sorry for the abscence, it's not that i don't have tons to write about. i do. i'm just paying for the internet by the minute now.

hmmm.

i'll figure this out soon.

k

a couple more pictures that i found fun

i worked in san francisco today, at the apple store. i had so much fun. one of the creatives at that store can keep you laughing for hours. he is so hysterical. we're all going out tomorrow so hopefully i'll be able to get some pictures. holy cow he's funny. i had so much fun all day. i don't even know what to say from there. sold my first laptop, even though i didn't know what i was doing. the store manager said, 'could you show here the laptops?" so i did, and she bought one. cool. no one seems to know that apple isn't commision based. it's not. no commision. i love that.

pixar (formerly george lucas' animation company, then purchased by steve jobs) who created Toy Story, A Bug's Life and Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, is being sold to disney. sale should be final mid summer. you can read all about it on pixars website under company info. it sucks. it's great for apple/jobs but i was so much beginning to like pixar over disney and now...they will be one in the same. as soon as they release this next film called 'cars,' they will finalize everything, that's my guess at least. it's sad though

i had dinner tonight with some of my friends from training tonight. 1 atheist (raised methodist, oddly enough), 1muslim (who grew up attending private catholic school), 1 irish catholic (who attended private catholic school) and me. (set that up the correct way and it sounds like the lead in to a joke) and one of them is gay, not me. anyone who has been in this situation before should begin to feel the 'this is going to be interesting' feeling about the situation. about half way through the entré, religion and faith became the topic of conversation. it was like a train wreck. such a tricky situation. here is one, ONE, of the many things i found interesting. the first day of training, we had to go around the room and introduce ourselves, say where we were working and what our last job was. it came to me and i said i used to work for the camping ministry. i said ministry. didn't phase me but aparently for some people in the room. i instantly became someone to, 'not discuss religion with.' it's amazing to me. two of the three people at dinner said their first impression of me was that i was a radical religious person. all because i used the word ministry. i kinda laughed at that but it also kinda bugged me. i mentioned that after my last job, i kinda had a bad taste in my mouth for 'religion' or 'organized religion.' and they all said they had pinned me as the opposite. all because i said ministry. i'm stunned by that. i don't even know where to go from there.

yowza
k

yesterday i went with some friends for a bit of a drive.

section one, we left san josé and headed toward big basin. very cool. it's a state park filled with redwood trees. no, not the ones that you can drive through but some of the ones that are just monsters. it was so cool. absolutely awe inspiring. it's amazing that i worship the God that created such amazing things. and it was a day filled with thoughts like that.



this tree is so cool. you could seriously sleep 10 people in this tree, should you want to go camping. it was so incredible.



this is one of the tallest trees in the park i want to say it was 359ft tall but i can't remember exactly. absolutely humbling. it's amazing, it's sunny outside and it's like you're under this canopy of trees. and it's so cool, temp wise. plus, it's so moist there all the time, that there is moss everywhere! there are mushrooms all over the place and the trees and branches and everything just have really cool moss. we got out of the car there and i thought i was in heaven. the air was so incredibly clean and cool and you could actually breathe and take deep breaths and not choke. i loved it. i wish i had the whole day to hike and i wish i had a mountain bike. i think that the next time i come up, i'm bringing my bike and a tent.



really cool tiny mushrooms. so fun! or fungus, if you will. wow, that was bad.



another really humbling view. as we were crusing up hwy one, and the sun was setting, i saw a cliff off the side of the road that was really impressive so i whipped the car around and told everyone if they wanted to see the coolest thing ever, they had to hurry up and follow me. so i took off, in my flip flops and started hiking down this rock face/sandy VERY steep hill to get down to the beach. it was worth every, "oh crap" as i almost felt multiple times. the best part is that i was hanging out with four really great guys so every time i would slip or say, "oh crap," i'd get 4 very concerned, "you okay???" to which i replied, 'until you hear, oh crap and then the sound of someone summersaulting down the hill, assume i'm okay." and when we reached the bottom, it was worth it. it was un believeable. i immediately kicked off the flip flops and ran toward the surf. it was amazing, awe inspiring, breath taking, and every other word you could use to express something so gorgeous. after taking a roll of pictures (and by roll, i mean roll because i don't have a digitial camera but only film :( ) i climbed back to the top of the hill and just stood there and thought a series of things, 1. my God is an awesome God. 2. wow, i really live here. i can see something like this, every day.

