A night 20 years in the making...

Just like Thanksgiving our 20th class reunion came and went before I knew it. Months of internal debate has come to an end.

The pressure is off to find the perfect dress, lose 20 pounds, put faces with names and cover, pluck, tuck, or hide any grey. And you know what? After all of the angst over the past weeks that many of us have felt, it didn't matter.

The night was a smashing success, thanks to the dedication and determination of four diligent planners.

It was fun to see the excitement in everyones eyes as they recognized former classmates, co-workers from first jobs, early crushes. It was especially fun to see all of our senior pictures posted on our name tags. Man, did we have a lot of hair!

One of the nicest things was to see people having actual conversations. There were very few "What do you do?" type conversations going on, as there were more "How ARE you?" conversations happening. People were genuinely interested in one another. And mostly, everyone was very well behaved. There was one old school poppin/lockin and breakdance session that went on which was fun to witness. See? We can still bring it!

Seeing us come together as parents, professionals, scholars, advocates and friends was amazing! It truly seemed as if there had been no passage of time.

The requests have already begun to plan a 25th class reunion. I hope it happens!

Thank you fellow Redskins for a great time! Looking forward to seeing you at the next reunion!

*For those of you interested in getting a copy of the Q&A sheets let me know and I will email them to you.

ktlangmeyer@yahoo.com

Reuniting and it feels so good...

So, back in the day (the day being 1985-1989) I was a Redskin. Obviously, this was a different time. I went to a school where our mascot was Chief Mac. If you knew us, you might have referred to us as "River Rats" as a river flowed right in front of our school. And what a school it was. North Side High School. There was a place for all of us, whether it be the sanctioned smoking area or one of the gyms, or even just hanging out in the round by the lockers. You could find your place, wherever or whatever it might have been.
We hung out at Glenbrook Mall, where there was an indoor ice skating rink and an Arbys. Arbys was special, because there were cute boys who worked there. I worked at the ice cream place and we would trade sandwiches for ice cream. Even a high school girl knows the way to a boys heart.
Had you known me in high school, you may remember me as the girl who was always asking questions. It was my job as a part of the Northerner, my high school paper. I spent many hours mocking up blue prints and publishing the paper on an Apple computer, which was a BIG DEAL back in the 80's. You could usually find me in room 113, the journalism room. I was the girl who excitedly boarded a bus on Saturday mornings to travel to a speech team meet. Yeah, that girl. I was also the girl who chased boys and wine coolers. Again, this was the 80's. We had crushes on boys with big floppy hair and acid washed jean jackets, or if he was really hot, a leather bomber jacket. And if you were really lucky, you had one too. Head to toe matchy matchy outfits from Ups N Downs or the Limited, complete with scrunchy socks and peg rolled jeans. The very definition of 80's hot.
After much soul (and Internet) searching I have my dress. I've even gone so far as to check on the feasibility of getting a cab in Fort Wayne Indiana on a Saturday night. I've also come to the realization that I'm not going to lose 20 pounds between now and Saturday. The good news is that no one else is either. My hair is not going to magically straighten, but at the same point no one without hair is going to unexpectedly grow a new head of it over the next 96 hours. So why worry? Why not just enjoy? We've had 20 years to live with these memories, now all that remains is to sit back and laugh at them and create some new ones.
So, my fellow River Rats. All that stands between us are the next 96 hours. After that, we'll have some new memories to carry us through the next 20 years. See you then...

Shame stick...

Well, I had my own version of the shame stick. For those of you who don't know what a shame stick is, I'll explain.
I learned about shame sticks from According to Jim. That's right. Relating life to television. Who relates?
Anyhow,
Jim's brother in law Andy was upset with himself and ate a "shame stick."
A shame stick is a stick of butter rolled in sugar. And you eat it.
And no, I did not really eat a shame stick, but I feel pretty shameful right now.
I cleaned out my closet (which amazingly enough was not the problem as I've really, really been on the mend for a long time about shopping if you've followed my own personal saga at all.) The problem came when I cleaned all around the baseboards of the closet. And found what appeared to be a collection of BAZILLIONS of plastic pieces from price tags. You know, the tags you rip off of your clothes after the shopping euphoria has worn off? Shoppers, you know what I mean.
Wow. Do I feel silly looking at all those tags I scooped up.
My own personal version of the shame stick.
This Thanksgiving I am thankful for my own personal lessons learned.

