The tests for live brain activity were inconclusive

Yesterday, upon returning to my home after a long and weary day of work, I pushed open the door to my house and was immediately beset with the strangest sound. For a moment it seemed like Roscoe had a little canine friend over for an afternoon visit.

Except this wasn't a normal little friend because his barking was measured, repetitive and sounded more like BA BA BA over and over again.

Strange.

I rounded the corner and what to my wondering eyes should appear, but...

my man, my possessed dog, and a LOT of electrical wires.

Intrigued, I sauntered forward to investigate. Turns out the ear doctor had been sitting perfectly still for 2 hours testing is own brain waves.

Nothing to see here...just a typical afternoon at our house...

Cool Denver House Friday

My, my my. I'm pretty sure the ear doctor and I could make this lovely white house our home:

For $219 this adorable 3 bed, 1 bath, 1120 sq ft house has me chomping at the bit. The previous owner was a Parade of Home landscape winner so you know there are some gorgeous plants growing.

We'd have to install air conditioning, or the ear doctor would melt...

Why do I always get the mystery flavor?

At BYU where I earned my undergraduate degree there is a long, long, long set of stairs up from the athletic building up to the rest of campus. At the beginning of my college career running up those stairs was a feat. Coming from the altitude bereft Washington to the heights of Utah, I found myself huffing and puffing on a regular basis.

By the end of my scholastic time there I was able to leap up those steps, taking often taking two at a time. I was quite proud of my hard earned ability.

Except, of course for the one time I was running late to class (as usual). It was that day that I learned the lethal combination of cheap rubber flip flops and wet cement stairs. The pain of hard, unforgiving stairs pounding into the small of my back is not an easily forgotten sensation.

So when I was running late to a meeting this afternoon, wearing flip flops and, once again, practically flying down concrete stairs with metal-tipped corners the following thought actually crossed my mind, "Katie. Slow down. If you fell right now this mystery flavored dum dum in your mouth might actually smash through the soft back of your throat and impale your brain."

And so I slowed down. I'd hate to render myself brain-dead at work. How embarrassing....

Blogger to Blogger

This week one of my good friends who I actually know IN REAL LIFE stopped by for a little blogger to blogger interview. Eleanor is a totally awesome chick who is just about as hip and cool as they come!

Eleanor asked: I've always admired your achievements in education and the success you've experienced professionally. How do you see yourself managing those elements when the Ear Doctor and your family begins to grow?


Katie answered: Thanks so much for your compliment! Doing my job day in and day out it doesn't seem glamorous or admirable in any way. I just come in, do my best and go home to my puppy and my man. And then when I describe what I do to a new friend I'm kind of taken by surprise that little ole me is doing something that sounds so cool.

As far as the future goes, we haven't nailed anything down for our future and what will happen to my career. We've tossed around everything from me going back to work as soon as possible to me stopping work for the next 10 years. It's hard to tell what will make the most sense for us in the future because I just don't know all the variables involved. I have no idea how I'll feel or what sacrifices I'll be willing/able to make.

But I'll tell you this right now: If I do get to stay at home with my babies I think I will feel pretty lucky and fulfilled.


Eleanor asked: Since I met you, years ago now, you've always represented what it means to be grounded. I'm wondering, has there ever been an issue or life question posed that's thrown you off balance?

Katie answered: This is tough to answer. So much of my self-image is wrapped up in being perceive as grounded, successful and smart. Admitting that something has thrown me is a BIG deal. But here it is.

After the end of a hard relationship and in the middle of feeling all alone I wondered if God truly existed. I wondered why I'd chosen to adopt a lifestyle that requires me to be so different from the rest of the world. I wondered if there was a real reason to give up experiences that everyone else seemed to enjoy VERY much. Was I missing out on things for nothing? It was a very hard moment. But one I feel that everyone of faith goes through. A doubt, a wavering moment, a trial of that faith. Without this moment I wonder if I could ever really emphatically claim that my lifestyle is MY choice. It is what I know to be true. It is what works for me. Without this moment of land-beneath-my-feet shifting I might just be living a life that was easy for me. A rut too deep to get out of. A worn path too comfortable to leave.

Now I know. It is true. It is the way.


Eleanor asked: Speaking of transparency, how do you manage being so conspicuous in this open forum of the web? Has it ever come back to bite you?

Katie answered: To be perfectly honest, I'm not quite as transparent as you might guess. I sensor a lot of what I write to make sure I don't offend. I don't use my real full name. I don't fully expose my opinions on politics and I don't often mention my religion. I'm a wimp a lot of the time.

That being said, the amount of myself I share has defiantly bit me on occasion. In the beginning I had a horrible and painful run-in with an old roommate via this blog. I often get mean off the wall commenters who cut me to the quick in 1 little sentence. My delete trigger finger is very quick. I've just learned to take it easy and let things go.

