One Last Note Before I Leave Civilization Behind

I'm at work, and this will probably be my last for sure internet access until August 3rd or 4th. If you need to get a hold of me, you can try my cell, but there's no guarantee that it will work either. I'm not sure whether I'm happy or sad to be leaving my dorm room today. I think a little of both. I'm definitely ready to move on and be done with this summer, but I have made somewhat of a place for myself there.
I wonder if I'll know how to interact with so many people around again. I hope so. I think I've become really quite this summer just by the fact that I've not had many people to talk to. And no, I haven't really talked to myself either, so I don't even have that.
Overall, I would recommend that people not stay on campus over the summer unless they know for sure of several friends who they will see on a regular basis. It's also a strange experience to be in this place where you're so used to seeing people and friends and such, that when you're here over the summer, it's like the heart and soul of the place is gone. Try to imagine UD without the people and that's a start to what it's like to be here during the summer.
So, in closing, I would like to make a list of all the things I have learned this summer:
-I LOVE being around people
-I do NOT want to work in a cubicle ever again
-I do not want to do research
-I do not like really cold air-conditioned buildings
-Even though it's really boring, I can waste a lot of time on the computer if I have to
-I like working with fun, friendly people at the Rivers Institute
-I never want to live alone
-It's hard to be the only person to initiate fun
-buying shoes online can become addictive
-Dayton does have stuff to offer, you just have to find it
-Farmers are VERY hard to get in touch with
-Blogs and emails can only convey a small portion of a conversation (i miss inflection and emphasis)
-I love chai tea (hot and cold)
-I can cook some things
-I get stupider in the summer
-Reading classic literature is hard because whoever decides books are classics has strange taste
-I can't wait to travel! (esp to NZ and Australia!)

and finally,
I've learned that one summer of being alone with myself is plenty of introspection for me

So, in the famous words of Edward Murrow,

Good Night, and Good Luck,

Kate

An Adventurous Ending to A Not So Advenurous Summer

As many of you know, this summer has been a myriad of different experiences for me. I have spent countless hours, or evens days, alone (or at least lonely because the people around me are just strangers and not people who you get to know. Unless you like randomly talking to people eating lunch at the cafeteria...). This summer has also been filled with pointless hours of mind-numbing work in my half cubicle. However, I have also had good times, as I have tried to point out in this experimental blog of mine. Now you may be wondering why I am speaking of summer as a thing of the past, when, you know quite certainly that it is only the end of July and, well, there's at least a few weeks left before that thing known as school must begin. Well, in some ways my friend you are indeed correct, but for me, the summer that I have known (and hated) is quickly coming to a much awaited end. Here's the deal:

Tonight my parents are coming to move the rest of my stuff out of my small dorm room and take it home with them. They are doing this because they are wonderfully nice people, unlike the housing folk who decided to put conference people into my apt, causing me to be unable to move into it early.
Then tomorrow I will be catching a ride with Alex to Knoxville, TN to visit Alice darling! Can't wait to see her. Hopefully, I will be seeing the Dark Knight with them.
Then onward to Chattanooga to visit Margaret! and finally to Georgia for a week long environmental training seminar.
At the end of that week, my parents (whom I love dearly for all that they do for me) will be picking me up on their way to Florida, where we will spend a weeks vacation relaxing. At least, that is the plan. We are hoping this trip does not degrade into what last summer's vacation turned into: 7 hours of food-poisoning hell.

Anyways, after that week, I'll be back in Dayton for a super duper week of River Steward love. I am SOO excited about this. Drew (and the other Stews) get ready for some awesome fun, campfire stories, paddling excitement and general all around Stew-tastic adventure.

Then, it's about 5 days of hanging out, reuniting with long lost friends, and school shopping, before classes start.

So, if any of you non-UD friends would like to see me before school starts....hm...that could be tough. We'll work something out though, maybe you could visit before school starts. We'll see.

I also wanted to share that when I was packing all of my stuff to move out, I found an old fortune from a fortune cookie and it was just so perfect. It reads, "friends long absent will return to you" or something along those lines, I can't remember it exactly cuz it's on my desk in my room. But I just thought it was perfect.

So. I also wanted to say that my mom came to visit for a night and that was lots of fun. It was kind of like 'bring your mom to work day' which was good, and then we ate Thai food and generally had a daring adventure. : D

I guess lastly I wanted to let everyone know that I will probably not have internet for the next 2ish weeks. I might have it here and there but I can't guarantee anything.

