Kassie Update XV

Well.
I don't even know where to start haha. These last few weeks have been a mild rollercoaster, and I do not want to leave SF.
I can't wait until you're home so we can get coffee and not have enough time to tell all the stories we want. :)

Miss you loads!


do you remember typing that on my Stickies app? :D

CANNOT WAIT.
This summer will be cool.
Let's road trip somewhere, mmk?

Missin you!!

I MISS YOU!!!
u get back on the day of my AP world history test so everyday when i study for it i think of you :)
i hope you're having tons of fun!!! i'm sure u are (duh, its South America).
i'm still very jealous, but at least i get to see your pictures hehe.
i'm trying to think of stuff to update u on... here we go:
i've been doing lifeguard training & got a job at the Tam O' Shanter pool this summer :)
ummm i'm going to be a counselor at Camp Orkila with the 6th graders from Highland in a few weeks (so fun)
tennis just ended & it was SO SAD. varsity won one match, & i think JV did too. it was really fun though, but we missed u tons!!! Yaroslava was number 1 this year & she missed having u as her doubles partner & Sarah missed you too. Coach O missed his lefty :) hehe
kingco is this saturday (2marrow i guess) & Audrey is going for singles (of course) & two freshmen are going for doubles (i was number 6 this year :P)
me & Catherine were co-captains this year so we're gonna come up w/ gifts for the banquet soon

thats really all i can think of right now... but I MISS YOU!!! & I CANT WAIT TILL UR HOME!!!
<3 u mucho

GUESS WHAT?

Jenna!

Just wanted to tell you: I had this really spectacular jam the other day. It was Strawberry Rosemary. Sounds weird I know but it on an English muffin and it was so amazing.

Haha.

But I also wanted to say hi, of course. I miss you a lot and I really hope that you will come visit me while I am in college. I really wanted to take a road trip up there this summer but I don't know if I will be able to cause I have a bunch of other places to go. If I can't you must come visit me in Berkeley.

And guess what? I am going to prom! I know, the thought of ever going never even crossed my mind. But then I thought, maybe I should just do it. What the hell, I never do anything like that ever. Plus I can dress up. And if it sucks (which it probably will), then I will all the more grateful to head back home and sleep.

I am practically done with school! Just a couple hours spaced over this entire next week for finals (or at New Roads, portfolios).

I miss you so much! Tell Claire, Heather, Dawn, and Charlotte that I say hello.

Love, Justine

P.S. I haven't been watching much of The Office this season! Just one episode. But from what I saw, I loved it. You must watch them when you get back.

the Low-Down in Bert Town.

Just a little low-down on what's going on with the Adams family...

Mary is pregnant, due in early September. Mary Jayson and Elizabeth just moved over by SouthCove on West Lake Sammamish.

Maxine is Pregnant, due....october or something. haha. Maxine Will and Teah just moved today to Connecticut.

Ted..is not pregnant. BUT. he got his mission call yesterday, he leaves July 30th for the MTC, and he's going to the Washington D.C North Mission. Two years. Maxine and Ted should come back around the same time. maxine probably later. maybe a year later.
goodness.

other than thaaaaat....My mom is basically finished with two books now, My dad's company (Edge Wireless/Mobile and all the other hundreds of couple person companies he had created) sold to AT&T mostly. so technically he's unemployed?

so yup. that's, pretty much the low-down :)

just an idea of Teah and Elizabeth:







and, just for kicks, me in a dress!

ix-nay on the eve-stay.

Kassie Update XIV

afhajsdlhfjasdhfljkas
that's how I'm feeling.

but at the same time.
:)

and also sleepy.


and watching Juno!!! I like it so far :D

I don't think I'll be able to finish it though.
Because Steve called.


That's right. Steve.
From last semester.
That's right.
Finally seduced him.
muahahahahahaaaaaaaa.

Omg, now I have to go and shower.
but.
I want to watch Juno.
and take a nap.

But
see
since I've sucessfully seduced Steve
now
I just need to make him crazy about me.

Details later skipper ;)


STAY SAFE.
STAY AWESOME.
HUGZ AND KISSEZ!

--kassie

DALAI LAMA!!!

I ABSOLUTELY FORGOT!


Last Friday I saw His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in Seattle during his Seeds of Compassion campaign. I listened to him speak with a group of 6 panelists who are world renouned neuroscientists and psychologists on the scientific basis of compassion. How we develop compassion as human beings and ways to instill it into our children.

The focus behind "Seeds" of Compassion is children. Tomorrow my little brother is going to see him during the "Child and Youth" day and participate in workshops regarding compassion designed for children.

Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama... who's next on Emily's list?

PS.

Tell Heather about it! I know she'd love to hear.

ah, my lovely Jenna.

I suppose you're in Lima now. Every once in a while I'll pop up your TTS schedule to see where you are. Man Wata, I hope the southern stars are brilliant because last night the northern ones were. Yesterday, it got up into the 70's! I had a track meet so I was outside all day and I now actually have some color on my face!

April 3rd marked the date that we had been back from South Africa as long as we had been away so I thought it would be nice to call everyone to see how they were doing. The little one-on-one telephone reunions were... bittersweet.

