Thursday, December 25, 2008
Sound like me?
The Peacemaker (the Nine)
Peacemakers are receptive, good-natured, and supportive. They seek union with others and the world around them.
How to Get Along with Me
* If you want me to do something, how you ask is important. I especially don't like expectations or pressure.
* I like to listen and to be of service, but don't take advatage of this.
* Listen until I finish speaking, even though I meander a bit.
* Give me time to finish things and make decisions. It's OK to nudge me gently and nonjudgmentally.
* Ask me questions to help me get clear.
* Tell me when you like how I look. I'm not averse to flattery.
* Hug me, show physical affection. It opens me up to my feelings.
* I like a good discussion but not a confrontation.
* Let me know you like what I've done or said.
* Laugh with me and share in my enjoyment of life.
What I Like About Being a Nine
* being nonjudgmental and accepting
* caring for and being concerned about others
* being able to relax and have a good time
* knowing that most people enjoy my company; I'm easy to be around
* my ability to see many different sides of an issue and to be a good mediator and facilitator
* my heightened awareness of sensations, aesthetics, and the here and now
* being able to go with the flow and feel one with the universe
What's Hard About Being a Nine
* being judged and misunderstood for being placid and/or indecisive
* being critical of myself for lacking initiative and discipline
* being too sensitive to criticism; taking every raised eyebrow and twitch of the mouth personally
* being confused about what I really want
* caring too much about what others will think of me
* not being listened to or taken seriously
Nines as Children Often
* feel ignored and that their wants, opinions, and feelings are unimportant
* tune out a lot, especially when others argue
* are "good" children: deny anger or keep it to themselves
Nines as Parents
* are supportive, kind, and warm
* are sometimes overly permissive or nondirective
Monday, December 15, 2008
Feeling small
I took a trip to Northern California not long after I graduated. (Which was a year ago now. My my!) I love the Redwoods for so many reasons. I went by myself, which meant, quiet.
Quiet.
Total. Complete. Quiet.
For a while, the only time I was alone was when I was in my car. I would drive and drive and drive, just to be by myself. And while I could turn off the radio and find an isolated road, it was not... quiet. Take a hike into the forest? Quiet. I am melting a little just thinking about it. silence.
And it is so BIG. The ocean is so big. The trees are big, the sky is big, the mountains are big. Nature does a beautiful job of putting one back in ones place. "You think your problems are important? Think again." (For example, the photo below. You see the peninsula of sand. On the bottom left side of the main part of the peninsula you see a darkened area. Not a shadow, but seals. The little sandy area this side of the peninsula... boulder at the point... there are people on both sides, fishing.) The world is big. Real big.
And we are but a speck in time. Here is some petrified wood.
Have I mentioned that small feeling? I could easily walk into this tree without ducking. I am 5'6. How neat.
Alone time is not given enough credit. True quiet is underappreciated. Feared actually. Who wants a lull in the conversation?
I do.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Congratulations!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Because... he ties the antlers together... with tape.
And there you have it.
Happy holidays everyone!
Monday, December 1, 2008
Bristle Bots
Let me tell you a story
I get a call. It's James. No more cabin in the woods. Would have been cool to know before now, but, I'm calm. Calmer than you are. Calmer than you are.
I am at the grocery store, on the phone with my mom. "What the hell is 'light cream'? There is whipping cream, light whipping cream, half and half, half cream half light cream, heavy cream, dense cream, fluffy cream, yo mama's cream…. no goddamned 'light cream'." Hold on, I've got a call.
Its Caitlin! Really? Caitlin?
Long story short, I get to be a bridesmaid. ☺
Shit… "Mom? You still there? Frozen green beans are fine right? You just what… throw 'em in some boiling water for a bit right? Mom? Mom, how do I bake a potato? It looks easy, but do I wrap it in something? Rub anything on it? How hot? How long? I don’t have any toothpicks… will a chopstick work? Wait, different recipe…what does 'sift ingredients together' mean? I don't have anything to 'sift' with. All I remember is that Mrs. Mahacheck said sifting is very important. She also said that nobody wants green muffins, so fold gently. I fucking hate cooking."
