Lookie lookie!

I'll wait patiently for you all to peel yourselves up off the floor after the shock of me posting another blog entry so soon wears off.
You good? K. Good.
Bloggy blog blog...what to blog about today...this white box is staring at me, waiting for me to put interesting words into it that will get lots of attention...but my brain is having a battle within itself. Do I talk about real thoughts that I've been thinking?
This would include, but would not be limited to:
Adam Levine and how I'd love to allow him to sing to me all the time (I'd pay him to follow me around and sing)



Shew. I put a big space here so you can catch your breath before moving on from this perfect man.

I still need a sec...

Ok, moving on...
 Chocolate-which is weird considering I'm not a big sweets eater at all and rarely crave chocolate, but today its been on my mind a LOT



How I'm going through a weird phase where I'm wearing every last possible thing in my closet in order to avoid doing laundry, which in turn makes my room the messiest its been in a LONG time...



Or about how this is my absolute most favorite show:



Because of this man



Who plays Captain Hook, and also this guy:



known as Pinocchio.

Oh yeah, and also this man:


Who plays the mad hatter, but also plays this man




in Gossip Girl.

Very tricky and confusing, but awesome. Once Upon a Time is mostly awesome because all of the actors/actresses are incredibly good looking.

Lots of random thoughts, none of which are things I want to discuss in greater detail. Granted, my blog is usually a lot of random thoughts. Just not those.
I've been trying to cut back on my soda intake...so far today (its around 11 am) I've had exactly 1 1/2 mountain dews. I guess I'm not really concerned about cutting out ALL soda, just cutting back on the mountain dews and cherry cokes. Considering those really are the only sodas I drink very often, I'd say this is a big problem.

Ok, Katie, that was a lame thing to discuss on a blog. No one cares about your soda intake, or lack therof (woo!). Get it together!

A lot of times when I blog it is because I have something to rant about, but unfortunately no one has crossed my path today and pissed me off to the point of wanting to rant. Not yet, anyway. I'm debating going on one of my infmaous wandering sprees and just annoying everyone in the various departments. Yesterday I went on one of these and ended up collecting candy from 5 different people! Some would compare this to Halloween, but I compare it to a kid in a candy store. People get annoyed with me and just pile candy on top of me to get me to go away. Parents do this with their kids in a candy store. Kids being annoying? Take them to a candy store to get them to shut up for awhile. Granted, later on the kids are twice as annoying with the sugar rush (much like me later on at the office) but it still is a good temporary fix.
Until I'm sneaking up on their cubicles later in the afternoon trying to scare them. But that's another story for another time.

I'm pumped for the holidays! I think this mostly has to do with my undying love for food, but I'll pretend it has everything to do with my love of family togetherness. I do love family time, but really Thanksgiving is about eating so much that you're miserable, or as I like to call it, excercising your right as an American.

On that patriotic note, I'd like to encourage everyone to get out there and be an American and eat a nice juicy burger! Or hot dog, which I think it supposed to be more American.

And no, I don't know how this blog went from talking about Adam Levine to talking about American food, but you're welcome.

Every single one of my blogs starts out the same way...
First I apologize for not blogging in awhile, then I promise to blog more often, and by now you proably think those promises are fairly empty.
I'd probably agree.
However, I hung out with a friend who I haven't hung out with much recently, and she encouraged me to start blogging again.
With that in mind, I decided to give it one more shot. Its all or nothin baby, here goes!

Usually, I blog with something in mind, like a strong opinion about something going on in my life. Right now, I have zero strong opinions (mostly because its 9 in the morning, a time where I have no opinions about anything that doesn't involve my bed or coffee) so I guess I'll just ramble a bit, maybe post a few pictures or something, and then go from there. K? K.

