a different kind of easter ascension

look what i did today:







have a happy easter kids.

lost post

so i had half a post written before and suddenly it was not "saved as draft" and thus gone forever. :) i think it will be inspired at some other point though, so no worries.

i don't have too much to say right now. just a random post. pretty good day. made tacos. yum! i think i was inspired by the show top chef. :) i should go on that show and make my tacos.

okay....i just spaced out which probably means its bed time.

night kids.

what the..

so how is it that april is almost half way over? i must say i'm sort of happy about that because that means it will soon be pay day again. and that i will soon be going to texas to visit friends and do more interviews for my dissertation. i'm looking forward to that trip, even though it will mean a long ass drive. :)

i registered for research hours for next year. its weird that i'm two hours away from finishing the course work on my degree plan. my hope is that i can collect most of my data this spring/summer so that i can just write in the fall and hopefully graduate next spring. that's the goal anyway.

things in ABQ are good. the weather has been great lately which makes it hard to be inside. can't believe teaching is almost over for the semester. everyone cross your crossable parts that i find a job soon. or else i'm not sure what i'll be doing. :(

okay, i'm done rambling for now. :)

sunny day jealousy

it is beautiful outside today. the temperature is in the low-60s, it's sunny, the mountains are still hanging around. *grin* as i walked to my office this afternoon, i found myself feeling jealous of the couples who were cozied up together on the grass near the fish pond. i was always jealous when i saw people doing the same thing on the grass near the academic building at a&m too. i think my jealousy is because i think that'd be an awesome way to spend an afternoon, or even an hour, and i rarely get the chance to do anything like that. and if i did, the person i'd want to cozy up to is likely to be at work during the day too. seems like it would be a good thing to do one of these days though. take an afternoon, and a book, and a lucky boy, and just be.

jobby job

so, i've been a little more stressed about this job thing, though i realized that the application closing dates for some of the jobs haven't happened yet. i'm really hoping one of the positions comes through and not only so i can pay rent and eat food and stuff (though that is nice.) i also miss that office feel and having work friends. part-time instructor life is pretty isolated. i get to interact with students one-on-one occasionally, but that's about it. i'm getting anxious to be a part of a team again which i think all of the positions i've applied for would include. plus, it will be good for my ego and my sanity to know that i have a job that will have some stability, benefits, and all that stuff. it might make dissertating more challenging, but honestly, i don't think i'm the type of academic who functions well with just one task. in fact, i know that i'm not. i don't need to be (or want to be) as busy as i was last semester, but i need a minimal amount of stress to stay motivated. some might take that to mean that i love being stressed. i don't necessarily. but i work better under pressure and at the moment the pressure is a bit low. i do need to get my ass going on data collection though, since there are some potential publications being thrown around (a book and an article). so, i have a little pressure, but not enough to really get my shit together. and i feel too hermity. (yes, i said hermity.)

so cross your fingers that i will get a shot to show various UNM offices how cool i am and that ultimately i'll get to be an advisor or coordinator or something soon.

good signs?

so i checked my email today and UNM job finder told me about three positions that would be perfect for me. i, of course, applied for all of them.

THEN, my google home page word of the day this- metier: an occupation, especially in which one excels.

i'm hoping this a good sign that one of these positions will pan out. :) cross your fingers for me.

google home page also had this quote from the former mitch hedberg (awesome comedian): "I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're going and hook up with them later." -Mitch Hedberg

not a bad philosophy i think. check out more mitch wisdom from the link i posted.

back to the grind

so, my two week hiatus has come to an end. i had a great time catching up with people and hanging out with friends in texas. heck, even the road trip with mike through exciting oklahoma and west texas was fun stuff. it is good to be home and sleeping in my own bed and not living out of a suitcase (well....once i unpack that will be true), but it was nice to be obligation free for a while.
it is also nice to be able to go to the gym again. vacation was not kind to my ass. :( but that's what vacation is for right? i think i ate queso more days than i didn't while in texas.

not much else going on. trying to get my apartment cleaned up. decided to cancel my match.com subscription. not really into it and no need to pay dr. phil for his "services."

