Negotiation Team

On Saturday, I tried out for the UST Law School Negotiation Team....and I made it! That was a big win for Team Kate. I was feeling a bit deflated lately and needed the boost. I am the only 2L and female on the team, and I couldn't be more excited! We've got a great group of kids. This is an amazing opportunity and I feel very blessed to have been rewarded the chance to showcase my new skills.

Thanks for the support! :)

Busiest week...ever?

It is quite possible that I've never had a week as busy as the one I'm currently in. I know people say that all the time when they are stressed, but seriously, there are not enough hours in the week to accommodate all the things that need to get done. With only a couple minutes to spare to write this post, I am reminded of one of my favorite quotations: ”If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it,” --LB

That rings true this week.

Here are some recent photos--peace & love, kn

Reminders

My sister recently reminded me that I do in fact have a blog and that she would appreciate an update every now and then.

That got me thinking about other daily/weekly reminders I'm thankful for:

1) I'm reminded how cool my family is and how proud of them I am. I'm very lucky that I get to speak to every member of my immediate family on a daily basis. So many people do not have this and I'm grateful for every minute.

(Thanks to the Whatsapp App on my phone, I get to see/hear/chat with the Sperl clan all the time, even though we're a few hours away from each other.)

2) I'm reminded how much Moms put up with while asking for nothing in return. I'm reminded of this at my weekly lunch with my Mom. She allows me to step out of my busy shoes and slow down for an hour or so while we sip hot tea and share potato soup.

3) I'm reminded that if I didn't learn anything today, it was a wasted day. The daily phone call from my Dad asking what I learned at school today is a great reminder of this.

4) I'm reminded that there's a special someone who really only wants a good scratch behind the ears and a tennis ball every now and then. Walking downstairs in the morning and seeing the same happy face wagging his tail (and, no, I'm not about Charlie; I'm talking about my dog Max) is a good reminder that someone depends on me.

5) I'm reminded that a few hours away from me, a little girl is learning new words. This week, Willa can say "Turtle".

6) I'm reminded on Sundays that I really do care about fantasy football.

7) This week, especially, I'm reminded how thankful I am to have Katie Sheets only a 20 minute car ride away, and that she's still just a phone call away after she moves to California.

Willa's 1st Birthday / Montana / Old Friends

Baby Dubs is officially a year old! The little squirt had a better birthday party than I've ever had. I just had a conversation with my cousin, Adam, whom I recently threw under the bus with my Mom, and I justified my actions due to my constant competition for attention with a toddler. Oh, well! I'm taking what I can get! Here's Willa Kate during birthday week, and with her favorite present from her favorite person! (Obviously, purple crocs, and me!)



My family and I recently drove an RV to Montana for my cousin Russ' wedding. We were traveling for nearly a week, but had the best time ever. I would do it again! It was a wonderful little vacation for the whole family.

After my trip to Montana, I went to TK's for a friend's going away party. It was quite the night! But, I miss all my good friends! (Mal was cut out of this Instagram picture, but it was wonderful seeing her, as well!) TK's always knows how to throw a good party!

Also, I ZIPLINED recently. It was scary, but so much fun. I recommend everyone try the ropes adventure course by Sand Creek Adventures, in Jordan, MN.

Oh, and I went to the Twins game on Friday (thanks to Reusse!) with my gals:

Nobody would really understand this, unless you're a law student, BUT I FINALLY FIGURED OUT THE KIND OF LAW I WANT TO PRACTICE. Whew. I like this feeling. Pressure off, for a second. Now the real search begins.

Things I'm looking forward to:

1) Cabin--two more times before school starts
2) Sam & Steph's wedding
     2a. RYAN COMING HOME! (Really excited for this slumber party..)
3) Wine & Canvas class TONIGHT at Salut with Jess and Nikki
4) FALL. I'm not a huge summer person. Fall trumps all.
5) Seeing the peanut, my sister, and bro-in-law tomorrow!
6) Bikram yoga classes to begin

Things I accomplished this week:

1) Kapp & I cleaned the the living hell out of my bathroom, room, and office. I can actually walk around without tripping on something. It's a weird feeling
2) I OPENED a GMAT book, but, obviously, haven't really started studying, yet....


