Back from the Big Apple

Hey HEY hey! Wow, just got back from NY and I missed a lot!! So many posts to read! But I had a lot of fun doing it, sounds like you all have been really busy.

Before I go into anything else:

Happy Belated Birthday to Deanna!!!

Congratulations to Gina on the internship! (And although my uncultured self unfortunately has never heard of Bergdoff Goodman [and I don't recall seeing one while walking around...but maybe it was because I wasn't looking], I would have gone in and gotten you something if you wanted. Sorry we didn't get to talk before I left.)

Congratulations to Shara on the upcoming art show, and welcome to Union City! (I'd like to go, I guess I'll call you for more details when it comes up...and yes, if you can bear to part with a piece, I would totally buy your art!)

Good luck with the preschool stuff to Katie! Happy to have you back for the summer!

Jake, I hope you get to go to Modest Mouse, and hey, don't say that, your post was not "shitty"!

Okay, now for New York. I had a really good time, NY is a great place to be, but I have to admit that I don't know if I could ever live there...not enough trees, too many people. But it was awesome just to be there. Got to see the usual: Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Chrysler Building, Empire State Building (view from the top at night is GORGEOUS!), Central Park, Metropolitan Museum of Art (which I think was my favorite place to visit, so much stuff to see!), etc. Did a lot of wandering around in general too, though. Gotta say that I love the subway, $2 takes you anywhere you want, screw BART! Great street food (had $3 chicken gyros and $1.50 hot dogs almost everyday), crazy ass drivers who honk too damn much, really stylishly dressed people (I looked like a freaking bum because I didn't wear pointy-toed shoes and a matching business suit), and lots more. So much stuff happened that I don't really know how I'm going to describe it all, so hopefully this last paragraph gives a decent snapshot.

I do have to mention two things though:

1) So we stayed at a hotel in Midtown Manhattan, and I found out that Bill Clinton was going to be doing a signing for his book at the Barnes and Noble a couple of blocks down the street. So I decided, since I'm here, I should go to it, why the hell not. So Geng and I got to the book signing at 7AM (he was supposed to arrive at 12:30 PM) and stood in the line that snaked around several blocks. Apparently about two hundred people camped out the night before, and even more people came earlier the next morning, so being 5 hours early got us to about #500 in line. In addition, it POURED that day too, so Geng and I sat in the rain, hanging out with the people around us and WAITED. The Fox News Studio was right across the street, and a bunch of other news stations had reporters out, so we got on a couple of different news programs for the day, and at one point one of the Fox reporters came up to our part of the line and asked if anyone wanted to be interviewed. Geng and I jumped at the opportunity and got quickly interviewed, quite exhilirating.

So after 7 hours (Clinton showed up half an hour late), plus another 2 inching our way up to the bookstore, Geng and I finally got in, bought our books, went through 2 metal detectors, relinquished all our belongings to security guards, and approached the table where Bill Clinton his goddamn self was sitting signing books, surrounded by interns and Secret Service. I have to say that he is quite handsome! I felt kinda bad for the guy, signing hundreds of books, his hand must have been tired. Anyway, I handed the intern my book, who handed it to Clinton, and in my utter shock I mumbled "It's an honor to meet you", and he stopped signing, looked up and said "Why, thank you" and I almost went crazy. Shoook his hand, got my book back, and once Geng and I were out of the store we started screaming like groupies or something. Dude, I shook Bill Clinton's hand, and I have his signature in my book. CRAZY.

I had another semi-celebrity encounter, this one by chance. The whole family was walking through Times Square to go buy Broadway show tickets. I pointed out the TRL studio to Geng, and we noticed all the little teenybopper girls lining up with their signs already. We were looking up at the studio when I heard a familiar voice. Turned around to see Robyn from Real World San Diego standing right behind me talking to some dude. From what I gathered from her convo, they were going to be filming the reunion that afternoon, that's why she was there. I busted out my camera and asked for a picture. After I got it, my parents were like "Who's that?" and I tried to explain, but they didn't really get it.

Wow this post is really long. If you made it this far, thanks for bearing with me. Anyway, I'll stop it here, there's a ton of other stories to tell, but this post is waaay too long. However, before I go, I'd like to say that I think all of us should take a trip to NY together, seriously. It was fun to go with the family, but I think it would be even more fun to go with all of you guys. We could go to a Conan O' Brien taping, do some massive shopping, see the sights! Glad to be back though, I missed you guys a lot.