What am I thinking about right now? There's a few things. Here you go:
1) My coffee has gotten cold, which is really annoying. I'm a coffee addict, and when it gets cold I feel like a coffee drinking failure. Granted, it was an extra large, so most people would say "hey, it's fine, your coffee got cold, go heat it up!" But for me, it is a big fat failure and I have let the world of coffee lovers down. Sorry guys.
2) I'm a big fan of lists, so these will be a trend for this bloggy.
3) I'm a little annoyed with myself for how addicted I am already to my Iphone. But, you have the iPhone 5, one might say. Those are supposed to be awesome! You're allowed to be addicted to it! Ok, some might not actually say that, but I like to think some would so that I can justify having my nose in my phone most of the time. I do hate it though, mostly because BSP (before smart phone) which was really about 2 months ago, I hated when other people I was with would have their noses in their phone. So I vowed not to be that person, and I'm still trying. Its a daily struggle.
4) That's pretty much it. I thought I had more thoughts, but I don't. Right now my brain is just hearing white noise, almost like fuzz. bzzzzzzz.
Anyways. You'll soon learn, avid reader and follower of my blog(yeah right), that I'm a bit of a rambler, and everything I say is generally very random.


Oh yeah, and I never proofread before posting, because I generally decide after proofing that what I've said is stupid, and end up deleting it. So you either get my blogs with mistakes and all, or not at all. Cheers :)

Ramblings about chicken...

Ok, so most people know that I'm not very politically active, mostly because I don't plan on spending much of my life in America. Don't get me wrong, I'm not as apathetic as most people my age, but I just don't see the point in arguing on facebook. No one's opinion is going to change because of ten comments back and forth on a status update.
Anyway, so I've been seeing a lot about this Chic-fil-a nonsense, and frankly, I'm shocked. Shocked that it is such a huge deal, and shocked that people didn't know that Chic-fil-a was a conservative/Christian establishment. I mean hello, I used to get Focus on the Family tapes in my kids meals there years ago, they always have Christian music on, and they're always slightly outspoken about supporting family values.


So really, I don't understand why everyone is surprised with Chic-fil-a's statements about supporting the "traditional family".


Ok, now I'm going to get down to the bigger issue. Most of the comments I have seen made about this whole ordeal have to do with people being angry that Chic-fil-a is "anti-gay". I also saw a slightly ridiculous accusation about it being anti-women, but seeing as how that tends to be women's favorite accusation these days (he wouldn't hire me because of my vagina!...no dear, it is because you are a terrible employee, not because of your female anatomy...) I'm not even going to acknowledge that as a real problem.


The issue for me is this. Everyone wants to criticize and say that Chi-fil-a is terrible for being anti-gay. Disregarding the fact that chic-fil-a never actually said anything about hating gay people, I'd like to look at a different side of this. People want to say "they aren't being accepting of everyone, therefore they are terrible people!!" This is a catch-22 way of thinking. People are mad at them for not being accepting of gays, but in fact, those people are doing the exact same thing by not being accepting of chic-fil-a for their beliefs.


If people want to say that "everyone can have an opinion", that's fine, but don't go and bash an establishment because they have an opinion of their own. Its a double standard! If you don't like your friend's views on a subject, you can discuss them or ignore them, either way they're probably not going to change their mind. If you don't like an organization or establishment and their opinions, then don't go there or don'd do business there! But don't tell other people that they should do the same, because then you're guilty of the same thing the people you disagree with are doing. Mad that chic-fil-a has certain beliefs? Think they're trying to force them on others? Cool, don't go there, and tell your friends how you feel. But don't bash people for having a different view and siding with chic-fil-a! By telling people they need to feel the same way you do, aren't you doing the same thing as your "opponent" by forcing your opinions on others??


See what a tangled web this is? This whole mindset of "equality" has to go both ways, or it is null and void altogether. You can't say that one group of people is right, and then decide that everyone who disagrees with those people are wrong for having their own beliefs. I genuinely don't understand this. America used to be a great country because everyone was entitled to their own opinions and beliefs, but now its almost like everyone wants us all to be the same. Everyone is the same, everyone needs to believe the same things, everyone has to agree...