and all of a sudden, i could breathe. i could take a deep breath and just know that everything is working out. i still don't have a place to live, and so many things are in the air. i'm taking 5 exams this week on some of the most difficult software that i have ever had to work in, and all of a sudden, i was at peace. my heart was calm and i could breathe. wow, what a feeling.

after that sunset we kept driving up the coast to san fran. we went to city light books, aparently a famous bookstore on broadway and columbus. and then did some walking. the bookstore was in the middle of this area of the city that was half strip clubs and half jazz/sushi places. i stood there on the stree thinking, my brother would love this for the culture and my uncle would kill to be here for the jazz clubs. it was so cool. we walked through china town...again. and then headed home after a while, but before we hit home, we stopped at in'n'out burgers. i love that place. i'm going to have to set a limit of eating there once every three months. they are fabulous burgers but i think three would send you into a cardiac arrest.

over all, it was an incredible day. such amazing things in california. i know i know, nor cal is different than so cal. (for people who didn't understand that, it's northern california vs. southern california ) people actually have HUGE stickers across their back windows that say 'NOR CAL' i think i might have 'NOR IND' or 'GRANGER' printed on the jeep. i think it would be entertaining. i love nor cal. it's amazing. i love so cal too. for different reasons.

one more thing. i called my grandpa tonight and he answered the phone, "murphy's mule barn, head ass speaking." i laughed about that one for a long time.

i report to the head ass,
k

to see more pictures from the day check out: http://homepage.mac.com/k_holt/PhotoAlbum5.html

the sushi experience


so, i went to dinner tonight with my friends tim and brian. we went for sushi in palo alto. i love that town. here's the story. i've had sushi one time before without issue. that time, i was with my friends in southern california, and they ordered for me. (thanks ben & sarah!) this time. i didn't really know what, or how, to order. so, i ordered teryaki chicken, i know, i know, not sushi but it was safe. my friends got the sushi and i kinda picked off their plates. so, i grab the first thing and down it goes. so, as soon as i swallow, i feel this familiar feeling in my lips. ah, an allergic reation. fabulous. so, as to not alarm anyone, i just sat back and relaxed to see what i've done to myself. after a while, my friend tim, a paramedic, caught on and continually checked in. i don't know if it was the fish or the avacado but my lips were certainly swelling.

so, i did what i normally do, i drank really cold beverages until the swelling stopped. so, after dinner, we walked down the street, went to borders, got starbucks and then i started feeling a bit ill. my stomach was turning. it was like i swallowed a bowling ball. i don't really know what that means, but i'm sure it's a tumor. i'm a hypochondric, what do you want from me?

so, it's now two hours later and i'm still not feeling too hot. my bottom lip hurts really badly, throbbing quite a bit and feels like i've gotten clocked in the face. and my stomach has this incredible pressure like i swallowed a sponge or one of those pill things that we had as kids. you know. the ones where they look like tylenol but you drop them in water and they expand greatly and turn into a dog or a dinosaur. you know? i feel like i have a whole barnyard hanging out in there. it's not fabulous.

with a moo moo here, and a quack quack there,
katie

these are 10" LCD tv's that this company builds into shapes and designs that normally wouldn't be normal. i LOVE THEM and i want the crab. it's only $299. only. riiight.





my new favoritie thing: hannspree

RULE ONE: NEVER TALK ABOUT FIGHT CLUB

so, i'm here in cupertino, training at apple. i was informed that i can't really talk about anything. so, i now live inside fight club where my life is very secretive. i had to sign waivers and confidentiality papers and things. it's very odd. very corporate. but hey, i get to work at the best CREATIVE computer company on the planet. sure my brain is in physical pain, but who else can improve their computers the way we can??? intel has joined in. if you haven't seen the new commercial about apple computers having intel chips, go to www.apple.com/intel and it's on the right. so SO great!

that's all for now. i'm so stinkin tired.

