My True Love

I honestly had no idea what I was getting myself into back in 2000 when I pulled out a map of the US to figure out my next place of residency. There really is no method to my living madness other than I get bored and need a new adventure, which tends to involve me moving to another state. I figure why not, if I don't like it I can leave. It's safe to say I fell head over hills in love with San Francisco. I can't explain it but there's something about this city that makes me feel alive like no other place can or does. Don't get me wrong I like Austin just fine but my heart belongs to SF.

Seriously, words can't describe my love of it. I would walk my neighborhood almost every night out to the lion steps just to take in the fresh air and beauty of it all. Like some people hug trees (Kerry) I walk the hills to see the views of the water. I am well aware it costs a mini-fortune to live there and it's worth every pretty penny to do it at least once.

I guess I should come clean with the fact it was 75 degrees and sunny the entire time I was there earlier this month, and normally July is the coldest month out there, but whatever. I got a little trigger happy with the camera to take it all home with me.

3-Hours

and one sore ass later my latest UT Cycling study has begun. Honestly, my decision making abilities need to be revoked. I've said this before (in another post I can't recall) and I'll say it again. I may need someone else to tell me if I'm making the right decision or not. I say this in jest...

A few weeks ago i got an e-mail from Lynne over at UT wanting to know if I had time to do another cycling study. If so, was i still cycling. Well, if you count my ride at the Katy Flatlands last July as still riding then yes. Ok, so I didn't tell her that part. I vaguely payed attention to the length of the study and all it would require. As a student all I saw was the dollar amount and followed by a 'yes, I'd love to participate.'

So yesterday was the 'practice' ride. Seriously, why didn't I read that e-mail. I'm thinking no biggie I've fasted for these things before I've survived, how bad could it be. Way worse than my crazy head could imagine! After fasting for 12 hours and waking up hungry I had the privilege of riding a bike for 3 hours. Yeah, you read that right 3 hours on an empty stomach. Have I mentioned my bony butt...I think now is a good time to do just that. I have a very bony ass. When I drove from San Francisco to Austin every night I landed in a hotel I had to lay on my stomach and massage my ass back to life. In fact, I need to make a butt pumper. Something that can fluff a person's bony ass back to life.

Ok, for starters Lisa left my watch on...I love it when I sneak my gigantic watch by the timing Nazis. About 1.25 hours into my ride Lisa sees it and confiscates it...damn it!!! I really need to know how much longer I have on this bike. Now we'll get back to my bony ass. It's a total toss up in what's more miserable my growling stomach or my numb seat bones. I kid you not my butt was numb around the half-way point. The good news is you're able to stop and take a potty break. This proves to be a good thing. Gives me a chance to pump some life back into my bony ass. Again I need to make a butt pumper. I took 2 potty breaks. 1. because I actually needed to go and 2. because sitting on a bike for 3 straight hours is wrong!

By the end of the 3 hours my arms couldn't even hold the handle bars anymore I was so hungry. Normally I'm not one to want food directly after a hard work-out. Yesterday was different. The second I jumped off that bike I started slamming calorie drinks along with the biggest PB&J my eyes have ever seen. Lynne makes a wicked PB&J. By the time I finished stuffing my face I looked like a 6 month old pregnant lady in cycling shorts...not a good look for a single person;-)

The good news is I can bring my own bike seat with me next week. I think bike shorts and bike seats deserve their own post along with my bony ass;-)

Happy Birthday Cancers!!!

Good friends, great memories and a ton of wine;-)

So True

I saw this quote on a friend's facebook page and I couldn't agree more;-)

"I'm impatient, selfish, and a little insecure. I'm hard to handle and out of control sometimes. I may get down on myself and come to you for help a lot. But, if you can't handle me at my worst...then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best."
-Marilyn Monroe

4th of July

My mom was truly worried about her daughter having the 4th of July as a birthday. I mean seriously, a child's b-day is all about cupcakes at school and everyone in your class giving you a birthday card or better yet an actual gift. Little did my mother know this would be the best day to have a birthday. I mean let's be real I NEVER work on this day not too mention my friends NEVER work on this day either...needless to say there is no excuse not to share a toast on this day...'my' day. I say this in jest but it truly is the best day to have a birthday.