New call. "Lance? Lets get drunk. I'll make you dessert."
Thursday, November 27, 2008. Thanksgiving day. Hung over. Shower: check. Teeth brushed: check. Coffee: check. To be totally honest with you, I don't even know what I did the first half of the day. Whatever. James came by! We. Sat. And. Did. Nothing.
Time for action. Satellite Coffee: open Thanksgiving day from 10-2. Free French press and cookies: check. Walk in Wrights Park: check.
Now it gets exciting. Hold on to your shorts ladies and gentlemen. What I am about to say will surely blow your minds.
We….went…to…a… movie!!
No really, it was fun. I recommend the flick. Australia. (http://www.australiamovie.com/) I fell out of love with Nichole Kidman, back in love, out of love, back in love… I think I still love her. I do. I love the woman. Add her to my "Celebrity 'TO DO' list."
Time to eat. Now. I am not sure if it is possible for the average human being to mess up green beans. I, Kara Ann Gjesdal, managed to accomplish just this task. I will just say that the salt came out MUCH faster and in FAR greater quantities than I had anticipated. We joked that if you imagined them to be green bean flavored pretzels, they would still be too salty.
We finished our dinner, we conversed. I started to get a bit… antsy. I was having difficulty finishing sentences. I could not focus. On anything. At all. My eyes darted, my fingers moved without me telling them to. I began to panic.
I kicked James out. ("Happy Thanksgiving, hope you had a lovely time, and now you need to leave.")
I closed the door behind him, hit the floor, cried for about 1 minute, had a full fledged anxiety attack, cried for another minute, took a walk, took a bath, and melted into bed.
The rest of my day was uneventful. As was the rest of my weekend. Uneventful in a fabulous way. I LIKE uneventful. I did not get food poisoning, I did not get in a fight with anyone, I did not cut myself while shaving, I did not get trampled by the black Friday crowds.
Yaaayyyyy ME
Sunday, November 30, 2008
my friends are cooler than yours...
Anyway, I didn't know much about the place so I did some research and thought I'd post some photos of the place.

future Brad in red




If he keeps his word and does indeed keep his blog current, you can read about his adventures at OneGoAround.
Best of luck to you Brad!
In case you haven't had time to check the headlines
A time to love one another.
How do we show our love? Do we offer hugs all around? Write heart-felt letters of appreciation? Do we pause to really listen to what is going on in our loved ones lives? Do we even ask what our friends and family truly want?
Nope.
We buy things for people. Yep, we buy shit, wrap it up, and say "Merry Christmas! Aren't I just fabulous for buying you all this STUFF??" And when do we buy this shit? When it as cheap as fucking possible… Black Friday. *shakes head in disbelief* Deals deals deals.
And in the spirit of giving, THIS is what happens. A man is killed.
A MAN. IS KILLED.
Dead. A man is dead. A man was TRAMPLED. He was not gunned down by terrorists, not executed for his crimes, not a victim of a natural disaster. A man was killed by frenzied assholes trying to buy cheap shit for their relatives.
what
the
fuck
A man is dead. For what? For what.
In other news...
Taj Mahal Hotel
183 people are dead, Indian Home Minister Shivraj Patil has submitted his resignation, Asif Ali Zardari is cooperating, Bush says, "Terror will not have the final word."




I see, I read, I do not understand.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Just watched...
Hotel Rwanda, which reminded me of the book....
A Long Way Gone.
Makes me sick.
Friday, November 21, 2008
blah.
Another reason for the sparse posts: I am still without a camera. I lost my camera's battery charger. Bought a new one. Bought the wrong one. Returned it. Got a new battery. Ordered the right charger. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. What a pain in the behind. So here is the equation. No camera+ nausea= no new posts.
Hope everyone is doing well. And to all you Sioux Falls folk, I will see you Dec. 22nd.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Oh yeah... that.
Clutter
But recently I have found that I am also quite the hoarder.