It's actually been a very good growth opportunity to try to see myself and my writing from an outside perspective.



and now for the flip side...

Katie asked: What do you consider your secret, nerdiest trait (besides your undying love for Harry Potter)? What would your hipster friends be surprised to learn?

Eleanor answered: Ha ... oh the things one must hide from hipsters to play it cool ;)

I think I'm surprised when they're thrown off balance by my nerdiness; it's relatively well integrated into my personality. The nerdiest stuff really is related to HP and fantasy, comic books and science fiction. I'm a HUGE Star Wars fan, same with Lord of the Rings. I could watch the entire extended edition of the LOTR trilogy, WITH interviews mind you, on repeat for the rest of my life and not get bored.

I've also gotten reasonably "techy" in the last few years. So, when I talk about coding a website, however amateur I am at it, people do a double take.


Katie asked: What role does faith play in your life? I'm not just talking about faith in some kind of higher being, but faith in anything.

Eleanor answered: This last year has been one big test of faith, and I'm infinitely grateful for it. My relationship to faith is ever-changing, but I've truly learned that my life is dysfunctional without a solid investment in it. I've found it incredibly therapeutic to loose faith at times; it reminds me how unconditional our relationship is. At some point, it always ends up right back on my front door step. And when it does, I step aside and let it in.


Katie asked: Why no comments on the ole blog? Isn't the back and forth between writer and audience one of the best parts of the medium?

Eleanor answered: No, you're right ... you're right. My relationship to the blogosphere is complicated at this stage in my life. I'm a really transparent person, and I've realized that transparency can be as hurtful at times as brutally honesty. So, at one point, I decided that cutting off comments gave me more freedom to move in this space without the immediate repercussions being public as well.

I think I'm growing toward a more sturdy me. And when that Eleanor arrives, I can ignite those reciprocal conversations again.

More like a chipmunk

So let's talk about Nie's post yesterday. I'm sure you read it since, well, it's amazing to read every word she writes. Amazing to feel like a vicarious part of her recovery. Amazing to see the positivity she possess despite what are probably daily set backs.

But yesterday's post I felt like I really truly understood a bit of what she is going through.


2 years ago I developed Bell's Palsy in the right side of my face. For 3 weeks every square inch of the affected side of my face was painful and droopy. My face looked like melted plastic...no tone, no movement, nothing. I carried a baby washcloth around with me because my eye leaked and drool feel out of the corner of my mouth. And while it wasn't excruciatingly painful like burn recovery is, it was, to me, horribly disfiguring. Looking at the mirror brought stinging tears to my eyes. Tears that would not stay put in my right eye because my dumb nerves refused to feel them coming and command the muscles to tighten up to keep them in check.

I felt horribly ugly and then horribly ashamed because I thought that my looks didn't matter that much to me. But they do. I've never thought of myself as terrifically beautiful and so I didn't know of my own personal vanity.

Waking up and not seeing the same face that you are used to is H-A-R-D. And I don't know if I ever would have really understood that fact until I'd gone through this. Which is probably why Nie's post struck me to the core and made my heart hurt for her.



And while everyone around me says that my face has recovered and they can never tell what happened to me, I can. I see a slight droop on one side in photos. I see a lack of symmetry in my smile. I see looseness in one eyelid that is non-existent in the other.

And it reminds me of that pain.


So, while my ordeal was more like the gestation of a chipmunk than an elephant, I too bear the stretchmarks.

But most people still don't know what he does

Well, I have to admit, we were pretty excited when we were strolling through the St. Louis airport. Right there between this month's issue of Cosmo and Maxim we found happiness and total validation.

How can such a thing be?

Well right there in the US News and World report we found out that the top, best, most awesome, highest ranked career for 2009 was non other than my dear ear doctor's profession! And not only that, check out what career came in at #5:

Who would have guessed that such soul satisfying sentiments could be generated at an airport news stand?

Cool Denver house Friday

I've been reading a lot of thisyounghouse.com and they've got me in the mood to take on a brick 1950's ranch. And, look at this little cutie I've found:

This 4 bed, 2 bath looker has 2370 sq ft of retro appeal. Priced at the bargain basement price of $160K I'd feel like I was living right next door to my grandma Margie in Salt Lake. Plus all the other houses on the street are appraised at $200-210 so we could easily make some upgrades and get a decent return, right?

That big expanse of grass is BEGGING me to come in with my round-up and carve out some garden space!

Blogger to Blogger

This week I had the lucky chance to exchange some probing questions with the one and only Marta of martawrites. If there was superpower I could steal from any blogger, I might just take her own personal handwriting font.

Becuase it's just that cool.

And my handwriting.....chicken scratch doesn't even begin to describe it.

On with the questions!

Marta asked: What is your favorite thing about living in Colorado? Any must-see spots for tourists?

