happy new year's eve everyone. so...i'm ready for 2006. the end of 2005 has been very bittersweet. had a great weekend with some of my closest friends, but also spent time with my grandmother for probably the last time ever. that was hard. tomorrow though, i start a new adventure. dennis and i will be driving to texas and then preparing to move to abq. i'm ready for this new chapter in a lot of ways, though the realization of saying good-bye to texas friends has not yet hit me. (look out guys...i'm pms-y).
quick run-down of 2005
january- moved into 205 with some crazy ass roommates, turned 29, met sara! :)
february- found out my mom was cancer-free,
march- wild and crazy times in new orleans for a conference
april- got new roommates and old roomie moved out
may- finished dissertation proposal, had to start taking heart medicine, fun dave attell weekend with mike
june- advised my ass off, got to meet my new nephew luke, ana (a.k.a.-june bug) was born, defended my dissertation proposal
july- traveled around like a fiend (especially to new mexico), found out i'm going to get published
august- busy month of advising, started teaching, began last semester of clasess, hurricane katrina (*:(*)
september- dad recovered from a brain aneurysm and surgery, hurricane rita, hung out with mike for his b'day.
october- went to the abq balloon fiesta for the second time, parents came to visit in TX
november- took and passed prelims...that's enough for november
december- new niece was born, finished up my last semester of classes, started packing, hung out at home, found out grandma is sick (*sad*), gained 10 pounds probably (*grin*), and got ready for the next year of fun!
okay..so i'm sure i missed some things. don't hate me if i did. don't!! congrats to everyone who had cool stuff happen in 2005. here's to lots of good things in 2006. love you guys!
12.31.2005
12.28.2005
ho hum
Lethargy: 1. Abnormal drowsiness, stupor. 2. A state of indifference.
From the Greek lethargia, drowsiness.
so apparently being in my hometown brings on a bad case of lethargy. i managed to do a few things today, which is more than i've done on most days. but in general, i just have no desire or energy or whatever to do much more than sleep in, watch tv, eat, and hang out with my parents and occassionally some iowa friends. i have emails to respond to, news to celebrate (congrats sara!), bags to pack, advising tips to write, CDs to make, books to read (for fun for a change). and yet...i have not worked up the ergs to do any of that. maybe it's being in iowa. it's cold, gray, kinda dreary...makes you want to just curl up by the heater and relax. it might also be that i'm recooperating after this semester. who can tell? all i know is that in about a week i'll be on my way to albuquerque and once i get back to texas on monday i will have a fuck ton to do.
sidenote: grandma is still in the hospital, doing a bit better, but will be moving to a nursing home after she leaves the hospital. :(
From the Greek lethargia, drowsiness.
so apparently being in my hometown brings on a bad case of lethargy. i managed to do a few things today, which is more than i've done on most days. but in general, i just have no desire or energy or whatever to do much more than sleep in, watch tv, eat, and hang out with my parents and occassionally some iowa friends. i have emails to respond to, news to celebrate (congrats sara!), bags to pack, advising tips to write, CDs to make, books to read (for fun for a change). and yet...i have not worked up the ergs to do any of that. maybe it's being in iowa. it's cold, gray, kinda dreary...makes you want to just curl up by the heater and relax. it might also be that i'm recooperating after this semester. who can tell? all i know is that in about a week i'll be on my way to albuquerque and once i get back to texas on monday i will have a fuck ton to do.
sidenote: grandma is still in the hospital, doing a bit better, but will be moving to a nursing home after she leaves the hospital. :(
12.25.2005
happy holidays
hi friends,
i haven't updated in a while. my immediate family always does christmas on some day other than christmas, so we did all our gifts and food and everything on monday night. it's weird to be over with christmas before it even starts. it was fun to spend time with everyone though. i got to meet my new niece and play with my nephew a bunch! luke is talking a lot which is a bunch of fun.
i've been sleeping a lot this week and getting little things done for the move. and i got my hair done. gotta love free cuts and colors from my aunt. i'm now much closer to my natural color, which is very dark.
the sad news is that my grandmother went to the hospital yesterday. she has pneumonia, which is not a good thing for an 83 year old woman with 1 and 1/3 lungs. she had TB when she was a young woman which resulted in diminished lung capacity long ago. she's hanging in there through high blood pressure, a fast pulse (about 90 resting), and very labored breathing. i'm off to see her now. say a prayer for her continued health.
hope this post finds all of you happy, health, and enjoying this special time.
i haven't updated in a while. my immediate family always does christmas on some day other than christmas, so we did all our gifts and food and everything on monday night. it's weird to be over with christmas before it even starts. it was fun to spend time with everyone though. i got to meet my new niece and play with my nephew a bunch! luke is talking a lot which is a bunch of fun.
i've been sleeping a lot this week and getting little things done for the move. and i got my hair done. gotta love free cuts and colors from my aunt. i'm now much closer to my natural color, which is very dark.
the sad news is that my grandmother went to the hospital yesterday. she has pneumonia, which is not a good thing for an 83 year old woman with 1 and 1/3 lungs. she had TB when she was a young woman which resulted in diminished lung capacity long ago. she's hanging in there through high blood pressure, a fast pulse (about 90 resting), and very labored breathing. i'm off to see her now. say a prayer for her continued health.
hope this post finds all of you happy, health, and enjoying this special time.
12.14.2005
i am batman
today we had our departmental holiday lunch. i stopped in, ate a few bites, and then attempted to run out to finish my last class paper. i realized though, in my attempted haste, that i'm going to be moving soon and that i should take some time to say a "auf wiedersehen" to people. (quick aside: i'm sticking with "auf wiedersehen" instead of good-bye...there's something so final about good-bye and who knows when i might be wandering back this way. so, i will be true to my german heritage and say 'until we see each other again.' much less permanent and scary.) i wandered around the rotunda and interrupted people's turkey eating. one of my friends announced to other friends that i, kate parks, am a superhero. he told them about my feats of strength of taking two classes, teaching two classes, taking prelims, and advising. he was duly impressed and further proclaimed that: "Kate does more before 6 a.m. than most people do all day." of course, its more like "Kate does more after 10 p.m. than most people do all day." i'm not sure that's actually true, but it was still nice to hear. and if you're a graduate student who had not yet experienced the fun of faculty hazing...i mean prelims...i don't recommend the superwoman approach. be nicer to yourself. because the superhero methodology means you have to make sacrifices, like not getting to spend enough time with your friends, having a crazy schedule that rarely allows for spontaneous fun, not getting enough sleep, not eating healthy food all the time, increased levels of stress that lead to heart problems. you get the idea. maybe if i was more gadgety like batman (i took a "which superhero would you be quiz" and it said i was batman) i could have made less sacrifces. who can tell.
regardless, i will be relieved to finally turn in my last paper tomorrow and to start a new adventure that should pull me in fewer directions. at the same time though, its starting to hit me that i'm going to be gone soon and that "auf wiedersehen" is just around the corner.
regardless, i will be relieved to finally turn in my last paper tomorrow and to start a new adventure that should pull me in fewer directions. at the same time though, its starting to hit me that i'm going to be gone soon and that "auf wiedersehen" is just around the corner.
12.12.2005
so much for productivity
so, i was planning on getting a lot accomplished this weekend, but i wasn't as productive as i had anticipated. i did get some boxes packed and some clothes packed. i have a lot more to pack though and i dread getting the attic down stuff later this week. maybe i can twist the arms of friends to help me get that done. stupid being a pack rat. :)
i also didn't get much done on my paper. i'm hoping to get some of it done tomorrow during the day. would it distract my students too much if i worked on fine tuning data on my laptop? i can type quietly. :) here's hoping they get done early so i can get a few more things done.
chances are this is going to be a busy week. hope i get a lot of friend time in since it's the last full week in texas. weird.
more later. must sleep.
i also didn't get much done on my paper. i'm hoping to get some of it done tomorrow during the day. would it distract my students too much if i worked on fine tuning data on my laptop? i can type quietly. :) here's hoping they get done early so i can get a few more things done.
chances are this is going to be a busy week. hope i get a lot of friend time in since it's the last full week in texas. weird.
more later. must sleep.
12.09.2005
imal ove mach ine
i love that mad gab commercial, hence the title of this post. "i'm an olive machine?" classic. for some reason that one is sort of related to this rambly blog post.
so i was composing my next blog post in my head while shopping in HEB for mulled wine ingredients. i was thinking about the notion of soul mates and how it used to be something i believed in...but the more i think about it, the more i'm convinced that it's a hollywood version of what love is about. and weirdly, sara posted about the same thing on her blog, but i swear i didn't read hers until just now. sara and i have this weird sister thing. we're frequently finding ourselves wearing the same colored shirt or something without any prior planning. it's downright eery sometimes. it was nice to read her blog today and realize that we're on the same page because we're either a. both PMSing or b. both unconvinced about this restricted version of relationships, love, and fate. anyone else agree with this?
there are a few reasons i'm unconvinced of this soul mate thing. one is that i've met a few men in my limited time on this earth that i wonder if i could have shared my life with and these men are pretty different from each other...not a just different versions of the same guy. i think different people bring out different aspects of ourselves and there is not one formula for happiness and completeness where this is concerned. sure there are some people that are better fits than others, but to narrow it down to just one person makes finding that person seem almost impossible. can you say needle in the g-d haystack?
the other reason the soul mate thing seems unreasonable is because it seems like a cop out. instead of coming to terms with the fact that people are not perfect and will have idiosincracies and picadillos and, let's face it, make mistakes sometimes...the idea of a soul mate sets this expectation like there's someone out there that will never let you down...never disappoint...never hurt you...never make you cry...never piss you off. i'm not sure that's realistic. some of my closest friends have pissed me off sometimes. not one of us are perfect. and yet i don't stop loving them and caring about them. they continue to be important in my life. they mean the world to me. why should it be different for our significant others?
i'm not sure what sparked this post exactly. maybe its all the christmas movies on or something. i just think that there are many versions of our soul mate out in the big world. in fact, sometimes it feels like this love thing is about being in the right place at the right time or something. because what if your soul mate lives in guam and you live in swaziland? you're just destined to never be together? not sure i want to by that.
what i do want to do is go soak in the bathtub. since texas was covered in ice yesterday i flew off our front steps and now my shoulders and arms are sore. not sure if they are related but i think bath time will help..as well as bed time.
so i was composing my next blog post in my head while shopping in HEB for mulled wine ingredients. i was thinking about the notion of soul mates and how it used to be something i believed in...but the more i think about it, the more i'm convinced that it's a hollywood version of what love is about. and weirdly, sara posted about the same thing on her blog, but i swear i didn't read hers until just now. sara and i have this weird sister thing. we're frequently finding ourselves wearing the same colored shirt or something without any prior planning. it's downright eery sometimes. it was nice to read her blog today and realize that we're on the same page because we're either a. both PMSing or b. both unconvinced about this restricted version of relationships, love, and fate. anyone else agree with this?
there are a few reasons i'm unconvinced of this soul mate thing. one is that i've met a few men in my limited time on this earth that i wonder if i could have shared my life with and these men are pretty different from each other...not a just different versions of the same guy. i think different people bring out different aspects of ourselves and there is not one formula for happiness and completeness where this is concerned. sure there are some people that are better fits than others, but to narrow it down to just one person makes finding that person seem almost impossible. can you say needle in the g-d haystack?
the other reason the soul mate thing seems unreasonable is because it seems like a cop out. instead of coming to terms with the fact that people are not perfect and will have idiosincracies and picadillos and, let's face it, make mistakes sometimes...the idea of a soul mate sets this expectation like there's someone out there that will never let you down...never disappoint...never hurt you...never make you cry...never piss you off. i'm not sure that's realistic. some of my closest friends have pissed me off sometimes. not one of us are perfect. and yet i don't stop loving them and caring about them. they continue to be important in my life. they mean the world to me. why should it be different for our significant others?
i'm not sure what sparked this post exactly. maybe its all the christmas movies on or something. i just think that there are many versions of our soul mate out in the big world. in fact, sometimes it feels like this love thing is about being in the right place at the right time or something. because what if your soul mate lives in guam and you live in swaziland? you're just destined to never be together? not sure i want to by that.
what i do want to do is go soak in the bathtub. since texas was covered in ice yesterday i flew off our front steps and now my shoulders and arms are sore. not sure if they are related but i think bath time will help..as well as bed time.
12.08.2005
impression management at its worst...yet again
so, i was reading my friend sara's blog (which is linked on this blog so you should read it because it's rad) and she posted an article about my former employer. i'm writing this in the hopes that i won't somehow get retroactively in trouble from them, but i'm pretty sure that won't happen. and i've been talking about writing an exposé for a while now so i might as well get started.
the gist of the article that sara posted was that a student at said university was suspended for posting some negative things on his blog about his classmates and professors. for some reason, the university decided this was a violation of some sort of code of ethics and that his post was unprofessional. i share sara's political concerns about this...especially because we're supposed to have that whole freedom of speech thing that's..i dunno..protected by some crazy document that we hold very dear. however, having worked at said institution for a year...i'm concerned on a different level.
i was a resident hall director in what was considered a party hall. literally from day one i was dealing with disciplinary problems. almost every weekend there were issues. by the end of the semester...almost half of the people in the hall had a file in my office for breaking some kind of policy (both serious and not so serious.) i dealt with vandalism, intoxication, drugs, racial harassment, a fire....the list goes on and on. i even heard a case for another building that involved a student being in trouble for his fifth..count 'em FIVE...drug violation. were any of these students suspended for their conduct? the answer is no. so why is it that some fiesty blog posts are worse than students endangering their lives and disrespecting other students and their community every damn weekend?
the only logical answer that i could come up is that this particular university was able to keep negatively publicity away from the constant misconduct of their students. that's the nice thing about being located in an economically-deprived part of town...you don't have to worry about pissing off the neighbors too much. BUT...if someone posts something negative about you on the interweb there's a good chance that the impression management will fail. so that student has to be punished. maybe i'm missing part of the story...but it really doesn't make any sense. we saw students in fights, who had severe drinking problems, who destroyed property, who broke state law...and yet these student's actions were not considered a poor reflection on the university?
the end of the article makes an important point about how this action by the university will have a big impact on student bloggers in the future. i have no doubt that it will. it just makes me sad that a university would make this stand and ultimately censor their students. but who gives two shits if they are bribing homeless people to buy them beer. no need to make a stand about that.
the gist of the article that sara posted was that a student at said university was suspended for posting some negative things on his blog about his classmates and professors. for some reason, the university decided this was a violation of some sort of code of ethics and that his post was unprofessional. i share sara's political concerns about this...especially because we're supposed to have that whole freedom of speech thing that's..i dunno..protected by some crazy document that we hold very dear. however, having worked at said institution for a year...i'm concerned on a different level.
i was a resident hall director in what was considered a party hall. literally from day one i was dealing with disciplinary problems. almost every weekend there were issues. by the end of the semester...almost half of the people in the hall had a file in my office for breaking some kind of policy (both serious and not so serious.) i dealt with vandalism, intoxication, drugs, racial harassment, a fire....the list goes on and on. i even heard a case for another building that involved a student being in trouble for his fifth..count 'em FIVE...drug violation. were any of these students suspended for their conduct? the answer is no. so why is it that some fiesty blog posts are worse than students endangering their lives and disrespecting other students and their community every damn weekend?
the only logical answer that i could come up is that this particular university was able to keep negatively publicity away from the constant misconduct of their students. that's the nice thing about being located in an economically-deprived part of town...you don't have to worry about pissing off the neighbors too much. BUT...if someone posts something negative about you on the interweb there's a good chance that the impression management will fail. so that student has to be punished. maybe i'm missing part of the story...but it really doesn't make any sense. we saw students in fights, who had severe drinking problems, who destroyed property, who broke state law...and yet these student's actions were not considered a poor reflection on the university?
the end of the article makes an important point about how this action by the university will have a big impact on student bloggers in the future. i have no doubt that it will. it just makes me sad that a university would make this stand and ultimately censor their students. but who gives two shits if they are bribing homeless people to buy them beer. no need to make a stand about that.
