black hole of doom

So remember the time I wrote about my wart experience over the summer? Well that darn foot wart CAME BACK. I thought I went through enough torture the first time the doctor used his bladed ice cream scoop, but no. It came back, stronger than ever. Since the doctor was a kook and I never wanted to see him again (plus I think it is his plan to make the warts come back), I decided to go somewhere else.

The waiting room was full. Since I'm going to take the Optometry Admissions Test in less than a month (OMG), I brought some notecards to study. Tough cookies for me, the old couple next to me was SO LOUD that I couldn't hear myself think. Talk about wanting to cut someone...(lolzjkbutactually). I got called back into this super cheery room. The nurse was kind of nice, I think she hated me cause she didn't talk to me much. Or maybe it was because she was entering in data on the computer? Whatever. Then, Foot Doctor came in (funny thing, his first name and old doctor's first name are the same obscure name...whaaat?!) and was super super nice. He checked out my foot and was like, brb I'ma get the anesthesia, and I was like, yeah ok sure, you make me so nervous because I know what comes next, you be a super jerk to me and tell me to stop whining when you jab my foot with a needle, etc.

Now, in a normal situation, apologizing seven times in a row would seem excessive and obnoxious. This was no normal situation, so I tolerated the exorbitant apologies. It actually made me feel better. I almost felt bad to be in pain because he was so apologetic (even though it was a numbing shot, it still hurt. It was the bottom of my foot for crying out loud, the worst combination of pain and tickling EVER). But, next thing I knew, all feeling was gone and we were good to go. The only thing during the whole operation that weirded me out was the smell of burning flesh when Foot Doctor cauterized my wound (didn't hurt at least).

When the procedure was complete, Foot Doctor asked me if I wanted to see it. Wait now, what?! Kooky Doc wouldn't even tell me if my foot was bleeding, let alone allow me to LOOK AT IT!? He waited patiently while I took a picture:

The yellow stuff killed germs, it's not jaundice. Stop being
grossed out....lolz ok fine it is pretty nasty

Not only did Foot Doctor give me medicine to clean out this black hole of doom, but he also prescribed me pain medicine?!?!? That would have been unheard of in Kooky Doctor's office.

My experience with Foot Doctor was none other than excellent (aside from the fact that I'm on crutches during Christmas shopping season and my armpits are sore from said crutches). To the mom who recommended him to me over the summer at the pool, you were so right. Thank you! And thank you to Foot Doctor, for bringing light to this black hole of doom.

i choose you

I've had a very Pokemony semester this year.

It started out over the summer when I found the YouTube channel that had EVERY SINGLE POKEMON SEASON 1 EPISODE. I watched so much Pokemon it was ridiculous. Then they took it offline, and I was sad.
Visited Marisa at her house. What did we do? We watched Pokemon, of course (we also hung out in D.C. and went to Georgetown Cupcakes...nbd).
Went to the beach. Marisa came, too (should I say I had a very Marisa semester?). We played Pokemon scrabble, colored Pokemon pictures and got Pokemon tattoos (not to mention Pokemon pillow talk). So good.

Came back home and searched the internet for more of Season 1. Found it.

Went to college. Saw that the guy's hall had Pokemon door tags. I was super jelly (so was Marisa) so we asked our RA if we could also have Pokemon door tags. She asked us if we'd be interested in having a dorm-wide Pokemon battle...of course we were all up on that idea. Little did we know how crazy things would get...
I ended up being stuck with Jynx, which is probably in the top two ugliest Pokemon EVER (ok, probably number one but I wanted to be nice). I don't feel like explaining the game because I sacrificed myself early on so Marisa could gain more points (I'm a great friend and also had lots of exams and work those few weeks) and wasn't directly involved. To see Marisa's account of it, read here.

One day, we had a fire alarm go off at 6:15 a.m. For some odd reason, I was wide awake and ready to start my day. When we were permitted to go back indoors, I went straight for the piano room. I called my friend, Adam, who also lives in my complex, to come jam with me. What did we decide to play? (Please take into consideration that these are our morning voices)

ignore the fact that I look disoriented

My 21st birthday was fast approaching. I decided to have a Pokemon coloring party, which btw was an outrageous success. One of my friends even got me my very own Pikachu who sometimes joined us for lunch!!

Then it was Halloween. I decided to use my art skillz to carve a Pikapumpkin.

Who could forget that December is Pokemon Prof Pic Month! I chose Ninetails, the most elegant of them all. Not to mention the fact that she's a cougar.










I think my pride and joy of the semester, though, would have to be the Pikapancake. Nothing much has to be said about this masterpiece, it speaks for itself.

One of my friends recently gave me Pokemon Fire Red, Mac edition. You better believe the second I get home from the Optometry Admissions Test on January 10th, you can find me at my computer, reverting back to my childhood ways.


Judge me all you want, but if you are a 90s kid and you weren't a girly girl, you'd be right here with me. ijs

controversially uncontroversial

Although some of the following list (or all of it) may be silly, the joys I've gotten out of each item/person on the list surpasses any embarrassment that may accompany it.

Skinny Jeans
Pros

• When you wear boots, there is not as much awkward bunching
• They fit better than other styles

Cons

• You can't really wear shoes (aside from boots) that require socks with them. It looks ridiculous
• They make you look disproportional sometimes

Uggs
Pros

• They are SO COMFORTABLE. They feel like pillows for you feet
• They keep your feet nice in toasty when you are in Germany during the winter

Cons

• They are ugly as sin
• They aren't water proof (unless you paint the stuff on them, and even then...)
• They make you feet stiiiink
• Sometimes they are too warm and very difficult to take off

Justin Bieber

Pros

• He's got swag
• He's easy on the eyes (...lolz)
• He plays SO MANY INSTRUMENTS (and well)
• He's good at soccer
• He's good at basketball
• He has a good voice
• He can dance

Cons

• He eats donuts out of the trash can (watch the movie)

Snuggie
Pros

• They keep your arms warm without restricting use
• They has two pockets
• They come in stylish colors/patterns (I have leopard print)

Cons

• Dumb commercials

Turbie Twist
Pros

• They are small and don't take up much room
• They keep your hair from dripping down your back
• They come in stylish colors/patterns (I have giraffe spots)

Cons

• They start smelling weird after about 4 uses, but then again so do most towels

Blogging
Pros

• You can be silly and not worry about a teacher giving you a bad grade
• You can pretend you're a famous writer
• You can share your thoughts with the world
• You can make new friends (maybe...)

Cons

• It is not always anonymous, you can get yourself in trouble
• It is addicting
• Sometimes it takes forever to write, especially when you're busy

Jeggings
Pros

• See skinny jeans
• They bunch even less than skinny jeans
• They don't feel like uncomfortable jean material
• You can sleep in them and be comfy
• They look like normal pants

Cons

• They show the outline if your knees
• They are difficult to get over your heels

The word "lolz"
Pros

• It puts more emphasis on "lol"
• It looks sillier
• It's kind of fun to say

Cons

• It is not a real acronym (laughing out loud zebra?)

