Greetings for the new blog and a lot of rambling about books and t.v.

Note: This is from a new blog, on ning.com, but since I can never let go of things and because people still read this blog (hopefully), I'm going to post whatever I post there on here. The beginning part doesn't make sense on here, since this isn't a new blog, but whatever, the rest will! - Katie 

Yay, new school year, new blog! This is quite exciting, although I'm not sure that I know how to work ning yet or if this post will even show up in the right place, but whatever, it's my first blog! So, I'm not sure what to write about. I mean, I have ideas, I always have ideas, but I don't know if I should do the typical "Hi-my-name-is-Katie-and-this-is-my-blog-read-it-it'll-be-great!" post or if I should just jump right in and start writing something about a topic that isn't me. Hmmm, decisions, decisions. Oh, I guess I'll do somewhat of both. I'm just going to write a few little blurbs about stuff, which I guess will somehow tell you a little bit about me. Yes! This is an excellent plan! Let's go...

Okay, so first off, I feel the need to talk about last night's television shows. Because they were AWESOME. The first episode of Glee was on last night. Well, I guess it would be the second episode, since technically, the pilot premiered back in May, but like, the first of the weekly episodes. Yes, no longer having to wait months for a new episode. Oh my goodness, so very excited about this show. I mean, anything vaguely related musical theatre usually would receive a similar response but this show is just so smart and witty. I cannot wait to see more! Oh, I almost forgot, the music is fabulous. Click here for an example. Like super duper fabulous. And the characters are all great, except for the wife of the Glee Club's leader. She's incredibly annoying, but otherwise, they are amazing. I think "House" may have some competition as my favorite show on Fox... Okay, this now concludes the crazed fan type rant about Glee.

Hello, my name is Katie and I am a Gleek.
Now, So You Think You Can Dance also premiered last night. And it was good, like all the past seasons, but it looks like there is going to be more tap dancers than ever before. There was a tap battle (actually, I learned last night that tappers don't battle, they trade) and it was probably definitely one of the coolest things I have ever seen.

Okay, I'm sure I have more to write about... This is odd, usually I can think of all sorts of stuff to write about. I kind of feel like I should write something more serious, to balance out all the t.v. chatter, but I can't think of anything. Ugh ugh ugh, I blame it on the fact that I think I am getting sick. I woke up this morning with a sore throat and a bit of a stuffy nose. And I'm tired... which doesn't make a whole lot of sense, considering I got plenty of sleep last night, my full 8 hours. Getting sick, getting a cold, reminded me that it's almost Autumn! I like the word Autumn better than Fall, I don't really know why, I just think it sounds better. I think it's kind of starting to cool off, or maybe I'm sicker than I realize and have a high fever, complete with hallucinations. Maybe It's just that feeling, like you can smell Autumn in the air. This is my favorite time of the year, when it's not too cold or hot and everything is all crisp and earth tone-y. And Halloween and Thanksgiving are my two favorite holidays of the year. Halloween, in particular, is great. I love the chance to dress up and wear a fabulous costume. I don't care what anyone says, I will never ever be too old to wear a Halloween costume. All this talk of Halloween has reminded me of my favorite Halloween book ever written... THE HALLO-WEINER! This book is fun stuff. It's about a dog, a dachshund, who's mom makes him dress up like a hot dog and all of his friends tease him about it. But do not worry, it is a children's book, so it does have a happy ending! You can click here for more about it.

Awwwwww! Can you see why I love this book? Isn't he super cute?
My other favorite children's book is called Lyle Lyle Crocodile and it's about a crocodile that lives in New York City. What's not to love? You can actually read almost the entire book here.

Hey, Lyle and Oscar look kind of similar... I never realized that!
Well, I guess that concludes blog #1! It turned out just a bit longer than I thought it was going to, but oh well, it was loads of fun to write. And, I bet you guys did learn some new things about me. Let's recall what we learn...

New thing learned about Katie:
- She likes Glee, So You Think You Can Dance, and House. All of which happen to be on Fox. But, she still thinks NBC is the best network. (I'm adding things in now...)
- Likes Autumn, not Fall, the best
- Likes Halloween and Costumes.
- Enjoys children's books with long, close to the ground main characters
- Currently doesn't feel well
- And, really really really loves to make lists, like this one. (That's not exactly breaking news. ha. ha. ha.)

So, that's it! And now, I get to read a science article and do some more writing.

BUT, if you are looking for something else to read. Read this.

- Katie

About Me!

Okay, I realize that I already wrote an "About Me" entry right when I began this blog, but I think it's time for another one. I went back and read what I wrote before, and it didn't really give that much insight into who I am. So, here's take two. I'm going to do what I do best, and make a list. Here we go...

Katie's List of Things That She Thinks You Should Know About Her:

1. I was born on December 20, 1993 and I have lived in Winter Park for my entire life.

2. I have a lot of hair and it frustrates me to no end. Sometimes I love my hair, sometimes I hate it. Straightening my hair, depending on how thorough a job I do, takes about an hour.

3. I have two piercings in each ear. I kind of want more, but I don't really know. When I got my first hole, I tried to escape from the doctor's office. It didn't really work.

4. I watch a bunch of t.v. and read a great deal of magazines. Ask me a current pop culture question and I can probably answer it. I also watch a lot of t.v. shows, like on the History Channel and the Discovery Health Channel, and I will attempt to spout random facts at any given time. So, watch out. But, about the Discovery Health Channel. It is seriously the best television channel ever. I mean, sometimes it freaks me out and I convince myself that I have some sort of bizarre disease, but for the most part, I really like it. Especially the shows about sextuplets and other multiple births. Those are fascinating.

5. I'm prone to losing things, such as my mind. But really, I lose all sorts of stuff, like cell phones and i-pods and cameras and their power cords. Actually, maybe technology just doesn't like me. Yeah, that must be it.

6. My favorite color is green. Like, a really awful, bright, screaming chartreuse kind of green.

7. I am obsessive about most things and I worry almost constantly. Like with this list, I am going to stop at number 10. Because 10 is a nice, even, and round number. It's something I'm trying to work on.

