so back in may i bought tickets to this concert, i have been dieing too see the Jonas Brothers in concert. they have never toured Australia so i have never had the chance to see them before. i have been a huge fan of theirs for a while now (i would put it close to about 3 years). so when i got the chance i went all out, i mean VIP tickets and as close to the front as i could get. and boy did it pay off!!! though it really was a day of ups a downs. aka, the worst and best day of my life!!
it all started at 7am after having only about 5 hours sleep. got up and when i finally got on the road, it was a 2 and a half hour drive to the venue. then when i got there they told everyone that we couldn't park until 1:45. i got there about 12pm/ 12:30 so this was a problem. even more so for everyone else who had gotten there earlier than me. so a bunch of us parked in a plaza car park just up the road. so i found some tj girls and we stood and chatted. it was so hot though! i regretted wearing my jeans. but they made my outfit! anyway, at about 1:30 they started letting people park so we all decided to go get our cars. thats when we realised that some of the cars that had been parked in the plaza parking area had been towed- mine included! i was so nervous about it! i found the place where they took the cars, and it was on the other side of town- i started freaking out cause i needed to drive home that night to work the next day, i lived so far and had no where to stay! thankfully i found someone who was going to pick up their car so after lots of questions and planning to keep our spot in line when they finally gave out the tickets we went to get our cars. and $100+ later thankfully that was the end of the worst part.
we got back and went straight into the venue for sound check and it was perfect!! we got seats right at the end of the main catwalk. so camp rock cast came out and they were awesome! i got to ask them a question and Alyson saw my I <3 Alyson poster i made for her. then demi came out, she didn't sing but she answered some questions. then jb came out and they were awesome! i started freaking cause it all became so real for me. i have never seen them before- its my first concert. i've only seen them on tv or on the internet, so i was like OMJ they are real and just as amazing in person as they are on tv!! they sang BB Good and Pushing me away. during BB Good, Joe cam down the end of the catwalk and looked directly at me and sang to me!!! i just about died right there and then. he had sunglasses on but the way the sun was shinning, a bit got behind his glasses and i could see he was looking right at me! it was awesome! and i still can't get over it. :) i almost got picked for musical chairs jman was picking and it was between me and another girl. he picked the other girl. boo, but it was fun to watch!
then the concert started! i was right against the catwalk again but this time one of the smaller ones. on Kevin's side. it was awesome! i was right there the whole time! camp rock people came out and i was dancing like crazy the whole time. when Alyson came out i held up my Alyson love poster again. she saw it again, looked at me and said she loved me too! love that girl so much! when Mdot was singing Fire he came over to our catwalk and i was the first one to jump up and scream for him, so he came over to me and held my hand- again died there on the spot (not as much as joe cause i'm a total joe girl but still!). then he gave the silly band on his wrist to a little girl who had a bunch of them on her wrist it was so sweet! and again i almost got picked (just wasn't my night for that stuff!) to go up on stage and learn the Heart and Soul dance. when Alyson said to get picked you need to make noise i screamed and jumped up and down and people next to me were going 'pick her'! (probably cause they wanted me to shut up- but that wasn't going to happen ;))
Demi came out next and nothing really happened with her, the guy next to me on the other hand, she came over to him about 3 different times, grabbed his hand and sang directly to him. i was talking to him later and he was like freaking out because of it. so cool. but i got to touch everyone's hands -Anna Maria, Jman, Mdot, Alyson, Demi and a bunch of dancers too.
Then Jonas came out. i was flipping out, screaming like there was no tomorrow. i was pretty much determined to loose my voice that night (which for some reason is hard for me to do, i never really completely loose it... its a good thing i guess). i had made another poster that said 'Play Australia'. on the other side of my Alyson poster it said 'JB didn't come to Australia, so i came to JB' but i think that was a bit too long for them to read. so i simplified it. anyway, so i was having the time of my life singing and dancing and dieing every time Joe looked my way (i caught eyes with him quite a bit during the performance...) at one point he came over to our catwalk and looked at me then looked at my poster, looked back at me and laughed. not sure if he was laughing at me or that fact that i was requesting a song from the audience. i am leaning towards the latter for my own sake though. i believe kevin also read my sign too, but he didn't make a face or laugh like joe did. though i did get a smile (a tiny laugh) and raised eyebrows at my dancing though. i was having way too much fun to care! especially when Nick forgot the lyrics to Lovebug. that was classic, but we, the audience, had his back and just sung it for him. then Joe let us keep going with the chorus. it was so funny! i only caught eyes with Nick once, cause every time he came over to our catwalk he would look at the audience behind us, he only really looked down at us once (which i can understand, it was a huge audience. but really maybe twice...) :) before i was ready for it it was over, i didn't want it to end! i could have stayed there listening, singing, dancing, screaming all night! but they said good buy and did their final rounds of touching everyone's hands (i got all of them too!) and left.
i went hotel stalking after with a girl (who's coincidently was named Kate) i'd met during the concert. she was sitting next to me. (she had a poster that said 'Jack Lawless is Flawless'- Jack is their drummer. and Kevin took it and gave it to Jack. it was at that point that it was her turn to die! and all us girls be really jealous of her ;)) but there was no luck on that front. we didn't find them or figure out which hotel they were staying in. did anyone figure it out? but either way it was such a good night and i can't wait to see them again. i so wish i could see them again on this tour, but cause of money and work i can't. boo. :( but i will have these memories, picture, video, stories and to die for moments forever!!! i didn't think it was possible but i fell in love with them even more!!!
till next time
Katie
xo
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
International Talent Showcase
so last Sunday (15th of August) i auditioned for International Talent Showcase. this showcase is basically an invitation only convention for new talent around the country to perform for the best agents in the US, Europe and Asia. its an amazing opportunity for everyone. so i did the audition and it went pretty well. i sang (a little of 'Caught in the Crowd' by Kate Miller Heidke), i acted (we were given a small script to read) and i danced (i did a small piece from my 'Cowboy Casanova' piece). the scout- Sharon- really liked it. and everyone loved my accent, score! anyway we were told a little about the whole thing, then we all went home anxiously waiting the phone call the next day. now it was not that everyone was gonna get a call back, we all knew that some people wouldn't. yet just after 10am that Monday i got a phone call saying they wanted to see me again! i was so excited, jumping around the room and squealing the whole time! the next thought was already in my head but pushed to the front by someone who i live with. what if its a scam, what if they're trying to take advantage of not only me but everyone else who was at the audition... so i spent 3 hours on the internet checking them out and this is basically what i found.
They are legit, they are covered by the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and have an A rating with them. which for those who are not in the US is really good, the BBB is the place you go to if you have a complaint with a business. and it also proves that they are actually a business and not just some front for the money.
There are some people who say its a scam- that they only want your money, yet i only found those reports from people who had not gotten a call back (suggesting that they were upset and were just venting...) also yes they ask you to put down $500 as a deposit, but when you actually get there they say that what ever you can put down to begin with is fine. they are not really strict on the whole money aspect as long as it is payed off before the convention (and with a whole year, its not hard).
I also called the hotel where they hold the convention The Doral Golf Resort and Spa in Miami, and the person who i spoke to had nothing but good things to say about it. they have had it at the Doral for the past 3 years (Sharon explained that they switch it up between this Hotel and another- i can't remember the name of it, but someone who was at the call back had, again legit) and they guy on the phone said that everyone he had spoken to or had come across had been the real deal and were very nice.
Also on various websites (they're official one and their facebook page) there were all good things- i know, they only put the good things on there right. but still for the amount of people that attend these things (about 200 max- and thats from all over the whole country) the good definitely outweighed the bad.
Also they tell you in the intro that they found a star of movies Mena Suvari from the American Pie movies. i checked this out and on IMDB.com is says that she attended a modeling convention before getting picked up for the movie, but thats all. i couldn't find what the convention was called, but i'm assuming that it was ITS. but still...
Overall i think the whole thing is legit and worth it. i am still gonna try and do things myself- gotta get some help from various people though. :) and i'll keep you all updated on everything that happens with it all!
Tell next time
Katie
xo
They are legit, they are covered by the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and have an A rating with them. which for those who are not in the US is really good, the BBB is the place you go to if you have a complaint with a business. and it also proves that they are actually a business and not just some front for the money.
There are some people who say its a scam- that they only want your money, yet i only found those reports from people who had not gotten a call back (suggesting that they were upset and were just venting...) also yes they ask you to put down $500 as a deposit, but when you actually get there they say that what ever you can put down to begin with is fine. they are not really strict on the whole money aspect as long as it is payed off before the convention (and with a whole year, its not hard).
I also called the hotel where they hold the convention The Doral Golf Resort and Spa in Miami, and the person who i spoke to had nothing but good things to say about it. they have had it at the Doral for the past 3 years (Sharon explained that they switch it up between this Hotel and another- i can't remember the name of it, but someone who was at the call back had, again legit) and they guy on the phone said that everyone he had spoken to or had come across had been the real deal and were very nice.
Also on various websites (they're official one and their facebook page) there were all good things- i know, they only put the good things on there right. but still for the amount of people that attend these things (about 200 max- and thats from all over the whole country) the good definitely outweighed the bad.
Also they tell you in the intro that they found a star of movies Mena Suvari from the American Pie movies. i checked this out and on IMDB.com is says that she attended a modeling convention before getting picked up for the movie, but thats all. i couldn't find what the convention was called, but i'm assuming that it was ITS. but still...
Overall i think the whole thing is legit and worth it. i am still gonna try and do things myself- gotta get some help from various people though. :) and i'll keep you all updated on everything that happens with it all!
Tell next time
Katie
xo
Monday, August 9, 2010
RENT No Day But Today
so anyone who knows me, knows i'm a musical freak. and i mean freak, and proud of it! my favourite musical is RENT. for those who don't know what RENT is about about its basically a group of 20- somethings living in New York in 1989/ 1990 and their life in the middle of the AIDS epidemic. its an amazing play and really sheds a light on tings that really need to be talked about; when the play was written in 1994 and today in 2010. thats part of the reason i love it, is its real and gritty and not afraid to really say whats happening. and its still relevant today as it was over 10 years ago because of the core message of love and living life in the moments.
i first found RENT through the movie version of the Broadway play. it had just come out on DVD (not in theater's, otherwise i would have found it much earlier) i watched it for the first time and i was intrigued. the first song Seasons of Love (in the movie, i know its at the beginning of the second act in the play) i liked, but it wasn't until about 20 minutes into the movie, that i was hooked. after the first ballad Glory we hear 3 knocks at the door and Mimi enters with Light my Candle. i loved it from then on. from Roger and Mark to Collins and Angel. i could not get enough and have been a total Renthead ever since. :)
sadly i found out that RENT finished its 12 year run on Broadway in 2008, before i got the chance to go and see it. but coincidently that same year i sang Seasons of Love with my school choir as part of my Senior year. it was so cool, cause my younger sister and i sang the solo pieces. not only was it so much fun but that song hold such a special place in my heart now. :) i was crushed that i would never be able to see RENT on the stage until it was revived in a couple of years (which could span anywhere from 2-3 to a complete decade), then i found out about the Hollywood Bowl production. Neil Patrick Harris of How I Met Your Mother was directing it and several of Hollywood's biggest names were going to be in it such as Vanessa Hudgens, Nicole Scherzinger, Collins Pennie and Wayne Brady. but i was not concerned with the cast i was simply overjoyed that a) it was being revived so soon, and b) that it was gonna be at a place and time that i could go and see it! i was ecstatic that i was gonna be able to go! the only down side was i had to drive for 8 hours either way to get there, because i had to work i only got to stay 1 night, and being alone in LA can be a little frightning, but i was okay. the upside? i got to see RENT! i saw Tracie Thoms (though not a big actor, she's the one i was most excited to see!) perform the role of Joanne live! (she was in the movie and the final Broadway cast- which was filmed, and of which i have the dvd), i now have a RENT shirt, it was the closing night so everyone was giving their absolute best and to top it all off i got to Moo with Maureen! i'm not even kidding when i say if i died tomorrow (touch wood that i don't) i would be happy. i saw my favourite musical in the whole world live, and i never thought i would!! i could not be happier!
so as they say in the play there really is No Day But Today.
Till next time
Katie
xo
i first found RENT through the movie version of the Broadway play. it had just come out on DVD (not in theater's, otherwise i would have found it much earlier) i watched it for the first time and i was intrigued. the first song Seasons of Love (in the movie, i know its at the beginning of the second act in the play) i liked, but it wasn't until about 20 minutes into the movie, that i was hooked. after the first ballad Glory we hear 3 knocks at the door and Mimi enters with Light my Candle. i loved it from then on. from Roger and Mark to Collins and Angel. i could not get enough and have been a total Renthead ever since. :)
sadly i found out that RENT finished its 12 year run on Broadway in 2008, before i got the chance to go and see it. but coincidently that same year i sang Seasons of Love with my school choir as part of my Senior year. it was so cool, cause my younger sister and i sang the solo pieces. not only was it so much fun but that song hold such a special place in my heart now. :) i was crushed that i would never be able to see RENT on the stage until it was revived in a couple of years (which could span anywhere from 2-3 to a complete decade), then i found out about the Hollywood Bowl production. Neil Patrick Harris of How I Met Your Mother was directing it and several of Hollywood's biggest names were going to be in it such as Vanessa Hudgens, Nicole Scherzinger, Collins Pennie and Wayne Brady. but i was not concerned with the cast i was simply overjoyed that a) it was being revived so soon, and b) that it was gonna be at a place and time that i could go and see it! i was ecstatic that i was gonna be able to go! the only down side was i had to drive for 8 hours either way to get there, because i had to work i only got to stay 1 night, and being alone in LA can be a little frightning, but i was okay. the upside? i got to see RENT! i saw Tracie Thoms (though not a big actor, she's the one i was most excited to see!) perform the role of Joanne live! (she was in the movie and the final Broadway cast- which was filmed, and of which i have the dvd), i now have a RENT shirt, it was the closing night so everyone was giving their absolute best and to top it all off i got to Moo with Maureen! i'm not even kidding when i say if i died tomorrow (touch wood that i don't) i would be happy. i saw my favourite musical in the whole world live, and i never thought i would!! i could not be happier!
so as they say in the play there really is No Day But Today.
