Notes from Kate

Long time, no blog

2011-06-10T08:50:00.000-05:00

Well, hi! Here's my latest news...

I completed my student teaching experience after giving my portfolio presentation on May 23rd. My license is currently being processed and I am doing that old job search thing again. Yuck. I forgot how much I dislike job hunting. I think that I might be able to start blogging again now that I have time to breath. We'll see if I can keep it up after I start teaching :) Here are some photos from my presentation. If you're interested, here's a link to my online portfolio, but I warn you, it's a ton of writing. If you do happen to read a bit, let me know if you find any errors... it was very difficult to write and proof on the funky software in just one week :)

Hallway mosaic

Some school stats

My host teacher

Some dehydrated plant cells under the microscope

Carbon footprints :)

Amazing handmade gifts from my students

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T12:37:00.000-05:00

The Easter bunny still visits me every year. His love knows no age boundaries. It's 12:15 p.m. and all I've eaten today is jelly beans, Haribo Happy Cola gummis, and a chocolate egg. My Mom just told me that if I don't eat anything normal I'm going to die and to please pop a few raspberries in my mouth in between gummis. So dramatic.

It's so good to be home for Easter :) Dad is healing quickly and doing really well after having had surgery at Mayo last Wednesday. Mom has been very much enjoying her roll as nurse. She keeps demanding Dad drink more water and asks him about every 15 minutes if he's still doing okay. Our neighbors and my aunt Pat have delivered all kinds of delicious food and treats and Mom is making a fancy Easter dinner with leg of lamb, asparagus, potatoes, salad, and a gorgeous pineapple up-side-down cake! I'm loving all the food and Dad doesn't seem to mind the attention :) One top of all that, the sun is here and I think spring might finally be here to stay!

Happy Easter everyone!

Checking in...

2011-04-13T19:01:00.000-05:00

Hi!

I'm still alive! I am almost there! Only a few weeks left of student teaching. You guys, I am really getting the hang of this too. It's amazing how much teaching is actually really just psychology. It's about convincing a room full of kids that they are amazing and capable, that you are worth listening too for a hour, and that what you have to say is worth learning, studying, and retaining. It's a one-woman show every single day on the topic of biology and your audience doesn't really want to be there. Oh, and no refreshments provided.

I have learned SO MUCH in these past few weeks. I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't be relieved once it's all over, but I have confidence that once the classroom is my own, I will be prepared to provide my students with what they need and deserve.

Reeeeaaaallly looking forward to summer though :) If you haven't seen me in several months, I should be back as a normal-functioning member of society by the end of May. If you hear of any nice summer jobs let me know. I will be unemployed come June and won't be teaching until next fall. I am also sharing the awesome and oh-so-true video that I discovered on my friend Ali's blog. You rock Ali :)

brace yourself

2011-03-12T14:34:00.001-06:00

I don't know if anyone still reads my blog. Probably not, considering there's nothing to read anymore. Sorry. My life has become student teaching. When I am not teaching, I am preparing for teaching, talking about teaching, dreaming about teaching, or rushing through meals and chores so that I can get back to my lesson planning. Once in a while I try to escape and do something different, but even while squatting in weight lifting class this morning at the YMCA, I was putting together a list in my head of everything I wanted to accomplish this weekend in order to be prepared for Monday. It consumes me.

My family has also been dealing with the fact that my Dad was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. That word. Cancer. It's like a punch to the gut. The situation is good though. He was proactive and caught it very early. The issue now is not the cancer itself, but the getting rid of it. I think he is leaning towards surgery, but either way, treatment has its own risks and side effects. My plan is that he will be totally back to normal in no time at all. My Dad is a very healthy guy and we don't have a history of cancer in our family. That, along with the fact that I am willing it to happen, is why my plan is going to work.

Scary- but did you know that one in six men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime!? Yeah!! Really! So go tell all the men you know to go get checked. Guys are a little more shy than us women. We've got our 40-mile walks, hot pink ribbons and booby bracelets all over the place - but it's time to raise awareness about prostate cancer. Go. Now. Tell someone. Then send some good vibes my Dad's way.

So, if you've hit your quota of emotional reading material for the day, it's time to quit. There's a lot that I would love to share about student teaching, but just like the actual experience, it's a roller coaster. Up, down, up, down, up, down. Throw in some screaming, barf, and that feeling of being out of control and that pretty much sums it up. You don't know why you keep getting on, but something about it is just so satisfying.

Let's start with some ups...

- The student production of "Grease the Musical." SO MUCH TALENT.

- Community Day where organizations and businesses from the Northside came to talk to the students about what they do and how to turn their interests into careers.

- The incredible talents of the Step Team, Breakdance Club, Tumbling Team, and Hmong Dancers.

- The showing of the film "Bullied", followed by a guest appearance and discussion with Jamie Nabozny himself.

- Student comments like "You icy Ms. Westby. I like you."

- Kids who have been in this country only 5 months using the term "first order heterotroph" correctly in a sentence.

- One of my special ed students suddenly outperforming most of the regular ed students in class.

- Spring break! Only a week away and my chance to finally catch up with life :)

And then there are the downs...

- Several students are leaving because our interventions are no longer effective. Their behavior has gotten out of control. I worry about where they will end up and if they will ever get the help they really need.

- A star student losing his head and the resulting media attention. So many of my students look up to him as a role model. The situation is incredibly disappointing and upsetting for everyone.

- Scary politics. Would you support a law that made it easier to become a doctor, lawyer, or police officer? Do you think that it would attract more people to the profession? How do you they would do with less training? What type of people would you expect to be attracted to this new easier, alternative route? So why is it okay for teachers? Is that what we want for kids? And where is this teacher shortage you speak of? Teachers are being laid off every day because of cut backs and school closings. Get real.

- Wisconsin deciding to take away collective bargaining rights for public workers. Take away public workers rights and call it "balancing the budget" and then turn around and offer tax breaks to the rich. Real smart.

- Looking over teaching contracts and the legal issues of being a teacher, mandated reporter, and public employee. The accountability and responsibility is HUGE. The salary and benefits... not so much. The highest salary on the chart for a teacher with a PhD and over 15 years is less than the starting salary of a pharmacist. I know this because one of my friends in class is a pharmacist trying to become a math teacher. God bless her.

Did you make it to the end of my post!? If so, thanks for reading - I know I unloaded a lot this time. Maybe over spring break I'll have a chance to do something lighthearted or crafty and then blog about it. Fingers crossed!!!

"How's it going?" you ask?

2011-01-23T19:46:00.001-06:00

Well hey folks!

Long time, no blog!

Since my last post I left my job of 2.5 years, took a week off and enjoyed some much needed R and R, and this past week I started my semester-long student teaching gig. Awesome! Well, I thought it was going to be awesome, but unfortunately things did not unfold all sunshine and smiles. On my first day, I got lost trying to find the classroom right off the bat. Thankfully I was early so I showed up at 7:15 as planned... unfortunately, my host teacher was nowhere to be found. I wandered around and made my way to the staff meeting we had planned on attending and finally found my teacher when she arrived somewhere around 7:30. Thus began the pattern of being lost and not knowing where to go or what to do that week.

By the end of the first day I was completely exhausted. The next morning I woke up with a massive cold and felt like I had been hit my a truck. I am not supposed to miss ANY days, so I hauled myself out of bed, popped some ibuprofen and made my way to North Minneapolis. I survived until lunch. My skin ached, my head felt like it had been kicked, and the spins were setting in. As I visualized the route to the staff bathroom (a floor and two hallways down, where you have to use one of four unmarked identical keys to gain access) in my head, I realized toughing out my wooziness was probably not something I should be attempting at this point. So I gave up and went home. The whole time all I could think was that my teacher didn't believe me. She probably thought I was just weak. A quitter. Pathetic.

I spent the next two days in a cold-medicine induced fog. Still feeling lost, alone and very out of place. Still not sure what my host teacher expected of me and not really feeling like I was gaining any insight on the whole student teaching experience. Thankfully, after school on Friday, we finally had a chance to sit down and talk about what I would be doing. I think I finally am adjusting to her communication style, which is pretty different from my own. Not bad - just different. I would call her "go with the flow" while I tend to be more "go with the detailed, diagrammed, outlined, and pre-scheduled flow." Could have been the cold-medicine fog that I was under too though...

I have a feeling that going with the flow is probably helpful for someone teaching at a school like this. The population is about half Hmong, half African American, with a few white kids sprinkled in here and there. I was at one point worried I might be mistaken for a student, but as soon as I walked in, everyone automatically took me for staff. A white woman not wearing a hoodie, skinny jeans or Uggs is obviously staff member. It was a strange realization that my skin color gave me automatic authority and credibility. The students are incredibly good kids and many of them come from incredibly difficult situations. They are for the most part respectful, nice, positive and friendly. This is amazing when you consider that in the first week I was made aware of several homeless students, students who had lost family members to violence, students who are "married" and pregnant, students with no transportation, and students with some very troubling family situations. I overheard kids talking about not sleeping because of gunshots fired overnight, getting drunk on a cousins "homemade" booze, and fist fights over boyfriends and girlfriends. Did I mention these kids are freshman? Yeah fifteen and sixteen years-old and I only have about a hundred of them. All of that in this small group of about 100 students. When I was fifteen I was still collecting Hello Kitty stuff and putting mascara on in the locker room when I got to school so my Mom wouldn't know. Needless to say, the motivations, teaching strategies and dialog is completely different.

So that was my week guys. Oh yeah, then my truck died last night and the hood wouldn't open. Dad came to my rescue and we spent a very frigid few hours late last night towing my truck around a strange neighborhood in the dark trying to drop it in gear and get it to start. No go. We both had to skip the races we were supposed to coach today and spent the day with my brother towing the truck across Burnsville, thawing it out, recharging the battery, realizing I needed a new battery, getting a new battery, and then laughing over Davanni's hoagies and being grateful that the situation didn't end up being worse. I am so lucky to have them. They have come to my rescue more times than I can count. I don't know what I would do without them.

So I say so long to this past week, and I look forward to a fresh start tomorrow, with considerably less congested sinuses and a strong new battery to beat these freezing cold MN temps.

Bring it on!

Things I learned this week...

2010-12-27T12:16:00.002-06:00

There is something oddly comforting about shopping at the Target you grew up shopping in. Even if it has been completely remodeled into a Super Target.

Scandinavians love to eat food that is white. It has nothing to do with race and everything to do with starch.

The Sonicare toothbrush will change your life.

Northeast Minneapolis is not really on the northeast side of Minneapolis. It's called Northeast because of the city's street naming system where all streets north and east of the Mississippi were labeled "NE." It is sometimes referred to as "Nordeast" as a tribute to the immigrant influence and their central European accents. It is also where I will be doing my student teaching starting January 19th.

Quitting my job last Thursday was ten times more difficult than I thought it was going to be. I have formed some amazing friendships here and I will miss them immensely. It will take a lot of effort not to shed any tears on January 7th, but you can bet that I will do my darndest to hold them back... at least until the car ride home.

I have no problem squeezing glass ornaments (until they shatter in my hands) but I do have a hard time squeezing my new caroling Christmas bear. Also - some family memories really don't need to be posted on YouTube.

Cherrrrrryyy Mistmas!!!

2010-12-23T12:02:00.000-06:00

This sums up how I feel right about now.

Festive... but uff da.

I'll fill you in later. Right now it's time for me to get my Christmas on!

Christmas Miracle

2010-12-17T18:06:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Operation Christmas Spirit, I had a major, life-altering revelation on the drive home from work today.

I was merrily singing along to the song Mele Kalikimaka, when it came to the second to the last line... I belted, "Mele Kalikimaka is the wiiiiissse wayyyy, to say Merry Christmas to yooouuuu..."

WHEN IT HIT ME.

It is NOT "THE WISE WAY" to say Merry Christmas my friends. It is actually "HAWAII'S WAY!"

HOLY NIGHT! I can't believe I have gone all these years singing the wrong words. I feel like I have seen the light. This is truly a Christmas miracle. Go ahead and laugh, but don't you sit there and tell me you've never made an embarrassing song lyrics blunder. It happens ALL THE TIME. This, however, is bigger than just any old song. This is a classic Christmas carol.

My world will never be the same.

Operation Christmas Spirit

2010-12-17T12:42:00.002-06:00

I woke up this morning feeling so relieved that I had made it through the week. Let's just say it has been quite a week. In the past five days, I have only eaten one meal at a table and that was yesterday, during my lunch break, with my Mom, at Target. Yikes. For the most part, it has all been positive and productive, but this morning, after the wave of relief washed over me, I realized that everything has been very much lacking in Christmas spirit.

COMMENCE OPERATION CHRISTMAS SPIRIT!

I got up and immediately pulled a BRIGHT green top and snowflake socks out of my dresser. Okay, so maybe it was a tank top and maybe I wore it under a black shirt, but whatever, it's a cozy ski shirt and I like to take advantage of my casual Fridays, plus ski shirt = snow = winter = festive. Then, on the drive to work I FINALLY tuned my radio to 107.9 for some Christmas music and sang out loud to Feliz Navidad and I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas. Don't worry, the irony was not lost on me during the last song as I navigated my way down roads with entire lanes still missing under piles of snow.

From now until the 26th, I am all Christmas baby. Indeed, Andy Williams, it IS the most wonderful time of the year. Time for love, giving, caring, and peace. And Holidazzle, baking, candy cane socks, Toys for Tots, Elf, and in my Christmas mugs :) I am letting go of the stress and embracing the magic that is Christmas. I know it takes some effort, but I hope you can too.

Fah who For-aze
Dah who dor-aze
Welcome Christmas
Come this way!

The storm that was almost as epic as Halloween '91...

2010-12-13T10:58:00.000-06:00

Are you sick of hearing the same old stories about people trying to dig their cars out or how the Metrodome roof collapsed? I know I am, but I am going to rehash the weekend anyway. So there. Like you have anything better to read about anyway.

So, the Midwest got puked on big time on Saturday. In my head, 20 inches didn't really sound that bad. I am used to thinking of "feet" of snow in terms of glorious powder days out West. I've driven up Little Cottonwood Canyon in much worse. No big deal, right?

Wrong. It was a huge deal. There is no where to put it. We got shut down. No bus service, highways closed, no concerts, even the plows were called off the roads for a while on Saturday because the visibility was ZERO. Schools are still closed today. People are just buried. This morning, out CFO is driving around and picking people up to bring them to work.

Here is a link to some crazy photos from the news, and here are some photos I took while stuck in my apartment over the weekend...

Saturday: It's snowing...

still snowing...

blowing and drifting...

Sunday A.M. - There are stairs under there somewhere.