8. I am really, really shy around people my age. Adults, I can usually talk to them without a problem, but in all other cases, I freeze. I'm afraid I'm reinforcing the idea that home-schoolers are unsocialized, despite the fact that I am not technically home schooled, an idea that I continue to attempt to explain to people all the time. Being so shy really makes performing difficult. I wish I could just get over it.

9. I cannot sing. People try to tell me that I can, but it's not true. I think I have almost successfully convinced everyone I know that I cannot sing. So now, people, like my Mom and my dance teacher, will make jokes. While I know that they are probably right, I still don't like it.

10. The last thing I think you should know about me. I'm going to do something great. I don't know what it is and I don't know how great it will be. But it will be something significant. So, look for me in the near future. How, that sounds kind of egotistical and pompous. Yay for big words!

Speak your mind.

I have a question. About speaking your mind. I've been wondering about this for a very long time. I like to consider myself a very open and understanding person. And yet, I am often the first person to get on their soapbox and start rambling about my thoughts and beliefs. So, that's my question. We hear about how it's the right thing to do. Stand up for what you believe in. Don't be afraid to have differing viewpoints. I just wonder if standing up for what you believe in can turn into attacking another group. This sounds kind of bizarre and I know it doesn't really make a lot of sense, but bear with me while I try and figure this out.

So, about me. Like I said before, I consider myself to be pretty open and accepting of most ideas. But then, the double standard comes in. There are certain things that I really, really disagree with and they can set me off. I guess that's normal, we can't all agree on everything. I just start feeling guilty when I say that I respect everyone's viewpoints, but then I get kind of angry when people disagree with me. Ah, I don't know, I don't think there is one easy answer. I just wish I could wrap my head around this idea a little bit more.

It's hard. I can't isolate myself in a world where there are people who only agree with me. Even in a group of the most open-minded people, without other people with different views, those people can become narrow minded. So, I may feel like screaming when I hear people talk about certain things, like I want to pull my hair out. I know that it's still important to be exposed to other things. And when I make assumptions about the people who have those different views, I'm no better than anyone who says that they believe in the one and only right idea.

But back to where I started, about how standing up for what you can believe can turn into an attack on other people. I don't really know what I am talking about with that statement. All I know is that it's something I feel like I've seen before. Okay, I think I may have figured it out. Maybe it's not that standing up for or expressing your beliefs can turn into attacking another group. Maybe that's a cover that people use. They can say a statement that is totally unfair and hurtful to another group's views, after they have expressed their beliefs, and then just say they were doing the same thing. I think that is the root of most of the stuff I was talking about. It's a tricky topic and there's no way I can begin to unravel how I feel about it or what the truth is in a couple of paragraphs. All I know is that there is a positive way to stand up for what you believe in, and that is what we should all keep doing.

- Katie

Haiku

#5 doesn't follow the rules... :P

#1: Blogging in Haiku's
This could be very tricky
Could this ever work?

#2: Rain is annoying
I do not like getting soaked
drip drop drip drop drip

#3: Last week of braces
Need to wear my rubber bands
I want some taffy

#4: Katie is sleepy
Goodnight moon, goodnight dear stars
I love children's books

#5: Writing is very odd
So many different rules
Like capitalization

#6: Sounds like secret code
When I write in this format
This is difficult

#7: Going out for breakfast
Makes me really quite happy
A simple pleasure

#8: Facebook stole my life
Seriously, I cannot stop
Where's the support group?

#9: Tights are very tight
I am not too fond of them
One syllable words

#10: Serious blogs, oy
They are very hard to write
Still need to do it

#11: Number eleven
7 months 'til I'm sixteen
Such an old lady

#12: Not on the topic
These poems, they should be about
Nature and the likes

#13: Wiggle lil' earthworm
Into the soft, warm, brown earth
dig down, nice and deep

#14: Carrots are crunchy
Like the bunny rabbit eats
Twitch your nose and blink

#15: Enough of nature
I am city type of girl
A cab is wildlife

#16: Interesting blog
If I do say so myself
Tell me what you think

- Katie

Music.

So, I'm trying to write more serious blogs. About stuff that I find actually important. Well, I guess I should ease my way into more serious topics. Maybe there is something in the middle of blogs about cookies and my thoughts on other things. So, I guess I'm going to start with a blog about music. Er, this is still kind of on the not so serious side of blog topics, but I'm getting there.


Okay, so music. Sometimes it really, really annoys me. I mean, I like, I love, music, but some of the music these days, the lyrics, they frustrate me. I know that I sound like such an old lady, but really, some of the music these days? What got me thinking about this was that I saw Jersey Boys yesterday. For those of you who don't know, Jersey Boys is a show about Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. The show was amazing, and one of the best songs in the show is "Oh What a Night." Well, this got me thinking about how far music has come, it terms of what has become socially acceptable to sing about. Some of the songs you hear on the radio these days, songs I hear 12-year-olds singing along to, they make me cringe. If you compare"Oh What a Night" to some of the popular stuff today, in a 40 year span, things have really changed. I guess that's the case with everything.

It's madness. Again, I sound like such an old person, I just can't seem to help myself. It's not that I don't like the songs that are out there today. They are really catchy. Maybe that's why I don't like them. The beat pulls you in, and pretty soon you are singing along, and then you realize what the song is actually about and you turn a lovely shade of pink. Or maybe that's just me. Anyway. While "Oh What a Night" and many of the songs out there are basically about the same things, everything that comes out today is much more graphic. And at least back then, you at least could figure out what the song was about, and then decide if you want to sing along.

Ahhh, I don't know. I think my argument is running out of steam. I just get frustrated with the stuff that is considered "cool music." I guess there is a balance, and it's all about who is listening to the music. Okay, now I feel kind of guilty, because I'm realizing that most of the stuff I just complained about can be found in some, if not a lot, of the music I listen to. I think I will need to ponder this some more. I'll think it over. Actually, I'll sleep on it. At any rate, it felt good to get this off my chest.

