Life With Three Blondes

1. The Brita is the most valuable possession in the house. Respect. And if you don’t happen to go out one night, it’s only polite to fill it for your roommates.
2. Prank Wars are serious business. Don’t start one with West 57, we take no prisoners.
3. Karlee’s countdown to the weekend is never questionable. It is on the calendar, Facebook and announced every morning at breakfast.
4. As a side note this leads to the extreme consumption of Pepsi. Always ensure the Pepsi cupboard is stocked when Karlee finishes a hard day at hair school.
5. Looking forward to a phone call after supper can get you through even the worst day.
6. Don’t take Karlee to the mall, self-explanatory.
7. Bring a candle when you come to 141 West Crescent. We will appreciate it more than you can imagine because we like fire.
8. Duncan loves his tea. This regular intake of (an old lady) beverage has the potential to solve any ailment and or trouble he is having. This includes the loud and spirited fights we have every day.
9. Wine is a staple in this house.
10. Showering is just a suggestion rather than necessity. I’m still arguing this point with Karlee and Duncan… And a lot of other people.
11. Let Karlee answer your phone. This will provide entertainment, as well as a shriek and a phone thrown at your face.
12. Ring Duncan’s bell. HA.
13. Dishwashers = the devil’s tool.
14. Dying your hair should be a roommate experience. Never believe Karlee when she tells you it’s purple. And never, ever believe Duncan when he tells you it’s going to be okay, because let’s face it he’s a boy and can’t be right.
15. You will always miss your cows. You'll miss them so bad even washing a limo sounds good...
16. If you ask Duncan for help with Biology, it usually results in him doing all the work rather than answering your questions because “you annoy him when you can’t read simple instructions.”
17. Never let Hal get into your Cherry Whiskey supply.
18. Once Duncan turns on the show tunes, he never turns them off.
19. Always have a clean sweat suit ready to go. You don’t want to be empty handed when Friday comes around.
20. Life with three blondes is not as easy as it seems, however it is a solid good time.

Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better.

com·pe·ti·tion /ˌkɒm pɪˈtɪʃ ən/ noun 

-the act of competing; rivalry for supremacy, a prize, etc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/competition

A five year old could give you a definition for competition. It is everywhere. In your work place, in your educational institution, even in your home.

Growing up with two brothers that were a little over two years apart, I can tell you about all kinds of fights and arguments. They were over who ran faster, who had more likes on a Facebook status, who got the girl. I've broke up more fist fights than most bouncers, and guaranteed the aftermath was a lot more serious that a ticket (have you ever gotten a punishment from Momma T?)

Now in college it is more evident. Everyone wants to be the prettiest, the smartest and the loudest. They want the girl or the boy. They want to drink the most, stay out the latest yet score the highest, and learn the most.

Huh...

Yes you see competition takes the reality out of most people's small little brains. There are far more important things than being "the best." Even if you think you're "the best," you're not. Because you know what? I am the best. I am the best dang Katie you will ever meet. But besides hypothetically, what point is being this "best" you want to be? If you ever stop being "the best" are people still going to like you? It's far better to be "your best."

So here's my food for thought today, stop worrying about what everyone thinks (except to the girl I saw wearing tights with a shirt far too short to cover her butt today, that is not okay, and you should ask what people think), and be "your best."

A Week of Dress Up

The title of this post may confuse you. But for me it's self explanatory. I have been at big kid school, more widely known as college, for a week now and it feels a lot like dress up.

It's just different and so out of the ordinary.

Don't get me wrong, I love my roommates, we have had so many classic times, it seems like we've been here much longer than a week. I like having one of my best friends in the room next to me, it's like a everlasting sleepover having her with me. I like lighting candles with Duncan, and fighting about the dishwasher every single night. I like our cosmo posters, and SMD jar, and our home-y house decorations. I like my classes well enough. I like having Goose with me everyday. I like the change in scenery. 

It's just weird not having Ty yelling at me for being a terrible driver daily, or other variations of being useless. I miss our idle bickering over whose the favourite.

It's just not the same to not hear Gus blasting "Teach Me How to Dougie," "Take Your Shirt Off" or "Drunk on You" each and every morning, much louder than necessary. I miss how he always made a point of asking how my day was.

