Tangent Triptych

I) So much packiiiiiiing. The worst part of moving. I have about a billion of those small banker boxes packed (I refuse to subject movers to a huge box full of books) and I'm only about halfway done. Aghh. It'll all be worth it, though. I have to keep remembering that.

II) Today I put together my dining room table. It was a stubborn little bugger, but I DID IT. And it looks supercute. Take that, you tricky IKEA Swedes! You can't fool me! I've discovered that putting together furniture yourself is both infuriating as all hell and completely satisfying at the same time.

III) My Mom and I unpacked all the little appliances we bought and the stuff I got for my birthday. My kitchen already looks like a kitchen! Only it doesn't have food in it yet. Ha. But at least it looks cute!

And that's about all I can muster right now. I'm a sleepy girl who has lots more packing to do tomorrow. *sleepy wave*

Early Morning Updates

• I had the chance to talk with Claudia La Rocco just before her ASU residency ended. We met up on campus for a bit and I got to pick her brain. I think it went pretty well...she told me a lot about the goings-on of a journalist, and gave me some great advice, insight and ideas. I was really nervous, though, and feel like I came off as an awkward bumbling idiot. It's like I spend so much time alone that I forget how to talk to people. Or something. But I suppose feeling awkward but still getting good perspective is better than not contacting her at all.
  
• I participated in a fabulous Flash Mob recently, and it was a blast. It was so nice to see lovely people like Kathryn and Cat who I rarely get to meet up with. (That should change, because they're awesome.) It was also great to be there for everyone, even if I didn't personally know the woman who the flash mob was commemorating.
  
• I never really followed up on the hospitalization situation, mostly because it was a disaster. And a disaster that absolutely could have been prevented. Basically, without going into details since it's a private family thing, being hospitalized didn't happen. It should have, but didn't. And I wish I could go back in time and just NOT consider it as an option. It was hard enough to make that decision, and even harder to actually prepare for and to tell people it was going to happen. I told my teachers, withdrew from classes, stocked up on cat food and litter for Ragnar and was about to ask my roommate if he could take care of him while I was gone, and started packing. None of which was easy or pleasant, especially running on so little energy and an inescapable feeling of wanting to die. For things to play out the way that they did after all that, I'm just humiliated. Now, I'm back to struggling to make and get to doctors appointments, being put on different meds and blah blah blah. Same shit, different day. As mentioned in an earlier post, one of the medications I'm on is more or less an upper to keep me awake. And it has kept me awake, but hasn't changed my mood. So I still feel like shit, only now I can't sleep through it.
  
• I'm doing a blogger meetup thing today. I'm really nervous about it because I hate meeting new people, and the thought of having to socialize/make conversation for an entire day makes me anxious as all hell. I don't really know why I'm doing it. I guess to talk about blogging? See what various AZ bloggers are like in person? I don't know. We're doing a lot of poking around downtown Phoenix, though, and I've been wanting to familiarize myself with that area more. So that's good? I meant to get plenty of sleep tonight since I'm nervous about the meetup and need time to get ready for it in the morning, buuuut despite being tired, I've been too nervous to allow myself to sleep. Agh. We'll see how it goes.

ABCs. Just because.

Stole this from The Fitnessista. I enjoy doing and reading these silly surveys, and haven't done one in forever.

A. Age: 23

B. Bed size: Queen. I have no idea how I slept in a twin bed for so long...never again.

C. Chore you dislike: ALL OF THEM. I suck at cleaning, so therefore I hate ALL chores. But if I had to pick just one, it would definitely be mopping floors. Don't even get me started on that shit.

D. Dogs: None. But I do have a kitty, of course. And two other kitties in the house that aren't technically "mine" but I love them anyway.

E. Essential start to your day: Internet things...I'm an addict. Technology has trumped personal hygiene in my morning routine priorities.

F. Favorite color: Black, pink, turquoise and dark purple.

G. Gold or silver: Definitely silver.

H. Height: 5’4. Otherwise known as: Too short to be a Rockette. But even if I was at least 5'5 1/2, I'm still not leggy. Damn those skinny bitches.

I. Instruments you play(ed): I took drum lessons one summer and loved it, and wish I'd had the time to stick with it. I've always wanted to play the piano, but never learned how.

