We've All Got Our Junk

Doesn't everyone have a junk email account?

I do.  It's actually my first (non-aol) email address, and I use it for anything that I have to sign up for. Contests, registrations, ordering stuff online, etc. But it's not ALL junk.  It's more like, my personal email address is personal, and everything else goes to my junk mail.  That means that there is stuff that goes to my junk email account that I actually want or like, so I am in there - often daily - going through all of the junk, deleting what I don't want and dealing with the "important" junk.

But in my over planning for my trip, I realized that I don't want to spend time managing junk email while I'm gone, so over the weekend I started doing what I probably should have done a long time ago - I began removing my name from email lists.  Not all of them - just the ones where I either really don't care, or don't need to see emails from every day/week.  Some of them I may join later.  I don't mind Groupon emails - I just really don't need daily emails from them over the next two months.

Since Saturday I have removed my name from 63 - yes, SIXTY THREE - email lists, and I have a feeling that I will leave even before my trip.

The pic at the top is where they take you when you try to leave the Michael's emails - definitely the more entertaining email removal page I've come across in the past few days!

A Little Something Every Day

Trip planning is consuming every single spare moment I have. It's crazy, and more than once I've felt like there's no way I can be ready in time. Although I realize that if I have my plane tickets, I mean, that's all I *really* need to make this happen, but I'll feel much better one I at least have all of my lodging figured out as well.

After that, I just want to have enough planned out ahead of time so that I'm not wasting time ON my trip. And I need my entire home and finances in order before I leave....so you know, just EVERYTHING has to be done.

Some of my research involves trial runs of things that will take place on the trip, like testing the handbag and shoes I want to use. (Priorities!!) I also needed to make sure I knew how to get photos from my new camera onto my iPad, and then from my iPad to wherever I wanted them to go.  I gave that a go last week. Several apps and a handy dandy SD card reader later, I was successful. I'm just praying that the card reader continues to work throughout my trip.  Apparently it can be a little finicky and sometimes decides that it hates pictures and doesn't want to look at them.  At the top of this post is one of the first photos at successfully made the new camera > iPad > internet journey.  This is my Godparents and me! They were in town for a writers' conference last week, and we were able to meet up for a quick dinner with my parents.  I only see them once every few years, so I was thrilled to see them - especially right before leaving on a big trip.  They are quite the world travelers so I was eager to share my trip details with them!

In an effort to only REALLY focus on what needs to get done before I leave, I'm considering NOT getting a new cell phone before my trip. Partly because I've done a lot of research and am still unable to make a decision, and partly because April seems to be new-phone-release month (of course), so it may be wise to wait. It's not like I'll be using my phone much while I'm gone anyway.

Also, in a cruel twist of fate, I received my lease renewal notice. I knew this would happen before I left, and I even knew my rent would go up, but I did NOT anticipate my rent increasing by a gazillion dollars.  Since moving before I leave isn't an option, I am now looking at moving ASAP upon my return. This means my last week of sabbatical, which was supposed to be lovely and relaxing, may now be a scrambling mad dash of packing. Since I won't be able to move right at the end of my lease, I'll be switching to month to month. Pro: It gives me the flexibility to wait until I find the "right" new place without the financial penalty of breaking my lease.  Con: Going month to month costs a gazillion + $100 dollars per month. Ugh. Oh well, nothing I can do about it before my trip, so I'm not going to worry about it yet.

This posting is also a test!  This is the first post written on and posted from my iPad! Let's see how that goes, shall we?

#SabbaticalKat

This is happening in the near future.

I may or may not blog about it.

I may or may not collapse from exhaustion before I leave.

All the errands, all the appointments, all the planning, all the lists...

#FirstWorldProblems
#KatProbs

#VeganKat?

Screen Shot of Kindle Cover

You know that thing where people believe they would be best friends with certain celebrities? It's a thing. There was a brief window of time where Britney Spears was considering going to UW. I was certain we'd be buddies - Brit and me.  Fast forward to today...I don't think that Brit and I would be BFFs anymore, but there are other celebrities who have taken her place and they're on the short invite list for when I host my celebrity dinner party.