Whoa drift.

Evidence that squirrels weigh less than the snow and cars do not.

There are stairs at the back door too. Those are grills to the right. That stupid orange shovel bit the dust after two hours :(

So far, however, ski practice is NOT cancelled for the evening. Here are the current conditions... note the "feels like" temperatures.... also note; practice begins this evening... after the temperature starts to drop... i.e. my face might FALL OFF.

Why my feet are sweaty...

2010-12-09T16:25:00.000-06:00

My feet are really sweaty. I have been wearing my new winter boots all day long. You see, I forgot my shoes this morning at home. I got some really cute new winter boots this year that make traveling through piles of snow much more manageable. I really, really like them, but I'm approaching eight hours of having them on and the fuzzy warm feeling is not as enjoyable anymore. Actually I am starting to feel a little claustrophobic. EhhhhhHHHHHH!

It my own fault for being forgetful. I must have too much on my mind right now. There is A LOT going on...

My truck randomly stalled out in the middle of the snowstorm last week right before I was supposed to pick up Jake from the airport.
Jake came home after being in Colorado for two weeks and then left again for a week in Michigan.
There was a gymnastics team building event thing where I found out I cannot do a pull-up anymore... not hanging from rings at least,
a couple big parties happened,
I finally found my missing candy cane socks,
skiing started,
finals this coming week,
preparing for next semester,
crazy happenings at work,
Christmas,
FAFARAZZI!

There are so many things to think about that I actually left my pants at work yesterday. Yeah. Not kidding. FORGOT MY PANTS. On Monday and Wednesday nights I am coaching skiing over at Highland Hills and I have to jet over there as fast as I can straight from work. Somehow in the process of changing from "Work Kate" to "Ski Coach Kate" I left my pants in the bathroom. Don't worry - I left with twice as many pants on than I came to work in, I just left the third pair behind. SO MANY PANTS. When I realized what I had done I called into work and asked one of my friendly coworkers if she could retrieve my pants that I had left in the bathroom. So far that conversation is in the lead for most awkward conversation of the week. Not far behind is the one-sided convo I had with a girl at practice who refused to speak to me followed by me accusing her of being an undercover spy... then there was the conversation where I tried to explain to a high school kid why the boys weren't allowed on the balance beam.

Whip My Hair

2010-12-01T09:45:00.000-06:00

Have you heard the "Whip My Hair" song? I heard an interview the other day where they were discussing how Willow Smith is going to be a superstar. I was all "Who the heck is Willow Smith?" and "Maybe I should add her to my Fafarazzi team?" So I googled her.

You guys, Willow Smith is Will Smith's daughter and SHE IS NINE YEARS OLD!

Check this kid out...

A list of things I am grateful for this week...

2010-11-05T14:18:00.006-05:00

A while back I started a gratitude journal with hopes that it would help me maintain a more positive outlook on life and remind me of how great things really are for me. Unfortunately, I am infamous for going from sleepy to out cold in about two seconds flat, so journaling before bed = kinda of hard for me. Although I haven't kept it up as much as I would like, it's something I try to do as often as I remember, provided that my eyes remain open long enough to jot a few things down. It actually has quite an effect on my disposition. Today, I am journaling right here on my blog.

Also, somewhat related is my recent spending freeze. I decided to see how much money I can save by only purchasing food and absolute necessities for the next month. Tough, right? Surprisingly, however, it hasn't been difficult at all. Part of the reason is that I have a tendency to seek out deals and free stuff. So be grateful that I am grateful and am sharing with you my gratitude list. It's full of free stuff! Plus, when you think about it, most of the stuff that is really awesome in life doesn't really cost that much, if anything at all.

1. $10 coupons at JCPenny, or as I like to call them, "free money."
Jake likes to make fun of my coupon obsession. I am a deal seeker and I am convinced that it probably makes me a better person, or least smarter, or maybe just a wee bit richer... Either way, he can snicker and tease me all he wants, because there is no minimum purchase on these JCPenny coupons. Next time you're there you should ask how to get on their coupon mailing list. Ten buck coupons means anything ten bucks or less is mine for the taking, and I got my eyes on those sassy triple packs of Christmas themed socks. Ho! Ho! Ho!

2. My awesome dental hygienist.
Getting your teeth cleaned is not really a fun thing to do, but the dental hygienest that cleans my teeth is hilarious. She is super sweet and polite but at the same time very quirky and little crazy. During my appointment this week, we waved at the cars out the window together while I was biting down on the xray film, giggled at the awkward noises made by the suction wand thingy, and she told me all about how she and her husband couldn't decide on who was going to be the designated driver on Halloween, so they stayed home and partied by themselves. I found it very entertaining. Funny people are great.

3. Laughing till I cry while watching funny shows about funny families with my own funny family.
On Wednesday night the Westby clan gathered for dinner at home. Mom made a delicious dinner AND my grandpa's apple pie. Sooooo good. Then we made out way to the living room to watch The Middle and Modern Family and laugh out loud till our eyes watered. This is something that has long embarrassed me - when I laugh hard, my eyes water A LOT. It looks like I am crying. This also happens to everyone in my family though. Laughing with tears in your eyes is much less awkward when everybody else is doing it too.

4. Being a ski coach
Winter is just around the corner, and while this might send some spiraling down into a deep seasonal depression, it makes me giddy with anticipation. Jake has been in Colorado for a week already this season at a Central Division training camp in Loveland and I am more than a little jealous. Skiing is a huge part of my life. Last year was the first season in fourteen years that I was not a part of a ski team in some way, shape or form. It was reeeeeally sad and I think I may have died a little inside. I participated in a fundraiser race, attended a couple events, and participated in some open training nights at Buck Hill, but it just wasn't the same. I felt so out of the loop, like a Gomer, a Yambo, completely out of touch with what was going on. I volunteered at a race in January and they gave me the job of handing out bibs. HANDING OUT BIBS! That's something ANYONE could do. I could be a gatekeeper, a hand timer, a starter, a course maintenance worker and you want me just to HAND OUT BIBS!?! I was so depressed. That's when I decided that I had to get back in the game and start coaching again. This year I am back at it and super excited. Just sent in my order for my sweet new coaches jacket yesterday. Did I mention that I GET PAID to do this too!? Now, if it would just snow!

5. Trick or Treats
Remember being a kid and thinking that when you were an adult you would be able to buy all the candy you wanted!? Well, I do. Anyway, the point is that even though I can, I don't. Thankfully everyone else is happy to give me candy this time of year. If I was ever sad about not fulfilling my childhood dream of keeping a stockpile of candy in my closet, Halloween has reminded me that there is a limit to how much candy one should eat. And by "reminded" I really mean that I am currently pushing that limit by walking the thin line between sugar high and self-induced diabetic coma. I can't help it. It's those delicious Kit Kat bars. Gimme a break.

6. Free undies at V.S.
Okay, this is one of those things that I may regret sharing with the world. Not that it's so embarrassing, I mean, everyone wears underwear right!? I mean it would be MORE embarrassing if I told you I didn't, right!? Oh geez... I am digging myself into a hole here, aren't I? Anyway, I am trying to tell you about Victoria's Secret's coupons. Folks, I have not purchase a pair of underwear in yearrrrs (again with the digging of the hole). The reason is that Victoria's Secret sends me coupons in the mail for free undees every month. That's right, I call them undees, deal with it. Sometimes they even send me ten dollar coupons too - like "free money" style with no minimum purchase. Every time I go in and redeem on of these things, they have me enter my email address or phone number and bingo bango I get on the list to receive even more free undees and ten dollar coupons.

7. Free baked goods at Panera
More free stuff? Yes sir. Our office spends a TON of money at the Panera across the street. Pretty much every other meeting involves food from Panera. Recently, they came out with a new deal called "My Panera" where you earn free food and beverages by swiping your My Panera card every time you visit. What does this mean for me? I get to swipe my card multiple times a week without spending A DIME. So when I am driving into work and I decide it's a blueberry muffin kind of morning I just pull in, hand them my card and score a free muffin. Yeah.

More stuff I am grateful for this week...
The glittering gems of hilarious drama/comedy that unfold at work and keep me from becoming a pile of mush, my wonderful boyfriend Jacob that is coming home TONIGHT, the YMCA and awesome group fitness classes, Oregon Chai, the right to vote, the fact that I only have five weeks of Physics left, and Boboli personal sized pizza crusts. OH! And it's FRIDAY!

Happy Fall Ya'll

2010-10-29T15:46:00.005-05:00

Pffffeeeewww! Blurg, I am wiped. This fall has flown by. Probably because I have been super busy with all kinds of exciting things. Let's sum it all up in a blog post, shall we?

It started with the second annual wine stomp. My lovely friend Carol and her husband Nick hosted a little gathering at their new home in Alexandria near the Carlos Creek Winery. We rocked the vineyard this year and had TWO of our three stomping teams make it to the semi-finals. Next year, I think we really have a good shot at winning the grand prize basket full of wine. It's probably fine that we wait a year anyway, seeing half of the ladies in our group were preggos (not my half!). I learned all about the nonsensical things that make pregnant ladies vom and celebrated my ability to touch raw meat and use toothpaste without gagging. I also bought a wine glass holster. Cheers!

Then Jacob's family came to visit for a couple weeks and his brother stayed with use for a weekend. On Friday night we enjoyed some wurst, beer, and sauerkraut balls at The Black Forest Inn's Oktoberfest celebration. That's right, SAUERKRAUT BALLS. Try saying that without giggling. HARD TO DO. Now enjoy a stein of Hacker Pschorr and try again. IMPOSSIBLE. It was David Hasselhoff night and we cleaned up in the raffle. Jacob took home a Night Rider stamp set. Adam, Jacob's brother, won a real dollar bill with David Hasselhoffs face in place of President Washington, and Trevor made us all jealous when he won a case of collectible Baywatch stickers. Wunderbar! The next day we UM YA YA'ed our way on down to St. Olaf for Homecoming. The weather was chilly, but the nostalgia warmed me right up, along with a large eight dollar pizza from the Pause Yummmmm...

The next week I did my Practicum for school. What is practicum? Practicum is where you spend a week observing and interacting in a classroom at the grade level for which you plan to be licensed, but do not plan to teach. So, since I plan to teach high school, I spent the week in a sixth grade class. That way, you have some experience in all areas of your licensure. Comprende? It was really fun to be in a classroom and even more fun not going to work. Man, sixth graders are weird though. One second they are talking about how they lost their tooth last weekend while chewing on the neck of their t-shirt, and next they are discussing phases of matter and whispering about so-and-so who got high last weekend at her cousin's party. Whoa.

Then, randomly, a train derailed behind our apartment.

On Friday, October 8th this girl *pointing to myself* turned 26 years old. You guys, I am closer to 30 than 20 now. SCARY. So, yeah it was my birthday and we did a little celebrating. Jacob put together a "roll your own sushi" party for me on Friday night, made me a cake, cleaned our apartment and hung the birthday banner. Then our Friends Trevor and Jean came over and rolled their own sushi while I rolled my own sushi and Jake rolled his own sushi. I highly recommend doing this. It was soooo fun and sooo delicious. We already had the sushi rolling mats but Jake got sushi-grade yellow tuna from Byerly's and cucumbers, carrots, green onions, avocado, cream cheese, Nori, sushi rice and edemame. My favorite part was the spicy mayo though. Here is a recipe on this great website that tells you how to make your own sushi. Looooovvve the spicy mayo.

The next day, my wonderful Mom, Dad and brother came over and took a bike ride over to the Sea Salt seafood eatery over by Minnehaha Falls. It was a gorgeous fall day and we got some good pics along the way. This is also something I recommend everyone do. There are bike paths all over this wonderful city and you should find one and make your way on over to the Sea Salt. Next year though - or tonight. They close tomorrow for the winter. Yeah, sorry - I should have told you sooner.

For my birthday I got a camera from my Mom and Dad, that I can fit into my pocket, like the kind normal people have. No more hauling the D60 around to events and totally intimidating everyone. My favorite brother Kale gave me an awesome gift certificate for Kiva. Have you heard of Kiva? It's a program where you loan money to entrepreneurs in need around the world. Instead of just giving them money, you empower them by giving them a loan, which they then use to build their business or support their livelihood. Then they pay you back! It's not guaranteed that you will get paid back, but I guess most people do, and then they loan that money again. It's pretty awesome. Jacob gave me a MEND bag from the Invisible Children organization. Another very awesome gift that gives back. The bag was made by Pamela Laker who was abducted by the Lord's Resistance Army in Northern Uganda until she escaped and Invisible Children found her and taught her how to make these bags. Now she is supporting her whole family with her new income and I have an awesome new messenger bag. Win win.

The following week I spent pulling together my 34 page practicum report, studying for a physics midterm, and registering for next semester after registration was already past due. What can I say, I was a little distracted.

Last week, I used birthday money and gift certificates I earned through my health insurance provider by being healthy to purchase an awesome new arts and crafts tool called a Silhouette. I have only tested it out twice, but I have so many plans for this thing. T-shirts, etched glass, temporary tattoos, cards, window decals, wall art, posters... the possibilities are endless. I will definitely be using it to beautify my future classroom too. Who says science can't be pretty?

My friend Jeni also had a birthday this month and a bunch of my good friends from high school all got together for a girls night on the town. So much fun!

So, it's Halloween this weekend. I probably could have waited and included it in this post too, but you're probably tired of hearing about all my antics. It's a lot, I know. I promise to try and space it out better, but it's hard to keep up. So much to do, so little time :) Oh, by the way, did I mention I have been playing badminton on Monday nights through Community Ed? No? Well, yeah... there's that too.

I need a nap.

Mantras

2010-09-28T16:26:00.000-05:00

As a sat down with my bowl of cereal this morning the other morning, I was flipping through a magazine and came across an article on mantras. The author (do you call them an author? Maybe editor, writer?) Well, the lady that wrote the article was a very accomplished athlete who competed in rowing and ran marathons. At first, I was all, "oh she's one of those crazy overachieving types." I met a few of those nuts at Saint Olaf. The ones that track genetic inheritance, run 15 miles, perform symphonies and then volunteer at the hospital all on Wednesday before intramural kickball. Then she went on to discuss how during some of the most challenging moments in her life, she found herself using mantras to push her to complete or focus on the tasks at hand. The act of reciting a phrase over and over again, would give her the focus and determination she needed to overcome fear, push through "the wall," or keep it together when life became chaotic. It has been proven that by focusing on a mantra, you can divert your thoughts enough to become significantly less aware of the factors that might otherwise hold you back.

Duh, right? Pretty sure I learned the same thing in Shrek when Donkey was crossing the bridge from the castle.

