Back to Reality

Well, I am finally back from all my vacationing... for now! Ohio, was so much fun, spending time with my only girl cousins that are around my age is always something I Cherish, especially because they are the closest things to sisters I have. And after spending 2 weeks with them this Summer, I have decided (Zach doesn't get a say), that after Zach and I graduate, we will be making the move up to Ohio, to live closer to them. It isn't a selfish thing as much of you are thinking, because the airline business up-north is booming compared to down here, not to mention I miss not having all four seasons, and want my children to be able to enjoy it, and be able to grow up with there relatives. Zach, however has agreed and so has Kathy (which is in my moving disclosure, wherever I go, Kathy must move ALSO), so in a year and a half hopefully we will be making our move up North and be much closer to our both of our families.
While, I was in lovely Pleasantville (what I call the city where my cousins live, because well... it is pleasantville, where no one has cable and the "fun" thing to do is go out and play softball, which my cousins and aunt and uncle still in fact do). We tried on a ton of bridesmaids dresses, and... I tried on a couple of wedding dresses and fell head over heals in love with one, it was in this cute little wedding dress boutique, where my older cousin had gotten her wedding dress and my cousin who is engaged also bought her wedding dress from. So, maybe next summer when we go to Ohio for Laurens wedding, I will be engaged and can in fact also get my dress from this cute little boutique.

But, I am glad to be home, and continue on with reality, and prepare for my final year of college.

Heated!!

Now, I know it seems silly to allow a celebrity (he wishes) or someone who is publicized on media to get me fired up, but boy am I at my wits ends, with this one.

I needed to send all my relatives picture CD's of our trip, so I go into publix and get the packaging envelopes and am ready to go in the express under 10 isle, when there I see it. JOHN (of john and Kate plus 8), with his new girlfriend COVER of people magazine, OK now editors of People, you think that this family abandoning man deserves anything sort of a front cover is beyond me, especially when there is a whole world of other problems going on, for sorts maybe the front page should be the poor soldier that has been kidnapped and they released a video of him saying how scared he was (that would be a INTELLECTUAL story). This man, who has flown to Paris with his new 22 year old girlfriend to meet with Christian Audigier to jet around on a private yacht while posing for photographers is beyond infuriating. This man, has been an argument amongst my friends forever, i think I have even blogged about it prior. Kate, like I have always said may not have been the best wife, but to have her husband posing on the cover of people magazine talking about how happy he is, and how he never thought he could be this happy, while in the BOTTOM left corner is a ant size photo of Kate outside her home, having a picnic with THEIR 8 kids.
If he wants to go and start a relationship less than 3 weeks after saying they want a divorce, whatever, but he has some GUTS to be posing all over the tabloids with her, rubbing it in every ones faces. I don't even know Kate, and I still want to strangle him. Marriage is not a temporary stage of life, marriage is a commitment forever, and you would think that if he was TRULY committed that he would be a little more heart broken and a little less already smitten with someone else. GET A LIFE, and get off my magazines, your quite pathetic attempt to gain celebrity status is sickening and I will not spend any more of my time acknowledging him.
Please keep Kate in your prayers, though we don't know her side it is quite obvious that her "husband" has abandoned the whole family.

NO ONE in the US should be going hungry

I truly don't understand how anyone could go hungry? Yet, I probably spend at least 80% of my money on food, whither it be groceries or going out to eat, all my money seems to fly out of my purse. Yet, yesterday I had an Epiphany, Zach, ultimate fast food junky, got so excited yesterday because it was Wed, now let me tell you at this point I have already think he has gone complete crazy, then he continues to tell me that Wednesday means... free roast beef sandwiches at Arbys! Now, I am no fast food craze like he is, but FREE MEANS FREE and that's money I would have spent on actual lunch. So we went for lunch and... dinner! And, I spent no money yesterday, then as I watched TV I saw Thursday is Free McDonald's coffee all day, and Tuesdays are free root beer floats at Sonic. Now maybe, if I take-up these nice offers, I will have lots of money to spend on lots of other things and MAYBE I can single handedly raise the suffering economy, by spending money, needless to say after all this free FAST food, I may need to spend that money on a personal trainer or Liposuction, but I had no clue that so many things were given away for free. I am going to eat that fast food, and enjoy every greasy bit of it, you only live once, and I know I don't want to be on my death bed wishing I had that FREE root beer float.

