Humble Abode full of the Food

Holy Shiitake mushrooms and snakes alive!
It's be 45 years since I've written a blog post. I've also had it on my to do list (which is ever evolving and always very long) for that amount of time. It's even written on antique paper.

Let me catch you up in the short version. ie, incomplete sentences fashioned as bullet points.

• Forensics season 2012-2013 ended with a bang. GAC=8th in the country AFA style, 15 quarter finalists, 4 semi finalists, and Shelby as our first persuasion finalist. Boom shakalaka.
• Junior year is over. I said what?
• I have been home for 2 days, came back took a final, and moved into the new apartment a la College View for summer at GAC
• Class of 2013 graduated. I was at baccalaureate and cried more than most of the doting mothers there. It's embarrassing to be me.
• Coached 1 speech camp. Gonna have 3 more.
• Had a s'more. Wanted s'more. 
• Working at Summer Academic Programs again, this reprise with Karin. 
• Living with Karin.

Ok great! You now have the chapter titles to my auto biography.

Now for the interesting things... sort of....

We are going to be supreme chefs this summer. How? you ask? Easy. I'm a boss. 

Let me chronicle these cooking adventures thus far. 

Prior to Perham camp/graduation, I made bruschetta and pasta for those friends sick of the caf.  We're talking the kind with garlic and olives and the other kind with tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella. Was it good? It was so good I might make it again. 

Pasta? Red sauce, red wine, other things I found, and mushrooms. You want more details? I am a cook that mixes and matches, somethings can't be taught my son. 

Two nights ago: Grilled cheese with gouda, avocados, spinach, and feta. Karin thought it was so good she almost fell over.  Damn it feels good to be a chef-ster. Sort of. Ok, I'm not that cool. I tried?

Last night: Pasta with white sauce, asparagus, spinach, and pepper. Quite good, but took a 2 in the round compared to the grilled cheese extraordinare vibe I have. I also made some exquisite coffee cake muffins. So that's ideal. 

Karin may be a little paranoid about the air-germs, but over all I think it's a good set up. We're making it work for the best I believe. 

Tonight's menu is far more elaborate than ever before. Why? Because we never have Saturdays to ourselves and don't understand what else to do... so we're going to cook. Updates to follow.

First step: Buy a blender. 

Through the fog and over the ice

Welcome back from our commercial break to this wonderful little ditty that is being typed in a moving vehicle.

Just on our way back from the K-state UNL swing in Lincoln, and what a super weekend it was. We laughed, we cried. We won. I'm do pleased to be part of a team that is passionate about what they do. Not to mention this community. I mean, holy crepes, they're fascinating and I know with a good degree of certainty that these are the people that will change the world. Straight up make a difference. For instance, Jose. He's from Hastings and I'm impressed every time I talk to him about the things that he works to do with his community. You go Jose.

Let's see, other things going on..... Choir tour is in less than a week. I have music to memorize. But I don't have any of it with me for this lovely little ride. So there's that. But we get to leave Minnesota for some lovely weather in California, New Mexico, and Arizona. Pretty ideal if you ask me. So what up world! Bad news is that I have to be packed for that by tomorrow so they don't have to pay baggage fees. Guess I should figure out that nonsense. I hope I remember my contacts-unlike what I did this weekend..... Performing blind. Easy when it's just you. Harder when you have to follow a director. Woof.

Well I think I'll wrap some things up here. I have assumed the role of keeping Cadi awake on this drive. Per usual.

Yee Haw!

WHOA NELLY

Ok, making a commitment to keeping up a blog.. Difficult. STILL TRYING.

HFO:
That's the thing where Hell Froze Over in Peoria, Illinois.  It's basically a giant tournament where a ton of schools and speech kids gather in one place and battle to the frozen death.  A rough sport but someone's got to do it. The team did relatively well, considering the 1,000+ entries and the 40 some odd schools. Placing 5th day 2 is not too shabby at all. Super proud of the little baby team.

