Keys on Main with Kat

I had a great birthday yesterday! I started the day by attending City Choir practice, where Emery had the choir sing "Happy Birthday" to me. We came home and Brian helped me make Puffed-Up Stuff (aka. German Pancake). I spent the afternoon playing on my computer, singing, buying music online, IMing friends, talking on the phone with good friends and family, and relaxing.

At about 8:30 pm I turned 31 years old! My friends and I then headed for Keys on Main, a dueling piano bar downtown. We had a lot of fun talking, laughing, eating, singing, and dancing. I got to go up on stage and dance for my birthday. I made Emery come up with me after about a minute, and there was some scandalous dancing then. ;) Later we got Sharon up on the stage too, since she is celebrating her last weekend of being single. When the piano players managed to play a few songs without swearing and dirty humor (the down side of the show), it was a great time! I think my favorite parts were the competitions between different sides of the room to see who could sing along the loudest and singing "Bohemian Rhapsody" at the top of my lungs with the piano players and the crowd. I actually know every single word of that song. Ha!

Present at the club last night were Katie (me), Emery, Michael, Kristine, Adam, Brian, Lee, Dennis, Sarah, Jeff, Sharon, and Jeff (Sharon's brother). I have good friends. :)

Along with yesterday's birthday festivities, I have also gotten some fun gifts from family and friends: chocolate (always a good thing), an Anne Taylor gift card (yes!), a card (funny!), a letter K wall hanging (cute!), a chair for my room (so great), and more chocolate (always a very good thing). Did I miss anything? Oh yes - my present to myself was a bunch of sheet music: some of my favorite Broadway shows and jazz standards.

So, a great birthday. I get to stretch it out for one more week, too! When my mom gets back from helping my sister with her new baby, we will celebrate together. And I am still looking forward to hanging out with my brother. And I think I need to blow out some candles at some point. I have already had several wishes come true even without that much-anticipated birthday wish, but a girl needs all the wishes she can get. :)

Thanks to everyone who wished me, "Happy birthday," and made me feel loved on my birthday!

How Many People Does it Take to Fly a Dog to Germany?

Answer: 20

2 women must walk the dog, drive her to the cargo area at the airport, and fill out paperwork.
1 man must unload the kennel from the car.
1 man must weigh the dog and the kennel.
1 man must be in charge of getting paperwork signed and entering information into the computer.
1 man must look over the computer man's shoulder to make sure he is doing things correctly, and of course confuse him with every comment he makes.
1 man must stand and pleasantly smile, every now and then chiming in with comments like, "Haven't you been here before?" and "You look very familiar." and "How many countries has this dog been to?"
1 man must know the computer codes and the airfare.
1 man must explain how to enter the codes and calculate the airfare on the computer.
1 man must roll his eyes and actually enter the codes when the others can't figure it out, then promptly leave the room again.
1 man must attempt to get the computer to say the correct airfare when it suddenly changes on the screen, since the check has already been written.
1 man must ask questions about professional basketball, since the topic of why the dog has flown all over the world has come up.
1 man must make photo copies of the paperwork.
1 man must confuse the man trying to make copies of the paperwork by referring to the paperwork by the wrong names. Said man must then stuff the paperwork into the correct baskets and envelopes.
6 men and women must pet, fawn over, laugh at, and adore the dog until she is loaded into her kennel and ready to go.

So, the Grand Total: 20

And that's not even counting the preparation involved before arriving at the airport: vet appointments, Department of Agriculture documentation, German paperwork, dog sitting, etc. Nor does it include transfers and layovers en route to Germany and customs and pick-up in Germany!

So, the New Grand Total: A LOT!

As you can tell, Emery and I had fun last night on our adventure dropping off my sister's dog, Harley, at the airport for her trip to Germany, where my sister and her family will be living for the next 10 months. We then spent another hour waiting for Emery's friend to arrive from Lithuania. The friend never did arrive, which was actually no surprise at all. (If you knew her, you wouldn't be surprised either.)

By the time we got back from the airport, my mom was due to arrive from from LA. She stayed in Utah for the night and brought me a birthday present: a new chair for my half-empty bedroom! Yay! Today she continued her drive to Idaho where my older sister just had her fourth baby girl, Jacey, early this afternoon. My mom said baby and mother are doing well. The baby "is perfect" and has her daddy's nose, as do all her sisters.

The Birthday Is Coming!

My birthday is in 5 days! I've been so caught up in everything else going on, I haven't gotten all excited about my birthday yet. It's high-time I did. So, my new background is to help get the party started! I like it. It is very girlie, it has green, and it has glitter. Perfect. Happy birthday to me!

