Great Weekend!

I know that I don't normally update on Sundays now, but I didn't update yesterday, and I have something to say, so why not?

This weekend has been one awesome weekend of dancing for me. Starting on Friday, I decided that I was not allowed to sit out more than two songs in a row at Midtown Stomp. I'm pretty good at not dancing sometimes, but that's not really going to help me, so I don't want to do it as much! I don't think that I fully stuck to that decision, but the only time that I did miss more than two songs in a row, I also wasn't in the ballroom, so I feel like I stuck to it.

I got to dance with a cool guy I met at Sweet n' Hot last week, and he started actually giving me some of the direction that I really need with Lindy. It's very exciting. I'm enjoying this all so much more than I expected to, which really does say a lot, and getting better is quickly becoming a big goal for me.

There was a party on Saturday that I didn't think I was going to go to because I was supposed to be at work until 11, but when I got out just after 10 I decided to make a surprise appearance. I don't think I've ever felt more loved than I did walking into that party full of people who'd spent the previous night trying to convince me to come while I insisted that I couldn't. Sure, many of them we drunk, but I felt loved none the less.



While I was there, I got to dance a lot more than I have before (somehow I danced for I think 7 songs in a row) and I even learned my new favorite. Hustle!

I have so much fun dancing with Jeff. He's an amazing lead, and I rarely doubt where he wants me to go. I sometimes don't read it quite right, but I'm learning! I really love the moments where I'm not so comfortable with something, but I just go with it anyway, and I figure out something new!



This week I'm really looking forward to dancing three nights! It will be my first time at Club 21 for their Tuesday Swing, so that should be interesting. Sadly for me Jeff will not be there, but I can't really find fault with him for that. Plus, it's good to dance with other people, if only to reinforce how great a lead Jeff is!

This week I will also be starting to take classes through Midtown Stomp, which Jeff is actually going to take as well. I'm very excited and can't wait to see just what I'll be able to do after the classes. Especially since Jeff is taking them as well, I know that I'll have opportunity to practice!



The dresses that I've been posting are ones that I would love to wear dancing. Not always the most practical, not always a price I would pay, and not always something that would look good on me, but fun to look at anyway!

Best waste of money ever

I bought some shorts on Wednesday.

On the Target website they're listed as $25, but I'm pretty sure I didn't pay that much for them. Anyway, today, only two days after purchase, I can almost take them off without unfastening them. I should have tried on the size 4.

PS. This is the first time I've ever bought a size 6, and it looks like I'm headed to a 4!?

Wow it's late.

I should really be in bed. It's 3:00AM and I enjoy being fully rested in the morning.

Especially when my day consists of the following:

Waking up whenever I please.
Reading in the park until about noon-thirty.
Going to Ikea with someone awesome.
Possibly having Ikea linner.
The chance of a nap (depends on how epic Ikea is).
Swing dancing with some new friends, some of them quickly becoming good friends.
Probably getting persuaded to stay out later than I should, but loving every moment of it!

For those who knew the much more callused me from middle school to even just a few months ago, it feels really nice to now put it into text that...

Life is good.

Addition to yesterday's post.

I forgot to mention yesterday that I'm totally starting to see what a few people have repeatedly told me relatively recently.

I actually am pretty.

It's a weird thing to figure out at 25.

Real post later.

Please Excuse the Language but...

I'm pretty fucking amazing.



Seriously. It's taken me much longer than it should have to realize it, but I really am.

This realization comes from a boy seeming to get a little weirded out actually, or maybe I'm just reading things wrong. I have been dating a boy for a couple of weeks, and in that time he's realized that I pick up on details pretty easily. This is true. If you tell me your birthday, or I see it on Facebook, I will probably remember that it's the same or similar to someone else that I know, and therefore I will know it sooner and remember it longer than you might expect.

What's my best friend from elementary school who I haven't spoken to regularly in 15 years you ask? June 8. Her mother's? August 7.

I don't know how, I don't know why. They don't always stick, but they do tend to get in there pretty quick.

That same boy doesn't know this (yet?), but I really like doing things to show my affection. Things like mix CDs or post cards sent by snail mail. I've had some people make me feel as though the kind of attention that I can give is not a good thing. Those people are wrong.