"Don't look down, don't look down..."

Then before you know it, he has made it all the way to the other side. All he had to do was focus on the words instead of on the fear. This is like life strategies for first graders here. Apparently, however, we are not giving this practice enough credit though. A mantra or repeated phrase can help you overcome pain, fear, frustration and can even help get you butt to the gym.

"No more noodle arms, no more noodle arms..."

...and BAM before I've had a chance to talk myself out of it, I'm pumping iron at the Y. Now, I realize that I might be using this term too loosely. In reality a mantra is a very spiritual tradition practiced in many religions. Guys, I don't actually know much about this at all. I'd love to learn though, so let me know if you've got the inside scoop. I have shared a few "Om's" in yoga a few times, but I am going to go out on a limb here and say that's it's really not the same thing. For now, I am just focusing on the power of the spoken word and the ability to refocus one's thoughts by simply repeating a "mantra."

I think this will be a really good tool for me. I have been struggling lately with too many goals and I am finding myself falling victim to the inevitable burnout that comes with trying to do too much at once. There's school, work, getting to the YMCA 12 times a month, trying to eat healthier, staying organized at home, spending less money, planning meals better, reading all those books before they are due back at the library, using fewer paper towels, those pants that need hemming, coaching skiing this winter, and then the endless list of projects that I would love to get done. Yeesh! Not sure why I have this overwhelming desire to try to to do everything well. I obviously can't to everything well. I can work at a few things and that's it, and yet I set the bar high for everything. Dumb. Maybe it's a symptom of a quarter life crisis? I've been doing all this questioning of my purpose and so on and so forth, so I can see that maybe being the root of all this. Either way, I need a tool to help me prioritize and focus. I need to start utilizing the mantra. I can see this working really well with the way my brain works. I am so easily distracted and tend to become completely fixated on something if it sparks my interest. If that something happens to be reorganizing my closet on a night when my Physics homework is due, my brain is very good at rationalizing the closet over the homework. In that moment before I decide to reorganize the closet, when I still have self-control, I am going to break out the mantra...

"School comes first, school comes first..."

I may or may not regress into one of those crazy people that is always talking to themselves. Just a warning.

And so I come to Desiderata. My Dad gave me a framed print of this poem as a gift when I graduated from college. My Dad always seems to know what I need well before I do. When I look at it, I always think about how perfect the words are. It was something that I had intended to read on a regular basis, but of course, in my quest to do everything, I end up looking at it very infrequently. No more. This can be my mantra. Maybe if I actually take Dad's advice and try reading and even reciting this poem on a more regular basis, it will help me refocus on what is important. Let go of the noise and haste and just focus on what I can do right instead of what I should be improving.

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

One of those days...

2010-09-17T10:53:00.000-05:00

You guys. I'm just having one of those days. Friday's are supposed to be happy and I have been looking forward to this weekend for a long time, but it looks like I'll be working extra hard for it. Ugg. I guess these days just happen though. I mean, what will this day matter in five years, right!?!

Right.

I need a glass of wine.

Deep Thoughts by Kate

2010-09-16T15:44:00.003-05:00

I discovered some things recently that have made me very aware of my limited time here on earth and the potential that each days holds. Uh oh... Kate's gettin' all deep and philosophical. That's right people. If your not in the mood to jump into some deep self-reflection with me, I suggest hopping over to the kiddy pool at AFP and reflecting on someone else's life. Nothing too emotionally stirring there. The deepest thoughts I ever had while viewing other people's awkward family photos was "Oh geeeez! I totally rocked the greek column during my own senior photos session too!"

It began when I stumbled on this "scarf calendar" over at Swissmiss. Cute right? Somehow the longer I looked at it though, the more it began to represent my own brief existence. My inability to redo the past. The shortening of the scarf that is my life. Wuhhhhh Wuhhhaaaa! Debbie Downer!

Then, a couple days later, I discovered a site called Thought Questions where they continuously post really thought provoking questions set to beautiful photographs. These things suck me in. Part of me looks at them and is reminded of those lame motivation posters. You know the ones. They have a whole line of ironic/mocking versions... and for good reason. But then the other easily influenced/gullible side of me starts actually trying to answer these deep life questions.

Really guys - WHAT WILL THIS DAY MATTER IN FIVE YEARS!? I spent thirty-five dollars on a new haircut yesterday nobody even noticed today. I could have fed a starving child in Africa for like three months with that money. UGH!!!How many days would I go back and do differently if I could? What's holding me back from making the choices that I really want to make deep down. The other question I frequently come back to is, "If I could duplicate myself into life-coach kate and self-Kate, how would I direct my own life? What advice would I have for myself? How would I tell myself to live my best life possible?"

I frequently think about these questions in regards to my future students too. I am already worried about them. I still remember what it was like to be in high school, but now that I'm on the other side of it, it's easier to see the hang ups and "major" obstacles for what they really were. I worry about the kids that I will undoubtably encounter that hold themselves back. The ones that can't see past high school or don't believe in their own potential. How can I get them to take a step back and start directing their own lives and making choices to live their best life? It's amazing the hope that people will have for others, but will then deny themselves. I think I found a tool that might help me address this in my future classroom though. A way to step out of oneself and give that inner voice an actual way to talk back. It's called Future Me and it's a website that allows you to send yourself messages in the future. Brilliant! Who knows you better than yourself, and how great to be able to remind yourself of your goals, weaknesses, and inspirations than - yourself! I sent future Kate an email congratulating her completing her master's program and reminded her of why she became passionate about this stuff in the first place! Way to go future Kate!

So, what will this day matter in five years? Will I even remember it in six months? Will I have at least made choices that will have have a positive impact on the future me? I suppose I could write future me an email and remind myself of today and the choices I made for future me and the choice that I hope future me will have made. I only get to do today once. Each of us only has one life and we only get one shot at today. Me, I'm going to go do some yoga tonight and improve the health of future me... but first I'm going to go climb my way out of these deep thoughts by giggling at some babies dressed as Chippendales on AFP...

Grrrr...

2010-09-09T10:45:00.000-05:00

Not sure why Blogger won't let me format anything right. I hope this doesn't mean that all my posts are going to become gigantic paragraphs. Sorry peeps. I'll try to fix it later.

Geeking it up

2010-09-09T10:41:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, when my friend Jean emailed me to ask if I wanted to be her badminton partner in a Mpls Community Ed Co-Rec league, I did a little happy dance at my desk. I love playing badminton and I'm actually pretty good. This fall, Jean and I will be spending Monday night in the Southwest high gym, mowing down the competition.

"Badminton!?" You ask, "What kind of a loser plays competitive badminton!?"

Me. And people - it's not the first time. I'll let you in on a little secret. I'm used to be a huge nerd. Not only was I on the badminton team in high school, I was on the exhibition squad. No, that does not mean that we went streaking through the gym with rackets, it means we weren't good enough for varsity... or J.V....or J.V. B squad. Good old Burnsville Senior High had a three-time State Championship badminton team when I joined in the ninth grade and they were on their way to a fourth, so there were a lot of wannbees like me who signed up and ended up spending most meets in the hall outside the gym unwrapping Starburst in our mouths (much to the chagrin of our orthodontists) with the hope that someday it would improve out make-out skills. This was all very unnecessary and ironic as none of us were obviously going to be making out with anybody. It's okay, go ahead (if you haven't already) and make an "L" with your fingers on your forehead.

When I wasn't playing badminton, I also enjoyed soccer and skiing. I missed a lot of social events for skiing. People would just forget I existed in the winter because I was gone every weekend and, between the homework and practices, there wasn't really any time to catch up with friends during the week either. I would get invited to stuff in the beginning of the year, but then people would finally give up, and come the late winter and spring dances, the invites had ceased completely. The first time I went to a dance was when I accompanied my friend Emily to Homecoming. She had to go because she got voted the honor of singing the "Homecoming song." But she didn't have a date. I wore one of her sisters old dresses, we showed up, she sang, we stood by the wall for a while like we were in a cliche scene from a Molly Ringwald 80's flick, and then we went to her house and watched movies with our hair in fancy up do's. The next year she became Homecoming Queen and I ended up at home again watching movies at home with less fancy hair.

What probably solidifies my role as uber-geek the most, however, was my role as President of the Science Club. Well, that and maybe a few other things like the peer-tutoring, National Honor Society membership, Science Quiz Bowl, or maybe Yearbook... which I only participated in because I was sick of them getting the nordic and alpine skiing pages confused every year. It was the coolest thing I had going for me and the least they could do was label it correctly in the yearbook. But the Science Club thing was really what did me in. I had a reputation and it stuck. Now, I am becoming a science teacher, and I don't know that I will ever attain my goal of becoming one of the cool kids. I really thought I had shaken the nerd status in college when I started buying pants with appropriate inseams and started getting invited to parties again... but alas, I cannot deny who I really am. I am a geek. I've even decided to start attending what is really just an adult version of the science club. It's called Cafe Scientific and it's at the Bryant Lake Bowl. I am super excited because we get to talk about science, but also because cool kids hang at the BLB and maybe they will notice me in the hall and say hi.

So, I guess all I want to say is that I have come full circle. I am back in the science club. Back on the badminton court. Still missing parties to go skiing. I am a nerd and I am proud of it. And despite all the social awkwardness, I found a very cute boy that is just as geeky in his own way, and we have a pretty good time together just geeking out. I realized this last weekend, as I was working on my physics homework and noticed him sitting on the couch, reading about Caravaggio, listening to NPR and wearing his safari hat. And then last night he told me he was going over to friends house next week to learn how to play Dungeons and Dragons. Match made in heaven.

You can take the braces off the geeky kid, but behind that straight set of teeth, there will always be a geek...

The Comfort of Darkness

2010-08-31T16:31:00.002-05:00

Fall, to me, has always felt like the beginning of the new year. Forget the awakening of spring or New Years - Fall is when I reflect, reevaluate my state of being, reset, and move forward. Time for trade ice cream for acorn squash and sandals for boots. I grow giddy at the thought of the coming crisp blue skies, scarves, and the musty smell of leaves on the ground. Get me a blanket, a hot chai, a good book and I will be a happy girl. I absolutely love fall.

Fall has a special mood for me that is paradoxically both heavy and light and the same time. Warm and cold. The Autumnal equinox. The beginning of the dark half of the year. Time to take stock of what we've got and prepare for the months ahead. Gather the harvest, revel in the beauty of nature and get everything in order before the chill of winter blows in. It's earthy, honest, pensive and grounding. And when else do you get to decorate with skeletons without catching strange glances from your neighbors?

Is it odd to find such the darkness and ominous mood so appealing? I find myself brooding over deep thoughts on life, death and purpose. I've been lulling myself in the grey music of Ray LaMontagne and Cat Power. I have abandoned some of the more superficial things in life, and refocused on relationships, learning, and being healthy. Don't worry Mom, I'm not depressed, it's just fall. I'm in it. I love this feeling. I feel revived. Back to the basics. Rooted.

But it's dark. I welcome the creepy, the gory, the heavy and emotional. I want to watch scary movies, hunt for mushrooms in the gloomy damp woods and read some Poe. Or maybe I'll read Stiff again. It's one of my favorite books ever and it's about human cadavers. I promise it's hilarious - you really should read it. Just not while you're eating.

I don't know if I can put a finger on it, but the refreshing darkness and the happy gloom of fall are creeping up and reviving me. I can feel fall almost like it's a tangible thing, but to describe all of it's complex and wonderful facets is like trying to hold tight to a fist full of sand. I thought maybe by writing about it that I could define it, but instead I feel like I just revealed myself as a moody creeper that enjoys reading about dead bodies and probably owns one too many scarves. I guess if the the shoe fits...

Clever...

2010-08-19T09:46:00.000-05:00

Give me a C-U-T-E!

Give me a S-I-D-E-W-A-L-K!

Give me an A-R-T!

Gooooooo CUTE SIDEWALK ART!!!

My Garage Sale Story

2010-08-17T11:31:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, my lovely friend Jean, my awesome Mom and I hosted a garage sale. It was slammin'. First of all, my Mom is a garage sale maven and is also really good at making everything really fun. Plus, Jean is super cool and was very generous in letting us host the sale at her adorable new home in the Linden Hills neighborhood, complete with white picket fence, porch, bird bath and corner bakery. I might be a touch jealous. We sold a ton of stuff, met a lot of really cool and nice people, got sunburned, drank wine and laughed a lot. It was awesome. I made about fifty bucks since I decided to price pretty much everything at 25¢, but that made it super easy to haul the leftovers to the thrift store at the end of the day. Ironically, I spent fifty bucks at the gas station on the way home, but I am still considering the whole day to be a huge success.

In the process of cleaning out my apartment and packing up my truck, two interesting (well interesting to me) things happened. First, one of my neighbors stole my really nice desk from behind out apartment building. The night before, it sat out by the back door for maybe two hours max while we hauled stuff over to Jean's cute house. When we came back, it was gone. VANISHED! I left a note on the back door for the day, asking that if someone possibly mistook it for free (although it had a price tag on it). I requested that they kindly return it. Nothing happened. I also asked "the friendly neighbors" if they had seen anything. They hadn't. THEN, last night, there was an old ugly desk sitting next to the dumpster. Grrrrrr...

Ears burning, I instantly began to plot my revenge.

So, "Operation: Find the evil desk stealer" has commenced. There are only four apartments that could have possibly taken it. Really, only two if you consider the proximity of where the desk was and who would have actually seen it. It's either the guy across the hall, which I assume we would have overheard hauling furniture OR it's the rude girl in the basement that never acknowledges anyone when they try to be nice and say hi to her. My money is on rude girl. As soon as I have confirmation on the nasty little thief, I will be withholding all friendly greetings from this evil desk stealer. Neighbors should never steal form neighbors. It's against the neighborly code. Did she not watch Mr. Roger's when she was little!?! I knew a psycho girl in college who shoved crickets under the door of a boy she didn't like... if I spot that desk through rude girl's window, I may be making a little trip to the pet store.

I am open to alternative forms of revenge, however, so please comment if you have any suggestions.

So, what's the second interesting thing that happened? I found my old MC Hammer, Vanilla Ice and Paula Abdul tapes!!! Hammer Time and Ice, Ice Baby are great, but let me tell you - that Paula can really transform a car ride. It's like an instant feel-good dance party once her beats start blasting from my speakers. Almost good enough to help me completely forget about "Operation: Find the evil desk stealer." Almost.

I am posting the video of my favorite track from her "Shut Up and Dance" album. I have many fond memories of dancing in front of my Barbie doll audience in the living room to this one. Looks like you can buy your own copy online for about five bucks. Totally worth it my friends. I would buy an extra copy but I'm a bit short on cash. Like about five bucks... which is how much I had that desk priced at...