And then there's Mayim Bialik.  Mayim, who I absolutely adore, but as I've said before, I don't think we would be besties. We have...almost nothing in common, and I have a feeling any interaction beyond me asking for a photo would be incredibly awkward. (And let's be honest, the photo ask would most likely be awkward on its own.)

But I have to support my bloggers!!! So I've purchased the Kindle version of her recently released cookbook Mayim's Vegan Table: More than 100 Great-Tasting and Healthy Recipes from My Family to Yours.

Anyone who knows me is laughing at the fact that I bought a vegan cookbook...

Me: I bought Mayim's vegan cookbook 

Jared: good good
for when you become vegan 

Me: right?
she SAID that this book is full of the recipes that non-vegans ask her for
and they are also the recipes that her kids really like
so I figure
if I'm going to eat vegan
I would probably eat like a vegan child

Jared: hahahaha  

To be clear - I'm not planning on becoming vegan, but I'm not opposed to trying some kid-friendly recipes. :-)

Oh, and Mayim - if you're reading this, and you would like to come to dinner, you are absolutely invited!

2013 Kat Recap

2013 can be defined by my realization that I truly enjoy staying busy and active most of the time. Much of the year was spent trip planning, traveling, dancing, and enjoying time with friends, and taking advantage of the beautiful city we live in where there is always something interesting to do.

Here are the 2013 Quick Stats:

• Trips that required a flight: 8
• New [to me] books read: 12 (Hmmm...let's try to kick this up in 2014)
• Weddings attended: 2
• Musicals attended: 34
• Other performances attended: 8

Here's the abbreviated report of the trips I took this year:

• LA with AJP - February
• First trip of the year was an incredible trip to SoCal to visit Beth and the four of us had a great time running around doing all things LA. Santa Monica Pier, Chinese New Year, Cupcakes/Champagne/Pitch Perfect, Walk of Fame, Hollywood Sign, Rodeo Drive, and touring the Warner Bros. Studios. The studio tour remains one of my top vacation experiences of all time!  #HeyYo
• San Francisco with my Parents for my Birthday - March
• A long weekend trip to San Fran at the end of March was the perfect way to celebrate my birthday.  Highlights included eating at Boudin's almost every day (and them retweeting a photo of mine), hearing the Glide Church gospel choir on western Easter, having ice cream made fresh in front of me at a Smitten (they use liquid nitrogen), and visiting the Walt Disney Family Museum (didn't even know that existed!)
• New York with Lindsay - May
• Lindsay and I decided to do a repeat NYC extravaganza this year - only this time with a little more sleep involved.  We even skipped a potential show times (what?!?) in favor of taking it easy (the fact that it was raining buckets helped make that decision too). We saw 8 shows in 7 days and highlights included seeing a play I actually liked (Lucky Guy starring Tom Hanks!), the fact that we scored autographs from both Tom Hanks and Bette Middler, taking a boat tour almost all the way around the island, exploring Brooklyn, Schmackary's cookies, and walking the High Line.  Celeb sightings included JLo sitting near us at Pippin, and sitting behind Tony Bennett at I'll Eat You Last (Lindsay talked to him after the show!)
• Sitka with my Parents - May
• I'm always happy when I'm able to join my parents on a trip up to Alaska.  This trip included a lot of walking around enjoying the beautiful scenery and quality time with Vanessa, Tucker, and Amara.  We were even there for Tucker's first birthday party - what a treat!
• North Dakota with my Dad and Grandma - September
• Wow!  I haven't been to North Dakota since I was around 4 years old.  I took advantage of some found vacation time and joined my dad on a trip there my with grandma to visit some of her friends, meet some very distant relatives, and get the good ol' tour of Williston where my North Dakota family is from (and where my dad was born).  I got to witness first hand what a modern day oil boom town looks like (spoiler alert - it looks like a whole lot of construction) and see where the family farm used to be.
•  LA with Jared - October
• Round two in LA!  Jared and I managed to score stand by tickets to a taping of The Big Bang Theory, so we flew back down in October to attempt to be in the audience.  This was a NON-STOP trip that included a 17 hour day in Disneyland, a trip to the San Diego Zoo (OMGPANDAS!!!), taking a dance class from former SYTYCD contestant Donyelle Jones, and making it in to see TBBT taping!!!!  We waited in line for 10 hours to make it into the show and it was worth every minute (it may have actually been the quickest 10 hours ever).  I really can't say enough about the taping - it exceeded my expectations of awesomeness AND there were two guest stars that week - Bob Newhart and Bill Nye!
• New York with Lindsay and Jared
• Because we are absolutely crazy, Lindsay and I decided to do a fall weekend in New York, and because he's crazy too, Jared decided to join us.  I think this idea came to be because LW and I REALLY wanted to see First Date on Broadway.  Landing on Friday and leaving on Monday, we saw 5 shows each (8 different shows total), saw a total of 12 friends and family, and purchased over 30 Schmackary's cookies. Meeting Zachary Levi, Kristina Rodriguez, Jane Carr, and Norbert Leo Butz (he touched my arm!!!) were broadway celebrity highlights of this visit. There was even time to eat a lot of great food and visit the High Line and Chelsea Market.
• Disneyland with my Mom
• This is the third year that my mom and I have gone done to Disneyland at the beginning of December. We enjoyed some things we had never done/seen before like learning to draw Olaf in the Animation Studio (ummm...we did horribly...), seeing the new winter themed World of Color (not impressed), and seeing the Viva Navidad street performance (very enjoyable!). The most magical moment of the trip was watching the Buena Vista Street Community Bell Ringers and them doing an extra, personal performance for my mom.  We looove visiting Disney at Christmastime, but it may be our last for awhile....we may opt for a warmer getaway next year.