This mindset terrifies me. Without people disagreeing, the system of checks and balances begins to fall apart. When people are too afraid to speak their opinion because of the backlash from others, our country will no longer be the same free place it is known for. Freedom of speech is something that the States have, but not many other places in the world get to experience. We've gotten so used to being able to say anything we want, but have we taken it too far? It seems to me like people my age like to go for "shock value" (myself included) to see how far we can take things. Just because we have freedom of speech does not mean we need to tell the world every little gruesome thought that pops into our minds. Its pointless.


So, how do I feel about the chic-fil-a controversy? You'd probably be surprised of my actual opinion, considering the nature of this post. I don't think its necessary for me to put my feelings on the issue in here, because my whole point is that regardless of what side of any issue you find yourself on, don't lose sight of the bigger picture. Divided we fall, and with the way the world is right now, we can't afford to be divided much more. So, have your own opinions, for pete's sake, but accept that other people have different opinions! We're not in elementary school, name calling is way below us (I hate seeing words like ignorant and bigots being thrown around as if it makes the person calling names automatically correct) so why not actually state your opinion without bashing the other side? Have a good old fashioned debate about different issues, but do it with an open mind and actually LISTEN to the other side!


Trust me, I'm just as guilty about all of this as anyone else, probably more so. I just get so tired of seeing people assuming that people are ignorant because they have a certain opinion. Good grief.


Ok, I'm done, just needed to get that out :) Have a great day everyone, whether you are picketing in front of chic-fil-a or going there to get a chicken sandwich!

The time  has come, the walrus said, to talk of many things. Of shoes and ships and ceiling wax, of cabbages and kings, and why the sea is boiling hot, and whether pigs have wings.

More than anything, I want to be happy. This is probably a strange thing to want, considering I've pretty much always been happy. My friend Josh calls it the Sagittarius curse, because I'm always content with my life and looking at the bright side of things. 

Don't get me wrong, being positive is great and all, but sometimes I worry that I'm too content with the little things, and that I should be wanting more out of my life right now. I just don't see why I should be trying to be a big successful career woman, when right now, I pay for everything on my own and have enough left over to have a fun life.

Anyway, enough about that. I've been working at an outpost store on the Ocoee, which has been the most amazing experience so far. I've met about 30-40 new people, which is awesome considering the black hole that Cleveland is when it comes to meeting new people. Everyone is so awesome, and I've pretty much been at the river for the past week. I only come back to reality when I have to work at Domino's, which is slowly but surely being phased out of my life. (Sad day!)

I will write more about my experiences at the river as I spend more time there, but for now I just wanted to give a brief update of my life. Busy busy, as always! 

Thats it! Go, be free, read the next blog, don't let me hold you back! 

Thoughts on this day

Loved by many, hated by just as many, you guessed it, today is Valentine's day! I've heard the woes of the ones who don't have a lover to spend the day with, and I've also heard the hatred from the singles (and some couples) who despise the "commercial" or "hallmark" holiday.
Personally, I have spent very few Valentine's days with a guy (I can think of two), but I'm not one to bash the holiday. In years past, I've probably uttered bitter words on the 14th of February, but not anymore. Although some would say that you should show your loved ones, especially significant others, that you love them every day of the year and not just on this one day, I find this logic hollow. The sad truth is that most people DON'T take the time to appreciate the ones they love, myself included. I think it is nice to set aside a day out of the year to make sure you inform your loved ones that they are special to you. Significant others aren't just what the holiday is for.
St. Valentine was a martyr for what he believed in, and it is perfectly fine by me that we have set aside a day to celebrate those we love.
Whether you believe it is made up by greeting card companies, or you genuinely enjoy the cheesiness of the day, the fact remains that picking a day to remind those you love of how you feel is a great thing.
Now, go on and have your candlelit dinner complete with roses and chocolate and (hopefully) jewelry.

Job Stuff...

