Little Reminders That Could Do Me Some Good

{I hate when people get mushy in the elevator. But I do love this scene in J. Maguire}

Things to remind myself:

1) Kathleen, put down the scissors! Growing out yo bangs is a pain in the keister. But patience, my friend. Patience.

2) Kathleen, remember that when you wear your flip flops, you WILL trip on the damn carpet in your apartment's entrance if you don't pay more attention. Every freaking time. It's a fun game I have with the person who works the front desk. I make a fool of myself, he laughs.

3) Kathleen, if you see a couple getting on the elevator, do NOT get on. Nothing is more awkward than being the third wheel on an elevator ride. Especially when they are cuddly and kissy in a 4x4 space. I can see you know!

4) Kathleen, do not sit in the third row in your Film Styles and Genres class. The kid who 7/10 of the time wanders in late and sits next to you will continue to smell like sushi. Both his clothes and his breath. Do not put yourself through that torture anymore!

5) Kathleen, finish your 10 page paper before Saturday. AKA finish it today!!!! You will want to repeatedly hit your head against the wall if you don't. And your parents will likely appreciate it if you don't call them at 3 in the morning freaking out about school.

6) Kathleen, when it's midnight and you aren't even hungry, do NOT go for a midnight snack. I know it's a happy habit, but COME ON!!! Dipping pretzels in cream cheese tastes extremely good at the time, but you WILL wake up with a tummy ache in the morning.

7) Kathleen, when you are about to ask a stupid question to someone you don't know that well, take a second and STOP. Make up a funny answer in your head and call it a day.

"Like everyone else we just wanted to be happy"

{In my poetry class, whenever my teacher hears a poem he likes he says, "Ohhh sicky, sicky!" I think this poem deserves that response. It is really sad, but I just can't stop reading it}

WHY THE MARRIAGE FAILED

BY ADRIAN BLEVINS

From the beginning it was the money, how we would not or could not make it.

It was never avarice, I resent the implication, it was how much like starlings

children are with those same raggedy screechings and us such languid nest makers:

him with his camera pointed up and me in the chair with the Plath in my lap.

From the beginning it was our innocence, it was our impertinence, it was a bent outhouse

in the dead dead double-dead clot of twisted winter. It was him with the black cloth

over his shoulders and that huge camera for a face and my face also like an infant's

in the photos he made. It was stupidity and I don't mind saying it, for we were farcical,

we were illogical, we were like a circle spinning and just that hollow --

we were the fragrance of the idea of the meaning of not. We didn't want destruction,

we were totally against that, so we made it our philosophy: we sought

a garden of Black-eyed Susans because all we wanted was to frolic

because like everyone else, we just wanted to be happy. But we were too wet,

we were like fog, we were an orchard of water in a cabin, stupor gone amuck.

We'd sit on the porch and look for some fields to farm, but we were too fertile

and didn't have hoes. We were minus a measuring cup and missing an umbrella

when you two boys got here and that was it, we were history. There were

maybe three candies in our pockets, but we weren't blank, we were stuffed

from loving you -- we'd stare at your craving mini-mouths mid-shriek

and go oh my god how entirely exquisite oh my god what have we done.

{Throughout the poem the speaker talks with such hope and names the struggles and desires of she and her partner. She talks about how they were aware of life’s problems, but ultimately they just wanted “to frolic because like everyone else, we just wanted to be happy." I thought that was heartbreakingly simple and true}

New Slang

I got a new phone because my old one was tired of fighting for network. And then one fateful week she just totally died. Well, this was my old ring tone and I miss it. Now I just have an annoying one that came with the phone. Lame.

{the shins -- new slang -- lance bangs -- vimeo}

gold teeth and a curse for this town were all in my mouth.

only, i don’t know how they got out, dear.

turn me back into the pet that i was when we met.

i was happier then with no mind-set.

new slang when you notice the stripes, the dirt in your fries.

hope it’s right when you die, old and bony.

dawn breaks like a bull through the hall,

never shoulda called

but my head’s to the wall and i’m lonely.

and if you’da took to me like

a gull takes to the wind.

well, i’da jumped from my tree

and i’da danced like the king of the eyesores

and the rest of our lives woulda fared well.

god speed all the bakers at dawn may they all cut their thumbs,

and bleed into their buns ‘til they melt away.

i’m looking in on the good life i might be doomed never to find.

without a trust or flaming fields am i too dumb to refine?

