The Girl is Back in Town

I'm so excited to announce I have officially made it back to the Mothership of Athens. Right in time for football season I might add (insert evil laugh: Muh Ha Ha).

I admit I had a few concerns going into the process, is it really worth the money when I could commute? Consider 8:00 am classes and late Friday nights: Yes it is! And I really wasn't certain about living by myself, having been blessed with the best roommates in the world. I mean really, can I have a festivus by myself? However, I admit, I kind of like it. If for no other reason than if I get jam on the door handle, its OK its My door! Also, I feel quite certain that my new home on the Mothership will frequently draw others to visit me... hint hint. But what I like most about living alone--is my kitchen. Now, the kitchen is fabulous (especially for a rental) and would be great with a roommate, but by myself the kitchen becomes my own personal laboratory. So when I want to try Indian cuisine or fusion Korean-Thai, I don't have to worry that it will smell or suck- because its just me dealing with it or boyfriend but he is pretty adventurous. This is high on my list of Things to be Thankful for.

So to wrap it up, I'm planning to post pictures (once I find the camera in one of the many boxes sitting in the extra room/office that I haven't touched yet). I just wanted to share how happy I am and that the whole Grad School, move to Athens plan has officially happened!

Hate Doesn't Wipe Out Hate

I am flabbergasted and furious over recent reactions to US citizens invoking their first amendment rights to practice the religion of their choice. Ignorance is prevalent in our society, it always has been but apparently so is short term memory loss. Let's go over a few facts. A.) Islam is not a terrorist organization, it is a nonviolent religion. Are they fascists Muslims who commit horrible acts in the name of Islam, yes. Does that make all Muslims terrorists-NO!!!!

B.)Need I remind the world of the many other examples of religious violence. Consider, Eric Rudolph who set off a bomb in Atlanta during the Olympics in the name of Christianity. And mind you that is a very minor example of Christian violence. My goal is not to disparage Christianity my point is simply fascist, extremists, unhealthy people perform horrible, violent acts in the name of religion. Its not a Muslim thing. It sadly is part of EVERY religion's past and present.

Think about how we create student violence- we ignore, hate, abuse and beat on kids to the point where they feel like they have no other response but to explode and take that hatred out other people. So, how do we fight terrorism and violence in the US and across the world? Not by spreading HATRED. We stop it by learning about Islam, by helping in Pakistan , a Muslim nation that has experienced more loss and destruction than Haiti, the recent Tsunami and the earlier Pakistan Earthquake combined.

Personally, I can not think of a better building to be put near Ground Zero than a Mosque. A way to show the international community that our country believes in freedom for ALL non-violent beliefs and religions.

I ask everyone, Christians, Jews, Atheists, Religious Leaders, Congress Men and Women to consider the history of our World and country and remember hatred is easy, compassion and an open-mind is hard but worthwhile. (P.S. to our political leaders: you're pathetic attempt at gaining votes by encouraging hatred/discrimination is despicable. Democrat or Republican if you have openly come out against the Mosque in NYC to earn votes, you should be thrown off the Hill on your asses).

Ta Dah!!

It's been hours, days, months, let's face it two years!!!! since I've felt like I can really dive into blogging. Why, you might ask? Because as of 11:48 on Tuesday June 22, 2010 I am 100 percent blogging for myself and not to impress possible future PR bosses (even though I couldn't completely stop myself from using AP style right then, its a process).

I have officially given my notice at the Marketing Agency, better known as "that place Katie sells toilets". SIDE BAR: I recently found out people actually thought I was selling toilets (hysterical). No, for the past two years I have been publicizing toilets, siding, health care cabinetry (yea that's a real thing). And if you are asking yourself is there really any point to those products being publicized, well No. But again not my concern anymore.

In early July, I will be leaving the world of PR (minus an occasional freelance project to keep food in my belly and Sukie's) for the glorious, engaging and stimulating world of Academics. I am going back to my Alma mater, to the place I feel most at home- Athens, GA to attend UGA and earn my Masters in Political Science. To put a cherry on top of a series of wishes coming true, I will be working as a Research Assistant for one very accomplished professor studying Latin America (Sigh of Excitement and Fear).

So to all of you who have listened to me drone on and on about hating my job, wanting to do something that matters, studying for the GRE (sort of), filling out applications, having screwed up paperwork, selling toilets, even worse tweeting about toilets and every other annoying thing I have done over the past 2 years- thank you, thank you, thank you! Having a support system is the only way I have survived my first Big Girl job and following my dreams.

