3 semanas... 3 weeks...

I seriously cannot believe how fast time is passing. Has it really been this long since I've done an entry?  Am I really 25 already? It seems like it was just the beginning of spring, and now it's almost June. We've had lots of rain so the leaves on the trees are green and lush, the grass is actually GREEN, and flowers are everywhere. The heat radiates of the pavement, and you sweat walking from your car to the store. Yes, I think summer is almost upon us.

I can't believe I leave for Spain in 3 weeks time. (And I still need my hotel and transportation!) This is my task for tomorrow afternoon.... Madrid here I come.

My emotions are distinct this go-around. I always feel a very specific way right before I leave for Spain. I feel happy to leave, stressed to have to do it, and eager to return to my second home :) I'm calmer than I was a few weeks ago. The workload for my master's program is a stressful reminder that I'm not going to have much of a break this summer, and that sucks, but I look forward to the fact that I'm going to be learning in a new way that I never have before... in the place I love most in all the world. I look forward to the challenge and dread it at the same time. For some reason, the word "Masters" STILL seems so distant to me. Is that really me? Kathryn? Getting her MASTERS? That was always something that you do when you're "like thirty"... I'm with people twice my age who know more about the world than I do, and I hoping my little Albion college degree measures up!

And yet, I'm sure I'll be with others who are thinking, "Geeze, everyone is half my age, fresh out of college, and I haven't taken a test in 15 years."

We'll see. :) I look forward to learning from everyone.  The cool thing is we all bring something different to the table.  Somehow, I think I'll be listening and learning a lot this trip :).

I'll be staying HERE if you are interested to see it.  It's in Spanish, but you can see pictures of the residencia.  I'll be sans the IKEA decor...obvio.  But you get the idea.

Tonight Charlie and I ate at a Spanish Grille in the Ballantyne area...the Sangria was good as was the paella.  Far better seafood than I was expecting.  I wanted to order more tapas, but I'll get to do that soon enough... and the ones in Spain vienen con un plato de acetunas.* :)

*come with a plate of olives

There's an app for that!

I must preface this by saying I have never had an "spakin' new technology" anything.  Every phone I've every owned made a call, sent a text, and took a few crappy, blurry pictures.

That is until yesterday when I became the proud owner of the HTC Android Incredible.  They just hit shelves Thursday... needless to say, last night I was completely consumed for 5 hours straight learning it's ins and outs.  I was creating my own google calendar, connecting my phonebook to facebook pages (yes, I can spy on you!), and downloading every free "app" under the sun.  It was great.  I talked with Charlie via an internet Skype service, viewed constellations from where I was standing on my phone, hit up the cheapest gas station, added widgets on my different phone interfaces, read a Spanish comic book, made photo frames of Luna, checked my e-mail, created a grocery list....

...and then I got a phone call from my mom.

...and the phone didn't work.

And so, I spent about 30 minutes on the phone with "Steve" from Verizon Wireless trying to figure out the reason behind my problem.

What are the odds that the "Incredible" do-it-all-phone that has an application for everything under the sun can't make a phone call?  Apparently pretty high in my case.  I guess in the first wave of phones they are trying to "get the kinks ironed out"...and if it happens again I need to restart the phone.  If the problem persists they will order me a new one.  Oh joy.

In the meantime, though...I will be enjoying the many features the phone has to offer...and keeping up with the news at work. 

I suppose that's what you get when it's "very expensive."


P.S.  If you did not get the last joke then you did not spend the better part of your childhood in the 90s ;)

Lipstick empowerment.

Mornings have been really hard for me this week.  Usually the morning is a calm, quiet time, but in the last few days I've been feeling really stressed, that was repressed during spring break, but emerges again with the start of work and getting back to, well, "life."  My morning shower consists of me talking to myself about everything I have to accomplish, the order I have to accomplish it in, and how I know I won't be able to get it all done. 

That's where the lipstick comes in.  I have a million tubes just sitting around that I haven't used in ages.  Remember when that really ugly brown color was "in" in the late 90s?  (I know it's gross that I still have makeup from this long ago...).  That ugly brown "caramel mocha" just became my morning empowerment.

I began to write encouraging verses, sayings and quotes on my mirror... the words I need to hear.... to stare back at me and lift me up.  Maybe I need to hear about peace.  Maybe hope.  Maybe I need to be reminded to believe in myself... it's very liberating.  And surprisingly fun to write on a mirror.  Try it sometime.

So scribbled across the top of my mirror are the simple words, "for the battle is the Lord's" (1 Samuel 17:47)... from the most powerful story of David and Goliath.  I read it the other day in it's entirety for our Starting Point group, and it is my new favorite of the moment.

Happy mirror writing :)

la nube de ceniza...

