My New Background

So . . . . I was feeling pretty bad that everyone had cuter blogs than i did. So I ventured out and changed my background. Hooray for the New Year and Change!!! Right?! I've been reading SeriouslySoBlessed.blogspot.com - and oh my lands. If you haven't read this blog. . . do. It mocks Mormon blog culture in only the funniest of ways. I love it.

So - work has been pretty slow lately. . . so it's given me lots of time to blog. You woudln't know this - because I never actually publish 9/10 of the things I begin to write. I always get sidetracked 3/4 of the way through and step away. . . and when I come back to finish it, I don't even remember the point I was going to make.

I like making points in my posts. I know you all would LOVE to hear about the details of my life and all that. . . . but most of the time I don't think my life is really interesting enough to share with the whole WWW. However, I have decided that today, I'm going to break my own rules and do an Ode to Kat's 08, ahem. here goes:

2008 was a year of. .. well, not to be cliche and quote the President Elect, but it was a year of Change! From graduating college, to starting the 9-5, buying a new car. . .and learning what it's like to have to understand the words 'deductible' and apartment insurance.

I traveled to lots of cool places! Like New Orleans, San Diego, and Ensenada! I made countless memories with old friends, and gained some incredible new friends.

I hired a lawyer to get my deposit back from a shady landlord, who not only tried to steal from us, but had us unrightfully evicted.

I learned that lawyers are VERY expensive. . .and if I ever get bored with web design, I should go to law school :)

I learned that you shouldn't even joke with your friend about having a weapon when you go through customs. They don't think that is funny. at all.

I quit diet coke for a record of 2 months. Then I had to work a Saturday. . . and the addiction started back up again.

A bunch of my friends got married, a few of them had babies! All very exciting!!!

I learned that having the name of Katrina while you're in New Orleans makes for lots of awesome photo opportunites.

I learned that Vegas doesn't hold a candle to Burboun Street.

I also learned that the South, is VERy very Very different from Utah. :)

Being an adult is actually a lot cooler than being a student. Sorry to everyone that is still in school. But yeah - the 9-5 pretty much rocks.

I spent lots of time in San Diego, but didn't swim in the ocean once. The waves frighten me!

I learned that there is always a lot of Marijuana at Snoop Dogg Concerts. I also learned that my skin doens't react well to Marijuana smoke. If exposed to it for too long, it begins to itch and swell to ridiculous proportions.

I realized that people aren't nice to you when your face is swollen all funny.

I found a favorite airline. Jet Blue. They give you a WHOLE CAN of diet coke, not just the dinky little glass. And even though their TV's don't work for 80% of the flight, I still love the idea.

I got my dream computer - the MacPro. And she never dissapoints.

- well, I think i'm just going off on random tangents now. However, it's been a fabulous year! One of growth and good times! I can't wait for 2009! For all the resolutions I'll make, and then get mad at myself for not keeping :) and for all the days that I'll write checks and accidently date them 08, and not 09!

Happy New Year!!!

So i'm bored at work - and Kortni Challenged me to post this. So here ya go my dear :)

8 Things I am PASSIONATE About...
1. The Gospel!
2. My Family
3. Friendships
4. Computers
5. Diet Coke
6. Politics
7. Hard Work
8. Integrity

8 "words" or "phrases" I say way to often...
1. "Oh my Hell
2. "I need a diet coke."
3. "Let me tell you why Mac is better than a PC"
4. "I work at Icon - yeah. . they make Proform and Nordictrack. .. . it's pretty great" - explaining my job
5. "I'm freakin out"
6. "I need a diet coke"
7. "CSI is on!!! "
8. "So i read in the news today that. . . ."