My mother shared this concern with me several years ago and then said "you've always managed to make your birthday celebration last an entire week so I decided maybe it wasn't so bad after all." No Mom it's really not so bad after all;-)

This year was no different if not better than all my previous years and I'm grateful for it. I was not looking forward to the whopping 35th year of my life. I mean it's a rather large number (yes, I know some of you are older but this is about me) and closer to 40 than 34. I'm also in college surrounded by young 20-somethings. Granted you could not pay me to go back to my 20's but staying 30 wouldn't be so bad. However, with each passing year my life gets better and better so maybe the age thing ain't so bad.

Here's to being 35!

Breathe

There are days I honestly think my decision making skills should be revoked especially when it involves school. What was I thinking when I decided to take 2 computer courses in the month of June??? Oh, I know I thought 2 lab courses out of the way and so fast...no, it never dawned on me the workload would be insane. None of that ever crosses my mind. The only thing that does cross my mind is Fall '08 I'll be down to 9 class hours, YIPPEE!!! Now I will have to take a course online but that is minor...I'm totally stoked to be heading to the backside of this degree thing.

2 more weeks and part of my insanity will be over and off to vacation I go, HI-Ho!!!

Male Magnet

For sure that's me...let me explain. About 2 weeks ago I got in a car accident with an uninsured motorist. It happened at 6pm on a Friday, the Friday before school started...why the girl couldn't pull out in front of me in early May is beyond me, but whatever.

On Monday I got my rental car and I think it's safe to say my sex appeal has been elevated to a whole nother level;-) The pic says it all...



I know you want me to swing by your house and take you for a ride. Seriously, I have never been a ZZ Top fan except for the day some random dude behind me on the streets of San Francisco sang 'She's Got Legs' while walking behind me...that is the only time I've liked that band.

It is safe to say I have a new found love for my Jetta. This Cruiser or as my sister says, the PT Loser, has the handling skills of a tricycle. The first morning I had to drive the thing I hit every curb in my drive trying to get out of my house. Note to self there is absolutely no radius on this wheel axle. Bummer take one. Next in line is driving on I-35. I put the accelerator to the floor, nothing. I swear a good 30 seconds go by before the 'Loser' realized I meant move forward. Bummer #2. Nevermind speed, this thing has none. If you consider going over 70mph there is some serious lateral convulsing going on in this car. Bummer take 3. Last but not least there are hills on I-35 between Austin and San Marcos...I know I had never noticed before either, well, until the 'Loser'. This excuse of a vehicle drops to a snails pace if you ask it to drive up hill...mind you you've been speeding for awhile so it's not like you woke it up first thing in the morning and said 'please, could you drive 80mph up Mt. Bonell.' no, you've been going 70 mph for a while now but no, we must drop to 40mph. My dear sweet Jetta does none of this. I can't wait to have her back;-)

NYC Marathon

Holy Shit!!! This is the year I decided to toss my hat into the ring and start the rejection process for the NYC Marathon. I mean after 3 rejections you've got a guaranteed entry...Let's face it I'm not getting any younger so needed to start this process sooner rather than later. To tell ya the truth I completely forgot about this thing. When filling out the lottery info I had absolutely no expectations whatsoever, in fact I forgot when the drawing was to take place. You can imagine my surprise when I opened my e-mail this evening to find...

Dear Katie,

Congratulations! You have been accepted to the ING New York City Marathon 2008. This is the beginning of your journey toward the race of a lifetime on November 2, 2008.

We're thrilled to offer this opportunity to you—to run the greatest race in the world in this special year as we celebrate NYRR's 50th anniversary. To further enhance your experience, you can unite with one of our charity partners to support a worthy cause while you run.

There's also a lot at stake for our talented field of world-class runners, including the ING New York City Marathon crown and the second World Marathon Majors title. We'll see what happens on November 2.

