identity

I had a great visit with friends and former colleagues in Lewiston before heading to Sandpoint. A few times I was asked by people who didn't/don't know me too well, "So, you're still single?" This question is completely fine to ask me and I don't mind...not in the way you may think, anyway. I only mind because that is not the first thing I think of to describe who I am.

I think that's why I have a problem with "singles groups" at church. That's a part of who am, but not even the first thing that comes to mind. I was also talking with a friend who is a new mom and although she loves being a mom, she doesn't want to be identified only as "mom" and associated only with the "mom's group."

I don't know what others who know me well would think to say about me, but here are where I hope my priorities are:

1) Christ-follower. How can I show Christ to people in the least "religious" county in the country?

2) Daughter/Aunt/Sister/Granddaughter/Niece/Friend

3) Teacher

4) Single

5) More...

Don't get me wrong--I do want to be married and want to be a mother, but it's not what I live my life for. I love my life right now and am (mostly) living in the joy God wants me to live in. I'm content.

it all started with the remote control

As I find myself trying to command Z something I had just handwritten or trying to unlock my house with my key fob for my car or complaining that I have to wait 10 whole seconds for my computer to turn on, it makes me think of a time when we Americans were not as lazy or impatient as we are now.

And, thus, my theory: it all started with the remote control.

"What?! Walk all 6 feet to the TV to change the channel? No way. I will continue to try to use The Force to turn it on before I give up my remote control," said 2009 Katie.

"Of course, I will get up and change the channel for you, Father. Especially since it is the only TV in the house," said Fictional 1950 Katie. "Now, Teddy and I will go help Mother make a pie."

See, it was such a simpler time "back then." It's all been downhill since then...or is it uphill? No, downhill is easier. More lazy.

And now it's time for me to stop procrastinating and finish writing my final. But you don't have to worry; I have not given up trying to use The Force to do all things for me. It will really come in handy when the remote control is across the room from a lazy Katie sitting on the couch.

putting my scary evil Halloween voice to good use

'Tis the season for corny "inspiring" holiday commercials. You may roll your eyes and want to throw up after seeing them, but let me help you actually enjoy these commercials. WANT to watch them, even. Take the last corny line said and say it in an evil scary Halloween voice. It makes it just sooooooo funny:

"In all my years, I've never seen a storm like this." Man comforts woman scared of lightning. "I'm here. And I always will be," as he gives her jewelry.

• Now, say "and I always will be" in a scary evil Halloween voice. Now it's funny.

Mom is video-conferencing with her daughter while at home. "Look what we've done around the house." Goes out on the porch. "Surprise, I'm home!" says the daughter.

• Now, say "Surprise, I'm home!" in your evil scary Halloween voice. Now it's funny.

Girl, after a day of visiting places significant in their relationship, says to boy, "I don't remember this place." "You will," he says, as he takes out a ring to propose.

• Corny, right? Now, say "you will" in your evil voice. Yep, funny.

Thank you, Kay Jeweler's and Lowe's commercials, for giving me such good material.

multi-tasking

I have discovered a unique way of multi-tasking: while walking from point A to point B, close your eyes for a few seconds at a time in order to get some much-needed rest. Result: not only do you feel more refreshed, but no time has been wasted!

Caution & Advice for Success:

1) This is best done when no one is around. Not only do people prove to be hazards that you might walk into, you will probably attract a lot of strange looks.

2) This is best executed while walking in a straight line on a wide path. Trips and falls may be the consequence if you do not follow this advice (this also may result in strange looks and pointing fingers/laughing by passersby).

3) Emphasis on closing your eyes for only a few seconds at a time. You never know when a small dog may wait for just that moment to get under your feet and try to trip you. Also, an alligator might jump out and try to bite your leg off. This would result in surgeries, possible prosthetics, and trauma counseling. In addition, trained professionals will try to find the answer to why you were walking down the street with your eyes closed for so long. This would be embarrassing to explain.

I have done this several times with excellent results. Who says you never have time to rest?

how to make rockin' scrambled eggs

It's simple. It's uncomplicated. It rocks.

What you need and what to do:

-Non-tephlon pan

-Medium to medium-high heat

-Pam cooking spray

-Crack your eggs in the pan.