P.S. My mom just handed me two I Love NY T-shirts, one small and one medium, I guess she bought 5 because of some sale/deal type thing but only needed 3 of them. If anyone wants one of these let me know.

HEY EVERYONE!!! and HAPPY BELATED B-DAY DEE!!!

HOW ARE YOU!!!!

LOL sorry that every time I post its like a year later and all I write is "Hey what's up! I hope everyone is good! TTYS!" LOL. and I do still mean all those things but this time I will actually elaborate on how I am! Just to let you guys know!

I'm good! lol and I'm on summa break!

One: A couple of weeks ago I just went with Katie, Jo, Scott(Jo's BF for those who don't know), Gina, David, Sierra, and Todd on a trip to a Cabin (actually a hella NICE house) in Groveland (20 min from Yosemite).
Let me tell you that those were fun times! REALLY fun times!(You'll see pictures as soon as I find my digital camera! eek!)

Also: I was working for a crazy ass company that worked me like a DOG! 6 days a week and 17 hour days F*CK man It was hell! and soooo I QUIT! and am now looking for another job! (PS if you know of any openings I would be ever so grateful to hear about it!)

Another happening: I have an art show coming up in September or so and YOU ARE ALL INVITED! NO cover charge uuuunless I provide drinks, as I am a poor college student i'll probably ask for donations =P or you can buy one or more of my pieces, if I can bare to part with them!
Because I interned at the Nexus Gallery in Berkeley, I was given 2 weeks to do a show in the gallery for payment of my services. I honestly haven't worked on anything, though! The show was supposed to be at the end of this past semester buuuuuuuuut I wanted to focus on my business classes* which were more important and not at all flexible so I moved the art show back. But bc of the summer job AKA SLAVE LABOR and crap I still have had no time to work on anything and it getting close! AHHHHH!
Side note: for those who don't know I'm double majoring in International Business and Arts Management though that might change soon.

Even better news: My parents bought a new house YEY!!!! and I'm all EXCITED even though I, unfortunately, really won't be there much, its really great for them! WOOHOO!! So yes, good-bye all my fellow Haystackians)= (AKA Deanna and Katie) and hello Union Cityinites! (AKA Jo) Back to my OG home town! WHOOOHOO! PS if you want my new address and house number just e-mail me and I'll give it to you.

I think that's it--And, KNOWING ME, I won't post for a long time and I'm VERY Sorry for that but I just forget-the only time I remember is if I talk to Katie and she mentions it-otherwise I'm in the dark =P

Well . . . thanks for reading and I hope you are all well too!

LASTLY but NOT Leastly: A HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DEE!!!! I LOVE YOU GIRL! You are a true friend and I can't thank God enough for bringing the light of you into my and all of our lives!----I'M SORRY THIS IS BELATED you can hate me if you want but I was out in the field being whipped by my slave masters (AKA I was at my 17/18hr-a-day 6day-a-week job as I mentioned above) and coming home a 2 or 3 am every night-I just dropped dead! I can obviously greet you now because I quit just today! SO I LOVE YOU AND I'LL SEE YOU THIS FRIDAY!!!

I am such a time waster.

At least I'm not a waste of time, right?

So, I made a whole blog devoted to pictures. Pictures of us, pictures of anything. Let me know if you guys want access to posting pictures on there and I'll email you an invite. For now, you can reach it - to see the pictures - from the link on the right [Random-Osity Photos]. There will be more soon, those two were the only pictures I had on this computer, I have to transfer lots from my laptop.

Alright, that's all for now.

Happy Birthday Deanna!

Even though she rarely reads this, I just wanted to say a Happy Birthday to Miss Deanna!! Yay! She, too, has joined the leagues of the twenty year olds!

I'm always home, I'm uncool.

The title is actually rather deceiving. I am uncool, don't get me wrong. But, for some reason, I'm never home.

Last week consisted of working at the preschool to prepare it for next week - when there are actually kids there. Basically, I disinfected and organized an entire classroom and playroom. It was okay though, I'm getting paid pretty well. When I wasn't there, I was watching my cousins and sister. I took them Great America on Thursday and babysat them on Friday. Wednesday night, my friend Luke from Fresno State came up with his brother and friend and we all went to a Giants game. Good times. Luke's fun. Thursday night I got to see Saved! with Gina and Jake and then went and got my first piece of pie in a LONG time. And Friday, Ellie and I went to IKEA because I have decided to revamp/rearrange my room. I got a bedside table/drawer thing [that I successfully assembled already] and a shower curtain that I plan to use to cover my closet. I'm thinking of painting my room a light gray. Though right now, my room is completely in shambles with all of my crap from Fresno scattered about in boxes and bags. I've been living out of several suitcases for the last week and I really don't want to unpack.