We'll be in touch frequently between now and November. Await further e-mails as well as check our website for training opportunities, classes, and updates that will be posted in the upcoming months. Keep the following in mind as you begin this journey:

• Book your travel plans early through Anthony Travel , our official travel provider.
• Plan to attend the marathon expo Thursday, October 30-Saturday, November 1, at the Javits Center in Manhattan, so that you can pick up your race number and marathon gear.
• You can check your status and update your personal information by entering your username and password here or use the entrant database to check for your name or that of a friend.
• If you cancel your entry for the ING New York City Marathon 2008 according to the instructions, you’ll be eligible for guaranteed entry to the ING New York City Marathon 2009 on November 1. For details, visit our cancellation page.
• Watch for your Official Handbook in August for all you need to know about the marathon.

Enjoy your training. The path to marathon fitness includes the overall satisfaction you gain by training for the ING New York City Marathon. We look forward to seeing you shine in November.

Sincerely,

Mary Wittenberg

I'm a little bummed I won't be able to go this year (no worries, I'll defer to next year) since I'm now hell bent on Sacramento (an armpit of a destination if you ask me) but this kind of plays into my hand quite nicely...

Humidity

Who knew humidity could be my friend, definitely not me! There are times when a good humid day benefits my ego. An old friend of mine was in town for Memorial Weekend and whenever we see each other we always go for a run.

For some odd known reason whenever John and I run the competitive side of me shows up. Our runs are short in distance and the guy has been playing soccer since birth and is still playing…he’s older than me so you do the math. Shorter distances are his forte except for one small fact…he lives in Seattle. This is when humidity is on my side, who knew…

We were set to run Monday at 7am. I wanted to go earlier but John is a wuss. I was on the lake all of Sunday in the hot sun and of course hydrating myself with Tecate beer all day long and topped the night off with quesadillas and a Mexican martini, because this is the best way to prepare for a run in the Texas humidity.

I secretly hoped John would send a text wimping out. No such luck! 7am we’re off. I was a tad concerned we may see my Mexican martini from the night before…Actually when we took off there was a nice drizzle. The drizzle was short lived and followed by some serious soup like conditions for us to run in.

The first 2 miles of our run were pretty uneventful. The second 2 miles I really thought the quesadillas were on their way back to haunt me. I could tell my Seattle friend was suffering. We talked steadily in the first 2 miles. The second half of our run he kept asking me open ended questions, which I know was a trick to make me talk and run out of breath. No such luck Hot Shot! My goal is to torture you today! Honestly, when we passed the rowing club I wanted to crawl into a canoe and wait for my death. However, John was 2 steps behind me and I couldn’t give into my weakness so we kept plodding along back to the Rock.

He admitted later on at coffee that he was wiped out. His Mother confirmed he had been complaining since we got done running. Mission accomplished!!!

I think the torture good ‘ole Johnny experienced is payback for choosing to ski Tahoe instead of pacing me at the AT&T Marathon back in ’07. Just sayin.’

It's Time

Well, I am days away from starting my training for the California International Marathon in December. I haven't been very consistent with my running since my last marathon, which was February '07 (yeah, you read that right). I've never trained in the summer mainly because I despise the humidity. Yes, I'm aware I live in Texas but I usually get on my bike or do some wimpy runs at this time of year.

This years training season will be dedicated to my mental training, which has been my arch nemesis since I started racing way back when. I've never had an issue with my cardio fitness it has always been the voices in my head (yes, I am crazy, duh!). Today was one of those days where the voices were very loud.

I stepped outside this morning to meet Brenda and Jon for a 6 miler and I'll be damned if it wasn't thick as molasses outside at 5:45am. Geez, it's May people! We started running and I swear I needed a straw to extract some oxygen from the air. I felt like a 90 y/o woman with emphysema running without her oxygen tank. This was before we even hit mile 1...I thought to myself no way I can make 6 and immediately my confidence was flushed down the toilet. I started questioning my ability to train during these summer months.