Till next time
Katie
xo
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Deja Vu
so i keep having all these odd senses of deja vu. it possibly has something to do with the weather at the moment, and the fact i haven't had a summer in a year (yes i went through 2 winters, and yes for a while it sucked).
the latest was one just recently, i was making shortbread with the girls and it was pouring rain. the deja vu of it all was i remember making shortbread with my mum during our summer break while it was pouring rain. the only difference is summer in Australia is in December. so it honestly felt like Christmas should be around the corner. thats what most of them have felt like. i'm used to Christmas in summer not in winter, so i've constantly had the feeling that Christmas is gonna be soon. couple that with the Pouring rain and everyone being off school, and it gets odd sometimes. it has made me a little homesick, cause i miss Darwin thunderstorms and Christmas in summer. but its okay, cause i'm doing things to help it out.
another reason its so odd is i have always associated the end of school with Christmas- all through elementary (or primary as we say in Australia) school, our last days were always making things and decorating the room. doing Christmasy things. so it was wired this year to have Christmas half way through school, and when school did end, Christmas was not there to look forward to. i have made it up though. one night i spent the night listening to Christmas carols to make me feel better. and anyone who knows me will tell you one of my favourite things to do is close my door, play my music and just dance around my room, so doing exactly that to Christmas carols made for a very fun evening. :)
well whatever season you celebrate Christmas its always fun, and this sense of deja vu i don't think will ever go away, its too drilled into my brain that Christmas is in the summer. :)oh well!
Till next time
Katie
xo
the latest was one just recently, i was making shortbread with the girls and it was pouring rain. the deja vu of it all was i remember making shortbread with my mum during our summer break while it was pouring rain. the only difference is summer in Australia is in December. so it honestly felt like Christmas should be around the corner. thats what most of them have felt like. i'm used to Christmas in summer not in winter, so i've constantly had the feeling that Christmas is gonna be soon. couple that with the Pouring rain and everyone being off school, and it gets odd sometimes. it has made me a little homesick, cause i miss Darwin thunderstorms and Christmas in summer. but its okay, cause i'm doing things to help it out.
another reason its so odd is i have always associated the end of school with Christmas- all through elementary (or primary as we say in Australia) school, our last days were always making things and decorating the room. doing Christmasy things. so it was wired this year to have Christmas half way through school, and when school did end, Christmas was not there to look forward to. i have made it up though. one night i spent the night listening to Christmas carols to make me feel better. and anyone who knows me will tell you one of my favourite things to do is close my door, play my music and just dance around my room, so doing exactly that to Christmas carols made for a very fun evening. :)
well whatever season you celebrate Christmas its always fun, and this sense of deja vu i don't think will ever go away, its too drilled into my brain that Christmas is in the summer. :)oh well!
Till next time
Katie
xo
Sunday, July 25, 2010
hey so i saw this a while ago (and meant to post about it then completely forgot.) but its a poem, i have no idea by whom (if anyone can help it would be much appreciated) but it totally sums up why a) you should never take anyone for granted and b) you should always ask someone how they are really feeling and c) why hugs never go astray.
When ever Richard Cory went downtown
We people on the pavement looked at him
He was a gentleman from sole to crown
Clean- favoured and imperially slim.
He was always quietly arrayed,
He was always human when he talked.
But still he fluttered pulses when he said
'Good Morning' and glittered when he walked.
He was rich, yes, richer than a king,
and admirably schooled in every grace
In fine... we thought that he was everything
to make us with that we were in his place.
So on we walked and waited for the light,
went without meat and cursed the bread.
Richard Cory, one calm summer night
went home and put a bullet in his head.
so as you can see just because you think one way of someone, doesn't mean that thats what they think of themselves. which is why i never shy away from asking people how are you really and tell me the truth. most of the time thats all people want to hear. and as i said a hug never goes astray. remember that.
Till next time
Katie
xo
When ever Richard Cory went downtown
We people on the pavement looked at him
He was a gentleman from sole to crown
Clean- favoured and imperially slim.
He was always quietly arrayed,
He was always human when he talked.
But still he fluttered pulses when he said
'Good Morning' and glittered when he walked.
He was rich, yes, richer than a king,
and admirably schooled in every grace
In fine... we thought that he was everything
to make us with that we were in his place.
So on we walked and waited for the light,
went without meat and cursed the bread.
Richard Cory, one calm summer night
went home and put a bullet in his head.
so as you can see just because you think one way of someone, doesn't mean that thats what they think of themselves. which is why i never shy away from asking people how are you really and tell me the truth. most of the time thats all people want to hear. and as i said a hug never goes astray. remember that.
Till next time
Katie
xo
Doubt
okay so i really have to get off my butt and do this more often. i was asked for my username and password when i got to my website just then. now i know most people will be like 'you're always asked for those' but i tend to keep myself logged into everything on my computer so i don't have to go through all of that. so when something logs out on me because i haven't been on in a while, its been too long since i've been on...
anyway, Doubt. Doubt is the new production i'm involved in. my role is assistant director/ producer. its fun and it feels so good to be back in the theater realm of the world. Doubt is an amazing play, its about the suspicions of a nun about a priest having relations with a student. but the audience is never told if the priest is guilty or not, not even at the end. it really is up to the audience to decide if Father Flynn really did it or if he is innocent. its intriguing and our cast plays it really well.
though i had a slight shock to the system at our last rehearsal, our director and the woman who is playing Sister Aloysius (the older nun, Meryl Streep's character in the movie) couldn't be there due to all the flooding that has been happening lately. but the rest of the cast met and we went through it all. now because i was there the rest of the cast asked me to step in and read for Sister Aloysius. i said yes then got up to the stands and went uh oh when i realised how much i couldn't read the part. i had no idea how to. i felt like not only didn't i have the life experience but the authority to [lay this part. she is the principle of a school and is very set in her ways. so the first couple of scenes were interesting to say the least. then i sort of had to say to myself that the rest of the cast deserves the best that i can do so i need to find something that will help me play this character better. i then realised that i had been in her position before. i've been in the position of authority where i have had to deal with matter and parents and talk to them in a way that i would have rather not have. being in child care and umpiring do that to you. so i really clutched onto that and used it as best as i could. i'm not sure how well it came off to the rest of the cast but it worked for me and thats all that mattered at that particular moment. so that was a really big learning step for me. taking something and changing it slightly so that it serves you the best way it can.
hopefully i wont have to do it again, because although it was fun i don't really want to play that character until i feel like i'm really ready to play such a character.
oh well i shall keep you all updated on this progressing show (well reading we're not actually doing it full out, though it would be fun to do it all out)
Till next time
Katie
xo
anyway, Doubt. Doubt is the new production i'm involved in. my role is assistant director/ producer. its fun and it feels so good to be back in the theater realm of the world. Doubt is an amazing play, its about the suspicions of a nun about a priest having relations with a student. but the audience is never told if the priest is guilty or not, not even at the end. it really is up to the audience to decide if Father Flynn really did it or if he is innocent. its intriguing and our cast plays it really well.
though i had a slight shock to the system at our last rehearsal, our director and the woman who is playing Sister Aloysius (the older nun, Meryl Streep's character in the movie) couldn't be there due to all the flooding that has been happening lately. but the rest of the cast met and we went through it all. now because i was there the rest of the cast asked me to step in and read for Sister Aloysius. i said yes then got up to the stands and went uh oh when i realised how much i couldn't read the part. i had no idea how to. i felt like not only didn't i have the life experience but the authority to [lay this part. she is the principle of a school and is very set in her ways. so the first couple of scenes were interesting to say the least. then i sort of had to say to myself that the rest of the cast deserves the best that i can do so i need to find something that will help me play this character better. i then realised that i had been in her position before. i've been in the position of authority where i have had to deal with matter and parents and talk to them in a way that i would have rather not have. being in child care and umpiring do that to you. so i really clutched onto that and used it as best as i could. i'm not sure how well it came off to the rest of the cast but it worked for me and thats all that mattered at that particular moment. so that was a really big learning step for me. taking something and changing it slightly so that it serves you the best way it can.
hopefully i wont have to do it again, because although it was fun i don't really want to play that character until i feel like i'm really ready to play such a character.
oh well i shall keep you all updated on this progressing show (well reading we're not actually doing it full out, though it would be fun to do it all out)
Till next time
Katie
xo
Sunday, July 11, 2010
I'm back!!
okay so i haven't been writing for quite a while. the reason i have had the past 3 weeks off and have been making the most of it. ive been hiking, sliding, playing both my guitar and piano, flirting, seeing friends left right and center. its been so much fun. i feel like i just haven't stopped. apart from one really good night, i was supposed to go to church but i totally blanked on a) what time it was and b) what day it was so i got to about half way through late afternoon and remembered, then got distracted by something else and blanked again. but it turned out to be just the night i needed. just sitting on my own , chilling and relaxing with some good movies, Wizard of Oz, Meet Me in St Louis, and Beaches.
on the 29th of June i waited 11 1/2 hours to see the midnight premier of Eclipse. now many people said that not only was i crazy but absolutely insane for waiting for it. but it was fun. i was supposed to go with some friends of mine, but they all bailed on me (one for a good reason, the other cause she was lazy and double booked herself), so sat outside for 7 hours waiting, then we got let into the cinema, waited a bit more and then we started with the first movie. we watched all three movies (Twilight, New Moon and finally Eclipse) and it was so good to see them all in order. and really interesting at the same time. when you do its really obvious that all of them have had different directors, and the visual effect on all are so different. the latest in the saga, has been the best so far. not just the acting (and the lack of Taylor Lautner's shirt), but the directing, cinematography, and editing. i know what people say that its all crap cause its from the books (believe me i've heard it all from my sister), but technically wise they are actually very good i mean, even twihards as they are commonly refereed to know the difference between a movie that has been made well and one that hasn't.
so anyway, the flirting, there was this guy at church who i had looked at before, but had pre- determined that he wasn't for me. then he started flirting with me, so i decided it would be fun to flirt back. now my stance with boys is i either have to really want them or they have to really want me. no dilly dallying, i'm happy single, so if they don't catch and keep my attention, i'm done and gone. and this is what happened with this guy (and he was way to religious for my liking anyway- nothing against it at all, i go to church and wear a purity ring, but he wouldn't go to a national parade with me because it was the day of rest... exactly), and he didn't keep my attention enough, he couldn't keep up with me. so i lost interest. we're still friends but thats it, nothing more.
and hiking, i had so much fun hiking. i went down to Sedona to do it all. i went to a place called West Fork and another called Sycamore Canyon. they were both really good! West Fork is so pretty and such a good walk, its not hard and you stop so often to look at all the scenery thats it not only takes a really long time, but it makes it really easy. and there is some old ruins of a old resort that used to be built there, and it so cool, to see it all and try and figure out where and what things were. Sycamore Canyon was easy on the way down but, hard on the way up. that was because on the way down was down hill and coming back was all uphill, and parts of it were steep!!! but it was so nice, we went cliff jumping and just swam and sunbaked. it was so nice, and then we hiked all the way back up. and our leader was hightailing it out of there! we went so fast, a little faster than what i would have liked, but at the end of it, we all felt so good.
we also went to a place called Midgly bridge. this was also like the Sycamore hike, on the way there was all down hill and the way back was all uphill. but it was so much fun! there is like a natural water slide there, its basically the locals Slide Rock for those who know Sedona. its so much fun, you hope in the creek at one point in the river and the water just takes you with it. the rocks are all really slippery so you go straight over the top of them. so. much. fun!
so i've been playing a lot, i recently got some more music (actual sheet music, not just chords from the internet) so i've been playing and practicing. i've kinda been writing too, but not so much. i really should get back into it cause i think i need to let some stuff out, but at the same time i have writer block and i can't write anything!! its really annoying. maybe i just need the right inspiration...
i've been babysitting as well. the biggest jobs i've done was two days for a friends of mine. she is a nurse so she works 12 hour shifts at the hospital. so i was at her house looking after her two boys (3 and 5) for 14 hours both days. i was pooped at the end of it!! the next day was the day i had my chill day, where i forgot about church. that was hard on the second day, both boys were being a little moody and me being tired, it was not a good mix. and anyone will know that when i get tired i get cranky and there were definitely several times when i was pulling my hair out trying not to get angry at the boys. the other job i did was for a family friends, it was a couple of hours again over 2 days cause parents had to be at work. this kid was so much fun! he is so funny and really smart. i mean, how many 7yo's could tell you exactly where to find 2 different restaurants? not many let me tell you. but i also got to play Wii Rockband. i love that game and my favourite thing to do is play the drums on it. and thankfully the 7yo wanted to sing so i was free to do the drums! yay! we had so much fun, and he is so easy to look after. it really made me realise how hard it is with the kids i normally look after. (their mum babied them and still kind of does, but its now causing all sorts of problems with them, they're good just difficult at times)
anyway, thats about all thats been happening.
i'll try and write more often. :)
Till next time
Katie
xo
on the 29th of June i waited 11 1/2 hours to see the midnight premier of Eclipse. now many people said that not only was i crazy but absolutely insane for waiting for it. but it was fun. i was supposed to go with some friends of mine, but they all bailed on me (one for a good reason, the other cause she was lazy and double booked herself), so sat outside for 7 hours waiting, then we got let into the cinema, waited a bit more and then we started with the first movie. we watched all three movies (Twilight, New Moon and finally Eclipse) and it was so good to see them all in order. and really interesting at the same time. when you do its really obvious that all of them have had different directors, and the visual effect on all are so different. the latest in the saga, has been the best so far. not just the acting (and the lack of Taylor Lautner's shirt), but the directing, cinematography, and editing. i know what people say that its all crap cause its from the books (believe me i've heard it all from my sister), but technically wise they are actually very good i mean, even twihards as they are commonly refereed to know the difference between a movie that has been made well and one that hasn't.
so anyway, the flirting, there was this guy at church who i had looked at before, but had pre- determined that he wasn't for me. then he started flirting with me, so i decided it would be fun to flirt back. now my stance with boys is i either have to really want them or they have to really want me. no dilly dallying, i'm happy single, so if they don't catch and keep my attention, i'm done and gone. and this is what happened with this guy (and he was way to religious for my liking anyway- nothing against it at all, i go to church and wear a purity ring, but he wouldn't go to a national parade with me because it was the day of rest... exactly), and he didn't keep my attention enough, he couldn't keep up with me. so i lost interest. we're still friends but thats it, nothing more.
and hiking, i had so much fun hiking. i went down to Sedona to do it all. i went to a place called West Fork and another called Sycamore Canyon. they were both really good! West Fork is so pretty and such a good walk, its not hard and you stop so often to look at all the scenery thats it not only takes a really long time, but it makes it really easy. and there is some old ruins of a old resort that used to be built there, and it so cool, to see it all and try and figure out where and what things were. Sycamore Canyon was easy on the way down but, hard on the way up. that was because on the way down was down hill and coming back was all uphill, and parts of it were steep!!! but it was so nice, we went cliff jumping and just swam and sunbaked. it was so nice, and then we hiked all the way back up. and our leader was hightailing it out of there! we went so fast, a little faster than what i would have liked, but at the end of it, we all felt so good.
we also went to a place called Midgly bridge. this was also like the Sycamore hike, on the way there was all down hill and the way back was all uphill. but it was so much fun! there is like a natural water slide there, its basically the locals Slide Rock for those who know Sedona. its so much fun, you hope in the creek at one point in the river and the water just takes you with it. the rocks are all really slippery so you go straight over the top of them. so. much. fun!
so i've been playing a lot, i recently got some more music (actual sheet music, not just chords from the internet) so i've been playing and practicing. i've kinda been writing too, but not so much. i really should get back into it cause i think i need to let some stuff out, but at the same time i have writer block and i can't write anything!! its really annoying. maybe i just need the right inspiration...
