One Down...Five to Go

DONE! I officially turned in the last project of my first semester here at BU at 1:06 AM this morning!

I know that I owe this blog and its wonderful readers seven or eight posts. I haven't kept up with this thing as much as I was hoping to.

To be fair, I have only been a bit busy between grad school and work. After midterms, things started to really pick up speed. Every student was piled with almost too much homework to handle and, being that we all have an outside job, it took a while to find a balance. The balance being the end of a semester.

I have always been told that the first semester to graduate life will be an adjustment. It is not just two more years of college, it's two more years of how-much-information-can-we-cram-into-your-brain-before-you-have-to-do-this-on-your-own? intense work. A jabberwocky of papers,projects, and observation hours.  If you were hoping for any type of social life to exist outside of your cohort meeting to discuss the three upcoming projects that y'all are all stressed over, I would encourage you to extinguish that flame. This is your life. And it's only going to get worse.

Looking back over the semester, I can say that I've made some strides in becoming a better human. I have had to learn to adjust, learned how to constantly look at things from a new angle (thank you TCS), learned patience (thank you MTBA [public transport]), and really have started to learn on the better times to keep my mouth shut. I have learned to be confident in who I am and not bother with the people who want me to change. I have learned more about my language and ASL, the importance of having great teachers in the schools, and gained a detailed list of things never ever to do when I have my own classroom.

I have also learned the importance of having a team. There are only five of us in my cohort. That's it. It is a small but extremely powerful group. We bonded fairly quickly, over the mass hysteria of the rose garden, and always seem to have each other's backs. We (mostly) have all the same classes (we will by the time we graduate) so we are able to understand each other's struggle. No one gets it quite like we do. If you need to get something off your chest, there's four people there to listen and figure out the next step. (Because most of the time if you're feeling it - the rest of the group is as well). We have been through thick, mucky crap and back again. We're a strong group of girls - and it's freaking awesome.

I won't lie to you, readers. I'm absolutely and totally exhausted. All I can think about doing is sleeping the entire two weeks I'm home. But the first semester is done. I am blessed with a break to recoup and gear up for the next part of the journey.

For all those wondering - I'm flying in on the 23rd. It's going to be a fast two weeks in Texas before I find myself back in the sleepless, windy town of Boston. According to locals and those who have lived here much longer than I, that's when the real winter hits. I am terrified in finding out what that even means.

All the best,

Kaity

Treading Water

I fully believe that midterms are meant to divide the weak from the strong.

It's like being in a pool and being asked to tread for 16 minutes. Halfway through, your coach swims up to you and adds 10 pound weights to your ankles and tells you to keep it up for the next couple of minutes. So every muscle strains, and impolite four letter words pop up into your mind repeatedly. Every so often, you start a serious debate with yourself over the possibility of quitting. But eventually, the weights do come off. It becomes a little easier to breathe; the idea of completing this 16 minutes of treading doesn't seem as daunting as it did a moment ago. However, your brain quickly reminds you that there are at least 5 to 6 minutes left of this task and the idea is enough to add its own 10 pound burden to every muscle in your body. The end feels like it will never come.

I am sitting at an awkward place where only one of the weights have been removed from my feet. It is an interesting feeling that is forcing me to re-evaluate the process of treading as a whole. I'm exhausted, I'm hitting a limit - and every day I have to remind myself that it will be worth it. God does not waste experiences, even awkward one-footed weight ones. 

November is an interesting time here in Boston. According to many who have lived here for at least a couple of years, I am being spoiled by the weather. It is supposed to be cold, cloudy, and miserable from now until April. I even had a roommate tell me that if I wanted to stay productive, to just stop looking out the window.

Now, maybe this is my Texan showing, but I'm pretty sure it's fairly cold and cloudy. In fact, it has been raining all day and probably will for the next few days. 50F here is not the same as 50F at home, and it is even worse in the rain. If there is not a reason to leave, then don't. If there is, you better hope that you have a great pair of boots and the wind isn't strong enough to flip your umbrella inside out as you walk. (This happens a lot more than one would think).