I GOT INTO 2 OF MY TOP 3 SCHOOLS!!! Mt. Holyoke and Sarah Lawrence. Actually, Justine and I both got into Sarah Lawrence, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to go to Mt. Holyoke. it's in South-Hadley Massachusetts and a wonderful (gulp) all-girls school that has a lot of opportunities in my interests. I'm just happy that I have the choice to go to a college that I would prefer to go to. Some of my friends didn't get that chance. :(

I asked a boy to the prom last night. But he likes another girl. Oh well. I give myself big kudos for putting myself out there. I took it like a man, ya know? I told him that "it's no problem if he wanted to go with someone else. I just thought it would be fun if we could go together, but I would want you to do what you want to." I thought it was most important to make him feel okay, so he wouldn't feel guilty about saying no. I would feel really bad if I had put him in an uncomfortable situation. His name is Will, and he was my crush from 7th to 9th grade, so I thought it would be fun to go out with the boy it's taken me about 5 years to be friends with. :P

boring boring, I'm sure. You're life's spheric spectrum is at an all-time enormity - and what a glorious thing that it. I'm becoming more and more "okay" with the idea that it's just fine to live your daily life within the barriers of a 20 mile radius. That's how 99% of the almost 8 billion people in this world do it each day. And I've realized that it doesn't mean you're any less closer to God/an Enlightened state.

much love,

Emily

I think...no. i KNOW i must be a horrible person an absolutely horrible horrible horrible person for not writing anything sooner!!!

so i suppose all i can say is i am SO. SORRY.
don't think i've forgotten about you or something though. because that is DEFINITELY not the case.
i just...
could never figure out what to write :P
which isn't really a valid excuse but i can apologize again?

by the time you come home i think i'll have my six months up. i shall kidnap you peach and take you awaaaaay just you and me :)
whether that's a good or bad thing in your opinion...
doesn't seem to matter much right now. hahaha i can still have my dreams, can't I?

so what's new what's new....I have another new car....well not new. but...k. so, Maxine is moving to Connecticut later this month. Mary is moving too but they're just moving down onto west lake samammish. sammamish? samish. we'll call it samish. because joe called it that the other day. (YES. joe. that joe. myspace....awkward.) BUT. so maxine is moving to connecticut where there is, inevitably, MORE SNOW THAN HERE. so the civic and nissan weren't gonna cut it. my dad gifted his subaru to them, and i got will's 2002 nissan sentra, and my civic went to a family friend. which is okay because i was going to end up spending most of everything in my checking an savings account, trying to replace the exhaust manifold in the engine....which waaaaaas......is.....cracked in half. woohoo! SO i have a new car. i'm using caps alot
i'm done. :D

maybe.
I'm still working at mathews but now i'm a Helper Clerk, so i spend alot more time in back....i'm in charge of the cooler, the beer, the eggs, the pop and water....butter, cheese, juice...milk...some wine....stocking stuff....all that dandy stuff. so far so good, it makes me feel a bit less sick than standing in one spot twisting back and forth from side to side, after drinking alot hahaha

let's seeeee...i have a formal on the 19th! it's only a church dance but it's gonna be SEVEN stakes (most dances are only 3, if that gives you an idea) and it's only 16+ aaaand i have a formal dress and stiletto's (yes, i have crossed to the dark side, love) and it's going to be awesome :) i'll post pictures after the dance. i'm going with Will. do you remember him? you'll get pictures of him too. HA. and i'm forcing him to wear a pink tie. (my dress is light pink on top with black all the way down)

not much else is new. Jean (yes, drama instructor jean) has had two eye surgeries now, torn retina. OH. and Kael! you know kael has had epilepsy basically his entire life. well it hadn't bothered him since he was like 17 and he got meds for it. it's started mildly bothering him lately, and apparently last month i think it was, he was feeling really sick in the middle of the night...we're not quite sure what happened, but he woke up on the floor, laying in a big pool of his own blood, and retrospectively, alot of vomit too. he had to get twenty stitches in his head, he must have hit it on the way down. and he had like a grade 3 concussion. so he was out....

Kael is also the new School Director, basically taking Edith's place. he teaches English now too. Karen....is also in charge now too (big surprise) but i'm not positive her title. Brad is still off herding sheep and slack lining or whatever it is he's doing, i think he's still in alaska....and he did, in fact, build a raft and sail it (presumably to alaska but i'm not really....certain.)
but he should be back next year.
I can't believe next year is actually my last year at Hillside!
if you subtract this summer, and maybe the breaks i'll have next year, i only have maybe....8 months left of highschool :D:D:D
i'm SO excited to go to college. you have no idea. Ted should be leaving on his mission in maybe early June. he's in the BCC musical in May...A Little Night Music. by the same person who did Into the Woods, and it's most famous song is Send In the Clowns. but it should be good :)
Rich is still single, well...as single as rich ever really gets. Sarah, that girl i used to be really good friends with, then she started dating rich....
yeah she's getting married May 10th.
ohhhhhhh shucks, same night as the History (not) Feast.
(no food at the "History Night" this year. homo.)
My friend Jess is getting married May 24th, too...
it's honestly really, really weird to be 16 and seeing some of my good friends get married. i mean granted, they're older than me? but not that much. only like, 3 years.

it would be like Ted getting married right now. that's how old they are.
*shudder*

okay. well i can't think of anything else to say :P

I miss you tons and tons, and I can't wait for you to get back so i can whisk you away again!
against your will, of course.

i might actually be nice and give you a couple days to recuperate? but other than that?
you don't stand a chance, G.

:) I love you so much, peach.
je t'aime a tante, ma peche.
<333333 xoxo

<--cliche...but why not? iz frayyaaanch.
love you honey.

Kassie Update XIII

Heyyyy Jennnnaaaaaa :D

Bonjour! Bonjour!