i've been babysitting as well. the biggest jobs i've done was two days for a friends of mine. she is a nurse so she works 12 hour shifts at the hospital. so i was at her house looking after her two boys (3 and 5) for 14 hours both days. i was pooped at the end of it!! the next day was the day i had my chill day, where i forgot about church. that was hard on the second day, both boys were being a little moody and me being tired, it was not a good mix. and anyone will know that when i get tired i get cranky and there were definitely several times when i was pulling my hair out trying not to get angry at the boys. the other job i did was for a family friends, it was a couple of hours again over 2 days cause parents had to be at work. this kid was so much fun! he is so funny and really smart. i mean, how many 7yo's could tell you exactly where to find 2 different restaurants? not many let me tell you. but i also got to play Wii Rockband. i love that game and my favourite thing to do is play the drums on it. and thankfully the 7yo wanted to sing so i was free to do the drums! yay! we had so much fun, and he is so easy to look after. it really made me realise how hard it is with the kids i normally look after. (their mum babied them and still kind of does, but its now causing all sorts of problems with them, they're good just difficult at times)
anyway, thats about all thats been happening.
i'll try and write more often. :)
Till next time
Katie
xo
Monday, June 14, 2010
Lake Havasu
so the other day we went on an overnight trip to Lake Havasu AZ. this is a dammed part of the Colorado River (the same river that the Grand Canyon is apart of, and that separates AZ from CA). it is absolutely beautiful, in most parts crystal clear waters (awesome for people like me who have a thing about swimming in water they can't see the bottom of)and this time of year the perfect temperature! so thursday morning we all took the 3 1/2 hour drive to the AZ border where the lake is, picked up a second car (it was already down there and needed to come back up to flag with us on the way back). i drove it, it was a huge toyota tundra ute. thankfully it was automatic so i didn't have to worry about gears and all that being on the other side of the car (i've managed to avoid that since i've been here!). and we stopped at a friends place and packed up the ute attached the boat- yes a boat- and went down to the Lake. now an awesome part of Havasu... the original London Bridge (you know the song 'London Bridge is falling down, falling down...') is in Havasu. some really rich people bought it, had it sent brick by brick to Havasu, literally dug a canal in the middle of the Lake and set it over the top of the newly formed canal. and we had to drive over the top of it to get to the boat ramp. it was awesome!
so we went out on the boat, and the best thing about this boat... its fast!!! i loved it!! so much fun! we first stopped of at this little cove which was beautiful, as i said before crystal clear waters, gorgeous views, i could stay there for days. really i could. :)
we swam here for a little while and went on.
the next cove we stopped at was meant for overnight stay, so there was a bbq and tables and bathrooms. we stopped bbq'd up some burgers and hot dogs, so good! we went back out and i went tubing for the first time! tubing as in riding on a tube (or in this case a flotation device) while being pulled behind the boat. we went so fast, and i stayed on longer than what i thought i was gonna. i was so proud!
then we went UNDER the London Bridge, it was even better close up! and i still can't believe that the bridge is in Havasu AZ, of all places in the world for the famous bridge to go, it makes it in Havasu!
we also went fishing, didn't catch anything but boy it felt good to get a line wet! i haven't been fishing since i got here, and my dad used to take me fishing quite a bit back in aus (well not lately but still), i love it. though i was having a battle with the fishing rod, i'm used to using a spin reel, i have used one my whole life and nothing else. but this reel was basically one that meant anyone (except someone who knows how to use a normal reel) could use it. all you had to do was push a button, cast, and let go of the button when you flicked your wrist. now getting the timing right on that sucked big time. there were several times that i was lucky i didn't catch myself because i managed to fling the hook back at me instead of going out into the water.
anyway that was pretty much the end of the trip there, well almost we went out for dinner after that at a really nice Japanese restaurant, we all went to sleep (i almost got kicked out the bed in the middle of the night! i shared with lily and she's used to sleeping in a queen size on her own, in the middle, so she managed to push my to the side before i woke up!) and we drove back 3 1/2 hours to flag. i got home and crashed for another 3 hours cause of the lack of sleep the night before. but it was such a good trip! hope to go again sometime soon!
Till next time
Katie
xo
so we went out on the boat, and the best thing about this boat... its fast!!! i loved it!! so much fun! we first stopped of at this little cove which was beautiful, as i said before crystal clear waters, gorgeous views, i could stay there for days. really i could. :)
we swam here for a little while and went on.
the next cove we stopped at was meant for overnight stay, so there was a bbq and tables and bathrooms. we stopped bbq'd up some burgers and hot dogs, so good! we went back out and i went tubing for the first time! tubing as in riding on a tube (or in this case a flotation device) while being pulled behind the boat. we went so fast, and i stayed on longer than what i thought i was gonna. i was so proud!
then we went UNDER the London Bridge, it was even better close up! and i still can't believe that the bridge is in Havasu AZ, of all places in the world for the famous bridge to go, it makes it in Havasu!
we also went fishing, didn't catch anything but boy it felt good to get a line wet! i haven't been fishing since i got here, and my dad used to take me fishing quite a bit back in aus (well not lately but still), i love it. though i was having a battle with the fishing rod, i'm used to using a spin reel, i have used one my whole life and nothing else. but this reel was basically one that meant anyone (except someone who knows how to use a normal reel) could use it. all you had to do was push a button, cast, and let go of the button when you flicked your wrist. now getting the timing right on that sucked big time. there were several times that i was lucky i didn't catch myself because i managed to fling the hook back at me instead of going out into the water.
anyway that was pretty much the end of the trip there, well almost we went out for dinner after that at a really nice Japanese restaurant, we all went to sleep (i almost got kicked out the bed in the middle of the night! i shared with lily and she's used to sleeping in a queen size on her own, in the middle, so she managed to push my to the side before i woke up!) and we drove back 3 1/2 hours to flag. i got home and crashed for another 3 hours cause of the lack of sleep the night before. but it was such a good trip! hope to go again sometime soon!
Till next time
Katie
xo
Sunday, June 6, 2010
My Favourite Things :)
so anyone can tell you that one of my favoutie movies of all time is The Sound of Music. literally that is the movie i've watched the most times in m life (it may be tied with the Wizard of Oz, i'm not sure)... anyway, i'm about to get it through NetFilx (an online movie store- awesome stuff) and one of my faourite songs from it is My Favourite Things. so here are some of my favourite things.
Family (me and my younger sister in the picture, but family is inclusive of all my family related and otherwise!)
Raindrops on Roses (not kidding)
Sunshine and beaches, you can never go wrong!
Dancing
Musicals
and thats just some of them!!
Til Next Time
Katie
xo
Family (me and my younger sister in the picture, but family is inclusive of all my family related and otherwise!)
Raindrops on Roses (not kidding)
Sunshine and beaches, you can never go wrong!
Dancing
Musicals
and thats just some of them!!
Til Next Time
Katie
xo
Summer Holidays
its only one week into the Summer Holidays and i am so glad i have a long holiday coming up soon. don't get me wrong i like being busy, in fact i love being busy (i have 2 modes super busy -doing 7 things at once- and super relaxed- doing absolutely nothing, if i'm in the middle i feel horrid and figitey and restless) and the weekends thats what it is, in the middle and i don't know what i'm doing. during the week i'm super busy working all day then when i get off, i get off i have other things to do and its all good. but on the weekends, i do my own stuff in the morning, everyone is doing their own stuff, but then once i've done things that have to be done, i'm not actually doing anything. just sort of hanging around... and i hate just hanging around. i do have things i can do such as go for a bike ride, go for a walk, go down to the pool. and i do do these things, but a lot of the time thats what everyone else is doing. so most of the time i feel like i'm imposing, (i know i'm not but thats just what it feels like) also i want some time simply on my own cause i don't usually get it during the week. and most of my friends can tell you, i can deal with lots of people up to a certain point. once that point is reached i go on people overload, and just get grumpy and cranky at everyone (i try to be as nice as possible, but my patience has usually reached its limit, so i use it only when necessary). never unde estimate the power of a quite house- or one where your free to do whatever you please. :)
Till next time
Katie
xo
Till next time
Katie
xo
Thursday, June 3, 2010
I remember too. :)
so my best friends just posted this on her blog. (sorry G i'm stealing it from you but i love it!)
'I remember meeting in preschool, when we were four years old, and even then you were the tallest girl in the class.
I remember always being best friends, even though we were never in the same class, and only went to the same school for three years.
I remember Saturday mornings always being a race to see who could call the other first for a sleepover that night. And the crushing disappointment when we couldn’t do it, and had to wait a whole extra week to see each other.
I remember every birthday card I ever got from you was written in the car on the way to the party. And every birthday card I ever gave you for that matter too.
I remember forgetting to give each other christmas presents, year after year, and the year I found out your birthday was on the 9th, not the 10th like I’d always thought.
I remember getting excited when I realised we were both allowed to pick our own highschool thinking we’d finally be able to go to school together. And then we picked entirely different, almost opposite schools.
I remember the day we met each other at the bus depot after school one day, and realised we would see each other every single day again, even if only for a half hour.
I remember your first boyfriend in highschool, and how it was a huge secret from your mum. And my first boyfriend, who I told absolutely everyone about, including your mum.
I remember my dad getting sick, and going to hospital, and forgetting to tell you about it. But you were still there when I got sick afterwards and needed your help.
I remember telling you that I was going to move away for university, and you told me you were moving to America for a year.
I remember my eighteenth birthday, when you came shopping with me for a dress to wear and you convinced me to buy a bright purple eighties inspired thing. And then got really, really drunk with me.
I remember the last time I saw you, we snuck away from my sister graduation party preparations to go to the markets and eat pancakes and fairyfloss. And take dumb pictures.
I remember that of all my highschool friends, you have stuck by me through everything.
I remember all of the advice you have given me over the years, in person, on the phone and by email, even if I sometimes forget to listen.
I remember that you are my closet friend, despite living the farthest away.
You need to remember that I miss you and love you, and support you no matter what you decide to do.'
i wanna add some things that she missed.
I remember sitting on your couch with popcorn and our famous (well infamous) noodles watching 'The Wizard of Oz'.and being able not not only recite every word, but pick out all the mistakes from beginning to end.
I remember sitting on your couch with popcorn and noodles watching the remastered version of the Wizard of Oz and marveling at how they had actually remastered it and removed a lot of the mistakes (but not all of them!)
I remember swimming in your pool pretending we were mermaids and under the water was our very own hideaway.
I remember roaming around your house/block/street/orchid and always finding something to do, no matter where our heads were at.
I remember putting too much pepper on my spaghetti and you never letting me live it down. :)
I remember the guinea pigs. thats all i have to say.
I remember driving to your house for the first time and your mum being so confused cause she didn't know who's car was out the front (didn't help that i sometimes had mine and sometimes had mums car)
I remember you telling me that for years you thought my eyes were green, me telling you that they were brown and us coming to the conclusion they were hazel.
I remember my 8th birthday, we went and saw George of the Jungle (in the cinema!) and went to Pizza Hut.
I remember you always being a grammar nazi about everything i ever wrote, and me constantly forgetting it.
I remember giving you advice, watching when you didn't take it, and biting my tongue instead of saying 'i told you so'.
I remember just listening.
I remember sharing the same bed for years.
I remember you getting a new bed cause 'we' broke it. (and this one was almost long enough for me)
I remember when you told me you really were moving, that it wasn't gonna be like other times, you were actually gonna go.
I remember getting the email that you had sold our house (you know it was never just your house).
I remember sneaking away to the markets and eating fairy floss, pancakes and taking corny photos.
I remember Gypsy barking and backing away, barking and backing away, then giving up all together.
I remember getting roses from you one valentines day, not only did i love them, but i really liked the look on the mean girls face when i walked right past her with half a dozen roses. btw she only had 3.
I remember making faces at each other through the big window of preschool when we got bored.
I remember that no matter what was going on with you, you always had time for me. even when we didn't go to the same school or when we wouldn't see each other for weeks. no matter what we were still best friends.
and you always remember that no matter how much of a horrid best friends i'm being, not replying or taking forever to do so, i'm thinking about you everyday and our promise all those years ago about how we would be each others maids of honour.
I love you GBrown and miss you so much!
'I remember meeting in preschool, when we were four years old, and even then you were the tallest girl in the class.
I remember always being best friends, even though we were never in the same class, and only went to the same school for three years.
I remember Saturday mornings always being a race to see who could call the other first for a sleepover that night. And the crushing disappointment when we couldn’t do it, and had to wait a whole extra week to see each other.
I remember every birthday card I ever got from you was written in the car on the way to the party. And every birthday card I ever gave you for that matter too.
I remember forgetting to give each other christmas presents, year after year, and the year I found out your birthday was on the 9th, not the 10th like I’d always thought.
I remember getting excited when I realised we were both allowed to pick our own highschool thinking we’d finally be able to go to school together. And then we picked entirely different, almost opposite schools.
I remember the day we met each other at the bus depot after school one day, and realised we would see each other every single day again, even if only for a half hour.
I remember your first boyfriend in highschool, and how it was a huge secret from your mum. And my first boyfriend, who I told absolutely everyone about, including your mum.
I remember my dad getting sick, and going to hospital, and forgetting to tell you about it. But you were still there when I got sick afterwards and needed your help.
I remember telling you that I was going to move away for university, and you told me you were moving to America for a year.
I remember my eighteenth birthday, when you came shopping with me for a dress to wear and you convinced me to buy a bright purple eighties inspired thing. And then got really, really drunk with me.
I remember the last time I saw you, we snuck away from my sister graduation party preparations to go to the markets and eat pancakes and fairyfloss. And take dumb pictures.
I remember that of all my highschool friends, you have stuck by me through everything.
I remember all of the advice you have given me over the years, in person, on the phone and by email, even if I sometimes forget to listen.
I remember that you are my closet friend, despite living the farthest away.
You need to remember that I miss you and love you, and support you no matter what you decide to do.'
i wanna add some things that she missed.
I remember sitting on your couch with popcorn and our famous (well infamous) noodles watching 'The Wizard of Oz'.and being able not not only recite every word, but pick out all the mistakes from beginning to end.
I remember sitting on your couch with popcorn and noodles watching the remastered version of the Wizard of Oz and marveling at how they had actually remastered it and removed a lot of the mistakes (but not all of them!)
I remember swimming in your pool pretending we were mermaids and under the water was our very own hideaway.
I remember roaming around your house/block/street/orchid and always finding something to do, no matter where our heads were at.
I remember putting too much pepper on my spaghetti and you never letting me live it down. :)
I remember the guinea pigs. thats all i have to say.
I remember driving to your house for the first time and your mum being so confused cause she didn't know who's car was out the front (didn't help that i sometimes had mine and sometimes had mums car)
I remember you telling me that for years you thought my eyes were green, me telling you that they were brown and us coming to the conclusion they were hazel.