Matt and Lindsey

Haters of sand, seafood, & being late = perfect for each other

My brother Matt and his girlfriend Lindsey visited me in Madison two weekends ago. The two of them alone make me laugh, so when they are together... oh boy! I was so excited to show them around my campus, and the good thing about having Matt and Lindsey as visitors is they like to do calm things. That sounds odd. But I mean, they like to sit and observe and chat and eat. That was a terrible description. What I am trying to say is that they take off the pressure of feeling like I need to to entertain. As Matt said, "I'm fine just sitting in the hotel room for a few hours." And that wasn't sarcasm, he was just being factual.

We had a lazy, good ole time walking around campus, checking out student art at the Union, getting ice cream, eating at The Old Fashioned, visiting Lindsey's dad's fraternity, and looking inside the Capitol building.

Wes Anderson Hair

This boy in one of my discussions has the most beautiful hair I've ever seen. Better than mine or any other girl for that matter. He has Wes Anderson hair. Except better. Ya know when Anderson had hair that was sorta long? Yeah well this kid has that going on. I don't have a crush on this boy (especially considering I can't even remember his name), but ya know, I'd be lying if I said I didn't occasionally look at him during class. That's not creepy; it's normal (at least that's what I am going to keep telling myself).

And because he has Wes Anderson hair, I assume he is just as awesome. Like I'm pretty sure he's quirky, funny, will be receiving an Oscar someday and yadda yadda yadda. This of course is all gathered from never even talking to him.

Well anyway, you know what Mini Anderson decided to do over spring break? He decided to get a haircut! And not just any haircut, a bowl cut! Whyyyyyyy? He regressed from being a 21-year-old to just about every other boy in my 2nd grade classroom. The tragedy!

And now I just don't know what to think.

To make myself feel better about the situation, I'll just assume he was going for a Beatle-esque bowl cut.

"Teacher marks our height against the wall"

Here is to dear friends I've made and will never forget,

and to dear friends I have yet to meet.

Fall is here,hear the yell

back to school,ring the bell

brand new shoes,walking blues

climb the fence,books and pens

I can tell that we're going to be friends

Walk with me,Suzy Lee

through the park and by the tree

we will rest upon the ground

and look at all the bugs we found

then safely walk to school

without a sound

Well here we are,no one else

we walked to school all by ourselves

there's dirt on our uniforms

from chasing all the ants and worms

we clean up and now its time to learn

Numbers,letters,learn to spell

nouns,and books,and show and tell

at playtime we will throw the ball

back to class,through the hall

teacher marks our height

against the wall

And we don't notice any time pass

we don't notice anything

we sit side by side in every class

teacher thinks that I sound funny

but she likes the way you sing

Tonight I'll dream while I'm in bed

when silly thoughts go through my head

about the bugs and alphbet

and when I wake tommorow I'll bet

that you and I will walk together again

cause I can tell that we're going to be friends

{White Stripes}

Shut Up, Alarm

Today I reset my alarm 6 times. Yikes-a-roni! I had very little motivation to get out of bed. Ya know, it's dreary out and it's sorta raining, sorta not raining. One of those days when you can hear cars going through puddles and you see people with closed umbrellas because they know it's going to start raining any moment.

Well anyway, you can only imagine my relief when I got this e-mail...

Dear Kathleen, you're tired aren't you? You want to go snuggle up to a blanket and watch The Magic School Bus, don't you? Particularly the episode "Kicks Up a Storm" where Ms. Frizzle and the gang try to make a thunderstorm? Yeah, I like that one too. Well, you know what? I'm gonna cancel classes for the day and mandate that you stay in your pajamas, eat a bowl of Cheerios, and sit on the couch and watch movies (and maaaaaybe study for that test of yours tomorrow. only if you can squeeze in the time to do so).

Love,

God

The only problem is that I guess my professors didn't get the memo.

Don't worry, I won't leave you hanging. Here is The Magic School Bus theme song.

Sherbert Skies and Lazy Lenny

A quiet day with Lenny, is a day well spent.

