1) I spent the better part of the day about 4 seconds behind the rest of the world. Reason? I took some Dayquil this morning and found out that it makes me more than a little loopy. While I was in Spanish, my professor asked me what I used to do when I was little, and it took me at least 30 seconds to comprehend what she was asking me, come up with an answer in English, and translate it to Spanish. The best I could come up with was that I played outside with my brother and that there weren't any parks nearby. Awesome. So conversational. Things got even more interesting when I was walking home from class and had to cross Kentucky and Tennessee. I never wait for the walking man (because really, why?). But this morning by the time the thought process telling me it was safe to cross the street had come to fruition, it was in fact no longer safe to be in the middle of the road. Too cool.
2) The other day (November 11th, if you must know) I was dancing around the kitchen with a pint of ice cream (like I do) singing along to Kori's Shit List (all the best [worst] music from middle school and beyond) when I realized that it was the 4 year anniversary of Cody dying. So naturally, I admonished myself for being happy and went into the living room to denature my brain with mindless television (thank you, cable!). And now, looking back on it, that was stupid. No better word for it than that. Just because she's gone doesn't mean I get to hold myself back from experiencing what she never gets to.
3) I just got off the phone with Craig, one of the only non-family members I've known my whole life. Just when I thought we'd grown apart to the point of never being able to reconnect, we go and have an hour-long conversation with almost no awkward pauses. It was really great talking to him, especially now that we're both at points in our lives where we're pursuing our dreams and turning into real people. Let's all give friendship one big hurrah, shall we?
4) I got a tattoo. I've kind of been letting people discover it naturally, but the only people I know who read this already know about it (sorry, Mom). It's a musical symbol, a fermata. Fermatas are placed over notes when the length of the note is up to the conductor's discretion (usually at the end of pieces). Basically, it means that things only have to last as long as I want them to. I'm not living by anyone else's agenda. Lame, but whatever.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Sunday, November 2, 2008
I went on a domestic rampage today.
It all started with my bedroom (which, let's be honest, was a disaster 2 weeks ago - by the time I got to it today it was down right post-apocalyptic). After cleaning to the point where I could cross it without stepping on anything and I could almost make out the pattern on my rug, I finally started nesting. My closet doors are two massive mirrors on rollers, so I set about covering those up first off (what girl wants to wake up to a wall of mirrors every morning?). One side was already half blocked by a bookshelf, which stands as a bleak tribute to my poor reading habits of late, i.e. I haven't been doing enough of it. Thanks to the handy, though depressing, bookshelf I had just one door-sized mirror to cover. For this task I called on my Shit Box, which contains sundry treasures and pictures spanning the last 10 or so years of my life. I put in everything from a picture of my dad and I in front of Graceland to my ticket to The Star Trek Experience in Vegas. I have to mention, for obvious reasons, that there are also a number of clippings from the basketball team's road to the National Championship tacked up there for good measure. After all that and despite the pile of clothes on my bed approximating the size of a small sedan, I called my room clean enough for the day.
My next target was the kitchen. I dirtied it up real good. I've been wanting to make a big ol' batch of pozole for months, and when I found hominy in the grocery store I knew it was destiny. So I snatched up 5 cans, called my dad (the family's pozole connoisseur), gathered the rest of the ingredients (or so I thought) and headed home. Of course as soon as I got home I realized I'd forgotten the chicken broth, one of the three main components of the soup. I sped back to the grocery store and walked past the broths 3 times before I finally broke down and asked an employee to point me in the right direction. A few minutes later I arrived home, broth in hand, and began assembling my foodstuffs. The rest of the pozole incident was fairly uneventful, since all it involved was some chopping, trimming, grating, browning, and boiling. The highlight of the whole process was Kori telling me "It's not horrible." Point - Katelin!
