well, i chose a pig

the other day, my friend j. allen asked me a most intriguing question:

"if you could pick any pet, what would it be and why?"

my answer:

a pig

because they're low-maintenance

and friendly

and make me feel nostalgic

[via trib.com] 

ok now you have to answer

then you're allowed to scroll down

[crap, my blog just started feeling like an old-school email forward. i pinky swear i won't curse you with haunted fairies or the bubonic plague or anything if you don't play along.]

ok scrolling now...

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 j. allen revealed to me that this test can be used to predict what someone is seeking in a spouse

i stand by my swinely selection

low maintenance? friendly? good memories? check check check

[pigs are also highly intelligent, somewhat quirky and very willing to play in the mud and try new and different foods. can you say bonus?!]

what about you?

did your selection fit the bill?

[if you chose a duck then i totes just made the best pun everrrrr]

p.s.

j. allen believes she switches in dating between baboons and panthers, so she affectionately refers to this little quiz as the "panthoon" test.

there are few things i love more than a good made-up word [e.g. "swinely"]

if i had moneys, vs. 1

today we shall play a game in which i reveal the goods i would like to own, if mr. bank account didn't run such a tight ship

[who does he think he is, always bossing me around]

  

but, you know, it can't hurt to drool a bit...

[found here]

[found here]

[found here]

[found here]

also...

plane tickets to salt lake for conference in october

[i weep at the thought of not going, kids]

a piano for my living room

[oh empty living room corner, how you taunt me!]

tickets to the blind pilot concert on oct. 3

[i just.....love them]

------------------------------------
well...

good to get that out of my system.

ima go buy a powerade slushie for exactly $1.09 to appease myself

and,

 ima pay for it with spare change off the floor of my car, so mr. bank account doesn't even have to know about this little tryst of mine

[take that, sucka]

these wild young hearts

[a tale from the life of me + this girl]

it started with this...

 C:  katilda!

what are you doing tonight?

 want to come float on my giant inflatable island on the lake and gaze at stars with me?

maybe find one to wish upon...

 me:  YES!!!!

YES!!!!!

and later, this...

 C:  i'm just hoping for one single shooting star to wish upon

maybe some fictitious fireflies

 me:  we can color our own if nature fails us

 C:  YES

 me:  put them on strings and just wave them around

 C:  i like it

and so...

 C:  ok my dearest it's a date, i'll meet you at your house about 6:30 then, ready for one summer night adventure with a floating island, us two hopeless hippies and the wide open lake and skies!

 me:  best. plans. ever.

and then...

there was a sunset drive out of town

and some french fries

and impeccable tunes

and toes out the window
and warm water

and an air mattress

and bare shoulders and swimming suits

and that feeling of summer

and, 

my heart was happy

did i mention it was a tuesday?

nothing like those reckless, weeknight adventures

[thanks, C]

the apple strikes again

it...

has...

happened.

the world and/or my brain may simply implode one day from too much technology in the wrong/naive hands.

that or my iPhone will take over my house.

...just a possibility, kids.

[at least my zombie apocalypse team will have GPS on hand. suckas!]

p.s.
think my papa will miss my desperate late-night phone calls, asking him to Google Map the nearest taco bell for me? psh. of course he will. how dare you ask.


p.p.s.
taking pictures in the mirror = right hand looks like left hand = that is not an engagement ring i'm rockin' in those pics.
[though you could pretend i'm hipster enough to blog about an iPhone before a fiance. ha.]

geekology, sean connery & the undead

i have a big work event today

so, my brain is elsewhere

but,

i thought you might enjoy a couple little tidbits

courtesy of the internets

[i really love it when old people call it "the internets"]

i give you:

the evolution of the geek

and

zombie engagement photos

and

perhaps you'll enjoy this picture of the greeting card i got my roomie for her wedding:

or...

this one needs no words:

[via kels]

welp,

have a lovely thursday!

...anything caught your eye on the internets lately?

male's eye view: break-ups 101

hear ye, hear ye!

today i welcome my very first guest blogger

i figure a little outside perspective is a good thing

especially when the topic is dating

and that outside perspective is male

introducing, mr. reed willis

he doesn't have his own blog for me to link to...

yet

[umm this is totally like i'm oprah and he's dr. phil and i'm launching his career]

[please don't grow a creeper moustache, mr. willis]

so let's be encouraging and give him some comment lovin'

ready, go!

---------------------------------------

I must admit right off that I am not a blogger. This is my first post. Ever. As such, I ask that all negative comments be directed to the E.I.C. of the blog (Katie) for letting an amateur wreck the enjoyment you receive from reading the witty and insightful writings of Katie. And by reading this far in the blog, you've agreed to follow the above procedures for any complaints....I'm a lawyer (confession #2).

