How to save life

This man, in the smallest way, with just a few words, changed my life.

I Believe in Music the Way Some People Believe in Fairy Tales

(I'm going to attempt to be more artistic this time. Maybe I will turn this into something and get a scholarship for it. lemme know what you think. it is a bit long. pictures to follow)

In front of a hidden theater, the kind that only plays artistic films or documentaries, stands a patched up cello playing the most amazing music you will ever hear. It is not a lost symphony or the work of a genius. Just the soft notes of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" but the story of the man singing along as he strokes the instrument, makes it truly remarkable.

Eli Potrash struggles to remember the lyrics to the song while the notes themselves flow so easily through his hand. Three young people laugh while they walk down the side walk towards the theater, just three unremarkable people.

But they stop a ways away. They look at him, and at each other, then keep walking. They're not going towards the ticket box now, they're walking towards him. He pretends not to notice, and continues to sing. "Somewhere over the rainbow. . . " They're standing in front of him now, the two girls standing a bit closer than the blonde boy. He's studying the board that proclaims the titles. “way up high. There's a land.. la la la la...” The notes continue but his voice stalls. “once in a lullaby.” He smiles at them and they smile pleasantly back. One hasn't stopped smiling at him since she looked at him. “Hello.”

“Hi,” They both reply. “That's lovely.” the smiling girl pulls a bill from the pocket of her shorts. He can see a 5 printed in the corner. She leans over his purple back pack his has placed before his feet, open to expose the few belongings he keeps with him, but also to show he is open to donations. She looks at him to make sure that's where to place the money and he nods. She drops it in and straightens back up.

“Can we take a picture of you?” She asks. The second girl, she has a sunflower in her hair, holds up a camera.

“Sure,” Eli answers. “Lots of people take my picture. More than I'd like.” He laughs but poses for the camera. It clicks and he expects them to leave now, like most do.

“It's very beautiful.” The smiling one comments. “How long have you been playing the cello?”

“Oh I'm not very good. My true instrument is the bass. I'm a bass man.” (here he goes again thinks the cello). “If you heard a real cellist you'd know the difference.”

“It's still very good.” The sunflowered one says.

“Oh I'm much better on the bass. My muscles are getting all messed up from playing the wrong instrument. I was in an orchestra my first year. The first year I was playing the bass, I was in an orchestra.”

“Well you're wonderful.”

“Thank you. I play for people. Some people I see, some people I don't, some people only I see.” He laughs, and the kids chuckle politely. The boy has returned now. He seems nice, but anxious to get to a movie. “You never know, whats up here,” He taps his head and they laugh again. “Worlds all around us. Seen, unseen, real or fake. Some intersecting some not.” (you're rambling again Elie) “I'd like to get on the internet. Show people what can happen. I'm sixty years old and playing here. I'd like to do something still.”

Smiles turns to Sunflower, “You're camera has video doesn't it? We could film you and post it on Youtube or something. Can we?”

“I'm not really prepared at all.” He says, but the girl already has her camera out again, and pointing at him. So he begins to play. “Somewhere over the rainbow. . .” Again he pauses. “la la la, la la la la la la, why can't I?” The three applaud and grin brightly.

“Thank you so much.” The sunflower one says as she replaces the camera in her purse.

“Yeah.” Eli is almost blushing. “What movie are you seeing?”

“We don't know yet, what do you recommend?”

“Oh I like Attack of the Block, but I like movies where people get eaten.” They talk for a while about what he's seen at the theater he plays at. Finally the kids dismiss themselves.

“It was great talking to you.” they say, and shake his hand.

“I love meeting young people.” He tells them. “It gives me hope.”

They walk away, and Eli continues to play his cello. Just three unremarkable people.

“Blue birds fly o'er the rainbow.” But he was remarkable. “Why, oh then why,” but he had changed them, just a little. “Can't. I?”

Its not easy being green

Here's today.

my dad had to take my sweet little car to get new tires yesterday, so he left me his huge bright green truck to drive. when I say bright green I mean BRIGHT Kermit the frog, dinosaur green. This was less awkward when it advertised my dad's store, but now its just green. Super awkward. This is an actual photo that I just took, not a likeness on the internet. That's the car. You see my issue.