Now, I'm in the process of reading a book called 'Running Within' which addresses the mental aspects of training. I worked on putting some of the ideas to test today and let's say I may need to read this book 2 to 3 more times for it to sink in. I start one of the reverse negative thinking ideas and it lasts about a milli-second before my body says, 'no way lady, you're not running in this humidity.' The good news is my training partners held me accountable today and I kept trudging along with them.

Here's to a new training season!!!

Reckless Kelly

'Nuff said...seriously! Alright, I'll explain. This started back in January towards the end of football season over at Cousin Lyle's house. Well, he's not my cousin but later you'll need to know he's Cousin Lyle (let's call him CL for short). I'm enjoying some wine and chili with CL, M & 510. Later on M looks at me and says Willy and posse are coming to CL's in a bit and she has the look of love in her eyes. Oh, Lord here we go with M and her bad boys. She has a thing for the wild ones. I in turn think nothing of this. Later on Willy and posse show up (aka- Reckless Kelly) since their Lyle's cousin it's normal for them all to hang out. I'm still unimpressed in Willi and posse. M is about to flip out of her chair and I'm more enthralled with my glass of wine.

Fast forward to SXSW in March at the Dirty Dog. I am introduced to my first Reckless Kelly performance. Now, mind you these SXSW shows are only 30 minutes long but I am hooked. All I know is I'm not a country music lover but Willy with his crooked grin have convinced me otherwise.

Nutty Brown Cafe this past Friday I go to my first full performance by Reckless Kelly and I *heart* Willy and his crooked grin. Do NOT think for 2 seconds that grin is meant for you. I am certain he sang to me all night Friday...I had stars in my eyes and will now and forever be a groupie of Reckless Kelly. Sorry, Thievery Corporation I really want to see you when you come to town BUT it's the same night as RK and I'm not the cheatin' kind;-)

No Words Can Explain It.

I consider going back to school one of the hardest decisions I've ever made. I will say I'm enjoying it even if it involves all nighters (remember these don't involve margaritas, a dance floor or my friends), little to no social life and NEVER seeing the male species...that's quite a bit of sacrifice if you ask me. However, there is a perk to this school thing and it comes twice a year. Oh, yeah, you guessed it semester break. A whopping 4 weeks mind you, no projects, no all nighters (the un-fun all nighters) and no commuting for an entire 4 weeks. It's so exciting words can't even describe it;-)

It's Official!!!

I passed Residential Studio...Yay, Me!!! Nothing like your fate being sealed in an envelope you had to self-address. Thank goodness I needed some good news. Whew!!!

Now I really need to study for my last final;-)

Here We Go...

Here we go...into some sleepless nights. I turn in my portfolio on Monday. This portfolio contains all of my projects from the current semester's studio. It's also a pass or fail. If you happen to stumble on this post feel free to send me some good luck karma, I'm going to need it.

I'm in process of completing my final project and have some final touches and boards to re-do from the previous 2 projects. Somehow all of this will be done before 10am on Monday. Oh, yeah I also work all day tomorrow. Fun times I swear!

I'm going to post the floorplan I've been working on all week. I don't think words can explain how excited I will be to do all floorplans by computer next semester. All of this drafting is too time consuming. Not to mention this final project has to be universal...wheelchair accessible, so there looks like lots of space but granny needs that 5' turn around for her u-turns;-)