My next target was the kitchen. I dirtied it up real good. I've been wanting to make a big ol' batch of pozole for months, and when I found hominy in the grocery store I knew it was destiny. So I snatched up 5 cans, called my dad (the family's pozole connoisseur), gathered the rest of the ingredients (or so I thought) and headed home. Of course as soon as I got home I realized I'd forgotten the chicken broth, one of the three main components of the soup. I sped back to the grocery store and walked past the broths 3 times before I finally broke down and asked an employee to point me in the right direction. A few minutes later I arrived home, broth in hand, and began assembling my foodstuffs. The rest of the pozole incident was fairly uneventful, since all it involved was some chopping, trimming, grating, browning, and boiling. The highlight of the whole process was Kori telling me "It's not horrible." Point - Katelin!
Another goal of mine was baking a pie. It's been on my list for months, but I always found a way of putting it off. I eventually decided that if I was going to play house for a day I may as well go all out 50's style (sans sun dress and apron). After 3 attempts and a counter full of dishes, I finally mastered the crust, lattice and all. Eight peeled, cored, and sliced apples later my pie was assembled and baking while was falling asleep in the living room. Since I was afraid I would fall asleep and set fire to the house, I took the pie out ten minutes early and passed out. So the apples were still a bit under-cooked... no big deal.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
I'm done.
I don't want to be in school anymore. I know it makes me a more well-rounded individual and that I can't get a decent job in this economy without an education. Yadda yadda yadda. I just don't have the passion; I see people all around me who genuinely love what they're doing. They're on a well-defined path to a future career sure to yield contentedness (and a sweet paycheck, for the lucky ones). I've been a go-with-the-flow type gal all my life, but I've hit a brick wall. Forward doesn't seem like an option anymore. I want to go off and find my own little nook in the world where I can curl up with a cup of tea and a book. I want to do my learning (and earning) on my own terms. But most of all, I want my sentence here to be over; I'm done being judged by such subjective, meaningless standards. So I can't adjust a supply or demand curve to make up for inflation as well as I can whip up a creme brulee. So what?
I want to tell people's stories. I want to introduce the world to real, flawed people. I want them to see themselves in my words, and I want them to be better for reading them.
Straight A's, perfect attendance, a flawless transcript -- If that's what it means to be successful, then I can't be successful according to your terms.
I want to tell people's stories. I want to introduce the world to real, flawed people. I want them to see themselves in my words, and I want them to be better for reading them.
Straight A's, perfect attendance, a flawless transcript -- If that's what it means to be successful, then I can't be successful according to your terms.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Matt Versus
Premise: in an attempt to save lil' kids from their own stupidity, a children's television show pitting Matt against the various hazards in the world was developed. The following are plot ideas for said show:
Matt versus Geese
Matt versus Crack-Addicted 13-Year-Olds
Matt versus Gravity
Matt versus Inertia
Matt versus Spy Vs. Spy
Matt versus The Elements (as in weather, not those in the periodic table)
Matt versus Traffic
Matt versus Fish
Matt versus Grizzly (on land)
Matt versus Grizzly (salmon-style)
Matt versus Dumpster Divers
Matt versus Trans-gendered Vegas Hookers
Matt versus The Mob
Matt versus Irony
Matt versus Geese
Matt versus Crack-Addicted 13-Year-Olds
Matt versus Gravity
Matt versus Inertia
Matt versus Spy Vs. Spy
Matt versus The Elements (as in weather, not those in the periodic table)
Matt versus Traffic
Matt versus Fish
Matt versus Grizzly (on land)
Matt versus Grizzly (salmon-style)
Matt versus Dumpster Divers
Matt versus Trans-gendered Vegas Hookers
Matt versus The Mob
Matt versus Irony
Friday, September 12, 2008
My beef.
I'm sick and tired of hearing conservationists claim that drilling for oil in ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge) will destroy the tundra and kill off the animals. First off, people who camplaign (campaign+complain) so heavily to protect this environment need to educate themselves on exactly what it is they're so vehemently trying to save. We're not dealing with some lush Alaskan wilderness from a National Geographic magazine. No, my friends, we're dealing with an Arctic desert which is frozen solid for about 9 months of the year. I don't mean to downplay the importance of this place, nor do I condone it's destruction. Which brings me to my second point.