Sweet home.... Indiana.

Well, I'm allowing myself 24 hours to revisit the past.
24 hours.
I haven't been back in 14 years.
A little over a half an hour for each year since I've been back.
Sure, I've spent time in other Indiana cities, just not Fort Wayne.
So..... I've got to make like Santa and make my list and check it twice.
Things I want to do/see while I'm there.
Hmmmmm....
IHOP? That one ranks high. A nice selection of syrup flavors after a night of drinking and catching up.
Claras Pizza. Man, that is a toughie. At Clara's you can sit on a porch swing inside of the restaurant and eat pizza. And you pick up a phone at your table and it dials into the kitchen to place your order. As tempting as this one is, it is low man on the totem pole.
Higher Grounds Coffee- Now, I've never even had a cup of coffee in my life, but I sure do love Chai Tea and Higher Grounds is owned by a former classmate from high school. So, that means it ranks high on the list.
A drive by of my old house. Now that is a must see and do for me. I've only got a few days left to figure it all out. Not sure what it says about me that all but one thing on my list involves food... What I do know is that I've now spent more time thinking about this quick trip than I will actually SPEND on this trip!

New Moon and Old Katie

Hey Katie, Do you want to go to the midnight showing of New Moon?
Why yes, I'd love to.
Mmmmhmmm.
Can I say how unbelievably tired I am???
This is the second year I've done this, and the second year I have been EXHAUSTED.
I do have to say, the movie was GREAT validation for all of us Jacob fans who have had to endure the "Edward is so much better" comments over the years.
Have you seen the movie?
Nuff said.
Jacob.Is.Hot.
Go see the movie girls. I won't spoil anything for you.
It's a Jacob thing.

Z Cucina- Great deals,great food!

Tuesday night (tonight, hope you didn't have plans) is Buccatini & Meatballs for $15.00 night at Z Cucina.
If you've never been to Z Cucina I strongly urge you to do so. One of the best places to eat in Columbus! Trust me on this, I've had four years worth of their meals and excellent service!

Z Cucina
1368 Grandview Avenue
Grandview Ohio 43212

Shabby Apple strikes again!

They ALWAYS have a way of coming through for me. I tried, I really really tried to go to a "real" store versus shop online for a dress for my reunion. I just really, really dislike going to the store. It makes me feel un-inspired about getting attired. Shabby Apple should have been the first place I looked. They never let me down. Cute dresses, flattering fits and excellent customer service. Why did I look anywhere else? Sure enough, five minutes on their site and I found my dress. The Truman dress. So cute!
The Apple. It's quickly becoming my new Banana. (GASP! Did I just say that?)

Thank you once again, Shabby Apple!

The fine art of negotiations...

Many times, marriage requires some negotiating. Or some down right bribery. Or both.
You know, the old "scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" routine.
Well, Brian has been gone for work quite a bit. And like many households with children, there is a fine balancing routine of "but it's your turn to be in charge of bedtime tonight." So, on Sunday I was looking forward to a little sleeping in and catching up on Season Three of Melrose Place. (Don't judge on the Melrose Place, I'm hooked)
Sunday didn't work out as planned.
As bath time and bed time got near, I mentioned that these things needed to be done, fully anticipating the "but you're better at it than I am" verbal exchange. The give and take of "But there's a game on" combined with my counter answer of "But you were at a game yesterday."
I entered this exchange already knowing my bottom line, because I knew I had something the other person wanted. Quiet time.
So, I started in with the "Caroline needs a bath tonight." Which was quickly met with "What do you want to do it?" A-ha! I knew it! Just like I already know that my foundation is almost gone, that I have Beauty Insider points at Sephora I want to use and that I get my free shipping on orders over $50. So, I threw out my offer of $50 for bedtime and bath, knowing it would get a counter offer, and knowing that my services could be refused if I was too greedy. But I also know I have a tired husband, and one who really wants to watch some football. The counter offer of $20 was made, quickly refused, and we struck a deal at $45.00. So, placing my order at Sephora will now really only cost me $5.00. And I get 8% cash back using my ebates account.
Rub a dub dub.

For once! A compliment came out of my kitchen!

Tonight I made what was noted as possibly my best meal ever. This coming from a person who has had eight years of my cooking. (Including chicken enchiladas where I forgot to add the chicken. Oops.) Compliments on my cooking are not handed out very often, so it is a BIG DEAL when they are.