*hangs head in shame, a single tear falls in slow motion*
I have many, many cords. Extension cords, ethernet cords, cords to connect my iPod to car, camera to computer, phone to wall, DVD player to TV, speakers to subwoofers, cords cords cords cords cords. I have a box of cords labeled "Mystery Cords." My logic? If I have the cord, I must need it. Why else would I have it? Better hang on to 'em.
I also have an abundance of old notes, exams, papers, research, etc. dating back to my freshman year of high school. Now, I have but one small folder of high school papers, and I keep those solely for the purpose of proving to myself that I have indeed, become a better writer. But all those other papers? They are just hard to let go of I guess.
But really what has gotten on my nerves lately is the clutter. Just stuff that doesn't really have a place. Spare keys. CD cases. Manuals. Notebooks. Index cards. Blank CD's. The phone book. Travel packs of Kleenex. That stupid bowling ball I stole a few years back. Unused picture frames.
I blame my failure to eliminate this mess on my apartment and its furnishing. The only enclosed, hidden space we have is in the kitchen. Those hiding spaces are already being put to use housing (imagine this...) dishes and food. Other than that, open bookshelves, open desk, open everything. All I own is in plain view.
Anyway, I am getting bored with this post. My apologies to the boredom I am causing those reading.
Stupid clutter.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Better late than never
Friday, October 31, 2008
Happy Halloween!




Sunday, October 26, 2008
Saturday, October 25, 2008
POP QUIZ
The following items were all found in the glove box of Kara's car.
- 1 book on tape: On The Road by Kerouac
- 5 CDs
- 1 tape: Top Gun soundtrack
- 4 mystery cords
- 1 wallet
- 2 keychains + house key labeled "Doug's Shack"
- 3 lighters
- a grip of individually packaged eye drops
- 4 dead batteries
- 1 alcohol swab
- 1 mini-bottle lens cleaner
- 2 headbands
- 4 barrettes
- 1 tweezer
- 1 nail clipper
- 1 cuticle trimmer
- 5 1/2 pairs of earrings
- 3 rings
- 1 piece of driftwood
- 2 bottles perfume
- 2 bottles room spray
- 1 tube shampoo
- 1 lower tray teeth whitening strip
- 1 fork, 1 spoon
- 1 penny
Times up!!
If you answered "True," you get an A for the day! Congratulations!
If you answered "False," sorry, you fail. Better luck next time.
Gossip
As I have alluded to before, we have an odd old man upstairs, Lee. Nothing new with him- he has been avoiding me ever since we had an extremely awkward conversation. (He asked me to call and wish a young, male relative of his Happy Birthday whose girlfriend just broke up with him. Lee thought it only appropriate to have a young, female neighbor call and try to make him feel better on his birthday. I declined. He was not pleased.) I know the old guy is lonely, but I can't help but wonder if maybe he is lonely for a reason...
Downstairs we have a young couple with a little girl who will be two years old in a few months. Their whole situation just breaks my heart. Mom and Dad obviously do not get along with one another, as evidenced by their endless screaming matches. When they fight, the little one gets ignored... or yelled at. Often not a very happy environment down there. Soon Mom and Daughter are moving out. I wish them all the best, especially this little cutie you see here.
All in all I really like this apartment. Other than directly above and directly below the people are nice and appear to be functional, respectable members of society. Honestly I don't see too much of them. Meredith and Spencer have been around more often since Mer is back in school (Go Mer Go! You are almost finished!). Its great having them around. Good people.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Beautiful
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Twix
Very important purchases to be made: One spray bottle of Goo Gone. One bottle of Dove "Shine" shampoo. One box of Target brand NyQuil softgels. One anonymous bottle of wine with a cool label from the "$12 and under" section.
I anticipate these purchases will make for a good day.
Then, I see it. I see the golden wrapper. The bold, red letters shouting, "Buy Me! Eat Me! Love Me!"
I respond.
"Okay."
Per my request, the Twix bar makes itself comfortable amongst one bottle of "fresh citrus scent", one bottle of "repairing serum", one box of "green death", and one bottle of "pineapple, fresh peach, lemon zest, and mango"
I am tempted to devour my entire shopping bag. If the item does not taste yummy or smell yummy or look yummy, it at least has the potential to knock me out for the evening.
