The older I get

The more I notice that maybe the things I hold as common knowledge.... aren't.  Even things that i was taught in grade school, like basic American geography (and the fact that Minnesota is NOT in-fact on the east coast) seem foreign to a lot of people I encounter.

Maybe it's because MN is about smack dab in the center of the country(on the north "shore") so we just kind of learn the states out like a radar.  I mean, if i had grown up in california there is probably no way i could have memorized all the way to the new york islands and the gulf stream waters. 

Other kids probably also weren't (aren't) fascinated by those state map puzzle games that you can play online.

And it's totally not that i had superior schooling... believe me. I didn't. I just have a memory for weird facts and stats.  I think i just pay attention to things differently.  Maybe that's what is means to have a lyrical soul.  I don't think so, but I've always loved the sound of that ever sine i heard it in Fever Pitch.   I wish I had a lyrical soul.

These are the things I do know:

-It makes me melt every time I watch the bowling alley scene in Across the Universe, and Jude gives Lucy that look

-Animals can keep you sane

-The beginning is the best part

-Music, time, and prayer can heal all wounds

-glow in the dark air soft pellets make a decent night light

-I love playing volleyball

-you need to forgive yourself too

-I have a very wide range of interests

-Life really is too short to get mad at other people and your energy is too precious to use up on anger 

-make you life better today and love it

-it's about to get real

life lessons

On thursday I have to give a speech for my public speaking class.  I have to tell a story and land it with a point.  I have lots of stories, so I decided to pick my point first so that I can write the story portion accordingly.

While looking for a good moral to pick a story about i stumbled upon this jem:

taken from http://www.marcandangel.com/2008/02/06/26-life-lessons-learned-by-age-26/

1. Being an adult can be fun when you are acting like a child.
2. Love has nothing to do with looks, but everything to do with time, trust, and interest.
3. Laughing, crying, joy and anger… All are a vital.  All make us human.
4. The greatest truths in life are uncovered with simple, steady awareness.
5. Greed will bury even the lucky eventually.
6. Bad things do happen to good people.
7. Paving your own road is intelligent only if nobody has gone exactly where you are going.
8. Uncertainty is caused by a lack of knowledge.  Hesitation is the product of fear.
9. Time heals all wounds… regardless of how you feel right now.
10. Most of the time what you are looking for is right in front of you.
11. Your health is your life.
12. Chance is a gift, so act on chance when given the opportunity.
13. Kindness and hard work will take you further than intelligence.
14. People deserve a second chance, but not a third.
15. Marry your best friend.
16. Take lots of pictures.  Someday you’ll be really glad you did.
17. Money makes life easier only when the money is yours free and clear.
18. Carelessness is the root of failure
19. Your actions now create memories you will reminisce and talk about in your elder years.
20. Stepping outside of your comfort zone will put things into perspective from an angle you can’t grasp now.
21. Motivation comes in short bursts.  Act while it’s hot.
22. Purposely ignoring the obvious is like walking backwards toward the enemy.
23. Taking ownership of failure builds the foundation for success.
24. First impressions are completely worthless 50% of the time.
25. Personal glory lasts forever.
26. If you never act, you will never know for sure.

college.

It still half way blows my mind that I am a junior in college, 20 years old, and back in rexburg.  So far junior year is shaping out to be pretty great, i love it.

My classes are going to be really great and all of my teachers are amazing.  I think I need to drop journalism, but I will deal with that when it's time to deal with that.

I'm going to the zoo, zoo, zoo

Today Tutu came to MN.  We took her to the Zoo up in St. Paul.  It was so much fun.  I love Zoos.

day one.

Today is day one of my 13 week training program for running a marathon.  

run 1 minute. 

walk 2 minutes. 

twelve times.

Wish it was my life...

MOVIES

It’s not that I don’t love my life, because I do.  It’s just that there are a lot of really great movies.  Movies with characters that know who they are, and stand up for what they believe in.  Movies with stories that inspire us to make our own.  Movies that give us something to do while we are home for the 7 week break and have nothing to do...

 (500) Days of Summer.

In case you missed my blog the other day, I loved this movie.  Fabulous!!!

First of all, who could say no to Joseph D-L in that movie?  Second of all, if my life had a soundtrack like that,  I’d be happy.  Thirdly,  I have always loved skylines and have always wanted to live in California. I even wanted to be an architect when I was little.

         I could talk about this movie for far longer than anyone would care to listen, but it was seriously, positively, terribly, horribly, fantastically, wonderfully wonderful.  The clothes, the music, the coloring (that filter that all indie movie seem to have), the chemistry, the cinematography, the irony, the introduction, the narration, the characters, the friends, the emotions… get the point?  

The last movie I felt this much for was the Darjeeling Limited.

