party bus!!

that small black dot is
Gill @ Harvard.

we love the 80's!

scarylicious.

Gillian and I got off to an early start this morning as we were off to explore the city! We went to Cambridge to see Harvard (which, surprisingly, I never get sick of because it's so beautiful--especially now). We wandered around shops and through the cute streets on this brisk fall, Saturday morning. We then hopped on the T and we were off to Faneuil Hall to see the touristy stuff and the harbor, and then to my favorite spots: the Common and the Gardens. We grabbed a quick cab to a cute restaurant called Cafeteria (we were running late for our reservations), and Gill enjoyed some delicious chicken soup and I enjoyed my first lamb hamburger! Both were tasty and the place was retro chic and fun!!

my wonderful city :)

Unfortunately, we had to put her on a plane back home to Georgia, so we did a quick detour by Fenway park and then she was on her way! I then proceeded to scream, holler, jump up + down, and totally annoy Jocelyn by cheering on my bulldawgs! GAH!!!! We were so darn close!! I must say, I'm glad it was interesting this year and that they had to actually fight for it. The commentators weren't horribly biased either (which always drives me insane!!) so it was a fun (and long!) piece of entertainment to have on in the background as I got Halloween'ified.

Jocelyn, Emily and I got costumed for a Halloween party in Somerville (a suburb, like mine, of Boston) that was hosted by one of our classmates, Joanna. Jocelyn went as a goth and Emily and I were dressed as 80's Barbie/workout people. At the party, we were surrounded by adult-sized babies (diapers included), cowgirls, an elf, a smarty pants (the Smarty candy taped on his jeans), and a ping-pong Olympic champion. We even met Fred Flinstone + Mr. Mayhem, the Allstate guy, on the bus back. Characters were strong in numbers tonight, for sure!

It was definitely a refreshing day after all the running around we've been doing lately. The only drawback: now my hair is teased beyond repair and my lips are stained with a God-awful color. Thus, a successful Halloween :)

say cheese,
katy

bewitched.

Okay so I have been the most absent blogger EVER this week! I'm so sorry!! The week has been kinda hectic--Gillian is here visiting, I had my first full week working the two new jobs, we had a paper due for my med class, regular class to attend, and the stress of Halloween-costume creating--so my brain's been a little scattered. But now I think I'm back in the swing of things and ready to tell you all about our fun bewitched adventures today in Salem, MA!

Our day started off interestingly--neither Gillian nor I heard EITHER of our alarms go off this morning so we were 30 minutes behind schedule as I ran to work and she ran to her conference. We both miraculously made it on time and were able to be a little productive before an afternoon of fun! Since I was rushing out the door this morning, however, I put on a horrible/not warm pair of socks, so after work we made an emergency (and quite enjoyable) stop at Macy's for socks + winter gloves! The afternoon was obviously off to a great start!

We then met up with Jocelyn and Emily (another sweet gal from our program) at the train station, and we took a thirty-minute ride to Salem. For those who know me well, you know that I'm not super-obsessed with Halloween/witches/scary haunted houses....so I'll be honest and tell you my true motivation for a $10 train ride out to eastern Mass: CHICK-FIL-A! That's right, folks, they've got one, too! PRAISE DA LORD! Getting there was quite another adventure in itself...

We had to take a taxi to Peabody, MA (aka the folks who split off from Salem because they didn't want to be associated with the witch trials) to the North Shore Mall. Taxis were hard to come by--since it was Halloween in the most Halloween'y place known to man/ghouls--so we waited around a lot....on a lot of different corners...making a lot of different disgruntled/CFA-hungry faces. But we finally hitched a ride with Dan the Taxi Driving Man and got our CFA on!!

Jocelyn has NEVER had CFA so I was so nervous for her to taste it for the first time! I wanted her to love it (but I also didn't want to look like an idiot who made some fast-food joint seem like Heaven unnecessarily). Well good news: she liked it!! I was stoked!! ....the rest of us obviously killed/enjoyed our portions....and some of us (not naming names) even took a few sandwiches home to enjoy later....