- Katie

Fluffy Fiction

Blah. I had a corn dog today. I didn't realize how good corn dogs are, until I had dinner today. I also had strawberry-lemon Italian ice, which is amazing. But, I don't I should write another blog about food. I mean, I know that the entry about meringue cookies was riveting, but I want to write about something different tonight. Books. I know I already made a list about my very favorite books, but in the spirit of continuing to write paragraphs instead of just lists (oh, how I love my lists), I'm going to right something different. So, since I'm 15-years-old, I usually buy books from the young adults section. While I know there are many gems to be found in this section, I often find loads and loads of books that seem to be printed with lemonade ink on paper woven from cotton candy with skittles being using for punctuation, you know what I'm talking about, fluff. Sugary books that don't really have any substance, no nutritional value. Wow, that was a bizarre sentence I just wrote, about lemonade ink and such. I think I may be but hungry right now. Well, actually, I'm not really, truly hungry. You know that feeling, where you are still full but you kind of want to eat again? That's kind of what I have going on right now. Alright, back to my opinion on teen literature. I feel that there are different levels of fluff. There's the stuff that's just plain stupid, with unbelievable plots and characters. I'm not going to add an example for two reasons, #1) I can't think of any right now, and #2) I don't want to offend anybody. There are certain levels of fluff that I can tolerate. There are books that are just for fun, cute and simple that you can read in a day. These are not the type of books that you take seriously. I'm reading a book, and I can't really tell if it's fluff or not. I don't think it is. At least, on my very scientific scale rating the fluff factor,it would get a 5.7, with 10 being "Quick, I need an insulin shot," and 1 being "Serious Squared." Anywho, I prefer books that have a bit more weight. Not to say that I won't read those fluffy, fluffy books. In fact, the short story I wrote is a teeny-weeny bit fluffy. I just wish that there was a bit of a better balance of fluff to other books at places like Borders. Now that I think about it, Barnes and Noble and the library have a lot less fluff than Borders. I wonder why that is? It's just, books don't have to be so sugary sweet and fluffy to get teens to read them. And, there are authors who have managed to blend the cutesy stuff with the real stuff. Well, I think I'm started to ramble a little bit, I'm sure this blog doesn't really make a whole lot of sense. I seriously need to blog earlier in the day. I think I'm just going to get a cheese stick, my book, and go to bed. Maybe I'll finish my book tonight, if I can find it. I don't remember where I put it down... I guess I should go look for it...

- Katie :)

More Random Musings

Seriously, I need to stop blogging so late at night. It's making me seem like a total night owl. Really, I'm not. Usually, I'm asleep by now. In fact, I was in bed. But then I realized that it was time to blog! So, what to write about... I think it's time for another twitter style post. I don't think I have the attention span right now to focus on one topic for more than a few sentences. Let's see, what do I have to say...

I went to the library today. It was a lot of fun, I hadn't been there in a while. I tend to avoid the library since I usually have large fines that need to be payed. I'm pretty rough with books, they fall into the bath tub, get lost in the car, so in the long run, it ends up being less expensive to just buy them from the store. But today, Carrie and I needed books for school assignments, so we went. Oh, I just thought of the reason why we have gone to the library the last few times, to eat. They have a cafe inside the library. And oh my goodness, they have the best lemon bars. I do realize that lemon bars are probably not the best reason to go to the library, but hey, if you tried one, you would totally understand. And, they also have the best chicken salad.

Today is my Mama's birthday! we didn't do anything really exciting, just had cake and watched Jeopardy. We may do something later in the week, but there are no set plans yet. Gosh, I'm such slack as a daughter, I didn't even get her a present. But, in my defence, she said she didn't need anything. I was extra nice to her today, and we had a bunch of fun, so I think it was a successful celebration. :)

I'm supposed to be writing a sermon-ette for church on Sunday. I'm kind of freaking out, since I have no idea what I want to say. I mean, I have a basic idea, but still nothing is really finished. I'll post it on here when it's done. it's not so much the actual writing of it that scares me, but the reading aloud in front opf people. And singing a duet. And dancing. This should be an interesting service, since it may involve be having a panic attack and/or nervous breakdown.

I'm watching The Real Housewifes of New York City right now. It's one of my new favorite shows. The ladies on it are a bit scary, but it's kind of like I can't look away. So much botox and catfights. It's crazy. They fight about the oddest stuff. My mom started watching it with me, and even she got sucked in. I just changed the channel, since Will & Grace is on now, which might rank as my favorite show of all time.

Nothing else really exciting happened this week. Oh, wait, I lied. we went to the ballet, Romeo and Juliet, on Sunday. We left like 13 minutes before it started, and got to the theater like 5 minutes after the ballet started. So, we bought our tickets, for only $20.00 for both my Mom and me, thankyouverymuch, and went in. I lterally ran through the lobby, I could hear the music playing already. So, I got to my seat, and by some sort of miracle, the curtain hadn't risen yet. So, I didn't miss a thing! And also, we were sitting in row B of the orcastra. It was beautiful, and even better, since I had just finished reading the play.

Okay, it's 11:15 now. Time for me to hit the hay. And by hit the hay, I mean go lay down and read for awhile. Hmmm, maybe I should actually go to sleep, or else I'll be really, really sleepy tomorrow. But I'm really into this book. I guess falling asleep during tennis tomorrow morning is a sacrifice I am willing to make...

- Katie :)

I swear this is not another list

This blog is late. I should have had this done last night, but again, I fell asleep. Er, fell asleep, got distracted watching Will & Grace and 18 Kids and Counting and looking up Sterling Knight on youtube, same difference. So, this blog, which I meant to write last night, is now late. Well, I don't know if it is considered late. But I'm scared that it may be. This has inspired a new topic. Things that scare me. Normally, I would make a list. But, I think that I have been making too many lists on here (here being my blog), so I'm just going to do this is paragraph form. So, things that scare me. That strike fear in me at the very thought of them. Tests are a big one. They are really scary. There isn't really anything else that gets me as worked up as a test does. Sweaty palms, sick to my stomach, the whole thing. I guess that a fear of tests would go along with a fear of failure, a fear of getting something wrong. Okay, it's Monday night. Again, I got distracted, but I'm back! And I'm finishing my list. Okay, the next thing that scares me. Well, the dark and heights, but those seem kind of obvious. Practically everyone is scared of those things. Oh, I thought of a big one, public speaking and any from of public situation. That's definitely a big one. Well, I guess that's it, of the things that scare me, but it's hard to tell if I have everything on there, since it's in paragraph form. I thought it would be a good idea to not make another list, but it makes it so much easier for me to go back and read what I've already written. Oh well, it;s good practice, to write more than just lists. I enjoy writing lists, I write them a lot. I make lists of things I like or want I to get done. On planes I make a list of things I want to do on my vacation. That's one thing that doesn't really scare me, flying. Catching a germ from that plane, sure, but the actual act of flying, not so much. I seem to be getting off topic, and since my list, excuse me paragraph, of things that scare me is complete, I should go to bed. Jeez, I really should blog earlier in the day, and not when I'm about to crash. I need to work on that...