Why Is The Sky Blue

There is a must-read website for those of you who would like to have scientific explanations for all those questions that are plaguing you. Questions like:
Why is the sky blue?
Why does the moon sometimes look bigger and othertimes look smaller?
What is the meaning of life?
Why do birds suddenly appear?
And, most importantly: When a cat is dropped it always lands on its feet. When buttered toast is dropped it always lands with the buttered side facing down. What would happen if a piece of buttered toast was attached to the back of a cat and the cat/buttered toast combination was dropped?
The answers to these important questions, and many more, can be found at Why Is The Sky Blue. Check it out. You won't be disappointed.

Laughter Is the Best Medicine

I am lying here in my bed where I have been for the last two days. My back is in extreme pain and my heart is broken. So, how is it possible that I have a smile on my face and hope in the future? Once again, I am amazed at how loving and generous my Heavenly Father is. He has opened my eyes to the outpouring of blessings in my life. Perhaps that is why I go through times like this at all. I am forced to lie here - since I literally can't stand up - and think. And when I am forced to think, I go through the Katie cycle of emotions: fear, anger, confusion, frustration, despair, panic, resolve, determination, action, let-down, sadness. And then, when the whirlwind is finally over: peace, happiness, hope, and gratitude.

When I reached my gratitude phase today, I counted my blessings. Here is my list of things that made me laugh and smile the last few days, even as I lay flat on my stomach with an aching back and an aching heart:

• Being able to roll over
• Being able to brush my teeth
• Putting on clean clothes
• A ceiling fan
• Texting
• Sleep
• My retainers
  
• Windows
• Listening for approaching cars
• Putting on makeup
• Uncrustable sandwiches from my mom
• My iPhone
• Music on my iPhone
• Cheesy LDS boy bands
• The white purse my mom bought me
• Still not wanting to do homework, even though I am totally bored
  
• Facebook messages from friends
• Being able to laugh at the chirping fire alarm in my room when it wakes me up at 3:00 am
• A nice, big, tall, comfy bed
• An email titled "My favorite Katie!"
• My 74-year-old bishop who picked me up to try to pop my back
• A bishop who trusts my judgment
• A bishop who tells me I can stay in the ward as long as I want to
• A bishopric member who hugs me and kisses me on the head repeatedly
• A bishopric member who asks me if "That Dutchman" is still following my roommate around
• Smiling at the pork and sour kraut my mom bought me, I made, and my roommate heated up for me, even though I'm eating it lying on my tummy in my bedroom when I'd really rather be salsa dancing with all my friends
• Laughing out loud at the Milli Vanilli lyrics stuck in my head
• Wondering why that Milli Vanilli song isn't on iTunes, and laughing out loud again at the fact that I actually searched for it
• Crawling down the hall with the sweat pants I tried to put on but couldn't wrapped around my neck, hoping the neighbor isn't watching me through his windows, then realizing how ridiculous I look and collapsing in fits of laughter right in front of the neighbor's open window
• Laughing instead of crying when I can't lift my legs back onto my bed
• Emery taking care of me
• Visitors
• Dennis and Sarah coming to visit with lunch and music
• Brittney coming to visit the next day with my niece Ellie and lunch
• Ellie's sense of humor: For example, today she was speaking with her bink in her mouth, so her words sounded like total jibberish. We told her to take her bink out so we could understand what she was saying. She obediently took it out of her mouth and repeated what she had said, which was in fact total jibberish! I know you had to be there, but we all laughed and laughed.
  
• Ellie spreading noodles on my phone cover, dropping crumbs in my bed, spreading mac & cheese all over her face, and putting mac & cheese into my checkbook
  
• Ellie pretending to call "Aunt Kat" on Mommy's cell phone
• Ellie actually managing to send Aunt Kat a text on Mommy's cell phone
• A friend who will make your bed for you when the sheets are all crumby and torn out from an "almost 2"-year-old's visit
• Realizing your niece left a container of butter on your windowsill
• Friends and family
• Derrick keeping me company
• The courage to say how I feel
  
• Answers to prayers, big and small
• Priesthood blessings
• Faith
• Trust
• Knowing where I stand, even when it hurts

I'm Walkin', Baby

Tonight is a beautiful night! I feel so happy. I'm still coughing like crazy, I still have a sore back, and what has been consuming all my thoughts, energy, and emotions lately seems not to be going the way I want it to. But, I am so blessed. I had a wonderful day with my mom, sister, brother, and niece. The sky tonight is clear and blue and clean from the rain storm. The air is crisp and refreshing. I went for a walk and had a bounce in my step and a smile on my face despite, or maybe in spite of, the fact that nothing seems to be turning out the way my heart wants it to. Here's why: I know I am loved. I know there is something in store for me far better than I could ever plan for myself. I know the heavens watch over me. I know I am a good person. I know I have spunk and fire, sensitivity and charity. I know exactly who I am. I am hopeful and I am happy. So, come what may. Things may turn out as I want them to after some time passes, or they may not. Either way, I am happy because I choose to be. I am happy because I want to be. I am happy because my Heavenly Father and His Son support me in every step I take. I am happy because I know exactly who I am.