To wrap it up- I'm Back! Good or bad- the hyper, slightly obnoxious, loud, chatty, high school drama (according to my sister), spastic version of me is here to stay. And though slightly sullen Katie may have been less obnoxious I am thrilled and grateful to feel like myself and to be pursuing something I love.

Ruh Roh

It seems after months of silence my crew of blogging friends, which is also my crew of everyday friends, college friends, best friends, etc. have once again begun the sacred act (and by that I mean totally unnecessary but sometimes nice to do) of blogging.

The problems is I'm currently in a limbo in life and I feel like until i get past that limbo and can move on to the planning stage (because I LOVE to plan). I'm not fully ready to dive back into the world of blogging.

So, to my more productive friends, who are always obviously more at peace with their lives, (which is awesome) I say, soon. I promise, soon.

Ridiculous

When I'm sad, tired, bored, angry or basically any other moment when I have just a little bit of time. I go to K's blog and just think, "Yep, that's right she's my friend & she totally made that." It makes me smile every time.

I highly recommend checking it out!

Too Much Fall to Write

If you read my last post, I assume you gathered I really like Fall. And I'm also going to blame Fall for my complete lack of blogging lately. I'm just enjoying the pleasures of the season too much to blog. (And my job has actually required my attention for the full 9 to 5 period...boo)

Despite the less than stellar season, football has kept me pretty consumed- which I love. But on top of glorious football I have a series of Fall Festivi (plural of festivus) planned.

Last weekend, actually started the celebrations. For the big 2 year the BF and I cooked a fabulous fall feast (and fall allows for a lot of alliteration). Complete with Spicy Turban Squash Soup & Peanut Pumpkin Curry Pasta-which was surprisingly good despite the crazy flavor combos. We also attended two completely polar opposite weddings in one day. Nothing particularly "fall" like about that but it was a lot in one day. And by a lot I'm referring to drinking. But all in all it was a fabulous weekend.


Not to be out done by its predecessor, this weekend has all the elements necessary to be phenomenal. Ladies & Gentlemen its a FESTIVUS! That's right, an entire day complete with costumes, painting, cooking, football, drinking (at least solo drinking) and a general feeling of bliss.

Festivi were a regular occurennce in college but have been harder to coordinate with jobs, living in different cities, etc. But I think the anticipation is only going to make this one that much better. So, look forward to plenty of pictures and interesting stories.

AND there is more fun fall features for the future. The following weekend the Bulldogs are Finally back in Athens. The plan is to book-end the football game with a corn maze and trip to the mountains to see the leaves. Not a bad life I lead. :)

Making me Smile

This one will be brief. I should actually be working seeing as lately I'm super busy-Weird.

But in pre-work online surfing I found what may be my favorite thing Bakerella has done yet. Did you read in my last post about my love of pumpkin? It's even better mini!!

Pumpkin Pie Bites

Fall

It has been a long time, the login even took a little convincing that it was actually me trying to write a post. I have no real or good excuses for the severe lack of writing. I've been slightly busier at work, but for those who know about my job going from doing nothing to being "busier" doesn't take up that much time. But none the less I'm Back.

And if I remember correctly I was working on listing my favorite things and I have thought of way to cheat the system because one of my favorite things encompasses most of the things I love most in life- and that is Fall.

I want to say it again... its FALL.

First, fall means football- going home to Athens, cooking, regularly schedule time to hang out with my favorite people, a topic that always annoys my sister, drinking (just a little), screaming until I can't talk anymore. And this is only the first thing I love about fall.


Anything pumpkin flavored and make fun of this if you like, but just think about how excited you were when you saw that Starbuck's Pumpkin Lattes were back. Also, in the pumpkin family I really enjoy cooking squash. I played with alot of recipes last year and I'm excited for another season.

Which brings me to one of my other favorites about fall- cooking. There is football and the squash and then Thanksgiving is just around the corner. And thank goodness for my love of cooking, I have Thanksgiving twice. One of my absolute favorite traditions is our family of friends Thanksgiving. Its changed slightly over the years: now everyone insists the turkey actually be cooked all the way through. And the guys who join us do it b/c they don't really have a choice, not b/c they are mooching for free food, but either way I love it.

I won't go into unnecessary details on this one, but the weather- obvious. Which I'm even more excited about b/c the new apt has a great tree view for watching the leaves fall and as long as Noah doesn't make his way back to Atlanta, the trail by the Chattahoochee should be a really nice place to run.

Ok, I could go on indefinitely about why I love Fall, but I suppose I'll end with b/c it looks good on me. What can I say red heads look good in Autumn colors. So the pretty fall weather and trees in the background help me look better even if I haven't showered in a while.

