Kind of. Not really the same with a volunteer position.
In some ways, I REALLY need to get my shit together. In other ways, my shit is more together than it's ever been. Make sense?
I made a list recently of things I wish I could say to people in my life, but can't for various reasons. Remember when people used to post that kind of stuff to their blog, but cleverly leave out names so no one knew which one applied to them? That was really stupid. If you have something to say publicly (or privately) to someone, do it. Otherwise, keep it for your journal.
Then again, I probably shouldn't have written it in the journal at all. I probably should have just said it to the people themselves. There goes that soapbox.
Many, many things can be fixed by: 1) Turning it off and on; 2) making sure it's plugged in; 3) duct tape; and/or 4) a Sharpie. For everything else, there's Mastercard.
Talent doesn't matter if you don't show up. That was a big realization I had this week -- seems basic, but it was kind of a breakthrough for me.
The PedEgg is amazing and really does work. However, and trust me on this one, it is one of the most disgusting beauty products you can possibly buy.
It's incredible how unaware I can be of the poverty all around me. You never know someone's situation until you are in it.
I've said it before, and I will definitely say it again, but laundry is THE WORST.
A little boy read the word "stripper" today instead of "stopping." It was an awkward moment for me, but he didn't seem to care at all. Kids are funny about that stuff.
I'm glad I'm back to being a curly. It was sad to have straight (well, kind of) hair these past two weeks. Bad haircuts are really hard to deal with when you have naturally wavy hair.
I duct-taped my cat last week.
Yes, you read that right. Long story.
This has been an episode of "things MK is thinking at the moment." Tune in next week for a new list of completely random and unrelated topics!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
Reminiscing...
...is dangerous. One minute, you're flipping through old journals, and suddenly you find yourself with bleary eyes and cramped legs after spending 3 hours reading your entire Facebook message history. Hm.
In only very tenuously related news, my grandpa used to get a magazine for old people called Reminisce. It was mainly about the 30s-50s, and I would read it and wonder if someday people would write so fondly of the 90s. I'd like to think that someone, somewhere, will be able to wax rhapsodic about Vanilla Ice and Y2K and the dot-com bubble and Titanic and Monica Lewinsky.
Well, maybe not Monica.
In only very tenuously related news, my grandpa used to get a magazine for old people called Reminisce. It was mainly about the 30s-50s, and I would read it and wonder if someday people would write so fondly of the 90s. I'd like to think that someone, somewhere, will be able to wax rhapsodic about Vanilla Ice and Y2K and the dot-com bubble and Titanic and Monica Lewinsky.
Well, maybe not Monica.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Oh hai
Sorry to go all emo on you in the last post. I think I was just up late and in one of those weird introspective moods. Anyway, life is busy as ever, and it is a life full of copies, stapling and writing curriculum. More copies than anything else, though. I am working at Refugee Family Services as a literacy program coordinator for the summer elementary program. It has been going well so far, but the days always feel way longer than they actually are. I should probably start taking a lunch break. I am working with a bunch of people who have done the Peace Corps and are now in Americorps, so I feel a little inadequate. They're all out saving the world while I'm writing papers no one will ever read and figuring out how to stretch 3 chicken tenders into a week's worth of meals. I guess I'm conserving chicken, so that's a plus -- still can't put it on a resume, but it's there. I really have considered doing the Peace Corps, though. I still might do it, except there's that pesky problem of having a cat. Eh, I'll figure it out at some point.
I am also playing in the Emory brass quintet for the summer, which is really exciting and a little bit scary. I've always wanted to play in a brass quintet, really THE brass quintet, but it has never worked out for whatever reason. Hopefully I will do well enough this summer to merit consideration for the fall quintet.
I wonder if you can bring a French horn with you if you go into the Peace Corps.
In other news, my troubled computer life of the past few years continues with the latest model. It is sufficient for checking e-mail but can't handle web-surfing without long waits, and it definitely won't be up to research papers this fall. However, I have no money with which to buy a new computer. Suggestions, blogosphere? Slash Diana? Maybe if I can stretch that chicken into just a few more meals ...
All right, kiddos. It's late. I think it's about time to make like a tree and get the ef out of here.
MK out.
I am also playing in the Emory brass quintet for the summer, which is really exciting and a little bit scary. I've always wanted to play in a brass quintet, really THE brass quintet, but it has never worked out for whatever reason. Hopefully I will do well enough this summer to merit consideration for the fall quintet.
