Wednesday, August 29, 2012

A Blog in Reflection

One year ago today, I left on the adventure of my life.

I packed all of my bags, said "Ciao!" to my friends and family, and high tailed it out of the country. That got me to thinking about all of the amazing places I've been in 365 days and holy crap, there are a lot of them.

You are more than welcome to peruse my adventures as they have happened to me here in this blog, but here's a little (geo)graphical explanation of my adventures: Map o da world. Or if you don't want to see the names of the places, here's just a picture.


But the link should show you all of the names of places too. Granted, I probably forgot some a long the way (like Assissi.... I loved Assissi. St. Francis is awesome)(And Duluth. I was for sure in Duluth this summer), got them out of order, or didn't list every time I was back in KC this year. But the main point is here are the 25 (more like 27 with the ones I forgot because I'm a dumb ass and Google Maps won't let me add more than A-Y) cities that I've considered part of my journey this year. 

I don't know if this year will hold as many cities, or as many "adventures" but I'm glad this one was so thrilling. 

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Did Some One Order a Surprise?

I'm going to take the next ten minutes out of my busy busy busy work week day to tell you a little story. I hope it makes you feel warm and fuzzy.

So there's a girl on the forensics team from Mississippi this year. Her name is Elizabeth, and I think she's super swell. Anyway, she had received a graduation present of a bike that was her sort of mode of transportation since you're going super far away to college and you don't get to keep the car. Bikes are great, that's awesome.

Bad news: Some asshole on campus took her bike before she could get her lock from in her room.

Dear sir/madame who stole Elizabeth's bike: I'm a fierce mama bear and if I see you riding on that bike around campus, I will deck you and rub your face into the dirt/snow with my shoe until I think you have suffered enough for being the kind of terrible person you are. You suck. --Sincerely, Kelsey "yabettersleepwithbotheyesopen" Abele.

So this bike hasn't been recovered, and St. Peter is typically a very safe community. Things get returned, and there's not too many people on campus that you don't know, so things turn up.

None the less, being about a gajillion miles away, it's hard to lose something that was a parting gift and a sign of freedom from your community back home. So Kris tells us about this bike problem and a plan is formed. Prove Minnesotans aren't evil, chip in and buy Elizabeth a bike.

So all sneaky like, we find out things like, "What kind of bike did you have? A Schwinn was it? Oh, you like red? Hmmm I'll keep an eye out for it!" And we get her a bike.

Now for the fun part of the story. We decided to surprise her.

So this morning, after warm ups are over, everyone is sitting in their pride rooms working quietly(sort of this is speech), and Elizabeth pipes up, hey my brother might buy me a new bike. Kelsey's thought: oh no he won't. Commence plan.

Brittany, Karin and I go down to fetch the bike out of Brittany's car and wheel her in.

We then go into the team room where Elizabeth is still working. I walk in pushing the bike. Park it in the center of the room. Wait for Elizabeth to turn around. And say:

"The team cares."

That's it. She covers her mouth, says, "Are you kidding?" "Not at all."

She then immediately starts crying and comes to hug me. I'm practically crying at this point, and she's just saying thanks over and over and over again.

"Want to take her for a spin?"
"She's really mine?"
"Sure is."
"Do I get to name her?"
"Of course you do."
"What about, Awesome Team?"

If you're not crying at this point you have no soul.

She called her mom and told her, and for the rest of the day she kept talking about how amazing it was, and how perfect it was, and how she couldn't be happier.




Damn. Good. Day.



Friday, August 24, 2012

Moved In Close

HOORAY!!!! I have survived my last trip through Iowa for the time being and managed to move into my dorm without too much trouble!  So far it looks pretty neat.  You know, stuff on the walls, stuff in the drawers, stuff in the closet. Maybe I should get a large picture of Chuck Norris just to make this place feel a little more Italian...

Unsurprisingly, half of my closet is made up of suits.  So that's the best thing about the room. Oh, and the fact that it's a single. that's pretty swell.