Random Things About Me

1. I wanted to be a solid gold dancer when I grew up.
2. I still want to be a solid gold dancer.
3. I love 80s music.
4. I really don't like beer.
5. But I will drink it if I 'have' to.
6. I'm the queen procrastinator.
7. I'm supposed to be writing a term paper now;-)
8. I love to run.
9. I am a strong runner.
10. Maybe not the fastest.
11. I am always on time.
12. I'm scared to death of thunderstorms.
13. I would be a great private investigator.
14. I talk out loud TO movies. (as in 'He is not going to do that').
15. Maybe that's why my friends don't ask me to movies.
16. I can't sit still unless I'm really tired.
17. I hate to clean.
18. I love spring and fall.
19. I've lived in 6 cities and 4 states.
20. I'm commitment phobic.
21. I find it difficult to commit to things to far in advance.
22. I love to render.
23. I'm very observant.
24. I like numbers.
25. My alias is Bunny.
26. I plan to qualify for the Boston Marathon in December.
27. I love plain m&ms.
28. I love oreos & milk- they should be at the top of the food chain.
29. I don't like to drive.
30. Although if you're a slow driver I won't let you drive me.
31. I always drive over the speed limit.
32. I love to read.
33. I don't lose things.
34. It may take me a year to find it, it's still not lost.
35. I like small houses.
36. I love a good mexican martini.
37. I want to learn to speak Spanish fluently.
38. I want to live overseas, preferably Spain.
39. I love water (ocean, lakes & rivers).
40. I love dogs.
41. I can't decide how I want to remodel my bathroom.
42. I like hand written letters.
43. I can't seem to change my phone to 512.
44. I love to sleep.
45. I require sleep.
46. You will know if I haven't slept in a while;-)
47. I love a good story.
48. I like when my life creates a story, preferably a funny one.
49. I love friends who make me laugh.
50. I like to laugh so hard I cry or get the hiccups.
51. The Internet is my enemy.
52. I love Dr. McDreamy.
53. I found the writer's strike to be annoying.
54. Mint chocolate chip ice cream is my favorite.
55. Baskin Robbins please.
56. Sweet not salt.
57. Humidity doesn't agree with my hair.
58. I have super fine hair.
59. I think I'm 5'7".
60. I can't keep a calendar.
61. If I have to have a calendar I like the paper kind.
62. I wish I could sing.
63. My neighbors wish the same thing.
64. I am bossy.
65. I've had a python in my house, no it was not my pet.
66. I've almost stepped on a copperhead.
67. I've had a random snake wrap around my leg.
68. It was dark so I couldn't tell what kind.
69. I had my first car wreck at the age of 14.
70. Legal driving age was 15 in La.
71. I've rolled an explorer.
72. I've had to use doggy doors to get into houses.
73. None of these houses were mine.
74. No, I was not breaking and entering, all legit.
75. I'm great with directions, no GPS necessary.
76. I served on a triathlon board.
77. I've never done a triathlon.
78. I've made daiquiris with a food processor.
79. I couldn't find my parents blender.
80. Obviously, they were out of town and I was underage;-)
81. I was a Bearcat Belle.
82. I have good intuition.
83. I really need to write my term paper.
84. I'm excited to be pursuing something I love.
85. I am opinionated.
86. Sometimes I don't notice when I'm thinking out loud.
87. I have a love hate relationship with getting up early.
88. I drown my coffee in cream & sugar.
89. I don't like big meals.
90. I like a good glass of pinot noir.
91. My closet is extremely organized.
92. I've stayed up all night dancing and then went straight to the fish market.
93. It was fun.
94. I've stayed up all night for a school project.
95. Not so much fun.
96. I've always wanted curly hair of medium thickness.
97. I'm always reading 2-3 books at a time.
98. I'm at the half-way point with my Design degree.
99. I took piano lessons for 4 years.
100. I want to play the guitar.
101. I stayed in a relationship too long because HE could play a guitar;-)

Now, the procrastination must end, onto Modernism/Postmodernism!

Time

How did it happen? I swear ever since spring break came and went time has been on fast forward. Everytime I look up to breathe an entire week has gone by. I really can not make myself think beyond the day at hand it makes my heart rate sky rocket. The end of semester is approaching fast. It's scary and exciting all at once. This is a make or break semester. I'm in my first residential studio, which is secretly referred to as the 'weed-out class' meaning this is where they get rid of real crappy designers. To say I'm nervous is an understatement. I still need to make some changes to my original projects and complete the final one I'm currently working on...not sure how this is all going to pan out since I'm on the verge of a burn out at the same time;-) I will spare you of my meltdown from last week, emotions were on overdrive!

