The End of the Countdown

So I'm off to Oklahoma City for the week. Well, as of Sunday, but I'll be computer-less until then anyways, so I'll be on a brief hiatus as far as posting goes. In lieu of an actual post today, I'm going to show off more pictures. Have a good week everyone!

Part of my NYC 2002 group of photos. It's a weird angle but I actually really liked how it turned out.

Hawaii, Spring '01. Okay, this came out a little dark, but it's a cool sunset pic.

Also Hawaii, Spring of 2001. It's not of the best quality, mostly because it's actually a picture of a picture taken on a crappy pre-Digital camera. The real version reminds me of a Wish You Were Here postcard, though..

My To-Do List

Because I lose everything, I decided it may be a solid plan to put my to-do list up here so I don't have a chance of losing it. And I actually check my blog a few times a day, even though I don't post often anyway. I don't really know why I'm trying to argue my position on this, seeing as it's my blog... Anyways.. So here is all the crap I have to get done by Thursday or Friday morning, because I don't plan on being home after Friday around 4.

1. Finish tax form & mail it out by Saturday.
2. Do a shitload of laundry. (There's stuff in the basement I haven't worn in years, so I figure I may just do a mass wash and take care of it now too. Plus there's money involved.)
3. Sort laundry - for vacation, stuff that just needs a home in my room, and to give away.
4. Make sure I have everything necessary for the horse show: Show clothes, hats, etc.
5. PACK. I need enough jeans, shirts, underwear, and socks to last me 12 days, including: stuff to potentially sweat in since it's going to be 90 degrees in Oklahoma, as well as stuff to get dressed up in since we'll be going out for birthday dinner (though my birthday isn't actually until the 9th) as well as just OUT for my birthday.
6. Find & pack my toiletries, like shampoo and conditioner for 12 days, plus toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, and my apricot acne wash (this stuff is amazing).
7. Put everything that's coming with me in my car by Friday around 4.

So there's my list of shit to do. I'm exhausted already just thinking about it but I'm excited all the same. Tomorrow is my last day of work for 12 days, so I'm technically 7 hours away from vacation time!

An Early Weekend Update

This weekend has already been slightly hectic, if you don't count Sunday as part of it. Which is to say, Friday and Saturday were hectic but today I slept until noon and spent the day watching an America's Next Top Model marathon and doing random computer things. I haven't even touched much of the laundry that needs to be done by Thursday, or my stupid tax thing from 2008 (the deal with that is I got a letter regarding something that didn't end up on my taxes last year, because I hadn't received a 1099 for it. So now, if I don't do the paperwork, I owe the government over 500 dollars.)

So, onto my lovely weekend.

Friday was insanely busy, what with the horse show I was competing in on Saturday. The show is just a warm-up show for next week, when I'm competing against the big guys. Basically, it's just a chance for me to get my horse into the show pen and fix the stuff that will prevent me from doing well next week, if that clarifies anything. It's a bit confusing, I suppose. Anyway, so Friday I went to the barn solely to spend money, since we ended up going to the tack store and I spent a lot of money for some show stuff. Which actually, is becoming my birthday present which means I'm getting refunded for a lot of it from my parental unit. After the barn, I drove back home to go to work for a few hours. Once work was done, I went back to the barn to ride and further get ready for the show. I spent the night there on Friday since we had to get up super early.

Saturday was even crazier. We woke up at 6:30, got to the show by 8. I did a few classes, one that I've just learned how to do so it was nice to get a chance to show in it before next week. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, a little warm. It ended up being 80 with no rain. No breeze either, which made it a LOT hotter to deal with. I didn't show until 4 pm after that, and ended up getting a first out of 16 horses which was great -- and I ended up making 21 dollars from it. I had to leave there at 5 to go to one of my friend's houses to shower and get ready to go to George Strait.

George Strait ended up being a blast. We got there surprisingly earlier, which is odd because with us, we're really running late. But we arrived about 30 minutes before the show even started so we had time to go to the bathroom and get drinks and find a place to sit since we had lawn. The concert ended up being pretty crowded. Julianne Hough and Blake Shelton opened up for him. Both acts were really good, Julianne can really SING and Blake is always fun to watch. He ended up singing that song from the Free Credit Report commercials which was hilarious. George was good, he only sang for an hour and 15 minutes but it was fun watching everyone dance to it. The older ladies a few people in front of us kept roping in the younger guys which was funny.

