President Hinckley

I've really enjoyed reading all of your posts about President Hinckley. Thanks for sharing. I loved this slide show of pictures and audio from his various visits to BYU. Read an earlier post.

Let's make my love life a group effort

I've decided to take this summer road trip idea in a new direction - I hope you will all still want to participate.

Those of you who have agreed to let me stay with you, THANKS! Now I'm going to ask one more favor... Will you find me a date?

I thought that this would be a great way to increase my chances of finding love. You may be saying to yourself that you don't know any single guys over the age of 27 that are remotely worthy of me. I know it'll be hard but ...

HAVE NO FEAR!
BE CONFIDENT!
You have approximately 6 months ...

Start looking now - ask around. Try to find a guy who:

• is between the ages of 27 - 40 (preferred but not required)
• is LDS (preferred but not required)
• has a job (preferred but not required)
• is single and never been married
• is divorced or widowed
• is NOT married - sorry I'm not into that
• is funny or at least will think I'm funny
• is smart or at least smart enough to know that I'm smart
• is OK with being videotaped

I'm going to document my dates on video in case I want to make a documentary of my experience ... "Blind dates Across America".

Now all of you Utahns can participate as well. The guy you find for me will have to take me out before my big trip (as early as this coming weekend).

So here is how it will work:

• Look
• Search
• Convince
• Email me (katy_knight@mac.com) the fella's information including his picture.

I'll post his picture on my blog using his city or state as his name - like this:

Austin, TX
CMR - get to work and set this one up for me - K?

Then all of you who read my blog can submit your two cents.

This is how I'm going to make my love life a group effort.

Who knows ... if things work out, I could be naming my first born kid after you!

Help me plan my trip

This summer, while some people will be ...

running marathons,

serving missions,

getting baptized,

hiking Timp,


going to Disneyland,


writing books,


visiting Shasta - pretty much my favorite animal ...

I want to drive across the country and see all of you in this car (minus Tyson).

My plan is to take two weeks in August (between semesters) and drive anywhere you are. If you are willing to put me up for a night (maybe even feed me dinner), please comment on this post. In your comment include your city, state, closest interstate highway, and closest Container Store.

I'll bring my blow-up mattress and my own bedding. I will need to borrow a towel. I want to start in Provo, make it all the way east and then eventually end up back in Provo. I know that cuts out all you who live west of Utah - sorry I'll come see you later. Now if I can't find stops that are less than 8 hours apart, my trip will not happen. So even if I don't know you but my friend knows you, I'll consider staying with you. Wouldn't you be so lucky?

In return for your hospitality, I will do any or all of the following for you:

• play you a song on the violin (you provide the violin)
• play you a song on the harmonica (I will provide the harmonica)
• tell you some jokes
• give you a spiritual thought
  
• go to your local tourist attraction with you (you plan the excursion)
• take some pictures of you and your family
• blog about you
• let you see the live animals at the MLBM next time you are in Provo
• take you to P712 next time you are in Orem (I'll even buy)
• give you your own signed copy of "This is What I Did:"
• give you a session with my personal trainer
  
• buy you a massage
• buy you a pedicure
• buy you a Senuous Sandwich
• get you an autograph from ANY of the Lady Cavemen
  

Larry thinks it sounds like a great idea but he wants me to sign up for AAA first - what a protective Dad.

So ... are you in? I must be sick of this darn cold weather!

Damn that Provo Bakery

Every morning it happens.

Larry and I are just returning from our 3.3 mile walk to Seven Peaks and back and we're almost home when I start to smell the Provo Bakery about two blocks away. Today I declared, " Damn that Provo Bakery" and Larry laughed and said, "I better remember to bring my wallet tomorrow." However I don't really want a donut at 6:40 AM and Larry really shouldn't eat sweets, with his diabetes and all.

Today I can't get that damn Provo Bakery out of my mind.

Will I stop and indulge on my way to work or will I wait until tomorrow morning hoping that Larry will remember his wallet. Only time will tell.

Back to my Sunday Night Routine

For the last couple of years my Sunday night routine was always to go to Sam's house for dinner and eat a lot of really good food. I must say that it is impossible to eat intuitively when Paulette cooks. I always bring my own beverage and when I'm thoughtful and nice, I remember to bring one for Sam too. I make Courtney or Samantha keep Roxie (their dumb dog) away from me and if they do a good job, my anxiety is calmed and I can relax and enjoy myself. We have fun chatting about all the AF kids that my nieces know and that I know cause I taught some of them. Sometimes we play games and sometimes we don't. Then around 8:00 or 8:30 PM, I go on a nice long walk with Kenon and we pretty much solve all of the world's problems - or at least we conjure up a plan to get me married.

Well ... this last semester (Fall 2007) I had class on Mondays which meant I was doing homework on Sunday nights (don't you judge me) which meant that my Sunday night routine didn't happen. I never realized how much I missed it until tonight. Now because my classes are on Wednesdays and Fridays, my Sunday night routine has been re-instituted. Here are some photos from tonight:

Courtney and Samantha and Guitar Hero

Samantha and Roxie (Samantha is the cute one that I'd consider giving a hug)Mandy, Me, Courtney, Samantha

Good, better, best?