I remember my 8th birthday, we went and saw George of the Jungle (in the cinema!) and went to Pizza Hut.
I remember you always being a grammar nazi about everything i ever wrote, and me constantly forgetting it.
I remember giving you advice, watching when you didn't take it, and biting my tongue instead of saying 'i told you so'.
I remember just listening.
I remember sharing the same bed for years.
I remember you getting a new bed cause 'we' broke it. (and this one was almost long enough for me)
I remember when you told me you really were moving, that it wasn't gonna be like other times, you were actually gonna go.
I remember getting the email that you had sold our house (you know it was never just your house).
I remember sneaking away to the markets and eating fairy floss, pancakes and taking corny photos.
I remember Gypsy barking and backing away, barking and backing away, then giving up all together.
I remember getting roses from you one valentines day, not only did i love them, but i really liked the look on the mean girls face when i walked right past her with half a dozen roses. btw she only had 3.
I remember making faces at each other through the big window of preschool when we got bored.
I remember that no matter what was going on with you, you always had time for me. even when we didn't go to the same school or when we wouldn't see each other for weeks. no matter what we were still best friends.
and you always remember that no matter how much of a horrid best friends i'm being, not replying or taking forever to do so, i'm thinking about you everyday and our promise all those years ago about how we would be each others maids of honour.
I love you GBrown and miss you so much!
an unintentional post.
so here i am talking about my life and the things that happen. and a friend of mine does exactly the same thing but on facebook. and i can tell you she absolutely makes my day. her view on things is hilarious. for example, i posted one day that i was doing 7 things at once, she then replied that if i was 'octo-katie' i could do all 7 and still have one hand free... the thought of me with another 6 arms still cracks me up now.
anyway, so on facebook she started saying how uninteresting her life would be if she was organised and did things when she was supposed to. and its true, her life would be much less entertaining for people who read her status updates (like me, another example: (...) was half expecting the fish she just dissected to burst into verses of Bob Marely... dissapointingly it was too busy being a dead fish to be a singing fish.) classic! anyway the conversation between me, her and anther girl ended with then being superheros, i'm a famous singer/ their manager, we all get free food to eat and when they are not frighting crime in whichever town i happen to be performing in, they are singing back up for me. and together we are called Keepers of Harmony!
what can i say, its never impossible to have fun (just got reprimanded for saying that- crime fighting is not fun!) with people halfway across the world!
Till next time
Katie
xo
anyway, so on facebook she started saying how uninteresting her life would be if she was organised and did things when she was supposed to. and its true, her life would be much less entertaining for people who read her status updates (like me, another example: (...) was half expecting the fish she just dissected to burst into verses of Bob Marely... dissapointingly it was too busy being a dead fish to be a singing fish.) classic! anyway the conversation between me, her and anther girl ended with then being superheros, i'm a famous singer/ their manager, we all get free food to eat and when they are not frighting crime in whichever town i happen to be performing in, they are singing back up for me. and together we are called Keepers of Harmony!
what can i say, its never impossible to have fun (just got reprimanded for saying that- crime fighting is not fun!) with people halfway across the world!
Till next time
Katie
xo
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
that darn cat!!!
so i had the absolute life scared out of me today. i was sitting on our couch and out of the corner of my eye, i notice the cat, lucy, climbing up a tree. as strange as this seems, it is actually fairly normal (don't ask me why but i have seen her do it several times). i didn't think much of it, just went back to watching tv.
next thing i know she is running down the stairs... inside the house...
i jumped about a mile, did about 3 double takes, and totally freaked cause i swore i saw her OUTSIDE climbing a tree, and i had not let her in at any of the doors (in fact i had not even gotten up to do anything, so there was no possible way that i could have let her in, and none of the doors were open). but there she was INSIDE the house, eating food from her feeder... so with my heart pounding (and unfortunately didn't bring anything heavy with me) i went upstairs to see how the hell she managed to get inside from the roof. (that is where she tends to climb onto), i went into all the rooms, no windows were open, no doors were open, nothing that lucy could even climb into/ onto even if she wanted to. finally i found where she got in, the window in the spare room was open and the fly screen was off (i didn't notice it in my first round of checking), she climbed up the tree outside that widow and then climbed through the window, ran down the stairs and scared the life out of me!
now you may be wondering why i had such a strong reaction to lucy's comings and goings, and the mystery of it. well i was watching Criminal Mind's, its a crime show (yes, i've picked back up my obsession with crime shows here too, but no City Homicide- boo!) and this particular episode the bad guy would come into the house, and murder you while you slept. and the bad guy got in via an open window! i was the only one in the house (and now i'm creeping myself out cause again i'm the only one in the house- well only adult, the kids are asleep upstairs- and its just past midnight!), and the house being made of wood and stone creaks and groans every now and then. i have managed to figure out what are footsteps upstairs/ around the house and what are creaks and groans, but sometimes they are a little tricky to figure out.
so needless to say i was freaked out when lucy came running down the stairs.
anyway, now that i have my life back (once i realised it was only lucy, it was all good)
Till next time
Katie
xo
next thing i know she is running down the stairs... inside the house...
i jumped about a mile, did about 3 double takes, and totally freaked cause i swore i saw her OUTSIDE climbing a tree, and i had not let her in at any of the doors (in fact i had not even gotten up to do anything, so there was no possible way that i could have let her in, and none of the doors were open). but there she was INSIDE the house, eating food from her feeder... so with my heart pounding (and unfortunately didn't bring anything heavy with me) i went upstairs to see how the hell she managed to get inside from the roof. (that is where she tends to climb onto), i went into all the rooms, no windows were open, no doors were open, nothing that lucy could even climb into/ onto even if she wanted to. finally i found where she got in, the window in the spare room was open and the fly screen was off (i didn't notice it in my first round of checking), she climbed up the tree outside that widow and then climbed through the window, ran down the stairs and scared the life out of me!
now you may be wondering why i had such a strong reaction to lucy's comings and goings, and the mystery of it. well i was watching Criminal Mind's, its a crime show (yes, i've picked back up my obsession with crime shows here too, but no City Homicide- boo!) and this particular episode the bad guy would come into the house, and murder you while you slept. and the bad guy got in via an open window! i was the only one in the house (and now i'm creeping myself out cause again i'm the only one in the house- well only adult, the kids are asleep upstairs- and its just past midnight!), and the house being made of wood and stone creaks and groans every now and then. i have managed to figure out what are footsteps upstairs/ around the house and what are creaks and groans, but sometimes they are a little tricky to figure out.
so needless to say i was freaked out when lucy came running down the stairs.
anyway, now that i have my life back (once i realised it was only lucy, it was all good)
Till next time
Katie
xo
Friday, May 28, 2010
Lost Chickens and Babysitting
so i was baby sitting some friends of ours today, and we went on an adventure, that no one expected. these two girls, 5yo and 7yo, they're great we have lots of fun when they're over.
well today they brought a chicken with them. yes a chicken, a live chicken. we put it in one of our empty planter boxes in the backyard and the girls were convinced that it was gonna stay in there the whole time it they were at the house. i (and apparently the chicken) knew better (part of it was the girls were convinced that chickens couldn't fly). so we finish playing with the chicken and we all go inside to do some activities, about 30-45 minutes later, 7yo say she's gonna go outside to check on the chicken. i respond, sure why not, thinking that she was gonna be out there for a little while she 'checked' on the chicken and then played with it for a bit. what seemed like 2 seconds after she walked out the door, she cam racing back inside and said 'the chicken's gone, she's not there'. my reaction... crap i've lost the chicken, the chicken! of all things to loose (the kids shoes, clothing, artwork...etc) i had to loose the chicken.
so we all go outside and start looking for this chicken, we are out there for about 3/4 of an hour looking and looking everywhere we could think of. i finally ended up having to call their dad to say, we're looking, but the chicken has gone missing. he showed up a little but later, and he went outside with the girls to try and find this chicken. about 1/2 an hour later (still with no avail) my host mum went out to see how they were doing and to help them (at this point it really wasn't looking good, both gates were open and there was a gap in the fence that went out into a field next to the house, it really looked like this chicken was doomed). no longer than 10 minutes later, i went out to help look again.
i just stepped out of the door into the garage and i heard a little clink, like something falling on something wooden... and i could hear something moving around. at this point i knew it was either gonna be the chicken or the mouse that was spotted this morning. i started looking around (honestly expecting to find a mouse) and the chickens head popped out from some shelves by the door. finally!!! we found the chicken, i called everyone over to come get the chicken out of the shelves and everyone was so glad that we found it. the girls got the chicken out and their dad then looked down on the self to see if the chicken had done any damage (knocked anything over, pooped anywhere), and all of a sudden he cracked up laughing. we all kinda looked at each other, knowing the situation was pretty funny anyway, but not quite as funny as their dad was making it out to be... he reached into the back of the shelf...
and pulled out an egg. yes an egg. the chicken had wondered off to lay an egg. we were all pretty much in stitches in the garage. it was one of the funniest things that has happened over here. i mean you couldn't make this stuff up! a chicken disappears to go lay an egg in the garage.
how life simply cracks you up sometimes!
well Till next time
Katie
xo
well today they brought a chicken with them. yes a chicken, a live chicken. we put it in one of our empty planter boxes in the backyard and the girls were convinced that it was gonna stay in there the whole time it they were at the house. i (and apparently the chicken) knew better (part of it was the girls were convinced that chickens couldn't fly). so we finish playing with the chicken and we all go inside to do some activities, about 30-45 minutes later, 7yo say she's gonna go outside to check on the chicken. i respond, sure why not, thinking that she was gonna be out there for a little while she 'checked' on the chicken and then played with it for a bit. what seemed like 2 seconds after she walked out the door, she cam racing back inside and said 'the chicken's gone, she's not there'. my reaction... crap i've lost the chicken, the chicken! of all things to loose (the kids shoes, clothing, artwork...etc) i had to loose the chicken.
so we all go outside and start looking for this chicken, we are out there for about 3/4 of an hour looking and looking everywhere we could think of. i finally ended up having to call their dad to say, we're looking, but the chicken has gone missing. he showed up a little but later, and he went outside with the girls to try and find this chicken. about 1/2 an hour later (still with no avail) my host mum went out to see how they were doing and to help them (at this point it really wasn't looking good, both gates were open and there was a gap in the fence that went out into a field next to the house, it really looked like this chicken was doomed). no longer than 10 minutes later, i went out to help look again.
i just stepped out of the door into the garage and i heard a little clink, like something falling on something wooden... and i could hear something moving around. at this point i knew it was either gonna be the chicken or the mouse that was spotted this morning. i started looking around (honestly expecting to find a mouse) and the chickens head popped out from some shelves by the door. finally!!! we found the chicken, i called everyone over to come get the chicken out of the shelves and everyone was so glad that we found it. the girls got the chicken out and their dad then looked down on the self to see if the chicken had done any damage (knocked anything over, pooped anywhere), and all of a sudden he cracked up laughing. we all kinda looked at each other, knowing the situation was pretty funny anyway, but not quite as funny as their dad was making it out to be... he reached into the back of the shelf...
and pulled out an egg. yes an egg. the chicken had wondered off to lay an egg. we were all pretty much in stitches in the garage. it was one of the funniest things that has happened over here. i mean you couldn't make this stuff up! a chicken disappears to go lay an egg in the garage.
how life simply cracks you up sometimes!
well Till next time
Katie
xo
Friday, May 21, 2010
Camping (May meeting)
so the other week we went camping as another one of our Au Pair meetings (you'll recall last month we went rock climbing- camping was much easier than rock climbing). it was down in Sedona and it was so nice, during the day it was really warm (LOVING this heat!!) but at night it was still cold enough to sit by the fire, wearing a jacket. i repeat, so nice! anyway i got there a little late- about 6:30ish, it was about just before twilight. thankfully i still had some light, cause my tent was so confusing!!! i had borrowed one off a friend, but it was a one man tent that had 4 poles that crissed and crossed in the most odd places, i had seen it someone put it up before, but now came the fun part of doing it myself. put it this way it took me about 4 tries of putting poles in the sleeves and taking them out again, before i managed to get it slightly right, sleepable right anyway (i say slightly cause i only figured out later that night that i had the tent poles switched around and that was why it still looked a little funny after i had finally put it up). but i was one of the lucky ones.
we had a group of au pair come up from Phoenix (about 2 1/2 hours away from flag, about 1 1/2 hours from Sedona) and when they arrived it was after dark and we had already started eating dinner- we felt so bad, cause we were sitting eating and they were still getting ready, we asked if they wanted help, but they said no, we still felt bad. soon enough though everyone was sitting and eating and talking. there were definitely lots of little conversations happening, and every now and then you would encounter a different language as people from the same country met up with others who were from there. though this also caused some... not controversy but some funny moments. one i remember in particular, was one girl was talking to someone else in her first language, came back to where we were sitting and said 'that was harder than i though it was gonna be i forgot how to speak [her first language]!' that cracked us up! and of course i got talked into bringing and playing my guitar for everyone, which they all loved! so i was really glad of that, it was fun. i really should remember, but i keep learning the hard way that if i play for myself, then other people will like it, but if i play for the people then i tend to miss the mark. oh well, i will learn eventually.
i was one of the first to crash that night (and even then it was like midnight when i went to bed) i got about an hour of good sleep, and then the girls who were in the tent next to mine went to bed and would not shut up! i mean, i love the girls (they were the other flag au pairs) but i was asleep, and they woke me up. now pretty much anyone can tell you that after an hour sleep, i'm not very pleasant, especially at 1am. luckily for them they didn't have to deal with me, but i wasn't very happy about being woken up.
the next morning they all paid for it though, i was one of the last ones up and i got up at about 7/ 7:30am. so most people got very little sleep. i just laughed. we went on a hike that morning too, that was really beautiful, the river was running and everything was really green and so pretty! we hiked up to some old Indian caves (this was another ha! moment for me, i accidentally left a flashlight in my back pocket and everyone was cracking jokes about how i didn't need it cause it was day, then we went into the caves and guess what. i was the only one who could see!i ended up having to show everyone the way), then we climbed up to the road. this was funny, cause as in my last meeting post i'm not a big fan of indoor rock climbing, but outside i was all over it. i only needed help once and that was someone holding my drink bottle so i could use both hands to climb up. its crazy! inside, more safe, i freak out. outside, less safe, i'm a little monkey! it provided much entertainment for my LCC.
though the funniest thing was we got up, went hiking, packed up and everyone was gone before 9:30am. i was like, huh? i'm normally only getting up now, maybe eating breakfast, not having done any of this!!
