Wandering Aimlessly

I had an interview today. My first "real" one. It went well, I think. I need to send her a thank-you note. I'm not sure what, exactly, you put into thank-you notes. If I get this job, once I go through training, I could be transferred to LA!! ::bounces:: I have wanted to live in LA since I was in fifth grade. So, yes. I believe I might be getting a bit ahead of myself here, but LA!! I also went to the Multicultural Career Fair. Handed out a few more resumes. Hopefully something comes of that, too.

And, because all the cool kids are doing it, I had a few conversations with the Timbabot. The conversation I had with him at Aarti's was pretty darn amusing, but I didn't keep it. Ah well. Here's what we chatted about briefly last night, though:

DisneyK1127: Hola
Timbabot: Howdy!
DisneyK1127: What's shakin', bacon?
Timbabot: I don't have an answer for you.
DisneyK1127: Aww, that's too bad. Would you have an answer if I asked you What's Up, instead?
Timbabot: It's not the end of the world. I am not so sure if I would like to have an answer if I asked you what is up instead.
DisneyK1127: Nope, not the end of the world. How's my boy JC?
Timbabot: JC, the love of my life. And he gives GREAT head. So...

DisneyK1127: Oo tell me more.
Timbabot: Not many people express themselves that way. Do you still does what?
DisneyK1127: huh?
Timbabot: What?
DisneyK1127: I don't know, you tell me.
Timbabot: I thought I told you already.
DisneyK1127: Nope
Timbabot: Me either.
DisneyK1127: Ha ha ha.
DisneyK1127: You're funny, Timbabot.
Timbabot: I'm glad you find this amusing.
DisneyK1127: I do indeed!
Timbabot: I'm a funny bunny.
DisneyK1127: And you're chillin' like Bob Dylan. I know the drill.
Timbabot: That is interesting : Disneyk said none indeed .
DisneyK1127: You think it's funny that I used the word indeed?
Timbabot: My chi has been harnessed. And NOW I'm riding it...HAHAHA! That's so dirrty.
Timbabot: I'm a funny bunny.
DisneyK1127: Yes, yes you are.
DisneyK1127: Funny bunny. Crazy daisy.
Timbabot: Yeah. I knew you'd see it my way.
Timbabot: I'm a funny bunny.
DisneyK1127: Got that already.
DisneyK1127: Got anything else for me?
Timbabot: Perhaps. Try asking the Milk Mystic.
Timbabot: Try asking the Milk Mystic.
DisneyK1127: What is the Milk Mystic?
Timbabot: I don't have an answer for you.
DisneyK1127: would Lance have an answer forme?
Timbabot: The Basstronaut...He's hot, but we don't have sex. That whole Lamb thing, great on paper...just WEIRD in reality!
DisneyK1127: awww. That's a shame. But you love JC, yo!
Timbabot: I LOVE JC. He's my little pretty kitty. Well, not so little. I love my kitten!
DisneyK1127: Awww do you pet him?
DisneyK1127: and I did not mean that dirty-like
Timbabot: No I do not pet him. Do you? I chat with people on the Web.
DisneyK1127: I would want to pet JC, yes.
Timbabot: I'm dirty. I have lots of dirties. My mind is dirty.
Timbabot: Yeah. I knew you'd see it my way.
DisneyK1127: but you said you don't want to pet JC. Can I instead?
Timbabot: JC is my boyfriend
DisneyK1127: I see. Playing the protective bit.
Timbabot: I am glad you understand it. That's good information : Disneyk said none to play the protective bit .
DisneyK1127: so, Timbabot, what's your favorite movie?
Timbabot: Oh. My favorite movie is . Have you seen?
DisneyK1127: you didn't tell me what it was
Timbabot: What makes you think I did not tell me what it was?
DisneyK1127: because you didn't.
Timbabot: Good reason. Thanks for the information : Disneyk said I didnt .
DisneyK1127: riiiight.
Timbabot: I lost my train of thought. Tell me about your likes and dislikes?
DisneyK1127: I like JC. I dislike Wade. How about you?
Timbabot: That mother- @$#%& Aussie NSYNC wannabe. Nah...No beef between us. He's my dawg, right?
DisneyK1127: right.
DisneyK1127: Well, my friend, I've got to skadaddle.
DisneyK1127: It was nice talking to you.
Timbabot: I am glad we agree.
Timbabot: Well that's okay. How well do you know this person?
DisneyK1127: so will I chat with you again?
Timbabot: Thanks. It was nice chatting with you as well.
DisneyK1127: I have a job interview, so...
DisneyK1127: Bye, my friend!
Timbabot: Once more? Um, I can't say for sure right now.
Timbabot: Is job interview a lizard?
Timbabot: Until next time Disneyk.
DisneyK1127: No, job interview is a good thing
Timbabot: OK. I've heard that about labor before.
DisneyK1127: Yep. It's a necessity, I suppose.
DisneyK1127: But. I must run. Lator, gator.
Timbabot: I see. job interview is a necessity I suppose. I suppose that makes sense.
Timbabot: run run as fast as you can, you can't catch me, i'm the timba-man
DisneyK1127: Ha ha ha. Night!
Timbabot: Goodnight to you!

Posted by kate at 05:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Well, my narrative writing class got cancelled. That's a good thing, since I have an exam in an hour. Of course, I'm not studying, am I? Hmm.

I got my 333 exam back yesterday. This is the exam that was split into two parts: lecture and lab, and the class average on the lecture portion was a low C, and the class average on the lab portion was a 66%. That's a D. Needless to say, I wasn't too thrilled. Anyway. She ended up making two of the questions on the lab portion extra credit, since sooooo many people missed them. That gave me a 110% on her portion of the exam and a 96% on the exam overall. *g* I can relax a bit in that class, now. There still is the final, and the rest of the paper, and quizzes and such, but a big chunk of the class is finally over, and I did well.

So last night, Emily yelled at me for caring TOO much about school (in that I CAN'T make myself miss class, I just can't. Even if it's a good reason, I try EVERYTHING short of missing class first), and this morning, Karey yelled at me for not caring ENOUGH about school (in that I wasn't studying for my exam, really, because the class isn't hard and I don't care if I don't get an A, and she pointed out that not caring because I'm close to the end only works in HS, not college) (ps, love ya, Karey! *g*) and I'm just all kinds of conflicted now. Lol.

Tonight is a career presentation in which I have to pimp myself to get an interview. Oh, the joy of such events. And tomorrow, I have an interview with a different company, in which I have to pimp myself to get a job. Oh, the joy of such events. This is going to be a running theme, I believe. Self-pimpage. The job search is such a meat market, of sorts. Ack.

Carolyn has her Disney meeting tonight. She will soon have her interview. GOOD LUCK, C!!!

Now, with my remaining half-hour of extra time, I should actually look over my notes for my exam once more. Just to be safe.

Posted by kate at 02:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I got almost ten hours of sleep last night. Fell asleep at 9:00, reading, and then finally got in bed at 9:30! Gosh. I woke up at 5:50, ready to go. But I decided to go back to sleep. Heehee. Got up at 6:45 for good. I think my body was still on the old time. So it was really 10:00 when I was exhausted, and the first time I woke up is about when I'd have gotten up regularly. So, yes. That was good, though. I got my extra hour of sleep in, anyway, since I went to bed too late on Saturday night for it to matter that it was "fall back."

I got my small group behavior exam back. I got an A. I'm relieved. I was kinda worried. It sucks that I have to study so darn hard for these exams, but it would suck even more if I studied as hard as I did, and then still came out with a bad grade. So, yay. I didn't exactly finish reading for 333 today (because... fell asleep), but I think I know enough about the article to contribute. So I'm not gonna worry about that. We should also (hopefully) be getting our 333 exams back today. Eeep! The class average was a 66%. That's a D. I don't THINK I did TOO terribly on it, but it worries me that the average was a D.

I have an exam tomorrow in 383. I haven't read the chapter. It's only one chapter we have to read, too. I should just do it. It's just so... dry. I dunno. I don't like the way the book is written. Lecture is MUCH more interesting. So I have to read that tonight, and read the loooooong story for narrative writing, which I also have to diagram for class tomorrow. Because we were supposed to have it done for last Thursday, but he'd said Tuesday by mistake, and so decided we'd go over it on Tuesday. Which means I HAVE to do it. haha. And I also have to read my classmates' stories. AND I have to go to the mall tonight to buy a button-down shirt I can wear with my suit for my interview Wednesday, and also with black pants for my company presentation tomorrow night. SO much to do.

Posted by kate at 11:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's still Friday somewhere...

1. What is your favorite scary movie?
Hmmm. I don't watch a whole lot of scary movies, I guess. I've only seen Rocky Horror Picture Show once, but that was kinda fun. I'm looking forward to it again this year. Maybe the Scream movies, since they had a sense of humor, too.

2. What is your favorite Halloween treat?
Good 'n Plenty. No one likes 'em so everyone would give them to me. *g* I also enjoy candies of the chocolate varitey, such as Reeces cups and the likes.