Today I had to get up at the crack of dawn [read: 7am - which is probably when Gina was taking her break at Starbucks] to drive to Fremont to take a CPR/First Aid training class. This will make it the fourth time I have taken this class. It's getting a little tiring and repetitive. But oh well, it was something I had to do to work at the preschool.
After that, I had my cousin's graduation party and tomorrow I have Father's Day with the family. On Monday, I start working at the preschool, which I'm quite excited about.
So that's basically what I have been up to.

I was curious to see how many people were visiting this site and who they were and how they got here. If you, too, are interested you can click on the little icon on the right that says "Site Meter". Some of the more exciting searches that led unsuspecting people to Random-Osity were the following:

"weezer mormon"
"pucci tankini"
"camp tenderfoot and camp potowatomi"
"denoga"
"friends and pivot episode"
"merch strokes"
"wells fargo group interview"
"riding on her motorcycle early in the cold morning and you're holding on tight and steam is r" [I can only assume it's in the lyrics to some song]
"league of extraordinary gentlemen"
"christina agulear"

and, my favorite... "young girls in swimsuits"

So there ya go. That's who we are catering to. That's who is reading about our lives. Good to know.

'Tis all. - KT

See ya in a week or so

Off to New York tomorrow morning on Jet Blue at 5:30 AM (soo early...)! Just wanted to say a quick "see you later" to ya'll. We should hang out when I get back. Expect postcards in the mail, okay? If you happen to read this before Saturday morning, call me up on the cell if you decide you want me to get you something specific (I'll get those sugar packets, Kate). Otherwise I'll get you something cool anyway. =)

Have a good weekend!

"Homeward Bound" Part 2

Haha sorry for stealing your title Kate, but I too am heading home. This will be the last post from UCSC until September (not like that matters...)

So I'm sitting here, done with finals, killing time until I should go to bed. I'm FINALLY finished cleaning and packing (GOD I have so much stuff! I donated a lot of clothing and things to charity the other day too, but I still have so many things!). I'm going to drive home tomorrow with my little civic packed to the max with what I can put in there. Then Sunday morning, I have to come back up and help out with graduation (I'm an orientation leader...yeah, don't ask). There is no way in hell all my stuff is going to fit in my car, so luckily I was able to get an extended stay on my room, so I'll get the rest of the stuff on Sunday.

Today was quite bittersweet. I had my last final at 8AM, but Scott was leaving at 10AM (finals usually run about 3 hours). I wanted to make sure I did as well as possible on my final, but I also wanted to see Scott before he left. Luckily the test only took me 2 hours, and Scott's mom was running late, so we got to say goodbye. It's nice to be done, but it sucks that he's gone.

Besides that, basically Windy and I spent the whole day cleaning the room. We were both getting really grouchy around 3PM because we were hungry, when LO AND BEHOLD our friends Caroline and Robyn call and ask if we want to go with them to get Hawaiian BBQ for lunch. HALLELUJAH! It's about 20 minutes from campus in a car, but very much worth the drive...it was DELICIOUS and super cheap ($5.75 for a huge cut of tender grilled teriyaki chicken, 2 scoops of rice, and your choice of veggie salad, macaroni salad, or fruit salad...and pineapple of course). So yes, next time you guys come to visit we have a new place to go and eat. It's right next to a beach, too.

I can't remember who I told and who I didn't tell, but the fams and I are going to New York (Manhattan, I think) in about a week and a half. It should be nice, I haven't been to the east coast before, unless going to Disneyworld in Orlando counts. Anyway, if anyone wants anything (t-shirts, trinkets, other souvenir-type stuff...and of course sugar packets for Katie) let me know.

I really hope you get that internship too, Gina. Good luck!

Hopefully see you guys soon.

Homeward Bound

This will probably be my last post from Fres-yes. I only have two more days of my summer school class left. And I'm coming back to Hayward sometime this weekend, I haven't decided on the exact day yet. I must say, I have mixed emotions regarding returning home for good - atleast for the rest of the summer. I'm happy as hell to come home, see family and friends, and get started making some $$$. However, it'll be strange not seeing the boys everyday. Of course, in three month, when I go back to school, the idea of not seeing you guys every day will be strange. It'll be disappointing to not be able to do weekend trips up to Yosemite to swim in the river, or play five hour long marathon Age of Empire games against David. Oh well, it'll be awsome to go to Baker's Square, work at the preschool, babysit my cousins and Ellie, and see you all more often.

