jump the utah train

[title reference? anyone? hint: song lyrics...]

so,
as i do every 6 months, i am headed to utahland this weekend

to hear the words of prophets!

my thoughts/feelings are much the same as they were the last time i went

i swear, this weekend is like christmas to me

i feel calm at the very sound of the prophet's and apostle's voices

want to watch it too?

i'm doing what i was taught to do, which is to enter the weekend with a list of questions and a lot of prayer

and, i fully expect answers

because, i've always gotten them before

this time i'm trying something a little new

instead of just going in with a list of questions

i plan to make some decisions beforehand

because

i am learning that the level of inspiration i receive tends to be in direct correlation with the level of commitment i've shown to a particular decision

when i am decisive, i receive answers more quickly

heaven seems to reflect my own level of effort in that way...

perhaps you will try it with me?

in any case,

i hope you have a couple minutes for this video

it always touches me deeply...

in my noodle: swag, mucus & chicken nuggets

i was just pondering what to blog about

and it turns out, i think about a lot of things

in the ol' noodle, as i mentioned

noggin

cabesa

whathaveyou

[anyone else thinking about PBJ otter right now? noodle dance?]

anyway

here's what we've got today...

now you can pick what's most interesting to you

and pretend that my blog was personalized and relevant to your life

"win win win!"

[only one person in the world can name THAT quote and its reference. tiff? you reading this?]

items of mental discussion:

i'm pretty particular about water bottles. namely, i hate it when they're cold because then the condensation monster gets all up in my bizness and everything gets wet. i hate it when everything gets wet. i also can't stand the pop-top kind. even if it has a pop-top, i will still unscrew it and drink it the way i prefer. why? no one knows.

i notice teeth a lot. this could be because i have braces and i pine [oh sweet betsy how i pine!] to have pretty, straight teeth again that i can obsessively use crest whitening strips on. in the meantime, i'll just look at everyone else's teeth. don't go feeling all self-conscious now.

i'm getting my braces off sometime in the next 3-4 months. i'm not telling you when, because surprises are fun!

i actually don't think all surprises are fun.

i like the word swag. i really want to incorporate this into my everyday vernacular.

i also like the word vernacular.

it's probably my favorite thing ever when i see guys buying flowers at the grocery store. some lucky lady back home thinks she's just getting a loaf of bread, but little does she know! ohmyfercuteness.

i really like getting flowers. such pretty little things.

i like twitter.

[@k8ehawkes, yo!]

i haven't made the pinterest leap yet.

or spotify.

though, i do want to try me some spotify.

i laugh really hard when i watch about a boy. i don't know why it's sodangfunny to me. maybe i just automatically approve of hugh grant at all times, canyoublameme?

[thx chantalion!]

i am an introvert.

i am also an extrovert.

perhaps i am just a vert.

when i shower, i always perform my cleanliness activities in the exact same order. i even face a certain wall during each routine. is this OCD-ish, or normal? [maybe you do it too and you just haven't noticed. now you will notice. you're welcome.]

a reallycuteboy once told me i had a booger on my face. in my defense, we were swimming. everyone has this problem while swimming, right? nostrils just gettin all crizzazy and thinking they can do whatevs they want. sigh.

yesterday the chicken nuggets in the cafeteria were really spicy.

like, way too spicy.

they were also neon, fire-orange.

in retrospect, this should have been a tip-off.

i currently have the noodle dance song stuck in my head.

this morning i laughed in public.

this morning whilst laughing in public, i choked on some mucus hiding in my throat and it made a horrible throttled noise that sounded notsomuch like laughter and likely greatly disturbed the people around me and led them to believe i have horrific, bacterial diseases contracted in an unseemly manner. shrug.

i would someday like to spend some time living in the countryside in europe, buying food at little markets and making friends with the locals. scarves and daily hot chocolate will be involved. maybe i can do this when i write my book. "mi manifesto!" [reference? anyone? geezlouise i love quizzing you guys!]

there's an annoying bubble in my iphone screen protector thing. i've tried to squish that amoeba away multiple times in the last 48 hrs. it is still there. looking at me right now. hooverdam you, stubborn amoeba bubble.

amoeba is a hard word to spell.

hooverdam is a fun word to use.

i have a potentially unhealthy relationship with sticky notes.

i think we need to focus on the following picture now. it's not THE funniest thing i've ever seen, but there's something about a cat in a turtleneck...or anyone in a turtleneck, for that matter...