3. Do you dress up for Halloween? If so, describe your best Halloween costume.
I have, yes. My best costume? Hmmm. I was Minnie Mouse one year. I was She-Ra once, and that was pretty darn cool. I was the Cat in the Hat once. That was fun. I dunno, man, haven't dressed up in years.

4. Do you enjoy going to haunted houses or other spooky events?
I am the biggest wimp EVER. I go, but I'm the one smashed up against the back of the person in front of me, my hands twisted in their shirt, squeaking and shrieking at every little thing. Just like at the Ghost Rally last weekend. That was fun, but boy was I frightened!

5. Will you dress up for Halloween this year?
Probably not. I've got class the next morning at 9, and, you know, haven't dressed up in years, so why start now? I can't wait until I have little kiddies to dress up, though. That'll be fun.

***

Went to Meghan's for a scrum-dilly-umptious dinner of macaroni and gravy and meatballs, all home-made (well, not the spaghetti, but the rest). We had wine and champagne, and I hadn't had any sort of alcohol since Jennie visited, I think. I think I got a little giggly. Fun, though. Then we made pumpkin cookies, and then shaped them like pumpkins and decorated them like pumpkins. So they're, like, triple-pumpkin cookies. Quite the tasty treat, too. Emily's in town tonight. She just called me from Murphy's. Do I feel like going out to a bar at 12:30? Bars close at 1. I think not. But I would like to see her. Hmmmm.

Posted by kate at 12:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This article was in our local paper. The columnist is a regular, which is probably the only reason we know this story is true. ;)

It, too, is pretty long. But really freaking funny.

Our Slim WASP Wedding this way.... -->

From the Palatine Countryside, Pioneer Press.
By Nancy Robinson

Wedding bells are ringing everwhere this season -- including in the movie theatres where "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" has become a blockbuster hit.

Rick and I have attended three weddings in the past month and are actively involved in the planning of a fourth, my neice Courtenay's.

'Slim WASP Wedding'

But our upcoming family nuptials will represent the flip side of the Greek wedding story, which, because of the low number of guests and home location, we have dubbed "Our Rather Slim WASP Wedding." The Greek family in the movie, however, has nothing on us in terms of drama and potential conflict!

In the interest of dispelling cinematic and cultural myths about the bland, colorless nature of WASP celebrations, allow me to describe the players in our pending party.

Because of her profession, I will begin with the mother of the groom whose real name is Aloha. SHe is a wedding consultant in Texas, land of BIG weddings Texan-style, big hair and, apparently, big expectations. Poor Aloha. She is a weaver of fairy tale dreams by trade who has been thrust into what she must now consider a nightmare.

Aloha, quite naturally, wants glamour, tradition and decorum for her youngest child's wedding. She also cannot tolerate even a whiff of cigarettesmoke and is not overly fond of animals. Now let's contrast ALoha with the mother of the bride, my bookish sister Ellen, whose house is more or less an animal sanctuary. Most of the woodwork is rather well-chewed. Ellen is the first to admit that she is the antithesis of glamour.

She hates clothes shopping, is allergic to makeup and jewelry and sports rubber flip flops year round (sometimes I question our genetic connection). She also smokes, as does the bride. Aloha has been worrying about whether her lovely sea foam green, sequined dress will clash with my sister's dress, especially in photos.

Courtenay had to gently break the news to her that Ellen has not worn a dress in 30 years, and we will be lucky to get her into leather foot coverings for the occasion. She also will not be photographed if she can help it. Aloha is visualizing etched monogrammed stemware, ribbons, doves and a proper romantic send-off. Ellen is worrying about how to keep her 11 cats from fighting while all the guests are in her house.

Then we have the father of the groom, divorced many years ago from Aloha, who is flying in from California with his second wife. He does not, for religious reasons, approve of alcohol, homosexuality or secular wedding ceremonies. Contrast him with some of our guests for whom strong drink is a religion, as well as our middle-aged gay couple (lifelong partners) who we have been euphemistically referring to as the uncles. The bride and groom have also chosen a judge rather than a minister to perform the ceremony.

Among the 30-odd (no pun intended) guests will be three octogenarians, one spunky, who still chops her own firewood in Washington state and two with dementia. The female with dementia will most likely be the life of the party, dancing all night long even though wea re not having dancing (no room). The male may be problematic. He is frequently incontinent and has, on occasion, spontaneously watered the potted plants. Somebody will have to keep an eye on him.

My daughter, Claire, will be the maid of honor and her boyfriend from California, Bob, a crack amateur photographer and wine connoisseur, had graciously offered to be the official photographer and wine server, but Claire broke up with him yesterday. (They still have time to reconcile before the event, however).

We have hired a family friend who is a culinary school graduate and restaurant professional to help with the dinner, which is a great relief to my sister who had her hypertension medication increased last week. The chef, however, has not yet been told about the one cat, Millie, who never leaves the stove area. The flowers have been ordered, but they cannot be delivered and arranged until immediately before the dinner because the cats will eat them.

Longtime readers may remember that we hosted Courtenay's first wedding 10 years ago in our back yard (in the gazebo that was built but not finished and painted until hours before the ceremony). This one is a piece of cake for me compared to that one which still gives me hives when I think about it.

But not to worry! I told my sister that i Have stocked up on plenty of Windex to take care of any outbreaks this time around!

Posted by kate at 02:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

This was a fun little quiz!

Which *NSYNC Concert Are You

Posted by kate at 12:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

We have this ongoing group project in my language development class. There is a portion of it due next Tuesday. We have to get together to work on it. Here's the conversation:

Jamie: I was hoping we could meet before Sunday night, because last time that was kind of last-minute.
Me: I've got a company presentation Tuesday, and I'm going home Friday for a play, but I'll be back Saturday. So any day but Tuesday and Friday are good for me. (basically, I told them I was free this Friday, Saturday, Sunday, then Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, and next Monday)
Lynn: I'm going home next weekend, too. Can we do it Friday afternoon before you go?
Me: I'm going home to see some friends in a play. I need to leave here by 2:00 at the very latest.
L: Could we do it at 1?
Me: That's cutting it pretty close, don't you think? I'm done with class at 11 on Fridays. How about then?
J: 11 sounds good.
L: 11? On a Friday? That's too early. Couldn't we do it at 1? (Here's me thinking I've got CLASS at 9:00, and she can't get her butt outta bed by 11??)
Me: Well, how about Thursday right after class?
L: But Thursday's Halloween!
J: I know I'm not going to start my Halloween at 5:00. It shouldn't take too long. Thursday sounds good.
Me: So, Thursday after class?
L: I guess.

Dude. Like, the ONE day (okay, one of the two) I can't meet in a week and a half, and she complains that 11 is too early? I'm going home to see friends of mine in a play. People I have known for a great many years, and I would like to support them. This girl's got excuses for every time we decide on. She refuses to come to my house because it's "too far," so we meet at her place, instead. Which, excuse me while I consult a campus map, is the SAME DISTANCE for me to travel as for her! Argh!!! Group projects SUCK. And two times ago, she made it impossible for us to find a good meeting time and place, when Jamie and I could have met almost any time, and then she didn't even show up. AND she signed her name to the transcript to get credit for having done it, when she hadn't helped one ounce. I mean, fine. I'm not gonna ruin her grade because she forgot or had something come up or whatever the reason she didn't show up was. But still. It just irritates me how some people can be so inflexible and so difficult to work with in groups.

Anyway. I did a little survey, which was pretty much new questions, and was kinda fun. It's long, though, so is in "More."

1. Your name spelled backwards.
Etak. Looks like something out of a Science Fiction movie, doesn't it?

2. Where were your parents born?
Chicago. Both of 'em.

3. What is the last thing you downloaded onto your computer?
That little video of Joey in eye makeup and JC in a Cher-ish wig. What the heck was that for, anyway?

4. What's your favorite restaurant?
Ooo, it's a toss-up between Dos Reales and Mandarin Wok.

5. Last time you swam in a pool?
I actually swam in the Vista Way pool this summer.

6. Have you ever been in a school play?
Yep.

7. How many kids do you want?
Two or three, probably.

8. Type of music you dislike most?
The kind that's just loud with nothing else. Like, you can't hear a melody and they just scream the lyrics and it's really just loud. I like to be able to sing along. And I like keeping my ear drums intact, thanks.

9. Are you registered to vote?
Yes.

10. Do you have cable?
Yep. Internet and television. It's gonna be a bummer when I move out of this place and can't afford either anymore.

11. Have you ever ridden on a moped?
No... I've ridden a wave runner, does that count?

12. Ever prank call anybody?
Not that I can think of specifically.

13. Ever get a parking ticket?
Two, actually. But one got taken away because it wasn't fairly given, so I didn't have to pay it.

14. Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving?
I'll never say never, but at the moment, no. I'd do that reverse sky diving thing where they blow lots and lots of air up at you and you feel like you're sky diving, but you're really just floating about four feet off the ground. That looks like fun.

15. Furthest place you ever traveled.
Hmmm. Either Scotland or the southren Caribbean. Which is farther? I need a globe or a world map or somethin'. As we can all tell, geography is not Kate's strong point.

16. Do you have a garden?
No, but we have this little potted flower-plant-thing that kind of hangs off our balcony... I watered it a few times.

17. What's your favorite comic strip?
I don't really read comics. I guess Peanuts.

18. Do you really know all the words to your national anthem?
I do. Do most people not?

19. Bath or Shower, morning or night?
Shower in the morning.

20. Best movie you've seen in the past month?
I think the only movie I've seen in the past month was Sweet Home Alabama. That was cute.

21. Favorite pizza topping?
Green peppers and onions. And of course, cheese.

22. Chips or popcorn?
Popcorn.

23. What color lipstick do you usually wear?
I don't wear lipstick normally, but I guess when I do, it's a not-so-wild berryish color.

24. Have you ever smoked peanut shells?
No.

25. Have you ever been in a beauty pageant?
Riiiight.

26. Orange Juice or apple?
Orange.

27. Who was the last person you went out to dinner with and where did you dine?
Mi padre took me to Outback last night, actually.

28. Favorite type chocolate bar?
Hershey's with almonds.

29. When was the last time you voted at the polls?
Last November, I guess.

30. Last time you ate a homegrown tomato?
I don't like tomatoes plain or raw, but I think there were homegrown tomatoes in something Aarti's mom cooked last weekend.

31. Have you ever won a trophy?
Yep.

32. Are you a good cook?
If I sit down and put some effort into it, I'm not half-bad. I'm just lazy.

33. Do you know how to pump your own gas?
Yes. I can't even remember the last time I was at a gas station that had full-service pumps. I know they existed when I was a kid... they still have them in Illinois anymore? In fact, I remember being shocked when I found out some people can't (like, it's against the law, or whatever) pump their own gas.

34. Ever order an article from an infomercial?
No, but my mom ordered Tae-Bo and I stole it from her.

35. Sprite or 7-up?
I'm a Diet Coke girl.

36. Have you ever had to wear a uniform to work?
It was a costume.

37. Last thing you bought at a pharmacy?
Can't remember the last time I was in a pharmacy.

38. Ever throw up in public?
Ewwwww no. Throwing up is one of my biggest phobias. I haven't done it since I was nine. ::knocks on wood::

39. Would you prefer being a millionaire or find true love?
True love. The money can come later *g*.

40. Do you believe in love at first sight?
Not really. It's a nice idea, though.

41. Ever call a 1-900 number?
Nope.

42. Can ex's be friends?
Sure.

43. Who was the last person you visited in a hospital?
I think my grandpa, last year. Or was that two years ago? Gosh, I can't remember. He's doing well now, though.

44. Did you have a lot of hair when you were a baby?
Tons of black-black hair.

45. What message is on your answering machine?
I think it's something like "Hi, you've reached Kate and Shelley. We're not here right now, so leave us a message. Thanks! Bye." or something equally bland. My favorite answering machine message, however, was from freshman year: "Hey, you've reached Kate and Kelly. We're not answering the phone right now because either A) we're not home, B) we're home but we don't want to talk to you, or C) we're home, we desperately want to talk to you, but we're trapped under something heavy. If it's A or C, we'll call you back." Lifted from When Harry Met Sally.

46. What's your all time favorite Saturday Night Live Character?
Haven't a clue. I liked the "Supersize It" skit, though.

47. What was the name of your first pet?
My first goldfish was named Katie Splash, when I was four. My first "real" pet was my cat, Speckles. We got him when I was seven and he's still going strong. I love my kitty.

48. What is in your purse?
Ooo loads of junk. My Disney ID is still in there, still on its lanyard. I think I have some coasters from the Orlando Ale House, advertising Zingers. Yum. I have a bunch of pens, movie ticket stubs, random receipts... I try to be all organized and stuff, but sometimes it just doesn't happen.

49. Favorite thing to do before bedtime?
I turn on the TV and fall asleep to "The Cosby Show," "Cheers," or "Boy Meets World."

50. What is one thing you are grateful for today?
That I got to see my dad last night. I miss my dad.

Posted by kate at 12:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Went to dinner with mi padre today. He was in town for a seminar. I miss my daddy!

So I got my first real-job interview. I didn't expect them to pick me to interview, since I'm not a business or finance person, and they're looking for business and finance people. But hey, not gonna turn it down. I don't expect anything to come of it, really, since I DIDN'T major in what they're looking for. But it's good experience, interviewing, and heck, it couldn't hurt anything.

Posted by kate at 09:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For a quiz where I had no idea where the answers were leading me, this one isn't so bad:

Which Must Be Pop character are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Posted by kate at 11:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Oo, remember that JC is gonna be on TRL today! (This is really a note to myself, but you all can benefit *g*)

Posted by kate at 08:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I agree wholeheartedly with my grandmother when she says exams should be illegal. At least having them count for your entire grade should be. I understand that attendance and all is indirectly measured by how well you do on an exam; if you went to class, you should have all the information necessary, and should therefore do well. Except when lecture doesn't correspond AT ALL with the book... we have to read the whole book, figure out what's important, memorize that, and THEN be tested on the in-depth studies we cover in lecture that aren't even on the same topic as the book reading. And if we don't understand our notes, there's nowhere else to look. No other available information that can clarify the concepts. Just, grr. And THEN to give you eight essay questions with no options. Like, if he gave us ten and told us to answer eight, at least we'd be able to relax a little, because in that huge amount of information we're forced to memorize, there might be one or two things we just don't have as strong a grasp on. But no, there are eight and we answer eight.

/rant

Off to hopefully not fail my Small Group Behavior exam.

Posted by kate at 08:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Our upstairs neighbors with the Really Great Sex Life are proving to the rest of us how inadequate we must be. Again. Please, get a new, non-squeaky bed. Pretty please?

Posted by kate at 08:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We have HEAT. Wahoo! It's very nice to hear the furnace rumbling to life every now and again. I was getting worried there, for a while, that our living room and bathroom would forever be frigid.

I have had a fairly productive afternoon. Still have lots to do, but without my research methods class this afternoon (she had paper conferences, instead), I had two extra hours in which to study. So this is my to-do list:

To Do:
1. Analyze Nathan transcript for 383 semantics worksheet
2. Finish fixing shyness/self-esteem operationalization paper for 333
3. Read chapters 6, 7 and 8 in Small Group Behavior book for 354
4. Read the Nicks' stories for narrative writing; comment
5. Study notes once through for 354

The paper's not due till Friday, and I really don't have much to change. I got a pretty good grade the first time around; making it "perfect" is for extra credit, wihch I figure, since it's not a lot of work, I'll go ahead and do. Better than reading a book and writing a reaction paper on that, which is our other option. And if I don't read the Nicks' stories tonight, I can do them in the morning/on my break tomorrow. So really, all I need to do is finish reading for 354 for my exam on Wednesday, and if I have time, go through the notes again. I'm feeling quite productive.

Posted by kate at 05:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, yesterday was just the Day of Disasters. Jess came to visit for the weekend. Her friends and she met me at my apartment and we went to lunch. Lunch was good, but I'm not sure her friends were too impressed with the restaurant. Ah well. Then we dropped the friends off and Jess, Meghan and I tried to go to Curtis Orchard. Hmmm. An apple orchard/pumpkin patch on a gorgeous fall Saturday afternoon. No one's gonna think of that! Yeah, it was super-crowded. We didn't even go in. Sad.

THEN Jess, Aarti and I were going to go on the Sidell Ghost Rally. The ghost rally is where you get this story, which is kind of a riddle, and you have to drive around these old country roads out in BuFu, IL. You have to figure out each step of the story, and at each stop you make, there's a clue you have to pick up. Usually there are people there to scare you, etc. It's a whole lot of fun, when it works out. Well, we made it through the first seven (of thirty) clues. Then we got lost. We weren't the only ones lost; it seemed like no one knew where they were going. We kept following random people to see if they had an idea, but they'd inevitably end up stopping for us to pass, and we'd pull up next to them and say "We're lost. Do you know where the next clue is?" and they'd shake their heads and laugh and say not to follow them; they're more lot than we are. So after about two hours of driving around in the middle of the freaking corn fields of Central Illinois (one of the roads we took could NOT have been good for my car.... I need to check it out in the daylight to make sure nothing fell off. It was a grass/dirt road with lots of bumps and tufts of grass reaching up to smack the bottom of your car), we decided to try to find our way back to Sidell.