Katie is short for.. Spontaneous

Yesterday, LATE afternoon (7sh) my mom called and we had a normal day to day chitty chat, and she was asking if I had gotten the itinerary she sent me (I am going home August 9Th), then she informs me that if I want to see my girl cousins who live in Ohio before the summer ends to let her know and she will book my flight. So me, realizing Summer= only 4 more weeks, 1 of which I will be at home so that leaves three. So I get on the phone with my cousins, (these are in fact the girl cousins that the middle one is getting married, and I am in her wedding) and they tell me they are going out of town next Friday, so that leaves TWO weeks. So, curiosity kills the cat and I am scouring the Internet for available options, and I came up with few and as if God had planned on me going, a 190 dollar ROUND TRIP flight comes available for... Tomorrow morning! So, having to take advantage of this great bargain, I am booked and ready to leave tomorrow morning until Wed. But in my defense, you couldn't even get a ticket to south Florida for 95$ each way, let alone Ohio, so it is definitely a sign. So, I will be spending my weekend trying on bridesmaid dresses (maybe even sneaking on the occasional wedding dress) not eating till 10 oclock at night, and running around like a chicken without a head (connett fast paced life style).
So, I am off to Pleasentville!!

Young at heart

Do you remember the game MASH? of course you do!
It is that fun elementary school game, where you plot out your future by picking out 5 options for each category (i.e. husband,car,career,honeymoon,kids, pets, city you live, and of course MASH: which means are you going to live in a Mansion,Apartment,Shack, or House, then your friend says start and makes little dashes and depending on how many dashes you have down determine what your future holds) Well, I rediscovered this game on our what was supposed to be 9 hour drive (turned into 11 hour drive) back to Jacksonville. Poor Zach, drove as I nagged him about picking 5 different options for every category, of course when it came to wife, he stubbornly chose "katie, katie z, kaitlyn. kaitlyn marie, kaitlyn z" and to his surprise when it was my turn and my choices ranged from "zach...", and then 4 adorable celebrities that just popped into my head, randomly hehe. But I forgot how fun it is, and what great laughs it is. I found a website where you can actually play it, with the computer (boy, has technology come along way).
http://www.espin.com/mash-game.php
Point of this is... the littlest STUPIDEST things, can be so much fun! Stop take in a fresh of air, enjoy the moment and lighten up the mood with a pointless childhood game.

You never believe when your parents say:: enjoy this moment cause time flies when your having fun, and boy does it.. I still can't believe I am about to start my senior year of college and then I have to be a grown up.. I don't even know what I am going to do after a year.. ah! Time to play some childish games like shoots and laders and MASH, and enjoy my blast from the past.

Bitter Sweet Vacation

*Sigh*, So after a fun filled full week of vacationing I am back to Jacksonville and continuing on with real life, boo!! Vacations are something that you count down for as soon as the date is set, and once it has come and gone, it is disappointing, nothing left to count down for.

Let me tell you a little bit about our family reunion, we spent 9 hours getting there, and once we got there it was pure chaos. My Aunt Debbie, sends all 26 to the grocery to pick up 1000$ worth of groceries for the week, considering that is the closest thing to civilization and it is still 45 min away. Every night a family was assigned to a different DELICIOUS meal, and during the days we would take out the 2 speed boats so people could, ski, knee board, or tube and the platoon bloat, for the people who just wanted to relax and float in the water. I did a lot of both, tubing has always been my all time favorite, the rush and unexpectedness of the whole thing. Well anyways everyday, we would wake up have coffee and go out on the boats till around 3-4 come back in for lunch go back out around 5-6 and stay out till 8-9 when we would BEGIN to make dinner. So, needless to say every night was a long night, where we were close to eating each other due to starvation. After dinner, we would all sit around and shit chat and play the occasional drinking game. On Thurs however, big bad Dad, decided he was going to drive the speed boat while my mom and I tubed, (we should have known he was going to try to kill us), we held on for a good long time with an occasional light fall here and there. AND THEN... we hit what seemed to be a TSUNAMI, the biggest of all big waves, we both flew in the air like super hero's, banging into each other and trying to reach the top of the water to breath again. I landed on my back, causing loss of breath not to mention whip lash that I am still paying for to this minute, and my mom practically broke her poor ring finger, that her ring is still jammed on. So my Thur and Fri were extreme headaches and neck aches. But.. that still didn't damper my mood and still come Sat morning when it was time to say goodbye, I still teared up and wanted to start the week over so bad.