Homework = good
Food = better
Family and Friends = best

I'm still in college

Today I saw people reunited three times on my walk across campus. Two were young college boys and they had no problem embracing. They could have been mission companions, old roommates, or old friends. At first I was annoyed and then I started recalling my undergraduate days (like 10 years ago) when I would run into one of my college friends (very likely it could have been you) on campus and it was at least as exciting as what I witnessed today - probably more exciting.

These days the only people I run into on campus are my former students who are now freshmen at BYU. Some of them will stop me and proceed to tell "Miss Knight" what they are up to. Some of them try not to make eye contact so I won't stop them and make them tell "Miss Knight" what they are up to. It makes me feel old and it makes me miss all of my awesome college friends - all you guys that are old too.

Then I started thinking about this email I got today on facebook from a former student who is still in high school but he attends a special charter school and is taking science from Mr. Webb.

Hi ms. Knight! It has been forever since I was in your class! You won't believe the good news. Your mentor that you mentioned in biology, Mr. Webb, I am taking biology from him!!! At the first of the year, when he was asking a lot of questions and I was answering most and putting a lot more info, he asked which school I came from. I told him AF junior high. He asked if I had you for biology. I said yes and he was excited. He told me that the people who take a class from you seem to do better in his class than people who haven't. Sarah then pointed out that she had you too. She was in my class. I have wanted to tell you forever! He told me that you do a part time job at the monty L. Bean museum. I haven't been able to come and say hi yet. Still, he is a good teacher, and it is a breeze in his class, cause of yours.

I'm not trying to brag about what a great teacher I was - OK maybe a little. I'm really sharing this with you to let you know that I am happy with my life and I'm ok being old, especially when I get emails like this cause they make me feel good. It also makes me feel good to know that even though I am no longer a teacher, I did help a few kids learn biology. Remember knowledge is eternal. Yup.

Think about all of these thoughts I had today on my walk to class ... never would have happened if I had driven.

Funny or not Funny

I need your vote - this is serious. I need to prove a point to someone.

• FUNNY OR NOT FUNNY: Me falling down the stairs this morning at the Bean Museum on the way to my office...
  

Connections

I've got great connections ...

Connection #1 - My sister-in-law Paulette (who it THE best cook ever) makes jewelry - check out her stuff here.

Here she is with my brother (her husband) at Los Hermanos tonight - I got to tag along for her birthday dinner. Thanks Pops. Happy Birthday Paulette.

Connection #2

Do you (or your kids) want to see where the live animals at the Bean Life Science Museum are kept? Just ask me, I've got connections ...  Tyson and  Luke and Lacy got a special tour - because they've got an aunt with connections ...

.

Happy New Year ... now get back to work

What did I do to celebrate the New Year? Although I had MANY fantastic social opportunities, I chose to stay home and relax and seriously contemplate the next year ... 2008. I stayed up until midnight (eastern time that is) and no, I was not woken up at midnight (mountain time) - First Night was at the PTC (Provo Town Center).

I decided that in order to start the new year well, I should go to bed at a decent hour so I wouldn't sleep in and feel like crap when I finally woke up in 2008. Here is what I did today to begin 2008:

• I was greeted at my door at exactly 7:30 AM by this old man (don't tell him that I called him old please):

Larry and I have been walking every morning for about a month now. However during the holidays he let me sleep in a bit - he's a nice guy. Tomorrow it'll be 5:30 AM ... sigh.

We did not see a single other person out walking or jogging on our entire walk - we might have been the only people in Provo who did not party the night before. It was strange.

• Then I took a bath and shaved my legs. I think it is important to start the new year with smooth legs - do you agree?
  
• I got a haircut, visited Dan and his family, took a tour of their new house (which is being built and has a roof and everything).
• I went to lunch with Dan, Tyson and Luke at JCWs (THE best burgers in Utah)
  
• I visited Van (and Ann Dee and Cameron) and I helped him practice walking because I feel it is very important for him to learn to walk so he can properly use the red converse shoes I gave him for his birthday last week. Here is a photo from the event:

Luke decided to join Van in the fun even though Luke will turn 6 tomorrow - he just couldn't wait.

• I visited with some old high school friends for about 30 minutes (they aren't really old cause we're the same age - I mean old like we've been friends for a long time)
  
• I saw this movie:

again ...

• I made some goals - I'm into that. These goals are ones I really think I can accomplish. They are not crazy goals like trying to stop watching rated R movies or giving up caffeine or Diet Coke like my sister Karen. I've tried that before and its just not realistic. I also didn't make a goal to run a race or a triathlon or lose weight (that would not be very intuitive).

I feel good about the goals I made and really that is my goal... to feel good and take care of myself. I did get a little more specific and I wrote down some ways to accomplish that goal. Don't worry, I'm not going to outline them all here for you now but I will say that I'm going to try and slowly switch from this:

to this:

by drinking more of this:

PS - Last week I spent some time with my cousins Macy and Molly as well as Ann Dee and Holly. It was fun - you can read more about the event on Macy's blog.

Here are the five of us a long time ago:

and here are the five of us last week: