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Monday, April 19, 2010

Chipotle

I've never been a big fan of Mexican food until recently. We went to three different Mexican food restaurants while we were in Vegas. One was a first for me. I've always heard that Chiplotle was good, so my dad and I decided to give it a try. Those burritos were HUGE! It was a wonder I could get my mouth around it all. Mmm. Good stuff. Very tasty. 

The guy who made my burrito also hit on me. I was very flattered even though he was short, had braces, and was probably 16 years old. 

Now I'm watching "The Great Mouse Detective" with my sister while my dad snoozes on the couch. I'll be heading home tomorrow, and I'm not looking forward to the drive home. I can't complain about sleeping in my own bed, though. 
It's been a hard weekend, but I'm glad I came.
Sunday, April 18, 2010

Spicy!

On The Border. It's a Mexican restaurant. I LOVE it. They have them elsewhere, but the only one I know of is in Vegas. So, whenever I'm in Sin City, I always request going there. 

OH the fajitas. Yum yum yum yum yum! Habanero Fire Sauce is amazing! So spicy! Mmm.

On the painting front, we finished except for a 2nd coat on one wall. I've been very sore and hurty, mostly for reasons unrelated to the work we've been doing; and so I've been getting steadily more grumpy at time went on. So, while we had an extra pair of arms (Alyson's ex-husband, Mike came to help us paint) we moved all of the furniture over to the house. I stayed behind and loafed. It was great. 

Then we went to On The Border for dinner and all of my grumbles went away. Yay for Vegas.
Saturday, April 17, 2010

Painting

"Hey Katie!" "What?" "Want to start a paint contracting business with me?" "Ummm... no." - Conversation with my dad after 6 straight hours of painting.

We painted nearly all day today. From about 11:30am to 7:30pm. I realize that's only 8 hours, but that's a LOT of painting time. And we're not even finished yet. There's only a bit more trim work left, and then mostly roller work, which should go pretty quickly. And then we still have to move all of Alyson's stuff from her apartment to her new house. Alyson has a LOT of stuff. I sound like I'm complaining. Well... I am kinda. This has been a lot more work that I anticipated. I knew it would be quite a bit of work, but this is a LOT of work. It doesn't help that I'm PMS-ing right now. Too much info? Sorry. It's the truth.

I other news, it looks fabulous. That's good. It's a beautiful house and the colors she picked are pretty. I'm just tired of the tedious work that is painting. 

Also, we'll be sleeping at the house tomorrow night. At least... that's the plan. So... I might not be able to post for two days because Alyson won't be able to hook up the wireless. I'm praying that I can steal some from one of her neighbors. If not... I apologize for breaking my 'Blog Everyday in April" quota. Oh well. 
Friday, April 16, 2010

Tape is the devil

Exhausted. Taping. All. Day. Long. 

Going to sleep. Good night world.
Thursday, April 15, 2010

Viva Las Vegas!

Isn't it pleasant when a drive that takes 9 hours feels like it only takes 6? I have to say how much I love traveling with my dad. He's a great travel companion. Mostly because he drives the whole way, and doesn't mind if I choose the music. I do try to pick stuff I know he'd enjoy. He's great.

I'm in Vegas now. We got here about 3.5 hours ago. Stopped at my sister's new house to see it. It's awesome. And it's going to be a trick to paint it. Insanely tricky. We're getting a scaffolding. It's going to be legit. 

We then went out to eat at Red Robin (Yum!) Tip: Guacamole Bacon Burger = fabulous. 

Now I'm back at Alyson's apartment and I'm exhausted. Want to go to sleep. Long day. Sore body from sitting. Soon to be sore from stretching and lifting and moving and painting and working. At least all of this manual labor will burn off the Guacamole Bacon Burger calories.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010

On the road again...

I'm going to Vegas tomorrow for five days. I can hear your groans of jealousy. But before you get too excited, I'm not going to Viva Las Vegas to party it up in the city of sin. 