[via busybeelauren]

welp.

the ol' gray matter is just about sponged out for the moment.

seriously, i'm surprised you're still reading this...

what's in your noodle today?

so about those 3D movies...

really, just one question...

why?

i mean,

i've seen a 3D movie like once

and i think it was an attraction at disneyland...

or six flags?

and i think it made me really, really nervous

but lately everyone's all,

let's make all movies 3D!

even harry potter!

even old favorites that made you cry when you were 7and didn't understand how one lion could be so terrible to all the other lions, including his own family!

[HIS OWN FAMILY I SAY!]

i digress.

[via getthebigpicture.net]

i like that lion king is back in theatres

[we need to teach this phineas-ferby generation to wise up, yo!]

but um...

remind me why it wasn't good enough without special glasses?

["they're trying to kill it! they're trying to kill it!" ...a zillion cool points to anyone who can possibly name that reference.]

are hyenas going to leap out at me?

are antelope going to stampede into the audience?

i can't handle the anxiety!

this sounds like a recipe for a heart attack or an unfortunate bladder mishap

or, screaming when i'm not supposed to in the middle of a movie

[i already do this more often than appropriate]

so yeah...

you tell me

what's the big deal with 3D movies?

are you on board or not so much?

music: i want you to(o)

so,

it went down something like this as i laid on my bed the other night...

me:

hey pandora, i need me a good jam

pandora:

ah yes yes ... hows about some weezer? i know how you like you some rivers cuomo.

me:

you've come thru for me again, pandora

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

me:

hey youtubes, pandora got me hooked on a little ditty.

ever heard of it?

youtubes:

psh, pandora.

i see your weezer and raise you one sara b.

me:

touche, youtubes. touche.

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

yeah...

that's pretty much how i remember it happening.

confessions: i went to detention

this is probably one of those posts i will have to hold off showing to my posterity until they are adults themselves and won't use it against me.

[ah but right now, they aren't even fetuses so i can write whatever i want. ]
[...feti?]

[via elfwood.com]

ok fact:

i got detention multiple times in jr high and high school

was it because i mouthed off to my teachers?

well...not every time [but sometimes, yes]

sometimes, it was because i forgot my hmwk

and guess what?

i ditched class in high school

um, more than once

and, more than twice

[...you get the picture]

in my defense, my older sister used to paint her fingernails black and ditched her math class to spend lunch with her boyfriend

so, can we say it's in my genes?

[love you mandysister]

and crap, now i totally want black nail polish...

the truth is,

i almost never felt guilty for getting detention

i mean, i didn't love it or anything

but, i was usually at peace with whatever i did that got me there

forgetting my hmwk? it happens

skipping english class to eat lunch with friends? never regretted that one

i think i've always had a little bit of this in me...

a total willingness to accept my consequences if i think the trade-off is worth it

also, i've always had a strong sense of contentment with my own choices, whether anyone else agrees with them or not

i could have probably used a lesson or two in respect for authority, in retrospect...

other fact:

i always had a hard time respecting the authority of people who i didn't respect as leaders or educators

those teachers who hated their jobs and didn't know diddly about the subject matter?

i didn't want to be in the classroom any more than they did

so, i ran free.

and you know...

i have a lot of good memories

i've always wondered what i'm going to do if/when my own kids have a rebellious streak

"yes baby, sometimes your teachers are idiots and your classes are pointless, but that's life! maybe get better at not getting caught? here's some tips..."

i kid, i kid...

will work on that script.

glad to get this off my chest.

can you relate to me? anyone?

my bestie and etsy

so you know that girl who shows up in my textersation blogs like a thousand times?

[most recently, see here if you don't remember. don't miss the one about the front butt. oh, i die!]

anyway, 

this is her, in da flesh:

turns out she's a pretty freakin talented artist

and, you can buy her stuff over at her etsy shop,

kelsey anne designs

stuff like this:

yes, you want it

i know you do

so you know....

go show her some love

poke around

mayhaps drop some dough

just sayin'

your walls = instantly more hip

and therefore

you = instantly more hip

you're welcome.

p.s.

word is there's a 2012 calendar in the makings

stay tuuuuned...