Yesterday I woke up to a soft breeze from across the room. My mom had tiptoed into my bedroom before leaving for work at 6 a.m. (thanks momma!) Chicago broke the record for highest temperature for April 1st. It was 83 degrees out, breaking the record set in 1946! After spending a few more moments lying in bed being grateful for being on spring break rather than cramming my head with tedious facts at school , I proceeded downstairs where I was greeted by my dog Lenny. I grabbed a bowl of Cheeios, cut up some strawberries, made a Chai Latte using the mix from Trader Joe's (heavenly), and then plopped down on the couch to watch old episodes of The Office. Success!

After being a bum for a good two hours, I decided that maaaaaybe I should do a little homework. I mean, that 15 page paper due next week probably won't write itself (though I sure wish it would). So I went upstairs to do some homework in my favorite chair in my bedroom. Lenny isn't suppose to come upstairs, but when no one else is home (everyone was at work) I bring him up anyways. We are rebels. Since I don't have any younger siblings, Lenny has taken that role. And I am definitely the older, annoying sister who entices him to do bad things. So I was just doing some homework/daydreaming while Lenny rested by my side. After awhile he got up. I figured he went back downstairs. Twenty minutes later I got up to go the bathroom, and on my way, this is what I saw...

I caught Lenny just staring out the front window in my parent's bedroom. The window was just the right height for him to be able to stick his snout over the ledge and sniff for all the glorious wonders of outside. It reminded me of the scene from 101 Dalmatians when Pongo looks out the window to find a suitable mate for his owner.

Later in the day, we went for a walk where rude dogs barked at Lenny. Didn't even faze him, he just kept trotting along like the well behaved doggy he always is.

{Here is a cute garage/picket fence we passed one block away from my house}

When we got back from our walk, I played basketball (just shot around) while Lenny watched. He's my number one fan.

And finally we sat on the patio and admired the beautiful spring day.

Fallin in Love with The Beatles Over & Over Again

Ok well I never really fell out of love with them. But until a few weeks ago I had never heard this song of theirs. Blaspheme! Well I really, really like it. I thought I'd share in case you haven't heard it either.

In other news:

1) I got a haircut. I was just in the mood to chop it all off. And so that's what I did.

2) I watched "An Education" last night. That Carrie Mulligan sure is pretty. And don't even get me started on Peter Sarsgaard. Oh, and the boy Graham who has a crush on Jenny... of course I have a soft spot for him. Where is my British prince? (yes Harry Windsor, I am talking to you!)

3) Go to GAP!!! They are having a SALE. And they have lots and lots of cute clothes. I went last night and used my Old Navy gift cards from 1996. They still work like a charm!

Whenever...

... someone takes the liberty to call me 'Kathy' or 'Katherine', I want to shout "THAT'S NOT MY NAME!" (Ting Ting style) But I never do. I usually just let it slide. Or if someone else is around they usually correct the person. I guess I get slightly offended just because I am pretty good with remembering names, and if I ever see someone I know I try to use their name in conversation. Except for that one time this summer at a friend's barbecue when I called a kid who lived on my floor freshman year in the dorms Greg instead of Dave. Greg was his roommate. My bad. I didn't even notice I called him the wrong name until like a half hour later I heard someone else say, "Dave, you want a hot dog?" I immediately felt terrible. I went right over to him to apologize. He laughed and said he didn't even notice. I have never called him the wrong name since.

{Just for kicks and giggles}

"You're Daddy's Little Girl"

This is me and and my dad in 1990 at the pool we belonged to at the time. This picture was in the local paper. I am a CELEBRITY!!!! You can't tell in this picture, but my bathing suit says, "Daddy's Little Girl."

Speaking of which, I have had this song in my head all week. It's called "Daddy's Little Girl" by The Knux. Now the lyrics don't apply to me in the least, but I sure do like to listen to it when I'm walking to class, on the bus, or at the gym. Do you ever wonder what other people are listening to on their iPod? I do. I'd probably be really embarrassed if people could hear what I was listening to ... ya know, the occasional Backstreet Boys jam, an old Everclear favorite, Hanson's Mmmbop. Don't judge. You probably listen to them too.

New Bedford, Massachusetts

Last night I returned home to Chicago after visiting my brother Kevin in New Bedford, Massachusetts, which is "the world's most famous whaling era seaport and the number one fishing port in America." (I could have said something along those lines, but the city's website was able to put it a little bit more elegantly.) Anyway, I am officially enamored with the city, its history, the school my brother teaches at, his students, and all the people he has befriended since being there.