Well, I drove down to Buford yesterday for my job interview. I woke up around 6 so that I could leave by 7:30 to ensure that I wouldn't be late. I took backroads the whole way, which was nice and relaxing. I wasn't nervous until I got there, and even then I kept my nerves in check, which was nice.
I interviewed for over an hour. He told me all about the company so that I could make sure I knew what I was getting myself into. They basically provide advertising and help with finding means for funding for non-profits (Feed the Children) and Christian ministries. It's a small company, but they have a lot of clients, and I really liked the feel of the place.
The interview went well, and he even said "I really like you" which is a plus! But he also made the point that I needed to make sure it was a place that I wanted to be, especially because I'd be uprooting myself and moving to a new place where I don't know anyone (except Briana).
I left the interview feeling great, and after a quick stop over in Athens, GA to see my friend, I drove back. It was late last night, and it was raining a little here and there, and I was in a state of constant prayer. I began to feel uneasy. If I get the job, do I REALLY want to leave all of my friends and everyone I know and move to Georgia? Is it really a company that I can see myself spending an entire year, 40 hours a week, working at? What about my lease in TN, which isn't up until August? What about Suzanne, my roommate, who would now be living alone?
Needless to say, I've been stressed out ever since the interview. I told God that I was willing to do WHATEVER he wanted, but I kind of thought that would entail moving to a foreign country and getting to hang out with cool orphans or something. I didn't really think he would give me the chance to move to a new state, with a new company and new people, all while still being so close to home and everything I've worked for.
Then I start questioning whether I'm feeling uneasy because its not the right thing, or just because it would be uncomfortable to uproot myself and start over. I keep telling God that I really am willing, I just want to be sure that its what I'm supposed to do. If I know without a doubt that God wants me there, I'll be more than happy to move and trust him (seriously!) but my biggest fear is deciding to move and then realizing it was the wrong decision.
I'm supposed to hear back from them today...It's past noon and I'm still waiting...
Frustrated, stressed, and tired....
-Katie

Games of Hunger

Ironically enough, I AM hungry, but this post is actually about the alleged "Hunger Games". Like the majority of people who don't live under a rock, I have heard all of the hype surrounding these books, and I'll admit I was skeptical (wha? me? never!) to read them because of the types of people that kept saying how amazing they were.
A couple people in my classes last year said they were an easy read, and pretty interesting, so I decided I might give them a shot one day, just to see what all of the fuss was about.
The more I heard about the books, the more I put off reading them. Then, over Christmas break, my sister gave me the first one and told me to read it. I looked at it for awhile, and I even read the first sentence, but I left home with the book tucked away in a backpack, and soon forgot about it.
Social media reminded me that I should probably get started on the book, but the more I heard about it, the less I wanted to start reading.
The last weekend in January came. I worked Friday and all day Saturday, and when Sunday came I realized I had the entire day off. I went to church, cleaned out and vacuumed my car, then set to work on my house. I cleaned, scrubbed, vacuumed, washed, straightened, folded, you name it, I did it. With everything gleaming, I decided to curl up with a cup of coffee and a book. Unfortunately, the books I recently purchased from McKays were not calling my name. Then I remembered the book that I had stuffed in a backpack, and I kept hearing that its a book that you "can't put down", so I decided a day when I had a nice block of time was a good time to read it.
And so, I started it. Now, if you know me at all, you know I'm about to give you some opinions. You can disagree of course, but this is my blog so if my opinions offend you, look away. Little disclaimer there.
My first reaction was "What the? Present tense? Terrible choice." Because as anyone whose ever taken a basic writing class knows, present tense is difficult, and it usually doesn't work very well. It was jarring, and even after finishing the book, I think present tense was not the best choice. But, she did make it work, so props to her for that. I just personally didn't care for the tense.
Also, as I read the first four or five chapters, I kept finding grammatical errors. This is a curse I was born with; anytime I read anything my mind automatically corrects the errors. I was confused; was she trying to convey the voice of the narrator by using incorrect grammar? Or were they mistakes?
So, that threw me for a small loop. But, I overlooked it, because a fellow writing student told me that despite the rough writing in the beginning, it gets better.
So, I pressed on.
I thought it was obvious that the author was setting up a romance between Gale and Katniss, so I was pleasantly surprised when he didn't volunteer to go to the games as well.
I didn't find the book particularly interesting until about halfway through the Games segment. The writing definitely improved, and the world that she set up turned out to be much more in depth than I expected. It was a strange combination of a post apocalyptic world, where the people have nothing, and the electronic future, where everything is tracked and watched and televised. Obviously I found myself thinking of Lord of the Flies several times, but the Hunger Games had a sick twist, since the children should not have been in that situation in the first place.
I appreciated how dark she let the book get; I was afraid that being in the "young adult" genre would hinder her from going into too much detail. There was a nice balance between action and suspense and description, which is hard to do.
I didn't find that I "couldn't' put it down", but I did find myself curious as to what would happen. It was a really easy read, which was a nice change, and the plot was nicely pieced together. All in all, I'm glad that I read it, but I wouldn't say that I would read it again. I'll probably see the movie, and I might even read the rest of the trilogy if someone offers me the other two, but other than that, my time with the Hunger Games is finished. I gave it a chance, it didn't dazzle me but it did entertain me for a few hours, so that is that.
Cheers!