it was a good meeting, i really like camping, but haven't done it since i got here. it was nice, and really really pretty!! i want to go again. :)
Till next time
Katie
xo
we had a group of au pair come up from Phoenix (about 2 1/2 hours away from flag, about 1 1/2 hours from Sedona) and when they arrived it was after dark and we had already started eating dinner- we felt so bad, cause we were sitting eating and they were still getting ready, we asked if they wanted help, but they said no, we still felt bad. soon enough though everyone was sitting and eating and talking. there were definitely lots of little conversations happening, and every now and then you would encounter a different language as people from the same country met up with others who were from there. though this also caused some... not controversy but some funny moments. one i remember in particular, was one girl was talking to someone else in her first language, came back to where we were sitting and said 'that was harder than i though it was gonna be i forgot how to speak [her first language]!' that cracked us up! and of course i got talked into bringing and playing my guitar for everyone, which they all loved! so i was really glad of that, it was fun. i really should remember, but i keep learning the hard way that if i play for myself, then other people will like it, but if i play for the people then i tend to miss the mark. oh well, i will learn eventually.
i was one of the first to crash that night (and even then it was like midnight when i went to bed) i got about an hour of good sleep, and then the girls who were in the tent next to mine went to bed and would not shut up! i mean, i love the girls (they were the other flag au pairs) but i was asleep, and they woke me up. now pretty much anyone can tell you that after an hour sleep, i'm not very pleasant, especially at 1am. luckily for them they didn't have to deal with me, but i wasn't very happy about being woken up.
the next morning they all paid for it though, i was one of the last ones up and i got up at about 7/ 7:30am. so most people got very little sleep. i just laughed. we went on a hike that morning too, that was really beautiful, the river was running and everything was really green and so pretty! we hiked up to some old Indian caves (this was another ha! moment for me, i accidentally left a flashlight in my back pocket and everyone was cracking jokes about how i didn't need it cause it was day, then we went into the caves and guess what. i was the only one who could see!i ended up having to show everyone the way), then we climbed up to the road. this was funny, cause as in my last meeting post i'm not a big fan of indoor rock climbing, but outside i was all over it. i only needed help once and that was someone holding my drink bottle so i could use both hands to climb up. its crazy! inside, more safe, i freak out. outside, less safe, i'm a little monkey! it provided much entertainment for my LCC.
though the funniest thing was we got up, went hiking, packed up and everyone was gone before 9:30am. i was like, huh? i'm normally only getting up now, maybe eating breakfast, not having done any of this!!
it was a good meeting, i really like camping, but haven't done it since i got here. it was nice, and really really pretty!! i want to go again. :)
Till next time
Katie
xo
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Happy Mothers Day!!!
Happy Mothers Day!!
this time of year is always special for all families, but this year especially was extra special for me. why? my mum is half way around the world. i couldn't just go up and give her a big hug and kiss complete with flowers and/or chocolates and/or some special gift. i got to say happy mothers day over a computer line, not even seeing her face, simply hearing her voice. people really take their mums for granted, i didn't realise until this year. i know i did. always having them there to give that hug and kiss that fixes everything no matter what, to give you words of advice when you need them the most. to simply be there. i never though i would miss my mum calling out my full name when i was in trouble, or just cause she wanted to say it (and make me think i was in trouble). but not having her there this day, and any day, is hard. but good in a way i have to figure out things on my own and not fall back on her when ever i can. i love her so much and miss her even more, and i was so glad that i got to simply speak to her. just talk, not go out and do anything fancy, just talk. the simple things are most of the time the best. :)
I Love You Mum and
Happy Mothers Day!!!
two things, a song that i love and is highly appropriate for this day and something i wrote for you and dad. :)
The Best Day (Taylor Swift)
I'm five years old, it's getting cold, I've got my big coat on
I hear your laugh and look up smiling at you, I run and run
Past the pumpkin patch and the tractor rides, look now, the sky is gold
I hug your legs and fall asleep on the way home
I don't know why all the trees change in the fall
But I know you're not scared of anything at all
Don't know if Snow White's house is near or far away
But I know I had the best day with you today
I'm thirteen now and don't know how my friends could be so mean
I come home crying and you hold me tight and grab the keys
And we drive and drive until we found a town far enough away
And we talk and window shop 'til I've forgotten all their names
I don't know who I'm gonna talk to now at school
But I know I'm laughing on the car ride home with you
Don't know how long it's gonna take to feel okay
But I know I had the best day with you today
I have an excellent father, his strength is making me stronger
God smiles on my little brother, inside and out, he's better than I am
I grew up in a pretty house and I had space to run
And I had the best days with you
There is a video I found from back when I was three
You set up a paint set in the kitchen and you're talking to me
It's the age of princesses and pirate ships and the seven dwarfs
And Daddy's smart and you're the prettiest lady in the whole wide world
And now I know why the all the trees change in the fall
I know you were on my side even when I was wrong
And I love you for giving me your eyes
For staying back and watching me shine
And I didn't know if you knew, so I'm takin' this chance to say
That I had the best day with you today
Falling Star (Katie Steuart-Robins)
Starting out on this big ol' journey
Not really knowing where I'll go
But i know you'll always be there for me
If I go fast or I take it slow
But sometimes its hard to find
The white lines
On this worn down road of life
And I'll make mistakes
But I'll find my grace
Eventually just take some time
And if i get lost I'll remember
What you told me last September
Believe in me and trust my heart
Follow through and catch that falling star
Sitting here my mind rewinds
A flashback, not so long ago
You could take on the whole wide world
And I was your little girl
I'm still your little girl
Sometimes its hard to find
The white lines
On this worn down road of life
And I'll make mistakes
But I'll find my grace
Eventually just take some time
And if i get lost I'll remember
What you told me last September
Believe in me and trust my heart
Follow through and catch that falling star
And i know when i look back
At a place Ill always call home
You'll be there watching my tracks
Never out of sight or gone.
Sometimes its hard to find
The white lines
On this worn down road of life
And I'll make mistakes
But I'll find my grace
Eventually just take some time
And if i get lost I'll remember
What you told me last September
Believe in me and trust my heart
Follow through and catch that falling star
Believe in me and trust my heart
Follow through and catch that falling star.
I Love You!
Till next time
Katie
xo
this time of year is always special for all families, but this year especially was extra special for me. why? my mum is half way around the world. i couldn't just go up and give her a big hug and kiss complete with flowers and/or chocolates and/or some special gift. i got to say happy mothers day over a computer line, not even seeing her face, simply hearing her voice. people really take their mums for granted, i didn't realise until this year. i know i did. always having them there to give that hug and kiss that fixes everything no matter what, to give you words of advice when you need them the most. to simply be there. i never though i would miss my mum calling out my full name when i was in trouble, or just cause she wanted to say it (and make me think i was in trouble). but not having her there this day, and any day, is hard. but good in a way i have to figure out things on my own and not fall back on her when ever i can. i love her so much and miss her even more, and i was so glad that i got to simply speak to her. just talk, not go out and do anything fancy, just talk. the simple things are most of the time the best. :)
I Love You Mum and
Happy Mothers Day!!!
two things, a song that i love and is highly appropriate for this day and something i wrote for you and dad. :)
The Best Day (Taylor Swift)
I'm five years old, it's getting cold, I've got my big coat on
I hear your laugh and look up smiling at you, I run and run
Past the pumpkin patch and the tractor rides, look now, the sky is gold
I hug your legs and fall asleep on the way home
I don't know why all the trees change in the fall
But I know you're not scared of anything at all
Don't know if Snow White's house is near or far away
But I know I had the best day with you today
I'm thirteen now and don't know how my friends could be so mean
I come home crying and you hold me tight and grab the keys
And we drive and drive until we found a town far enough away
And we talk and window shop 'til I've forgotten all their names
I don't know who I'm gonna talk to now at school
But I know I'm laughing on the car ride home with you
Don't know how long it's gonna take to feel okay
But I know I had the best day with you today
I have an excellent father, his strength is making me stronger
God smiles on my little brother, inside and out, he's better than I am
I grew up in a pretty house and I had space to run
And I had the best days with you
There is a video I found from back when I was three
You set up a paint set in the kitchen and you're talking to me
It's the age of princesses and pirate ships and the seven dwarfs
And Daddy's smart and you're the prettiest lady in the whole wide world
And now I know why the all the trees change in the fall
I know you were on my side even when I was wrong
And I love you for giving me your eyes
For staying back and watching me shine
And I didn't know if you knew, so I'm takin' this chance to say
That I had the best day with you today
Falling Star (Katie Steuart-Robins)
Starting out on this big ol' journey
Not really knowing where I'll go
But i know you'll always be there for me
If I go fast or I take it slow
But sometimes its hard to find
The white lines
On this worn down road of life
And I'll make mistakes
But I'll find my grace
Eventually just take some time
And if i get lost I'll remember
What you told me last September
Believe in me and trust my heart
Follow through and catch that falling star
Sitting here my mind rewinds
A flashback, not so long ago
You could take on the whole wide world
And I was your little girl
I'm still your little girl
Sometimes its hard to find
The white lines
On this worn down road of life
And I'll make mistakes
But I'll find my grace
Eventually just take some time
And if i get lost I'll remember
What you told me last September
Believe in me and trust my heart
Follow through and catch that falling star
And i know when i look back
At a place Ill always call home
You'll be there watching my tracks
Never out of sight or gone.
Sometimes its hard to find
The white lines
On this worn down road of life
And I'll make mistakes
But I'll find my grace
Eventually just take some time
And if i get lost I'll remember
What you told me last September
Believe in me and trust my heart
Follow through and catch that falling star
Believe in me and trust my heart
Follow through and catch that falling star.
I Love You!
Till next time
Katie
xo
Church
so another question i have been getting a lot. and for good reason. i now go to church in America, but i didn't back in Australia. why? people are asking here is the answer. my parents have never been very religious, (they made my sister and i do religious instruction in school, but that was about the extent of it.), we didn't go to church ever, not even on holidays, we didn't do anything that showed we practiced a particular religion. my sister and i we're not even baptised. i believe part of it was my father was brought up very Christian and hated it, so he refused to do anything with us (mum, please correct me if i'm wrong). therefor my church experience was in school. now at first i had the same attitude as my parents as far i was concerned i had much better things to be doing than sitting in church at some god awful hour of the morning listening to someone drag on and on about things that i didn't full agree with. and unfortunately that was what most of the services i did go to with school were. people just talking and talking and i didn't like what they were saying. very traditional services. though there was the odd one that i did like, and no matter what service i was in (whether it was boring or not) i some how felt like i belonged, and for at least a little bit enjoyed it. so i guess you could say that i have always liked the church and was meant to be apart of it, but i never found the right one for me. that was until i came to flagstaff.
a friends of mine invited me out for dinner with some people so i could meet other around town. one of these people happen to be training as a minister at the church i now attend. he (peter is his name) said i should come and check it out and that they meet on Friday and Saturday nights. that was my first indication that this church was different from others that i had been too. all the others had met on Sunday morning. this one meets on Friday (fellowship- all come and eat and hang out and have fun) and Saturday (bible study and the actual service) evenings. this not only suited my schedule a lot better, but it meant i didn't have to get up on Sunday (on any day in fact) and try not to fall asleep during the sermon (i'm not really a great morning person). so i went one Friday evening and had an awesome time. so i kept coming back.
everyone there is really nice and it really is like a second family. the services are more modern and thats one thing this church prides themselves on, is they don't follow the traditions to the absolute law. we have what you would call a modern service, so we have lots of up beat music (not just traditional hymns), and the views that are expressed have more to do with the time that we are presently in. there is more meaning and relevance to todays society, rather than trying to keep views that were expressed years ago and don't fit any more. and the best thing about this church is i agree with (mostly) what is being said. that was always a really big turn off for me in other churches that i had been too. the paster would always preach about something that i completely didn't agree with to the point where i was ready to walk out of that particular church, but couldn't either out of respect or because i was with others and it would have been plain rude.
so there is my reasons for now going to church, i feel like i belong, like i have always belonged to the word of the lord, and now everyone can know. its fun and i have made some fantastic friends who are now part of my extended family.
Till next time
Katie
xo
a friends of mine invited me out for dinner with some people so i could meet other around town. one of these people happen to be training as a minister at the church i now attend. he (peter is his name) said i should come and check it out and that they meet on Friday and Saturday nights. that was my first indication that this church was different from others that i had been too. all the others had met on Sunday morning. this one meets on Friday (fellowship- all come and eat and hang out and have fun) and Saturday (bible study and the actual service) evenings. this not only suited my schedule a lot better, but it meant i didn't have to get up on Sunday (on any day in fact) and try not to fall asleep during the sermon (i'm not really a great morning person). so i went one Friday evening and had an awesome time. so i kept coming back.
everyone there is really nice and it really is like a second family. the services are more modern and thats one thing this church prides themselves on, is they don't follow the traditions to the absolute law. we have what you would call a modern service, so we have lots of up beat music (not just traditional hymns), and the views that are expressed have more to do with the time that we are presently in. there is more meaning and relevance to todays society, rather than trying to keep views that were expressed years ago and don't fit any more. and the best thing about this church is i agree with (mostly) what is being said. that was always a really big turn off for me in other churches that i had been too. the paster would always preach about something that i completely didn't agree with to the point where i was ready to walk out of that particular church, but couldn't either out of respect or because i was with others and it would have been plain rude.
so there is my reasons for now going to church, i feel like i belong, like i have always belonged to the word of the lord, and now everyone can know. its fun and i have made some fantastic friends who are now part of my extended family.
Till next time
Katie
xo
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Last Class of Spring 2010
so tonight was the last class of my Spring 2010 courses.
i had my final class for Choreography on Tuesday, and that was good. catching up with everyone after Saturday, making sure everyone survived the weekend without any major hiccups. and to say goodbye to everyone, that was sad, i've had an awesome time with awesome people, and learnt so much from everyone in the class (Gina you especially, you're a fantastic dancer, and a great teacher- even when you don't know it!) so it was bitter sweet, knowing that i no longer had to be at the studio at 9am for rehearsal was so good (i can sleep in!), but knowing that i wont be seeing most of the people- in class anyway- again. the biggest thing i think i learnt in my Choreography class, is something i know i have had trouble with in the past. is to keep going with your project. finish it, don't just leave it to one side and forget about it. there were points during all my pieces, that i was like. i hate it, i want to throw it at a wall/ out a window if i could. i just want to stop and lie on a floor and die. but i kept going and came out with some awesome stuff. so glad that i didn't give up. :)
this was the same for my acting class. i have the same feelings about that. well no, not the same cause its just gonna be sad, i didn't have to do much to actually get to class (no getting up early, if i needed to be somewhere early- the festival for instance- it wasn't much hassle and i had gotten up earlier for dance), and all our classes were fun and memorable. most of the time the highlight of my week, laughing and making friends is the best fun you'll ever have. so nothing bittersweet about this last class, just sad cause its over and people are going everywhere. still i have contact details so i can contact people and catch up here and there (there may even be a possible meeting back in Aus! maybe... it should be fun none the less).
i have learnt so much in my acting class, a lot more than what i thought i was gonna learn. i have taken acting classes for many years, so coming into an acting 1 class i was not expecting to learn much, but still thought it would be interesting to see how people on the other side of the world learnt. and yet i was surprised about what i did learn and learning in a different way. the way i learnt acting back in Aus, was very much through improvisation, thinking on your feet and 'willing to be ugly'. using that to get past your fears, learning what to do and what not to do on stage, learning how to 'fit' into a scene the best way possible without disrupting the working of things. i was literally thrown into the deep end and forced to swim (honestly though thats the best way i learn). here, we were taught very differently. there was a more broader focus (this may have been because it was a acting 1 class, not a more advanced acting class), but still doing the reading from our text books i learnt a lot that i didn't know (too much and too long to put in here, but maybe another time). so it was definitely interesting, and i'm glad that i went with the acting 1 class, instead of pushing to be in acting 2.
man i never thought i was gonna say this (hold on i already have about high school- now that was s surprise!), but i miss school. i've been out for almost 3 hours and simply knowing that i'm not going back next week, is kinda depressing. still life goes on. :) i'm gonna miss everyone!