12.06.2005
thank you captain obvious..i mean pei wei fortune
it's almost 1 a.m. when i ate at pei wei the other day i cunningly took an extra fortune cookie so i would have one to enjoy after eating the left overs. so the fortune said: "the night life is for you." um...doy!
12.05.2005
i'll take the mountain view please
so...i would say it's official. i am moving to new mexico in early january. i'm going to be teaching and researching and taking in the enchantment....oh..and i'll be freezing my texas-converted ass off for a while.
the weird thing is that this is coming up very fast. next week is finals. then i go to iowa for a while. then i come back with dennis and head west. fearing that i won't have enough time to play with all my texans before i leave. stupid paper let to do.
the weird thing is that this is coming up very fast. next week is finals. then i go to iowa for a while. then i come back with dennis and head west. fearing that i won't have enough time to play with all my texans before i leave. stupid paper let to do.
12.01.2005
mmm...kaluha cigars
so...i totally love sara and tim. those two crazy kids are freakin' awesome and i don't know what i'd do without them.
in other news, this week went really fast. i found out on wednesday that not only did i pass my prelim, but i passed it with distinction. that doesn't officially mean much...but unofficially means that i did a really good job and my committee was really really happy. if anyone wants to read the actually answers, i'd be happy to put you to sleep with them. the typos are impressive though.
it's amazing that the semester will soon be over. i have to shit a research paper, wrap up my classes at blinn...oh, and move 800 miles away. though the job situation is not 150% guaranteed..it's looking good. good enough that i need to just say "yes, i'm going." it's actually really exciting to be heading off to a new place. that is not to say that i won't miss my friends here dearly. i certainly will and i think i haven't made moving real in my head yet because doing that means facing tough "auf wiedersehen"s. but there's something to be said about getting to teach, getting to try on a new city, and just getting to do some new stuff. i'm relatively young, so this is a great time to try new things like this, right?
anyway, i had two cigars and two beers and i'm sufficiently buzzy (not drunk mind you...just buzzy). i should shower and go to bed. actually, i should pack first since i'm going to ABQ to find an apartment.
have good happies kids.
in other news, this week went really fast. i found out on wednesday that not only did i pass my prelim, but i passed it with distinction. that doesn't officially mean much...but unofficially means that i did a really good job and my committee was really really happy. if anyone wants to read the actually answers, i'd be happy to put you to sleep with them. the typos are impressive though.
it's amazing that the semester will soon be over. i have to shit a research paper, wrap up my classes at blinn...oh, and move 800 miles away. though the job situation is not 150% guaranteed..it's looking good. good enough that i need to just say "yes, i'm going." it's actually really exciting to be heading off to a new place. that is not to say that i won't miss my friends here dearly. i certainly will and i think i haven't made moving real in my head yet because doing that means facing tough "auf wiedersehen"s. but there's something to be said about getting to teach, getting to try on a new city, and just getting to do some new stuff. i'm relatively young, so this is a great time to try new things like this, right?
anyway, i had two cigars and two beers and i'm sufficiently buzzy (not drunk mind you...just buzzy). i should shower and go to bed. actually, i should pack first since i'm going to ABQ to find an apartment.
have good happies kids.
11.27.2005
tight pants
hi kids,
so...it took a few drinks for me to feel that the test was actually over. thanks to everyone who came to play on tuesday night. i have wonderful friends...so amazing. :)
i had a great weekend. definitely needed a break and really didn't get ANYTHING done for classes. so..this week will be a bit busy. i finish one class this week and have to write a short paper (which does not seem like a big deal after the prelim ordeal) and my other class meets a few times and i have to write a research paper for that one. tricky, but doable.
i'm also heading to ABQ this weekend to find an apartment. still not feeling like anything is official, but hopefully more clarity will come this week.
as far as thanksgiving, ate a lot of great food (thanks 2nd family!), had a lot of fun with friends (thanks people!!), watched some great football (thanks ags!), and got to relax and laugh and just take it easy (thanks mike!) it was all much needed.
so now friends, we enter this countdown to the end of the semester and possibly of my time in texas. totally wacky stuff.
love you friends and fam! love love love love love!
(and hugs to sara especially)
so...it took a few drinks for me to feel that the test was actually over. thanks to everyone who came to play on tuesday night. i have wonderful friends...so amazing. :)
i had a great weekend. definitely needed a break and really didn't get ANYTHING done for classes. so..this week will be a bit busy. i finish one class this week and have to write a short paper (which does not seem like a big deal after the prelim ordeal) and my other class meets a few times and i have to write a research paper for that one. tricky, but doable.
i'm also heading to ABQ this weekend to find an apartment. still not feeling like anything is official, but hopefully more clarity will come this week.
as far as thanksgiving, ate a lot of great food (thanks 2nd family!), had a lot of fun with friends (thanks people!!), watched some great football (thanks ags!), and got to relax and laugh and just take it easy (thanks mike!) it was all much needed.
so now friends, we enter this countdown to the end of the semester and possibly of my time in texas. totally wacky stuff.
love you friends and fam! love love love love love!
(and hugs to sara especially)
11.22.2005
11.21.2005
knot in my back
um...oral exam is tomorrow. no, not an oral exam at the dentist..though i would prefer it at this point and i HATE the dentist.
talked to my good friend karen who took hers today and she said it was quite mellow. so, hopefully it will be okay and all my nervous energy will be for nothing.
luckily nervous energy helped me get more done in a half hour than i accomplished all day saturday.
better go put my sheets in the dryer, make nachos, read stuff, drink more wine, and hopefully get some sleep.
talked to my good friend karen who took hers today and she said it was quite mellow. so, hopefully it will be okay and all my nervous energy will be for nothing.
luckily nervous energy helped me get more done in a half hour than i accomplished all day saturday.
better go put my sheets in the dryer, make nachos, read stuff, drink more wine, and hopefully get some sleep.
make my money
what's the deal with adsense? does anyone know? i contemplate how cool it would be to get paid to write my silly blog...so is this the way to do it. or will it just annoy and alienate my readers? thoughts?
it occurs to me..
it occurs to me that there was talk of having a big birthday bash for my crazy 30th birthday party and that i have no idea where i'm going to be living at that point. the way it looks, i might be in ABQ. so texans....can you come to ABQ to play? it'll be fun....swear. :)
it also occurs to me that there is no way in hell i did enough studying this week. in fact, i know i haven't. after writing for 6 days straight, i found myself unmotivated and exhausted last week. this weekend, i did a little bit, but i'm not sure if it was enough. i ended up cleaning and eating with friends and taking it easy and sleeping. so, i have a feeling that i'll be stressed out the next two days until i get this crazy oral exam done. not sure how i should have studied...but pretty sure i didn't do enough. what the damn shit fuck!?
it also occurs to me that there is no way in hell i did enough studying this week. in fact, i know i haven't. after writing for 6 days straight, i found myself unmotivated and exhausted last week. this weekend, i did a little bit, but i'm not sure if it was enough. i ended up cleaning and eating with friends and taking it easy and sleeping. so, i have a feeling that i'll be stressed out the next two days until i get this crazy oral exam done. not sure how i should have studied...but pretty sure i didn't do enough. what the damn shit fuck!?
11.19.2005
"i feel the seasons changing....and my life is never gonna be the same..."
gotta love hurricane jane lyrics. if you don't know..they were this great band from ok city, though i'm not sure they exist anymore. i've been rocking out to their cd in my car all week and those lyrics seemed especially appropriate.
why? because things are changing. in a few months, i will likely be moving to albuquerque. i was offered the opportunity to teach 4 courses at UNM and i've been itching to get out of texas for a while. it's really exciting, though in my head its still not official. :) but dennis is coming here to help me move and i'm probably going to look for apartments soon. hopefully by then it will have hit me that, yes, in fact, things are changing. i've never been really good at change but this is one that i'm looking forward to. however, days like today reminded me that i'm going to miss college station a lot too. not such much college station itself...but the little life i have carved out for myself here and my awesome, incredible, kick ass friends.
i went to a soc. department picnic today and i was talking with a bunch of my colleagues. it was good to be there because they reminded me of how far i have come in the past 5 years, and how much i've accomplished. and they were all so encouraging about the next part of the exam. it is still odd to think of myself as one of those ABD people. i know i'm not officially ABD, but even that i'm close is weird. i remember when i first started graduate school and looking up to those students who finished or were close to finishing. and now, i'm one of those people...and its just weird. i know i've changed in 5 years, but i still feel like a novice in some ways. here's hoping i won't feel like one on tuesday.
anyway, there's a lot of big stuff coming up and this semester that i never thought i'd make it through is quickly coming to an end. thanks to all of you guys for your constant support and friendship and love and funnies and hugs and stuff. i never would have made it this far without ya.
okay..gotta go start studying. still a saturday afternoon slacker after all these years. ;) i guess something things never change.
why? because things are changing. in a few months, i will likely be moving to albuquerque. i was offered the opportunity to teach 4 courses at UNM and i've been itching to get out of texas for a while. it's really exciting, though in my head its still not official. :) but dennis is coming here to help me move and i'm probably going to look for apartments soon. hopefully by then it will have hit me that, yes, in fact, things are changing. i've never been really good at change but this is one that i'm looking forward to. however, days like today reminded me that i'm going to miss college station a lot too. not such much college station itself...but the little life i have carved out for myself here and my awesome, incredible, kick ass friends.
i went to a soc. department picnic today and i was talking with a bunch of my colleagues. it was good to be there because they reminded me of how far i have come in the past 5 years, and how much i've accomplished. and they were all so encouraging about the next part of the exam. it is still odd to think of myself as one of those ABD people. i know i'm not officially ABD, but even that i'm close is weird. i remember when i first started graduate school and looking up to those students who finished or were close to finishing. and now, i'm one of those people...and its just weird. i know i've changed in 5 years, but i still feel like a novice in some ways. here's hoping i won't feel like one on tuesday.
anyway, there's a lot of big stuff coming up and this semester that i never thought i'd make it through is quickly coming to an end. thanks to all of you guys for your constant support and friendship and love and funnies and hugs and stuff. i never would have made it this far without ya.
okay..gotta go start studying. still a saturday afternoon slacker after all these years. ;) i guess something things never change.
quick question
so..brad pitt is attractive and stuff...but he's not really that great of an actor. i'm watching seven on tnt and i love this movie but there are some times when pitt just isn't that great. anyone agree..disagree? he's not as bad as keanu reeves ("whoa...excellent!") but still.
11.15.2005
this is a test
mike can figure out what people used as search terms to stumble across his blog. and people search for such hilarity like "wild humpers" and stuff to find his.
so this is my experiment...ready?
ninja turkey fuck!
any new readers?
how about:
ass monkey clown
OR
rabid cheeto fetish
OR
foot to face! (which is on a wristband i own...don't ask)
now i fear who will start reading this. *grin*
so this is my experiment...ready?
ninja turkey fuck!
any new readers?
how about:
ass monkey clown
OR
rabid cheeto fetish
OR
foot to face! (which is on a wristband i own...don't ask)
now i fear who will start reading this. *grin*
11.14.2005
some news?
i might have some news. i was offered four courses at university of new mexico in the spring. though i would not get benefits, it would be a really good opportunity i think. i've been hoping to move and i would get to teach some rad classes i think. SO...i may have accepted it, but i'm still waiting for a little bit of information. i'll keep ya posted. :)
insomniac
how come i can't sleep? it's like 2:15 in the morning. shit fuck! :( stupid brains thinking and stuff. you'd think they'd need a breather after last week.
11.12.2005
oh yeah..
it's possible that in 10 days i will be ABD!
let's check my to do list. this color font means this wasn't done in march but is now.
Things to Do: Dissertation/Graduation
Spring 2005
- Assemble Committee (complete)
- Thesis Publication (complete)
- Southwest meeting (complete)
- Dissertation proposal (complete)
- 2 courses (complete)
- File Degree Plan (complete)
Summer 2005
- Defend proposal (complete)
- Put together prelims list (complete)
- IRB (submitted but bureaucracy is being a rat bastard)
- Research design for NM project
- Lit review chapter (Joe says this is done, but i don't think it really is)
- Pre-interviews
Fall 2005
- Last two courses (just about done!)
- Austin interviews (gotta wait..stupid IRB)
- Write introduction and methods chapters (um...not really)
- Do some kind of OGS paperwork that I'm sure is required at this point? (exam request or something like that?)
- Take preliminary exams (just about done!!!!)
- Publication? (this was lofty...instead i got teaching experience though)
- Move? (still kind of iffy but its starting to look promising. cross your fingers!)
woo! more on the move news when i know more. :)
let's check my to do list. this color font means this wasn't done in march but is now.
Things to Do: Dissertation/Graduation
Spring 2005
- Assemble Committee (complete)
- Thesis Publication (complete)
- Southwest meeting (complete)
- Dissertation proposal (complete)
- 2 courses (complete)
- File Degree Plan (complete)
Summer 2005
- Defend proposal (complete)
- Put together prelims list (complete)
- IRB (submitted but bureaucracy is being a rat bastard)
- Research design for NM project
- Lit review chapter (Joe says this is done, but i don't think it really is)
- Pre-interviews
Fall 2005
- Last two courses (just about done!)
- Austin interviews (gotta wait..stupid IRB)
- Write introduction and methods chapters (um...not really)
- Do some kind of OGS paperwork that I'm sure is required at this point? (exam request or something like that?)
- Take preliminary exams (just about done!!!!)
- Publication? (this was lofty...instead i got teaching experience though)
- Move? (still kind of iffy but its starting to look promising. cross your fingers!)
woo! more on the move news when i know more. :)
day..none more days
so...i have officially turned in the written part of my exam. it is off in cyberspace somewhere on its way to my advisors PC. i'm not sure if it's done well..but the operative word is that its done. now i just have to sweat bullets until the oral part on the 22nd.
i have to say that i am very very relieved to have the written part done. for the record, i wrote about 75-80 pages in 6 days. just so you know, that is a virtual fuck ton of writing. actually, scratch that..its an actual fuck ton. you'd think after doing all of that i'd feel pretty comfortable predicting whether i passed or not...but i really don't know. you can't know what this process is like until you go through it and then once you do go through it, you find yourself wondering what the point of it all was. more than anything, i proved to myself that i could do it. it would be an unstatement to say that i have had a lot on my plate this semester. so it feels good to know that despite everything else, i was able to do this. i only hope my efforts pay off.
thanks to everyone for your awesome support. i have awesome friends and family. it rocks.
now its time to enjoy some serious tv time and wine and to get some freakin' sleep. :)
HUGS!
i have to say that i am very very relieved to have the written part done. for the record, i wrote about 75-80 pages in 6 days. just so you know, that is a virtual fuck ton of writing. actually, scratch that..its an actual fuck ton. you'd think after doing all of that i'd feel pretty comfortable predicting whether i passed or not...but i really don't know. you can't know what this process is like until you go through it and then once you do go through it, you find yourself wondering what the point of it all was. more than anything, i proved to myself that i could do it. it would be an unstatement to say that i have had a lot on my plate this semester. so it feels good to know that despite everything else, i was able to do this. i only hope my efforts pay off.
thanks to everyone for your awesome support. i have awesome friends and family. it rocks.
now its time to enjoy some serious tv time and wine and to get some freakin' sleep. :)
HUGS!