Twitter
Pros

• It's like a single-lined blog
• It's not as creepy as Facebook 
• It's not as much of a time suck as Facebook
• I can use it on my old school flip phone

Cons

• When your friends don't follow you
• Only 140 characters

I hope I've shed some light on these dark, dark topics. If you try them, you may like them :P

bathroom haikus

My sophomore year of college, I was in a building that had suite-styled rooms. My roommate and I shared a bathroom with another roommate pair. We could decorate it however we wanted, so obviously we taped up pieces of paper and a pen next to the toilet for some bathroom graffiti (without the vandalism charge). In my sociology class, my professor was talking about silly haiku graffiti. I shared this with my roommate and suite-mates. The four of us, in addition to all of our visiting, bathroom-using friends, compiled hundreds of haikus. I was cleaning my room earlier, and I found the haiku sheets. Enjoy :P

The door swings open
Footsteps seen beneath the stall
Poop interrupted

Haikus on the wall
Staring at them all day long
Constipation sucks

Seventeen kernels
I haven't had corn in weeks
Oh, the mystery

I need to do work
One thing is holding me back
I bet you can guess

Running to the dorm
I might just go in my pants
Accidents happen

Charmin Ultra Soft
Best decision in the world
My butt is smiling

TP's getting low
If you use the last of it
You need to change it

A long line of sheets
Follows me down the hallway
"Off my shoe, TP!"

Tea goes right through me
Feeling like an old lady
Constantly peeing

Shower is running
While I sit on the potty
I feel so wasteful

2 poops in one day
3 would have been a record
I'll try tomorrow

My legs fall asleep
When I am on the potty
For a long-ish time

Coffee this morning
Haven't finished my cup yet
Now the bathroom calls

Toilet paper gone
This is a huge disaster
Let's go to Costco!

Someone is waiting
For me in my room right now
I couldn't hold it

Study while sitting
Yay for printers and paper
Time management skills

Dinner was lovely
Two Chipotle burritos
Regretting it now

I peed on the seat
I'm hoping it dries quickly
For my roommate's* sake
*One of our friends came to visit us so much that he was referred to as our third roommate...he's so gross

When I have to pee
I forget to wash my hands
Then I write haikus
...third roommate again. Disgusting.

(in response to ^)
You are disgusting
The author of that haiku
It must be a boy

Handle makes it flush
'Round and round the water goes
Tornado in a bowl

To the porcelain god
I offer my humble gift
Pray thee accept it

Back from break early
Mom wouldn't write a haiku
She's such a fart face

Biochem test Wed.
I really need to study
Instead of pooping

Sitting here so long
My feet have fallen asleep
I hope I don't too

Had to go so bad
Finished before writing this
Called the "Prairie Dog"

Pinched off too early
Waiting for rest to come out
Such a waste of time

Fear of biochem
Causing more frequent peeing
Don't have time for this

Real girls do not poop
They peep marshmallow-y fluff
Only boys poop

Stomach really hurts
I'm sitting here forever
Need a magazine

I want soft T.P.
It makes my butt so happy
Your turn to get it

Orgo tomorrow
Reading notes while sitting here
I want to go home

T.P. rationing
Until winter break arrives
Only 4 more days!

Letting it all out
Easiest way to lose weight
Just lost seven pounds

Started the shower
Sitting on the potty now
Waste of H20

I finally peed
It was asparagusy
Merw...worst smell ever

I had English Tea
Before my tests this morning
Paying for it now

Party while I poop
My suite-mate and roommate here
I feel so awkward

Just cleaned the potty
Makes my pee pee look greenish
That's not natural

Freak-a-leakin out
Literally leaking now
Last final at 9!


There were many more, but these were the best and bathroom related.

Authors are not listed due to privacy restrictions

it's free

I used to be all about some free stuff. Now, my opinions have changed.

The day after my birthday, I had a doctor's appointment because I had been having unbearable migraines.

Now I've never been professionally diagnosed with migraines, but this is the feeling I get: I just ate a large dinner. An angry, angry ice fisherman is chasing me all around Alaska. After I'm good and tired, not to mention nauseated, he catches me, pins me down, and shoves an ice pick into my forehead. The sun is shining so brightly and is reflecting off of the snow. While this is all happening, there is a small creature inside of my head, trying to escape. He decides to throw a party and blow up lots of balloons, so many balloons that they don't all fit. There is so much pressure inside of my head that my eyeballs almost fall out.

As you can imagine, it's very pleasant.

So I told the doctor about it. She asked me lots of questions, told me to take lots of vitamins, and then said the most heartbreaking 10-worded sentence I've heard in a very long time, if not my entire life:

"I'm going to put you on a gluten free diet."

I'm like, psh yeah right that's totally not what's wrong with me. I'm not listening to you. I'll just eat whatever I want, whenever I want. Because I do what I want.

I actually listened at first, but then Marisa made cupcakes. If you've never had one of her cupcakes, I am so sorry. They were decorated as pokeballs. I couldn't resist. I ate one. It was delicious to the max. (I also had some chicken noodle soup that my RA shared with me along with a small piece of Mo's brownie).

The next morning, I woke up with one of the worst headaches of my life. I honestly thought my eyeballs were going to fall out if I didn't hold them in. I took my migraine medicine and it was fine 30 minutes later, but I refused to believe that the cupcake (and other stuff) caused it.

A few days later, I was at a friend's house eating some dinner. I was offered a beer and I'm like, it's legal, I'm 21, beer probs doesn't have much wheat in it anyways (I'm in denial), sure. WRONG. I woke up the next morning with a headache that could kill death itself. You may be thinking, oh Katie you were probably hungover. Nope. The headache went away when I took the magical migraine medicine. Plus, I don't think after one I'd be in THAT much pain. That's when I decided I probably should just suck it up and listen to my doctor.

It's been a super rough and depressing journey, but luckily I have friends who have (for the most part) made it better.

Supportive things my friends have done for me:
Bought me gluten free groceries
Made me gf cupcakes
Gotten up early and made gf pancakes with me for breakfast
Sent me different gf recipe links

Not-so-supportive things my "friends" have done to me:
Laughed at me when there were carnival cookies at the dining hall and I couldn't have any
Offered me cake (or other gluten-infested foods) and then were like, "Oh wait, you can't have this! Lolz!"
Tell me how much they love to eat gluten
Offered me bars of gluten

I'm all about some free things, but only when "free" means "costs no money." Not "lack of insert delicious ingredient such as gluten."

rock you like a hurricane

So last week I got a phone call saying that the dorms would be closing and it would be a good idea if we evacuated campus because of hurricane Irene (side note: My great-grandmother was named Irene. Whenever I heard anything about the terrible Hurricane Irene coming, I just thought of a sweet old lady sneaking the pickle juice from the top of the cabinet, where my grandparents hid it from her so she wouldn't drink it.). I was like, well ok I can leave now since I have my car. But then I remembered I had to work from 7:30-9:30 that night, so there went that plan of escaping 64 traffic (every time I see 64, I think nintendo). Then I decided that the only reasonable solution was to leave by 6 the next morning. I guess I had forgotten that I'm not a morning person.