- Katie

Eyeliner and Such

I bought makeup today. Eyeliner and eyeshadow. I think it's about time I started wearing makeup, maybe. I don't know, I have conflicting emotions about cosmetics and when you should start wearing them. Almost everyone I know wears makeup on a regular basis, right down to the girls who just turned 13. But not me. I think this is partly, or entirely, because I don't know how to apply makeup myself, without looking like a zombie or an Egyptian or even worse, an Egyptian mummy zombie. I probably would have a very different opinion of eyeliner if I could put it on properly. But, if I can't put it on myself, how did everyone else learn how to? Did I miss some sort of secret class that everyone attended? "Eyeliner 101," or something? I just don't get it. And another thing, what's with the really thick black eyeliner? That's a look I've been seeing, not just with the "goth" kids, but like even the "preppy" people. I don't really understand it. What's the rush to wear makeup, when you are only like 12 years old? There is plenty of time to slather all sorts of goops and creams and powders onto to your face when you actually have things to cover up. What do 12-year-olds have to cover? Unless them have been up all night and have huge circles under their eyes, or something. Speaking of under eye circles, I probably need to go to sleep soon. Especially since I want to get up early tomorrow morning and go to Bagel King... I'll continue my rant on makeup and when it's appropriate to wear it later on. I think I'm old enough to wear it, but I don't think I have the patience to go through the process of putting it on everyday. Eh, we'll see about it.

- Katie

Stuff I would like to learn how to do

Greetings everyone! It's Saturday night, er almost Sunday morning, and I'm sleepy. And I have a hand cramp from twirling my hair and drawing graffiti on facebook. It's official now, I'm a computer nerd. I have a social networking site related sports injury. I really need to spend some more time outside. You know, get some more vitamin D, do some more running. But, these are things I can worry about tomorrow morning. By tomorrow morning, I mean when it gets light again, not in 20 minutes when it's past midnight. I swear I have a point with this blog, really I do. I just have to remember what it was. Jeez, I just forgot what it was. I was going to make a list of things I want to learn how to do and I had something for the first one, but I can't think of it...


Update: I wrote that last night, but I fell asleep in the process. Whoops, didn't mean to do that! I guess midnight blogging isn't the best of plans... I won't be trying that again. So, where was I? Oh right, the list of things I want to learn how to do. I still can't remember what the first thing on the list was. Maybe it will come to me if I just get started...

THINGS THAT I WANT TO LEARN HOW TO DO:

- Knit a sweater, I can already kind of knit, but not a sweater

- Crochet more than a chain, maybe a blanket or a sweater

- Make baked Alaska

- Advanced embroidery stitches

- Break dance (I'm not holding my breath on this one...)

- Flips off a diving board

- How to Skateboard

- How to surf (Thus concluding the list of things I want to learn how to do that involve a board.)

- Make shirts with really intense tie dye patterns (I have already mastered the swirly design, but I would like to learn more.)

Hmmm, I can't think of anything else right now. This is kind of a pitiful list. Why can I never think of things that apply to what I am trying to blog about? You would think that I had more ideas, since I set out to right an entire blog about it, but no, I don't. I'm sure I'll think of something tomorrow. Oh, I just thought of something to add to my list, I want to learn how to not get sucked into cruddy Disney channel movies. I'm watching Hatching Pete right now. I'm only watching it because House or 18 Kids and Counting isn't on. But now, I kind of want to see how it ends. There's only 15 minutes left, so there is no point in changing the channel. A man in a large chicken suit just flew through the air. Hmmmm.... Maybe this movie isn't so bad after all... Just kidding!!!

- Katie

Stream of Thoughts Post

Okay, I have a question. Have you ever thought about what you think about? That's a bizarre sentence, or question, but I wanted to ask it still. Have you ever thought about what you think about. Like, traced your thought process. How you get from point A to point B. It's kinda like that word game thing. Let me look up what it is called... Okay, it's called "Doublets," according to thinks.com. It's where you change one word to another word, by making new words. Like, changing "Mom" to "Dad." You make "Mom" to "Dad" by changing one letter in each word. I know I'm doing a not so great job at explaining this. But, it would look like this...

MOM
MOD
MAD
DAD

See how you make new words by changing one letter, until you get to the other word. This is like the way I think. You start with one thought, which leads to another, and continues on. I love having a conversation with someone, and then tracing the conversation back to see where it all began. I would like to write a blog like this. Start with one thought and see where it takes me. I am going to try this now. One sentence at a time, seeing where it goes...