Paula Abdul - Forever Your Girl
Uploaded by jpdc11. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.

Someday

2010-08-13T08:29:00.000-05:00

I don't actually want to become someone who sleeps till noon everyday, but I am super excited about leaving the office for my own classroom. I hope it has windows. I miss windows.

Another post about AFP... because I just really love them

2010-08-10T14:59:00.000-05:00

I just never get tired of the site Awkward Family Photos. It cracks me up every time. Brings me back to my brief stint as a portrait photographer. If you stop and think about the nearly impossible task of forcing people together into a small room in front of a draped piece of fabric and making them pose, smile, sit still and look natural all at the same time, it's no wonder there are so many hilariously bad portrait studio photos in the world.

I've done some pretty cool things in my life, but portrait studio photography was not one of them. It's not something I would ever want my art professors at St. Olaf to know about. I did my best to try and convince the soccer moms and well-intentioned dads to go for the more tasteful photos, but all too often, the customers would get a tad overzealous with the matching outfits and draped tulle.

There was no turning back once they started requesting things like back-lit hair, family pyramids, and the old random Grecian column. Can someone please tell me why Greek columns are such a staple of portrait photography studios? I may or may not have whipped out a killer arm shelf whilst leaning atop of a classic Greek column during my own low-budget senior year photo shoot, but I was young, naive, and shockingly not as cool as you might think. Pretty sure I spent more money on my science fair board than I did on my senior pictures. That, my friends, is what makes those awkward portrait photos so funny - because we've all been there. We all have them, and at some point, we've all rocked the arm shelf.

Instant Karma

2010-07-26T16:54:00.005-05:00

I like to tease people in a non-malicious, lighthearted way. That's what we Westby's do. It's how we show love. We like to joke and tease, and on occasion, we openly laugh at people and their ridiculousness. We're not haters, we're just really good at finding the humor in things. And with our family, there are just so many things. You should hear us around the dinner table - but be careful if you do decide to join us. The moment you slip up, we're gonna be all over it.

One of my favorite people in the whole world is my friend Carol Klimek. She grew up on a farm north of the Twin Cities and, although she was just minutes from downtown, went to the same college as me and is now working towards becoming a physicians assistant at Augsburg in Minneapolis, I still love to tease her for being a country bumpkin, farm girl. Truth is, I love her family and their farm and I think they are the coolest people ever, but that doesn't stop me from poking fun. (Maybe I'm just jealous.) I was lucky enough to spend last weekend at her brother's farm celebrating his wedding and it was one of the best weddings I have ever been to. The pictures were so cute that I even decided to make one my profile picture. Me and Carol on a bright red tractor. Awwww!

So, randomly today, Carol calls to tell me that my brother was on the COVER of one of the family's farming magazines. At first I thought it was a clever joke. My brother's name is Kale... like the vegetable. I was immediately fantasizing about how I would frame the featured article of green leafy Kale and hang it in out parents house for him to notice on his next visit home. Gold! Then I got another message from her telling me that it was actually the flesh and bone version of Kale that I was on the cover for some tractor design competition. Ohhh... so much for the lettuce jokes...

My brother is not only special because he shares his name with a garnish. He is also brilliant when it comes to math and science. He is a top student at the University of Minnesota's Institute of Technology and he is majoring in Mechanical Engineering. Yeah. The competition it intense. I am constantly on my toes trying to stay on top as the favorite child, but he really makes it tough with all his winning and acing tests and being honored with lame academic blah blah blah...

So, anyway I couldn't let this go without getting a good jab in before Mom and Dad heard the news and started glowing with pride over their golden boy's glorious cover spread. I decided to go with the ever familiar farm jokes that I was so used to delivering to Carol. Yeah. That was gonna be my angle. I quickly crafted my clever message and posted it to his wall for all to see.

Muwahahaha...ha...ha...huh!?!

Then I realized quickly that this time the joke was on me...

Click to enlarge

It's hard to effectively tease someone about being on the cover of a tractor magazine when your message is flanked by a photograph of yourself sitting ON A TRACTOR!!!

I'm guessing that this might come up at the next Westby family dinner.

Me gloating again about the Mpls bike paths...

2010-07-22T09:22:00.001-05:00

Yesterday our office closed for the afternoon and we all headed to the new twins stadium for a matinée game against the Cleveland Indians. It was my first visit to the new Target Field and I was very impressed. It was really beautiful. Even the big video screen thing looked awesome. I also loved how it felt to be nestled right in the middle of things with an amazing view of the city. You could look right down 6th Street! Our seats were in the shade, which made it even better. Despite my SPF 75, don't know how long I would have lasted in yesterday's sweltering heat if I had been sitting in the sun. The Twins redeemed themselves with a 6-0 win. They opened with a military tribute and four dudes parachuted with flags hanging from their feet. There were also fireworks and and an air force jet did a very close flyover, which was all the more exciting when you considered the proximity of the nearby Minneapolis skyline. It was quite a show. My very favorite part of the whole experience was how easy it was for me to get there. Once again, the bike paths led me right to where I wanted to go and I never even had to cross the street. From the moment I locked my apartment door, to the moment that they scanned my ticket at the gate, it took all of twenty minutes. I parked my bike right outside the gate free of charge and got home faster than it took some of my coworkers to get out of the parking ramps.

Minneapolis bikeways for the win!

Oh yeah, and the Twins too :)

Check out our great seats!

What is that awful buzzing sound!?!

2010-07-15T10:33:00.000-05:00

So, the 2010 World Cup is over. Spain has been crowned champions. South Africa has bid the crowds farewell. The vuvuzelas have been silenced... or have they?

What do you do with a vuvuzela after the World Cup?

Go pay BP a visit :)

Vac from the Sea

2010-06-29T16:37:00.000-05:00

Three cheers for the "Vac from the Sea!"

Electrolux is going to create a vacuum cleaner that is made from plastic scooped out of the ocean! Thank you Electrolux for bringing attention to the issue of plastic pollution in the oceans. I only wish I could own my very own recycled plastic vacuum cleaner!

Nascar

2010-06-29T10:28:00.003-05:00

Thanks to the relatively new phenomenon known as LivingSocial Deals and Groupon, Jake and I had the pleasure of attending a real-life Nascar race at Elko Speedway on Saturday night. For only ten dollars we scored two tickets, two beers, a tub of popcorn, permanently damaged hearing, some intense rural-midwestern culture, lots of really bad hair and several thrilling moments where we were almost struck by lightning. IT WAS AWESOME!

Ironically it was also Lighting Safety Awareness Week

Despite the fact that we were sitting in giant metal stands in the middle of a field, nobody seemed too concerned. After watching the bolts of lightning very clearly strike ground three separate times in the distance, we decided to move to a lower seating area made of less-conductive wood. After all, these were the same people who had shaved racing stripes into their children's mullets and were seated with their infants next to cars flying by at an ear-splitting 100+ MPH. I was not real keen on following their example. Finally when a few raindrops started to fall the announcer let us know that there was "a little weather coming in from the north and the west... and, well... yeeeahhhh..." No mention of possible electrocution. No suggestion to GET OFF THE GIANT METAL LIGHTING ROD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD. All they told us was that they would keep going until the track was too wet for safe driving. Um... hello!?!? I was unaware that car racing was ever safe... AND I would have much rather been sitting on rubber tires with a helmet on.

Here is the radar image of the "weather" that engulfed the track moments later. We were in the red zone. Red=bad.

We left just as it started to pour. Lucky we brought an umbrella. Unluckily, Nascar fans think umbrellas are lame and they are not afraid to let you know.

On a related note, Brett Michaels is coming to Elko Speedway on August 20th for his Roses and Thorns tour. You know... just in case the Nascar isn't enough for ya.

The Albatross and the Pacific Island Trash Vortex

2010-06-17T10:33:00.001-05:00

Sorry to be such a Debbie Downer you guys, but there are just some things that have been really ruffling my feathers lately (pun intended). Luckily, I am not a bird living in the Gulf or near the Pacific Island Trash Vortex because the ruffling of feathers has become the very least of their problems. Have you heard of this massive amount of garbage floating around in the ocean?

"It might sound like something out of an apocalyptic science fiction film, but I assure you—the Pacific Island Trash Vortex is very real indeed. It's essentially a huge carpet of garbage big enough to fill two Texases that's floating around due north of Hawaii. Still skeptical? Here's videographic proof of the Trash Vortex on the G Word. And here's a Greenpeace animation detailing the trash's path.

Okay, so there's a massive continent made of refuse floating around in the ocean. So what do we do about it? Let's not contribute to it, for starters."
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/travel-outdoors/reduce-pacific-trash-vortex.html

So if this does not strike you has a HUGELY AWFUL SITUATION. Let me also share with you the story of the Albatross. The Albatross is an endangered species and in the Northern Pacific and albatross chicks are fed plastic garbage by their parents. The adult birds are confusing the plastic trash in the water for food and feeding it to the chicks. In September of 2009, photographer Chris Jordan went to document what was happening to these birds.

"On this diet of human trash, every year tens of thousands of albatross chicks die on Midway from starvation, toxicity, and choking.

To document this phenomenon as faithfully as possible, not a single piece of plastic in any of these photographs was moved, placed, manipulated, arranged, or altered in any way. These images depict the actual stomach contents of baby birds in one of the world's most remote marine sanctuaries, more than 2000 miles from the nearest continent."
www.chrisjordan.com

Just think of that every time time you put your groceries a plastic bag or take a swig from your bottled water. And be careful with that cap... it's a choking hazard.

Facing reality

2010-06-16T10:28:00.001-05:00

I just saw this photo online and my stomach dropped. OH MY GOODNESS!!! This is a loon in case you can't tell from all the gobs of oil. He apparently drowned shortly after this photo was taken.

This is awful and the worst part is that nobody seems to be able to do anything about it. We're just pointing fingers and playing the blame game. What is wrong with us? How could we have created something so horrendous? It's just sick. It seems to me like people used to talk about the potential hazards of our non-sustainable way of life and warn that "someday we're going to start seeing enormous environmental disasters if we continue to live like we do." Well, things have been going downhill for a while now. Giant pieces of the ice caps have been crumbling away and melting into the ocean. Polar bears are drowning. AND NOW THIS! We screwed up big time. We screwed ourselves.

I'm not about to blame anyone else either. I am just another person who is living in their happy little oblivious bubble, totally detached from the reality of it all. It's so easy to ignore. We have made it so easy. I really feel like I need to try and make a change though. I'm starting by avoiding that all-to-convenient BP on my drive home from work every night. NO MORE BP.

I can already hear you saying, "That's totally lame Kate, you think this is all BP's fault?!? I know, I hear you - so I am also going to try to start riding my bike to work. I'm hoping that everything works out. I used to ride to work in high school and I went over my handle bars twice and once ran into the side of a minivan. I'm going to pick out a new helmet today or tomorrow :) No more excuses though - It's really not that big of a deal! This tiny little sacrifice is NOTHING compared to the loss and destruction on the Gulf Coasts. There are so many reasons to bike instead of drive, and I'm not going to ignore them anymore.

I can totally do this...well, at least until November...

On a mission to carve some steasy arcs...

2010-06-11T14:37:00.000-05:00

Who says you can't surf in Minnesota!?!

I have been looking forward to learning how to kitesurf since my boyfriend Jacob got back from a trip to South Padre Island this past spring. Hundreds of dollars and a week-long crash course later, he returned to MN an avid kitesurfer and promised that he would help me learn. Well, I finally was able to borrow a "trainer" kite and wet suit, so I think I might actually get to try it in the next coming weeks. We are heading up to Northern Michigan in July and I am hoping to get a lot of practice in during the trip. I have a lot of catching up to do, since Jake is already "getting lifted" now on a regular basis (that means jumping, for all you non-kiteboarders out there). I am pretty excited though. Here's hoping that the learning curve isn't too terribly steep and that I don't look like too much of a kook! It seems like there is definitely a strong little community of kiteboarders in the area though, which is really cool. LAKAWA is the local group dedicated to Minnesota kiteboarding and windsurfing.

Wish me luck :)

These are some photos I snapped at Lake Waconia earlier this spring of Jake.

IKEA: Supporting the procreation of Europeans since 1943

2010-06-04T14:27:00.001-05:00

Dude.

Did you know that it is estimated that 10% of living Europeans were conceived on an IKEA-produced bed!?! That's over 83 million people according to Wikipedia!

Holy lingonberries and meatballs!!!

How do I know this? I read all about it on Mental Floss. You should check it out. It is jam-packed full of delicious information morsels. Unnecessary extra information that is totally worth the brain space. This is the kind of stuff you need to study-up on if you plan to become a Jeopardy or Trivial Pursuit master. Here is a link to even more stuff about IKEA that you should totally spend time learning!

Ducky Love.

2010-05-13T10:49:00.000-05:00

This week has been pretty consistently rainy and cool. It seems that April had some sort of identity crisis and as a result, May has stepped up and brought with it both showers and flowers. Not that I didn't enjoy all the sunshine that April brought - but it's just not really April's deal. April showers, May flowers. And while were on the subject, I'd like to point out that March sort of flaked out on the whole lion-lamb program too. I think Mother Nature is getting really sick and the seasons are exhibiting some major symptoms. Good thing we got that whole oil spill thing cleaned up real quick... oh wait. Okay, I'm done - this wasn't supposed to be a rant. This was going to be a happy post. How did I end up on this negative tangent?

Ducks. This post was supposed to be about ducks. Mallards to be specific. So, like I was saying - this week has been very rainy and cool. I actually really like rainy days. There is something very serene about them. It's cool, quiet and everything seems just a bit calmer. Plus, I love jackets. While many women obsess over shoes and bags, I fill my closets with jackets. There. Now you know. Ducks don't have to wear jackets though. They have water-proof feathers. They do this little shimmy-shake dance and the water just flies right off. They must like the rain - or for some reason, I notice them more when it's raining. Or, it could just be that it rains a lot in the spring and that is when they are out and about doing their little ducky thing and being all flirtatious and bright. Whatever the reason, watching the boy ducks waddle behind the girl ducks through the rain just adds to the charm and comfort of a rainy day. They are just so cute. It's fun to daydream about a ducky romance between two mallards waddling through the rain with their goofy webbed feet and wide bills. At the very least, it keeps my mind off of oil spills and erratic weather patterns.

