hi people. just wanted to wish everyone a happy holiday season and all that good stuff. it is ridiculously cold here in iowa. below zero with below zero wind chill yesterday. we had our family christmas on tuesday with my brothers and their families and my grandma parks. my dad went to pick up grandma parks in his truck and had to take two trips. one trip with all the goodies she sent over (homemade buns, caramel rolls, candy, cookies, and famous "fat cookies") and then brought her back on the second trip! it was a great day though and we all had a nice time. tomorrow mom and dad and i will eat more yumtastic food and then on sunday i'll meet dennis at red lobster in waterloo, iowa (christmas tradition) and then we'll come back to m'town and watch the movie holiday inn with my mom. :) this trip is already going fast.
anywho...merry christmas. hope santa comes to visit you.
12.24.2004
12.18.2004
crazy evangelical vet trip
so, i needed to take niles to the vet on friday to get his shots updated and so he could enjoy the experience of a thermometer up his rear. he hung in there pretty well, but did eventually get pretty POed. and, strangely, so did i. :) the trip for us didn't start out well anyways. i was told on the reminder postcard that they sent me and on the phone when i made the appointment that i needed to bring a fresh stool sample. it was supposed to be a couple of hours old. a relatively fresh sample if you will. well, remarkably, i don't have a lot of time or the inclination to stalk niles until he shits in his shithouse so i can scoop it up and put it in a bag. however, being the good pet owner that i am, i went ahead and scooped out what i believed to be new poops and put them in a baggie. (definately not the highlight of the day). come to find out at the appointment that they didn't need me to do that, because they don't need to do that particular test and the prefer to get the sample from him on the spot if they need it. so, yeah...i got to carry little cat poopies around in a baggie in my purse for no reason. excellent.
so, then, the vet comes in and gives niles his shots and then gives me some too. tunrs out he's a vet/nutritionist/evangelical advise giver. found out that i shouldn't be giving up my cat, majoring in sociology, moving to texas, etc etc. i'm sure he was trying to be a nice grandfatherly figure in my life and yet, i didn't ask. all i really needed him to do was take care of niles. needless to say i won't be going back there, both because i really hope that i can find niles a good home soon and because i want my vet to be a vet instead of criticize choices that i've made, etc etc.
i get to go to iowa in a few days. can't wait!!
so, then, the vet comes in and gives niles his shots and then gives me some too. tunrs out he's a vet/nutritionist/evangelical advise giver. found out that i shouldn't be giving up my cat, majoring in sociology, moving to texas, etc etc. i'm sure he was trying to be a nice grandfatherly figure in my life and yet, i didn't ask. all i really needed him to do was take care of niles. needless to say i won't be going back there, both because i really hope that i can find niles a good home soon and because i want my vet to be a vet instead of criticize choices that i've made, etc etc.
i get to go to iowa in a few days. can't wait!!
12.14.2004
driving through a quasi-winter lighted land
so, i went to see the famous santa's wonderland south of college station tonight with some of my great friends. we had a lot of fun going through it and sort of, well, mocking it. i'm writing this risking ruining the surprise for those of you who have not seen the wonderfulness. the lights are pretty cool. i took a few pictures with my camera that are funky fresh. i'm going to try to post them on here so you can also experience the psycadelic coolness. highlights of santa's wonderland: the little frog that hops into the stream, complete with splash; cute little squirrel that climbs up a tree; and Resurrected Jesus. okay, now i'm for sure not a theologian, but last time i checked jesus was born on christmas and EASTER was when the Jesus rose out of the cave Hallelujah style. so, i wasn't sure what was up with that. i did yell "MERRY CHRISTMAS EASTER" because i'm a huge smart ass.
we also drove through central park and saw the lights there. they were also quite nice. i especially liked the cement mixer truck. :)
all in all, i had a fun night, even if cheddars later attacked me and i'm feeling a little sick now. and though i expected the lights and stuff would put me in the christmas spirit, i'm still not quite there yet. gotta have some snow and be closer to home and not see the Risen Christ. just sayin'...not judgin'.
blurry trees
cooler and blurrier trees
we also drove through central park and saw the lights there. they were also quite nice. i especially liked the cement mixer truck. :)
all in all, i had a fun night, even if cheddars later attacked me and i'm feeling a little sick now. and though i expected the lights and stuff would put me in the christmas spirit, i'm still not quite there yet. gotta have some snow and be closer to home and not see the Risen Christ. just sayin'...not judgin'.
blurry trees
cooler and blurrier trees
pretty pretty lights *drool*
WHOOP!
