RedshortKate's Daily Life
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Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in the "redshortkate" journal:[<< Previous 20 entries]
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02:19 pm
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I believe
I voted. It felt really good. There was a line, which never happens at my polling place.
I believe we can have a president who actually cares about the American people.
I believe we can defeat bigotry with love.
I believe we can defend a woman's right to choose and keep teens safe from being put in an even more impossibly difficult situation.
I am hopeful but anxious and nervous just the same.
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11:13 am
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Purchasing Plans
I'm thinking about getting a laptop, but have no idea what to get. I'm not opposed to Mac, especially as I haven't really heard anything positive about Vista and I doubt I could get a new PC laptop with anything but Vista.
I want Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint. I won't be playing games on it, so I don't need fancy graphics or sound cards. I would like to store music on it, but I don't need a lot of space for anything other than music. Obviously I want the typical CD/DVD burner/reader, wireless internet, USB ports, etc. and it would be nice if it was one of the smaller more lightweight models.
I have no knowledge of the differences between the different processors, but I want it be reasonably fast and have a good amount of RAM. Also don't have any strong feelings on different companies... Dell, HP, Vaio, Mac... it's all the same to me.
Any thoughts or recommendations?
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05:38 pm
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I've got the PR
In personal news, I've had a weird rash for about 10 days. At first I thought it was a heat rash as it presented during that ridiculously warm weekend. But then it spread.
So today I went to the doctor and found out I have an untreatable, uncontagious skin disease whose cause is unknown. The good news is it's supposed to go away on its own... eventually. At least it doesn't itch.
Oh, and it's called PR (pityriasis rosea). I thought I'd left PR for good, but I guess it caught up with me.
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08:32 pm
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Perspectives
The Family:
I spent last weekend in Kentucky with the fam. It was really nice. I had a good time with Mom and Dad, Granny and Aunt Carol. I got a nice visit in with the sister in law, and also had some adorable moments with nephew Noah without "Uncle Justin" around to steal the show. I need to visit home more often. I'm thinking my next visit might be in August when my younger cousin James is home from the Army, before they ship him overseas.
Alumni News:
In the latest college alumni magazine, I discovered that a guy I knew had died. I googled him and found his obituary. He and his girlfriend were in a car accident in Hollywood. He was one of my teammates on our "Rhetoric of DVD" project -- probably the most entertaining project I ever did in college. He went on to work in production for Scott Rudin, on such films as Team America and No Country for Old Men. And now he's gone. It just feels a little strange.
Pop Culture:
I'm really sick of all the Sex and the City chatter. I've never seen the show, I don't want to see the show and you'd have to pay me a good bit of money to watch the movie. I rather hope the fans are disappointed. But really I just want it to go away.
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06:56 pm
[Link] | My "service engine soon" light came on while I was driving home today. Seriously? Seriously!
The service center closes at 6 pm, so I will have to call them again in the morning.
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07:29 pm
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Car Drama
Let me begin by saying I had sort of a stressful week at work last week. That sets the stage for emotional turmoil with the car.
( All the boring details... )
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06:46 pm
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We are the World
Japanese culture never ceases to surprise or entertain. Really, I don't know how much to laugh and how much to be offended by this one:
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03:34 pm
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Honesty
It's time for a little honesty. Mostly with myself. ( About the political scene... )
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07:44 pm
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Small World
It's amazing how connected we all are. Here are a few moments that have really underscored that for me this week:
After our WWE-filled weekend in Minneapolis, I come back to LA to learn that one of my favorite former co-workers just accepted a position with WWE.
When we were out to dinner Saturday night in Minneapolis, we ran into Justin's ex-girlfriend's sister.
My dad realized this week that he knew his boss's grandfather something like 25 years ago.
This past weekend, my good friend Nina (who lives in Oakland, CA) ran into one of our college dorm mates at a children's theater production in Washington DC. (I can't remember if I've mentioned it here, but in completely unrelated news, Nina is pregnant with her first child, a boy due in the middle of May.)
We really had a fun time in Minneapolis, and it was nice to experience winter for a few days. Still, when we got off the plane Sunday afternoon and went outside to find a beautiful sunny day with bright blue skies, I have to say I was feeling pretty darn good about living in LA.
I'm looking forward to a nice three-day weekend at home. I want to explore some MLK day activities around Los Angeles and see what's most appealing. I love going to hear people speak.
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05:18 pm
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Happy Happy Holidays!
We had a really nice Christmas. I really love my family.
It was good to see my mom and dad. I think Dad felt bad because he had to work all week, but I think we still got in some good visiting time.
