i goofed.

this was the pic i was gonna show...

of the train NOT coming and it being all 

my fault that we missed ours...

I forgot to post yesterday!! Unbelievable--I was so close to a month with a perfect record :) I didn't even realize it until Bobbi called to say she didn't get her morning fill :( Sad day!! I'm so sorry! I promise a delicious one tonight!!

say cheese,
katy

just outside my window...

my perspective, except it's generally darker...

Tomorrow is Wednesday, which means I will be awoken (before my alarm) by the trash truck. But that truck is definitely not the only thing I hear (or smell, really) that strikes me as especially different than the noises I've heard for the last 22 years through my bedroom window...

Just Outside My Window... by Katy Capers
The drool is on my pillow, as a faint noise tickles my ear,
The dumpster man is digging for deserted cans of beer.
He'll toss them in his pushcart and away he'll go to find
Another trash site of treasures...so my teeth I'll no longer grind.

I slip back to my dream state, but just as I'm saved from the tower
I awake to the big-loud-tow-truck man who searches the lot every hour.
This time he finds no one who offends him, so he'll soon be on his way
For noisy and long are the rendezvous when he catches one who must pay.

Soon giggling and high-heel "clomps" will seep through the window frame
As ladies from next door parade home in their march of shame.

And that couple from two nights ago, I hope they can survive that fight--

He had great lungs and witty slurs, why I'm sure he's her Mr. Right!

Alas six a.m. comes too soon, that's when car-pool horns begin to blare

But I politely pull the pillow over my head as my nostrils start to flare.

And the four-story deck next door, why it's coming along and I'm thrilled (from afar)
I should know I've counted all 2,481 nails drilled (so far)!

But please don't take this silly poem as a complaint, a plea or whine,
I've really gotten quite use to it all, I promise that I am just fine.
It's really Boston's fault, you see, that I hear every whip/bang/zip/clap/whir,
I've had to keep the window cracked...because they refuse to use air conditioners :)

say cheese,
katy

"dear friend, i like to start my notes to you as if we're already in the middle of a conversation..."

my walk even featured its own 

stairs-that-lead-to-nowhere. glamorous?! oh yea.

I am glamorous!! Today I felt just like Meg Ryan in "You've Got Mail" (seriously my favorite movie of ALL TIME...I hate when people know every line in films, but I could be this movie's one-man show).

The weather was kinda dreary today but it was a wonderful 60* outside...so I grabbed my rain coat and John Mayer mix and headed out to explore! When I leave my apartment complex, nine times out of 10 I turn left because that just seems to be the direction of everything I need. But today I turned right! No, no...I'm not to the glamorous part yet...

Walking down that part of Harvard Ave is just so picturesque! I've been down to Coolidge Corner a few times, but never during the day and never at a leisurely pace. The route there has all the necessities to make the perfect big-movie set: low-hanging trees, old traffic light posts, giggling children at a playground, multi-colored pansies lining the sidewalks, big decorative awnings at every store front. For lack of a better word, it is just so darn cute!

There's a large Jewish community in this neighborhood, so there are tons of kosher restaurants, specialty stores and a beautiful (huge) synagogue. They offer swing/salsa/tap classes there during the week and I'm thinking of signing up! There are also a lot of locally-owned fish, meat and flower markets...and some great vintage shops that I'm sure will be handy around Halloween :) Of course, I loved experiencing the new...but I also tried on the old (aka The Gap, TJ Maxx and Walgreens) for good measure. I walked so far that my quick study break turned into an hour-and-a-half ordeal. But it was refreshing!!

So where's the glamor?! Well, Jocelyn was studying at Starbucks so I popped in to say hello. Those of you who've seen "You've Got Mail" will remember the great scene when Tom Hanks begins to repair and build his friendship with Meg Ryan whose business he (unfortunately) put under. Soooo Joc was sitting in her chair in Starbucks, reading a book (just like Meg reading "Pride and Prejudice") as I was walking by outside. We both looked up at the same moment and waved at each other through the glass! OMG it was straight out of the movie!! And that, my friend, is the glamor...aren't ya glad I told ya?!

What a blessed day...loved it!

say cheese,
katy

PS -- Sorry there's no pic of the awesome Harvard Ave...the cloud/tree cover made all my pics turn out super dark. Guess I'll just have to walk up there again!

should i just pull a brittney?

eww it's gross, right?!

I need a new haircut. This one's boring and getting old fast...it's just not chic enough for my new trendy environment!!

Bangs? No bangs?
Chop? Shave? Dice? Corn-rows?
Layers? No layers? Square? Bob? Gaga?
...or just leave it be (aka not cute!)?

Your thoughts? Opinions? Concerns?

say cheese,
katy

afternoon delight.

A beautiful sunny, windy and warm day today in Boston it was!

After trying to wait out the hottest part of the day, I took a little stroll down Commonwealth Avenue from my house to my school. I've only really seen half of the trip there because once the T train moves from street-level to underground, all I get to see is dark scary tunnel. So I wanted to acquaint myself with what was above ground (because before I just magically arrived at my desired destination, duh). I armed myself with tennis shoes and Pandora...and set out for the East!

comm ave = super famous, super long + super pretty!