trying to figure out my employment situation after classes end. cross your fingers and say some prayers that something works out.

nobody knows that i'm a lesbian on extasy

okay, so i'm not really...but i am wearing an 80s style button that says that. if only i had my jean jacket with me. :) i'm in austin, texas at the moment hanging out with mike at south by southwest. one of the bands we saw the other night was called lesbians on extasy. they were awesome and covered an indigo girls' song which made me quiet happy. if you want the low down on the bands and stuff we've been seeing then check out sooshie.org

overall it has been a very fun trip after a successful and fun trip to chicago. i officially started my dissertation data collection which is a great feeling. i have more interviews to do there, which is not a big deal since i enjoy chi-town and will get to catch up with great friends once again. :) i will also be doing interviews in new mexico soon and in texas in april. it's great to finally have started and its especially poignant since my committee chair was asked to write a book about racism in higher ed and an article. so hopefully publications will be on the way!

it has been nice to be out of ABQ for a while and to travel a bit. i'm not anxious to get back to work next week, but it will also be kind of nice to be back home and not living out of a suitcase. cross your fingers that one of the many job applications will pan out. i'm applying for a junior faculty position when i get back too. that would be rad.

miss you all. keep the peace.

good mail

i got this letter today:

dear ms. katemonkeypoop:

our records show that you have passed your preliminary examination, satisfied the residence requirement, submitted a satisfactory dissertation proposal, and completed all formal course work on your degree program...you are hereby admitted to candidacy for the degree of doctor of philosophy with a major in sociology.

sincerely,

dean of graduate studies


WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

renaissance woman

monday i felt a bit like a renaissance woman. i taught in the morning, advised students in the afternoon, worked on my dissertation, made a delicious salad, watched 24 (my new TV addiction) with friends, mocked mike's contra skills a bit, and then proved that i could beat super mario brothers and save the princess.

i have many tricks up my sleeve. ;) boo-ya.

"Ah, breaker one-nine, this here’s the rubber duck. you gotta copy on me, pig pen, c’mon?"

so this is another fun website that a few of my friends posted on their blogs: https://home.comcast.net/~josh.hosler/NumberOneInHistory/SelectMonth.htm

you can see what song was the number one on the day you were born. my was convoy by c.w. mccall. this fact will make dennis piss his pants. :)

"brownie bites would be like huge because there'd be eight brownie bits in every brownie bite...that's awesome.."

i haven't written in a while. i know...slacker. :)

so here's the update in a nutshell:

had a fun valentine's day. mike and i went on a progressive fast food meal this year..revived an old tradition or something. i planned our "menu" and it was a great time. ended with yummy sonic treats, hence the title of this post.

work is still going well. still like teaching quite a bit. my intro class is watching the breakfast club tomorrow. i love using films in class, partly because it's less prep time for me and mostly because i think it's such a good way to apply the material.

i'm also trying to find a gig for after may. i applied for a really cool position and i'm trying to not get my hopes up. it has been hard to even get a foot in the door at UNM for full time positions, so i'm not holding my breath. i think if i got this job though...it could be one of those futurey kind. it's not a faculty position, but i think that's okay with me right now.

i also FINALLY got started with dissertation stuff. i sent out a buttload of emails at u-chicago and u-new mexico and now i'll just wait for people to get back to me about doing interviews. i have a trip to chicago planned in a few weeks so i really hope to find some people to talk to. i feel like i'm getting some good support though from faculty and they are passing the word around. :)

i think i have two trips coming up to texas as well. i'm going to go to south by southwest and see a lot of good bands with mike. and i want to go back in april to visit people again and to do interviews at u-texas.

got to spend some time with my mom and dad and my brother and his family this past weekend. went to st. louis and hung out with them. the only bad thing was that it was the coldest weekend since january 2005 so i came back to ABQ with a cold. luckily its starting to go away.

i also have been working out more. over did it on tuesday though and now my upper-leg muscles are really really really sore. i've been walking around like frankenstein and the three flights of stairs to my apartment are killing me. hopefully they will feel better tomorrow/very soon!