My sister is moving into her new house. My dad and I are driving the eight to ten hours it's going to take to get us there so we can help her paint her new place and move all of her stuff from her apartment into her big girl house. It's going to be a lot of work.

But I get to spend time with my wonderful dad (He's a great road trip companion. Kinda love traveling with him.) and my sister, Alyson. I lived with Aly for 6 months and got used to seeing her every day. Once every three or four months just isn't cutting it. Nope. So five days with her is going to be amazing! (Even if she is making me paint her house.)
Tuesday, April 13, 2010

P.S.

I've had a crappy knee since July of 2007. It happened at a big family gathering. We rented out the second floor of a restaurant and as we climbed the stairs, my knee popped. It hurt SO badly. I have no idea what I did. I didn't feel like I stepped wrong, put my weight on it funny. It was fine one moment and screwed up the next. It hurt inexplicably for two weeks.

Something everyone should know about me. I hate the sound of popping. Popping knuckles, necks, backs, toes. Any body part that can be popped, if I hear it, I cringe. I'll pop my own knuckles and shudder a little inside. The sound of popping is my nails on a chalk board.

Well... my knee has popped since that day I walked up the stairs in that restaurant. Not just once. Three times. Each time I stood up. "Pop pop pop." Each time I danced. "Pop pop pop." Each time I walked up the stairs. "Pop pop pop. Pop pop pop. Pop pop pop." You get the picture.

Squats. Torture for my knee. Listening to my knee popping each time I bent down... like torture. Well, today, I was working out. Jillian Michaels. She's kind of crazy anyway, and by the end of a circuit I look at her like she's a mad woman. But to hear the words "Okay! Jumping Squats!" come out of her mouth at the beginning of a circuit... my face instantly turned to skepticism and worry. I could already hear my knee popping. But I tried. I try all of the work outs. 

Jump one. Squat. Jump two. Squat. Jump three. Squat. Wait... No "pop pop pop?" And the same for jumps and squats four, five, six and all the rest. I didn't "pop pop pop" once. Weight loss is saving my knee. 

I might not need knee surgery before I'm 40 like I thought! This weight loss thing just keeps getting better and better.

High School Body

I've mentioned before that when I look at old pictures from high school, I can't help but think how silly I was to think I was fat. True, I was bigger than the majority of my friends... that might have had something to do with it. 

Well, I had the realization the other day that I'm VERY quickly getting too small for my clothes. And unfortunately, I don't have the money to buy new clothes. But I had another realization. I'm about the weight I was in high school. I have old clothes from high school upstairs that didn't fit me when I got bigger.

I tried the ones that are still cute on today and...

They fit!

Too bad I got rid of my pants. I have a few new cute tops and AWESOME work out pants! Feeling skinny and fabulous. 22 pounds left to my goal weight. I can't even imagine how great it's going to feel when I'm there if I'm feeling so good right now.

By the way, jumping squats, my new favorite exercise. It hurts so good. Oh baby, makes me hurt so good.
Monday, April 12, 2010

Boxers or Briefs?

I always panic a little bit when someone sits behind me in church and whispers my name before the meetings start. It only means one of two things: 
  1. Someone just wants to say 'hi' and doesn't want to ruin the reverence everyone else is displaying; therefore killing the spirit. OR...
  2. They want you to do something. Say a prayer, stick around for a meeting, etc. In yesterday's case: "Will you prepare the activity for Family Home Evening?" 
Of course I said yes! But who am I to judge what people will like or not. I finally settled on one of my favorite games.

Boxers or Briefs.

No. We don't line all of the guys in the ward up against a wall while the girls debate what they think they are wearing underneath. Simply because all of the guys there tonight would have been wearing garments and it wouldn't have been a fun game. 