I'm an old, single guy that has tried to find his lucky girl (because she'll be lucky to have me!) (confession #3-humility is not a strong point). In my years (yes, years) of dating experience, there is one thing that I always dread....the DTR, the end of the relationship, the talk, or whatever euphemism you want to use to describe the horrible process where a heart is broken and dreams are dashed. It doesn't matter which part I'm playing (the breaker or the breakee), it stinks.

Here are some observations about breaking up, and some suggestions on what to do. I'm curious to see other suggestions people have in the comments section. So please share the stories! The messier they are, the more enjoyable they'll be for everyone else.

1. People never say, "We need to talk" and have it end well.

2. Please don't say the other person is great. It's already assumed that they're great or you wouldn't have wasted time on them! Plus, the breakee will often think the breaker is either crazy (which may be true) or a liar (I'm great, but you don't want to date...false).

3. Trying to spin "the talk" makes the breaker seem shifty and disingenuous. It's not gonna be a soft landing. Ego, pride and a heart are involved...it'll hurt no matter what.

4. Because "the talk" can be hard, people avoid it. Don't.

And now the suggestions:

1. Realize that it is personal, and not business (unless you're Hitch, or a matchmaker).

2. Get over yourself (both the breaker and breakee). I once was trying to end things with a girl by spinning it (see #3 above), and she said, "You're great, but not that great. It's okay." Awesome. Seriously.

3. Be honest, and receive the talk with an honest ear/heart.

4. Remember, "[F]aith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, [and] compassion." See "The Family: A Proclamation to the World". Learning how to communicate honestly and openly is needed in any relationship. Your future spouse (or current one...let's not neglect those married people! Holla!) will thank you for practicing it.

5. Have hope and faith

6. Laugh. You've had good times. Remember those and the lessons you've learned.

7. And remember two great songs by Beyonce: "Irreplaceable" and "Best Thing I've Never Had." Other songs in this category include Darius Rucker "This," and Rascal Flatts "Bless the Broken Road." The list could go on, but the Academy of Break-up Songs nominated these four. These do not reflect any personal preference, but were the first ones that came to my mind.

[via amazon]

Good luck breaking up!

music: never wanna leave this bed

admittedly, i have mixed feelings about maroon 5

in their favor:

nostalgia

a lead singer with a voice like milk & honey

the fact that the lead guitarist's mom was my boss when i worked in the PR department at BYU

[he's the one with long hair ... i totally used to hear my boss in her cubicle saying things like, "honey your sister needs backstage passes to your vegas show," and "i can't believe coldplay stole all the grammies from you."]

not in their favor:

their songs tend to get a little monotonous

however...

they won and they won big with their newest ditty

occasionally a song just wraps me around its finger and requires that i listen to it, obsessively, on repeat

maybe this song doesn't do it for you, but it does it for me

stunning, adam levine. simply stunning.

ok less talk more rock, i know i know...

three woots for [modern] verbosity!

[ideaelevator.co]

i l-o-v-e the time of year when the dictionary people induct new words.

like really.

[nerding out? totally.]

i mean, i'm prone to latch on to a few hip new phrases every now and again, so it's just validating when they become all official and whatnot.

as a literary/writer type, am i affronted by slang and potentially ridiculous words sneaking their way into the dictionary?
definitely not.
i mean, what's a language if it doesn't evolve?
i say, the more words the better! just keeps things spicy, kids.

of course, there's a time and a place for all types of lingo.
but just because woot doesn't belong in a research paper doesn't mean it can't hold its own in a blog or a tweet.

so, with no further ado, here's some gems from oxford's new crop:

jeggings

retweet

mankini

woot

cyberbullying

sexting

cougar [in the dating sense]

if i worked for oxford, i'd go ahead and put frindle in there.
[1,000,000 cool points for anyone who defines it without clicking the link.]

what about you?

what would you add?

p.s.

don't miss this intriguing blog by one of oxford's editors, about the history of adding new words to the official docket.

facelift, what what!

i don't usually post on saturdays

[it's good to have a day off, you know!]

but i just wanted to point out my shnazzy new header

and by "shnazzy" i mean "a narcissistic collage of pictures of myself that i created using microsoft paint because i'm not hip enough to use adobe"

in any case, i'm pleased with myself.

ok go enjoy your saturday now...

words of wisdom (not my own) 2.0

greetings friends, relations, neighbors, strangers, lovers...

it is the end of the week.

i am tired.

happy, but tired.

and now i'm going to let these pretty words speak for me...