Curtain rod, bin lids, and duct tape.
Totally worked.

When I got home from work and working out that night, I packed and prepared my room for the worst. I finally got to bed a little after midnight. On a normal night, that's not too terrible. On a night where I had to wake up at 5:30 the next morning, that's awful.

I woke up on time the next morning and was out of there by 6. Success! Or not. I was so stinking tired that I decided the only way I would possibly make it home alive was if I stopped on the side of the road and took a nap in the back of my car. So I did. Except I stopped in a parking lot, because for some reason that seemed safer...ish.

I was in the middle of a dream where my friend, Isabel, was cooking dinner for lots of people. Both the appetizer and main meal were shrimp, and she was cooking them in the toaster. I thought that was such a great idea. Then I woke up and realized that it wasn't very practical, but kind of wanted to try it. Still do.

Anyways, I should have slept longer than 30 minutes, but I decided since I was in a parking lot in my car using my dirty laundry as a pillow, I'd be better off getting home and sleeping in my own bed. And I did. I got home around 10 a.m. and slept until about 4 p.m.

my (third) first week of college

You'd think by now I'd have it down pat...

8/19/11
- 8:30 a.m. - leave for college.
- 11:45 a.m. - arrive at college.
- 4:30 p.m. - realize I've forgotten my pillow. Emily let me borrow hers when I spent the night at her place.
8/20/11
- 1:30 a.m. - fire alarm goes off.
- 6:45 a.m. - help the freshman move in while wearing a super sassy zebra printed bandana.
- 1:30 p.m. - go to take a shower and realize I've forgotten body wash and a wash cloth. I use hand soap. It worked.
- 2:30 p.m. - realize I've also forgotten my hand towel.
- 5:30 p.m. - Target run with Mae, Emily, and Sloan. I buy a pillow, socks, body wash, hand towel, and a wash cloth (~$40)
- 8ish p.m. - realize I've forgotten my over the door coat hanger.
- 8:30ish p.m. - realize I've forgotten cups, plates, and silverware.
8/21/11
- 9:00 a.m. - realize I forgot my mirror.
- 2:30 p.m. - realize I want to have a clock for my desk. I have the perfect one...at home.
- at some point that evening, made another Target run. Bought a cup and a mirror (~$20).
8/22/11
- 7:00 p.m. - realize I've forgotten my snuggie.
- 7:03 p.m. - text my mom a list of things I've forgotten. She informs me that I've also forgotten my retainer.
8/24/11
- 9:00 a.m. - staff meeting at the rec. Realize I've forgotten a beach towel.
- 1:30ish p.m. - walked from the rec to a pool. Missed the earthquake. Was super disappointed.
8/25/11
- 5:15 a.m. - wake up to go to work. Realize I've forgotten my work flip flops.
- 9:00 a.m. - first class of junior year. Learn about anatomy things.
- 10:00 a.m. - second class of junior year. Sit next to Kim and Elisa. Learn about statistical things.
- 11:00 a.m. - get lunch and check for package of things I forgot. No package.
- 1:00 p.m. - call mom. She says she just mailed the package about an hour ago. No wonder I didn't get it earlier.
- 2:00 p.m. - third class of junior year. Finally get my supply list. Realize I have many of those supplies. At home.
8/26/11
- 9:30 a.m. - fourth class of junior year. Learn about spiders and other gross things.
- 3:54 p.m. - receive text that The College is being evacuated. Try to call my mom. So many other people decided it would be a good idea to use their phones, too, that I couldn't get through. I finally did. Made plans to go home the next morning.

I had my mom send me a package of things I forgot; I made numerous trips to the store to purchase other things that I forgot. And then I was sent home. Where I could have brought back the things I forgot...at no additional charge...

This is why I'm glad my head is securely attached to my body. Otherwise, I'd probably forget it, too.

things that bother me

• the way my hair feels after using Garnier Fructis shampoo/conditioner
• grape juice
• going to the bathroom
• pet names
• showering (although it's become much more tolerable since I've cut my hair)
• firm mattresses
• the color yellow
• standing up in one position for a long time
• the segment of time between waking up and brushing my teeth
• hazelnut creamer
• teriyaki sauce
• eggs
• the smell of Cheez-its
• Katy Perry's voice
• cheaters
• soy milk
• super fluffy pillows
• Rihanna
• insulation touching my skin
• the foamy-looking mold that grows on mulch
• cleaning up dog poop
• the word scrumptious
• watching people put on deodorant/people watching me put on deodorant
• mayonnaise (this would be at the top of my list but I didn't want to give it the satisfaction of putting it at the top of any list)
• the thought of mayonnaise getting on my skin/under my fingernails/touching me at all
• country music (except T Swizzle)
• people who don't wash their hands
• the word barf
• working out shoulder muscles
• crocs
• the song "Rollin' in the Deep"
• when people say they hate coconut
• the smell of cloves
• slamming doors
• people who disrespect me or other people
• Deer Park water (unless it's the flavored sparkling kind)
• hugging people while wearing bathing suits, especially in the hot weather
• people touching my neck and or shoulders
• unnecessary contact (especially the time between waking up and brushing teeth)
• night driving
• knowing that if I don't do laundry today that I won't have any undies to wear tomorrow
• having popcorn kernels stuck in my teeth
• knowing there is a mouse in my room
• no toilet paper in the bathroom
• going to bed past my bedtime
• powder fresh scented deodorant
• hearing people chew their food
• the word vom

trains, tours, and farewells (vlog)

The last video of my first vlogging weekend. We met up with my friend, Ethan, dropped Marisa off at the station, and then we toured his house. Also, I got my friendship bracelet secured on my wrist!

global positioning systems (vlog)

As I was taking Marisa to the train station, we discussed our opinions of GPSs (not sure if I correctly pluralized that?).

cops, broken bridges, and birthdays (vlog)

While driving Marisa to the train station, we decided to vlog again.

my first vlogging experience

Marisa and I went to the beach this past week, and we decided to try vlogging to entertain ourselves on the car ride home.

Here is her first experience at Bojangles.

Here's the rest of the trip (sort of).

katie dreams, episode 5

I missed class on Wednesday, but it was ok because the same class was offered on Thursday, it was just a little bit longer than the Wednesday class but it was fine. We were on chapter 5. Except every chapter 5 in every single text book at school was messed up! It was just torn out of the books, so we obviously couldn't learn. Then, this bat started flying around the class. I caught it in my hands. It was a vampire bat with a Phantom of the Opera mask on (it was a full mask rather than the typical half-mask), so I booked out of that classroom so quickly and hauled tail to the door to let it out. When I got back to class, the door was locked and the teacher wasn't letting anyone back in that left the room. But since I saved everyone from getting rabies from that bat, I was allowed to reenter. We were split up into pairs to clothe the Barbie dolls. I had to convince this little girl that the outfits were cute. We ended up settling on this black and red dress that was quite fancy. I woke up before we got a chance to put it on her :(

handshakes, hugs, and humiliation

There are many reasons why I consider myself one of the most awkward people in the world. Yesterday, for example.