The 3.7-mile walk into town was definitely more interesting than what I normally get to see from the speeding T.

I learned that there is a park + pond very near my house behind Boston Univ with a super neat statue and good "reading grass"...
I learned that the BU fall sorority/fraternity rush festival is not quite as popular up here as down South (there were only like ten tables total with very few eager beavers looking to join)...
I learned that I would like to one day make enough money to live in the 200-400 block of CommAve because it is gorgeous and super fancy...
It was reaffirmed that I do have long legs because all the silly touristy people kept getting in my way as I tried to keep up my brisk-but-not-fast walk...
I learned that CommAve (as you'll notice in the pic) is not straight, so it takes a couple random turns that require you to pay attention to signage at all times or risk getting lost...
It was reaffirmed that Boston is a spectacularly beautiful city with great sidewalks, blue skies and tree-to-building ratio...

my on-foot route!

And I learned that squirrels up here are way too comfortable with humans (I watched one literally eat food out of a man's hand like a dog or something--that's unnatural!) They're squirrels--they're supposed to squirm away!

I think it took about an hour + fifteen minutes walking and I rewarded myself at the end with a Starbucks tea and banana. I took the T back home (because it was starting to get dark) and felt much more comfortable about what I was traveling underneath. I feel a weekly tradition coming on...that is, until the snow...

say cheese,
katy

no restroom for non-customers.

I did absolutely no school reading today and it was FABULOUS! I did, however, do a bit of research for a paper coming up about autism and how it is perceived by the public (regardless of that perception being correct or not).

i love the "sorry for any inconvenience" part -- 

as if maybe, just maybe there won't be any 

inconvenience at all! ha, yea right.

I read a ton of blogs by mothers with autistic children and to say that they were fascinating would be an understatement. It was so interesting to see how their experience "waved" from day-to-day--a few posts would be incredibly positive (the child was communicating well, sleeping at appropriate hours, stopping at intersections without a prompt) and then a few posts wouldn't be as exclamation-point or smiley-face filled. I was exhausted just reading them!! If you ever get a chance or want to read a blog that incorporates both the emotional and the academic perspectives of having an autistic child, go read this: http://www.esteeklar.com. Her blog is called "The Joy of Autism" and her perspective of the disease, as well as her writing style, is simply beautiful.

On another note, the water was off at our apartment today for five whole hours (and will apparently be off on Monday, as well) so I  learned how many things I cannot get done without the H2O flowing....so far my "needs water" list is at about 20, which put a big hold on my day's productivity. Whatevs!! At least it's back on...for now...

say cheese,
katy

thursdy.

the intro to med classroom + 

our super cute teacher, dr. bradshaw. 

Well, tonight Jocelyn and I had our intro to med class at Tufts. Learned a lot about diabetes...RBCs...immunity...and we touched a bit on ethics in medicine (when/if to tell a patient about an error). Whoo hoo! So fascinating :) The professor showed a few gross'ish pics tonight and it was very telling to see everyone's reactions. Us communications folks are gonna have to get stomachs of steel real quick!! (I was not squirmish, thank goodness! I wonder why?!)

Afterward we saw a movie, complete with popcorn, and discussed our favorite classic/horrible movies on the way home. It was enlightening to find out that she approves of "She's the Man" but not "Step Up 3D!!" Insanity. We do have a shared fascination of "Harry Potter" and all 80's movies....so I guess I'll keep her around for a while longer! Happy almost Friday!

say cheese,
katy

seriously?!

all of the world's problems can be 

solved over a plate of chicken fingers :)

Before I say what I really want to say, please know this: I am listening to my "Best of the 80's" CD as we speak, so I'm in a fabulous mood  :)

Today I had a semi-irritating conversation with a Northerner that frustrated the stew out of me (I'm sure I'll have to explain that phrase to the roomie as soon as she reads this. Ha!). I don't want to go into too many details but here's the gist: for someone who didn't want to be judged, they sure dished out a lot of it! And it got me thinking....

In coming here, I was prepared to hear comments that I wasn't as intelligent because I speak more slowly or that I have a funny accent. I was even prepared to (politely) amend any stereotypical misconceptions that people may have about where I'm from. But I was not, in any way, prepared to feel like the place that I call home, the place where my heart is--the South--is too traditional and close-minded for anyone to actually feel comfortable living there. Apparently, we all run around hitting people over the heads with Bibles, only showering once a week and supporting segregation. Oh, and we condemn people to hell every hour, on the hour.

I mean, seriously? We've moved on, but there are really still people stuck thinking that we think this way?!?! It's 2010, for pete's sake!

Obviously (and thankfully), that couldn't be further from the truth. I realize that some of our traditions + sayings are odd, but that's just what gives us character. The core of today's South (minus the few exceptions that I'm sure exist) is about hospitality, which requires an open mind and love. I emphasize "today" because evidently some people only know about the South from what they learned in the fourth grade during civil rights month.

