11.10.2011

is there a doctor in the house? and other matters...

we wrapped up October with a sick awesome costume down at our local trunk or treat (thanks to the 'think tank' for the costume idea!)

Geoff and I dressed up as Operation with me as his Dr.


the trunk or treat lasted all of 15 minutes before we were cleaned out of our candy stash, we then spent some time at our favorite family, The Romrells house before going to late night eats at Applebees where we were 15 minutes late of winning the best costume for the night! bummer!

Other matters...

a lot of this has been happening at our house lately:


Geoffs been studying film like crazy. The big man got his first career start last weekend against Stanford. Its been so much fun getting to watch him play this year. 

My dad and I enjoyed watching the game in the covered section. No rain on us made for an enjoyable day. 




in other news, our life must be more stressful these days or something--between football, my 9 hour days, and my new title of 'acting store manager' (hopefully the 'acting' part will go away and just the 'store manager' part can remain. Regardless of what happens, I welcome the new challenges ahead). 

anyway, all geoff and I (but mostly geoff) talk about is our bed. He loves that thing more than me.. At the end of the day he cant wait to get into the bed. Its truly is the best bed around. 


(excuse her nakedness, she does have a bedskirt now)


my favorite part is what i find in that bed. Like him...


and her...


and sometimes, they even like to share.



10.23.2011

October,

how I love thee. Its clearly the best month. The weather gets gloomy, the trees change to orange, red, purple and yellow, and you get to wear all your favorite fall clothes. On top of all of that we have had a lot of fun this month. Today we spent our Sunday exactly how we like to--family dinner with the Folsoms. Its always the best start to our week (or the best way to end the week, however you like to see it :).

Heres how we've spent our October so far:

we've had some awesome visitors




We went to the pumpkin patch




and displayed our pumpkins proudly!


We celebrated a birthday--

happy 24th to me!


Spent nights eating out and playing pool


and best of all geoff got his big debut as center out on the field!


he served up some pancakes, rightfully so!

Heres to October and hopefully the rest of the month being just as fun!

9.29.2011

Stranded.

If your ever find yourself at the airport on an 8 hour delay here are some things that can happen:

1. The airlines will repeatedly lie to you. however, they will say it in an upbeat tone of voice so it sounds like your receiving good news....but really all hope is lost.

2. They will give you warm sodas and cold pizza.

3. After 4 hours people will start to break and yell their frustrations in the middle of the airport. And someone WILL tell you to chill out.

4. You might become BFF's with an old couple who will repeatedly tell you "better safe than sorry!"

5. Someone will fall asleep and snore so loudly that you and everyone else must listen to music to drown them out.

6. They will give you a $25 voucher which will TOTALLY make up for the wait and leave me feeling completely satisfied.

9.21.2011

a recipe.

Sour cream pear pie.

I got this recipe at Rassmusen Pumpkin Farm last weekend. Its seriously so good. Dont question it. Just make it. Okay?



- 1 unbaked 9" pie shell
- 1 C. sour cream
- 1 egg
- 3/4 C. sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 Tbl. four
- 4 C. peeled, diced pears*

Strusel topping
- 1/4 C. flour
- 1/4 C. brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 C. butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/4 C. chopped pecans (optional)

* I used Red Bartlett pears

Blend sour cream, egg, sugar, vanilla, salt and four until smooth. Fold in pears. Pour into the pie shell and bake @ 375 degrees for 40 min. Remove, sprinkle with topping and bake for another 10 minutes. Cool and serve. 

A day at the beach.

Summer is officially starting to wind down, and with football season in full swing--the idea that school is starting soon is finally starting to sink in. I always get a little sad knowing that I don't get to go back to campus. But I'm thankful I'm done and remember to count my blessings.

Last Monday, Geoff had the day off and I was getting done with work early so we decided to head out to the coast. We missed the last of the sunny days at the beach but the weather was still absolutely perfect! Not hot, not cold. Slightly overcast and NO wind. We did a little shopping and shared some fish and chips and then settled into the sand for an hour or so. It was wonderful. Heckled a few seagulls and played a few card games. It's so nice to hear the sound of the ocean. We are so lucky to have it so close. Here are a few shots from our day trip.














*sorry about a blogless football season. I'll work on it but it's not my favorite thing to blog about. Maybe when we get our first win :) However my fiend Kelly did get this great shot at the Wisconsin game. Until next time, Go Beavs.