Merry Easter?! What the?! jesus h. tap-dancing...
12.11.2004
freaky!!
check out my horoscope for this past week:
Do a little more research before you take this plunge on Monday. You have a lot of facts at your disposal, but you haven't really aired your ideas with anyone else. Find an expert -- or at least someone who's been through something like this before -- and pick their brain. Tuesday and Wednesday are going to be all about work. (A word to the wise: don't ask for a raise this week.) Thursday and Friday will be all about your friends. Keep in mind that your friends can help you in your current situation. They know things, and they know people in high places.
Crazy ass shit. :)
Do a little more research before you take this plunge on Monday. You have a lot of facts at your disposal, but you haven't really aired your ideas with anyone else. Find an expert -- or at least someone who's been through something like this before -- and pick their brain. Tuesday and Wednesday are going to be all about work. (A word to the wise: don't ask for a raise this week.) Thursday and Friday will be all about your friends. Keep in mind that your friends can help you in your current situation. They know things, and they know people in high places.
Crazy ass shit. :)
beer for lunch
so, i learned on friday that i have really really great friends. got some crazy news which made the future a little unclear, but i was/am able to deal thanks to the support of my awesome friends. mike has a way of calming me down and making me laugh even when i'm wigging out and crying my ass off. and, tim bought me lunch and shared two pitchers of beer with me, which was just a good ol' time. he decided that i'm too loud when i sit in the "downstairs level" of fitz's. he's probably right. or it might be the beer that makes me loud. who can tell? after lunch, i took a nap for a while and then met up with adam and cat for more merriment and adult beverages. overall, i'm feeling better about everything which is good. i don't know if you guys go through funky periods, but up until yesterday i was just feeling kind of blah about things. remarkably, i feel so much better even if things are a little in the air. (i know i'm being ambiguous...nothing too big to worry about, just waiting on some confirmation about what is going on next semester). now, i just have to finish packing my stuff. i have way too much stuff. i guess that's what happens when you live on your own for like 6 years. damn i'm old.
have a great saturday night guys. thanks for being so good to me.
have a great saturday night guys. thanks for being so good to me.
12.07.2004
you wanna cat?
so i've been informed that i should update my blog, which i guess i should do more often. especially since i actually have some news for once. :) found out on friday that i will get the opportunity to teach two Intro to Sociology courses at the community college. i'm really excited about it and it means that i'll be leaving my graduate assistantship at the residence hall i've been working at since june. this is actually really good news, because the management of the dorm has been making some really icky decisions and i wasn't too happy in that situation anymore. i work with a lot of great people that i will miss a lot, but hopefully they will stay in touch.
i'll be moving into mike's old place and with two roommates we probably don't need a feline one. and a bunch of people i know are allergic to my little orange friend, so if you're interested in adopting him, let me know. i really want him to go to a good home. suddenly i realized that everyone who's reading this already knows all this shit. damn...need to be more creative and insightful.
let's see. i'm getting really anxious to go home in a few weeks. haven't been to iowa since september and i'm really looking forward to spending time with family and friends. rather than making the 14-16 hour trek in the old saturn, i found a cheap flight and will be heading home on the 20th. i have to say, there is something kind of nice about having some kate time in my car. i love singing loud and having some time to think about stuff. but by the time i get to kansas, i'm usually delerious from boredom or tiredness. there was time when i started talking out-loud and said this "speedometer, tachometer, odometer, gasometer." that's what happens when you're hopped up on diet mountain dew, skittles, and energy now tablets. :) so, this year i'll hop on a plane instead, will try not to sing loud on the way to dallas and then des moines, and will be nicer to my body by not ingesting a ba-shit-load of caffeine, sugar, and god knows what else.
my thirty minutes are up. time for bed.
night ags!
look at the sweet kitty...don't you want him to be your best friend?
i'll be moving into mike's old place and with two roommates we probably don't need a feline one. and a bunch of people i know are allergic to my little orange friend, so if you're interested in adopting him, let me know. i really want him to go to a good home. suddenly i realized that everyone who's reading this already knows all this shit. damn...need to be more creative and insightful.