I'm not naive enough to believe that everyone's gonna get along and kumbaya, but the premise of this person's argument was that because they were different, they weren't willing to experience a place that they deemed "close-minded"--when in actuality, they had become the embodiment of that word. They are afraid that people will make assumptions about and criticize them, so they went ahead and did that to me (and my home), instead.

I shared my frustration with Jocelyn afterward and we had a beautiful conversation (over chicken fingers, how poetic) about the wonderful differences within our own families. And how it is too easy to pass judgement on someone else when you yourself have a huge piece of wood sticking out of your own eye. Of course, I'm not perfect and I know I make snap-judgements, too--but in my heart of hearts, I could never sincerely believe that I was better than someone. For any reason. It is my goal each day to whole-heartedly encourage others and make them smile.

Luckily, this is the first semi-bad encounter that I've had...and it really wasn't even that bad! It was like a 1.5 on the Richter scale. I know there are others everyday who are condemned because they don't look "right," act "right," date the "right" people, believe the "right" things and that my experience doesn't even qualify me to be disgruntled compared to how they have been ridiculed. Have we learned nothing from Michael Jackson's "Black or White" video?!

Conclusion: Don't be worried about me, I'm fine :) Unluckily for the offender, I just got to vent to the entire world!! Ha! And if you are holding on to inane, archaic or unfair ideas, let them go. It's so much easier to love than to judge...plus, ya get bonus points for it in Heaven...

...ironic? Yes. Funny? Definitely!

say cheese, y'all,
katy

PS -- PLEASE DO NOT assume that everyone up here thinks that way and, therefore, go on and judge them as a whole. That would totally defeat the purpose of this post!! Gross.

i have no witty title....it's about jobs, for crying out loud.

It's a big bad world out there, people. Harsh and critical and downright rude sometimes!!

Soooo my phone interview today went really well, she said without sarcasm. It's for a teller position at Citizen's Bank and the recruiting lady was very nice, and I almost made her cry!! True story. She asked if I remembered a time when I thought I went above and beyond for a customer, so I mentioned one of my all-time fave customers that would come to FAB&T who was Deaf. He and I would sign together and I TOTALLY loved every single one of his visits! Anyway...she cried, I cried, everybody cried...and then she said she'd set me up for another interview with the branch manager. So that's tomorrow at 11 a.m. -- wish me luck! So what's with my caustic remark above?...well, it's all yellow-brick roads and daisies and butterflies right now, but...

Katy has eight quarters in her pocket. 

How many trips on the T will that buy her?

Applying to jobs is hard!! Feel sorry for me. They ask all these difficult questions that ya can't answer and easy ones that ya don't want to answer (because you're supposed to talk yourself up)...filling out the actual application takes about two hours...and then ya have to take a test and they lay this one on ya:
Tommy is at the store. He wants to buy a jacket. In his wallet he has a $20 bill, six $10 bills, four $5 bills, nine $1 bills, four quarters, four dimes, two nickels and nine pennies. If the jacket Tommy wants to buy costs $46.97, then what bills would Tommy need to use to buy the jacket while using the smallest amount of bills possible?

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! It's like the SAT all over again! I just knew the next question was gonna start off, "Tommy is in a train in Tribeca. Sally is in a train in San Francisco. If their trains leave at the same time going approx. 75 mph..."!!!! Now, Uncle Mitchell, before ya say, "That's so easy a yellow jacket could even figure it out!" please know that I got to the answer easily enough, but the fact that that question popped up on my screen right after "How many quarters are in a dollar?" totally threw me for a loop!! What do they think I am? A college graduate?!

But alas, tomorrow I'm going corporate. Sigh. Big resume in one hand and maybe a cup-o-joe in the other. Ahhhh...bring it on!!

say cheese,
katy

good clean fun!

I realize that this has nothing to do with my post, 

but please notice:

1) I can't post a TV show pic without 

running into copyright issues

2) This is the same machine that 

didn't work for me last week...

proof that it was the machine's fault and 

that I do know how to do laundry and

3) How clever am I that I made this semi-random pic 

and my TV blog coincide in my title?!

 Mwahahaha!

I love America. Where else can Lady Gaga wear a meat dress? An entire month be consumed by Major League Baseball? Katie Couric get a colonoscopy in front of millions of viewers? Six friends stay best friends for ten years/seasons with their only problem being when to swap apartments again? NOWHERE!!

American television's attack on unsuspecting American minds each September is totally brilliant. Think about it: around this time of year most families are becoming comfortable enough in their new daily schedules to begin looking for something new + juicy to spice up their monotonous evenings...and what's more interesting than the perfect-hair-teeth-and-skin twenty-somethings (trying to pass as high school kids) beeboppin' to Brittney Spears in the key of A?! NOTHIN!!

Today starts TV's big premiere week on most networks--aka the week they try to get ya hooked on what they're dishin' out for at least the next three months...making you spend far more money on take-out and far less time on homework in order to get in front of the screen on time. Of course, I partake in a little boob-tube from time-to-time so I'd like to think I'm an expert in separating the entertaining from the not during this fun week of debuts. (Although, the professional TV-watcher probably knows how to make their list skinnier than mine...)