Very few people here know about my twin that is eleven years younger. I miss Lexi pestering me to paint her nails, jump on the trampoline with her or go see the kittens.

I miss my cows.

I miss Momma T asking me to do stuff, complaining about it, and doing it anyways. I enjoy cleaning our house in Red Deer just because it makes me feel better.

I miss Papa Billy's stories because frankly they are the best.

These are all the reasons it's been a week of dressup.  I guess I'm growing up, even though I want to deny it. But now I'm getting into the routine, and everything seems to be running smoothly.



Two Hours of Reflection

Tomorrow is the big day! Well not "thee big day" just one of the big days. The day where I move out and see if I have what it takes to be a big kid.

For those who have asked me if I'm excited to go to college in the last two months, I have answered with variations of %^#Q*@! or, to be honest I'm scared, depending on whose ears it may fall on.

As this is my last real day being under my parents roof, without any real grow up concerns like a house, grocery list or mode of transportation, I have continued on like I have for every other summer. I woke up at ten, checked facebook, and now continue to lay in bed.

However this morning may be a little different.

I have thought about tomorrow. The truth is, I'm going to be fine because Momma T and Papa Billy have done an excellent job in preparing me for this world. I also will have my best friend from school, Karlee, who knows me better than I know myself most days. I will have friends to show me the ropes of RDC. I have all my show friends who will remind me not to be such a pansy. I have Lexi who looks up to me and expects me to succeed because she thinks I can do anything.

I have thought about grad. Good luck to all my classmates where ever they are headed, Edmonton, RDC, Olds, Vermilion, Camrose or those who are taking a year off. To refer to my grad speech, "It's been a classy thirteen years... This is my challenge to you. Leave behind what isn't helpful but take all the experiences and lessons we have been given to accomplish things you dare to dream. I believe each of us has what it takes to get to where we want to go. So here's to us and our journey "To Infinity and Beyond."" All of the years in Forestburg weren't the best but they weren't the worst either.

I have thought about my first camp-less summer. I estimated that through my nine years of 4-H I have attended sixteen or more summer camps. That is approximate, but astounding. Thinking back to all those weeks spent at Battle Lake, or on the Olds College Campus, I can't imagine my life without them. They gave me more than the simple sessions were meant to teach, or what I was expected to learn from the presentations. They gave me friends I couldn't live without and memories that made getting through winter easier. The camps took the sting out of the ten months spent in a classroom, because we always knew we'd have a blissful week where everything would make sense again and we could just be ourselves.

I have thought about this summer. It has been quite the time. My first real job, with a real pay check and boss. My first summer with a license and places to go. My last summer showing. A trip to show in another province, a group of new friends. Nights and days that I will never forget, that made this summer what it was. There's in the words of Momma T, "someone who would drive five hours just to see me." Memories of laughter, jokes and sunburns, that seem irrelevant.  There's the last hurrah at Redrich, the night in the washracks at Synergy, hotelling in Weyburn, and getting snacks at FJ's.

It's nice to just think about things sometimes. To reflect and realize how little things often stick with you more than the big things. Thing's are new,  I'm not really sure what to do, but I guess that's okay too.

"Just because everything is different doesn't mean anything has changed."  ~Irene Peter

I Never Want This to End

Today Momma T woke me up to inform me we were going mattress shopping. This itself was extremely exciting, because I have the cheapest mattress in the house. She actually admitted when she bought it, that was the only information she gave the salesperson...

So i actually got to test beds, take in a little information about the different kinds of beds (at which he pointed out, i will need a bed to support my curves HAHA). Point of the story, I got a bed that I wish I could take to college (instead I'm taking the old one). As we load up our investment, Momma T smiles, "Since i bought you this nice bed, maybe you'll want to come home more." Touche Momma T, very well played...

For those who don't know, it's been non stop action over at Redrich. We've been trying to silage, packing for college (and grade two Lexi will point out), working hair on sale cattle and picturing. All of this is of course very stressful for all of us, but we're on the home stretch now.

Oh, and thanks summer oh eleven. it's been a slice, and i never want the good times to end.