Sunday, February 26, 2006

carried away...

One of the reasons I love music so much is that it can carry you away....

I'm lying in my bed right now in total darkness listening to some music and I found myself closing my eyes being carried away to another place at another time by the tunes. Certain songs put me in certain places in my mind. I create these amazing scenerios of so many perfect things. The music takes me to the top of a mountain with someone, or driving in the car with the windows down, or some place where someone is singing it to me or with me, or it brings back memories so vivid you feel like you are back there again.

They create an escape of the present, retreating thoughts into the past and diving into the future.

What's not to love?

Friday, February 24, 2006

the night.

Tonight I ran in the 1st annual "Torch Run" for the special olympics. We ran the torch through Charleston, well, part of it, and into the opening ceremonies, where all of the participants were in the Citadel gym and we lit the big torch to start off the games. It was about a 2 and a half mile run, and it was SO great. It is definitely so much easier to run with a bunch of people in a fun event. I felt like we only ran like a half a mile, wasn't winded or anyhing...and that felt good.

Plus, I LOVE running at night. It was dark, and we all wore glow sticks for safety (which was actually really cool), and they had police escorts blocking off the roads and we were followed by the fire department and stuff (which REALLY made me feel important - seriously. haha), but man, it was nice. It was so clear and crisp out there.

It made me feel alive. And it made me feel alive seeing those athletes in the gym....they were so excited, it was awesome. I'm volunteering tomorrow morning when the actual games start, so I'm pretty excited to see them in action and get to interact with them a little more.

OHHH yea - you know what else was incredible?? The Citadel bagpipe band came in the gym and played during the lighting and it was AWESOME. Like, one of the best things I've ever heard. They had 4 0r 5 people playing the snare drums, and probably 8-10 guys on the bag pipes.....and wow - I could have listened to them all night. I was probably 6 feet away from them, so it was so loud and powerful.....I got chill bumps.

I decided that I want to run with my husband at night a good bit one day. Granted, I don't really like running all that much, so it will be more of a "jog" - but it's just such a great release. It's a good time to chat, and just be together under the stars. Catch up on the day, relax a little bit (yea, I said "relax" and "run" in the same sentence - and by this I mean we will be going VERY slow, just kinda trottin' along enjoying ourselves). I dunno, I just love running outside at night - especially if it's a lil' chilly - it feels so great. So, I think it'd be fabulous to do with my husband one day, if that day ever comes. Random, I know. But hey, just a thought - and well - I have some pretty random thoughts that I like to share.

OH MAN, I walked in the back doors at the Citadel Gym and was seriously almost IN HEAVEN. It smelled like a basketball gym. I was grinning from ear to ear, and as soon as I walked in I turned to Rachel and Kat and just said "wow" as I took a big whif. I think I could have stayed in there forever. It just smelled like home. Every day of my life for a good 6 or 7 years I was in an old gym like that - and man it was nice to be back. It made me want to pick up a ball and just go play. It's funny how they all seem to have the same smell. The old, wooden floor, musty, "gym" smell. It was incredible. I really can't even describe it, to be honest...which sounds cheesy, I know...but really - that smell made my night a thousand times better than it already was.

Well folks, it's gonna be an early morning, so I'm going to drift off to dream.....

I hope your night has been as great as mine was (and I REALLY hope you can go smell an old gym soon....it sure did my heart good).

Gills are good but I don't want them.

I've determined this week that if I could choose any animal to be that it WOULD NOT be a fish. Personally, I think it'd stink to be a fish. Seriously, think about it. In case you're still not sure what would be so bad about it, here's my reasoning:

a. if you live in your natural home (ocean, lake, river, etc.) something is ALWAYS trying to eat you. Bears, sharks, people, etc. It's like you're swimmin' for your life everyday, always watchin' your tail (haha, "tail" -- literally).