Thus, I'm sure you're interested in what I'll be watching this week...so here's a few that I think you should totally check out:
- "Castle" premiered tonight @ 10 on ABC
- "Glee" is tomorrow @ 8 (yippee!!) on FOX and "Parenthood" starts @ 10 on NBC
- "Modern Family" kicks off its third season after its very successful second @ 9 on Wed on ABC
- "Bones" (in which I am emotionally invested) starts Thursday @ 8 on FOX to a (hopefully not frustrating) new season

**Note: Shows that I will not watch/refuse to watch/don't understand how they're still on air include "The Simpsons," "The Cleveland Show" (a modern, grosser version of the first) and "Family Guy." Ewwww.

Luckily, I got a heap of work done this weekend so my weeknights will be a little lighter this week in order to take in a bit of America's favorite past time. Of course, there's nothing wrong with multitasking to ensure that everything gets done on time--after all, multitasking...why, that's the American Way!!

say cheese,
katy

refreshing.

in the words of rachael ray: "yumm-o!"

Today was a lovely, lazy Sunday up here in ole Bahston. I went to a church service this morning bright-and-early at Ruggles Baptist Church near Fenway Park. It was a small, intimate gathering--maybe 30 people max--and was definitely different than my normal Northside/Wesley/Watkinsville experiences in that aspect. Still, the pastor was passionate, the worship was pure and God was still the same up here as He is down South.....amazingly enough  :)

After church, it was time for  a little grocery shopping and then I lounged around and enjoyed "When Harry Met Sally..." (one of my all-time faves!) which I got for a whole $5!! Awesomeness. I made semi-homemade jambalaya for my and Jocelyn's dinner--super delicious, and we figured out that our kitchen actually does work for more than sandwich making + zapping Lean Cuisines. I guess we'll have to put it to use more often now that we know...

Knocked a little bit more off my school reading list and even gave myself a pedicure  :) Definitely a relaxing and refreshing day to prep for the next few. Hope everyone is excited for (and ready to procrastinate because of) TV's big premiere week which starts tomorrow...grab the popcorn and a loved one, it's gonna be a doozey!

say cheese,
katy

the town.

one of the awesome old movie posters :)

others included the godfather,  casablanca and cinderella!

Tonight Jocelyn, her boyfriend (David) and I went to the movies! I was stuck inside reading again today (surprise, surprise), so I felt like Annie with Daddy Warbucks when I was able to get out of the house, be social and take in a movie with some friends!

The theater is just across the street from my school but I didn't realize how cool it was until I was inside!! I am totally a nerd, and definitely not a city slicker, but the fact that this movie theater was situated on a city block and thus had escalators was neat-o! There were multiple concession stands, twinkly movie lights all around and old movie posters on the walls. The movie was so so good, but the theater was an amazing experience in and of itself!

We saw The Town, starring and directed by Ben Affleck, and it was sooooo good! Super intense--kinda a lot of blood/shooting--but the plot was very well-developed and, of course, it was set in Boston so that made it even more interesting. It was great to see different sights that I've explored so far right on the big screen! It was even kinda educational because I learned where not to go in Boston so as to...ya know...stay safe :) The characters' accents, their presentation and their "understanding" of what it means to be Bostonian was spot on. A very good movie--well worth the over-priced ticket!

The only problem is that now I know (and have cinematically experienced) that Boston is the bank-robbing capital of the world...and it's making me rethink that whole job interview thing that I have on Tuesday....

say cheese,
katy

out on the town!

the entire poem was written on the ground 

all the way across the longfellow bridge -- LOVES IT!

the wonderful skyline!
sorry it's blurry, i took it with my phone!

Happy Friday!! The work week is over  :)

Super great day today, filled with making study calendars, a dash of school reading and getting a job interview lined up for next week! Jocelyn and I also had a roomie date night which was fab! We went into Boston to the North End--where all the fancy, delicious Italian restaurants are--and had dinner at Cafe Pompeii. We munched on some yummy bread, caesar salad and minestrone soup. It was amazing!!

Then we tried to go see a movie but it was (sad face)
sold out. So we improvised and headed out to the MIT area. We just wandered along the Charles, appreciating the beautiful Boston skyline, and made our way back to the T station via the Longfellow Bridge. One froyo with mango + snickers later, we were back home with one gloriously-successful roomie date night under our belts!!

say cheese,
katy

on your mark, get set, GO!

getting ready for their big debut....

does anyone else hear  the chariots of fire 

theme song in the background?!

Alright, the votes have been cast! The tallies are tallied! The assignment has been submitted, reviewed and approved! My lifestyle transformation challenge is.....

...240 minutes of cardio activity per week--and I am pumped!!

For those who don't know, I have a semester-long assignment in one of my courses to choose a personal lifestyle behavior that needs improvement which I will challenge myself to change. Currently, my cardio is like zero (unfortunately), so I've chosen to step up and get in shape!

As I explained to my professor in my proposal, I often get into "workout kicks," where I'm super enthusiastic about pursuing a workout regimen...and I do, but only for like three months. Then I let life get in the way...don't workout for another three months...and then randomly pickup new motivation to go at it strong for a few weeks again.

