365 Snapshots of My Life

Well, this could be horribly boring or SUPER interesting and fun. Or it could totally flop when I get busy this fall. I guess we'll see!

Lovely young woman I went to college with, Amelia, just got herself a Nikon camera not too long ago and has embarked on a Project 365 in which you take a photo and post it each day. Now, realistically I may not be able to post each day, but will certainly do my best to take a photo each day and batch post if I must. There are few rules, and seeing as it is the poster's own art and photos anyway, there really shouldn't be any rules. Other than 1 picture per day.

So Kim (modern, but not always so mugwumpish older sibling for those just joining after 23 years of our sisterhood) and I decided after attending the Uptown Art Fair that we would do this, and that it would be best to do it at the same time, as we could hold each other accountable. Very cool. She was better than I, and actually posted her first photo on day 1. Yeah, I didn't-- so far the score is: Large Artistic Projects-1, Katie-0. Luckily, I feel I can recover.

So here it goes. . .

Day 1: Sunday, August 9, 2009

A Morning Without Coffee is Like Sleep
August 9, 2009

Bought these loves at the Uptown Art Fair for only $10 a piece-- a steal!! Love them, and look forward to lazy Sunday mornings or crazy pre-exam nights with them.

And Then I Didn't Actually Post Anymore That Day. . . Because I Napped

So, I wrote an update about the pattern of future updates, and then did not follow through. Lame. Apologies. Starting over. . . NOW!

The Love Affair is Over. Over.

The Perks of Working at Caribou:
1. Somewhat flexible hours, often leaving half of the day open to do whatever Mugwumps enjoy doing in their half-days.
2. A half-pound of free coffee each week and a free fancy drink each shift. Unlimited drip brew during my shift (if they knew how much I had some days, they might think about altering this formula.)
3. Discounts on purchased items, including merchandise, beverages, bulk beans, and bakery.

This post will focus on the bakery items, of which I only pay 70% of retail value for, and particularly the French Toast Muffin.

Here's a funny sub-story: I was going to put a picture of the delicious French Toast Muffin here, but all of the photos I could find online of it were "unavailable" and the first thing I thought was, 'Of course, because even just looking at them makes you fat.')

French Toast Muffin specs: sugar and cinnamon swirls baked into a fluffy moist batter, with s beautiful slight crunch on top, over which maple drizzle zig zags gracefully. Ah-mazing. Amazing. Aaaaaand, with my employee discount this little gem was only $1.46, a little money for a lot of muffin.

So, I was buying one of these most shifts. I mean, I run and I am on my feet all day at work and I always work over some meal time, so this seemed not completely wrong. Until I perused the nutrition facts on the Caribou website. And you know what? If I ate 4 of these in one day, which no human has the gastrointestinal fortitude to do, I would not be recommended to eat another thing that day. "Why?" you ask. Because the French Toast Muffin of Wonder and All Things Sugary Delicious contains within its moist little self 490 calories. And thus has become the French Toast Muffin of Deceit and All Things Rottingly Fattening.

I am sorry, French Toast Muffin, it's not me, it IS you and we are breaking up. I know you didn't really do anything wrong, but I have to do what is right for me this time and I am walking away. Please don't be jealous when I spend mornings with the Banana Bread of Rebound Bakery Items.

It's over.

I Always Used to Think It Was Weird When People Loaded Several Updates in One Day

Barring special circumstances, such as multiple entries following an event that requires consistent updating (soccer matches, elections, etc.) or traveling in a manner in which Internet availability is limited, I used to think it was SUPER bizarre when people posted more than one blog update. But, I have had several ideas floating around the head lately but had not posted them. However, they really don't lend themselves to being one post. Which you will have already discovered by the time you get to this post because it will end up below the others for today and you probably will have thought "What on earth was she doing updating 600 times today? These don't even make sense."

Sorry, with a little more forethought I would have posted an explanation last, inevitably making it first for you. You know what, it's not your blog, all right? We will play by Mugwump rules, which I am pretty sure you all have been privy to at one point or another. Please do not get together and compare rules. . . you will only confuse the system. Just remember that fair does not always mean same. Especially if we've dated.

So, I will start with a generic update (and you will end with it-- them's the rules).