After stocking up on CFA and Taco Bell (<<that's Jocelyn's own fast-food love), we grabbed another taxi (with a much more boring driver) and headed back to Salem! The place was crazy! There were dogs/cats/children/grandparents/moms dressed up as the good, the bad, and the ugly....and everything in between. The vendors sold caramel apples, fried dough, adorable t-shirts, mohawk ski hats, magical beads, magical jewelry, magical EVERYTHING! It was quite a magical day as we explored the cobble stone streets, around cemeteries, among spooky tourists and through a little bit of history. It was Halloween on steroids and I (surprisingly) loved it!

The train ride back was a quiet one, as we were all exhausted (at only 7 o'clock at night)!! Gillian and I grabbed dinner at Zaftig's, a Jewish diner near my house, and we're settling in to watch Glee's Rocky Horror Picture Show now (I know, I can't believe I actually missed it and that it's taken me this long to see it)!!

Tomorrow my body + mind will be in Boston with my favorite gal Gillian, but my heart will be in Jacksonville cheering on my bulldawgs, missing my best friends, and desperately wanting to be barking with my Catherine! More pics and details on all the wonderful adventures to come soon!! MWAH!!


say cheese,
katy

PS--I may be the first gal in history who gets to eat a Chick-fil-a sandwich on a Sunday. Just sayin' :)

when i was in 4th grade, i dressed up like a piece of candy corn.

I need a Halloween costume!! HELP!!

I have absolutely no ideas right now and I have to go to a party this Saturday night, in all the proper Halloween apparel! I don't want to be something that's boring....or something that's been done every year...I want to be creative....but I only want to spend $10 (or less) putting the whole thing together! So far, all I've come up with is to be an 80's tacky Jazzercize girl or a First American Bank employee. <<That second one just makes me giggle because it's kinda ridiculous.... Neither are horribly appealing at this point, but I'd really settle for just about anything (so long as I look cute and people are jealous that they didn't think of my costume). Talk about a tall order, huh??

Tips, comments, suggestions are appreciated :) We've got a short deadline, people!

say cheese,
katy

sorry for the gap in posts...

...my friend Gillian is in town and I've been distracted by her awesomeness!!!

More soon on our adventures!

say cheese,
katy

a smidge random.

A few things that I thought you should know...

There used to be a pic here, but I had to delete it per the request of some family members. 

In a nut shell it said: 

I am officially coming back to the South for nearly a month for holiday festivities!! 

So put me on your calendar, because I'd like to come see ya!!

We really did meet Molly Shannon last week! Proof!!
(That I was obviously tired and she was ridiculously awesome!!)

Jocelyn and I literally had to look up 1) whether or not Delaware was a state and 2) where the heck it was.
THEN, we both felt like idiots because apparently it was the first state. Oops. Grad school.

say cheese,

katy

"it's like walking through a j. crew catalogue!"

that's a harvard bridge!

Super dooper fun day today in the Land of Katy!

Jocelyn and I met up with some of our class friends (+ some of their own friends) at the Head of the Charles Regatta! For those who don't know, it's the largest rowing competition in the world and it was right in my backyard: Cambridge. It was a beyond beautiful fall day--crisp air, light breeze, great sun and wonderfully colorful foliage! Perfect day for watchin' rowin'!

We got there around noon and began our trek down the line of white tents where vendors were giving out a hoopla of free loot! We ate kernel corn, pasta, breakfast bars, ice cream, potato chips and V8 juice....all for free! I also came home with a packet of coffee and a USB drive...fo' free! LOVE IT!!

head of the charles 2010--a whole bunch of awesome!

Rowing (aka crew) is a gentlemen's sport, I've been told. And for the most part, that's true. Generally speaking, the boats pass by where you're standing on land, they heave and hoe, the patrons cheer and then they're gone....until the next lot have arrived. However, Jocelyn and I were able to witness a bit of what is apparently a rarity: two boats crashed into each other! There are petite (usually female) individuals, called coxswain, facing the direction the boat is being rowed who are supposed to direct traffic (because the boys have their backs to all the action). Well these coxswain got their messages mixed because the two boats totally rammed into each other! They were going so fast, it made a big THWAP! sound that you could hear across the river! Then the "gentlemen" began hitting each other with their oars and splashing each other with water. Classssssy folks.

jackie, liz, jocelyn, me + joanna!