11.10.2005
day five
um...day five is over. i'm not sure i got enough done today, but i'm happy that i still pretty much have two days left. i estimate that i have one and a half questions left. so, i hope i can get a bunch done tomorrow so that saturday won't be a full day. i have until 5:00 p.m. to turn my answers in, but it would be really really nice to get it in early. we shall see.
gotta sleep so i can get up early. i couldn't get to sleep last night at all. stupid brains keeping me up. :)
gotta sleep so i can get up early. i couldn't get to sleep last night at all. stupid brains keeping me up. :)
11.09.2005
day four...i think
first half of the exam is done. not sure if its done well..but it's definitely finished. part two starts at 5:00 tonight and i have until 5:00 on saturday. i took a break this afternoon and mostly just vegged out and did nothing. probably should have taken a nap since i'm feeling a bit tired now. i did get to bed at 5:00 a.m. after all. but i can say that i wrote something like 40 pages in 3 days. not an easy task.
i've heard from karen that the race and ethnicity part is less scary. :) yay for that!
i'll update again later. :)
half done!
i've heard from karen that the race and ethnicity part is less scary. :) yay for that!
i'll update again later. :)
half done!
11.08.2005
day three
this day has not gone as well as the others. one reason is because i'm really tired. this process is exhausting and stressful, so even when i do finally get to go home and go to bed, i haven't slept well because my mind is going crazy thinking of all the things i should have included or that i still need to do in general (like get a damn job if i'm going to move, etc etc).
also, i had to spend part of the day getting grades figured out for the students i teach. they complained to my supervisor that they haven't gotten their last exam back (which they just took on the 27th!), so i had to bust ass and get all of that updated. their complaints and my lack of time meant that i didn't curve the exam like i was thinking about doing.
i still have some work to do on question three and some editing to do on the other two questions, so it is likely that i will be here late tonight. luckily food is on the way. my next exam questions arrive bright and early at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow and are due on saturday at 8:00 a.m. i'm increasingly nervous that i'm not going to pass the oral part of this exam, since a lot of this stuff so far hasn't been on the instant recall. but, i'll jump off that bridge when i get to it.
back to work..
also, i had to spend part of the day getting grades figured out for the students i teach. they complained to my supervisor that they haven't gotten their last exam back (which they just took on the 27th!), so i had to bust ass and get all of that updated. their complaints and my lack of time meant that i didn't curve the exam like i was thinking about doing.
i still have some work to do on question three and some editing to do on the other two questions, so it is likely that i will be here late tonight. luckily food is on the way. my next exam questions arrive bright and early at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow and are due on saturday at 8:00 a.m. i'm increasingly nervous that i'm not going to pass the oral part of this exam, since a lot of this stuff so far hasn't been on the instant recall. but, i'll jump off that bridge when i get to it.
back to work..
11.07.2005
day two
hi friends,
i am taking a much needed break. i have been working on question two since 10:30 this morning and it's now 6:30. i did take a quick lunch break to warm up some yummy soup i made last week, but otherwise i've been trapped in my little blue office all day. luckily, i think i'm a few hours from finishing this question. i have the problem of trying to incorporate WAY too much literature because i'm worried about the higher expectations of me since my test is open book. i was also optimistic that i could have all three questions wrapped up by tomorrow at 5 (thus cutting my 72 hours short), but i'm not sure that's going to happen, so hopefully my chair will give me the entire allotted time. *crossing fingers*
my friend karen is on day three of her exam right now. she said the first day was awful (as was mine), the second day was a bit better (i see a trend), and on the third day, she rose again. whoops...i mean on the third day she felt pretty happy. so, i'm hoping for a happy tuesday as well. i strategically saved the question i felt the most comfortable with for the last day. strategery at its finest.
so far i've learned that it's dark and creepy in this building at 1:30 in the morning, that you should not forget to take your heart medicine when you have anxiety issues (thanks for bringing those tim), and after staring at books and articles and computer screens for so long my eyes have spells when they no longer want to function.
what's keeping me afloat at this point is an assload of diet cokes in my tiny new office frig, encouragement from you guys (THANKS!) and the knowledge that in a few short days i will be done. now that i've started this written part the oral part is even scarier for some reason!
well, i think my break needs to officially end now so that i can get home at a reasonable hour tonight. i know its sick, but i really want to get home in time to watch laguna beach on mtv. don't judge me too much for that one.
:)
love you guys!
i am taking a much needed break. i have been working on question two since 10:30 this morning and it's now 6:30. i did take a quick lunch break to warm up some yummy soup i made last week, but otherwise i've been trapped in my little blue office all day. luckily, i think i'm a few hours from finishing this question. i have the problem of trying to incorporate WAY too much literature because i'm worried about the higher expectations of me since my test is open book. i was also optimistic that i could have all three questions wrapped up by tomorrow at 5 (thus cutting my 72 hours short), but i'm not sure that's going to happen, so hopefully my chair will give me the entire allotted time. *crossing fingers*
my friend karen is on day three of her exam right now. she said the first day was awful (as was mine), the second day was a bit better (i see a trend), and on the third day, she rose again. whoops...i mean on the third day she felt pretty happy. so, i'm hoping for a happy tuesday as well. i strategically saved the question i felt the most comfortable with for the last day. strategery at its finest.
so far i've learned that it's dark and creepy in this building at 1:30 in the morning, that you should not forget to take your heart medicine when you have anxiety issues (thanks for bringing those tim), and after staring at books and articles and computer screens for so long my eyes have spells when they no longer want to function.
what's keeping me afloat at this point is an assload of diet cokes in my tiny new office frig, encouragement from you guys (THANKS!) and the knowledge that in a few short days i will be done. now that i've started this written part the oral part is even scarier for some reason!
well, i think my break needs to officially end now so that i can get home at a reasonable hour tonight. i know its sick, but i really want to get home in time to watch laguna beach on mtv. don't judge me too much for that one.
:)
love you guys!
11.06.2005
day one
so i thought i'd use this medium to update you guys on how things are going this week since i probably will be relatively incommunicato. plus, it gives me a bit of a break from time to time which is a good thing.
yesterday tim helped me get my books and articles and shit up to my office and i unpacked it all last night which was a good plan. even if i somehow don't pass the test, i now have a very organized office. :)
i got here at about 10 and downloaded the questions for the first part of the exam. i choose three of the five questions and then write 10-12 pages for each answer in three days. then i do it again on wednesday with a new set of questions to choose from. the questions i'm starting with are for my minor area, which is demography. they are hard and involved, but doable i think (hope). i'm happy to be using my own computer to answer them since my office computer was being a rat bastard this morning. it's always making noise like it's thinking about stuff, so i find that i have turn it all the way off while i'm working. (can't stand the constant noises while i'm trying to concentrate..yay for quiet blue laptop of wonderfulness.)
i'm about 7 pages into the first answer and have a lot more to do. i'm thinking about staying here late tonight and getting a lot done, so that i'm not under too much pressure once the building is full of people again. still waivering between confidence and fear. :)
i just took a quick break and went to go get some lunch (yes..at 3:30) and i stopped at old navy. why did i stop at old navy you ask? well, because it's hard to dress for the freakin' weather lately in texas and becaused it's ninety-fuckin'-two degrees today, so i needed to get a t-shirt and some flip-flops. sure i could have gone home to do that, but there are too many distractions there and those items are on sale since apparently in some parts of the world it is less than ninety-fuckin-two. *bitter midwesterner* not that i want snow..but damn...i'm sick of summer. i can't even remember what my winter clothes look like at this point. *stupid global warming*
so, that's the scoop. i have a cute new t-shirt (unfortunately the only one i liked and that was cheap was a white one and..well...i have a blue bra on today...but since no one will likely see me, i should be safe) and i think i'm doing well so far on the test. i hope so anyway.
take care kids. catch ya on the flipside!
yesterday tim helped me get my books and articles and shit up to my office and i unpacked it all last night which was a good plan. even if i somehow don't pass the test, i now have a very organized office. :)
i got here at about 10 and downloaded the questions for the first part of the exam. i choose three of the five questions and then write 10-12 pages for each answer in three days. then i do it again on wednesday with a new set of questions to choose from. the questions i'm starting with are for my minor area, which is demography. they are hard and involved, but doable i think (hope). i'm happy to be using my own computer to answer them since my office computer was being a rat bastard this morning. it's always making noise like it's thinking about stuff, so i find that i have turn it all the way off while i'm working. (can't stand the constant noises while i'm trying to concentrate..yay for quiet blue laptop of wonderfulness.)
i'm about 7 pages into the first answer and have a lot more to do. i'm thinking about staying here late tonight and getting a lot done, so that i'm not under too much pressure once the building is full of people again. still waivering between confidence and fear. :)
i just took a quick break and went to go get some lunch (yes..at 3:30) and i stopped at old navy. why did i stop at old navy you ask? well, because it's hard to dress for the freakin' weather lately in texas and becaused it's ninety-fuckin'-two degrees today, so i needed to get a t-shirt and some flip-flops. sure i could have gone home to do that, but there are too many distractions there and those items are on sale since apparently in some parts of the world it is less than ninety-fuckin-two. *bitter midwesterner* not that i want snow..but damn...i'm sick of summer. i can't even remember what my winter clothes look like at this point. *stupid global warming*
so, that's the scoop. i have a cute new t-shirt (unfortunately the only one i liked and that was cheap was a white one and..well...i have a blue bra on today...but since no one will likely see me, i should be safe) and i think i'm doing well so far on the test. i hope so anyway.
take care kids. catch ya on the flipside!
11.02.2005
it's november so...
so WHY is it supposed to be 87 degrees on sunday?! what the hell texas?! i want to get out my cute sweaters already!!! sheesh!!?
11.01.2005
post-prelims fun
so..i haven't taken the exams but i already have some ideas about what i want to do afterwards. specifically there are two movies i want to see. one is rent because it looks pretty good in film version and i LOVED the show when i saw it in milwaukee. the other is that movie with sarah jessica parker in it. i think it's called..uh...i have no damn idea. maybe the family stone?
i also want to get a rec massage after i get done with the written part...hell, maybe even the oral part too?
there might be other festivities too. first i gotta pass that shit though. :)
i also want to get a rec massage after i get done with the written part...hell, maybe even the oral part too?
there might be other festivities too. first i gotta pass that shit though. :)
10.30.2005
"it's the final countdown"
hey party people,
SO..t-minus one week until exams start. i've told a few of my friends that i waiver between complete fear that i have not studied enough and total confidence that i'm going to kick ass. somewhere in the middle of that is a profound need to just get the fucker over with. so i'm actually anxious to start, because the sooner i start, the sooner i'm finished and the closer i am to either being ABD or getting a new car. (mike has such confidence that i'll pass that he said if i fail he will buy me a new car. if i pass then i don't get a new car and instead get "the satisfaction of having passed.")
great weekend with my parents. a lot of just hanging out and takin' it easy. also went to see the ags yesterday which was abysmal. luckily there were two fly overs (one for pre-game and one at half-time) which were super cool! lots of good times and good food with mom and dad which was awesome. definitely sad to see them go tomorrow. :( i'm really glad that they got to meet some of my texas peeps!
still no word on the job at UNM. keep the stuff crossed people!
hope you're all doing well!! *hugs*
SO..t-minus one week until exams start. i've told a few of my friends that i waiver between complete fear that i have not studied enough and total confidence that i'm going to kick ass. somewhere in the middle of that is a profound need to just get the fucker over with. so i'm actually anxious to start, because the sooner i start, the sooner i'm finished and the closer i am to either being ABD or getting a new car. (mike has such confidence that i'll pass that he said if i fail he will buy me a new car. if i pass then i don't get a new car and instead get "the satisfaction of having passed.")
great weekend with my parents. a lot of just hanging out and takin' it easy. also went to see the ags yesterday which was abysmal. luckily there were two fly overs (one for pre-game and one at half-time) which were super cool! lots of good times and good food with mom and dad which was awesome. definitely sad to see them go tomorrow. :( i'm really glad that they got to meet some of my texas peeps!
still no word on the job at UNM. keep the stuff crossed people!
hope you're all doing well!! *hugs*
10.25.2005
sweet irony
so my classes today were supposed to read chapters 1 and 2 from a book called the mcdonaldization of society by george ritzer (i have an extra copy if anyone wants it). the book is all about how the ideals of fast-food restaurants have permeated into other aspects of our lives. for examples, check this out: McDonaldization and/or Another McDonaldization site.
where is the irony? it lies in the fact that after my classes were over i rushed to my car, rushed to just brakes, and then rushed to wendy's to get a fast lunch. :) so..maybe ritzer has a good point. :)
in other news, i'm busy as hell, getting excited about my parents coming to visit this weekend (any ideas about a fun Sunday day trip?), and the looming exams are less than two weeks away. *shits pants again*
where is the irony? it lies in the fact that after my classes were over i rushed to my car, rushed to just brakes, and then rushed to wendy's to get a fast lunch. :) so..maybe ritzer has a good point. :)
in other news, i'm busy as hell, getting excited about my parents coming to visit this weekend (any ideas about a fun Sunday day trip?), and the looming exams are less than two weeks away. *shits pants again*
10.24.2005
"now rake 'em up bitches!"
last night i saw a funny commercial on adult swim. it starts out with a green screen with peaceful music playing as autumn leaves fall. and then at the end it says, "now rake 'em up bitches!" i thought it was quite hilarious so i had to share it.
and it relates to what i've been thinking about today (no..not bitches). today is the first real autumn-like day that we've had in college station and i have to say that i love it! LOVE IT! fall is definitely my favorite season. i love the clothes, i love (and miss) changing leaves, i love football, i love fall scents (like pumpkin and cinnamon and things in that genre), i love crisp, cool fall air, i love thanksgiving, i love caramel apples and hot apple cider, i love the memories i have of the fall...i just love it. so i'm very excited that at least for a few days, the weather is more iowa-like than texas-like. i almost want to indulge in a Home Sweet Home candel (one of those Yankee candles i think), because that scent is fall to me...and makes my heart feel all warm inside thinking of family, friends...and just fall. :)
and it relates to what i've been thinking about today (no..not bitches). today is the first real autumn-like day that we've had in college station and i have to say that i love it! LOVE IT! fall is definitely my favorite season. i love the clothes, i love (and miss) changing leaves, i love football, i love fall scents (like pumpkin and cinnamon and things in that genre), i love crisp, cool fall air, i love thanksgiving, i love caramel apples and hot apple cider, i love the memories i have of the fall...i just love it. so i'm very excited that at least for a few days, the weather is more iowa-like than texas-like. i almost want to indulge in a Home Sweet Home candel (one of those Yankee candles i think), because that scent is fall to me...and makes my heart feel all warm inside thinking of family, friends...and just fall. :)
10.23.2005
especially relevant
my great friend adam showed me this cartoon today and i definitely related. all hell breaks loose in two weeks. *shits pants*
10.22.2005
busy saturday
so, i'm not sure i got very much read today, which means i have a lot to do tomorrow and during my free time (*snort*) next week. i did get quite a bit accomplished though. i got my car fixed (finally), called them about fixing another part which they are going to do for cheap, went to Kroger to get some water and diet coke, got my hair fixed because it was dumb, read for a while at starbucks, cooked yummy dinner, and typed up notes for one book. gotta get more done for sure, but my friend adam is in town this weekend before he goes to iraq SO some of it will have to wait until tomorrow! need more motivation. :(
10.21.2005
wiped out
hey friends,
this has been a long ass week. i was so tired when i got home yesterday that i fell asleep while reading something...just passed out a little. it might have been related to getting multiple free wine samples from the cute waiter at olive garden, but i think it had more to do with only getting about 6 hours of sleep every night this week. so i went to bed at about 11 last night and didn't wake up until 9 the next day...which probably meant that i needed some sleep.