So two weekends ago for my Fashion Design 1 class we had to do a photoshoot where we found a specific location and draped fabric on the model (i.e. a friend) in a way that was inspired by our surroundings.
Our model woke up vomiting the day we planned to shoot.
So I ended up modeling last-minute.

HERE ARE SOME PICTURES.




Hope you enjoyed! :)

Ah ... spring in Seattle

Believe it or not, it has snowed on and off for the past 4 days! Wednesday at about 7 pm, I was driving into Seattle, when I noticed what I thought was very wet snowflakes. The car temp said 39 degrees, so I figured it was just really big raindrops. By the time I got to Seattle, it was definitely snow. It reminded me of when we drove into Bush. Thankfully, when I came out to the car about 90 minutes later, there wasn't any snow on the roads, just heavy snow on the cars and grass. Sat night, it started snowing pretty hard. Big, fat, wet snowflakes, but enough for 2-3 inches on the deck. I took the above photo around 10:30 pm. The puppies didn't seem to like it much ...


Can I go inside now?


What the @&%$?

Chloe did seem to enjoy eating as much snow as possible today on our walk, though. She was smart enough not to eat any yellow snow. :-)

I hope you're having a great time! Please call me when you get a chance. I have a few questions about potential neuroscience/psychology things for the summer to run by you. OK, while that's true, I also just want to hear how you're doing! I don't care how much the phone call costs.

Love you! Miss you tons! Can't wait to see you in a few weeks!
Mom

Kassie Update XII

HI!
I'm updating again because I had such an awesome day yesterday!
Surely not as exciting as yours, but WHATEVER.

So Efrain's dorm organized a trip to Six Flags - Discovery Kingdom. It's awesome! It's got loads of rides PLUS it's partly a zoo!!!!


It was filled with Warner Brother characters :)
Look what Efrain won me!!! :D
And I conned him into a photobooth with me ;)

Hope you enjoyed that photo post! Miss you!


♥kassie

Kassie Update XI

Saturday March 22nd - 6:00pm

I KNOW I KNOW I'M THE WORST.
I KNOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.
APOLOGIES, my dear.

I hope everything is going well with you.
That you are alive and whatnot.
especially that you are alive.
I need someone to keep me sane this summer, and I think you're the best candidate!
haha.


AUGH! I SAID I WAS SORRY!
Now shush so I can ramble.
♥

ok.
Right now I'm alone in the dorm because it's spring break still and Liz and Amanda aren't here...although I have no idea where they are.
Liz lives about an hour drive from here so maybe she's back home? Amanda could be dead in a gutter for all I know haha. Morbid?
I could call them, but then maybe they'd come back...I'm enjoying the room to myself. A lot.

Today Katee and this-other-girl-whose-name-I-don't-know were talking about rooming together in the fall and katee was like "oh that'd be cool, wouldn't it kassie?"
and I was all evasive, "um...can you even request roomates?"
Because I really hope to get a single for fall semester. Especially since Liz and Amanda are both leaving the dorm.

I figured out how to make podcasts!!!!!!!!!!
They're...interesting. The first one is just a few songs and my introducing them. Ryan and Gunner both say I have a good DJ voice! haha awesome.
Then over break ryan came over and we made a REALLY HORRID mock of a 40's detective show. It was sooo much fun to make! We only made two minutes worth, but it took two hours. It's embarassing, we're ashamed of it, but love it too much to be rid of it. haha.
Right now I'm working on another music one, and a hip-hop one. I don't know if I want to do like a "personal journal" style one....

Wanting more about Efrain I suppose?
Well pretty much we dated, I guess, nothing serious really at all. And then spring break came and I haven't heard from him at all. And I find I'm not really bummed about it, more confused. We became really good friends, and hung out almost every day. So I don't know what is going on, and I miss him a little, but not enough to do anything about it.
all things come to pass, I guess.

Rachael finally uploaded some pics from the summer on to facebook!!!
here's one of my favs:


This chica Danielle and I have become pretty close. She's one of Katee's roomates. So that's gouda.


Sunday March 23rd - 10:45am

So came to the shocking realization today that I have basically done zero work on my midterm projects. EEK!
So once I stop freaking out about it I will take a shower, go to the art store and get started on it all. Augh.

4:40pm
OMGGGG
So I totally went and showered and then went to Rite Aid because it was on the way to the art store BUT THE ART STORE WAS CLOSED. Silly me totally forgot about Easter being a legit holiday that people actually celebrate thus stores are closed. Augh.
So part of my group of ladies planned a brunch!! So at two we had a feast of french toast, eggs, fried rice, bacon, gritz, mini-omelettes, muffins and this potato-egg-corn pattie thing. It was sooo good! And since I didn't make anything I did the dishes!

Right now there's a big group in the tv room watching Bambi. I WAS doing homework then I decided to grab my laptop and procrastinate more.

At brunch Katee told me she saw Efrain yesterday. And I was like "Yeah?" and she said "Mhm. And he was wearing that hat again." And little blip inside of me went SQUEEEE but most of me went, "Yep, he would."

HA Now we're going to watch Cinderella. Awesome.

11:58pm
And then we watched Alice in Wonderland. Then Peter Pan. Then Monsters Inc and now Cars. WOOOOO! DISNEY!

TANGENT:
so a few weeks back I was at the movie theatre with Efrain. When he went up to buy his ticket I stayed in line and this woman next to me sort of mumbled but I didn't think it was to me...but then I kinda looked her way but not at her (at the movie times) and then she looked right at me and said very quietly, "Bitch, I asked, are you together?" (indicating Efrain). I was totally shocked. I looked at her and weighed my options. Chew her out for calling me a bitch versus or ignore her completely. In this two seconds I decided on giving her a solid "No." She was just so rude, my goodness. So that was quite the event haha.