Words...

Words are definitely high on the list of my favorite things. No, this list does not actually exist, and probably never will, but I never tire of mentally adding things to it.
Let's see...blog blog blog. Well for starters, I posted a political statement on facebook. This is what I consider to be myself evolving into an adult. Granted, the post was a little negative, but you get the picture.
Ummm. Well, I've started delivering pizzas to people, which is actually quite fun! Granted, zero degree weather or rain could put a damper on things, but tonight was a BEAUTIFUL night, and I got paid to drive around (I may or may not have been listening to a book on my Ipod) and make people happy by bringing them food. There was actually a note on an online order that said "I'm drunk and hungry, plz hurry!! This was my favorite thing tonight. Honesty really is the best policy people! No, I didn't deliver their food, but the message still cracked me up. People are so crazy.
Presidential stuff is of no interest to me, which is silly because I'm always saying that we should respect our rights as Americans and use our freedom for the greater good. I'll figure out who I'm voting for when it comes around to that time of year again (ok fine, I still get excited at the idea that I'm old enough to vote again, sue me) but until then, I mostly stay out of political stuff.
So that's that.
I've really been trying to concentrate on "the little things" in life. Now that I'm graduated, I don't have ten things due in a day or have a bunch of meetings or classes or things that HAVE to get done. Also, the sermon last Sunday was about the parable of the talents (look it up, I'm not about to explain it) and how God really wants us to be diligent in the small things before he'll trust us with bigger things.
This was a really big deal for me. I've been struggling SO much lately about not having "big" tasks in my life. I want to be changing the world, not delivering pizzas! But God apparently has other things in mind for me right now. So, I've been using my free time to "be diligent" and try and stay grounded in what is important. Yesterday was one of the worst days I've had in a really long time (and if you know me at all, you probably know that I never have "bad days") and it seem to come at the worst time possible. I was like, really God? I'm trying my best to be diligent and you throw me this crap??
And then it hit me. I can't grow, or have any sort of substantial relationship with God, if I'm not tested. God gave me his fatherly all knowing look (I always personify God in my mind) and basically told me to suck it up. I've had an amazing life, and the little things that go wrong and seem to weigh me down are really pretty silly in the long run.
I was like, okay God, fine, I see your point. I'm going to remain diligent in the small things, even when it seems like everything is being thrown at me at one time. *grumble grumble*
Because really, if we can't remain true in the small tasks when things are going poorly, how can we ever expect to have big things thrust upon us and still survive?
So today, I woke up with a fresh attitude, and I concentrated on the small things. I drank coffee, I started a new book, and I dragged my awesome comfy chair onto my porch and basked in the sun. A friend who went to Cambridge with me once told me that "the sun is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" and I believe that with my whole heart. The fresh weather, sunshine, and relaxation completely rejuvenated me! I went to work with a smile, and I've had a great night thus far. Attitude is SO important, people. So yeah. On that note...
This is me, the humbled servant, signing off for the night.
:)

FINE!