Katie answered: Living in Colorado is just as amazing as everyone says it is. The air is clean, the people are healthy, and now Design Mom lives here. What more can you ask for?

The things you MUST see if you come to Colorado: Downtown Boulder is a place unlike anywhere else. The people, the politics, the vibe is all ultimately entertaining. Everyone should ski Vail at some point. The sheer size of the resort is pretty astounding. Take a summer trip up to Steamboat springs. Head up to Estes park in October to hear the Elk bugling and swarming the city. Go down to Crested Butte for 4th of July and take part in the city-wide water fight between strangers. If you don't ever see Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs you can't die fufilled. And if you never take in a concert at Red Rocks you can't ever really say you've seen a concert.

Marta asked: What is your favorite meal to cook for the 'ear doctor'? (I'd love your recipe..)

Katie answered: My favorite things to cook for the ear doctor are the things he's loved since he was a little 10 year old boy. The meals his mom made him. The transformative power of these meals are pretty amazing and if I could give him anything in life it would be the innocent, joyful, filled to the brim happiness he had as a kid.

One of these dishes is called "sweet and sour chicken". You basically take a package of chicken legs and thighs, cover them with 1000 island dressing, liptons onion soup mix and Apricot Pineapple preserves. Bake at 350 until the chicken is cooked through. Then boil wide egg noodles, place the cooked chicken pieces over the noodles and pour the cooking juices all over the noodles.

Marta asked: The truth on blogging, what are your thoughts on the subject? What do you look for in a blog to make you read daily? What kinds of thing annoys you (Music; yay or nay, etc.)?

Katie answered: I really like blogging. A lot. I love that my mom can call me up and just launch into a converstaion about somethign she read there. It's kind of hard for me to have converstaions about myself, so its a really easy springboard to get the ball rolling. I love that I can see cute photos of my niece and know how my sister is feeling 40 weeks pregnant.

Things I look for in a daily read blog:

-updates almost daily

-writes funny stuff or posts unique products

-posts shorter than 300 words

-the author's personality shines through their writing

Things that annoy me:

-not much. usually if something turns me off I leave before I get annoyed

Marta asked: (Bonus) I know you are an avid reader, what are your favorite books?

Katie answered: I used to think I was an avid reader. That was until I met my college roomate Anth and read about the awesome blogger Jannsen. But, I do like to read. My favorite book of all time is Tale of Two Cities. I love it.

But there are other books that are all runners-up (or is it runner-ups?) for second place. The Lord of the Rings series are close to my heart. Power of One is a classic. Anything by Madeline L'Engle reminds me of being little. And, of course, I love Harry Potter with every fiber of my being.

Of books I've read lately I really liked The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman and Light at the Edge of the World: A Journey Through the Realm of Vanishing Cultures by Wade Davis.

and then....

Katie asked: What 3 material things are MUST-HAVES in your daily life?

Marta answered: i am going to bump it up to five. i hope that's okay, i just love things.

number one, and this is a big fat number one is my computer. i love my apple computer. it's the window to my life; my designs, my business, my photos, my recipes, my writings, my communicado to the outside world. my past, present and future all rolled into one. have i gotten carried away?

okay number two. my rocking chair. sounds strange i know, but now that i'm a mom this is the best seat in the house. we purchased a BEST brand glider and i had no idea how much i'd love it. so cozy. it's not too mammoth or too puffy. it's not hard or creaky either. it's perfect. i sit in it with or without my bear cub on my lap. i am short, so the fact that i can reach the floor is a pretty big deal. this is a rocker that doesn't swallow small people. i highly recommend them.

number three. my mini shuffle ipod. i wear it to clean the house, work out, to watch cable at the gym, to do the dishes, ride the bus, to tune out and tune into myself. it's perfect because i can get away and not even leave the house.

number four. my chaco flipflops. i wear these 6 months out of the year. they are by far the best sandals / flipflops i've ever owned. well worth their crazy price tag. break them in and you'll love them forever. dan introduced them to me. so i better give him credit. he does say i have hobbit feet though, yes my feet are flat and wide. not so audrey hepburnish. but still chacos will amaze.

number five. i have to throw in clinique superbalm gloss in raspberry. love it. i want to marry it.

Katie asked: Were you nervous about how your relationship with Dan would change when Benji came on the scene?

Marta answered: Yes, of course. Among other things, while I was pregnant (and before that too) I worried about what having a third wheel come into the picture would do to our merry matrimony. But to tell you the truth, Benji has changed our relationship for the better. It is so much fun. After seven years of marriage, the best li'l joy of bundled happiness entered our world. In large part, it has been bliss all because Dan is so awesome, so selfless and amazing. He was ready to be a father long before he became one simply because he has such a heart of gold.

