sweet relief

Disregard the last post. It has been found, thanks to my habit of never turning my phone on silent, just to alarm only. It went off at 7:25 this morning much to my joy, and I spent about three minutes trying to figure out where it was coming from. It was in the lining of my coat, thanks to a hole in my pocket. Whew, whew, whew.

Lucky Chinese charm, you are awesome.

我很恼火

My phone, with its Chinese luck charm, is gone. It left me somewhere between visiting Shoshone Falls and dancing to "Jai Ho" while dressed in belly dancer costumes in Party Palace.

What sort of omen is that?

If you should need to contact me, send me an email or a facebook message.

Shanks.

paper cranes

*sorry for the weird spacing/formatting. I wrote this up last night in word when I didn't have internet and the transfer to here was a little...messy.

New Goal:

Make enough washi eggs to fill a cute vessel from IKEA.

I think it’s time for Asian craft night, no?

Also, I’m rather proud of myself looking back on this week.

Why, might you ask?

1. Inner tube water polo. The valiant Deprotonators lost, but it sort of felt like a personal victory anyway, because I did something totally new and scary to me-a sport. Ahhh. But it was fun, and I was an okay midfielder, so there you go!

2. Chemistry magic show. Sara and I went to an elementary school to do two chemistry demos as part of Y Chem’s outreach program. We got to drive a Prius courtesy of the university. It was glorious. The shows went really well too. So well in fact that I am dying to do another one. Preferably at Abby’s (and my old) elementary school.

3. Late night chemistry. I spent almost every night at the chemistry building past eleven, which meant I made good use of my after hours pass (another reason why it rocks to do undergraduate research). I am still at a loss of what exactly to do for my review paper topic, but I’m narrowing it down…sort of…now it’s something along the lines of how SnO2’s surface chemistry contributes to its function as a gas sensor and catalyst.

Anyway, now I’m in Idaho doing a couple of performances with the team. It is freezing and the wind has yet to stop blowing, but the audience was great, and I got up in my shining moment of a lift at the beginning of the latin medley, so it’s all good. The above washi egg goal was inspired by the family I’m staying with tonight. They have a basket of them in their entry way, and when the wife told me her daughter-in-law and grandkids made them, I thought to myself, why not me too?

Thus my obsession with Asia continues.

illuminated

Today, I am grateful that places like this exist.

And that, finally, after ten years of dreaming, I am going there.*

*Okay, so technically the photo is of Perigord, France, which I probably will not get to see. But when I saw a similar picture in my French class, I almost cried. Silly, huh? But it just hit me all of a sudden, that France is real, and I get to go see it for my self this summer. Wow, wow, wow.

karma

Today I am grateful that I am not a widow and that I do not live in India.

I think you ought to watch "Water".

That's all.

You failed to hold my attention Atkins' Physical Chemistry, and now look what I've gone and done:

I realized I have some random favorites:

Favorite poet: William Carlos Williams (who, by the way, gives their child a first name that is equal to their last name minus a letter? I don't even care because his poems are so awesome.)
Favorite composer: Chopin (this is random because I'm not even really a music person, as in I can play about 5 hymns on the piano and am anti-choir. I just really like his nocturnes.)
Favorite author of sort of dumb young adult novels: Sarah Dessen (read The Truth About Forever if you're ever in the mood for some good chick lit)
Favorite yogurt: yoplait light harvest peach or pineapple upside down cake

Once upon a time in high school Kim and I were talking about a book we had read wherein the characters all had really bizarre quirks, such as always shaking up pop so it could be drunk sans carbonation. Or in Amelie where the flight attendant loves the clink of the cat's bowl on tile and Amelie loves sticking her hand in things of beans or other small objects. We bemoaned the fact that people aren't really like that in real life. Everyone is so normal and boring, we said.

But...the more we thought about it, the more we realized that's not true at all. I think the better you get to know someone, the more unique you will realize they are. Everyone is weird in some way or another; everyone has their own odd combination of favorites and habits and perspectives. Some people are just better at hiding their weirdness than others. Or maybe sometimes we just don't care enough to see what their unique qualities are.

Anyway.
This was originally going to be a post about how I want a Chopin CD for my birthday.
Silly 1:00 am posts.
I ought to go to bed earlier.
Thoughts?*


*on Chopin CDs, my soon approaching birthday (as in two months away, I am never one to shy away from announcing it as it gets closer), staying up too late, weird favorites you have, people and being unique, chick lit, French films, etc...talk to me, people!

quiet

Why, hello bloggers. This is me, Katya/Katie writing from my newly embraced gmail account rather than the hotmail one I've been using for years. I'm in the process of switching my four (how did I end up with four blogs? holy cow) blogs over to this account, but in the meantime, if anything seems odd, that is why.