Shout out to my sister, Meghan Sperl, for being my most loyal blog follower. 

Have a great week.

"If you’re going to give, then just give. Don’t expect anything in return."



I went to Bimbo's this weekend, not my cabin. Oh, yeah, and WILLA TURNS 1 ON SUNDAY!

Cabin weekend is over, and it's time to detoxify my body. I had Bimbo's THREE times this weekend!! That's got to be some kind of record...

Aside from being stuck in traffic for an extra hour, it was a wonderful weekend. I'm very blessed to have such wonderful women in my life. BIG shout out to my sister & brother-in-law for always answering my phone calls :) I love you both! Here's a few photos from this weekend:

This coming Sunday marks a VERY special day--My niece, Willa, turns 1! My little peanut, Willa Kate, aka 'Dubs', was born a year ago, and I remember the day as if it were yesterday: I was working the night shift at Billy's in the back bar. I was checking my phone every minute, waiting for a call/text from my brother letting me know we were finally going to have a niece (or, nephew; we still didn't know at that point!). Finally, the text came: "Willa Katherine Sperl has arrived. You're an aunt." It was the happiest day of my life. I sat in the break room, cried for a while, and called my sister. Meghan and David were so happy, but so exhausted at the same time. I drove up that Sunday, and here's the first impression Willa and I had of one-another:

Hugs :)

Matching! (She looks great in yellow! She's going to love my gift, and so is her Mom!)

Here's the sweet peanut at 11 months:

Extended Willa Time, 4th of July, & Upcoming Gal's Weekend

Meghan and David traveled to Seattle a couple weeks ago for Amy and Matt's wedding, and I'm REALLY sad I missed this fun trip! It looks like they had an amazing time on West coast. While they were gone, Willa stayed at my parents house--her own little mini vaca :) Willa and I went grocery shopping, played out in the sun, and took a long walk right before bedtime. It was wonderful! Here are a few shots from that week:

My favorite holiday lived up to my expectations! The 4th was a great vacation, especially since my dear friend, Hannah, joined the celebration. Hannah is a nurse at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. I don't get to see her all that often, so last week was very special. We drove up Tuesday afternoon and finally made it to the cabin around 9, or so. We wandered over to my Aunt Andrea's cabin to hang with my cousin, Frankie, and all of his college friends (all of them are still in college). Let me tell you, Hannah and I are most definitely NOT in college anymore. Woof. Hannah may have felt it the next morning more than I did ;) A BIG happy birthday shout-out to my big brother, Charlie, who turned 30 on July 4th!  Here's a few photos from the 4th:

I stopped by Telesha Klee's bachelorette party this weekend at Salut on Grand Ave. Telesha is the oldest sister of my best friend from high school, Brittany. Brittany and I have known each other a long time, but have been best friends for ten years. The Klees really are a second family to me! Anyway, Telesha lives in San Francisco right now with her fiance, Michael. They are getting married in Napa Valley in September--I can't wait! It'll be a beautiful wedding :) I'm so excited to explore the area with my two favorites!
Here's a photo of Brittany and I at Salut this weekend:

This week has been flying by, which is a good thing, because this weekend is going to be a fun one! I'm off to the cabin with Katie, Kelly, Heidi, Marissa, and, of course, my Max :) 5 girls + 1 BIG dog in my car--Lord, help us. One last BIG birthday should-out: My lovely, amazing, dear, wonderful, caring, ambitious friend, RYAN KOCH! Enjoy the TBell gift card!

Have a great weekend! One last picture....of Max!

PS--I'm finally taking advantage of Pinterest and making one recipe a week. This week: Grilled cream-cheese stuffed peppers. I stuffed them with cream cheese, garlic, and a little bit of seasoning. They didn't turn out very well :( boo. On to the next recipe!

Squeeze Tighter, Hug Longer

I just realized this post never worked! Oh well, here is it, anyway!

Greetings! It's been a long time since I've updated my blog! Fear not, I've made a mental commitment to update at least once a week.

