Gone

Kjersti's wedding and come and gone (along with Kjersti)

The family has left.

And I have no friends.

Please feel free to come and visit at your earliest convenience.

In recent news...

School is done: Phew

Vacation to San Diego: phenomenal

No job, No School: Boring (lots of hiking)

Vacation to Utah: wonderful

New job (Satellite Bistro and Bar): so far so good

Kjersti's wedding weekend: TBD

Uhh

People keep asking why I haven't written anything lately. I have no idea. I won't even pretend like its because I was studying. I guess I could say, "well, I have had a lot on my mind and many decisions to make" but that would imply that I have, in fact, made some important decisions in the past month...which would be false.

When I look at this past semester all I can say is...really? Really, Kasey? You had a perfectly good semester of school and all you did was neglect it? Yes, yes I did.

The good news is I think I learned a lot about myself recently:

A. The best time to "study" is when I am straightening my hair because if forces me to spend a whole hour sitting in one place

B. I have no concept of what it means to be an adult

C. I need to brace myself for the unrealistic future I have tried to dodge the past 2 years

D. When I find something I really enjoy, I abuse it until I don't enjoy it as much (pearl drinks: 3 in one day? sick)

E. I'm a sucker. And I kind of love it

Hope Floats

Smithville, Texas*

(AKA: what every Hollywood movie makes Texas out to be)

Preface: Kjersti and I went to the Smithville Jamboree the other night with a few friends who, in fact, grew up in Smithville.

Some of you may be thinking, Smithville?! Of course, the town where they filmed Hope Floats! However, the realistic chance that that thought even skimmed the surface of your mind is doubtful. The only people in the world who know that Hope Floats was filmed in Smithville, are the folks from Smithville holding onto that achievement for dear life.

"Well howdy there, I'm Joy, and you're?"

"Oh hi, I'm Kasey"

"You ain't from Smithville are ya? I woulda recognized ya. You mighta heard of Smithville because Hope Floats was filmed here, didya know?"

"Yes, so I've heard."

Basically that about wraps up the extent of the dialogue for the night. Feel free to replace Joy for Bud, Cletus, or Angel and there you go.

Anyways, when we showed up to our buddy's house he explained to us how big this Jamboree was and how we could meet at the shuttle stop and it would pick us up. And by meet, he meant walk 50 yards around the corner to his old high school (Go Tigers!) and ride the short bus the next 50 yards to the event of the season. Smithville High School: complete with two sets of bleachers, four lane track, and a "No Solisitors" sign to boot (that's not a spelling error-Texans are just that, Texans-making it completely acceptable to change the alphabet if Coach Buck sees fit).

After the initial shuttle driver shafted us because his shuttle was "too full" (Texas Lingo: "too full" translates to: "Yankees...how dare you pile onto this shuttle without an oversized, rhinestone-embossed belt buckle and a matching one for your baby?!") we caught the next one with the friendlier bus driver who very pleasantly welcomed us on his shuttle. How fortuitous that we were able to catch the driver who suffered from slight mental confusion and visual impairment (Which has only been linked 98% with the over consumption of moonshine).

Following the crowd of eager Smithville Natives, I stopped a moment to take a deep breath of that hot, smoky, Texas air. After a few seconds however, I made the moral decision that breathing, although necessary, would have to be kept to a minimum because I knew in my heart I was justifying the second-hand high from the group of teenagers behind me. Although, after I realized it was the teenagers with a few of their teachers and the local sheriff I felt better about it, but that is neither here nor there.

We danced, ate, (incidentally, you can fry anything imaginable...snickers, oreos, baby formula: sky's the limit!) sang, and danced some more. I learned about "Arm-a-dill-a-hunin" (Armadillo hunting), passam trats (Opossum traps), not to mention a certain kind of wood that ferments alcohol...(Mom, Dad, how could you let me go through life so sheltered?).

Did I mention Aaron Watson performed? Probably not considering 95% of the individuals reading this only know of one Aaron and he's probably never even thought the words, "breaker breaker" (Love you cuz). Either way, he was great, Smithville was great, and all I can say is that I've already began to prepare for next year.

-Platinum Blonde Hair dye: check (if I use it now by about this time next year my roots will be Smithville-ready)

-Flannel button-up from a box labeled "FREE": still en route

-An obscenely high tolerance to any of the following: Lonestar, Natural Light, OR Keystone: Will keep you posted

Oh it's gonna be good

*tumbleweeds, pregnant women smoking, and everything else you could ever dream of

Optimism?

