Get a Diploma, Rafter! Kate Writes Home from Colorado College

We talk about the Weather

2009-12-13T23:21:00.000-08:00

Some places, it's considered lack of finesse or imagination to discuss the weather, but in Colorado Springs, its diversity provides a wealth of conversation material. A sampling of the accounts I could provide :

How I learned the hard way to wear long underwear, plus dressing for blizzard-like conditions for my 1-minute walk to class
"Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, we were consistently colder than the North Pole"
How I almost died slipping on black ice
. . . and then it was sunny and quite mild
The snow melted so quickly!
No, it's not that cold out anymore, never mind the cold! Where the heck did the bluster come from? A minute ago nine gusts of wind literally lifted me off my feet! I almost dropped my soymilk!

All this in the same week!

Clumsy

2009-12-11T13:53:00.000-08:00

I don't know how many times I've fallen down the stairs in my dorm this year. Tons.

How many steps are there, you ask? There are four.
What are they made of? A very traction-friendly rubber.
What's at the bottom? Carpet.

Yet the four steps outside of the dorm house, which are often coated in ice, give me no trouble.
Obviously there's something wrong with me.

What did the policeman say to his tummy?

2009-12-06T16:19:00.000-08:00

I've got you under a vest!

also,

What do you call a nosy pepper?

Jalapeño business!

Baking without measuring

2009-11-30T15:07:00.000-08:00

Recently I found myself with all of the ingredients but none of the utensils. Read on to see how my educated brain dealt with this!

I had a cough-medicine cup-thingy and a glass.
I just measured flour into the glass 2 teaspoons at a time and marked off the following intervals:

12 teaspoons = 1/4 cup
16 teaspoons = 1/3 cup
24 teaspoons = 1/2 cup
32 teaspoons = 2/3 cup
36 teaspoons = 3/4 cup
48 teaspoons = 1 cup

Homemade measuring cup! I'll just use the cough-medicine-thingy for the little stuff, remembering that
3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon.

Brilliant!

Update (Dec. 14th):
I lost the cough-medicine-thingy. Now I have two left, but they're in milliliters. And the markings on the cup weren't "permanent" enough. Here we go again.

236.588 mL = 1 cup
177.4 mL = 3/4 cup
157.7 mL = 2/3 cup
118.3 mL = 1/2 cup
78.8 mL = 1/3 cup
59.15 mL = 1/4 cup

4.9 mL = 1 teaspoon
14.8 mL = 1 tablespoon

Tales of Health

2009-11-15T15:17:00.000-08:00

Tale of Victory: Bronchitis has mostly passed, coughing has mostly stopped. (Good, because I depleted my two bottles of Robitussin.) I even think I'm getting over being overtrained!

Tale of Woe: My first bunion. Waaaaaaaaaahh . . . . . . .
I'm the poster child for bunions from pointe.

Tale of Victory: Today, made major headway with Rosie on her solo.
This is for my "bound ballet," by the way. Rosie is my Ankles. --------------------------------->

Tale of Woe: Not extreme headway, though. Because of my bunion!

Snow Duck

2009-11-14T23:18:00.000-08:00

It snowed.

I made a snow duck.

Text on the Net

2009-11-06T01:29:00.000-08:00

FML is that anonymous repository of ironic woe and failure, TFLN is "Remember that text you shouldn't have sent last night?" and MLIA is the optimistic kid sister of the two.
They are all pretty much the most popular time-diddling websites on campus at the moment. Personally, I think MLIA is the best. It is basically an online Generation Y cuddlefest. Trends I've noted are

1. anti-Twilightism and anti-Miley Cyrus-ism

Yesterday, I took my baby cousin trick or treating. She was dressed as a pumpkin and was absolutely adorable, so many kids wanted to hold her. She was held my a zombie, a dead person, a texas chainsaw murderer, and a scary clown. She didn't cry until she got held by a twelve year-old dressed as Miley Cyrus.
#1183906

2. references to Harry Potter and 90's phenoms such as Pokemon and Transformers

Today, I finally managed to say "Piii...kaa.." before I sneezed.
#1180484

3. Snuggies

Today I discovered that when you put a Snuggie on backwards, it no longer is a Snuggie but an awesome cape, and I preceded to run around my dorm floor making whooshing noises. Three other kids on my floor came out to join me and we played 2 on 2 Quidditch.
#712581

4. amazing fun things

Today, I brought a dog home from the shelter who I had been iffy about adopting. Within the first few hours, I discovered that when you point at him and say "Pillow fight!" he runs off and comes back with a pillow.
#1199868

5. witnessing strangers carrying out planned absurdities

I was driving by the lake and I saw a Jeep full of guys pass me. They were hanging out the windows and the sunroof, paddling with canoe paddles, and singing "Just Around the Riverbend" from Pocahontas.
#432680

6. the communion of unplanned absurdities with strangers

Today, I saw a man dressed in full Buddy costume from the movie "Elf." I stuck my head out my car window and yelled, "You're a cotton-headed ninnymuggins!" His gasp was audible from several feet away, and then he chased me down the sidewalk yelling, "I'm telling Santa!"
#1177317

7. awesomesauce little kids

Last night while trick-or-treating I saw a 10 year old boy who had made himself and entire suit and cape out of bubblewrap. Excited, I shouted "It's Bubblewrap Boy!" The kid turned around and said "I'm Bubblewrap MAN," pointing to the mustache he had drawn over his lip.
#1181977

8. awesomesauce old people
9. awesomesauce parents and teachers

How Do You Spend Your Web Time?

2009-10-27T20:57:00.000-07:00

What are my most-used websites? I have these sites as icons right at the top on my web browser:
1. Digg, a news site where users try to vote stories to the front page.
2. CC's library webpage and help desk and PROWL
3. The Raw Story, NPR Politics on Twitter, Associated Press, and Al Jazeera English, for world news.
4. Facebook
5. ChaCha's KnowledgeBase, even though I haven't worked for them in a while.
6. Yahoo! mail
7. Youtube
8. Blogger
9. WordReference, romance language dictionary with excellent grammar forums.
10. Chinese-Tools.com and nciku, Chinese dictionaries.
11. thesaurus.reference.com
12. RhymeZone, rhyming dictionary.
13. RedBubble, a social site/art gallery for visual artists who write on the side.
14. RememberTheMilk, online to-do lists.
15. craigslist
16. 43 Things, for occasional motivation.
17. LyricWiki, so you can look up lyrics to songs without being bombarded by infectious ads.
18. Google Maps
19. a time calculator, comes in handy.
20. TinyUrl
21. spreeder, a speed-reading tool.
22. Athleticore, a workout log that CC runners use.
23. MyPyramid Tracker, nutrition log and analyzer which came in handy when I started eating vegetarian.
24. HowStuffWorks

I think Dad would like this costume

2009-10-24T10:11:00.000-07:00

for Aaron.

Take Home Tests

2009-10-21T11:39:00.000-07:00

Advantage/Disadvantage Analysis of Take Home Tests

Disadvantages
1. It's not like they're open book. You can take it anywhere, but the library ceiling doesn't have the answers.
2. Ticknor runs super hot. I prefer my room and my desk, but my room heater is broken and refuses to turn off.
3. No sense of inter-student competition, or, on the other hand, pre-test game-building hoots.
4. Classrooms don't have distractions the way my room has distractions.

Advantages
1. You can take the test in your underwear.
1.5 especially if your room heater is broken.
2. You can yell "DEFINITIONS PWNED!" after completing the definition section.
3. Six bathroom breaks.
4. I have a chocolate donut that I'm going to eat after I complete the hardest essay.
5. You can listen to music.
6. None of that Sniffly Girl. or Girl Who Chews TicTacs really loudly, I hated her so much. Also, the guy who usually sits in front of me has wild sideburns on the back of his neck and I stare at it because it's weird when we're in class.
7. Rock in my squeaky chair? Don't mind if I do.
8. White noise? I'ma turn my fan to HIGH!

One More Disadvantage
1. I was under the impression that no one was going to notice me running to the TV lounge and jumping on the couch in the seventh inning.

Doing much better

2009-10-20T12:38:00.000-07:00

I'm over swine flu, and every day I've been dividing my frequency and severity of coughing in half, so I think today was the last day before it stops.
One good outcome - probably spending so much time in bed was good for my overtrained body. Now that the flu effects are fading away, I don't feel sore or painful all over. I am, however, very weak, and I can tell both from my baggy jeans (which used to be my tight jeans) and from my performance in modern class that I have lost a significant amount of strength and muscle mass. Starting over time . . . !