My moms family, consists of her 3 brothers, Steve and Debbie who have 3 daughters, Lindsey 25, Lauren 23 (whose wedding I am in) and Hillary 18. Then Brian and Lyn who have Casey 26 and Morgan 22. Finally Gary and Dianne who just have Elisabeth who is 8 and my all time little mini-me through the whole trip. All of the older cousins brought there significant others making it a BIG party. I have grown up, VERY, close to all of my cousins and as we get older we only seem to get closer and closer, so making a yearly trip to all come together is a definite must. Not to mention this year we celebrated Zach's 21st birthday with a Fiesta, My cousins Casey's Wife's Baby shower, and Hillary's Boyfriend Se ans 19Th birthday, So lots and lots to celebrate.

Now you are probably wondering what the "bitter" is about in my title, well let me tell you that I have intense separation anxiety (self diagnosed, of course), whenever I have to say goodbye, I start crying hysterically, and when I have to say goodbye after fun vacations these tears can last up to days (i.e. after Aruba, a full week of crying that it was over). The one person that I really get upset with saying goodbye is my mom, now let me explain its not just a little tear when EVER I say goodbye to her, it is sobbing the whole way home. My mom and I have a great relationship, like I have said many times she is my best friend. I have had so many "best friends" disappoint me but with my mom it is different, she lectures me/nags me/ complains to me/ yells at me, yet she loves me unconditionally. She is like the big sister I never had, we could be fighting one minute and laughing the next. I have always said that my mom is my best friend and if she could she would be my maid of honor. So it is VERY bitter saying goodbye to her, and to all of my family, spending any time away from people you love is sad, let alone long periods of time, when you don't know when it will be again. Not to mention, when I come back to Jacksonville it is just Zach and I, so we have spent a week constantly around people to being alone, especially cause Zach works so much, so eating lunch alone, really stinks.

So now I am home, peeling/with a neck ache and some sort of sun poisoning or something (long story) and SAD!!
Not to mention, I have a grocery list as long as toilet paper role, and 1000 errands to be ran! boo. pity party for Katie!

BUT FOR MORE PICTURES OF OUR VACATION GO TO::::
http://picasaweb.google.com/kzeppen

Blog break!!

Today is the day we venture to TN for the family reunion. Now a little description of where I will be for the next week, huge log cabin on lake Norris in TN, where the closest civilization is...I Don't even know!Last time we went two summers ago, I asked the local who ran the gas station that fills up the boats.. what they did for fun, he explained "well, we gotta tree swing, and we go four Wheeling". So, no Internet, no cell phone service, no CIVILIZATION at all. But that's OK, being in a house with all my cousins and my family and all of our significant others sounds like just the vacation I need. So pray for this one house in TN, that is holding the whole clan.LAKE NORRIS HERE WE COME!!!

Also.. Happy Birthday to Zachary Tomorrow!!!! I love you with all my heart, and I can not wait to spend the rest of my life with you. You are definitely my better half, my best friend and my backbone I don't know what I would do without you. God has really blessed me, by bringing you into my life. Thanks for your Patience and understanding, and loving me for who I am. 

Here comes the....

GOT YA! Bridesmaid!! For the first time, in my WHOLE life, I was asked to be a bridesmaid in a wedding. My cousin Lauren is two years older than me and getting married next summer and low and behold she wants me to be standing next to her. I am so excited, I just cant hide it!! My mom was just talking about how I have yet to go through my close cycle of girl friends getting married. I mean I know older girls that were a year or two older than me get married, but we weren't close or anything. I put the picture of 27 dresses on here, a. because it is a cute movie about how she is a bridesmaid 27 times and b. because hopefully it is the start of something wonderful, BRIDAL SEASON!!

How can one not love weddings, I think there is something so magical about them! I am a very sappy person for those of you who don't know. Whenever, I watch weddings on TLC or anything like that I start crying, not sobbing, but shedding a tear or two. Not to mention as I have said previously that I buy wedding magazines like it is my job. Interesting... Maybe I should be a wedding planner??? Ya right, I don't think Id cry at weddings anymore, I think I would rejoice in the fact it was over. Nope, cant take something that special and make it a career. I hope, I get over this wedding crying thing or I am going to be a HOT MESS at my own wedding..

