Sweet Home Chicago

{waiting to be picked up at O'Hare}

{reminds me of the airport scenes from Home Alone}

Coming home for Christmas is one of the best feelings ever. Memories from childhood flood my brain as I take in all the pretty houses decorated with lights and wreaths and lit trees in the front window. Such a good feeling to know that I get one month to just REST. I wish it was Christmastime more often!

I finished my last final on Saturday at 4:45, and in less than an hour later I was on the bus headed back home. When I finally walked into my house, my mom had homemade chocolate chip cookies waiting. Then she and I went to Midway Airport to pick up my brother Kevin who flew in from Boston. So much catching up; so much that we kinda kept talking over each other. We have to work on that...

Waking up on Sunday morning in my own bed was heaven. Not having to worry about taking another final was heaven. Looking out my window and seeing Lenny (my dog) playing in the snow was heaven. Walking with Kevin and my mom two blocks to church, surrounded by tall trees whose branches were covered with crisp, white snow was heaven. Going grocery shopping with Kev was heaven. Being home after a very stressful two weeks of tests and papers was HEAVEN.

{usually when Lenny looks at me like this I give him a treat. even if he doesn't deserve one}

{pulling up to my house. snow overload on top of our lights}

{the living room. in case you are wondering why those boxes are on the chair, it is to keep Lenny from lounging on the sofa when we aren't home. he tends to sneak up on the nice furniture if no one is looking}

{da family room. when Lenny was a puppy, that stuffed Santa was his nemesis. now they're friends}

{ballerina night light outside my room}

{close up of tree christmas lights}

{it's always comforting to look across the hall and see my parent's light on. when i was in 3rd grade i saw the movie Scream and was scarred. so i made my parent's keep that light on until i fell asleep. i'm such a baby}

{and Lenny is so handsome and so old looking in this picture. is that the start of a gray beard i see??? OMG what is happening to my 8 year old puppy?}

My Light Journal

{I did most of my filming at the Wisconsin State Capitol building}

For my film production class, using a Bolex camera, I had to make a 1 minute film that showcased different images of light. Editing took soooooo freaking long. It's a tedious process, cutting and taping different tiny pieces of film together, but also an enjoyable one. So, without further ado, here she is !!!

(digitalizing the film sorta lessened the quality. oh well.)

The Wee One Turns 21 !!!

Lauren, me, and Mal as Alvin and the Chipmunks !

So Annie, the tiniest (but feistiest) of the roommates turns 21 on Thursday! Butttt since her b-day falls smack-dab in the middle of finals, we celebrated this weekend. We threw her a dynamic duos themed party (but there were some trios too) on Friday at our apartment; Saturday we went out to eat at the Great Dane, and Sunday was a lazy day of studying and watching Christmas movies. A fun last hoorah before we head home for the holidays!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNIE!!!!!!!!!!

Brandon and Brendan hands down had the best costumes. Brendan even used white out to make a milk mustache... i hope that comes off.

dinner at The Great Dane. nam nam

i like pretty bars with twinkle lights

kitty cocktails for days.

and annie chowing on her complimentary apple crisp. oh my god it was heaven.

Panoramifica

study session last year in the apt

another study session at the union. though it may look like i am staring at the camera, i'm actually not. had i known, i probably woulda flashed my million dolla smile. but no, i decided to daydream and look like a chump.

sunrise

oh be nice

SNOW DAY !!!

They canceled classes today. And every UW student's mood was lifted a teeny bit. And by "a teeny bit" I mean "a lot a bit". Last night we celebrated this historical event by trudging merrily in the snow to our friend's house to play flip cup outside. And today we slept in and Mallory made blueberry muffins. We studied cozily together in our family room, Lauren's candle adding extra warmth. I LOVE WISCONSIN !!!

Reminds me of Love Actually when Colin goes to Milwaukee.

Colin: I've bought a ticket to the States. I'm off in three weeks.

Tony: No!

Colin: Yes! To a fantastic place called Wisconsin.

Tony: No!

Colin: Yes! Wisconsin babes, here comes Sir Colin! Whoo hoo!

Walkin in a Winter Wonderland.

Oh what the hell!

Finals in less than a week? whatever.

Flip cup outside = beer slushie

View from the balcony. Snow, you can stay as long as you promise to stay this pretty.

Thanks Lauren for making our home even homier.

With a Face Like That

"Moses supposes his toeses are Roses,
But Moses supposes Erroneously"

{ I could watch the scene from "Singing in the Rain" over and over }

"Something in the way she moves,
Attracts me like no other lover"

{ I would probably die and go to heaven if George ever sang "Something" to me }

Blanche: "Please don't get up."

Stanley: "Nobody's going to get up so don't get worried."

{ Marlon Brando? yes please! }

Ferdinand: "I'm glad I don't like spinach, because if I did then I would eat it, and I can't stand the stuff."