With my super cool LTC project, however, falling off the wagon is seriously not an option--I'm getting graded for this, gosh golly! Oh and how dumb is it that my grades motivate me more than...ya know...my well-being?! Well I've decided to divorce myself from that way of thinking and really push hard to make this assignment a new way of life--something that will extend passed December when the course is over. And I definitely know that in order for it to continue passed semester-end, this challenge will not be, as it's been in the past, a guilt-laden activity for me. I want to get active because it's fun, not because I'm feeling down on myself or pressured to do so!

All this to be said, it's gonna be hard. And I know I'm gonna get sick of it, get frustrated and just want to fudge my way through documenting my progress...but as my blog readers, I know you won't let me  :) Admitting to the cyber-world that I struggle with weight loss/gain + physical activity in general is not exactly easy...it's a little embarrassing (especially as a health communicator!). But that's part of why I want to be successful at this: I really want to be put to the test, experience the trials and tribulations (which sometimes include losing face) and still triumph in the end!!

Since I have to log my progress for the course, it'll be easy to keep you guys updated, too. I hope that with that knowledge (whether it be good or bad) that you will encourage me and hold me accountable! And...I hope that some of you will join me  :) Even if it's not for the same challenge that I'm taking: you could drink more water, get more sleep or take the stairs more often. It's always easier if a friend joins you on these types of challenging adventures, so I hope some special reader out there will jump on this train and keep me company! (Let me know if you do so I can send ya encouraging notes!!)

Good health is not a privilege, it's a right--and I think I'm gonna start taking full advantage of it from here on out!! And I can't wait  :)

say cheese (but only like the super low-fat ones!),
katy

random.

My mom informed me that yesterday's TFOM post was kinda random, so my apologies to those of you who agree with her...I'm just trying to keep it real (interesting), people!! I spent the day reading for school again, which is not blog-worthy, so try this one on for size...

- Today's temp stayed relatively chilly -- I wore my "if it's chilly in Georgia, then it's November" jacket. Only...it's the middle of September, so....yikes.
- I literally stapled my thumb today. That sucker went all the way through one side and straight through my nail on the other....true story!! But don't worry, a little rubbing alcohol + one band-aid later, I'm all better :)

the culprit.

- Jocelyn doesn't like cheese. (She also made the funniest comment ever yesterday on my "random" post, so check it out and see how super cute she is!!)
- I changed the blog template for my Poppa because he couldn't read it with all those pictures behind the text, so hope ya like the new one...if ya don't, just blame it on him...  :)
- My favorite thing about Boston is that some of the roads and sidewalks are just randomly cobble-stone. So love it.
- I need to do laundry.
- I talked to my beautiful bff, Katie, today! I miss her super muchooooo! (Happy birthday, Kevin!!)
- I learned at Starbucks that "espresso breve" is coffee with half-n-half. Yum yum!
- My fave Bible verse is Psalm 63:3 -- "Because You're love is greater than life, my lips will glorify You."
- In class tonight, I learned that, for the most part, Latinos prefer shots to oral medicine because they believe that the shot has more power/force behind it and will be effective more quickly. Fun fact from the CDC!
- I learned that Wednesday is trash day, too. Oh joy.

Now....how's that for random, Mommy?  :)

say cheese,
katy

what's in a name?

only part of the collection...

When I was younger, I thought my real name was "Katy Catherine Marian Capers C." because there were multiple Katie's in my kindergarten class (I was obviously Katy C., my dad's nickname of choice). Thus, that's how I'd always introduce myself. These days, though, a verbal introduction seems unnecessary...redundant, even.

My initials are on everything. Drinking cups...wallets...cosmetic bags...pillow cases...laptop bags...picture frames...jewelry cases...hair-bow holders...towels...blankets...jewelry...key chains. You name it, my name is on it. [But in my defense, every item, except one, was a gift!!]

Apparently, personalizing any and all household items with a monogram is distinctly a Southern tradition. Jocelyn, my super cute West-coast roomie, thinks it's fun and all...but says it hasn't actually caught on in her neck of the woods. She always points out how many of these seemingly vain objects I have...and I gotta tell ya: if I didn't know me, I'd think I was either a) super obsessed with myself, b) forgetful of my name and/or c) a four-year-old...of course, none are true :)

Noticing this particular contrast in our regional cultures has made me see other fun differences of note:
- I say L-E-G as "legg," she says "layg"
- I love sweet tea, she doesn't even know how to make it
- I'm a Chick-fil-a-oholic, she's never had it (God bless her poor little soul!!)
- I say "y'all," she says "huh?!"
- I heart the football, her not so much
- I love some honky tonk, and she's more of a Lady Gaga/Christina Aguilera gal
- She eats "weenie + egg"...and I don't

I'm eager to discover more!!...differences, that is :) **

say cheese,
katy catherine marian capers c.

**Disclaimer: If you have given/will give/want to give me a "monogrammed doohickey" please do not think that I am ungrateful! I use these items to their fullest extents :)  I absolutely love every single one, initials and all!

"a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils."

This is what I did today. Honestly, it was a bit of a foreign idea to me seeing how I haven't actually studied since being here (or since May, for that matter) but it's like a bicycle, right? It's also kinda like a band aid--ya just gotta suck it up and do it! So I did...for like six hours...