Love you all!
Katie

p.s. I bought these new amazing sandals and they rock! I'll post a picture if I can find one online.
ciao!

Weekend At Home

Nothing long right now, but I will be home this weekend doing lots of busy things with the fam so I'm not sure how much time I'll have to type. This weeks highlights include watching the Jane Austen Book Club movie, trying a new Italian restaurant (the white pizza was pretty darn good), driving around downtown Dayton with Beth and Mary Ellen trying to decide whether to go into Therapy Cafe or not, biking all over campus, watching lots of Gilmore Girls, and making scones at Mary Ellen's place.

Less than one week to go before I'm on my way to Knoxville, Chattanooga and Georgia! Look out Tennessee!

Glad the summer is coming to an end (sort of),
Kate

A Pat on the Back and Then Some Shameless Advertising for Others

So this is going to be quick, but I just wanted to let everyone know that Franz has some really great discussion going on at his blog. He's got excellent dialogue about biking/alternate transportation and renewable energy legislation. I'm glad someone is getting these things out and talked about. So check out his blog and jump in the frenzy.

Also, I get emails from and environmental news and humor group called Grist. In their latest email they had this little diddy which I think could be a great opportunity for anyone (esp Franz) to jump in and ask some questions to these self-proclaimed semi-experts. Here it is below:

"Let's Talk About Place, Baby
Calling anyone who lives, well, anywhere: we're starting a column on public transportation, walkable neighborhoods, urban agriculture, green building, and the other nifty ways communities can get greener, and we want your questions! Wondering if green building is worth its weight in concrete? Or how to find out who's in charge of adding bus lines in your city? Can't figure out why your suburban neighbors are packing up and moving downtown? Enough about global problems and international agreements -- let's talk about where you live. Send your question now . "

So check it out and I'll write more later. Now I'm going home to my hobbit-hole as my mom likes to call it to cook some yummy dinner!

Keep on thinking those thoughts,

Katie

(added later after dinner)

I'm not sure how much most of you care about my cooking skills, but I'm pretty excited about what I did for dinner. Now it may just sound like pasta to you, but you would be sadly mistaken. The reason I'm so excited is because I made my own pasta sauce from just a can of diced tomatoes. And it turned out quite delicious. This was one good combo of pasta and tomatoes because It had whole wheat organic rottelle pasta, organic diced tomato sauce a la katie, Parmesan cheese, crumbled italian crutons and ice cold limeade to drink. Yum!
Ok, enough about food. Now I'm off to the library to get a book and pick up my movie, The Jane Austen Book Club, that I ordered.
LOVE,
Kate

p.s. the picture is my lunch for tomorrow. oh how i love leftovers!

Not So Good

So apparently I have become a bed potato, stick in the mud, bum in a box, no good loser who watches endless episodes of Gilmore Girls instead of actually doing anything in life.

Lonely and alone with my DVD's,

you friend formally known as Katie. She has now become one with her mattress.

(p.s. but on a good note. I started packing my room and made pasta and I'm going to this cafe place tomorrow for a dating game thing...hm. wish me luck. maybe I'll take a shower and morph back into not-a-bum so I don't scare away the guys with my non-showering scent.)

Postcard from Columbus

Hello Everyone,

This weekend I've been chillin in Columbus with Pattie. It's been so great to see her and spend time with her. We haven't hung out in a while so I'm glad I found time to come up. We've been doing some fun stuff so that's good. I also got to see my old RA from last year yesterday and we talked soooo much. This is Pattie's butt in the picture, which I'm sure she won't appreciate but she doesn't really read this so... : D

We went and got donuts at Buckeye Donuts which I guess is a must if you go to OSU. They were yummy for breakfast. We also got lost twice today while driving, which is also a must when Pat and I are together. : P

I watched Across the Universe. Yes, Alice, now I have finally seen it. It was pretty good. I don't think it's my favorite or anything, and I can see why people like it esp if they like the Beatles but did not actually grow up when the Beatles together. It's a fun love story musical, which I know Pattie is a sucker for.

Hm..what else. Still haven't heard from the stupid housing people about moving into my apartment. Grrr.