Uptown Art Fair was this weekend and that always brings about the most interesting thoughts and feelings in me:

• It is super exciting to be in the presence of great talent.
• What is THAT?!
• How do people get started in some of the more wacky visual arts? For instance, when I see an empty soup can, sometimes I see a makeshift planter for baby spider plants, or I see a cup for lost buttons. I never think, "Hey this would be a cool sculpture if I welded some forks, a pair of pliers, and a few metal springs too it. Then I will make faces on it out of the faces on playing cards. And then mount it to a fabric-covered piece of plywood, which I will decoratively accent with paint." The thought didn't even cross my mind after seeing this kind of art. I got home and said, "Hey, a soup can."
• Related to the last thought, looking at how talented and creative people are makes me feel a little like Ugg. Me like red and yellow. Katie paint pretty. I am not so foolish, and I know it isn't really like that, but it does humble me and remind me that I am still a novice and have lots to learn.
• Um, sometimes I can recognize that I am more talented than someone else (at art, not in general). Not going to lie, this gives me a warm fuzzy.
  
• Creating and buying art is expensive.
  
• I need to go home and paint. There are OODLES of goody-gumdrop ideas floating around in my brains. I will probably try combining them all in one piece and go mad.
  Let us not forget that all the greats were a little loopy.

In other weekend news, I went home on Friday night to see the family and visit with my Grandpa Jim, who was in town from Corpus Christi, Texas. It was nice to hang out with the family and eat a delicious meal.

I just attempted to add photos, but Blogger didn't love that. If I wasn't posting many things today, I might futz with it more. But not right now. I will add them later. Or never. I don't know yet.

Wedding Weekend: Starring Modern Mugwump as Bridesmaid Number 4

Almost exactly 5 years ago, I talked on the phone with this mild-mannered soft-spoken girl from a small town in Western Minnesota. She was captain of her cheerleading squad in a class of 56 students and her father was a buffalo farmer, amongst other things. She was the oldest of 5 girls in the family with a high school sweetheart that had gone to college a year before.

Pretty much the polar opposite of the less-modern but fairly mugwumpy young woman I was at 18-- growing up in two large suburbs of Minneapolis, attending a school that had more students than her town had people, the youngest daughter of two IT professionals.

And together, this small-town girl and I were about to become. . .



FRESHMAN ROOMMATES.


Yep. That person very few people forget, because they either loved 'em or hated 'em. And while our conversation on the phone that day went very well, I did not foresee the entire year continuing in the same manner. As far as I was concerned, we were way too different. From conversations we have had, I think she felt the same way. So imagine my surprise when we not only got along as roommates, we became great roommates and great friends. And then we lived together again the following year (after a I disassembled a disastrous roommate situation that temporarily mutilated a pretty good friendship). And imagine my surprise when we stayed friends even after I ended up in my own place, and again when she called to tell me she was marrying that goofy high school sweetheart of hers that I had grown to adore. And last year, she honored me by asking me if I would be in her wedding.

I would have never guessed that. Ever.

So this weekend I drove to a part of the state I had never been and almost missed her whole town when I sneezed. Luckily, the soybean plant is a large enough (and smelly enough) structure that I turned off in the right place. Before making a series of wrong turns trying to get to the home of one of my other greatest friends' parents.

Long story short (or maybe several good stories abridged and glommed together): I was ecstatic to watch Christine get married this weekend, and despite only knowing half of the wedding party before I arrived in Dawson, I quickly got to know quite a few lovely families and more of Kade and Christine's friends and I had the most fabulous time. I decided not to bring a date, which was a decision I had previously regretted until I actually got to the wedding/reception and had an absolute blast dancing with every member of the wedding party, the groom, at least 75% of the surviving grandparents, and anyone else with two feet and a little wiggle.

It seems to be getting to be about that time in my life-- a big surge of my friends getting married. I love it. There is nothing better than being invited to be a part of someone's love story. I find it so incredibly easy to be happy for these young couples-- there is something very powerful about deciding that you want to spend the rest of your life with someone and I am honored that Kade and Christine thought of me when they contemplated how they would celebrate this day. I would have not wanted to be anywhere else in the world.

23 Things Learned in 23 Years

I survived 23 years. At first I was thinking there should be some sort of award for this, and then realized there is: starting year 24. In honor of my birthday, I thought I would share with you 23 important lessons that I have learned so far in my 23 humble years.

1. Life isn't fair, and that's okay. It's still good.

2. You will never make friends with an animal by pulling its tail. However, dressing it in doll clothes and strapping it into a stroller has slightly positive, albeit mixed, results.

3. Siblings often turn out to be best friends that just happen to have the same parents.

4. There are countless opportunities to express yourself creatively. Find the one that fits your space, your budget, and your talents.