I can hear people answering flash cards now.
Math isn't something you should yell out loud.
I like math, but I'm locked out of my geometry right now.
I think it must be because I'm getting a new teacher.
It makes me sad that I'm getting a new teacher.
I miss my algebra teacher.
I still have to send her the Easter present I got her.
Dancing makes it hard to count past 8.
My dance teacher told me to get a business degree yesterday.
I don't know what I want to do, but I don't think I want a business degree.
They are still going at it with those flash cards.
I read an article about a 12-year-old in college.
This makes me feel dumb. Why am I not at college?
That was silly to say.
I like buying books that will make me seem or look smarter.
I bet reading them would actually make me smarter, instead of just looking like I'm smart.
Carrie just pulled on my toes.
It hurt.
Carrie wants to be a vet.
I want to go to a school that people can recognize by name and be impressed by.
I want to go to school on the east coast.
I do not like the west coast.
I'm going to CA this summer.
Maybe I will find that I like the west coast.
Mrs. Miller #2, I just realized that you are from the west coast.
I'm sorry I said I didn't like it.
I just reread what I said about toes.
Carrie pulled the toes on my left foot.
My left foot is a half a size bigger than my right.
Actually, all of my left side is bigger than my right.
What does that mean?
I'm going to have to look that up.
Maybe I should be a doctor.
Pink high heels with a lab coat.
I think I'm trying too hard to sound witty or clever with this blog.
I do that a lot.
Carrie says I'm not funny.
I think she lies.
I just sat up straight.
I bet I would get more work done if I worked sitting up.
I'm drinking coffee right now.
It's giving me a headache.
I think Carrie is wearing two shirts.
I am going to ask her if she is.
She is!
And when I asked her about it, she lied.
It's my shirt.
I think that's why she lied about it.
She doesn't know why she is wearing two shirts.
I'm twirling my hair right now.
The hair on the left side of my head.
So, the curls on the left side are bigger than those on the right.
Thus, proving my point about my left side.
I would really like a subscription to Time magazine for my birthday.
And a trip to NYC.
And a giant Sweet Sixteen party.
But I wouldn't be bratty about the party.
I also want anything from this website: http://www.dogeared.com/
Carrie and Sid are looking at something outside.
Whoa, my tummy just growled.
I'm hungry.
I'm starting to feel guilty about eating meat.
I had a hamburger and chick-fil-a yesterday.
Bad, Katie, bad.
Sasha is hungry too.
Lunch is in 20 minutes.
I haven't done any work this morning.
Bad, Katie, bad.
Why did I use the word tummy up there?
Weird.
The Internet makes me bold.
Again, I'm thinking too much about this.
I'm trying to just write whatever pops into my head.
But I do not want to share some of the things I think about.
I need more secrets.
Things to keep to myself.
I blurt out lots and lots of stuff.
This blog is like blurting out stuff over the Internet.
Neat.
I just glanced down and saw my rain boots.
I love them.
I'm adding another pair of rain boots to the birthday list.
Maybe just shoes in general to the list.
I think I'm a size 7.
Maybe my left foot is bigger than a 7.
Or maybe my right foot is smaller than a 7.
Whatever, a 7 usually fits.
Headache could be caused by hunger, not the caffeine/vanilla syrup in the coffee.
I have a cheese stick in my lunch.
This post is a little bit addictive, I don't want to stop.
Kind of like the cheese sticks.
Brain is slowing down.
I just rubbed my chin.
Like that will help me think.
I have to fly to CA all by myself this summer.
That makes me very, very nervous.
I have to make a connection in Denver.
So hungry right now.
13 minutes until lunch.
Sometimes, when I'm tired, my left eye twitches.
Is the left side of your brain the creative part,or this that the right?
I want to look it up.
11 minutes to lunch.
The ice in my coffee is all melty.
That's gross.
I want to get bangs.
But my family thinks that they will look goofy.
Maybe they are right...
I still want to get bangs though...
10 minutes 'til lunch.
Mustaches are cool.
I just made one with my hair.
I turned on the volume on my computer and music started playing.
There was a movie going on another window and didn't realize it.
This is a long blog.
I like reading blogs, like Meg Cabot's or John Green's.
This must be because I like their books.
7 minutes until lunch.
I bought a Martha Stewart magazine yesterday.
And a book by James Joyce.
Think, Katie , think.
6 minutes until lunch.
I'm going to keep going until lunch time.
I think I'm avoiding other school work by writing this monster of a blog.
Monsters are cool.
Not as cool as robots, but still cool.
I kind of want to be a vegetarian, just so I can buy a shirt.
Is that shallow of me?
They have a carnivore shirt too.
Where is the Omnivore shirt?
That's the one I need.
4 minutes until I lunch.
That's a song.
4 minutes is, I mean.
Oh, now there are 3 minute left until lunch.
I guess I should wrap this up now.
And, now I am done.

Wow. That was kind of neat. I went from flash cards to "4 Minutes." Maybe this would have gone differently if I wasn't so hungry. Comment and tell me what you thought of this. Do you prefer to read about one topic, like shoes or cookies, or just hear about whatever thoughts are running through my head. I think I like both. Okay, that's it for now. I'm going to go eat lunch!

- Katie

P.S. About the birthday stuff. You all have a while to prepare. My birthday isn't until December. :)

Procrastination, It's a Problem

I really have no idea what to blog about tonight. Well, maybe I could blog about procrastination. Yes, that would be a fitting topic to blog about, since it's almost 11:oo and I am just starting my last blog for the week. Procrastination is one of the things I have struggled with for as long as their have been deadlines and due dates in my life. I always, pretty much always, wait until the last possible minute to start any sort of project. Even when I try to start something on time, finishing the actual project always gets pushed to the last possible moment. I read something in a magazine once that procrastination could be a part of being a perfectionist. The fear of something not being perfect prevents you from even beginning the task. You wait and wait until you just have to finish the assignment and turn it in. I think that this is the case with my short story. I came up with an idea weeks ago, but I'm still in the process of getting all the words down. I'll finish it, I always do, but, like always, it will take a while for me to get there. I think that if I can finish my story tonight, I can tweak it in the morning. It should be fine, I hope. I used to tell myself that I simply work better under pressure, but that's not really the case. My work would be just the same if I did it a week before it was due, instead of hours before it was due. I'm trying, I'm really trying, to get better at my time management skills and not waiting until the last possible second. But, I think it is a change that will take some time. I can't change 15 years of bad habits in an instant. One day, everything will be done on time. I'm not quite sure when that day will be, but it'll be soon. Well, maybe not soon, I still have 3 more years of high school, plus 4 years of college and however many years it'll take for me to get whatever other degrees I want, Hmm, maybe I'll be 30 by the time I am able to kick my prograstonation habit. Or maybe I'll never kick it completely, but at the very least I can get somewhat better. Well, I guess I should get back to my story now. I'm excited to have it finished, since then I can share it with people and stop trying to explain the plot to them. :)

- Katie :)

Can't think of a clever name

Alright, since I have a couple ideas for blogs today, so I am going to do a "twitter" type thing. Some little tidbits about stuff I've been thinking about today. Here we go...