[and by "word is" i mean "she told me because i'm her bestie"]

in which i say goodbye to summer

did i mention...

i had the most marvelous of weekends

here's a little glimpse...

we rise like morning birds

 spreading wings of hope

stretching, reaching toward the sun

and we are alive

we are shimmering with new days

and horizons

and wild, meandering dreams

that take us by the hand

whisper delicious secrets

and compel us on

whirling us around corners

stealing the breath from our lungs

imbibing us with exhilaration

flowing with reckless abandon through our veins

and then

as gently as we were stolen

we are returned

tucked back into our corners

windswept hair settling on our shoulders

and we are the same

except for

sunfreckles telling stories on our arms

eyes widened and new

and a pulse that throbs of early june

and tells of warm rainstorms

and beats reminiscent of late nights in august

and we are, still, alive

sooo why am i not in med school?

[via globalhealth.stanford.edu]

.....oh yeah, because i hate needles.

and, ok, sometimes blood makes me queasy.

but what got me started on this is something i've come to realize:

i am in love with the human body

it fascinates me!

seriously, we are walking miracles

i love learning about it

talking about it

etc etc etc

i've recently gotten in the habit of googling things as soon as i get curious about them

you know all those things you say "i wonder why..."

well, i started finding some answers

here's a couple tidbits i learned this wknd:

1. nasal cycles

turns out you don't breathe equally through both nostrils

at any given time, the majority of air is passing through just one side

but every hour or so, it switches

the internet called this a "delicate dance"

groove on, olfactories!

2. why are girls colder than boys?

i love this one!

so, how cold you feel is determined by the temperature of your extremities [e.g. hands and feet, etc.]

the answer to the aforementioned question involves blood flow

as females, our bodies know that our core needs to stay warm

our child-bearing organs demand it, if you will

so, most of our blood flow stays around our midsection

thus, it doesn't make it to our hands and feet as well

thus, we feel colder

3. why do kids get more ear infections than adults?

so there's this tube that runs from your ear to your throat

[goes by the name of eustachian]

any unwanted fluid in your ear drains through it and you swallow it

if you get too much fluid in your ear, you get an infection

but if you get sick, sometimes little germs sneak into the tube

thus clogging it

thus preventing drainage

thus causing an ear infection

so why does it happen to kids more?

well, their trusty ol' eustachians are shorter and more horizontal than adults

shorter = easier for germs to clog it up

horizontal = doesn't drain as well

clogging + lack of drainage = ear infections

and there you have it kids!

kind of having a nerdy science day up in here

look out, bill nye!

not all those who wander are lost ▲

you know that saying, home is where the heart is?

well, good golly...how many hearts/homes is one girl allowed to have?

in any case, i've gone and split my aorta and ventricles up all horcruxy-like and planted myself in various locales. and, i'm soooo totally roadtripping to one of the aforementioned homes/hearts this weekend.

*drrrrumroll*

cedar city, utah

my first home away from home

lays claim to:

red mountains

southern utah university

 my 19th, 20th and 21st birthdays

my first time living on my own

my first dozen roommates

wilbur the pig

some friends i love so much it makes me squishy

[squishy, i say!]

the first time i ever played ultimate frisbee

to be honest, a lot of homesickness

and some broken hearts

and that time i sprained my ankle to an n*sync song

but,

enough amazing memories to make a girl simply burst with joy

sweet huckleberries, i. am. so. excited!

will be focusing on the essentials, aka, peace out, blogosaurus land!

see ya next week.

katilda

polaroid moments (3)

oh you know, just some pictoral shots (not to be confused with pectoral, because that would be totes inappropriate, you guys...) from the recent happenings in my little world, taken with my shmancy little smartphone.

content may include...

improvising w/ a george foreman when the cinnamon toast craving strikes

(apparently we don't own a toaster these days)

a few images from the workplace things i stare at for 8 hrs a day

(or, in some cases, that which stares at me over my shoulder)

a cloud in effigy of a certain flying dog from a certain neverending story

a candle w/ which i am forming a deep, committed relationship

and....aphrodisiacs for knitters??

shrug.

oh, and let's not overlook the fact that, halfway through this post, i abandoned my computer and stood outside in a torrential downpour. and then there may have been a cardigan, moccasins and a small mug of cocoa. because sometimes, that is simply what one must do.

textersations, round 4

ah, the time has come again!

disclaimer: the advent of the katiezoic iphone era somewhat stymied my grasp on my cellular life for a season.