Wow the TV room totally cleared out. Went from about twelve girls to four! Dayum.

Wow I'm up and I have class at 8:30 and I'm exhausted. and I'm not doing homework. and I would LOVE to go to bed, but my DVD is playing and quite frankly I don't trust everyone to return my DVD. hmm....


Wednesday March 26th - 3:45pm
HELLO!
I would have posted this sooner, but I wanted to show you what I'm working on for Color and Design!

gotta love it!

LIKE I LOVE YOU TO PIECES!


Thursday March 27th - 9:59am
HOLY CRAP
I FINISHED IT.
Ok so the Jim picture I posted is the main aspect of my Color and Design Portrait Midterm.
First we had to bring in a few images of people and posterize them. I brought in like 5 different pictures, mostly of my sister, but my teacher liked the one of Jim best (and not just for composition reasons, I'm sure ;)). So the first image I posted was the ROUGH DRAFT, where I had to finalize my colors.
Concerning the colors, you had to choose ones opposite on the color wheel and also desaturate them, light to dark. I decided to go from yellow-yellow-orange to violet-violet-blue. With yellow being my light to my purple being the dark.
So, the final image (not mounted at all though):

Also, we had to include a "value scale" shape. Basically the black to white represented in an isolated shape. I decided to do a post-it-note! But I totally failed the grayscale bit, totally messed that up.
OH WELL.
And my colors are off from my rough draft.
TOO LATE NOW.
and I messed up his eye! I'm not sure what happened!!! :(
anyway....
I thought I'd show you that!

miss you!!!

-kassie

Cherry trees are blossoming ...

Spring is finally arriving! Although it's been colder the past week or so than the second half of February, flowers are bloomin and trees are blossoming. Daffadils and tulips are out, and the trees along NE 8th should be at their peak in a week or so. I'll try to get some pictures and post here.

Puppies are doing great! They got to visit with Lucy and her mom today (Lucy is the adorable little girl up the street), met up with Lily and Maisy (the dachsunds) across the street and an older dog from the street below (she's 15, really pretty -- black and white shiny fur). Pooka kept barking and lunging at the older dog, as if to say "back off, bitch (ya know, female dog ...), I'm the old lady of the neighborhood". :-) Then, when we got home, someone came by to give an estimate on painting the house. She gave the puppies lots of attention and said she'd bring treats next time. A new best friend. (She graduated from Interlake a few years ago -- nice girl). Emma has refrained from laying completely on top of anyone lately, but hasn't worried at all about plopping part of her walrus-like body on top of everyone at some point the past week. :-)

I finished ready The Alchemist. I really liked it. There were definitely lines to highlight. I want to buy my own copy and read again. Haven't started The House of Spirits, and still waiting for My Traitor's Heart from the library (I know -- that assignment is WAY past due. :-)

I just saw the forecast for tomorrow -- sunny with a high of 87, "low" of 77. I'm so jealous! I hope you're having a great time, and get in some good snorkeling. Don't forget to buy an underwater camera! And, remember to write in your journal!

Love you to the Galapagos Islands and back! Mom

A few more interesting brain facts ...

From the book "Welcome to Your Brain", a book that addresses a variety of myths about the human mind (sounds interesting, might have to get it and bring it with me to Peru):

• Working out feeds oxygen and glucose to your neurons and helps prevent the brain from shrinking with age (memory decline can begin as early as age 30 -- that explains a lot!).
• Drinking up to three glasses orf red wine every day (!) also lowers the risk of dementia by half.
• In adjusting to new time zones, your brain releases stress hormones that can weaken the temporal lobe, which is involved in learning. (Moral -- don't cross time zones before taking a test, attending an important meeting or class. :-)
• Willpower-strengthening exercises may actually change the brain regions involved in planning and decision making. Plus, willpower in one aspect of your life may influence another. "Practice difficult tasks such as being nice to people you don't like," the authors advise. "It might help you stick to that diet."
• (Pay attention to this one ...) When female test takers are asked to write down their gender on the first page of a math exam, their scores go down--but when they hear a lecture on famous female mathematicians beforehand, their scores go up. (Remember that for all your tests!)

And, a few more tidbits to add one to the one below about sleeping after studying:

• Even naps are beneficial after studying, according to a Harvard study in which subjects who took a 90-minute snooze after learning a task performed 50 percent better (!) over a 24-hour period than the napless group.
• According to animal studies, when you perform a task, the brain cells fire in a certain sequence. If you then fall asleep, the same cells automatically fire in an identical sequence without being distracted or disrupted by incoming visual stimuli. That, Susumu Tonegawa, Ph.D., a Nobel Prize-winning professor of biology and neuroscience at the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT, says, "solidifies the synapses, which in turn helps to strenthen the information as a memory."

Some items for you and Heather to discuss.

Love you to Ecuador and back!
Mom

Interesting brain facts ...