Anywho, work week officially starts tomorrow and I can't wait to be reunited with my soul mates.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Boxes of Things

So basically every thing is packed. The little nitty gritty shitty stuff is left to pack, and I guess most of that is just handfuls of uh, dump that in that sort of not quite full bag over there. There is not so much method to the madness, but rather this method is a byproduct of the madness.  Don't judge me.

None the less, tomorrow I travel north to the great land called Gustavus where I will officially embark on my third year of college (this is the parenthetical where I say something like, "holy shit is that real? third year? Uh.... I'm almost certain they shouldn't have passed me in the first two. I'm likely still a freshman or at the ver least a sophomore.) That being said, I should probably not blink, otherwise I'll be graduating and won't have any idea what I'm supposed to do with my life. Classic.

In other news, I've finished my scrapbook! I think I will bring it with me to the hill where I will allow it to collect dust and I will occasionally force it upon my friends who are sick and tired of listening to me babble about Italy this, and Rome public transportation that. Oh well, it's pretty and I'm fat and sassy. (that one was for you Molly).


Wednesday, August 22, 2012

I Can't Stand 'em!

This will be short:

Singing in the Rain, is a fantastic film in any weather. It is also very much worth it on the big screen. To everyone who had the pleasure of seeing this movie, you should now join me in a sing along version that will be playing all day tomorrow as I pack my life for my move back to MN.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

I Took Notes

I wish that I had some sort of exciting story or experience to share with you about my day so that we could all somehow live vicariously through one person's experience without leaving our laptops.

But, alas, I have had no true adventures this eve, and instead turn to a listing of the things I did learn today.

1) Some news place things that eating 2 egg yolks a week is as bad for you as smoking. This makes for a scrambling of jokes.
2) I'm confident my grandmother still remembers nearly everyone who has lived/worked/played in a 25 mile radius of "the old house."
3) Patience, by definition is building a house from scratch and not only doing it perfectly, but doing it by hand.

And thus completes my learning for the day.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Whirr of VHS Film in Reverse

Fun game: Drive to Bonner Springs and to eat Chinese food and listen to pretty music.

Does it sound like a Monday night flash back from high school? It should, minus the whole Bonner Springs thing, I didn't have to drive there for music or Chinese food.

But the hours spent in the car were well worth it. A mini reunion with people that after years of not talking or hearing from pop out of the wood work and make your day that much brighter. Spring, welcome back. Missed you!

But that was not  the only  surprise of the day! I had the pleasure of not only reunionizing with Allegrians, but with some Barstownians too!  Looooooonng time no talk and suddenly-KA-POW!!!!  Bamalamadingdong there they are catching you up on the oh, say, 6 years you missed in the middle. Woof. So that's my day. A series of flash backs and rewinds just to keep me on my toes.

And I couldn't have imagined a better one.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Even the Owner Has to Sleep Sometime

REUNION! And by that I mean it's been a few months since I've seen dear Phil, but we managed to hold up the tradition of talking for hours. And that means that although we ordered food in plenty, we still managed to talk long enough that even the owners of the Chinese/Sushi place we went to had to close and kick us out... and then we talked in the parking lot for another 30 minutes... It's like neither one of us get's to talk... ever... But it's all good.

And with that, I think I'm going to sleep. Sleep is nice.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

ABduction-Taylor Lautner's New Work Out Video

Things I absorbed from watching the movie Abduction: (Here's a link so you can see that I'm sort of close on some of this: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1600195/)(Annnnnnddd because I found the comments were suuuper good/accurate: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/abduction_2011/)

1) There was a bad guy, some spies, the CIA, and a bomb in the oven.
2) Some actors I typically enjoy (Sigourney Weaver) made some bad decisions making this movie.
3) Plot Holes: could have been a very dangerous drinking game.
4) Taylor Lautner is probably a Hufflepuff.
5) My favorite part was where it tried to be an action/spy movie.
6) My second favorite part was where that first plan failed.
7) Points 5 & 6 mean I loved 99% of the movie.
8) Will be a feature film for an upcoming Team movie night.
9) Best scene award goes to waking up in the woods and Taylor crying one single tear. It's just a bad dream Taylor.
10) Just because Rotten Tomatoes says 4%, doesn't mean everyone hates it.....

