Big News

Three items fit under this title:

1) I got the job! I honestly can't believe it. Such a blessing. Blown away. I was on the phone with Carolyn a couple of nights previous to when they offered me an interview. I told her five reasons why I am not likely to get an interview with the State of Oregon government (1- this recession business, 2-people from CA's gov are flocking to OR because CA is virtually bankrupt, and oh yeah, they can hardly function, 3-I am not yet an official OR resident, 4- I still have two more classes for my MPA, 5-many govs are laying off, so they are only hiring internally.) Not only did I get the interview, I got the job! I flew out to Salem on Tuesday, went through the most intense interview process of my life on Wednesday (3 parts- interview before a panel, 20 minute presentation on Statute 319, and then 45 minutes to write a policy), and flew home Thursday. Luckily, some of our best friends already live in Salem, so they left their car for me at the airport (they were in VA for a week) and let me use their house. In short, I got the job that I wanted most out of all of the applications. By the by, I am a Program and Policy Analyst for the State of Oregon Department of Transportation. I basically evaluate operational and administrative procedures, and recommend more efficient methods of operation. I also get to organize and lead public hearings, and work on "task forces" to help pass legislation. So excited. Right up my ally. Very blessed.

2) In other Katie King Jones news, we found an apartment. TWO bedrooms, and wait for it

wait for it...

TWO full baths. Lap of luxury, I tell you what. We found this place on Craig's list. Come and see us. We have a spare bathroom for you to use. We move in five weeks from today.

3) Alex told me I need a hobby besides school, reading, Judge Judy, and watching select sections of Gone With the Wind. So far, this is what I am going to take up when I get to Oregon.

pottery- the city has a couple of classes. I should like it. I am not very creative, bless my heart, but it should be fun. If you get a deformed pot for Christmas... love it, cherish it.

gardening- always enjoyed this, but now that we have our own patio and a climate that actually likes green things, I should be able to grow something. Can we please take a moment to remember those dear Sweet Peas I planted, which met their fatal end last week when it reached over 110 degrees.

......

thank you.

Jewelry Making- Crystal and I use to do this a lot. I saw some cute beads at Michaels and have a new urge.

Badminton- who wants to play?

For Megan

Me with my MPA cronies shortly before the last final:

Not pictured: David's Bowie's eye shadow, David Bowie's glass balls, David Bowie's tight pants, David Bowie

CA pictures

Here are my pictures of our CA trip. Please note, that we were hiking/camping for the majority of these pictures. Are there any judgers in the room? Please raise your hands. Yes, you sir in the back, and the woman in eccentric clothing in the front, please leave the room so we can continue with our slideshow. Thank you. Unfortunately, I struggle, and because of my struggle-y-ness (state of struggle) these pictures are in reverse chronological order.

Yosemite:

JELLY BELLY factory! And our BFF Reagan (made out of Jelly Bellys):

Trivia: Reagan kicked his smoking habit with Jelly Bellys

Alex's High School Friends Reunion:

Reid, Pelosi, & Co.- Just kidding, just kidding

The animals pictured below have larger foreflippers

Santa Cruz Pier: The sun was burning, BURNING my eyes

I had a hard time keeping them open for this picture

Camping Katie

Pacific:

Celebrities are hypocrites

Do you know what I don't get? Rich socialists/liberals. Yes, I don't understand the vast majority of Hollywood. They're hypocrites.

If you truly believed in the principles of socialism, if you truly believed in helping the poor through the re-distribution of resources, than why do you need government to do it for you? Why do you need government to tax 60% of your income? Why can't you redistribute your resources by yourself? They are several very willing charities to take that money, and without a doubt, their systems of redistribution are much more effective and efficient than those of government, with insanely lower overhead costs.

If Sean Penn is really a socialist, then why does he have a mansion? If Richard Dreyfuss practiced what he preached, why is he flying around in a private jet? Why aren't they, like the rest of us, living in a two-bedroom apartment and drinving a 1996 Camry? Because according to the basic tenets of socialism, they still have way too much, and others way too little. So if they really subscribed to the ideology, which they claim they do, why do they live the way they live? I fully acknowledge that these people donate to charities, but it's simply not enough. According to socialism, their lifestyle is way too high.

So, they're hypocrites. They want government to forcibly take wealth from them for two reasons 1) if their lifestyle is going down, they want the lifestyles of others to go down with them (which a general tax increase would do) so they are not seen as less 2) they, deep down inside, value wealth, and know that government (even a pseudo-socialist one like Obama's) would take less from them than truly living the principles of self-imposed socialism would.

Why do you need government to redistribute your wealth when it is 100% within your power to do so yourself? If you really and truly believed in the principles of socialism, why can't you do it? And the added bonus is you get to dictate where your money goes-- unlike when you pay your taxes to the government.

I'll tell you why-- they are deep down inside capitalists.

