan will pick for their first children and I'm wondering where I'll be going out to eat tonight.

For the first time I have no advice to give her about what she should do. For the first time she's doing something before I've done it.

I am so thrilled and excited for her to make all the mistakes and tell me how to do it better when I get my chance to try.

Being the second is AWESOME!