J. Job title: Still officially a "Student" on paper. But if I wasn't in school, I'd label myself as a "Freelance Choreographer, Dancer and Writer."

K. Kids: None. And I'm undecided about having kids in the future. I like the idea, but it still scares the bejesus out of me. And I doubt I'll ever be selfless enough.

L. Live: In Mesa, Az. But I think if school doesn't work out, I need to get out of here. Either move to central Phoenix or just get out of Arizona altogether. New York City would be the obvious first option, but I'm considering other big cities here and abroad. And I daydream constantly about moving to Tel Aviv. There is SO MUCH GOOD DANCE THERE.

M. Mom’s name: Joyce

N. Nicknames: Katy is technically a nickname since my full name is Kathryn. Derek calls me Bombs, which cracks me up.

O. Overnight hospital stays: I've never had any. Unless you count the sleep clinic.

P. Pet peeves: Oh sweet Jesus, SO MANY. People in general just drive me insane. But I suppose bad spelling tops the list, especially on published official websites/fliers/print media...it makes me cringe. GET A PROOFREADER, PEOPLE. I'll be your proofreader free of charge if need be. Just STOP the published spelling/grammar/punctuation mistakes.

Q. Quote from a movie:

Always.

R. Righty or lefty: Righty. I wish I was ambidextrous. That'd be pretty badass.

S. Siblings: I have 8 of them. Mary Beth, Albert, Tony, John, Mariah, Christine, Margie and Jim. And my sister-in-law Violette as well.

T. Time you wake up: It changes daily...I'm not in school this semester and haven't heard back on job applications yet, so my sleep schedule is ridiculous. Yesterday I stayed awake all day on no sleep in an attempt to stabilize things; ended up going to bed at 9 and waking up this morning at 5 AM. But that RARELY happens.

U. Underwear: I have WAY too many pairs. Blame Target, with their adorable selection and frequent sales.

V. Vegetables you don't like: I'm really not fond of eating plain beets. But I love them in borscht. I would bathe in borscht. (Not really. But it is delicious.)

W. What makes you run late: Anything. I took my damn time coming out of the womb, and since then I've been perpetually late to everything. But I guess the main things that make me late would be sleeping through my alarm and underestimating the time it takes to do things/drive places.

X. X-rays you’ve had: Not many. I think I had one when I sprained my ankle at age 6. Then in the last year, I've been having frequent inexplicable wrist pain and had an X-ray done. But they didn't find anything. Fail, fail, fail.

Y. Yummy food you make: I. Hate. Cooking. I do NOT have any patience for it. The only thing I can make well without assistance are Ghirardelli brownies from a boxed mix, instant Mac&Cheese, and Ramen. Culinary brilliance.

Z. Zoo animal favorites: Ohmagod, ZEBRAS! They're so pretty.

Recap of My Boston/NYC Trip

I actually wrote this as soon as I got back last month, but forgot to post it on here, 'cause I fail.

Here's a basic overview of my trip. With some verbose tangents thrown in, because I am me.

THURSDAY 9/30

• Packed up my supercute weekender bag.
• Realized upon arriving at the airport that the weekender bag may be supercute, but it's no fun dragging around (it doesn't have wheels or a shoulder strap). However, it's perfect for trips that don't involve air travel. Live and learn. Anytime I fly, I'm sticking with my favorite wheelie suitcases. Had a bit of frustration at security, since it was my first time not checking baggage. I knew about the fluids in 3 oz bottles thing, but I thought putting them all in the same toiletry bag would suffice. Nope. They have to be in a separate plastic bag or some shit. The security guy made me feel like a supreme dumbass. Oh, well. Live and learn, part II.
• Red-eye flight to Newark. Of COURSE the only time I'm not out like a light on an airplane is on a red-eye flight! Meh. I think I was just too excited to sleep.
• Realized what a bullshit joke airplanes are. I think we've all just slipped into complacency about airplanes, when really we should revolt. Seriously, they're so cramped and uncomfortable and oppressive. And all to squeeze as many people (meaning people's money) on there at once. STUPID. We should have an airplane revolution.