It is special flu

2009-10-14T12:00:00.001-07:00

Today I managed to eat some solid foods. And by solid foods I mean soup. Ladies came by yesterday with a big box of food and like a million Gatorades.

I tell you, swine flu is not like regular flu. It is horrible. This fever is going on 3 days. I don't even know what day it is. Wednesday? I thought it was Thursday. Oh well.

So making the soup and blogging about it is all I have energy for today, bye bye.

Talking with Joel

2009-10-09T01:38:00.000-07:00

Tonight, at dinner
Joel: "So you've been vegetarian for more than a year now. How do you get your iron?"
Me: "Salads. Huge salads that I get teased for."
Joel: "I'm sure you don't."

Later, at the salad bar
Joel: "You weren't joking. That is an enormous pile of lettuce and spinach."
Me: "I tell you Joel, I don't spend much time in the space between truth and hyperbole."
Joel: "I can see that. In any case, we're going to be here a while."
"Yes, well, leafy greens . . . . . . . . I'M A COW!" I announced.
However, Joel had walked around the corner and this announcement went straight into the face of the unfamiliar freshman boy standing next to me spearing croutons, who could only say, "Umm . . . sorry?"

It was almost better than the "clean tasting spoons" incident.

Dance updates

2009-10-08T00:16:00.000-07:00

Hey homedogs.

Advanced choreography adjunct is cool. Yesterday we had to lead improv . . . mine was easy: "You're filaments and the wall is MAGNETS! You don't want to get stuck but you're GONNA LOSE!"

I came up with the dopest floor move that I want to use in the Bowed Piano ensemble piece next semester. Don't want to ruin the pleasure of actually seeing it, but I'll tell you it comes with very specific injury - it rubs a chunk of flesh off the wrist and therefore I can't do it too much.

I played for them this "soundscape" song I was thinking of using for a duet. It's 37 minutes long and I wanted to choreograph 3 minutes or so and randomize the starting point of the dance for every performance. They all said I should do a whole show, a continuous one, with it because I loved the whole thing so much. They were like: "Would you be up to it?" and I was like: "Yeah, actually."

But next semester.

I finally told Jeff I'm overtrained and he got kind of horrified. So now he expects me to back off a ton. I may be burned out but I still love dance deep down to the mitochondria. Taking it easy is not something I'm particularly good at. I kind of wish I had a guardian figure who would yell at me if I was doing too much or going too hard.

My problem is that on the good days, I have enough energy to get things done, so I'll schedule that rehearsal, catch up on choreographing and push myself, do those three hours of research, visit a friend I haven't seen in forever -- what used to be normal stuff. Then for the next two days I am 10 pounds of poop in a 5 pound bag, to paraphrase. Some days are okay, and some days, like today, are really hard. Just going to class and walking to the library are painfully exhausting. Not to mention taking the stairs. Thank god I live on the ground floor. I can't relax. If I allow myself to take a break I just curl up into the Ball of Hurt.

So parents - could we please pony up for a few massages? Besides hot bath/cold bath therapy, which have been helpful, massage is the best thing I can be doing. It's in my textbook and the Olympic training center says so (we went there on a field trip today and the trainers said so.)

In other news,
Chelsea got swine flu and was quarantined for 3 days. Apparently the whole XC team is going to get it now.

from my old choreography notebook

2009-10-06T01:35:00.001-07:00

Possibly the only face I've ever drawn.

health scare

2009-09-25T12:44:00.000-07:00

I had a horrible idea - what if I'm actually sick? What if it's mono? A lot of the symptoms match up, the fatigue has been building, and I've got a worsening sore throat.

So I went to Boettcher this morning and they told me it's NOT mononucleosis - yay! They did, however, confirm my overtraining self-diagnosis. My immunity is down right now, so I can easily catch all kinds of colds. So I'm avoiding everyone that sniffles.

In other campus health news, there seems to be at least one person with swine flu at all times. They get quarantined in their room for a week, and then emerge, slightly famouser.

Overtrained

2009-09-21T14:38:00.000-07:00

Finally, I found the proper term. And it can happen on a normal work load, from pushing too hard or if psychological stress wears down on you . . . . .

Overtraining Syndrome [quoted]
Overtraining is a physical, behavioral and emotional condition that occurs when the volume and intensity of an individual's exercise exceeds their recovery capacity. They cease making progress, and can even begin to lose strength and fitness. Overtraining occurs more readily if the individual is simultaneously exposed to other physical and psychological stressors, such as jet lag, ongoing illness, overwork, menstruation, poor nutrition, grief, etc.

What happens?
1. Microtrauma to the muscles are created faster than the body can heal them.
2. Protein deficiency. Amino acids are used up faster than they are supplied in the diet.
3. Calorie deficiency.
4. Excessive strain to the nervous system.

Symptoms:
* Low white blood cell count
* Persistent muscle soreness (Delayed onset muscle soreness)
* Persistent fatigue
* Elevated resting heart rate
* Increased susceptibility to infections
* Increased incidence of injuries
* Irritability
* Depression

Treatment:
1. Rest
Allowing more time for the body to recover.
Taking a break from training to allow time for recovery.
Reducing volume/intensity of training.
Suitable periodization of training.
Splitting the training program so that different sets of muscles are worked on different days.
Increase sleep time.
2. Changing diet:
Ensuring that calorie intake at least matches expenditure, esp. protein.
Addressing vitamin deficiencies.
3. Fixing it:
Massage.
Temperature contrast therapy: ice and heat.

Later this week in Survivor: Advanced Modern

2009-09-17T21:22:00.000-07:00

I basically tried a lot and died of tiredness at the end, so, the usual.
Jeff (the instructor) picks on me. A lot. That, or he thinks I'm good and wants me to improve. Either way, it means I'm having a tougher time than anyone else.

My 1st pointe class

2009-09-16T15:41:00.000-07:00

Advanced Ballet on Wednesdays is now pointe class.
We did 1 hour barre, then half an hour en pointe. I did it all on training wheels (holding on to something). It was quite difficult, and it will be a while before I get the hang of stepping onto a straight leg or rolling up, but I managed admirably, I think.

Earlier this week in Survivor: Advanced Modern

2009-09-15T23:26:00.000-07:00

I was smart and brought socks today. Jeff was much more impressed with my sliding lunges, which were impossible to do beforehand in bare feet. We did the same hard running around stuff and I was tired halfway through as usual.

At the end we did the jumping and catching circle, which was fun. We did exactly what it sounds like - we got in a circle of nine, and one person was supposed to run at a random person, jump high, and be caught. Somehow.

Then, because that was only Level One of Fun, Exciting, and Terrifying, he made us get in pairs and catch each other pas-de-deux style. Difficult. But I lucked out - Rosie Handschy and I are comfortable enough throwing ourselves at each other. We made one spectacular catch in front of everyone. Pretty!

Then Dolo's flying elbow knocked Jordan in the face and BLOOOOOOOD . . . . . . . . yes, this is the Jordan&Dolo of Candycane and Cupcake fame from my dance last semester. Jordan had to get stitches and Vicodin, Dolo is very upset. The two are rather dance-lebrity partners-in-crime within the dance-community and I'm worried for their dance-lationship.

P.S. I feel an indiscriminate sense of hurting that I'm not familiar with, and it's lasting for days. It's the kind you can't describe much, I just ache everywhere.

Tai Chi routine

2009-09-11T22:11:00.000-07:00

We might get graded on our Tai Chi form. Here's how I remember the routine (with help from Katie Ferguson):

You got a watermelon. Show off the watermelon to the right, to the left, to the right. Do they want the watermelon? They don't want it (wafting). Say PSSHH to them and run over the mountain. Come back. Then give them a pointy gesture - ghostride the whip. Go away. Come back a little... yeah, actually, go away. Be a robot. Beep. Boop. Fly away! Wave to your kungfu master. Push him away. Slap him, ha ha! Reach for the birdie. Get the birdie. Take him over the mountain (4 steps to the right). Let the birdie go, so your hands can be free to take your watermelon again, yay!

In other news, I was really tired today and decided to sit out of ballet.