A few things I've learned about myself or have actually known for a long time and now need to face these facts. I am a very aggressive woman. What does this mean? Not much for the majority of you as long as you don't spend much time with me. I HAVE to find a way to run. It's no longer an option to skip, even if it's only for 20 minutes I have to run, period, end of story! When I don't let's just say it gets a tad ugly. I am a brutally honest woman so when I don't get rid of my energy it comes out in words so please be careful what you ask me, I will answer.

Last but not least I have decided to start training again. Ok, it doesn't officially begin until May 27th but I will be following through this time. I have some unfinished business with the marathon and plan to stake my claim in December!!!


Now to get through today, left, right, left;-)

The Perfect Sunday

The perfect Sunday involves a good run, great friends & champagne...does it get any better than this...I think not!!! It really is that simple. Today, this Sunday, it's perfect and now I'll finish this floorplan for school...I'm happy and complete, ok a little tipsy too, but that totally helps the school work.

This morning involved feeding a herd of dogs for friends out of town, a run in the rain with M, and brunch/mimosas with Jane...this is my idea of a perfect Sunday. I love it!!!

Jane- party shuffle playing 'Long Day,' MB20...oh, yeah!!! I love the poster...I think it needs to hang in my loft;-)

36 Hours

When I think of pulling an all nighter I think of a dance floor with good friends, margaritas and 80s music. Unfortunately, me being up for 36 straight hours didn't involve any of that. So sad that model building takes forever + a day.

Since going back to school my 8hour nights of sleep are something of the past. It's normal for me to go to bed around 2am (again no dance floor, margaritas or music) and sleep for 4-5 hours. I knew this field required insane hours but seriously. There are plenty of gals that always talk about 'I was up all night getting this done'...I just thought 'what a dumb ass, who wants to stay up all night for school?' Ok, as they say you will eat your words. I have officially done just that. When it came time for me to turn in my project I couldn't remember if I had brushed my teeth, showered or eaten I was so confused as to what day any of the aforementioned was done...I opted to shower and my brush my teeth again just to be safe;-)

Without further ado here is my final stuff. I forgot to take a pic of my rendering that accompanied the model. Remember I was no longer firing on all 4 cylinders.

Also, stuff in the house that would be built-in had to be done in 3-D (kitchen cabinets) things such as living room furniture could be done in 2-D. I swear this makes sense!

More Model Building

It's time to convert the 2-D model to a 3-D model. This part intimidates me, it's also the point at which I get to see my minuscule mistakes that yes, the professor will notice too.



If you're paying attention there is still an exterior wall missing;-) I haven't had the guts to conquer that wall yet. It has a fireplace that isn't your normal box on the exterior portion of the house it's got some funky zig-zag thingy and I am not ready to face this challenge. The interior portion has a few too many book shelves going as well, and my moments are numbered before I have to face this challenge.

I'm drinking an Enviga drink this should keep me charged for another 10 hours and hopefully I will be near completion.

Model Building

Model building is for the birds. I don't think words can convey my dislike of these things. I didn't like them this summer and I sure as heck don't like them now. I swear for every 1 step I take forward there are about 7 back...it makes no sense.

I have no idea what happens with foamcore between the time I measure it, draw a line and then take the knife to it...somewhere in those steps it shrinks??? Guess what if it's too short back to square 1 until it's right...trust me there are several wrongs before you make a right.

Anyhoo that's the boring stuff. I accomplished my goal of the day for my model...it's a small one but the first one to complete on the day I wanted it complete...yay! me!!!

Here's an idea of my private hell. All the pieces on the left are the rejects the tiny pile on the right are going to make the exterior of this house model.


Now for the complete dining room. It will look strange but in my teenie tiny world this is huge...I'm finally moving to the interior part of this model. Once complete this will be more clear, or that's the goal.



Tomorrow I'll work a little more then off to SXSW for the rest of the day/night...this is supposed to be my spring break. Break means build a model, draw/render a kitchen, write 2 papers and start preparing for a test the week after spring break;-)