As much as uninformed individuals claim drilling operations destroy the environments in which they take place, this simply is not the case. I've seen first-hand the extent to which companies go to in order to ensure the well-being of the environment. It is vital to the life cycle of tundra that the permafrost below it remain frozen year-round. As a result, all facilities (which produce a tremendous amount of heat during their operations) are on raised gravel pads, raising them 4-6 feet off the tundra. In addition, the facility buildings themselves are on stilts to minimize the heat transferred to the tundra. In addition to shielding the tundra from heat, the pads also function to provide a catch-all for spills and driving surfaces for vehicles. No vehicle, under any circumstances, is allowed to drive on the tundra. The pipelines criss-crossing across the land are also a significant source of heat, so to protect the fragile plant-life all support beams are heavily insulated.
Case number two against drilling operations: it kills off wildlife. Untrue. The Prudhoe Bay drilling sites are directly in the path of caribou migrations, but instead of impeding their progress, the drill sites draw the caribou in droves. The pads and roads give the creatures sanctuary from the clouds of mosquitoes, and the shade provided under the facilities provides a reprieve from the sweltering 70-degree days (note: temperatures that high cause facilities to shut down; they function better during sub-zero winter days). All employees, save for the few trained bear-hazers, are prohibited from approaching or harassing wildlife. Because of this rule, I found myself stuck in a drill site Control Room for nearly an hour when the pad was invaded by a herd. As for bears, they're doing just fine in the presence of slopers. There are more bears killed by humans, and vice versa, every year in Anchorage than there are in Prudhoe. Humans and bears are in more danger from each other in my parents' neighborhood than they would be in ANWR.
As for litter, they're pretty good about that up there, too. I guarantee that if one was to walk down a street in the Student Ghetto of Lawrence, they would come across more trash than they would if they were to walk the same distance along a road in Prudhoe. BP annually hires college students to pick up trash along the side of the roads, around pads, and around the Cold Storage Pad and dump from June through August. During these months, the only ones where The Slope is snow free, there are Summer Hires picking up trash every day it's safe. The only days they aren't set out are the ones when it's too foggy for them to see bears coming from a distance or be seen from the road.
All this is by no means an attempt to convince anyone that tapping into the reserves in ANWR is the right thing to do. But before you run your mouth about why it's evil to drill for oil there, have an informed opinion. Know what you're talking about, and formulate an argument based on fact, not just emotional appeals. If you think the only reason it's wrong is because of what drilling does to the Arctic, take a minute to reevaluate your stance on the issue. If you think it's wrong because we should be exploring alternate energy options, then come up with an argument based on that. Don't use an imaginary destruction of the Arctic environment to convince gullible and uninformed people of your opinion.
Rant number 2:
Hey, Vic Vickers!
Thank God there are so many non-Alaskans willing to work to save us. I mean, really, thank you Vic Vickers for campaigning to replace Ted Stevens as Senator. No matter that you moved from Florida and switched political parties to do so. If that doesn't make you qualified to represent us, I just don't know what does. It really is a travesty that less than 5% of voting Alaskans found you worthy of replacing Mr. Stevens. The man has only been involved in Alaskan politics since before the state actually entered the Union. Your motto of "Take back Alaska" was supremely appropriate considering both your past and that of the man you thought you stood a chance against. Damn naive Alaskans, failing to elect you.
So much for objectivity.
As much as uninformed individuals claim drilling operations destroy the environments in which they take place, this simply is not the case. I've seen first-hand the extent to which companies go to in order to ensure the well-being of the environment. It is vital to the life cycle of tundra that the permafrost below it remain frozen year-round. As a result, all facilities (which produce a tremendous amount of heat during their operations) are on raised gravel pads, raising them 4-6 feet off the tundra. In addition, the facility buildings themselves are on stilts to minimize the heat transferred to the tundra. In addition to shielding the tundra from heat, the pads also function to provide a catch-all for spills and driving surfaces for vehicles. No vehicle, under any circumstances, is allowed to drive on the tundra. The pipelines criss-crossing across the land are also a significant source of heat, so to protect the fragile plant-life all support beams are heavily insulated.
Case number two against drilling operations: it kills off wildlife. Untrue. The Prudhoe Bay drilling sites are directly in the path of caribou migrations, but instead of impeding their progress, the drill sites draw the caribou in droves. The pads and roads give the creatures sanctuary from the clouds of mosquitoes, and the shade provided under the facilities provides a reprieve from the sweltering 70-degree days (note: temperatures that high cause facilities to shut down; they function better during sub-zero winter days). All employees, save for the few trained bear-hazers, are prohibited from approaching or harassing wildlife. Because of this rule, I found myself stuck in a drill site Control Room for nearly an hour when the pad was invaded by a herd. As for bears, they're doing just fine in the presence of slopers. There are more bears killed by humans, and vice versa, every year in Anchorage than there are in Prudhoe. Humans and bears are in more danger from each other in my parents' neighborhood than they would be in ANWR.
As for litter, they're pretty good about that up there, too. I guarantee that if one was to walk down a street in the Student Ghetto of Lawrence, they would come across more trash than they would if they were to walk the same distance along a road in Prudhoe. BP annually hires college students to pick up trash along the side of the roads, around pads, and around the Cold Storage Pad and dump from June through August. During these months, the only ones where The Slope is snow free, there are Summer Hires picking up trash every day it's safe. The only days they aren't set out are the ones when it's too foggy for them to see bears coming from a distance or be seen from the road.
All this is by no means an attempt to convince anyone that tapping into the reserves in ANWR is the right thing to do. But before you run your mouth about why it's evil to drill for oil there, have an informed opinion. Know what you're talking about, and formulate an argument based on fact, not just emotional appeals. If you think the only reason it's wrong is because of what drilling does to the Arctic, take a minute to reevaluate your stance on the issue. If you think it's wrong because we should be exploring alternate energy options, then come up with an argument based on that. Don't use an imaginary destruction of the Arctic environment to convince gullible and uninformed people of your opinion.
Rant number 2:
Hey, Vic Vickers!
Thank God there are so many non-Alaskans willing to work to save us. I mean, really, thank you Vic Vickers for campaigning to replace Ted Stevens as Senator. No matter that you moved from Florida and switched political parties to do so. If that doesn't make you qualified to represent us, I just don't know what does. It really is a travesty that less than 5% of voting Alaskans found you worthy of replacing Mr. Stevens. The man has only been involved in Alaskan politics since before the state actually entered the Union. Your motto of "Take back Alaska" was supremely appropriate considering both your past and that of the man you thought you stood a chance against. Damn naive Alaskans, failing to elect you.
So much for objectivity.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Couch Pains
There are two directions this entry took while being formed in my head. One was me bitching about my chronically strained and spasming back, and the other was going to turn into me driveling on about independence. I don't really like the sound of either of those, so I'm going to stop typing now and come back when I have something a little less worthless to contribute. (I guess that means this may be goodbye for a while)
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Prudhoe Crazy
"Do you want a peanut?"
"No."
"Do you want ALL the peanuts?"
"If it's foggy in the morning, you're the first to die."
"I got you a present! It's Tetanus!"
"Hey Katelin! Katelin it's your lucky day! I found the rope you can hang yourself with!"
"Jessalin has been threatening to murder me all day. Reprimand her."
"I win. Go lick the truck. Truck licker."
"Double jinx. You owe me your soul."
"Shit. I need a pastry."
"I promise not to pee your truck."
"It wasn't as long as I thought it'd be - that's what she said!"
"How many times have we said 'fuck' in this conversation? That's a second-week word!"
"I just had a revelation. I'm going to break up with my girlfriend tonight!"
"No."
"Do you want ALL the peanuts?"
"If it's foggy in the morning, you're the first to die."
"I got you a present! It's Tetanus!"
"Hey Katelin! Katelin it's your lucky day! I found the rope you can hang yourself with!"
"Jessalin has been threatening to murder me all day. Reprimand her."
"I win. Go lick the truck. Truck licker."
"Double jinx. You owe me your soul."
"Shit. I need a pastry."
"I promise not to pee your truck."
"It wasn't as long as I thought it'd be - that's what she said!"
"How many times have we said 'fuck' in this conversation? That's a second-week word!"
"I just had a revelation. I'm going to break up with my girlfriend tonight!"
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