kapachino

Author: Kathleen

  • In Which I Place Myself In A Silly Situation

    So, on Saturday I took my car in to get the oil changed, and also to have them check out a certain noise that I have noticed for awhile–“noticed” being an understatement due to the fact that the “noise” is a horrid squeal that occurs every time I turn on the engine, akin to the sound of a cat being tortured. Isn’t it so true that whenever you take your car in to the shop for something small, there seems to be something big that needs to be fixed? Like the times I went to get my oil changed and it turned out that I was basically going to get in a horrible wreck and die if I didn’t replace all of the brake pads and rotors/get all new tires/etc. ASAP.

    Boyfriend David took his car in to get the oil changed on Saturday also, and was informed that due to a design flaw in his cute little VW Jetta, the oil cap would not be able to be removed without “stripping the thread” (whenever I hear car-talk like this I just nod and pretend to understand) and that therefore the whole oil pan would have to be replaced to the tune of $1300. But the thing is that he’s already been through this once and shelled out the money, and who’s to say it won’t happen again? So now he’s faced with the dilemma of whether to fix it or get a new car, and if he decides to get a new one, what to get.

    Thankfully, I did not receive such devastating news about my car. However, it does need a whole new set of belts. I’m not exactly sure what belts do on a car or why they need them, but if it will abolish the screeching noise, I am all for a new set of them. I am tired of the shocked/worried/annoyed/evil looks I get from passers-by whenever I start up my car in the parking lot.

    So this morning I dropped my car off at the little auto shop that I have been going to ever since I could drive which is right outside my parents’ neighborhood. It’s not exactly convenient anymore, but they know me there by face, name, and car, and that is a beautiful thing. After leaving my car there, I walked to my parents’ house to hang out until it was ready. After awhile I realized that it was actually quite hot. But instead of turning the A/C down like any normal person would have done, I decided that it would be a better idea to just take off my pants. I think the decision was made because there was an itch on the back of my leg, and taking off my pants would not only enable me to scratch it more effectively, it would cool me down as well.

    So there I am, sitting on the recliner browsing the internet and watching The Ellen Show in a state less-than-presentable, when I hear the door open and in pops my dad. Since my car wasn’t out front he was confused when he saw the TV on in the first place, and was very surprised to see me. I’m sure especially when the first thing he got to hear from me was a very upbeat, “Hi Dad! I don’t have on any pants!” After he recovered from his heart attack and I clothed myself, we had a nice little chat after which he returned to work. But now my leg is starting to itch again.

  • Ahhhh…

    I finished my last final this morning. I celebrated this evening by eating almost a whole tub of chicken fried rice and a pint of ice cream while I watched the DVRed episodes of Gilmore Girls and House. It was glorious.

    I have two weeks with no school, but I already have 11 things on my “To Do Over The Break” list, not to mention the fact that I agreed to work almost every day I can. Ah, well.

  • Weekend Trip to Lubbock

    Well, it was a quick trip but I’d say it was definitely worth it.

    We left at 6 a.m. on Saturday morning. I was sitting in the back seat. I pretty much slept for the first few hours. I meant to only sleep until it got light enough outside to study, but it’s just very hard for me to stay awake in the car. Eventually I got my textbook out and started to read. Then after a short while of that, I began to have a strange sensation that can only be described as car-sickness. I was in denial at first, but when my mom finally insisted that I take the front seat I did not say no. Shotgun was mine for the rest of the weekend! At one point we were listening to some talk radio. Here is a snippet of a conversation that ensued between us:

    Dad: I know how to take care of those suicide bombers. It’s an excellent idea, but I don’t think they’ll listen to me. Just have everyone walk around in bathing suits. Then if you see someone with a raincoat on, you pretty much know there’s a bomb in there.

    Me: Well not everyone wants to walk around in bathing suits.

    Dad: Not everyone wants to be DEAD, either. I’m telling you, it would work.

    Mom (piping up from the back seat): In a few years you’d see a dramatic rise in the instances of skin cancer.

    Dad: Well you’d just have to teach everyone to use sunscreen. Listen, I KNOW it’s a good idea.

    My parents are pretty great.

    Right outside of Lubbock there is the Llano Estacado Winery, which is the second-oldest in Texas and supposedly one of the best. We stopped there in order for my mom to pick up some of her favorite wine, and we went ahead and took the tour, along with its complementary taste-testing. I tried a bunch of different kinds, and I can still say with certainty that I CANNOT STAND WINE. I’m not even going to pretend. Anyway, Barry and a few of his friends met us there:

    Then we headed to Lin’s Asian Buffet, which also happened to serve Mexican food and steaks. The place was kind of ridiculously over-the-top with its decorations, but in a funny way.