Till next time
Katie
xo
i had my final class for Choreography on Tuesday, and that was good. catching up with everyone after Saturday, making sure everyone survived the weekend without any major hiccups. and to say goodbye to everyone, that was sad, i've had an awesome time with awesome people, and learnt so much from everyone in the class (Gina you especially, you're a fantastic dancer, and a great teacher- even when you don't know it!) so it was bitter sweet, knowing that i no longer had to be at the studio at 9am for rehearsal was so good (i can sleep in!), but knowing that i wont be seeing most of the people- in class anyway- again. the biggest thing i think i learnt in my Choreography class, is something i know i have had trouble with in the past. is to keep going with your project. finish it, don't just leave it to one side and forget about it. there were points during all my pieces, that i was like. i hate it, i want to throw it at a wall/ out a window if i could. i just want to stop and lie on a floor and die. but i kept going and came out with some awesome stuff. so glad that i didn't give up. :)
this was the same for my acting class. i have the same feelings about that. well no, not the same cause its just gonna be sad, i didn't have to do much to actually get to class (no getting up early, if i needed to be somewhere early- the festival for instance- it wasn't much hassle and i had gotten up earlier for dance), and all our classes were fun and memorable. most of the time the highlight of my week, laughing and making friends is the best fun you'll ever have. so nothing bittersweet about this last class, just sad cause its over and people are going everywhere. still i have contact details so i can contact people and catch up here and there (there may even be a possible meeting back in Aus! maybe... it should be fun none the less).
i have learnt so much in my acting class, a lot more than what i thought i was gonna learn. i have taken acting classes for many years, so coming into an acting 1 class i was not expecting to learn much, but still thought it would be interesting to see how people on the other side of the world learnt. and yet i was surprised about what i did learn and learning in a different way. the way i learnt acting back in Aus, was very much through improvisation, thinking on your feet and 'willing to be ugly'. using that to get past your fears, learning what to do and what not to do on stage, learning how to 'fit' into a scene the best way possible without disrupting the working of things. i was literally thrown into the deep end and forced to swim (honestly though thats the best way i learn). here, we were taught very differently. there was a more broader focus (this may have been because it was a acting 1 class, not a more advanced acting class), but still doing the reading from our text books i learnt a lot that i didn't know (too much and too long to put in here, but maybe another time). so it was definitely interesting, and i'm glad that i went with the acting 1 class, instead of pushing to be in acting 2.
man i never thought i was gonna say this (hold on i already have about high school- now that was s surprise!), but i miss school. i've been out for almost 3 hours and simply knowing that i'm not going back next week, is kinda depressing. still life goes on. :) i'm gonna miss everyone!
Till next time
Katie
xo
Annoying
so, i'm gonna get questions about this, but i'm telling you now, i'm not gonna answer them. this is me lamenting again, and just need to get it off my chest (G, you will get an extra email about this soon).
okay, don't you hate it when you like someone, and you're not 100% sure about their 'availability' status, but your about 80% sure they like you and that they're about to make a move, then you find out that they have a girlfriend!? it is the most annoying thing in the world, and to make matters worse, i'm not getting over this person anytime soon. call me crazy, but things have happened to make me believe that this could be more than just friends, but not with this other girl in the way. and to make matters worse (for me anyway), shes really nice. it sucks cause i can't hate her (guys you wont understand, its a girl thing, you hate the girl who has the guy you like, it just happens, can't help it at all) but i can't hate her, not even dislike her, cause she is so freaking nice!!! its not fair. oh well, as many people would say, there are other fish in the sea. (want to hate her in the post below too, but again thats not gonna happen)
okay, now that i've got that out,
Till next time
Katie
xo
okay, don't you hate it when you like someone, and you're not 100% sure about their 'availability' status, but your about 80% sure they like you and that they're about to make a move, then you find out that they have a girlfriend!? it is the most annoying thing in the world, and to make matters worse, i'm not getting over this person anytime soon. call me crazy, but things have happened to make me believe that this could be more than just friends, but not with this other girl in the way. and to make matters worse (for me anyway), shes really nice. it sucks cause i can't hate her (guys you wont understand, its a girl thing, you hate the girl who has the guy you like, it just happens, can't help it at all) but i can't hate her, not even dislike her, cause she is so freaking nice!!! its not fair. oh well, as many people would say, there are other fish in the sea. (want to hate her in the post below too, but again thats not gonna happen)
okay, now that i've got that out,
Till next time
Katie
xo
Monday, May 3, 2010
Oceans
so i went and saw DisneyNature's Oceans the other day, and wow, it was amazing! it was actually pretty funny, cause i went to see it by my self (basically got kicked out of the house again), and i ran into someone i knew at the cinemas who was seeing Oceans as well. it was great, i got to see it with someone. :) but it really was an amazing. the cinematography is incredible, and what you see is beyond words. the narration is a little disconcerting due to the lack of story behind all the footage (still its Pierce Brosnen, and just the sound of his voice is nice).
its an incredible (for some reason i keep missing the 'r' in incredible) movie and it really makes you think about what you are doing to the planet and how as much as we need the ocean, the ocean need us. the song at the end is also lots of fun "make a wave" by Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas, i found out about it on the Disney Channel (yes i watch it, but so do the kids i look after too, they watch it more than i do), and i totally got caught singing along to it when the movie ended. there really is something we can learn from it. good song, great movie. everyone should go and see it. funny thing though, i was eating tuna for lunch today, and halfway though the meal i realised what i was eating and couldn't finish it!! i just remembered seeing all the footage they got of commercial fishing and the tuna in particular. goodness, this will be interesting over the next couple of days... :)
Make a Wave (Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas)
They say the beat of a butterflies wings,
can set off a storm a world away
What if they're right and the smallest of things,
can power the strongest hurricane
What if it all begins inside
We hold the key that turns the tide
CHORUS
Just a pebble in the water
Can set the sea in motion
A simple act of kindness
Can stir the widest ocean
If we show a little love
heaven knows what we could change
oh yeah
so throw a pebble in the water
Oh Yeah
Mave a wave
Make a wave
Make a wave, make a wave
VERSE 2
The single choice to take a stand
And reach out your hand to someone in need
(help somebody)
Don't fool yourself and say you can't
You never know what can grow
from just one seed
so come with me and seize the day
this world may never be the same
CHORUS
Just a pebble in the water
Just a pebble in the water
Can set the sea in motion
Can set the sea in motion
A simple act of kindness
Can stir the widest ocean
Can stir the widest ocean
If we show a little love
If we show a little love
Heaven knows what we could change
Heaven knows what we could change
so throw a pebble in the water
throw a pebble in the water
Make a wave
Make a wave
Make a wave
BRIDGE
Yea yea yea yea yeahhh
Make a wave, make a wave
Make a wave Yeah
Show a little love make a wave, seize the day yeahh
make a wave, heaven knows what we could change
So let's show a little love, you never know what we can change
So throw a pebble in the water
Make a wave, make a wave
Till next time
Katie
xo
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Flagstaff Fringe Festival
so finally the weekend has arrived that i am to perform. there i am Friday night freaking out cause i have yet to finish my main costumes for the next day. i come home from attending (and performing)in the gala (it showcased everything that would be in the entire festival- held over a week in Flagstaff)and remember that i have to iron on the transfers to my shirt and finishing sewing the ribbon onto my skirt.
so i start with what i thought was gonna be the easiest- the iron on transfers. i get started, following the directions and screw it up. so at 11pm, the day before my big performance, i'm scrambling around trying to save letters (a's mainly cause i needed 3 of them and only had 4) and trying to get the iron to work. that was my second biggest problem, the iron. the iron died the day after i used it, it was already dying while i was using it and has been for several months now (the biggest thing was the cord had a break in it and would randomly spark every now and then), but because of this spark the iron didn't heat up properly the first time (well second, but first after i had worked out the proper directions), so after about 10/15 minutes of wondering why it wasn't working and going over and over to make sure i had done everything right i figured out that the cord wasn't connected properly. thankfully after that everything went fine, i got the iron on's on, and the backing tape off without a hitch. that done i went onto my skirt (which in hindsight i probably should have done first... anyway). it was such a cute little skirt, a navy blue circle skirt with two lines of white ribbon around the bottom, pair that with a navy blue and white striped top, and was a perfect sailor!
i finally got to sleep, and woke the next morning at 7am (for someone who usually doesn't get up before 9, this for 5 days in a row, just about killed me) to begin my day at CCA (Coconino Center for the Arts). so beginning at 8:45 i was there till 3:30, went home, dumped my stuff, went to church till 6:15, then back to CCA at 6:30 was there till 8pm. that was a long day! in that time i rehearsed and ran through for 4 1/2 hours, performed for an audience 5 times, and watched others perform for the rest of the time.
my performance, were "Candyman" (Christina Aguilera) a swing/latin routine (the sailor costume) lots of fun, we messed a couple of times, and i think i dropped my 'game face' once or twice, but it was fun and people liked it. "Cowboy Casanova" (Carrie Underwood) my solo piece, it went really well, people loved it, and when i messed up (only once i was so proud) i covered it and no one saw it! and "Through The Door" (Adaptation of Rumi) this was more of a modern piece, fun, but very laid back, and slow deliberate movements. we all ended up being covered in paint after it cause, the choreographer wanted us to be. (powdered paint is easier to get off than you'd think it would be.) :) and two performances "Homelessness". this was a piece my acting class did with the Encore dance company. we acted at the beginning and at the end of their dance,and it all came together to show the world how people are about Homelessness. it was a really good piece, and the 5yo who played the homeless little girl, was adorable and absolutely stole your heart away from the first moment you saw her! she was so cute!!!
all in all, i'm glad i made it through and for a while there i was so stressed about it, and freaking out, but its all good now. :)
so glad i can finally rest and not worry about things coming up (well for the next couple of weeks any way)
Till next time
Katie
xo
so i start with what i thought was gonna be the easiest- the iron on transfers. i get started, following the directions and screw it up. so at 11pm, the day before my big performance, i'm scrambling around trying to save letters (a's mainly cause i needed 3 of them and only had 4) and trying to get the iron to work. that was my second biggest problem, the iron. the iron died the day after i used it, it was already dying while i was using it and has been for several months now (the biggest thing was the cord had a break in it and would randomly spark every now and then), but because of this spark the iron didn't heat up properly the first time (well second, but first after i had worked out the proper directions), so after about 10/15 minutes of wondering why it wasn't working and going over and over to make sure i had done everything right i figured out that the cord wasn't connected properly. thankfully after that everything went fine, i got the iron on's on, and the backing tape off without a hitch. that done i went onto my skirt (which in hindsight i probably should have done first... anyway). it was such a cute little skirt, a navy blue circle skirt with two lines of white ribbon around the bottom, pair that with a navy blue and white striped top, and was a perfect sailor!
i finally got to sleep, and woke the next morning at 7am (for someone who usually doesn't get up before 9, this for 5 days in a row, just about killed me) to begin my day at CCA (Coconino Center for the Arts). so beginning at 8:45 i was there till 3:30, went home, dumped my stuff, went to church till 6:15, then back to CCA at 6:30 was there till 8pm. that was a long day! in that time i rehearsed and ran through for 4 1/2 hours, performed for an audience 5 times, and watched others perform for the rest of the time.
my performance, were "Candyman" (Christina Aguilera) a swing/latin routine (the sailor costume) lots of fun, we messed a couple of times, and i think i dropped my 'game face' once or twice, but it was fun and people liked it. "Cowboy Casanova" (Carrie Underwood) my solo piece, it went really well, people loved it, and when i messed up (only once i was so proud) i covered it and no one saw it! and "Through The Door" (Adaptation of Rumi) this was more of a modern piece, fun, but very laid back, and slow deliberate movements. we all ended up being covered in paint after it cause, the choreographer wanted us to be. (powdered paint is easier to get off than you'd think it would be.) :) and two performances "Homelessness". this was a piece my acting class did with the Encore dance company. we acted at the beginning and at the end of their dance,and it all came together to show the world how people are about Homelessness. it was a really good piece, and the 5yo who played the homeless little girl, was adorable and absolutely stole your heart away from the first moment you saw her! she was so cute!!!
all in all, i'm glad i made it through and for a while there i was so stressed about it, and freaking out, but its all good now. :)
so glad i can finally rest and not worry about things coming up (well for the next couple of weeks any way)
Till next time
Katie
xo
Sunday, April 25, 2010
up late lamenting
so i'm up at some ridiculous hour (though not to some, but definitely for me cause i has to get up at some ridiculous hour of the morning). and i get a text somewhat along the lines of this 'thanks for worrying about me, but you don't need to i'll be fine' 'your sweet, but i don't want to burden you with my problems, sorry for loosing it in front of your guys today' not the exact words, but you get the picture.
so now, my lamenting as promised in the title, my life is better when i can make people smile, that why i got into acting, i can make people smile. it really makes my day when i can see someone is happy cause of something i have done. my favourite line to hear form people 'you make me laugh'. why? smiling is contagious, if you smile at 1 person, its most likely that they will smile at someone else, and it just keeps going and gets passed all around the world. your mood instantly brightens when you see someone smile (as much as some people don't want to admit it, it does). i'm sure everyone has heard the smiling poem, if not here:
Smiling is infectious,
you catch it like the flu,
When someone smiled at me today,
I started smiling too.
I passed around the corner
and someone saw my grin
When he smiled I realized
I'd passed it on to him.
I thought about that smile
then I realized its worth,
A single smile, just like mine
could travel round the earth.
So, if you feel a smile begin,
don't leave it undetected
Let's start an epidemic quick,
and get the world infected!
i love this and try to live by it every day. and when someone tells me that they have problems and they can't smile, i'm gonna do everything to try and help them smile.
also tangent here, the best advice i got from anyone, ever! was never think that someone else problems are worse than your own, cause different people react differently to different things, so something huge to you may be something small to someone else, and vice versa.
but my point is, whatever you are going through, you can make it through, and starting with a smile, is always a good thing. baby steps, baby steps.
heres something to make your smile. a smiley face crater on Mars!
i like making people smile, it makes me smile. :)
till next time
Katie
xo
so now, my lamenting as promised in the title, my life is better when i can make people smile, that why i got into acting, i can make people smile. it really makes my day when i can see someone is happy cause of something i have done. my favourite line to hear form people 'you make me laugh'. why? smiling is contagious, if you smile at 1 person, its most likely that they will smile at someone else, and it just keeps going and gets passed all around the world. your mood instantly brightens when you see someone smile (as much as some people don't want to admit it, it does). i'm sure everyone has heard the smiling poem, if not here:
Smiling is infectious,
you catch it like the flu,
When someone smiled at me today,
I started smiling too.