I am home. I have all but forgotten my Twix impulse buy. I see it. I get googley eyed. I eat it in about 4 seconds.
I am transported.
I am in South Dakota. Specifically, rural South Dakota, near Mitchell, (Stickney? Mt.Vernon?) and even nearer Gary's farm. It is pheasant season (mid-October) and I am with my grandfather (Dad's dad) in his small, old, brown pickup truck.
It is like a dream in that time, sequence, and other details are blurred. For example, Grandpa and I are in two places at once; the cab of the truck, and the bed of the truck. In both places I remember it being just my Grandpa and me, thought I know there were others around.
When we are in the cab, we are parked at the end of a field waiting for, "the walkers". (I was young and walking through fields yelling, "up bird" lost its appeal by mid-morning) It is just Grandpa and me. The heat in the truck is on, and he is using a fine tooth comb to get the cockleburs out of my shoelaces and socks. I can feel the seats (like sitting on a hay bale- stiffer than anticipated) and smell the cab (like hunting things: dirt, grass, leaves, dried blood). It was a stick shift and the knob was big and round.
In the bed of the truck, we are sitting on the sides, with the big white toolbox open. Inside are hard salami sandwiches made by my grandmother (most with butter, one or two without in case my mom came along) and mini candy. Namely, Twix. We eat as much as we want of both the sandwiches and the candy and nobody tells us to save room for later or that we will get sick if we don’t stop gorging ourselves with miniature candy bars. The smell of fall wraps around us like blankets.
Fantastic.
All this because of a Twix bar.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Everything you do not need to know
Bed and books
2) Have you ever smoked heroin?
Can't say that I have.
3) Do you own guns?
Yes, but a hose or bucket does the job much more efficiently…
4) What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic?
I have never been to Sonic, but adding flavor to an already syrup laden drink does not sound appealing.
5) Do you get nervous before doctor appointments?
Not so much
6) What do you think of hot dogs?
I try not to.
7) Favorite song?
Right now it is "I'm All Right" by Madeleine Peyroux
8) What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
Coffee, water, or both depending upon the severity of the evening before.
9) Can you do push ups?
I can but I choose not to.
10) Can you do a chin up?
Probably not, and I choose not to try.
11) Favorite movie?
Robin Hood (animated version), The Big Lebowski, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, and Amelie are pretty much tied for #1.
12) Do you like blue cheese?
I like blue cheese dressing on onion rings. (not so great dressing + not so great appetizer = something quite fantastic. who'da thunk)
13) Ever been in a car wreck?
Not really… I once glided across my icy driveway and gently nudged a fencepost.
14) What's one trait that you hate about yourself?
That depends on the day, the hour, the minute.
16) Middle name?
"First name Mr, middle name 'period', last name T!"
17) Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment:
blah
blah
blah
18) Name 3 things you bought yesterday?
peppers
zucchini
tomatoes
19) Name 3 drinks you drink regularly?
coffee
water
coffee
20) Current worry?
That I wont be able to keep myself entertained with this survey long enough to finish it…
21) Current hate right now?
Feeling squashed. (no, not literally… but come to think of it…)
22) How did you bring in the New Year?
By consuming very large quantities of alcohol
23) Where would you like to be right now?
I am totally fine with where I am right now. (Which is at my desk in my apartments with the windows open and all the neighbors gone)
24) Name three people who will complete this?
Psh, don’t care.
25) Do you own slippers?
Haha, I have these giant red fuzzy slippers that I have had since high school. Dessie? You know the ones.
26) What shirt are you wearing?
White and yellow tank top with tiny hearts all over it.
27) Do you like sleeping on satin sheets?
Cant say that I ever have… sounds nice unless you get sweaty- am I right?
28) Can you whistle?
Yep. I usually do it while I work.
29) Would you be a pirate?
I AM a pirate. I work as a ninja though.
30) What songs do you sing in the shower?
I'm not a big shower singer.
31) Favorite girl's name?
I don’t really know
32) Favorite boy's name?
I don’t really know this one either.
33) What's in your pocket?