After we met up with a few more friends, we went to Mr. Bartley's Gourmet Burgers. And literally: holy cow. It was tasty!! This place is so delish that it's been featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives....so obviously we waited in the super long line in the chilly wind to get us a samplin'! And boy was it worth it. Among the seven of us, we ordered three veggie + one regular Tom Brady's, a Lady Gaga, an I-Phone and a Jersey Shore with an assortment of sweet potato fries, onion rings and french fries to boot. YUMMMM.

We ventured around Cambridge for a while afterward and we ran into the Georgia Tech crew!! I kinda freaked out (because I was hoping to see them but doubting I would), and they were all looking at me like I was a raving lunatic when I exclaimed, "I'm from Georgia!" and in unison they all answered "Ohhhhh." Basically, we're all best friends now. They were so nice to take a pic with me for all of my GT family fanatics--so Poppa, this one's just for you!

that's guy fieri's graffitied face at mr. bartley's!

georgia!!

All-in-all, a lovely day to call myself a
Bostonian. Everyday I'm so grateful that I get to experience such a wonderful, culture-filled, new-surprises-daily town!! Come visit me--I'm happy to show it off :)

say cheese (and I had boursin on my burger),
katy

right around the corner...

This stupid thing won't turn on...and I'm about to turn into an ice cube!!

say cheese,
katy

mommy: i got my flu shot :)

Unfortunately, I don't think I shared with you guys that I got a job! Actually....two jobs! So...praise the Lord!! I started one of them today and I'll begin the other tomorrow!

I will be working at Emerson's Center for Health and Wellness as a receptionist of sorts, in addition to helping with other clerical stuff and helping update some of their communications (like programs and bulletin boards). That's the one I went to today and it was great! I can tell that I will certainly be prepared for that one, thanks in large part to the bank :) They're similar in that I might smell something funny, people may get mad at me for things totally out of my control and I still get to greet people who probably don't want to be talking to me... Ha! BUT the best difference in the two is that at the health center, all the "customers" will have appointments so I will know when the drama is coming instead of being totally taken off guard :) So fabulous!

The other job I've taken is as a research assistant with a professor in Emerson's communication department. I don't have many details on that one yet, except to say that I'm super excited to get to work on a research project with an established professor + to see the project through from beginning to end! Should be interesting....I hope! Per Emerson's rules, I can't work more than 20 hours/week (both jobs combined) so this is the perfect solution to solve money flow/boredom issues....as well as me actually learning something at my job that is also applicable to my future careers (and my resume)! YAY!

The other fabulously fabulous part of my day was my Daddio calling to tell me he has purchased his plane tickets to come visit me for the Thanksgiving holiday!! Katy = waaay-super-over-the-moon excited!! Like, you don't even know  :)  :)  :)

say cheese,
katy

i'm ready!!

Well, I got my super big puffy jacket + long underwear in the mail the other day so Winter, bring it on!! It's super warm and not as marshmallow'y as I suspected it'd be so I will be a cozy and happy Katy when the cold winds come a'blowin! I just thought you'd all like to see what I look like wearing it with a smile now, because the smile probably won't be accompanying it in the future :) Oh, and I have my long underwear on, too, but you'll just have to take my word on that one...

flick skinny's BIG APPLE (pie) adventure!

***WARNING: Readers with jealous tendencies or those who have some place to run off to should proceed with caution as you approach my NYC novel/narrative/picture show!***

SATURDAY, OCT. 16, 2010

So...as I told you on Friday, I woke up bright and early to head out to NYC to see my friend Haley. The bus ride was an easy four-hour trip and when I wasn't catching up on shut-eye, I got to enjoy the beautiful changing leaves of Mass, Connecticut and NY! My awesome seat gave me a spectacular view...and extra leg room! If you can't make out the pic below, the sign says Hartford + New York City...where Emily Gilmore lives + HayReh was waiting, respectively.