so...that's the scoop poops. sorry to be a shitty friend and not to be in better touch with people. i was in a funk for a while...sort of unexplained funk...and i'm snapping out of it now. love yas!

now i'm copying phil

sara's fiance, phil, had another series of questions on his blog and now i'm copying him. before i copied shelley. i'm a copier. call me xerox bitch! :) it's all in good fun though..and there's that whole imitation/flattery thing.

before i start the list though...i finally joined a gym and worked out today for the first time in a while. i'm proud to say that i did 2.5 miles on the elliptical machine and lifted some weights. not bad for the first time back. the only evil thing about my gym is its close (very close) proximity to the local krispy kreme. that's just mean. :) i will resist and where those f'in pants that i've been moving all over the country. it will happen.

so now..the fun.

1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?
i look pretty cute today...and a little tired.

2. How much cash do you have on you?
i think i have a shiny fiver in my billfold. :) it's not actually shiny.

3. What's a word that rhymes with TEST?
why was breast the first word in my head. wtf?!

4. Planet?
definitely saturn. love those crazy ass rings. plus i think it's my planet or something. capricorns and saturn...no idea. oh..and my car is a saturn. :)

5. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list?
probably greg.

6. What is your favorite ring on your phone?
i really like "the internet is for porn" ring (from avenue q) but it's too quite...so i'm sticking with "gonna make you sweat" by c and c music factory!

7. What shirt are you wearing?
sweaty red rugby t-shirt. just got back from the gym.

8. What do you label yourself?
hilarious, smart, cute, buck wild, nerdy, foul-mouthed, generous, humble (haha), a good friend, loving to a fault, fiesty, Catholic, liberal, sociologist, teacher, etc etc

9. Name the brand of shoes you've recently worn.
i love Clarks. LOVE.

10. Bright or Dark Room?
usually somewhere in between.

11. What were you doing at midnight last night?
i was watching Roseanne on Nick at Nite and entering grades into a spreadsheet (and consequently swearing at Excel.)

12. What did your last text message you received on your cell say? it said "World Market?"

13. Where is your nearest 7-11?
um...i wanna say there is one a few blocks east of my apartment complex, but i just moved here so i don't freakin' know.

14. What's a saying that you say a lot?
while driving: "what the fuck?! what are you doing?" in life: buck wild, cheetos, monkey ass, durkheim blah blah blah, random swears, rad

15. Who told you they loved you last?
dennis

16. Last furry thing you touched?
mike's face

17. How Many Drugs Have You Done In The Past three Days?
illictit---none. prescription--two

18. How many rolls of film do you need to get developed?
at least one

19. Favorite age you have been so far?
hmm....28 wasn't too bad.

20. Your worst enemy?
usually myself (stupid second-guessing.)

21. What is your current desktop picture?
my nephew luke

22. What was the last thing you said to someone?
"so call me later?"

23. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to fly, which would you choose?
show me the money! i would definitely choose a million bucks. lots of debt to pay off and fun to have. :)

24. Do you like someone?
yup

25. The last song you listened to?
some postal service songs while working out. i love "such great heights"

i might be watching too much law and order..and sex in the city for that matter..

so i haven't been sleeping well this week. not sure what the deal is, but last night i was actually awakened by a nightmare at 4 a.m. (which is probably why i was a bit of an emotional basketcase tonight..that and pms..yikes!) in my dream, i was about to be shot in a street shootout that was happening as i was walking by. it was scary enough that i couldn't get back to sleep right away. so i figure i've been watching too many zombie movies with mike..or too much law and order. or it's related to a weird incident last week. i was meeting with someone and while we were talking she learned that her child had accidentially shot and killed someone. it was a weird situation, especially because her child was only a teenager. so that might be still haunting me a bit. either way...stupid bad dreams. might need another glass of wine and some serious zzzz's.