The Darjeeling Limited

       For those of you who don’t know this, I have seen a few rate R movies.  For those of you who that doesn’t sit well with, forget I ever said it and skip this entry.

There is something very beautiful about the idea of traveling through foreign lands with your brothers, or in my case I guess it would have to be my sister orbest friends since I have no brothers.  I wrote my bucket list after seeing this movie.  It just made me want to... LIVE.

I am almost overwhelmed to announce that next summer I plan on doing a study abroad humanities trip through europe!!  If anyone want's to come too, do it!  Right now I am just planning on doing it alone, but having a travel buddy would be grand :)

 

 

 

A Knights Tale

       Who doesn’t love a good rag to riches story?  And who doesn’t love a good Heath Ledger?  And who can possibly resist a movie that starts with a Queen song?

       Not only does this movie have HL, action, and an empowering message, but it has a tender love story to boot. 

 

Everything Is Illuminated

       Sometimes I’m just afraid I will forget too.  Sometimes I want to catalogue my entire life as well.  Sometimes I wish I has a friend as terrible with English as Alex.

Although boring when watched too frequently, Everything is illuminated is a fantastic movie.

 

 

       

aug. 23. 2009

Today in church we talked about work, and doing it.  Our teacher said, growing up, that during the summer they had two options each weekday:  they could either weed the garden for an hour, or write a one page paper on something out of the encyclopedia--that or enroll in summer school.

Great idea if you ask me.  I think I'm going to start writing a piece a day, educational or not.  I just want to write more.  Outside of journaling, poetry, lyrics.  I also want to start adding more of an ART element to my journals.

I've started reading again, and it's great.  It feels coming home even more like coming home because I hardly ever have/make time to read while I am in school.

I'm going to europe next summer,  I get to take some really great classes next semester, i got a letter from Max yesterday, it's my birthday soon and life could not be any sweeter right now. 

here's the thing...

Joseph Gordon-Levitt has gotten beautiful.

I went and saw (500) days of Summer tonight, and i loved it so much it's insaine.  I have to go to the bathroom so bad, but I have to get this out, so I don't even care.

Can there be a more perfect boy than Tom Hansen?  I want my life to be like (500) days of summer--on the good days.  There was something so real about Tom and Summer, and something so cosmic about the relationship they shared.  I loved Summer for being so true to herself; although, I also hated her for the same reason.  I love that Tom lived in his emotions.  When he was upset he was rude to strangers, he yelled on subway cars.  When he was happy he lived in a musical and danced through the park with cartoon birds.  I think sometimes thats what you need to do.  LIVE YOUR LIFE.

A lot of the time I sell myself short on my emotions, and I think that that is something that needs to change.  If I'm happy, and want to shout it from the rooftops... why not?  

I also believe that any relationship--no matter how terribly it ended--if you can take something away from it, was worth it.   Even if it's just the name of a new band to listen to.  Because who knows, that boy that broke your heart at the tender age of 15 may have just happened to mention the band bright eyes in a late night text conversation, and that band may have inspired your whole persona from then on.

the moral of my strory is PLEASE DON'T SELL YOURSELF SHORT.

we all deserve that story book ending, our perfect match., and the only way we are going to get that is by being our perfect selves.

perfect: adj.  

exactly fitting the need in a certain situation or for a certain purpose.

808

Whatever poison's in this bottle will leave me broken, sore, and stiff.
But it's the genie at the bottom who I'm sucking at; he owes me one last wish,
So here's a present to let you know I still exist;
I hope the next boy that you kiss has something terribly contagious on his lips.

xox0-Kat

l.o.v.e

heath ledger was such a dream come true.

Aug. 18 2009

Since I have about two weeks left to be a teenie-bopper, i need to get something out.

JOE

JONAS

IS

SO

ATTRACTIVE

It's been a while...

since I've posted.  It's also been a while since I've written in my journal.  Good thing nothing too exciting or monumental happened this semester. 

I'm home now, for the seven week break, and so far it's consisting of a lot of video games, disney channel, and late night television--mainly that 70s show and what I like about you.  And who ever said TV is not educational just wasn't very imaginative, because I, personally have learned a lot about life from watching TV.

0099.

Summer oh nine can mark the end of a year of radicle growth in my life.

One year ago i was:

skipping class and not taking responsibility for my life. terrible idea.

giving my number to random boys outside applebee's. bad idea.

on rooftops with boys. okay idea.

Now I am:

Going to class ever time it meets. Great idea.

still giving my number to people, but it seems to be working out better.

Sharing rooftop experiences with the right people. Great idea.

0098. Photographer: Rune Guneriussen

0097.