So yes, I am in a current state of being a little black rain cloud.

October is a long month to push through, but it has been completed. November brings the promise of a break and December the promise of home. 

Good luck to all my fellow student friends out there, we are almost there!

Until next time,

Kaity

Between a Book and a Fun Place

Dearest Readers,

I am aware that I have been lax in my responsibilities when it comes to posting on this site. The goal was to give y'all a summary of my week so that you could enjoy my journey with me. But throughout last week and this, I realized that I'm not doing anything special. I have two more years of schooling left and it is really exactly as it sounds. I work, I study (usually in the forms of reading hundreds of pages of articles and then writing a summary over it), I go to class, and every blue moon I socialize with other human beings.

While other people are off on new adventures, I am still very much stuck behind a desk. I am quite a Plain Jane - and recently that has started to bother me. Currently I reside in a fantastic city that is rich with our country's history and full of multiple cultures. This should be a time of growth. It is time that I chased those dreams that have quietly lived in the back of my mind for so many years. Time to learn so much more than the knowledge that comes with books. Oh, but where do I find the time?

That is the predicament I have found myself in for the last couple weeks. My mind has been in a tug of war for my yearning of exploration and the responsibilities that I have. At some point, I am sure that I will find a balance.

So there is a quick little update.

All the best,

Kaity

Dracula Untold

Rating: 

Through a mix up at a local theater, instead of enjoying the Boxtrolls, I found myself watching Dracula Untold. (We received these tickets for free, so I was not one to complain).

Sadly, I have not yet read the original works, but I can tell you that this movie was fairly well done. From what I have gathered through the summaries on Goodreads, this movie is set before the book.(I am also very unsure after this movie if the book fits in at all.)

Vlad Dracula (Luke Evans) had a dark childhood and has found himself free of being The Impaler for the Turks for over ten years. Of course, things do not stay all that peaceful when the Turks ask for more than just the regular payment for the Sultan. They want 1000 boys for their armies as well.

There is a belief that Vlad has been killing the Turkish spies (that are not supposed to be in the country anyway) and this is payment. The truth is that there is a monster in a cave who can kill Turks with its bare hands. Is there a chance that this monster could be Vlad's hope to saving the boys so they do not go through the same torment he did?

There is a nice play on the origin of Dracula's name as well. We see the transition from "Son of the Dragon" to "Son of the Devil" with a nice bit of character development. It's a bit gruesome in some areas, although it has a little bit of something for everyone. Action, love, revenge, and an interesting ending. This movie was clearly set up for a second installment, although they could leave it as it is as well.

Fair warning: If you enjoy Twilight type of vampires - this movie is not for you. The vampires stick with their traditional powers, although CGI helped add a bit of a twist.

I enjoyed the movie and I hope you do as well.

And Then There Were None

Rating: 

I am one who enjoys a good mystery or horror book every now and again. October definitely sets me in the mood to devour as many of these tales as I can lay my hands on.

It is sad to say that I have never read this classic before now, but I did enjoy it. The style of writing took a bit of getting use to. Christie sticks with a more blunt, active style of writing - which is completely fine once you get use to it. It also adds more to the story because it keeps it rolling at a much quicker pace. 

There were beautiful twists and turns that I am sure most stories nowadays borrow from - but I can honestly say that I was incorrect in my assumption of the murderer and how the entire story would come to a close. 

The murder is set up around a poem known as "Ten Little Soldiers". It's quite a dark child's tale - although most of what I heard growing up tended to be. The victims follow the pattern, which makes another fun guessing game as you are reading through.

All of the guests to this ominous  little island has been accused taking an innocent life in one way or another, although the majority beg ignorance about the matter. What it quickly boils down to is that there is someone on the island who believes they must die for their sins and, if they don't find who it is quickly, they will never leave. But there are ten of them and ten little soldiers, is there any hope at all?