some good news: my apartment is starting to look really good i think. almost everything has a place. just need a space to store my atari. maybe mike's house? :) then we could play basketball on the big screen (it's one of my favoriate atari games because the ball is a square.) :)

bored

so, i still really like teaching...especially the intro class. but i find myself dreading office hours. i've been trying to pinpoint why i lack enthusiasm for them, especially since it's only 2 hours on monday and wednesday (which is minimal office time compared to what i've had for the past three years). i think the issue is that i share an office, so i can't really make this one mine. or at least i hesitate too because i share this space with 5 other people. we're not here at the same time, but i'm not sure it would be appreciated if i had my shit all over the place. :) i did co-opt one desk drawer to put some lunchy/snacky things in. and i have a folder on the desktop of this computer, but otherwise, i'm like a nomadic office person and take all my stuff with me (except the radio i bought..that stays.) i can suck it up though and deal, because jeez..it's two hours. maybe the real issue is that i miss when friends would stop by academic and say hi and eat candy and shoot the shit. and i sort of miss the regular student interaction i had as an advisor (though there were times that i needed a break from that.) now students just stop by when they have questions or problems, so i've only really seen one person so far. so if you're around and are bored, come by my office. :)

in other news, my apartment is really starting to look good. i almost have everything put away so that i can do some serious cleaning. then it will be fit for guests!

later skaters.

i'm copying shelley

my good buddy shells posted her responses on her blog and i'm copying her. you can find shelley's responses on her blog which is linked from mine (Bean Around the World.)


10 Firsts:
Real Best Friend - Laurel Smeins
Screenname - I think the first one was on something called ISCA and I was known as HappyMarmot
Pet dog name - No dogs, but our first cat was Sylvester
Piercing - Ears only
Crush - Justin T. was always my crush in elementary school and in high school my first crush was definitely John C. College...definitely Father Dennis (this was pre-priest status)
Car - The first car I drove was a hot ass Ford Ranchero. The first car I attempted to buy was a Plymouth Neon
School - Woodbury Elementary (WOLVERINES!!)
House location - 1103 East State in M'town
Favorite Toy - my doll Martha (who I still have)
Name - Katie (shut up Mike) :)

9 Lasts:
Time you smoked - too many cigars at Mike's a few weeks ago
Food you ate - meatball sandwich
Car ride - home from dinner with a friend
Movie you watched - Sliding Doors
Phone call - Jared
Song you listened to - Hebrew songs
Bubble Bath - can't remember...probably finals week last semester

8 Have you evers:
Dated a best friend - for the most part
Been arrested - no way
Danced with no music - sure
Been on tv - most recently I was interviewed on the news because of this high school program i was working with one summer. it was awesome because the caption under me just said "kate" as if the people in b/cs would like "whoa..hey! it's kate!!" :)
Kissed someone & regretted it - without a doubt
Cheated on your bf/gf - no
Been on a blind date - ugh..yes
Been out of the country - yes i have and can't wait to go again

7 Things you're wearing: pj bottoms, white tank top, bra, hoody, glasses, underwears, a smile

6 Things you've done today: taught people, went to k-mart, mailed a box, unpacked boxes, dinner with a friend, went to synagogue with same friend

5 Favorite things: hanging with friends, watching movies, coffee drinks, good music, laughter

4 People you most trust: only 4?! Mom, Dad, Mike, Dennis (and many others...you know who you are.)

3 Choices:
Vanilla or Chocolate - Vanilla
Hugs or Kisses - yes please...i mean hugs
Pens or Pencils - Pencils

2 Things you want to do before you die:
Have a family
Write a book

1 Famous Person to meet: I wanna say Jon Stewart off the top of my head.

Your turn!!

toot my own horn

on wednesday a few students came up to me after the lecture and let me know that they were really trying to get into my class, because their own section of intro was "horrid." in between classes i always get some lackluster coffee at the student union and while i was in line a girl told me that she really enjoyed the lecture and that her boyfriend was actually disappointed that time was already up. all of that was very nice to hear and leads me to believe that i'm doing a pretty good job with that class anyway. it's kind of funny because i was intimidated by that course since it's huge compared to the others. but the students seem to be interested and engaged in the lecture for the most part. i know i'm not reaching everyone but i'm reaching a lot and they seem to really enjoy the class. they participate, they take notes, and they ask questions. it's totally awesome and a pretty big change from my experience last semester at the community college. the other two courses are going alright too. the subject matter is less interesting and since i've not taught it before it's more challenging. but overall, i dig this teaching thing. i don't want to be a bragger, but i think i have some skill in this area and it's something i really like. woo!