My disgusting roommate

Well, I bet you all are wondering whatever happened on the Fourth, Did Amanda ever come leave the house, so I could be social again?? YES!! She did in fact leave around 1 o'clock to go to the beach, I came out of my room and yuck! I hadn't noticed the night before because I was so into my sneaking around that the condition of our kitchen was Unlivable! what do I mean by that?? I mean my sloppy roommate Bailey, decided to have people over when no one was there, break a bottle of beer not clean it up,leave all dishes in sink, leave green beans that were in fact growing fuzzy things still on the pot on the stove, and half a eaten pizza covered in ants on the counter. Not to mention here in FL we have a thing called COCKROACHES that do in fact love beer, so there guest appearance in my kitchen was not in any fact surprising. I WAS LIVID, my first instinct was to call mom, I needed a sane woman to tell me that this in fact was disgusting, after that I went to work, bleaching everything (the floor, the counter, the trash can), anything to get the 1 inch layer of beer off the ground and the bugs as far from me as possible. So after I spent all of my fourth cleaning, I discovered a problem... Amanda was going to come back and notice that the apartment was a complete 180, so how was I going to explain that I didn't come home in time to go and get drunk at the beach with all my friends, cleaning fairy?? No, I text ed Amanda saying I was back and soon after received 10000 texts calling me "grandma" for staying and cleaning rather than having a "fun"time with them. But, I didn't care, because after my cleaning and after Zach got back from work, we grilled hot dogs and hamburgers,made my famous buffalo dip, took a long walk through the neighborhood and enjoyed spending my 4Th SOBER with the one person that I love.

Now on-to more important things, this coming Saturday is the man I loves birthday!! Now,if you have been keeping track, Sat we will be in Lake Norris for my family reunion, and with both Zach and Is crazy life, we decided to celebrate his birthday on Sun. Zach wrote all about it in his blog, so I wont go into crazy details, except the fact that Zach's dad came into town today and they are celebrating his birthday and then all of us are going to dinner tonight!! I can NOT wait. 3 Days until we leave for our 8 hour drive to Lake Norris!!

Oh my I almost forgot, I was so excited to find that our "on demand" has workouts on TV it is my NEW addiction, I did a little something called Cardioke last night, yes, it is what it sounds like Karaoke with Cardio. AMAZING. yet Zach and I were tired...ok...EXHAUSTED after just ten minutes. But it was so fun! Who said working out had to be a bad thing??

Read post before this to understand!

You have to read my post before this to understand!!
But I while I am just lying here..
I decided to upload pictures from when I was in Tampa..
First is a VERY sweaty one of my dad and I at the Pat Benetar concert! My dad isn't smiling though, bah humbag! He was enjoying himself, dont let the picture fool you!
The second is of my friend Amanda (who has me barricaded in my room, when she came to Tampa and we went to the Blue Martini)
The last is one of Zach and I (his new haircut and a new dress of mine, before I went to my great grandmas for dinner)

My NOT so good Idea.

Do you ever do things, that after you do them you think "wow, you are strange"? Well yesterday I did, in fact I had a whole night of thinking that..

Let me start from the beginning...
Yesterday afternoon I decided the time had come, to come back to Jacksonville. I was so excited cause both my roommates were out of town, so I could just lounge around and be completely lazy and not pressured to be social. WELL....I was half way to Jacksonville when my blackberry went off, it was my roommate Jill who is back in NJ for the summer. She informs me that she is letting a close friend of ours stay at our apt this weekend in her room.
Now before you all think, I am a bitch (pardon my language) let me explain, that when this certain friend is here, all she wants to do is party (which is fine) but a par tier needs a friend (PROBLEM!!) I am not in the mood to party and go out every night till 2am and get hit on by disgusting over the age of 30 guys. Needless to say, I was pretty disappointed, I knew I'd be pressured into going out and when I said no as I knew I would cause I didn't want to go out I'd be labeled "grandma".
So I called Zach and I'm venting about my problems and wishing I had staid in Tampa after all, he invites me to stay at his place (an idea, but I hadn't slept in my own bed in two weeks). So him and I go on our weekly date night and I am mopping around, like a child who's mom said she couldn't have two candy bars. I came up with an idea! I was going to park very far away from my apartment and then BARRICADE myself in my room, and pretend I had staid in Tampa for the night. And that I did, I casually text her around 8pm to see if she was on her way yet, and told her I had staid in Tampa so she'd be alone. When she responded she just left and would be there at 11pm I put my plan into action. I went pee 1000 times and locked myself in my room around 10:45pm, AND IT WORKED.
SMALL PROBLEM THOUGH::: She is supposed to be meeting all of our other friends at the beach for a full day of drinking, so I thought "she'd definitely get up early, shower and meet them down there before the beach got crowded", but its 11:30am,on the 4Th of July, and I am still locked in my room and she her car has still not left the driveway..I am going stir crazy, I want to lay by the pool and relax and now it is a waiting game..
Amanda it is the FOURTH OF JULY,LEAVE ALREADY!!!!!!

