THE DARK KNIGHT RISES!

So, the official trailers for The Dark Knight Rises are officially up.
And, Robin Williams is in some of them as Hugo Strange.
Plus, the actress that played Cobb's wife (Marion Cotillard) in Inception is in the movie. (Christopher Nolan sure does love to reuse people...)  Here are some good trailers I found :) I can't wait to go to the midnight release!!!

If you pause at 1:37 you can see Marion Cotillard. Recognize her?

Initially, I wasn't too crazy about Bane as a villain. 

But after seeing all these video, it looks like Nolan did a GREAT job with it. 

(This is the one with Hugo Strange in it too.)

SO EXCITED!!!

Now onto something non-Batman related. :) Today, I mailed out all my letters asking various veterinarians for a shadowing position. For vet school, it's suggested that you should have a ton of logged hours of shadowing. What a better time to start? Plus, shadowing a veterinarian all summer? What a better/more fun thing to do over the summer?! :) I really hope that some position is available for me. I really want to do this, for vet school and for the summer.

Well, back to studying...

Until I've survived the sea of finals,

Kara

STRESSED

This week.
Madness.

Course registration was Tuesday.
Chemistry retake AND housing lottery is tomorrow.

This picture well depicts how I feel currently.

I can't wait for Thursday night.
Going to bed at 9 and sleeping until breakfast.

Night ya'll.

Until then,
Kara

Epidural Steroid Injections

**Warning-Complaining and Whining.**

Today was my first set of epidural steroid injections.
If only I could say they weren't that bad.

Having tried almost anything, this was the next possible step.
After arching myself over a roll up table, he numbed my spine in my lower back with novocaine. He told me I would feel a pinch and a burn.
Ohhhhhh I did. It felt like getting stung by a giant hornet in slow motion.

So after this I was somewhat calmed down. Okay, the area is numb so that should be the worst part.
Haha...
Time for the epidural. He put something to my back and told me I'd feel a lot of pressure. It felt like he was just pressing his thumb into my back.
Okay, I can do this. No biggie.

Then I started feeling a cramp in my hip.

As if he could read my mind, he said that I might feel some cramping in my lower back, hips, and thighs.
The beginning of my cramp turned into a full blown Charlie horse from my lower back to my knees. I felt like someone was wringing my muscles out like a washcloth. I bit my tongue trying not to swear, but I just kept repeating "Oh God, Oh God, Oh God, Oh God..."

Once the pain lowered in intensity, I laid down for ten minutes. After getting a prescription for a handicap permit, I could leave.

My next epidural is scheduled for April 30rd. Wish me luck...

Until then,
Kara

Jedi Kittens!

Just in case you need a smile today. :)

Random Facts About Me.

Just cause.
I'll be adding to this list later.

1.) I love horses. And river otters. And sun bears. :)
2.) I'm going to be a veterinarian some day. Just wait.
3.) I'm really OCD about papers being neat.
4.) One of my biggest pet peeves is when people just coast through life aimlessly. Do something incredible!
5.) Another pet peeve: when people have loose values/beliefs. What you believe and value is your decision, but have real reason and cause behind it.
6.) I've been in 4-H for eleven years. I've been fair queen, state ambassador, camp counselor, on JL and JFB, ran for state JFB (one of five picked), etc., etc., etc. It's been a good eleven years.
7.) I played softball for eleven years and umpired for three.
8.) I find good grammar attractive.
9.) My favorite color is purple and my favorite number is four.
10.) I have two older brothers. (And I like being the only girl. :))

Cats That Look Like My Cats.

That's right, time for a cat blog.
I found these pictures online that remind me SO much of my cats at home.

First picture, a Boe look-a-like!

Next, Bonnie's twin!

And last but not least, Toby!

I can't help but to see a lion every time I look at Toby.

So there's my lame cat blog. If I find a Clyde look-a-like I will definitely be posting it.

Until then,

Kara

Oh Spring Break...

Guess what I did on my spring break!

Nothing.

Okay, that's kinda a lie.

I interview for State Fair Board (one of five girls in Ohio chosen for the interview), reconnected with a BUNCH of friends through 4-H Teen Conference, rode Que, doctored Que's foot, played with my mom's horse, hung out with Blake a lot, slept a lot, talked to Jeff a lot, ate a lot...

A lot of a lots.

After a crazy week that I call a break, it's back to the grind.

Papers on papers on papers.

Notes on notes on notes.

Assignments on assignments on assignments.

Did I really have this much work in the first half of the semester? Hm.

Also, I have recently started physical therapy for my body issues. Today was my second session in the pool. Bunch of leg lifts, squats, and low impact workouts. So far so good.