As mentioned in Justin's journal, we had a nice double date with my brother and his lovely wife. As much as I adore my niece and nephew, it was really nice to have adult time with their parents. My brother is a funny guy. At the end of the evening, he brought back some joke from earlier in the evening and it was hilarious. I can't remember exactly what it was, but it was a perfect ending to a great evening. We are all going to be in this game of life together for quite some time to come, so I'm glad we get along.
We also got to visit with Granny, and got several good visits in with the niece and nephew. I am still amazed at how verbal Noah has become. When we saw him in May, he would talk about I couldn't understand him. Now he speaks clearly and I understand most of what he says. Pretty good for three and a half. He and Uncle Justin like to roughhouse -- not "Uncle Kate's" forte. Calla and I had a bit more playtime as I better understand playing with baby dolls. She is starting to pick up a few words, but at only 20 months, most of her talking is pointing at something and saying "Dat!"
Sometimes I am surprised at how nice it is to see my extended family. It's grounding in some ways. My cousin Elinor is graduating high school this year and has really blossomed and come into her own. It's great to see the young woman she has become. On the other side of the family, I saw my cousin Kirsten's three daughters for the first time in probably 4 or more years. They are now 16, 12 and 10 I believe. I just can't believe how much they've grown -- I finally believed I was 30 when I saw them.
I got some good presents, and while I look forward to tooling around with my fancy new rice cooker and digital picture frame, the little things will give me a lot of joy too -- fun socks, Chinese fortune sticks, a necklace Granny made. I think I also had a lot more fun in the giving this year. Granny was so excited about the sea turtle we adopted for her that I think she's told just about everyone she knows.
I got to catch up with one old friend while in town -- my high school friend Sujata, who is doing quite well. Since she lives in NY and I in LA, we don't see each other too often. After our political and economic discussions, I found myself wondering later if she still has any thoughts on a political career. I suppose only time will tell. :) It was just nice to be in her presence and get up to date on what's been going on in her life.
It was just a really wonderful Christmas. I feel very warm and loved.
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09:22 pm
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I turned old
I turned old on Sunday. In celebration, went to the see a movie I'd been wanting to see and went out for Indian food. Some fun people called to wish me a happy birthday, and that was nice too. Bonus: the movie was so good that Justin even enjoyed it.
We also got all our Christmas shopping done this weekend, which is nice. I think if Christmas was just about family and love, I'd be fine. But having to buy shit just makes me grumpy. There's the combined knowledge that I'm buying other people gifts they probably don't really want and I'm likely to get gifts from them that I don't really want. Woo-hoo! Though I have to say -- I did pick out some pretty nifty gifts for my two little grandmothers this year.
At least I pulled in quite a haul on my birthday with some new jewelry, a jewelry box, an electric blanket (it's been cold lately) and a DVD of the classic (same age as me!) Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas. I haven't seen it since elementary school. I hope it's as great as I remember! It's Jim Henson after all...
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07:32 pm
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Let California Ring
So... in my not really wanting to express my thoughts on the internet phase, I've left out something rather important.
A few weeks ago, I went to a house party (yes, a fundraiser) for this awesome initiative called Let California Ring.
Basically, a coalition of California nonprofits working together on a public education campaign to support the freedom for all Californians to marry. The coalition includes several LGBT groups as well as California ACLU, NAACP, NOW and many other civil rights organizations.
I highly encourage you to check out the site, watch the awesome videos they've prepared, including an ad they're trying to get on TV, and to see how you can get involved -- especially those of you who live in California. It's our opportunity to be part of the new Civil Rights movement.
It's just ridiculous how many rights you don't have when you're not married to the person you love. And as someone who has been married for a couple years now, I can say that it feels different to be married -- to be able to talk about your spouse and have people immediately understand the commitment and the depth of the relationship.
I could go on about this all day, but I think most of the people who read my journal (all five of you) already feel the way I do, so why preach to the choir?
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07:06 pm
[Link] | We had a nice mellow Thanksgiving, just the two of us.
I really enjoyed the five days off. I'm liking my job, but it's been busy lately and I was tired.
Now I have a bit of a cold, but nothing too bad.
I'm hungry for cheeseburgers.
My brother sent me a link to this fun geography game yesterday.
That is all I have to report.
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07:32 pm
[Link] | I am tired. Because I didn't really sleep last night.
I'm a little stressed from work, which is kind of crazy busy.
I didn't vote this week, because the only item on the ballot in my area was for a School Council Member. I think I will leave such things to people who know about them and actually know people in schools. Though it felt weird not to vote.
Listening to the radio on the way home yesterday, learning that the Democratic candidate for Kentucky governor beat out the incumbent Republican by quite a large margin, I thought of my dear old dad. Because I know how much he hates the guy that got ousted. I hope Beshear proves to be a great governor!