Also, here are the Fall Dance Workshop pieces I have been cast in:
Cameron's experimental multi-media Seven Deadly Sins piece. Khanhsong and I are SLOTH.
Jazmyne's afro-caribbean hip-hop fusion piece.

adv. modern is hard

2009-09-07T15:03:00.000-07:00

Technique class - Advanced Modern

Okay, I tried really hard today and I believe I did really well in every exercise and combination.
BUT I THINK I AM GOING TO DIE. I FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT THIS.
Maybe it was fthat we did a few too many repetitions, or from the effort I gave in ballet, but I pretty much got to muscle failure right at the end of class.

I like the instructor from Taiwan, Jeff. But man, did I pay it all out. It wasn't that I was hungry or sleepy or particularly weak, I made sure I forced down a lot of calories today. I guess that's what true effort is. So....the better you get at dance technique, the harder practice becomes? I thought that that particular law of returns applied to things like XC. Speaking of which, I can't ever remember my legs being so tired except at the peak of Jesuit cross country season. Wow, I feel like I just ran a half marathon.

Mountain bike

2009-09-05T14:59:00.000-07:00

I put Étaín together today, and took her to the store and on a pleasure trot. She runs fine and I am very happy.

hungry?

2009-09-04T21:58:00.000-07:00

Now that I think on it, I have not been eating nearly enough for my activity level, but I have just been NOT HUNGRY. I do not want to eat, seriously it's like I don't like food anymore. This isn't good.

I should eat this burrito.
God, please send down an angel to help me eat this burrito.
With thy salsa and thy guac, awaken my hunger, or at least shoveth unto my throat tortillas, beans, and rice, so that I am nourished, for, yea, I do need protein like St. Brad needs chocolate milk, and speaking of that, Lord, bringeth me chocolate soymilk and thou art my savior for realz, for this non-dairy drink has the optimal post-workout carb-fat-protein ratio, and it is good. amen.

Bloooood!

2009-09-03T14:52:00.000-07:00

Last night I sliced the top part of my pinkie toe. I was coming out of the bathroom at 2 in the morning and tripped over the doorframe. Blooooood!
So in Adv. Modern today, anything with tendues or releves or deep plies was particularly painful, and I looked dumb during said basic exercises at the beginning of class.

We improved at the end of class, which was excellent and fun enough to forget about my pain. We did stuff against the wall . . . . . . kind of pretending the wall was the ground . . . . . like Spiderman . . . . .

Block 1, 2009

2009-09-02T13:07:00.000-07:00

Block 1 is DA 225 The Body in Motion: Anatomy and Kinesiology

First week: Anatomy. We learn all the important muscles and bones.
2nd week: Movement analysis & Injuries.
3rd week: Application of Somatic methods such as Tai Chi, Pilates, Franklin method, etc.

We do (almost) an hour of Tai Chi every morning.
I love Tai Chi!

Dance Workshop photos

2009-05-31T16:27:00.000-07:00

School's over, and people are uploading their DW photos. I'm putting some from various sources into semi-coherent slideshows.
Dolo's piece, "Inadvert"

View Photo Slideshow

Make a Free Flash Slideshow

I just started this, so I don't know how to keep it from being weird and zoomy.

Hip-hop video

2009-05-13T07:58:00.001-07:00

Dance Movie

2009-05-10T23:46:00.000-07:00

Still working on editing my final project. I have a lot of takes to sift through.
Here are some still frames.

Tales of Victory, Tales of Woe

2009-05-04T11:56:00.000-07:00

Tales of Victory: I finished deep-cleaning my room in preparation for moving out in a couple of weeks.
It was a disaster area to be proud of.
Tales of Woe: Doing so did not uncover my cell phone, which has been missing for a week.
I hope it's not wedged between my desk and the wall.

There goes my Saturday

2009-05-02T19:07:00.000-07:00

Logan and Seth came with me to the mall to shoot a short dance for camera.
We found the perfect dress for Logan, and Seth looked great in his suit & tie.
I started setting up a shot of the escalators, and security was dispatched within a minute to kick us out.
Dillard's. More like Dullard's.

3rd dance film

2009-05-01T20:29:00.000-07:00

2nd dance film

2009-04-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

Here is my second dance film.

It won nine thousand awards for artistic direction.

1st dance film

2009-04-28T20:39:00.000-07:00

Sugar Coated: A Tektonic Ballet

2009-04-24T08:57:00.000-07:00

Other DW

2009-04-24T08:07:00.000-07:00

Here are the other Dance Workshop pieces I danced in.

I'm in the blue.

Dance Workshop

2009-04-23T20:30:00.000-07:00

I have the video recording! Unfortunately, it is taking forever to convert. Here are some screen shots while we wait.

The Birds follow the Children

Video delay

2009-04-14T21:45:00.001-07:00

The DVDs came out with some errors, so the order is being reprocessed and I'll be posting the video next week.

Final tomorrow. Then block break. Hooray!

Dancey Updates

2009-04-11T10:36:00.000-07:00

The Dance Workshop DVDs come out on Monday. A bunch of the choreographers went to Peggy's place (Peggy will likely be my Dance minor advisor) to watch the beta DVD and critique each other. It was nice to, finally, get some criticism.
That said, my dance was cool. They taped the Friday show, and I am quite satisfied with how it turned out. I will take a break from studying for finals to put it on Youtube. Soon!
Prepare yourself, though, for the crazy and the weird. It's a couple bus stops past irreverent. Fittingly improper, in my opinion. Don't say I didn't warn you. I let my dancers push the envelope - I did the choreography, but left much of the emotion, intensity, and motivation up to them. They're all great actors, and I like where they took it. (Dude, I couldn't stop laughing last night. I was really seeing it for the first time.)

Next block: Block 8: Dance and Film

Super excited for Block 8: Dance and Digital Technology. It's all about making dance for camera.
So excited, in fact, that I've already begun choreographing.
I want to do a few projects that will require planning ahead and scheduling rehearsals.

So . . . I just did the first video shoot. Woot. I used Jazmyne, who was great in my Hoodie dance last semester (in the video she's in the grey sweatshirt second from the left.)

She's kinda blurry here, but this is what she was wearing.

Despite some late-night dance-partying, we were both up at 9:30 on a Saturday morning.
It was raining.
We went all around the cruddy places downtown, using the environment.
I had her shadowboxing, kicking things, walking, walking and locking, walking hip-hop, and just walking looking thug.
Preview:

Later I'll edit it and produce it music video style.

Like Patrick's! (Patrick my cousin, of course.)

New photos!

2009-04-09T19:28:00.000-07:00

Public transportation

2009-04-04T14:33:00.000-07:00

Took the downtown shuttle to the bus station, got on a bus, made one transfer. Then I walked for 15 minutes in some powerful wind and snow, got fitted for new ballet shoes, and made my way back home with no mistakes.
Not an exciting adventure, but at 4 hours combined time, $3 in travel costs, and the braving of some nasty weather, it was an adventure nonetheless.

you little girlie things better be worth the hassle

Last Fall DW

2009-03-29T19:41:00.000-07:00

Yes, I participated in Dance Workshop last semester.

This is "He Loves Me," Caroline's hip-hop.
And here is the one I choreographed, "Hoodie." Actually it's better here on Youtube.

Program

2009-03-29T18:06:00.001-07:00

Here is the performance poster, which I designed.

And the program notes, which I did not.

Concept Board

2009-03-29T13:11:00.000-07:00

No new photos, but I'm posting the final costume sketches. I do have a photo of myself as the Witch, minus accessories.

Birds (Khanhsong and Amy):

Girl (Katie):

Boy (Ryan):

Candy Cane Man (Jordan) and Frosting Lady (Dolo):

The Gingerbread House Witch:

I AM political

2009-03-07T21:21:00.000-08:00

I am political.
When problems in my community affect me, I don't just take action.
I make a statement.

Buzz

2009-03-04T17:25:00.000-08:00

This week is getting exciting. Dance Workshop is a big deal at CC.
Everyone goes to see it, and though I'm only a rookie sophomore, my piece is generating buzz.
It's unreal - word is spreading. My dancers are telling me how they're bragging about being in my piece. And people listen to them because 5 out of 6 of them are very good, sought-after dancers, and the 6th guy is this totally untapped talent who should have been plopped into ballet class years ago.
(I have 4 girls and 2 boys. Two of my girls have danced professionally, kind of, and the other two used to belong to an amateur company together. I still can't believe I landed all of them. It's a dream cast.)

This is basically what I talked to Grandma about.

Also, I have been given a set, and have contacts willing to help put it together and paint it. I have a set! And it's big!

Plus a variety of bomb costumes.

Look at this nifty number!

It's being custom made at a Canadian factory as we speak, and they're making it to fit Jordan's long torso. I love Canadians. They are so flexible.