People keep telling me that I can will myself to do better in school. If I am optimistic about the future and my success, I will see positive results. My initial reaction is, "well that's a load..." But since nothing else seems to be working I have considered the whole, changing-my-attitude route. But then I thought, doesn't this throw the universe off? Isn't there supposed to be a balance of optimism and pessimism in the world? A happy homeostasis? What if everyone were nothing but optimistic all the time? "Crap, I just stepped on a 2 inch plywood nail!" "Oh don't worry about it, lock-jaw isn't so bad." Does that make anyone feel better? I mean I guess if it does that's okay too, but then I would call you a liar. And then you might call me a pessimist, and there it is, balance is restored.

As a matter of fact, I think that if more people would subscribe to the idea of pessimism, they would in fact find themselves, less disappointed. Like, "Hey, turns out you needed one more B to pass this class, sorry." "Figured as much, see you in the summer." See? Doesn't that sound so much better than, "Oh my goodness, but I worked so hard, and put in so much time and effort, please I did the best that I could!" ...I rest my case.

You call it pessimism. I call it realism.

Catch up

So its been a while. Why? What have I been doing that has been SO important? Nothing. Nothing at all. After my return to Austin Post-op, I was pretty much helpless. I got back on the Tuesday of my spring break. Fortunately, living in Texas redefines bed rest. For me, this was laying by the pool for 8 hours a day (give or take). Dangerous? Nah, I hear that's a myth anyways. And if not, all I'm sayin is, "Helllo Melanoma!" At least I'll die with a beautiful tan right?

Anyways, so that was my spring break. I am not allowed to run for one more week so I've taken up speed-walking. I've never felt so geriatric in all my life. I walk the lake in the mornings and pass the usual runners I see and wave to. The other day the amazingly fit 65 year-old winked at me and said, "So we're walking these days?!" I think something subconsciously snapped, because now every time I see an elderly woman I want to trip her... but then I remembered-the doctor told me to take it easy. (I'll get her next time-you know who you are, Gertrude). And although there are downsides to the whole speed walking thing (getting everywhere ridiculously slow, looking ridiculous, feeling like you just wasted an hour and a half of your life) they tell me that its actually a great work out. And by they I am of course referring to the "Grandma's for Fitness" club who also walks the lake every morning.

So I guess bottom line is this is why I haven't blogged. Lame.

Flight Back Home

Upon arrival at the Austin-Bergstrom Airport (5:33pm) I made my way through the treacherous lines if a busy Thursday night check-in. (For those of you who have had the privilege of a flight into or out of this particular airport are undoubtedly thinking: "Busy? Lines? You do mean the same airport, right? Salt Lick Taco stand? 5 baggage claims? That same old guy who stares at your license for 20 minutes before initialing?" Treacherous may be an exaggeration but it was not done with ease so the term seemed appropriate)

I get up to the check-in desk:

A. Punched in my ever-so convenient confirmation code (5CCSQ)

B. Weighed my unnecessarily large suitcase (which in anticipation of shopping with mom deemed essential for that extra 20 lbs I may or may not acquire.

C. Walked through security and in doing so, the idea dawned on me how strange the elements of that line really are...Men taking off their belts, the faux pas of mismatched socks, old men insisting their pace-maker sets off the alarm every time, not to mention being scolded for not removing your small, lightweight jacket that only covered half of your upper body anyways.

Finally by 5:43 pm the hustle and bustle was over. Phew.

Then, here it comes-you wait all day to finally be on your way to the airport (airport=destination. Even if it is a work-related trip you still have the ability to justify overdosing on honey glazed peanuts <11> and, not getting any business done due to "dosing off...because who can focus at those altitudes?") You're through all the lines and then what? Well, (and this is purely hypothetical) now you get to sit down between the man chomping down Cinnabon Cini-Minis (AKA Heart Attack: Clotting Since 1984), and the 15 year-old boy who hasn't figured out: just because your headphones are intended for your ears only...at maximum volume all those around you are now subjected to the musical stylings of your big brother's best friend's band (tell him to go back to college).

Does it get any better? You think no, but it turns out...Yes!! It wouldn't be right to exclude the man you sit across from, who possibly has the idea that since you aren't making direct eye contact you don't notice his eyes staring into your mind and soul. Fortunately, when your soul is as dark and unpleasant to be in as mine (cobwebs and pointy things everywhere) he promptly moves onto the next individual with two X chromosomes whom he can impose his awkwardness on...hypothetically.

What else is there to say? Flying...there's no other experience like it!

DING! You are now free to sit on the outside row of Team: Free-Beer-Coupons