{ Possibly my favorite movie poster of all time }

Patricia: "Are you afraid of getting old? I am." - Breathless aka A Bout de Souffle

{ I think this is Jean Seberg. Not one hundo percent sure. Either way. Classic beauty }

Marianne: "Don't ever promise to adore me all your life. Let's not make promises like that knowing me knowing you. Let's keep the feeling that this love of ours, this love of ours, will be short and sweet."

{ Even closed, her eyes are beautiful }

"Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see.
It's getting hard to be someone but it all works out.
It doesn't matter much to me."

{ On repeat in my head today. John, gimme those glasses }

Ferdinand: "I wonder what's keeping the cops. We should be in jail by now."

{ Oh hey. It's you two again. Jean-Paul Belmondo, Stop being so dreamy! }

I'm so glad you are here...

... you make me realize how beautiful my world is.

This may be over a week late, but I am still thankful.

Chocolate chip, banana pancakes. Side of potatoes. Side of fruit. I'm thankful for Sunroom Cafe and for Mallory being a glutton with me :)

On Thanksgiving little cousin Benny "accidentally" dropped half of a cupcake in Finnegan's mouth. Finn didn't seem to mind. I'm thankful for little cousins who always keep me laughing.

Turkey Bowl 2009. I threw an interception and still managed to not receive too much heckling.

I'm thankful for that.

We were gathered in the family room; the fire wasn't on. But it didn't matter. There was warmth nonetheless. Watching home videos of when my cousins, brothers, and I were little never gets old. I'm thankful for cozy times spent with family.

Pitter patter. My tired feet climb the endless hill to my British Lit lecture. I'm thankful for beautiful scenery and the sound of calming rain for making the hike so much more pleasant.

Teacher Troubles

Pop quizzes, BO, and scary substitutes deserve my angry face.

OK so.

1) Last Tuesday we had a substitute teacher for my creative writing class. And she was all business. No messing around. She walked into the classroom, didn't say hello, threw her purse on the table, and said, "Let's workshop some poems and get the hell outta here." I had the pleasure of sitting next to her. She went on and on about Sylvia Plath and her poem "Cut", a poem where Plath talks about the pleasure she got in accidently cutting off part of her finger. The teacher kept raving. She then told us she collects mice skulls and keeps them in a jar on her mantle, saying she finds them, "Creepily beautiful." ... She left me with a lot to think about.

2) Yesterday I went to me 8:50 Film Production lecture and sat in the second row as usual. We had a guest speaker for the first half of class, and as she began to talk, I got my notebook out and took off my coat. AND OMG SOMETHING SMELLED. Did I have major BO? It couldn't be. I showered. I thought I put deodorant on. I even put on a lil perfume. But I do admit I was wearing a thermal that I had briefly worn two days before. But really, I smelled that bad? It was embarrassing. So the whole time the guest speaker was talking, I was basically just thinking about how bad I smelled and how I wanted the lecture to be over so I could run home and change. Well when she finished speaking, she sat down in the first row, the seat in front of me. And guess what? IT WAS HER. She was the stinky one. I could smell her BO from like 15 feet away. I nearly passed out from the odor; I had to subtly hold my shirt's sleeve in front of my nose. Did I mention she wasn't wearing a bra either? Well, she wasn't.

3) After the smelly guest speaker was finished with her spiel, we were suppose to watch the Light Journals that different students in the class made. Well the darn projector wasn't working. So we get out of class early, right? WRONG. Oh why not just have a pop quiz instead? Grrrrr not cool.

101

Thanksgiving break is such a tease.

It's just long enough to make me miss my 8-year-old puppy Lenny even more.

AND

It's short enough to not allow me any time to watch my 2nd favorite Disney movie. 101 Dalmations... duh.

Fast forward to 3:15.

I love when they do the "Twilight Bark". I get so excited when the city skyline lights up and all the dogs are barking like crazy. I love the lil dog named Towser. He cracks me up. "I'll sound the alert!" Ohh and I love all the scenery of the England hills. Especially when they are covered in snow. Just one more thing to get me overly excited about Christmas.

Gahhh and I love this scene too. Best opening EVER. I get so giddy when I see all the owners and their look-alike dogs. Love love love all the English accents.

Don't Mind Me Being Frank. But...

I do NOT like the following.

Sometimes they make me so angry I don't know what to do with myself. So I decide to take a nap.

{Me back in 1990}

1) When people do not wash their hands. Come ON, it takes like one minute.

2) When people do not have elevator/bus courtesy. How do you expect me to get out of the elevator if you are already packing in like a punch of wild hyenas?

3) When teachers say they’ll give a graded paper/exam back on a certain day, and then they decide not to. Torture!

4) When teachers email students with an extra assignment the night before class. If it ain’t on the syllabus, I ain’t doing it.

5) When people cough/sneeze into their hands. The shoulder really would suffice.

6) When people are consistently sarcastic. Once in a while it’s fine, but at a certain point it just becomes annoying/can hurt my feelings.

7) When I am having a bad dream that seems soooooo real. Two nights ago I had a dream I was back in high school again and my calc teacher stopped me in the hall and said, “Kathleen, you haven’t been to class for the past two months. You’ve missed three exams. You currently have an F.” WIGGIDY WHACK!!!!!