Of course there are adjustments to be made. We rarely go out, but we make sure we still have date nights. We give Benj a bath, put him to bed, make a yummy dinner and eat an awesome dessert while watching a Red Box dvd. I try to make sure Dan gets some time with Benj, they do errands together while I exercise, have girls night or clean the house. I love picking Dan up for lunch and heading for a fast food joint or taking a picnic to the park. Yes, there are definite changes, but mainly all for the good. I think of it as the couple / newlywed stage is over now, family stage here we go.

Having a child and becoming a mama has been gigantically happier, sweeter, more fantastic than anyone can describe. I think I over-worried and expected a lot of hardships; you can't help but hear about the downfalls of parenthood all over the media. So now that he's here, I see how much better it is. Our life is more rich and full and happy. (All the cliches are true.) We are a little trio now and he makes us more united. I call Dan at work and say, 'Bear cub just rolled over!' or 'He totally loves squash.' or 'Benj is laughing is head off, you have to hear this...' and it's so rad because Dan will be completely into it and loves hearing what our babe is into. Kids are a happy thing. I feel so lucky to have him and the bonus of getting to raise him with my best friend.

Katie asked: Over the past 2.5 years your little spot on the Internet has grown quite a bit. Do you have any regrets associated with growing your blog so big? Are there down sides to being so wonderfully popular?

Marta answered: Well thank you for saying that. I don't know about 'popular' but I take it as a compliment. I am thrilled that anyone reads my blog because that is what every writer wants; an audience. I go back and forth about how real life my blog should be and what I should put out there versus what I should keep private. It's like walking on a tightrope. (I have found way more pros than cons in the blogworld.) I don't have any regrets, I try to stay true to myself, be genuine. This is one reason I don't take any money or sponsors for my blog. I don't charge for the giveaways I feature and I don't put up ads. I would worry that my writing would be stifled if I had to own up to anyone. I like that it's just my own little space to play around, write a lot, design up and down and throw anything I please into it. It's an online diary to express how I feel and what inspires me. I like blogging because it is a way of sharing a piece of yourself. I find that hugely rewarding in my life. It makes you stretch and come out of your shell and show who you are.

Out and about

Hey!

I'm in St. Louis this week visiting my adorable lump of a nephew. Please excuse the sporadic posts as I will be up to my ears it baby cooing and swaddling practice.

Cool Denver House friday

This little cutie is pretty much ready for us to move in. It's in our very favorite prospective neighborhood, sunnyside. Who wouldn't want to live in a neighborhood called sunnyside? Life would just be happier there.

This home was built in 1929. It has 3 beds, 1 bath, 1200 sq ft for $250K.

Let down

This year commemorates my 10th year away from high school.

Upon leaving said high school I was about 97.3% sure that I would not be returning for any reunions. Not that I had a horribly terrible experience in high school or anything. I had a great best friend and a nice little click to be part of. But I just figured I probably wouldn't be living in the same place I grew up. I just didn't see the appeal.


But, then 10 years go by and I start to think....well....maybe? I'm pretty happy with how my life is right now and I would love to catch up with said best friend. I might be interested in seeing what other people are up to. I'm not utterly opposed to making a trip of it up to see my wonderful parents. They just put in a new big veggie garden in their backyard and I'd love to see it....


So I actually went to my high school website just to GLANCE at the plans for the event.


But guess what?

There aren't any plans. Not a single person has stepped up to plan the event. Not a single alumni wants the dumb thing to happen enough to send out an evite for drinks or something.


And so now I'm a little ticked off. Me, the girl who was pretty certain she'd never return, is totally annoyed. I mean, not that I would actually pay for a ticket to GO do the thing, but it's the principle of the matter.

How can I prove that I'm way too cool by not showing up if they don't even PLAN anything?!?!?

Blogger to Blogger

Michelle over at Made Sweet is a great blogger and if you haven't scooted your little virtual self over there to check out the pretties that she posts your are seriously missing out! I asked her if she'd be part of blogger to blogger and she was SO nice to agree.



Michelle asked: What are your three 'most played' songs in iTunes right now, this very second? (This is my favorite question because I believe it's very telling of a person. Sometimes even when someone claims that they only listen to Blink 182, their top song is "Heaven" by Bryan Adams. That's a true story, and the boy we found this out about was so embarrassed.)

Katie answered: Well, the ear doctor and I share our itunes account, so it's biased and doesn't count. If it were only mine and my choices making the most played I bet the top 3 would be "Short skirt, long jacket" by Cake, "Vivir sin aire" by Mana and "the Chokin kind" by Joss Stone.

3 songs I listen to over and over and over and probably drive the ear doctor up the wall. What do you think these say about me?

Michelle asked: When you go to a restaurant do you always order the same thing, or something new from the menu?

Katie answered: Oooh, it really depends on the place. If I am sure I've found the thing on the menu that I like the very best then I usually get it every time. If it's a new place I've only been a few times I try different dishes each time. But I'm almost always drawn to things with the following ingredients: artichoke hearts, capers, lemon, avocado, bacon, goat cheese.