my car has been causing me headaches this week. i had to get my brakes fixed which cost more than i thought it would. and in the process of fixing my brakes, the manager of the place rolled down my passenger window, which is the one that once rolled down won't go up again. this was a thorn in my side all week that i didn't need. fortunately after being a bit of a squeaky wheel, the brake place is going to pay for saturn to fix the window. woo! justice!! thanks to mike, tim, and my parents for giving me some insight on that one.
had a phone interview for a job on wednesday. everyone cross your fingers because it'd be really cool.
i think i might head to bed soon which is probably lame for a friday, but i'm still beat. got a lot of reading to do tomorrow.
have a good one.
this has been a long ass week. i was so tired when i got home yesterday that i fell asleep while reading something...just passed out a little. it might have been related to getting multiple free wine samples from the cute waiter at olive garden, but i think it had more to do with only getting about 6 hours of sleep every night this week. so i went to bed at about 11 last night and didn't wake up until 9 the next day...which probably meant that i needed some sleep.
my car has been causing me headaches this week. i had to get my brakes fixed which cost more than i thought it would. and in the process of fixing my brakes, the manager of the place rolled down my passenger window, which is the one that once rolled down won't go up again. this was a thorn in my side all week that i didn't need. fortunately after being a bit of a squeaky wheel, the brake place is going to pay for saturn to fix the window. woo! justice!! thanks to mike, tim, and my parents for giving me some insight on that one.
had a phone interview for a job on wednesday. everyone cross your fingers because it'd be really cool.
i think i might head to bed soon which is probably lame for a friday, but i'm still beat. got a lot of reading to do tomorrow.
have a good one.
10.17.2005
i'm having a good kate day
it's true. i'm just feeling really good about stuff today. i got a lot accomplished this weekend (i hope!) and had some fun too (thanks tim, sara, tony, and dave) and i'm starting my week off really well. i feel pretty today (oh so pretty...i feel pretty and witty and bright...). :) i think we all have those days when we just aren't feeling great about our looks and today is not one of those days for me. my crazy new haircut is under control now that it's a little longer. i got some new clinique products (clinique bonus time!) and found a new lipstick and eye shadow shade that are cool ass! and somehow studying for prelims made me lose weight this weekend. that never hurts the ego.
other great news is that i have two phone interviews for jobs this week. it would be so great to get that part figured out so i'm optimistic!
i'm also feeling good about the big ass exam too. not cocky about it, but like it's a hurdle that i can jump over. i still have to do some reading/skimming and have a lot of work to do, but mostly i just want to tackle this thing!
so...it's monday and very much a good kate day! love it!!
:)
other great news is that i have two phone interviews for jobs this week. it would be so great to get that part figured out so i'm optimistic!
i'm also feeling good about the big ass exam too. not cocky about it, but like it's a hurdle that i can jump over. i still have to do some reading/skimming and have a lot of work to do, but mostly i just want to tackle this thing!
so...it's monday and very much a good kate day! love it!!
:)
10.14.2005
self-imposed hermitude OR "is it december yet?"
did anyone ever watch rocky and bullwinkle. one of their cartoon segments always had two titles which was part of the inspiration for the title of this. another part of the inspiration is the fact that i plan to be holed up with books and binders and articles and file folders and such things for the next two weekends. it's really wacky to be this close to my prelims because i don't feel like i'm at all ready. i've been assured by many people that it will be okay...and most of the time i'm sure that it will be, but there is still a lot that is intimidating about this test. i want to pass, but i also want to do a good job while passing. this semester has been so busy that i don't feel like i've prepared enough and i know that there is more that i could have done. hopefully i will be as productive as i need to be the next two weekends and during the free time that i have during the week. what that means is that i'm probably going to be a terrible friend. i've found that it's really hard for me to make spontaneous plans lately. i actually had to schedule a time to have lunch with sara. how crazy is that?! i should be able to just say 'yes...let's go to lunch in 20 minutes,' but life isn't going to work that way until november 12th at the earliest and hopefully november 22nd at the latest.
luckily it hasn't been all work. had a fun time in abq last weekend for balloon fiesta (though we didn't see many balloons.) went to see blue october with jeff and sara on wednesday night and stayed up way too late, but it was a good time. my parents are coming here in a few weeks so that will be kick ass too. and every once in a while i get to chat with friends on the phone for a bit and just kick back. i can't help but feel like every time i watch tv for a half hour or whatever, i should have been spending that time studying.
so...that's my crazy life right now. can't wait for thanksgiving for many reasons. ;)
p.s.- kate = foozball champion. just ask mike. :) BOO-YA!
luckily it hasn't been all work. had a fun time in abq last weekend for balloon fiesta (though we didn't see many balloons.) went to see blue october with jeff and sara on wednesday night and stayed up way too late, but it was a good time. my parents are coming here in a few weeks so that will be kick ass too. and every once in a while i get to chat with friends on the phone for a bit and just kick back. i can't help but feel like every time i watch tv for a half hour or whatever, i should have been spending that time studying.
so...that's my crazy life right now. can't wait for thanksgiving for many reasons. ;)
p.s.- kate = foozball champion. just ask mike. :) BOO-YA!
piece of shit car
i always joke around that as soon as i get my car paid for that it will immediately self-destruct and fall into a million pieces. well apparently my hoopty is not going to wait until it's paid off (which is about a year away!) so here's the run down on the piece of she-at!
1. i was driving the other day and a screw fell out of the ceiling and onto my lap. it turns out it holds my sunvisor in place. so my car was raining parts on me the other day, as soon after i was pelted with a screw, the plastic piece that was being held on by the screw also took a dive.
2. yesterday i was relishing in the awesome weather (thank god it's finally cooling off...mother nature was having some serious hot flashes here in texas for a while! damn!) and so i had my windows down. but not all the windows, since the driver's side one won't go down anymore. that will be convenient for my drive-thru needs. and on the way to work today i had the passenger window down and for a while it wouldn't go up again. this scenario made me hate automatic windows. luckily it did go up and now won't come down again. excellent.
3. my car is loud. this one is my fault. it is badly overdue for a tune up and now it sounds like one of those giant pick-ups that guys pimp out to make louder (which i don't really understand.) so i need to suck it up and pay $500 or whatever to get all this shit fixed. makes me think of the song "ode to my car" by adam sandler. and it also makes me wish i had won or will win the lottery or something so i can get a new ride before i go outside to find the saturn upside down and on fire. :)
peace out!
p.s.-thanks for all the messages, emails, and thoughts last week. sorry i haven't responded yet to a few of you. dad is doing well and got to go home yesterday which he was very excited about. :)
1. i was driving the other day and a screw fell out of the ceiling and onto my lap. it turns out it holds my sunvisor in place. so my car was raining parts on me the other day, as soon after i was pelted with a screw, the plastic piece that was being held on by the screw also took a dive.
2. yesterday i was relishing in the awesome weather (thank god it's finally cooling off...mother nature was having some serious hot flashes here in texas for a while! damn!) and so i had my windows down. but not all the windows, since the driver's side one won't go down anymore. that will be convenient for my drive-thru needs. and on the way to work today i had the passenger window down and for a while it wouldn't go up again. this scenario made me hate automatic windows. luckily it did go up and now won't come down again. excellent.
3. my car is loud. this one is my fault. it is badly overdue for a tune up and now it sounds like one of those giant pick-ups that guys pimp out to make louder (which i don't really understand.) so i need to suck it up and pay $500 or whatever to get all this shit fixed. makes me think of the song "ode to my car" by adam sandler. and it also makes me wish i had won or will win the lottery or something so i can get a new ride before i go outside to find the saturn upside down and on fire. :)
peace out!
p.s.-thanks for all the messages, emails, and thoughts last week. sorry i haven't responded yet to a few of you. dad is doing well and got to go home yesterday which he was very excited about. :)
9.26.2005
my dad was a zipper head
hi faithful blog readers,
i'm in houston right now waiting for my flight to college station to board. the trip to and from iowa were both buck wild crazy, but the good news is that my dad is doing really well. he had a rough day on friday. felt sick to his stomach and threw up a few times. but since then he's had a better appetite and all that good stuff. when i got to des moines on thursday they moved him from icu to a regular room, which he was very happy about. someone made the mistake of telling him that he'd get to move out of there before there was a room ready which pissed my dad right off. so he was happier after the move and really glad to see all of his kids i think. my brother and his wife and their two year old son came up from st. louis and i think it was good medicine for my dad to see luke. :) (and it was good medicine for all of us i think.)
it wasn't easy to say good-bye to everyone yesterday. but the good thing is that dad will probably get to go home on wednesday. they removed the staples from his head on saturday and he's just doing really well given the circumstances.
it was nice to be back at home and out of texas with all the chaos of the storm. that's a whole other blog entry though. i didn't like to be home under those circumstances, but i really needed to see the family and friends. and the weather in iowa was very autumnal which i also love. i miss fall so much. especially when i return to texas and it's predicted to be 112 with the heat index today. why did i leave? :)
anyway, that's the update. everyone's doing well. thanks for all your thoughts and prayers and help and stuff. i appreciate it more than i can express probably. and big props to tim smith who took me to houston on wednesday night and then had to drive back to college station that night. it took him 5.5 hours. i owe him so much beer it's not even funny. thanks tim smith!!
i'm in houston right now waiting for my flight to college station to board. the trip to and from iowa were both buck wild crazy, but the good news is that my dad is doing really well. he had a rough day on friday. felt sick to his stomach and threw up a few times. but since then he's had a better appetite and all that good stuff. when i got to des moines on thursday they moved him from icu to a regular room, which he was very happy about. someone made the mistake of telling him that he'd get to move out of there before there was a room ready which pissed my dad right off. so he was happier after the move and really glad to see all of his kids i think. my brother and his wife and their two year old son came up from st. louis and i think it was good medicine for my dad to see luke. :) (and it was good medicine for all of us i think.)
it wasn't easy to say good-bye to everyone yesterday. but the good thing is that dad will probably get to go home on wednesday. they removed the staples from his head on saturday and he's just doing really well given the circumstances.
it was nice to be back at home and out of texas with all the chaos of the storm. that's a whole other blog entry though. i didn't like to be home under those circumstances, but i really needed to see the family and friends. and the weather in iowa was very autumnal which i also love. i miss fall so much. especially when i return to texas and it's predicted to be 112 with the heat index today. why did i leave? :)
anyway, that's the update. everyone's doing well. thanks for all your thoughts and prayers and help and stuff. i appreciate it more than i can express probably. and big props to tim smith who took me to houston on wednesday night and then had to drive back to college station that night. it took him 5.5 hours. i owe him so much beer it's not even funny. thanks tim smith!!
9.20.2005
have you ever been so exhausted that you literally can't see straight?
i have. in fact, i was like that today. where i had to put forth a lot of effort to make my eyes function. the thing is this has been a long week and it's only tuesday. lots going on with school and teaching and work. and yesterday i found out my dad is in the hospital. he had an aneurysm in his brain and luckily they caught it quickly. he had surgery last night and they clamped the artery that's been causing the problem. the surgery was pretty invasive in terms of my dad's skull having to be removed in one place. the good thing is that he's in great spirits. before the surgery he was saying he was happy that this happened because now he has proof that he has a brain. (classic ron parks line.) he also told my mom today that he wanted her to make him a cardboard bill for the bandage on his head. i guess he's missing wearing his usual trucker style hat. (and not the von duch trucker hat...the real ones. he has one that says: "wisconsin: land of cowpies and beer farts" or something like that). so, fortunately dad is doing really well under the circumstances. mom had a tough time yesterday but is also doing much better now that dad seems to be okay now. i'm looking forward to spending time with the family this weekend. (thanks to all my awesome friends for support me with talks or beer or cheese fries or laughs...ya'll rock!)
so, i have to read for a while and then get some sleep. busy days coming up as well!
so, i have to read for a while and then get some sleep. busy days coming up as well!
9.19.2005
coffee break
so, i'm pretty much exhausted today. long, tiring weekend that was also pretty fun. i had a great time at the game, even when i almost passed out from the heat. we certainly btho SMU which is cool, but what we should have done so i'm not sure we should overreact from excitement there. nonetheless, it was quite a game! also spent time with friends eating meals and drinking beer which is not a bad thing. and i read some stuff that will be very helpful for the prelim exams which are now 48 days away. i over-estimated on the 10 weeks i think. scary bath!
i feel like there's kind of a lot going on right now. teaching, classes, job searching, studying...it's been hard to find time to play with people and even harder to find time to work out which sucks. i find myself longing for the day when all i'll have going on is a job, but i wonder if even then as an academic i'll really have more time. i hope i will. my new goal is to ride my bike for 30 minutes every day. i'm sure i can find that amount of time and every little bit helps, so i'm going to try. if only i had my own elliptical machine and somewhere to put it.
before i start rambling more and this gets too long, i want to share a link to a story in the school paper, the batt for you locals, that made me smile and appreciate aggieland a bit: good ags "gig 'em, green wave" made me smile.
i feel like there's kind of a lot going on right now. teaching, classes, job searching, studying...it's been hard to find time to play with people and even harder to find time to work out which sucks. i find myself longing for the day when all i'll have going on is a job, but i wonder if even then as an academic i'll really have more time. i hope i will. my new goal is to ride my bike for 30 minutes every day. i'm sure i can find that amount of time and every little bit helps, so i'm going to try. if only i had my own elliptical machine and somewhere to put it.
before i start rambling more and this gets too long, i want to share a link to a story in the school paper, the batt for you locals, that made me smile and appreciate aggieland a bit: good ags "gig 'em, green wave" made me smile.