8) When I have no choice but to use a disgusting public bathroom. The smell alone usually makes me want to vomit. I am forced to pull my neck collar up to my nose in order to block the odor.

9) Crumbs !!!

One Time

One time I started throwing a hissy fit because I lost my phone, keys, and glasses all in two days.

But then I realized, unlike other things in life, they are replaceable.

So I shut up, kept to myself, and moved on.

Missing you Q. Now and always.

The Kennedy's

When I was in 3rd grade my family went to Washington DC for our annual vacation. A few years before going I saw the movie Forrest Gump, and I really loved the part where Forrest is speaking in front of the Lincoln Memorial and Jenny, dressed in her hippie ensemble, calls out to him and, you know, treads through the Reflecting Pool. It just melts my heart; I still watch it on repeat. Well that, combined with my absolute excitement of getting to go inside the White House had me nearly peeing my pants for like 2 months leading up to the trip. I remember I got so into the whole President thing; I was just in awe of them. So, I use to go to the local Thomas Ford Library and for hours upon hours I would just look at books about the presidents. When it was finally time to go on the trip, I had memorized all the presidents names, what number they were, their wives names, and their children's names. I was a FREAK. Of course, just about all that information has gone bye bye.

But anyway, that brings me to the Kennedy's. The Kennedy's are one of those families that remind me of the olden days (and by the olden days, I mean the days I wasn't even alive for. Sighhhhh. The glory days that I was meant to experience but didn't due to that whole not being born yet factor). Whenever I read about the Kennedy's, learn about them, or see pictures of them, I think of my mom. Ya know, I think they were best friends; as if she and Caroline use to be buds and play hopscotch together. If only.

My mom always use to tell me how much she loved this poem that was printed in the newspaper the day after JFK died. It was written by Candy Geer, a 15-year-old high school student. I haven't thought about it in a long time, but recently I saw an article about JFK online and so I looked up the poem. I was in the quiet section of the library and started....crying. I don't know why, but it just made me really sad.

Six White Horses

Six white horses came today

to take my Daddy far away.

Mommy said I must be good

and stand as big as Daddy would.

And now I'm big so I won't cry

when I see my Daddy wave goodbye,

'cause Daddy is my special friend

he always comes back soon again.

I cannot wave, I don't see why,

there's just a black box moving by.

But Mommy says I should be still,

I'm a big boy now, and so I will.

I hear some drums, they're awful loud,

but Mommy is sad and so's the crowd.

And everybody's dressed in black,

but Daddy soon will hurry back.

We're going to take a walk to mass

then maybe I'll see my Daddy pass.

I wonder why we're only three,

he always comes to church with me.

Two men are talking, I can see,

they said they're very proud of me.

They said my Daddy's in that box,

that black one with six gold locks.

I have on a big boy's suit

and now it's my turn to salute.

I do it just like big boys do,

because I have to be one too.

They're going to stop, and then just leave,

but in that box, how can he breathe?

Though I do not understand,

there's Mommy here to hold my hand.

He's going to leave and not come home!

We just can't leave him here alone.

I want to hear him laugh and say,

"John-John, come here so we can play."

I don't see Daddy anywhere,

I want to cry and I don't care.

He's in the ground, he cannot be,

he should be right here holding me.

But Mommy says I must be good,

so I'll stand as Daddy would.

- Candy Geer, 1963

Caroline and John John

Oh and for old times sake....

Dad, even when it may have seemed like i wasn't listening...

I was.

Last night i was listening to Stevie Wonder's i just called to say i love you ...

No New Year's Day to celebrate

No chocolate covered candy hearts to give away

No first of spring

No song to sing

In fact here's just another ordinary day ...

...

I just called to say I love you

I just called to say how much I care

And it got me thinking. Why don't I let my loved ones know how much they mean to me? I mean on Birthdays and Christmas and on Thanksgiving I always show my appreciation, but why don't I do it more often? Why must there be a special occasion? There is no answer nor reason.

So dad, I thought I'd start with you.

Dad, thanks for...

1) Reminding me that when I am frustrated or when I think things seem unfair, sometimes the best thing to do is "Just grin and bare it."

2) Editing my countless English, Communication, History, etc. etc. papers. The phone conversation usually goes like this...

"Hi dad."

"Hi Kathleen."

"What are you doing?"

"Getting ready for bed. What are you doing?"

"Writing a paper."

"When is it due?"

"Tomorrow."

"..... ok."

"You think you can look at it in the morning?"

"..... sure."

"Thanks dad. Love you. Goodnight."

"Love you too. Goodnight."

3) Introducing me to some of my favorite films... "Going my Way", "Singing in the Rain", "The Sound of Music".

4) Sending me clippings from the Chicago Tribune whenever you see a column about the UW or the city of Madison. Even if it's about bike paths and helmet safety.

5) Surprising me with a blueberry muffin every once in a while when I was in high school. You'd make a run to get coffee before work, and then you'd drop off the muffin for me because you knew they were my favorite. What a wonderful way to wake up.