Michelle asked: Where were you five years ago today, where did you think you would be today (as opposed to where you actually are), and where do you think you will be in five years? Kind of a long question, I know, but it's another one of my favorites.

Katie answered: Well, 5 years ago I was working for the same company just getting my feet under me. Trying to figure out what was expected of me as an engineer. I had just been dumped by a really sweet guy that I cared a lot for. My wonderful aunt had just passed away after fighting colon cancer for 10 years. I was living in an awesome condo with a roommate that I just adored. I was spending more money on clothes than any sane person ever should. I was getting to know my friend Sarah and her boyfriend/soon to be husband.

I thought I would be leaving Colorado in just over a year to attend a prestigious grad school so I figured that it was my time to just do whatever I wanted. I did end up going to grad school, but I stayed in Colorado. CU is a great school and I just couldn't bring myself to leave the ear doctor once I'd met him.

In another 5 years I don't know where we'll be physically, but if we were in Colorado I wouldn't mind a bit. I'll probably have one baby and we'll be living in a house that I obsess over and drive the ear doctor crazy about. I might still be working as an engineer, but I might also take time away from work. I might teach classes at a community or junior college. I might be attending pastry school or have my own bakery by then. Maybe I'll launch my own event planning business or go back to school for landscape design. Who knows?

I've learned over the passed decade that, for me, it is better to temper my ambition with a bit of flexibility. Without that I tend to want to force my life to go in a certain direction, regardless of other external forces that gently nudge me into the path that is really the best.

And then...

Katie asked: Do you realize how good you are at blogging? Seriously, girl, I think you could be one of the big ones if you really wanted to be.

Michelle answered: Thank you! That's really sweet of you. One thing is for sure, I definitely love blogging. There are so many amazing people out there doing great things, and I like learning about all of them! I think that's what attracted me to blogging in the first place--it was such a positive atmosphere with people sharing good things, whether it's a craft or an uplifting story, and I love that.

Katie asked: If you could have one dream come true what would it be?

Michelle answered: Well, my first thought for this is to be a wife and mom, but that'll happen when it happens. A more fickle dream is one that I've had for about four years now: to become a really good surfer. I love outdoor sports, and surfing is the next one I would like to conquer. (Not that I've necessarily conquered the others...)

I lived in Hawaii for just a few months when I was twenty, and learned the basics of surfing and have been in love with it ever since. I even bought my own board two summers ago! (I must be the only girl in Orem, Utah with a surfboard in her basement.) I try to make it to Southern California every summer for a few days of surfing, but someday soon I'll move next to a great surf beach and I'll be surfing every day! You're welcome to come visit when I do!

Katie asked: Do you ever feel overwhelmed by all the great design out there and how available blogging/the Internet makes it?

Michelle answered: Absolutely! Sometimes when I take a few days away from blogging, I go back to my reader and have 1800 unread items and it stresses me out! But I'm learning to not really try and keep up, because that's impossible, but instead just take it all in at my own pace.

The internet is so amazing with how much it makes available to us, it blows me away that I can see the latest designs from around the world, all from my computer in Utah. How great is that? I'd be missing out on a lot without the internet.

A little tip

Last night I encountered one of my biggest pet peeves and I thought I'd share, because, well, I can.


In the mail we got a very square, very official white creamy envelope with our names hand-written on the front. The only possible explanation? A wedding invitation.

Slightly confused, I flipped it over to try to determine who was getting married. I thought the only wedding we'd be attending this year was a friend from school who was getting married in August. That would be one on-top-of-it, eager-beaver bride to be getting her invitations out already.

I didn't really recognize the last name...but that happens all the time. I slid my finger under the OUTER envelope flap so I could pull out the INNER envelope so I could pull out the invitation.

After I read the names on the front of the invitation a light bulb flashed. This was the invitation for a woman who I'd spoken to a few times at church. A woman whose daughter I love and teach at our bi-monthly activity days. I knew she was remarrying but I wasn't actually expected to be invited to the event.

Well, I was invited. Which was nice.



But you know what wasn't nice? The little card insert straight from Bed Bath & Beyond telling me exactly WHY I was invited to this wedding. I didn't even have a chance to read through the entire invitation before the noticing that my presence as well as my presents were invited to come to the wedding.

I really hate this trend. It makes me feel like I'm invited for one reason and one reason only.



So my advice is this: Prospective newlyweds: do not put a "we are registered for gifts here" tag in your invitation unless it is 1) well-designed and 2)not glaringly obvious.


If we want to get you a gift we'll be able to figure out where you are registered on our own. Because 80-90% of you are either registered at Bed Bath &Beyond or Target. Plus, you probably registered for the wrong stuff anyway (you do not need 4 ice cream makers...I promise), or all the cool things will be gone, or not available at that store....so we're going to have to use our imaginations anyway.