I was just doing my whole intern thing, entering data into the computer for Eye Doctor. This particular patient was no different than any other. He was an elderly man - not too old, probably in his late 60s early 70s. He was very nice. When we were all finished in the exam room, he extended his arm to shake Eye Doctor's hand. He turned to me and extended his arm, so I just figured he wanted to shake my hand, too.

"Well, that's not what I meant," he said to me after I shook his hand. His arm was still out.

I was kind of weirded out. I had never met this man in my life before and he wanted to give me a hug? Whatever makes the patient happy, I guess. I gave him a hug, and it was super awkward.

"That's not what I meant either, I was just offering to let you leave the room first," he said.

Oops.

katie dreams, episode 4

I was at my neighbor's house. I had blisters all over my toes, and a few on my chin, and a huge one ON MY EYE BALL!?!?! It was awful, but I had to pop it. I couldn't touch it or use a pin, what if I accidentally poked all the way through to my eyeball? So the obvious solution was to squeeze my eyelids as tightly as I could. It worked, but it made my foot start leaking. I was so scared to look, so I made my mom look for me. "What's wrong with me!?" I asked. "OMG Katie you have pink poison!" she cried. This was a disaster! I needed to call my cousin, Allie, to see how we could fix it. She knows the treatment to every single illness, ever. Or at least the ones dealing with feet, she's studying to become a podiatrist (in real life she's in audiology, not quite sure how the two are related). I called her up, and she was like "Katie, why are you bothering me? Why can't you just Google it?" I knew she would say that, so I already had the webpage up. But before it loaded, Allie told me that the only thing I could do was to hold a cool, wet rag over my forehead and hope for the best. Basically, I would die. I was so scared.

the chair in room 20

The chair in eye exam room # 20 is so comfortable that I wrote a poem about it.

Room 20's my favorite, and I'll tell you why
The chair in the corner's so comfy, no lie
After standing up tall for what seems like twelve hours
Sitting there on the pillow lets me regain my powers
It makes me want to fall fast asleep
It's cause I'm not using either of my feet
If women are patients, my heart does tear
When I see their purses sitting on the chair
That's why men patients are my favorite
They leave the chair empty, so that I may sit
It's like I'm on a cloud that's puffy and white
It makes my buns smile, such a delight
Day after day I want to take the chair home
I think it's as comfy as memory foam
Each day that I leave it, I let out a sigh
See you tomorrow, I tell it good bye.

only the best and brightest allowed

While I was on my quest to try and figure out Google+, I came across this message:

– An important note about Field Trial –

You're a part of a small group of people who are helping to test Google+. When you share something with people who are not yet able to use Google+, they will receive it via email but won't be able to comment or engage with the content like other Google+ users. They'll be able to join Google+ as we let more users in over time.


This is how I interpreted it:

– An important note about Field Trial –

You're a part of an elite group of people who are so awesome that we are asking you to help test Google+. We want your approval before we can possibly allow anyone else to use this social networking site. When you share something with people who are not yet awesome enough to use Google+, they will receive it via email but won't be able to comment or engage with the content like other Google+ users because, honestly, they just don't make the cut. They'll be able to join Google+ as we lower our standards over time.

katie dreams, episode 3

I was Skyping with a friend, Alex, from elementary/middle school, when it started to storm. It was a pretty hardcore storm. So hardcore that a lightning bolt struck the bird feeder right outside of my kitchen window! As the feeder went up in flames, I shouted to my dad that he should so something! He was like, uuhhh, and walked upstairs. I had to take matter into my own hands because my mom was doing the dishes. Luckily for me, she had just finished filling up a watering can and a pitcher with water. I told Alex hold on, grabbed the water containers, and went outside to extinguish the flame. It took two trips to extinguish completely, but I prevailed in the end. Inside the bird feeder, we found three birds. Two words: rigor mortis. They were struck by the lightning and killed, it was sad. At least our outdoor fish in the cruise ship fish tank were still alive. The guy who installed the fish tank, however, did a terrible job, so the water circulation was a failure. This resulted in miniature lampreys attaching to the sides of our fish, sucking out their guts (one of the many reasons I hate lampreys). My dad came outside and tried to swipe the lampreys off of our fish, but I woke up before I found out the fate of our swimming friends. Or I had the chance to say goodbye to Alex.

Then, it was snowing. I was in a strange town. Marisa and I wanted to go sledding, the hills were fantastic. As we approached the hills, we saw that they sloped at a 90 degree angle and were actually really tall buildings. I was like, no way Jose I am not going down those hills. Marisa was like, come on Katie don't be a wimp. I was like, ok fine. We began our journey up the hill. I'm not sure what happened next, but we ended up crashing into an a cappella concert. Oops. Then, we saw this arts program going on with very questionable things happening. I walked away and entered into this contest; whoever could translate the sub titles of foreign movies the fastest won a prize. I beeped in first and answered "November 6." Not sure what the movie was or what it had to do with November 6, but I won.

katie dreams, episode 2

This dream began in my dorm room, which was actually on the 34th floor of a world-class hotel, nbd. I went out on my balcony with my friend, Devon, when all of a sudden, we saw Katy Perry jump over the waterfall. What the heck, Katy Perry, why would you do that? We followed her by jumping down the waterfall, and as we struggled to keep up with her blazing pace, she shouted back to us "I'm hiking around the entire world!" She darted over lots of rocks in her hiking boots, but we were like, "No, Katy Perry, you can't go that fast. You'll get tired too quickly!" But in an instant, she was gone. It kind of annoyed us, since we had to go all the way back up 34 flights of stairs. We decided to take the elevator. The jerks on the elevator didn't hold it for us, but luckily the handicapped button brought the elevator back down. Devon decided to take the stairs. I decided that he was crazy. I pushed the button that said "All the way to the top (34)" and began the ascension to my room. This girl got on and was very confused because there was no button for the 48th floor, so she got out and took the stairs.

I got off the elevator right in front of the fresh smoothie bar, which was totally fine with me. For some reason, we were all outside now, and I was in the pool. All of a sudden, a shower of tiny, fingernail-sized bullets rained all over us. Luckily, when the bullets hit the water, they were useless and couldn't kill us. We were like, what the heck people from overseas, why are you attacking America!? I made it to the lifeguard room safely. The news people said that we weren't going to fight back to show our peacefulness. They were weary of the rebellious teenagers fighting back, though. I decided to make a smoothie, watermelon and blueberry. Strange combo, but it was delicious nonetheless. Especially when I put it in a coconut shell. We may be under terrorist attack, but at least I was enjoying my smoothie.

rock-a-bye, tummy

I've read multiple articles where they tell you not to eat dinner/heavy foods less three hours before you go to bed. Makes sense, but never would I have thought the repercussions were deadly. Am I sick? Maybe. Am I crazy? Probably. I'm just stating the facts, so it's up to you to believe me when I say my stomach needs a bed time.