Direct Route

2010-04-29T16:32:00.002-05:00

These are the directions from my apartment to Cold Stone via bicycle. If that is not a sign from God I don't know what is. It's like they built that bike path there JUST FOR ME! The Mpls Bike Path Planning Committee noticed that Cold Stone was just a little bit far away and realized that I have very demanding ice cream needs and so they said, "Hey, I think we need to make sure Kate can get to that delicious ice cream establishment on her bike as quickly and efficiently as possible - let's build her a DIRECT ROUTE!" AND THEY DID!!!

Educational Television

2010-04-26T15:48:00.002-05:00

When I was very young, my Dad and I liked to watch certain shows together. When I say young, I mean we have photographic evidence of my early fixation with MacGyver at the ripe age of about 4 months. That's right people, forget the Baby Einstein - that stuff can't teach a kid to disarm a missile with a paper clip or make a fishing lure from a gum wrapper! I actually have a poster signed by one of the producers. What can I say? I was a HUGE fan - and really, what toddler doesn't love Richard Dean Anderson? I still have a scar on my finger from when I was pretending to be Macgyver and closed my Dad's Swiss Army knife on my finger in the fourth grade. Luckily, Macgyver also taught be how to elevate and apply pressure...

Although Macgyver was my main obsession, we also watched a lot of Mash, Night Court, Cheers and for a while, China Beach. That's normal t.v. for a little kid, right? I don't remember much about China Beach besides the intro and the fact that I LOVED the theme song. It was a "We Gotta Get Outta This Place," by the Animals. I remember singing along and, oddly enough, I also remember thinking about how the lyrics described the Vietnam War. Yeah, that's right people, lemme see your Baby Einstein get your kid to conceptualize that business! China Beach went of the air in 1991, according to IMDB, which means I was tossing around those deep thoughts before age 8! I know, right - completely non-intuitive parenting strategies, but go ahead and be impressed, you know you are.

So, anyway today I was humming this song to myself at work and it just took everything in me not to sing the chorus out loud... unfortunately, there was never an episode where Macgyver gets his way out of doing data entry with only my scotch tape and bic pen...

Spring Fever

2010-04-23T11:10:00.000-05:00

Don't you know what that is? It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want--oh, you don't quite know what it is you DO want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! It seems to you that mainly what you want is to get away; get away from the same old tedious things you're so used to seeing and so tired of, and set something new. That is the idea; you want to go and be a wanderer; you want to go wandering far away to strange countries where everything is mysterious and wonderful and romantic. And if you can't do that, you'll put up with considerable less; you'll go anywhere you CAN go, just so as to get away, and be thankful of the chance, too.

Tom Sawyer, Detective

by Mark Twain

My new favorite recipe

2010-04-19T19:18:00.000-05:00

I had an incredibly delicious salad the other night for dinner, and the recipe was super easy. I LOVE this salad! Really, you gotta try it! It doesn't sound like much, but it is awesome.

YUM!

bibb lettuce

1/2 apple, diced (I used golden delicious)

2 tablespoons sliced celery

grilled chicken breast, sliced

2 tablespoons toasted whole almonds, chopped

Creamy Buttermilk Dressing

Ingredients for Dressing

Makes 1 1/4 cups

3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

1/4 cup soybean oil mayonnaise

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon minced chives

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper ( I added a little garlic salt and rosemary too)

Whisk ingredients together in a bowl. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Makes me feel even worse about never doing laundry...

2010-04-19T16:46:00.001-05:00

"Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Louis Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein."

- H. Jackson Brown Jr

Uff da - that's a good one. If anything can be considered both shocking and obvious at the same time, this is it. I have to give credit to Charade for this bit of wisdom.

I am an Emotional Creature

2010-04-18T18:53:00.001-05:00

I read this poem the other day and felt a very strong connection to it. I left out part of the middle, because it was kinda long, but I recommend reading more from Ms. Ensler if you like this. How often do you feel so strongly about something that it burns up in your ears? For me, it's almost daily, so this poem really validated me. Thanks Eve Ensler :)

I am an Emotional Creature

I love being a girl
I can feel what you're feeling
as you're feeling it inside
the feeling
before.
I am an emotional creature.
Things do not come to me
as intellectual theories or hard-shaped ideas.
They pulse through my organs and legs
and burn up my ears.
I know when your girlfriend's really pissed off
even though she appears to give you what
you want.
I know when a storm is coming.
I can feel the invisible stirrings in the air.
I can tell you he won't call back.
It's a vibe I share.

I am an emotional creature
I love that I do not take things lightly.
Everything is intense to me.
The way I walk in the street.
The way my mother wakes me up.
The way I hear bad news.
The way it's unbearable when I lose.

I am an emotional creature.
I am connected to everything and everyone.
I was born like that.
Don't you dare say all negative that it's a
teenage thing
or it's only because I'm a girl.
These feelings make me better.
They make me ready.
They make me present.
They make me strong.

I am an emotional creature.
There is a particular way of knowing.
It's like the older women somehow forgot.
I rejoice that it's still in my body...

This is not extreme.
It's a girl thing.
What we would all be
if the door inside us flew open.
Don't tell me not to cry
To calm down
Not to be so extreme
To be reasonable.
I am an emotional creature.
It's how the earth got made.
How the wind continues to pollinate.
You don't tell the Atlantic Ocean
to behave.

I am an emotional creature.
Why would you want to shut me down
or turn me off?
I am your remaining memory.
I am connecting you to your source.
Nothing's been diluted.
Nothing's leaked out.
I can take you back.

I love that I can feel the inside
of the feelings in you,
even if it stops my life
even if it hurts too much
or takes me off track
even if it breaks my heart.
I makes me responsible.
I am an emotional
I am an emotional, devotional,
incandotional creature.
And I love, hear me,
love love love
being a girl.

- Eve Ensler, 2010

Chocolove

2010-03-23T15:10:00.001-05:00

I just ate some of the best chocolate I have ever had. It's Chocolove and it is out of Boulder, Colorado. I had the strong dark bar and I am telling you, it is DELICIOUS!!! So good. I'm scheming a major plan at the moment to arrange for a lifetime supply of it. It involves my friend Paul, who is studying law in Boulder, staging a big scary legal dispute for the land on which the chocolate factory sits followed by a major rescue by Paul, after which he will be granted a lifetime supply of chocolate, which he will graciously share with me since it was all my genius idea. It will probably launch his career as well. Brilliant.

Until my plan goes down, however, I will just have to stock up at the grocery store. You can find them at Whole Foods and Target. Go get one now. You won't be sorry. They are so incredibly good I can't even...
scluurp....
oh no...
... hehe...

I just drooled all over the keyboard...

Stuck.

2010-03-09T19:15:00.003-06:00

I have been working really hard for the past year and a half. This graduate school thing is definitely work... and then there is work. Work is nothing like school, but, well, let's just say that it is definitely work. It has been a while since something really excellent has happened. Not that anything bad has happened, but I feel like it's time for something good. Time for reward. It's gotta be close. I can sense there is something on the horizon. I am extremely grateful for the amazing life that I have. I don't have anything to complain about, but I'm starting to feel as though I am stuck running ladders at soccer practice without a water break in sight. No game. No opportunity for a win. No losses, but no trophies.

Okay, so I'm not actually looking to play soccer here. I just feel like I am running out of steam. I need an incentive, a change or a little recognition... or maybe just a vacation. I don't know. No time to dwell on it now, I've got homework.

Wa-wa-wuuuaaaaahhh!

I'm such a Debbie-Downer - sorry guys :(

Mantra of the moment...

2010-03-03T09:24:00.001-06:00

Get me out of here...

2010-02-15T09:53:00.000-06:00

I could really use a giant escape button for life right now.

Epiphyte Love

2010-01-29T09:43:00.001-06:00

Wouldn't this be the sweetest valentine!?!

I think you should order one.

Love Letters...

2010-01-28T12:56:00.000-06:00

When the air is this cold, every bit of moisture freezes, static electricity sneaks up and gives me random shocks and clingy pants, and the sun decides it would rather hang out in the southern hemisphere, leaving me seasonally depressed and in much need of vitamin D. This first winter without skiing being a major part of my schedule is starting to take its toll. I refuse to feel oppressed however! My Scandinavian roots and hearty Minnesotan ways are no match for the winter blues. I am arming myself with fresh produce, scarves, uplifting iTunes purchases, kickboxing classes and LOTS of moisturizers! So much so that I have decided to express and write a few love letters...

Chap-stick

I have known many a lip balm in my life, but you, my blue-tubed friend with SPF 15, are truly special. You smooth my lips and moisturize with lasting effect. Instead of leaving me chapped 30 minutes later, you actually heal the damage done by the cruel dry air. I also can't deny that your delicious flavor makes it all the more delightful to press my lips against you. If this isn't love - I don't know what is.

True Blue Spa "Lay it on Thick" Lotion

Dearest new little bottle of lotion, there is so much about you that I love. Your Shea butter, macadamia nut oil and vitamin E make my dry, chapped hands soft, silky and sweet-smelling. Since you came into my life, I have said goodbye to tiny cracks and hangnails. Never before have I met a cream as greasy and thick as you, and that is just what I was looking for. You are just what I needed. You complete me.

Jergen's Natural Glow Lotion

Although we don't get together as often as we probably should (I just don't have the time or energy), when we do, your magical ways make me glow. Unlike those oompa-loompa-orange self-tanners, you give barely a hint of color and transform me from anemic albino to a healthy glow. You smell a tad awkward but are very tolerable when compared to the tuna-melt stench I have experienced with others. So, every now and then, when I have to dress up and show some leg or the skin on my upper arms and neck, I will invite you back into my life for a rejuvenating fling. You are the sunshine of my life... in the winter.

Thai Glazed Chicken Lettuce Wraps

2010-01-22T09:59:00.000-06:00

Another awesome recipe discovery! Not to difficult, although I would recommend getting pre-grated ginger. That part was a bit tedious and I almost grated my fingers off. I would also recommend adding more vegis because the ratio was a bit off. This would also be very good with shrimp instead of chicken. Also broccoli and more carrots and maybe some bean sprouts too. Yum. This one's a keeper!

Ingredients

1 pound thin cut chicken breast meat, available packaged in meat case of market
Grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Seasoning by McCormick)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 2 turns of the pan
2 tablespoons minced ginger root
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and very thinly sliced
1 cup packaged shredded cabbage and carrot mix
3 scallions, chopped on an angle
1/2 cup plum sauce
2 cups basil leaves, loosely packed
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, cut into half again
1/2 seedless cucumber, chopped

Directions

Thinly slice the chicken into strips and sprinkle with grill seasoning.

Heat a large skillet to screaming hot. Add vegetable oil, then chicken. Cook chicken 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the ginger, garlic, peppers, cabbage and carrot mix and scallions and stir-fry another 2 minutes. Add plum sauce to glaze the mixture, toss 1 minute, then add basil and wilt leaves. Add fish sauce and turn to coat. Transfer cooked chicken and vegetables to a bowl. Place spoonfuls of chicken into a piece of lettuce with cucumber and fold lettuce over to eat, like small tacos.

As if we should need an incentive...

2010-01-20T16:25:00.000-06:00

I just donated to the Real Hope For Haiti Rescue Center and got a cute little key fob in the process. I had intended to donate somewhere, but I just didn't know where I wanted to send my money. I stumbled on this blog Pitter Patter Art, via One Pretty Thing, and just decided that they deserved my help. I have no real way of verifying that this is legit, aside from the seemingly genuine efforts of this one crafty lady to entice more people to support this cause. I have read the blog, checked out the sites, and realized that I had to do something. I don't know how any informed person could sit back and do nothing. The devastation is unreal. So, if you want a cute little handmade key fob (and who really scams people while sending them hand sewn key fobs!?!) then check out this blog and donate! If you don't want one, then find another venue for helping out, because they need help people. Real bad.

Garlicky Greens

2010-01-15T09:40:00.002-06:00

When I was in high school, I learned that I had low red blood cell levels/ I was slightly anemic. Not surprisingly, Mom rarely packed any red meat or leafy greens in my lunches - which by-the-way, CAN YOU BELIEVE my Mom packed my lunches for me high school!?! First of all, only losers brought mom-made lunches, complete with sharpie-labeled brown bags, crinkle-cut carrot sticks and little embarrasing notes (which actually really make your day). I loved it. Second of all - How lucky was I!?!?! If I had some extra cash, I would seriously consider paying big bucks to hire Mom as my full-time lunch maker seeing as I have already accepted my uncoolness.

So anyway, when I was shot down at our high school blood drive for showing up with a lame red blood cell count and a ratio of far too much plasma, my Mom helped me research some ways to beef up (pun intended) my iron consumption. Not being a huge carnivore, I sought out iron-rich alternatives. I have been on a quest for dried peaches since. They just can not be found. What I did discover was spinach. I love spinach. Love it. One of the best parts about spinach, besides it's high iron content, is how easy it is to incorporate it into your diet. I like it strait up, in my scrambled eggs, sandwiches, salads, pizza, meatballs, tacos, lasagna, even fruit smoothies! Which bring me to the end of this wandering tangent - the recipe for garlicky greens. I would love to tell you about the NPR radio show that I listened to last weekend where garlicky greens were being downed in massive quantities at an eating competition, but it's time to get to the point.

Garlicky greens are just a bunch of spinach cooked down in a pile of butter and garlic. It takes all of two minutes to make them. Easy peasy. They are delicious and nutritious and I could eat them every day. To start, you need a big frying pan and A TON of spinach. One bag of spinach is only enough for about two to three servings. Add some butter or olive oil to the pan and turn it up to medium-high and add a clove or two of crushed/chopped/mashed/pressed garlic. Dump in all the spinach and cook that stuff up until it's shrunken down and wilted. Then add some salt and enjoy... or add it to your meatloaf! Then feel awesome and do your best Popeye flex, because you just ate a ton of spinach! Yummmmm...

Mozzarella-Stuffed Turkey Meatloaf

2010-01-13T11:16:00.002-06:00

Looking for something a bit healthier to eat, I tweaked this recipe last night and it turned out to be really, really good! I actually like this version of meatloaf better than any others that I've tried. It's really juicy and tasty, easy to make, inexpensive, and healthy! Quadruple win! If only it didn't take an hour to cook - by the time it was done I was STARVING! So I ate about half of it :)

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast
    (All I could find were turkey burgers, so I only bought 1lb, which made for very small slices... which is how I justified eating half the pan...)
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed well to remove any excess water
    ( I just cooked up a panful of "garlicky greens" and threw in what looked to be enough...recipe for "garlicky greens" to follow...)
1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
    (Didn't have this so instead I sprinkled in just a touch of dill and thyme... not really a comparable substitution at all - but it worked out well!)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 ounces grated part-skim mozzarella cheese (1 cup)
    (I didn't have mozzarella, so I used muenster and it tasted great.)
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Directions

Preheat oven to 375° F. In a large bowl, combine turkey, spinach, onion, bread crumbs, parsley, oregano, egg whites, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Press half of mixture into an 8-inch loaf pan. Top bottom half with cheese. Press remaining turkey mixture over top and flatten. Whisk together ketchup and mustard and spread mixture over prepared meatloaf.