Like me. I am flexible. Thanks to all this dancing, I can do the splits on one side. I kid you not. The left side. Accomplished at 5pm today.

We're the Dancers

2009-03-01T19:07:00.000-08:00

Click here for DW hilarity.
We're the dancers.

Next, duet sessions with Jordan and Dolo on an average day.

We recreate a dance department-famous photograph.

Fashion Show

2009-02-09T19:24:00.001-08:00

How did the fashion show go?

Swell!

Hannah Concannon (of St. Mary's, last year Sub-Free hall and the track team fame) is already an accomplished clothier. Here is her line; it is quite stellar.

(l to r Eliza, Ashleigh, Hannah, Sammi)
(all of them Sub-Freebies last year.)

And now for Chelsea Herzog's line.

Rosie modeling Chelsea
(Rosie, a freshman, is in my hall this year and we've been in Chinese together for 3 straight blocks.)

Molly modeling Chelsea
(Sophomore runner. If you'll recall, we spent Spring Break skiing at Molly's house.)
(Also, Molly wins at Fierce Face. That's a competition I just made up.)

Rafter modeling Chelsea

Louisa modeling Chelsea
(Sophomore runner, a Sub-Freebie, natural redhead like Rosie.)

Chelsea modeling Chelsea
(A Sub-Freebie adoptee, meaning she was around often enough to count as a member.)
(P.S. Chelsea started sewing this year. I think she's found her prodigious talent niche.)

Photos of Winter Ball

2009-02-01T01:12:00.001-08:00

This makes 4 photos of me and Sammi together.

Marissa took this photo. She's a freshman and a dancer. Awesomesauce. Equal parts awesome and sauce.

Astrocamp!

2009-01-31T14:23:00.000-08:00

I have some 2002 Astrocamp pictures. Want to see them? Look at the album here.

Winter Ball

2009-01-30T12:26:00.000-08:00

Winter Ball is tonight. It's a masquerade. Prepare for the fabulous stuff. Pictures to be posted.

Dialoguer

2009-01-27T23:48:00.000-08:00

I can say "What is this, a sandwich with words on it?" in Chinese.

这是什么，三明治和子在里边？

Injury Report

2009-01-26T23:56:00.000-08:00

1. Hips and knees are fine, mostly.
2. The hand is not exactly improving. Training room needs those x-rays sent over.
3. Hey parents, you're going get billed for some Vicodin from Boettcher. On Sunday, I broke my nose . . . again . . .
4. Definitely bruised my shoulder bone. I don't remember this happening, but I remember how much it hurts every time Unicycle Paul pokes it. Now that I think about it, this may have happened after Unicycle Paul pushed me out of a handstand.
5. It doesn't count as injury, but I've been dancing enough to bleed if I absentmindedly rip off my socks at night. Way hardcore.

I have a sneaking suspicion that a few of my acquaintances are spreading the rumor that I'm an underground streetfighter. Good thing I don't bruise, or else I'd look a mess.
(Thanks for the weirdo super-healing metabolism, Dad.)

Roommates

2009-01-25T12:20:00.000-08:00

Sammi and I don't have a lot of proof of our relationship. Neither of us are big picture-takers. But considering that we've been roommates for more than a year and a half, the documentation is pretty weak. We appear in three photos together:

eating Chipotle,

dressed as dudes,

bustin a move.

Yep.

Block 5

2009-01-21T23:22:00.000-08:00

Did you make it back?
Right. Sorry. I'm back at CC and Sammi's fine and the room isn't a huge mess from unpacking . . .
How's the class thing going?
Intermediate I Chinese. Pretty good grades last two blocks. Bu cou le!
What about track?
I have decided not to attempt pole vaulting on the "broken" hand. Instead we're trying me on some legs-only events. (I am not on academic probation, Dad.) I'm going to do a lot of cross-training on my own this month; next block, I work with hurdlers and sprinters. I may not compete this season, which I'm fine with, because it frees up more time for -
Dance
Should I tell you the good news? Erm, maybe later . . .
In other news,
The new clothes (Grandma) are quite stunning. I have been alternating fashionable days with schleppy days, giving further proof to the fact that I am consistently inconsistent.

Craigslist

2009-01-05T21:29:00.000-08:00

I'm on Craigslist, supposedly looking for a very temporary job.
aaaaand I got stuck in the Portland personals.
I remember doing a graduation present for Katie Sullivan: I wrote her a free "Missed Connection" personal in the Willamette Week. She flipped out . . . and so did her boyfriend, until I explained that it was not a random dude but one of her teammates.
Huge tip: If you know anyone who loves to read those "Missed Connections," write a very specific one about them and post it everywhere: Willamette Week, Portland Mercury, Craigslist. Then make sure read the paper in front of you. It's awesome.

That said, reading the "Missed Connections" section is a very emotional experience. It's mostly sad, and often hopeful, like inconstant poetry. Take a look at some of these men-seeking-women:

December 30. I ask myself
what value there is in posting here. The answer, you read them. I have stayed quiet for a long time. Respecting your wish. What bothers the most is some of the things you told me and the gestures of intimacy towards me. It is a shame that we both messed up. It's clear that I am not making much headway in getting over you. Not sure I will. I hope our paths cross someday. It would be nice to see you.

December 29. Before the bed was big... now its just empty. - m4w - 19 (Beaverton)
I'm sorry. I knew beforehand the preconditions.
Everything I touch just falls apart. I can't find anything normal. Regular, healthy... I thought I would find that in you, and I don't know why when you told me before this whole ordeal began it could never be that way.
I wanted to let you know that even if we can't be what I think we could be, we can still be friends, and I want to be there for you.
I know, I sound like a pussy now. Sorry. You probably won't even read this, but I had to say it. Or, you will read this and think I'm a pussy. I probably shouldn't have posted this.
Whatever.
Hope to hear from you,
Lying awake at night in a bed that once used to be big and roomy, but now just feels like its missing a person.

December 30. just say hi - m4w (NW PDX)
i want to be a missed connection. i am tall, attractive, and a lot of fun. why don't any girls smile at me when i say hi to them? oh, well...

Airport Entertainment

2008-12-19T20:14:00.000-08:00

This is how people text-message these days. (Also, Sammi just finished English: Introduction to Poetry.)

Sammi: I'm at the airport chillin . . .

Rafter: and havin the room to myself is pretty illin' . . .

Sammi: I'd assume so, without all the space I was filling

Rafter: Still, the lonely nights ahead won't be very thrilling.

Sammi: You can come back to California any time if ur willin.

Rafter: That might not be in the cards, at the rate that the economy is spillin.

Sammi: Understandable, when its prb you they'd be billin'

Rafter: Yep. So for hockey tonight, any chance of tigers killin'?

Sammi: Not a clue, their win streak has been sorta stillin'

Rafter: Yeah, why is that? Perhaps too many drills they've been drillin? Too many pills they've been pillin? Or perhaps too many biddies' frills they've been frillin?

Sammi: All of the above.

Toasted to a crisp. (a.k.a. grillin')

Pop Up My Video

2008-12-16T12:04:00.000-08:00

I've got Skype now, ma. Add me to your contacts.

Here's a picture of me at the beginning of the year with Ashleigh.

Also from a few months ago, Chelsea and me.

The theme was Sitcom Character Stereotypes. Freshman Megan (in the back) was "the bratty little sister."

Temperature

2008-12-14T16:45:00.000-08:00

It's 5:50pm, 3° F outside. It wasn't windy, so I wrapped myself in scarves and had a nice run. Some snow on the ground, about as much as Portland right now.
I'm pretty sure I've never been anywhere this cold before, so this is a personal record.

For Sammi

2008-12-12T20:38:00.000-08:00

Back in Orange County

2008-11-29T12:37:00.000-08:00

I saw AnnaMaria, Kaitlin, Alex, and Karina last night.I
It's like I hadn't seen them for a year - not four (+).
Good to know that I can still make them laugh.

We nixed Twilight and saw Quantum of Solace. Glad we did.

It's been a long time; the last movie I saw in theaters was The Bourne Ultimatum.
Funny I mentioned those two together. It's really true how Bond's been re-vamped for the "Bourne generation."

Male Scent

2008-11-28T13:04:00.000-08:00

P.O.L.L. (Philosophy or Life Lessons)
This is a new section where I expound, profess, express, profound, regress . . . all the usual. ^[1]

The Axe Effect

Axe/Tag body spray is a product with genius marketing strategy:
"Axe Deodorant Bodyspray is the all-over bodyspray with long-lasting fragrance and effective deodorant protection designed to seduce the ladies. If you spray it, they will come."