8.19.2011

Blogging from an iPad...

Makes for very slow blogging.

First off, the 'Geoff Garner' minor injury report:
-an ingrown toenail, fixed
-less than 24 hrs later 350lb dlineman, Castro breaks the rest of the remaining nail
-12 hrs later a dislocated left thumb
-after later inspection, torn ligiments are found. Currently wearing a soft cast.

Poor giblets. I feel so bad for the kid. Thankfully it's nothing worse.

Like Geoff did last month, I'm vacationing in The Dalles. It. Is. Awesome.

I spend everyday kickin' it poolside. I'm so tan. It's amazing.

And in other news, my stitches are out and I'm developing a scar that looks like a smiley face. It's pretty cool.

I'm going to learn how to can apple and cherry pie filling while im here so hopefully it all goes well and I can share my cornucopia of goods with everyone.


The first game of the season is in two weeks. Get ready Beaver Nation. It's gonna be fun.

8.13.2011

fall camp. fall schmanp.

it official, fall camp has reared its ugly head and has infiltrated our previously awesome life.
but its cool, geoff is doing awesome (and no midlife crisis' on his part so... bonus!)

I get really bored, but its fine.
I paint my nails a lot...its my new thing.
I also chopped my hair off so i spend time getting to know 'short hair katie' again.
shes pretty cool.
(and no i will not post a picture)

Friday me and a friend went to watch practice--I would have had a better picture but crowd control was being just a wee bit intense.



anyway, apart from being exhausted and sore every night geoff is doing very well and I cant wait to see him on the field this year. 

*see below for another article on geoff from the Eugene Register Guard. 

**dont let me forget to mention that most nights my time with geoff is cut in half because the mentally retarted girl next door waits up for him everynight so she can come out and talk to him. I think Ive gots me some competition.


Spotlight on: the big man pt. DEUX


CORVALLIS — Geoff Garner’s football life suddenly became more complicated this week.
The 300-pound Oregon State sophomore made his first snap in an organized practice on Monday with his conversion to center. He’s also added the responsibility of making the blocking calls for the other linemen.
And instead of being a tackle worrying about a defensive end going around him, Garner has his primary problem right in front of him.
“It’s definitely a big change just because the defensive tackle, the second you snap the ball, is right into you,” Garner said. “You’ve got to fire right away.”
And meanwhile, hope that he made the correct blocking assignments for the entire offensive line.
“The biggest thing is you’ve got to be reliable,” Garner said. “Everyone is relying on you to make the correct call. ... There’s a lot on your plate.
“There are a lot of things to do right on every play.”The shuffling of OSU linemen, which began in the spring when four of the five starters were at new positions, has continued in this first week of fall practices for the Beavers with the backups.
Garner was the most notable move, from tackle to center. That was prompted partly by a foot injury in the spring game suffered by reserve Roman Sapolu, which caused concern about his readiness for preseason workouts.
But Garner also gives the Beavers more size at the center position and has the intelligence to master the position, said Mike Cavanaugh, the OSU offensive line coach.
“We thought moving him to center would be a good fit,” Cavanaugh said. “Sometimes you’ve got to swing ’em around” to find the right combination of linemen.
That was certainly the thinking behind the changes with the No. 1 unit, where senior Mike Remmers moved to left tackle after 32 starts as right tackle, which will be taken either by former starting left tackle Michael Philipp or Colin Kelly.
There’s also competition at right guard between incumbent Burke Ellis and fellow senior Michael Lamb.
The starting center is now Grant Johnson, moved there after 25 starts at left guard. That meant previous center candidate Josh Andrews could move to left guard, where the Beavers feel his aggressive attitude can be turned loose without the added duties associated with playing center.
“I can’t wait to see what he’s going to do,” Cavanaugh said. “He’s got that (butt) kicker mentality. He loves to play, he’s physical. ... Hopefully he’ll be that emotional leader.”
The Beavers are certainly looking to put a charge into their offensive line.
Remmers called it “redemption” after a disappointing 2010 season, and Cavanaugh suggested in his usual strong terms that all of his linemen “better have a big chip on their shoulder” to prove their worth.
“We had a little attitude adjustment,” Remmers said. “We’re just really working hard and trying to finish our blocks ... block through (opponents), not to.”
Again, Cavanaugh put the same sentiment into stronger terms.
“We’ve got to come off the ball and put our eyes right through guys’ chin guards and we’ve got to frigging unload on people,” the coach said.
To do so, the Beavers are bigger and stronger across the front. There was a renewed emphasis on work in the weight room, and the success there was helped along because all of the starting linemen had an offseason that was free of rehabilitation from previous injuries, as it was for Philipp and Johnson last year.
There are still some concerns. Garner needs to master his new assignment, to assure the Beavers have a capable backup at the important center position.
There isn’t much depth at tackle, prompting the move of guard Grant Enger to the outside so the Beavers can go two-deep at the position without Garner moving back outside.
“I’m optimistic about this offensive line, because they’re all improved players,” OSU coach Mike Riley said of his linemen. “They’ve all grown, so through all this we’ll have a better line and better depth.”
source