From Katie's kitchen (OK, really, cooks.com) I give you Slow Roast Standing Rib Roast. A snap to make, and a compliment earner. And really, who doesn't like a compliment?

SLOW ROAST STANDING RIB ROAST

Any size rib roast

Black pepper
In the morning, remove roast from refrigerator.

Wipe with damp paper towel and let stand for 1 to 1 1/2 hours to reach room temperature. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pepper roast and place in roasting pan rib side down. Put in oven for exactly 1 hour. Turn off oven. DO NOT OPEN DOOR. One hour before serving. Turn oven to 375 degrees. At this point oven may be opened and another dish added. Restart oven and let roast cook for another 30 to 40 minutes. Rest 20 to 30 minutes before cutting to allow juices to set. Enjoy!

*I also used Kosher salt and garlic salt. And you know where it says DO NOT OPEN DOOR? I opened the door. And it still tasted great!

KT and Luda on a Friday night...

It was Friday night and I was feeling a'ight. Thursday night was a late one and I'm pretty content to lay low.
And as I was debating whether or not to watch my beloved Melrose Place dvd's, read or shop online for a new dress I had Luda playing over and over in the background. Which led me to reminiscing.
So.... I'll share my fave Ludacris story. (Not that I have loads of them, since it's not like he's ever accepted a dinner invitation from me or anything. I hope he knows it's an open invite. You know that, right Luda?)
Back on track Katie, back on track.
Prior to the Katie "no cell phones at work" ruling of 2008 I accidentally left my cell phone on in my desk one day. And as I'm in my office talking to the husband of one of my residents my desk starts playing "Pimpin All Over the World" Um, embarrassed much? Good news is that he thought it was pretty funny and he never saw me as a closet Ludacris fan. Although if I openly love him I guess I'm not a closet fan, right?
Happy Friday!
*Just to clarify that I need to get a life, I used Urban Dictionary to make sure I spelled a'ight properly. And to further clarify, I have NO DRESS to wear to my class reunion.
STAH-RESS-FULL. (Not found in Urban Dictionary)

20 years later...

Well well well. It's two weeks until the Fort Wayne North Side High School 20th class reunion for the graduating class of 1989. There were over 500 of us in our class.

And it was fun. While I can't say that I would go back, I did love high school. I was involved in any activity I wanted to be from gymnastics, to speech and debate team (Come on, that's hot and you know it) and editing our school newspaper. For such a large school, we felt close knit. And as we get closer to the two week mark, I've really started thinking.

For months, I've told myself to drop a few pounds. Well, the time is here and I've realized I'm not fooling anyone. Short of chopping off a limb or emergency liposuction this is the best it's gonna get and I'm going in.

Attire. I had expected to spend hours debating a dress. You know. For when I make my ENTRANCE. Yeah, I have no dress. I've got plenty of time.

A little lift around the aging eyes. Took care of that. Whew.

Need to schedule hair, nail and wax appointments.

Who am I doing all of this for? My own ego. She's a real expensive girl that one.

Story line? I've considered pulling off the Romy and Michelle and telling people I invented post it notes.

The cast:

Visit with THE GIRL I WANTED TO BE. The writer who succeeded? Monica Yant Kinney. Co-editors on the Northerner, the paper ruled by the iron fist of one Norma Theile, a woman who taught me more than any other person ever has.

Kenny- The "bud" I hung out with. After 19 years reconnected only to find out we live a matter of miles from one another. Seeing him doesn't make me feel a day older. It's like were kids again.

Wendy- The cheerleader in school I never hung out with but had dinner with a few weeks ago. Cheers to Wendy!

Matt- The kind, quiet guy. Got to have dinner and some conversations with him as well. Good times.

Abby- The girl who taught me how to pick up older high school boys. Worked like a charm.

Jenny- Boy did we have our share of fun. Have any possible statute of limitations run out before I cross state line and come back in?

Steve- Sorry you can't come. You will be missed. At least until 9 p.m. when we don't remember your name!

My question is, after not going back for 20 years am I opening a can of worms, or opening up to new experiences?

Putting forward the person I am today versus the person I believed I would be? If I get my hair, nails and makeup down will you perceive me to be more successful than I am? Happier? Will you take me at facevalue? Or are you more concerned about what I am seeing of you?