I am afraid of parking in big cars, so this truck scares me. this is because the week after I got my drivers license, I crashed into a parked car at kholers, and by "crashed" I mean attempted to park and destroyed the side of her car with the evil van.

Well I rose above my fears today and drove said truck to the high school! (yay! cheers for Kate! way to overcome your big car parking fears!) This, was a mistake.

But lets begin with the humorous, that is Kayli Anderson's reaction to the car when I picked her up to school this morning. Kayli lives two doors away from me, she's probably my favorite person, definitely my favorite Asian (Gretel is a close second). That is not racist, cause if she read this, she'd laugh. She's way into Asian culture, is learning to play the banjo, and is in three Japanese classes. Kayli's awesome. Well I pull up at her door this morning, honk with my awkward horn that just sounds like it belongs to this car.

She looks out the window in confusion and thinks: "That isn't my ride. So why are they outside my house?" with a closer look she sees my face in the drivers seat. At this point I imagine she broke out into hysterical laughter, and prayed this wasn't the vehicle I was going to kill her in. (she lived.)

Well, we drove to school, parked successfully, (I'm proud to say I can park in very large cars! I have conquered my phobia. now I have a new one) and went to class. At lunch Emily and I decided we should go get Arby's together and bond as best friends. Mostly because no one else could come. We arrive at the car to see a lovely yellow ticket shoved under the windshield. I almost started to swear, but refrained. *pause to be proud of me. . . . Continue*

The ticket informed me I would have to pay a $60 fine for not having a parking pass, and getting a boot on my car. Well there was only one problem, other than the fact that I'm totally broke and I didn't want my dad to pay $60 for my idiot-ness, there was no boot on my car. In fact I drove to Arby's, got a sandwich, drove to Emily's to pick her car up, drove back to my house, and Emily drove back to the school (and still made it back on time for class).

I refused to pay this fine, and insisted I would go yell at the finance office. I'm a nice person I don't yell. So I calmly explain the situation and was informed that they are allowed to ticket me for a boot because even though it wasn't there if the school wasn't too ghetto to own more than three boots, I would have gotten one. She then told me to talk to the tracking office. Book Depository Lady was there, I was certain my life was about to be diminished $60. She told me to come back and talk to another lady but I would probably still have to pay (this is a faulty system I know.)

My death seemed imminent, and I contemplated my pending funeral in AP Euro, and who would receive my belongings after I died. I trudged my way after class back to the office and found a different lady, whom I had never seen before, sitting in a small office. I told her the sob story of my day, and she handed me the most beautiful white piece of paper I'd ever seen. "Fill this out and we'll get rid of the ticket for you all together." She then proceeded to do the same for a boy who walked in with the same problem.

So this story had a happy ending! No ticket, and I learned that not ALL the office workers at American Fork High School are either evil or useless. Thank you mystery lady. I will forever remember your kindness to me.

Now! not that this post is long enough, but I have one more story. After first period I discovered what it means to be REALLY high. Some kid was sitting at his desk, attempting to pack up to go to his next class and seemingly not able to comprehend how his notebook would go into his backpack. I turned away for like two seconds and when I looked back, he was on the floor, probably half unconscious. My EMT instincts (that aren't actually there) didn't question why he had fallen, only that he needed help, so I put his notebook in his backpack for him, and handed him his glasses and awkward bracelet, helped him to his feet and watched him stagger out the door. (Mr. Atwood did nothing. probably wise.) Only after he left did the thought occur to me "He was higher than a kite!" I'm hoping he went home and sobered up, or at least found his next class. That and he's just a bad drunk, and didn't O.D. Who knows, maybe he was just sick. Yeah right Kate, not even you're like that on Sudafed. Thank you pessimistic voice of Reason.

So I guess, you help a druggie get on his feet, and you don't get parking tickets. Thanks Karma!

For those of you who don't already know. I'm a geek. it's a fact, that I am not only comfortable with, but proud of! I obsess over Wheel of Time (like how as soon as I finish this post I will be off to read it until my eyes literary won't stay open any longer.) The points are these.