In real life, all girls know that Axe smells gross and has no drawing power. All females avoid the scent.
My friend Hannah says this is an example of how false advertising can make people buy anything.
But I say no - Axe is the result of some brilliant feminist infiltration!

Here's how it when down.
Woman A, after a bad experience with a d-bag, is talking to her friends about dating:
Woman A: "He seemed so nice. But then I came back from the bathroom and he was all over the waitress, and in public! I had to run home to wash the skeeze off me."
Friends: "Aww . . . "
Woman A: "There's a lot of strong, intelligent, respectable guys out there, but how in the world am I supposed to separate the good ones from the jerks?"
Woman B who happens to be a chemical engineer: "I know! If we could get them all to wear this anti-pheromone spray I just developed . . ."
Friends: "How do we get them to do that?"
Woman C who happens to be in advertising: "Well . . ."

And they came up with a campaign. They found a target demographic: the kind of young males inclined to believe that they could douse themselves in a $5 bottle of chemicals and therefore induce hordes of females to chase after them. They made it smell bad to girls, and okay to boys.

The avoidance success rate still hovers around 93%. Girls have been able to avoid encounters after sniffs from distances anywhere between 50 and 150 meters. "Nice guy" dates are up 34 percent.
Axe also causes girls to deepen their understanding and appreciation for regular boy smell.

So thank you, whoever is behind Axe.

A Serious Heart to Heart

2008-11-16T23:49:00.000-08:00

Where do I see myself in the next 5 years? I really don't know.

Just kidding!

Seeing, not just Looking

2008-11-15T20:50:00.000-08:00

Quick Interview

2008-11-13T23:04:00.000-08:00

Facebook Style Questions

What celebrity do people say you look like?
Diana Taurasi, point guard in the WNBA.

My personal philosophy is...
to go to new places and do things that have never been done before. Also, it's better to burn out than to fade away.

Which sport is the best to watch?
Hockey, gymnastics.

What music should they play at your funeral?
3rd movement of Philip Glass's Symphony No.3, and Cat Stevens's "Peace Train"

I wouldn't mind being stuck in a closet with . . .
a hammock.

What's your favorite candy?
The vanilla sticks that come with Fun Dip.

People think that I'm . . .
really outgoing, but I'm not. I just aspire to be fearless.

What's your favorite 80's band?
Joy Division.

What are three ways you're making the world a better place?
I smile at strangers, I listen to problems, and I eat vegetarian.

What's your dream job?
Astronaut.

Do you sleep on your side, back, or stomach?
Stomach.
What's the first thing you do when you wake up?
Go back to sleep.

What's your favorite restaurant?
Salvador Molly's.

How old were you the last time you trick-or-treated?
19. I love Halloween.

I feel naked without my . . .
choreography journal.

What's your earliest memory?
Trying to eat carpet.

Quick! Write the last sentence of your biography.
Then she ascended into the heavens.

Ancestry

2008-11-10T11:30:00.000-08:00

It's some kind of Heritage Week here at CC.

Mom and Dad, where are we from?
I'm Irish, Polish, French-Canadian, and Croatian. I want to know exactly where we come from.
Especially Croatia. You know, I would like to identify most strongly with my Croatian ancestry.

Poland
I have no idea.

Ireland
County Cork and County Mayo. But what towns?

Croatia
Cittavecchia, the Italian name for Stari Grad, a town on the island of Hvar in Dalmatia, Croatia.
Correct?

France/French Canada
Also no idea.

Whoa. Fullerton.

2008-11-07T11:47:00.000-08:00

Two of Sammi's best friends from Orange County are visiting this weekend. They are Allison and Sandra. I know them slightly because they helped me with Sammi's birthday present^[1] over the summer. They came in late last night, and they're sleeping on our futon / floor pads.

I told them I was from Portland, Oregon, but I was originally from Fullerton, California. Allison said, "Me too!" She looked familiar, but probably only because I'd seen her picture on Sammi's Facebook page.

Everyone but me got to sleep in this morning. After my class, we met up back in the dorm room before lunch, and Allison asked if I had ever played soccer. Specifically, Fullerton Rangers Youth Soccer. She was unsure about why she kind of recognized me. But that was all I needed to go on.

We were on the same team when we were 12.

Intense.

Footnote:
[1] For Sammi's birthday, I handmade a book containing things that she loves.
I put in old Greek myths, poetry, quotations by her favorite writers (Dumas, Homer, Steinbeck, Whitman), the Coffee Psalm, her favorite short story: A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas, jokes, wordplays and puzzles, and Did You Know?s. I also contacted all of her best friends to ask them, "What is your favorite spoken word?" I put a list of those in the book. How did I find out who her best friends were? I used Sammi's Facebook. I looked to see who she designated as her "Top Friends," and who she conversed with the most in the digital world. Then I emailed those people behind Sammi's back. It was very sneaky

Block 3: Elementary Chinese

2008-11-01T20:06:00.000-07:00

I know you all want to know how the class is going.

This is the quiz from Day 2:

I'm unofficial study buddies with Connor, my next-door-neighbor. His roommate George is fluent. We memorize characters for hours in my room, and bang on George's door for pronunciation help. Shan-Shan, my friend and Molly McGee's former roommate, is fluent, too, so she helps me with characters. However, she speaks with a southern accent, almost Cantonese, so I don't ask her for any help with pronunciation. For example, she pronounces her own name "San-San."
Across the hall is Rosie, who has rosy-colored hair. She's in the class.
Paul's in the class, too. He is the unicycle enthusiast from Maryland. My friend Joel is his R.A.

I love the teacher, Hong. She is really good, and patient, and we can understand her thick Chinese accent, and it's fun to say something to make her giggle.

There's 10 people in the class, 5 boys and 5 girls. Four are sophomores, the rest are freshmen. A few of them have been to China, but on the first day no one knew more than a few words. Now at the end of Week 1 we know a bunch of words. No one's too shy to ask questions. We meet every morning from 9 to noon, and on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays from 1 to 2pm. The afternoons help, and they're not nearly as long as science labs. The visiting student from China helps teach these. Her name is Lu.

To answer the question on how I'm doing: it's pretty fantastic. I'm never behind, and often ahead. The only person doing better than me is Rosie, and she has two adopted sisters from China.

Starting Monday, we aren't allowed to use our English names. Jiang Hong Laŏshī (Professor Hong Jiang) gave us names that sound similar to our given names. Kathryn Rafter is now Kaīlĭng Rèn. Since you put the surname first in China, it's really Rèn Kāilĭng.

My first name, Kāi Lĭng, means "open leader." The initial Kai-Ling that the professor came up with meant "graceful gentleness." Paul, Connor, and Rosie said it definitely did not describe me. No worries, because I found a better name by accident. During lab I put my name in the wrong pinyin on a document, and it generated different characters. Hong told me what they meant, and she said I should keep them.

The surname Rèn means assign, appoint, office, or responsibility. It's a somewhat common name.

I don't think Hong Laŏshī (Professor Hong) will call me Rèn, so I'll probably just get everyone to shorten Kāilĭng to Kāi.

Democracy!

2008-10-31T21:34:00.000-07:00

Today I voted for the first time, ever. I didn't participate in any of the primaries because I'm a registered independent. It was super exciting. I only waited in line for 1.5 hours, and I made friends with a CC freshman, and we talked and played People Games. Someone played a guitar, and it seemed like everyone brought their kids.

It's cool seeing Colorado in the New York Times every day, because of our early voting. (CC puts a newsstand of free NYTs in every dorm.)
Colorado Springs Gazette: Early voting sets records. "More than a third of registered voters already have cast a ballot."

There were some amendments that were really hard to figure out, especially the oil business tax thing. I couldn't remember if I wanted to vote yes or no. It said something like "prohibiting allowing for credit against" and I thought about people who are barely literate trying to figure that out . . . . . . How much of our government is determined by confused people closing their eyes and picking a box?
But thanks to last block, Politics of the Legal Process, I was able to decipher the legalese and make a decision.

I voted here, right where that lady in the red coat is standing.

Oh, and I didn't have any problems. A new law let me use my CC ID as a valid form of identification, and I didn't get harassed or stopped. But there have been major problems right in this county. (The Colorado Independent: Election snafu roundup: Lots of tricks, some treats for voters.) Like that out-of-state registering scare.

"El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Bob Balink recently made headlines for releasing false information a few months ago, stating that college students cannot register to vote in Colorado if parents living outside of Colorado claim the students as dependents on their income tax returns. Balink released a statement correcting his mistake." CC alumni involved in the 2004 election confirmed that Balink's office had "tried the stunt at least three times before and failed each time."
- C.C.'s Cipher magazine, Vol.XII, Issue II.

I got my electronic voting card with no problem, and everyone seemed to like my costume.

Here's me, dressed as Peter Pan, drinking chocolate milk from a champagne glass, riding to the El Paso County polls in a limo. I'm not making any of that up. Some advocacy group hired a party bus limo to escort CC students to the polls, probably to convince us to vote early.

They even let me take my plastic sword to the booth.

Mergency DJ

2008-10-25T22:37:00.000-07:00

Here's my playlist. I keep the mp3 player on me at all times in case of emergency. Friends, peruse the list.

"What You Waiting For?" by Gwen Stefani. The Jacques Lu Cont Mix for pre-party chill or the OrangeFuzz Mix for mid-dance-party energy.
"Push" by Enrique Iglesias. A slower, sticky kind of song.
"Waterman [Original Dub]" or "Like This" by Olav Basoski. Both fun party-starter songs.
"They're Everywhere (Party People)" by Izza Kizza. This isn't even out on CD yet. Killer bass, intelligent rhythm.
"Genesis" by Justice. Excellent electronics.
"Go Baby" by Lupe Fiasco. Some very smooth throwback hip-hop.
"Da Dip" by Freak Nasty. Real old school. I cannot find the remix that merges into belly dance music . . . wish I could.
"B-Boyz" by will.i.am. Fun, funky, light stuff.
"Bounce" by Timbaland. Turtle remix. Cause everybaaaaahhhdy likes Step Up 2.
"Church (Ft. Teddy Verseti)" by T-Pain. Proof that all you need is one killer song to sell a CD.
"I'mma Shine" by YoungBloodZ.
"Sex N' Money" by Paul Oakenfold.
"In the End" by Kate De Luna. Crunk'ed Oriental Remix by DJ Lello. Gotta throw the girly-girls a bone.
"369 feat. B.O.B." by Cupid. Great for dancers into footwork.
"Swing" by Savage. At least they aren't demanding "Low" anymore.
"Ooh Wee" by Mark Ronson.
"Comin' Back" by The Crystal Method. The Koma And Bones Remix.
"Give It to Me" by Timbaland. Slower stuff for slower moments. It replaces "The Way I Are" on your old playlist.
"Say Cheese" by Mims.
"Ride the Pony" by F***pony. Sebastian Tellier remix.
"Ain't No Stressin'" by Montana Tucker.
"Hoodie" by Lady Sovereign. Basement Jaxx Remix is genius. That's why you should play Basement Jaxx's "Where's Your Head At?" . . . a shorter edit.
"Let Me Think About It" by Ida Corr Vs Fedde Le Grand.
"Lose Control" by Missy Elliot. DJ isyankar vs. Fatman Scoop remix. It's a minor remix, just one that ends better.
"The Seed" by The Roots. Made really popular among Colorado campuses by the soundtrack for Collateral.
"Galang" by M.I.A.
Take the "Marina Gasolina (Peaches Remix)" of "Gasolina (Crookers Crunk Remix)" by Bonde do Rolê. Do you follow?
"Brooklyn is Burning" by Head Automatica. Put this rock anywhere to cut up the hip-hop.
"Mundian to Bach Ke (Beware of the Boys)" by Panjabi MC. You will recognize this song.
"Walk it Out" by Unk. Fun, dumb stuff.

Fun Run

2008-10-24T16:06:00.000-07:00

First we made some drastic hair changes.

Kate went reddish.

Louisa went ultra-red.

Chelsea went light.

Molly went dark.

I did not dye because I already cut all my hair off, and that was the most drastic change of all.

Then we (upperclassmans) took tha kids (freshmans) on a fun run in the dark. It was hilarious.

Itchy sweater ruins another photo.

Room

2008-10-23T22:22:00.000-07:00

I totally trashed the room while Sammi was in Greece. I didn't feel like cleaning.

I felt like it over Block Break. Thankfully, there are no "before" pictures. Well . . .
"Before"

"After"

Now all we need are some chairs and we can have groups of people over for chats and studying.

I got the cloth in the mail, thanks Mom. It's lovely.

Oh right, I have a "Before before" picture from long ago. Remember? It's the same corner.

C.C. Hockey Takes Over At No. 1

2008-10-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

YEAH!

Colorado College Takes Over At No. 1 In USCHO.com/CBS College Sports Poll

MINNEAPOLIS (Oct. 20) — Taking advantage of weekend losses by Boston College and Michigan, Colorado College took over the top position in the USCHO.com/CBS College Sports Division I men’s poll, released Monday.

The Tigers swept Michigan Tech to stay perfect on the season, and garnered 39 of 50 first-place votes to climb to No. 1 in the season’s third poll. WCHA neighbor Denver moved up to No. 2 after sweeping Wisconsin, notching five first-place votes in the process.

Academic Calendar

2008-10-13T07:42:00.000-07:00

November 19, Wed: End of Block III
November 24, Mon: Beginning of Block 4
November 27, Thurs - Nov. 30, Sun: Thanksgiving Break

It's all here.

Legal Question

2008-10-09T22:44:00.000-07:00

Like half the class, I still can't come up with the legal question(s) for a case.
Like in our contract law section^[1], with the example of the poltergeist-real estate case Stambovsky v. Ackley. It was common knowledge that Ackley's house was haunted, and she sold it to Stambovsky, an out-of-towner. Plaintiff sought to rescind the contract and recover his down payment. What is the legal question here?^[2]

It says New York Supreme Court "reluctantly dismissed the complaint, holding that plaintiff has no remedy at law in this jurisdiction."
So the legal question is: "Does the New York State judicial system have jurisdiction over claims involving parapsychic activity?"

Er, no.

Footnotes:

^[1] in which we use Politics and the Law of Contracts, written by Lief Carter. For the ghost case he cites Shakespeare and Ghostbusters in the same paragraph.

^[2] He might appreciate, but not give credit for: "Who you gonna call?"

Things About Me that May Surprise You

2008-10-05T12:02:00.000-07:00

These are things about me that may surprise you (you meaning my CC or JHS friends; I'm sure my family knows all.)

To begin.

Most everybody I know at C.C. has a talent that they mastered and took really far; then they got tired of it and stopped several years ago and never looked back.
Mine was tap dancing.

When I was thirteen I took a solo to Dance U.S.A. where I tapped for the first half, then sat down in the middle of it to take off my shoes so I could do jazz for the rest of it. My teacher, Shannon Steen, was a 5-year Laker girl/choreographer and professor of dance at Berkeley.

I was born in Fullerton, California on January 5th, 1989, the same day as the first lawsuit between Apple and Microsoft. As it so happens, my mother was the computer technology reporter for the Orange County Register, right at the birth of the Internet.

My love affair with Claude Monet started when I was seven years old. I finally got to see his garden when I was seventeen.

When I was in 4th grade I was televised reciting the rosary at the Međugorje Peace Conference.

I babysat two Miss Californias: 2003 Miss California Jr. Pre-Teen, and 2005 Miss California Jr. Pre-Teen/2006 Miss California Pre-Teen.

I have legitimately pole vaulted 12 feet (which would have won me a state title). It was inside a basketball gym. My coach, Paul Wilson, was the first high schooler in the world to do 16 feet, and he held the world record for a year and four months in the sixties.

I hold the female record for JUGs (detentions) at my high school.

My dad was growing up in Alexandria, Virginia, during Remember the Titans.

1985-1986 my mother was working in Sweden, writing the English news. She quit, probably because it wasn't very exciting, right before February 28, when Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was shot dead on his way home from the cinema.

I'm a ChaCha guide.

I know more than 50 old-fashioned nursery rhymes by heart.

I have been in two (or three) major car accidents, and the airbags never deployed.

I can bellydance, wiggle my ears, and play the ocarina. That's about as far as my useless talents go.

Sixteen of my HS classmates got NCAA Division 1 scholarships.

I have broken all of my best race times during tempo runs.

My friend Allison's mom was the reporter in the "I Like Turtles" youtube vid.