Toot toot

It's been a while, I fully realize. And I am fully sorry. Finals were horrific. Amazing how finals can take a once decently good-looking woman and turn her into a creature that should, by all appearances, be dancing next to David Bowie's package-enhancing pants singing "Dance Magic, Dance." And that's exactly what I felt like for two weeks...a goblin muppet creature. Hair was a little greasy and sweaty, constantly pulled back into a messy bun, toenail polish was chipped, fingernails were broken in haphazard ways, and my daily uniform was a solid colored t-shirt, jeans, flip flops, and a coke. But it is all over, my friends, all over. Allow me to toot my own horn:

(tooting own horn commencing)

I did it.

(tooting own horn ceasing)

Don't toot your own horn, folks, it's tacky. I have no idea why I feel the need to claim the privilege.

Two more classes and I have my Masters. They are summer intensive classes, and one of them is online: translation- they're going to be jokes. But, as stressed as I was last semester (and I don't get stressed) I am ready for jokes. Ready to laugh away the extra $1200 ASU charged me with no other explanation than "it's necessary because of the economic downturn."

The kicker is school has been out for three weeks. So what have I been doing in the meantime? I really don't know. Alex comes home from work and I try to give an account of my day, but I honestly don't remember it that much. I read, apply for jobs, went pool-side once or twice, tried to kick the cussing habit, and that's about it. I remember how much I used to squeeze in one day and cannot believe that farting around takes just as much time. Amazing.

Well, Alex and I were able to go on some vacations. Pictures to follow. We went to Sedona (a quaint little village/camp ground in the mountains. Yes, folks, it's true, the upper half of Arizona is cold and has mountains, just like Utah. Come and see. Drop by Phoenix while you're at it.) The plan was to spend Friday night camping in Sedona, and then get up the next morning and take the two hour drive to the Grand Canyon. Alex's family got him lots of camping supplies for his birthday and we were eager to try them out. The only thing we were missing were sleeping bags which Alex picked up earlier that day. We got up there, went on a hike, went out to dinner, sat next to the campfire, and then went to bed in our tent (marketing idea: backpacking tents for the claustrophobic. Seriously. I was borderline panic attack the entire time I was in that tent.) We were freezing. Alex got the lowest degree sleeping bags he could (30 degrees). I guess that's all they sell in Phoenix. We tried to zip the bags together and cuddle. No good.

And about the time we realized that even after an hour of being in the sleeping bags and we were still cold, that's when the frat boys started up. Yes 12 lovely frat boys drinking, singing, and running a very loud generator to watch the Hills. Swearing from all quarters of the campground ensued until 2 am. And we were cold. Oh, so cold. We went home at 3 am. And that, my dear readers, was our foiled plan to see the Grand Canyon. We have since obtained sleeping bags that go to 0 degrees, along with fleece linings that will go and additional 10 degrees below zero. And that's how you camp...with a warm sleeping bag.

We also have been to Santa Cruz, Napa Valley, Jelly Belly factory, and Sacramento. I have pictures. I'll show them to you.

In short, I've been busy with vacations, applying for jobs, and reading.

The cussing habit, unfortunately, remains fully intact.

A Special Surprise for my Envir. Policy Professor

Do you know what I love?

Coldplay.

Do you know what I hate?

Writing a 25 page paper on Aquatic Invasive Species legislation.

So, to balance the hate with the love, I am listening to Coldplay while writing the paper.

I think that's how Shiver lyrics ended up in the "Economic Values" section.

What's that? you demand a sample?

I'll oblige.

"Because you say you see straight through ships, which are not carrying cargo fill their holding tanks with millions of gallons of foreign water to meet necessary nautical weight requirements. "

Back to Liszt. No words there.

Egos with a dash of The Cars

Folks, I think I have the answer.

And it's not because I am OCD.

I am yet again in the library (the computer lab part), and am currently subjected to listening to cartoon segments (the main character sounds like a drowning dolphin) and once each segment is over, its one song of Cher, and then back to the cartoon. All without headphones.

Here's the deal. I don't think it's really because I don't like noise. I think it's because people are so blatantly selfish--the library is packed, and people are studying for finals.

We have totally created a "me" generation. And I am not going to lie, I'm in the boat more than I would like to admit.

Oh, now we are changing it up with the Cars, I love this song (shout out to Carolyn)

Here's the deal, there's a difference between being confident...

And he is singing. I'm not to sure it gets better than this.

and having an ego. Confident people are humble-- they are assured. Egotistical people are selfish. In pursuit to give their kids confidence, I think parents accidentally give them egos. This ego translates into entitlements, the complete disregard for the feelings of others, and ultimately a low self-esteem. We are at risk of being a bunch of snobby young adults.

With great tastes in music-- I don't mind you coming here, and wasting all my time, time.

Things have been so good for so long

it's not the perfume that you wear, it's not the ribbons in your hair

Please don't take this as a preaching deal. You all know I have an ego-- about the Excel magic I work on a daily basis, my bathroom cleaning skills, and my out-of-this-world chicken parmigana.

So feed me

You know-- my skills. But I think a lot of people (I being one of them) need more confidence and a little less ego-- a little less shameless self-promotion.