So next time you're near the half-off dollar DVD bin, check it out. It'll cost you less than a pack of gum and it could be really swell.

Friday, August 17, 2012

Bag-Ception

So here's the skinny. I like crafts. I craft all the time. I'm not so secretly crafty. And thus is my life while I am home. I have been attempting to work on my scrapbook from Rome (you know, the reason why I started the blog thing in the first place) and it's been an adventure. But there's a point when I can't do no mo pictures. So I decided to pick up something a little more mindless, albeit conscious.  Let me explain.

Michelle (you know that girl) said that she was going to knit some plastic bags together to make a super bag. And I'm thinking, "Huh? I couldn't have heard that right." But then she just looked at me like, "Did I stutter? I'm knitting plastic bags to make a super bag."

Wait for it... Wait for it. Yup. Mind blown.

The goal is to take all of the grocery bags that you annoyingly stuff into corners and then plan to reuse, but usually forget because no one looks in corners for bags every time you decide to go to the store. So you just end up having these mounds of should be reused, sculpted, or donated bags that look lonely and unloved and dingy in the corners.

The process works like this. You cut these unloved crinkle-wads into long strips of super thin plastic and then ball them up as you would yarn. Then once you amass enough of a ball (and/or clean out those corners) (That's where I put that!) (Yum, Halloween candy), you knit. That simple. You know, except for that part where you spend awkward mindless hours cutting apart bags to the strange looks of your friends (or those friends you would have if you didn't spend your Friday nights cutting apart plastic bags).

But here's what I've learned: This could be really cool. So far (and I only have a portion of the base of the bag) it looks sort of legit, and could end up the envy of every Environment conscious pseudo hippie I pass on the street (see, I told you that would make sense later).  I'll be sure to post pictures here when I do finish it, but I'm pleasantly pleased with the reactions I've heard so far (I knit a lot in public.... Hence my single, only child status).

Resounding Message: Go green! Knit more!

Blog-off #has it been this long?: 12 in 2012

It's a blog off!!!!!!!! You should read that in the tone of "ready to ruuummmmmmmble!!!" you should probably reread that in the correct form. Michelle and I are finally back on track with our blog offs. Be prepared.

This week on blog off: 12 things in 2012.

These can be everything and anything. On your mark, get set, GO.

12) 21 hour bus ride to Texas in January as a first tournament back.

11) Bringing State back to the hill. In more ways than one.

10) Learning uncomfortable things about people you've known for an eternity.

9) Learning to love them anyway.

8) Big trophies, big dreams. AFA/NFA

7) Driving alone through Iowa, not enough dance music.

6) Wrangling sheets onto a semi-lofted bed=life lesson. Some things are better tackled in pairs.

5) Managing the fact that not everyone operates on the same time scale. And only occasionally is that ok.

4) Sometimes after signing an email, introducing yourself, and wearing a name tag that has your first and last name, people will still not understand that the "k" in your email kabele stands for your first name.

3) The drive back from the airport gets longer the stranger the strangers are. (see #4)

2) America celebrated in cheese and apples is best done on a porch.

1) Official title: cat whisperer.

0) Mayans said so.

So that's that. I'm a fan of these list things.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

I'm Not Trying to Stall!

Things you should know about me driving a manual:

1) it's scary and I'm no good at it.
2) it's going to take a lot more than the one mini lesson I had today.
3) it's not for lack of trying.

So for those of you feeling brave enough to take me up on that adventure, let me know. I'm just a slow learner. Or I guess the better point to make would be that I'm a slow kinesthetic learner. My auditory and visual retention is fine, but muscle control and muscle memory are repetitive practice makes close enough kind of situation. Ye be warned.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

Is it too late to declare that the Olympics have encouraged me to once again obsessively listen to the Beatles? Probably, but I feel no shame. Other things I'm not ashamed of: starting my scrapbook of Italy. Well, I should be more specific, I'm currently in process of picking out the pictures that will eventually make their way into my Italy scrapbook. Don't make fun of me, this is a long process. Here's to hoping I get it done before I go back to school.