Hey, I saw a show called Human Body on Discovery tonight about the brain. It was really interesting. A few factoids I thought I'd pass along:

• Your brain uses 1/5 of your body's energy.
• Your brain actually processes incoming info twice as fast under stress and diress, which help explain why time seems to slow down when you're under attack or stressed.
• Your brain will take over and figure out what you need to eat to survive if it's not getting enough of some nutrient. They profiled a guy who was adrift at sea for several weeks. At first, he only had the fleshy part of fish he caught. But, then his brain took over and he started eating the skin, eyes, liver, etc that had water and vitamins he wasn't getting from the meat.
• Your brain will take over and let you “run on empty” without food, something gained through evolution (thought you might like tidbit as you head out to the Galapagos). One of the only machines that continues to function on empty.
• Your brain is as active or more when you're sleeping. It repairs itself, and will actually "take you out" by making you sleep when in danger of not getting time to repair itself. But, the hearing part of your brain is as alert, which is why you can hear an alarm clock, fire alarm, etc.
• (You already know this ...) It's better to study before getting a good night's sleep than stay up all night and study. Both because your brain will continue to process what you were studying before you fell asleep and because without sleep, you're brain shuts down the logic and reasoning area (not good when taking a test ... :-).
• (And, my personal favorite). While it is true that the pleasure part of your brain shows increased activity when kissing, that part of the brain responds MUCH more to eating chocolate.

So, eat some chocolate and get some sleep! :-)

Love you to Ecuador and back!
Mom

BIG NEWS along w/ missing you! :)

I GOT MY DRIVER'S LISCENCE!!! ok yeah that might not seem like such big news to some people but IM SO HAPPYYYYYYYYYY!!! i dont have a car yet tho :P but i'm still enjoying driving myself places :)

btw those pics ur mom posted of ur doggies r SO CUTE

i miss u! <3

Ahhh, a comfy pillow to lay on ...

Pooka looking comfy ...


And, then, Buttinsky thought Chloe was looking mighty comfortable, so she decided the same spot would be good for her, too. She moved when Mom got up to get the camera ... at first her full weight (!) was on top of Chloe, i.e., she wasn't using her twig legs to offset some of the burden of her weight (no pun intended) ...


Love you and miss you!!!
Pooka, Chloe and Emma

Check your email ...

I've sent you info about various internships and due dates. Call me when you have a chance! I hope you're feeling better, that your package arrived, that you're caught up with classes after being sick (or at least not stressed), and are having an AWESOME time! Btw, I sent another package to your homestay family before I realized we weren't supposed to. If they have to pay customs, be sure to reimburse them. Btw, the candy is for Isabel, but there is 1 each of Hershey's Cookies and Cream for you, Grace and Isabel.

Can't wait to hear from you! Love you to Ecuador and back!
Mom

Sad article ...

I thought those of you who were in South Africa would want to see this. Claire, especially, won't be happy, since she lists "baby elephants" as the first thing in her list of things she loves ...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23341840/

:-(

Pride and Prejudice

I forgot to tell you today -- I watched the last episode of P&P last night. I now know why you and Claire think the BBC version is so much better. I loved it! I was disappointed it was over. We'll have to watch it when you get back. They start Emma next week. I plan on watching that, too. So, is Claire reading Emma or a different book this semester?

I hope you're feeling better! Buckle down and work extra hard for a few days so you're caught up, so you don't have to fret about being behind. And, have fun with the groupstays and community service project!

Oh, and take lots of pictures, write in your journal, and mark on the map all of the places you're going!

Talk to you soon! I love you to the moon and back!
Mom

Thanks for the post on Queen of Travel!

OK, I'm not paying attention! I just saw your post on your Queen of Travel blog! Yea! I'm so glad to hear you're loving your new teacher, all of the girls, and are having a great time! Tell Charlotte she must let someone use her video camera to record your stomp dance! I can't wait to see it.

I hope you're over you food poisoning! Be sure to use the SteriPen for a full 90 seconds per water bottle AND your cambelback! And, I hope Adia is doing well after her surgery!

Hey, just curious ... can you get to your gmail account? If not, let me know if you want me to create a yahoo account for you so you can send email, too, and read people's emails in addition to the blog.

I'll post more tonight. Gotta go meet the gals for our daily walk. Btw, I've also been hitting the gym doing leg weights and the nasty stair-climber. Not sure I'll be totally ready for the Inca Trail, but I'm working on it! But, I'm sure I'll be huffing and puffing at the back of the group.

Have a great week! I miss you tons! So do the puppies! And, love you to South America and back!
Mom

fotos

Here is an update in images on the happenings of my life. Track starts on Monday!!! The ones of my high jumping are from last year.

Hope you're feeling better!

I'm sorry to hear you're sick -- that sucks! I saw a post from Alex's dad saying one girl was still "puny" -- I think he meant "puky", and based on Charlotte's post, I figured that was you. :-(

Claire sent mail this morning, and said everyone is feeling better. I hope that really means everyone! If you have a fever, though, go to the doctor's to rule out malaria from Africa. I'm sure you don't have it, but you need to be checked if you had a fever.

Take care! Have fun at the group stay! I sent you a package to Quito -- hopefully you'll get it soon. I plan on sending something to your homestay address, too.

Love you to South America and back!
Mom

on jenna..

so i dont understand blogs at all but i finally am able to see this blog thing Jenna! so right now we're in quito.. Jenna is at the hostile I'm at the internet. poor jenna is feeling sick, but she'll be ok it's a bug that's going around that basically we think is food poison......but you get better in a day or 2! so hang in there jenna! loves lottie!

Did you see the moon eclipse?

We saw it here. Despite the forecast for rain today, it was a beautiful day, and although the clouds started forming in the afternoon, we did get to see it here.


(Photos taken close to Karen's house...)