-Mix them around with your spatula.

-Add salt and pepper. I use sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

-Mix them around as they cook. It should only take about a minute.

-Add Vintage Extra Sharp Tillamook cheddar cheese to make them more rockin'.

-Katie's Magic Touch

That's it. The rockingness scrambled eggs could be on your plate in no time.

coffee & school

You know it's time for more coffee when...

...you are on your way to get more coffee, park, walk toward the coffee shop, excited to use your $.50 off coupon, look around in confusion, get back in your car, and drive to the next corner where the coffee shop actually is.

Yep, that experience was on the first day of the school year. It's now getting toward the end of the third week of classes and the term is going very well. I am definitely staying busy--probably a little too busy those first few days! It's now the 3rd time I'm teaching elementary music for classroom teachers, 2nd time teaching the elementary music methods course for grad students, but only 1st time teaching violin/viola techniques. I'm learning as I go for the string tech class, but I at least had a starting point for the other two. The classes, I'm sure, will continue to evolve each year as I learn more and figure out better ways of doing things and find better materials to use. And last week, I got confirmation that I have a job the rest of the year and it is looking very promising for the foreseeable future. So, that is a relief! I really love what I am doing and see myself here for quite a while yet.

first bread attempt

After buying my sister's super cool Kitchen Aid from her because she got a super cool Bosch mixer, I decided today is the day to make bread. 

What follows is a chronicle of Katie's First Attempt at Making Mom's Bread Which Will Show Whether She is Her Mother's Daughter or Whether She Will Hang Her Head in Defeated Shame. By telling this in the 3rd person, it will help Katie emotionally distance herself from the process in case of failure.

• Katie started to get all the ingredients out. She realized she didn't have them all. Trip to the store.
• Talked to her sister over Skype (the first of many times) to ask some questions. Mixed all the ingredients in and gradually added the flour. Doing OK so far.
• Um, mom's dough recipe really is for a bigger mixer than Katie's. The, uh, mixer is smoking a little. Yeah, had to stop it. Oh, and, kinda injured two fingers three separate times trying to get it to mix before it started smoking. Yes, there was drama.

Lessons Learned #1: figure out the math for just one or two loaves, not three.

• Since everything, at least, is mixed all together, finished kneading it by hand (well, with eight fingers since Katie's left thumb and pointer finger were bandaged). Will amputate wrists later. She hopes her mixer is OK.
• Dough is raising. Katie starts to blog about her experience since there has already been drama involved. She hopes it will be boring from now on. 
• Time for loaves. She doesn't really remember what her mom does to get them in the pans. Involves a rolling pin, right? They need to rise again.

Lessons Learned #2: ask mom how to roll out bread dough. Sheesh.

• They're ready to go. They are not quite all the same size.

Lessons Learned #3: buy a food scale.

• She hopes her oven is not too hot. They're going in...
• Looking in the oven window half way through the cooking, Katie sees that holy crap the loaf in the middle is huge! 

Lessons Learned #4: not kidding about that food scale. 

• They're out! They're brown! They're only a little misshapen (except the middle one--it's really misshapen)! Katie managed not to burn herself taking them out, hurray!
• OK, about ready to cut into the first loaf with her brand spankin' new electric knife. 
• Looking good so far. She raises the hot slice of bread (buttered and jammed, of course) to her lips and.............
• Mmmmmmmm. Good try. Better luck next time. Just kidding!! Katie says, "Wow! I made this! And it's good!!"
• Katie managed not to ruin them. It tastes almost as good as her mother's. 
• Katie believes she has taken her first successful step on the journey of her bread-making future. Life will never be the same.

           

OK, I think this quest was successful enough to speak in first person again. It was worth the pain and trouble and should be easier the next time I make it--hopefully with less injuries. But the next time is cinnamon rolls, obviously. 

I'll save clean up for tomorrow. My fingers hurt. And there's bread to be eaten. 

no one is 31

Have you ever noticed that no one is ever 31 years old? Seriously. This is an age when it seems that nothing significant enough happens to take note. "When I was 31..." Yeah, you would never say that. You have never heard anyone say that. You hear about 28, 29, 30 (obviously), 32, and beyond, but 31 just seems to be the age no one is. And if they are 31 years old (like me...and someone else I know), your age all of a sudden becomes something not important enough to think about. Unless you think about never thinking about it and then blog about it, then, well...