Confession

I know I'm a blogger and I'm supposed to be all worked into a tizzy over these, but I have to be honest here. I just don't get it. And I don't think I'll ever, not in a million years, like these:

I don't ever foresee an occasion that I'll ever actually wear one around in public...unless it's a costume or something.

Can we still be friends?

Realization

Last night I was feeling nostalgic.

I was missing the warm pre-summer nights I spent during my undergrad. The nights where I found myself sitting around with a group of people that made me laugh until my sides hurt. The nights were I decided at 10:30 it was the perfect time to walk across my neighborhood to get a cherry Slurpee. The nights I felt little real stress and no real responsibility. The nights that were pretty much mine alone. The nights where I wasn't accountable to anyone or anything.


Then I realized....I was actually in the middle of one of those nights. I was with my ear doctor who, to me, is hilarious. We'd worked together for a couple of hours building a flower planter that was totally unnecessary and frivolous. We decided to make a late, quick run the McDonald's to get ice cream cones. We watched the sun sink down as we walked our dog around the apartment complex. Our bills had been easily paid and our house was clean enough.



And who really wants to be alone or unaccountable anyway?

Things that didn't quite turn out this weekend

1. My fail-proof banana bread recipe turned out burnt, dense and sticky. Gross.

2. The Saturday morning cleaning-fest that typically overtakes our house was reduced to a cursory 409 spray-down and bread crumb smear.

3. My intent to make delicious perfect from scratch cookies for our party on Saturday night ended just barely alive. I actually served greenish cookies whose dough originated from a yellow plastic encased tube.

4. The hike I wanted to take the dog on? A mere figment of my imagination.

5. The dress I really need to start sewing for an upcoming event next month? Relegated to the bottom of the to do list.



Why did none of this get done? I was so distracted by my LITTLE SISTER HAVING A SECOND BABY!

Yup, Mags had her little baby boy early early early this morning (1:44). Apparently he is 8 lb 8 oz, 22 in, brown-haired perfection. I wouldn't know because NO ONE HAS SENT ME A PICTURE YET!

Ugh!


I can't wait to see his little mug in person on Thursday!










UPDATE: I finally got a phone picture. He's the BEST! They think he may have my sister's dimples!!!!!

Throw us a bone

Last night the ear doctor and I went to the movies. We got there in time to take in all the previews...one of my favorite things. Usually I like seeing trailers and getting excited to see future movies. Especially since the good summer movies are about to be released.

Well, last night was not quite as fun.

After not one or two but THREE movies about the dark end of the world/machines eliminating mankind/the environment the trailer for the next Ice Age movie came on. The clip? Our little friend the pre-historic saber-toothed squirrel attempting, as he has been for the last decade, to get that little nut. That nut that is just within his reach, but he is never able to get it.


My question to Hollywood is this: Didn't you notice that we're in a freakin recession here? Don't you know that people are already depressed and a bit scared as it is? Do you really think we need to pay exorbitant amounts of money at the box office to watch an even MORE depressing version of our future? I don't think so.

Can't we just get some happy feel good movies made? Ones where people aren't wearing million dollar shoes but are fulfilled just the same?


Ones where the squirrel actually GETS his nut?

Cool Denver House Friday

First off, you better hold on to your seat. If you didn't realize what a planning, scheming, Type A person I am then this will probably make your mind explode with the sheer nerdiness of what I've done.

I realized that probably most of you don't have the slightest idea of the layout of Denver, so I've put together a sketch of the area. In addition I've triangulated our housing search based on our personal most-traveled destinations and this is what I've come up with.

Our money-spot location is shown above in the cross-hatched zone. All the houses I've posted here have been close to the red circle. I've decided to let myself branch out of the little red circle that I've drawn around my search. Certainly there are some cool options outside the circle, right?

RIGHT!

Just look at this! Colorado thru and thru. If we lived here I'd bake an apple pie everyday and seriously consider raising chickens in the back yard!

For a mere $165K this 1940's farm house has 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, 1425 sq ft and costs good $100K beneath any house appraised in the neighborhood. That means we could roll up our sleeves and really add some value here!

Plus, can't you just see a couple of rocking chairs and a cute little sleepy Boxer named Roscoe napping on the porch?

A great memory

Not sure why this one came to mind this morning, but it did:

One time I fell asleep in the back of my aunt's van surrounded by all my
cousins. They stuck french fries up my nose.

When I woke up I was so confused why the rims of my nostrils felt like margartia glasses.

Have a non-bodily-orifice-defacing Thursday!