Sure, there are people who don't handle the attention so well, and I probably won't be super close with them for very long, but that doesn't make either of us wrong. I do believe that it indicates that I'm going to be a pretty kick-ass mother though.

I've blogged before about this awesome party put on by an amazingly talented mother and how blown away I was by it. I'm starting to realize that I have the potential to be just as inspiring.

So, it sucks if I'm reading this boy correctly and he is getting scared off by things like awesome sandwiches that I make and remembering birthdays, but just think of what the one who won't be scared away will be like! And I could be totally wrong anyway, and he could just be busy. In that case, lucky him!

Lots of walking!

I walked over 60 blocks today!

First I went to the bookstore and I purchased a couple of the short stories I'll be reading for my literature classes this Fall. From there I went to the grocery store, where I picked up some toilet paper and a few other small necessities. The plan was then to go home, which I did.

Once I got home though, I realized that I really did have time to go to the rally that the Capitol that I'd been wanting to go to all day. Sure I have an opening shift at work tomorrow and I should be in bed before 9, but I'm only young once, and this is definitely a fight that I believe in. So I chugged some Dr Pepper for the sugar and caffeine, and off I went again!

The rally was nice. Though the party would have been better, I do understand what overturning a majority vote could do to our political system. We'll just have to take to the streets and organize better than we did before, and get it on the ballot again.

I also read in the park in my bathing suit today, which was nice and sweaty! I can't wait to do it again tomorrow! Maybe I'll have company then!

Summer Reading

Today on Facebook I asked for some help in compiling a Summer Reading list. I was very happy with the quick replies, but of course as soon as I posted the request, I realized that I have access to a list of possible books I will have to read this fall. Since I'm taking so many courses, I might as well get a head start on my reading and only have to skim them later, right?

So now I'd like to read about half of the books that I know I'll have assigned this Fall if I can make it happen. Here's what I've found...

For my American Gothic class:
Joyce Carol Oates: American Gothic Tales;
Charles Brockden Brown: Edgar Huntly;
Edgar Allan Poe: Tales;
Henry James: The Turn of the Screw;
Charlotte Perkins Gilman: The Yellow Wallpaper
Shirley Jackson: We Have Always Lived in the Castle

For my American Lit II class:
The Norton Anthology of Modern Poetry, Richard Ellman ed.
Kate Chopin The Awakening,
Joseph Heller Catch 22,
Percival Everett Erasure,
Alice Notley The Descent of Alette.

I can't honestly say that I'm excited about the Anthology of Poetry, but at least it's modern stuff, which I tend to despise less than other stuff I've had to read.

I have two more classes that I'll have reading to do in, so I should probably really get going on some of these books. Luckily a couple of them are ones that I've actually wanted to read before, so maybe it won't be so terrible!

Thanks to all who gave recommendations, I definitely wrote them down and will be checking them out if I manage to finish all of those by the end of the summer. Any encouraging remarks about what I have to read would be greatly appreciated!

Eventful!

I woke up pretty early this morning for having finally put down Wicked just after 3 last night, so of course I picked up my book and started reading again at 8:30. I was much more tired than I'd thought though, because I ended up falling back asleep again, only to wake up around 3!

It's really nice to have three days off in a row and not feel like I completely wasted my day by sleeping through it. Apparently I needed the rest. For the past hour or so I've done about nothing, which has felt good. I do plan on cleaning my room a bit and doing some laundry at some point today, but without anything to do tomorrow, why bother right away? I'm letting the process all marinate in my mind so that I may be able to move through it all better when I actually get down to it!

I'm pretty darned sure you should get that for me since my birthday is less than three months away! (Yes I am already counting down, don't judge, even with the large number that it will be, I like my birthday!)

I think I'm going to try to tweak my Fall schedule a little bit tonight. After I get my room a little bit more organized (read throwing some stuff out) I want to really look into the Spring semester and see just what I will need to do then to reach my goals. I'd like to find a way to get 20 hours of work in each week, and that great opportunity of a Jamba Juice on campus isn't such a fancy idea anymore. That location is going to be a franchise location, so working there wouldn't have all the perks of working for Jamba, like being able to transfer to lots of different locations in the country.