Ok, I hope to see everyone sooooooooooooooooooon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love,
Kate

p.s. I'm not sure why I started using Kate, but feel free to call me what you like. Just no bad names please.

Coffee, Cake, Coffee and Cars

That title of this post is actually backwards chronologically, but I guess we'll go with it.

Cars: The wonderful people of the Rivers Institute took a field trip today to visit the Thomas More College River Station on the Ohio River and that was a lot of fun. I have some pictures but I'll put those on facebook probably.

Coffee: The book club met tonight to discuss The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver. It was an ok book and actually most of the people there tonight thought it was just ok as well. It didn't foster much discussion, but we still had a good time. The next book should be interesting if only because it's so long (I hope). If you feel like reading this 1,000 page monster, it's Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet.

Cake: I went to the grocery earlier today and bought some whipped cream to go with my red raspberries that I picked and the angel food cake I had. Emily and I ate that after the book club and it was DELICIOUS! I just LOVE fresh fruit, esp in the summertime.

Coffee (again): So a one Mr. Drew Morrison has got me on a mission to seek out all of the cool coffeehouses and cafes in the Dayton area which I have compiled a list for. I'm thinking that it will be really fun to go to each one with a few people and rate them all by different things. Kind of like we are food critics. Like we can rate them on atmosphere, friendliness, coffee/chai, location, etc... I think this will be a very good investment in moving away from the campus bubble. Any takers?

Finally, I don't really have any major thoughts but I do want to say that I am not just a number and I would rather be judged by who I really am and not by my social security number and GPA and bank account balance. Granted those things are part of me, but they do not define me. I'd like to think that the book of who I am has much more to it than what might appear on the cover.

I also think that traveling is important and so is reflection on experiences and oneself because it's always important to know oneself.

Tired but content for now,
Kate (or Katie, or KT, or Katherine, the choice is yours)

A Robot Has Stolen My Heart!

Yesterday I went to see WALL-E with my family and I LOVED it.
He was soooo cute and the movie was lots of fun.
It was funny and sad and adventurous.
I also really liked that there were some important social issues addressed in the movie. They did an excellent job of presenting issues in a way that would make sense to everyone but was also subtle.

I think I'm going to go see it again.

Well, I guess I need to talk to my family so I'll post more later.

yours,
Kate

Photo Frenzy

So lots of pictures tonight.

First we have my porch room made of sheets that reminds me of sheet-tents we used to make as kids. Basically this is where I slept while at the lake with my family because there was no place else for me to go. It was actually lots of fun!
This is us bike riding in Yellow Springs. It was sooo fun. Liz, Emily, Jon and I went for a nice 16mile ride or so. Then we ate delicious pizza at HaHa's.
The bike path.

Stopping for water and a break.
Sheesh, this picture makes me dizzy just looking at it.
The most people I've ever seen at Riverscape!
Fireworks from downtown tonight! They were pretty cool, and CityFolk was fun too. Although a bit crowded.
Going home now for the 4th so I'll write more later.

Thinking of everyone and hoping you are all safe and happy.
Kate

Summer Apex -- A Poem

July first is the high noon of summer
It's been climbing to the top of my calendar for a month
waiting, rising, intensifying
I feel its bright and lonely scorcher sear
my alabaster, ginger-pale skin reddens
This July first brings both deadly UV and change
Here it comes
following closely behind this cronological apex
I gaze east and see August like a pale full moon
filled with promises
escape, nights of cool lunacy, you.
These 31 days can't fall off the horizon fast enough.

No Words

What if....

What if I signed up for a ceramics class to learn how to use the pottery wheel?

Cuz I think I'm slightly crazy for just doing that. Not that 22 credits is a lot or anything... ; )

Oops.

Maybe I'll make you something.

Sorry if it's lopsided.

Sorry if I don't know what I want.

Sorry if I can't stand grey cubicles.

Sorry if I hate my research job.

Sorry because all I can think about is laying out my towel in Humanities and not getting up until school starts.

But honestly, I'm not sorry. Except maybe for the lopsided part...

Hmm.

This has transformed into quite a strange post.

Perhaps I should not drink two Dr.Pepper's in one day.

Or, perhaps I'm slowly going insane. : 0

Always a possiblity.

Until my next spastic episode.

Almost all my love, (because Dr.Pepper and his tastyness has stolen some)
KT