I passed around the corner
and someone saw my grin
When he smiled I realized
I'd passed it on to him.
I thought about that smile
then I realized its worth,
A single smile, just like mine
could travel round the earth.
So, if you feel a smile begin,
don't leave it undetected
Let's start an epidemic quick,
and get the world infected!
i love this and try to live by it every day. and when someone tells me that they have problems and they can't smile, i'm gonna do everything to try and help them smile.
also tangent here, the best advice i got from anyone, ever! was never think that someone else problems are worse than your own, cause different people react differently to different things, so something huge to you may be something small to someone else, and vice versa.
but my point is, whatever you are going through, you can make it through, and starting with a smile, is always a good thing. baby steps, baby steps.
heres something to make your smile. a smiley face crater on Mars!
i like making people smile, it makes me smile. :)
till next time
Katie
xo
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Rock Climbing
so pretty much anyone of my friends back in Australia could tell you i tend not to do so well with heights. and anyone who has been rock climbing with me will be able to tell you that i'm the one whose usually down belaying people who do like to climb. and when ever i do mange to climb up somewhere high, i can't usually get back down. i distinctly remember climbing up a tree when i was about 5 and freaking out and not being able to come back down. someone had to come up and climb down with me showing me where to put my feet and everything. and yes that begs the question how did i manage to climb up if i can't find a way back down...? i can't even answer that one myself.
any way back to rock climbing, heres a bit of trivia, i have never gotten up to the top of a rock climbing wall before. i get about half way, 3/4 of the way, freak out and i'm done. then it takes a while before i can actually let go of the wall and come back down again. also it doesn't help that a couple of years ago, i was abseiling (much better than rock climbing if i had to choose) down the outside of the rock climbing center in Darwin and every time i slipped, i would hear this massive gasp, from all the people below me. not the best way to build confidence if anyone was wondering.
so the prospect of going rock climbing for one of my Au Pair meetings was a little daunting, but i was up for it. if worse came to worse i would belay anyone who wanted me too. we split into groups and was taught how to do things the way this particular center does them. then each of us got to climb and test things out. now, the first time i climbed, it was as i thought it was gonna be, i got about half way up, freaked out and came back down. i belayed for people after that, then i was asked if i wanted to climb again... i contemplated... and contemplated... then thought, as long as i try who can say that i didn't. yeah, doesn't quite make sense to me either. but, the point is i tried again. climbing an easy wall, but baby steps people, baby steps. i got half way up, started to freak out then realised i could put my foot in another position (part of the reason i freak out is because i'm sure that i'm gonna fall to my death! dramatic, but its what goes through my mind). i then got 3/4 of the way up, again started freaking out, stopped, took- several- deep breaths, found more stable positions, and kept going. finally i got to the top!!!! yay!!!!
then i had to come down, this had been the major problem for me in the past, letting go of the wall, putting my life in someone else's hands and walking down the wall. my heart started going at a million miles an hour, just taking one hand off the wall, two hands was gonna be interesting. i cheated a bit and sort of climbed down the first couple of steps. then i took a leap (metaphorically) and completely let go of the wall. oh my gosh!! i think my heart just about jumped out of my chest after that happened. but i got down nice and safe, and i cannot tell you how good the ground feels after. but i had done it! i had gone to the top of a wall for the first time!!! i was so excited and so proud of myself for being able to control my fear enough to achieve my goal!!
i might do it again, and i think next time will be slightly easier, maybe... but now that i know that i can actually do it. i'm very happy!!!!
(our whole group after rock climbing, Me, Anna (Russia), Chloe (France), Stephanie (Sweden), Brenda (my LCC), Fine (Germany- pronounced Fina), Alma (Bosnia), Iva (a friend of mine from USA- pronounced Eva)
till next time
Katie
xo
:)
any way back to rock climbing, heres a bit of trivia, i have never gotten up to the top of a rock climbing wall before. i get about half way, 3/4 of the way, freak out and i'm done. then it takes a while before i can actually let go of the wall and come back down again. also it doesn't help that a couple of years ago, i was abseiling (much better than rock climbing if i had to choose) down the outside of the rock climbing center in Darwin and every time i slipped, i would hear this massive gasp, from all the people below me. not the best way to build confidence if anyone was wondering.
so the prospect of going rock climbing for one of my Au Pair meetings was a little daunting, but i was up for it. if worse came to worse i would belay anyone who wanted me too. we split into groups and was taught how to do things the way this particular center does them. then each of us got to climb and test things out. now, the first time i climbed, it was as i thought it was gonna be, i got about half way up, freaked out and came back down. i belayed for people after that, then i was asked if i wanted to climb again... i contemplated... and contemplated... then thought, as long as i try who can say that i didn't. yeah, doesn't quite make sense to me either. but, the point is i tried again. climbing an easy wall, but baby steps people, baby steps. i got half way up, started to freak out then realised i could put my foot in another position (part of the reason i freak out is because i'm sure that i'm gonna fall to my death! dramatic, but its what goes through my mind). i then got 3/4 of the way up, again started freaking out, stopped, took- several- deep breaths, found more stable positions, and kept going. finally i got to the top!!!! yay!!!!
then i had to come down, this had been the major problem for me in the past, letting go of the wall, putting my life in someone else's hands and walking down the wall. my heart started going at a million miles an hour, just taking one hand off the wall, two hands was gonna be interesting. i cheated a bit and sort of climbed down the first couple of steps. then i took a leap (metaphorically) and completely let go of the wall. oh my gosh!! i think my heart just about jumped out of my chest after that happened. but i got down nice and safe, and i cannot tell you how good the ground feels after. but i had done it! i had gone to the top of a wall for the first time!!! i was so excited and so proud of myself for being able to control my fear enough to achieve my goal!!
i might do it again, and i think next time will be slightly easier, maybe... but now that i know that i can actually do it. i'm very happy!!!!
(our whole group after rock climbing, Me, Anna (Russia), Chloe (France), Stephanie (Sweden), Brenda (my LCC), Fine (Germany- pronounced Fina), Alma (Bosnia), Iva (a friend of mine from USA- pronounced Eva)
till next time
Katie
xo
:)
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Peter and the Wolf
so last night we performed Peter and the Wolf. it was so much fun!! we were all kinda a bit nervous, cause a lot of what we were actually doing was structured improv. meaning we were on stage, going 'okay, i know i have to be over there by this point in the music, but how i'm gonna get there is another question all together, and is to be decided as i go.' so granted we were all freaking out that we were going to mess up in the middle of it. that and we'd only had one rehearsal with the orchestra, and that was slightly different to what we had been practicing with, some parts were longer others were shorter, all in all, very much winging it throughout the whole thing. we got through it though, which was incredible, we all had so much fun, and one of our cast deserved a medal!! Paola, who was our blue bird, sprained her ankle (we think, it may be actually broken... we hope not!) during her first solo, not even 2 minutes into the 20 minute production. she was going to just drop out and not dance on it, but then she realised that it would ruin the whole thing, cause the bluebird id like the second biggest role in the piece, so she danced the entire piece on a hurt ankle. she was such a trooper and half the cast didn't realise she had hurt her ankle till when we were backstage helping her walk. Paola was incredible, and she pretty much did everything she would have normally done too, all her jumps and leaps that would have been killing her all through out the dance.
apart from that, everything went really smoothly, there were a lot, and i mean a lot of kids there and they got into the story so well! i was told after wards that when the duck (me) got eaten by the wolf, you could hear this collective gasp from all the children in the audience, and many of them looked really sad. we had them laughing so much too, it was hard to be on stage and not crack up at the kids cracking up- that and we were also watching what was happening on stage, which was incredibly funny!
and then something happened that made me just go 'awwwww!', it was after the show, we'd taken all the set back and most things had been packed up. there was still a couple of people around, we were at the food table getting something to eat. i was getting some lemonade, and i hear, somewhere from my right, 'duckie!' it was so cute!!! but all in all it was an awesome show, we had tons of fun and we are so proud of everyone!!!
till next time
Katie
xo
apart from that, everything went really smoothly, there were a lot, and i mean a lot of kids there and they got into the story so well! i was told after wards that when the duck (me) got eaten by the wolf, you could hear this collective gasp from all the children in the audience, and many of them looked really sad. we had them laughing so much too, it was hard to be on stage and not crack up at the kids cracking up- that and we were also watching what was happening on stage, which was incredibly funny!
and then something happened that made me just go 'awwwww!', it was after the show, we'd taken all the set back and most things had been packed up. there was still a couple of people around, we were at the food table getting something to eat. i was getting some lemonade, and i hear, somewhere from my right, 'duckie!' it was so cute!!! but all in all it was an awesome show, we had tons of fun and we are so proud of everyone!!!
till next time
Katie
xo
Thursday, April 15, 2010
okay, sorry about those last couple of posts. i was not having a good day. party cause things have been so stressful and will continue to be until the 1st of may is over. why? cause i have so many things i'm doing and preparing for. tomorrow (friday the 16th) i'm performing in a rendition of Peter and the Wolf, and now that show time is so close, i'm kinda freaking out. and i only have 2 weeks till my final performances for my classes, so again freaking out about that too. but bad day aside it has been pretty good of late. i found a sewing machine that i can use (YES!) and its fairly easy to work as its only a couple of models up from my one back in Aus. so i'm happy about that, i got my costume started, though i've got a bit to do before i finish, but thats not worrying me too much, it still amazes me how much you can actually do in such a short amount of time. :)
okay off to do more work. :)
till next time
Katie
xo
okay off to do more work. :)
till next time
Katie
xo
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
New Song
Found a new song i think you will like. Quicksand by Bethany Joy Galeotti
its featured in the opening episode of the seventh season of One Tree Hill and its awesome!
Quicksand
I'd like to say I make good use of my time while you've been away
And it's true
I've been at my piano everyday thinking of you
They talk around
I hear them whisper
It's the funniest thing really
They think you're gone forever
I know the truth
It's just getting hard to believe it
And they all tell me it's over
Even the stars are aligned
And I
I follow the sign so clearly and still I fall in
The quicksand's pulling me down
I follow the sign so clearly and still they catch me
The quicksand's pulling me down
I'm not the same
I can't sleep nights and now I'm calling your name when I do
And yet without you they say I get on better
Better
Better
When they all tell me it's over
I'll damn the Gods until the stars are aligned
And I
I follow the sign so clearly and still I fall in
The quicksand's pulling me down
I follow the sign so clearly and still they catch me
The quicksand's pulling me down
Look at my life and look at my face
Can't you see my heart bleeding down my sleeve
You're holding my hand and holding my heart
But I just wanna feel your breath inside me so I can breathe
Somewhere in the distance I catch a spark
A grace
A hope
Something that makes me feel like I'm alive
It's never too soon
It's never too late so I start screaming out
I see your face
I see your hand reaching down and I yell to you
And I say
I follow the sign so clearly and still I fall in
The quicksand's pulling me down
I follow the sign so clearly and still they caught me
The quicksand's pulling me down
I follow the sign so clearly and still I fall in
The quicksand's pulling me down
I know you can feel me rising
And I'm on fire but they keep on pulling me out
Out
Look at my life and look at my face
And look where I've come to get to this place with you
Sitting there at your feet and rest in your arms
And listen to your heartbeat
Ah Ah
Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh
Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh
Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh
:) this makes me smile.
Katie
xo
its featured in the opening episode of the seventh season of One Tree Hill and its awesome!
Quicksand
I'd like to say I make good use of my time while you've been away
And it's true
I've been at my piano everyday thinking of you
They talk around
I hear them whisper
It's the funniest thing really
They think you're gone forever
I know the truth
It's just getting hard to believe it
And they all tell me it's over
Even the stars are aligned
And I
I follow the sign so clearly and still I fall in
The quicksand's pulling me down
I follow the sign so clearly and still they catch me
The quicksand's pulling me down
I'm not the same
I can't sleep nights and now I'm calling your name when I do
And yet without you they say I get on better
Better
Better
When they all tell me it's over
I'll damn the Gods until the stars are aligned
And I
I follow the sign so clearly and still I fall in
The quicksand's pulling me down
I follow the sign so clearly and still they catch me
The quicksand's pulling me down
Look at my life and look at my face
Can't you see my heart bleeding down my sleeve
You're holding my hand and holding my heart
But I just wanna feel your breath inside me so I can breathe
Somewhere in the distance I catch a spark
A grace
A hope
Something that makes me feel like I'm alive
It's never too soon
It's never too late so I start screaming out
I see your face
I see your hand reaching down and I yell to you
And I say
I follow the sign so clearly and still I fall in
The quicksand's pulling me down
I follow the sign so clearly and still they caught me
The quicksand's pulling me down
I follow the sign so clearly and still I fall in
The quicksand's pulling me down
I know you can feel me rising
And I'm on fire but they keep on pulling me out
Out
Look at my life and look at my face
And look where I've come to get to this place with you
Sitting there at your feet and rest in your arms
And listen to your heartbeat
Ah Ah
Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh
Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh
Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh
:) this makes me smile.
Katie
xo
Monday, April 12, 2010
consider yourself lucky
To; people who work full time jobs,
consider yourself lucky if you get to come home from your job and just relax without having to worry about making an impression on you boss 24/7, worrying about what you have done wrong when your boss comes home annoyed or if you have done everything they wanted right. consider yourself lucky that 'off work' means to completely let go of everything that happened at work and unless you are working at home you don't need to think about. consider yourself lucky that when you come home from work you can sit on the couch and turn on the tv, or do what ever your routine is at your own pace. consider yourself lucky that you have a place to that that isn't your bedroom, that you feel horrible about the fact thats its a mess, and your supposed to be keeping the house clean. consider yourself lucky that you can come home from you job full stop.
thank you, and remember consider yourself lucky.
okay rant over, sorry not having a very good day today. :/
till next time
Katie
xo
consider yourself lucky if you get to come home from your job and just relax without having to worry about making an impression on you boss 24/7, worrying about what you have done wrong when your boss comes home annoyed or if you have done everything they wanted right. consider yourself lucky that 'off work' means to completely let go of everything that happened at work and unless you are working at home you don't need to think about. consider yourself lucky that when you come home from work you can sit on the couch and turn on the tv, or do what ever your routine is at your own pace. consider yourself lucky that you have a place to that that isn't your bedroom, that you feel horrible about the fact thats its a mess, and your supposed to be keeping the house clean. consider yourself lucky that you can come home from you job full stop.
thank you, and remember consider yourself lucky.
okay rant over, sorry not having a very good day today. :/
till next time
Katie
xo
Friday, April 9, 2010
Homesickness
okay, so i get this question a lot. what about homesickness? do you get it? have you got it now?
this can be an interesting one to answer depending on who i'm talking to. if i'm talking to most people (friends of my host family, people who i don't really know) i'll say,
'yeah i get, but it comes and goes and thankfully i have a wonderful family around me to help me through it. and with all the technology these days, both my sister and mum are on facebook and my dad just got hooked up to the internet at work so he can now talk to me as well. so its not that big of a deal.'
and yes i pretty much have that speech down to a T after 6 and half months. if i'm talking to any one that doesn't fit into this category (you, some of my friends back in Aus, close friends here, or my acting class- we're a very open group) i would say something along the lines of...