Hmm, I think I may try to put 31 on the map this year. For all the RIGHT reasons, people. Sheesh. Do you know me but at all?

potential new adventures ahead

Just got an email from the president of OSU today. Here's a little of what he said:

Over the next two years, the budget recommendations will result in the
elimination of 150 to 200 FTE positions in the Education & General
Budget and 75 to 100 FTE positions in the Statewide Public Service
Programs. The university will eliminate an estimated 500 course
sections, and more than 30 academic programs will be restructured,
eliminated, or consolidated with other programs.

That's a pretty huge deal. I think I will be spiffing up my resume over vacation. I'm so glad to know that God is in control. What a huge relief that is.

How did I live without these?

I have taken on the project of cleaning my spare bedroom. It has basically been left untouched since I moved in almost a year ago. I have since discovered treasures that I didn't know I've been missing all year! Words just seem too inadequate to describe the joy and fulfilled forgotten-until-this-day longing these reunions have brought about...



Katie with Shark Grabber Picker Upper Thingy, self portrait







Katie with Fish Hat, 'Nuff Said, self portrait







Katie with Stress Balls, Two of Which Are From Drug Companies (Given To Her By Her Sister), self portrait






Katie with Batman Sucker Spinner, self portrait (sucker absent from portrait)






The Whole Gang






We have been reunited! You are mine, once again!

procrastination

Just a few random things I learned this year teaching college:

• When you sit at your desk a lot, you have lots of time to drink coffee. Lots of coffee.
• The weakest students take up a lot of your time. Easily three times as much as lower-maintenance students.
• Don't schedule a 5-page paper due four days before the 5-page essay final is due for your 27 students. Also, don't have all other late assignments and 5-page journals from observations due the same time as the final.
  
• Don't blog when you should be reading and grading those 50+ 5-page papers instead.

Oh...um, later then.

key in hand

Key Advice from Katie* (yes, pun intended):

• Make sure you have your house key before you step out of your locked house. 
  
• Make sure that the locked ring of keys in your house doesn't also include the key to your car. 
  
• Make sure you aren't in a hurry because you are late to go somewhere, like church.
  
• Call your friends who have your spare key. If they don't answer, try again. Common reason for no answer: they got up early to go to Portland for an all-day rehearsal. 
• Stand in your driveway, by your car, next to your locked house, thankful that you at least have your coffee to sip on while you think of your next move. 
• Make sure you have your landlord's phone number in your cell phone. If not, you will have to knock on two neighbor's doors (if the first one doesn't answer) and borrow their phone book.
  
• Try calling your landlord. If the phone is busy after trying many times, just walk the seven blocks over to his house in hopes to catch him.
  
• After your nice landlord gives you a spare key, walk home, open your house, get your own keys, get in your car, and then drive the borrowed keys back to your very nice landlord (and drop off your rent check while you're at it).
  
• If you miss going to church #1 at 10:00, go to church #2 at 10:45.
  
• Be sure that this entire process takes no more than 40 minutes. Otherwise, you will be standing in your driveway, by your car, next to your locked house, still trying to figure out your next move, and sad that you already finished your coffee.
  

*Any similarity to actual events, places, or characters in or around Sunday, May 2, 2009, in Corvallis, OR, is purely coincidental. 

the cutest nephew

Drew, 10 months

I just got back yesterday from a delightful visit to Idaho. I think maybe I saw my parents, my brother, my sister, and my brother-in-law. I'm not quite sure since most of my attention was spent on my nephew... Oh, OK, I had a great time with everyone else, too, but for obvious reasons, the rest of us came in second place. 

they call me Lenient

My lucky lucky students. I don't know if they realize how lucky they are to have an insecure first-year college teacher. Katie, to herself...well, OK, out loud to her computer: 

Katie: Wow, these quiz grades are not so good. I better see what the average is...

Computer: ##.#% average for quizzes.

Katie: Crap. That's not good. I must not be a good teacher.