After George performed, we had heard that Julianne would be signing autographs at the concert. We ended up being the last few people in line and waited about a half hour. I never realized how short she is (she's my height) and she was really cool, super nice and everything. I'm pretty sure my friends all nearly wet their pants. And I'm pretty sure all I said was "my name is Kate." Couldn't think of anything good to say, lol. So we got autographs and a picture with her. From now on, I really need to remember my camera because everytime something like this happens, I don't have it with me.

Julianne Hough & I. It's not great quality
because it was taken on a camera phone..

Afterward, we stopped at the bathroom and then walked back to the truck, which was a lot easier to find since the parking lot was nearly totally empty. On the way out, we hear, "Goodbye C!" and we turn to see no other but Julianne in her car being driven out of the parking lot. (C, by the way, is one of my friends.) We all just about die, and yell good night in response. Definitely a great end to an amazing night.

After the concert, we headed to B-dub's (Buffalo Wild Wings) for some food after the concert, where I found out that eating boneless wings, even if they're only Parmesan Garlic, is not good with chapped lips. (Sad!) It's really hard ending a story involving meeting a celebrity, by the way. Because everything now seems so lame!

Anyways, it may be awhile - I have a busy week ahead of me and will be trying to get laundry done, the tax thing done, and have everything packed and ready by Thursday some time. So I will try to post again, but if not I'll be back June 9th (which also happens to be my birthday) with more tales of amazingness. We officially leave almost exactly 6 days from now, at 3 am or something equally ridiculously early in the morning. Now, it's time to get back to Hitch..

The One With Keith Urban

So Keith Urban definitely was AH MAZING!! Still one of the best performers I've gotten to see live, because the concert was definitely two hours long. It's kind of nice waking up in the morning feeling sore from dancing too much. Better than being bored, I'd say! So, in honor of my second favorite male celebrity, here's a few pictures from the concert.

I'd like to point out that this guy left the stage, walked THROUGH the crowd, in order to end up on a box about 75 feet away. It's good being the 15th row sometimes, even if it's not on the floor!

Mmm.. lol. I love the lighting on this

This was when we were "15th row" from the box. Ahh!

Gotta love those big screens. I kinda really like this though..

So there you go. I won't bore you too much, especially if you're not a country fan. But I DID finally upload more of my shots from other places, plus some new horse stuff, so look forward to that if you please. And now, a bullet list of how my night went yesterday.

• Spent quite a bit of time freaking out over going to Keith Urban, which you all saw from yesterday's post. I didn't actually think I was going to go, but thanks to a shift switch and me not actually saying I couldn't, the ticket was still mine.
• The hilarious-ness of hanging out with people I don't get to see very often anymore. They make me laugh a lot, which is definitely a respectable thing to be able to do.
• The guy digging for gold in the car next to us. I kid you not, it was snot-tastic!
• The snarky comments between all of us. Multiple "burns" and jokes. I wish I could remember them all. (there were a lot of "that's what she said!")
  
• Watching Keith perform for the 4th time. He seriously deserves Entertainer of the Year, his shows are long and FUN.
  
• Waiting by the fence at the end of the concert for a Keith Urban sighting, only to be shoo'd away by the coppers. boo!
• Denny's afterwards. It's a tradition of sorts, but instead of my normal Grand Slam, I opted for the Grand Slamwich, which is basically the same thing. Basically ham, sausage, egg, and cheese all sandwiched in between potato bread (which is kinda like hash browns, only in bread form). Excellent!
• Finally going to bed at 3, only to wake up at 8:45. Such a worthy loss of sleep!

Have a Happy Sunday everyone!

* Insert Squeals Here*

Just a quick post before I finish making myself all cute for tonight (not like I need to do all that much*, but you know).

I'M GOING TO SEE KEITH URBAN TONIGHT!

Whoops, sorry for yelling, but I wasn't totally sure if I could go and now I am. And if you all thought I enjoyed Zachary Quinto as much as I do, my celeb crush on Keith is so much better (or worse, if you will). Actually, now that I typed that, I'm realizing Keith is now number two. Sorry, dude!

But still, Keith is one of the most amazing country performers on this planet so I'm super excited to go see him..

Of course, it means instead of my nice little 4-hour shift I had tonight is now being replaced by an 8-hour shift tomorrow, but you know what... Not sure if you know this, but more hours = more moneyz so it's a welcome trade off.

9 in the morning, however, is probably going to come far too early.