I wonder if you can bring a French horn with you if you go into the Peace Corps.
In other news, my troubled computer life of the past few years continues with the latest model. It is sufficient for checking e-mail but can't handle web-surfing without long waits, and it definitely won't be up to research papers this fall. However, I have no money with which to buy a new computer. Suggestions, blogosphere? Slash Diana? Maybe if I can stretch that chicken into just a few more meals ...
All right, kiddos. It's late. I think it's about time to make like a tree and get the ef out of here.
MK out.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Legibility
It is usually easy to tell when someone is feeling a certain way, especially if you are close to that person, skilled at reading people or both. Yet, even knowing how readily we discern emotion in others, we all believe we are adept at hiding our own thoughts and feelings -- everyone thinks of himself as the exception. In reality, there are very few people who can truly conceal their emotions, especially to people who know them well. I used to think I was one of them, that I had an indecipherable poker face, but I am realizing my legibility more and more. Is it such a bad thing to be vulnerable, to be open?
No -- but it is terrifying.
No -- but it is terrifying.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
Star Trek
Go see it! I really enjoyed it, even though I am in no way a Trekkie and normally not even a science fiction fan.
That's all I got.
That's all I got.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
25 things you may or may not know about me
Sorry for my prolonged absence. Life got in the way of blogging. I could promise never to let it happen again, but I would be lying.
I am obviously late in the game for this 25 things list, but what's an MK venture without a little delay? It's a tad egocentric to assume people want to read all about me, so instead of posting on Facebook, I am writing on this blog that nobody but Diana reads. Hi, Diana! Anyway, here goes.
1. I have a running commentary going on constantly in my head, often in the style of a novel (like I am writing a book about my life as it happens.) I know it's weird, but I've done it since at least kindergarten and probably before that.
2. I didn't know I had curly hair until my senior year of high school. I just thought my hair was poofy and annoying, and I thus had a terminal case of wedge-head for many years.
3. When I was little, I wanted to be a whale when I grew up. Really badly. When I found out humans couldn't turn into animals by choice, I settled for wanting to be a ballerina and a singer (at the same time) like every other girl in my preschool.
4. Speaking of preschool, I was once suspended from that fine institution. I told the other kids the wall tasted salty and that they should lick it, not thinking anyone would believe me. They all immediately lined up and started licking the wall -- I found this hilarious, so I walked up and down encouraging everyone. The teacher couldn't get them off the wall and sent me home for the day for misbehaving.
5. If I didn't play the horn, I would play the cello or the flute. I still may try to learn flute someday.
6. This one is probably a surprise to no one, but I am terrible about returning texts, calls and e-mails. I see the message, mentally respond to it and never get around to actually writing out my response. It's not that I don't care, it's just that I'm completely absent-minded.
7. I loved being an Army brat and moving all the time when I was younger. However, it makes the question, "Where are you from?" difficult to answer.
8. I hate being late. I know most of you just fell out of your chairs, but bear with me. I basically live my life in a constant state of guilt and shame. The obvious solution, of course, is to not be late -- I am working on it, but it is harder than you may think. I just have absolutely no concept of time.
9. I am in love with the English language, and it pains me to hear/read poor grammar or to see misspelled words. I compulsively check my e-mails and even text messages for errors, so it's rare for me to send something with a typo. However, I find it really annoying when people correct other people's grammar in conversation, so I apologize if I have ever done that to you.
10. In the same vein, I receive word-of-the-day e-mails. I started it in high school as preparation for the SAT, and I loved it so much I kept renewing my subscription. Dictionary.com, baby!
11. I want to learn as many languages as possible. For starters, I'd like to know Spanish, German, Italian, Latin and Hindi, but the full list is even longer (Russian, Japanese, Portuguese, etc.) I'm not sure how many of these I will be able to master in my lifetime, but I'm going to try for as many as I can manage. So far, I've got French and English down pat.
12. I love making "surprise" friends, the ones I meet when I wasn't expecting anything and who are outside of my main group. Some examples of these people: Diana (thank goodness we had JAG together!) and the Paris crew (Jules, Lizzie, Josh, Sarah). I didn't realize I was missing anything before I met you, but my life is richer for having you in it. Sappy, but true.