I could quickly see why this story would become an instant classic and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys such books. 

Painting the Roses Red

Communication is key to a successful life. Be it at work, in school, with friends or family - our lives revolve around the ability to communicate our wants and needs with each other. As a teacher we tend to find ourselves the mediator of lines of conversation between multiple parties so that our students will be successful in our class and classes to come.

This principle has been repeatedly drilled into my head since my first education class freshman year of college, and rightfully so. However, the more I started to grasp the reason behind this statement, the more it seemed that this important rule slowly slipped out of the minds of my teachers the higher I climbed the academic latter.

What I've come to find out is that here in Wonderland, communication is a rare, undependable bird. People may find themselves left out of an important notice. The readings for this week may have never been posted. Or, more consistently, lack of clarifying that the queen wanted red roses and not white ones less than 24 hours before she is expected to walk the garden.

So what do we do, you ask? We grab some brushes and paint those accursed flowers red. 

 

The problem here lately is that these five cards are very tired of painting a new set of roses each week. In fact, some of them have thrown down the brushes and have started to demand clearer instructions. And, let's be honest, at this stage of academics, it shouldn't even be a problem. Syllabuses should have been established on the first day, not the end of the fourth week. Project guidelines should be posted at least a week in advance of the due date.

But I digress, because what can you do? If the queen refuses to clarify instructions, we must try our best to tend the garden and hope that, when the time comes, we can quickly paint over our mistakes and she won't notice. 

Prayers would be appreciated. 

Until next time,

Kaity

The Thirteenth Tale

Rating : 

The Thirteenth Tale is an interesting little novel set in Great Britain that revolves around the complex realities of being a twin. Vida Winter is one of Britain's most famous authors and, as all good people do, she is dying. She has come to the belief that there is only one more story for her to tell, and that is her own.

Margaret Lea is a quiet woman who lives at home with her parents and works in her father's bookshop. She has done a few biographies here and there on people she has found interesting, but more for fun than for fame. She is quite surprised when Ms. Winter contacts her to become her personal biographer, especially being that Margaret had never actually read any of Ms. Winter's works until that point.

Margaret has her suspicions about working for Ms. Winter - because this isn't the author's first biography. Every time someone has come to take down her story, Ms. Winter creates an extravagant one that cannot be farther from the truth. But, according to the story teller, one particular individual finally convinces her to eventually tell the truth.

This story isn't a light-hearted one; more of a dark mystery. Not only do we learn of Ms. Winter's twisted family past, we also gain incite on Margaret's family as well. There is a bond between the two women, although in a different way than one might think. But all is revealed in time.

I enjoy a good mystery and Setterfield beautifully added a few twists that I did not fully see coming. For me, the book was a bit sluggish in some areas, but they did help clarify obscure facts to the story. It also takes a little while to get use to the writing style, being that it switches back and forth from the past of Ms. Winter, the past of Margaret (although rarely), and the present. Once you gain a feel, it is easier to read.

For once, I was given what I believe was a complete ending. After reading series for so long, I forget that one book can be only one lifetime. I won't say that the ending is happy, but it is not obscure and fits the story line well. There is a bit of a Prestige twist (although I think I know the answer this time).

Twins have always fascinated me, and I would be curious what a couple of people would think after reading this book. I would recommend this story for a rainy day where you are trapped inside. Maybe with a fluffy creature to pet and a nice cup of tea.

Enjoy,

Kaity

Working Girl

I don't think that I have always appreciated what I've had.

I am lucky - I am one of the few people in the world who have grown up with loving families, great education (academically and socially), and many opportunities to work.

In the last 5 years I have worked 5 different jobs. Many of them overlapped each other and were for short time periods, but I did it. I was stretched, pushed, and sleep deprived, but I took away lessons that easily applied to other fields. One of those was every day that you went into work, you prove again and again why they chose to hire you. Working hard gets you places (and good references).

