Catherine

Shoot, I love packing, especially when I wait until the day before I leave to do it. It's awesome. My room is such a wreck. I have clothes ALL over my floor and dozens of shopping bags all over the place. I think having the mall so close is like a freak out thing for me, because I think I've bought a new outfit there every week since I've been home. Eh, a girl can never have too many clothes.

So my trip is going to be so so so great. I am SO excited. Seeing my Moms family 2 summers in a row? That never happens, even when we lived in Georgia. Plus flying by myself will be great, I have my book and my fashion magazines ready to go. That is probably the only thing I have ready though.

So much has happened the last 2 weeks, I made several mistakes, but it ended up working out, for the better. I'm really happy with where I am right now, the people I'm surrounding myself with, the people I'm shutting out, it's what I need to do and what's best for me. It's funny how you think that going to college will be the biggest change for you and your friends, but there are so many other things that can happen that you never considered. This fall will be another big change for me and my core friends. Brittany is moving to Kansas in like a week, Tara may be in Ames or in Kansas, Burt will be in Spain, it's like you get to school and think everyone will be settled, but we're not. It's kind of cool in a weird way. I mean, hopefully in a year I'll be getting ready to study in New Zealand. Plus with Burt going to Spain, it gives me a great Thanksgiving break destination, round trip plane ticket is only like $800. I really want that to happen, my Dad won't take me to Europe, he has no desire to go. So I'm going to make my own way there, I'll be 20 then what can they tell me, you're too young? No. That doesn't work anymore. I'll be 20 in 3 months and a week. Woah.

I like how my parents sort of resigned to their fate this summer. I told them I'm not living at home next summer, I had the money to do it this summer, but I wanted to come home. Now? I would rather live most anywhere else. It's not that I don't love my family, but I miss the independence of school, coming and going how I wanted for 9 months and then coming back to rules, not so great.

I promise to have lots of great pictures :)

Ok, I should actually get some work done around here.

Love,
Catherine

Current iTunes Track
Earthquake by The Used
She had an earthquake on her mind
I almost heard her cry out as I left her far behind
and knew the world was crashing down around her
I sink now to the ocean floor because I know that we are more but
I've made this mess
I built this fire, Are you still mine

Tonight is my night of being grounded, but, instead of being pissy or stupid about it. I'm ecstatic. Reasons:
1. When people call I actually have a reason to not go out. Usually I just get talked into going out even if I'm too tired and it's nice to just, be alone and chill.
2. I asked for my first raise at work (after a year and half working there, they should cough it up) and my boss basically said, "Let me talk to Todd (VP of the company) and we'll see what we can work out." The next day he came up to me and asked me how much I wanted!!! I make $7.50 plus commission which evens out to about $9 an hour. I had recently been offered another job at $9 so I said $9 and he said that was fine! So woohoo! Todd (VP guy) comes to our stores, so he knows who I am and knows that I work really hard and I'm good at what I do. So yay for job satisfaction and a raise of $1.50 (plus sweet commission)
3. I am FINALLY going home. Well, home where I grew up. I've been back a few times, mostly through the airport while we're flying to Florida and then when Papa died. But I really get to go and visit and stay and see old friends for the first time in 7 years. The reason that this whole thing started was my sister got a part in High School Musical at the Des Moines Playhouse so we aren't going to get to go on a family vacation this summer. But for my Mom's 50th birthday my Dad is sending Mom and Gramma to North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. So that they can see family and places my Mom grew up and stuff. Well I thought I'd just give it a shot and ask if I could meet them in South Carolina and see my family and then fly out of Atlanta with them. I've been on more than 50 flights in my life but I've never been on one all by myself! I'm pumped.
4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows comes out in 42 days!!! Yeah I'm way excited.

Yay for Cars! It's on Starz so I'm gonna go!

Love,
Catherine

Current iTunes Track
Knock 'Em Out by Lily Allen
Can't knock em out, can't walk away,
Try desperately to think of the politest way to say,
Just get out my face, just leave me alone,
And no you can't have my number,
"Why?"
Because I've lost my phone.

So I am officially a redhead as of about a week ago. I think I like it...it is a bit more vibrant than I would like, but, hopefully it will fade. The picture does it no justice, in the sunlight it's fire engine red. Yeah, it's pretty cool I guess.

There hasn't been much going on for me lately, other than I currently have a bladder infection and I've been working my butt off, I got my biggest check ever over the weekend $500 bucks. Sweeeet. I was really excited about it.

Oh and the first official argument over church happened Sunday, because I just slept through it and didn't go, well, when my Dad got home he told me not to make any plans for Saturday night because I won't be going out. Cool, I'm 19 years old and my parents are grounding me for not going to church...classy. I started the discussion with my Mom about why I didn't want to go anymore, but she just got really mad and started yelling at me, so of course I shut down and started crying. I'm just going to drop it, it will end up being like 8 church services and I'm not living at home next summer, so yeah. Second Sunday of August I'm moving back to Ames, because I want to do move in crew, to get out of here as fast as possible. So I can deal basically.

I hung out with Katie Artino and Nyles tonight, we just sat in Katie's apartment and talked, it was fantastic. Seriously, we talked about everything. I think my favorite topic was about our class from high school, like who got fat, who we want to see soon, what we think will happen to us etc. But then we talked more about how, if any member of our 36 person class hadn't been in our class, things would've been so different. We had/have such an amazing dynamic. I mean, we never all got along, but we all loved each other. Heck, even the people that hated each other still cared for one another. Even if we didn't want to, we knew SO much about each other. I mean you at least knew their first and last name (most of their middle names too), where they lived, what sports they played, what classes they liked, which ones they hated, how smart they were and who exactly they hung out with. Even now coming home, we can still look back at how much we've all changed and how even though we were apart for 9 months, we really grew up apart.

But yeah, that's all I've got

Love,
Catherine