Good for a Wildcat: FIRST DOWN!

As I sit here in my apartment tonight watching my Cats take on the Huskers, I have a lot of emotions. For one, I have an extreme sense of missing Manhattan. Something about The Bill rocking after the Cats hold Nebraska off on 3rd down makes me wish so badly that I was there cheering on the purple and white. But after that I have a sense of pride. I'm proud of where I spent my 3 and a half years. And I'm proud that I can call everyone in that stadium family. When you graduate from K-State you become a part of a group that you won't find anywhere else. There is a reason it's called Bill Snyder Family Stadium. We are family. We are K-State.

The little things in life...

I get excited about the little things in life. Don't we all? There's a great joy in so many little things in a day!

I like lists, so I'm going to make one of my favorite little things in life. Yes, this also pleases the OCD demon that lives in my head. =)

-New pens
-Trixie doing a new trick
-Finding a new hair product that works better than the old one
-My heifer setting up perfectly
-Finding a new recipe
-Easter Candy
-Finishing a book
-Hearing my parents tell me "Good job!"
-Seeing my siblings succeed
-Agvocating
-Facebook and kwalk's korner comments
-Eating a bowl of cereal for dinner
-Finding the perfect *whatever* for my apartment
-Fitting a good leg
-Licking the middle out of a Double Stuffed Oreo
-Completing a project, no matter how small
-Funny, one liner text messages
-Hearing an oldie-but-goodie on the radio
-Grills, not the ones you put in your mouth
-Pictures
-Looking at my K-State diploma
-Knowing I put in a hard day's work
-Giving the perfect gift
-Vacuuming
-Watching an old movie
-Making a new mix cd
-The smell of fresh cut grass
-A good workout
-Random blogs

Every day we should find at least one thing to be happy about. After all, we only get one life so live it! Smile and seize the carp! I mean day! =)

Wear. Sunscreen.

Some people know this already, but one of my most cherished memories is from my last day of high school. My AP English teacher, Mrs. Buske, played the song/speech "Wear Sunscreen" and I'm not sure there is something that hit me harder. There isn't a way to say the message better than how it has already been done. Enjoy =)

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of '97... wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be IT.

The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.

I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.

You are NOT as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts, don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long, and in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, you'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't, maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't, maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself, either. Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else's. Enjoy your body, use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance. Even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they'll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings; they are your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography in lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you'll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

The Bucket List

Everyone has one. Here's mine, in no particular order.

-Ski in the mountains
-Learn to snowboard
-Take an Alaskan cruise
-Travel Australia
-Travel Europe
-See California, just once for the life experience
-Vacation in the middle of nowhere, again
-Be a Mac user
-Buy a brand new vehicle
-Do something extreme (i.e. skydiving, bungee jumping, etc)
-Lay on a beach and do nothing for a week
-Experience a Fake Patty's Day
-Build my dream house
-Make a quilt out of my t-shirts
-Master the art of Italian cuisine
-Make another trip to NYC
-Go to a game at Wrigley, which is hard for me to actually say
-Camp in Yellowstone
-Have the coolest kitchen ever
-Become a photographer
-Two words--VEGAS, BABY!
-Go to the World Series, preferably when the Cardinals are playing in it
-Attend all the major stock shows in the US
-Become the world's best cinnamon roll chef
-Own an iPhone (once Verizon picks it up of course, none of that AT&T bullshit)

I'm sure I will think of more (or do things and say that should've been on my list [ie dancing on the bar in Rusty's Other Side to Pour Some Sugar on Me, sleeping on top of my car after a party, etc.]) at some point.

kwalk

Umm, welcome?

Hi? I think is how I should start this? I never thought I would become the blogging type, but then again, I never thought I would have THIS MUCH free time on my hands either. Sure, there are multiple other things I could be doing like sorting bolts off the workbench or cleaning out hay lofts but for now this will do.

For starters my name is Kristen, but you can call me k-walk. I'm only typing it with the hyphen once so note that kwalk = k-walk, not "qualk" as a good friend pointed out to me (thanks Michael!). I'm a recent graduate of Kansas State University's College of Agriculture. Animal Science and Industry major and Ag Econ minor. Yes, I bleed purple. I grew up in Central Illinois and will always have a spot for the Land of Lincoln in my heart, but I did all my real "growing up" in Manhattan. My Kansas soul is the one that shines.

I'm currently living with my mom, step dad, and Toy Australian Sheppard in the house I grew up in and working for a genetic testing lab a couple days a week until I start my masters degree in molecular genetics this fall at University of Illinois. Other than that I'm putting in the hours at the WF administering nutrition and making my way to the top of the show sheen application standings. I see my dad as much as I can and that is usually around chore time. My brother is at school so it is a little weird living here without him, but I've adjusted well to the quiet house. Well, quiet is a relative term. I have 2 awesome step sisters and 2 marginal step brothers. Just kidding, they are the ones that keep us entertained so that takes them to awesome status too I guess. It gets to be a mad house around here sometimes when all 8 of us are home. Never a dull moment, that is for sure.

My friends have sorted themselves. They are great and have put up with A LOT from me. I'm difficult and stubborn, but for some reason these people still like me. I think it's amazing, but they just call it part of their job. Either way I'm forever grateful. I'm not sure what kind of person I would have become with out them but I don't really want to find out.

In closing(?), this is me and if you don't like it get the hell out! Just kidding... But seriously. Ha. When I figure out pictures and other fancy stuff, I might make this thing pretty. But then again this may be the only thing I every share.

Until then,
kwalk