Here's what the back of the box says: "Grab some friends and get ready for rounds of laughter as each player is put on the hot seat. The hilarity begins when you have to choose from the wild & wacky statements your friends pick to describe you. Will they reveal hidden quirks or will you all share a good laugh at their absurd choices? This easy-to-learn game will get the party started! More than 2000 unique and funny phrases provides hours of entertainment."

I first played this game at a party in 2007. Loved it the moment it started. I'm so shocked that more people don't know about it. It's simply hilarious to play. Everyone loved it. And even better, I had been having a pretty rotten day, and this cheered me up immensely.

I actually came up with quite a few other ideas for activities and let the FHE coordinators know about them. I'm pretty excited to see if some of them actually happen.
Sunday, April 11, 2010

Snazzy

I felt awesome today. I felt like my weight loss was showing, I love my dress, my shoes, my hair, my accessories. My makeup was great too! I just felt really snazzy.


Church was also amazing today. I very much enjoyed it. The spirit there was incredible.

P.S. Yes. I own each Nintendo console. I'm just that cool.
Saturday, April 10, 2010

Happy Day

Things that made me smile today.
  • Finding an industrial sized bottle of my favorite salsa in the pantry. 10 calories!
  • My new panties. I kind of like them. Lots.
  • Working out in like 7 layers of goofy looking clothes, just to make the work out more entertaining.
  • Having the house to myself all day long.
  • Walking to the grocery store to get treats for the Natalie and Katie movie night extravaganza.
  • My ex passing me in his car as I walked home. He pulled over and gave me a hug. (While his girlfriend was in the car.)
  • Watching Empire Records for the millionth time tonight with Natalie. She loved it! 
  • "SHOPLIFTER!!!"
  • "GURL! You need a tic tac for your pit!"
It's been a great day.
Friday, April 9, 2010

Anticipation

Things I am excited for:
  • Weighing in the 170's again. I'm so stinkin' close! I haven't been in the 170's since my sophomore year in high school. I look back at those pictures and wonder why I complained about being fat. I most certainly wasn't. And to be in the 170's means that I'll look like I did in those pictures; only more mature and with better hair and fashion sense.
  • The Outlaw Trail Theater musical! It has finally been announced! (It's about time. 12 days to prepare an audition song?! Really Arts Council? You're lucky that I have the perfect one!) We'll be doing Damn Yankees and I'm pretty excited about it. 
  • Vegas. In a week I'll be in Vegas to help my wonderful sister move into her house. I'll be there for five days, painting a few rooms in her house, moving all of her stuff, and just having some good ol' happy family fun. 
This month is starting off well, and has the potential to stay that way. I am determined to make it so!  

In other news, I'm home alone. I don't know why, but I decided that because I was, I would head to the kitchen to make myself some food in only a tanktop and panties. Nothing else. I mean, who is going to see me? I'm home alone. 

"Hey Kates." My nephew decided to come over for a sec and say hi. 
"Uh... close your eyes for a second bud, kay? I'm only in my swimming suit..." It seemed like a good excuse... *sigh* I hope I haven't scarred him for life.
Thursday, April 8, 2010

Mom!

I've realized that I don't spend enough time with my mom. We went shopping today and gee whiz I love that woman. She makes me smile. She makes me laugh. She makes me want to pee my pants when I'm riding in the passenger seat when she's driving. Love you mom!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Star Gazing

I find stars completely enthralling. I could gaze at them all night. I stared into space curled up in about 7 different layers of clothes and blankets for about an hour this evening. I haven't just relaxed on the ground looking up into heaven for a very long time. At least since last summer. But I don't remember actually going stargazing at all last summer, so it might even be longer. (Unless waiting until nightfall in Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and then looking up into the sky and finding all of your favorite constellations which the makers of this brilliant game so awesomely put in all the right spots counts as star gazing... but I don't think it does.)

As I lay there tonight, searching the skies for Cassiopeia and Orion, I felt so infinitely small. It's a feeling I get quite often when I star gaze. The universe is so vast, and goes on forever, something completely unfathomable to me. I remember the first time I went to the Clark Planetarium at the Gateway Mall in Salt Lake City. At the top of the stairs is an exhibit about the solar system.