Well, I'll start with one word to describe my summer schedule: busy. I'm working 20 hours per week at Thomson Reuters, 15 hours at my new job, Walling, Berg & Debele, and still doing occasional events for ESPN. Oh, and I'm taking Negotiation, which, thankfully, is a very manageable class for the summer. Surprisingly, networking takes up the majority of my time. I'm meeting with 1-2 lawyers every week for lunch, coffee, you name it. I'm talking to new people everyday and I'm loving it!

Books I've finished recently: Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy. It wasn't as bad as I was expecting. That being said, it is definitely X-rated. I am looking forward to the movie, though!

I spent the weekend after Memorial Day at my cabin with my parents, Meghan, David, Willa Kate, Jackson, Max, and cousin Rollie. It was a perfect weekend. David and I became addicted to Restaurant: Impossible and Strange Homes (remember the Hobbit House, Dave?). In between shows, I cuddled with Willa. If I wasn't cuddling with her, I was trying to steal her from whoever was. David and I spent an hour playing hide-and-seek on the couch (with Willa, obviously :) ). Meghan and I enjoyed wild rice burgers for dinner on Saturday night, and let me tell you, they were DELICIOUS (every time I say "delicious" now, I think of Meghan saying "Mmmmm, delicious!" to Willa when we feed her Cheerios). Overall, it was a wonderful weekend, and it was needed. Next time, I'm hoping David will teach me  how to build a bench. Here's a few photos:



This past weekend was one I'll remember for a long time. Caitlin Lembcke and Ryan Sonnenburg tied the knot on Saturday after 7 years of dating. They hosted a beautiful wedding and I had so much fun. Even better, Ryan and Darren were home for the weekend. This was MUCH needed. For a few days, it was as if they were still living here and spending weekends with all our friends. We miss them! Ryan and I got our Taco Hell fix (I'm paying for that this week), and we also, and more importantly, got our Len fix! We ended the weekend with Teresa's Mexican, Ryan's favorite Mexican restaurant. Only 3 months until our friends, Steph Beckendorf and Sam Kepner, tie the knot, and, hopefully, Ryan and Darren will be back again! :)

Ryan and Darren were not the only people I was thrilled to see to see this week--Tyler Judkins was home! It's so nice being able to hang with Katie and Ty together! We'll miss him when he returns to UCLA, but we're hoping he gets a job!

Before Ryan and Caitlin got married, Ryan had his bachelor party in Vegas. Kapps and all his yahoo buddies we're MIA for the weekend, so all the "girlfriends" decided to get together and go out for the night. Katie, Heidi, Marissa, Caitlin, Steph, Katy, and myself all gathered at my house for drinks and appetizers before heading to Uptown. We had a wonderful time. Everyone knew each other and got along before that, but this time was different. We were all specifically going out together without the guys...and it was awesome. We already want to plan something again! Of course, Ryan can Skype us from Hawaii :) Anyway, I learned a lot about these girls after that one night we spent together. I now appreciate them as some beautiful, strong-willed women I call my friends, not just my boyfriend's friend's girlfriend.

My new friend, Heidi, is the reason for my blog post title. Two years ago yesterday, she was hit by a drunk driver as she was walking in the crosswalk. At this point, I knew of her, but I didn't know her. She had multiple surgeries, months in a wheelchair, and countless severe injuries. She wears the memory, particularly a large scar on her leg and one near her neck area. Two years later, she has made a full recovery, and bears two sexy scars, reminding me how brave she is and how thankful I am for her. Yesterday, she reminded me to squeeze the ones you love a little tighter, and hug a little longer. Also, take the damn keys away from someone you know has had too much to drink.

Things I'm looking forward to:

1) Adam Micheletti & Co. to make the trek up north in a few weeks!

2) Washington D.C. next week

3) 4th of July

4) Summer school to be over!

5) Spending time with Jackie Kling, who's finally home :)

Summertime

Greetings,

Summer has been a whirlwind! Cabins, 3 jobs, trips, weddings, class, catching up with old friends, etc. It's been wonderful, so far. I'm looking forward to my summer class finishing up mid-July, though.

My working situation is a bit complicated: I work part-time at Thomson Reuters as a legal associate; I occasionally do events for am1500 ESPN; Also, I recently accepted a position as a law clerk at Walling, Berg & Debele, which I'm thrilled about. I just started collaborating with another attorney on an appellate brief--experience that will prove to be very valuable in the future.