Bake 1 hour, until top is golden and loaf has pulled slightly away from sides of pan. Let stand 10 minutes, then slice and serve. YUMMMMM!

Printable Beatles - We'd love to take you home with us :)

2010-01-04T20:17:00.000-06:00

It was twenty years ago today,
Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play
They've been going in and out of style
But they're guaranteed to raise a smile.
So may I introduce to you
The act you've known for all these years,
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

In paper...

Click here to make your very own!

Holiday Mug Flair - Adorable

2009-12-22T15:55:00.001-06:00

This is very likely the cutest way on the whole flippin' planet to serve gingerbread. Would it be insane to attempt to make like 40 of these things for Christmas? Yes. Probably. But they are SO CUTE! Really "not martha" you are so very martha. Don't even try to deny it with your clever little blog name. You are totally martha.

Jose Cuervo Christmas Cookies

2009-12-10T16:53:00.001-06:00

I have been in search of a delicious Christmas cookie recipe for this year's cookie exchange at work. Last year I made some lame sugar cookies that I was not very proud of. After experiencing the deliciousness of my coworkers unbelievable baking skills, I realized that I had to step up my game. I've got nothing though.

Just mentioning family cookie recipes to my Mom bring up stories of tears and defeat - My two-year old self consoling my her while she bawls on the floor hunched over a dressbox full of shattered Krumkake, while I stood by confused repeating the phrases, "Mommy cwy? Cwookies bweak?" True story. Sad, I know - don't worry, this post gets better.

Anywho, I was looking for a redeeming recipe to knock peoples socks off and I found this gem. I'll might have to give it a whirl. It seems fairly simple...

1 cup of water
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup or brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup nuts
2 cups of dried fruit
1 bottle Jose Cuervo Tequila

Sample the Cuervo to check quality.
Take a large bowl, Check the Cuervoagain, to be sure it is of the highest quality, Pour one level cup and drink.
Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter In a large fluffy bowl.
Add one peastoon of sugar. Beat again. At this point it’s best to make sure the Cuervo is still ok, try another Cup just in case.
Turn off the mixerer thingy.

Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup Of dried fruit.
Pick the frigging fruit off the floor.
Mix on the turner.
If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaters just pry It loose with a drewscriver.
Sample the Cuervo to check for tonsisticity.
Next, sift two cups of salt, or something. Who geeves A sheet.
Check the Jose Cuervo. Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.
Add one table.
Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can Find.

Greash the oven.

Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall Over.Don’t forget to beat off the turner.

Finally, throw the bowl through the window, finish the Cose Juervo and make sure to put the stove in the wishdasher.

Cherry Mistmas!!!

Just Keep Pedaling

2009-12-02T16:46:00.000-06:00

“Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dream.”
-Paulo Coelho

I'll have S'More, please!

2009-11-17T16:42:00.001-06:00

Over the weekend, we had some friends over for a night of chili, s'mores and Pictionary. As I write this, I feel compelled to assure you that it was probably ten times more awesome than it sounds. My favorite part of the evening was when we all gathered around the table to roast s'mores - that's right, s'mores. Indoors, sans the campfire, minus the freezing cold temps, and with a sink just feet away to immediately wash the sticky gunk from your hands. Don't get me wrong, I love camping and campfires and roasting s'mores while snuggled under a sleeping bag, but being able to eat delicious roasted mallows without having to plan a trip, or build a fire outside during the middle of November, was pretty darn awesome. I would even go as far as saying that they actually tasted just as good as the outdoor version. I would highly recommend trying it out. Here's how it goes...

* Gather the standard grahams, chocolate bars and marshmallows. Easy.

* Buy a can of sterno from the party store. This only cost me $1.49. Cooking food over a flaming-strange-goopy-blue chemical sounds slightly hazardous, you say? I thought the same thing, but I did a tiny bit of research, and it's basically alcohol in a gel form. As long as you don't ingest the actual goo and you don't spread the highly-flammable stuff all over yourself, you should be just fine. Be aware that you cannot just blow this stuff out. You have to save the lid so you can snuff it out. Be careful. They are very real, very hot flames ;)

* Get some little sticks or use a fondue set, like I did! Make sure that the sterno is on a heat-resistant surface, light it and roast your heart out! Enjoy the fact that you are enjoying s'mores and yet your clothes will not stink like smoke for the next two weeks.

Just smile dammit!

2009-11-11T18:37:00.001-06:00

me: "Oh wow, the light is perfect right now! I'm going to take your picture - smile!"
Jake: "Uuuuuughhghghghbbbllfffffrrrgghhhh..."
me: "Come on, just smile."
Jake: "Durrr..."
me: "Come on now, just do one real smile and I will be done!"
Jake: "I hate this."
me: "Just look normal for two seconds, pretty please!!!"
Jake: "Gufahahaha!?!"
me: "JUST SMILE DAMMIT!"
Jake: "Are you done yet?"
me: "AAARRRRGGGGGHHHH! Yes. My battery just died. Grrrrrr..."

Not your average sushi rolls

2009-11-04T10:55:00.001-06:00

I LOVE this idea from not martha :)

It has been years since I last consumed anything from a Hostess box, which is probably a good thing. Judging by how long those suckers stay "fresh" I would predict that those indestructible chemicals consumed in my youth are probably still being stored inside me. I think I just may have break my streak to willingly partake in some trans-fat deliciousness, however, and plan a sushi party just so I can make these!

YES!!! to yes and yes

2009-10-29T12:15:00.000-05:00

Suddenly, yes doesn't seem like a real word anymore. Does that ever happen to you when you write a word too many times? It starts to look funny.

Really I am just posting to tell you about my new favorite blog Yes and Yes. Sarah Von delivers funny, creative, uplifting, motivating and interesting posts. I just love it.

Regretsy

2009-10-23T09:55:00.001-05:00

Just discovered this hilarious site called "Regretsy". They feature ridiculous items that have been posted on Etsy. So entertaining :)

Wordle!

2009-10-23T09:10:00.001-05:00

Here's a wordle of my blog labels. Apparently I like doing projects... I also like doing Wordles.

Probably sold in the "Beyond" section...

2009-10-21T16:01:00.000-05:00

Would I enjoy stepping onto my own little personal mossy-glade bathmat everytime I hop out of the shower? Ch-yea!

Unfortunately, I actually have a very poor record when it comes to moss gardening. You think I'm kidding - ha! Who knows though - maybe my after-shower-drippies would fulfill the watering requirements!?!

My new tattoo - don't worry Mom, this one is temporary...

2009-10-19T22:10:00.000-05:00

Jacob and I went to a Diwali celebration last Saturday in an attempt to have a cultural experience. Instead of immersing ourselves in Indian culture, however, we just found ourselves in the downtown schwanky scene surrounded by girls in little black dresses sipping martinis and greased-up older men on the prowl. I may or may not have also been wearing a little black dress, but regardless, it was not the scene we were hoping for. I DID however, stay long enough to get a free henna tattoo on my hand. The woman was incredible and finished the design in, I want to say, less than two minutes. Simply amazing.

Potential first sewing project?

2009-10-14T15:57:00.000-05:00

I really love this refashioned men's shirt - skirt. It's just a large men's shirt transformed into a skirt! How cute and simple! I am going to have to make a trip to Savers and see if I can find any corduroy men's shirts, since it's already getting so cold. Here's the tutorial from label free.

Best Mac and Cheese Ever...

2009-10-12T12:32:00.000-05:00

Made this on Friday night and it was sooooo incredibly good! Perfect comfort food for cold snowy fall days... or any day for that matter!

Ingredients:

1 box (one pound) penne rigate
3/4 lb sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 lb Gruyere cheese, shredded
1/2 cup shredded Asiago or Parmesean cheese
3 TBS unsalted butter
3 TBS all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Heat oven to 350*. Coat a 2-quart broiler safe oval baking dish with cooking spray. Bring a large pot of water to boiling.

Once water boils, add penne. Cook for about 6 minutes and drain. In a large bowl, toss together all three cheeses, set aside.

Meanwhile, melt butter in medium size saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smoth and slightly bubbly. In a thin stream, whisk in milk. Stir in onion powder, salt and cayenne pepper. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer three minutes.

Remove from heat; whisk in 2 1/2 cups cheese mixture - Not all of it! Just about half...

In pasta pot, stir together the pasta and cheese sauce. Pour half into prepared dish. Sprinkle with one cup of cheese. Spoon remaining penne into dish and top with remaining cheese. (layering the cheese.)

Bake at 350* for 20 minutes. Increase oven temp to a broil and cook three minutes until top is lightly browned. (I really like the crispy top, so I might let it brown for even longer next time.)

Cool slightly before serving and ENJOY!!!

Yummmmmmmm...

Food, presents, friends, and fun

2009-10-12T12:07:00.001-05:00

I am happy to report that I had a fantastic birthday weekend, even if it did end in snow, which, by the way, is STILL falling... sigh. Pretty sure the leaves will be going from green to dead this year. Very disappointing, but I'm just not going to think about that right now...

We went to Muffaletta's for dinner in Saint Paul on Thursday night and it was soooo delicious and cozy and great. In addition to a wonderful dinner, Jacob also gave me a sewing machine! Woot! Like a real "modern" sewing machine that he found in a store, and not on the side of the road. I am sew excited (hehe) to start letting out hems in my too-short pants and attempting to create some new things without the fear of electrocution or severe frustration! If it weren't for the loads of homework I had over the weekend, I would have spent all my birthday money on patterns and fabric. Probably a good thing I didn't do that. I also got an awesome tripod from my brother, photoshop elements from my Mom and Dad and new shocks! Yes! Now I can be super creative AND maintain contact with the snowy roads while driving! AWESOME! I can't even begin to express to you how difficult it is to sit and do homework with all of these new toys in my apartment. Let me tell you - graduate studies are TIME CONSUMING. Anyway, Friday included another delicious dinner (ala Jake and Kate this time), and fun with good friends, and on Saturday we went to Prairie Home Companion and the Fitzgerald. Neko Case and The Steele Sisters were guests. So good.

Happy Birthday to ME!

2009-10-08T08:30:00.003-05:00

This morning, when I woke up, this comic strip was taped to the bathroom mirror. Hahahaha!!!

Hello cute!

2009-10-07T09:41:00.000-05:00

Probably going to have to make some of these this weekend because I love them.

Found them on One Pretty Thing today.

Check out the tutorial here.

Fall things and lost children

2009-10-05T10:15:00.001-05:00

I had the pleasure of spending my Saturday afternoon at Gilbertson Farm in Scandia, MN with my good friend Carol Gilbertson. Despite the cool cloudiness, I really had a great time. There, were lots of animals to see, crazy hair and face painting, rubber duck races, caramel apple sundaes, a GIANT corn maze, and the Teddy Bear Band was there to pay for an enthusiastic crowd of crazy kids. It was very cute. Carol and I braved the corn maze with a group of five little kids and, not surprisingly, ended up losing one. It turns out that trying to wrangle five small children in a giant corn maze, is pretty much impossible. Carol didn't seem too worried and, thankfully, he found another family in the maze and "helped show them the way." He was a very confident and self-reliant four-year-old... thank God.

I brought home a perfect pumpkin from the patch and am in the process of deciding how to carve it. These are some of may favorite pumpkin ideas that I've found so far...

Pumpkin owls

Pumpkin candle holders

How many days until my birthday?

2009-10-02T12:29:00.001-05:00

Six days until my birthday. Same number of days as the number of rings around Saturn. This is an actual inage of Saturn taken by the Hubble telescope. I am kinda starting to dig this astronomy stuff...

Obsessed

2009-09-30T14:28:00.003-05:00

I am obsessed with this song by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. It's called "Home" and it's quickly making its way onto my very non-willy-nilly all-time-favorites list.
Love it.

Moats & boats & waterfalls, alley ways & pay phone calls
I’ve been everywhere with you

That’s true

We laugh until we think we’ll die, barefoot on a summer night
Nothin’ new is sweeter than with you

The rap song about me and ski team memories...

2009-09-30T14:08:00.004-05:00

Kanye West is now famous for his bad hair and prowess in ruining the moment, but whenever I hear his music, I think about driving up Parley's Canyon and Ali cranking up the music to wake us all up as we prepared for a day of training on the awesome Olympic runs at Park City. Definitely something you needed to be awake for. It was a wet-your-pants, cheek flapping, heart pumping, snot-in-your-hair amazing good time.

I also remember that this particualr training trip was when I discovered that Kanye was singing about me, Kate Westby, in his Touch the Sky song. I kid you not. Let the video load, turn it up, and then start played it at 1:58 and listen for "Kate Westby!"

Fake sewing

2009-09-25T16:56:00.002-05:00

I don't really know how to sew.
I try, but I usually end up breaking things. Jacob found this amazing old sewing machine on the side of the road this summer. He brought it in and had it "fixed" up. I finally worked up the courage to try and create something. I was so motivated. I decorated a shirt and was super happy with it, so I went out and bought a bunch of supplies to make a half-a-dozen more. Then I broke it.
So, thankfully the machine is pretty sweet looking, because that's all I am going to do with it ever again... just look at it. I also get to look at the pile of stuff I bought that's sitting next to it. It's not my fault. I'm shopping for something more user-friendly. Suggestions are welcome. Here's the one thing I made...

Happy Birthday Grandma!!!

2009-09-25T16:48:00.002-05:00

Today is my Grandma's 91st birthday! We are headed for dinner tonight to celebrate another happy year for Irma Lundquist. She is a sweet, spunky, amazing lady and I am so grateful to be a part of the same gene pool. So, here's to you grandma, and another year full of love, laughter, and sticking out our tongues in joy while squeezing each other as hard as we can :)

Fall Roundup

2009-09-22T11:48:00.000-05:00

Often times, when I am attempting to study, I find the intense urge to complete tasks that are completely unnecessary at the time. For instance, when there is a big assignment on the horizon, my apartment suddenly becomes very, very clean. I had a big astronomy test yesterday, therefore, I spent much of my study time on Sunday collecting items for a fall "roundup." I love "roundups" and thanks to Monday's test, I finally made my own.