Pancake House. Spring semester 2011. (side note: pancake house is something my InterVarsity chapter does for the college where we make thousands of pancakes for the entire campus on the last day of classes. Some of the people are very, very drunk.) We were cleaning up, but there were extra pancakes. I hadn't eaten any all night, so of course I had to have some. Three. Three measly chocolate chip pancakes at 12:45 a.m. were what did me in. They were delicious, but they were absolutely NOT worth throwing up my guts the next morning. Heaving in a trash can in the ceramics studio at 10 in the morning is not a pleasant situation to be in, especially if someone walks in while the near-death experience is happening. Luckily for me, she was nice and got me a cup of water and helped me put my things away. She probably assumed I was hungover out of my mind. I was too sick to explain that I ate pancakes after my stomach's bed time...hey, it's a believable story...no. I was bed-ridden the rest of the day (not to mention robbed from a whole day's worth of finals studying). As I laid in bed, nauseated at the thought of moving, I vowed to never eat food that close to bed time ever again. If only I stuck to that promise...

Summer. July 5-6, 2011. It was two-job-Tuesday, where I worked from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m.; my only break was driving from the pool to the gym. That meant I had to eat dinner when I returned home, around 8:30. This normally wouldn't have been a problem, but since I was out in the sun all day, working at the pool, and then playing with wild children at the gym for three and a half hours, I was beat. I crashed at 10, not even thinking that my food hadn't had time to digest (I haven't mastered the whole digest quickly thing yet) before I slipped off into a sea of wild dreams (my boss's 7th grade son in my college history class, baking gluten-free rocket ship cupcakes with my sister's friend, over cooking bacon so much that it turned into crackers that I used to make a bluish-colored gravy for omelets...hm). I woke up the next morning feeling fine, at least for the first 20 minutes of being awake. Then it hit me. My stomach turned for the worst, but I sucked it up and went to work. Long story short, I left at noon when I couldn't stand anymore. I was so nauseated I wanted to cry. I made it home, ate lunch, and took a 4 hour nap (for some reason, lunch has no effect on me). I got up to go to the gym, but I was still sick to my stomach, so I watched Iron Chef America instead. It is now11:54 p.m., 5 hours and 9 minutes after dinner. I should be good to go, but I might stay up for a few more minutes, just in case...

my best friend

I went to the lake this past weekend. It was a blast. My neighbors own this GORGEOUS house on the lake, and allowed us to stay there FO FREE, nbd.

Upon walking through the door, I was blown away. Mile high ceilings, classily matching furniture and decor, bedrooms the size of football fields, it was crazy. The doc was nonetheless impressive as well. It was as big as an Olympic swimming pool, not including the outdoor kitchen, hot tub, and house boat. We were living in luxury. For the weekend, at least.

Em and I shared one of the living room-sized bedrooms. The king-sized bed was fit for...well, a king. We could both be sprawled out and not come close to touching one another. As we settled down, said our good-nights, and began to drift off, I noticed something was wrong. Even though I was not three feet away from my baby sister, I felt alone and scared. I sat up in bed, and she asked me what was wrong. I could barely choke out the words:

"I don't have Bear."

We tried everything (or at least what we had available to us), but nothing seemed to feel right beside me like Bear did. I ended up holding a pillow, but it wasn't the same. I woke up numerous times in the night, miserable out of my mind. Sure, the bed was nice and the temperature was lovely, but I didn't have the perfect fit of Bear in my arms.

I have had Bear since seventh grade, when my friend got him for me for Christmas, and he has been there for me ever since. I can't seem to fall asleep as well when Bear is missing, so I take him wherever I go. Unless I forget him (which only happens when he falls off of my bed right before trips and I can't find him). Sure, make fun of me as much as you want. That won't stop me from falling asleep within three minutes of closing my eyes.

Here are some pictures of Bear from my past two years of college. I have made red arrows to help you find him more easily.

Here, Bear joins me and my room-
mate as we try to be gangster.
Spring '11

Here, Bear joins me and an anonymous
friend as we take part in facials.
Spring '11

Here, Bear joins me and my room-
mate as we say goodbye for the summer
Spring '11

Here, Bear witnesses the giving of
Chan's goodbye present. What
is it, you may ask? A bear!
Fall '10

Here, Bear joins me and Bailey as we
take a nap, exhausted from freshman
orientation!
Fall '09

Here, Bear relaxes on my bed in
anticipation for snuggle time later
that evening.
Fall '09

Here, Bear is being held by my friend,
Carolyn, at camp!
Summer '10

Here, Bear is waiting patiently
on my bed for bed time.
Spring '11

As you can see, Bear is an important part of my life. He is there when I need him the most. So Bear, this is for you: I will try with all of my might never to leave you home alone again.

I need you like a heart needs a beat, but it's nothing new.
I just hope it's not too late to apologize for
forgetting to bring you with me to my lake adventure.

just when I thought I could relax...

...Walmart goes and rearranges everything.

The other day, I went to Walmart. Hand trucks were being pushed around, fork lifts were cutting people off, it was a mess. At least three ladies shared my look of bewilderment as I searched, aisle by aisle, dodging fork lift after fork lift, for glue. What should have been a ten minute endeavor turned into an hour-long wild goose chase. Why the heck did Walmart feel the need to rearrange the ENTIRE store? One of my co-workers told me the manager told her that it was too plain the way it was. It's Walmart, for crying out loud, it doesn't need to be fancy. I think they just did it to keep people there longer, thus making more money. If customers have to search aimlessly for hours, they would be more likely to buy more things. It's smart, but at the same time freaking obnoxious to those of us who like to spend as little time shopping as possible.

Sure, change is good, but not when everything is perfectly fine just the way it is.

random thought of the day (6/22)

The dressing rooms at Sears smell like smarties. Just thought everyone should know.

katie dreams, episode 1

I have wild and crazy dreams sometimes, and last night was no exception.

I was at the beach with my friend, Rachel (yes, the one who had the graduation party), and we were body surfing. I felt something hard in the sand, so I dug it up. It was a something that was part horse shoe crab part dog. It was lost, so we found it's owner on Facebook. She was in her mid-40s and lived in Connecticut (even though her area code was 919, which is the area code for North Carolina...?). I called her up and let her know we found her horse-shoe-dog, and she told us just to hang out with him for the rest of the day and let him go at night. He would eventually find his way home. I was like, oh heck no we can't leave this little guy all alone at the beach! Rachel and I decided to keep him. We named him Roy.

so much for sleeping

As I was searching YouTube for old episodes of Pokemon, and failing, I rediscovered my favorite childhood tv show, Even Stevens. Instead of going to bed early, I watched four episodes. It was great. So great, actually. I laughed a lot out loud. I'll probably be asked by my mom tomorrow morning if I was on the phone because she heard me laughing. No, mommy, I was just watching Even Stevens. She'll totally understand. That show used to be a family favorite, until Disney stopped airing it.