9.12.2005
WHAM!...literally
i went to visit mike this past weekend in albuquerque. his birthday was on saturday which was a great excuse to get out of town. it's a little scary that i already needed a break after only two weeks of school...but i did. we had a lot of fun to say the least. hung out with some of mike's buddies on thursday night and ate yummy grilled food. on friday we slept in and ran a lot of errands, including finding new glasses for mike which are way awesome! we also went to dinner at pappadeux with mike's friend kurt. kurt introduced me to an awesome band called the postal service. they kick ass. check them out right now. do it. okay, wait until you're done reading this.
saturday was mike's birthday. he's officially on the 30 side of 20. we celebrated by hanging out on the roof of his house (it's flat adobe style) and watched college football and drank beer. (and i got a sunburn with crazy tan lines.) that evening we went out to dinner at an awesome place called charma river and then went to get a few drinks at a bar that also had karaoke. we all sang a few songs and had a good, low-key time. towards the end of the night a guy started singing "wake me up before you go go" which we were obviously very excited about. he was doing a good job too until he got into a fist fight with some people. it was crazy. we were waiting for the chorus and instead so a wad of people throwing punches. needless to say, he didn't finish the song. i found it hilarious that a fight broke out during one of the happiest songs ever. so those shenannigans inspired the subject line. :)
sunday was another relaxing day. mike made some fan-freakin'-tastic eggplant parmesean. holy damn it was good. that kid can cook like a mo-fo! i foolishly forgot to steal some left-overs before i left this morning.
anyway..good weekend. this week is probably going to be a busy one. at least i got to rest up before it all start. thanks mike. :)
saturday was mike's birthday. he's officially on the 30 side of 20. we celebrated by hanging out on the roof of his house (it's flat adobe style) and watched college football and drank beer. (and i got a sunburn with crazy tan lines.) that evening we went out to dinner at an awesome place called charma river and then went to get a few drinks at a bar that also had karaoke. we all sang a few songs and had a good, low-key time. towards the end of the night a guy started singing "wake me up before you go go" which we were obviously very excited about. he was doing a good job too until he got into a fist fight with some people. it was crazy. we were waiting for the chorus and instead so a wad of people throwing punches. needless to say, he didn't finish the song. i found it hilarious that a fight broke out during one of the happiest songs ever. so those shenannigans inspired the subject line. :)
sunday was another relaxing day. mike made some fan-freakin'-tastic eggplant parmesean. holy damn it was good. that kid can cook like a mo-fo! i foolishly forgot to steal some left-overs before i left this morning.
anyway..good weekend. this week is probably going to be a busy one. at least i got to rest up before it all start. thanks mike. :)
9.08.2005
10 weeks
hi friends- i'm going to switch gears a bit. in the next few days i should have a date set for preliminary exams. it's a formidable hurdle but one that i'm constantly assured i can get over. and the anticipation of the relief that i will feel once it's over with is a huge motivation. it will be freakin' AWESOME to get to enjoy the holidays without concern about big scary exam. i have an idea of what the format will be and now that it's becoming a known entity i'm feeling less anxious about it. so much less anxious in fact that i realized last night that i hadn't taken my heart/anxiety drugs for 3 days and wasn't having any problems. (don't worry...i got the prescription refilled so i'm back on track!)
i'm heading to NM this weekend to visit the birthday boy...i mean birthday man this weekend and to take a bit of a break. w00t!
have a good weekend!
i'm heading to NM this weekend to visit the birthday boy...i mean birthday man this weekend and to take a bit of a break. w00t!
have a good weekend!
9.06.2005
you need power to run the coke machine..
i was eating dinner with a friend on friday night and the restaurant we were at blew a fuse. obviously, the power was out for a bit which didn't stop some patrons from trying to use the coke machine. it was one of those moments when you totally take for granted how much we rely on electricity for day-to-day stuff. then i was talking to another friend on sunday and he brought up something important. the people affected on the gulf coast by katrina who were not able to leave before the devastation didn't have power. doy..we knew that. but i don't think we've really thought about it. we were able to see the relief efforts and to some degree the scale of the disaster. people in new orleans and in other areas affected didn't have cnn. what they did have was destruction and death without a clear path out of it. i can only speculate that not knowing what was going on and what was going to happen and if help was on the way would only add to the despair they were already experiencing. they might not have known about the rescue copters and were worried about not being seen by them since people were stuck in places underwater, so they were shooting in the air to get the attention of the heros doing rescues. it wasn't about anger or shooting the hand that is attempting to help you. it might have been about being seen by copters flying constantly overhead but not stopping yet for them. with the lack of organization in the relief efforts in some areas and a mass of people without information, it should be no wonder that the victims would feel desperate.
just a few more things, because i'm not sure anyone is reading this. one...if your only assett was your home, would it be easy for you to leave it? if you had no television, wouldn't be hard to know the full extent of the storm? does it piss off anyone else that it seems like a better job was done evacuating animals and pets than was done for our fellow citizens? (sorry...just saw a stupid story on cnn). is anyone else frustrated that the federal government cut spending for FEMA and for the levee before this happened? okay...so much venting. here are a few really interesting articles to ponder. this is a good time to unite while thinking critically about what happened and what the next steps are.
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0903-20.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0904-29.htm
just a few more things, because i'm not sure anyone is reading this. one...if your only assett was your home, would it be easy for you to leave it? if you had no television, wouldn't be hard to know the full extent of the storm? does it piss off anyone else that it seems like a better job was done evacuating animals and pets than was done for our fellow citizens? (sorry...just saw a stupid story on cnn). is anyone else frustrated that the federal government cut spending for FEMA and for the levee before this happened? okay...so much venting. here are a few really interesting articles to ponder. this is a good time to unite while thinking critically about what happened and what the next steps are.
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0903-20.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0904-29.htm
9.02.2005
a time for compassion
hi friends-
i've been thinking so much about the disaster in new orleans and around the gulf coast lately. the images on the news are hard to even comprehend. and that's what has stuck with me. there's a lot of talk and judgement going on of the people affected by this horrible crisis. and while i certainly don't and can't condone shooting at rescue workers, i've also realized that i am fortunate that i don't know what the victims of this are really facing. i'm lucky that i live in an area of the country that was not affected by this. i'm blessed that i have food and water and a home and i don't have to see dead bodies floating in water or grapple with the notion that i have lost everything that i own, i have lost members of my family, and that i've lost hope of being rescued. this is a time for compassion for those who's situation is beyond what most of us have ever experienced. maybe that's what makes it hard to understand why people would be so angry or loot or whatever. i don't defend the fact that people are breaking the law, but i recognize that i, in the comfort of my air conditioned office typing this on a decent computer with my iced coffee drink, have no way of truly understand what the victims are going through.
my friend wes found a really good article on fark summing up some of the aftermath. check out his sept. 1st post. http://thirteenthgeneration.blogspot.com/ actually, wes has a lot of good information on his site but that article was especially good. it makes the point that now is the time for us to come together. to help those less fortunate. to practice compassion. to cherish humanity. i think after things have calmed down a bit and people are once again safe, it will be time to ask some tough questions about the poverty in this country. people are already asking those questions and it's time we really pay attention.
i've been thinking so much about the disaster in new orleans and around the gulf coast lately. the images on the news are hard to even comprehend. and that's what has stuck with me. there's a lot of talk and judgement going on of the people affected by this horrible crisis. and while i certainly don't and can't condone shooting at rescue workers, i've also realized that i am fortunate that i don't know what the victims of this are really facing. i'm lucky that i live in an area of the country that was not affected by this. i'm blessed that i have food and water and a home and i don't have to see dead bodies floating in water or grapple with the notion that i have lost everything that i own, i have lost members of my family, and that i've lost hope of being rescued. this is a time for compassion for those who's situation is beyond what most of us have ever experienced. maybe that's what makes it hard to understand why people would be so angry or loot or whatever. i don't defend the fact that people are breaking the law, but i recognize that i, in the comfort of my air conditioned office typing this on a decent computer with my iced coffee drink, have no way of truly understand what the victims are going through.
my friend wes found a really good article on fark summing up some of the aftermath. check out his sept. 1st post. http://thirteenthgeneration.blogspot.com/ actually, wes has a lot of good information on his site but that article was especially good. it makes the point that now is the time for us to come together. to help those less fortunate. to practice compassion. to cherish humanity. i think after things have calmed down a bit and people are once again safe, it will be time to ask some tough questions about the poverty in this country. people are already asking those questions and it's time we really pay attention.
8.31.2005
some thoughts on katrina
a few of my friends have posted on their blogs about hurricane katrina, mostly because their families and friends live in the areas that were hit. as a yankee who's never really experienced this before, and didn't experiece it this time, it's hard to imagine how scary and devastating the storm was. just a few months ago i was in new orleans for a conference and now the city is in ruin. i guess i wanted to sum up some of what my friends have been talking about and share an interesting observation that was brought to my attention by some of my sociology colleagues.
one friend pointed out that people who choose not to evacuate put themselves at risk and shouldn't complain too loudly when the government is slow to respond to their needs. i can see where she's coming from to one extent, because people do that that risk themselves. at the same time, another friend pointed out that there are some very poverty stricken areas, specifically in new orleans but i have no doubt in many places along the coast, and that these people didn't necessarily have the means to leave. and not only that, that they will return to their homes with nothing. if you can't afford insurance, you just lost everything and it won't be replaced with shiny new items. so this is a time to also think about those who are less fortunate than us and literally lost everything they own.
another friend commentated on the media coverage of this event and how newscasters seemed disappointed when the storm didn't hit new orleans as strongly as originally predicted. it's pretty damn crazy how desperate the media is to get the story and that if they don't get the one they want, it's somehow disappointing that not as many lives were ruined as they first thought. i find myself avoiding the news a lot because of crap just like that.
and speaking of media crap...a few of my fellow graduate students in sociology shared this with me today. it's pretty disturbing and i think it says a lot about how the media influences our ideas about race and crime.
one friend pointed out that people who choose not to evacuate put themselves at risk and shouldn't complain too loudly when the government is slow to respond to their needs. i can see where she's coming from to one extent, because people do that that risk themselves. at the same time, another friend pointed out that there are some very poverty stricken areas, specifically in new orleans but i have no doubt in many places along the coast, and that these people didn't necessarily have the means to leave. and not only that, that they will return to their homes with nothing. if you can't afford insurance, you just lost everything and it won't be replaced with shiny new items. so this is a time to also think about those who are less fortunate than us and literally lost everything they own.
another friend commentated on the media coverage of this event and how newscasters seemed disappointed when the storm didn't hit new orleans as strongly as originally predicted. it's pretty damn crazy how desperate the media is to get the story and that if they don't get the one they want, it's somehow disappointing that not as many lives were ruined as they first thought. i find myself avoiding the news a lot because of crap just like that.
and speaking of media crap...a few of my fellow graduate students in sociology shared this with me today. it's pretty disturbing and i think it says a lot about how the media influences our ideas about race and crime.
1: A young man walks through chest deep flood water after looting a grocery store in New Orleans on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2005. Flood waters continue to rise in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina did extensive damage when it made landfall on Monday. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
2: Two residents wade through chest-deep water after finding bread and soda from a local grocery store after Hurricane Katrina came through the area in New Orleans, Louisiana.(AFP/Getty Images/Chris Graythen)
so, if you're white you're finding stuff...and if you're black you're looting. isn't everyone just trying to survive at this point? if you just lost everything you own and all your food...why not find some pepsi? just a thought.
my thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by this disaster.
8.30.2005
nervous excitement
okay..now that i think about the title for this post it sounds a little like a line out of a seedy romance novel with thrusting and heaving things. that's actually NOT what this post is about.
the fall semester has officially begun. i taught my first classes this morning and attended my first class tonight. before i know it, it will be november and i'll be taking preliminary exams and then it will be december and i'll hopefully be ABD and moving to work on my dissertation research. i'm excited, because this should be a fun semester filled with visitors and trips and football games and friend time. i'm guessing it will go fast which means soon i'll be on a new adventure again. but i'm still a bit nervous about getting all this done successfully. i know it will be okay, but that's why i have some nervous excitement going on.
okay...time for sleep after a very very long day.
the fall semester has officially begun. i taught my first classes this morning and attended my first class tonight. before i know it, it will be november and i'll be taking preliminary exams and then it will be december and i'll hopefully be ABD and moving to work on my dissertation research. i'm excited, because this should be a fun semester filled with visitors and trips and football games and friend time. i'm guessing it will go fast which means soon i'll be on a new adventure again. but i'm still a bit nervous about getting all this done successfully. i know it will be okay, but that's why i have some nervous excitement going on.
okay...time for sleep after a very very long day.
8.26.2005
and there was much rejoicing
my loans have FINALLY posted to my student account. yay for money coming soon. now i can stop checking my student account like a maniac. *phew*
8.25.2005
fumes are getting to me
so i had an idea earlier, when i was stopped at every single red light from my house to blinn and from blinn to snowflake donuts, about what i wanted to post today...but now i totally forgot.
they are doing some sort of painting or refinishing in the dome of the academic building and i'm getting high from the fumes. inadvertent huffing going on in my office today.
i was reading my friend dennis's weblog today and decided to check out the comments and i was really disturbed to find that people were using his comment space as a place to advertise stupid shit. i'm assuming these aren't people he knows. it just seems wrong. dennis is sharing his thoughts about faith and god and posting his homily topics for the week and people are then using that space to post about touring clay aiken's house. i have a feeling that this rant will result in a bunch of spam comments on my blog. but i just thought it was pretty shitty so i'll risk it.
let's see..other stuff. i'm in the process of writing a syllabus for the courses i'm going to teach this semester. i think that grown-up schedule that i've been trying to avoid is finally going to attack me now. guess i'm due to have one at age 29. :)
they are doing some sort of painting or refinishing in the dome of the academic building and i'm getting high from the fumes. inadvertent huffing going on in my office today.
i was reading my friend dennis's weblog today and decided to check out the comments and i was really disturbed to find that people were using his comment space as a place to advertise stupid shit. i'm assuming these aren't people he knows. it just seems wrong. dennis is sharing his thoughts about faith and god and posting his homily topics for the week and people are then using that space to post about touring clay aiken's house. i have a feeling that this rant will result in a bunch of spam comments on my blog. but i just thought it was pretty shitty so i'll risk it.
let's see..other stuff. i'm in the process of writing a syllabus for the courses i'm going to teach this semester. i think that grown-up schedule that i've been trying to avoid is finally going to attack me now. guess i'm due to have one at age 29. :)
8.23.2005
holy hot!
i went to the student rec center today and it was quite warm in the weight room as i worked out on the bikes and pumped a little iron. it was a tough workout only because it felt like the air conditioner was not on. hopefully that helped me lose a few more calories. when i went outside the thermometer on kyle field (the giant aggie football stadium for you yanks who don't know) said ONE HUNDRED AND NINE DEGREES! one of these days i wouldn't be surprised if i drove past kyle field only to see red digital numbers dripping down the concrete or exploded all over the place because of the ridiculous heat!! numbers EVERYWHERE! at any rate, the lady on the radio today said that september would be here soon so things would cool off. my comment was "yeah right!" what do you think native texans? what's fall going to look like after this summer of swamp ass?
8.22.2005
it's not nice to lie
today is august 22nd. student financial aid claims on their website (in two places mind you) that student loans would be disbursed on august 19th. today is august 22nd. my loans are not applied to my account. their line is busy. it's not nice to lie. not. nice.
