Here's to you

Dearest Sarah,

You're in a special breed of @ers... In less than a year you've been a newbie, on the EB, will have been to two international confrences and a traineeship. Can I say amazing?! I think so... I clearly remember that wednesday in September walking through grainger looking for the GMM room. The bunch of us were clearly lost, slightly confused why we were going to this meeting in the first place, and a little nervous (well at least i was! ).

Who would have thought what would happen over one short year. If you were to ask anyone...even me... they would find it hard to believe we've known eachother only since september. Thank you for opening my eyes to the wonders of state street cuisine- Thanks to you my "Potbellys anyone?" is now officially a "Med cafe anyone?" We've been skiing, sailing, coffee friday'ing (even with the ocasional lycra bikers), we've been to the terrace, spent waaaay too many evenings chatting with Helen, I've learned to appreciate wine- not from a box, and I can officially say i've tried on all of the clothes in your closet :)

Besides being a special kind of @er, you're a special kind of friend. One that has a passion for life, for traveling, for wine, for fun, for spontaneity, for good conversations, and of course a good falafel plate! Best of luck to you in this upcoming year chica. So many new things are coming your way and the world is at your feet. Enjoy, take pictures, meet people, perfect your espanol, live, laugh, love and grow.

Take care love! I will be seeing you soon enough...vamos a mexico?

Muchos Besos, Katy

"The most beautiful discovery that true friends can make is that they can grow separately without growing apart."

-Elizabeth Foley

be nice to christmas lights

take it from me- you don't want to piss off the lightbulb. Just got back from the walk in clinic due to one painful knee. I told the doc that i thought i still had glass in one of puncture wounds. He said that he could feel it and left the room. I figured he was going to go get numbing stuff and stuff to cut me open and stitch me back up- again... but no. He came back with some huge tweezers and said lay down. I said uhh... you're not going to numb it? He said oh you'll be fine. I clenched my teeth for about 30 seconds before i let out a scream and the tears started flow'n. He finally stopped and said fiiiine fiiiiiiine i'll numb it. When the 1/2 inch of glass (dagger style that was directly down into my knee) flew out he said, "Oh wow~ that was huge!!"

No more stiches thank the lord- but i do have some nice pills for infection. so again- take it from me~ Be nice to Christmas lights- they bite.

it's what you do to me

terrace-Himal Chuli- ron diaz- brew crew- numa numa- amy's- strawberry margarita's- nurse questions- taco bell- drew's futon- quiche- farmers market- barrique's- med cafe- terrace - sailing- lake mendota- expresso royal- cyclists- spandex- beast- house party- patron- amy's- abar- beerpong- capitol- copp's

Madison...good food and good company

whirlwind

Today I got home from Playground Training...yes we do train- a day full of learning games outside :)...(don't worry we do more serious stuff tomorrow- like first aid and policies)- and passed out on the couch for a short nap before dinner. I was awoken with a phone call (didn't answer- I was sleeping!). When i listened to the voice mail after dinner it was my Kiddie Korner Supervisor saying call her back- it was important. Well by the tone of her voice I got all worried and nervous and called her back after debating it for 10 min...i knew i was gonna call her- i just was nervous. She answers the phone and said don't worry it's not bad and that she felt bad for the message she left me but she needed to stress it's urgency. I still was confused and finally she explained. Due to politics in our Park and Rec Dept downtown my supervisor could no longer be a supervisor for the Parks Dept in Racine. I was being asked to take her roll and be Kiddie Korner Supervisor for the summer. My jaw dropped- and said YES!

It's funny how things work out- when applications came out in January for positions I wanted to apply for supervisor, but I second guessed myself and never turned in the application- settling for being a leader again at a park. Don't get me wrong- I love what that job position, but when i started thinking about Playgrounds around April this year- I was mad at myself for not trying for the supervisor position. I realized that I didn't feel ready in January but I did in April- and i'm pretty sure it's becuase of AIESEC. Sure it's a completley different job, setting, and atmosphere- but it's using the same leadership qualities and confidnece we stress so much during our recruitment drives and orientations (...opportunities to develop leadershiop skills..blablabla...)- and i think i witnessed the first signs of it applying to my life outside of AIESEC.

So tomorrow I go to our second day of Playground Training- sitting at the Staff Table- leading orientation for the remainder of the week. For the summer I won't have my own park, but will be in charge of 4 kiddie korner parks. (i get a pay hike :)... and every friday I run our staff meetings. YIKES!

Nervous? yes.

Excited? you bet your ass.

looking for an answer

I'm actually sick to my stomach. Has our world serioulsy turned into a game of who can make the most profit- at all costs?? In my mind I view huge corporations as these inhuman money makers- but man, don't humanbeings still make the decisions? Do these people not have families? Feelings? Morals?? A bit of conscience? I honeslty don't see how things like this can happen in the world...

take a look for yourself...

If that doesn't make your stomach turn- then maybe reading Bayer's view on corporate responsibility will make you say: hypocrite.

riight...



.......

a conversation with a friend left me upset and frustrated with his bottom line to his argument being that the US government is a business- no longer for and by the people, but for the corporations with the biggest bank account.


Is this true?

......





Are they serious?

Looking in the right places

Most people are searching for happiness outside of themselves. That's a fundamental mistake. Happiness is something you are, and it comes from the way you think.

-DW

...happiness is something you are... I like that.

Dull Moments? Not me...

one emergency room visit., one old fashioned christmas lightbulb, one knee, 2 stiches, one chunck of glass iiin the knee, and one huge ass knee wrap later- my birthday is done. My knee is in pain- and my head hurts a little too. Being the guest of honor for dinner is over rated anyways- right? I'm going back to bed.

Not sooo old

June 1st IN THE YEAR AHEAD:

In the year ahead, projects over which you maintain direct control are likely to work out quite satisfactory for all concerned. However, if you begin bringing in weak partners to save money, all could go down the drain.

hmm...

This is the first year that in turning a year older I don't feel "old." Every year I'm like..wow 16 That's soo old!...wow 17 i feel soo old...wow 18 that seems soo old! For some reason this year is just: I'm 19- cool?

Eh- All the same- ya gotta love birthdays :)