All I've wanted for Christmas the past a lot of years is for a box set of all of the complete seasons, but no. You can't find them ANYWHERE (Ok I found it on this one site, but it was super sketch and mom didn't trust them. I was still willing to risk it since it was only $15...). Tonight (it should have been WAY sooner), I finally realized that YouTube was the answer to my prayers. Thank you, YouTube, for providing me with an outlet to reach my favorite childhood television program at my convenience.

So much for sleeping anymore...

opposable thumbs rock...when they work

I entered the waiting room for what seemed like the hundredth time. Today, there was one other person waiting. I checked in and sat down. Lucky magazine was to my left, so I read it to get my mind off what was to come, even though lucky was the opposite of what I felt. A couple entered the waiting room. No one offered any hint of a smile. The room, although brightly colored, was as gloomy as a rainy winter evening. The man that had gotten there before me was called back. We all gave him a sympathetic nod as he passed through the door of misery.

Hours passed (or five minutes). The tension was growing with each second. The door opened. My name was called. I slowly put my magazine down, accepted the sympathy nod from the couple that had entered after I had, and walked through the door. The world seemed to be passing by in slow motion as I walked down the hallway to a place I had become all too familiar with over the years. I had previously vowed never to return, but here I was.

Nurse was nice, but I knew better than to trust her gentle smile and small talk. She shoved a metal thermometer down my ear. I heard a beep, and she smiled at me and said, "Good." Then, she suffocated my arm with the blood pressure pump thing. The room started moving around, but I choked back the tears and avoided passing out. I knew I had to be brave, especially since my mother wasn't there to protect me. Nurse took a sharpie and drew on my thumb and foot, which tickled so much. I almost kicked her, but I thought I might get in trouble. Even if it was involuntary. She left the room, only to return a few short moments later with a very nice camera. She took pictures of her sharpie drawings on my body. Then my face. I didn't know whether to smile or not. I was not happy, but I decided to smile anyways. I probably looked like an evil genius plotting something devious. Oh well. She left again.

Less than two moments later, Nurse re-entered and asked me if it would be ok, instead of freezing my warts off with liquid nitrogen, if they could numb the areas and "scrape" the warts away. She assured me that it wasn't as bad as it sounded. I was hesitant, but finally complied. She covered my stomach with this sheet - it was a mixture of cotton and plastic, so blood wouldn't get on my clothes. As if I wasn't nervous enough already. The stuffiness of the sheet made me start sweating.

Doctor entered the room holding a needle and a bottle of anesthesia. A single tear rolled down my cheek. The first thing he asked me when he came into the room: "Where's your mom?"

....

In his defense, my mom is usually with me when I have these kinds appointments because I'm a huge baby and I don't want to be by myself. She was out of town picking up my sister, so obviously she could not come with me.
I was still creeped out.

Doctor was so mean. Whenever I asked questions, he replied with, "Nurse, tell Katie to stop talking to me. Nurse, Katie is talking to me. Nurse, Katie is bothering me." He was being an obnoxious 4-year-old. Forrealz, Doctor, I have made it very clear to you that I am terrified out of my mind, at least don't be difficult.

Nurse had to hold down my foot so Doctor could numb it. When I flinched (cause who wouldn't flinch when they're getting a shot in the foot?), Doctor was like, "Now don't you do that," in a stern voice like he was talking to a dog. How rude. When I asked if I was bleeding, he told me, "Well if you were, what would you do about it?" I wanted to punch him, but decided against it since he was using a sharp tool to shovel out chunks of my skin. Doctor with a sharp tool is very scary.

I don't really remember any more of the traumatic experience; I do, however, think I am suffering from a mild case of PTSD. Or not. It's more like a surgery hangover. And it is awful. I have never appreciated feet or opposable thumbs more in my life than I do now.

katie's ultimate coffeeish recipes

I am not a morning person. This presents a problem as I enter the big girl world and have an 8-5 (ok, it's only three days a week and Tuesdays I work until 12:30...but still). The past few days at work have been wonderful, yet challenging, since 8:00 a.m. is quite early to be interacting with people. That's why this morning, I decided to fix myself coffeeish (I find coffee absolutely disgusting without proper additions. By the time I have finished adding all of my ingredients, it's no longer fair to call it coffee).

Katie's College Blend
If I am in dire need of coffee while I am at school, aka finals week, this is what I rely on.
1/4 cup of French Roast (any kind will do, I just think French roast smells the best)
1/4 cup of hot chocolate (if the hot chocolate machine is out of order, use chocolate milk)
5-6 sugar packets (sugar goes first since it's MUCH easier to dissolve in a hot beverage than a cold one)
1/4 cup of French Vanilla creamer
1/4 cup of chocolate ice cream (if the ice cream machine is out of order, which it frequently is, you're just out of luck on the extra froth. Compensate with chocolate milk)
Fill another cup about half way with ice. Pour in coffeeish mix. Stir. Enjoy!

Katie's Home Blend
Since we don't have the same ingredients at home as I do at school, this is what I make.
1 small cup (we have a Keurig - it's amazing!) of whatever type of coffee that seems most appealing to me that day (usually French vanilla)
1 1/2 heaping spoonfuls of sugar
A pour (until the drink turns into a creamy tan color, or, if you really don't like coffee, until the cup is almost full) of International Delight's French Vanilla creamer (NOT hazelnut. That makes my tummy hurt. Half and Half works well as a substitute. Or milk.)
1-2 scoops of chocolate ice cream (if you only have vanilla, also add a packet of hot chocolate mix. No hot chocolate mix? Chocolate syrup. Basically any type of chocolate works.)
Fill another cup about half way with ice. Pour in coffeeish mix. Stir. Enjoy!

These recipes probably provide an even more effective way of waking up - the absurd amount of added sugar gives you enough of a rush to last until late in the afternoon, and by then, you're already awake enough to finish your day. If not, make more!

the pressure's on...you feel it

There are plenty of things that get me nervous. Most of which are quite trivial. This particular nerve-wracking activity, though, is one of the more serious endeavors. What is it, you may ask?

Driving a car that contains a male-of-driving-aged passenger.

You may be thinking, "Wow, Katie, what is wrong with you?"

Women are already stigmatized as insufficient drivers. Even though I am a woman, I agree (if you think I am being insensitive toward my gender, just look up "female NASCAR drivers" on Wikipedia. Now look up "male NASCAR drivers" on Wikipedia...yeah). I'll admit, males>females in regards to driving. This is probably the stem of my neurological fear of operating a vehicle with a man in the car.

My thoughts when I'm driving in the presence of a man:

Eyes on the road...eyes on the road...but wait! I don't want to seem like I'm trying too hard...but I also don't want to wreck...but I have to look cool...but I also don't want to die...


Ok, a squirrel just ran in front of you, DO NOT FREAK OUT. Stay collected. It's not a big deal if you run it over, just STAY CALM. What did I tell you!? KATIE GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER AND STAY CALM!!!!!!! Wow. You are such an embarrassment.