I definitely need some time for homework next semester though, since this semester's grades didn't turn out the way that they were supposed to. And of course there are some recent developments that I hope to have some time for next semester as well (which also means I'm hoping they last that long)!

I don't know if I've mentioned this yet, but within 12 hours of my roommate telling me that she was giving notice, I already had a potential roommate. Let's hope that the character of this house doesn't scare him off though!

Doppleganger!

Once upon a time I searched my own name on Facebook.

There were are few girls with the same name, but only one who stood out. She happens to live in Seattle, very close to Tacoma, WA, where I was born. So I sent a friend request; she of course recognized the amazingness and accepted!

Thanks to the ever-so-functional Facebook chat we talked a little bit after finding out through status updates that we've got many a thing in common. Turns out, she was born in Santa Cruz (if I remember correctly) which is relatively close to where I live now when compared to Seattle. We tended to update our status within half an hour saying very similar things.

Obviously, we're both made of the same kind of awesome.

A couple months ago she let me know that she was coming down to visit her dad.

The Katherines Wessel would be in the same state, and for a little while, the same city! This was obviously going to either solve all of the world's problems, or bring on the apocalypse.

That's right, you can breathe easy tonight. We met today, and I see no signs of impending doom, which only leaves one reasonable outcome.

All is now right in the world.

Also, we're both reading an amazing book that you should probably check out.

I should be asleep.

I officially have an A in the class I thought I was getting an A- in, and a B in one of the classes I thought I was getting a C in.

The other four remain to be seen, but it's likely that a lot of those are Cs.

My roommate today let me know that she's giving our landlord 30 days notice this month and will be out by July 1. Not sure exactly what I want to do about getting a new roommate or finding my own place, but I have a couple ideas for roommates if I do stay here.

Dancing was a lot of fun tonight, and tomorrow night at my new friend Amanda's graduation party it should be lots of fun as well. I'm getting more comfortable just going with the flow, which is probably good for learning new things and not forcing things.

I'm going to be extremely tired tomorrow, but it will definitely be worth it.

Midtown Stomp

I was determined to really write something interesting today.

Instead I took a 4 hour nap and I've been doing just about nothing!

Tomorrow morning over brunch, all the worlds problems will be solved. Get stoked.

Productive Day!

I had a very productive day!

Woke up smiling and being distracted from studying. Eventually got to study, and then took a final for a class that I hope to pull a B in.

After the final I had a few hours before work, so I decided to go for a jog, and combine that with the errand I needed to get done! I ended up walking because my workout pants are too big for me now and fall when I run it seems. I ended up going for about 3 1/2 miles in around 45 minutes.

I couldn't get the errand done, but I did find out more information about it, I guess.

I made it to work on time even though I fell asleep less than an hour before I should have been there!

Now I get to go to bed because I'm working again in less than 6 hours. (I should mention that I've been home for only one hour.)

Tomorrow I intend to be just as much if not more productive!

Summer Courses

I just signed up for my summer courses. If I can get into the class that I'm on the waitlist for I'll be taking 11 units.

Let's hope that I can, because I don't want to have to take more English electives at Sac State if I can take them at a community college.

I looked up my grade in my Grammar class today, and it seems that I didn't understand the big assignment as well as I thought, because I got a 15/20 on it, and since it was late I really only got 13. Because of this, the best that I can hope for in this class is a B.

I'm not looking forward to the final in half an hour.

I am looking forward to watching I'm Not There tonight though!

Discovery!

At 7:40PM on Tuesday I found the option to delay posting.

Love it! Now I can write about the million things in my head when they're in my head and save them for later!

Lots of things!

I might just be crazy!

Click for a larger image of course, and see just how crazy I am!

Those are the classes that I am currently enrolled in for the fall semester. There are LOTS more that I would love to take, but I do have to have time for homework for these classes, and you know, actual WORK. With some luck though, I'll be able to figure out a pretty regular work schedule on campus so that I don't have to worry about a changing schedule. I just remembered that I should have more freedom from money next semester, so I won't even need too many hours working, which is pretty awesome!

It's been hot in Sacramento lately. Not exactly hot enough that it justifies leaving a fan on all day when only the cats are home, yet my roommate does it. The bathroom stays pretty cool, and they hang out in there anyway, why leave the fan on in your room if there is no one to benefit from it? If I didn't already move so much I'd be really tempted to find my own place and just make sure I work more next semester.