FRIDAY 10/1

• We landed through a huge rainstorm. The rain was horizontal as we flew through it; I've never seen anything like that! Pretty to watch.
• Unfortunately, the pretty rain delayed my flight for 3 hours. UGH. Finally started feeling sleepy, so those 3 hours were spent in uncomfortable sleeping positions in the waiting area.
• FINALLY took off for Boston in the tiny tin can of a commuter jet. Immediately fell asleep, which was a blessing. The flight was EXTREMELY turbulent, but I was too exhausted to feel scared.
• Landed in Boston. My shuttle driver got lost trying to find the Hampton Inn I was staying at. Aghh.
• Immediately upon entering my room, I stripped off all my clothes and sank into a tub of hot water while watching Julie & Julia. Bliss. It's easy to forget how hard travel is on your body! This was followed by a long nap.
• The cab driver kept misunderstanding everything that came out of my mouth; mistaking "Arrow St" for "Amory St," then misspelling "Arrow" on the GPS. But somehow I made it to the Oberon Theater for...
  
• CABARET!!!! Which was absolutely incredible! After the show I met Steven Mitchell Wright (the choreographer/movement director), and also met AMANDA FUCKING PALMER herself. More on all this soon. I was shaking the whole night.

SATURDAY 10/2

• Took a train from Boston to New York City. The train was so roomy, comfortable and quiet. I slept most of the time, and watched Gilmore Girls on my laptop. The last stop before Penn Station was in New Rochelle! Which made me giggle because I'm a giant nerd, and made Ragtime stuck in my head for a bit.
• Met up with Steve at Penn Station!!!! So happyyyyyyy!
• We went back to his apartment in Brooklyn. His neighborhood is so pretty, it's practically out of a damn movie! Brownstones and tree-lined sidewalks. Ridiculously pretty.
• Batsheva Dance Company at the Joyce Theater! Pretty much a religious experience! I've been obsessed with them for so long, and was so happy to finally see them in person. I totally spotted artistic director/choreographer/BAMF Ohad Naharin from across the room after the show!!!! I couldn't actually meet him, because he was downstairs at the backstage entrance next to the lounge area, and I had spotted him from the lobby upstairs. But that's okay. I know I will meet him someday. But just seeing him from across the room was basically like seeing Santa Claus!!! No joke.
• Dinner with Steve at Stuzzicheria, the tiny and delicious Italian restaurant where he works. Our meal was huuuuge and SO SO SO GOOD. Holy delicious. Go there if you're ever in NYC. I got to meet all his co-workers, too, which was nice.
• Barhopping at his favorite places after dinner. Tribeca Tavern where they have Delerium Tremons on tap and a really cool bartender named Will, and the Reade Street Pub.

SUNDAY 10/3

• Brunch at Centro Vinoteca, where I got to meet Steve's brother as well as his sister-in-law and adorable baby nephew. It was great--and a little scary--to finally meet some of his family! They were really nice. I hope that they liked me, and I hope that I didn't come off as ditzy. Sometimes when I try to be more outgoing, I tend to just sound like a ditz. Centro Vinoteca had more of a savory brunch menu (is savory the right word? I don't know). I got these perfect poached eggs on top of a delicious beef bolognese sauce and polenta, with a glass of white wine, coffee, and various tasty appetizers.
• Back to Steve's apartment for a post-brunch nap before I got in a cab for JFK and Steve headed to work (he had to cover someone's shift at the last minute). Tears in the cab and began missing him already. Remembered how JFK is basically the worst airport in the history of airports and how I never have pleasant experiences there. Last time I was there a couple years ago, my flight was delayed for 8 hours. So what better place to be kicked while I was down than the unaccommodating overcrowded hellhole known as JFK?? (Tangent Time: I think it's just archaic and stupid for airports to a) charge for wi-fi and b) not provide travelers with a sufficient amount of working outlets or charging stations to charge their phones/laptops, etc. I mean, SERIOUSLY. If Starbucks stopped charging for wi-fi, I think airports can suck it up, too. Such a rip-off, and just ridiculous given the rapidly more technological society we're living in. I honestly equate paying for wi-fi and not being able to charge one's laptop with the archaic-ness of dial-up internet. GET IT TOGETHER, AIRPORTS.)
• Long, uneventful flight back to PHX. Felt very bittersweet, given the amazing few days I just had. And I was sad because it went by so fast, and I really have no idea when I'll get to see Steve in person again. :/ But a quick trip is better than no trip at all.