1. if you appreciate a good fantasy, that totally shows up every other fantasy you ever read, read this. you're mind will explode, and we can discuss the sheer awesome that is Robert Jordan.

2. While I was busy obsessing over Wheel of Time, I found some fan art. Then I found this picture, drawn by some guy who never read the books and was hired to draw this for some strange obscure European country. No one knows. point is, if you don't know Wheel of Time, just laugh at these photos. If you do know Wheel of Time, I invite you to laugh until you pee, because its both ridiculous but slightly accurate. Rand's face, is just... the best. plus everyone looks evil.

Enjoy. LOL! (no you're not. whore.)

p.s. i just learned this isn't a very big image and you can't enjoy it as much as it should be. so here's a link to it. so you can appreciate it here. (hope that worked)

Special? I think I am

So I know I've already had my little rant about this film, but then I learned that if I want to get extra credit for watching it, I need to type up a paper about my thoughts on it. And that's so much more fun in blog form. (yeah I started a sentence with a conjunction. Do you have a problem with that Sean Connery?)

So here is my blog post on this wonderful film, dedicated to our one and only Laurel Shelley, Phd. That's probably not true, but wouldn't it be cool? So I will give her the title, because this is my blog and I can grant Phd's to whomever I wish! Today I wish it to be my English teacher.

First a note to Miss Shelley, I fixed the whole concurrent enrollment thing, turns out the school did send my transcripts but the lady was looking for the name Kate Lyn, not Katelyn. So I drove all the way to UVU to sit in the waiting room for fifteen minutes waiting for a receptionist who was supposed to return twenty minutes prior, only to find out the room I needed was not on that floor, for nothing. Thank you UVU Concurrent Enrollment system. You suck. I revoke you of your University-ship. So go cry UVSC. (I can un-grant things as well here.)

Anyways! Finding Forrester.

So pretty much this movie was kind of awesome. Not even kind of, it was. Then again anything with Sean Connery is great. It's simply a fact of life. I liked how this movie was diverse with the boy's interests so he wasn't just a jock, or just a writer, he didn't even really have to choose between the two, not really. Well, yeah he lost the championship game because Forrester wouldn't leave his house, but that wasn't the main struggle for the kid. It was much deeper than that. I appreciate that, it makes the movie more relate-able and a lot less typical.

What I think makes Sean Connery so great is that beautiful speech impediment of his. Combined with his Scottish accent, it could put you to sleep. It's just lovely. As a writer, the best thing in the world is hearing that mellifluous voice tell you how to become a better writer. I think the voice in my head that tells me how/what to write will be speaking in that voice until I die.

Confession time Miss Shelley, I'm a movie nut. To the point where I can rant about one director for an hour. So let me tell you that I thought this movie was beautiful. The opening shots were captivating and artistic, the whole thing had this calming visual to it despite the fact that it was in the Bronx. It wasn't the world's most beautiful filming by far, but the writing made up for that. It was real, emotional and funny. It was able to draw you in with humor, and used that to make you like the characters so when the time came for you to feel for them you did. It was hard not to get emotionally involved with them, feel for them, hurt with them. At one point I yelled at the antagonist professor simply because he was being mean to Jamal.

I adored this film, in fact it probably goes on my top twenty list of best movies ever. Most of which are actually on your list of movies to watch. Thanks for having good taste in movies and giving me an excuse to watch more of them.

I know, I'm super exciting today. Well there you go. today's rants. No pictures. Suck it up. see this movie. that's all...

Punch the key's damn it!

so I was going to post my page about rules for my philosophy class that I just typed up like Emily did, and I assume Cami will be doing. Only then I was like: "Other than my teacher, who cares?" I don't even care that much! So I have decided not to post it. I will put a link (if I can figure out how to) so if you really do care about my page and half rant about what rules are, why they exist, exceptions to the rules etc. then you can read it. . . . here we go! pretending I know how to use blogger!

yeah I can't figure it out. Again I don't care enough to keep trying. You know me if you're reading this (if you don't you're probably a creeper. why are you reading the random rantings of a 17 year old girl? I'm not Allie Brosh! Go away!) so if you really care, e-mail me. I'll share it with you.