2. Speaking of people, there is ALWAYS someone trying to trick you. It's like "hey lil' fishy, here's some nice food for ya, you're hungry, right?" then BOOM - there's a hook through your mouth and you're suddenly reeled against your will out of the water where you are suffocating, to what? be eaten. OR, you are tricked and caught in a big ole net only to be suffocated with all of your friends. Then....eaten. You were just mindin' your business & wanted a lil' chow, ya know?

d. If you get caught to not be eaten, what do you end up with? A bunch of annoying people puttin' their faces really close to the glass of your bowl or tank or whatever you live in, TAPPING on the glass.....ALL the time. How annoying. "tap, tap, taparoo..." (a lil' Happy Gilmore shout-out)

So, folks - there's my reasons. If God ever comes down and asks me if I want to be a fish, I think I'm gonna have to say "thanks, but no thanks." I mean, don't get me wrong - they're a great creation, but as for me --- I'll be fine without fins.

(ps, my a. 2. d. was a tribute to "Home Alone" -- remember, when Buzz is sitting on the couch in France telling his sister why he's not worried about Kevin being home by himself. Classic.)

Sunday, February 19, 2006

LOST in Tiger Town

OK, that was really weird. I was typing the "title" of this post, and I'm listening to some music while typing and well, as I was typing the word "lost" it was simultaneously sung in the song.

Matt Wertz: "and I'm lost, I'm lost, I'm lost inside of you..."
Just one of those fun, crazy moments that probably only I think is cool....

While, this is an amazing song - I wasn't referring to it in my title. I was referring to the tv show "LOST." Why, Katie? you may be thinking. Well, because I watched somewhere near 15 hours of it this weekend. That's right...15 hours.

AJ and I decided it'd be a great idea to get the first season (neither of us had ever seen it before) and 2 half-gallons of Blue Bell ice cream on Friday night to entertain ourselves, and just chill out and relax. And well, as you can see, it turned in to a little more than a Friday night affair. Allllll day Saturday we had a "lost" marathon in good ole 313, the Ridge. It was a cold/rainy day, so it was perfect. It was so great --- just to be able to chill out all day with absolutely amazing people. People came, and they went, but AJ and I were steadfast in our endeavors. And no, we still didn't finish all of season 1, despite our best efforts.

Aaaaaand I got to spend lots (and when I say lots, I mean like more than 12) of consecutive hours with my fabulous boyfriend, which ALWAYS puts a smile on my face.

Clemson is so refreshing. Always is. Like a breath of fresh air....(even if you stay inside all day.)

Gotta love it...

Sunday, February 12, 2006

Powerful Words

I was reminded again this morning of the timlessness of Scripture. I read a John Piper sermon that he gave when I was exactly 1 week old...22 years ago, and it was exactly what I needed to hear today, at this time in my life. It was slightly ironic that the sermon was about the Bible being the "Kindling of Christian Hedonism" - and speaking about the truth of the Bible, and how we are to dwell and meditate on its words in order to remain joyful in our faith. It's amazing that what was written over 2000 years ago is still grounded in truth and applicable to my life today. I still need to hold tightly to the sword of word of God (Ephesians 6) so that I can fight for the joy of my faith. So that I can have life and faith and hope and freedom and guidance and wisdom and comfort and assurance and victory. The God of the Holy scriptures that made it active and living in Moses and Paul and David's lives generations ago, and the same God that inspired this sermon in John Piper's heart 22 years ago is doing it in mine today. Incredible.

Friday, February 10, 2006

Oswald is the man.

Isaiah 40:26

"Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing."

Here's what Oswald has to say --- and I love it.

"Nature to a saint is sacramental. If we are children of God, we have a tremendous treasure in Nature. In every wind that blows, in every night and day of the year, in every sign of the sky, in every blossoming and in every withering of the earth, there is a real coming of God to us if we will simply use our starved imagination to realize it."

Ahhh, PERFECT. I've thought this for so long, and he expresses it marvelously. There's no possible way that I can't see God in nature - maybe that's one reason why I love it so much.