8.05.2011

spotlight on: the big man

GARNER ADDS DEPTH RILEY'S BEEN TALKING ABOUT
GARNER ADDS DEPTH RILEY'S BEEN TALKING ABOUT
Beaverfootball.com Columnist
Posted Aug 5, 2011


FALL CAMP is barely a sneeze away, and so Sunday night will feel a little like the night before Christmas. And not just because the bad taste from a losing season is one virtually everyone in black and orange is ready to get out of their mouths, but also because this season brings something new to the table.

The unknown.

There's a brightly wrapped 2011 football season under the tree - the only question is, what's in the box? It could be just what you always wanted, it could be empty, or it could be a lump of coal.

More than any season in recent history, the 2011 Beavers are an enigma. There are boatloads of potential along with an embarrassment of riches at the skill positions - totally unlike what Beaver Nation is accustomed to embracing. That's the glass half full.

On the glass-half-empty side, the lines on both sides of the ball are question marks unlike any your humble scribe can remember.

Reach back through the cobwebs of your mind and try to remember a single season where not one member of either line is regarded as a "star" (apologies to Mike Remmers, who honestly is quite underrated). There is no Stephen PaeaJeremy PerryAndy LevitreKyle DeVanVictor Butler, Bill Swancutt, Dwan Edwards.... no, not a one in this group. Not one big nasty guy on either side of the ball that you absolutely know is keeping an opposing OL or DL coach up at night wondering how the heck to handle him.

Now that we're through the doom-and-gloom portion, there exists loads of potential in this particular Beaver squad. With a few lucky bounces, this is a 9-win team. Of course the biggest bounce has a name -- James Rodgers.

J-Rod is the type of put-you-over-the-top-player who can get you a couple of wins all by himself. He really is the complete weapon -- rushing, receiving, returning kicks, returning punts. There's a sense that if Mike Riley was willing to let him, he'd show that he's a solid defensive back as well.

With all due respect to Quizz, and the great Sammie Stroughter, and even Steven Jackson, James Rodgers is the most dangerous player in the modern era of Beaver Football. A healthy James Rodgers changes everything.

MEANWHILE UP FRONTGeoff Garner is poised to become the new Andy Levitre edition Swiss Army Knife, and he's a player that OSU fans should keep an eye on. This is a guy who is physically mature, took a 2 year LDS mission, played in four games as a true freshman, redshirted in 2010, and has been moved from tackle to backup center to fill the hole left by the injury to Roman Sapolu.

Garner is an athletic guy -- he's 6-5 and 308 pounds but in a previous iteration, he caught 45 passes for 987 yards and 7 TD's as a prep standout. And now the 23 year-old sophomore is showing off his versatility by moving over to back up at center. When Riley says that the Beavers have much better depth on the O-Line than last year, as he's done repeatedly these past several weeks, I think he's looking right at Geoff Garner. He can play OT, C, and even some TE if necessary. Remember Stanford's Heavy Set with Toby Gerhart and 3 OT's?

While we're on the subject of the o-line, something to note -- many posters on the BF.C message boards have mused about Michael Philipp moving inside to guard. It was considered last year by the staff, but Riley said he "took a deep breath" and decided against it. Now Philipp is locked in a battle for the starting RT job with Colin Kelly, and the discussion renews.

But the reality is, Oregon State simply doesn't have the ability to move Philipp to guard. With Garner moved to center, OSU has 3 tackles to work with -- Kelly, Remmers, and Philipp. Philipp is the backup at both tackle spots.