Ryan and Darren came home for Caitlin and Ryan Sonnenburg's wedding a couple weeks ago, and let me tell you, I haven't a weekend that fun in a long time. It was needed! Here's a couple shots from that weekend:

Congratulations to the bride and groom!

Prior to the wedding, I was able to jet up to my cabin for a quick R&R weekend. I spent time with Meghan, David & Willa Kate, which was the greatest. They're the cutest little fam ever. Here's a few shots from that weekend:

My last big event: I gave blood for the first time, ever, in honor of my cousin, Collin Keck, who advocated for frequent donations to the Red Cross. It was not the most pleasant experience, to say the least, but, I finished! I plan on giving again, as soon as I'm eligible. You rock, Collin.

Here's what I'm excited about:
- Washington D.C. in 2 days
- 4th of July
- (maybe?!) visiting my law buddy, Alicia, in NYC, mid-July


Thanks for reading :)



"Oh, the comfort . . . of feeling safe with a person - having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all right out, just as they are . . . certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then with the breath of kindness blow the rest away."
- Dinah Craik

Babysitting, Stella's, Vegetarian/Pescatarian Lifestyle

Hello hello!

So, I didn't get Willa to post her own blog post; she was busy crawling everywhere in the house and making me laugh! In regards to that, I had a wonderful time babysitting Willa with my Mom. We played upstairs, ate Cheerios and watched Househunters. My Mom and I ordered delicious Chinese food and devoured it! It was a wonderful night and I can't wait to see Meghan, David and Willa Kate soon, whenever that may be :)

On Saturday, I visited Black Bear Casino and walked with nothin'. Guess that Vegas luck doesn't travel to the Midwest, unfortunately. After that, I went to Andrew's UST Law hockey game with Julie, Joe and the kids. His team ended up losing but it was fun to watch nonetheless! Andrew and I ate dinner at Longfellow Grill, a favorite place, and he had the chicken sandwich while I ordered (and crushed!) and veggie sandwich with sweet potato fries. (I promised I would blog about my newfound vegetarian/pescatarian lifestyle so I'm trying to remember to do that!)

After an awesome dinner, I met up with my good friend from work, Ashley Maldonado, for some drinks and chit chat at Stella's in Uptown. I also made a new friend, named Jenna, who I hope to see soon with Ashley! Overall, it was a wonderful night and I'm looking forward to more of them in the future!

Today has been a day of relaxation. Just about to start grilling salmon and potatoes. I boiled Yukon Gold potatoes on the stove to soften them up (less grilling time), and then sliced them up, poured some olive oil in there and finished with chopped onions and herb seasoning on top. Hopefully, they turn out to be tasty. Side items will probably be fresh green beans with garlic and soy sauce, paired with steamed broccoli.

My vegetarian/pescatarian diet choice has required me to change my eating habits, obviously, but also set a schedule for breakfast and lunch. For breakfast, I make a smoothie blended together by strawberries, blackberries, one banana, blueberries, half a scoop protein powder, 1/4 cup of milk and a spoonful of yogurt. This mix gives me the energy I need to make it to lunch at noon without any hunger pains. Lunch is always a spinach salad with avocado, onion, tomato, cucumbers, pinch of romano cheese and olive oil/red wine vinaigrette dressing. That's whats cooking in my kitchen lately.

Totally unrelated note: I haven't been sick in two years. TWO YEARS! Not even a stuffy nose, sore throat or a cough. And then today, all of the sudden, I have a sore throat. Not happy about it at all--I brag to everyone about my lack of sickness and now I'm the one complaining. Okay, back to homework and grilling! Bye :)

Spring Break

Greetings!

It's been so long since I've blogged! I thought I'd do a quick update before returning to mid-term studies :(

Busy, busy few weeks. Andrew and I went to Arizona for Spring Break and had a wonderful time with his family. We were feeling a bit spontaneous so we rented a car and drove to Vegas! Took about 4-4.5 hours to get there with gorgeous scenery the entire way. I was lucky to have great company....and honestly so is he! ;) HOWEVER, the BEST part of the trip, undoubtedly, was hanging with my buddies Katie & Tyler. TJ is interning with the UCLA football team until July-ish so it was awesome spending time with him and hearing about his exciting experience. I'm really looking forward to our friend's wedding this summer so we can all be together again!

