HOME

I went home last weekend. It was The Great Prosser Balloon Rally weekend and it was A-MAZING! I love watching the hot air balloons fly across that beautiful town I call home. Nothing gets better than a small town coming together for a festival. I have missed the small town atmosphere living in downtown Parkland. It's just not the same.

Saturday, I got to get up early and watch the balloons take off from the airport. Wonderful. Cold, but wonderful. I then went into town to meet up with Sara. Sara's one of my best friends and has gotten married and moved away to Alabama. But she came back to Washington to visit so I got to see her for a whole day! We wandered around the Harvest Festival and watched the street painters. And of course we had to stop at Sixth Street Coffee Shop for our traditional cup of coffee. Sara and I met up with Alyssa (another best friend that goes to the University of Washington) and Matt (Sara's brother-in-law and my good friend) and chatted about old times and old friends. Later that evening, I worked at our family run winery, Willow Crest Winery, which, by the way, you should come visit and taste our amazing wines. We were crazy busy! There was an event happening because of the balloons and people were coming in and out all day! That tuckered me out. I was ready for bed when the event was over.

Sunday saw me get up at 7 to watch the hot air balloons float past my house. I haven't seen the balloons in three years, so it was a real treat to see them and watch them fly past my house. I didn't even have to go anywhere. I just went and sat on our balcony. I even waved at the people in one of the balloons!

Coming back to school and back to the grind was hard. Luckily, my parents are coming to this side this weekend and we're off to see Wicked in Seattle! Be jealous! I can't wait to see this musical that eveyone's talked about. I'm so lucky to have a father that is interested in theater and willing to share his knowlege and love with his children. I can't imagine my life without plays and musicals in it. They are just so fun!

As always,
Cait

"I favor truth over style."

Short Day

I only had one class today. American Sign Language. I freaking love learning sign language! I've already learned it twice before, but one more time can't hurt! Last time I took classes in ASL, I was a senior in high school so it's only fitting that I'm learning again as a senior in college. It is so fascinating! I love learning about the culture and I love communicating with my mom across crowded rooms. People have the most interesting expressions when you sign in front of them. This summer, while I was home, I went to the Zillah parade with the Miss Prosser committee and court. My mom and I were both walking with the float and kept signing to each other because we couldn't hear over the music. The court and the other walkers kept wanting to know what each of us were saying! They couldn't believe we were signing to each other. It's interesting becuase my mom signs SEE (Signing Exact English) and I sign ASL (American Sign Language). Sometimes we don't always know what the other is talking about because the signs can be different, but we usually figure it out. If not, we can always finger spell everything to each other. My mom and I have been signing to each other for years whenever we're apart in a room or it's too noisy. I love having something that is just about her and I. But now that I'm in an ASL class, I'm going to know so much more than her! :)

So now I should be doing a million other things. I should be looking up articles for my capstone. I should be reading my history book that I have to do a report on. I should be reading/researching for my Econometrics paper. But instead, since I've been home today, I've taken a shower, ate lunch, took out the garbage, styled my hair, watched Bones, did the dishes, played on facebook, and messed around on the internet. The internet is just so addicting! I can't get anything done with it around.

I still have to work tonight. I HATE closing. You get all settled in your house, in your sweats, ready for bed or just watching a movie, and then BAM! It hits you that you have to get dressed again and go to work to close. A whole four hours! That's a long time not to be in your own house. Not to mention it's late at night. If only I could trade someone shifts. But nobody likes the closing shifts. At least it's only once a week instead of more!

Off I go to try and read some of my history book. Wish me luck!

As always,
Cait

"Who knows what turns a spark into a flame?"

Senior Year

Senior Year

I cannot believe that I'm finally in my Senior year at college! It seems like just yesterday that I was getting ready to move to Tacoma. But here I am, trying to focus on my last year of schooling before I head off to the big bad real world.

I'm loving living in an apartment, finally. I can't believe I've spent the last three years sharing a room with another girl. This apartment situation is much better. I have my own room and get to cook my own food. Yummy! Although, at times, it's hard to live with three other girls, I'm really enjoying most of it. After years of living with my two brothers, it was weird to come to school and live only with girls. But I suppose it's okay.

I'm working on writing my capstone this fall. Ick. Sometimes I cannot believe that other at other schools you don't have to write a capstone or really do much at all to graduate. But here at Pacific Lutheran University, every undergraduate has to write a capstone, which is pretty much like a graduate student's thesis. It is insanely stressful. I want to write my paper on wine prices, but we'll see what it is actually about when I finish in December. Most of the time I don't believe that I'm smart enough to write a capstone paper, let alone be graduating from college.

What am I going to do when I leave school and have to get a job/work all the time? Is life ever fun again after school? Where will I live? Will I have to continue to live here on the west side of the state? Or will I be able to find a job in Eastern Washington where my heart really is? I desperately want to move back to the valley but my decision will be based on where I find a job. I still don't really know what kind of job I can get with an Economics major and a Statistic minor. Any help out there?

Work has been INSANE. I don't know how to deal with those people anymore. My friend Amy has run off to Europe and left us all high and dry. Being a senior employee, I feel I know more than most and that means I do more than most. Not such a great thing since I was told I wasn't going to be a student manager anymore this year. I got demoted. What's up with that?! They said they weren't going to hire any more student managers so I figured, whatever. At least I'll be like everybody else again, right? Wrong. They then went and hired eight more student managers while I was home for the summer. Was I one of them? Nope. Was I asked? Nah. Do I get a pay cut? Yup. Do I hate having to listen to people who haven't worked here as long tell me what do do? Oh yes. Not that I really want to be a manager, I just wish people who are managers, weren't.

That's all for tonight. It's a long one. And perhaps not such a happy one. But it's how I feel and that's what really matters, right? I'm off to eat some ice cream and perhaps watch a movie. I need to relax after a long day like today.

As always,
Cait




We learn and change, or we harden into stone.