8 Things I want to do before I die...
1. See a receiver in the NFL call a fair catch and still get hit. and live - so i can laugh about it.
2. Start my own Interactive Design/Marketing Company
3. Be a Wife
4. Be a Mother
5. Own a Land Rover
6. Hear someone in Asia make fun of English.
7. Own my own MacPro
8. go SkyDiving

8 Things I have learned From my past...
1. You can't Change the past. Don't stew over mistakes. Learn from them, and move on.
2. Breaking your nose hurts.
3. As cliche as it is - time does heal all wounds.
4. Heartbreaks can't kill you - although at times you wish they would.
5. Hard work ALWAYS pays off. Don't ever slander your own name by slacking off.
6. Friends come and go - family doesn't.
7. you need kindling wood to start a fire :)
8. Integrity is everything. Everything. Everything.

8 Places I would love to see...
1. Paris
2. The Vatican
3. Niagra Falls
4. Sidney Australia
5. the McKinnon Castle is Scottland
6. the pyramids
7. King Tut's Tomb
8. Hong Kong


8 Things I Currently Need or Want...
1. I want to get a MacPro
2. I want to get a Facial
3. I want to take a nap
4. I want to go snowboarding. for a week.
5. I need to relax and let life happen.
6. I want the time to be 5 - cause then i'm off for Christmas
7. I need to not let stress drive me as much as it does.
8. I need to listen.

There ya go! :)

So I noticed something today. All of my friends who aren't web designers - have really cool, personalized blogs. I - am a web designer. . . and my blog is a plain template. I'm not going to change it. . .but I just thought that was pretty interesting. I guess since I spend all my time doing web stuff - I just don't put the effort in on my own stuff? Eh. I'm not too stressed about it.

I also realized I don't post nearly enough. I have been having less and less inspiration on blogging the past few months. . . I don't know whether I can credit that to the fact that I'm constantly working, so when I get a break from programming i just want to hide from my laptop - or the fact that I tried to quit diet coke for a few weeks, and that led to the drain of all my creativity? Either way. . . I intend to post more often from here on out.

So last night I got to go to dinner with an old friend. And I realized - I sure do love old friends. This particular friend and I have a tendency to slip into philosophical conversations about life - not only how we lead it, but how we can figure out the mentality of those we interact with on a daily basis. He and I are 'lucky' enough to have the same personality type, and so it's always fun to figure ourselves out through simple conversation - As we analyze what the other has to say, we often figure out our own little issues. I'm so grateful for friends like that. It's crazy how you can know mass amounts of people - but there will always be that select few that truly understand you, and that you can always call a close friend.

With it being the Holiday Season, I can't help but feel SOO blessed. I have the type family that used to be on TV - back before they started highlighting screwed up families. My family is not screwed up. They're fabulous. How lucky am i that I can honestly call my family my best friends? When I need someone to talk with, cry with, laugh with(*or at) - I know i can count on my family. I've got great friends, an amazing job. I'm just an all around lucky gal!!! Isn't it great that during this season we can recognize our own luck - and take the opportunies to spread the joy and the blessings with those that might be a little down on their own luck? I just challenge us all to count our many blessings - and try to share them :) Merry Christmas!

Putting on the Ritz. Literally.

So I figured it was time to write a new post! It's been about a month. . . which I know is way to long to go inbetween posts! But there's a good reason - I had no idea of what to write about!! I would think of random ideas - but none of them were good enough to make up an entire post.

So the exciting news is - I got a new computer last weekend. I love it. Mac just holds a very special place in my heart - and my new macbook isn't letting me down at all. I love this machine - and I haven't even reached the full 7 days of ownership mark. Work is going well too - we're heading into the busy season - and trying to get all of our main brands websites launched. So far NordicTrack and ProForm have launched - with HealthRider coming soon. I'm really excited to get all of the Redesigns out of the way - so we can start working on really tweaking them, spending more time on the details. I'm also trucking along in the freelance side of things. I'm having to tell potential clients "no thanks - i can't help ya" because I'm just too busy. Love that feeling! I'd much rather be too busy than to not have any work at all!