[shared by my friend a. carder on her facebook]

any killer weekend plans out there...?

movies: i don't know, you tell me

[via imdb]

fact: sometimes it takes me like a decade to keep up with movies that everyone else has already seen

so given that i actually find time to watch a movie

and decide i have enough moneys to go see one

[and find people who haven't already seen all the cool movies without me...]

what should i see?

keep in mind that i choose to avoid:

sex

profanity

lewd/crass humor

horror/slasher flicks

cartoons that will give my future offspring ADD just by virtue of my ovaries being in the theatre

with that said, here's what i've had my eye on...

your thoughts?

[aka stop me now if you think i'll be wasting my time and/or have my innocence marred by anything i see on the screen!]

super 8

captain america

cowboys & aliens

the help

limitless

green lantern

the green hornet

i am number four

battle los angeles

jane eyre

and because i have a weakness for pre-teen cinema...

beastly

prom

soul surfer

p.s.

i'm beyond amped for this baseball + brad pitt treat to hit theatres

[there can never be too many sports movies, i say! mmmyesplease]

polaroid moments (2)

i think i've been stressing my dumbphone out lately with all my haphazard, superfluous picture taking.

it has started to exhibit some worrisome symptoms, including but not limited to:

fever

nausea

rash

blurred vision

paranoia

manic episodes

...i'll google and diagnose it later.

for now, we'll focus on this week's crop of crappy, low-res photography.

i don't mess around, kids.

a letter from Belgium!! [courtesy of the first bestie discussed here]

let's be honest, i ate my weight in mike & ikes this week

[and am in love with this lemonade kind. mmm sourcandy.]

my baby sista got a feather in her hair!!

[i told you she's turning into me...]

nothing like 1am scrambled eggs on a crab plate.

getting good use out of my cleats fills my soul with utter delight.

i love you, frisbee. i just love you.

um...more of these...

this book contains some of the most beautiful quotes ever, and i was lucky enough to have it gifted to me from the lovely tiffany miller. [gee i just love her!]

discovered this on a public bookshelf, and regained hope for today's children.

[my copy of this book is yellow and the pages are all falling out. i've read it once a year since about age 7 or 8.]

either my roommate decorates cakes, or my fridge is housing imaginary Hook food.

grilled cheese & tuhmato on a pretty plate.

[another rung on my ladder toward someday...hopefully...liking tomatoes.]

every day during lunch, i get lost in this. i needed something simple and beautiful in my life.

my big brudder and his new bebe.

[for a boogerface he's a pretty good brother/dad.]

nothing says "Ping Pong Church Activity" like taking it too seriously and wearing war paint.

representin on my last night of church volleyball!

CHAMPIONS!!!!

[i definitely look too small to be playing on this team.]

[and trust me, i was out of my league. i just tried to lay low while the others killed it.]

that's all, ninos!

if my phone doesn't go on life support, stay tuned for more...

[catch last week's pictures here]

dating: opposites attract

ok, if you want to permamently mar your opinion of paula abdul

[i guess assuming you're starting out with a good or neutral opinion]

then feel free to watch this very, very strange music video.

ok now that we've got that out of our systems...

let's talk about this idea:

opposites attract

[via shine.yahoo.com]

what do you think about it?

for me, it's half true

i mean, i'm totally the same as guys i date

in ways like general hobbies, humor, spirituality, life goals, etc

then i'm way different in other areas

for example:

i'm a writer, idealist, nonprofit  junky, and i get childlike joy out of activities like fingerpainting and blowing bubbles

but,

i tend to date lawyers, engineers, mathemeticians and guys who can actually get their taxes done on time and don't need turbotax to do so

[apparently i totally have a type]

what about you?

do you veer toward opposites, sames, or a little of both?

music: cornflakes, automobiles & eddie vedder

it's monday, so... let's jam!

hopefully at least one of these tickles your musical little bones on this monday morning/afternoon/evening.