moral of the story:: I need my own place ASAP

Happy Fourth Everyone!!

One Piece Bathing suits

I am supposed to be back in Jacksonville I know, that's what I had told the whole blogging world... but I lied.

I decided that I spend 320 days in Jacksonville a year, compared to my house. So, when the lady I babysat told me that I didn't need to babysit due to now, BOTH little girls having ear infections... I decided to stay!! Even though I do indeed miss Zach terribly, I decided that spending that quality time with my parents, was much needed.

So.. on my list of errands that I have been postponing for a week was to go to "Target", why would I delay that wonderful store, that I would go to DAILY, is because I have ZERO money, and I needed to buy Zach a few things. Now buying things for others is fun (don't get me wrong) but its a huge tease to walk past those cute dresses and NOT be able to get anything.
Anyways, today I went, with good reason::: I needed a one piece bathing suit (we are going to Norris Lake in TN for our family reunion, and spend the whole time water skiing or tubing, water sports, and two years ago when we went my bottoms had a couple of close calls during water sports). So, I browsed around and found at least 6 one pieces that would do... I trailed over to the dressing room, thinking for sure I was going to be in trouble for buying so many of them. I get in the dressing room and start trying them on and wow!! I will never ever, wear a one piece, My boobs are too big and it made me seem much heavier then I actually am. Needless to say, I decided losing my bottoms was a much better option then looking 10 lbs heavier then need me. However, I did spend my babysitting money and got two dresses that looked SO much cuter than a stupid, one piece, piece of crap!

Rain, Rain, GO AWAY!!!

Rain, Rain go away come again another day! 48 hours of thunderstorms and I am not amused. It may possibly be the fact that I am running on very few hours of sleep, due to the earthquakes that came in the form of thunder last night.

I don't truly mind rain, I actually find it quite comforting to have a day in my PJs and watch sappy movies. YET, the problem with today is... I have stuff to do. I have errands to run and a car across the driveway that I would have to run through the rain to get into. So, I am pretty cranky when writing this so please, don't hold it against me.

Today is my last day at home and I am sitting in the family room watching some very entertaining "lifetime movie". Now lifetime, tends to consume my life, with worries and paranoia but the movies I have been watching the first entitled "killer hair" and the second called "Hostile Makeover" has completely filled my life with some good ole quality entertainment. The intellectual movies I am watching are two movies based on a book series called "killer looks" or something like that, very good. Anyways, like I said I have stuff to do, I need to run to the mall to pick up some last minute things for Zachary for his birthday, then I have to go to Target, to pick up things for me! Anyone out there want to be paid to run my errands for me PUHLEASE!

I decided I have complained way way way too much, So I am going to type up some things I love:

-I love my cat curious

- I love my moms swarovski crystal necklace my grandma gave her, that I steal on occasion

- I love lifetime

- I love humus and the garlic pita chips that I eat it with

- Mmm. I really love Greek pasta salad

- actually... I love all Greek food!!

- I love my Vera Bradley bag

- I love my Jessica Simpson flower heals

- I love taking vacations (favorite being to Aruba for my 21st)

- I love my mom, who wakes me up every morning before the sun is up to say goodbye

- I love my boyfriend, who texts me soon after the sun is up to say good morning

- I love my Honda Civic 06 Hybrid, that I fill once a blue moon cause of its amazing gas mileage

- I love my blackberry storm, that is constantly glued to my hand

**Just a few things**

Hopefully it stops raining, so I can wear my cute little black dress, with my cute little black flats, and my moms swarovski crystal necklace and I can run my errands.. (I am not going to hold my breath.. I live in FL) Maybe, I will have better things to say later on