Right now, it isn't easy for people to find a job. These past five years, I have had most of the jobs handed straight to me. Looking for a job with no leads was a very different experience for me.

The first week of September I was in a state of panic. The reality that I was now financially independent and had no job was unsettling. I applied at places that were hiring and weren't and pinched every penny I had. (I still do the latter - good practice).

But God is good. As my mother has told me over and over since moving here, God doesn't bring you this far to drop you on your butt. He didn't - he actually provided more than I asked.

I am proud to state that I am now employed with one of The Container Stores up here in Massachusetts. I get to help people organize their lives in creative ways each and every day. This is a passion of mine, and now I get paid for it!

I don't know how this job will connect with teaching, nor the past five years of customer service, being a camp counselor, color guard tech (okay maybe I can see that one), or RA life,  but I'm trying to keep an open mind. Every day is an opportunity to learn something new, even from those classes that you feel are pointless.

Wake Up Call

As a high schooler taking his/her first steps to college, there is a realization of being the bottom of the food chain. The knowledge that has been stuffed into that noggin the past four years is nothing compared to the information of what is about to come. (Well, except maybe the first two years.) Even so, a freshman prepares him/herself  for the realization that there are people that know more than you in life and in academia. It's not a shock, it is expected. And one day, they will once again make their way to Senior life - the island of loopholes and advice givers.

For one stepping away from the typical Bachelor's celebration and pursuing an even higher degree of Master's - the transition is not as easy. The knowledge that you now carry with you is different than those around you, giving you brains in one area - and it may not be the area you need. Not only do you feel that you feel a little cha-headed about academia, but your battles in life to be there. You deserve this. Look what adding one more degree will do for you!

Walking to class, you find yourself rolling eyes at the younger students complaining about reading 10 whole pages for their history class or actually having to participate in a group project. There is an extra pep in your step - your nose tilted just slightly higher than it use to be. People look up to you now; they want to be where you are.

Welcome to Day one - the expectations. Nothing you can't handle, right? Two years is a cinch.

But when week two rolls in, so does reality. These class discussions involve more than you have ever expected. It probably doesn't help that you are the youngest among your peers and you haven't really build schema in life quite yet. Not by hiding away in school, anyway. Slowly but surely, you realize once more that you are, in fact and most definitely, at the bottom of a tall pyramid.

In worms that bit of advice that you had hidden away in a junk drawer during your time on Senior Island. It wouldn't be a terrible idea to keep your mouth shut until you have something profound to say. That statement is more true than I care to admit. You can learn a lot more by listening to those around you than by working on your next statement.

Until next time,

Kaity

The Process of Adapting

adapt

 verb \ə-ˈdapt, a-\

: to change your behavior so that it is easier to live in a particular place or situation

After a change occurs in life, there is a second, almost more challenging stage that follows. Adapting. 

As many of you may already know, I am a great creature of habit. I like my schedules, I like my alarms, I like knowing which stores have the best deals, you get the main idea. I love my life to fit into these perfect, safe little boxes organized on shelves.

But moving disrupts that organization and living in a new city where the typical brands are not around forces one to...re-categorize.

Or throw out the old system all together.

What I have come to learn and enjoy about Boston is that it is a city that goes with the flow. Things constantly show at the last minute and it's all in the way you handle them. You adjust - learn the ways of the locals and follow in their footsteps. I am being forced out of my mechanical movements into a more flexible world. It's exciting and greatly terrifying.

But I will adapt. To adapt is to survive. 

(This is not to say that I will lose those parts of me that make me. I must learn the proper way to connect them with the newer world that surrounds me).

So, for a bit of fun, I have a quick list of things that I have picked up during my first week in Boston.