And I do believe I have more to say on other topics, but as it is 12:56, I'll be getting up at 5:30, and I'm still working on stuff for chem lit, well...this is good bye.

Happy Wednesday everyone!

All of my saving tendencies went out the window

I invested in retail therapy and bought myself the coat rack.
Except in white, so I feel a little bit more conservative and more responsible (it can be used in any room!).

Also, I invested in membership in the American Chemical Society today so that I can go to the national meeting in San Francisco in March. And I'm getting 52 issues of Chemical and Engineering News out of it.

While I'm recounting all of my expenses to the world, I'll just add in the fact that my roommates and I went to Vegas/St. George this weekend. And we ate at the Spice Market Buffet (to the tune of $22/plate), which had awesome chocolate mousse, but severely heat and flavor lacking curry. We window shopped at the Bellagio, and I bought a deck of cards that had been used in play at Caesar's Palace (check that one off the life goal list). And I bought a shirt at Urban Outfitters that says, "French Toast" on it and has a picture of a piece of toast wearing a beret and saying, "Bonjour!" It's quite adorable, and somewhat clever.

Now I need to get back on task and read about 18th century France. Un peu de Voltaire anyone?

Oh and maybe sometime soon I'll write about my classes. Preferably when I don't feel like crying over chem 465...2.67/10 on a quiz? Kill yourself!!!*

*And give yourself a gold star if you know where that quote is from.

swan

I am having a mini quarter-life crisis.

Partly because I am drowning in homework and lack of sleep.

But mostly because nothing interests me enough to write a 15 page review article, let alone a master's degree thesis.

Ugh.

I opened up a mint.com account and now feel guilty for writing this...

I am sort of tempted to redo my living room a teeny bit.

As in purchase this awesome coat rack from CB2 and these prints from 20x200:

I have this mindset, which may not entirely be smart, but I keep telling myself that while I'm single and can make superfluous purchases, I should do it, because once I'm married...well...no more buying three different duvet covers from IKEA just because I want some variety because I'll have to pay for insurance and be really poor. This is also the reasoning behind my wanting to buy a nice tv now, while I still have scholarship money and zero financial commitments besides food and books.
Hmmm...

one more thing:

Maybe I am a teeny bit in love with the troubled and misunderstood Prince Zuko.
That's all.

In My Place

I survived my first week of school:

7 classes (team, Blackpool rehearsal, culture class, French civ (1700's-present), p chem part II, p chem lab, chem lit)

4 dinner group dinners (see our blog for some awesome recipes!)

2 bookstore fortification treat trips

2 new members of the ballroom dance company in my apartment (yay Kellie and Laura!!)

100 people at our dance party

1 trip to an awesome used bookstore on Center Street

1 "Treasury of American Poetry" purchased from above bookstore

10 episodes of Book 2 of "Avatar: the Last Airbender" watched

1 talk written for sacrament meeting tomorrow (ahhhh!)

All in all, a pretty decent start to the semester!
I think I might need to purchase all three seasons of Avatar. Or...get one for my birthday. Hint, hint...Mom...hint...

...and I feel fine

So yesterday I dyed my hair blonde again and had a conservative trim with some new side bangs. They were just the right length to drive me insane, so on a whim inspired by the change of a new year and new decade...well...I told Becky to give me bangs.

Tada!
I am happier with this look than my expression in the picture makes me seem.

I spent my New Year's Eve in high waist jeans, rocking half boots, and 3D glasses from "Avatar" (which, ps is visually stunning, awesome movie) that I punched the lenses out of and then proceeded to paint with sparkly nail polish.
And then I partied hard with ballroom and high school friends. What could be better than a game of murder in the dark/dancing to "It's the End of the World As We Know It" to ring in 2010?

girl on fire

Today I was getting a little freaked out by my classes and everything else that I have coming up next semester...Blackpool...new calling...chemistry intramural team (?!) etc, and then I read this snippet from President Uchtdorf's message in the January Ensign:

"If ever you are tempted to become discouraged or to lose faith, remember those faithful Saints who remained true in Kirtland. Hold on a little longer. You can do this! You are part of a special generation. You were prepared and preserved to live at this important time in the existence of our beautiful planet earth. You have a celestial pedigree and therefore have all the necessary talents to make your life an eternal success story.

The Lord has blessed you with a testimony of the truth. You have felt His influence and witnessed His power. And if you continue to seek Him, He will continue to grant you sacred experiences. With these and other spiritual gifts, you will be able not only to change your own life for the better but also to bless your homes, wards or branches, communities, cities, states, and nations with your goodness.

It may be hard to see that at times, but hold on a little longer, for 'eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him' and wait for Him."

Here we go, year 2010. Let's hold on and make this the best one yet.

full message