A Recipe for a 
Successful Study Day
Ingredients:
- One library -- the Tufts Medical Library can be seen in this example...it was so peaceful to be in such a quiet place!!
- One can Diet Coke -- crucial to the start of any study session is a lil sugar and caffeine (but have the next ingredient handy for when these run out)
- Half of a Fiji Apple -- a fabulous ingredient that serves as both brain food and a nifty hold-down-a-stubborn-textbook-page paper-weight
- Textbooks -- I mean, duh, we're studying here, people! (I was reading Communicating Health and Illness by Gwyn for those nerds who need to know)
- Three writing utensils -- be sure to include one highlighter, a juicy black pen and a pencil...for good measure
- Five-subject notebook -- for all of your note-taking, doodling and to-do list needs!
- One Mac Laptop -- the operative word being Mac, because it will hold a charge for all six hours. Awe. Some. This ingredient is also dual-purpose, as it allows for serious distractions when necessary (aka Facebook, G-Chatting, Google grouping, blogging...the possibilities are endless!)
- One cell phone -- ...for when more distractions are required........
- One warming accessory of your choosing -- because, gosh darn it, every library in the world has the temperature set on negative cold!!

Directions: 
Use ingredients as necessary until all tasks complete...or the library closes...or your stomach is eating itself :)

I'll probably be up to the same fun plans tomorrow, so think studious thoughts!

say cheese,
katy

visually stimulating.

HayReh and I made a trip to Cambridge today...and it was visually stimulating, to say the least!! We took so many fabulous pics that I couldn't choose what to show y'all (it's a contraction, learn how to spell it)...so here's a few :)

These are some super cute chairs that were scattered around Harvard Yard.
People used them for reading, some for lounging, some for playing...
and others for photo shoot'ing :)

"That's a Harvard squirrel."  -- Lora Lei
"Sitting on a Harvard rock."  -- Rory
"Doesn't he look smart?!"  -- Lora Lei

Red velvet + pink lemonade cupcakes to go with our Starbucks.
Going to Harvard is exhausting, ya know!
[Not pictured: my capuccino cupcake...it disappeared rather quickly]

The beautiful Charles River was a wonderful way to end the day!
I gotta make a new friend ASAP who owns a sail boat before all that pretty water turns into a slushie!!

say cheese,

katy

i was accused of being a tourist...in my own town.

ocean? river? harbor? ehhhh i've only been here a week.

We lost. Spurrier is a girl. Let's not talk about it. But other than that....incredibly wonderful spectacular day!!

As I hinted at yesterday, my friend Haley is here to see me! HOORAY!! We went to UGA together but she is at the Culinary Institute in NY studying to become the world's best baking/pastry chef! Creme brulee?! Fancy soft bread?! Cookie, cake, apple pie?! Yes, please!! She's a smarty pants (and her homework tastes awesome) so I keep her around.

We awoke this morning to get all decked out in our finest UGA apparel and head to Champions Bar to watch the game on a 14-foot screen!! While what showed on the screen was not spectacularly fabulous, we did sit with a fellow UGA-fanatic who did his post-grad work in Athens and was now on his way to becoming George Clooney from "Up in the Air" (he seriously showed us like five airline mile cards...it was kinda awkward trying to feign being impressed).

swan boats in the common!

right in my school's backyard!

study break awesomeness :)

After a little Starbucks stimulation, we explored the Boston Common, the Public Gardens (saw four different weddings!), Faneuil Hall, the Charles River (or maybe it was the ocean?! Still a little unsure on that one...), met up with some school friends at a restaurant called the Beehive in the South End (aka Southie), trekked back to our neck of the woods and grabbed some pizza for dinner. Whew!!

Funniest parts of the day: Haley, with map in hand, was the one bossing me around telling me how to get where!! Turns out, when I say, "It's real close!" it isn't always...

say cheese,

katy

cheeky peach.

Hip hip HOORAY!!

So many things to blog about today!!

...explored Boston with Jocelyn...

.....did my first load of laundry at the laundromat and kinda broke the machine...

.......I got my coffee maker + TV back because...

.....................HALEY IS HERE :)

say cheese,

I KNOW how to do laundry...
but these coin machines are complicated! Geez!

katy

PS -- Told ya it'd be short :)

lifestyle transformation challenge.

I merely sat up in bed to get this. I was angry, but at least I got
an inspiration pic for my blog :) Gotta love the silver lining!!

Metal raking against metal.  Pounding so loud the walls shake. A horrendous sour smell forcing its way up my nose, making my toes curl. A constant hufffff puffff BANG ringing in my ears...for forty-five minutes straight. What I thought was a horribly loud, stinky dream actually turned out to be a very real (very annoying) wake-up call this morning. Apparently...Thursday is trash day.

But God is awesome and he turned one not-so-pleasant morning into a spectacular day!! In addition to getting to talk to my mom, my dad, my bro, Larry, Haley and hearing from Bobbie...I also had a spectacular evening at school! I'm a nerd.