1. If someone asks you if you live in Boston proper - they mean do you live in the actual city of Boston. More specifically, downtown.
2. Prefer not to spend a fortune on food? Trader Joe's. (Bonus: A lot of their stuff is natural!)
3. Paper or Plastic is a real question that happens in most stores. But no matter what you get, it is expected that you recycle.
4. "Subway" means the fast food restaurant. If you're trying to go somewhere, you ride on the T.
5. No one talks on the T. It's odd and makes people uncomfortable. However, staring at strangers awkwardly is cool.
6. Walking is what you do. (Bring on Aleve!)
7. Backyards are not a thing (except maybe if you're waaaaaaaaaaaaay out of Boston Proper). Cookouts happen on the steps and people just walk around you.
8. Dallas drivers ain't got nothin' on Boston ones.
9. A/Cs are not a thing unless you're in a public building. It's never hot enough for one. Feeling overheated? Open a window. Too muggy? Buy a room fan.
10. Dress like you're going to a fashion shoot. If you're going to work - dress it up. Want a more casual day? Add some jewelry and fix your hair. Make sure if someone was to take your picture and post it on a billboard, you would be proud.

That, dear readers, concludes the observations of my first week in Boston.  Knowledge is power, my friends.

Until next time,

Kaity

Welcome to Wonderland

Okay. Okay. Don't panic. Don't scare the new roommates. Breathe.

Dearest readers, I completely panicked. I was very proud of myself until yesterday. I held it all in, every emotion that wasn't excitement or happiness, right up until Mom was getting ready to leave.

It was hard.

Reality set in - and I realized that for the first time in my life, I was completely on my own. For the first time in a long while, I didn't know anyone. I was having to start fresh and meet other human beings that were not yet acquainted with my weird quirks.

So naturally, I freaked.

I know that being scared and frightened is human - it is something we do when change happens in our lives. I just hate that my body's way of showing it is crying. To be frank - I'm an ugly crier. So, after making sure Mom could safely get back to the airport, I ran back and hid in the small chapel that is in the residence, had myself a quick cry and prayer, and then pulled out my inner Edna Mode to face what was coming.

Currently I reside in the last Tiffany Mansion in the nation. It's known as Bayridge and is home to 50 women who are from different places throughout the globe. We have breakfast and dinner as a family and have "Study Break" clubs at night to help us become more than acquaintances. It's right down the street from school, the subway, and the Charles River (where everyone runs/walks/bikes/skateboards, etc). I am very lucky to find such a place in Boston.

As a Texan, there are things that I am learning to adjust to. Some, such as the subway or running on a path, are quite easy to pick up. Others, such as not having a car, seeing the state of Massachusetts on everything, and having no A/C, are a bit more difficult. But I will survive! I have to, don't I?

I want to thank everyone for the good wishes and the prayers of my travels to this new land. Please continue to do both as I now truly begin my journey.

Today is my first day of school - my first day to start off this new life right and in the best manner possible. It's time to hit the ground running and prove to myself that this was the right decision - and one of the best decisions - I've ever made.

Welcome to Wonderland, y'all.

Until next time,

Kaity

I Am The Messenger

Rating: 

For the first time this summer, I feel that I can actually say that I completely enjoyed this book.Ed Kennedy is an ordinary 19 year old cab driver who plays cards when he's not working, owns a dog called The Doorman, and has an impossible crush on his friend.

Life goes on as it always has until one day, he finds himself stuck in the middle of a bank robbery. In spite of his gut, he makes a heroic move and the small town he's in starts to notice.

Then things get weird. A card arrives in the mail, and on that card are three addresses. Three addresses he never noticed within his small town - and all of them need his help.

There's also a nice little twist at the end that adds some flair.This is a wonderful story about how much you can do by just being ordinary. It is an encouragement to open our eyes to others that surround us and, if we can, help - even if it's just as simple as buying two scoops of ice cream.

I would encourage anyone who needs a kick in the but, who feels they can't, or wants to know ways they can change the world to read this book.

I Don't Believe in Good-Byes

Today is a challenging day for me.

It is the last I will be working in the Union.

I started the Block Party of my Freshman year, before the school year even began. I was terrified and knew no one; and was promptly thrown into a gigantic grey shirt with the logo printed on it following my boss around and basically doing whatever was asked of me. I did not talk, I barely made eye contact, and I was overwhelmed with the information poured into my brain.