SO! its Sunday. Sunday's are my days of reflection and contemplation. Maybe I'll blog every Sunday so you guys can see what I think about, its different each week. I won't promise though, because odds are that I will forget. So! Today I've thought a lot about Invictus. I even started memorizing it.

Out of the night that covers me

Black is the Pit from pole to pole

I thank whatever Gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

in the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not whimpered nor cried aloud

under the bludgeoning of chance

My head is bloody but unbowed. (this is all I know on my own.)

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

I love this. I think it's important to have an unconquerable soul. today I learned I'm stronger than I thought. If you want to know ask me in person. I'll tell you a little story.

Another thing I've thought about is the movie Finding Forester (which is the source of today's title). first off, Sean Connery rocks and if any of you know where I can get Robin and Marian with him and Audrey Hepburn, I will sell my soul to you, if Angela will give it back to me.

Second off, I enjoy having his voice in my head reminding me how to write. The first draft you write with your heart. The second with your head. This is my goal for the rest of my book. No more going back and re-writing, editing, anything. I'm just going to keep going. Put all my heart in it and worry about the sensibilities of if when I'm finished.

This I will promise you, when that first draft is finished I will put a link up here for the few of you who follow me. You may read it, critique it, or just say "hey look what Kate did that's cool. I'm gonna go get a smoothie now." I don't care. Do what you want, but it will be here for you. If you are offended by violence and a little swearing then don't read it. Because that's how my mind works and I think how best to express things sometimes. I won't apologize for it.

Last point of the day. Things are always more frightening in the dark than in the light.

Even if what you fear in the dark is true, it can't be more horrifying in the light than in your head.

You are the master of your fate, the captain of your soul.

-Kate.

p.s. I love my mother. We don't always get along, sometimes we fight (you'd never guess right?!), but in the end she always knows what to say to make me feel better again, and remind me what is good in the world and that I'm loved. I love you Moddy. Thanks.

p.p.s. I almost forgot a picture! I hate a post without a picture, it makes it look more daunting! don't worry I'm getting one! There it is! yay Sean Connery and all your Scottish glory!

Danny's not here anymore Mrs. Torren.

So we just watched The Shining. I don't know why I've never seen it before. It was amazing! I thank Chandler for making me appreciate good film making (and the ingeniousness of using a wheelchair with a camera to follow a tricycle down a hallway). I'm pretty sure it broke Angela.

At this moment I'm sitting at my computer, with my music on so I can't hear Jack Nicholson coming for me, the lights on so I can see him, and my wooden sword on hand, just in case. I'd feel better if it was a real sword, but some serious blugening will work for my efforts. Then I can lock him in the freezer, and run away before the ghost can let him out. If I have just ruined this movie for some of my readers, don't worry, I really didn't. It gets so much worse than that! "red rum, red rum"

So when I'm scared out of my mind and have to blast the song Kiss Me by New Found Glory

to drive home from Chandler's, there's always one person who can make things better. That

person is TJ Bishop. That's him. isn't he cute?

This is what I saw when I got on Facebook.

The hobbit you just called fat?
He's skipping 2nd breakfast.
The dwarf you called ugly?
She spends hours braiding her beard so you can tell her apart from a dwarf man.
The Uruk-Hai you just killed?
He's been abused by Saruman.
See that Gollum creature with the gangly limbs & large eyes?
For 500 years the Ring poisoned his mind.
That Elf you made fun of for crying?
She just lost her wizard friend to a Balrog.
Put this as your status if you're against bullying in Middle-Earth!

Yeah... It made my day. so I reposted it. My life is a good place to be. even if my english teacher thinks I'm a slacker for not going all the way to UVU to get lost and probably have them tell me there's nothing I can do about it. I don't care. I should, but I don't. I like English, I'm ok with taking the same class again. And if it makes my mother feel better, I will pay her back for the thirty five dollars when I get a job.

oh, p.s. I'm applying for a job as a carhop at Sonic. We'll see how that goes. as fun as it sounds to work at the south towne mall until 10:00 every night, it doesn't.