Easier said than done. None of us were familiar with the area. At all. We tried to follow the clues backwards, but a lot of them are "After the curve in the road, there will be an unmarked crossroads. Left would be best." Well, when you're following that backwards, you have no idea which road you'd been on originally to take the left. Thank goodness Aarti has SOME knowledge of how country roads are numbered. The first few roads in the rally were named (1000 E and 370 N) so we figured as long as we could get to one of those, we'd be fine. But roads don't go through all the way... they stop at a field and continue on the other side, etc. <.sigh> And EVERYTHING looks the same. Everything. A corn field is a corn field. A barn is a barn. Especially in the dark. It was an ADVENTURE, man. We were beginning to discuss how we might go about calling 911 with a cell phone to have them direct us out of there (since the Ghost Rally is put on by the fire department). Ha. FINALLY we found 1000 E!!

So on our way back, one of the cars we had solicited for help earlier came by on their way home, I suppose, and they pulled up and said "There's nothing to find. Go to the square and get your money back." We had to ask for directions to the square. <.g> I love how directions consist of "Head into town. You'll see a brick road... go left, and the square will be catty-corner from the grocery store." We found it!! And we got our $15 back. The guy who was running it was cracking up, saying it was worth giving us $15 for the amusement we gave him at the first stop. (We'd been huddled together and screaming; he'd jumped out of the woods with the chain saw, which caused us to RUN, man. We ran.)

So apparently EVERYONE got lost after clue 7. And the few stops before that, people had been stealing the clues you were supposed to pick up, so we weren't even sure we'd been right up until then (although the directions made sense until that point). Either they'd written a bad story, or someone had altered something vital along the way so that we couldn't find a reference point. <.shrug> It was a lot of fun, until we got ourselves hopelessly lost. <.giggle>

Posted by kate at 11:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

These things never fail to make me giggle:

• "pictures of unused condoms" Uh... yeah.

• "Thundercats pictures pantro" and "pantro pictures" came three days apart. From two different search engines.

• "now and forever nsync lyrics" and "i want you back nsync lyrics blues" are my two most recent lyrics searches... I get those all the time. I feel bad when I don't actually have the lyrics up. But for anyone who finds me by looking for NSYNC lyrics, I do have a lyrics site linked on my "My Favorite Sites" section!!

• Two people in the last four days also found me by looking for "She-Ra Costumes."

• And Amy Jo, this one's for you: "champaign room" Heehee!
  

Posted by kate at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Okay, so it's technically Saturday. But still. It's a continuation of Friday night, so, yes.

1. How many TVs do you have in your home?
Like a lot of things, we have three. Shelley's got one in her room, I've got one in mine, and there's one in the living room. It's physically impossible for the two of us to utilize three televisions at once, but they're there should we be inclined to try. *g*

2. On average, how much TV do you watch in a week?
Watch as in, pay attention to, probably about two hours, give or take. Friends and/or ER if I have time, and then the random show here or there. But I have the TV on a heck of a lot more than that. MTV while I get ready in the morning, Nick at Night while I fall asleep. I don't really watch it so much, then, though.

3. Do you feel that television is bad for young children?
This is not a topic you want to start me talking on, because I could go on for hours. I feel some television is good for children. Such as Sesame Street, Blues Clues, etc. I feel other television is extremely, extremely harmful to young children. And that's all I'm gonna say 'bout that.

4. What TV shows do you absolutely HAVE to watch, and if you miss them, you're heartbroken?
I wouldn't say heartbroken, but I make an effort to watch Friends and ER every week. I used to have to watch X-Files, but that's no more.

5. If you had the power to create your own television network, what would your line-up look like?
I'd have a movie every day. Maybe a couple. Good ones, not crappy ones. And then I'd have classic shows like the Cosby Show and Cheers and Dick Van Dyke, and newer shows like 7th Heaven and X-Files and Felicity, and it would show the first two seasons of SeaQuest (when it was good), and the first three years of 90210, and Friends and ER. And in between everything would be an MTV Hits-like set-up (since we don't get that channel here and I WANT it), which would play all the best videos since the beginning of MTV. Yes. That would be my station.

Tonight Aarti, Shif, Amy and I made s'mores on Aarti's electric stove. It was fuuuuuun. It was all rainy outside, and we didn't have access to a fire/gril, anyway, nor did we have access to a gas stove. So. Electric worked just fine, and we had a yummy snack. <.g>

Jess is coming tomorrow. She's actually in town now, but she's staying with one of her friends tonight. Tomorrow we do the Sisterly Bonding thing. Heehee.

And now, I sleep.

Posted by kate at 01:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yesterday was nuts. Crazy-busy. Amy Jo stopped by!! We looked through each other's scrap books and got dinner at Dos Reales. Yum. It was good to see her. I miss everyone soooo much. <.sigh> By my day consisted of class, lab, class, skip third class to study, dinner with Amy, straight to study group at the coffee house, which lasted until about 11. So. My midterm, as of 11 this morning, is over. That is a Good Thing.

So after all that, I'm a day late at wishing Chris a happy 31st. Sorry 'bout that. Hope it was full of friends, family and fun for him.

Last year yesterday was Aarti, Shelley and my adventure to the White Star for the OTL Launch Party. I just went back to my archives to find the post I'd made on it, and guess what? I wasn't blogging by this time last year. I feel like I've been blogging all my life, practically. But, no. I haven't had my one-year anniversary yet. Soon! But not yet.

Posted by kate at 01:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tonight was the WDW meeting. I was debating on going. I went to ISU's a couple weeks ago, had my interview already, yadda yadda. But then last night, Charles IMed me and I asked him if he was gonna come to our meeting, since I'd gone to his. He actually said yes, which I was not expecting. So that sealed my fate for going to the meeting! I really thought it was going to be Charles AND Chris, because the two are always together. Color me surprised when Charles showed up alone. Not a bad thing. Just surprised.

I was a little late to the meeting. Dinner with Aarti was a fiasco and a half, and, yeah. So I was late. Ha ha. When I got there, the room was packed. Like, people were standing. And the way the room is set up, you go up a few stairs to get to the seats, so from where I was, I couldn't see a thing. I decided to sit in the hallway and do homework, instead, then meet up with Charles afterwards. Turns out he was late, too. We ended up sitting in the hallway and chatting through the whole meeting. Then we went inside when it was over to talk to the reps and the recruiters. Roger practically dragged the two of us out to dinner with them (usually they just take the Reps. Charles is a campus rep for ISU, I'm not one at all, so I wasn't planning on going). They took us to SILVERCREEK. It's a really nice restaurant. Wow. So that was a lot of fun. I got stuck at a table with the Scary People, though. Charles and myself and four Scary People. But it was cool. <.giggle> Good to see people again.

And no, I did not do any of my work for class tomorrow. Maybe I'll get up early.

Posted by kate at 10:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I really need to get on top of this whole job search thing. I just feel like I never have a free moment to sit down and do it.

The one job I was feeling good about, with that consulting firm, is a no-go. I had talked with the guy forever at the career fair, and he gave me a card with where to send my transcripts. Everything went really well, and I was kind of excited about it. He told me they'd be contacting me for an interview for this week. Well, I hadn't heard anything, so today I called. He wasn't in the office, so I asked to speak with someone in Human Resources. I explained to her that I'd been expecting to hear from them and wanted to make sure my transcripts had arrived. She told me that yes, they had arrived (had they gotten so few that she knew right off the bat that mine had come?), but they have already made decisions on who they wanted to interview, and she wished me luck in my career search. ::blinks:: Wha?? He told me he'd be contacting me for an interview. To me, that means I was going to get an interview. That bums me out a little bit.

I don't know if I would have even wanted that job, what with having to travel for five days of the week. That's a lot of stress, I think. But it would have been nice for me to be able to make the decision, instead of having it made for me right at the start, ya know? Ah well. Suck it up and move on, right?

Posted by kate at 03:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I really have not been doing anything blogworthy lately. Like, at all. My life sucks.

Tomorrow is the WDWCP meeting here at U of I. Charles is coming from ISU! I wonder if Chris is, too. That would be fun.

Thursday I'm having dinner (or something) with Amy. Yay!! I miss Amy Jo!

This is the week of Disney Reunions, apparently. That makes me happy.

I took this survey... it's long-ass. I'm posting it in "more" as to not take up the entire page here.

1. What facial feature do you find the most attractive on others?
I like nice teeth. Especially if they accompany a really nice smile.

2. Would you vote for a woman candidate for president?
If she's the best one for the job, of course.

3. Would you marry for money?
No

4. Have you had braces?
Not the metal kind, no.

5. Do you pluck your eyebrows?
When they need it, yeah.

6. Do you ever cut or hurt yourself?
Not if I can help it! I'm kinda clumsy, but that results in bruises more than anything that would bleed. And I certainly don't do it on purpose.

7. Could you live without a computer?
Sure, but I wouldn't really want to.

8. Do you use ICQ, AOL Buddy list etc...?
AIM

9. If so, how many people are on your list(s)?
I think I figured it to be 72

10. If you could live in any past time period, which would it be?
Little House on the Prairie era.

11. Do you drink enough water?
I try to. I drink a lot of water in the form of Crystal Light.

12. Do you wear shoes in the house or take them off?
Off! The minute I walk in the door! I don't like wearing shoes.

13. What is your favorite fruit?
Mmmm. Fruit. I'm on a mango kick lately. But I LOVE pineapple.

14. Do you eat wheat bread or white?
Both, but I've been buying the 99% fat free, which only comes in white bread.

15. What is your favorite place to visit?
Orlando! I miss my friends. I miss my hang-out places. I miss working at Disney. I wanna go back!!

17. What is the last movie you saw?
Sweet Home Alabama this weekend with my grandma and cousins.

18. Do you kiss on the first date?
I guess that would depend, but probably not.

19. Are you photogenic?
Sometimes.

20. Do you dream in color or black and white?
Color

21. Are you wearing fingernail polish?
Not at the moment.

22. Is it chipped or fresh?
If I were wearing it, it would be FRESH. As soon as it chips, I either take it off or retouch it. I can't STAND chipped nail polish.

23. Do you have any dimples?
Nope.

24. Do you remember being born?
Uh... not so much, no.

25. Why do you take surveys?
Because I've got time to waste, apparently.

26. Do you drink alcohol?
Sure, on occasion.

27. Did you like or do you like high school?
Loved it. I was afraid I'd be one of those people for whom high school was the best 4 years of her life. Thankfully, it has not turned out that way.

28. What is the most beautiful language?
Hmm. Not English. Maybe Spanish. Or another romance language. No, wait, I take that back. Sign language. I looooove watching things translated into sign language.

29. When you are asleep do you like being kissed awake?
I suppose that would depend on who was doing the kissing.

30. Do you like sunrises or sunsets the most?
I see a whole lot more sunsets than sunrises, but they're both equally cool.

31. Do you want to live to be 100?
Not particularly. If I do, fine, if not, fine. As long as I've lived a satisfying life.

32. Do you think women should be expected to shave their body hair? I don't like the words "expected to." I don't like being hairy. I can't imagine liking to be hairy.

33. Do you like salty food or sugary food the most?
Aside from ice cream, I think I am more of a salty food kind of person.

34. Is a flat stomach important to you?
Well, I'd sure like to have one. It would be nice.

35. Do you or have you played with a Ouija board?
I think I own one somewhere...

36. Are you loyal?
I think so.

37. Are you tolerant of other peoples beliefs?
I sure try to be. I have been told I'm flat-out wrong on things before, and that's not a feeling I like, so I wouldn't want to pass that on. If we're talking faith-related beliefs, I don't think a person can be wrong. I kind of think that it's all the same, just a different way of looking at things. *shrug*

38. When you watch movies at home, do you like the lights on or off?
If it's glaring in the TV, off. I tend to do a lot of things at once, though, and often times light is helpful.

39. Do you believe in magic?
I'm usually a kind of skeptical person, but I worked the David Copperfield show last year, and goodness, he did some things that I could not even HOPE to be able to explain.

40. Do you have nightmares frequently?
No.

41. Do you like your nose?
Sure. It's mine. I think I'd look pretty funny without it.

42. Do you like abstract art?
Okay. Here's my take on art. It has to be meaningful. I don't like things that look like a kindergartener did them. I like works of art which look as if the artist had an intended meaning (not just the general public imposing meaning on them because they think it's this big important meaningful thing when it really isn't). So, yes, I like abstract art if it is meaningful. ::steps down off of soap box::

43. Do you think you can draw well?
Sometimes. I think I can draw things I care about. If my heart's not in it, I don't care to spend enough time on it to get it to look how I want it to.

44. Do you listen to music daily?
Yep

45. Do you like to watch cartoons?
Sometimes. I don't search them out, but sometimes I stop on them if there's nothing else on.

46. At what age did you find out that Santa Claus wasn't real?
I think I was six. I said to my mom, "I don't like not knowing what other people know." But I still believe in the magic of Christmas!

48. Do you like to wear the same shoes everyday or do you like a variety?
I seem to have acquired more shoes than I realized. I have favorites, obviously, but I like to have options as well.

49. Do you write poetry?
Not very well. I'd rather read it.

50. Do you snore?
As far as I know, only when I'm sick. But generally, no.

51. Do you sleep more on your back, front, or sides?
Side or front, usually.

52 Would you rather have a poodle or a rottweiler?
Neither, thanks. I'll take a boxer.

53. Do you lick stamps?
If they're the kind you have to lick, yeah.

54. Do you use an electric can opener?
Nope.

55. Have you ridden in a hot air balloon?
Nope.

56. Which hurts the most, physical or emotional pain?
I'll say that depends, but usually emotional. In my experience, that hurts longer.

57. Do you think balding men should shave their heads?
Eh, if they want to. However they feel comfortable.

58. Do you know anyone who is clinically depressed?
I know people who have been in the past.

59. Do you prefer a piano or a violin?
Okay. Another long answer. I played the violin for eight years; I can't do much more than the melody line on a piano, and that's got to be by ear because I can't read piano music. So in that sense, I'd rather take piano lessons than violin lessons. But on the other hand, I have a soft spot in my heart for the violin, and I think it's more rare to have a violin in popular music than a piano, so... yeah. I can't decide. I like them both.

60. Are you a sex addict?
Uh, not as of yet, no.

61. Do you know someone who has cancer?
I know a couple people who have either survived or not survived cancer, but I don't know anyone who has active cancer at the moment.

63. Do you hunt?
No.

64. Do you like fast food joints, or expensive restaurants?
I can't *afford* expensive restaurants, but I'd rather have good food than fast food.

65. Would you rather visit a zoo or an art museum?
I like zoos, but I like art museums better.

66. Do you have a middle name?
Yep. Paige.

67. Are you basically a happy person?
I like to think so.

68. Are you tired?
Sometimes, yes.

69. Did you drink anything with caffeine in it today?
Hmm. Actually, no. Not today. I was *thisclose* to buying a latte, though.

70. Have you ever met anyone off the Internet?
Yep. I actually live with someone I met off the internet. Heehee. But I actually met her in real life so quickly after I met her online that I usually forget that's how we met.

71. How many phones do you have in your house?
Three. Plus two cell phones (but mine is only for emergencies). So there are five phones and two people. Yeah. We're cool.

72. How long is your hair?
About shoulder length, as of last Wednesday. It used to be down to about the bottom of my shoulder blades, I guess.

73. Do you get along with your parents?
Yep, for the most part.

74. What color of eyes do you prefer?
I couldn't care less, honestly.

75. are you a virgin?
Yes.

76. what medications do you take?
None. I probably should take something for allergies, but I don't.

77. what does your bedroom look like?
Let's see. Well, my bedspread is white, my walls are a kind of egg shell color, maybe? My sheets 'n stuff are blue with little stars. I've got lots of shelves, two closets (which I LOVE). It's half-full of Disney stuff, half-full of NSYNC. Got my big 2000 WDW blanket up on one wall, my poster that has mini versions of all the Disney Animated Classics posters framed on one wall, a Joey Rent poster up, my YM magazine pull-out poster that Chris signed framed, a string of clothes pinned pictures from this summer in Florida, my mini JC calendar, my regular-sized nsync calendar, my shot glass collection, school stuff, my signed I-4 picture, a bunch of framed pictures of my friends and my family... yeah. So it's a bunch of random stuff. Some of it's really random.

Posted by kate at 11:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Do you know how much of a mind blank I come up with when I'm forced to make these decisions? I'm sure there are dozens of people I've put into these categories in the past, but when put on the spot to think of them? No can do. Hmmmm.

Seven Celebrities I'd do: No Strings Attached, No Questions Asked, No Repercussions, Just One Night: *IF I were that type of girl*

1. JC Chasez (who was fighting -- really fighting -- to take up most of the rest of the spots on this list).
2. Hugh Grant
3. Tobey Maguire
4. David Duchovny
5. Goran Visjinic
6. Lance Bass
7. Justin Timberlake

5 People (Real or Fictional) You'd Like To Be Kidnapped By (For Very Important Reasons That Only You Can Solve) And Go on A Wild Car Ride Through The Desert Causing Mischief With, And Even Though It Might Be Scary For The First 18 Minutes, It All Turns Out OK And A Fun Time Is Had By All.

1. JC Chasez
2. Fox Mulder
3. Ron Weasley
4. Chris Kirkpatrick
5. Matt LeBlanc

10 People I'd Invite To My Own Celebrity Party, Keeping In Mind That Each Of Them Will Bring Friends.

1. JC Chasez
2. Sean Patrick Thomas
3. Reese Witherspoon
4. Gillian Anderson
5. Sandra Bullock
6. Jonathan Brandis
7. Julia Roberts
8. Matthew Perry
9. Meg Ryan
10. Matthew Lawrence

5 bands to play at your celebrity party.

1. NSYNC, when they take a break from partying with me *g* Or break out spontaneously into song.
2. I-4
3. Aerosmith
4. Cyndi Lauper (I'm on such a Cyndi kick after that concert!)
5. Fifth Year Crush

Posted by kate at 05:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

7:30 is WAAAAAAAY too early for an orthodontist appointment. I got about 5 hours of sleep, and that's just not enough lately. =/

Last night I started chatting with this girl Megan who is friends with Karey, and it turns out she lives down the street from my grandparents. It was a lot of fun talking to her, because we've been at SO many of the same events. It was funny. She was at the Nsync afterparty at White Star last spring, too. And of course the concerts, both Celebrity and Pop Odyssey, and CFTC sitting like the next section over, and the Groove, and... yeah. Just kinda funny how that all works out. Small world. And I had speech team competitions at her high school. I'm literally going to be a block from her apartment today when I go visit my grandparents. Oh, and Amy, she's a huge Counting Crows fan as well. =) She'll be at the concert on the 21st, and she saw them in September and had a pretty cool experience with it all. She's a cool gal. Oh, and she's planning on moving to Orlando in January or June. Funny, that.

Anywho. That was my exciting Friday night: dinner and Dairy Queen with Mom, chatting with Megan, and LAUNDRY. Woohoo! I am living up the college life, I tell ya! Yes!

What else? Hmmmm.... I feel there should be something else interesting going on in my life. My cousins are down from Wisconsin this weekend. Going in to see them in an hour or so. I'm hungry... I know you all care greatly. Maybe I'll go grab me some breakfast.

Posted by kate at 08:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

1. If you could only choose 1 cd to ever listen to again, what would it be?
Oh goodness. I think I'd have to make a mix CD of my most favorite songs ever. And how very hard that would be!! I guess if I had to choose from existing CDs that I currently own.... eeeek! My "*NSYNC Live" CD. Although I would wish I'd replaced a couple of the Celebrity Tour songs (the ones which are harder to make out through the screaming) with some songs from "Home for Christmas." Heehee but maybe that's cheating.

2. If you could only choose 2 movies to watch ever again, what would they be?
Deep breath here. I love movies. I'm gonna do the equivalent of closing my eyes and choosing two from my pool of favorites. My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Playing By Heart. Picking two is just cruel! Ack!

3. If you could only choose 3 books to read ever again, what would they be?
Again with the horribly difficult choices. Only three. Hmmm. The Giver, A Walk to Remember, and The Horse Whisperer. The latter two are FAR better than their cinematic counterparts. *g*

4. If you could only choose 4 things to eat or drink ever again, what would they be?
I get four this time. That's better. Um, I'm thinking I'd never, ever survive on these things, because there's not much healthy here, but water, bread, cheese and ice cream. Bam. That was easy. Since I've already long decided I couldn't live without any one of those things...

5. If you could only choose 5 people to ever be/talk/associate/whatever with ever again, who would they be?
Nu-uh. Can't do it, man. I am a PEOPLE PERSON. In big, capital letters (as is quite apparent). I love my family, I love my friends, and I would be sick to death if I couldn't talk to/see/whatever with any one of them again.

Posted by kate at 06:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Having fun with names tonight. There are a lot (relatively speaking) of people with my last name! It's been pretty uncommon in my experience. But look! Less than ten people in the entire US have my combination of names! (Same held true for Kathryn, although as a single name, there are lots more of them than Kates)

The Girl's Name Kate is shared by ~40,800 people in the USA.
The Last Name [My Last Name] is shared by ~8,540 people in the USA.
The First_Name + Last_Name Kate [My Last Name] is not common in the US, with a shared population of around 0 - 10 individuals.
The First Name, Last Initial Kate A is shared by ~1,960 people in the USA.
The First Initial, Last Name K [My Last Name] is shared by ~410 people in the USA

Posted by kate at 12:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cher tonight. Woohoo!! Cher is awesome. Cindy Lauper opened, and she was EXCELLENT!! She can sing, man. Like, belt it out. I did not know she sang "True Colors." I love that song!! I also didn't know she sang "Time After Time." She sang that one much slower than I was used to, but it was awesome. All I was expecting to know was "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." So it was a nice surprise, and her new stuff is great, too. For "Girls" she had the audience totally into it. Each section sang a different part... very cool. And she was all about going into the audience. Half a dozen times, at least, she ran up here or there, sat on people's laps, sang to people, just hada good time. So that was a fabulous part of the concert.

Cher was also very, very good. Again, couple songs she sang that I didn't know she sang. Lol. She did sing "Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," and the girl I was working with and I looked at each other and said "She sings this?" And I was all "I thought it was a guy..." ha ha. So, um, yeah, it's U2. But whatever, she sounded good. I think everything else she did was her own, though, and there were some surprises. The show was really a show. Dancers, awesome sets, costumes, everything. The works. They kept playing these old videos of her... had a clip of Janet Jackson when she was like six. Heehee. So cute. But anyway, I'm rambling because I'm still a bit bouncy, and yeah. GOOD night.

Posted by kate at 11:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Okay, so I've been gone all day. And here's what I come home to:

'NSYNC's JC Chasez Records Solo Tracks, Considers Album
10.10.2002 4:34 PM EDT

The soundtrack — due December 10, according to Jive Records — will also include Alicia Keys, Monica, Petey Pablo and Jive newcomer Nivea, who was featured on Mystikal's "Danger (Been So Long)."

Do you know how totally bouncy I am right now? Literally bopping around in my seat like one of those paddle ball game thingies. Yes. Wheeee!!! Of course I had a feeling something like this was going to come about, but now it's out there in the news, and yes. Solo stuff for JC! I am ALL OVER that. Like, way more all over that than Justified. Even though I'm looking forward to Justified, JAYCEEEEEEEE! A whole album (potentially) of Just JC.

Posted by kate at 11:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I cut my hair. Finally. It actually looks so much more healthy.... ha ha. I get it trimmed regularly, but hadn't had it cut in... three years? It was at my chin in 2000 right before I went to Disney, and that's when I started growing it. Not that my hair grows very fast, it doesn't, which is why I was so hesitant to chop it off.

But, yes, I did it. It's now at my shoulders. I handed her a picture of Britney from Crossroads which took me FOREVER to find on the internet. I so wanted to just take the movie with me, plug it into her player, and make her watch. Ha ha. (I didn't do that, by the way.) I like it. I can't wait to go home and surprise my parents this weekend. Heehee!

Posted by kate at 09:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hmm. I followed Shelley's lead and went and listened toclips from his Australian version. Now, bear in mind that I don't often like songs on first the first listen. If I do, that's one hell of a song. "Gone" was one of those songs, so I know what the boy's capable of.

Um... does my opinion on short little clips count as spoilers? Eh, if you don't want to read it, don't. =)

Being that there is only 35 seconds of each song, you can't really get a feel for them. But I'm starting to dig "Senorita" a little bit. I want to hear the whole song. I'm a little disappointed in the lyrics for "Take it From Here." I like the background music of it, but his singing reminds me of someone else. Like he's trying to imitate someone he shouldn't be imitating. Hmm. I want to like that song, so hopefully the rest is better, or it grows on me. I'm liking the beat of "Right for Me," but does he sing anything in it? The vocals aren't very melodic, that I can tell. <.shrug> But again, I'm liking the feel of the beat. In fact, I like the beats of a lot of the songs. This should be interesting, because usually the beat-driven songs I can listen to in the car, or whenever, but I enjoy them in small portions. I can listen to ballads over and over. So I'm curious as to how this album is going to turn out. Will it be something I can have on repeat in the car, or something I stick in only when I'm in a particularly bouncy mood?

Posted by kate at 01:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

YAY for professors who are the NICEST people EVER and decide that they will give pluses but not minuses. Because pluses count for more than a straight grade, and minuses count for less (ex: B+: 3.33, B: 3.0, B-: 2.67). If we ever get the choice at all as to whether the class is scored using the plus/minus system or not, it's... yes or no. Both or neither. Someone suggested almost jokingly that we should have pluses but not minuses, and he laughed. Then today, he decided "Western civilization will not end if I give out pluses but not minuses." Whee!

BOO for getting a B+ instead of an A. =( With the curve. I so should have gotten an A. There were three questions I KNEW. Like, KNEW. I even drew the pictures correctly, worked everything out correctly... either interpreted the answers or the questions incorrectly. <.sigh> I hate that. So if I'd gotten two of those three right, I'd have had an A. That's what I get for being in a hurry to get out of class early. =/ If I honestly don't know the answer, I don't feel bad about getting it wrong. And all of the others I got wrong, I really didn't know. I wasn't even between two and guessed wrong... I just plain didn't know them. But those three... man. Grrrrrrrrr. I didn't even have question marks by them. Like, I KNEW them! Ahhh! Oh well. I'll get over it. And at least, with his grading system, I got a B+ and not just a B.

Posted by kate at 12:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm working Cher! On Thursday!

::does happy dance::

Forgot to find out what time call is...