So Happy Friday everyone! Hopefully I'll remember my camera and get some bangin'** Keith Urban pictures.

* By this, I'm totally joking, I totally need to do more. Currently only my hair is done and my jeans are on. I'm so lazy.. and excited.
** I'm really not sure why I felt the need to type "bangin'" in my post. I don't use that word often. Actually, I take that back. It's kind of fun.

Why Moms Rock

Yes, this may be considered a late Mother's Day appreciation post but hey, it's here.

Delayed, yes. Just as meaningful? That's also a yes.

In the past few years, my mom has been super helpful with things, monetary and otherwise. She's been supportive in absolutely everything, from my decision to not continue my education until next Spring, and not charging me rent even though I should be long gone by now.

Also, she's been funding my build some better teeth stuff - because I didn't do a hot job of taking care of my teeth when I was younger. I just found out she paid the entire bill. From what she told me, she wants me to be successful in life and appearance speaks loudly to some.

She also is attending my horse show in Oklahoma early next month. Seriously? She's coming for 2 or 3 days, and excitingly is footing the bill for my new show shirt (which is my birthday present).

Something tells me this post is making me sound spoiled, but for real... I don't ask for much. I buy my own clothes, put gas in the car, and buy my own groceries.

Anyways, I'm super thankful to have the mom that I do have. I don't think I would be the same person I am without her.

A Rant... sigh

I'm kind of disappointed.

I just finished watching the America's Next Top Model finale (yes I'm a nerd, and yes I'll admit that I'm sort of addicted to this show). I totally disagreed with who won, because it seemed like in the final challenge, the runway show, Allison totally had the best walk and looked the best.

I was rooting for Fo for awhile because her personality is amazing but once she got the boot, I was rooting for Allison.

By the way, I realize it's absolutely pointless to rant about this sort of thing because I can't change it, but still.

Anyways, I'm finally done with my theater class for the semester. I managed to get an 88 on my last test, which is great. We didn't have a cumulative final, which was great. My only downfall is that I didn't totally complete all the assignments (there's that I just don't care stuff) so while I could have had a better grade, I just didn't try hard enough. But all in all, it means summer vacation is finally here!

And there's only 14 days left until my vacation. Fun and horse showing in the Oklahoma sun is just around the corner! Happy Thursday* everyone!


* So the first time I typed this, I had put Happy Friday on here. I'm apparently forgetting Thursday altogether in my excitement to leave I guess...

Friday Five

Something a little different. These questions came from Friday5.org, so participate if you'd like!

1. What’s your favorite card game?
I'd have to say my favorite card game is Egyptian Ratscrew or Circle of Death. Although Spoons is fun too... There are probably way too many that I like. Both Spoons and Egyptian Ratscrew get very physical depending on who you play with. And Circle of Death is definitely a great drinking card game!

2. What’s your favorite roll-the-dice-and-move game?
I'm a Monopoly girl myself. The only downside is the games can be marathons, like the game we played the year I was in 7th grade. We had a family party and the game lasted three days. I ultimately won that one!

3. What’s your favorite playground game?
Dodgeball!! I hated that game as a junior high student in gym, because let's face it, the worst thing about being young, out of shape, and a nerd was having balls chucked at you. But now I wish there were a way to play again.

4. What’s your favorite party game?
I LOVE LOVE LOVE Rock Band as a party game too. Hello technology! Either that or beer pong or flippy cup for the drinking parties. (is it sad that two of my favorite games involve drinking?)

5. What’s your favorite computer game?
I'm going to sound like a huge nerd for saying this, but let's embrace that fact. I play an online RPG of sorts called Pirates of the Caribbean online. It's probably one of the best computer games I've played but mostly because of the people I've met on the game. It's allowed me to talk to people around the country (much like this blog does) and develop a camaraderie with them. The other game I used to play was Roller Coaster Tycoon but that since got deleted from my computer since it stopped working. :(

Why I Think Time Moves Too Fast

Well, now that I'm officially back to normal after that Quinto-obsession of yesterday.. I made a startling discovery.

Months ago we began making plans to go to Oklahoma City the first week of June. And by months ago, I mean back in February at the horse show we went to.

I just realized it's May. Not only that, but also that it's the 7th already.

We leave on the 28th. Which is 21 days away. 3 weeks to get everything ready, the horses ready, and to be on the road. 3 weeks from now, probably at this exact time, I'm gonna be cramped in a diesel truck hauling ass down the highway, because OKC is a 16 hour drive. Fuck.