During that first week we had training and it was very apparent that I was the only new member to the team. Throughout the next semester, three more freshman would come on board - three wonderful women that helped me have a successful life here at TWU. We bonded relatively quickly, mainly through horror stories of our mistakes at work and horror movies (still very unclear of how the latter happened), and remained very close as our peers slowly graduated and left.

We became the veterans - those old enough to pass on the knowledge of our mistakes to the newbies every semester but also comfortable enough to joke with our bosses. Truly and honestly, we were the product of two wonderful offices that taught us all about scheduling, setups, bus schedules, and life.

I wouldn't be who I am without the people that have came and left this office. I surely wouldn't be able to take the next step in my journey without the encouragement and lessons from my superiors.

This is my family. This is my home.

I don't believe in good-byes - they are too final. Good-byes declare endings, and my time with these people isn't over.

This is just a see ya later. A very long, extended see ya later.

I love all of y'all - from the depths of my heart. Thank you for allowing me to make mistakes; thank you for teaching me how to love; thank you for helping me become a better human being.

See y'all soon,

Kaity

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Rating: 

It has been brought to my attention that I might be the only one in the world that had a negative view of Guardians of the Galaxy - I fully believe that it was a difference of opinion.

However, I fully swing with the majority vote on the newest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie.

I have quite a big problem of finding my way to the theater, especially when it is discount day for college students. My friend and I were a little skeptical going into the movie, but we were wonderfully surprised.

The CGI was impressive, the actions scenes were a decent amount of time and didn't take away from the plot, the TMNT were very much themselves and acted their age (which I was actually worried about), and Megan Fox proved that she can, in fact, act. Even if her character was pointless through basically all but one scene of the movie. 

We were given some nice background of everyone at appropriate times and Mikey allowed quite a bit of comedic relief. I enjoyed the fairly predictable hero and villain plot only because I believe it added a bit of the original kid magic into the movie.

I enjoyed my time. I didn't look at my watch wondering when it would be over and I wasn't surprised for the bit of set up for a second movie at the end. 

The movie is pretty family friendly, and one I might find myself watching again.

City of Heavenly Fire

Rating: 

Throughout this summer, I have been inhaling The Mortal Instrument Series, starting from about April until this last week.

I thought the book was decent, although, as usual, I have a few problems with it – actually a  few problems with the series.

First big problem? (Spoiler) Incest is not something I support, and having the love interests kiss and then find out that they are related until book three where they continue to constantly kiss is a HUGE no no for me. In fact, after reading the first book last year, I set it down and refused to continue with the series. The only reason that I picked up the next book was when (and I will most likely never say this again) I watched the movie. The adaptation was fairly close, but they also had Hodge suggest to Valentine that he should convince the two they were related.

So I continue to read in hopes that this horribly done twist would be resolved. It was.

Until her actual brother showed up and it was back again.

To be fair, he really wasn't fully human and really had never been loved before. Well – still not a good enough excuse.

CoHF follows our favorite characters Clary, Jase, Alec, Isabelle, and Simon as they rush of boldly (relative term) to defeat the last Morgenstern, Sebastian – Jonathan. They find themselves trapped between lies and demon worlds with impossible choices that Cassandra Clare tries to completely fix in the end.

As an up and coming writer myself, one of my biggest pet peeves is when try to give every character a happy ending – especially when the majority of the book is about battles and war. It is okay to let characters die or move on. Heartbreak is a part of life, and I don’t think that should be worked over in fiction.

But, overall, this really isn't the worst series ending that I have ever read.  

Congrats on the main series finally being finished, Clare.

Guardians of the Galaxy

Rating: 

My friend and I went to watch this movie to relieve stress. I went in there with low expectations. I left not disappointed.

Marvel is suiting up for something big. We are introducing characters and slowly starting to pull things together one by one. Spoiler: The Avengers group is not limited to those shown in the actual Avengers movie.