I just know he's thinking about how much better of a driver he is than I am. Why can't he just give me a chance? It's not fair.


I hope I don't wreck. That would just prove to him never to trust me ever again behind the wheel.


Don't go too slow, he'll think you're a weenie. But also don't speed because then you'll get a ticket, giving him license to make fun of you the rest of your life. Or at least make you remember this moment.


Crap. I have no idea where I'm going. Why do I have to be so directionally challenged? He'll never let me drive again. But, that might not be all so bad...

Sure, I'm trying to protect my own dignity, but at the same time I must fight to thwart stigmatization of womankind. It's a duty that all of us women possess, but only few are able to uphold this arduous responsibility.

Yes, I may overreact sometimes, but let's face it. I'm a woman. It's what I do. Overreact, and have driving skills that are inferior to those of men.

katie visits the world. destination: germany

Background:
 Over winter break this year, I visited my friend, David, in Berlin, Germany. He lives there with his family. Me, Devon, Mitchell, and Kennis went to go see him. (I feel like a first grader typing those last few sentences, but whatever, it gets the point across.)

January 2, 2011  

Let's start this thing the night of January 1. I couldn't fall asleep for the life of me. I guess this is what jet lag will be like, maybe. Great. I haven't even left and I'm already feeling it. Well, I fell asleep only to be woken up from a nightmare about those stupid aliens from Independence Day, which I had watched with my family the night before. In the dream, those dumb things were hiding under my bed just waiting for the perfect moment to catch and eat me. When I woke up, I contemplated getting in bed with my parents, but two reasons stopped me. 1. I'm 20 years old and I should be able to realize that there are not, in fact, purple aliens under my bed. I am leaving for Germany in two days - I don't think David's parents would appreciate me climbing into bed with them. I just need to man up. 2. I was too lazy to get out of bed. So I fell back asleep.

7:15 came way too early, especially since I had wild and crazy dreams. Nothing too exciting happened on the car ride to the train station (Mitchell and I were riding the train to Devon’s house since our flight was out of DC and Devon lives there). Side note: we really need a new GPS since the death of Jane, our old, deceiving GPS. I was proud of my dad for pulling over and asking for directions. The train station was SO GHETTO. I was kind of scared for my life, especially when I saw the train. I was expecting some fancy bullet train, but no. It looked more like a rusty tube. I found Mitchell, and we entered the train of death.

I got a picture of the stinky lady!
Or at least her fro.

I’m on the train now. I keep getting alternating whiffs of body odor and cherry cough drops. I’m pretty sure it’s the large woman in front of me who can’t get comfortable so my tray-table thing keeps moving. A combination of that and the unsteadiness of the train is making me a bit nauseated. What I thought was a barf bag in front of me was actually a passenger safety instructions booklet. This could be a problem.   Ok, well I’m going back to Mitchell’s power woman playlist. I’m not really sure why Oops I Did it Again is on it. Mitchell says it screams more “I’m a slut” than “I’m a powerful woman.” I agree.

Devon picked us up from the train station with Justin (Justin didn’t go with us, he just lives in the area and wanted to hang out with us. I mean really, who blames him?). We played Just Dance 2, and Devon was pretty good. I should have practiced more...oh well. That night, we watched Miss Congeniality and Inception. I was really freaked out, so when it was over we watched an episode of Scrubs. It settled me a little, but I still had scary Inception dreams...or were they?

Ok, so all of the other entries are not this long. And I didn't write about the last two days, but it was mostly traveling so it doesn't really matter.

January 3, 2011

Target run - we wanted to get snacks for the plane ride. Unfortunately for me, I had eaten a rather large breakfast and was disgusted by the thought of food. I settled on rice cakes and gum. Shoot...I think I left that at Devon’s house (I’m on the plane now).

At the airport, Mitchell and I escaped the naked security pictures, but Devon wasn’t as fortunate. For the added cherry on top, he also got the pat down. Awesome. After we got through security, we called Kennis (she was flying out of Boston and would just meet us in Berlin). She was still packing. I hope she didn’t miss her flight. Right as I got off the phone, this crazy lady got us to take a survey.  She told Devon that he was a trouble maker. He told her that the club couldn’t handle us right now.

I'm not sure if this next entry was on January 3 or January 4. There was a time change somewhere in the mix. I think it was January 4th, oh well. Just be aware that at some point in the next section is the switch between January 3 and January 4.

On the plane...What’s up with the people sitting in front of me and not being able to sit still? The complementary eye patch and ear plugs were very nice. I probably got 2-3 hours of sleep, but with the time change you never know. When I woke up, I watched Toy Story 3. Everyone who ever told me about that movie said they cried. I did not cry. Maybe it was because I was angry that Devon kept poking me with his jacket sleeve while I was trying to sleep. He swears it wasn’t intentional, but I don’t believe him.

Paris finally came into view. It was quite foggy, so we decided that it was steam since Paris is the city of love. The airport was so sketchy. Devon spotted a vampire by his pasty-like skin. I was too tired to notice.

L-R: Kennis, Me, Mitchell,
Devon, David

David picked us up at the airport. I saw a lot of suitcases wrapped in Saran wrap...interesting (P.S. I found my gum). We rode the bus back to his apartment, ate lunch (rolls, cheese, jams, cookie butter) and then took a long nap until Kennis arrived. We explored some parks and the fairy tale fountain. Kennis was the first to fall. Whoever is next is a mystery to us, but everyone is slipping. We had spaghetti for dinner, which was good. Bedtime (or rather, anti-bedtime): 10 pm Berlin time, 4 pm US time.

January 5, 2011

Berlin Wall - The first part I saw was not what I was expecting. It was just a tall concrete slab, not what you see in pictures. Aka the East Side Gallery. That was so cool! Artists from all over were invited to paint on the wall. Some of the paintings made me uncomfortable, but overall it was a good experience.

For lunch we had currywurst. I decided it would have been better without the curry. I also had fries, a Fanta, and saw lots of fat pigeons. After lunch, we crossed the street. Some guy revved his engine at Mitchell. As he drove away, we saw him laughing. It was kind of funny.

Jewish Museum - The lady at the front gave us the student discount even though we all forgot our student ids. That was nice of her. There was this tunnel that ended up on the inside of a Levi’s exhibit. Devon and I sat there for a while. This one guy took a picture of the exhibit, but I don’t think he realized that we were there. Oops. There was this computer where we could leave comments, so Devon left the comment “hide yo kids hide yo wife”.  I said that I wished they had more escalators. We didn’t know that they’d be displayed on the scrolling sign through the lobby area. I found a 10 cent Polish coin on the ground at security.

Brandenburg Gate (right) - The light up trees were so pretty (left)! We saw the baby dangle hotel (Michael Jackson stayed there, if that helps anyone figure where we got the name from). We rode on a double decker bus, which was cool. 

