Time?|Coffee|Pain|Puppies

I can't believe how quickly my education is going... when I look back at the past few years, it just seems like time has literally zipped past me. It is amazing. I am actually a little glad I was only taking a class or two at a time my first couple of semesters. Although school is taking longer to get through, I am enjoying it more. I'm glad to be getting things done now, though. And I am super happy to be going full time now. I feel really organized this semester.

Anyway, today was a wonderful day. I was so upbeat thanks to two early morning cups of coffee. Yum. I am trying to wean myself off of diet pepsi. It is actually going alright. I allowed myself one can today. It was delicious.

I woke up with a killer headache. And this backache is killing me. I really need to find my insurance card. I want to get accupuncture again.

Omar may have found a job at a doggie daycare.... it sounds weird, but I think he would really enjoy it! He's such a caring guy... eep. I'm so lucky!

Anyway I'm off to finish writing my Philosophy of teaching statement. It is practically something I would just do for fun. I'm really enjoying it!

Much love,
Kaleigh

Cat stories

Story Number One: MILO'S ESCAPADE (A True Story)
Once upon a time, it was Thanksgiving 2008. Kaleigh, her boyfriend, and her kittens all went to enjoy a magnificent Thanksgiving feast filled with turkey, stuffing, pie, veggies, alcohol, and Sierra Mist with Kaleigh's mom, sister, stepdad and dog. During the meal, the kittens begged and begged with all their might to get as much food as possible. Kaleigh felt proud that she did give her babies a few pieces of table scraps, but not enough to make them sick. All was well in Pojoaque-land. That is, until the clean up began. Kaleigh, sister, boyfriend, and mama started cleaning up the table and washing dishes. After a couple of minutes, a loud MEOW alarmed the occupants of the kitchen. Startled, Kaleigh gasped and started frantically looking around the kitchen. Cleopatra was standing right next to Kaleigh, so it must be Milo who is in danger! Kaleigh began to panic when she realized that Milo may be trapped behind the fridge. Casually, Omar walked over to the fridge, opened the door, and out popped Milo.

THE END

Story Number 2: Never Forget Your Litter Box (A True Story)

Kaleigh forgot to bring a litter box for the cats on Thanksgiving Day, and they didn't know where to go.... so Milo started a trend.... Kaleigh is just glad it wasn't ON the table, and that dinner was over. eww....

Twenty minutes later, Cleo copied Milo......

THE END

Anyway, today was wonderful. I'm feeling really tired right now though. I'm hoping that the fun day wore the kittens out and that they will sleep all through the night... I'm not willing to bet on that though. After dinner with my mom, we visited with Omar's family. That was nice. We were too stuffed to eat again though. I can't wait for leftover turkey sandwiches tomorrow. YUM!

I am now watching Home Alone. Hooray. The holiday season is officially here!

Oh yeah... and a light dusting of snow graced us with its presence today! Woop! I really want to learn to snowboard this year... so hopefully that will work out.

Love,

Kaleigh

P.S. If you haven't done so already, go eat three pieces of pumpkin pie. You won't regret it.

Gratitude part 2

So it is nearly 11:30 PM and I can't sleep at all. It would be good if was doing something productive, such as homework, but I am not too stressed out about school right now. I think I am finally figuring out a way to keep organized and on top of my homework. I'm nervous how it will go next semester when I am working more, but for right now, I am just going to enjoy it.

So it is the night before Thanksgiving, and I am sitting here, listening to one of my kittens meow. I kind of feel like making a list of things that I am grateful for in honor of Thanksgiving. I often refer back to my old blogs to see what I was thinking at certain times of the year 4 or 5 years ago. Its fun to see how things change throughout the years and it is definitely a tradition I would like to keep. Soooo, here we are!

I am grateful that...