Other random highlights of the year included...

• Co-choreographing a fun black light routine with Richard for Dare to Dance
• AJP "road trips" to see the tulip fields (a first for Sara and me!), strawberry picking (where, once we got out of the car, Jared asked, "why are we here?", and to the pumpkin patch/corn maze.
• Watching the filming of Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' White Walls video near my apartment
• The video I posted after is now my most popular YouTube video
• Being one of the daily Pajaggle champs at PAX
• Witnessing some dear friends getting married
• My parents moving to a beautiful new house
• Not a great highlight, but in the tradition of my apartment, I had a water leak that prevented me from sleeping in my bedroom from April until September. (I could have slept in my room, but I didn't feel comfortable doing so.)  This process included finding someone to repair my dresser, which sustained quite a bit of water damage, and getting a glorious new bed that I LOVE sleeping in.
• Running. Even though I've always hated running, I started running with a team and now I...don't hate it ...(but I still refuse to say I like it)
• Meeting Allie Brosh of Hyperbole and a Half
• Seeing the Macklemore and Ryan Lewis concert from the floor at Key Arena

And now on to 2014!  Plans are in the works to make it a wonderful year, but to be honest I'm equal parts of excited and apprehensive.  Fingers crossed!

Warner Bros. Studio Tour - Outside of The Big Bang Theory Set

Warner Bros. Studio Tour - On the Friends Couch in Central Perk

Once of my favorite pics of the year - posing with our sock puppets!

Glee with some of my favorite gals - I love dancing with you ladies!

Tucker's First Birthday

Tim & Emily - Back in Westlake Park

B&C Wedding Weekend - AJPR Glasses Shot

Mr. Byron and Mrs. Christine

Success! This photo was taken right before we made it in to see a taping of The Big Bang Theory!!

With Allie Brosh of Hyperbole and a Half

With my mom at Disneyland - You don't even want to know the trouble we went through to get this photo!

Macklemore @ Key Arena. Love this picture so much because I feel like any picture I take at a concert is an accident, and this is an awesome accident!