I've really enjoyed dancing the past several weeks, and can't wait to learn more. If anyone reading this knows more than me (and I know there are at least two of you) please share with me what you know! Watching some videos of friends completely intimidates me, but also excites me and motivates me to see how far I can go!

I had a pretty productive day today.

After completing an "exercise in time management" provided by my English teacher (it's funny, time management isn't in the course description or the syllabus) I went to the grocery store and got some gas. I don't actually remember the last time that I got gas, but I'l try to pay attention to the next time that I do. I love living so close to everything that I do!

While I was at the grocery store I bought the items pictured below.



To avoid eating most of the box in just a few sittings, I bought the snack bags and divided it up!



I checked the box, and a serving is supposed to be only 55 little fishies, which those bags are definitely not. There are supposedly 32-ish servings in a box, I divided it into 18 bags. (Please note the earrings on the table, it was totally intense work while watching the season finale of 24.)

I have some pictures of a car that I see a lot that amuse me, but I think I've made this entry long enough, and I might forget all the things I think of tomorrow to write about, so I will save it until then!

I had so much to say!

There was so much that I saw to comment on today, and it's all totally gone now.

These were some good things too.

I should be studying right now, and it's just not happening. I think I'm going to lay down for a little while. Maybe just on the couch while I watch 24?

And I've finished!

All of my papers and anything else that I have to turn in to any class has officially been turned in. I have four finals next week, and some of them I'm not currently so prepared for, but it's only one a day, which I can totally handle. Especially since the first one is definitely the easiest, so I have more time to focus on the others!

Now that I'll have a little more time in my schedule, I'm really looking forward to taking care of some things that have been a little neglected over the past few weeks. During study breaks and then definitely after I'm finished around noon on Thursday I look forward to getting at least a few, but hopefully all of the following things done:

Cleaning my room.
Organizing my room as I clean.
Officially signing up for summer classes.
Figuring out applying to the Jamba Juice on campus.
Dancing a LOT more.
Trying some new recipes in exchange for some awesome dancing lessons.
Sleeping in without feeling guilty.
Testing out my mom's pool to make sure it's good for the year.
Reading for pleasure!
Writing for pleasure on a more in depth level than this blog usually gets.
Working and making some cash!
Riding my bike.
Lots more that I can't even think of right now.

Look forward to much more interesting updates!

Nearing the End

This week has felt pretty crazy. Last weekend and the beginning of this week I seemed to have a kind of block on writing the about 30 pages that were due over 8 papers this week. I think a big part of that came from being forced to work on one piece all day Monday when I prefer to be able to work in short bursts.

Today I'm down to 5 papers that I have to turn in tomorrow. One of which is so done that it's got a fork sticking out of it, but another I have yet to begin. The other three I've made decent progress on and now I just need to get my brother over here for some truly brotherly (read brutal) editing and I'll be just about good to go.

I've got so much I could say about my process and how I intend to use the rest of my day, but this is just intended to be a short break so I can trick myself into working on one paper for two of those short bursts back to back!

I will have much more to say tomorrow afternoon and this weekend once my paper writing week is over!

Positive Outlook

In going through the papers that I've received back from my Professor with comments and unofficial grades, I realized that the two I've gotten back from him are actually marked as a B- and B/C. He's a pretty harsh grader, and I would be totally happy with a C+ in the class, especially since I don't feel like I've put as much into these papers as I should have. It looks like I'm on the right path though, since I'll be doing a bit more revision to those papers before turning them in, and I've done a decent amount of revision on the other two I have for that class.

I've still got two more papers for different classes, which are a little more involved and I need to get back to working on them now.

And yes, you read that right. I have 6 papers due before 5:00PM on Friday.
I've already turned in 3 papers this week.

Countdown!

Finals are totally killing me, but I think I'm starting to get a little bit of a rhythm. Before my classes start tomorrow I should have everything done that's got a hard deadline of Thursday. Then I get to stay up all night to finish the gajillion pages I've got to turn in on Friday!

On a more fun note, my hair looks kinda nice when I just take a shower and finger-comb it while writing essays. But apparently my chin doesn't really like finals because I'm a tad broken out!