(1) what's not to love about a couple guys in cheesy jackets? well, it's musically legit as well.
(2) you may have heard her radio hit, Jar of Hearts, but this song is delicious as well and puts me in a trance [even if the music video is essentially a really, really terrible car commercial]
(3) an old song, but a new favorite. i can't stop listening to it lately! [and was totally pleased when it showed up in the soundtrack of a recent flick i watched on a saturday morning in my pajamas on a couch with a couple besties. ah good times.]

writing: heartbeats

and then,

my heart was tip-toeing on the edge

between the realm of safe reality

and that place where dreams are tucked around the corners

aorta, valves and ventricles

bursting with hope

and pulsing with joy

and racing with reckless abandon

and i am filled to the brim

i am filled to the brim

and overflown

[me]

-----------------------------

yesterday was the best day

this week has been, seriously, the best week

as promised, my 1/2 birthday was bursting with goodness

friends, food, cinema...

and more mike & ikes than a girl can handle

i felt so loved

and so blessed

and on the way home, late at night, i rolled down my window

and cranked up the radio

and let summer blow its way through my hair

while five for fighting sang me a lullaby

and for a few minutes,

everything. was. perfect.

and nothing in the world seemed wrong

and my happiness was untouchable

and when i was brushing my teeth

i could see myself glowing

just, glowing

and i had to capture it on film

so i could bottle the feeling up for later

just in case i need to let it out for reminding

just in case.

-----------------------------

we can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures

[thornton wilder]

it's my 1/2 birthday and i'll party if i want to

yes yes, today is my half birthday!

arriba arriba!

i plan to celebrate wholeheartedly [would halfheartedly be more appropriate?] and ridiculously and way-over-the-toply, as a half birthday truly deserves.

eep...i'm gonna be 25 soon!

oh...we'll get there later.

[via balloonanimal.com]

i'm doing all kinds of deliciously fun things today!

lunchy lunch with some boyz who promised me balloon animals
[ok, they didn't really promise any balloons. i just thought this might encourage them.]
[p.s. i seriously l-o-v-e going to lunch on workdays! oh how it brightens my day!]

then after work, feasting on some bruschetta and cucumber lemonade at this drool-worthy spot in central phoenix.

and then seeing a 10pm [10pm i said!] showing of an enchanting indie film which this girl discovered and i am absolutely tickled about.
oh  my!

it's things like over-the-top celebrations and staying out way too late on a weeknight that keep me young at heart, my friends.
and you bet your buttons my faithful little ticker is still [and likely always will be] very, very young.

here's the trailer for this oh-so-fab-looking flick:

me, elsewhere

you know when you do something normal in a new situation and then it's more fun?

like...

um...

i don't know, eating a corn dog.

see now, i always love eating corn dogs

[a hot dog in a delicious sweater! mmmboy]

but one time i ate a corn dog on the beach

in oceanside, calif. w/ my besties

and the sun was setting

and at one point i had my hoodie pulled up over my head

[what is it about hoodies that make me so dizzarn happy?]

and my toes in the sand

and well...

that's probably the best corn dog i've ever had.

[let's not focus on how utterly special we each look in this photograph.]

that corn dog is kind of like guest blogging.

[just pretend my analogy is totes working...smile and nod, kids. smile and nod.]

i know you get to hear from me every day,

but today i'm somewhere new and different!

so check it out

[remember that other time i guest blogged, for someone i didn't even know? that was fun...and i've actually met her in person now. good bloggin' times.]

also,

my dearest lovemuffin miss chantalion wrote THE NICEST BLOG EVER about little ol' me last week

you should probably check that out too

it makes me cry.

gee i love her!

polaroid moments (1)

i've decided to be cool like those people with shmancy phones
who takes pictures of everrrrrything
and then give readers a snapshot of their lives

so....
via my crappy, unshmancy dumbphone...
some insight into the last week of my life:

heidi hair

[stop looking at the dark circles under my eyes. stop it now.]

i love you, arizona.

[this was much cooler in real life. it was like a fire-orange sun melting out of the sky...in the middle of a lightning storm. pretty much amazing.]

a final, motivational gift from my departing roommate

yum yum....yum! finally made it to the grocery store. 

my motivation to get into my car last monday morning 

a surprise morning gift from mi papa!

just doing a little post-wedding shopping, that's all...

and why not end with more pictures of my hair?

because, apparently, i take a lot of pictures of my tresses.

i'll try and be less narcissistic next week...

it was a wedding, ok?

...oh now i'm all embarrassedface.

kbyenow.

a tale of 10 tweets

probably one of the more epic friday nights i've had since this little situation.

so here it is,
as told to you by social media.

because that's how we do.

[the setting]

trip to prescott for this lady's reception

[the characters]

miss meghan (megawhale)

miss chantal (chantalion)

yours truly (K8Ehawkes)

[act 1: the wedding]

[act 2: the journey]

[act 3: the festivities]

[act 4: the plot twists]

[act 5: the conclusion]
[piled in the same bed back in phoenix]

and that, my friends, is a night in the life of us.

also, another photograph for your viewing pleasure:

...that's all.
[no i didn't wear those shoes to the wedding.]