Nothing else new to report here, I think that Grace K is a super star, and that's not opinion, that's fact.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Blues Clues Could Write the Soundtrack to My Life

Just after midnight here in the quiet town south of Kansas City, and there's nothing new to report. I had a lovely dinner with Jessica for the first time in all too long, but it caught me up on all of the news that escaped my grasp. Well done Jess you super stalker you. I am back home, so if you a) want to catch up sometime in the next week or so-text me. Or b) if you plan on writing me a letter sometime when it's supposed to get here before I leave again-text me an I'll give you my non-school other home address. And I will mention that there is a large box of unloved envelopes sitting next to me that are just begging to be sent across the country, so figure it out. With any luck, there will be enough of you that don't go to school with me to keep me writing letters all year. You know who you are- don't let me down. And yes, Michelle, cross country does not exclude you- I'll make it plural just because: cross countries. Better?

Ok, I think I'm going to call it a night.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

DVR-Olympics on Real Time

So my parents are the kinds of people who don't watch the olympics live. Thus, while everyone else is watching the closing ceremonies, I'm watching the preliminary heats for men's 200 canoe.....  Not even a joke, I'm actually watching the men's 200 canoe. And I think I'm learning a lot. Maybe. I think this is not what I want to go to the olympics in though. I think I would rather use my canoe expertise for lounging around on a lake, not doing anything important or timed. Now if there was a laziest-person-in-a-canoe race, I could potentially be a contender. But alas, for all of the summer olympic sports, they have not come up with one that I could truly excel. Bummer.


Saturday, August 11, 2012

Hey Look! Silos! How Exciting!

Home at last home at last I am home at last!! It wasn't actually that dramatic, but driving through Iowa makes you wish it were. Nothing interesting to report. No sudden rainstorms, no mysterious people following me, no car troubles or anything else really. But I did manage to pack all of my belongings in my trunk and some of the back seat. As in, the back seat was full, but with plenty of wiggle room. And the only thing in the passenger seat was my purse. So I win a lot-that's what you can collect from that.

Friday, August 10, 2012

Bamalama poetry

So the thing about speech kids is that they visit. And then they get things done. Boom-like dynamite.

And then they have to wake up in the morning, finish packing, and drive through Iowa. What winning?

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Where's the Fire Extinguisher!?!

There are pros and cons to stealing from the GAC herb garden.
Pros: there are super fresh, picked-this-5-minutes-ago basil and sage to be had in plenty ad it's delicious.
Cons: sometimes you feel adventurous and pick some peppers that look harmless and cute.

Ye be warned. They are no such thing. They are vicious aliens come to earth to destroy taste buds and kidnap children. I'm speaking from experience here. This is serious business.

I made the hottest pasta sauce I think imaginable. This included one of those superspicybutinnocentlooking peppers and only used one. KAPOW!!!! Gee whiz. I was not expecting that kind of explosion-and not in a pleasant way.. I had to basically fan my mouth and mop my runny nose to get through the bulk of my meal. Danger danger Will Robinson.

So, learn from me: don't eat alien peoples even though they look nice.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Run Forest!

So despite a raging response from various people, I ran again today. At this point I wonder if it would be worth it for me to continue this trend after I'm home. Granted it'll be two weeks, but maybe worth it? Who knows. I'm not the most motivated person when home. And I've got scrapbooking to do. So world get ready for a movie/dvr/television marathon, Kelsey has to try to record memories.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

On Your Mark- My Words

This is not a post you were expecting from me. In fact, I delayed telling you this, thinking that yesterday could have very well been a fluke and that I wouldn't have to admit that kind of thing to my peers. But it's true. I've, unbeknownst to me, been tricked into running. Yes yes, I know. I'm the least enthusiastic runner in all the land. I mean marathons? First guy died. Why do that again? And I'm the kind of person who sets realistic goals: me not dying during a marathon is not realistic. Back to the point. I know that people are motivate by the olympics, and I'll grant you there are motivational stories, but I'd prefer to sit and be amazed, not try and replicate such a feat on my own time. But here's the deal, I'm a motivational Titan. And when others seem to think that I can convince them to run, I guess then I'm running.