5. Healthy confidence will absolutely sky-rocket when you learn to be proud of the things you have worked hard for. Never be afraid to admit that you are proud of your major (or minor) accomplishments.

6. There is an ice cream flavor that is appropriate for any mood or situation.

7. It's never shameful to love your body exactly as it is, even if that's not what pop culture has told you.

8. There is not even enough time to put everything we want into our healthy, positive relationships. NEVER waste time on friends/lovers/co-workers who are toxic.

9. You will be happier not knowing what other people are thinking about you.

10. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, you'd grab yours back.

11. No matter the situation, or how confident you already are, putting on a dress makes you feel pretty.

12. Just because it's free, does not mean you have to have it.

13. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. The truly steadfast stay good people after bad things happen.

14. At some point, you will be the root of someone's pain. When you recognize, own it.

15. Label and date your leftovers.

16. Never be embarrassed by your hobbies or things that make you happy.

17. Not everyone is going to love you. Some will not love you more politely than others.

18. You were handed one of the best life resources at birth: your parents. Use them wisely.

19. Follow the care instructions on articles of clothing you like.

20. Have opinions and share them with an open mind and ears.

21. Most people do not want to hurt or harm you, and do so only to cover their own hurt, or completely on accident. Think of that before hurt feelings and anger turn in to action.

22. Don't spend more time wanting than doing.

23. Run when you can, walk when you have to, crawl if you must. But always move forward.

Thursday at the Theater

I was lucky enough to be invited to a preview showing of Ella at the Guthrie in Minneapolis tonight by a classmate who had won the tickets earlier this summer. It was my first time at the new Guthrie, and I have to say, it is a gorgeous space in a stellar downtown location.

Since neither of us had been there before, we decided to grab dinner and drinks on the same block. Much to our fortune , there is a great little place called Spoonriver right across the street which serves organic, sustainable dishes. It was an excellent little place, maybe one of my new favorites. They were sensitive to our time schedule and made sure to put our order in A.S.A.P. and the food was amazing. I think I will have to make a return visit-- looking at their website, they have a weekend brunch and there isn't much better than that!

I enjoy being in the company of talented people, and Ella certainly provided that. I can't imagine being the actress portraying Ella Fitgerald, though-- what lungs to fill! She was good though, and since I don't know that much about Ella Fitzgerald's personality and stage presence, I guess I wouldn't have really recognized if she wasn't good. The songs were fun, the stage scenery was simple and never changed, but the wonderful use of different lighting techniques provided a visual treat and marked the changing of the scenes or moods.

At one-day-shy-of-23 and 24, Emily and I may have brought the average age at the show down 10 years, not including young kids with their families, but I would say that is pretty typical for theater. And it's okay if we were young, because we looked good!

So, About that Bike. . .

Remember when I bragged about how even the fire department couldn't steal my bike (Modern Mugwump thumps on chest, a very proud bike owner)?

This is me eating my words. Quick, read that sentence again because I do not often admit that.

For weeks my roommate and I had been leaving our bikes in our entryway for the convenience factor, so we could do exactly what I did on Thursday morning: get dressed, roll up pant cuffs so as to not make ground chuck out of the hem of my jeans on the chain of my bike, tighten the Chacos (official footwear of Uptowners), put helmet on head and fasten snugly, grab super hip Timbuk2 bag with the handy stay-tight strap accessory for biking, blow a sweet kiss to the parked car that gets to stay parked, and . . .

This is the part where I would say "Hop on your bike, with the snazzy handle bars, and ride off into the sunshine enjoying the Greenway, the neighborhood, the lakes, wind in your face, gnats in your teeth. . . ahhhh what a ride."

But not on Thursday because some idiot had the same idea, but with my bicycle. And the worst part about things like this, is you can be mad at the stealer of sweet bikes, but really I should have brought my bike into my apartment every day, and it's so much worse when bad things happen to you and it's your own fault, right? Right. A victim of convenience and my own nonchalance. Turns out I am not in Kansas anymore, Toto, and someone was brave enough to enter our place while we were home and take my two-wheeled companion on some joy ride and then probably dump her. Boo on them for that one.

So, yeah, currently on Borrowed Bike (Thanks, Dad!) and saving/looking for a new-used to love and to cherish. And to put sunshine handlebars on.

Entertained Everywhere. Everywhere Entertained.