Not a too terrible lot to go!

Time

I've got so much work to do, and simply can't get motivated to do any of it. I'm definitely starting to run out of time.

I got my shift covered at work this evening to be able to have more time to work on the 15 or so pages I have left to write. I don't really need the hours anyway, as long as I'm staying good about not spending money I don't need to.


In other news, I didn't think that there had been much activity with the toilet paper, but I looked in the cupboard yesterday and we're somehow down to 12 rolls again. I don't understand where it's going.

Last week of instruction before finals!

I’ve had a rough couple of days. Ironically brought on by one really amazing one. I’m working on letting go of things in my past that I haven’t been able to forgive myself for.

I’m a little bit better today, though admittedly still a bit unsure of things.

I got to talk to an old friend today, which felt amazingly good. It was only on Facebook chat, but it felt just as comfortable as I would have felt talking to her 8 years ago when we were seniors in high school, or 14 years ago when we met in 7th grade.

Things like that make me happy.

I may observe a bit of a posting fast this week. I’ve got about 18 pages to write before Friday, so I should really focus on that. I may find my way over here if I need a few minutes of scholastic escape though!

"I like it!"

Probably my favorite part about the baptism I attended this afternoon.

Almost Forgot.

I came really close to completely forgetting to post today!

If I hadn't come to my blog to link a friend to a particular entry, I wouldn't have remembered at all!

Some exciting things are happening tomorrow. I'm not going dancing like I have been each Friday, but I think I might enjoy the evening none-the-less. My favorite Midtown restaurant, smoothies and a movie can't really let down, right?

Zombie Katherine

For getting about 4 hours of sleep last night and having been up for 12 hours already, I’m pretty dang happy and awake!

I wish that I could bottle this feeling and use it whenever I wanted.

Kind of makes me sad that it’s inevitable for this to become routine and therefore to lose the magic of keeping me awake on days like this. I guess I’ll just have to enjoy it for now!

Smiles!

Those look good, right?

I totally agree. Especially when I'll be making some myself, and probably discussing Bob Dylan and how not being able to understand him heightens the effectiveness of his message while eating those.

There might be more to it than that.

I should be writing

After class yesterday I came home to find two random rolls of toilet paper added to the stockpile.

Today we are back down to 16. My roommate seems to be blowing her nose a lot, and I actually spotted one roll in her bedroom which explains some of it, but to go through a whole roll in a day? I just think that's crazy.

Where does the toilet paper go?

This is the kind of thing that bothers me on two levels of green. Financially and environmentally.

I have no idea how only two girls can go through as much toilet paper as we seem to in this house. I'm pretty aware of it, and am confident that I am not over-using to any degree, yet I bought a 12 pack less than two weeks ago, and my roommate just bought another the other day. We currently have 16 rolls, I plan on watching to see how quickly they disappear.

I personally believe that 16 rolls should last us about a month at least, but it seems as though they will be closer to two and a half weeks. I don't know that there's anything to be done if my roommate is using it up way too fast (how do you tell a grown woman that she's using too much toilet paper?) but I can try to entertain myself by noticing the rate of disappearance.

New Music

Anyone have any recommendations?

I'm a bit in love with Lily Allen's "The Fear" and I've been thinking about getting the whole album, but I've been spending a lot of money lately and don't think that I should spend more if I'm not sure about it. If EMI would just include a digital download of the album with the vinyl I would already have both, but I don't want to pay $21 for something I can't take with me.



I have the same issue with The Decemberists' The Hazards of Love. They at least have 17 tracks for only $9.99 on iTunes.


(I know this isn't from Hazards of Love but I still love it. Now I'm realizing that I need all of their stuff!)


What are your favorite artists lately?

Midtown Stomp

Even with being sick (I think I've finally figured out that I'm sick, I don't have allergies) I had a blast at Midtown Stomp tonight.

I think I'm going to have to get used to the idea of updating after midnight on Fridays since even when I'm home and supposed to be in bed by 11:45 it doesn't seem to work out.

Tomorrow I get to celebrate my little brother's 21st birthday and write as much of a paper as I possibly can!

I'm sure I'll find time for an interesting update while avoiding homework!