I'm so ready for a vacation, but it's coming on a bit too fast. I've got massive loads of laundry to do, assignments to finish (which basically comes down to a test and a bunch of questions to answer), and a George Strait concert to party up at.

Life moves way too fast sometimes..

The One Where I Act Like an Obsessed Fan....

I think I am more or less loving the guy who plays Sylar on Heroes.

Because here I am watching the Bonnie Hunt Show. I'm not huge fan of Bonnie Hunt but I'm watching because of Zachary Quinto. And because I'm home today til 4 because I feel like crap. Which is beside the point.

And my space bar is broken. Today's just getting better by the minute.

Anyway, anybody who can pull off a Gilligan's Island-esque outfit and STILL look smokin' hot? Definitely okay in my book!

Also, is it sad that I want to see Star Trek, not because I ever was a fan but because seeing Quinto as Spock is insanely awesome?

Sigh.

In other unrelated news, I found 11 dollars in an old pair of jeans while cleaning out my trunk. Score!

Appreciating the Little Things

Based off my last post, it seems that I've forgotten the little things in life.

The kind of thing you do while you're growing up, that you don't necessarily continue doing once you get a job, go to college, and are tossed into the real world. The real world sucks so much out of you sometimes though so it's nice to get back to the little things from time to time. A refreshing dose of how SIMPLE life was when your biggest worry was enduring puberty in junior high.

So today when I got home I decided to take a bike ride, which wasn't a decision totally made with being nostalgic, but just seemed like a good way to enjoy the nice weather. It's been a few years since I've set foot on a bike, and generally the problem I tend to have is getting so far away from home that when it's time to turn around I just don't feel like bicycling any more. Anyway, it was super nice and super relaxing though. Nothing like having a bike, an iPod, and gorgeous weather on my side to influence some cardio.

It reminded me of the old days, when I would have to bike everywhere just to get around. When walking took too long and driving was not an option, seeing as I was between the ages of 8 and 13 when bicycling was the thing to do to get around. I'd go every where, from friends' houses, just biking around the neighborhoods with them, to the store to get some junk food. We even had a bicycle field trip in 8th grade, where we biked around town and learned about the history.

And, as a friend pointed out while I stopped at CVS for a drink, there's no cost in biking. The gas is unlimited, so long as my legs don't give out. And there's nothing better than biking off into the sunset. (sorry, that couldn't be helped)

Added bonus? I only nearly took a spill once. And that was because I forgot to brake before I put my feet down (typed that sounds pathetic!).

A Little Retail Therapy

Many of my jobs have been retail-orientated. Which means unfortunately the customer is always right (even if they're not) and we are the ones who get stomped upon by someone having a bad day. Since I started working at a grocery store back when I was 17, everything I've done has been consumer-related. Obviously at that age and having no job experience, all I could probably be is a retail employee.

What really bugs me about this is that people are either a. unnecessarily demanding and b. unnecessarily CRAZY when it comes to certain things. Yes, I work in a pharmacy. I am a technician, which apparently means I can either know a lot or little depending on who you're asking. I get that, yes, you may very well be feeling like crap and obviously so, but that doesn't mean you get to be a jerk.

Niceness goes along way in my profession. I'm a lot more willing to help a person out when they're being nice about it. Sad but true. And because we tend to talk to the people handling your claims on the insurance end of it, I can guarantee the nicer the techs are who speak to those handling your claims, the result is having the claim processed faster.

Secondly, if you ask me a question after I've told you the answer, it's not going to change regardless of how you phrase the question. Sir, we need to contact your doctor for a refill isn't going to change even if you ask the question in five different ways. One of the downsides is sometimes having to explain things multiple times, it's unnecessary to repeat something four different times.

Third, we do not control prices of certain medications. I cannot even begin to say how many people have asked me why their medication is as much as it is, it all depends on how much your insurance pays and what for. Because insurance plans vary, it's damn near impossible to tell anybody how much they will pay. So, most of the time, I'm going to tell you to contact your benefits coordinator.

Sadly, it's been a crazy week in the pharmacy life. Which is partially why I haven't posted much in the past few weeks, there isn't a whole lot I want to do right now than complain about a few things. And, as a result of me working 6 days a week in the pharmacy, it becomes even more evident how some people just suck.

Hope you all have a good weekend!