Kevin teaches at Nativity Preparatory School of New Bedford , a tuition-free school for boys grades 5-8 who come from low-income families. All the boys I met were extremely cordial and well-behaved. They have so little, and yet, their positive attitude, work ethic, and determination to succeed are unmatched by any middle schooler I've ever met.

Ten of the highlights from the trip:

1. I've never had my hand shaken so many times in my life. And I think it was the first time I was officially called "Miss" by anyone other than one of my school teachers or the receptionist at the dentist.

2. Eating a cannoli at Mr. Markey's home.

3. Listening to 7th graders share creative writing pieces in which the assignment was to have a character overcome an obstacle and be victorious in the end. (one kid wrote about a squirrel finding nuts... awesome!)

4. Getting a tour of the school building from a 5th grader named Roand and a 6th grader named Zepherine.

5. Grabbing late-night food and beers with some of Kevin's peers at Freestone's City Grill.

6. Watching Jerry Maguire.

7. Exploring the city and seeing the Frederick Douglass mural.

8. Checking the plaques with the dates on all the ancient homes. A few were from the 1700s. Whoa nelly!

9. Catching a 3 second glimpse of Matt's (another teacher) dance moves.

10. Attending the 6th annual MABACH challenge, a tournament of math, basketball, and chess. Nine nativity prep schools participated and New Bedford ended up winning! Those math skills paid off.

{Frederick Douglass, probably the most well-known escaped slave, lived in New Bedford from 1838-1841. I really admire this man. He overcame so many obstacles in life. With little help, he taught himself how to read and write. My favorite work of his is "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?"

{The bay}

{Cobble stone streets}

{A typical confused Kevin expression}

{A cute shop that was closed}

{The Icebox}

All I wanted was A Simple Kind of Life

I'm experiencing some hardcore nostalgia for the 90s.

In a recent snail-mail letter to a friend (Claire, get ready!!!), I wrote

...

"Lately, I've been obsessed with the 90s, not really the music or anything, but just nostalgic for those days. You know, when I watched "The Adventures of Pete and Pete" and didn't really know what was ever going on, but was amused and scared nonetheless. (That show is seriously weird). Or, I miss the days when when I woke up and spent the morning in my Beauty and the Beast nightgown, and ate drippy popsicles at noon, and rang Kerry Fox's doorbell at dusk to play cops and robbers with our older brothers. Man, gimme some of those days."

{Circa 1995, I'm sure all I wanted was a simple kind of life. Plus Barbies.}

{But circa 1990, I'm sure all I (on the right) wanted was a steak burrito with extra cheese.}

In 1996, the summer after Tragic Kingdom was released, I loved loved loved No Doubt. I remember sitting on my cousin's patio, drinking lemonade, and listening to "Don't Speak" on the boombox on repeat. Those were the days.

St. Patty's Day

If I am going to be ghastly pale 365 days a year (minus the occasional, treacherous sunburn), you best believe I am going to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. And what a day it was. It was beautiful out - sunny, warm, blue sky, ducks quacking, one class canceled, sitting at the lake with Rachel and Kyle, mint chip ice cream, cheeseburgers for dinner with the roommates, etc. etc.

{Rachel and me}

{Lake Mendota melting}

{Even the duck wore green}

{Anne and me}

{Shauna and Lauren at Dotty's}

{Shauna and Kaylee at State Street Brats}

{What night is complete without a lil piggy back ride?}

The Exploding Girl

{via}

Here is one of the many films I look forward to seeing at the Wisconsin Film Festival. The girl's name in the film is Ivy. I like that name. Others don't. What do youuuuuuu think?

Also, someone commented on the trailer saying, "The movie where everyone looks into space." That made me LOL LOL.

Check out what my screenwriting for film professor, JJ Murphy, had to say about the film. One statement of his that peaks my interest in the film even more is, "Gray has mastered how young people communicate (or don’t) with each other." Hmmmm that sounds familiar.

Speaking of explosions (ok well it's in the title)...

Here are some sweet pictures of volcanoes erupting (aka exploding)

{this isn't even a volcano... but that's ok}

{via}

Around 1:01 you can just see this guy's head explode. Poor guy.