Today was, by far, the best day I have had in a long time :)

It all started with the entrepreneur conference, which was really inspiring and great and I am so happy the greed for extra credit caused me to go, because it really touched me.

after that this is how the rest of my day shaped up:

-the project that was 11 minutes late on tuesday, and therefor being docked 10%, is not on-time and not docked at all.

-African party :)

-Letters from Elder Weeks

0096.

DISCLAIMER: the computer I am typing on doesn't highlight typos, and I am not a very good speller, so please don't judge me.

Lately there have been several events that have caused a change in me--the kind that I think will stick around for a while. At least I hope it will this time. I attend a private university, Brigham Young University Idaho, for members of the LDS faith. Because of this, we have the oportuity to attend weekly devotionals that are given to the students and faculty by esteemed members of our faith. We have had some great leaders come speak to us throughout the years, and many great declarations have been made from the pulpit in the Hart auditorium. This summer I have made it a goal not to miss a single one. In this past teusday's "devo" we learned about the importance of our education and elevating ourselves to higher standards. Seince I had already made doing homework and avoiding playing my goal for the week, this message seemed extremely well timed and really hit home. This week I have had a drive and a desire to do my school work like never before; the funny think is that I am loving it. I made it a goal to avoid idle time and idle things, such as time wasted on the internet, unfruitful social interactions, and time spent doing things that don't have any benefit for me. It would be extremly hard to expaine all of the factors inside me that are driving me right now, but I trust them.
Upon returning to BYU-I this summer, I switched my major from business to communication, and I think that doing that was probably one of the best things I have ever done for myself. You have to follow your passions, and business was not my passion. I love this new major and all of the new ideas and jobs that it opens up to me. Bidness was interesting, but I wasn't cut out to think that way. That's simple not the way I'm wired.
Today I had a great expierecne: I had the oportunity to attend an entrepreneur conference held here on cmpus for business and comm majors. I originally only went to recieve the promised extra credit for two classes, but I found as i listened that i was filled with excitment and a desire to develop what was dubbed the "entrepreneur spirit".
At aproxametly 10 AM, TOMs shoes was introduced as a great example of entrepreneurship, and still hasn't left my mind. It is 1:23 now. The love people have for others, and the desire to give back is such a great gift, and if it's something you posess, I beg you to cultivate it. The world needs more people like that.
Basically, all of this drive to better myself and better the world has led me to the library, where I have spent the lst hour researching programs like TWLOHA and TOMs shoes and figuring out ways that I can get involved. It's still the internet, but at least it's productive.

0095.

Summer oh nine is really shaping up to be the summer of dreams. I love all of my classes, so that is making it a lot easier to get good grades. My mom told me if i get good grades this summer and in the fall I can go to New Zealand for the winter. Thats the best motivation I think I could be offered.

The other thing that has made this summer so great is the creation of SassyKat.

http://www.myspace.com/gosassykat

A lot of really great things are happening this summer and I am loving it.

travel

Italy

London

Boston

Hawaii

Greece

France

0094.

I had ben sad for a while, but it seems to have gone away now, which is great and MUCH appreciated.

Me and amy actually got to go to the temple together today, and i didn't even miss class--wasn;t even late!  I was sure I was going to, but it all worked out.

0093.

This week has been really hard for several reason; some i can't pin down, some i don't want to admit, and some that i can't really explain.

I know that there have already been like 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 blessings in my life--even just this summer--but sometimes I get into a bad funk and i can't get myself out for a while.  The best way for me to deal with it is just to talk about it.  

A lot.  

thanks to all the people that have ever listened.

No one things really triggered it this time.  I think it was a few things.  I don't really know, but I do know that I don't want it anymore.

I need to set it free.

that is why i am going to make a list of all the things that I am grateful for, and list of the things i need to remember.  

I'm grateful for/becasue

-Long-boards

-Music Outlet

-SassyKat

-Acoustic Cafe

-Musical inspiration

-Letters from Missionaries

-the MTC

-Missionaries

-Summer 09

-Music

-Friends

-guitars, banjos, harmonicas, and accordions

-art spulies

-Patriarchal Blessings

-having a temple in the city i go to college in

-my classes are great

-this is what i have wanted my whole life

-porter park (even with all of its baggage)

-my ward

-i get to go to school in idaho

-people here have my standards

-people support and aid your growth

-my teachers are really good

-i got to see christine into the MTC

-blessings

-i got to see my dad

-i've already had several really great days this summer

-i think ill make good grades this summer :)

-zoology is awesome

-communications is a much better major than bidness

-choose your own adventure

-i don't care

-make it count.  always.  that motto will never die. (just be smart about it this time.)

This is what I need to do/remember, sometimes it's just hard.

-who i am

-be true to yourself

-don't try to be something you're not

-don't try and hind something you are

i'm really glad that tomorrow is sunday.