Stay thirsty my friends. (i don't always end my posts with a quote from the most interesting man in the world, but when I do, it's awesome)

Good news!

Cami is coming over today. she's going to do the format for my blog. and then she's going to be a co-writer of Awesome Stuff Our Friends Say. THE QUOTE BLOG WILL RISE AGAIN! like a phoenix from the ashes it will be reborn and then... basically just kick all blog ass with its awesomeness.

yeah i just called a blog a phoenix. Problem? send you complaint to this email: idon'tcarewhatyousay@suckit.com

Your constipated! in your *#$@% soul!

This week's words of advice:

1. Cough drops are just an excuse to make bad candy! I'm convinced. I get the same soothing feeling on my throat from sucking a cough drop as I do from a jolly rancher, only guess what?! Jolly ranchers a way better!

2. When you want to take a candle lit bath in you mothers room (because your bathtub is made for newborns!) make sure you lock the door, or that she isn't coming home for a while. it can be potentially awkward... my family is special. (because it wasn't awkward... only kind of. she scared me.)

4. When you're sickand want to blog even though you know you

should go to bed, take Nyquil. By the time you finally get to the computer you'll be too tired to do anything. Its a good strategy. Your welcome Emily!

5. (on the more serious side) From experience I've learned everyone (teens especially) feel constantly judged. the only problem is everyone's so worried about being judged they don't actually have time to judge other people!

6. (still serious) People are amazing. Everyone in this world has so much potential to be wonderful and amazing, and I truly believe peopl

e want to be good. what I don't understand is why the world is still such a screwed up place? Individually people are good, as a whole we are failing. This needs to be changed!

7. (ok back to normal!) When preparing to go take the ACT proceed to make yourself a very orange and yellow breakfast (

aka eggs with cheese, toast with apricot jam, and peaches) while rocking out to Three Days Grace's Riot and La Vie Boheme from Rent. It makes testing better. (this isn't actually what my breakfast looked like, but lets just pretend it is and i'm that pro!)

8. ALWAYS remember your extra pencil for the ACT. Mechanical ones aren't allowed and the pencil sharpener in the room will suck, just because you only have one.

9. Make friends with blockbuster people. they make you buy good movies for only two dollars. Plus they talk to you instead of working. I love Joel!

.... I feel like I need a strange number of advice...s. But I just thought of a tenth. I'll need at least one more.

10. Bones is a marathon show. fact: you can't watch just one episode. it isn't possible I've tried. you just leave feeling incomplete. (LOOK! ZACH IS IN THIS PICTURE! .... now i want to weep)

11.... let me see.... OH! thought of a good one!

11. Naps are wonderful. they just are. never let anyone in the world say otherwise. naps were given to man by God. if that's not prove God loves us, I don't know what is.

Yes You're Very Smart, Now Shut Up.

A line from Princess Bride seems a good title for today's post, seeing as how its about a grandpa reading to his sick grandson, and I am sick. (also a note, I blog a lot more now. I blame it on constant boredom and lack of a life.)

It's labor day, and I'm sick. This is the best long weekend ever!!! Damn you Nicole Hunter, Damn you to Europe (which as we all know is actually Hell.)

Due to this sickness I have learned the true steps to enjoying a sick day/recovering.

Step the first: Get a good book you can obsess over for hours on end. my personal book is:The Wheel of Time Book Four: The Shadow Rising, by my one true love Robert Jodan. I also recommend Finnikin of the Rock, I Am the Messenger, and Zombies vs. Unicorns.

Step the Second: Orange Juice. I don't know why but whenever you're sick, no matter what with (except the stomach flu )orange juice just tastes wonderful! It could be the vitamin C in it that makes you feel better, or it could be you've been raised to believe orange juice and sickness just go together. I won't get into the psychology of it.

Step the Third: Audrey Hepbrun and Gregory Peck. feel free to exchange Gregory Peck with George Peppard, Sean Connery, or Fred Astaire. Really anyone playing opposite of her will do. The key is Audrey. She just makes every day a little brighter!