Ok ok OK people, I really and truly am going to try and blog more often. I have no idea why blogging is such a struggle for me, it makes no sense for a cynical writer to not enjoy putting her cynical thoughts down and having people read them. Maybe it is the fact that I doubt many people will read my posts, and I think it is a bit of a waste of time since I don't know how to do all of the fancy shmancy stuff with blogs that most people do. I'm going to try and start including pictures and stuff though, so hopefully that will make it a little cooler? Yes? Maybe? Arg.
What to say, what to say...
Lately I'm struggling immensely with the dreaded question: What comes next? Everyone has been asking me what my plan is now that I'm graduated, and I get extremely frustrated anytime someone asks me this. I've reverted to saying "I'm just chilling" or the ever popular "I'm going to be a writer!" (I absolutely love how uncomfortable people get when I say the latter, they back away slowly and tell me how lovely that is...haha)
The problem for me is that there isn't much that I could do that I wouldn't be happy with. Let's see, a mortician, a coroner, a nurse, a Wal-Mart employee, a construction worker, and a truck driver are pretty much the only jobs that I wouldn't enjoy. Actually scratch truck driver, that would actually be kind of awesome. I could wear flannel all day and have an awesome dog for company.
Anyways.
The point is, at every stage of my life thus far, I've been content. More than content actually, I've been happy. No matter where I live or what I'm doing, I'm always fine with it. 9 out of 10 people who ask me what I'm doing now assume that I've moved back to my hometown, which really blows my mind. Don't get me wrong, I love North Carolina, but my town is so small and really has nothing for me right now, especially when I've pretty much got the world at my fingertips.
I've considered the Peace Corps, long term missions work, teaching English somewhere random, going on and getting my masters (I would only do this if it was somewhere abroad, I'm thinking Edinburgh) or just moving to a big city and trying to find a random job. The last option is the least appealing to me, but it seems to be what a lot of people assume I'm going to do. For me, right now, Cleveland is great because I'm comfortable here, I know people, I have connections with professors at school, and I have a great job (not great pay, but amazing people and an insanely flexible schedule) that pays the bills. Also, I have free time to write, and I'm freelancing for a tax software company based out of my hometown.
But alas, I know that my college days are over, which probably means I should get out of my college town, but I just can't seem to figure out where to go next! It's not that I don't have enough options, on the contrary, I seem to have too many. I could seriously do anything and everything and probably be happy. I could live anywhere (except maybe Antarctica, but I do love penguins...) and do any job, and be content.
Anyway, those are my current frustrations. Most people seem to think I need to have some big master plan for my life, but I honestly never gave much thought to post-college life. Graduation was always the goal, and it seems so unfair at how fast everything turns on you. One second everyone is super happy for you because you are about to graduate, then suddenly, they turn into an angry mob, demanding to know what your next move is going to be. Not fair.
I'm sure I'll get bored in Cleveland, but for now I try and stay busy reading and writing and working and hanging out with my friends. And catching up on sleep ;) My first endeavor after graduation was to reread all the Harry Potter books (granted, I've read them all at least five times, but not consecutively) which I've now almost accomplished. Next, I'm reading the Hunger Games, which I'm actually dreading because of the crazy hype surrounding it.
Oh crap, I promised pictures! I need to go back through and add some fun visual stimulation, which you will have seen by the time you read this, so maybe I should just erase this sentence. Nah.
So I can't think of any images that would be appropriate for this post. I promise I'll include pictures in some posts from now on!!