I have actually made some progress on my short story! Whopeeee! I still have a long way to go, but at least I am getting somewhere. My characters are taking shape and have names, they actually seem like real people. Well, sort of. I'm feeling much better about it, and I am sort of excited to have people read it. I think the finished product will be quite nice, if I do say so myself. I hope that it will be all finished and polished for Thursday, even if I have to pull an all nighter (probably not, but if I need to it's an option. They don't call me E.B. or Energizer Bunny, for nothing!)

I have a new favorite movie! Dirty Dancing is a life-altering experience. Seriously, everyone should see it. It. Is. The. Best. Movie. Ever. The dancing, the scenery, the people, the costumes, it is all fabulous. Oh, I forgot the music! I think that I am going to have to buy the soundtrack, it is so great. I also enjoy the movie because the main character has curly, blonde hair, like me. I personally think that curly hair is underrepresented. Serious ally, you see straight hair and wavy hair, but never really, really curly hair. Dirty Dancing is a fantastic love story, which may be the best part. I mean, who doesn't melt when Johnny says "Nobody puts Baby in a corner"? It's the most fabulous line in any movie. I think I might need to recreate the final dance. All I need is a Johnny to my Baby... Hmmmm.... Any takers?

This is going to be a very busy week for me. Like my Mom said, in my life, when it rains, it pours. Weeks can go by, and there is nothing for me to do. And then, all of a sudden, there are like 20 things for me to do. Well, maybe not 20, but there are still quite a few. But, as always, I will figure it out. I'll just, in the words of Tim Gunn, "Make it Work," like I always do. :)

I just realized that I promised to continue my blogging about my adventures in Maryland/D.C. I guess I will give y'all a quick recap of last Thursday...

- Went to the Museum of American History, and saw Dorothy's ruby slippers and lots of other neat stuff, like Julia Child's kitchen. Sadly, the couch was "Friends" was not there. :(
- Ate lunch at Good Stuff Eatery, which is owned by Spike from season 4 of Top Chef. Had a burger with bacon, cheese, and an egg on it. It was super good. I also had a bunch of fries and onion rings with mango mayo and tired 4 different types of milkshakes.
- Worked off the huge lunch my walking to the Museum of Natural History
- Saw neat exhibits at the museum of Natural History, like one about the evolution of orchids and one about bones.
- Oh, I also saw the cherry blossoms, so pretty!
- Went to my Baba's and relaxed
- Went to sleep, ahhhhhhhh.

And that's the end of my "twitter" style blog! Tell me what you think. I know each of those blurbs is longer than your typical tweet, but hey, it is me we are talking about!

- Katie :)

Blogging 'Bout a Birthday

Hey people! I know that I promised more about my oh so fascinating adventures in Maryland, but today was just too much fun and too exciting that I need to share it right know. So, today is my little sister's birthday (Hi Poodle!) and we went to our neighbor's beach condo for the day. I know that this doesn't sound so great, but trust me, it was. The best part was that Carrie had no idea where we were going. I mean, she kind of knew that something was up ( our acting skills, sadly, are not that great). There have been, let me count, like 2 years in a row that we have tried to have a surprise party for her. Something always gets in the way, or something spoils it. Examples include people calling to tell Carrie that they can't come to her surprise party or Carrie seeing the clues for a scavenger hunt or people spraining their ankles. There was one year where we did pull it off, but I was not really a part of it until the end. Come to think of it, I wasn't really a part of the planning of this year's party. Maybe I'm the reason the parties never work out... Nah, it must be something else. So, back to this year's party, er, I guess it was really more of an adventure. But I'll start at the beginning...

Our brilliant plan began last night, when I cleverly kept Carrie awake until past her bedtime, so she would sleep in a bit. Carrie is prone to waking up quite early, especially when it's her birthday, so I wanted to keep her in bed until our friend, Kristen, could come in and pounce on Carrie's bed. I slept in Carrie's room, to guard her. Needless to say, I did not get much sleep. So, Kristen finally came in and woke Carrie up, she claims that she was awake, and we explained what was going. After that, we ate breakfast and Carrie blew out candles we put in a coffee cake. Then we got changed, picked up our other neighbor, Caroline, and headed off to Kristen's beach condo!

We had a blast swimming in all the fabulous swimming pools, including a lazy river, which was great. Carrie really enjoyed the water slide (it wasn't my favorite, partly due to the fact that my top fell down the first time I rode it...). We took lots of fun pictures on the beach and I think, I'm not quite sure, that I fell asleep on a lawn chair. All I know is that one minute, the family next to us is ordering their food and the next thing I know,they are finishing their meal. (Thinking back, I probably should not have used a beach towel as a blanket and made the chair as flat as a bed.) We also went on a bike ride and went and got Carrie another cake, her third one, at Publix, a total surprise for her, since she had been told there would not be another one.

Man, I love birthdays. Now I can't wait for mine... I wonder if anyone will plan a party for me? (*Wink* *Wink* *Nudge* *Nudge*) Since I won't turn 16 (!) until December, you all have some time to figure out what you want to do...

- Katie

Musings about Maryland - Day 1

Greetings everyone! Hope everyone had a great week/spring break. As the title of this blog suggests, I am in Maryland right now. We've been here since Wednesday. I've been meaning to blog about all of my exciting adventures from the "Old Line State," but I got distracted by crab cakes and television and my Grandma, you know, the usual. So, this is what I've done/seen this week in Maryland...

(UPDATE: I wrote that before, I'm back in Florida now. Yay for warmth!!!)