I am also happy to report that I also aced the test :)

Owl mug on Etsy - perfect for chai tea lattes
Orange Ginger hand lotion - a warm, clean scent - perfect for fall
Chili! One of my all-time favorite meals...yum :)
Feather earrings from Etsy - the guy who makes these also ties and sells lures for fly fishing
Scarves - sort of like an adult security blankets for your neck, plus it's fashionable
Freya Art print - to me, fall is fresh and full of adventure
Sweater shrug on Etsy - mmmmmmm...sweaters...

True Confessions of an Ole Alum

2009-09-17T10:10:00.001-05:00

This is a video that a friend shared on Facebook recently. It's a slide show of images accompanied my music from the St. Olaf choir and orchestra. Watching it puts a huge lump in my throat. I miss it deeply. There is something about St. Olaf and my experiences there that have forever changed me and will always stay with me. I probably get more homesick for that small community on "the Hill" than I get for the home I grew up in. Walking across the gorgeous campus and through it's castle-like buildings is just as fairytale-like as they look in photographs. The beautifully wise old trees have quietly witnessed the stories of generations of Oles. Every limestone brick holds a dozen secrets of the past. The knowledge and rich experiences on the Hill are densely saturated and endless, but you only get four years to gather and absorb as much has you possibly can. The people there are some of the highest quality people I have ever met, and as I continue to encounter Oles in my life, there is some inexplicable connection that seems to bond people all members of the St. Olaf community. Even inhaling is comforting, as the Malt O' Meal factory down the road fills the air with scents of cocoa and cinnamon. There is just no other place like it.

... I don't know, maybe I drank too much of the Kool-aid in the caf. I find it difficult to admit such a deep connection to something. I am always fearful of falling too hard for anything, but I'm not going to lie - I am an Ole, and I love it.

Um Ya Ya :)

Dharma Pears

2009-09-15T11:53:00.001-05:00

There is a very healthy pear tree growing behind our apartment building. I love how it conveniently covers my bedroom and bathroom windows, love how the leaves rustle in the breeze, love that I'm lucky enough to have a beautiful fruit tree growing outside of my apartment in the city, love the blossoms in the spring, love watching the squirrels get drunk on the rotten pears in the fall, love hearing the sober squirrels drop pears onto the cars below (That's not a parking spot... kharma!)

I also love these Buddha-shaped pear molds, and my desire to have one is really killing my chances at Nirvana...

But how cool would that be!?!?!

Six steps to another scarf/necklace hybrid

2009-09-14T12:03:00.004-05:00

Step One: Go to the thrift store/a garage sale/your grandma's closet/ragstock. Pick out your favorite scarf (Thin fabric with smaller patterns with lots o' color work best.)

Step Two: Go to the craft store/grandma's costume jewelry box and pick up some large round beads. Beads are easy to find, but in all honesty, bouncy balls, marbles, jaw breakers... these would all work (actually, jawbreakers might get a bit sticky- especially if you are a sweaty person.)

Step Three: Cut a strip from one corner to the opposite corner about three inches thick.

Step Four: Tie a knot about 6 inches down and wrap a bead in the scarf, twist around a bit and tie another knot right after it to secure. Not as hard as it sounds. You can use a touch of glue stick to seal the seam if you are concerned about it.

Step Five: Continue step four until you are satisfied with your necklace.

Step Six: Wear your necklace proudly.

Window of Opportunity

2009-09-11T11:50:00.006-05:00

Remember when I said that went into a crazy craft mania last weekend? Well, the dresser and frames were not the only things created in those three unbelievably productive days. Amazing what an extra day off will do for my motivation! Pretty sure it's not a condition. After the mania, I do not go into a depressed state. More like a time-to-hit-the-books-again state. Which can be kind of depressing... but it's nothing serious... just in case you were concerned... which I know you're not... but I'm saying it anyway... alrighty then...

This is a flea market window that I picked up earlier this summer. I wanted to make it into a frame or a white board (clear board?), so I sort of ended up doing both. It's right by the back door, so I can write myself notes, hang up my keys, and collect photos and do-dads. That's right do-dads. I collect a lot of them.

Here's the "before" shot....
The glass is actually really old. You can kind of see the waves in it. I love that.

I got to use the drill my Dad gave me for Christmas to install the hardware. After putting these loops on, I stretched and tacked a old coffee bag on the bag on the back. Then I got to use the drill AGAIN when I attached the birdy hook thing.
Thanks Dad :)

This is the birdy hook thing. I hope you understand my very technical terminology. I got this from my grandma when she moved a long time ago. I really love it but never could find a good spot for it.

Ta-Daa!!!
It's a white board (transparent board?), key holder, picture/do-dad holder all in one!

WWF Advertisements

2009-09-09T11:08:00.002-05:00

These ads strike me as ironic. They are not selling a product, but rather an initiative to protect the world. Promoting Earth because we've become so wrapped up in ourselves that we've forgotten that we actually share this planet. How depressing is it that we have to advertise responsibility? And should it really be a "responsibility?" How about just an expectation. Am I "responsible" because I avoid ingesting toxic chemicals in lethal doses on a regular basis? No, people - that's just good old common sense. So, when exactly did convenience take priority over common sense?

http://www.zuzafun.com/creative-wwf-campaigns

Labor of Love

2009-09-08T10:18:00.006-05:00

This Labor Day weekend was really wonderful. I accomplished so much AND did a fair share of relaxing and having fun. I spent Friday working on repainting my dresser and went to the Herk to hang out with some Oles. Saturday I finished the dresser, rearranged the living room wall, went to the beach, rode my bike around the lakes and ended the day "rolling" with friends at Bryant Lake. We had a Westby family reunion on Sunday, and Monday included some much needed cleaning, an amazing picnic, ice cream and more bicycling adventures. Whew! So satisfying :)

Since I have recently become a manic project fiend, I have lots of creative work to share. I have a before and after of my dresser makeover and just the after of my living room wall with it's new arrangement of mismatched frames.

Before Dresser: Old dresser from my parent's basement. It used to contain costumes. Yes, that's right - we had that many costumes.

After: The new lighter color makes my room seem bigger. I sanded the edges and rubbed a brown glaze over the off-white paint to make it look old and distressed. It turned out really well. The knobs are all mismatched and from Anthropologie. I call it my "gypsy" dresser, although, a friend of mine told me that the word gypsy is very un-p.c. Whatever.

Close up of the knobs. I love the bee. I could have done all bees, but I liked the idea of having them all be different.

Q. What do you do with a bunch of mismatched frames?
A. Buy a few more at the thrift store, paint them, and clutter them all on one wall!

This is an image of both sides of the wall close up and mashed together. Kinda looks like the corner of a wall, but it's not.
That's a mirror in the middle... not a picture of a window...

My plight to become a poor science teacher

2009-09-01T12:31:00.005-05:00

Last night, I went to my second night of astronomy. I was really excited about this course at first, but so far, I have been less than impressed. The class is a mix of adult learners (some seeking prereqs for master's programs, like myself), high school PSEO students, and your garden variety community college student. I have noticed a lot of army decals and veteran's plates in the parking lot too. You would think that with such a variety of learners, the prof might put a little effort into engaging her audience. Nope. Not only is she terribly dry, but she totally lacks time management skills, so we are already a whole chapter behind...and it's only week 2. In addition to the challenge of staying awake, I am finding it somewhat difficult to learn about these very large, very 3-dimensional concepts using only my very 2-dimensional textbook. Did you know that a first quarter moon in MN (which looks like a "D"), looks like a third-quarter moon (which looks like a backwards "D") in the southern hemisphere!?! My professor actually told us that she has no idea what the astronomy textbooks look like in the southern hemisphere, because everything must be opposite. Tricky stuff. Wish I could get my brain to engage. It's kind of hard to get myself to learn physics from a dull prof, on a Monday night, after being at work for nine hours. If I was good at physics, I would have majored in physics, instead of biology. Darn you, Minnesota State Board of Teaching!

So, this morning, I awoke feeling a bit discouraged about the year ahead. A year of pre-requisite courses from various community colleges. A year of the LSU "Distance-Learning" program. A whole year of forking out more money for undergraduate courses, just so I can continue to work toward my masters. A year of three separate physics courses - barf. I looked in the mirror and thought about what I was doing. Did I really want to become a science teacher? Is this really what I'm supposed to be doing?

...and then a tiny little fruit fly buzzed by my face and landed on the mirror. I looked at it and immediately identified it as being a wild type Drosophila melanogaster. The red eyes were a dead giveaway. I thought about how the entire genome for that little bug had been mapped out and studied by millions. I then I realized that I had just answered my own question. Yep, brush your teeth Kate. It's time to go to work so you can pay for all those classes. And tonight when you get home, it's time for geology. Get after it.

Ode to the chai tea latte

2009-08-28T08:31:00.003-05:00

When the summmer begins to fade
I crave a chai tea latte.
Warm, spicy, cozy, sweet
I like them a latte.
A festive mint mocha
is my favorite winter treat.
A fruit smoothie refreshes
during the summer's oppresive heat.
I don't really know
what I drink in spring
But, it's the end of the summer now
so, I only want one thing.
Give me my chai tea latte
Mr. barista hook me up.
Life just seems so much better
with chai tea latte in my cup.

Up-cycled is the new black

2009-08-25T15:21:00.007-05:00

Double click to enlarge...

I've decided to host a clothing swap. I recently re-learned how to use the sewing machine and I am feeling very inspired by the option of alteration. Plus, I've read some good things about these clothing swap parties. So thrifty. This is the dawning of the age of DIY, Etsy and up-cycling. Actually, it's not even the dawn. I'm pretty sure we've already entered the metaphorical mid-day of this cultural phenomenon. Either way - I will take any excuse to have a party/see friends/drink wine/eat delicious food/get stuff for free/start a new project...

aliboombayeh!

2009-08-25T14:27:00.002-05:00

Ali is on Etsy!
Way to go lady :)

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6694766

The Chuck "e" Cheese Band

2009-08-23T20:23:00.004-05:00

So, I recently got the MGMT album Oracular Spactacular, which I really like. I was checking them out online today (since we randomly have a wireless signal today), and while watching one of their videos I was totally shocked to see the Chuck-e Cheese band. Yes, the animatronic band that entertained/frightened children while they ate pizza. I remember standing at the edge of the stage waiting for the curtains to open and then just standing there and staring at the strange robotic creatures on the stage. There was the very intimidating gorilla on the keyboard, the weird floppy-eared dog, the stupid snaggle-toothed bear that sometimes did duets with that thing that popped out of the oil barrel and that creepy polar bear who just didn't quiet fit in. I don't think I have seen them since I was about ten years old, but as soon as I did, I knew exactly what they were. I must have celebrated at least three of my birthdays at Chuck-e Cheese's, not to mention the parties for my brother, cousins, neighbors and friends. Sort of a strange thing to get excited about, but I was so surprised to see it. I guess the Chuck-e Cheese band made quite an impression on my younger self. Weird.

Here's the Video

Step, Bump, Step, Bump! Bump!

2009-08-21T16:40:00.001-05:00

Ric Stultz

2009-08-21T11:52:00.001-05:00

Click the pic

Did you know!?!?!?!

2009-08-20T09:40:00.010-05:00

Tornadoes are natures most violent storms.

The average lifespan of a tornado is less than 15 minutes.

One time, a chicken house, sixteen by sixteen feet in area, was picked up by a tornado and ended up wedged between two trees. The hens were found the next day sitting on their eggs in the chicken house, with no windows broken, as though nothing had happened.

Yesterday afternoon, there was a tornado near downtown Minneapolis!

Jake got stuck on 35W because it was flooding and was then diverted to 35th Street, only to have to weave between the trees that littered the road. Despite the circumstances, he was still concerned about being late for work. Sheesh. What a goodie-goodie.

Moments later, Minneapolis became a top trending topic on Twitter (say that 3 times fast!)

Minneapolis had been a top trending topic on Twitter several days before because some dude decided to play for the Vickings. I'm sick of hearing his name, so I will refrain from writing it.

That one guy in my collage is a friend of Jake's who works at the Electric Fetus and hooked us up with concert tickets.

The Electric Fetus closed yesterday after the tornado smashed the windows and damaged the roof.

The wicked witch was spotted flying on a bicycle over Portland Avenue... actually that is false... I lie...

This StarTrib article has some great pictures, some of which I stole to make this beautiful collage.

I may start referring to Jake as "the tornado" since he, too, can plow through glass bus stops, shattering them to pieces.

If you double-click on the picture, it will get bigger and you can check out the details of the destruction :)

Stealing Ideas from Etsy...

2009-08-18T16:43:00.010-05:00

I have found my next projects. I am posting this so that I actually do them. Part of me feels a tad guilty about stealing other peoples creative ideas instead of purchasing their original creations and supporting a fellow artist... but only a tad guilty. Making it yourself is so much for fun, plus way cheaper.

Love this leather leaf necklace. Seriously, how hard can this be?

Kind of like the scarfy necklace, but a little less scarfy and a lot more necklace. Something about cutting up and reusing old t-shirts is just so satisfying.

This one is not actually an idea I stole from Etsy. While at a friend's cabin a few weeks ago, I discovered the unbelievable cozyness of fur. Faux fur actually. I couldn't possibly sleep under a blanket of real fur. The idea of using a poor dead animals skin for warmth sort of sickens me. I don't really even like the way fur looks. It's all hairy and dead looking.

Despite my aversion to fur, however, my experience sleeping under one of my friend's faux fur throws was one of the most comfortable sleeping experiences of my life. The experience has since motivated me to create my own extremely cozy faux-fur hibernation blanket. I will probably line one side with fleece or something else, otherwise I can see myself getting freaked out by the pile of fur on the couch. I have been somewhat converted to fur though (for blankets at least), and let me tell you, once you experience it, you probably will be too ;)

I leave you with one final warning though ... be careful where you get your "faux fur" from...

Scarfy Necklace

2009-08-12T16:14:00.006-05:00

I have been seeing these scarfy necklace things all over. I like them a lot. It's like a necklace... that is cozy. What could be better? "Necklush" sells them on Etsy for like $60. I will not pay that much for a cut up t-shirt, so I decided to try and make my own. I think I will probably start "upcycling" some old t-shirts and make more, but to start, I just used some clearance fabric from JoAnn's. The beauty of the t-shirt is that if you cut the shirt all the way around, you don't have any ends to tie and you can just tie all those loops together. I also like the idea of adding chains or beads. Just a bit snazzier.

Instructions:
1. Get some jersey knit fabric - i.e. t-shirt fabric, or better yet just get a t-shirt (large=bigger loops)
2. Cut the fabric into narrow strips with a sharp scissors.
3. Tie them up
4. Be cozy in your neat scarfy necklace that is not quite a necklace and not completely a scarf.