13. I can and often do read the New York Times and Wikipedia for hours. I love to be well-informed about as many topics as possible, and I will often have 15+ articles open in my browser tabs as I click on links that interest me. Some that are open now: Wikipedia articles on China one-child policy and cognitive biases and NY Times articles on Roman France, Catholic stance on homosexuality and RNA as the starting point for life, among several others.
14. I am an extremely easy crier, tearing up for everything from anger to happiness to pure emotion. I get this from my mother's side of the family, for sure. I am almost guaranteed to cry if I see someone else crying, even if I don't know them or the reason they're upset. However, I really don't like crying in front of people.
15. I could never, ever be a dermatologist. Skin conditions disgust me, and I hate going to dermatology offices where there are posters of misshapen moles and pustules and boils and rashes. Ew, ew, ew.
16. I get irrationally angry every time it rains in Atlanta, because I think the lack of a decent sewer/gutter system is ridiculous. This is probably because I am the daughter of a civil engineer.
17. Nerd alert, but I miss marching band. I kind of wish I had joined a drum corps for at least one summer. Marching was the one semi-athletic thing I was good at, with the possible exception of swimming.
18. I think I would make a really good journalist except for having to meet deadlines all the time.
19. I once accidentally sent a kid to the hospital after smacking him in the face with a seat belt buckle. In my defense, he called my bus driver 47 penises and 52 vaginas, and I really liked my bus driver. Ms. Prelow never knew all I did to defend her honor.
20. I LOVE to shop online, and I do extensive research about the best product before buying almost anything. This includes trivial things like tweezers and hair products.
21. I was an extremely mischievous kid, but mostly because I never thought anyone would believe my practical jokes. The wall-licking incident is an example of this, as well as the time I convinced my brother he was about to drink hot lemonade. Mom was not happy when he spit it out across her new carpet.
22. I played Sandy the dog in the Pleasant Ridge Middle School production of Annie. I had to bark, sing/howl and dance on stage, and there is a video to prove it. It is my finest role to date.
23. I used to entertain my friends on the playground with stories about a character I made up named Mondo Fat Guy. One of the stories involved him tripping and falling on a glue factory, and then sitting on a city and getting people stuck to his butt. I am not sure if I should be impressed with my creativity and storytelling ability or ashamed of my obvious prejudice against fat people.
24. I watch dog shows on ESPN for fun. I know almost every dog breed there is -- go ahead and ask me. I also have a working knowledge of cat and horse breeds. On a related note, I went through a phase when I was little where I asked strangers what breed they were. I meant religion, but I am not sure why I thought that was an appropriate question to ask.
25. Paris is my favorite city, even though it smells like pee and is very touristy and strange men grab your bum. Actually, it may be because strange men grab your bum. If you ever go there, ask me for my GIANT list of things to do. It's seriously like a master's thesis.
There you have it, ladies and gentlemen (or really one lady, Diana.) I hope you enjoyed this ridiculous list of things you never needed to know about me.
I am obviously late in the game for this 25 things list, but what's an MK venture without a little delay? It's a tad egocentric to assume people want to read all about me, so instead of posting on Facebook, I am writing on this blog that nobody but Diana reads. Hi, Diana! Anyway, here goes.
1. I have a running commentary going on constantly in my head, often in the style of a novel (like I am writing a book about my life as it happens.) I know it's weird, but I've done it since at least kindergarten and probably before that.
2. I didn't know I had curly hair until my senior year of high school. I just thought my hair was poofy and annoying, and I thus had a terminal case of wedge-head for many years.
3. When I was little, I wanted to be a whale when I grew up. Really badly. When I found out humans couldn't turn into animals by choice, I settled for wanting to be a ballerina and a singer (at the same time) like every other girl in my preschool.
4. Speaking of preschool, I was once suspended from that fine institution. I told the other kids the wall tasted salty and that they should lick it, not thinking anyone would believe me. They all immediately lined up and started licking the wall -- I found this hilarious, so I walked up and down encouraging everyone. The teacher couldn't get them off the wall and sent me home for the day for misbehaving.
5. If I didn't play the horn, I would play the cello or the flute. I still may try to learn flute someday.
6. This one is probably a surprise to no one, but I am terrible about returning texts, calls and e-mails. I see the message, mentally respond to it and never get around to actually writing out my response. It's not that I don't care, it's just that I'm completely absent-minded.