let's see. i'm getting really anxious to go home in a few weeks. haven't been to iowa since september and i'm really looking forward to spending time with family and friends. rather than making the 14-16 hour trek in the old saturn, i found a cheap flight and will be heading home on the 20th. i have to say, there is something kind of nice about having some kate time in my car. i love singing loud and having some time to think about stuff. but by the time i get to kansas, i'm usually delerious from boredom or tiredness. there was time when i started talking out-loud and said this "speedometer, tachometer, odometer, gasometer." that's what happens when you're hopped up on diet mountain dew, skittles, and energy now tablets. :) so, this year i'll hop on a plane instead, will try not to sing loud on the way to dallas and then des moines, and will be nicer to my body by not ingesting a ba-shit-load of caffeine, sugar, and god knows what else.
my thirty minutes are up. time for bed.
night ags!
look at the sweet kitty...don't you want him to be your best friend?
12.02.2004
new start
so, it was time for a new blog and a new start. there are some changes coming up on the horizon, which is pretty excited. usually i get pretty freaked out about changes and transitions, but this time i'm really looking forward to what's coming up. weirdly, i'm not going to get into a lot of the details right now, because things are still a bit uncertain. don't want to jinx it. :) the one thing that i can reveal at this point is that i'm getting really close to being finished with my course work for my degree. i'm taking three courses next semester, which will mean that in the fall, i will only need to take one more class and will be able to take my preliminary exams at the end of the fall semester. preliminary exams are probably the most terrifying exam on the face of the earth...and this from the girl who had test-anxiety for the first time in her life when she took the LSAT.
basically, the members of my dissertation committee will give me a big-ass list with a ba-f*#k ton of reading on it that i need to be acquainted with. from what i've heard from a couple of my friends who are going through this process, it's more reading than seems possible in the amount of time you have to prepare. then i will do a written and an oral examination made up of whatever questions my committee members want to ask me. i get two chances to pass the test and if i don't do it either time...hmmm....guess i'll be looking for a good paying job or a sugar daddy. :) once i successfully pass the test though, i'm ABD (all but dissertation). at that point, i can apply for jobs and teach and will only have to finish my dissertation. (only...as if that's some tiny feat!) that part is really exciting, because i'm getting more and more antzy to start teaching and to get to try out a new city. believe it or not, college station is not the most exciting or cultured place in the world. :) it is really great to finally have a plan for my dissertation and have a focus for my course work. now i just need to get some teaching experience (which will hopefully be soon) and get some publications (which will also hopefully be soon). there are a lot of hoops to jump through and things that i need to accomplish to be competitive in the job market when i leave here. i'm just hoping to be well-rounded enough that i can do anything. we'll see how that turns out.
i wish i knew exactly what i wanted to do right now, but i just don't. i know, i know...it will all work out for the best. :) it always does. so, not sure what else to write in my first entry. hopefully future entries will be a little more witty and a little less whatevery.
more to come!
basically, the members of my dissertation committee will give me a big-ass list with a ba-f*#k ton of reading on it that i need to be acquainted with. from what i've heard from a couple of my friends who are going through this process, it's more reading than seems possible in the amount of time you have to prepare. then i will do a written and an oral examination made up of whatever questions my committee members want to ask me. i get two chances to pass the test and if i don't do it either time...hmmm....guess i'll be looking for a good paying job or a sugar daddy. :) once i successfully pass the test though, i'm ABD (all but dissertation). at that point, i can apply for jobs and teach and will only have to finish my dissertation. (only...as if that's some tiny feat!) that part is really exciting, because i'm getting more and more antzy to start teaching and to get to try out a new city. believe it or not, college station is not the most exciting or cultured place in the world. :) it is really great to finally have a plan for my dissertation and have a focus for my course work. now i just need to get some teaching experience (which will hopefully be soon) and get some publications (which will also hopefully be soon). there are a lot of hoops to jump through and things that i need to accomplish to be competitive in the job market when i leave here. i'm just hoping to be well-rounded enough that i can do anything. we'll see how that turns out.
i wish i knew exactly what i wanted to do right now, but i just don't. i know, i know...it will all work out for the best. :) it always does. so, not sure what else to write in my first entry. hopefully future entries will be a little more witty and a little less whatevery.
more to come!
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