[what i'm saying is, i was better at saving texts before i got the iphone, though i promise to be better. however, if you've texted me something insanely clever or witty in the last couple weeks....my apologies. 

rest assured you made an impact on my life, publicly commemorated or not.]

first, the following, after i dished out some really good advice for his roadtrip to udaho:

ah, maybe someday!

in the meantime, let's focus on other people...

kels, july 26

i wished for phil collins and the radio heard me.

kels, aug 9

no, i'm not crying while watching an episode of little house on the prairie where they address discrimination against dwarfs.

mandysister, august 12

on blue's clues, they play a game where they sing, 'what will it be? what will it be? to find out, put your hand in and see!' i cannot be alone in thinking this is the worst game ever.

nathaniel b. honka, august 14

i have sent you a piece of electronic mail.

kels, august 16

my dad just asked me what a front butt is. he wanted to make sure he doesn't have one.

kels, august 16

does the stuff in your trashcan ever just randomly move and freak the crap out of you? that just happened.

mr. alderson, august 16

[after i asked him about the condition of his sprained ankle]

large and on ice, much like disney shows

mandysister, august 18

james just prayed for a pet unicorn

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

and finally, let us reflect on the following, after i informed a certain mr. nickerson that institute was relocating due to lack of AC at the regular building...

he:

i thrive off heat. on principle, i'm going to have to stick with the proper and classic church bldg location

me:

yeah but there's no treats...

he:

gah! you've got me there.

me:

although, the little scoutlings do gather there as well.

he:

and they do look up to me as a mentor and role model. i can tell.

me:

is it the bowl cuts?

he:

i think that's due to Bieber's influence.

me:

i'm thinking of publishing the Bieber Theory of Relativity.

he:

i'm intrigued, and wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

me:

it's actually telepathically distributed, so you'll simply have to tune in. the church will next offer MENTAL ham radio classes.

[remember the ham radio classes? bahahah]

he:

confound it, telepaths get all the good stuff! and it appears the Bieber Conspiracy Theories may have some foundation...

me:

i'm almost on board with believing he is Tu Pac reincarnate, but that would compel me to abandon the theory that Tu Pac is still alive, which i am not apt to do.

he:

they do share uncanny similarities. i'm more inclined toward the twisted clone school of thought, for the reason you mention.

me:

this merits further investigation. i suspect if we play the bieber movie backwards, all will become clear.

he:

there's a bieber movie?!? if only i'd known...

me:

yep...

he:

then the course is clear.

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

have a nice day. keep the delightful texts coming.

enjoy rounds one, two, and three if you please.

quiz: character strengths

so, my friend tiff had to take a character strengths quiz for one of her classes.

basically you answer a whole plethora of questions and then it tells you, out of 24 traits, what your strengths and weaknesses are.

my top 5:

1. forgiveness & mercy

2. spirituality

3. capacity to love and be loved

4. kindness and generosity

5. appreciation of beauty

oh, and humility was dead last.

bahaha

ouch, quiz

except, the same thing happened to tiff and i am pretty dead certain that is untrue about her, so that makes me feel better.

it also told another friend that "social intelligence" was her weakest trait.

[we think the test might be prone to some dirty lies, but it is fun nonetheless]

want to analyze yourself?

take the quiz here

...it's the VIA Survey of Character Strengths, under Engagement Questionnaires

[yes, you have to register w/ your email address but i haven't been spammed or anything yet so i wouldn't be too concerned about that.]

p.s.

some of the questions are quite hokey and def gave me the giggles, e.g. "i'd rather die than be phony," and "my friends tell me that i know how to keep things real."

i don't know guys...do i know how to keep things real?

bahaha

[look at me, keeping it real, being a pirate. such a humble pirate, you might say.]

a prophet's words on 9/11

my church's prophet, thomas s. monson, wrote an op ed for the The Washington Post with his thoughts on the events of 9/11 and the ways it changed our lives

but most specifically, how those events should still be changing our lives today

read it for yourself

the words are simply beautiful.

"Our Father’s commitment to us, His children, is unwavering. Indeed He softens the winters of our lives, but He also brightens our summers. Whether it is the best of times or the worst, He is with us. He has promised us that this will never change."