Here's a link for more info if you're interested ...

http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/LEmono/TLE2008Feb21/TLE2008Feb21.html

It was sunny all day in the Pacific Northwest

And yes, Jenna, it's true. There was a glorious blue sky, a high of 57. and the sun, OH THE SUN! Although it was never able to reach it's full summery height, it left marvelous shadows throughout the day from it's diagonal placement in the sky. And now, I write this blog to you as it sets over Lummi Island. The Sound is quiet, and you can assure Sarah that Madrona's were gleaming accross the bluffs of her property today.

I thought this was noteworthy, because the sun has hidden it's treasures from us for weeks now. I am running out of the leftover Vitamin D I had saved up from Africa.

It was my birthday on the 16th~! I am now 18 and can proudly sleep with whoever I'd like....
Anyways, I had an EPIC day for my birthday, filled with adventure, FOOD, and Indian things.

I also had the best Chinese food of my life yesterday. We went to Dim Sum in Vancouver and kicked it around China town. I am still dreaming of Lotus Buns.


I got an e-mail yesterday from Sarah's mom with a picture of you guys in Tena. I can't deny that it made my stomach lurch with an inkling of regret. To think, what could've been. It's exactly the mindset I was trapped in for a while at the begining of our Africa semester. Those three words "What Could've Been" are poison to my psyche.
But please don't think I am jealous!!! I am unbelievably excited for you. I'm not lying when I say I thought of you guys every day.

I won't post any pictures here, but if you go to my facebook and check under my albums "when in town" and "artsy/portraits" you'll be able to see what I've been up too. But guessing from the lengths of some of your posts here, I doubt you'll have time on the internet for much any other than reading blogs and sending out e-mails. Don't worry. I can share all of the happenings of my life to you when you come home, and you can gaze as me idly as you dream of a different continent! :P

Love You much Wata.

~Didingwe

Kassie Update X

JENNA JENNA JENNA
oh, jenna.
HOT DAMN POST TEN! WOOO!
Sorry I haven't posted in awhile! Not that you don't have other people keepin you company :) It's super weird seeing other peoples' posts! I love it but at the same time I'm like HEY MY TERRITORY STEP OFF. and AUGH NOW MORE PEOPLE ARE EXPOSED TO MY BUSINESS. haha. Naw it's awesome. I hope they're as entertained as you might be. ^_^

I was really excited to see your post Jenna dear! I love to to pieces MORE. You know what I'd do with the pieces I love so dearly? I'd THROW them up into the air like CONFETTI then I'd make a jennafetti angel in it. But then I'd have to clean it up and it would take FOREVER because I wouldn't want to use a vacuum.

Man oh man jenna so cool! "We had clasess, then we went EXPLORING." HOT DAMN. and then you got to PLAY IN MUD. AND LEARN TO STEP DANCE AUGH XD My kind of school, darlin. I'm so happy you're having an awesome time! And I would love to visit you!! :D

What classes are you taking this semester? I vant DETAILS, dahling, details.


Well things have gotten a lot better with Liz and Amanda. I think it was because the first week or so of school and we were getting back into the swing of having roomates and each other etc. There's not really any tension anymore. They still leave the lights on and have the TV loud haha but I just put in my headphones and cover my eye with my elbows. :)
That guy Efrain I told you I met--he and have become fast friends! He's really nice and still quiet. But I know how you make you silly shy people TALK. MUAH HA HA HA.
That Saturday he invited Amanda, Liz and I to a club on Tuesday. So on Tuesday we all went to the club. Club NV. haha. It was actually on Mardi Gras so we dressed in the appropriate Green, Gold and Purple :) It was loads of fun. I only had one creeper hit on me but I told him NO THANKS and then I'M WITH HIM (pointing to Efrain) and then he left me alone. Liz got hit on TONS. And Amanda a few times. Not my cup of tea haha.
AREN'T WE CUTE? purple, gold and green! go team! wooo :)
Napkin Nights is this company that takes pictures for clubs. "For all the nights when a napkin is all you have to write on." Catchy, huh?
It was more fun then I thought it'd be! At one point Liz and Amanda got carted away by drunken boys, ass-dancing, those poor ladies. That's when Efrain sidled his arm around my waist and asked if I would dance in front of him. I thought he meant ass-dancing so I ever so bluntly, kassie-style, said "No, I don't like to dance like that." I have to admit, his hand felt quite nice on my waist. But that was the end of that. Turned out he didn't mean ass-dancing....he just wanted to dance close.
At one point He did this really funny dance move where he pretends to be rowing in a boat, then suddenly it starts filling with water so he motions bucketing it out. You'd have to see it, it was really funny. He did silly stuff like that throughout the night. So I was thinking Points for Sillyness! woo!
That was about two weeks ago. And I've totally developed a crush on him! augh!
I saw him again that friday, at another party at The Egg, which was actually loads of fun. It was a mardi gras shindig thrown by one of the RA's in my dorm, Meka. She's cool. I was one of the only white people there! So out of my element haha. But it was fun. At some point in the night I was definitely the ONLY whitey there :P
Then that tuesday he and I went to Club NV again, it was the first time we'd hung out 1-on-one. And it was fun! I'm really myself with him, which is nice. With most people I feel I have to tone it down, which is LAME. So at this point I was sure I was interested in him but not so sure if he liked me.