I don't actually know anyone who has said they don't like to people-watch. I suppose some people need the watchees to be exceptionally entertaining in order to stay interested, but everyone enjoys to take even a split second to just do a quick social soak of those around them. I, of course, am no different and could (and occasionally do) spend quite a period of time publicly spying. While I am a firm believer in equality and equal rights, let's face it-- not all people are equally entertaining. There are certain categories of people I find more fascinating than others.

Someone driving a new car. This is fun and easy, as this is the person easily recognizable in a super-shiny little machine without license plates, with the beautiful toothy, ear-to-ear grin of a child. Ever watched a kid get it's first puppy? Someone driving their new car, even if they have had it for a few days, looks exactly the same.

A woman in heels/A man in a tie. Because they own this place, or at least give off that confidence. Hallelujah that on "those" days all you need are some shoes or a tie to lift you up and welcome the whole world (or tell it where to put that sales report, if that's the confidence you need). I've noticed you rarely see a woman in heels or a man in tie look down when they walk. And people are attracted to confident people, and not just romantically attracted. We all prefer to be someone who appears and acts confident, because it makes us feel less timid.

A couple on a first date. Like the diamond in the rough of people-watching. You can never plan for these things, but it is so exciting when you realize that is what you are eaves-dropping on. This is especially good if it is a young couple, like high school or early college. When I watch a first date I like to do play-by-play in my own head:

"Does he open the door? There's a reach, he grabs the handle, but OH NO he walks through first, leaving the lady waiting on the sidewalk! Oh, ouch, Bernie. That's going to earn him some time in the penalty box."

"I can't believe it, Scottie. The guy has seen how many romantic comedies?! Luckily, he can still recover by offering to buy her dessert at the end of the meal. But does he know the cardinal rule of dessert offerings?"

"What's that, Bernie? The Only-Suggest-Something-Double-Fudge-Or-Kiss-A-Second-Date-Goodbye Rule?"*

"That's the one, that's the one."

People with unruly large dogs. I do not mean the type of unruly dog that eats trousers off mailmen, but more that large lanky dog that things it's a terrier and has an entire day's worth of pent-up energy. This dog is simultaneously running circles around it's owner (leashed), chasing errant squirrels, paper, children, or shadows. Ah, and biting into the air at nothing, while barking.

Any club or gathering where all members are of the same gender and over the age of 65. Always adorable. At Caribou, for example, there is a gathering of men that talk sociology, psychology, and politics all the time. They often try to rile me up on health issues, but I don't get too riled anymore, especially about the relationship between the government and health care. I just tell them to stop eating our sugary muffins and have some carrots once in a while and they will be okay. And the only thing that competes with the loveliness of children laughing is a gaggle of little ladies giggling at their own gossip.

*Maybe not applicable to all women, but certainly applicable to Modern Mugwumps. On the off-chance that you are taking notes. . .

911? Yes, This is an Emergency. I Am Locked Out of My Bike.

No, I didn't actually call 911. Relax already.

There is a pre-story to this story. It is as follows: I love my bike. I know, I know, you remember my triathlon update when I said I didn't really like my bike and she's no racer. That's true, she's no racer, but she is my bike. She is hot pink and purple (circa 1993, seriously) and has sunshines on the handle bars (thanks, Erik!). It is affectionately known by the family as the "grad school bike" as Kim also used it during her years in grad school. I have also referred to it as the "adult Huffy" based on her excellent sport performance. Regardless of how I tease, I actually really love the pink and purple monster and we travel well together.



I have discovered that riding my bike to work along the Minneapolis Greenway is faster than driving because, frankly, traffic in Uptown is disastrous. Even at 10 am. So I ride ride ride all the way to work and lock up my bike by the Chipotle next door. I do my thing at work, make some tips so I can eat a chicken burrito with guac from said next-door Chipotle, and then ride the trusty pink and purple back home. I don't eat the burrito everyday, or I would look like the Fat-Bottomed Girls that Queen sings about, where I just like to sing "I want to ride my bicycle! I want to ride my bike!" on my way around town.

So today I followed the routine: wake up, eat, get dressed, ride bike to Greenway, love the Greenway, get off the Greenway at work, make some lattes and such, punch out at the end of the shift, and at this point I would typically ride the bike home. Luckily, this story doesn't end sadly with a stolen bike. Well, not really, anyway. I went to my bike to unlock it, and despite dialing in the right code several times and pulling with all of my might, the bike lock would not budge. So there I was, with my bike but definitely unable to use it.