Step the Fourth: Chapstick. This is a step that has been disregarded by yours truly so many times I have learned the importance of it. When you're nose is so clogged up you can't breath through it and you can feel your lips becoming the Sahara Jr., chapstick is your new best friend. I

recommend a good flavor like raspberry lemonade, or moisturizing kind. both good.

Step the Fifth: Don't lose contact with the outside world. The minute you do is the minute you lose your mind completely. (it also helps if your best friend isn't in Yellow Stone with no cell service.)

Step the Sixth: Soup cures nothing! I don't care what all the movies tell you, its a lie! its a nice gesture for someone to offer to make you some but really it does absolutely nothing for anyone! If they really care about you, they'll make you cookies or bring you some kind of chocolate.

Step the Last: Stay cozy. find a nice little spot to curl up with a good pillow your favorite blanket and a box of tissues. then don't move. unless you're going out to get chocolate (see step the sixth)

Follow these steps and you'll feel like your vacationing, not being sneezing out your brain. i promise... (results may vary. Speak Stand Live blog is not responsible for any hospitalizations or fatal ailments.)

You can always tell what a man thinks of you by the earrings he buys

I feel that because Cami's blog titles are always songs, mine should be movies and/or movie quotes. because Cami lives her life in song, and I live mine in movies and books. p.s. for those of you who don't already know (and because I have only three followers so I'll assume you do, but just for arguments sake), I don't have a life.

Which is why my life is actually so interesting sometimes! lets start with today shall we! because it's a lot less exciting than yesterday, and I like to end with the best. Today is the first Saturday of the school year where I could sleep in, and not spend the morning/afternoon pulling a stump out of my front yard. So what do I do? I get sick! My compliments to my beautiful friend Nikki, who loves me enough to share everything with me. This was one thing I wish

she had kept to herself. So today I fell into my mom's bed (because hey Mom's bed is always the best place to be when your sick, plus she has a TV and I don't) and watched Iron man and Because I Said So, I highly recommend both. Then I thought "I need Audrey Hepburn today." She always makes me feel better. So against my strict orders never to do so again, but feeling like crap as I did and disregarding those orders, I went to blockbuster to get movies.

I have always suspected the blockbuster people of knowing exactly who I was, but they rarely comment on my presence so I figured I was just one more familiar face. I was wrong. When I arrived at the counter with my movies the cashier, I believe his name was John... I'm probably wrong commented "I haven't seen you in a while. taking a break from movies."

I still can't decide if I'm complimented by this, or slightly embaressed. For one I've always wanted to be a regular somewhere. on the other hand, do I really spend that much time watching movies? I need a friggin' life! oh well. can't change it. I guess I'll take it as a compliment and move on.

My illness today is caused by the fact that despite the fact that she had been driven home from school by Emily, Nikki decided to come play with me yesterday (don't be gross and think that's an inappropriate way of saying that. I don't care. I'm not a lesbian. I'm both a virgin and

never been kissed. stop being gross!)

Since neither Sarah nor I have a life, and Nikki pretends she doesn't, but really she does because she dates more than any one i know (and got to go to the Blink 182 concert tonight), we decided to go on a date. with each other. So we got all dolled up in our fifties dresses (or make shift ones) and vintage hats, and my grandmothers pearls, and went to Salt Lake City. We took lots of pictures in temple square and the JSMB and ate at the Garden (fabulous food! if you ever wanna tried fried pickles thats the place. I don't. I just know they're there). This is the result of that voyage

Bathroom pictures: I had to pee before we left and Nikki and Sarah were mad. turned out to be the funniest part of the evening. My bladders says your welcome. (am i awkward or what?!)

.

these were just a couple that I liked a lot. the first sarah just told me to smile. that's what she got. not bad. i like my vintage hat and pearls. the second was Nikki wanting to imitate the cut out of.... someone... i forgot who... she did pretty dang good!

This is my life.... I hope you all enjoy it. Now I need to go obsessivly read WOT... I'll explain another day. be awesome. forever.