For those who don't know, I am studying health comm -- which, in a crazy-small nutshell, is all about communicating to people why/how they should change their health behaviors. Because my program is at Emerson, a strictly arts/comm school where sciencey-type courses are limited, I get to take a couple med courses at Tufts University. I had my first Intro to Medicine course tonight with a very quirky, totally hilarious, completely brilliant Dr. Bradshaw.  In addition to learning the medical lingo and understanding basic bio + physiology, part of passing this Tufts course also includes completing our own Lifestyle Transformation Challenge. 

At first I thought the assignment was a little elementary, but the more she explained it the more I came to love the idea--how can I expect to help others change their behaviors if I can't first understand the challenges of experiencing a transformation myself?!?! In the words of Aunt Katy: "DUH!!" She said that students in recent years have chosen to floss more often, eat more veggies, train enough to be in the Boston Marathon and so on. I have a general idea of what I'll be doing, but I'm keeping it to myself until I can figure out the parameters/goals I will set. We have to chart our progress throughout the semester and meet 80% of our goal if we want to pass. I'm super pumped for this, like you can't even imagine!

Mommy, Daddy and Aunt Katy understand this best about me: there's nothing like a challenge, especially one that I can earn a grade for, that will motivate me more!! Wish me luck :) I'll let you in on the details soon!

say cheese,
katy

PS -- Sorry for the length of this one!! Tomorrow's will be short :) Promise!

the T.

the video above is the cute folk song i'm referring to below -- hilarious!!

The mass transportation system in Massachusetts is called "The T." I'm not entirely sure what it stands for (outside of the obvious "transportation"), but Weiser and I like to think it's for the Boston Tea Party! How cute and clever, Mass!! You can buy Charlie Cards (so named for an old folk song character who was stuck on the T because he couldn't pay the fee) that will give you entrance on any bus, subway or train that goes out of the city. While pretty much all of the necessities I need are within a block or two from my place, my apartment is only about a two-minute walk to a Green Line T stop that I've been using a ton to go into Boston, to Target, yada yada yada.

All this to be said, I've discovered something: I stink at standing in the T!

the Ansin Building,
where I'll have Health Comm
every Wed night!

I can run in high heels! I can walk on hand-made three-foot stilts! I can manage to hold a 50-pound book bag on the UGA busses (that, with the exception of the law-abiding Hammy, were always racing around turns/over pedestrians/through red lights)! But I cannot, for the life of me, seem to find my center on the T system. Unfortunately, Jocelyn and I have had a few too many laughs due to my wicked clumsiness. Though, out of the handful of people that I've taken out with my purse, elbow, fist or otherwise, no one has seemed especially angry that I've just accosted them...thank goodness. One lady tonight didn't even look up from the book she was reading when I completely tumbled on top of her!

The T will definitely come in handy over the next few years--the Green Line dumps right at the front door of my school--but I need to get in some more practice for fear of someone suing. Classes started today so from here on out I'm guaranteed at least four trips a week...wish me (and my co-riders) good luck!!

say cheese,

katy

PS -- I kinda forgot my camera today, so all rights to the pic above belong to Ms. Jocelyn Sterling!!

mirror, mirror (finally) on the wall!

It's my last day of summer (serious sad face) but I think I wasted it perfectly :)

I spent the majority of the day lounging around reading, kinda applying for jobs, reading, sorta organizing my closet, reading and buying a fun new mirror! While acquiring the mirror didn't go as smoothly as desired (the MBTA Web site told me to get off the T about four stops too early which resulted in my kinda being lost), I was able to explore most of Boston University's campus...and scope out all the right coffee shops to bump into the intellectual (hopefully male) types!

After about an hour of walking/wondering while using Google maps on my Blackberry...and asking other people for directions...and being bumped by Red Sox scalpers...and turning around about four times...I finally found Bed Bath & Beyond! It turns out it was about a block from where the baseball game was yesterday so I knew exactly where I was...once I got there. But lo and behold--they had no black mirrors :( So please excuse my not matching--but hopefully coordinating--bronze'ish mirror. I'm sure you understand that after my "adventure" getting there, I was NOT leaving empty-handed! Ha! Check out the video, though, and let me know whether you think it's a keeper or not!

So long summer!!

say cheese,
katy

so good! so good! so good!

Me + Jocelyn about 10 rows down from our seats--

we had a great view!

Today I am officially a Bostonian!

I had a leisurely stroll to the grocery store this morning, an easy 10-block trek on Commonwealth Ave. I was honestly worried about how to acquire groceries when I got here last week because all of my Google-search results consisted of convenience stores with high prices and little produce. But I found a real one--with a crazy legit produce section--right in my neighborhood in Packard's Corner. In addition to the necessities for our pantry, I got a members savings card and bought some cloth bags to save the world! I felt so hip :)

They may not have air conditioners, but they do have grocery stores! Praise the Lord :)

Afterward, Jocelyn and I went to Fenway Park for a Red Sox game. It's just a hop, skip and jump away...and let me tell you, it was a blast!! We had fantastic seats and saw some (rare) Red Sox play: three home runs and a grand slam! It was awesome, to say the least. We even sang "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," saw the Green Monster, ate a Fenway Frank (though mine was technically Italian sausage) and swayed to "Sweet Caroline" at the middle of the 8th inning. And I even did my fair share of hootin' and hollerin' for bad calls/poor play, like the classic Red Sox fan...all those long UGA football days have trained me well!

say cheese,

katy

the real world. sorta.

