Blogging reflection...

At the beginning of the semester, I wasn't exactly sure what to think about the blogging situation. It sounded really cool, but since I wasn't very familiar with Blogspot in general, I wasn't sure how you were going to be able to read all of our blogs every 4 days or so. The roll-call and linking situation made that possible though! :) I really enjoyed doing our homework on the computer, rather than on paper. I mean, I like to write on paper too, but this way has made it easier for me not to lose my homework, spill something on it, etc.

When I went back to read through all the old blogs, I could tell that my writing, as well as concept of how the blogging worked, had improved a lot. I'm thankful to have had the opportunity to do some fun things like this during this semester of Writ. Typical English classes aren't usually very exciting, just straight to the point...and I'm glad we switched that up a bit.

My favorite blog post would have to be my post about Law & Order. I mean, it wasn't really that exciting, but it was nice to be able to do an opinionated topic. I'm addicted to the show, so it was fun to write about. It's always nice to write about something you already know pretty well.

I used to have an Xanga back in 7th, 8th, and 9th grade. It's another type of blog that all of my friends and I used back in Texas. I still have the account, and it's kind of cool to look back on everything I wrote at the time. Needless to say, I thought I was the shit...since I was a middle schooler, but it's funny how your perceptions change as you get older. I think I'll keep this account, so that in a few years I can look back on the things I wrote about my freshman year of college. Molly, the blogging has been fun. Thanks for a different experience other than pen and paper.

Griz Nation!

After browsing the list of topics I could write about, I decided to ramble about what it's like to go to the football games during season.

Let's see. At first I didn't know what to expect when I went to my first Griz game. I've grown up watching football my whole life... on TV, during high school, and one time attended a Dallas Cowboys game at the old stadium. In high school, I knew most of the players, so it was always fun to cheer for your friends. As a freshman, it was a little overwhelming being around drunk fans, while watching players you don't know yet. I went to a fair share of games, and I joined in on the touchdown chants, etc. You meet a lot of people at games, although sometimes the alcohol causes you to not remember the names of the people you met the day before. Awful.

The first game I went to was super hot, and I had a hard time not getting burnt on just one side of my face...yet as the weeks progressed it chilled up a bit, and being from Texas, it was hard to bare the cold. Therefore, that's when the alcohol came in handy...instant belly warmer. Joking, half-heartedly.

Um, overall the Griz games are definitely worth it, but I feel really bad for the people who have to clean up the stadium...ew.

It's kind of a "you love it or you hate it" series...

So there are a few shows I've religiously watched every week since I was introduced to them: Entourage, Laguna Beach, The Hills, The Office, etc -- but there's one show that comes above all the rest. Law & Order has been a favorite show of mine ever since I started watching it 3 years ago.

Some people prefer CSI or whatever, but I like to think that Law & Order has a more realistic touch to it. I mean really, I watch CSI when there's nothing else on, but they'll find a tiny piece of glass in a 6,000 sq foot church within five minutes. I guarantee that doesn't happen very often in real life. I know it all has to be crammed into an hour, but...

Alot of people say it's boring, but I've learned a lot about law just from watching the show! I'm in no shape to be a lawyer or anything, but I've gained knowledge of small things that come along with the profession.

I know a lot of people who love it but more people who hate it. They'd rather be watching South Park or a funny comedic show like that...which I understand, because I enjoy those every now and then, but I couldn't watch them everyday. I can only take so much of repulsive humor.

Too good to last...

Needless to say, I'm a little bummed that this past week flew by so fast. The school weeks drag on and on, but relaxation weeks seem to disappear fairly quick. Over the break, I spent a lot of the time w/ my family, as well as friends that I don't get to spend everyday with. The weather was pretty nice for the most part, so I tried to spend a lot of the time outside. My week wasn't too thrilling, but anything is better than sitting in the dorms day on end. It was nice to catch up with the fam for more than a weekend, but at the same time I missed being in Missoula on the weekends. School...not so much. This last month is going to be a long one I'm pretty sure.