...aka..."the ash cloud" preventing airlines from flying ANY PLANES in Europe.  Traveler's nightmare :(.  I was reading in El Pais that there was a time in the 1800s when this volcano erupted for an entire year. Hmmm....let us hope that June is clear for travel. Don't the pictures below just make your skin crawl? I think that's just about the worst headache imaginable....I feel so bad for these people.  Mother nature is a forced to be reckoned with.

I love traveling visiting new places.  Who am I kidding?  Traveling is HORRIBLE!  Jet lag, missing/almost missing connected flights, tons of people, crappy and expensive food, airplane headaches... blah.  Somebody want to invent teleportation?

Still, with each international (and national) flight that I take, I learn more tricks of the trade that make it a little more bearable.  I don't know what helps you...but this is what helps me...

1. DON'T GET ON THE PLANE.  Okay, you need to get on the plane, but what's the rush?  Everyone wants to be first in line to be on the plane with a 13 hour flight ahead of them...take a back seat.  You've got lots of time to sit.
2. DON'T SIT IN THOSE AIRPORT CHAIRS.  Sit on the floor by a window.  So much better.  Try it sometime.
3. PACK YOUR OWN FOOD.  It's like $10 for a sandwich.  This seems obvious to me.
4. AISLE SEATS ARE THE BEST.  Window seats seem like the winning place (views and a place to rest your head), but they are more cramped, and with the aisle you have the ability to stretch your legs out.  Just don't trip the flight attendant.  They are pretty good at stepping over you, though.
5. NAB THE BLANKETS AND PILLOWS, STAT.  The flight usually only have a limited supply, so if they aren't already on your seat ask for one right away.
6. BRING YOUR OWN HEADPHONES.  They charge you $5 for the in-flight movie and you can use you i-pod head phones to watch.
7. GO WITH THE FLOW.  There's not much you can do to change a delayed (or even canceled flight).  So sit back and ignore the stressed around you.
8. DON'T TAKE NAPS WHEN CROSSING TIME ZONES on an overnight (new time) flight.  Sleep if you can...if you get a wink, great.  When you arrive in the "morning" stay up a normal day and crash at local time.  You will be delusional, but it will help you adjust faster.

Celeb of the moment

Okay, so she really isn't a celebrity, but this lady is AMAZING. She's coupon mom!  She makes money at the grocery store and cuts bills in half.  I'm pretty coupon savvy, but after watching her I look like a wannabe.  Check it out.

:)

For me, today was a day of hard-core phone calls and errands-- my most productive day of Spring Break so far.  I also had my doctor's appointment this morning.  Still I did find time to sneak away Victoria's Secret to use my $10 gift card.  I decided to spend it on lip gloss, which was exactly $10 (making my total come to only 86 cents for tax).  I think I heard the sales lady groan a little bit putting free underwear and a basically free lip gloss into my bag.  I love the stuff though...the shine lasts forever!  It's called Lip Lacquer. :)  (And no I did not buy that ugly hot pink color...I bought "blush").

I stopped at New York and Company and picked up this blue top (below).  The fabric is really nice and it's perfect for a hot day at work. It's practically like a tank top but with a little cap sleeve.  I also picked up a pair of wedges I have been eyeing for a while in pearl white (call me crazy).  They finally went on clearance.  30% off plus my 15% teacher discount.  Can't beat that! 

This afternoon I went out and picked some of the beautiful lilacs growing by the apartment.  They are in full bloom right now and so stunning!  Katy had bought me a bud vase for our shower to put them in.  I love lilacs...they just brighten up any room!  Although we did find out that Luna is prone to eating them (this is not a joke), so we had to move them to the bathroom.  :)

Ride on!

Yay Carowinds!  Charlie and I bought season passes yesterday!

We both hadn't been to a theme park in 6 years (unbelievable, right?).  Still, whenever I go back after a hiatus, I get really nervous for the first couple of rides.  My stomach turns,  I get really quiet, and I have to look around to see how many small children there are so I can say to myself, "Look, Kathryn.  See?  They are all doing it!  You can, too!"  Charlie is a thrill seeker, and he'll do the tallest, fastest coaster... no matter what.

But, after the first couple of the "tallest, fastest, newest", I remember why I love roller coasters so much.

• I love how you feel like you are flying, and you lose gravity for a couple of seconds.
• I love the view from the top.
• I love the speed.
• I love how much I hate the first drop...it's so scary... and so thrilling.

I was so afraid of going on the NightHawk.  You don't sit up like in a regular roller coaster.  They strap you in like you are "flying."  I about freaked out before getting on it, but I'm so glad I did.  Two HUGE thumbs up!  It's my new favorite.

Here I am in front of NightHawk.  YAY!