So yes, I love fall because I look decent even when I smell- what a great season.

Whew...

So it's been quite the week. Emma and I are officially in our new apartment. As sad as I am to lose my old roomies (particularly Ash, it was a great five years)... I really like our place. The apartment itself is pretty basic, but it will be quite snazzy by the time we are done. Best of all the Chattahoochee Park is our backyard. They told us that when we first looked at the place and I liked the woodsy feel of the complex, it's more like little moutain condos than a normal high-rise apartment. Which Sukie would not have handled. But I wasn't expecting it to be so nice. The park, at least what I have seen, is this great path by the river, it is street-wide and completely flat. Now that's my kind of running. Plenty of people for people watching and dogs for Sukie to smell and then be scared of. I love it. And I have seen people in kayaks going down the river. As much as you may laugh.. I want to rent a kayak.

Best of all, I really like living with Emma. I had concerns nothing major, but i figured it may be difficult. And don't get me wrong we fight. But in a lot of ways I love that we fight. Ash & Mols & I reached a sisterly level were we fought, screamed usually and then got over it. But even that isn't comparable to fighting with your actual sister. We fight and then justare done. We don't have to make up we just move on. I love being able to say, "that looks like crap" and not have to worry about being the negative roommate. It's great. I've loved all my former roommates, but this should be fun. Oh and the fam can't seem to stop themselves from "dropping by". Both the brother and the Dad work pretty close to our apartment. And lets face it, Mom has always liked us best. So I think this will be a year of familly bonding. My family is super tight, kind of like The Family Stone, but a little less liberal and dysfunctional. So I don't know that it will be increased family bonding but I like how little effort it takes. They just come to us.

Anyways, that's the overview. Its been a long week, but good. It's the start of a new semester (I will always be on the semester schedule no matter how long I work outside of the education field) and I have a feeling its going to be a great year.

Hmmm...

When your boss starts what is certain to be a long conversation with, "I just want to make sure we are aligned" and you don't ever have the opportunity to speak. Do you really have a choice but to align?

Favorites and Not So Much

We can consider this a pre-post, because I'm fairly certain there will be a better story to go with this idea in a couple weeks. My sister and I are moving into an apartment together...which I'm stoked about, that part is not the "not" of the post title(super odd double negative-type thing I just did). Anyways, this weekend included moving extravaganza part one, which sadly will have at least two more parts. Though it really wasn't that bad and this time we had BF, who will conveintly be absent for the big event. It did however remind me moving is no fun. There is just no way around it the lifting, the organizing, the "I said your left"... not a good time. But I know (though again I'm certain there will be a much funnier/sadder story to tell of the offical moving weekend) it'll be worth it in the end, but one of my favorite things: Is NOT moving. :)

OK. Actual Favorite Thing: Cooking.

I LOVE cooking. It all started when I studied abroad in Italy, we didn't have ovens, Italians are apparently too used to quality meals to partake in the American tradition on frozen TV dinners therefore I had to cook to survive. And there were a few little "gourmet" chefs in our group that gave me a feeling of inferiority I had to overcome.

Now, cooking is something I really enjoy. Trying new recipes, making things up or trying to recreate a restaurant favorite all make me happy. I like having someone to cook for... so if you are hungry let me know. Oh and I watch Food Network obsessively I really can't help myself. This weekend we had cedar plank salmon, fennel & orange salad and grilled asparagus.

Grilled Pizza- A Bobby Flay recipe we recently tried out using a pilsbury pizza crust instead of making our own... So Good!

One last thing, BF and I partook in Downtown Restaurant Week. We went to Cafe Circa and enjoyed a 3-course tasting meal for $25.00 a piece. It was delicious. Creative cuisine with a relazed atmosphere. If you like plaintains you must go to Cafe Circa... if you don't like them or have never had them you should go there to learn to. Its cute too in Edgewood area, so its not so fussy.

Favorite Thing Number One

In order not to overwhelm myself and mirroring Ash's blog. I'm going to spread out my seven favorite things as they come to me. Due to an interesting and enlightening Thursday evening my first favorite thing:

Spontaneous Moments.

I love unexpected events, if you read my blog then you know at the very least spontaneous moments are likely to be enjoyable because they come without expectations. And being a person who tries, with all her might, to analyze future happenings... spontaneity is good for me. Last night was the epitome of unexpected....

After I finish watching SYTYCD. Aud asked if I wanted to go out, but as she was heading to Midtown I declined. Instead, I took an uncharacteristic shower(I think showering is highly overrated) and was about to get in bed with Wuthering Heights when I receive a text from the BF.

"We are going to the Pony...Are you in?".