Cadi is attempting a couch to 5k and I've not been necessarily the healthiest- I should move more than I do, but this beginning thing of walk then jog for 60 seconds, walk some more isn't quite so bad. I mean, I survived conditioning, so that makes me a champion if something right?

But I'm going to be sore tomorrow. Woof. What did I think I was getting into? Speed walking is much more my style. Lots of hips.

Monday, August 6, 2012

Calling All Passengers to Gate: GET YO ASS UP!

Remember that time that I set my alarm for 6:15 so that I could take some people to the airport at 7 and then didn't wake up until they called me at 7:05?

Oh I do.

That was today.

And say again, what time were you dressed and out the door in your car after being woken up at 7:05?

Uh, that would be 7:08.

And all I have left to say is BOOM. That and bring on the speech season. If I can be clothed and presentable in 3 minutes, that means I can prep a speech in 1, and be tournament ready in 15 right? Well, here's to hoping that's how that pans out.

Follow up question: Did they make their flight in time?

Yes, and I had my Starbucks, and was back at work in St. Peter before they even got to board. So there.


Goodbye Airport Route

In six hours, my final true camp affiliated duties will commence, and two hours after that, they will end. What a story it has been. But you know what? Next time I go to the airport, I want to pick up someone that I want to see specifically. Or if I'm the one being picked up, I'd love to see someone important in my life, and not just someone with a vague description looking confused on the sidewalk. Although, with the people I know, there's a good chance that they'll look like that. Woof.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Limerick for a Saturday

There once was a girl from Nantucket
She carried her life in a bucket
The bucket started to leak
Which made her look weak
So she yelled at the people to "suck it."

I hope you enjoyed that little impromptu limerick. I think it's the basis for a really good prose. Called "Leaked."

Friday, August 3, 2012

It's Raining _____! Water....

Thunder storm!

So once upon a time, I decided that after having dinner at Kris's house, that I really should go feed the cats. So I walk back to my apartment, and decide that driving wouldn't be that bad of an idea- even though it's nice out and I should have some more exercise, but it's late, I'll drive.

Thank the lord.

Seriously, I'm petting the cats, and suddenly BOOM!
Thunderstrum. And it's pouring like no tomorrow. First thought: Woah. Gnarly. Second thought: Good thing I brought my car. Third thought: Then again, at this point I'd be soaked to the bone getting to my car. #lifeprobs

But I dodged the true rain bullet and managed to get back without too much wringing of clothes. Doesn't mean it couldn't have happened.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Taxi!

I'd like to call this round two of airport shuttleship. And it went surprisingly smoothly. Other than the point where I had to circle around and around terminal 2 in order to not be arrested in a school vehicle. Oh well, such is life, and I didn't have to run over anyone in the process (though the opportunity always presents itself at places like airports). And more unfortunately, I have to be up in 6 hours to do one last round of registration. Why anyone in the world thought 7:30 am registration was smart is beyond me. Boo that. So good night world!

Also, Michelle, can we be blog buddies again? Thursday's are lonely.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Singing lessons

Well, it wasn't the worst hour and a half car ride of my life. It would take me a while to think of the actual worse car ride, and instead would likely resort to the worst hour and a half I spent in a car- regardless of the time of the car ride from beginning to end. But it was strange.

To catch the rest of you up, I often pick people up from the airport on a semi regular basis. Not a big deal- until they are super quirky. Lisa, reminds me of Miranda Sings. Once I'm not blogging from my phone, I'll post some links to beautiful videos. And to be clear, it's not that she doesn't know her stuff- she does. But man do they look alike, and I like to think they are the same person. Woof.

The original: Voice Lessons


One of the more recent amazing videos: Starships


And to round it all out: Teaching Pentatonix to sing...


I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. What a classy lady.