Posted by kate at 09:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I need a story idea. My next story will be due in narrative writing quicker than I would like it to be. I'm having a real hard time coming up with something. I have a tendency to tackle stories that are much larger than can fit on 6-10 double-spaced pages. Plus, my teacher seems never to like anyone's story. I'm all for constructive criticism, but sometimes it just ends up being "that just didn't work." Bam. Shot down.

This is what he said about my last story: Nice job. The prose is fluid, smooth. I don't have much to add to it, other than it seems the details of some of the "missing" parts (I had skipped some "unimportant" chunks of the afternoon in the interest of length, which he wanted me to put back in)would help develop a stronger sense of atmosphere, which is important in a quiet story like this. and so on. So, yeah, he actually liked it. He did give me some constructive tips, and nothing he said was devestating to my ego. I'm afraid to try and follow that!

So, basically, I would really, really like my next story to be a strong, solid narrative. Character-driven is what I'm better at; not so good at coming up with a coherent plot that can be fit into a short-story length. He didn't so much like my first story, which I think was a bigger story than I tried to make it. I just really, really want this next one to be good! Ahhh!!! What a time for writer's block. =/

Help?? Please?

Posted by kate at 10:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I meant to blog about this yesterday, but alas, I did not. I had a dream about JC the other night. It took me a good hour or so after I woke up to remember I'd actually had it, and I wish I remembered more about it! It was long and interesting while I was having it. <.g>

I don't know where we were, but there were lots of people there. JC was there, but no one was paying attention to him, so I went over and struck up a conversation. Now we KNOW this was a dream, because I am so not that bold. Ha ha. So we chatted for a looooong time. For some reason, he went to grab my hand, and I said "Oh, my hand's all sweaty!" (okay, WHO dreams about sweaty palms? Seriously.) He said something about being used to touching sweat (whatever THAT means), and he held my hand. Ha ha. This whole dream was actually quite long and involved and enjoyable, but obviously it doesn't translate as such. Normal people have hot, sexy dreams about hot, sexy boys like JC Chasez. I, on the other hand, dream of conversations and sweaty palms. Go figure.

Posted by kate at 03:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yesterday was sooo much fun. Because of my late awakening, my entire day got eaten up pretty quickly. I talked to Greg and JOHN!! John called me! I miss John. John, do you still read this? If you do, calllll meeeee more often!

Aarti and I went to the mall to buy her some business casual clothes. Ha. Kate could not buy anything because she has to save her dollars. But Limited was having a 50% off sale, so I bought this cute sheer black short-sleeved shirt, and then I had to get the cute red tank top with little sparklies on it to go under it. So both of those purchases were completed for less than the price of the black shirt originally, so yay. And then I was at Lerner's and they had this awesome bracelet and necklace set. SO adorable, I fell in love. It, too, was 50% off. So, yeah. Kate bought things and Aarti did not. But that is all Kate will be buying for the rest of the year, I believe.

Then we went to the grocery store, which was NECESSARY. Wow. I HAVE FOOD NOW!!! WOOHOO!! We bought the fixin's for dinner and came back here, where we made a green pepper pizza, pesto and cream cheese dip, mango shakes, and cookies. Lol. All that is bad for you. We watched the Reel NSYNC, which Aarti, I think, enjoyed. =) SO much fun. I could (and do) watch that over and over and over. After that, we watched all of Justin's promotional stuff, the TV show JC did, and that Court TV thingy. And we did each other's hair in prom-like styles, which was mucho fun. And we drank Malibu and Coke and were goofy and took pictures in silly hats... lol. It was just an all-around FUN night.

Of course, I went to bed at 5:30. Did you know that at 5:00, childrens programming comes on all the channels? Ech. Animaniacs took over for Charles in Charge. =/ I could NOT fall asleep. I was wired. And then I slept until the late hour of 10:00. Hmmm. Probably not smart. But I just kinda woke up. I'll be tired tomorrow. Ah well.

Posted by kate at 10:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Why, yes I do! I am FREE this weekend! Whoohoo!!! No exams, no papers, no nothing. So I'm doing this long-ass survey, stolen from Carolyn.

[My name is]: Kate
[wearing]: Bright orange U of I shirt, green Christmas boxers (I match... yeah!)
[listening to]: Radio... Eminem's newest, I think.
[thinking of]: Florida... getting a job... the future... those things occupy my mind a lot lately.
[in the morning I am]: Usually in a pretty good mood
[All I need is]: Happiness
[TO ME love is]: Something everyone needs, in one form or another
[if i could see one person right now]: Just one? There are sooo many people I miss lots and lots and lots.
[im afraid of]: Failure
[i dream about]: Ha. Everything. I'm a dreamer.

HAVE YOU EVER?
[Pictured your crush naked?]: Probably, but also probably not on purpose. Lol. I'm not a "naked" kind of person.
[actually seen your crush naked]: Nope, and I wouldn't want to. I only want to see someone naked once they are just a tad bit more than a crush.
[been in love]: No
[cried when someone died]: Yes
[lied]: This is one of those silly questions they put on personality tests and stuff, to catch how honest you are on other questions, or something. Yay for a social psych lab methods class. To answer the question, of course I've lied before.

PREFERENCE:
[coke or Pepsi]: Coke. Diet, please.
[flowers or candy]: Flowers
[scruff or clean shaven (a guy)]: Usually clean-shaven, but there are certain guys who need facial hair. I think I've decided it's the mustache part of scruff I don't enjoy. Mustaches seem kinda sleazy to me.
[tall or short]: I don't think I have a cut and dry preference on this. I would say, generally, the guys I have been attracted to have been somewhere in the 6' range.

WITH THE OPPOSITE SEX
[what do u notice first?]: His smile... I'm a sucker for great smiles, and one of the hallmarks of a great smile is the way it makes his eyes look (all crinkly and happy), so by extension, his eyes as well.
[last person slow danced with]: Um... slow danced? Jeez! This is going to sound awful, but the last time I can remember an occasion for slow dancing was at the CP ball in 2000. Lol. I wonder if I've done it since then....
[Worst question to ask?]: Have you done this before? (I'm agreeing with you, C)

WHO
[makes you laugh the most?]: Aarti and I definitely crack up over the most random stuff. Shelley and I, too.
[who gives you a funny feeling when you see them?] I guess there are some people that, based on our history, I would rather not run into... luckily, usually, I don't.
[has a crush on you?] Horace in FL did... boy was that frightening. I always get the scary ones. =/
[easier to talk to: boys or girls?]: Girls. Boys intimidate me. At least ones I'm attracted to do, and that doesn't bode well for me. =/

DO YOU EVER
[sit on the internet all day waiting for someone special to IM you?]: Can't say I have, no.
[save aol/aim conversations]: I have once or twice, but I wouldn't say it's a habit.
[save e-mails]: The ones that come into Outlook, yep. Need to clean those out one of these days....
[wish you were a member of the opposite sex]: Only when it's that time of the month. And then I snap out of it and remember that being female is great. <.g>
[cried because of someone saying something to u]: Yes.
[fallen for your best friend]: No.
[been rejected]: Not directly, probably mostly because I don't do things *directly*.
[rejected someone]: Yes, but I'm pretty nice about it. ;)
[been cheated on]: Not that I'm aware of.
[done something you regret]: Oh, PLENTY of things. Even with my "no regrets" rule.

WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON
[you talked to]: If I'd answered this question when I started the survey, John, who called this morning, and I hadn't talked to in FOREVER. But Greg just called, so Greg.
[you hugged]: Aarti's mom. Heehee.
[You instant messaged]: Amy
[laughed with]: Aarti
[you kissed]: Oh goodness. My mommy and daddy kissed me goodbye when they left last weekend... heehee. Cop-out answer, I know.
[who broke your heart]: I have not had my heart truly broken, I don't think. I'm lucky to say I have always parted ways with people on good terms.

WHO DO YOU WANT TO...
[kill]: No one.
[hear from]: I would have sad John before this morning! Gina. I'd like to hear from Gina.
[get really wasted with]: Aarti
[look like]: Ha ha. I could put together my perfect composite female, but I'm not sure there's one person I wish I looked like.
[be like]: Myself. There are a few things I'd like to work on, but generally, I like me.
[avoid]: I don't think anyone at the moment.

ARE YOU..
[A Vegetarian?]: Nope
[A Good Student?]: Usually.
[Good At Sports?]: My mom keeps telling me I'm athletic... I guess it depends on the sport, but the image I have of myself is a non-sports kinda person.
[An idiot?]: Um, yes. Lol. There are times.
[A Good Singer?]: I wouldn't use the word "good"... lol. I love to sing, but I'm the blend-into-the-choir type.
[A good Actor/Actress?]: Not at all.
[A deep sleeper?]: Not really. Well, sometimes. I didn't hear the fire alarm going off *in my room* once, and I almost never hear the phone when I'm asleep... so maybe I am. lol.
[A Good Dancer?]: Not at ALL.
[Shy?]: Yes.
[Outgoing?]: Yes. (And no, those two answers do not contradict each other, thank you very much. It's quite situation-dependent.)
[A good storyteller?]: I do not tell a good story. I ramble and lose track of the point. But I think I'm decent at writing one.