Ooh, I had fun with this question last time. Honestly though, I have nothing in my pockets.
34) Last person that made you laugh?
Mer
35) Best bed sheets as a child?
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
36) Worst injury you've ever had?
Well, I stepped on a nail as a child (which I do not really remember), and I jammed my finger playing volleyball as a teenager (which I do remember). I guess I've been pretty lucky in the injury department.
37) Do you love where you live?
I like it very very much.
38)Do you have a tv in your room?
Uh, no.
39) Who is your loudest friend?
Tyson maybe? I don’t really know this one either.
40) How many dogs do you have?
Zero dogs.
41) Does someone have a crush on you?
I certainly hope so!
42) What is your favorite candy?
I can tell you that my LEAST favorite candy is that hard-as-a-rock, rip-out-your-teeth honey flavored chunk of nastiness. Yellow and red wrapper. You know what I'm talking about. Gross.
43) Favorite Sports Team?
Are the folks on MXC considered teams?
44) Where is the next place you want to travel to?
India?
45) What were you doing 12 AM last night?
Dreaming of you.
46) What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up?
I need to brush my teeth. Immediately.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Soundtrack for life
If my life were to have a soundtrack, today's featured artist would be Madeleine Peyroux (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeleine_Peyroux). I've been grooving to this all day long!!
Check the gal out. Quite reminiscent of Billie Holiday.
Damn I would love to be stranded on an island with this album.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Dads
At this corner there are always 2-3 men out there waiting with their children. For reasons I cannot quite articulate, this makes me happy. I guess I'm glad there are at least dads in the picture for these kids. That and the dads themselves actually look well... maybe not happy, but not bad. (Picture Hank Hill standing out on the curb with the guys, just kinda... hanging there. Probably not the highlight of their day, but certainly nothing to complain about.)
Anyway, not too sure where I was going with this. Just neat to see some male figures around the wee ones.
Forgive me!
Get comfy folks- here is an update!
I am sure that all of you know that enjoy a good drink. I tend to enjoy it even more when it is followed immediately by at least 3 or 4 more good drinks. I enjoy it so much that I partake in multiple drinks damn near every day and while it is pretty cool to be able to keep up with professional drinkers such as my old roommates, I don't know that constantly being blitzed is a good look for me.
Just shy of a month ago I told myself and a few others that I was going to try my best to cut back. That lasted a grand total of about 48 hours. Since I failed at that, I adopted a "fuck it" attitude... who says I need to stop drinking anyway? I do not drink and drive. I do not get trashed and do (too many) stupid things. I do not pass out on sidewalks, lawns, or other people's beds. I've never been late to work or other commitments because of a hangover. So whats the big deal?
Well, turns out just because I'm not out starting fights with the locals, does not necessarily mean I'm not hurting people. People I care very deeply about. So about two weeks ago I made a more serious effort to stop/cut back significantly. Hip-hip-hooray I made it 5 days without a drink! Not much for many of you, but considering I've been drinking on a very regular basis since Junior year of high school... um, five days is big. On day five I had a shot, then went about 5 more days without drinking. I am simply stoked to know that I can do it! That is ten days without so much as a buzz.
I guess my fear was that I would not be able to make it even a couple days. But I did, and I think in doing so it kinda snapped my body out of "must drink" mode. I have momentarily given up on complete abstinence of alcohol, but I can honestly say that this is the least I have drank in years. It feels good.... which is weird. I did not think it would feel good. I am not a confrontational person. At all. I avoid conflict like the plague and this includes coming face to face with my own fears, problems, demons, insecurities, etc. I quite enjoy what alcohol does to my demons. It makes them shut up for a minute. But now that I am actually looking my problems in the face I am seeing that they really aren't as scary as I had let them become. How neat is that?!
In these last few weeks I have had some truly wonderful and enlightening conversations about addictions (of all shapes and sizes). I am lucky to be surrounded by some pretty fantastic individuals- all with their own stories and thoughts on what makes people tick. I am the recipient of some pretty insightful pearls of wisdom. Is it not incredible that by tweaking your perspective or bringing your awareness elsewhere, an entire situation can be transformed?