8.21.2005
apple juice = = "icky bad"
so sara and i went to a new bar in college station called v bar. the ambiance is really cool, though the drinks did not live up to the hype or the price. many of their signatures were described by me as "icky bad." maybe they are new enough that they are still getting their shit together? no idea. all i know is that fancy martini concoctions don't need champagne or chardonnay in them and mojitos shouldn't taste like liquid wrigley's spearmint gum. OH..and mixed berry garnish doesn't mean you drop a cherry in it. fuggers.
what i do know is that sara and i both got hit on by people that were not high on drugs. as some of you know, one of the few times i've been hit on in college station involved a guy who creeped me out because he was apparentely high on drugs. (we deducted that because he wouldn't back off even after tim went 'west texas' on him and because his friend was staring at a light.) the guys tonight were nice enough. one of them though went from zero to drunk in 2.3 seconds. he later told me many times that i was sexy (doy!), but it's also possible that he's telling that to a light post on northgate right now. that's not to say that sara and i aren't sexy..because cleary we are even if that's somewhat underappreciated in this one horse town. it just speaks to how drunk that kid got so fast. it was crazier than that time phil finished the drink i got for him before i had actually paid for it. :)
anyways...i'm glad to be home now and away from the insanity. hell has officially broken loose in college station. in other words...all the people are coming back. no more driving around town without fear of losing my life or being able to sit down at a restaurant within 10 minutes of arriving. see you in january cheddars. :)
what i do know is that sara and i both got hit on by people that were not high on drugs. as some of you know, one of the few times i've been hit on in college station involved a guy who creeped me out because he was apparentely high on drugs. (we deducted that because he wouldn't back off even after tim went 'west texas' on him and because his friend was staring at a light.) the guys tonight were nice enough. one of them though went from zero to drunk in 2.3 seconds. he later told me many times that i was sexy (doy!), but it's also possible that he's telling that to a light post on northgate right now. that's not to say that sara and i aren't sexy..because cleary we are even if that's somewhat underappreciated in this one horse town. it just speaks to how drunk that kid got so fast. it was crazier than that time phil finished the drink i got for him before i had actually paid for it. :)
anyways...i'm glad to be home now and away from the insanity. hell has officially broken loose in college station. in other words...all the people are coming back. no more driving around town without fear of losing my life or being able to sit down at a restaurant within 10 minutes of arriving. see you in january cheddars. :)
8.19.2005
throw down in my inbox
i sent an email to tim and mike and shelley yesterday about how i was pissed that i didn't have AOL instant messenger on my computer AND that AIM changed their website around and no longer use old school AIM Quick Buddy, which was probably invented in 1984 and what i was relying on. now, i was mostly venting about this situation, but before i knew it..there was a computer nerd throw down going on in my mailbox. and let me tell you something...it was hilarious. it was like a little taste of defcon again. :)
here's a sample:
"commad line aim over ssh! or rdesktop to a spare windows box" -m
"was i supposed to be able to understand that? 1010010010101010101" -k
"i had absolutely no hope of helping with the aim problem but damn! that was
entertaining as hell to read. ;-)" -s
"She's on a windows machine. rdesktop doesn't have windows binaries.
So what she needs to do is install X-Win32 on the PC (which she
probably can't). Then ssh to a linux box and run rdesktop to connect
to a windows machine... that doesn't seem backwards, ugly, wrong, or
retarded in any way." -t
"She can use windows rdesktop or whatever the hell to connect remotely
to a windows box running terminal services.
She has hummingbird, you can do X with that (umm, i think), in which
case she just needs a linux box to run gaim off of. :)
or use naim on the command line." -m
"Am I going to get arrested for this?" -k
*insert 13 step process for getting AIM to work here. i didn't want to type it all out but thanks tim.*
"http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/tools/rdclientdl.mspx
*looks around*
*whistles*
BOOYA!!!" -m
"what in the hell is going on? *grin*" -k
"I believe this is what is referred to as a "virtual nerd throw-down"
where two nerds battle one another in knowledge of a topic." -t
"*scared on so many levels* ;)" -k
okay, so maybe that was more than a sample. but it was/is funny shit and i had to share it with the world so they too could enjoy it.
unfortunately i still didn't get it to work, but i think tim is coming over today to hook that shit up. "gaim got eaten by some...linux or something... :)" -k
hope you all have a great weekend! i'll be taking it easy in texas and getting ready for hell to in fact break loose.
here's a sample:
"commad line aim over ssh! or rdesktop to a spare windows box" -m
"was i supposed to be able to understand that? 1010010010101010101" -k
"i had absolutely no hope of helping with the aim problem but damn! that was
entertaining as hell to read. ;-)" -s
"She's on a windows machine. rdesktop doesn't have windows binaries.
So what she needs to do is install X-Win32 on the PC (which she
probably can't). Then ssh to a linux box and run rdesktop to connect
to a windows machine... that doesn't seem backwards, ugly, wrong, or
retarded in any way." -t
"She can use windows rdesktop or whatever the hell to connect remotely
to a windows box running terminal services.
She has hummingbird, you can do X with that (umm, i think), in which
case she just needs a linux box to run gaim off of. :)
or use naim on the command line." -m
"Am I going to get arrested for this?" -k
*insert 13 step process for getting AIM to work here. i didn't want to type it all out but thanks tim.*
"http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/tools/rdclientdl.mspx
*looks around*
*whistles*
BOOYA!!!" -m
"what in the hell is going on? *grin*" -k
"I believe this is what is referred to as a "virtual nerd throw-down"
where two nerds battle one another in knowledge of a topic." -t
"*scared on so many levels* ;)" -k
okay, so maybe that was more than a sample. but it was/is funny shit and i had to share it with the world so they too could enjoy it.
unfortunately i still didn't get it to work, but i think tim is coming over today to hook that shit up. "gaim got eaten by some...linux or something... :)" -k
hope you all have a great weekend! i'll be taking it easy in texas and getting ready for hell to in fact break loose.
8.16.2005
"Doom doom doom da dop, Doom doom doom da dop, Da ya ya ya dop, da dop, da oh oh oh"
"Doin' a little eastcoast swang"
that was just in case you didn't catch the motownphilly reference in the title. :) i had a fun time in philly for sure. here's the run down:
friday night- got to philly a little later than expected. shelley picked me and lindsay up at the airport and we found the hotel and then went to the hard rock cafe for dinner and mudslides and the biggest brownie sundae i've ever seen in my life.
saturday- went to the conference and watched lindsay's presentation. she kicked asses. went to some other sessions. that evening after a nap lindsay and warren and i took a walk to find a cheesesteak. we had talked about going to one of the well-known places, like jim's or gino's, but we were so hungry at that point that we wanted to go some place close and not busy. the weird thing about the place we did go to was that they sold sushi and cheesesteaks. figure that one out. i dare ya! anyway, it was quite tasty.
as we exited the restaurant i could here that there was a really loud and angry argument going on outside. turns out a gay pimp was yelling at a straight prostitute about how this was "gay territory" and she should go elsewhere. of course that was all said with a LOT more swear words and references to sex acts. it was a little scary to say the least and i'm not sure that's the brotherly love that philly is known for.
later that night lindsay and i met up with shelley, her boyfriend stu, her cousin matt, and some random guy. ;) (his name was kyle but we dubbed him 'randy' after shell's reference to him as random guy.) we went to a bar called finnegan's wake and drank some drinks and listened to an AWESOME cover band. they played a bunch of really awesome songs and we all had a great time. (and drank way too much and stayed up way too late watching a hotel adult movie...it seemed like a good idea at the time. pretty sure i can't get reimbursed for that.)
sunday- slept in a bit and missed a few sessions. went to a really really great one in the afternoon though. then i went back to the room and relaxed and got ready for my presentation. lindsay also ordered room service for dinner and we had this ridiculously good chocolate cake. damn!
monday- got up early to check in for the flight and read over the presentation stuff again. my talk went pretty well i think. then lindsay and i headed right to the airport to catch our flight. we had to stop in new orleans (since southwest operates under the school bus philosophy) and we ended up being stuck there from 1:30-5:00 due to weather in houston. luckily we didn't have to stay on the plane the entire time and we were able to get lunch/dinner and some ice cream. i even bought a new orleans souveneir since we were there for so long. :) eventually we made it back to college station.
all in all this was a great trip filled with good food, good talks, good times at the conference, and fun with good (and new) friends.
"Boyz II men, abc, bbd"
that was just in case you didn't catch the motownphilly reference in the title. :) i had a fun time in philly for sure. here's the run down:
friday night- got to philly a little later than expected. shelley picked me and lindsay up at the airport and we found the hotel and then went to the hard rock cafe for dinner and mudslides and the biggest brownie sundae i've ever seen in my life.
saturday- went to the conference and watched lindsay's presentation. she kicked asses. went to some other sessions. that evening after a nap lindsay and warren and i took a walk to find a cheesesteak. we had talked about going to one of the well-known places, like jim's or gino's, but we were so hungry at that point that we wanted to go some place close and not busy. the weird thing about the place we did go to was that they sold sushi and cheesesteaks. figure that one out. i dare ya! anyway, it was quite tasty.
as we exited the restaurant i could here that there was a really loud and angry argument going on outside. turns out a gay pimp was yelling at a straight prostitute about how this was "gay territory" and she should go elsewhere. of course that was all said with a LOT more swear words and references to sex acts. it was a little scary to say the least and i'm not sure that's the brotherly love that philly is known for.
later that night lindsay and i met up with shelley, her boyfriend stu, her cousin matt, and some random guy. ;) (his name was kyle but we dubbed him 'randy' after shell's reference to him as random guy.) we went to a bar called finnegan's wake and drank some drinks and listened to an AWESOME cover band. they played a bunch of really awesome songs and we all had a great time. (and drank way too much and stayed up way too late watching a hotel adult movie...it seemed like a good idea at the time. pretty sure i can't get reimbursed for that.)
sunday- slept in a bit and missed a few sessions. went to a really really great one in the afternoon though. then i went back to the room and relaxed and got ready for my presentation. lindsay also ordered room service for dinner and we had this ridiculously good chocolate cake. damn!
monday- got up early to check in for the flight and read over the presentation stuff again. my talk went pretty well i think. then lindsay and i headed right to the airport to catch our flight. we had to stop in new orleans (since southwest operates under the school bus philosophy) and we ended up being stuck there from 1:30-5:00 due to weather in houston. luckily we didn't have to stay on the plane the entire time and we were able to get lunch/dinner and some ice cream. i even bought a new orleans souveneir since we were there for so long. :) eventually we made it back to college station.
all in all this was a great trip filled with good food, good talks, good times at the conference, and fun with good (and new) friends.
"Boyz II men, abc, bbd"
8.15.2005
you know you're on a scary road when..
you know you're in the middle of bumble-fuck texas on a scary ass road when you're excited that you're going to be in hearne soon because that's the next "big" city coming up! i went to visit my friend adam in temple, texas before he heads out to fort hood and then to iraq. on the way there, i noticed that i was on a somewhat creepy two-lane road most of the way, but at least it was not dark yet. when i headed home later that night, it was really dark. so dark that you almost expect to come upon some kind of scary "good ol' boy" event, but you're constantly grateful that you haven't. every once in a while some crazy animal would dart across the road just to make everything a bit more exciting. (saw one of the biggest frogs i'd ever seen in my life, as well as some sort of coyote type animal). i was hauling all kinds of ass to get to hearne. i couldn't get there fast enough. and for those of you who don't live deep in the heart of texas, hearne is a pretty small little town (http://www.rtis.com/reg/hearne/) about 20 minutes north of college station on highway 6 (which is also no fun at that hour but still a step up from the road i was on prior to hearne.) luckily the trip was well worth it since i had a great time with adam. and i made it home in one piece...and in record time.
i'll post again soon about my philly trip! woo!
i'll post again soon about my philly trip! woo!
8.09.2005
"i like corn. i eat corn."
when i was a little kid we were at my grandparent's house eating thanksgiving dinner or something with all our relatives. people were passing food around the table and i sat watching all this in my high chair concerned about my own lack of food. (this was a real concern in those days because i was all about eating. it's a wonder that i wasn't a super pudgy kid. i ate everything!) finally, i proclaimed to my family as a bowl of corn when by that "i like corn, i eat corn." my subtle way of making it known that i was ready to eat and that corn better be on the menu.
it's funny how in some ways i still communicate with my family in that subtle way. not really saying directly "hey..this is what i want" but beating around the bush instead. i wonder if this is a family dynamic that exists for a lot of people in their families. for example, i really want my dad to stop smoking and i HATE that he still does it. it makes no sense to me, especially considering that a year ago we were learning about my mom's cancer diagnosis. but somehow i don't just come out and tell him how i feel about it. i do my passive-aggressive things, like leaving the room when he's in there smoking, instead of just telling him how i feel about it. i really think i need to figure this out, because it ends up creating some strain while i'm at home when it should just be fun. i always think when i go home that this time it will be different and there are always elements of sameness going on.
DON'T GET ME WRONG...i had a great time at home and i love spending time with my parents and my family and my friends. it was wonderful to see luke again and play with him. he's hilarious and so smart! we had a lot of laughs and great food and fun times. definitely more positive, fun times than negative ones. i'm grateful that i got to spend time with everyone and really happy that some of my college buddies were able to share in the fun too. that meant so much to me. so i don't want to seem like a crabby ingrate. i love the fam. i just don't know the best way to approach them with the things that bug me, especially the smoking thing, without making too many waves.
so yeah, iowa was great. the weather was fantastic! it was in the 70s/80s pretty much the entire weekend. luke did really well meeting a ton of relatives, especially considering that he was a little under the weather. i got to see some cousins that i haven't talked to in a while, which was great. spent a lot of time with monica and dennis and jeremy which was much needed for all of us i think. definitely a good time and i needed some home time. i'm hoping to get back up there in october (i LOVE fall in iowa) to see the family again and maybe catch part of homecoming. woo!
in the meantime, i think classes start in two and a half weeks. i'll be taking two courses and teaching two courses at the community college (i think). nervous and excited all at once.
it's funny how in some ways i still communicate with my family in that subtle way. not really saying directly "hey..this is what i want" but beating around the bush instead. i wonder if this is a family dynamic that exists for a lot of people in their families. for example, i really want my dad to stop smoking and i HATE that he still does it. it makes no sense to me, especially considering that a year ago we were learning about my mom's cancer diagnosis. but somehow i don't just come out and tell him how i feel about it. i do my passive-aggressive things, like leaving the room when he's in there smoking, instead of just telling him how i feel about it. i really think i need to figure this out, because it ends up creating some strain while i'm at home when it should just be fun. i always think when i go home that this time it will be different and there are always elements of sameness going on.
DON'T GET ME WRONG...i had a great time at home and i love spending time with my parents and my family and my friends. it was wonderful to see luke again and play with him. he's hilarious and so smart! we had a lot of laughs and great food and fun times. definitely more positive, fun times than negative ones. i'm grateful that i got to spend time with everyone and really happy that some of my college buddies were able to share in the fun too. that meant so much to me. so i don't want to seem like a crabby ingrate. i love the fam. i just don't know the best way to approach them with the things that bug me, especially the smoking thing, without making too many waves.
so yeah, iowa was great. the weather was fantastic! it was in the 70s/80s pretty much the entire weekend. luke did really well meeting a ton of relatives, especially considering that he was a little under the weather. i got to see some cousins that i haven't talked to in a while, which was great. spent a lot of time with monica and dennis and jeremy which was much needed for all of us i think. definitely a good time and i needed some home time. i'm hoping to get back up there in october (i LOVE fall in iowa) to see the family again and maybe catch part of homecoming. woo!
in the meantime, i think classes start in two and a half weeks. i'll be taking two courses and teaching two courses at the community college (i think). nervous and excited all at once.