    Mom and Barry at the buffet:

    Dad and me:

    Next stop was to check in at the good ole Rodeway Inn that we always stay at, and then head to Barry’s house. I took some pictures there, but you really don’t want to see them. Most of them I took just to show Boyfriend that his place really isn’t that messy after all.

    Me on the couch:

    Ewok, Barry’s stuffed animal from when he was a kid. I walked into his room, saw him on the bed, and squealed with delight. There are many fond memories of Ewok. I asked Barry if he sleeps with him, and he said, “He’s around.”

    We hung out there until it was time to go to the play. Unfortunately, no pictures of the performance because it would have been illegal to take any, and I am a law-abiding citizen. We went straight back to the motel afterwards, and sleep soon overtook us all.

    The next morning we met Barry at 9 a.m. for our regular meal at Denny’s. I stuffed my little belly because I had an inkling that we wouldn’t be stopping for food on the way home. Here we are:

    The drive home consisted of me, once again, sleeping a lot more than I had planned. It also did involve me studying quite a bit. And I viewed some scenery:

    Yeah it’s not really interesting except those windmills in the background are kind of cool in real life. Anyway, the only thing out of the ordinary that happened on the way home was that we stopped to pick up a couple a little older than my parents who were stranded on the side of the road. We ended up taking them home, about a half hour out of our way, but it was really no big deal. They were nice, and they gave us some frozen meat to thank us.

    So that was my weekend. How was yours?

  • What The Coming Week Holds For Me

    I can see the light…at this time next week I will be finished with my second semester of nursing school, one that has been quite difficult.

    Today I am studying for my pathophysiology exam. I also got a bunch of other stuff done, like filling out my FAFSA and my tax amendment form. By the way, ladies and gentlemen, do yourself a favor and remember to make copies of all the forms you send in to the IRS. I have done so every year except this year, and this is the year that I found an additional W-2 after I had already sent my forms in. I was quite annoyed with myself.

    Tomorrow I will take the patho exam and go in for a bird flu vaccination check-up. I am also going with my boyfriend David to finally meet his best friend. (Interesting side-note: his best friend’s name is Barry. My other brother’s name is Barry. David has a brother named Chris. My dad’s name is Chris. Weird.)

    Saturday I am actually foregoing the chance to see Anne Lamott speak and Carmen is taking my ticket. I am saddened, but instead, I am traveling with my parents to the wonderful city of Lubbock, TX to see my brother Barry perform in the spring play, To Kill A Mockingbird. (Second interesting side-note: They have a black guy playing the role of Atticus Finch. Kind of changes the whole dynamic, don’t you think?) I have seen all of Barry’s college plays and I don’t want to ruin the tradition. Also, I don’t get to see him much and I jump at the chance. Plus, with all that time in the car, I think I will get a lot more studying done than if I stayed home.

    Next week I have three finals: Monday – Gerontolgy; Tuesday – Pharmacology; Thursday – Adult Healthcare II. The last one is the most important and the one that I am actually nervous about.

    One year from now I will practically be an RN. That’s so crazy.

  • The Nickel Creek Concert: One Less Thing To Do Before I Die

    I will admit, I haven’t been to a ton of concerts in my life, but I’ve been to some. And seeing Nickel Creek live last Friday, something that I have been wanting to do for years, was the best live music experience I have ever had in the quarter century that I have walked this earth.

    First of all, the band graciously requested a no-smoking policy at the club they performed in. That was wonderful. And thanks to some friends of mine who got there REALLY early and let us stand in line with them, we got to stand on the FRONT ROW. Which, as Lauren said, is the only way that counts. This band is raw talent. And they’re funny and personable, and my own age. I sincerely wish that this wasn’t their last tour.

    Here is a picture to prove to you how close I was:

    Here is the set list (the photo is upside-down to increase readability):

     You can see the rest of my pictures here.

    The only bad thing about the whole night was that we had to stay on our feet for six hours straight, and there was a LOT of waiting beforehand. This was not in the least bit pleasant, but it was worth it if only for the moment when they went off set list for the very last song and played “The Lighthouse’s Tale” instead of “When You Come Back Down” due to crowd request, after which ensued the most amazing crescendo of awesomeness that I forgot to close my mouth for longer than is socially acceptable. I have found myself wishing to be back in that moment many times since then.

    So yeah, it was a pretty good concert.