Blogger to Blogger

This week I had the chance to exchange some of my burning questions with none other than the TV STAR Lindsey at Cafe Johnsonia. She makes the B-E-S-T food and totally shares all her recipes (unlike lazy ole me). And want to know something embarrassing about me? In my mind I've been pronouncing her blog's name as Cafe John-son-ista. Like, rhymes with, barista? DORKY ME! On with the questions:

Lindsey asked: What is your favorite part about living in Colorado? Take me through a virtual tour if I came to visit for a day.

Katie answered: Are you coming soon? To visit me?!?!?! There are so many awesome things about living in Colorado that a single day just isn't enough to take it all in. If you came to visit me for a single Colorado summer day here is what we'd do.

First things first, we'd eat breakfast at Lucile's. Soft sugary beignets, huge mugs of thick hot chocolate and a plate of Egg's Jennifer (veggie eggs Benedict) would start the day of right. Not into eggs? Their steel-cut oatmeal will literally BLOW your mind.

Then, we'd spend a few hours strolling the outdoor farmers market a few blocks away. Fresh, organic produce sold by earth-lovin hippies, live music, cute families and dogs everywhere typify this experience.

After getting our fill of peaches or strawberries at the peak of their freshness we'd take off and take a little hike up Chautauqua park.

We'd watch the awesome Colorado climbers scale the face of the flatirons. On our hike we'd pull out our pre-packaged box lunches from my FAVORITE sandwich spot, Dish. No one goes hungry when the visit me!

For our evening activities we'll head back to Pearl Street. We'll laugh at the funny street performers. We'll check out some awesome locally owned shops. We'll have fantastic dinner at the Kitchen or Frasca (if we can get reservations) or even Jax...the restaurant from which the most recent Top Chef hails.

After filling our bellies with some fantastic grub we'll walk down to Boulder theater to go to an awesome concert, or we can go up to campus to watch a Shakespeare play or to the hill to rock out at the Fox Theater. Then we'd sit out in the warm summer night air and stare up at the stars that are so clear and close you'll be amazed.

Lindsey asked: Did getting your degree in Engineering change how you saw the world? If so, how? (Everyday life kind of things.)

Katie answered: Yes, it actually did. For a while every time I saw something around me I'd draw a free body diagram of it. In case you've never seen one, a free body diagram is a way to show what forces are acting on a something...like gravity, friction, ect. I distinctly remember mentally drawing one of myself while I was water skiing over still glassy water. Then I realized I was being SOOOO dorky and I needed to balance that out so that I wasn't constantly ruining memorable moments of my life with too much analysis.

I try not to let it creep into my daily life as much anymore.

Lindsey asked: What are your top 10 must-must haves? (Think that last page in Domino mag.)

Katie answered:



1. My paper cutter 2. Watching Anne of Green Gables when I'm sick 3. Listening to talks on Ted 4. My microplane zester 5. Dior mascara 6. hot tamales 7. The music of the beautiful Billie Holiday 8. Petro Carbo lip salve 9. Joes Jeans, Muse cut 10. My little wrist bumper for my mouse

And turning the tables....

Katie asked: There MUST be something you can't make...something you're nervous to try...something you've tried in the past that hasn't turned out. Are you brave enough to share your kitchen nemesis? (mine is fudge...I just can't get it right)


Lindsey answered: Oh, there are many, many things I can't make. And even more failures. Want to hear the one I'm the most embarrassed about? Rice. RICE. I can't make it to save my life. My mom bought me a rice cooker last summer. Finally we can eat rice that isn't soupy or undercooked.

My nemesis is saltwater taffy. I made it four times in a row and it NEVER worked. I gave up on that.

I think the failures have helped me more than anything as I have learned (and am still learning) how to cook and bake. We joke at home that I am playing America's Test Kitchen. I even take things over to family for them to review. It's fun. I don't mind the failures too much.


Katie asked: If you could wake up tomorrow morning anywhere in the world, where would you want it to be?


Lindsey answered: That depends--did I get to sleep through the night? Just kidding.

I would love to wake up in Karmoy, Norway. It's a small island in the North Sea. My great-grandfather grew up on that island and some of my relatives still live there. One runs a chicken farm and his lovely house sits on the coast. I was lucky enough to visit there with my grandfather before he died. I'd go back there in a heartbeat and stay for the summer. The people are genuine. The landscape is gorgeous. The food...oh, the food is so good. And I'd take a dip in the North Sea with the jellyfish. You'd be surprised how warm the water is in August and how many jellyfish there are.


Katie asked: Anyone who has been blogging for a while has some learned a little something about what makes a "good" blog. Are there any concrete things you've changed about your blogging over the years that has made it better? Something someone else could do to help their blog be better?


Lindsey answered: I hope my blog has gotten better over the years. :)

Blogging has changed over the last few years. I started back in February of 2006. It was just becoming all the rage. I didn't realize what blogging even was. I was haphazard and all over the place. It took some time to center on the theme of food blogging. Most of the blogs I read were personal blogs about my friends' kids. There weren't as many lifestyle and food blogs around like there are now. (Or maybe I just didn't know about them.)