January 6, 2011

Old National Gallery - lots of awesome paintings. My favorite was probably the still life of the fruit and the glass where you could see the reflection of the artist. I felt like the security guards were stalking me. There was a painting there that reminded me of the little boy in Shrek 4 who always said “Do the roar!”

For lunch, we went to Dömer. We had gyros; I wasn’t very impressed. They made my breath stink, which was unfortunate since I was wearing a scarf over my face. I smelt every burp.

The Berlin Cathedral/Dome

We went to David’s friend, Franz's, house for dinner. We had a traditional German meal: sauerkraut and ground beef, which was so spicy. We had cheesecake for dessert, and later on, they brought out apple vanilla chocolate, which was so good! On our way back to David’s, this car drove through a puddle and splashed us. You’d think things like that would only happen in the movies. Nope.

January 7, 2011

Contemplating the meaning of this piece.
We decided it was a box of masculinity,
souring the light of opportunity for
women everywhere. Photo cred: Devon

We went to the bakery directly beneath David’s apartment to get bread for sandwiches (it was cheaper than going out for every meal, and SO GOOD). We went to this crazy modern art museum - Hamburger-Banhof. We saw light bulbs stuck into lemons, suits made from drier lint, guitar hero to scary music, and a woman screaming randomly in agony.

After that adventure, we went to Gemäede Gallery. There were so many paintings and lots of them looked the same. There were lots of naked baby Jesus pictures, and even a scandalous cupid painting. After that, we went to the Old National Gallery, where we saw sassy paintings and paintings that looked kind of like Mitchell.

That night, we had microwavable pizza. After dinner, we went out for drinks with David’s friends. I had something with rum in it. I decided it was disgusting, so I ordered something else with tequila, which I also thought was gross. I didn’t finish either. Better luck next time, I guess. 

January 8, 2011

Today we went to Dresden, Germany. It was about a 3ish hour train ride. Fun fact: train toilets dump out on the tracks. Yuck. Next time you’re walking around on rail road tracks...yeah. But anyways, Dresden is such a cool place! We wandered around the streets pretty much all day. Later in the day, Kennis and I went to a sculpture museum while the boys went to the armor and gun museum. Kennis and I, probably because we’re women/directionally challenged, couldn’t find the museum. Actually it had more to do with the fact that neither one of us spoke German so we couldn’t easily ask for directions. We walked into this building we thought was the sculpture museum, and were bombarded by hundreds of Asian men, women, and children. It ended up not being the sculpture museum. It was an oriental porcelain museum (lol). Eventually, we were big girls and found the right place. We were taking pictures and the security guard walked over to us and spoke to us in German. I guess he meant no taking pictures, but we did anyways.

Dinner was super good! I got Hühnergeschnitzel and Erdinger Hefeweizen dunkel. It was some kind of chicken and noodles and it was delicious. And then some kind of beer, which was pretty good, but there was a lot of it in one glass, haha.

On the train ride back, there was this lady who looked like the president of our college (a man). Devon and I tried to sneakily take her picture. We’re so creepy, I love it.

January 9, 2011

I had fox fur around my
face for a beard.

We went to church. It was in German, but they had translator headphones so it was ok. For lunch, we went to an Arabic place. I got a schawarma sandwich. It was kind of like chicken and it was pretty good. After lunch, we went to the arts and crafts street. Kennis got a painting. Then, we went to the flea market where Kennis and I haggled this fur hat from 30 euros to 15. It's probably because we're cute.

For dinner, we went to a pasta bar, which was sweet. I had pasta with mushrooms and cream sauce and sparkling white wine. I felt extremely classy. Mitchell and Devon went to a concert, so me, Kennis, David, and David's sister went back to the apartment. We played dress up in David’s mom’s furs, which was so good. PETA would hate us.

You can definitely tell the posts I wrote when I was exhausted...get over it.

January 10, 2011

Silly ducks that followed us around
when we got our sandwiches out

We rode the train to Postdam. I sat next to a really cute guy. I hope I wasn’t drooling while I was asleep beside of him. Oh well. We met up with Franz (he goes to school in Potsdam, so he showed us around). We wandered around the city for a bit, and ended up at this one guy’s summer palace. I want one. We fed the ducks, which was funny because they kept slipping on the ice.

We went to this cafe, and I ordered some Mexican thing, which was basically a chocolate latte. It was delicious. They had anime wall paper in the bathroom. We were told that the anime in the boy’s bathroom was scandalous. The toilets were extremely tall. Going to the bathroom in Postdam was definitely an interesting experience.

January 11, 2011

So scandy.

Children with mustaches..?
Photo cred: Devon

Mitchell wasn’t feeling well when he woke up, so he didn’t go with us in the morning. We went to the Gallery Lafaette, which is a huge department store. There was so much sass inside. Everything was so expensive. There were mustaches on the children mannequins, which I found to be a little strange. Then we went to Checkpoint Charlie, which was so fascinating. The museum there showed lots of ways the people got over the wall; some dug tunnels, some hid in cars, some rode in hot air balloons, etc. There were lots of students there, probably about 11th grade. Some were making out in the corner. There was an interesting “party police” van outside...hm.

Us in front of the Parliament building.
Note the lawn of ice!

Walking through the
Holocaust Memorial

We went to the Holocaust memorial (left), which was very sad. It was cloudy, so it looked super gloomy.

We met up with Mitchell and wanted to go to the Parliament building (right), but it was closed to visitors for security purposes (they should call the party police). The lawn in front of the building was a sheet of ice. We decided that if anyone wanted to rob Parliament, they’d have to bring ice skates to escape. 

This is the point in our trip where I stopped journaling, I'll try to remember all that happened, but no promises.

The last day, we went to the Pergamon Museum, which was pretty cool. Interesting story that happened while we were on our way...

So we wanted to throw chunks of ice at the ducks. Little did I know, the mitten that David let me borrow would soar into the river as I was tossing a frozen sheet at an unsuspecting victim... 

"I'm so sorry, David, I'll buy you a new pair!"

What was I thinking? I didn't have the money to do that! I'm a poor college kid. I'll just go down this flight of conveniently located stairs to try and get it. Maybe I'll get lucky and the mitten will float close enough to the dock so I can reach it. Let's just hope I don't get arrested for trespassing...

Almost...just a little farther... 

Success! Look how happy I was, the face of pure joy.
Glove montage photo cred: Devon

I'll just put some of my favorite pictures up and comment on them since I have a terrible memory. Enjoy!

Alexandar Platz...all hail. Or else.

You can't tell from the picture quality, but this painting is SO detailed, it's amazing.

Look how sassy Jesus is in this painting. I can just hear him saying, "Now look here..."

Kennis likes art. Ok maybe not this one...

They sure do paint a lot of fat guys. 

Charlie Sheen, anyone?

Mitchell's portrait that currently hangs above his fireplace. Ok not really, but I could see it.

Dresden!

Little known fact: In Germany, Snow White is the most successful and feared mob boss. 

This is so lolzy, we saw this bumper sticker on more than one occasion.

I love Berlin!