Once Haley and I got together (with much drama over MetroCards for the NY subway), we were off in search of some yummy grub! We stopped at a place called the Shake Shack, famous for their burgers + milkshakes! Haley and I both had a Shack burger, diner fries and we split a Black and White Shake (which is chocolate + vanilla mixed together and a party for your taste buds)!

We also had to tote around my suitcase (as seen, here, in the Shake Shack) for the majority of the day because HayReh doesn't actually live in the city--so we screamed TOURIST everywhere we went! But it was funny handling it among all the other tourists, small children and other distracted folks who would just walk right into it!! Our most sincere apologies to the kneecaps to whom we gave a bruisin'.

Obviously, we were in need of some exercise after our three-course (and 3489238 calorie) meal, so we headed to Times Square!! I've been to NYC before but it was way long ago and I didn't recognize how spectacular it was then--I hate to be a cliche, but Times Square was so fun! It was seriously warmer there because of all the people! The energy was wonderful, the smells interesting (and some off-putting) and the lights were big and bright! (...for some reason, I really wanted to buy some Calvin Klein undies, a ticket to Wicked and a T-Mobile phone after we left there....odd.) LOVED IT.

I was in the Big Apple and I was with HayReh, so we obviously wanted to see a show! We waited in line at a place called tkts for half-priced Broadway tickets!! It only took an hour'ish and we got to talk to some interesting tourists + venders! Fun facts: Apparently I look like a "Samantha" and I really enjoy yelling/repeating back to venders what they stand in one place to yell for an entire hour...without moving...expecting me to buy what they're selling...without actually exerting any effort...just sayin'.

We are very serious about our Broadway shows (and we both place somewhere on the OCD spectrum), so we wrote down our choices (and threw off our competition with) an undecipherable code of desirable shows! Translated, we wanted to see: Promises Promises, Avenue Q, Billy Elliot, Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story or Chicago. 

Once we got out super-reduced, awesome-seat tickets to a BROADWAY MUSICAL, we got some Starbucks and tried to find HayReh some warmer clothes at Ann Taylor (NYC was a smidge chilly this weekend). She was excited!

<INTERMISSION: Readers, please take a breather, go use the restroom and continue to drink plenty of fluids--reading about an NYC adventure is taxing and your health should not be ignored.>

After our Starbucks (to fulfill all my You've Got Mail fantasies), we jumped on the subway to 77th street to see Central Park!! It's like the Boston Common (my fave part of my city) but on steroids. And it was a perfectly sunny fall day to enjoy it....rest my feet...and give my suitcase a breather, too :)

Next, we were off to find Lizzy!! (You remember her, the sweet gal who came up last weekend and we went on a ghost tour?! Oh yeaaaa, now you've got it.) En route to finding her, however, I got a little distracted and photo happy as we saw 1) the Metropolitan Museum of Art (aka the Met), 2) an awesome sign + law I wish they'd enforce in Boston and 3) an awning that reminded me of NY152 from You've Got Mail....don't judge me.

Once we found Lizzy in her awesome NY-style one-bedroom, we were so excited to have all these Southern Belles together that we found the undeniable urge to fulfill every Southern gals dream: CHICK-FIL-A IN EL NORTE!!!!! So we took a cab, snuck into NYU's dining hall and filled my tummy with some much-needed CFA after 47 WHOLE days of not having it!! Unbelievable, I know. We were all so excited that I seriously think any one of us could have cried at any given moment. It was that epic. So we found it....

...we peed our pants... 

...and we TOTALLY DOMINATED!!

After such a fancy five-star delicacy, we took our happy tummies to Broadway to see Sean Hayes and Kristen Chenowith's Promises, Promises. Kristen's understudy was on that night, but it was still hilariously entertaining!! Sean Hayes--ya know, Jack from Will and Grace--was spectacular!! He's so talented it almost isn't fair! 

We gave him all the praise he could ever want from three lovely Georgia gals at the stage door after the show, where we got his autograph, met (and kinda yelled at but in a nice way) Molly Shannon (ya know, Superstar!) and giggled like a bunch of six-year-olds. It was great!! Thanks to Haley's super fantastic photojournalistic skills, you get to see half of their faces!! Just take my word for it...