HOLY HAUNTED HOUSE

okay, so, i'm in san jose, ca. it's about 30 minutes south of san fran. i left las vegas yesterday morning and headed south/west. it took a bit longer than planned, but i made it to my aunt eileens house. my aunt eileen is actually my moms' dad's sister. did you get that? my grandpa bobs' sister. anyway, has anyone seen the episode from seinfeld where elaine and jerry visit jerry's parents in florida? the similarities are unbelieveable! it's so funny. i don't even know where to begin! lets just say that A LOT can be said between two people in a matter of 12 hours! wow.

so, if you've read in my previous posts, i am staying with a complete stranger while here in san jose. remember my, 'this should be interesting?" well, let the games begin. she's a great girl. we've talked a bit and compared stories. and as we were sitting on the bed in my room, i was showing her pictures of my family on my computer and i got to corey mann's blog. i was telling her that he's this incredible radio personality who quit to be a youth pastor of sorts and it was so unheard of because he was so great in the radio world. then, on his blog, he has a picture of this guy holding a sign on the street corner. very similar to the 'bullhorn guy.' and so it began. i tried to explain that i go to this church that did a sermon about the bullhorn guy. and that i'm the kind of Christ-follower that doesn't agree with the guy on the corner. i don't think that i have to force feed people my faith. i know people have different stances on this but mine is that i'm not going to force you to listen to my beliefs. if you show an interest, ask me questions or anything, i'll be happy to share my faith with you. and you can take it or leave it. this is where it got interesting. my roommate says, "i knew i'd never be a 'christian' when i went to one of those 'holy haunted houses.'" to which i said, "i'm sorry, the what?" she went on to describe this church that did a haunted house where...wait, did you read that??? the CHURCH that did a HAUNTED HOUSE. just making sure you're paying attention. well, aparently, each room is set up to be a different reason that you're going to hell. not kidding. she could be making this up, but the passion and hatred for christians was there so...take that as you may. so, as you go through this 'holy haunted house,' each room has a different theme and justification for why the person will be going to hell. i.e. this girl will go to hell because of having a baby out of marriage. then drinking. then drugs. then abortion. then lying. and the list goes on. aparently, at the end, you all come into what sounded like a sanctuary where the pastor/priest/preacher (she didn't know what he really was) asks everyone if they would like to repent. ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? and the people who raise their hands get to leave and if you don't raise you hand, you get the honor of staying and listening to a sermon about how you're going to hell. happy halloween. i was so stunned by this, and still a little skeptical about the legitimacy of all of this, that all i could bring myself to say is, "if that's christianity..." and then i stopped and finished by saying "i don't believe in that. and i feel sick, thinking that some people believe that is the way to reach people. my faith is different from that."

what do you say to someone that, five minutes earlier i just told her i was a christian and all about my church and now she thinks i'm one of those psycho fanatical people? i have an incredible urge to find whoever thought that was a good idea and cause him physical harm. honestly. i'm not a scriptural expert, can anyone give me a scripture or example where Jesus forced someone into following??? or am i just launching the whole, 'free will' debate.

and to think, it's only day one.

thinking that life in california may be more of an adventure than i expected...

k

ah palm trees.

so, here i sit, outside, at a barnes and noble, just to use the internet. it's fabulous. i'm wearing short sleeves and flip flops and only catch the slightest chill every once in a while.

i've recenlty had to explain a lot of my decisions to a lot of different people. for one. my no dating policy right now. to clarify, this was not a really publicly known adventure. i told my friend tim, in june i think, that i was going to not date all the way through new years eve. at one point or another, i found both of us doubting my strength to get through that decision. at one point i was thinking, "what am i, STUPID?" but it never failed that even if i thought i wanted to date a guy, i knew my commitment i had made and knew it was for the best. i just wanted to focus on getting a different job and being more successful in my own life. i am a VERY strong believer that you don't have to be married or dating to be happy or whole. call me crazy but i haven't dated anyone in over six months and this is the happiest i've been in a while. i'm not going to lie to you though, the 'scenery' is a little more appealing out here. i give it two weeks until i crack.

i had to explain all of that in order to explain this next kind of odd, funny situation. as i'm sitting at a table outsiide of b&n, at the table to one side of me is a couple of girls, smoking, drinking their starbucks and speaking russian. actually i'm pretty sure they are talking about me. ah well, i'll never see them again. at the table to the other side of me is a woman who just got off the phone and during her conversation (which i was not evesdropping, or however you spell it, we are just sitting 3 feet away from each other) during her conversation she's on the phone with a guy who she repeatedly asked - in a very bitter voice - "why doesn't anyone want to be my boyfriend!? no one want's to be my boyfriend! why can't i have a boyfriend?!? should i call him?? he hasn't called me all day, maybe i'll call him. okay, i promise, i won't call him. i just want to have coffee with him. maybe i should call him. okay, i promise, i won't call him." and then she hangs up. from there, she hangs up the phone and immediately started dialing another number. the phone never had a chance to hit the table. and the message she left was, "hi, it's me. i guess, no coffee today? (enter 30 second silence) bye." ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? this is why you're single! at what point is it acceptable for me to lean over and say, 'hi, psycho, um, you've just reach psycho status and to him and all of his friends, he's probably referring to you as a stalker. or at least that's what i would do if i were in his shoes." but i held back, bit my tongue and wrote it on my blog for anyone to read.