Go outside. Use your imagination. See God. Feel God. Let Him surround you.

"b-a-n-a-n-a-s"

I learned a valuable lesson thismorning that I thought I'd share. Most of you probably already know this, but I just discovered it in the past 10 minutes and wanted to pass it along.

If you're going to freeze a banana for any reason, peel it FIRST. It will save you a lot of trouble in the end.

You know, if you ever wanna make a banana shake, or just eat it frozen for whatever reason (I actually found out today that I like them better frozen - they taste like banana popsicles) and have to stick that sucker in the freezer - just go ahead and take its clothes off first, because if not you'll be peelin' for a long time and get numb fingertips from having to try to peel the cold.

Also a word to the wise - don't stick it in the microwave to try to warm it up so it'll peel easier - that just turns out bad no matter how you slice it.

Hope this helps you in the future....it's one of those things I wish I'd known but neve been told. I wish Gwynn would have taught me not only how to spell bananas in that song of hers, but would have actually taught me something practical about them. Like, don't freeze them with the peel still on it. Geez, is that asking too much? I'm pretty much just trying to save humanity here folks....one banana at a time.

Thursday, February 09, 2006

Patience vs. Patients

Today I was writing something, and in this writing I jotted down the "fruits of the spirit" - you know, "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control...."

simple enough, right?

Apparently though, the nerd in me who attends a medical school wrote down "love, joy, peace, PATIENTS, kindness, goodness....." that's right, PATIENTS. Like, the people that go to a doctor's office, patients. Talk about emersion into school....yikes. haha.

It gave me a good laugh, so I thought I'd share, so that you can all laugh along with me.

Monday, February 06, 2006

belly laughs

OK, I'm in class right now and just got a GOOD laugh so thought I'd share.

I'm in a radiology/imaging class, and we're looking at x-rays of the pelvis. We're looking at a female pelvis and my teacher (a 60-something year old man) is trying to get us to name structures on the image and says "what about this - does this look like anything you've ever seen?"

Matt yells out rather loudly, "VAGINA!"

HILLARIOUS FOLKS...HILLARIOUS.

Sunday, February 05, 2006

Steelers Win

So, my boyfriend just won a bet we had. There was some good trash talking along the way...but his team pulled it out in the end. Anybody got any good Valentine's dinner ideas? haha. :-)

You just think you know me....

So, I got one of these "getting to know your friends" email....and I have a test on Tuesday - so why would I not fill it out instead of study? haha.


1. WHAT COLOR ARE YOUR KITCHEN PLATES? White with blue and green around the outside

2.WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING? Rapid Interpretation of EKG's, Orthopedic Assessment and lots of other text books -- and slowly but surely, when I have time "My Friend Leonard" by James Frey

3. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE? I usually put her in a black skirt on Sundays, she prefers red the other days of the week. The skirt gives her a little "freedom" to run around, it's not as confining as blue jeans.

4. FAVORITE BOARD GAME? Hmmm...I LOVE games...all of them. I'm a big fan of Cranium, Taboo and Scattegories...and Battle of the Sexes is really fun too if you're playin' with the right people.

5. LEAST FAVORITE SMELL? the smell that dog pee makes when it's been sitting on the carpet for a long time, or when it's turned that gross "sour" smell -- yikes that's a bad one.

6. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU GET
UP IN THE MORNING? I usually turn off my alarm and think, man I wish I had a few more minutes.

7. FAVORITE COLOR? I don't discriminate...but I'll be honest, I usually tend to gravitate towards green

8. LEAST FAVORITE COLOR? I'm not a playa hata

9. HOW MANY RINGS UNTIL YOU ANSWER THE PHONE? depends on who's calling. :-0

10. FUTURE CHILD'S NAME? If I tell all of you, you'll steal it...and I don't want there to be hundreds of Nebukkenezzer's running around...I mean, uhh...crap.

11. CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA? chocolate

12. DO YOU LIKE TO DRIVE FAST? well, I used to not speed....but then I became friends with people of bad influence -- (throat clear...Erin and Bri)

13. DO YOU SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL? No, but I do like to cuddle with things, whether it be a person or a pillow or an animal, but no, no stuffed animals at the present time make their home in my bed.

14. DO YOU LIKE THUNDER STORMS? mmm hmmm....they are NICE

15. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR? I drove my sister's 89 Toyota Corolla while she was away at college - but my first very own car was a 91 Honda Prelude...."Prey" was her name and we were tight.

16. DO YOU EAT THE STEMS OF BROCCOLI? Sho' do.

17. IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY JOB, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Traveler of the world to hangout and meet people and see beautiful places. I'm pretty sure I'll have that job one day - but I'm still trying to figure out how to make money doing it - haha. (I'll be accepting donations - so feel free to mail your contributions - they will be tax deductable)

18. IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY COLOR HAIR, WHAT WOULD IT BE? What are you trying to say? My natural color is bad??

19. IS THE GLASS HALF FULL, OR HALF EMPTY? What glass? I've always been trying to figure out what glass everybody's always talking about. If you have any idea where I can find this "glass" please let me know...or if you have any information of it's wherabouts I will be offering a cash reward.

20. FAVORITE MOVIE(s)? WAY too many great ones to name. But I will throw a couple out there: Remember the Titans, The Sandlot

21. DO YOU TYPE WITH YOUR FINGERS ON THE RIGHT KEYS? I do, and I pride myself on that...I worked hard in keyboarding class in High School -- whereas I'm sure all those slackers that were in my class playing Solitare the whole time are going to have carpal tunnel syndrome one day very soon...muhahaha.

22. WHAT'S UNDER YOUR BED? my computer case and not too much else...I'm sure there's a little dust taking up residence under there too, if I'd have to guess.

23. YOUR FAVORITE NUMBER? 10 - (14 comes in second)

24. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Anything Clemson is playing, college football, college basketball, and cheerleading...seriously, I love to watch cheerleading on tv.

25. YOUR SINGLE BIGGEST INTENSE PAIN? I'm pretty much invinsible....kinda like Chuck Norris.

26. PERSON MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? stupid question.

27. PERSON LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND TO THIS EMAIL? I cheated...it's not an email.

28. KETCHUP OR MUSTARD? Can I choose Honey Mustard?? (but i'm a big fan of all condiments...except mayonnaise...I draw the line when someone's about to plop a big scoop of lard on my sandwhich)

29. BURGER OR HOT DOGS? Depends on my mood....and how hungry I am, because let's be honest - one hot dog isn't gonna fill this girl up.

30. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON? fall or spring --- or well, any of them aside from winter....I am NOT a fan of cold weather....at all.

31. THE BEST PLACES THAT YOU HAVE EVER BEEN? In the arms of the one I love....

what? I'm such a nerd. I'd have to say the Grand Canyon was really cool...sitting in the President's Suite at a Phoenix Suns game was cool, going up in the crown of Lady Liberty was fun, going atop the Empire State Building wasn't too shabby, Key West...INCREDIBLE, Washington D.C. is nice, but seriously, anywhere that I've ever been where I'm surrounded with people I love is absolutely the best thing in the world.

32. SCREENSAVERS ON YOUR COMPUTER RIGHT NOW? I don't have a screensaver, it just turns black, but my background is a picture of my nephew, who is quite possibly the coolest kid in the world, with shaving cream all over his face holding a razor, pretending like he's a grown up like his daddy.

33. FAVORITE FAST FOOD? Chick-fil-A, Arby's or Wendy's

34. YOUR BIRTH NAME? Katie Marie Hogue

There ya have it folks...a lot of things you never wondered and probably don't really care about concerning this kid named Katie....but you sat there and read them anyways. You must have a test tomorrow too. haha. Amazing. Y'all have a good one --