Wednesday:

• Flew into Baltimore on a very, very early flight, after getting only like 3-4 hours of sleep.
• Arrived in Baltimore, and moved through the airport super quickly, since we carried on all of our bags
• Went to the inner harbor and ate at Panera Bread, against my will (I really hate eating at chains when I'm on vacation, especially when we are in an area with so much wonderful seafood.)
• Went to Filene's Basement, to get a sweater, since it was way way way colder than I thought it was going to be. I ending up buying a pale blue sweater and two really cute t-shirts.
• Bought tickets for the very crowded National Aquarium.
• Waited until it was our appointed time to enter the aquarium.
• Entered the very crowded aquarium, it was crazy.
• Left the very crowded museum, after seeing a 3-legged sea turtle.
• Ate crab and French fries for lunch, the first of many crab and French fry filled meals...
• Visited my Grandma, or Baba, and my Uncle Greg
• Finally fell asleep

So, that was my first day in Maryland. I'll keep blogging about my trip later in the week. But I do want to take a minute to talk about Poodle's birthday! Poodle, better known as Carrie, is my little sister. Tomorrow, she is turning 13, but we celebrated her birthday today. I decorated the cake, it looked quite fabulous, if I do say so myself. I'll have to put a picture up and Carrie also opened all of her presents. She got everything she asked for, which was a bunch of Ed Hardy/Betsy Johnson stuff. I love my sister, although she can be annoying, like right now. She is harassing me on facebook. But then again, I did kind of cover her arm with glitter glue, and I think it gave her a rash... Oh well, that's what sisters do, right? ;)

- Katie

My Little Sister (:

I love her sooo much! I call her poodle! She calls me noodle! I love her so very much! She is soo nice to me! I LOVE YOU CARRIE!

UPDATE: I didn't write that, Carrie did. But I'll keep it on here, since she said she would call Noodle, and I'm pushing for that nickname... It's better than the other ones she has for me.

- Katie :)

Meringues and Martha

I just ate a bunch of mini vanilla meringues. Oh my goodness, I love them so much. Ha, I just popped another one in my mouth. I've lost count of how many I've had, they're just so tiny and crunchy and so easy to eat in one bite. I feel a bit sick to my stomach now and I have to go to dance in 30 minutes. Great... Now all those fluffy little white cloud-like cookies are going to be swishing around. Did I mention how much I love those little meringue cookies? One of these days I'm going to make my own, from scratch. I was watching Martha Stewart once (I also like her a lot) and she made this little meringue cookies that looked like daisies, with a little dot of lemon curd in the center. They were so cute. Man, I've got to find to recipe for them... Oh! I just realized that the little daisy cookies would taste like lemon meringue pie. Alright that's it, I looking up that recipe. But I'll have to do it when I get back from dance. But as soon as I find it, I'll be sure to post it. And maybe I'll post pictures if I bake them... That would be fun! I really love baking, more than the meringue cookies and Martha Stewart. It would great if I could be like Martha Stewart, craft projects, baking, and cooking. Those are like my three favorite things to do, besides dance. Speaking of dance, I need to go get changed. But I'm kind of watching a really good episode of Private Practice, so I don't want to get up. There's about 10 minutes left of it, and I have 10 minutes until I have to leave for dance. Gah, I need to get changed. But I'll push it for a few more minutes. I'll just get changed really fast, super speedy fast. I guess I should go get changed now. Bye!



- Katie :)

BLOGGING: The Musical

I don't know to write about today... I think I have writer's block. I have to work on my short story too. I'm having trouble thinking of how I want my story to go, I'm having ending it and I don't know what the conflict will be. I mean, I have a basic idea of what I want the story to be about, but that's about it. I'm not going to worry about my story right now. I'll talk,er make that blog, about something else. I'm watching youtube videos of different Broadway musicals right now. I'm considering this research for my short story, since I think it might be about a theater camp or something along those lines. I already blogged about my opinion of A Chorus Line, but now I'm looking up more recent musicals that I've heard stuff about. Well, I'm kind of watching the youtube videos and kind of listening to them, since I'm blogging at the same time. Musicals are very interesting. They are thought of as one giant genre of art, or theater, but if you think about it, they really have nothing in common at all. Besides the singing and the dancing of course. Everything else is completely and utterly different. I find that kind of funky. That you can say that you enjoy musical theater and all sorts of plays can pop into some one's head. Rent or Cats or Hello Dolly, they make up a pretty diverse group. But, that could be why people like musicals, because there is one common thread that can connect all sorts of different themes and ideas. Hmm... I'm going to have think more about this. But, not tonight. I have an early orthodontist appointment tomorrow morning, so I should get to bed.

Goodnight!

- Katie :)

Field trip ideas and random thoughts

I'm watching t.v. right now, I Didn't Know I was Pregnant. It's a show about women who didn't know that they were pregnant until they were in labor. I probably didn't need to explain the concept of the show, the title is pretty self explainatory, but I did anyway. I blame it on being sleepy. Man, it seems like I'm always sleepy, but I swear I'm not! I think I just tend to blog when it's late or right after I eat or after dance class. But anyway, I've already blogged about my love of t.v. and being sleepy. I need some fresh material to write about... I guess I'll work on my homework for Karin's Envi Sci class. Maybe if I mention Karin enough in my blog (Hi Karin!) someone will tip her off and she'll start reading it. Yes, it's a completely brillant and slightly evil plan. I will use flattery to slowly lure peopel one by one to my blog and then they will be hooked on my clever, witty, and slightly sarcastic posts and keep reading, long after I stop writing about them. I decided to give myself a little compliment in the previous sentence, just checking to see if you were paying attention. Alright, I better start working on my homework for Karin (Hi Karin!). So, here is my list...

Katie's List of Envi Sci Field Trips

• Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainsville, FL
• Edison and Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers, FL
• Florida Solar Energy Center (University of Central Florida) in Cocoa, FL
• Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science in Tallahassee, FL
• Historic Spainish Point in Sarasota, FL
• Rhor Balloons in Mount Dora, FL
• Gillespie Museum - Stetson University in Deland, FL
• Bostwick Blueberry Festival in Bostwick, FL
• The Showcase of Citrus in Clearmont, FL
• Whidden Hydroponic Berries & Veggies in Frostproof, FL
• Dekker Family Farms in St. Pierce, FL

So, there's my list. And it's now close to 11 o'clock. I think I'm ready to turn in for the night.

- Katie

Blogging under the influence of cold medicine

I blogging from Sick-ville today. I've been in bed all day with a cold. Blah. My eyes are watering, my head aches, and I'm super congested. To use a very technical term, I feel yucky. And all the tween screaming on the Kid's Choice Awards isn't really helping. But, my cold isn't the only health problem I've had this week. Below is my health saga of earlier this week...