7. I loved being an Army brat and moving all the time when I was younger. However, it makes the question, "Where are you from?" difficult to answer.
8. I hate being late. I know most of you just fell out of your chairs, but bear with me. I basically live my life in a constant state of guilt and shame. The obvious solution, of course, is to not be late -- I am working on it, but it is harder than you may think. I just have absolutely no concept of time.
9. I am in love with the English language, and it pains me to hear/read poor grammar or to see misspelled words. I compulsively check my e-mails and even text messages for errors, so it's rare for me to send something with a typo. However, I find it really annoying when people correct other people's grammar in conversation, so I apologize if I have ever done that to you.
10. In the same vein, I receive word-of-the-day e-mails. I started it in high school as preparation for the SAT, and I loved it so much I kept renewing my subscription. Dictionary.com, baby!
11. I want to learn as many languages as possible. For starters, I'd like to know Spanish, German, Italian, Latin and Hindi, but the full list is even longer (Russian, Japanese, Portuguese, etc.) I'm not sure how many of these I will be able to master in my lifetime, but I'm going to try for as many as I can manage. So far, I've got French and English down pat.
12. I love making "surprise" friends, the ones I meet when I wasn't expecting anything and who are outside of my main group. Some examples of these people: Diana (thank goodness we had JAG together!) and the Paris crew (Jules, Lizzie, Josh, Sarah). I didn't realize I was missing anything before I met you, but my life is richer for having you in it. Sappy, but true.
13. I can and often do read the New York Times and Wikipedia for hours. I love to be well-informed about as many topics as possible, and I will often have 15+ articles open in my browser tabs as I click on links that interest me. Some that are open now: Wikipedia articles on China one-child policy and cognitive biases and NY Times articles on Roman France, Catholic stance on homosexuality and RNA as the starting point for life, among several others.
14. I am an extremely easy crier, tearing up for everything from anger to happiness to pure emotion. I get this from my mother's side of the family, for sure. I am almost guaranteed to cry if I see someone else crying, even if I don't know them or the reason they're upset. However, I really don't like crying in front of people.
15. I could never, ever be a dermatologist. Skin conditions disgust me, and I hate going to dermatology offices where there are posters of misshapen moles and pustules and boils and rashes. Ew, ew, ew.
16. I get irrationally angry every time it rains in Atlanta, because I think the lack of a decent sewer/gutter system is ridiculous. This is probably because I am the daughter of a civil engineer.
17. Nerd alert, but I miss marching band. I kind of wish I had joined a drum corps for at least one summer. Marching was the one semi-athletic thing I was good at, with the possible exception of swimming.
18. I think I would make a really good journalist except for having to meet deadlines all the time.
19. I once accidentally sent a kid to the hospital after smacking him in the face with a seat belt buckle. In my defense, he called my bus driver 47 penises and 52 vaginas, and I really liked my bus driver. Ms. Prelow never knew all I did to defend her honor.
20. I LOVE to shop online, and I do extensive research about the best product before buying almost anything. This includes trivial things like tweezers and hair products.
21. I was an extremely mischievous kid, but mostly because I never thought anyone would believe my practical jokes. The wall-licking incident is an example of this, as well as the time I convinced my brother he was about to drink hot lemonade. Mom was not happy when he spit it out across her new carpet.
22. I played Sandy the dog in the Pleasant Ridge Middle School production of Annie. I had to bark, sing/howl and dance on stage, and there is a video to prove it. It is my finest role to date.
23. I used to entertain my friends on the playground with stories about a character I made up named Mondo Fat Guy. One of the stories involved him tripping and falling on a glue factory, and then sitting on a city and getting people stuck to his butt. I am not sure if I should be impressed with my creativity and storytelling ability or ashamed of my obvious prejudice against fat people.
24. I watch dog shows on ESPN for fun. I know almost every dog breed there is -- go ahead and ask me. I also have a working knowledge of cat and horse breeds. On a related note, I went through a phase when I was little where I asked strangers what breed they were. I meant religion, but I am not sure why I thought that was an appropriate question to ask.
25. Paris is my favorite city, even though it smells like pee and is very touristy and strange men grab your bum. Actually, it may be because strange men grab your bum. If you ever go there, ask me for my GIANT list of things to do. It's seriously like a master's thesis.
There you have it, ladies and gentlemen (or really one lady, Diana.) I hope you enjoyed this ridiculous list of things you never needed to know about me.
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