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

a decade ago, i got to school at 6:30am as usual

there was a sign on my classroom door telling us to go to the cafeteria

weird, i thought

in the cafeteria, all the tv's were on

except for some scattered whispers and a couple people crying, it was eerily quiet

the girl next to me, who i barely knew, turned to me and confessed her long struggle with an eating disorder and how it helped her feel in control of her life

it seemed like an odd time to spill that kind of thing

to a total stranger, no less

but

tragedy compels us do interesting things

i remember all the footage on the news in the following days and weeks

there's an image of a fireman carrying a child out of the rubble that's been etched in my mind ever since

i think, this is when i first became patriotic

the following summer marked the first time i ever cried on the 4th of july

[and trust me, it has happened every year since]

can you believe it's been 10 years?

where were you on sept. 11, 2001?

[via september11news.com]

p.s.

i know my sunday posts haven't been following my typical book of mormon pattern for a couple weeks

but, i am still reading

almost there, kids!

hope you're still reading too.

celebrating the big 3 oh!

oh hey...

remember how my parentals have been married for like three decades?

[you almost thought this post was about my 30th bday, didn't you? wrong. i'd like to start with 25, thank you.]

well the whole familia was fiiiiinally in town and we fiiiiinally got around to celebrating

[2 months late is better than never, right? right.]

you see, my papa served his church mission in italy

[many moons ago in the 70s, in a brown suit and stuff]

and he and momsie always talked about going there for their 30th

but,

i think us ninos were a bit expensive to raise

and the whole italy thing has unfortunately not ended up happening

so...

we brought italy to them!

pros of the night:

familyyyy!

much delicious pasta, made by the sistren of the family

gelato!

a sister who can decorate cakes like nobody's bizness

games and stuff

con of the night:

i think i was allergic to my pasta [pictured below in the skillet]

oh, it was beautiful

and it was delicious

a labor of love, i tell you!

but ... it made me itch all night

[has balsamic ever made anyone else itchy?? sigh.]

here it is in pictures!

don't mind the fact that there is generally a lack of people in the photos....i guess we're not the posing, picturey type of family

[picturey. yeah.]

that last one is a love note my momsie drew for my papa during game time. gee they're cute!

[and it's a ewe...not a sheep. in case you missed that.]

confessions: kissing scenes

an absolutely, totally girly confession:

i am weak.
sometimes i youtube the cute kissing scenes from chick flicks

for some reason, it calms me down when i'm stressed

[then again, i do the same thing with kipper clips so you can't judge me too much. darn that calming british cartoon.]

favorites include:

never been kissed - pitcher's mound

ever after - gypsy party

north & south - train station

clueless - sitting on the stairs

win a date with tad hamilton - the surprise one in her bedroom

[um...it is not scandalous like it sounds]

the last song - ohh that face grab on the beach!

cinderella story - in the bleachers

 [that last one is largely for the well played jimmy eat world track]

um

i'm feeling kind of embarrassed

and, obviously hormonal

hey, we all have our estrogous days...

ok now you spill and make me feel better.

z is for zion, h is for hiking

so, a couple weekends ago i went on a grand adventure

destination: one of my most favorite places in the world

SOUTHERN UTAH

[ah, red rocks! how my heart beats for you!]

we hiked the subway

read about it here

[don't miss the uh-mazing picture at that link! i was totally there!!]

yeah, it took like 8 hours

and yeah, the water was colder than hades

[i'm somewhat convinced hell might feasibly be a miserably cold place, you know]

so, here's a zillion photos

not pictured:

the fact that we got rained on all night and the tent leaked

much ravioli that was consumed

much soreness incurred after the massive hike

a horrific, water-logged dead squirrel that still haunts my dreams
[rodents make me come unhinged in any form. unhinged i tell you!]

pictured:

many, many pirate tattoos

a most intriguing blister my toe decided to sport
[keep in mind this was BEFORE the hike. moleskin, you are my salvation!]
a natural water slide
me, rappelling [holla!]

more white skin than you ever wanted to see

a plethora of cheesy, brady bunch-esque poses

me riding home in a travel-sized, fetal position

[hey, we only brought the necessities...]

i'll let the rest of it speak for itself...

 

[i don't know what your take on that last picture is, but i'm pretty sure it's instructing us not to feed oreos to the wildlife...noted, park rangers. noted.]