It was a dark and stormy night (okay, it was actually a sunny, clear Tuesday afternoon, but I'm trying to increase the drama.) So, I went to the dermatologist because I had a mole that looked a little bit funny. Had being the key word in that sentence. Long story short, they took it off. I know, this is fascinating stuff right here, Katie getting a mole removed, but I'm going to share anyway. So, we're sitting in the exam room and the dermatologist comes in. She looks at my mole, and agrees that it does look a little funny, but that it's nothing to worry about, yet. But I guess she could see how worried the mole was making me, so she suggested she take it off. Okay, I said, let's take it off. Then she said that I would get three stitches. Wait just minute, hold up, stitches? Don't stitches imply that you will be cutting into me, I thought. I know this sounds really stupid, but I didn't realize that having a mole removed was a minor surgery, with cutting and sewing and such. I thought, you know, maybe they would laser it off. Boy was I wrong. I'll spare you the gory, bloody (there wasn't any blood, again trying to amp up the intensity of my story), but I will tell you that there was a shot, some sort of punch tool, and four stitches, not the three I was promised. But, the best part of my story would have to be Carrie totally stealing my thunder and almost passing out since she was watching them take the mole off. She couldn't just let me have that one moment, could she? She just had to distract everyone from me, the one who they were cutting open? Ugh, I guess that's enough complaining about Carrie stealing my spotlight. Although, I did learn two important lessons this week. Number one, that stitches, while they don't hurt going in, do kind of hurt later on. Number two, that stitches and band-aids make me itchy, and number three, that sisters will always try to one up each other. She may have won this round, but, mark my words, I will beat her in the end!

- Katie

Dancing Through Life

In the two months or so that I've that writing this, I have yet to post a blog about dance. I find this really bizarre, since dance is kind of a big part of my life. I mean, I have been taking at least one dance class a week for the last, oh, 13 years of my life. I think I can spare one blog entry to talk about it. So, dance. I think it would be safe to say that I love dance. Yeah, that would be a true statement. But, why do I love it? That's the question I need to answer. What is the reason why I love to dance? Hmmmm... Do I feel like it's the best way to express myself? Well, maybe that's part of it, but I don't seem to have any trouble expressing myself, with or without dance. Do I enjoy performing and attention it brings me? Well, duh, of course I enjoy the attention (this is me we're talking about, and who doesn't like a little bit of attention?). But I don't think that's why I dance. Is it because I enjoy the exercise? Again, that's part of why I like dance, but not the whole reason. Alright, I've got it. The real reason I have been taking dance for all these years. The costumes. That's the real reason I take dance. Because I love the costumes. Oh my goodness, the fluffy, sparkly costumes. What could be better? Seriously, what could be better? This sounds kind of silly, but I don't really care. Costumes are the best part of taking dance. I love picking them out from catalogs and making them. I love how they fit the mood of the song and the dance. This probably stems from my love of shoes and clothes. Costumes are just like the best outfit ever, but raised to the three hundred and fifty third power. But, there is something better than a costume. Shocking, I know. Do you know what it is? A sparkly, sequin covered costume. Oh yeah... Nothing beats something sparkly. And, I know a bunch of parrots and hamsters (and Skipper :]) can back me up on this. Sparkly things rule!

- Katie

Turkey Sandwiches

Wow, I just realized that I haven't posted since Friday. That doesn't really seem like a long time, but in blog years, it's the equivalent of about 2 and a half years, give or take a few months. So, this is what I did this weekend...

Friday:
- Went to school and blogged about Shakespeare (but you all already know that.)
- Ate a cold tuna melt and fries for lunch
- Got home kinda early
- Went to Sasha's house and made posters
- Got in trouble with my history teacher
- Ate a turkey sandwich and salt and vinegar chips for dinner.
- Tried a pirogi for the first time
- Worked on history assignements while listening to various broadway soundtracks.
- Met my Mon's friend from 7th grade and her family
- Attempted to explain the difference between facebook and myspace to my mother and said friend, with the help of the friend's 16-year-old son.
- Watched part of "Say Yes to the Dress"
- Went to Sleep

Saturday:
- Had breakfast with Mother's friend, her family and my family, minus Carrie.
- Thought about what it would be like if Carrie wasn't around.
- Showed the friend and her family the school
- Went and got Carrie from Sasha's house
- Went home and got changed.
- Had lunch at Gargi's
- Enjoyed Lobster Ravioli
- Got blood in my shoe, from a blister
- Bought a t-shirt for Legally Blonde the Musical
- Begged for sweatpants that said "omigod" on the butt.
- Did not receive the sweatpants.
- Saw Legally Blonde the Musical
- Enjoyed Legally Blonde the Musical
- Stood by the stage door and felt embarrassed as my mom asked for autographs, but also glad that she was asking for them.
- Was followed in our car by two cast members of Legally Blonde.
- Came home and googled Legally Blonde the Musical
- Decided I want to see the musical Altar Boyz.
- Ate the other half of my turkey sandwich
- Watched "The Biggest Loser."
- Did world history homework.

Sunday:
-Sang in church
- Messed up song in church
- Talked in the 4th grade Sunday school class.
-Felt guilty for not setting a good example in the 4th grade Sunday school class.
- Ate the 4th graders goldfish
- Picked up Panera for lunch
- Ran into Orthodontist's wife
- Was very glad to be wearing rubber bands.
- Starting reading new book
- Came home
- Consumed yet another half of a turkey sandwich
- Did more world history.
- Read my book more
- Tried to hide reading of new book from mother, since I was supposed to be working.
- Checked facebook. Multiple times.
- Went to OWL.
- Went to WINGS.
- Had a turkey sandwich for dinner. Finally, A WHOLE ONE!
- Came home.
- Did more school work.
- Sleep.

And that was my weekend. Exciting, right? And, get this, I ate another half of a turkey sandwich for lunch today. !!!!!!! Why am I eating so much turkey? If I stop, will I go through withdrawal symptoms? I must investigate this further... Don't worry, I'll keep you posted.

- Katie, Queen of Turkey Sandwiches.