hmmm what else is new...i'm heading to southern cali tomorrow, i'll be there for 24 hours and then i fly from santa ana to san jose and i'm in the bay area for THREE weeks. and i'm sharing a two bedroom apartment with someone i've never met, and come to find out, doesn't work for the same store. i feel like i may have told you all this before but there you have it.

okay, it's 230pm and i have to go pack all my crap from my friends house. plus, i'm getting a little chilly. and by chilly, i mean it must be lower 60's :o)

wanting to be the next advocate for living single,

katie

"why doesn't anyone want to be my boyfriend?!?" you freak!

ah, the internet. a luxery i've missed.

okay, i am currently in las vegas, nevada. well, actually henderson nevada, but that's like saying granger indiana, you might as well just say south bend.

the wedding went really well. very nice service. if you don't know my cousin jeff, let me give you a couple of high lights that really made this wedding his.
1. his band played during the service. they are very talented. one of the singers reminds me of a really 'not talented' lounge singer, so i found myself sitting there trying hard not to laugh, but it worked well for the ceremony.
2. as they walked back down the isle as a married couple, they walked out to 'let's get it on' SO FUNNY
3. at 12:01 jeff kicked off the year with some kareoke. SO HYSTERICAL. i could make millions if i could just get this tape into the appropriate hands. maybe i'll figure out how to post video to this so you can see it. i'm not kidding, i cried, it was so funny and incredibly good.
other than that, it went well. the hot guys were hot and the one that i was so shocked about seemed to be even more attractive the next day. heres the thing. he's hot, i'm not kidding, one of the hotter ones i've ever seen (and in nebraska!) but the more i learned about him the next day, the less i really wanted to know. i think i might be growing up. this sucks, i can't even appreciate the hot guy without realizing how much of a schmuck he was. being an adult blows.


this past sunday, i woke up witha KILLER sore throat. and, i don't know why i was suprised by this, but i was sick. again. yipee. i shall now refer to my niece as 'petry' as in, petry dish. i love abby, but for future reference, wear a facial mask any time you get near her. becky claims i didn't get it from her...i beg to differ. so, since my benefits haven't kicked in, i find myself self medicating. it's pretty entertaining really. i'm taking some antibiotics, some over the counters, a little ibuprofen, halls losenges, pretty much anything that might have a hint of helping. we'll see how it works out. as of right now, i'm feeling a little bit better but still not 100%.

it's been a long few days. on monday morning i got in the car and headed southwest towards denver. i made pretty good time. i drove for 11 hours that day. not too bad. i stayed in grand junction and then left the next morning for las vegas to stay with my friend kat, and her husband joey. i got here around 4 on tuesday and i've been bumming around since then. i found out that my flight doesn't leave until suday so i decided to stay a couple extra days here to rest and have fun. kat and joey have been working and going about their business and we all tend to hang out at night. i'll leave here early on saturday in order to get to LA, open a bank account, un pack my car, un pack my suitcases and then repack for my trip to san fran sunday afternoon. this should be interesting. i just got an email with more travel details from apple, it's very exciting but i have an incredible urge to just puke right now. i'm meeting up with another girl in san jose and we're sharing a rental car and sharing a hotel room. this should be...AKWARD! are you kidding me? 'hi, nice to meet you, do you want to shower first or would you rather i shower first?!?" how odd. but, other than that, we're booked in a two bedroom condo, so it'll be fun. i'm excited, i just am a little sketchy about staying with someone i've never met. 'note to self:bring nothing valuable."

so, that brings me to right now. i'm sitting in a barnes and noble so i can use the internet. i have to get some paper work done for apple and get it to fed ex today.

anyway, i have to go. one of the reasons i stayed in vegas some extra days is so that i can teach kat's dad how to do some stuff in photoshop.

oh, and fyi, it's hot here. gorgeous. if i didn't have all of my belongings in the back of the car, i'd have the top down. incredible. as i walked out of frye's electronics yesterday, i thought, 'snow sucks' and then i took off my sweatshirt and rolled down the window. i love it.

enjoying sin city from a 10 mile distance,
katie