The best I can figure is that this is our chance. In 20 more years we're just going to be exhausted. Let's get this party started now!

What do Tessa, Bobby Knight and John Mellencamp have in common?

Hmmm...

Now THAT could be an interesting question.

So, I'll just go ahead and make it easy for you.

Indiana!

Tessa got emailed her acceptance into Indiana University today.

Congrats Tessa!

By the hair of my chinny chin chin...

Did I narrowly miss a BIG mishap. Very typical for me. Very.
So, Brian was headed out of town for the weekend. To Canada. And let me tell you, we've had a few run in's at the border before. Which is why it is a GOOD THING that I noticed last night that I neglected to renew the plates on the car. Um, like two months ago. And I wasn't sure how to break this news to Brian as he drives through Ohio, Michigan and across the bridge into Canada.
But I had an idea.
I could get to the BMV in time to be the first person in the door at 8 a.m. and back to my house by 8:15 just as Brian would be getting home from school drop off and put the sticker on the back of the car and no one would be the wiser. I KNEW I could make this happen. And sure enough, I did. Only when I got back to the house (8:17, but who's counting?) there was no one there. So I'm thinking "Crap. I have to get on the road for work. I'm going to have to leave the sticker on the counter for when he gets home and fess up to the fact that I forgot and just ran and did this before my husband has border patrol turning him away." Yes, I goofed but I corrected it.
But then I remembered. He was going to the GYM after school drop off. So you know what I did? I drove that freaking sticker to the gym, pulled up to the car in the parking lot and put it on. Crisis averted.
And that my friends, is how I roll.

New Moon, Wendy Brandes and my little woolfie...

Many moons ago (play on words here...) I ordered the woolf necklace from genius jewelry beyotch Wendy Brandes. Now, I'm sure she would prefer much stronger language than that but I'll stick with what I've got. Anyway, as we come up on the much anticipated New Moon movie, I thought I would throw this necklace up there for all of you Jacob fans. Which true Twilight fan wouldn't want to pay $50 for a piece of custom jewelry depicting the COOLEST and most buff movie dude out there? For $50 you accomplish the following:

1) Get a kickin piece of jewelry by a hawt NY designer

2) Wear around your neck the cutest little woolfie you ever did see

3) Declare your loyalty to team Jacob!

www.wendybrandes.com/blog

And oh yeah, I've got my movie tickets already. Midnight showing. I'm so there!

Help wanted...

Whenever I run a "help wanted" ad I have to mentally prepare myself. There is always the inevitable "Have you made a decision yet" applicant and the "But I gave you a resume so I didn't think I needed to answer all of the questions on the application" person. And lately, interviewing has been depressing as you see so many people who are applying for ANYTHING. People who have years and years of experience in one field but JUST NEED A JOB and you can tell they are applying for anything they can get their hands on. And I don't blame them. We all need to put food on the table. And I could tell you LOADS of stories about job applicants, but I'm going to narrow it down to my favorite from this last week.

Question on application: Have you ever been convicted of a felony?

Answer from applicant: Maybe.

Interesting.

Happy Hump Day! (That one's for you Jordan!)

OK, one last trip down memory lane.... I did have an applicant once in Iowa (Those Hawkeyes know how to have a good time!) who when asked if they had ever been convicted of a felony wrote: Caught fishing with no license. THAT was a good one.

Hard work and determination paid off!

Well well well. Tessa has her first college acceptance letter. Before I tell you the good stuff, let me start from the beginning of our special day.

A few days ago I had a couple of dishes of ice cream in the back of my car. Which I neglected to properly dispose of. So the sat around and fermented in my car and have created a doozy of a smell in there.

Cue up Saturday morning, 6:45 a.m. smack dab in the middle of a monsoon where there will be no visible light for a few hours. Open the car door to the stench of rotting dairy products which have been closed up and festering inside of my car. Yummykins. My only solution was to light a candle and drive around with it to help alleviate the smell of death coming from my backseat. And it helped, really it did.

So we arrived at Collegians Day at University of Kentucky. They had invited top students from around the US based on their test scores. Tessa got an invite, so we went as there was mention of scholarship money. Hellz yeah we're there! Spent Friday night finishing up the app so we could turn it in while we were there. Over lunch the University announced Tessa's acceptance and initial offer of scholarship money! Yippee! Show me the money!

So, all in all it was a good day! A good day indeed.

How was your weekend?