This past week, my typical day has consisted of me going to class in the morning [8:45 - 11:45], going to lunch on campus with David and Todd, and then going home. Once I'm home, I blow off doing work and instead play on my computer, lounge out in the sun attempting to change from a pale white to a light brown, or take a nap. Todd comes over to my house after he's done at the lab and we go out and get dinner and watch a movie or TV. It's a hard life, but someone's got to live it.

Last weekend, I lived at David's house. My godfather Steve, whose mother owns the house that I've been staying at, came down for the weekend so I wanted to give him his space/allow him to have some time in the house alone. I went up to David's Friday night with the intent to only stay a single night. We played Age of Empires like the huge dorks we are and went to bed at 3am. Four hours later, David's mom woke us up to help set up the yard sale they were having. I hung out there all day, played Risk with David's family, took a walk with David and his dog around the lake near his house, and decided to spend another night. Sunday, Todd came up to David's in the morning and we made our way to Wawona - inside Yosemite Valley - to go swimming/innertubing in the mighty Merced River. We proceeded to swim/go down rapids/practically drown/get sunburned for the next five hours. Good times. We all ended up getting pretty scratched and bruised, David and Todd more so than I. David lost a fight with a rock and cut his foot up, and Todd went over a four foot waterfall. He came out relatively unscathed when you take into consideration how truly dangerous the sitation was.

Gina, I must agree with you on your previous post, my male friends are enormously attractive. One of these days I really must post a picture, perhaps I'll work on that today.

This summer's job situation has been changed and altered so many times already that I fear putting the current state on Random-osity will only jinx it and it'll change again. Nevertheless, here's what I face this summer. Starting next week - the 14th - I have three or four days of training at the preschool from 9am to 1pm. The week after that - the 21st - I will begin my usual schedule. The "usual schedule" consists of the following:

Monday - Preschool: 8:30am - 1:00pm. Tutor Dereck, Nicky, & Ellie: 2:00pm - 2:30/3:00pm
Tuedsay - Babysit D,N, & E: all the live long day
Wednesday - same as Monday
Thursday - same as Tuesday
Friday - same as Monday & Wednesday, minus the tutoring.

All of this amounts to about $300/week. Which is awesome in my broke-ass book.

At the preschool, I sense a lot more flexibility when it comes to taking time off, so I'm being able to go up to Lake Tahoe with the family and various other trips.

Okay, I really must get to doing something more productive. Like packing all my crap up for the move home. I'll see you all soon. Thanks to Gina & Jake for postponing the viewing of "Saved" to wait pour moi.

Love, KT

I'm smack in the middle of studying for finals, but I think I deserve a break, so why not post?

Hey, thanks again for the ride the other week, Gina, but why are you apologizing to me? I really appreciated you going a bajillion miles out of your way to bring me back to school, I'm the one who should be apologizing. I owe you one...let me take you out to dinner one of these days, okay? Thanks again! And thanks again to Katie for putting together a great weekend.

So after much hand-wringing, I decided not to take the internship at Nickelodeon/MTV Studios at Burbank. I think it would be much easier/convenient for the family/less pressure on the wallet if I just went home, worked at Macys again, ran XC fun runs, and took a couple weeks of French at Foothill college to keep my mind occupied.

This past weekend at Geng's graduation party (yup, she graduated...crazy stuff!) I was talking to my cousin Martin and his wife Kathleen about my internship decision and told them to tell me I was making the right decision. Kathleen teaches at Notre Dame H.S. in Belmont as a theology teacher and said that she thinks that working for MTV is "below me". She teaches a morality class and said that her course revolves around this PBS documentary that criticizes MTV for creating a dominant culture of cool vs. uncool and for making teenagers feel insecure about themselves, which I suppose makes sense. Martin said that working for MTV didn't seem like my sort of thing. My defense was that what if it is "my sort of thing" and I'm throwing an opportunity away? But on the whole, I think all things considered it would just be better for me to stay home. Oh well, maybe next year.

I should probably get back to studying...hope to see you all soon, let's hang out!

Thanks to all. And to all a good night.

Just wanted to give an extended thanks to all I know and love. Especially those that called and/or typed to wish me a Happy Birthday. And for those who I saw this weekend, good times. And many more to come.

I have, quite possibly, the best friends ever. I love you all.

KT