Many people told me that they loved this movie. I thought that it was stupid. I truly hope that it was supposed to come across as a comedy, because that is what the script set up for. There were vulgar lines not needed and I don't even want to know how my Van Diesel was paid for saying five words through the entire movie. Actually, he said three - his vocabulary expanded at the end.

I laughed in the correct parts, there were a couple of touching moments, but this is not a movie that I will be going back to watch any time soon. 

Just a quick summary: A bunch of criminals are thrown in jail and realize that the thing they stole could destroy the planet. Therefore, they must band together and save the earth. Which they do. They stand up to fight the main villain, only to find out later that he's not the true mastermind. 

Spoiler: We have seen this criminal before. 

Again, Marvel has a plan. I'm sure we will see it soon enough. Maybe I was just expecting a higher level of comedy or a bit more serious of a movie. Either way, this was not my favorite movie.

Until next time,

Kaity

A Dirty Job

Rating: R (Adult Content)     

I typically am found with a young adult book clutched in my hands, but I went exploring and stumbled across this little beauty.

Christopher Moore takes the idea of Death and places a completely new idea on it. What if Death wasn't just one person? What if people really didn't have souls - or at least didn't have them for part of their lives? What if getting souls to the correct person was the reason if the world fell into destruction or not? What happens when a quiet Beta Male has been plucked from his everyday life and been chosen for something special?

Charlie Asher is a fairly normal man trying to survive as a single father after his wife passed away unexpectedly. After meeting a man in a mint green suit, his life is turned upside down and he finds that people keep dropping dead around him, shadows aren't all that they seem, and his secondhand store has a tendency to attract glowing red objects that only he can see.  

Charlie Asher has stumbled into a new job that he can't really refuse, no matter how hard he tries. You see, he is one of San Francisco's own Death Merchants. His job is to gather up the souls of the deceased and help them find their resting place..er...body.

I enjoyed this book greatly. I found laughable and sobering moments throughout it. I thought that it was pretty well written. I have been advised to dive into Lamb next. We shall see.

Until next time,

Kaity

Apologies for My Behavior

I always seem to think better after a good run and a massive clean. Luckily, I was able to do both this weekend, but in reverse order.

Last Thursday was the first of two moves I will be making this month. I spent a good majority of the weeks before preparing by going through each and every little thing and deciding if it was worth keeping, donating, or trashing completely. Then, the few things that I had decided to keep went into boxes that went into cars that eventually brought me home.

Afterwords, for the first time in three weeks, I went for a run. It. Was. Marvelous. (and painful)

The pounding in my feet matched the beat of my heart and cleared the fog away from my brain - allowing it to analyze the things that I had packed away and my past moves over the last four years. It was about this time that I realized that I had become quite the unbearable cretin not only through the stressful change that is happening now, but through all the major changes of my life.

Moving to TWU.

Breakups.

Moving home from TLC.

Starting graduate school.

Moving out of my first apartment.

Moving to Boston.

I have treated people poorly and unfairly because I was not able to properly deal with the substantial amount of feels that were rampaging through my body. I snapped in anger; I held onto things and people too tightly; I severed friendships that I deeply miss.

I am not asking for sympathy, because I don't deserve it. I need to better control myself when I'm stuck in a neutral zone, the place between endings and beginnings. No one deserves how I treated them.

Dearest friends and family, if I have offended you in any way, I apologize from the depths of my soul. I ask your forgiveness in my attitude and my lack of control. Being human is not a good excuse for the mess I have created, but it is the only one I have.

I will work on becoming stronger and being a better all around human being. I ask for your help and prayers.

Thank you and all my love,

Kaity

The Purge: Anarchy

Rating: 

On July 17th, I teamed up with my friends from work to carry on a tradition before we left - seeing the next horror flick as a group. To be honest, I wasn't going to hold my breath as I entered the theater. I remember watching the first move 'The Purge' last year and coming out disappointed. Why? Because we watched the purge take place from inside a protected house of a wealthy family.