They have large models of each planet, scaled to show how much bigger or smaller one planet is from another. The earth is huge. We all live on it, and even if we were the most privileged person in the world and spent our entire life roaming over its surface, we would never see everything it has to offer. It's that vast. Earth looked like a tennis ball compared to Jupiter. Jupiter was about as tall as I am, maybe even taller. (5'8" if you're curious.) It completely dwarfed our little planet. Now, when I think about just how big our planet is, and if Jupiter is that much bigger... I feel like a tiny little speck. And we're only in one stretch of the galaxy. And there are boundless other galaxies out there. Space is infinite. 

I lay there on my front lawn, and while I could have felt like I didn't matter, that I was just one of billions of people on this tiny little place we call Earth; I felt so incredibly loved. There's a purpose to everything. To every single person's life. I looked up into that beautiful dark sky sprinkled with twinkling stars that are so far away, the light has traveled years just so I can see a tiny little glimmer of it's magnitude; and felt my Heavenly Father's love. He made all of this, the ground at my back, the sky above me, even my own body. I owe him so much. I have so much to be thankful for. 
Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Just me, alone with my thoughts.

Natalie was going to come over tonight and watch Empire Records with me, but a few things came up and she wasn't able to make it. So I watched a good chunk of it alone. I really LOVE that movie. 

My day has been pretty low key. After a week of plans and things to do, I'm feeling insanely bored. I have no plans. Any time I tried to come up with something to do, the plans fell through. I'm feeling a little bit down right now. It's no one's fault, I think it's just been one of the first times in a while that I've actually been left alone with my thoughts and emotions instead of putting them away while there are people around, or even venting a few of them with friends and family. I'm not a big fan of being alone with my emotions, thoughts and feelings. Don't get me wrong, it's good for me to work everything out in my alone time, but that doesn't mean I enjoy it. 

Have you ever felt like you are someone different than what everyone sees? That's how I'm feeling right now. I feel like I have multiple personalities. I show one side of me online, another when around my friends, another around my family. I think I'm even a different person when I'm alone. The differences are subtle for the most part, but I don't understand why I can't just be me. Just me. I want that to be enough. 

I really hope this night ends quickly.
Monday, April 5, 2010

Smiles

There are quite a few things that make me smile: 
  • Oreos. They remind me of CJ, which is awesome in and of itself. And they are just so tasty. I am currently dunking a small plate of them in a tiny glass of milk. My cousin Julie has a rule 80/20. If I'm good 80% of the time, I can splurge a little and eat an Oreo or two 20% of the time. These have red cream. They don't taste any different, but the sight looks a little unappetizing.
  • Empire Records. It is my favorite movie at the moment. I swear I've watched it at least 7 times in the past 5 days. I won't get into too much detail, because I plan on posting about it tomorrow. Natalie is coming over for a movie night. She's never seen it and I'm excited to share the love.
  • Family Home Evening. It was combined with the other ward tonight. I must admit, I love this. There are a LOT of guys that I don't know. Such as John Smith. That's not his real name. That's simply what I call him. He bears a quite noticeable resemblance to John Smith from Disney's cartoon. When I told Brooke this on my way out, asking for his real name; she told me that I should tell him what I thought of his appearance. "Right. 'Hey! You bear an uncanny resemblance to the cartoon love interest in Disney's Pocahontas. May I see your pectorals? That will seal the deal.' Ummm... no." They tried to get me to talk to him, but instead I slipped out of FHE and went home. Someday I will find out John's real name. I am determined. (Though... he's shorter than me. And doesn't have nearly as impressive of a jawline.)
I took my camera with me to FHE tonight, figuring that a good group of the people I mention regularly in this blog would be in attendance. I thought I'd help my readers put a name with a face.