• I always have people to celebrate holidays with.
  One of these years, I would really like to go to a local soup kitchen. I think I am a friendly person and can make people feel like home. It would be neat if I could do that when people are feeling insecure or lonely.
• The future.
• My ambition is as fiery as ever.
  I credit that in part to my amazing boyfriend, because when you have a dream to have the best life possible with the one you care about, you tend to push yourself even more. The funny thing is that I feel HAPPY when I work hard. I don't feel dread or a desire to quit.
• God has blessed me with the friends and family I have.
  Honestly, some of you guys are a bit weird. But it is amazing and I am incredibly grateful to have such a diverse group of friends!
• I have a boyfriend who tells me literally every single day that I am beautiful.
  I get annoyed because he says it when I feel incredibly ugly, but you know what? To me, that is sweeter than telling me I am beautiful if I spent all day getting ready for an evening out. That would feel to me like he was encouraging me to put make up on if I want to be told I am pretty.
• The opportunities in my life.
  It is incredible all of the things that we can all do in our lives. I am trying to take advantage of it every day. Recently, Omar and I have taken up swimming. We're trying to get into bike riding (although I can't say I am too fond), ice skating, snowboarding (I'm scared - and anxiously awaiting snow!) and many things like that.
• The opportunity I have had to raise these two kittens.
  Even when they bug me when I am trying to sleep, it just makes me so happy that I can take care of these animals. It drives me crazy (with happiness) when I hear them purr.
• My boyfriend!!!!!!
  I was going to try not to write anything about how incredible he is, because I feel like that is all I write about sometimes, but man, he is amazing. He has turned things around for me. All of the insane guys I've dated.... pew it was all worth it. I am a cornball, but seriously. I never thought I would find anyone as silly as I am. I thought I would scare off every potential guy with my cheesy jokes and mushy emotions....

Gratitude

Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful.
-Buddah

Real "gratitude" post coming real soon... if not tonight, sometime in the next few days. Enjoy your Thanksgiving, everyone!

Amazed

I can't even begin to explain the wonderful feeling it is to know that you have such loving family and friends. I don't know what it is, but something was in the air today that was just amazing. It started the instant I woke up. Everyone was in a good mood - strangers even appeared to be happier than usual! Omar and I went out to breakfast when he got out of class, and the other customers were super friendly. My Psychology class was cancelled today, which made the day even better.

Oh yeah, and I got an Ipod. (It would have been a great day whether I got the ipod or not, but that made it really exciting for me - Thank you babe!)

I think a lot of people must be in a good mood because Thansgiving is coming up. Can you believe it? This year has just flown by!

Anyway, as I was sitting here, attempting to tackle at least 1 ton of the 4 tons of math homework I have to do, I felt like getting some of these built up feelings of love out of my system. . .

and as I write this, my kittens are cleaning each other... and about to fall off the bed! They're adorable...

Love,
Kaleigh

Today was perfect

Reasons I loved my lazy day:

• Diet pepsi - mmm. duh!
• 2 hour long nap
• deee-lish homemade tacos, cookie crips, and quesa
• Warm apple pie candle
• I was so cozy, I forgot to go to Alb to see Vale.... what??
• Bridezillas marathon!
• Cuddly kittens
• Awesome friends

My day was awesome........ if only the snow would come, it would be even better!

Where is August?

Only one more class until finals! How crazy is that? I think it is hard for me to believe because we haven't had any snow yet. I can't believe I only have 1 math assignment left. I'm excited for next semester!

Omar, Brenda and I went swimming again last night. It was so fun. I should keep at this. Maybe I can lose weight. Or at least not feel guilty about having a chocolate milkshake from Sonic occasionally!

I'm looking up info on how to take perfect care of my kittens. I'm doing a really good job, I think. The only problem I have is that Milo is still sucking on me, and it makes it difficult for me to sleep at night when he will attempt to suck on me for almost four hours. I just get frustrated and tell him to leave me alone. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know! Thanks a mil!

Later, gators.

At a loss of words

I am really wanting to hook my sister up. I want her to be single, but at the same time, it would be nice to find her a nice guy! I have a couple of perspective guys in mind, but of course nothing is definite. We gave her number to two guys. Woop woop!