Stupid Question Hall of Fame

2008-10-03T22:59:00.000-07:00

Prompted by a couple stupid questions from last block -

Block 1, Group meeting
I'm reading aloud "Foreign aid to Bolivia" off Wikipedia, to help out Redhead Girl. This is after I've offered Redhead Girl about five times to switch topics with her, to no intelligible response.
Redhead Girl: [angrily] Why do you get to do the party politics of Bolivia when I have to do international intervention? I just don't get it. You obviously know so much more about the humanitarian issues than I do. World Bank? Evo Morales? All that stuff you just said? Tons! I don't know ANYTHING about foreign aid whatsoever and you do!
Me: . . . . . . .

I've been on CollegeHumor reading articles by this guy Streeter Seidell. He gets students to send in stupid questions. So I've been laughing, and crying, because I'm laughing so hard.

Examples

Pasadena City College
Professor shows a picture of a man sitting on a high throne with two servant boys kneeling before him...
Professor: ...and here, you'll see a picture of the Pope.
The Brilliance: Which one's the Pope?

University of Colorado
Professor, while discussing the characteristics of living organisms, was interrupted...
Sorority Girl: Wait, I'm so confused; are trees alive, because like they don't move, right?

College of Southern Nevada
While discussing the effect on farming during the great depression...
The Brain: Why do people need still farm if they could just go to the store?

Professor: Side note, there will be an eclipse tonight at approximately 8:30pm if any of you want to see it.
Lady Einstein: Is it a solar eclipse?
Professor: It's at night...

Drake University
Professor: So what are some environmental factors in a child's development?
The Brilliance: Climate?
Prof: Well, yes, I suppose that could have a minor effect.
The Brilliance Jr.: Landscape?
Prof: ...

University of Maryland
The teacher was talking about the smooth musket which allowed attackers to be about 100 feet away from the defenders without getting injured. Once at 100 yards the attackers could charge the defenders.
Valedictorian: Is this the origin of the 100 yard dash?

Professor: And marketers took the NASA invention "Tang" and made it a popular drink
Stephen Hawking: Who even likes Tang? Seriously, Orange flavored Milk?
Professor: I believe it's supposed to be mixed with water.
Stephen Hawking: Oh, I guess that really clears up a lot.

Fitchburg State College, Londonderry, New Hampshire
Professor: How do you think Abraham Lincoln was elected even though abolition wasn't the most popular idea of the time?
The Brilliance: Well, obviously all those slaves voted for him, right?

Marist College, Batavia, New York
Little Einstein: So if plants grow best in red and blue light, why are they grown in greenhouses?

Wright State, Columbus, Ohio
The professor was talking about equilateral triangle...
Genius: So what's it called if there are more than 3 equal sides?
Professior: A square.

Ohio State, Dayton, Ohio
Prof: . . . even transportation for the natives evolved as the Europeans showed them how bareback riding made traveling easier.
Dumb girl: Do we need to know what kind of bears they rode for the test?

Block 2: Politics of the Legal Process

2008-10-02T11:50:00.000-07:00

This mindwarp is the most lawyery class that CC offers, according to my professor (and ex-advisor) Lief Carter. He says it's responsible for many students deciding not to be lawyers, ever.

The hard part is having to think all the time without using empiricism or emotion or just plain taking common knowledge for granted without talking it through. For example, Carter took $20 from the guy sitting next to me and we had to convince him to give it back by the end of class.

So I love it and I really hate it, too.

Finals

2008-09-23T14:00:00.000-07:00

Block 1: Intro to International Relations

I gave a presentation with 5 other students on the situation in Bolivia. I took the last topic, Foreign relations: Diplomatic responses. Here's the outline.

Bolivia: involvement/impact on international community

1. Historical context: oppression of indigenous people
2. Composition of government: President Evo Morales and party politics
3. Economy: “liberalization”
exploitation of natural resources
- Bolivian Gas War
- Cochabamba water war
4. Illegal international trade: smuggling and drugs
5. UNACUR: South American relations
6. Foreign relations: Diplomatic responses to these issues
- course of foreign aid or intervention

It went well, and the follow-up is to write a paper on the country, with a focus on my topic.

Schedule Reconfiguration

2008-09-22T02:22:00.000-07:00

I made an appointment with the course advisor, and got this year sorted out, so this is how it's going down. This post has been annotated post-modernist style. [a]

Old Sched
Block 2 - Basic Filmmaking [b]
Block 3 - Chemistry 107 [c]
Block 4 - French 305
Block 5 - Arabic I [d]
Block 6 - Arabic I
Block 7 - Intro to Comparative Politics
Block 8 - International Politics of Middle East and North Africa [e]

New Sched
Block 2 - Politics of the Legal Process [f]
Block 3 - French Civilization [g]
Block 4 - French Civilization
Block 5 - Arabic I [h]
Block 6 - Arabic I
Block 7 - American Politics and Government [i]
Block 8 - Dance and Digital Technology [j]

FOOTNOTES
[a] Speaking of annotations and postmodernism, I can't believe David Foster Wallace committed suicide. Mom told me he died, but I didn't imagine the worst. I loved his review of Terminator 2. Poop.
[b] Waitlisted #4 and probably never going to make it in. There were few Block 2 class choices that appealed to me. Really.
[c] "Kathryn, I feel like you're trying to prove something here."
[d] Not changing this. Nope.
[e] I want to take Int. Politics of Mid. East and N. Africa later on, and not during a Block 8.

[f] with Carter, my ex-advisor.[k] I'm gonna feel the burn in this class. He's a toughie. But I feel that it will be very beneficial to my overall education.
[g] This was the only "West in Time" requirement I could fit in. While the requirements at C.C. generally don't ask too much of us kids, I think of the "West in Time" requirement concept (and the very small choice of classes that fit it) as rather silly. The good news is: there's only 7 kids signed up for it. That's not including freshmen, though.
[h] Still keeping it.
[i] a Poli Sci major requirement. Yawn.
[j] Sweet! And there's no final live performance, because the projects are filmed and made into a movie which is then presented, so I won't miss track things.[l] And Patrizia will be so happy. [m] She asked me specifically to enroll. I'm continually surprised at how phenomenal the dance dept. at C.C. is.

[k] Something tells me that I should learn to play golf, so that I can get on his good side. Not that we would actually play golf, but we could talk about it.
[l] Also, there's no papers and I'll be able to get some sleep during track season and not get sick [n] and attend all those pole vault practices besides.
[m] Patrizia taught my beginning choreographer class, and she's brilliant.

[n] I haven't been sick all Block. I have been so healthy[o] that I deserve a medal. Not even a sniffle.

[o] immune system-wise. Taunt me not about running.

Adagio for Haircut No. 1: Variation

2008-09-18T23:02:00.000-07:00

Yeah, it's hard to hear. I said, "the hair was getting kinda long, so I took some scissors and trimmed it. Looks okay."

Question for Lawyer Dad and Writer Mom

2008-09-16T22:15:00.000-07:00

Today I got a letter in the mail from the International Library of Poetry saying I was a finalist in their Open Amateur poetry contest. I sent in one for laughs.
Now, I know the whole thing is a terrible scam. So what does one do with the offending documents?

Vegetarianism

2008-09-16T08:50:00.000-07:00

I am officially a healthy vegetarian. My hemoglobin and hematocrit levels are excellent, so I'm going to keep it up. Must be the pound of tofu spinach salad I eat every night.

Petruskas

2008-09-13T16:44:00.001-07:00

The Petruskas are here. I walked right past Caitlin heating her back in the training room without recognizing her. But then I saw her family and they gave me cookies and I watched her team for a bit. (I didn't stick around to watch Whitman get demolished by CC.)
Between games I took Greg and Michele and the brother (I forgot his name already) to see my room in Slocum. If you guys - my real family - come to visit me this year, people are going to be really confused because Michele is blonde and they know I have a brother in high school. They'll be like, "Didn't your family already visit?"
We're going to dinner later tonight.

IT Band Woe

2008-09-07T11:39:00.001-07:00

Yes, IT band woe. It's not a season-ruiner, but it means lots more time spent in the training room and doing extra physical therapy.

MONDAY UPDATE: My shoes got in and they're pretty fabulous.

I've been doing lots of swimming and getting super strong, arr! Dad, guess what - after I did a really hard interval workout in the pool, I did a 34 sec 50 meters.

The Freshpeople Race

2008-09-06T20:28:00.000-07:00

The big kids did something special for their first race.

Ted was rather impressed with how well they did so early in the season.
Also, meets are quite fun, when you're just spectating.