Computer: You could change all that if you dropped their lowest quiz grade.

Katie: But would they then think I am too lenient? A pushover?

Computer: It's possible, but the other possibility is that they think you are a bad teacher because their grade really doesn't reflect their learning and effort in the class.

Katie: Wow, you're smart.

Computer: Yes, I know. Thank you. 

Katie: OK, I guess I'll drop their lowest quiz grade.

Computer: Yep, it's looking better now. I'm glad you made me change their percentages.

Katie: Thanks. At the risk of being too lenient, I do feel better now about their grades.

Computer: Wow, you're smart.

Katie: Now you're being sarcastic. I need more coffee.

See, it's good to talk these kinds of problems out with...

Wow, I need more coffee.

yep, I'm old

Now, I know I'm not old old. But the following story really does show the difference between me and these young-uns.

I was attending a music education student retreat a little while back and part of it was scheduled for Friday 5:00-9:00 pm. Well, after a pretty long week, the session, though good, was getting long. At break time, I was in the women's bathroom and a younger girl I know came in. I said, "Man, it's hard to have these kinds of things on Friday," which meant that I was getting pretty tired. Her reply: "Oh, I know! [wait for it...] I have three parties that I'm missing."

I, of course, just smiled.

Yep, there's you and then there's me. 

video calls

I remember a time when, if you wanted to talk to someone who lived too many miles away, you would pick up the phone and call. And then technology developed and that whole email thing kept us in touch with more frequency and that was great. And then text messages! Was there really a time that you couldn't punch random thoughts and greetings into a phone to a friend to read whenever they wanted? These are all great ways of keeping in touch with people you don't get to see often. 

So why now are all of these not good enough? Inferior, even? Yes, the world now includes Skype. And gmail chat. And iChat (which I haven't figured out yet, grr). You can now see your really cute nephew who lives 677.89 miles away from you. ON the computer. Talking and smiling at you. That's right. Real time video electronic cuteness. Other ways of communicating electronically are just not good enough anymore (notice I said electronically--there's still no replacing face-to-face, but this sure helps). 

And what's going to stop us from now just hanging out? Why the heck not? Hey, wanna have coffee together, sister-of-mine-who-is-677.89-miles-away-from-me-with-my-cute-nephew? Why, sure! says sister-of-mine-who-is-677.89-miles-away-from-me-with-my-cute-nephew. What are you making my nephew for breakfast this morning? Why, Katie, let me show you while I cut up bananas to add to cereal and will now feed him while you watch and talk to him.

See? You are now intrigued. You are now wondering why you haven't been doing this already. There are still some kinks Emily and I are trying to figure out, but we're both really enjoying it. It's definitely worth your time to look into it. I would love to talk to more of you this way! Or not. I would still rather you just come visit me instead. My extra bedroom is still waiting for visitors...

a trip to the dentist

I know some people hate going to the dentist. While I don't love it, I do like going. I love having clean teeth. I love having them compliment me on my excellent dental care and no cavities (and it has been WAY too long since my last visit: 2 1/2 years! Yep. OW! I just pulled a muscle patting myself on the back). 

And then, I wait for the new dentist to finally say what I have been waiting to hear for the past 1 1/2 hours (different variations on the same theme; here is the latest): 

Dentist: "Have you been sick lately?" 

KT: "Nope, I haven't." 

D: "But, your tonsils...!" 

K: "That's their regular size."

D: "Wow! They're almost touching!!"

K: "Yep. Yep, they are."

They remember me, even after 6 months or a year later. My tonsils make that much of an impression.

I continue to impress everywhere I go.

you know you're tired when...

I play a game on Facebook called Word Twist. You try to find as many 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7-letter word combinations you can in a given time using a scramble of 7 letters that make up one (and sometimes more than one) long word. Kind of a combination of Boggle and Scrabble. Some of the words are weird and obscure. And some don't even have a definition! 

The last game I played, I didn't get the longest word, which ended up being "chie fly." What the heck is a chie fly? Sheesh. There goes stupid Word Twist again with a dumb word that no one would ever get. I clicked on the word to find out the definition. 

The definition: "for the most part." 

Oh. Um, yeah. "Chiefly." 

Sigh. It's been a long day.