Speaking of Freelance, I actually just got hired as the web designer for the new "Discover USU" website. I am SOOO excited for this project for a lot of reasons! #1. USU is the love of my life! #2. I get to use all the fun little widgets/gadgets to make this website fun that just wouldn't fly on the sites I work on day to day here at Icon. We're talking make this baby just look "cool". And the purpose of the site? To help prospective students catch a glimpse into how amazing USU is. How great is it when you get to work on something that you're passionate about? Well, i'll answer my rhetorical question. It's very very great!
OK - so it's time to blog about something more interesting. The 'bad' news is I'm back on diet coke. I'm just a lot happier person when I'm not depriving myself of things I love. My biggest hope that came along with quitting was to lose weight. and guess what? You don't lose weight when you quit diet coke. you actually gain weight. Don't ask me how that is possible - well, ok. I know how it's possible. You replace diet coke with other things. . . like Snickers. In case you wondered, snickers has roughly 300 more calories than diet coke. which has none. Speaking of calories. . did you know that ritz crackers are full of them?! I didn't. I was trying to figure out why my fat butt wasn't getting smaller. . and so I started looking at the calories on my usual snacks. I was blown away to find out that ritz crackers have 35. In each of them. Tell me someone who can eat just 1 ritz cracker and I'll give that person a big high-5 for self control. Cause in my case - when I eat one cracker, the rest of the package quickly follows. So. . that's a whopping 3,000+ calories each time I eat a ritz cracker. Needless to say, I am no longer buying ritz crackers. I thought the whole "puttin on the ritz" was a jingle about a hotel and being rich, not about putting on pounds by eating the amazing crackers.

The Memory of Diet Coke

So. . . I've been thinking a lot lately. OH wow - that sounds so ridiculous. I - as a human being. . . have actually been capable of thought! :) Lets put it this way - the past little while, i have been thinking more deeply than usual - and even though I may be around friends, i have seemed to drift into my own little world of thought - because what's going on in my mind seems more pressing than what's going on around me. What's causing this. .. well - that's extremely hard to explain. I'll try to spare you the details - but i think the vague idea is pretty darn interesting.

I am the sort of person who likes to be in control - and sad as it is to admit. . i like to be ahead of the curve. I take a little pride in where i am in life - and that i appear to be growing up. But. . . i'm starting to wonder if I'm growing up at all. The same issues that plagued me two years ago, are still on my mind. I wonder why it is that we hold onto some things. . things that hurt us in the end. Take my addiction to Diet Coke. Even though I know that delicious black liquid will probably give me ulcers and eventually cancer. . i drink it religiously, fully aware that it may hurt me in the end. There are times in my life that I try my very hardest to quit - and ya know. . i do pretty well when i set my mind to it. I'm currently 2 weeks clean, and feeling quite proud of myself. but I still just adore diet coke. why?! when i know it's not good for me, that i feel better when i'm not drinking it. . . why do i still crave it?

I'd like to blame it on my lack of self-control. That would make sense wouldn't it? I wonder if that's really it though. . . or if it's something deeper. I know that if i set my mind to stuff - i can do it. I pride myself on that fact. My parents rooted in me the knowledge that i can do anything I want - and i think therein lies the key. "what I want". Our deepest desires drive our actions. . . and i think if i was to change my desire - i would no longer crave diet coke. But nothing yet has made me change my core belief that Diet Coke is the best drink ever. Strange. . . that even the knowledge that it's bad for me, that aspartame gives me headaches, the carbonation makes me bloated. . . that all that sodium makes me retain water and look about 10lbs heavier. . . the facts are there. but - but i look past the facts, cause for some crazy reason diet coke and I have a connection. I hope by now you've realized i'm not just talking about diet coke - but that this parallels lots of other parts of my life.