Instead of actually going somewhere fun this break, due to expenses and unemployment, my friends and I brainstormed places to go next spring break once we're all situated in houses outside of the dorms. We were thinking Mexico? Not so much the inner city, where people seem to get killed often now a days, but like a resort (all-inclusive) or something along those lines. All I can say is, better start making some money. Hope everyone had a great break, and lets make the best of this last month!

SITES!

http://www.climatecrisis.net/an-inconvenient-truth.php

This site talks about Al Gore's views about Global Warming. It had a lot of valuable information towards my paper, and it really helped me out a lot.

http://www.csgnetwork.com/worldpopcalc.html

This site estimated the amount of people in our world at the specific time and date.

http://www.bagheera.com/inthewild/van_anim_turtle.htm

Bagheera is a website that comments on different endangered species. The Leatherback Sea Turtle is one of the many animals who are endangered.

http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/polarbear/polarbear.html

This site is about the polar bear, and how its endangerment is becoming crucial. My paper talks a lot about the demand for protection of these animals, etc.

Sustainability!

I was thinking about topics to write about for our next paper, and at first nothing came to mind. Then I started thinking about our discussion on Monday, where we talked about Vegans and their lifestyles. I think I'm going to write my paper on Animal Testing, and how I personally don't think it's right. Although I'm not a vegan nor a vegetarian, testing animals for products just doesn't seem right to me.

To eat or not to eat?

So, I realize this post is supposed to be about food, but I'm going to focus on the opposite of just that...lack of food. All in all, it ties together!

Anorexia Nervosa, aka... Anorexia is an eating disorder that deals with out-of-control dieting. Not only does it deal with dieting, but it also is formed psychologically. Eventually it becomes an addiction or an obsession that is hard to break. (www.revolutionhealth.com)

Whenever I see ads on anorexia, I get a weird feeling in my stomach, because being emaciated and underweight went out of style a while ago. Maintaining body weight and exercising are probably better routes to take when worried about your figure. Not only does the sight of seeing people starve make me uneasy, but I like food a lot...so I don't see how people don't eat. I guess once your body gets used to it, it's easier...but dang.

Also I read that anorexia symptoms are usually seen in girls who are already underweight or within range of their BMI's. That seems crazy to me how two people can look at the same thing and see something totally different. While girls obsess over being super thin, other people look at them and think they're crazy for thinking they need to harm their bodies. (www.familydoctor.org)

Bullet in the Brain

After reading this short story of Bullet in the Brain, I came up with a few ideas of what the story is insinuating...or atleast what I think it means. I guess we can start off by saying that the story did interest me. I really liked the layout of the story and also how at the beginning, there seemed to be an issue with the tellers, but little did they know that there would be bigger problems soon after.
Bullet in the Brain gave me mixed messages, but the one message I think the story was trying to serve, was that there's more to life than the bigger things. He seemed to not be able to remember signnificant, big events that happened in his life...but he seemed to be able to recall the small things so easily. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems like Anders remembered little things about his younger days, that maybe didn't strike his mind until he saw his life flash before his eyes.

TEN AGAIN!