Well, thats that for now. Thanks for reading all.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Free to a good home
Filled to the brim with memories.
If you frequented my old house on Wheeler you most likely drank beer from its frosty goodness.
Please take it off my hands!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
"Jesus says the darndest things"
Just wanted to let you all know I'm still around. Don't stop checking the blog, I promise to actually write something soon. Be patient folks.
Friday, August 29, 2008
:0)
Smiling Now Primarily Used To Communicate Anger
August 29, 2008 | Issue 44•35
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NEW YORK—The smile, a facial expression traditionally used to convey joy, pleasure, or amusement, is now mainly used to suppress rage, according to a five-year study released Monday by the Countenance Institute. "More than 85 percent of smiles are involuntary responses to mounting anger," the study read in part. "In addition, the length and intensity of these smiles directly correspond to the amount of anger the smile is concealing. A smile that lasts less than two seconds represents just a passing annoyance, while a smile of four to eight seconds indicates a genuine hatred for its target." The study noted that individuals smiling for more than one minute while nodding and baring their teeth are most likely preparing to kill the person they are smiling at.
Snakes dont walk, they slither... so there.
This is exactly what I am watching right now... Neat!
How much do I love youtube? THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS much!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Saturday, August 23, 2008
*scowl*
copy+paste sometimes does the trick but it appears as this long drawn out line of meaninglessness. I want to turn a word neon green and when you CLICK on the neon green word, it takes you to the wikipedia page about the history, uses of, current meaning, and political undertones of the color.
I will try to demonstrate my frustration- and in doing so, it just might work. Kinda like the light that is always on or the obvious rattle in your car and when you finally take it to the manufacturer, the light turns off and the engine creates a soothing, consistent huummmmmmm. Go figure.
There is a cute little button resembling the offspring of a chain link fence and Mario Brother's, Yoshi. It says "insert link"
Lets try. I would like to link you kind folks to a tapestry I am particularly fond of. Here it goes.
Yuck. Even if it works, its ugly.
Now, underneath the "Title" of my blog there is a "Link" section. WTF? I clicked "learn more" and I learned absolutely nothing more. The liars!
Help me out Blog gurus.
Help me. For I am a http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dumbass
Friday, August 22, 2008
Falling back in love
Thanks a gazillion to you Lance for introducing me to such a fine establishment not so many years ago.
So you may be curious- since I am obviously not writing extensive posts in my new found internet time, just what AM I doing?
Perusing UrbanOutfitters. While I find their clothing nice, I find their furnishings kick ass and relatively cheap. I have about eight things in my "shopping cart." (Dont worry mom, I've not purchased a thing... just really really wanting to is all) Check it out for yourself if you dont believe me!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Withdrawal
So until Mer and I suck it up and become slaves to Comcast the posts may be infrequent and to the point.
Just like this one :)
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
The perfect card
I have this neighbor. He is an elderly gentleman, and very fickle. One day he likes me and gives me all sorts of non-perishables and offers me wine, the next, he hops on his bike and completely ignores me. (I've tied these mood swings with my actions... I visit every day and talk for hours= good side. I enjoy my life hanging out with people my age and go a week without stopping by= bad side.) I am currently on his bad side. He is an odd, kind man.
He has this system of getting my attention. He walks out onto his porch once he sees that I have come home. He stamps his foot on the floor (which is above me) and then lowers down a plastic bag on a string with various items in it. Sometimes it is a note, sometimes it empty containers from food I brought him, today... it was my birthday present from my MOM. Yep. She had forgotten to put the apartment number on the address and somehow Lee got a hold of it. I thanked him, asked how he was doing- he grunted and raised his plastic bag contraption and went inside.
Now that you have some background, CHECK OUT this card my mom sent!
How priceless is that?
Anyway, my mom so kindly sent me quite the loot. I guess now I will have to bake those muffins Lee so desperately wanted a while back (he even gave me paper cups and 25 year old muffin mix!) Perhaps I can get back on his good side.
Thank you mom, and I must say that this is probably the coolest apron I have ever encountered. And now its mine! Hip hip hooray!