Rubbing John Harvard's toe for good luck!
...I'm still kinda in tourist mode.

Today was semi non-eventful, but I still experienced a ton! I'll hit the highlights to keep my promise of succinct'ish posts...

Katy's Real World Tid Bits from 9. 5. 2010:
1. No matter how old you are (and how much Skyping, texting, blogging there may be), saying goodbye to your mom at the airport is really hard. But we put on our big girl panties and sent her on her way!

2. When you're on the phone with the Linksys-wireless-router man--who is yelling at YOU, the customer--sometimes, you just have to bite your lip. After all, you should be happy that you just paid the man $40 to tell you to hit the stinkin' reset button to fix the problem!! Underestimating my IQ + a lecture = what a bargain! (Geez...still struggling to swallow that one.)

 I'm boycotting them, and you should, too!!

3. Harvard is gorgeous. And people really do walk around carrying cellos and lacrosse sticks and crew t-shirts. It's almost too picturesque for words...but I still tried to capture it for ya.

4. Comfy shoes are always a must! Because sometimes it really does take an hour walk to settle on the perfect restaurant with an outdoor patio--in this case, it was Grendel's Den in Cambridge. Without my fave blue shoes, Jocelyn (my roomie) and I might've given in to something as icky as McDonald's!

That's my lesson for today :) Hope you took good notes!! Cheers from Allston!

say cheese,
katy

there's no place like home.

"It's GAlinda...with a 'Ga'."

Day four in Massachusetts and day four of AWESOMENESS!! 

Earl left his mark: a whopping 15* cooler today than yesterday...thank goodness! This a.m. Mommy and I got Boston's coffee must-have--Dunkin' Donuts--to gear up for our day. Got some final odds and ends for my apartment, and then headed to Bean Town (which I've been informed is a reference no-no if ya don't want to sound touristy). We rode the Green Line into the city to have dinner at Ye Olde Union Oyster House--America's oldest restaurant, thank ya very much. We totally pigged out: oysters and clam chowder for apps, the Lazy Man's Lobster (aka pre-plucked) for me, and scrod and potatoes for Mommy. (Poppa--I wanted to get Boston baked beans just for you but they wouldn't let me switch! Next time!) We walked off our dinner by following the Freedom Trail toward Emerson (she still hadn't seen the school) when we stumbled upon Broadway's Wicked at the Boston Opera House (an absolutely stunning theatre FYI). I said I wish I could see it, she said let's see if they have any tix left...and ten minutes later we were sitting in the fourth row for one of the most fantastic shows ever!! My mom is awesome.

Super supper!!

We did a lot of walking today in gorgeous weather--amazing blue skies, white puffy clouds, a cool breeze and a spectacular lady at my side--and I just kept thinking, "This is so great. I am so blessed!"

say cheese,
katy

two nuts, three screws

don't judge me.

Such a productive day!! We unpacked all 10 UPS boxes and three suitcases; put together a really-dumb-and-so-frustrating-but-I'm-totally-grateful-for wardrobe organizer (we followed each step but four hours later we somehow had three screws leftover?!); hung drapes with only six nails and, believe it or not, a sock; and counted t-shirts.

Mommy challenged me by saying she thought I could wear a t-shirt per day for a year and still have some leftover--my rebuttal was that she was completely out of her mind...three months would be more realistic. So we counted!! There are 72 T's resting peacefully in my new wardrobe thing + a few in the clothes hamper. Embarrassing but true story! Somewhere in-between we ate a Fenway Pizza from a pizzeria called the Upper Crust (even with Earl, they delivered on their cute lil bikes) and watched half a movie on my laptop. Tomorrow we're headed to explore the city--so think un-rainy thoughts, please!

devilish monster. 

we bought, measured and cut those 2 wooden shelves--

i'm sure you're impressed :)

say cheese,
katy

PS--To those awesome family members who wanted to post comments but couldn't, I think I've finally fixed the glitch. Now you should be able to post a comment, then either select anonymous or name/URL in the profile menu and hit post! Love!

estamos aqui.

in transit!

We're here!! My Boston adventure is (finally!) in full swing! AND IT'S AWESOME!

thank you, CVS. thank you.

Mommy and I got here yesterday super early to a small but cute apartment on Harvard Ave (not even close to the school but I'm pretty sure they only let brilliant people live on this road...obviuosly). We also arrived to a HOT Boston (12* hotter than Georgia, unbelievably), thus everything we've done so far has had a nice layer of sweat on top of it. So being the go-getters that we are, Mommy and I rode 3 busses, walked about ten blocks and shopped 4 different stores to get the LAST box fan left in Massachusetts for my not air-conditioned New England apartment. They'll catch up to the South's inventions soon enough but the (good) news is that Earl is on his way...and unfortunately I'm not talking about the Comcast man...

say cheese,

katy