Valentine's Day! Hot Damn! SF knows how to celebrate! check out this video I took with my cellie:

Every Valentines's Day SF has a PILLOW FIGHT down on the embarcadero! SO MUCH FUN. That white stuff on the ground? FEATHERS. haha! I didn't actually go in and fight. I wasn't interested in getting beaten because I knew I'd just get pissed off haha. I went with Liz, Amanda and her new friend Jose. Jose is super cool. He's from Mehico :P He had a super nice Canon Digital SLR with him, I was practically drooling. At one point he went into the fray to BATTLE and I was like I'LL HOLD YOUR CAMERA :D haha. I couldn't figure out (a) how to turn it off or (b) where the lens cap was SO I started taking pictures with it!!!! YAYERS. I forgot how much I missed a GOOD CAMERA. Adjusting the focus and all that jazz...it was too much fun. I got some good shots too. I need to give him my e-mail to he can send me them! eee!
At one point I went into the fray to get some different pictures. I got hit in the back of the head, the back, the face and Jose's camera got hit! haha. It was cool. I got a really fun shot of a guy falling, and then his friends WAILING on him. It was soooo funny!
After the pillowfight, we went to Naan and Curry and chatted for awhile. It was fun! After we went to his apt which is actually quite nice! a small kitchen, which connects to where the hallway is, to the center room with a door to the bedroom. Small but totally livable. The hallway has a tall & long closet with mirrored doors which is really nice. He's been there not even a month so it's not so furnished. But we hung out and chatted awhile more and it was fun. He decided to have a shindig at his place friday and for us to invite people. So I invited Efrain, his roomate Elect and my buddy Sebastian!
AND I MADE COOKIES!
White Chocolate Chip + Macadamia Nut happen to be Efrain's favorite...teehee. They were fun to make! I was quite popular in the dorm kitchen haha. I brought them to the party and everyone said they liked them :D Jose even asked to keep the extras ^_^ There were only three left out of about 3 dozen. I gave him two and kept one for myself :)
Elect (Efrain's roomate) is allergic to nuts! So I told him next time I'd make non-nut ones :)
So there was Jose, Amanda, Liz, Dennis, Efrain, Elect, Sebastian, Miranda, Myself, and two of Jose's friends (Josie and Mark?). At one point Amanda was kinda drunk and somehow invited Sam and Tracy, which was weird. Sam was cool, and we chatted like we'd seen eachother last weekend haha. Tracy though, I think he's obnoxious. But whatever. I drank water the whole night because I didn't want to walk home tipsy or anything.
Liz was kinda rude after Efrain and Elect left because they don't drink or smoke, and she was like "They were so boring, such downers! They didn't do anything." And that irritated me soooo much. They're just shy, geez.
I tried to be a bit more flirty with Efrain that night because I'd been pretty casual other times. He didn't seem to mind it, but wasn't exactly receptive or reciprocating. So that night and the next day I was totally bummed because I was sure he wasn't interested in me. I texted rachael when I got home (at *cough* 3am *cough*) (and of course she was awake) and was like RANT SOB RANT. Ok, so I wasn't devastated, but bummed. So she "talked me down" and yadda yadda.
Did I tell you she was dating Gunner? Yeah, they're an item. I checked the last post and it doesn't look like I told you. do you need some space to get over the slight shock?




Better? Sure? Alright awesome.
Anyway :)
So yesterday I was all bummed, convinced that Efrain wasn't interested in me. I don't think I've really told you about him...
Well, he's about 5'2"-5'3", really fit and lean, great smile that creases at the corners, brown-black eyes and a really great energy about him. He's super nice, chill, and sweet (from what I can tell). He's really laid back all the time but he lights up when he's dancing. It is. so. adorable. His pants cover his ass! haha :)
His main interests seem to be cars and dancing, haha. His major is Industrial Design with a focus on automobiles. He's from Miami (haha another Florida boy!), Puerto Rican. He prefers pie over cake, dogs over cats (not sure how he feels about pugs), coffee over tea, the beach over a pool. He's never, ever, seen SNOW. I'm geekier than he is, haha!
I'm trying not to get too excited or like him too much yet (and failing, c'mon, it's me ;P) because the skeptic in me is like "Honey, you're just setting yourself up for disappointment." and the romantic in me is saying "But what if it's MEANT TO BE?!" and the optimist in me says "Hopefully it'll turn out well :)" and then the realist finalizes "If it's meant to be, it will be." It's all very confusing :P
And yet.
Last night, at like 9:20ish, he called to invite me to a movie!
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Now that I've regained some composure, maybe I can tell you about it. har dee har har
(Is this post long enough, is it? HUH?)
He told me on friday that he had loads of hw to do for a class the next morning at 8:30, and he hadn't even started it. The boy didn't leave until 2am! Silly. So on the phone I asked him how his homework went and he was like, "I didn't end up doing it. There just wasn't enough time. I slept and skipped the class to finish the hw. Which I normally never do, I'm kinda a goody-too-shoes when it comes to school." and so I joked, "Ah, I'm a bad influence on ya then, huh?" and he laughed, "No, no, I had a good time last night." And I was more excited than I should've been haha.
So we ended up seeing Jumper, which was ok. Not the best, not the worst. He paid! Which was nice. I thanked him, and he said, "No problem, consider it a late Valentine's Day present." And I laughed and said, "Thanks, but Miranda was already my valentine so you missed out on that." and he laughed. I'm such a stinker :P

On another note,
School is goin alright, I need to apply myself which I seem incapable of haha.
I'm making some friends, kinda. There are girls in the dorm I chat with alot, like Mandy. She's super cool. And this girl Emily in my illustration class is really cool. mhm. :)
MY LITTLE SISTER IS TWELVE. AUGH. Crazy, crazy, crazy.

