Random round-up

Lots and lots going on, as usual. Here's a peek:

*Writing. Writing. And did I mention writing? The last issue in 2008 of "The Dot" is upon us, and WyCo is keeping me busy with stories and photos. Factor in a rather high freelance assignment load from Kansas City's favorite paper of record and sporadic home improvement blogging and you've got a challenging workload that could make the strictest of type A personalities run away, screaming.

*Take advice from Dave Matthews and don't drink the water -- unless you're in the mood to get hitched! The lovely Laine and I are on the same wedding track (2010 is where it's at, people!), and I'm channeling my co-maid-of-honor powers to assist the one and only Jamie with her Nov. 1 wedding to Andy "I Live for Cheese Pizza" Young. It's going to be THE party of 2008!!

*And speaking of ... I'm working on my first-ever wedding toast. Talk about writer's block -- I think this is worse than even the dreaded editor's letter! How do you cram 20 years of friendship into less than two minutes? Exactly.

*What the eff happened to the Hereford House?

*Vote! Vote! Vote! I'm jealous of Kansans who are voting early. I want to join the club. I'll proudly display my sticker on Nov. 4. Between light rail, state races and choosing between those two guys running for some sort of important office, this election is a biggie. See you at the polls.

*Counting down the minutes until I meet my favorite fabulous chef next Thursday! And she's got a new season of her televised cooking show that corresponds with her just-released cookbook. I'm in foodie heaven.

By the way, are you on Twitter yet? Come find me @katywrites. I'm kinda addicted. It all relates back to that whole time management issue. I have priorities -- they're just slightly off.

A life-changing weekend

Thanks to Facebook, MySpace and several beloved bloggers, this almost feels like old news ....

but as of 6:30 a.m. on October 3, I'm engaged to Rob!! And yes, it really and truly caught me off-guard. He hinted at a surprise for several days leading up to The Question, and it turned out to be the most beautiful piece of art work I've ever seen:


(I was encouraged to add my own graffiti after I'd said yes!)

It's been an amazing, unforgettable weekend ... and it's only Saturday night! We're planning on a fall of 2010 ceremony here in Kansas City, and I've already purchased my first wedding magazine as an official bride-to-be!

Thank you to our friends, who have added to the celebration with their own thoughts and good wishes. I do, however, want to single someone out -- Rob's best friend, Andy, who's known for his never-ending sense of humor, legendary stories and endearing sarcasm. On occasion, he releases his serious side, and reveals the depth of his sincerity:

"Well Katy, you've done what I thought was going to be impossible. I commend you.

When I hear about people I know getting engaged, I usually cringe. Marriage take a lot more work than most people understand or are willing to put up with, and so many go into it with their eyes wide shut. When I heard about you two the first thing I thought was, "Good." You two were made for each other (for better or for worse), and you ain't no fools. And for you, Katy, to get Rob, one of the biggest marital cynics I know, to decide that he's met the person that he wants to spend the rest of his life with...

Congradulations.

(P.S. Katy, if you hurt him, I will find you. I know people. Helpful people. Scary people.

B.T.W.

Rob and I used to have a philosophical discussion that if mass, space and energy are infinite than any possibility, no matter how insignificant is happening an infinite number of times at any given moment.

In every one of those possibilities, I think you guys make it."

'Very entertaining' -- that's me!

One of the things I love most about blogging and connecting with other blogophiles is the sometimes shameless self-promotion that is, at times, the nature of the beast. It all makes sense -- the more exposure you have, the more traffic you'll get, which can lead to actual revenue. Never forget -- Puffy said it best when he crooned "It's all about the benjamins, baby."

And so, in a karmic gesture, allow me to direct you to yet another must-read blog, especially if you're in Kansas City or are interested in following the ups and downs of Cowtown media. Head to State of the Line, commandeered by the cheekily intelligent Pendergast, along with a team of pot-stirring bloggers ready and willing to strike mercilessly with bold keystrokes and snarky commentary.

Oh, yeah -- and they called me 'very entertaining.' Right back at you, SoTL!

Revisiting Leavenworth's underground

Perhaps it was a mistake to set the quality of writing bar so high on the first underground feature. I'm terrified the subsequent installments won't measure up. It's like stage fright, but for a writer. Writer's fright?