I didn't know what to do, so I relied on an old classic. What do I always do when I have gotten myself into something I can't get out of by myself? Get my sister involved. It just so happens, however, that I called her actually looking for her husband, who knows the most about bikes and bike paraphenalia. They suggested that his parents, who live in the area, may have some WD40 to lube up the lock or a bolt cutter to permanently relieve the lock of its service. So, the phone tree began. In short it went like this: Me--> Kim--> Someone at Erik's work--> relayed message to Erik--> who called Kim back--> who called me to tell me she was--> calling Eriks parents, who weren't home--> so she called again, and suggested I walk to the fire station and ask for help.

Helmet in tow, I crossed the street to the fire station. Their front door isn't open past 5pm, so I rang the doorbell. Twice. Finally someone came to the door. And then I stammered like a little kid that my bike lock was jammed and I could use some help if they had the tools and time. And then I thought about it-- of course they have the tools. These people pull people out of cars and such, they should be able to open my bike lock. Of course, I felt kind of foolish, and said "This must happen to you guys all the time." Thank goodness for honesty, as the woman who answered the door said "Not really. People get locked out of their cars a lot. But not really out of their bikes. Ever." Awesome. Thanks. Then they teased me about using the fire department to steal a bike. Yeah, my own bike.

I am glad they said they could help me and 20 minutes and 2 firemen later the bike lock lay on the sidewalk, shredded but open. On my way home, I found myself in a conundrum: I don't want to buy the same bike lock because I have had that one less than one year and it failed me. At the same time, even firemen couldn't steal the awesome pink and purple. That's a quality lock.

On Current Events

I don't typically spend too much time on here discussing my opinion on current events, but the update on my goings-on right now is this:

Work. Homework. Eat. Run/Bike. Sleep. Rearrange and repeat as necessary.

I guess I could just end the update there, thanks for coming, guys!





Just Kidding.

So, let's pretend I am CNN, the BBC, MSNBC, and Fox News-- I'll talk first about Michael Jackson and probably for longer than any news source ever should. Ever. Let's see, Michael Jackson died a mysterious and untimely death, most likely at the hands of prescription medication despite a pending "comeback" tour. Some speculate his death was intentional to get out of the tour. For one, what an absolute shocker that a celebrity died from a possible drug overdose, whoa, we've never seen that one. I am surprised for someone so creative, he took such a mundane way to go. Secondly, I think if I was a 50 year old black man who looked like a hideous 30 year old white woman who made a "living" out of grabbing my own crotch for millions of people, I might look for a way out of that too.* But what REALLY irks me, is that his funeral service, held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, is going to cost the state of California millions of dollars, particularly for the extra police needed for security and crowd control reasons. I don't think Arnold is signing a personal check anytime soon, which means taxpayers get this one. What is going on, and where is ANY sense of fiscal responsibility, when a state, hundreds of millions of dollars in debt, decides to take on more public spending to host the funeral of one of history's highest grossing pop stars? This is ridiculous and actually makes me resent the culture of celebrity in America more than I should. Spending on police presence at the Jackson funeral while education and health programs are being cut and people all over the state are losing their jobs-- sounds like ducks all out of the row.

This week is the G8 Summit in Italy, where the leaders of major global players tea-party and discuss the most pressing global issues. In the news today: Industrialized nations make tentative agreement on climate control action, while developing nations shun controlling greenhouse gases. Well, good news and bad news, I guess. At least we are talking about it, and at least we stopped calling it "global warming." Because the average temperature of the earth is up, but no North Dakotan on the planet is going to tell you they are a victim of global warming. But unseasonably wet winters and springs? Drier summers? Greater fluctuation and difference in seasonal temperature? That is what we need to be concerned about. So I am happy to see that there are at least tentative plans, which will probably not be followed by any country that isn't already doing those things, but it is a building block. And I don't blame developing nations for their stance-- alternative energies and emissions-reducing technology is expensive and the economy is not in a position to support that development right now, although we desperately need it.

Google is discussing their new operating system, Google Chrome. Move over Microsoft? Or just another too-complicated system that most programs can't run on? Hopefully the former, as I love The Google.

This one made me laugh: Amazon drops price of Kindle 2 to $299. That's funny- books at the library are free.**

I guess that's all I've got for now-- almost everything else was about the father of Michael Jackson's kids, the McNair murder-suicide, or Iran (violating human rights one subgroup at a time).


*I like Michael Jackson's music and will acknowledge that he was a talented recording artist (I even have, and listen to, the CD of his #1 hits). I otherwise see very little major contribution to society from him.
** I actually think the Kindle is cool. But not $299 of cool. That's like a plane ticket to somewhere (but not too far, or too cool).