8.03.2005
kate's defcon journal
"friday...around noon
i'm not sure of the exact time because i forgot my watch in all the excitement of vegas and going to the conference this morning. currently i'm freezing my nuts off in a hotel suite with a half dozen computer nerds. i should be surprised, but there are seven computers in here. the guys are trying to get internet access, as it seems that someone has hacked something or other and fucked everything up. the language is cryptic and if you don't know the speak, you don't have one idea about what's going on (which is the situation for me). every once in a while someone tells a joke i undrestand and i can participate in the fun. 'i think it got rooted,' one of the guys proclaims.
we're also watching presentations on tv instead of fighting the crowds of wacky people (in the heat) to get in. i have no doubt that the current speaker, (whose glasses are way too big for his face), is sharing pertinent information about something. but he's got the monotone, middle-school science teacher speech presentation thing going on, which makes unlikely that i'll attempt to figure out what he's talking about.
thank god mike changed the channel. this presenter appears to be a computer guy with social skills and realizes that inflection is key to maintaining interest. and he's kind of cute to boot, which doesn't hurt when you don't understand the subject matter. now there are nice computers in the room and five people including me. :) everyone is typing away on their own boxes and intermittently talk to each other about...well-fuck...i have no idea! :) it's amazing that i'm a pretty well-educated person, but have no clue what is going on in this room. it's almost like i'm plopped down in the middle of mexico with a limited, at best, grasp of the spanish language. language is key in this setting-without the basics, it's possible to smile and nod your way through an entire morning.
one of mike's friends makes the statement that at defcon there are "people who know stuff and people who are trying to put linux on a laptop all weekend." it's clear i'm in the second group. :)
now the guys are super excited because they managed to hack someone. the guy eventually realized that he was 0wned which made everyone really happy. :)"
okay..so i didn't journal the whole time, but i did take some random notes since mike expects me to present at defcon next year. bring on project number three. and i have to find an appropriate defcon outfit. :)
i'm not sure of the exact time because i forgot my watch in all the excitement of vegas and going to the conference this morning. currently i'm freezing my nuts off in a hotel suite with a half dozen computer nerds. i should be surprised, but there are seven computers in here. the guys are trying to get internet access, as it seems that someone has hacked something or other and fucked everything up. the language is cryptic and if you don't know the speak, you don't have one idea about what's going on (which is the situation for me). every once in a while someone tells a joke i undrestand and i can participate in the fun. 'i think it got rooted,' one of the guys proclaims.
we're also watching presentations on tv instead of fighting the crowds of wacky people (in the heat) to get in. i have no doubt that the current speaker, (whose glasses are way too big for his face), is sharing pertinent information about something. but he's got the monotone, middle-school science teacher speech presentation thing going on, which makes unlikely that i'll attempt to figure out what he's talking about.
thank god mike changed the channel. this presenter appears to be a computer guy with social skills and realizes that inflection is key to maintaining interest. and he's kind of cute to boot, which doesn't hurt when you don't understand the subject matter. now there are nice computers in the room and five people including me. :) everyone is typing away on their own boxes and intermittently talk to each other about...well-fuck...i have no idea! :) it's amazing that i'm a pretty well-educated person, but have no clue what is going on in this room. it's almost like i'm plopped down in the middle of mexico with a limited, at best, grasp of the spanish language. language is key in this setting-without the basics, it's possible to smile and nod your way through an entire morning.
one of mike's friends makes the statement that at defcon there are "people who know stuff and people who are trying to put linux on a laptop all weekend." it's clear i'm in the second group. :)
now the guys are super excited because they managed to hack someone. the guy eventually realized that he was 0wned which made everyone really happy. :)"
okay..so i didn't journal the whole time, but i did take some random notes since mike expects me to present at defcon next year. bring on project number three. and i have to find an appropriate defcon outfit. :)
holy balls it's august!
hi friends,
somehow it is august 3rd, which means school starts in less than one month. not going to think about that right now. *shudder*
i've been doing a lot of traveling lately. i spent a week in ABQ doing some research and stuff (probably more stuff than research) and then went to vegas this past weekend and visited mike at defcon. it was a lot of fun and i'm still feeling pretty exhausted as i sit in yet another airport on my way to iowa. the time in ABQ was great. lots of relaxation time and i got to meet some more people to talk to about my research. i hung out with some of the people i've met via mike in ABQ and had a fun time with them for sure. the weather was also really awesome. definitely didn't miss the heat and humidity when it was in the 70s/80s.
vegas was BUCK WILD. there was drinking, a little gambling, A LOT of computer nerd time, and lots of hang out time with mike and friends. i got to try in-n-out burger finally and it definitely lived up to the hype (though i'm not sure i give it the same rating that mike does.) probably my favorite part of the vegas trip was going to see ka: cirque de soleil: http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/Cirquedusoleil/en/KA/main.htm?bandWidth=Hi. mike's friend jason generously gave us his tickets and it was probably the most amazing show i've ever seen. i think at one point my jaw had dropped open because i was in so much awe of what i was seeing. we also ate at this fantastic all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant. mike was awesome and pretty much paid for all my meals...so the only money i really spent was on shoes, computer nerd stickers, and slot machine donations. he's cool like that. *thanks mike*
i think i'm going to end this blog for now. i do have more catching up to do but i don't want this to get too long. later skaters.
kater tater
somehow it is august 3rd, which means school starts in less than one month. not going to think about that right now. *shudder*
i've been doing a lot of traveling lately. i spent a week in ABQ doing some research and stuff (probably more stuff than research) and then went to vegas this past weekend and visited mike at defcon. it was a lot of fun and i'm still feeling pretty exhausted as i sit in yet another airport on my way to iowa. the time in ABQ was great. lots of relaxation time and i got to meet some more people to talk to about my research. i hung out with some of the people i've met via mike in ABQ and had a fun time with them for sure. the weather was also really awesome. definitely didn't miss the heat and humidity when it was in the 70s/80s.
vegas was BUCK WILD. there was drinking, a little gambling, A LOT of computer nerd time, and lots of hang out time with mike and friends. i got to try in-n-out burger finally and it definitely lived up to the hype (though i'm not sure i give it the same rating that mike does.) probably my favorite part of the vegas trip was going to see ka: cirque de soleil: http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/Cirquedusoleil/en/KA/main.htm?bandWidth=Hi. mike's friend jason generously gave us his tickets and it was probably the most amazing show i've ever seen. i think at one point my jaw had dropped open because i was in so much awe of what i was seeing. we also ate at this fantastic all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant. mike was awesome and pretty much paid for all my meals...so the only money i really spent was on shoes, computer nerd stickers, and slot machine donations. he's cool like that. *thanks mike*
i think i'm going to end this blog for now. i do have more catching up to do but i don't want this to get too long. later skaters.
kater tater
7.25.2005
"home" alone
so, i'm hanging out at mike's house by myself. he's in vegas for a conference and i'm here in ABQ to do research and apparently relax a lot. it's nice to be here and to get some kate time. it's also kinda lonely to be here without mike though. he's pretty fun. :) just sayin'. his house is awesome though and after this past year, i've been overdue for some serious chilling. it's kind of nice to have very little going on. i should be more productive than i have been probably. i spent most of this afternoon waiting for a plumber to come by to fix mike's shower (no i didn't break it) and looking at apartments in ABQ online. (i know, i'm not going anywhere yet...but it's fun to look). luckily i had a really great meeting today and tomorrow i'm going to type up all the notes i have so far and work on my research design and continue to pester people about meetings. the more i talk to people out here the more excited i get about my research and possible relocation. woo! :)
let's see..the rest of the week i'll be going to a birthday party, waiting for the plumber again, doing some more work, and resting up for vegas too. something tells me that a weekend in sin city is going to be wild and crazy and fun! can't wait!
let's see..the rest of the week i'll be going to a birthday party, waiting for the plumber again, doing some more work, and resting up for vegas too. something tells me that a weekend in sin city is going to be wild and crazy and fun! can't wait!
7.24.2005
cross your fingers for a cheap flight
hey people,
so, i'm a jet-setting graduate student right now which is just a little bit nutty if you think about it. i'm in new mexico again, i'll be heading to las vegas to hang out with mike next weekend. then i'll be back to texas for two days after which i'll head to iowa for an open house for my nephew and some family and friend time. i was really hoping that mike could come to iowa too, but the flights suck monkey asses right now. cross your fingers for a miracalous last minute fare! for some reason the des moines airport is an expensive one to fly into. i have no idea why since des moines is not a vacation hot spot. it's very very odd. here's hoping.
i guess i should stop being a slacker and get some work done today. i love being a slacker on sundays though. *torn*
hope you get to be a slacker today.
:)
so, i'm a jet-setting graduate student right now which is just a little bit nutty if you think about it. i'm in new mexico again, i'll be heading to las vegas to hang out with mike next weekend. then i'll be back to texas for two days after which i'll head to iowa for an open house for my nephew and some family and friend time. i was really hoping that mike could come to iowa too, but the flights suck monkey asses right now. cross your fingers for a miracalous last minute fare! for some reason the des moines airport is an expensive one to fly into. i have no idea why since des moines is not a vacation hot spot. it's very very odd. here's hoping.
i guess i should stop being a slacker and get some work done today. i love being a slacker on sundays though. *torn*
hope you get to be a slacker today.
:)
7.13.2005
loud neighbors
so, i asked our loud backyard neighbors to keep it down since they are having a wednesday night party..again. i know..i'm old..i don't appreciate people being loud across the fence when i have to get some sleep since i have to work tomorrow. i think the worst part is hearing the guitar players over there butchering dave matthews band. as i said to lindsay, "if you're going to be loud, at least don't butcher dave alright?"
luckily i did get to hear some really good dave matthews covers tonight. thanks keith!
and i need to clean my room soon before there are toes all over it. once again tripped! sheesh. no mercy you bitch ass toes!!
time to pop in some earplugs and get some sleep. (partying 20 year olds forget that sound travels...i know, i know..i'm sure i've forgotten that once or twice.)
luckily i did get to hear some really good dave matthews covers tonight. thanks keith!
and i need to clean my room soon before there are toes all over it. once again tripped! sheesh. no mercy you bitch ass toes!!
time to pop in some earplugs and get some sleep. (partying 20 year olds forget that sound travels...i know, i know..i'm sure i've forgotten that once or twice.)
i think i broke my toes...owchie
hi guys,
i just got back from NM about an hour ago. i just jammed my toes on my giant suitcase for maybe the third time in the past two weeks. yowsa. i'm sure they'll be fine though. that's what i get for bringing WAY too much stuff..as mike can attest to.
so i had an excellent july 4th weekend followed by a great week in ABQ. on june 29th, mike came to texas to visit us. we went and got mojitos on wednesday night and tim smith made us all awesome dinner on thursday night. lots of good times and i was happy that mike finally got to meet my awesome roommates. cecilia made us laugh many times. "i didn't know that ladies could be guys," she said with surprise about a very manly looking female sportscaster on tv.
then mike went to houston on friday and i went to austin to see the scabs play at antones. as most of you know, bob schneider is one of my all-time favorite musicians and he sometimes plays in a band called the scabs. (http://www.bobschneidermusic.com) this sound is very different from bob's usual stuff in some ways. it's pretty rude and crude and i love it. the best part of the night was when bob came down off the stage (the only time he did so during the show i might add) and danced with yours truly. hot damn!
the next morning i woke up bright and early (well...sorta..it was early for going to bed at 4 a.m.) and drove to galveston to hang out with mike and his family and friends of his family at the beach house. it was a perfect beach weekend. lots of time in the water, on the sand, eating good food, having fun with friends (like playing board games), and watching a grass fire caused by rogue fireworks set off by yocals (i think that was mike's favorite part of the weekend.) it was a great great weekend. couldn't have asked for a better time.
then on monday night mike and i headed to ABQ together. it was way rad to have a traveling companion. that hardly ever happens so it was especially rad to hang out with mike at the airport and on the plane rides. (i kicked his ass in our crossword puzzle race AND made a stranger laugh during a rant in the dallas love airport while we were waiting to board.) i hung out in ABQ all week and got a lot accomplished in terms of my research and in terms of relaxing and having a vacation. even helped mike with some of his house stuff. i definitely needed it and i'm not totally ready to start work tomorrow (today). on that note, i should end this very long post and get some sleep. i'll write more about how crazy the rest of my summer will be tomorrow or something.
peace out!
i just got back from NM about an hour ago. i just jammed my toes on my giant suitcase for maybe the third time in the past two weeks. yowsa. i'm sure they'll be fine though. that's what i get for bringing WAY too much stuff..as mike can attest to.
so i had an excellent july 4th weekend followed by a great week in ABQ. on june 29th, mike came to texas to visit us. we went and got mojitos on wednesday night and tim smith made us all awesome dinner on thursday night. lots of good times and i was happy that mike finally got to meet my awesome roommates. cecilia made us laugh many times. "i didn't know that ladies could be guys," she said with surprise about a very manly looking female sportscaster on tv.
then mike went to houston on friday and i went to austin to see the scabs play at antones. as most of you know, bob schneider is one of my all-time favorite musicians and he sometimes plays in a band called the scabs. (http://www.bobschneidermusic.com) this sound is very different from bob's usual stuff in some ways. it's pretty rude and crude and i love it. the best part of the night was when bob came down off the stage (the only time he did so during the show i might add) and danced with yours truly. hot damn!
the next morning i woke up bright and early (well...sorta..it was early for going to bed at 4 a.m.) and drove to galveston to hang out with mike and his family and friends of his family at the beach house. it was a perfect beach weekend. lots of time in the water, on the sand, eating good food, having fun with friends (like playing board games), and watching a grass fire caused by rogue fireworks set off by yocals (i think that was mike's favorite part of the weekend.) it was a great great weekend. couldn't have asked for a better time.
then on monday night mike and i headed to ABQ together. it was way rad to have a traveling companion. that hardly ever happens so it was especially rad to hang out with mike at the airport and on the plane rides. (i kicked his ass in our crossword puzzle race AND made a stranger laugh during a rant in the dallas love airport while we were waiting to board.) i hung out in ABQ all week and got a lot accomplished in terms of my research and in terms of relaxing and having a vacation. even helped mike with some of his house stuff. i definitely needed it and i'm not totally ready to start work tomorrow (today). on that note, i should end this very long post and get some sleep. i'll write more about how crazy the rest of my summer will be tomorrow or something.
peace out!
7.12.2005
i'm a pain in the ass?! me?!
i have a lot to post since i've been having a fun week in ABQ, however first i have to let my reading public know that our friend mike refuses to sign up for a blogger account EVEN THOUGH he could comment on 4 different blogs now. i checked and it requires filling out 5 boxes. i even helped mike by filling out some and he still refuses and called me...the person helping him..a pain in his ass. he probably has to fill out more boxes when looking at internet porn than he would have to fill out to have a blogger account. :) i even came up with the user name SpongeMikeSooshiePants. that's good stuff kids. good good stuff.
more laters.
more laters.
6.29.2005
bold proclaimations
i've been thinking about bold proclaimations lately. i don't know why. i think it started when i heard a beatles song on the radio that was covered by some slapass band and it got me thinking about kate opinions on things. i tend to think of myself as being pretty laid-back and open minded about stuff in general. but i do have some bold proclaimations as well. for example:
- you better be some kind of super rock star who is awesome to cover a beatles song. no talent ass-clowns should not do this ever..and neither should country musicians. (some of my friends would say those two are one in the same)
- don't smoke pot right before you're coming to see your academic advisor. we're not stupid and we can tell.