Back home means back to work at Thomson! Not much to update here--work is work and I'm happy I have a job. Nothing to complain about!

Although working 20 hours a week and going to school full-time is anything but relaxing, I wouldn't change it for anything at this point. I'm determined to be successful in law school and in my professional life. Learning to balance my professional life with my personal life is a struggle, but I'm very lucky to have the BEST family, a funny/awesome/loving/caring/supportive boyfriend, and the most fantastic, wonderful, talented friends I could ever ask for! Life is very good right now. I'm not worrying about things I can't control anymore. As a very wise college coach once told me: "Control the controllables." That's my plan!

Special shout out this week to one of my closest friends and relative, Allison Micheletti: I'm so proud of you!
--Big few months coming up for this girl and she needs all the support she can get. If you have time, go to Facebook and 'like' "Allison Micheletti Golf". Help her get sponsored! :) :)

Things I'm REALLY excited about:

1) Babysitting baby dubs tomorrow night
2) Whenever Kapps decides he's finally taking me to Hunger Games :)
3) FINISHING the 3rd Hunger Games book
4) My favorite activity on my birthday.........bowling!
5) FINALS TO BE OVER
6) Hawaiian Ryan's return, whenever that might be :) --side note: Pray a little extra tonight for Ryan's G-Pa, please!
7) Cabin time
8) Grass in my front yard

Okay, back to studying! (I'm determined to blog tomorrow night with my niece, hopefully!)

Personal Days

My blogging lacks some serious creativity. I'll be making a serious effort to work on that. 

Anyways, this week was wonderful, and stressful. Wonderful is so many ways, and stressful in just a few. On Monday, we celebrated my Dad's 56th birthday. He doesn't act a day over 21, and I love it. My Trader Joe's brownies were basically a failure, but everyone appreciated the effort nonetheless. Meghan, David & Willa Kate came to visit, marking the highlight of my week! Baby Willa is growing and laughing, like you wouldn't believe. She has facial expressions, likes/dislikes (Peas are definitely not a household favorite), and reaches for Meghan, which is the coolest. I love being an aunt & I'm grateful for every moment I get to see Willa growing up. Three weeks can't come soon enough! Hello, babysitting! 

This week was also our two-year anniversary with my guy, Andrew. We both had homework, work, school, etc., but we managed to slip away to Bonfire for a late-night appetizer and a glass of red wine. The perfect Valentine's Day & I couldn't have asked for much more. We're taking a long weekend for spring break and heading to Scottsdale, AZ to watch his little brother play baseball for Augsburg. I'm hoping to see my cousin, Allison, as well :) She could use a little family time.

Tonight, I'll be watching the St. Thomas hockey game, while sippin' hot tea. Tomorrow, I work the golf show at the convention center, and then taking I'm taking a practice GMAT test at the undergrad campus. Busy, busy day. My plan is to stay in school as long as possible, until I figure out my career path, or until my bank account runs dry, whichever comes first.  MBA, I'm coming to get cha'. 

My newest goal: read one chapter of PLEASURE reading, once a week. First up: Hunger Games. Easier said than done. 

Working Life, School Life, No Life

Today, I began my first day of work as a legal associate intern at Thomson Reuters. Initially, I thought working 20 hours a week and being a full-time law student would skyrocket the stress levels and I'd be cutting off communication with the world (I guess it is only the first day); however, I'm excited for this challenge and I'm looking forward to using my newly-acquired first semester skills. Working is going to be a much-needed break from school, and vice-versa. I'm convinced that with a positive attitude and a focused mindset, I can juggle the multiple facets of my life and still have time to take my dog on walks. I'll be part-time until April, when, finally, I can peace out first year law school and sprint into the arms of summer, and then eventually move to full-time in May. Life will be hectic, but I can't wait. I'm going to try and update this blog every few days; but until then, happy hump day! 

THIS is thy hour O Soul, thy free flight into the wordless, Away from books, away from art, the day erased, the lesson done, Thee fully forth emerging, silent, gazing, pondering the themes thou lovest best.

Night, sleep, and the stars.  --Walt Whitman, "A Clear Midnight"