We had fun at The Compound on Wednesday. I love going to Omar's show, and usually they are playing with a band that I have grown to really love (Vale of Miscreation).

I've been at a loss for words lately. End of the semester means crazy busy days and crazy busy nights! Oh well. I'm looking forward to next semester. I am taking Spanish, so I'll finally be able to slightly understand what my Spanish-speaking friends are saying behind my back. ;)

Love, Kaleigh

Happiness galore

I hate when I post a blog, but it doesn't show up. what the heck???

anyway, today was amazing. Omar and I made blueberry pancakes (w/peanut butter, of course!!! who needs mapple syrup?), eggs, hashbrowns, and sausage. It was delicious.

We went swimming with his little sister, which was absolutely fantastic. Afterward, we stuffed ourselves full of ice cream w/ sprinkles. yum yum yum!

love, kali

Is the pounding an illusion - or the result of a substance (alcohol) that I am not used to?

Its funny. I drank 2 1/2 margaritas, and by 2 sips into the second one, I wasn't really feeling it anymore. Actually, it kind of started to make my stomach turn. Just the smell of it. That actually made my boyfriend happy, because he is blatently against alcohol. That makes me happy, although I feel we are not your typical college students. That, too, makes me happy, though. I would rather be an old lady who stays at home and plays board games with her boyfriend than a drunk girl putting herself at risk.

I had a wonderful day today. Went out to breakfast with my boyfriend and two of his sisters, then he went to work, and I spent the day with all three of his sisters. It was fun and I am glad that I have them in my life.

Looking forward to Thanksgiving - and gaining five pounds! Ha just joking. Although it should be a nice day.

Next semester is going to be boring. I don't think I am going to be able to get many of my credits out of the way. I may have to take a bunch of classes that don't even apply to my degree. Hopefully they will at least be transferrable so that I don't just waste money in order to keep my health insurance. Eep. We'll see.

My cats didn't let me sleep at all last night. Milo is still missing his mommy, and he tries to suck milk out of my head, neck, arm, cheek, wherever he can get ahold of... it drives me crazy, particularly at 3:00 in the Am. Hopefully he'll grow out of that stage - and soon! It breaks my heart.

love, kaleigh

Wow...

Everything is SO amazing! I can't even believe how great I've felt lately. I guess for a while I had been on jetlag from all the craziness of the past three years, and I would just start to cry. I had mood swings like no one's business. Just ask my boyfriend. And now, after having a little over a week or two of reflection, I am feeling even better than ever. I'm working so hard on improving myself.

Things I am Working on

• Things that once frustrated me, such as being cut off in traffic or tailgated. Rather than thinking, "Ugh. How stupid of them!" I've just been letting it slide off my chest. I've found this helps my mood tremendously.
• If I feel myself beginning to get grumpy, I focus on the positive things.
• I don't argue about politics anymore, mainly because the election is over. However, I've made a new rule that during the next campaign,there will be no arguing. If someone says something frustrating, I will just remember that is THEIR view, and I can still believe what I want.
• I don't let little nuisances annoy me too much, like when I spill pop all over the floor.

love,
Kaleigh :)

Blast from the Past

Introducing:

KALEIGH AT 14!

It's really funny how much I've grown up. Its been seven years or so. Man was I crazy back then! Ha! And the music video is Eden's Crush - do ya'll remember when they were popular? love,kaleigh
My old journal - from 2002!!!

Looong day

I never realized how exhausting it is for me to drive... maybe it is because it has been nearly 3 months since I drove an hour straight every day... often several times a day. 2 hours is worse. It may be because I was at school all day... but whatever. How am I going to drive all the way up to Colorado if Omar can't make the trip with me? oh well.

Today was wonderful, though. I got an amazingly cute jacket, and showed up late to my psychology class so that Omar and I could get frozen yogurt on the other end of town. Gotta rebel once in a while, right?

Anywho. My psych exam was put off for five days, so I better ace that thing!

love, kaleigh

Albuquerque Adventures!

I love how almost everytime Omar and I go to Taco Bell, we end up with some scrazy even. (That is my new word for scary and crazy.) So, as you all probably know, Omar has to carry his band's equipment in a trailer. Well, that makes getting food (or going anywhere, for that matter) a tad challenging. We always must hunt around for a place where we can park the trailer. Wellllllll, we decided to go through Taco Bell because they didn't appear to have any sort of rooftop over their drive thru window. Well, everything went smoothly- we ordered our food, and proceded to drive forward. That's when the trouble began. You see, pulling around a tight drive through corner with a large trailer on the back of your pick up doesn't work out too well. We began to drive forward, and thankfully, no one was behind us because we had to do several reverses to get over the curve. Fortunately, we made it through - much to my dismay! I was pretty embarassed over the fact that on one of the turns, we hit one of those little pole things they have sitting next to the intercom. It was actually pretty funny. I could have SWORN we were going to get in trouble, but I couldn't help but laugh. We got to the window and the guy who took our order was laughing, also. So that was a plus. He also gave us a larger drink than we ordered just because he thought it was cool! Then, however, we had trouble pulling away. It was a little mor difficult than before as there was a car behind us. Everything went alright and eventually we ended up at the venue. It was fun.

The show was nice. Fields of Elysium hasn't performed in like a month and a half. The show was really small though. Unfortunately the entire parking lot was filled up because the karate place had a tournament so we had no place to park the trailer. We ended up parking in a sketchy alleyway that had people wondering down it. (And if you know Albuquerque, you know it is no place to hang out in an alley. ha) Hopefully their CD will be released soon - I will let you know when it is! My brother wants to sell it in his music store in North Dakota so that would be great - national exposure! He said he would even play it on the stores stereo system, so thats exciting. Now we just need to get it released!

My cats are driving me crazy, but I love it. I really missed them last night! I was glad to get home and give them a big ol' hug - and get my arms scratched off in the process.

Coffee and homework time!

I hope ya'll are staying on top of this presidency. I know I am. I find it really fascinating, and I know from experience that once you don't pay attention to a president anymore, it is difficult to understand what is truly going on in your country.

Much love!! I hope you guys are enjoying your weekend!
Kaleigh :)

I'll see you soon

Can't wait to go to Colorado to see this beautiful little boy! Also going to Iowa a couple days after that. I can't wait for Christmas/New Years this year.

Inspirartion.

I am so excited to say that I am feeling more motivated than I ever have in my life, which is pretty incredible. The more good grades I get, the more excited I get that I really will be that outstanding teacher that I've always wanted to be. It may take several more years, but good grades are always helpful.

Not only am I feeling motivated to be a good teacher, but I am motivated to be a good friend, wife, and mother. Someday, the last two will happen. For now, I can focus on being a good mama to my kittens and girlfriend to my boyfriend. (I think I've been studying proportions a little too much.)

Anyway, my boyfriend is a big stinky poo head.

xo
Kaleigh

Why Am I So Lucky?

Gosh, it is just so funny! I can't stop thinking how lucky I am, especially in comparison with all the bad luck I had with guys in the past. My boyfriend is just amazing. Everytime I'm bored... he knows how to make me smile! Everytime I am grumpy, he knows how to make me smile. It is amazingly reassuring to know that I have a boyfriend who will always be there for me. How many of you guys have a boyfriend who COOKS practically every day? We used to eat out 3 meals a day, but decided that wasn't practical. So instead, he cooks for me. ughhh it makes me feel lazy! I'll make it up to him when we are married though. I will be the best wife ev! :)

On another note of luckiness, I have the best cats ever! Last night I was watching TV with the boyfriend, and the cats were cuddling with us. It was wonderful!

Anyway, I just wanted to say those couple of things before I head off to school.

I hope ya all have a fabulous day!

Kaleigh

Hi. I'm bored.

It seems like there is always wayyyyy too much stuff to attempt to accomplish in one day, or absolutely nothing.

Later gaters.

Wonderful Morning

I love these leisurely mornings when it feels as though nothing could go wrong. I am sitting on my bed, messaging with my cousin, Stephie, whom I haven't talked to in ages, listening to my kitties meowing and purring while they cuddle up on my lap, and have an amazing "pumpkin pie" candle burning. Oh yeah, and I am drinking coffee and contemplating my future! The only thing that would make this morning better is if my wonderful boyfriend was here with me. Everything is absolutely perfect right now, and - last mention of politics for a little while - I am excited for the change President Obama is going to bring us!

I love this picture.... So I just thought I would post it on here! This demonstrates our silly friendship! Kaleigh and Yvette

On another note, I can't believe how well my classes are going. Surprisingly well! The two classes that I thought I was going to get less than a B in, it seems as though I may get a B or higher in! That is a wonderful feeling. Do you know what is NOT a wonderful feeling? When you are sitting in class, feeling bored, so decide to turn around to look at the clock. As you turn your head, you almost gasp from pain because your neck hurts so bad. Ugh. Why me? Now I understand what my dad is talking about when he says his body is in pain. I don't know what is going on here.

Much love, goosebumps, happy tears, and hugs,
Kaleigh

I knew there had to be a reason....

... that my morning was awful. It was because my evening rocked!

OBAMA!!!!!!!!! :) Yes! Change change change!

I feel like crying out of happiness. We already had amazing change the instant Obama was elected president. Our first African American president! This day will go down in history, no matter what!

Yes We CAN!

VOTE.

I am heading to the polls right now.

Hugs!

-Kaleigh

Just want to say that...

... I think that I, knowing nothing at all about politics, would be a better candidate for VP than Sarah Palin... I am all for people having their own opinions on this election, but I found the following very interesting. I stole it from my cousin Tracy's bulletin on myspace.

What if things were switched around?

Would the country's collective point of view be different?


Ponder the following:

What if the Obamas had paraded five children across the stage, including a three month old infant and an unwed, pregnant teenage daughter?

What if John McCain was a former president of the Harvard Law Review?

What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class?

What if McCain had only married once, and Obama was a divorcee?

What if Obama was the candidate who left his first wife after a severe disfiguring car accident, when she no longer measured up to his standards?

What if Obama had met his second wife in a bar and had a long affair while he was still married?

What if Michelle Obama was the wife who not only became addicted to pain killers but also acquired them illegally through her charitable organization?

What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard?

What if Obama had been a member of the Keating Five? (The Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
)

What if McCain was a charismatic, eloquent speaker?

What if Obama couldn't read from a teleprompter?

What if Obama was the one who had military experience that included discipline problems and a record of crashing seven planes?

What if Obama was the one who was known to display publicly, on many occasions, a serious anger management problem?

What if Michelle Obama's family had made their money from beer distribution?

What if the Obamas had adopted a white child? You could easily add to this list.
If these questions reflected reality, do you really believe the election numbers would be as close as they are?

This is what racism does. It covers up, rationalizes and minimizes positive qualities in one candidate and emphasizes negative qualities in another when there is a color difference.




Educational Background:

Barack Obama:
Columbia University - B.A. Political Science with a Specializati on in International Relations.

Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.
) Magna Cum Laude

Joseph Biden:
University of Delaware - B.A. in History and B.A. in Political Science.

Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.
)

vs.


John McCain:
United States Naval Academy - Class rank: 894 of 899

Sarah Palin:

Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study
University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism
Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester
University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A.
in Journalism


Education isn't everything, but this is about the two highest offices in the land as well as our standing in the entire world. You make the call.

"C" is for Cookie

This song is the LOVE of my life! Oh it reminds me of younger, less stressful days! Ha!

Woop

I am going to transfer to UNM in less than two years! Yes, yes I am. And Omar is coming with me! Yes, yes he is.