Thankfully, I have two riding lessons with my instructor, a 4-H shindig, and can ride my pony this weekend.

Pretty good wrap up to the chaotic week that's about to unfold.

Until then,

Kara

Everyday I'm Studin'.

I.
Don't.
Like.

Stupid stupid stupid.

Midterms.

I wanna just be on break already.
I miss my horse, my friends, my fam, being home, lounging around in sweats until 2 P.M. when I decide to actually do something with my life, and more.

Just one more exam and one more paper.

Then HOME.

YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY
YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY.


Time to cram half a semester's worth of knowledge into my head.

Peace out girl scout.

Until I've gone through caffeine detox,
Kara

Softball and Dates.

After a crazy week full of papers and quizzes, I went on a date with Jeff. We first went to Buffalo Wild Wings and then headed to the theater to watch Safe House. We arrived at the mall early, so we played a couple racing games and ski ball until the movie was about to start. The movie was pretty good, minus the random ten to fifteen vital minutes that were skipped.

And then today, Jeff and I went to Whit's-their first day open! Afterwards we walked through a small gallery that was really cool. I'm glad my boyfriend puts up with my girly desires. :)

So, I met with Tiff, the softball coach, today.
I'm not joining now because Tiff doesn't want to set me up to fail and be behind the rest of the team.
But, I am joining the team in the fall. :)

After spring break, I'm going to be meeting with Tiff two to three times a week and work with her one-on-one. She said I definitely had the strength, power, and potential-but there were some areas that needed some fine tuning, which can be easily fixed. Before I leave for summer, I'm going to have a re-evaluation with Tiff and the other coaches. I'll be given the team's strength training program for the summer so that when fall comes around, I'll be on the same page as the rest of the team.

I had a pretty good workout today, and I can now do 80 lbs with my biceps! Sure does come back like riding a bike :) I walked another half mile, in training for the half marathon I'm doing in May with my mom.

Well, back to chemistry for me...
Until then,
Kara

Cool down.

Hello again!
Figure I might as well do another entry since I have time.

I just got back from a tough workout, the second one this week. In January, my New Year's resolution of visiting Mitchell twice a week didn't go as planned. Instead, I was visiting my bed twice a week with pretty solid naps. I figured I should revisit my resolution and try to work out at least twice a week.

Yesterday I had a short workout - eleven minutes on a elliptical and eleven minutes on a bike followed by a few laps around the track to cool down. Today, I busted my butt - literally. I was on a bike for fifteen minutes, doing up-and-downs, no hands stands, and sprints with varying resistance. After that, I did some free weights to work my arms and some squats. And to top that all off, I did a quick fat burning program on the elliptical for seven minutes. (I was exhausted by the time I was done.)

After hiking up the continuous hill that is Denison, I made it back to my room. I can't lift my arms and my butt doesn't want my legs to move. Good work out.

So, I have some exciting news. (I tried to call my mom's cell to tell her but no luck.) Tomorrow at 4:30, I am meeting with Tiffany Ozbun - Denison University's varsity softball coach. On Monday, I jogged by the pitchers and catchers and I couldn't help but to feel nostalgic. Jeff, my boyfriend whom I was working out with, asked my what was wrong. I told him that seeing the softball team practice made me realize how much I missed it. Jeff gave his friend, Kait's, number to me. Kait's a senior on the team, and an outfielder too. I talked to her about it and she told me to talk to the coach about joining. I e-mailed the coach yesterday and we talked some via e-mail today. Tomorrow's my half hour meeting about softball, so I will definitely be blogging about it!

Despite my attempt at a healthy lifestyle, I am chugging diet coke today. Why? I'm giving up pop for Lent! Since I'm trying to get in shape, I thought I should work on cutting back from pop. In place of that, I'm drinking at least 50 oz of water a day. (Since it's Fat Tuesday I'm also going to be eating a ton of ice cream with dinner. :))

Speaking of dinner, I am starving! Plus I'm meeting up with my official chemistry tutor for the first time tonight so I should wrap this up. I should also fit yoga somewhere in there...

Until then, enjoy your Fat Tuesday!
-Kara

"I'll never blog."

Well here I am, using the internet as a journal.
With being at college, it's hard to keep everyone in the loop. So this blog is how I intend to make that easier. :)

With the first semester of college under my belt, I carry on to a second, equally as busy semester. I'm majoring in biology, minoring in psychology, and plan on attending vet school once I'm done with my undergraduate studies. I have a crazy four years ahead of me.

Thankfully, I have met some pretty great people already to spend those four years with. When they come up in future blogs I'll explain who they are. :)

I'll try to do an entry every week but I can't guarantee anything.
Until then,
Kara