FINALLY. THERE'S A sense the MLB dilemma has been solved -- and before a single fall camp practice. Fans watching all year wondered why Feti Unga sat third in the rotation, when he appeared to many to be the most talented MIKE on the team -- this author wondered on multiple occasions on the BF.C boards about whether Ruben Robinson belonged at OLB instead. So what happened?

Defensive coordinator Mark Banker took over linebackers.

Robinson immediately moves to outside linebacker, and Unga leapfrogs to starter at MIKE. Sources close to the OSU program in background conversations have said that former LB coach Greg Newhouse's selection of most of his starting linebackers, and in particular the MLB rotation, as well as the high minutes for a still-recovering Keith Pankey (while Cameron Collins was limited to one start in 2010), were hotly contested debates within the staff.

No one has ever questioned Newhouse's ability to develop players. But the opinion from this chair is that his tendency for favoritism over "his" guys rather than the most effective player, coupled with a seemingly poor effort in the recruiting department, apparently forced Riley's hand.


source

8.02.2011

today, part trois.

and more appropriately subtitled, 'beauty and the beast'

Today I got a flower delivery at work from my dad (I <3 Larry) and geoff.

 'the beauty'


I also got to take off my tampon-looking gauze bandage only to reveal what I like to call, my frakenstein hand.

'the beast'


gross! sorry its all swollen and bruised and nasty looking.

but its cool, because to even things out i burnt my other hand on the oven today.
because i really wanted to have that whole trifecta injury working for me.
stitched hand, burnt hand, bruised tailbone.

im a HOT mess.

anyway, no biggie.


as for Geoff?

He went to Costco with Big Lar and C-town.
which is usually my job.
see? totally replacing me.


8.01.2011

today, part deux.

Today, Geoff went to the pool.

and myself?

I went to the ER and got my first stitches ever.


(i sent geoff this picture and he texted me back with 'i cant believe you got a manicure without me'--his eyesight was just a 'little' off)

a shelf fell off a ladder while I was working and sliced my knuckle to the bone and did some minor damage to the rest of my hand and forearm on the way down.

it was awesome, but more importantly what do you guys think?
should i change my name to Kandra??



7.30.2011

today.

I went to work.

and Geoff? 
he got his 1st disc golf hole-in-one


(as he would say 'we're doin' big things around here')

and he went to a concert with the fam over at Maryhill


he just livin' it up without me, and im pretty sure he's trying to replace me...and from the sound of it, succeeding.


7.29.2011

just me and my ladies.

tonight on my run past the community gardens I made some new friends.





With geoff being gone this whole week living it up at my parents house without me, I think I might just hang out with these little chickies every night.


7.22.2011

an unnatural aversion.

I knew I had this problem, however it didnt come as a realization to me until I said it out loud in a conversation with a coworker.

I cant buy black shoes.

Yeah. Totally weird right?
How hard can it be?
find a pair, try them on, buy them. Done.

Wrong-o.


the other night, Geoff and I went into Portland to meet my dad for dinner and check out the Nordstrom anniversary sale (go! go now! its so wonderful!)

I had decided 24 hours prior to look for and purchase black wedge booties.
My intentions were to have something to wear in the fall without having to make the commitment to buying a full pair of black boots because clearly that would be wasteful (what is wrong with me?)

This problem has gotten worse with time. I used to buy black shoes! For instance I have a pair of black boots that I recieved my sophomore year of high school. And I did buy two pairs of black heels my sophomore year of college, but anyway, I digress.

I decided to take inventory of the problem.
Shield your eyes people because its nude/congac city and im the mayor.




(p.s. my walls are NOT blue, they are grey...but i cant that expect much from my iPhone)

nude.


cognac.


boots.


see those ones on the left?


this is me trying to buy a black wedge bootie.
props for them being gray?

I just cant resist me some Frye boots, guys.


6.30.2011

Making a cake.


First, start with your 'rough sketch'



then, make lots of layers...


make a GIANT batch of chocolate buttercream...


seperate you candies for your cake pops...


Assemble, and decorate...


dip and design your robots...


make about a dozen more...


And lastly, assemble to make one very happy birthday boy!



6.26.2011

'If I was a flower gowin' wild and free all I'd want you to be is my sweet honeybee'

Geoff and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary on Catalina Island.
It was a really pretty island and we had a fun relaxing day.









 Love ya Geoff! Its been a very fun 2 years.