So. .. that's what i've been thinking about lately. I currently have 100 days until the New Year. And i'm doing things a little differently this year - i've got some resolutions i hope to achieve by New Years - so that I won't start of the new year hoping to change things, but that things will change before it comes - and i can start the new year off with a clean slate. Will i be free of diet coke, and other things that have plagued me for more than just 2 years? I hope so. I need to rid my life of things that I know will only hurt me in the end. Water is soooo much better for me - and it won't only not hurt me - it will help me become healthier! Stronger! I need to get rid of diet coke for good, as sad as it is to let it go. . . and become addicted to water. So here's to water. And the memory of diet coke.

When Exhaustion Hits - PhotoShop Slows

So. . I'm not in college anymore. And yet - I've been living the same lifestyle lately that I did when I was 18. I have been staying up way too late, and then trying to get up and function like a normal human being the next day. I can tell you from experience, this madness can only go on so long before you lose your sanity. Sure - Red Bulls and Rockstars will get you through a few days. . but then your eyes start to go all funny. . . you begin to lose normal speech ability, and you often stare into space.

This crazy pattern of staying up late was fine back in the college days, but now that i'm supposed to be an adult - and work 9-5. . it's not really jiving with my whole pretending to be a professional thing. The though of giving myself a bed-time makes me laugh. . so I guess i'll just have to grow up and be more responsible? I hate how responsibility sneaks up on you in the strangest places - and the older you get, the more you realize how much you suck at some areas of life. Sleep is one large area in which i suck. I also am one of those people who finds it necessary to speak whatever is on my mind. Because obviously. . the world wants to know! How could they not? My mind is full of opinions that should be perceived as fact, and so I blab on in an effort to convince those within the range of my voice that Kat's perception, should be everyone's reality.

I think I've blogged about this before - this desire to have the world revolve around my own perception. Woudln't it be nice though? Think of all the misunderstandings that could be avoided if everyone could empathize, because we were all drones. . . lol. Yeah - when you really think about it, the whole everyone thinking the same way as you would kind of take the fun out of life wouldn't it?! I love how everyone's uniqueness makes life worth living. The constant suprises, the having to shut your mouth so you don't offend, and even voicing your opinion more than you feel comfortable (*this is rare in my case. . but i see my friends struggle to let people know how they feel). All of these things, they just make life fun. More of an adventure! The constant battle of being aware of your surroundings - now that makes our lives into our own little reality-shows!

Whether we're in a family setting, at work, school, or home with the roommates - i just love to observe how people interract, how everyone is so different. I've made a hobby out of analyzing people (*may i emphasize hobby, i'm no psyche major) - and it's just so interesting to me how everyone is so different. Sometimes it's mind boggling trying to understand the other perspective, but I think as we try and do so, it refines us into better people! So if you catch me staring at you, with a little grin on my face - don't be freaked out. It's just me, trying to figure out what on earth is going on in your mind to make you act the way you do. :)

Welcome to Utah

So there I was. . . doing my hair. Again. My mornings have been the same ever since I was old enough to turn on a curling iron. I shower, blow dry my hair. . . straighten it, curl it, fluff it. . hairspray it. . straighten the ones that got lost along the way. It's been a never ending cycle of primping. And this morning, I dared ask the question of "Why in the hell am I doing this again?"

Well, as soon as the question was asked, I immediately answered it with images of what I look like when I refuse to do this process. . . fluff that hasn't been in style since the 80's comes to mind. . . and no one really wants to have an afro anymore. So why do I care so much about how straight my hair is? The answer. . I live in Utah.

You see, Utah has been blessed with a curse of way too many pretty girls. Yep. I said it. . they're everywhere. Absolutely beautiful girls, girls that you see on movies. . they're beautiful. I used to rationalize, and be like. . well they may be beautiful. . but I have character and a brain. Then I realized that. . .well, so do they. Utah is jam packed with intelligent, beautiful, sweet, driven women. Everywhere you look, there they are. Sounds great right? Wrong.

We live in a society where young girls are bombarded with pictures of 90lb women. . . the perfect dream? And we've felt the pressure since we could play with barbies to also be perfect. So what happens when you're pressured this way? You start to compare yourself to the other girls who are trying to be perfect . . . the plot begins to thicken. I've had numerous roommates from out of state, that tell me one thing they first notice when they arrive in Utah. They notice that girls are checking them out, not in a sexual way. . but in a comparison way. The second you walk into a room, you get scoped out by every girl in that room - their eyes scale you up and down to see if you're going to be competition. I remember when I first heard them telling me about this happening. . and when I realized I did/do it. I panicked. . . but I realized that it was something that had been engrained in me since I was little.

Ever since we could understand. . . we knew that our dreams were achievable. Right? Cinderella always gets the prince. . . you just have to be the prettiest gal at the ball and your prince charming will come get you, sweep you off your feet, etc. Well, what happens when you're not the prettiest gal at the ball? Panic.

I've seen numerous friends of mine make themselves sick, trying to achieve the perfect standard of beauty. We go to extreme lengths to be beautiful, to try and win the attention of the numberous prince charmings that we're surrounded by. Diets, exercise to the extreme, hours spent primping, trying to just beat out the next girl that walks into the room. I had the opportunity of working with the youth for a few summers, and noticed a disturbing trend. Girls who were defining their very selves by how other people saw them. Their very esteem was defined by what they saw in the mirror. I believe that this issue is the cause of so many problems. . . but what can we do?

I was discussing it with my dad last week, and he gave me the wise words of "Just be who you are. If people can't see that and love you for it, screw em." I immediately cast it off as good advice, but just kinda fluffy. but think of how true it is! If we could all just find confidence in ourselves, no comparisons. . how much better would the world/dating scene/friendships be?! If only we could be proud of who we are, not who we are when compared to the next girl. .. I think we'd see a world of difference. Until then. . I guess we'll be forced to keep straightening our hair. :)

The Fellowship of the Nerd

Oh I do love Dilbert. He's a little cartoon genius he is. You see, I have hereby entered the business world. As a geek. So I feel a sense of kinship with Dilbert. We nerds have a fellowship - and i'm going to prove my geekiness by calling it the 'Fellowship of the Nerds'

It was about three years ago that I realized I was part of this fellowship. For years. . I denied it. Assuring myself that I wasn't a nerd, that instead I belonged with the "cool" kids. I"ll never forget the day I realized I wasn't cool at all. I was sitting in one of my computer programming classes, and my teacher cracked a joke about SQL. It was hilarious, and I laughed. But - I also realized that not one of my friends would have understood this joke. oh. . the harsh reality that is finding yourself in the fellowship of the nerd.

I have since embraced my identity. I tell my friends that I "embrace the title of geek with pride". I now receive multiple phone calls a day from friends who haven't yet realized I don't live in India, and I'm not their local 24hr Tech-Support agent. I love to talk about my MacPro - and it doesn't even phase me to see my friends faces glaze over when I start to get excited, talking about how much GHz, and Ram this machine has. (*Honestly you guys, if you had any idea. . . ). I have an obsesssion with anything that has an Apple emblem on it - and if Steve decides to upgrade the Iphone again - you'll see me watching the KeyNote, and you'll find me outside the doors of AT&T the day it comes out.

I love my nerdiness, I think it makes me endearing. Cause heaven knows, if I didn't have the nerdiness, I'd only be known as Diet Coke Kat. Not Nerd Kat. And that - that would just be sad.

ESPN Ruins My Naps

So my title doesn't really have anything to do with what I"m going to write about. I may touch on the subject a little bit - but we'll see.

So there I am. sitting in the hub, at my own table - just typing away at some technical paper I've got to write for one of my nerdy classes. when outta nowhere - this couple sits down next to me - at MY table. Do I know these people? No. Have I ever seen them? No. Are they weird? Yes. As I click away at my keyboard, I start to hear him talk baby talk to her. "Oh man. . . this guy ahs no idea how close he is to getting hit" I think. I tried to give them the 'shut up or i'll smack you' look - but to no avail, for they were too busy googly-eyein each other to even notice the table was occupied in the first place. I start to type louder. Maybe if they notice I'm busy - they will realize that they're being rude and just leave me in peace to write my paper on XScale processors. Nope. That didn't work either. My mind was spinning - going back and forth between technical specifications to how I was going to best hit this guy to shut him up. The baby talk was quickly becoming more than I could handle. Maybe if I sneeze Really Really Loudly, and don't cover my mouth. Gross - yes. But sometimes drastic measures need to be taken. I crinkled up my nose in hopes of bringin on a sneeze - but all that happened was me looking slightly like an upset swine. Did they notice my facial expressions? Nope. Not even close, they were still snoggling and talking in voices reserved for 1 and under population.

The clock was ticking down. 12:15. I knew their lunchbreak had to be over soon - but I was quickly losing all self control. Those who know me best know that I act very chill and easy going, but if I bottle it up too long - then BAM! I'll snap at you and nothing can control the rush of words or anger that might ensue if you're in my path of wrath. {*wow. that rhymed! all fear - Kat's path of Wrath! :) } 12:20 - it's bubbling to the surface. . . my face has lost all trace of a smile, and I'm ready to just tell this annoying couple to go somewhere much warmer than Logan. 12:22 - I'm formulating the words that would have the best effect. 12:22.5 - they decide to leave. phew. . that was close.

That couple doesn't understand how close they were too disaster. . . another 30 seconds of their behavior and I'd have siad something. Ok - I'd have though of more things I COULD"VE said to them. We all know I would'nt have been rude to strangers. I talk a big game, but I'm usually a big softie. However, I felt I must blog this experience so that all my psuedo-anger thoughts weren't in vain.

oh - I guess i'd better touch on the subject of this post. So - ESPN often ruins my naps. I'll get home from work or class, and decide that exhaustion is not a fun feeling. I soon collapse on the love sac, and turn on the TV to keep me company until I can fall asleep. Channel 35 or 49 are usually the ones chosen. ESPN or FOXNews. . . either one of those channels will keep me from sleeping. Unless SportsCenter is on. SportsCenter will always put me to sleep. ya see, my bedroom growing up was located right next to the TV room. Every night my dad would watch, you guessed it: SportsCenter. For 18 years I would fall asleep to the top 10 highlights of the day, and so like pavlov's dog, I have been trained. All you have to do is turn on sportscenter and I'll be out like a light. However, if it's around the horn, It won't put me to sleep. I'll just sit there, wondering why and how someone would spend money on a show, and how that guys scoring system works. I've come to realize that there really is no reasoning to it. I think he just likes to push that button and see numbers appear. He gets the urge to see a number, and he pushes the button. It really has no reasoning behind it at all. I bet he's not even listening to the guys that are talking, I bet the Mute button is ALWAYs on! And he's using the button to count how bad he wants pizza or something! :)

My Life in 1's and 0's

So in case you didn't know - I'm a Nerd. A big one. However, I am not nerdy enough to be proficient in performing Binary Math. Right now - i'm trying to learn how to do so, just so I don't fail the test I'm currently cramming for. I think it's ridiculous that I have to learn how to do such a thing, seeing as how I will NEVER use it. Such is the theme of school however - Cram for things that the real world will never require you to put into action. Man - i'm so glad i'm paying thousands of dollars for this 'education'.

Anyhew - onto cooler things. As many of you are probably aware - Valentines Day is Thursday. I was walking through the candy Isle at wal-mart - which also happened to be the isle that contains all the cool Valentines cards that we gave in elementary school. I was laughing as I heard a little girl telling her mother, "That boys are icky, and she didn't want to give THEM one." Couldn't she just get some for the girls? When her mother told her she had to get some for everyone, she responded, "That's stupid. Boys are icky." Even though we've all grown out of that phase, I think we can all empathize. Those were the days though. I remember one year - I got a carnation and a note left in my desk, signed with - "For Katrina - love your secret admireerer." Yeah - the spelling was crappy, but I'm positive it was true love. Never found out who it was though. . . suspicion tells me it was my mother.