News: CC [just the freshmen] take fourth at Rust Buster Invitational
9/8/2008
"The women’s cross country team finished fourth out of five teams at the CU-Colorado Springs Rust Buster Invitational on Saturday at Monument Valley Park despite competing with a lineup consisting of all first-year runners."

Headline News

2008-09-02T21:24:00.000-07:00

The Room
We're in Slocum on the third floor again but not in the same hall. My RA's name is Jennie Vader

and she's nice. Sammi and I are getting along very well, as usual. We purposely arranged furniture in our room to leave a ton of space,

because we want to put in a table and a couch. This weekend we'll be perusing craiglist and/or garage sales for sub-$30 furniture.

This one looks good.

It seats 8. And it folds!

Send Me Things
Sammi's in Lit Theory this block, and reading Heart of Darkness, so please send my stack of DVDs, especially Apocalypse Now. I have a box of things I'm sending back (including some useless NCL care package things from last year, so don't falsely harangue me for buying a leopard-print wallet.)

Block One
Intro to Some International Relations
I made some contributions to the discussion today, which blows, because now the professor's going to expect me to have insights on future discussions. Sometimes I just don't have something to say on a particularly obvious topic, ya know?
I translated French for my class today (even though our class has a French major, who couldn't do it. heh)

Montesquieu: Une maladie nouvelle s'est répandue en Europe ; elle a saisi nos princes et leur fait entretenir un nombre désordonné de troupes. Elle a ses redoublements, et elle devient nécessairement contagieuse ; car sitôt qu'un Etat augmente ce qu'il appelle ses troupes, les autres, soudain, augmentent les leurs ; de façon qu'on ne gagne rien par là que la ruine commune. Chaque monarque tient sur pied toutes les armées qu'il pourrait avoir si ses peuples étaient en danger d'être exterminés, et l'on nomme paix cet état d'efforts de tous contre tous. Aussi l'Europe est-elle ruinée.

Visitors
When are the Petruskas coming over for volleyball?

2008 women's cross country preview
Future looks bright for young Tigers (ha ha)
My running is going really well. I adjusted to the altitude with no problem; start with daily doubles in the pool tomorrow morning. Just keep swimming . . .

Much Better

2008-08-26T11:17:00.000-07:00

I hesitate to unpack boxes before Sammi arrives, because we'll be rearranging furniture. This year calls for a real living space - a pad - for entertaining several people at a time. We need a couch.
And man, do I have a lot of useless things for which I don't have room .

Back on Campus

2008-08-25T10:40:00.000-07:00

I'm getting my room organized. The biggest box of stuff exploded right over the doorway into the room. It was quite a mess. Joel laughed for a good five minutes before helping me bulldozer it inside. Thankfully it didn't happen in the elevator or anything.
I texted Sammi and she's coming on Friday. We're missing a bureau but maintenance should arrive with one in a few minutes.
XC people will be here Wednesday. They miss me and say the freshmen are cool.
Everyone I've seen so far, especially Luke Parkhurst, loves the haircut. He (Luke) said that some people get "oh, you got a haircut" and some people get "oh, you got a good haircut" but Rafter gets "oh, you got a bombtastic work of art and you look amazing!" Very flattering.
Now to clean some more. Bye!

Do

2008-08-16T21:30:00.000-07:00

I did Locks of Love today, finally. Location: the MAC

Last documentation

Cutting it off . . .

Gaaaahhh! Put it back! Put it back!!!

Jeremy did the cutting. He was very nice.

Finished.

Skykomish, Washington

2008-08-10T16:40:00.000-07:00

Here's photos of the vacay with the family. T,his place is a perfect example of the Pacific Northwest. Available for recreation are trails for hiking, mountain biking, rafting, and rock climbing.

The bustling metropolis that is Skykomish.

I took this picture on my run.

Also on my run.

Lake Elizabeth

Lake Elizabeth

Skykomish, Washington is:
51 miles from Leavenworth, that terribly fake Bavarian village.
67 miles from Seattle, home to the EMP which we did not get to visit.
184 miles from Forks, WA, but don't tell anyone that I know that.
234 miles from Portland, and it has even more trees.
1406 miles from Colorado Springs, to which I am ready to return.

I think it would be a great idea to raft guide here next summer and waitress a little at night. This is perfect because, as my (ex-) R.A. Tim said, "If you don't get hired as a raft guide I will be extremely disappointed, because anyone whose name is Rafter should be hired as a raft guide for that reason alone."

Scandinavian Adventure!

2008-08-01T19:37:00.000-07:00

My favoritest aunt in the whole world is moving to Denmark!

Here she is:

And here is her blog: cohensindk.blogspot.com

One's rushing a little faster

2008-07-07T18:48:00.000-07:00

Ever notice a similarity between this:

and this?

Hilton Head Last Day

2008-06-17T17:22:00.001-07:00

I had a nice run into the sunrise yesterday. It's good to start running before 5:30, even in June.
I took all of these with my camera whilst running.

I took these with my camera phone. Technology is a little too good these days.

Work

2008-06-06T03:06:00.000-07:00

So I've been home for some time now. I just have some business to take care of before the fun begins. Right.

Job Opp

2008-05-09T16:57:00.000-07:00

I received an email yesterday:

Four Winds Westward Ho, a summer youth camp on Orcas Island,
WA. We are a non-profit residential co-ed camp serving
approximately 170 campers and employing 80 staff. Our program
areas include boating, horseback riding, arts and crafts, land
sports, a garden and a trip program.

We are still seeking candidates for two positions for the summer
of 2008 - Prep Cooks and Trip Leaders.

Prep Cooks must be at least 18 years old and be willing to work
hard in a team environment to feed 250 people three times a day.
You will live on our beautiful property on Orcas Island and have
the opportunity to participate in our simple, creative community.
Prep Cooks must be available from June 10-either August 22 or
August 30.

Web Site: http://www.fourwindscamp.org

Spandex Bowling

2008-05-07T19:09:00.000-07:00

Biggest bowl night of the year, everybody and their roommate shows up for this. (Well, not mine.)

Sheldo and Jesse. Glorious.

Jocelyn shows off her legs, again.

Dancing. It happens.
A lot.

Sheldo with Tim the Godfather (he owns Classic Bowl)

Me + Brad

Freshmen Guys

Freshmen Girls, awwww.

Freshmen!

Block 8

2008-04-30T10:35:00.000-07:00

I like my class this block.
Foundations of American Constitutionalism and Diplomacy to 1865 (Founding to Civil War)

Yesterday I presented the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions to my class in the voice of Thomas Jefferson.

I'm doing my big paper on the Embargo Act of 1807.

SCAC

2008-04-28T09:32:00.000-07:00

Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference 2008 Track Championships
at DePauw, Indiana

It was spectacular! The wind was terrible! I had fun.

Girls: 800 runners Molly, Chelsea, Jocelyn, and our 400 runner Brittney got third in the 4x400 relay! This victory was totally out of nowhere considering they didn't think they were very competitive in the race. Don't ask about my 100m or javelin, I did nothing special. Ashley Poland ran her first 10k ever, got second, and basically ran two 5ks back-to-back at 20:15, which is faster than I've ever run a single 5k. Anyway. Chelsea had an awesome 800 PR, and was very pleased.

Boys: Brad did awesome! Brad put on a major kick to get second in the 800! It was so exciting. Then Julian, who's been foot-injured for a month, won the 5k with an okay time. Our big star Logan Boccard had kind of a bad race in the finals (400m hurdles) and so we don't know if he or Julian qualified for Nationals at Occidental, even though we all know the two of them would be real podium contenders in the races there. They have another chance at Air Force to qualify, though. In kind of sad news, Jesse (Heaton) ran his last track race ever as hard as he possibly could and didn't break 2 minutes. It was heartbreaking to watch.

For personal news: I wasn't late to anything over the trip, I wore tons of sunscreen, and got really tan.

Read the linked articles.

Summer Plans

2008-04-16T00:36:00.000-07:00

So am I inquiring about the Canoe Islands position? My French is good enough to be a counselor, but kitchen assistant would be fine.

There's also a couple of farms in the C Springs area that want interns for the summer.

Sammi has invited me to stay at her house for a bit, if I wish.

I would love to take CC's Screenwriting class over the summer. June 30 - July 18

Of interest: Meadowood Springs Speech and Hearing Camp
Island Lake Camp [they can use an instructor for dance/choreography!]
Pathfinder Ranch, where Chendall works
Los Embajadores internship