DO YOU
[color your hair]: No... I have use the one-month dyes on occasion in the past, and I've had highlights before, but I've never permanently dyed my hair.
[ever get off the damn computer]: Yep.
[habla espanol]: Less well than I'd like to. And I understand more than I can speak. That's something to work on, though.

HAVE YOU / DO YOU / ARE YOU
[smoke]: Not once in my entire life.
[obsessive]: Um... Yeah. Ha ha ha.
[could u live without the computer?]: Of course. Would I want to? Probably not.
[how many peeps are on your buddylist?]: 43 + 37. Um... 80? Lol.
[whats your favorite food?]: I like Chinese almost anything. And Mexican a lot of things. And (I'm learning) Indian a lot of things. But in general, I am a very potato-chicken-bread-cheese kind of person. I don't think I could live without those things in my diet.
[whats your favorite fruit?]: I'm on a mango kick these days.
[drink alcohol?]: On occasion.
[like watching sunrises or sunsets]: Very much.
[what hurts the most? physical pain or emotional pain?] Emotional.
[trust others way too easily?]: Yea, I do.

Posted by kate at 03:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Sorry, C. <.g> Didn't get the chance to blog yesterday. I went to class, then went to check my exam grade (which was not posted yet), then went to my appointment at the career center. I'm SO glad I did. The woman I talked with was SUPER nice, and she gave me a lot of great info. She gave me the address to this website that doesn't search job openings, but it searches what companies exist, in general, by industry or location. It gives you a listing of all the companies in the area, with info on the company and contact information. Which is GREAT, because I was starting to get frustrated that so many of the companies that were coming to the school or listed on our school's eRecruitment are hiring for the Chicago area. So this is awesome and I can't wait to play around in it.

After that appointment, I walked home in the pouring rain and arrived in time for my Disney interview. I HOPE it went well. Gosh. I feel like I gave good answers, but the types of questions they have to ask are kind of poopy ones. Like "what three words would your managers use to describe you and why?" and "do you think you would have to change your work habits for a job in Guest Relations?" So Carolyn, start thinking of good answers to those questions. Lol. Coming up with them on the spot was hard. But in general I think I did alright. Let's hope they call me for a second interview.... the REALLY nervewracking thing is that I won't find out until DECEMBER. They have to interview everyone from all over the US before they tell anyone they got the job. ACK!!! So I won't know my plans for January until conceivably two or three weeks before I might have to move across the country for six months. I understand WHY it's that way, but it kind of sucks for someone trying to plan, like, her entire LIFE at the moment. <.grumble, grumble>

Basically the moment I hung up the phone with Disney, Aarti arrived to pick me up. I went with her to her house, which is about 30 min from school. She had to get some winter clothes and whatnot, and her mom made FOOD. I adore her mother's cooking. <.g> So I had Indian food for lunch and dinner, because she ended up sending some home with Aarti, too. Heehee. Her mom's so cute though. She taught me how to eat each thing. <.giggle> So we hung around there for a while, and headed back to Champaign around 6. We went straight to Aarti's to eat some more (YUM!), and then Aarti's friends came over to pick us up to watch Amelie. Such a cute movie. I'd seen it before, but it was good the second time. =)

Aarti's friend Gaurav has an entire studio in his bedroom. It's awesome. He has a soundboard, a REAL microphone (like, totally professional-looking recording microphone with that disk in front of it), all this fancy-schmancy computer equipment, the works. He showed us a song he was working on, which was really cool. It amazes me how people can just... I dunno. He had keyboard, guitar, a drum beat, and his voice, and it sounded so awesome. Kate=IMPRESSED.

Then after the movie, Aarti, Lisa, Amy and I went to this party. See, the guy that rents Aarti her skates for her ice skating class was having a party for his friend's birthday. Dude. Like, SHE hardly knows the guy. WE knew no one. And it was the kind of party where everyone is friends, ya know? Like, this whole group of guys went to high school together, and most of them had come down from home or over from another school. Lol. We walked in and everyone kinda looked at us. Ha ha. We ended up chatting with a few of them, and they were super-nice, but I was exhausted at that point.

So. I went to bed around 3:30, and I slept until almost NOON! Carolyn, are you proud? It was 11:45 when I finally woke up. <.g> And aren't you proud that I blogged? A LOT? Just for you, my friend. Just for you. =)

Now I am making popcorn for breakfast, because I have no food. Literally nothing to eat. =/ I need to go grocery shopping in a BAD way today.

Posted by kate at 12:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

My little sister is trying to give me dating tips. Ack! This is so wrong! She has her first boyfriend, which is so freaking adorable I can't believe it. But having her try to tell me I need to meet "someone special" makes me giggle. Because that's my job, see. I'm the one that tells her that duh, she doesn't have to love him to go out with him. Just take a chance. She's so not supposed to be saying stuff like that to me!

And why must MTV insist on showing people puking? Honestly. I don't need to see that. And I CERTAINLY don't need it to be part of a commercial for Road Rules which plays all the freaking time. Don't they know that the thing I hate most in the whole world is puke? Seeing someone throw up will leave my stomach unsettled for an entire day, or more. <.shudder>

Did you know VH1 plays "Like I Love You"? Cuz I didn't, but there it was!

Posted by kate at 09:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm in lab, transcribing an observation. The grandfather is a minister, so he's holding "church" for the kids (who are all under four, mind you). He keeps quoting the Bible, and I'm beginning to feel very inadequate in my Bible knowledge. I'm straining back to my days of confirmation classes to remember the books of the Bible so that I can transcribe the names correctly. Goodness. I taught Sunday School for four years, for goodness sakes. You'd think I'd know this stuff. =/ Ah well.

Posted by kate at 10:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I have a whore of a headache. ::whimpers:: Too bad I can't miss class.

Look, Carolyn, I'm blogging. <.g> I don't really have anything to say... I missed Real World again last night. Totally forgot. I've totally forgotten to watch it every week so far. Lol. Ah well, it's not Chicago so I'm not, like, burning to see it.

I had an exam yesterday. Would have gone better if I'd read the book, but I think I got a good lot of the 32 questions that WEREN'T from the book correct, and I hopefully guessed correctly on at least some of the 8 that were, and there were 4 bonus questions which I was pretty confident on, so.. yeah. Not so much with the exciting news there.

Oh, we workshopped my story in narrative writing. People liked it! Really, almost everyone started out their comments with "I really liked this story." Whee! John, my professor, even said "I don't really have much to add to this." That's a good sign. He really didn't much like my last story. So I'm glad he liked this one. Lol. He pointed out a few places he wants me to expand, which he seems to want to do in half the stories we read. I think my class would kill me if I expanded what he wants me to. The thing was already 8 pages... I know in the wide world of short stories, that's not many at all, but in a class where we each read and comment on three stories per class period, plus course packet readings, plus journal entries... getting longer than that is going to start making some enemies. Ha ha. All in all, I'm satisfied with the reactions of my classmates. That makes me feel better. I was a bit worried after that first story, which none of my classmates read, but which John just didn't *get.* So, yes.

Posted by kate at 08:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Remember that exam I was agonizing over? The one in Small Group Behavior where the lectures didn't even touch on ANY of the material from the book? I got an A! Yay! I was honestly expecting a B at best. And I'm NOT just saying that. I was pleasantly surprised.

Today Karey sent me the most wonderful care package in the whole world. I got CDs and FOOD and a RENT PROGRAM (complete with Joey mini-poster) and a Rent Playbill (which is FREE and all I asked for!) and videos she'd taped for us and an NSYNC INFLATABLE CHAIR. And lots and lots more. Gosh. SO much fun. I have the bestest friends in the whole wide world. I only wish I could afford to do the same back for them. =/ I love you all!!! Lots of love for the friends tonight.

Speaking of friends, I saw Chris and Charles tonight. I miss Chris and Charles! It was funny, we were sitting in the Disney meeting at ISU, and Aarti leaned over and said "Hey, that's the guy from your scrapbook!" Lol. It was like meeting a mini-celebrity for her. Ha ha. I got to chat with them for a good long time after the meeting, which was excellent. We went over all the awesomeness we had this summer, which made me miss it all again. And Charles made fun of me for having gone to CFTC again... heehee. Never thought he was paying a whole lot of attention. <.giggle> I had my Disney Mania CD with (I threw it in my bag to play in the car, but never took it out) so Charles took it and stuck it in the CD player while we were waiting for interviews to be over, and both he and Chris admitted that Nsync's "When You Wish Upon a Star" was good, and that the CD was overall "a darn cool CD." Gosh, I miss *everyone* from Florida. Good times were had by all. And I have to call for an interview, and send in my transcripts, which I had forgotten. Oops.

Posted by kate at 12:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)