- eating guacamole once a week is a good thing to do, even if you do blow all your weight watchers points for the week. life is short. eat well!
- if you're in a band and you cover pearl jam badly and i've had a few beers, i will inform you loudly that you suck. :) if you cover a bon jovi song a bit later, i will think that you've redeemed yourself somewhat.
- if you have a stuent going to college for the first time, it's okay to give them some guidance, but realize that they have to make decisions themself. they are taking the classes and negotiating the adjustments, even though you may be payin the bill. part of life is making mistakes, being held accountable for them, and learning from them. plain and simple.
- if you haven't regularly talked to someone in like 2 years, chances are you don't know them as well as you once did. allow people to grow and change. the person you knew before might not be the person that exists now.
- if you have purchased some kind of camero or mustang or whatever to feel cooler about yourself because you're middle-aged, then you should drive the speed limit at least. none of this having a fast car and driving 25 in a 45!
- the 'Insert' key on a keyboard is the dumbest thing ever invented and i don't understand it's purpose other than to piss me off.
- it's not okay to be paid a six figure salary for student affairs and then not care about student development or student well-being. ethical leadership means sometimes you have to make unpopular decisions that are what's best for the people you serve and not just to cover the ass of the organization that pays you way too much.
- family and friends are the most important things in life when it comes down to it. everything else can be quite fleeting...but that stuff..and love, is precious.
- happiness cannot be found at target, in other people, or on a weblog (or website for that matter). :) it has to be found inside first. my friend told me that a few times and he's so right.
- cheese and wine are so freakin' good. i love them. yummytastico.
- it's fun to be bold about things that don't matter too much in the big scheme of things. it's probably even fun to make bold proclaimations about important stuff too...as long as they are somewhat informed.
- you better be some kind of super rock star who is awesome to cover a beatles song. no talent ass-clowns should not do this ever..and neither should country musicians. (some of my friends would say those two are one in the same)
- don't smoke pot right before you're coming to see your academic advisor. we're not stupid and we can tell.
- eating guacamole once a week is a good thing to do, even if you do blow all your weight watchers points for the week. life is short. eat well!
- if you're in a band and you cover pearl jam badly and i've had a few beers, i will inform you loudly that you suck. :) if you cover a bon jovi song a bit later, i will think that you've redeemed yourself somewhat.
- if you have a stuent going to college for the first time, it's okay to give them some guidance, but realize that they have to make decisions themself. they are taking the classes and negotiating the adjustments, even though you may be payin the bill. part of life is making mistakes, being held accountable for them, and learning from them. plain and simple.
- if you haven't regularly talked to someone in like 2 years, chances are you don't know them as well as you once did. allow people to grow and change. the person you knew before might not be the person that exists now.
- if you have purchased some kind of camero or mustang or whatever to feel cooler about yourself because you're middle-aged, then you should drive the speed limit at least. none of this having a fast car and driving 25 in a 45!
- the 'Insert' key on a keyboard is the dumbest thing ever invented and i don't understand it's purpose other than to piss me off.
- it's not okay to be paid a six figure salary for student affairs and then not care about student development or student well-being. ethical leadership means sometimes you have to make unpopular decisions that are what's best for the people you serve and not just to cover the ass of the organization that pays you way too much.
- family and friends are the most important things in life when it comes down to it. everything else can be quite fleeting...but that stuff..and love, is precious.
- happiness cannot be found at target, in other people, or on a weblog (or website for that matter). :) it has to be found inside first. my friend told me that a few times and he's so right.
- cheese and wine are so freakin' good. i love them. yummytastico.
- it's fun to be bold about things that don't matter too much in the big scheme of things. it's probably even fun to make bold proclaimations about important stuff too...as long as they are somewhat informed.
6.24.2005
takin' it easy on friday night
i'm spending tonight by myself in my apartment. i haven't got the chance to spend a lot of time with my couch in quite a while and i feel bad about neglecting it. so we're catching up on some quality time together. lucky for me that sex in the city is on. i really like this show, even when carrie asks questions that cross my mind sometimes. tonight she asked, "when will waiting for the one, be done?" she asked it in terms of love, career, just all that stuff. when does waiting for the things that you think will make you happy finally end, because you have that stuff already? makes me think about the many times i've had to tell myself that i need to find happiness in where i am right now. that's hard to do sometimes, because i think i've always had my eye on the future thinking about what i want to be doing next. and i wonder sometimes if i miss out on what's going on right now though..since i sort of have one foot out the door? it's hard not to plan ahead, to have goals...and i think it's good to do that to some extent so you're not totally aimless and lost. but it's also important to really take in what's going on around you too. there's a happy medium there that i think is the answer to carrie's, and my, question. does that mean it's easy? fuck no it doesn't! but i know it'll be okay. things seem to work out the way the should. i know that deep down, even if i don't always remember it.
in the meantime samantha finds a gray hair in her nether-regions. "no one wants to f--- grandma's -----." i have to say i admire samantha a lot. she's fearless, strong, self-assured, and not afraid to do what she wants. even if that means dying her..um...area's hair...well, red. :)
this is a weird post i decided. oh well! go see batman begins. it's awesome and christian bale is a very very hot batman. woo woo!!
in the meantime samantha finds a gray hair in her nether-regions. "no one wants to f--- grandma's -----." i have to say i admire samantha a lot. she's fearless, strong, self-assured, and not afraid to do what she wants. even if that means dying her..um...area's hair...well, red. :)
this is a weird post i decided. oh well! go see batman begins. it's awesome and christian bale is a very very hot batman. woo woo!!
6.23.2005
whirlwind summer
holy shit people! it's almost july. what in THEE hell happened to this summer? i anticipated being able to hang out with friends doing fun stuff more often and get a tan and go on trips and just relax with my texas peeps. this has not really happened. sara and i go to the rec in the mornings, which is awesome and i'm glad we are doing that (and that we can sleep in sometimes and not go when the need arises...like when air conditioners break and stuff), but i had envisioned more hanging out in the backyard, laying out, listening to music, drinking a beer kinda stuff.
i've been working a lot, especially this week when our professional staff at access are out of town so more is expected of us grad/staff types AND i had seven new freshman sociology majors that i had to create schedules for, which took about 4 hours. so today i've been home for an hour and a half, which makes it really hard to want to do anything but lay around! luckily i'm going to get some time off in july (which will be spent doing research and hanging out in ABQ), which i need desperately...but still not a lot of time with my b/cs friends.
don't worry ags...we'll figure it out. swear! :)
i had other stuff to post but i'll be damned if i can remember. later gators.
i've been working a lot, especially this week when our professional staff at access are out of town so more is expected of us grad/staff types AND i had seven new freshman sociology majors that i had to create schedules for, which took about 4 hours. so today i've been home for an hour and a half, which makes it really hard to want to do anything but lay around! luckily i'm going to get some time off in july (which will be spent doing research and hanging out in ABQ), which i need desperately...but still not a lot of time with my b/cs friends.
don't worry ags...we'll figure it out. swear! :)
i had other stuff to post but i'll be damned if i can remember. later gators.
6.19.2005
progress
i had a pretty low key weekend. got to hang out with a bunch of my friends which was rad. also got 20 mosquito bites on friday night. bastards! mosquitos suck! har har.
so i went to mass tonight. i've been kind of a fair-weather catholic for a while now, which i've wanted to change. it's funny how every time i go to mass, there is something about it that speaks to exactly how i've been feeling or helps me put some problem i have into a better perspective. tonight was no exception. the readings talked about fear and how we shouldn't stress so much and have more faith. and we got to sing the song "Be Not Afraid" which is one of my favorites and has special meaning for me. (mike would have been ranting because of all the guitars and saxophones and stuff.) i know that people reading this come from all types of different backgrounds and perspectives on religion and faith, and i'm definitely not trying to push my stuff on others. totally not my thing when it comes to religion (had my own experiences with pushiness that were icky bad..so i'm pretty open-minded about this). mostly i just wanted to share that when i went tonight, i felt safe and peaceful and just good. i think that time is something that i need for myself. i used to not go because i didn't want to go by myself, but now i think that alone time with my faith is what i need. i don't get enough quiet time in my day to day, week to week life, so i think this will be a regular thing for me. part of my self-improvement plan.
and i'm happy to say that my working out and stuff is paying off. i'm fitting into some pants that haven't fit in a while. wooo! took a three mile bike ride today and then had to come home because it was so damn hot.
happy father's day to all the dad's out there.
so i went to mass tonight. i've been kind of a fair-weather catholic for a while now, which i've wanted to change. it's funny how every time i go to mass, there is something about it that speaks to exactly how i've been feeling or helps me put some problem i have into a better perspective. tonight was no exception. the readings talked about fear and how we shouldn't stress so much and have more faith. and we got to sing the song "Be Not Afraid" which is one of my favorites and has special meaning for me. (mike would have been ranting because of all the guitars and saxophones and stuff.) i know that people reading this come from all types of different backgrounds and perspectives on religion and faith, and i'm definitely not trying to push my stuff on others. totally not my thing when it comes to religion (had my own experiences with pushiness that were icky bad..so i'm pretty open-minded about this). mostly i just wanted to share that when i went tonight, i felt safe and peaceful and just good. i think that time is something that i need for myself. i used to not go because i didn't want to go by myself, but now i think that alone time with my faith is what i need. i don't get enough quiet time in my day to day, week to week life, so i think this will be a regular thing for me. part of my self-improvement plan.
and i'm happy to say that my working out and stuff is paying off. i'm fitting into some pants that haven't fit in a while. wooo! took a three mile bike ride today and then had to come home because it was so damn hot.
happy father's day to all the dad's out there.
6.16.2005
um...stupid texas lottery
so i buy lottery tickets every once in a while and i'm glad that the money at least helps education in texas, because i never win. every once in a blue moon i'll win a few bucks on a scratch off, but so far i have not won lotto texas one time. doesn't the lottery commission understand how much i really need to win the lottery? kate has a lot of student loan debt. kate has two jobs and is exhausted. kate wants to buy a new car. kate wants to pay back her parents for the bunches of times they've helped her out. come on texas lottery people...just pick my numbers one time. i promise i'll share it. i'll help out my friends and give some to charity. i'll still finish my Ph.D. swear!
in other news, i have had really restless sleep for a week now. it's no fun.
working out in the mornings with sara is going well, though i ditched out on wednesday but we were both tired puppies i think. i'm ready to see some results. i also signed up for weightwatchers online and i'm hating it a lot. wishing i hadn't gone with the three month subscription. hopefully i'll get used to it and it'll get easier. or i'll just figure out that i should stop snacking and eat less and not need to report it all to my daily points tracker. i lost 10 pounds using WW a few years ago, so i'm hoping that could happen again since that would get me really close to my goal. :)
also, i sent out draft four of my dissertation proposal to my committee today and hopefully i'll get some feedback and get to defend it really soon! :)
in other news, i have had really restless sleep for a week now. it's no fun.
working out in the mornings with sara is going well, though i ditched out on wednesday but we were both tired puppies i think. i'm ready to see some results. i also signed up for weightwatchers online and i'm hating it a lot. wishing i hadn't gone with the three month subscription. hopefully i'll get used to it and it'll get easier. or i'll just figure out that i should stop snacking and eat less and not need to report it all to my daily points tracker. i lost 10 pounds using WW a few years ago, so i'm hoping that could happen again since that would get me really close to my goal. :)
also, i sent out draft four of my dissertation proposal to my committee today and hopefully i'll get some feedback and get to defend it really soon! :)
6.08.2005
perspective
big congrats to tim and lidia! i saw the new member of their family yesterday and she is super cute! good job smiths and welcome ana to our crazy group. :)
i was talking to a friend of mine last night on AIM about something and he reminded me of a poem..sort of..that is great and i really like but lost track of...both in terms of perspective and in terms of actually know where it was in my house. so i'll share it here and then i'll be able to find it.
Life is Risk
To laugh is to risk appearing a fool.
To weep is to risk being called sentimental.
To reach out to another is to risk involvement.
To expose feelings is to risk showing your true self.
To place your ideas and dreams before the crowd is to
risk being called naive.
To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To live is to risk dying.
To hope is to risk despair.
To try is to risk failure.
But the person who risks nothing does nothing, has
nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing.
—Author unknown
i think i ran across this when i was in college long long ago and really liked it. hope you do too readers. :)
i was talking to a friend of mine last night on AIM about something and he reminded me of a poem..sort of..that is great and i really like but lost track of...both in terms of perspective and in terms of actually know where it was in my house. so i'll share it here and then i'll be able to find it.
Life is Risk
To laugh is to risk appearing a fool.
To weep is to risk being called sentimental.
To reach out to another is to risk involvement.
To expose feelings is to risk showing your true self.
To place your ideas and dreams before the crowd is to
risk being called naive.
To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To live is to risk dying.
To hope is to risk despair.
To try is to risk failure.
But the person who risks nothing does nothing, has
nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing.
—Author unknown
i think i ran across this when i was in college long long ago and really liked it. hope you do too readers. :)
6.07.2005
mountainlicious
hung out with mike in ABQ this past weekend. we had a bunch of fun as per usual. :) one of the highlights of this trip to the land of enchantment was on sunday afternoon. mike and i drove up to sandia peak and hung out on top of the mountain for a while. we walked around a bit and just sat and took in the view. it was really fantastic and made me miss when i did that in austria sometimes. i didn't tell him this at the time, but i was both enchanted by the view and a little scared. there's something about being way up there that is magical and beautiful and a tiny bit humbling. like one false step and i'm tumbling down a mountain...which is a bit unnerving for kate the clumsy girl who constantly has bruises just from wandering around her room in 205. but i was in good hands, so it was just a little bit of scaredness. i'm definitely ready to do some hiking and exploring sometime! w00t. on the way down the mountain, we got to smell the sweet scent of someone ruining their brakes. the dipshit ahead of us was riding his brakes the entire way, which was more than just a little ridiculous.
this is another short week for me. going to st. louie on thursday to visit my brother and sister-in-law and my new nephew luke! can't friggin' wait!
p.s.- i'm totally 80s and don't have a digital camera but i'll try to post a pic when i get mine developed. :)
this is another short week for me. going to st. louie on thursday to visit my brother and sister-in-law and my new nephew luke! can't friggin' wait!
p.s.- i'm totally 80s and don't have a digital camera but i'll try to post a pic when i get mine developed. :)
6.03.2005
shout out to my peeps
i've been a whiny bitch lately. so today, i'm allowing myself to live in the moment for a second. the last few weeks i've been hanging out a lot with some really awesome women and i'm really glad to have that. (i've been hanging out with tim too, who is also a great friend and takes care of me a lot...but he's not a woman so this message isn't about him. sorry tim. suck it up. and then update your blog for goodness sake. sheesh!) i have some really awesome women friends from college and the various places i've lived, who i unfortunately don't get to see very often but i still love dearly. and a lot of the time i hang out with guys and tell fart jokes and drink beer and swear, which i also love. but there's something to be said about have close women friends here in texas. i was hanging out with lindsay and sara and lidia the other night and we talking about girl stuff and eating cheesecake and laughing our asses off and i'm so grateful for times like that. i need them a lot. and i miss my ladies who live in other places (like shells and jen and monica and jody and jocelyn and others who know who they are even if my mind has slipped...need more coffee or more sleep). thanks for kicking ass lady friends. you rock the hizzy, fo-shizzle.
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