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06:52 pm
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Ring of Fire
When I look at the map, I feel like we are surrounded by the apocalypse. I hadn't really noticed any sign of the fires first-hand until today.
I took a walk to get lunch, and was really surprised by how much the air smelled, and how hard it was to breathe, even in the 1/2 mile trip. Our office is just east of downtown LA -- there aren't even any fires that close to us. I heard on the radio that 1/2 million people have been evacuated from their homes. They've taken their pets and their families and what few irreplaceable possessions they could carry, and they're huddled together trying to stay optimistic. I heard one ranch owner talk about how she had tried to rescue her horses, but that firefighters wouldn't let her go back in for one of them.
I feel very safe, surrounded by 100s of miles of concrete as I am. But it's sad and kind of scary.
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09:57 pm
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Laziness and the New Hotness
So I have been a very lazy "blogger" this summer. After our wonderful trip to the midwest, we still managed to keep pretty busy.
( Read more )
I can't believe fall is already upon us and Halloween is only 3 weeks away. It was a really good summer though, and I have high hopes for the fall and for 2008.
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04:29 pm
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Expanding Family Ties
We had a great time on our Midwest Tour 2007.
We went up to the UP (the Upper Peninsula of Michigan) for Justin's family reunion. The reunion itself (held on Saturday) was not terribly thrilling, but it was great meeting more of Justin's relatives throughout the weekend. And of course, it was even better to visit with the relations I've met before.
Highlights include:
- lunch with Auntie Judy on Friday and dinner with Auntie Judy on Sunday. At 74, she's a real firecracker
- meeting Auntie Hilda (age 91) and hearing her delightful Finnish accent
- dinner at Aunt Marie's on Friday night, where I met many of Justin's aunts, uncles and cousins
- going to a casino in celebration of (stepbrother) Dom's birthday
- an afternoon with Justin's dad, little brother and former stepmom
- an evening visit with Dom and a friend of his
- breakfast at the Uptown Cafe with Jennie, Margo, Kathy and Marv
- visiting "Little Finland"
- seeing the statue of Hiawatha again, bringing back memories from my first visit there 15 years ago with my grandparents
- two tasty meals at the Liberty Bell Chalet
- donuts and pastries at Rigoni's bakery
- chatting with a local florist
After our adventures in the UP, we also got some visiting in with Justin's mom & stepdad (Linda and Jon, as well as friends Kristen & Craig and Dan & Lacey. Ooh... and a trip to Fun World arcade/amusement center in Brookfield, WI.
There was lots of good visiting, though I wish we'd had more time with Linda & Jon.
Visiting a small town really made me miss Jamestown, where my Granny & Poppa lived while I was growing up. Part of it was just how welcoming family can be. Also the entertainment of being able to make a personal connection with someone based on who you're related to.
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05:30 pm
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My Name is Werner Brandes
( It’s been a weird week. )
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12:32 pm
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Lions, Rollercoasters and Gorillas, Oh My!
Last week was kind of a crazy week.
Tuesday I went to Six Flags, Wednesday and Thursday I volunteered at Planned Parenthood, and Friday, Saturday and Sunday I was in San Diego.
Nina and I had a great trip to San Diego. We saw Old Town, the Gaslamp Quarter, the San Diego Zoo, and the San Diego Wild Animal Park. We also went to the movies and saw Ocean's 13, which was pretty fun. I really had a great time. I think it's important to take a few days away for some girl time.
Going to the zoo, and then the wild animal park, and watching the animals behave with their children -- especially the gorillas -- evolution seems so obvious, so apparent. I watch the gorillas play with their babies, and the babies play with each other, and I feel like they are my cousins. I need to look out for them.
Which reminds me, the zoo wasn't all fun. If you actually stop to read the signs, you learn that many of the beautiful animals on display there are endangered. For example, there's some type of ore used in cell phones that has people mining deep in the heart of Africa. And the competition for the ore is leading to people killing and eating gorillas. It's also leading to war among humans. So recycle your old cell phones!
There's all sorts of endangered and threaten animals eaten and sold as "bushmeat" as well. Anyone who knows me reasonably well knows I'm not a crazy animal lover, but these issues are really troublesome. There's just so much to worry about in the world. Still, I'm not ready to give up yet.
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10:17 am
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Bush Strikes Again
President Bush has nominated a major homophobe for Surgeon General:
http://www.kentucky.com/454/story/89732.html
I wrote my Senator to express my concern about this guy. And of course he's essentially a Kentuckian, even if he originally comes from Kansas. How do we put a stop to this fundamentalist Christian bullshit? How long is it going to take us to find out all of this insidious horrible things Bush had done during his presidency? How do we impeach him?
I cannot wait for 2008.
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