I remember it like it was yesterday. I always begged my mom to let me go back to work with her after she picked me up from school everyday. Sometimes it was no, but most of the time I begged and begged until she had to say yes. There I was, hanging out in her office...playing with random objects like staplers and paperclips. I would sometimes pretend to be my mom, paper-clipping and stapling every scrap piece of paper I could find. Since I'd been doing that since I was seven-ish, I decided to venture on to bigger and better things. Over the years I'd developed friendships with most of the staff, including the pharmacists, the janitor, and the ladies who always had to prick my finger to draw blood everytime I got sick. The janitor/delivery man was pretty cool though. I'd hang out with him while he vaccuumed the halls, as well as when he took out the trash. The highlight of my day was running around to find him, and when he was gone making deliveries, I waited impatiently for him to get back. Well, that night while my mom was shutting down her computer and what not, I walked the hallways with him...running ahead of the vaccuum while he chased me. I'd laugh uncontrollably, sometimes needing to stop to catch my breath. As I did so, I reached in my pocket and found a rack of staples that I put there for later entertainment. At that age, you basically put the most random things in your mouth. With that being said, I put the half-rack of staples in my mouth and caught up to the vaccuum for round two of our game of cat and mouse. I was running pretty fast and then slowed down a bit, when all of a sudden the vaccuum accidentally clipped the back of my ankle, which startled me...so I inhaled a large gasp of air, as well as the staples that lodged in my throat. Needless to say, I could barely breathe, but I had just enough airway for me to run to my mom and signal for help. My face was slightly turning purple as she hauled me to the ER. At the time, it felt like I was dying, literally. I rushed into the waiting room with my mom, and they immediately took me to a room where a lot of scary utensils were. Quickly they had me take an x-ray, while I was still trying to breathe as much as possible. They put a grabber-sort-of-thing down my throat to try and retrieve the staples. It hurt, but it was better than eventually not breathing. They had to try it several times before finally they were removed. This was a day I'd never forget. My mom and I talk about it all the time, but it's nothing something I'd want to relive if I had the chance.

Enneagram Results!

After taking the Enneagram test, I was informed that I was a 9 on the chart -- 9 meaning I'm calm, laid back, and optimistic. It also says that I'm able to see different point of views in situations.

Yahtzee! I agree with the scoring that I recieved, mainly because I really do see two sides to most stories, both of which usually make sense in some way. Also, I believe I'm very optimistic and do believe that there is good in everyone as well as every situation...even though sometimes I'm proven wrong. Still, I like to think that way. Although I am laid-back, sometimes I can get worked up about things. It really just depends on the situation. I don't bother caring about little things, but if there's something I strongly believe in, I'll express myself in some way.

Under the "behavioral motivation types" my top percentage was calm-ness, followed by adventurousness. I am very out-going in certain scenarios, but shy in others. I do find fun in being spontaneous, because always being predictable and routine just seems boring to me. Adventurousness was followed by perfectionism as my next highest percentage. Um, I half-heartedly agree with this. I like to perfect school work as well as keep a clean room...stuff of that sort, but there are inner qualities, as well as outer qualities that I believe are far from perfect. As much as I work on them, I believe imperfections are what make people beautiful, strange as that may seem to all of you. I'm not saying I like when people are unkind, because I don't, but there are little quirks about people that make them their own person.

Overall, this test seemed pretty accurate. Kudos to that!

:] about me.

Well hello. I'm Katie. I was born and raised in Texas, where I spent the first sixteen years of my life. Needless to say, I was drug across the country to the small town of Laurel, Montana during my sophomore year of high school. Some of you are probably wondering why I ended up here instead of somewhere else, but it all started when my dad passed away when I was nine. Ever since then, it had just been me and my mom, and she finally found someone that made her just as happy as my dad once did. I think everyone has a lot of love to give to the right person, and therefore, not moving away would have just been selfish of me. Leaving home was one of the hardest things I'd ever done, but now I wouldn't change it for the world. Montana is beautiful, and I'm thankful for the three short years I've spent here so far. They say you never forget where you came from, but I'm glad I got the opportunity to see other places as well. I've made many close friends, while still keeping in touch with the ones far away.

So anyway, enough about the home life. During high school, I wasn't really into sports. I spent a good chunk of my life dancing, but not anymore. I don't partake in snow sports either, just because I don't necessarily like the snow...or at least walking/driving in it. Unlike most people here in Montana, I don't like extremely cold weather... probably just because I wasn't exposed to it as a kid. During my free time though, I do enjoy swimming, playing frisbee, four-wheeling, running, and camping. (mainly things that involve warm weather)

The other nine months are spent focusing on school. As of late, I'm a print journalism major, but I'm not sure if I'll stick with that after all. History and English are my favorite subjects, yet I'm relatively good at math. I can't say the same about science though. It's never been easy for me, so I just try and steer clear of it at all costs. :] Welp, that's about all I have. I think the whole blogging thing is different, but I like it so far. I mean, it's our first post, so my mind could change by the end of the semester...yet I'm hoping not! Farewell.