Pete. Yup. That's him.



Natalie and Me. I love this girl. She's easily my best in town friend.


Brooke and me. I also love this girl. I can always count on her. ALWAYS makes me smile.


Mecailla and me. I met her through Brooke, and love her to death. 


Natalie, Jessica and me. We're very excited about something. Oh so cheesy.


"Da Moose, Da Moose!" AKA how Natalie says hi.

I love these girls. I'm so thankful to have them in my life.
Sunday, April 4, 2010

Happy Easter!

Have you ever just wanted to spend an entire day in bed? I had my laptop with me, and spent the afternoon cuddled in my covers chatting with CJ, watching random videos and playing random games. And of course dozing off when the mood suited me. I have been unnaturally sleepy today, but I can't really complain. I have a comfortable bed and internet access. It's been a good day.

Happy Easter!
Friday, April 2, 2010

Easter Eggs

It's tradition to dye Easter Eggs every year. I almost didn't this year. SO very glad that I did! Unfortunately, it was too cold to dye the eggs out on the picnic table. Out there I don't have to worry about ruining my grandma's table or carpet and therefore make MUCH more exciting eggs. I had 18 all to myself and only dyed five.

It's also become tradition for the older kids (the ones that aren't young enough not to be judged by the cars driving by.) to hunt Easter Eggs with the younger ones. I love this. Even though it was absolutely freezing and I didn't bring a coat.


My cousins are gorgeous. Love them.

We spent the evening playing games and then watching a movie. 'The Box' is about the stupidest movie. (Aside from "The Fountain" of course.) I didn't finish it. It was that stupid.

Very good day. I'm exhausted. Yay for Easter.

Game Night

My friend Brooke invited me over for a game night with a big group of people. I wasn't sure I wanted to go. But I figured it would be better to go and hang out with a bunch of people I don't know,* than sit at home and feel sorry for myself.

I got all dressed up. I must say, I looked pretty cute. I've learned a new trick, if you dip an eyeliner brush in eye drops and then into an awesome eye shadow, you can use the color as eyeliner. Tonight I did navy blue and turquoise. It was sweet! I had a big flower in my hair, and felt pretty hot.

We sang some karaoke. Played Apples to Apples. Mecailla and I ditched everyone for a minute and went upstairs to play Halo. It was a great night.

Though... Pete was there, and that was a bit awkward. Eeshk!

*Brooke is the Relief Society President of the other Singles Ward in town. She's knows a lot of people and is GREAT at setting people up, so I figured it would be a good idea to go.
Thursday, April 1, 2010

BEDA

That's right folks. I'm doing 'Blog Every Day in April.' I'm not sure how well I'm going to do, but I'm going to try. I've been slacking in my blogging for the past two months, and I'm determined to pick it back up! So, here goes nothing!

It's April Fool's Day. I hate this holiday. There are couple of reasons which I will now list for your reading pleasure:
  1. I can never think of a good prank.
  2. There's always at least one prank that always ticks me off.
  3. Something bad always happens in my life on April Fool's Day.
Let's focus on these three things for this year.
  1. I did some research this year, wanting to really prank someone, but everything I found was either a dud or possibly hurtful to others. So I opted for the simple Facebook 'relationship status' change. I went from 'single' to 'engaged.' A few people fell for it. But within a few hours, cousin Cassie caught the joke and spoiled it in the comments. Oh well. It wasn't a good prank anyway. Good pranks are believable.
  2. Mormon Bachelor Pad. Big elaborate prank. Really peeved me. REALLY peeved me.
  3. CJ, Toronto guy. On Monday, we decided that we were going to try and be together. I told him today that because he isn't LDS, I couldn't be with him. Temple marriage is something that I want, something that I've always wanted. It broke my heart. I'm sad. He's sad. And seeing him sad makes me even MORE sad. It's a mess. 
I hate April Fool's Day.

But BEDA will be fun. I'm determined to make it so.