We then proceeded to literally sing, dance and jump through Times Square, flirt with a sixteen-year old hanging out of a limousine and meet two women who were accused of being our mothers (big compliment to them, right??)!

We said a tearful goodbye to Fizzy Lizzy, grabbed my suitcase from her apartment and headed to Grand Central for our final adventure to HayReh's home in Hyde Park, NY. We got to her place around 3:30 a.m., blew up the air mattress and promptly passed out. Good news is: the suitcase made it home safe and sound, too. Definitely a day I will never forget!!

SUNDAY, OCT. 17, 2010

Sunday we obviously slept in a bit and then spent the rest of the afternoon exploring Hyde Park/Poughkeepsie where Haley goes to school at the Culinary Institute of America (aka the CIA). She doesn't get a badge and gun but she does get a spiffy coat + hat, so it's just as fun (and twice as yummy)!! After a UGA red pom pom LITERALLY exploded into hundreds of pieces all over her car/me/her boyfriend, Nate, we sang a duet!! <Please refer to the real Sunday, Oct. 17 post for duet details and embarrassing pictures.> 

We ate brunch/linner/blinner/blupper at a diner that was complete with broken juke boxes...and grabbed another Starbucks to refuel!! 

We then proceeded to have a major photo op on the Walkway Over the Hudson (which was just finished last year)--an ultra-tall 1.5 mile bridge that stretches over the river. It was beautiful!! ...but it was also kinda windy so all of our serious pics turned out gross so we tried jumpy pics again, instead!! Because with jumpy pics, you can never go wrong.

Haley then showed off the rest of the town to me via car tour, including: where FDR grew up, the Vanderbilt mansion, the Hudson River Bridge, the Hudson River Valley and Vasser.

We kept it pretty PG for the rest of the evening by watching The Last Song (again, judgment is not appreciated), finding out I got an A on my paper!!! and then celebrating by ordering Domino's at midnight :) We like to keep it classy.

MONDAY, OCT. 18, 2010

So now that I've filled you in completely with all the deets (sorry I got back-logged), we're back to present day! But not really. Because I won't post this until it's Tuesday, but I started it on Monday so I'm counting it.... FYI :)

This morning HayReh toured me around her school and it was AMAZING!! I wanna wake up to go to class to learn how to make chocolate everyday!! For reals. Culinary/baking school is hard work, but it smells a lot better than some other post-grad options! She may kill me for some of these pics but I'm so proud of her so I'm bragging to you and she'll just have to get over it! Here's a few shots of her school and her in her chef whites...

Her school has five restaurants, kitchens for classrooms and observation glass everywhere so that visitors can spy on the students (so that they feel like they're "in a zoo," as Haley puts it). I know I'm missing one, but there are French, Italian, American cuisine restaurants and the Apple Pie Bakery Cafe. Uncle Phil: They also have an entire classroom devoted to teaching, learning about and tasting wine! How cool!!

She and I ate at the APBC (where she will eventually work as she gets closer to graduating) and had a terrificly awesome lunch! She had corn + pablano soup, truffle french fries (not pictured), a Nutella cupcake and a Coke (of course)! I had a portobello/onion/goat cheese panini, bulgur wheat salad (aka cous cous + great veggies), a Nutella cupcake and homemade peach tea! Sooooooo good. My mouth is honestly watering just thinking about it....

We had to say goodbye around 1 p.m. so that she could be all world-class chef and I could be all Bostonian again, so I hopped on the train from Poughkeepsie to NYC (and saw a spectacular view of the Hudson the whole way there)...got back on my double-decker bus (where I snapped a final shot of Yankee stadium)...and got back to find my cozy little apartment that's really starting to feel like home. Fabulously fabulous weekend! I wish you could have all been there with me, but I'm sure I'll go back soon and, as usual, I promise to give a full report!!

say cheese (and we did like 5,000 times this weekend),

a happy, cultured and exhausted katy :)