Tour de Minneapolis and the Art Fair trifecta

2009-08-10T09:56:00.011-05:00

This morning, as I jumped in my car to head to work, I realized that hadn't been in my car since, well, the last time I went to work. Then I realized that I hadn't been in a car at all over this weekend. I know this isn't really a huge feat, but when I considered all I had done over the weekend, I was pretty proud of myself. The really exciting thing about it was that I wasn't even trying to avoid driving - It just happened! I love where I live :)

Friday was a very low-key day. I had to recover from the busy week of final projects and papers, oh yeah- and that whole full-time job thing that I do on the side. Saturday, Jake and I went to the Powderhorn Art Fair and ate lunch at the Birchwood. We stopped at the Uptown art fair on the way back, even though I have decided that I am not as much of fan of the Uptown Art Fair as I used to be. It's very crowded, expensive, and some of the people there are very obnoxious. Not to mention all the strange vendors. We walked through some tent filled with mechanical animals and a creepy mechanical man. We left with giant four-color pens. Still not sure what they were promoting. Then we went to the grocery store and got some dinner and waited outside to watch the huge storm that completely bypassed us, only to drop a tornado just a couple miles away. I felt jipped.

Sunday, I got to spend some time with my good friend Lauren, who I haven't seen since Christmas, because she decided to move to boring old Iowa. We went to the Loring Park art fair and I felt a minor sense of accomplishment for actually experiencing the entire Mpls art fair trifecta for the first time ever. Lauren then began the trek back to Iowa, and Jake and I decided to go float on Ceder Lake for the rest of the humid afternoon. The rest of the day included another trip to Trader Joe's, a BBQ at the Lake Harriet bandshell, and a giant ice cream cone. A fantastic summer weekend and I biked the whole thing! The bike trails in this city can get you to almost anywhere you might want to go. I highly recommend getting a trail map and checking them out. You will be pleasantly surprised.

And now for my art fair favorites...

Dick Cooley

This is the "spark plug guy." He makes fantastic little sculptures from random metal objects and spark plugs. They are unbelievably expressive considering what they are made of. He had them arranged in all sorts of situations - including a wide range of professions, including morticians, gynecologists, farmers and, of course, mechanics.

Sarah Dudgoen
I have seen this girl before at other shows. It's pretty obvious why I love her work... green, birds, branches, pottery.

Robert and Michelle Meyer
I bought a photograph from these people. They take photos the old fashion way, so each one is one-of-a-kind. They frame them on old dry plate film holders (My picture is a bit out-of-focus because the flash was reflecting off the glass so I turned it off). It's so beautiful and interesting. I love it when things have a story and a history. My photo is of a tree in Northern Wisconson.

Steve Tomashek’s Miniature Menagerie

I bought a postcard from this guy, because his prints crack me up. He carves and paints all of these tiny little animals and then places them into somewhat cliche situations and photographs them. Definitely follow the link to his site so you can see more. They are very cute. I got this hippo one to put in the bathroom :)

Life is short... running makes it seem longer.

2009-08-07T10:06:00.006-05:00

I ran a 5K last weekend with Jake and his dad. I don't know that I particularly enjoy running, but I've started to do it more and more. I love how I feel after a run and having grown up being constantly active, that endorphin "fix" is something that I can't do without. I prefer to do more exciting things like mountain biking, skiing and my new favorite, kickboxing, but once in a while I will just run to run. I have a very difficult time getting myself to run though, and an even harder time getting myself to put much effort in once I've started. I found out this weekend, however, that running in a race brings out a totally different side of me.

Competition is like a drug for me. I try to avoid it, because once I've decided to participate, I tend to go to uncomfortable extremes. I'm either going to win, or I'm not going to do it. I loathe failure. I therefore tend to avoid the risk of failing - heck not even just failure, but even just not doing well. It's really kind of sick. When I failed my driver's test at 16, I went into hysterics (I made only one mistake, unfortunately, it was also an "automatic fail"). Towards the end of my ski-racing career, I often wouldn't even look at the results. I didn't care that much, because caring meant facing the fact that, no matter what level I was competing at, there were always going to be a lot of skiers that were much faster than me. When I ran track in middle school, I ran the long sprints (the 400, 800 and 200 hurdles). I would kill myself to win. I remember the splitting pain in my lungs, the taste of blood in my mouth, and the way my legs would cramp up after pushing myself so hard. I dreaded it, but I knew that once the gun went off, I wasn't going to let myself lose. So, I just started avoiding competitions that I might not do well in.

Recently, I've come to realize that this is a really lame approach to life. It turns out that avoiding failure yields very little true success. This is one of the reasons I signed up for the run. It's time to start setting myself up for failure (or at least, the chance at being mediocre). Time to get comfortable with attempting things I might suck at. Of course, deep down, I knew I would do fine in the run - the real challenge was getting comfortable with the fact that I probably wouldn't be spectacular. Somewhere around mile two, my seventh grade self reemerged just a bit. My lungs were feeling hot. I was moving at a much faster pace than normal, but I couldn't let myself slow down. Mile three seemed endless. I pushed myself outside of my comfort zone. I usually find myself in the top 10% of whatever I'm doing - I wasn't even close. My rational self knows I did great. My insatiable-over-competitive side wonders what I could have done better. I'd say it was a success.

I think it's time for me to start seeking more opportunities for failure and struggle.

Awww... look how excited I am to be done!!!

"We're here. We're weird. Deal with it."

2009-08-06T10:18:00.003-05:00

This is a totally eye-opening and fascinating look into the world of autism. I am doing research on autism for a special needs class that I am taking as part of my master's program. I recently stumbled on this article from Wired and I can't stop thinking about it. I think everyone should see this. It will change how you think about people with autism, and hopefully how you treat them.

The Truth About Autism: Scientists Reconsider What They Think They Know

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Happy Birthday Jacob!

2009-08-03T10:09:00.005-05:00

Last Friday was Jacob's birthday and there were several creative projects worth sharing, including my favorite Black Russian cake recipe. It's very moist and has a chocolaty-bitter-boozy-raspberry-heavenly flavor to it. Here's how I do it...

1 (18.25 ounce) package moist yellow cake mix
1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix (this is the big one guys)
1 c. oil
1/4 c. vodka
1/2 c. kahlua
3/4 c. water
4 eggs
more kahlua :)
confectioners' sugar
a bunch of raspberries (frozen, fresh, or in a pie filling)

All you have to do is mix up the package of cake mix, pudding mix, oil, eggs, water, vodka and kahlua in a big bowl. Then you bake it in a greased and floured bunt pan at 350 for 50 minutes. While it's in the oven, mix up some kahlua and powdered sugar (maybe a cup or so?) Also mix up your raspberries in a separate bowl with some powdered sugar to create a berry topping (you can add some water too - you want them to be sort of saucy). Leave the cake in the bundt pan and poke the bottom with a fork to create some holes and pour the kahlua glaze over the top. Let this sit for at least an hour, so it can soak in. When you're ready to serve it, put the cake on a platter and put the raspberries all over the top and sprinkle with powdered sugar to make it beautiful. Then enjoy!

Mmmmmm... it's sooooo good! I think I actually like it leftover better, because the kahlua sort of does this caramelizing thing in the cake and it's just glorious.

I was really happy with how Jacob's birthday present turned out. It's sort of non-practical and artsy, so I also gave him a camp chair and a manly plaid shirt, so I wouldn't feel guilty about giving him something that I might like more than he does. He is from Petoskey, MI , which is at the very, very top of the lower part of Michigan right on the edge of beautiful Lake Michigan. He is always talking about the lake and it's beaches, so I decided to give him a little portable piece of Lake Michigan. I got my inspiration from Design Sponge and ended up basically copying what I saw because I loved it so much. I definitely might love this more that Jake does... is that bad? Anyway, I had this artist from Etsy custom-create this beautiful glass pyramid box for me. She was so incredibly helpful and nice, and her prices are fantastic! I highly recommend her. Inside of the box I placed objects from that beach that Jake's mom collected for me including some driftwood, a seagull feather, a genuine Petoskey stone, a skipping rock and some beautiful beach sand. I think it turned out well. He said he loved it. Maybe when he becomes a teacher, he can use it as a paperweight. Right now, it's sitting by the window and reflecting light all over out living room :)

All the little birdies on Jaybird Street love to hear the robin go tweet tweet tweet...

2009-07-28T12:21:00.005-05:00

I just don't know how I feel about this whole Twitter thing.

Suddenly, I have become the company "Twitter monitor" at work. It's like they assumed that because I was under the age of 30, I was obviously obsessed with social media and would be a pro at launching us ahead in the Twitter universe. Actually, what they really want is for me to make "them" look like pros, without actually having "them" to do anything. Sure, I do the facebook thing and obviously, I do the blog thing too, but that's it. The truth is that I think it's kind of lame. This is probably because none of my friends are on twitter and if they are, they don't really use it. I don't care that much about what strangers have to say, and if I do, I would rather read their blog, where I can get more that 140 characters worth of information. Everyone keeps saying that it's the young people that are using it, but I think it's actually tech junkies, and yes, probably a lot of young tech junkies, as well as the social-media obsessed. Recently, it seems, marketers, advertisers and the "business hungry" have also been added to that list. This is all fine and dandy, if that's your thing - but it's just not for me. The idea of living a life online turns me off big time. I have embraced the fact that I have to spend 8 hours-a-day in front of this giant computer screen, but it's not something I would choose. I don't even have internet at home. No cable. No phone (well, no landline at least). Most of the time, I like doing things that don't involve computers. This is not to say that I don't appreciate being able to keep up with friends all over the country and globe, and quickly and easily share my thoughts, ideas, inspiration and latest photos with friends and family - I love that. I love the internet and all it allows us to do and share... but I love being outside even more and I love making things and spending time with real people in real places. I guess what you get is what you give and for this reason, I don't get that much out of Twitter. When I am dead, I prefer to leave behind actual footprints, instead of digital ones. Maybe I will change my mind in the future, but for now, I really couldn't care less about reading tweets. In fact, I find that word "tweet" incredibly annoying. Makes me think of "Rockin' Robin".

I try to remain open minded (At one time, I thought blogs were also ridiculous), but I'm in no hurry to increase my number of followers, and after reading this article and finding out that most people still don't even know what the heck Twitter is, I feel completely content with my total lack of interest.

http://tinyurl.com/kttrza

When did streets become more precious than children?

2009-07-24T11:49:00.002-05:00

http://failblog.org

It's Blitz!

2009-07-23T08:21:00.004-05:00

It's Blitz! is currently my favorite album. It's hard to explain why, but I listen to it constantly and never seem to get sick of it. Dragon Queen and Heads will Roll are my favorite tracks, but there actually aren't any songs that I ever skip, which is kind of rare. I always dislike at least one or two songs on an album. I remember when I got Fever to Tell freshman year and my roommate wouldn't let me play it when she was in the room because she thought it was so bizarre. I feel like the YYYs have gotten a lot less "out there" though. Some of the songs on the album are actually sort of sweet sounding. Here's the video for one of my favorite tracks. It's kinda crazy. What do you think Ali?

Happy Friday!!!

2009-07-17T16:54:00.004-05:00

I'm so glad the weekend is here! After crashing my mountain bike off a small bridge into a patch of poison ivy on Monday things have been less than comfortable. I am looking forward to not wearing pants for a few days so this nasty patch can dry up. That's right, it's a no-pants weekend peeps! WooHoo! Here's a laugh to start your weekend off right! Another gem from Awkwardfamilyphotos.com.

More than one family should ever have to deal with...

2009-07-15T16:04:00.004-05:00

So, I just read this letter that my cousin posted about what her family has been dealing with for the past few years. I knew some things about what was going on, but I had no idea that they were this bad. It's really shocking and upsetting. My cousin Prinna and her husband Chris are very kind, honest, hard working, wonderful people. We see them at family gatherings all the time and they have never complained or even brought up these things at all. I learned a lot more after reading this. It's really scary that this sort of thing could happen to people like them.

Prinna's Letter

Who wouldn't want a beach in their backyard!?

2009-07-14T14:43:00.004-05:00

Just ran across these instructions on how to create a beach in your backyard. I think it sounds awesome. I would definitely do a firepit with some big pieces of driftwood to sit on, some pretty grasses and bright flowers...maybe get really ambitious and build a little stone fountain... you know, to bring some water to the scene. I like it. I need a yard.

How to build a beach - Sunset.com

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Notes from Kate

Long time, no blog

Happy Easter!

Checking in...

brace yourself

"How's it going?" you ask?

Things I learned this week...

Cherrrrrryyy Mistmas!!!

Christmas Miracle

Operation Christmas Spirit

Fah who For-azeDah who dor-azeWelcome ChristmasCome this way!

The storm that was almost as epic as Halloween '91...

Why my feet are sweaty...

Whip My Hair

A list of things I am grateful for this week...

Happy Fall Ya'll

Mantras

One of those days...

Deep Thoughts by Kate

Grrrr...

Geeking it up

The Comfort of Darkness

Clever...

My Garage Sale Story

Someday

Another post about AFP... because I just really love them

Instant Karma

Me gloating again about the Mpls bike paths...

What is that awful buzzing sound!?!

Vac from the Sea

Nascar

The Albatross and the Pacific Island Trash Vortex

Facing reality

On a mission to carve some steasy arcs...

IKEA: Supporting the procreation of Europeans since 1943

Ducky Love.

Direct Route

Educational Television

Spring Fever

My new favorite recipe

Makes me feel even worse about never doing laundry...

I am an Emotional Creature

Chocolove

Stuck.

Mantra of the moment...

Get me out of here...

Epiphyte Love

Love Letters...

Thai Glazed Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

Directions

As if we should need an incentive...

Garlicky Greens

Mozzarella-Stuffed Turkey Meatloaf

Ingredients

Directions

Printable Beatles - We'd love to take you home with us :)

Holiday Mug Flair - Adorable

Jose Cuervo Christmas Cookies

Just Keep Pedaling

I'll have S'More, please!

Just smile dammit!

Not your average sushi rolls

YES!!! to yes and yes

Regretsy

Wordle!

Probably sold in the "Beyond" section...

My new tattoo - don't worry Mom, this one is temporary...

Potential first sewing project?

Best Mac and Cheese Ever...

Food, presents, friends, and fun

Happy Birthday to ME!

Hello cute!

Fall things and lost children

How many days until my birthday?

Obsessed

The rap song about me and ski team memories...

Fake sewing

Happy Birthday Grandma!!!

Fall Roundup

Fah who For-aze
Dah who dor-aze
Welcome Christmas
Come this way!