My husband bought me a digital SLR for Mother's Day in 2006. I had to sit down and read my manual and learn how to use it properly. That took the most effort and the most time. Pictures are what made people other than my best friend interested in my blog. When I started posting recipes there were no pictures. I started taking pictures. Then I started doing how-to posts. People liked the how-to posts. I don't do them as often anymore because they are really time consuming; though I still love those posts the very best.

I get asked a lot about how to make a blog better. I'm not sure I'm the authority on this, but I'll tell you what makes me want to read one blog vs. another.

*Pictures--they don't have to be magazine quality, I just like something to look at
*Consistency--doesn't have to be daily, just frequently
*Writing--it could be funny, sweet, or sad, but it should be well composed
*Originality--I get bored of blogs that just copy other blogs all the time
*Personality--share a little bit about your life so your readers can get to know you (I could probably do this more)
*Connect with other bloggers--learn from them, link to them, comment, etc.
*Don't post for other people--stay true to yourself. Be genuine and people will be able to see it. This is the single most important thing.

the spiller

The ear doctor is an only child. And he is a very coordinated only child.

Growing up his family was close friends with another family. A loud, child-filled, chaotic family. A family that had a "spiller". Every time the ear doctor's family went over to share a big dinner with these friends the inevitable would occur. Either the milk glass was poised a little too close to the table edge or the casserole dish was too heavy for little hands to securely pass. Whatever the impetus, the result was flying food...usually into someone else lap.

This so frustrated the child version of my fastidious husband that he remembers the angst to this day.

Fortune is a cruel, cruel mistress.

As much as I hate to admit it, he married himself a spiller. (the horror!)

This week I've been really trying to work overtime. Translation = multiple meals this week have been consumed while taking in this view:

Which, for a spiller like me is quite precarious. Electronic device poised directly below the take-off strip from bowl to mouth? A recipe for disaster.

GREAT NEWS!

Hey everybody! This morning I got some really fantastic news. I am coming in to a ton of money and I've decided to take anyone who reads this blog on a fantastic cruise in the Mediterranean! Pack your bags, go buy a big floppy hat and some espadrille sandals because we are all TAKING OFF!

Just check out the email that I received this morning:

It's going to be so much fun! I can't wait!

Steppin out with my baby

Lately the ear doctor and I have really tried to make and effort to plan and do special things for each other. I'll wake up early to take the dog on a walk while he gets a little more shut eye and he'll grab and extra banana or cookie for me as we scoot out the door.

It's small stuff that makes being together so awesome.

Saturday we decided to head downtown to check out free day at the Denver Art Museum. After arriving we realized it had been way too long since we went on an official "date" together. Scrimping and saving every little copper penny for our big house purchase later this year has put a serious cramp in our style.

But, since this trip was to be an official "date," a few things were out of the ordinary. First, every time I turned around, there the ear doctor was: PUTTING OUT THE VIBE

I mean, really, how can I possibly exist such a sultry pose next to over sized livestock? I'm only human...

There were moments of lust

and of desire

(FYI This is a gorgeous pure gold headband that I wanted to rip out of the case and put on my head)

and when we were separated....two very lonesome hearts.

But, in the end there is really only one mandatory requirement for our time together to be considered and official date:

A self-portrait. The ear doctor h-a-t-e-s taking these, but he does it every time because I l-o-v-e them.

My man, the NERD

Today the ear doctor is taking the first of two finals for this semester.

He graduated high school in 1997. The next fall he went to college for a year. I'm not really sure how much actually studying was accomplished in this year. I've heard stories...not a whole lot of hardcore academic learning seems to have happened.

The following two years he spent studying harder than he ever had before and teaching the people of Mexico city about our faith. He returned a changed man. An intellectual. A scholar.

He spend 3 more years working to get his undergraduate degree. And, without taking a single break, started his graduate study the next year. At this point he is finishing up year 5 of graduate school. Which means for the past 11 years my man hasn't taken a single break in his pursuit for higher education.


This morning he admitted that after this year he finally feels like he deserves a doctorate degree in both audiology and neuroscience.


I am so proud of him I could just burst.

Cool Denver House Friday

Alright, this house is pretty much EXACTLY what I want. It seems that they had a buyer fall through, so it's back on the market at a screaming deal!

For $200K this 4 bed, 2 bath, 3389 sq ft home is so loaded with potential it practically makes my brain explode. My paint brush would have a field day in here!

Please excuse the horrible main picture. I grabbed it from the google street viewer because in the seller's pictures the whole house is totally obscured by trees. Why do people who want to sell their house take such horrible pictures?

Oooh, nuts! I wrote this post on Wednesday and saved it for today, but it appears to have already be pulled back off the market. No wonder, too, becuase it is STUNNING.