'it gets horrible at times. i put on a happy face cause i know that this is hows its gonna be if i move over here for good. but really there are times when i am ready to get on the next plane back to Australia when i hear about things that have happened or to simply for a hug from one of several people. i can rant and rave as much as i want about how much i miss home and how different things are over here, and how there are times when i don't want to be where i am, but what it really comes down to is love. its corny but for people who knew me back in Aus, i was a hugely affectionate person (just ask my mum about 'tall hugs' and you'll get the picture) and over here i don't get that much affection from people. part of it is me, i don't quite trust anyone (maybe one or two people) enough to let them through my exterior and get to my affectionate side, but really is it too much to ask for a hug? this is when the homesickness kicks in, i would get hugs from everybody, hugs from my family at least thrice daily and from everyone else who knows how many times. so basically i'm lonely, not in the sense of i don't know people cause i do, i could be out every weekend, and most of the week if i wanted to be (then again i've never really been a party girl), i just need more hugs.'
so now that i've got all of that out, i hope that answers some of the questions about homesickness. i can tell you now, a lot of answers people get to questions they ask me about personal and heartfelt stuff- unless they have my complete trust and faith, they will get a generic, memorised answer. 'yes, things are fine, there are ways around it, and i have many things to distract me' well, 'no things are not always fine, there are ways, but they don't substitute for the real ting, and i'm constantly thinking about things/people i have left behind in Aus'
til next time
Katie
xo
PS. Mum, Dad, Becca, Georgia, Katie, Daniel, Ballerina, Matt, Amber and everyone else back in Aus, i miss you so much! xoxoxoxoxoxoxo :)
this can be an interesting one to answer depending on who i'm talking to. if i'm talking to most people (friends of my host family, people who i don't really know) i'll say,
'yeah i get, but it comes and goes and thankfully i have a wonderful family around me to help me through it. and with all the technology these days, both my sister and mum are on facebook and my dad just got hooked up to the internet at work so he can now talk to me as well. so its not that big of a deal.'
and yes i pretty much have that speech down to a T after 6 and half months. if i'm talking to any one that doesn't fit into this category (you, some of my friends back in Aus, close friends here, or my acting class- we're a very open group) i would say something along the lines of...
'it gets horrible at times. i put on a happy face cause i know that this is hows its gonna be if i move over here for good. but really there are times when i am ready to get on the next plane back to Australia when i hear about things that have happened or to simply for a hug from one of several people. i can rant and rave as much as i want about how much i miss home and how different things are over here, and how there are times when i don't want to be where i am, but what it really comes down to is love. its corny but for people who knew me back in Aus, i was a hugely affectionate person (just ask my mum about 'tall hugs' and you'll get the picture) and over here i don't get that much affection from people. part of it is me, i don't quite trust anyone (maybe one or two people) enough to let them through my exterior and get to my affectionate side, but really is it too much to ask for a hug? this is when the homesickness kicks in, i would get hugs from everybody, hugs from my family at least thrice daily and from everyone else who knows how many times. so basically i'm lonely, not in the sense of i don't know people cause i do, i could be out every weekend, and most of the week if i wanted to be (then again i've never really been a party girl), i just need more hugs.'
so now that i've got all of that out, i hope that answers some of the questions about homesickness. i can tell you now, a lot of answers people get to questions they ask me about personal and heartfelt stuff- unless they have my complete trust and faith, they will get a generic, memorised answer. 'yes, things are fine, there are ways around it, and i have many things to distract me' well, 'no things are not always fine, there are ways, but they don't substitute for the real ting, and i'm constantly thinking about things/people i have left behind in Aus'
til next time
Katie
xo
PS. Mum, Dad, Becca, Georgia, Katie, Daniel, Ballerina, Matt, Amber and everyone else back in Aus, i miss you so much! xoxoxoxoxoxoxo :)
Thursday, April 8, 2010
A Day Without Shoes
so April 8th, officially the day to go without shoes.
if you have no clue what i'm talking about go to www.toms.com and there will be everything you need to know. if you can't be bothered, think of the phrase 'its hard without shoes' and use your imagination.
so i started the day with no shoes (i had socks cause its freezing here in flag- there are still remnants of snow here and there), went out side to warm up the car, with no shoes, and of course on my way back in i stood on a rock. it hurt so bad. it then really hit home to me about how much this means to people all over the world. i grew up in Australia and was pretty much never in my shoes, so when i first heard about this i thought it was gonna be easy. i used to do it all the time, what so different about now. what i hadn't realised is spending a winter in Flagstaff changed everything. cause my feet were in shoes the whole, time they had 'softened up'some would say, but also i got used to wearing shoes everywhere and always being comfortable with what i was standing on. so standing on the rock, opened my eyes to what it must be like for people living without shoes constantly. i then took the little girl i look after to school, i drove bare foot and then took her to her class bare foot. i got some odd looks, but if i can help with a good cause i will do what i can. i spent most of the day bare foot, i watched tv bare foot, i was exercising on the elliptical bare foot (that got interesting, cause i normally wear inserts in my shoes, but for a good cause), i picked up kids from school bare foot, there were some points where i did have to wear shoes, but i tried as hard as i possibly could to not wear shoes for as much of the day as i thought i could get away with.
how did i find out about this you my ask... well i'm a frequent visitor to my twitter page and i one person i follow is justjaredjr, gossip sites yes, but its how it came to my attention that this was taking place. also many celebrities have endorsed this movement as well; Kristen Bell, Brittany Snow and the Jonas Brothers just to name a few. and again i found it through them also (mainly Joe Jonas tweeting about toms shoes and then the campaign.) i highly recommend that everyone does it next year, or simply just in their own time. go some time fully without shoes, and them imagine what it would be like to live with no shoes at all. its really eye opening. also if you can buy some toms shoes, they are doing a fantastic thing where if you buy a pair then toms shoes will donate a pair to a child in need. i am getting a pair- i have seen some really great designs that people have done themselves and have been inspired. so do what you can to help. i know there are a lot of charities out there, but this is a really good one. :) till next time. katie xo
if you have no clue what i'm talking about go to www.toms.com and there will be everything you need to know. if you can't be bothered, think of the phrase 'its hard without shoes' and use your imagination.
so i started the day with no shoes (i had socks cause its freezing here in flag- there are still remnants of snow here and there), went out side to warm up the car, with no shoes, and of course on my way back in i stood on a rock. it hurt so bad. it then really hit home to me about how much this means to people all over the world. i grew up in Australia and was pretty much never in my shoes, so when i first heard about this i thought it was gonna be easy. i used to do it all the time, what so different about now. what i hadn't realised is spending a winter in Flagstaff changed everything. cause my feet were in shoes the whole, time they had 'softened up'some would say, but also i got used to wearing shoes everywhere and always being comfortable with what i was standing on. so standing on the rock, opened my eyes to what it must be like for people living without shoes constantly. i then took the little girl i look after to school, i drove bare foot and then took her to her class bare foot. i got some odd looks, but if i can help with a good cause i will do what i can. i spent most of the day bare foot, i watched tv bare foot, i was exercising on the elliptical bare foot (that got interesting, cause i normally wear inserts in my shoes, but for a good cause), i picked up kids from school bare foot, there were some points where i did have to wear shoes, but i tried as hard as i possibly could to not wear shoes for as much of the day as i thought i could get away with.
how did i find out about this you my ask... well i'm a frequent visitor to my twitter page and i one person i follow is justjaredjr, gossip sites yes, but its how it came to my attention that this was taking place. also many celebrities have endorsed this movement as well; Kristen Bell, Brittany Snow and the Jonas Brothers just to name a few. and again i found it through them also (mainly Joe Jonas tweeting about toms shoes and then the campaign.) i highly recommend that everyone does it next year, or simply just in their own time. go some time fully without shoes, and them imagine what it would be like to live with no shoes at all. its really eye opening. also if you can buy some toms shoes, they are doing a fantastic thing where if you buy a pair then toms shoes will donate a pair to a child in need. i am getting a pair- i have seen some really great designs that people have done themselves and have been inspired. so do what you can to help. i know there are a lot of charities out there, but this is a really good one. :) till next time. katie xo
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Easter and News
okay, so whats new.
we had easter, that was fun. i went down to Sedona again, then to Scottsdale for Easter Sunday lunch/dinner (linner?). and the craziest thing happened! the earthquake that hit Northern Mexico, we felt it! i thought i was going insane, i was sitting down and all of a sudden felt everything moving,like i was going to faint or was getting vertigo/ seasickness. i started freaking out cause i had to drive back to Flag from Camp Verde later that day. (also seasickness in the middle of the desert, thats a new one...)the whole thing lasted 30- 45 seconds but it felt so long! after it happened i thought okay, i'm just gonna sit here for a little bit so i don't get up and fall over. then someone came out of the house and said there had just been an earthquake. man was i relieved to here that! we all went inside where CNN was turned on, and sure enough they were reporting on breaking news of the earthquake. also as i walked past the pool, you could still see little waves rocking back and forth. it started out as a 6.9 and was later upgraded to a 7.2. it was absolutely crazy, i have felt an earthquake before but not one this big!! granted in Australia we are just about smack bang in the middle of a tectonic plate so we don't get very many earthquakes at all, we mainly just get the edges of ones from around us.
anyway back to easter, they do thing slightly differently over here, again. instead of hiding easter eggs (the straight chocolate ones, you know you find the missed ones melted 3 days later), they have plastic egg shells (think of the shells inside kinder surprises in an egg shape) that they put candy and fun stuff in and hide them. then they reuse them the next year! or leave them out for the easter bunny to stuff and hide the next year :) so not used to that! but it was all fun none the less. funny story, when we went out to hide the eggs, we got a shock. it was 6am, we were in the living room putting shoes on to actually go outside, and all of a sudden the kids walked out of their rooms! not good. thankfully we made up a convincing story about both of us going for a walk (their mum usually goes for a walk in the morning so they bought that one fairly easy), though the entire time we were talking to them, i was tying my shoe as slowly as possibly, praying that the kids didn't realise that i was still in my pjs, and obviously not actually going for a walk. it was very funny! then one of the kids cracked us all up non stop the entire hunt, she was squealing in excitement every time she found an egg. it was hilarious! all in all a really good weekend. and now i'm official welcome girl of our group. making sure people are welcomed and make to feel at home. this will be fun!
till next time.
katie xo
we had easter, that was fun. i went down to Sedona again, then to Scottsdale for Easter Sunday lunch/dinner (linner?). and the craziest thing happened! the earthquake that hit Northern Mexico, we felt it! i thought i was going insane, i was sitting down and all of a sudden felt everything moving,like i was going to faint or was getting vertigo/ seasickness. i started freaking out cause i had to drive back to Flag from Camp Verde later that day. (also seasickness in the middle of the desert, thats a new one...)the whole thing lasted 30- 45 seconds but it felt so long! after it happened i thought okay, i'm just gonna sit here for a little bit so i don't get up and fall over. then someone came out of the house and said there had just been an earthquake. man was i relieved to here that! we all went inside where CNN was turned on, and sure enough they were reporting on breaking news of the earthquake. also as i walked past the pool, you could still see little waves rocking back and forth. it started out as a 6.9 and was later upgraded to a 7.2. it was absolutely crazy, i have felt an earthquake before but not one this big!! granted in Australia we are just about smack bang in the middle of a tectonic plate so we don't get very many earthquakes at all, we mainly just get the edges of ones from around us.
anyway back to easter, they do thing slightly differently over here, again. instead of hiding easter eggs (the straight chocolate ones, you know you find the missed ones melted 3 days later), they have plastic egg shells (think of the shells inside kinder surprises in an egg shape) that they put candy and fun stuff in and hide them. then they reuse them the next year! or leave them out for the easter bunny to stuff and hide the next year :) so not used to that! but it was all fun none the less. funny story, when we went out to hide the eggs, we got a shock. it was 6am, we were in the living room putting shoes on to actually go outside, and all of a sudden the kids walked out of their rooms! not good. thankfully we made up a convincing story about both of us going for a walk (their mum usually goes for a walk in the morning so they bought that one fairly easy), though the entire time we were talking to them, i was tying my shoe as slowly as possibly, praying that the kids didn't realise that i was still in my pjs, and obviously not actually going for a walk. it was very funny! then one of the kids cracked us all up non stop the entire hunt, she was squealing in excitement every time she found an egg. it was hilarious! all in all a really good weekend. and now i'm official welcome girl of our group. making sure people are welcomed and make to feel at home. this will be fun!
till next time.
katie xo
Friday, April 2, 2010
First Friday Art Walk
okay, so as i said i would update this often (and a really big one is coming soon as i finish up my big 'updates' that have come from facebook.) anyway, First Friday Art Walk. this takes place- if you haven't noticed- on the first Friday of every month. artists from all over flag get to show off their pieces and in some cases even sell them. i knew about it as i had to be there to pass out flyers for our performance of Peter and the Wolf (more on that later), but i forgot (well knew but totally didn't make the connection) that a friend of mine was one of the people putting on a show of her work. i was rehearsing P+W at the Human Nature Dance Studio, and Fredrica was there getting ready for that night. and clunck! the penny dropped. i know, i know. but still it was good cause we were talking about how some dancers i know would be performing that night as well. Fred then asked if i wanted to be apart of the night and dance as well but i preferred to play my guitar and sing. so i did, and it was fun! though hectic. i got to heritage square to pick up the flyers i needed to hand out, then went to Human Nature Studio while passing out flyers along the way, then had to leave the studio after watching one dance piece to go to church (we have fellowship on Friday nights), then go back to the studio, sing and watch another dance piece that went for about 20 minutes. that was interesting but about 15 minutes in i was a bit like, okay when is this gonna end? the piece was good though, it kinda reminded me of a wind in the willows, theme... two people who are madly in love, but they push each other and constantly leave a path of destruction where ever they go. but because they love each other it doesn't really matter and you still care for the characters even though they are horrid. it was odd in a weird way... don't ask about that sentence... all in all it was a good night, i wish i could have performed more (i only ended up singing one song) but it was still really good. and tomorrow i've gotta be up nice and early to go down to Sedona for easter. fun, getting up early... not.
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