My immediate reaction was of course, "Haha, you serious?"...Apparently he was. So at 11:30 I departed the warmth and comfort of my home for The Pony. I don't want to frighten the children so I will leave out the details. However, needless to say an impulsive evening.

The Pressure of Praise

My sister gave me a Kreativ Award for my rarely updated blog (Fairly bias award, but I'll take it!). However, there is slight problem I now feel compelled to follow along with the rules of the award...at least a modified version. I'm supposed to tell you 7 of my favorite things and then nominate 7 of my favorite blogs that rock my world. I know 7 is a significant number in myths, religion and literture, but I can't remember why.

Anywho. I have problems staying within the lines of this award. I only follow two blogs besides my sister's, Ash and Tiff. Both great reads. Additionally those three people are the only ones who follow me... I'm not very popular it's ok. Basically, I'm going to give 2 awards and hope my blogging friends can take this shtick further. Problem number two: I'm overwhelmed by this concept of listing my seven favorite things. I can't even pick a movie or place to eat without it being narrowed down to a list of three. Seven of my favorite things... so broad. And Julie Andrews is totally in my head right now so I can barely think. Therefore, I will have to get back to this later but I will prevail.

For now: Ash and Tiff you win the Kreativ Award... Woo Hoo. I'd give it to my sister too but think that breaks the rules. Congratulations on this esteemed accomplishment.

Some Days

Some days... life throws you a curve ball. Curve balls are tricky because in theory they may be a pretty decent opportunity. Pitchers don't expect you to hit a curve ball back at their face, that's why they throw them. So it'd be great to be able to take that curve ball and smack the crap out of it. However, it is so easy to put all your might into it and miss. And then well, your OUT.

So today I'm working on my swing.

P.S. Sorry for the baseball analogy, I went to a Braves game on Saturday.

Ridiculous

I just got two "Breaking News" emails from CNN about Michael Jackson's funeral. It was a planned event for a dead man. Breaking News implies something was unexpected. For the love of all things holy just let it go. I'm begging you. Unless someone discovers Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett And Micheal Jackson were actually all killed by the same rare disease. It is NOT newsworthy.

The Fourth

I'm so excited about this weekend... it is all I can think about as I count down the next 20 minutes until my vacation starts. This weekend is destined to be great for no other reason than it is long. Length does matter ;)

Pretty pumped about the Peachtree even though I think its going to kick my butt. That's half the fun though. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping for the tie-dyed shoe t-shirt. No offense but I'm really tired of the peaches... It's the Peachtree I get it. No need to be so literal every year.

Anywho. I also get to see one of my lost boys--- Geoffrey! Whom I miss horribly and as this is his first Fourth of July as a member of the United States Air Force... should be fun.

So nothing insightful or witty for this post.. I'm just pumped.

And congratulations to Brittney Huffington, one of my best friends from my study abroad trip. She is getting married tomorrow and I wasn't able to make it to the wedding. All the best Britty!!!

The Obsession

Ok. I had a fairly laid back weekend which is nice every once in and while. And when I have random free time to just sit and aimlessly watch TV which of the 70 or so stations do I choose.?

The Food Network.

It is truly an obsession the cooking shows, the challenges, the shows about eating. I love them all. And of course now I have the cooking bug. I just need and want to cook. I've also been going through my cookbooks and constantly perusing foodnetwork.com. Thank goodness soon I will have people to cook for. I'm forcing the BF to come to the house just so I have a mouth to feed, but between July 4th and a belated Father's Day dinner I might be able to calm my obsession.


But by the end of the weekend of feeding only myself "gourmet" creations I felt a little like Diane Lane's character in Under the Tuscan Sun. When she is having that break down and just wants someone to cook for (Minus the gorgeous Italian Villa).

Tonight

Going with the siblings tonight.... Jealous?

The Problem

I'm having a little fight with Mother Nature right now and I can tell you she is going to kick my tush. The thermometer seems to be stuck on the 90s no matter what time of a day. Which isn't normally a huge issue for me because I spend the majority of my life in doors, not really by choice... it's called a job. But I need to be outside... running... A lot. The Peachtree Road Race is in exactly 12 days. My running stamina is currently quite low and the heat index quite high hence the problem. My roommate, A, runs early in the morning and late at night (over acheiver). I on the other hand have a small window if I don't work out within the first hour or so of being him its safe to say it's not happening. So Mother Nature, I'm asking for a small break... just for the next 12 days then you go back to showing us your wrath for the creation of the Hummer.

Promise

Oh and I promise I'll make my picture smaller tomorrow. I'm not THAT self-absorbed.