Additionally, there was a trophy for that portion that should be mentioned.

HFO is hosted by Bradley University and University of Texas at Austin.  UT Austin are the Long Horns. So what did we get? Yup. Some Long Horns. Which are now mounted above the door in the team room. Class act.

And now I have to get back to work.

The End.

There was that thing in Kansas

Oh, hello there blog I've had for over a year that I occasionally ignore in favor of attempting to learn something/get enough sleep to not look like a deranged hungry zombie. That being said it's approaching 1 am on our way back from the first tournament of the year in Hutchinson Kansas. Sorry if three days and about 24 hours of driving total doesn't seem like oodles of fun, you really haven't lived yet. I freaking love those 5am alarms that just get you moving before the rest of the world. The down side is that I have to go to class in the morning, and I'm still in tournament hair. Dear Shakespeare class, sorry about it. I'll be there but I don't plan on being pretty. Deal with it. But the music is bumping, Karin is sleep talking, ad everyone else is just regular sleeping. Pretty normal all things considered I think.

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.

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.

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?

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.

Modernist

Things likely to be heard after camp:

Douchebaggery is an unforgivable sin.
I need to go grocery shopping.
Why is everything I own covered in cat hair?
Do I have to pick these people up from the airport? I no longer care if they walk.
Internalize that!
Got to get that POI done.
And you will faintly hear the scratching of letter writing.

And the winner for most random and unplanned nonsensical post goes to.....

Yeah, I'll just take my award and leave through the back door.

The Last of Speech Camp

Ah, the last night I have of speech camp. We still have tomorrow, but this is their last night on the Gustie campus, and I'm sure they are exhausted enough for their parents to take them back- let's face it, even my parents would take me back at this point. After camp all I do is sleep- or maybe all I want to do.

Be that as it may, speech camp is always worth it. For the laughs, the cries, the accomplishments, and the stories. SSI: like a champion.

http://vimeo.com/46599422

Check out the sweet Vid!  Carl and the Freshman worked hard (even with all the chaos and bumps in the road) and I think the product turned out pretty well.

That Story About Answering Phones

Thus begins the first day of the extension. With some grace, we managed to start a bit later, although I'm still attempting to convince Kris that my natural sleep schedule does not include the words "Meet in the Courtyard by 7:30." What a shame too. I could use the shut eye.

I will say that I am getting back on track with letter writing. Since this past week was one fraught with campers and no sleep, I felt I could not devote the necessary time to letters, so this week I'm responding to all of the things!

Oh, here's that story about the phone call.  My mother so kindly reminded me.

Remember Slam Camp? Well, since I picked everyone up from the airport, I had all of their phone numbers saved in my phone, including Kika's.

Fast forward. Last week (yes, the one before Speech Camp), I got a call from what I thought was Kika. My phone said Kika, and smart phones are really smart. So I answered in a Kika appropriate:

"HEY GURL HEY! Whachu do?"
"Hi, is Kelsey there?"
"Gurl! This is!"
"May I speak to Kelsey?"
"Yeah, spit it poet."
[Silence]

At this point I'm a little confused, because the Kika I know would have not only appreciated this greeting, but would have responded in kind. Too confused to continue, I began again:

"Are you still there?"
"May I speak to Kelsey?"
"Yes, this is she."
"Kelsey, this is Teri from GTS (Gustavus Technology Services)"
[Gulp]

Uh.......  WHAT??!?!! You mean to say that I just greeted GTS in a very non-GTS approved fashion? Woof. My Life. I would like to point out that I confirmed with Justin that my phone did, in fact, say Kika as the caller ID, and that I'm not just delusional.

After I finished my job related call with the now confirmed non-Kika caller, I set down my phone and looked panicked.  When Justin asked what happened, I responded with, "That was not who I assumed it to be..."