all else is well in ABQ. making friends. enjoying the view. can't wait for my new camera so i can show ya'll some pictures of my new digs.

moon rise

on saturday night i got to watch the full moon rise from behind the mountains. it was absolutely beautiful and amazing. i saw it happen once when i lived in austria and i was mesmerized. it's nice when nature makes you stop thinking about all the stressors of life. honestly that was part of the reason i was so excited about moving here. moments of awe to break up the day. i haven't been disappointed so far.

i have to say though that it's taking a while for it to hit me that i live here now. maybe the move was so fast and furious that my brain didn't really process it. still seems like at some point mike will be taking me back to the airport and i'll be on my way to texas again. i'll meet up with tim and sara for guac and shiner and we'll bitch about stuff and laugh our asses off. (miss that). i think it just takes me some settling in time and once i get that accomplished...this will feel more like home. once all the boxes are unpacked and safely shoved under my bed, pictures are on the wall (need your help with that mike), and i have people over for the first time (which will hopefully be soon), i suspect it will all sink in. this is not to be read that i'm not happy to be here. i definitely am (though i miss my texas peeps something fierce). it's just hard to get out of the "what's coming up next" mode. i've been anticipating moving and finding a job for so long, i have to break my old habits and realize that i've done it. :) anyone else have this problem or is this specifically and idiosyncratically kate?

in other news, i start teaching tomorrow. i was/am really nervous about it, but i think it will go well. i finally got my syllabus done for the methods course and feel much better about that now. gotta go copy it this afternoon, check out my classrooms, get a parking pass, and submit a paper or two to the american sociological association meeting. busy busy busy.

in a quil daze

somehow in the land of enchantment i managed to catch a cold. it's better than the flu that was going around, that's for sure. but it's still no fun to be sick and sniffly. luckily i'm well-stocked on vitamins and orange juice so hopefully i'll be able to kick this cold's ass before classes start next week.

things are going pretty well so far. i finally have cable, internet, and utilities set up after the apartment switcheroo mix-up when i moved in. and i have access to mail too. basically i'm connected to the outside world again. still have some unpacking and settling in to do. AND i have to get my syllabi together for my classes. gotta say that i'm sort of nervous about teaching. my intro class is going to be giant and the other two courses are new ones for me. i will have two TAs though which will help a lot. it's just a matter of figuring everything out at this point. and figuring it out fast.

okay friends, now that i have interweb in my house i will try to be in better communicato. :) peace out.

i'm now on the 30 side of 30

hi friends,

today's my birthday and i'm officially old. 20s no more. i've heard that the 30s are way better than the 20s, so here's hoping that's true. though i have to admit that the 20s weren't so bad. now though...30.

i always had this vision that i'd be like jennifer garner in that movie 13 going on 30. successful career, skinny, cool clothes, cute boyfriend. not quite there yet. i'm on my way to a successful career and have some cool clothes i think (including some i bought today.) i DEFINATELY need to start going to the gym soon. thank god i live on the 3rd floor of my apartment building. :) stupid holiday weight.

it occurs to me that i'm rambling. :) so the news is this: i got all moved in, bought a new bed, and turned 30 today. i'm going out to dinner tonight in ABQ which should be a good time. wooo!! and i got two massage gift certificates from mike which i can't wait to uses. moving hurts your muscles.

hope you all have a great weekend. miss my peeps.

UPDATE:

i had a wonderful birthday! lunch at pei wei, birthday coffee and cookie from satellite coffee (it's an awesome coffee place), dinner with lots of people at chama river brewery, and then drnks at spectators. AND i found a pair of jeans that fit despite my christmas weight gain. looks to be a beautiful day today!