My mom has always been really good at making us feel special on Valentines day. She's well aware that she has a bunch of commitment-phobe children, and that it's highly unlikely they'll be celebrating the day with anyone in particular. I can't remember a year I didn't get roses, but I also can't remember a year when they weren't from my mom. That may sound pathetic to some people - but I think i'm really lucky that I have someone that consistently remembers me on that day :) She's inspired me to look at the day as not just a day where you feel stupid cause you're blatantly single - but a day where you can look for ways to show your love for the people who might otherwise feel left out. "Singles Awareness Day" presents us with a great opportunity to think outside the box and show our love and appreciation for the people around us. I'm so grateful for my mother's shining example in that aspect. I know that's super cheesy - but heck. Cupid and heart candy are pretty cheesy too!

Back to the intro-paragraph of my blog, I wonder if my professor would pass me if I made a cool picture out of 1's and 0's. . . Now that's something I can use in the real world. Binary Art. As usless as it sounds, i'm sure it would come in handier than floating point binary multiplication. I'd better stop talking about it in this blog however - and get my bottom to work! Happy Valentines Day everyone! May the creepy little angel called cupid hit you in the back with his arrow! :) And may you be looking at someone attractive when that happens!

The Choice

So there I was. standing in front of the fridge - string cheese in hand. And yet - my decision wasn't finished. Seeing as how my diet coke 20 pack had been emptied earlier this morning, I needed something to drink. As I peered into the fridge for an alternative, a white label that I would all too often overlook stared me in the face. Diet Dr. Pepper.

To most people, this wouldn't be a hard choice. But i've got loyatly issues people. Diet Coke is my drink - I don't cheat. . . well. . . unless i'm at Cafe Sabor, and all they have is pepsi products. . . then I get a diet pepsi. But you see what i'm sayin. . . this D.P was asking me to venture outside my norms . . . to go where I would rarley go. Hmm. . . . I thought. To drink or not to drink. My alternative - water. Water doesn't have caffeine. So i picked up the D.P. (*thanks caroline :) )

I twisted the cap - heard that all so glorious release of carbonated pressure - and took a swig. Oh my. . . it was really good. And so here I am - asking myself. . . should my loyalty truly lie with Diet Coke? what if. . . what if I started to venture out - mix up my drinking options a little bit? Today - Dr. Pepper! Tomorrow - Mt. Dew?! The options are seemingly endless!

Today isn't just about Diet Soda drink choices however. As most of you know, it's Super Tuesday. People across the nation are going to the polls, proclaiming their choice of who they want to represent them in this years presidential race. The way I see it - most of these people are a lot like me. They think, "Man - I would kill for a diet coke right now" But they look in the fridge - no diet coke! (* keep up with me people. . . Diet coke would be who you always thought you wanted for president. but he/she/it isn't running. Or withdrew from the race cause they were counting on florida and bombed. . . . not to mention names or anything. . . ) So you're forced with a choice. Do you vote for Dr. Pepper? Have you even tried Dr. Pepper? If you do, will you like it better than Diet coke?

My analogy is getting crazy - but my point is this. I think we need to research a little bit more than we do. Lets not all just assume that we like Diet Coke, because mom or dad told us we like it. Or just because we were at the store. . . didn't really care - and said, "Hey! I'll drink that!" A few weeks ago I was with some friends, and I was forced to defend my choice of diet coke - aka presidential candidate. I made an idiot out of myself. I had no idea why I had chosen Diet Coke. I just had. In an attempt to defend my choice - I failed. horribly. I even made diet coke look bad because I had no argument. My friends forced me to look at Dr. Pepper - which I had proclaimed to dislike. . . but then I tasted it. And liked it. I wish that months ago - I had ventured out and tasted Dr. Pepper. Could've saved me lots of trouble - and making an idiot out of myself. I hate making an idiot out of myself.