Since then I've done some digging and it turns out that the GTS number was saved under Kika's contact info. Strange, I'll admit, considering that I have texted her in the past... So let your lesson be learned, answer your phone only when you're sure. Or just don't answer your phone. Whatever works for you.

Pushing Them Out of the Nest

Woah, slow down crazy, slow down.

Tournament day. Boom. Now that it's over (and we're talking not the tournament that I'm competing at, but the little baby heart and souls that I've coached and worked with all week are throwing their newly found skills around in a room at the mercy of an unfamiliar audience and a scary person with the almighty pen. Terrified yet? It's like being crushed, without being told that you're being crushed.) Good news: My little GOAT pride didn't flinch. They did what they came to do, they laughed in the face of danger, and they want to come back next year. To this? I say I raise you a moderately less successful competitive day for this reaction. They laughed, they cried, and I think they learned something. (And the incredible people they met and the friends they made don't hurt either). So here we go, G! O! A! T! GOAT! Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

As for my now somewhat mushy mental state: I think I've been staring at a computer screen with my mouth gaping open and my eyes crossed for 10 minutes before I realized I should type, or blog, or maybe just go to bed.

Remind me that I should tell you all about that time that I went to a judging certification for MN... Still pondering that one a little bit.

Proud Parents

Remember that time I watched 15 fantastic HIs tonight and was so proud of my little baby GOAT!

I do. It was great.

Get Free Poet (Just Kidding, Stay There)

Oh yes, it's a Gustie Poem.
Even though it's Thursday. I give my heart to you anon.
I wish with all my being to wake up
A new born
Speech critiquing super coach
And to let the people see how good they can be.
Sweat out the negatives at the Dive,
And choose instead, sweet dreams
On which ride the gusts of opportunity.
G.O.A.T.

Uh... you get the point... Sort of.

Better Believe I Dig Poetry!

Another.... And another...
Haikus never get old.

Blog views are down, mom
But practice takes lots of work
One on Ones begin.

Monday? Never Would Have Guessed That

Another poem for another day:

Short blog posts reflect
Pieces to be cut or found
Streets ahead, Pride 1.

Haiku for 148

Yet another SSI induced poem:

Last performances--
Bitter sweet. Library sesh:
Finding lit is hard.

Put Your Hands in the Air!

SPEECH CAMP!!!!!!!!!
Therefore I will be writing poetry- get with it.

There once was a pride at speech camp
Their name was renowned (like Lamp)
They brought all their stuff,
And moved to the bluff
And no, we don't need an amp.

Dawn smells like......

Early mornings make me think of speech camp. I mean, I'm not an early bird by any stretch of the imagination, but something about walking around campus before 8 am signals speech camp.

Now the real question is, how in the world is my body going to justify getting up that early for over a week? Basically? I have no clue. Something about divine intervention and people yelling. That usually works. So here's to a few more weeks of non predawn alarm clocks.

Bet You Want My Job [Sunday Edition]

Let's hear it for the slammers! Ayiyiyiyiyiyiyyiyiyi!!!! That's not what they actually do, but for serious-there be some serious talent on the GAC campus this week. Holla. And I'm really excited to tell you all about the rhyme-spinning wizards that are be-boping around St. P for the week. I mean, let's be real, Strings camp was fun, but this is going to be off the heezy. (Is that how that's spelled? Running with it.)

Let's give you a little run down of all of the professional talent on campus. Here you go:

Sierra DeMulder: Transplant to Minneapolis, and is working word magic like this:

Next up is Cuban Hernandez. Coming all the way up here from farther south than me, and that doesn't mean anything because I'm just farther south than Minnesota. So there. 

And lastly, Adam Henze. I know Adam from some speech things, he tends to lurk around here and there and once in a while we see each other creeping from opposite corners. It's a good time.

So now that I've given you about an hours worth of putzing around on youtube having your mind blown from the sheer power of words, I'm going to go to bed and get some shut eye before a new day of stellar-awesome-word-bashing-fun begins.