Well I SHOULD go do homework. haha :\

LOVE YOU LIKE A FAT KID LOVES CAKE! HOLLA! <3
And on a ending note, watch this video!!!
http://cache.valleywag.com/assets/resources/screenclean.swf

Liz thought it was "gross" because she's DUMB. haha. People just don't appreciate pugs like they ought to :)
love you TO PIECES more than you love me TO PIECES. HA!
^_^

--kassie

Valentine's Day

HAPPY ONE-DAY-LATE VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

yeah i know its a day late but i figured i'd say it anyways.

i mailed u a letter yesterday! yay!

i miss u!

Africa photos from Nikon?

Hey, sent you email, but not sure you can read it. In any case, when I looked at the Africa folder in the various 10xNikon folders, there weren't any files/photos. Do you know where you copied them? Don't delete from the card(s) you have with you, if the photos are still on the card(s).

Love you!
Mom

Happy Valentine's Day!

Well, at least this holiday away from home is only a "Hallmark holiday". :-) I hope you're having a great day!

Love you!
Mom

MY LOVE

Jenna! My love, I hope your first two weeks/ orientation is going alright.

I want to know everything. How is the new teacher? Have you seen Dawn yet? Are the girls nice to you? Are you playing nice with the other girls? Do you just love South America? Because I am still so very jealous. (Regular school is quite lame and absurdly unproductive.)

I am reading Canterbury Tales right now, I thought you would like to know.
Mid-evil times writing is so funny.
One of the stories these men fall in love and get all flowery and gushy the second they see just a glimpse of this women's body.

I also read Huckleberry Finn in English class, it wasn't as fun to read as I had hoped, but I liked how there was a lot of fun little underlying themes and that author Mark Twain I find to be an interesting character.

You are about the only person I know who I thought might want to hear about the books I've read, and that's about the only thing I can think of possibly telling you that's worth my time right now.

Have you started reading any good books? I loved all the books I was able to read at The Traveling School, but since your transportation is different in South America the story may be a bit different.

I MISS YOU!

Plain and simple, please reply with any and all possible details you may have.

I would love to hear about all your adventures and live vicariously through you.

That's always fun.

I hope you're having fun!

Tell me anything and everything when you're done with your two weeks of fun and exciting orientation!

YAY I FIGURED OUT THE BLOG!!! WOOO!!!

Yes, you read the title correctly. I figured it out! YAY! hehe. Now I don't feel so stupid. :) Alllllllllllllllllllrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhtttttttttt!

I still can't believe you're in South America (so cool!). I'm majorly jealous. Bellevue is boring as usual. The weather is crap (of course), gray & rainy the usual. And Tolo was this past Saturday & WOW it was SO BAD! It was kinda fun at the end for like 30 mins when basically everybody was gone & there was just a few of us going crazy. They played techno the whole time & nobody knows how to dance to techno (they just wanna grind on eachother) so like everybody left. It was kinda funny actually. So it wasn't that great, but it was only 5 bucks so that's ok. Mid-winter break is next week! YAYYYYYYYYYY!!! I'm pumped. I'm going to Whistler :) so we'll both be outta the country! (Canada & Ecuador... u still win). I MISS U TONS ALREADY!!!

Soooo I think you're still on that 2 week "get to know the girls" part of the trip. That's cool. I bet the girls are great. And that's really cool how you have the same teachers basically. They sound really fun.

My teacher Mr. Becker had a baby! Well his wife did. :) He's my history teacher. I think I told you about him. But yeah, he came back today & everybody was extreeeeemely happy b/c our sub was EVIL! Sooo, I'm glad he's back at school again.

Ummmm, what else has happened.... OMGSH Olivia landed w/ her legs locked in gymnastics like a week ago & she fractured her tibia & tore her ACL (:O). So she had surgery today!! :( She's lying in bed right now, me & Carissa brought her a cake to make her feel better. But she's ok, just on some pain meds (a little groggy hehe).

Aaaaaaaaaaaaand.... Valentine's Day is on Thursday! & yes i am still sending you a valentine! I'm gonna send it either tonight or tomarrow :). I can't wait for you to get it. You'll love it hehe.

Tennis starts on the 25th (next next monday) & it's gonna be borrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiinnngggg w/out you! I'll say "hi!" to Coach O for you. I'm sure he'll miss his lefty :).

Ok, my mom is bugging me about her having to use the computer for something important soo I guess I'm gonna have to stop. Lame. But I'll update again soon. I MISS YOU TONS!!!! Can't wait till you can use the internet & write about your trip so far! I bet it's amazing! HAVE THE BEST TIME EVER!!!

<3 Kenzie

ORIENTATION

JENNA!!!

How goes it? You've survived the worst of it, I promise! (: Are you hot and sticky and covered in bug bites? If your not-lucky!!

How are classes? How are the girls? How is Cara? Who's your mentor? What's going on? What's next!! I'm just brimming with questions as you can see. (: I expect a full report.

I'm sure you can imagine things are not at all exciting around here. I'm just now recovering from a very icky flu that kept me inside all weekend and am very grateful that the snow day we're having(this is like, our fifth one, we have gotten so many snow days this year-craziness), and then this weekend I get to have surgery on my leg, over midwinter break. Woohoo! You know, when I actually look at it, it looks pretty bad huh? I'm not that bugged over it. I could tell you all the gory/interesting details about my surgery but something tells me you don't really want to hear it. 

Keep seizing the day over there and keeping this blog thing updated and making friends and all that jazz. I'll come out and visit you this summer even if I'm in a freaking wheelchair! (:

-Christine

Tee hee!