This time, we were on the streets. We were able to witness the good and ugly of society during this "American tradition". The idea that good people don't participate in the purge was ripped to shreds -I was pleasantly surprised.

This movie addressed justice and the truth behind the Purge law as well. We were given an inside look into everyone's logic for participating, even if we found the truth gruesome. We watched how the Purge changed characters into people they didn't know they could become and then have to deal with the consequences.

 Also, there was actual action. The entirety of the plot wasn't given away in the commercials, there were a few plot twists that even I wasn't expecting. The movie was raw and exposed parts of our society that we tend to ignore. It was very well done.

If you haven't seen either movie, I would recommend only watching this one. There's no ties to the first movie, except for one character who comes in at the end and The Purge, itself. Also, other than a few unpleasant gory scenes, the movie is not as much horror as intense action.

I was impressed and I would watch this one again.

Deliver Us From Evil

This past weekend, I was able to go and hang out with a very good friend of mine from high school. One of the things we decided to do was watch a newer movie we had both heard a bit about - Deliver Us From Evil.

Now, if you're not into demons or possession, this movie is not for you. Typically, I stay away from these movies myself. However, I'm a sucker for a good scare.

I'm not sure what I was expecting when I walked into that theater, but It wasn't really this. DUFE is based (key word) off an actual experience a police officer of the NYPD had. The movie as a whole was pretty good, but it dragged a bit for me. The beginning was intriguing; it gave you a hint about what may be coming, but it never fully clarified what was happening until you saw the full scene closer to the end. The next thing you knew, it was three years later and in New York.

I felt that the first half of the movie went on at a fairly quick pace. Hints were being dropped about who was involved, we learn that we can never trust painters, some phenomenal acting was done by those being possessed (especially Ms. Olivia Horton), and then it started to drag a bit. Past bits were told about Detective Sarchie, but I wasn't how sure that it was completely necessary it was. It explained a couple of things that were happening to him and his family, but immediately stopped after he confessed about it. I found that a bit odd...

The part that was hardest for me to handle was the exorcising of the demon from the veteran. That was difficult for me, mainly because of the gore. However, the random cop behind the one way mirror being used as comic relief was just inappropriately placed. 

I'll admit, I jumped a few times and hid my eyes as Sarchie's partner was attacked with a pick-axe, but it wasn't terribly scary. This was one of those movies that wasn't terribly bad, but it's not what I would rate as a high class thriller, either. 

Until next time,

Kaity

Painting The Temple

I know that there are a lot of debates about people who get a tattoo - especially if that person happens to be Christian. Many people see it as destroying God's temple. I see it as a way of painting it.

I have always been fascinated with the ideas of tattoos - being that the commitment to the image being inked into your body is longer than most relationships that you will ever experience. I love hearing the reason behind each artwork, because most people don't take being inked lightly. There is pride behind the portrait, a reason that a person is so willing to show part of themselves right on their sleeve (literately). And then there are those people who just like wearing art.

I am definitely part of the first group. What I did for my 22nd birthday was not spur of the moment, boredom, or to brag that "I've done it". It was to show that I have been through hell and back and been okay. It is to show that even though I am terrified of the future, I know that God will take care of me and has my back. I am showing that I am open to His plan and that I, despite what it may be, will rise to the challenge asked of me.

The tattoo itself is very simple, but it means a lot to me and I'm proud of it. There are two parts to it, but they complement each other. The first part is an open triangle. The triangle represents the Greek work "delta". If you have ever taken any higher math courses, you know that this word and symbol means "change". What I have recently learn is that if you take out a part of that triangle, the meaning becomes "open to change".

The second part of this tattoo is a Bible reference, Jeremiah 29:11. " For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." This verse has been following me around my entire life and has become extremely prominent during these last two years. Change isn't a new concept for me, but I feel that as of late, it has been what the majority of my life has been.

I fully believe that these two years have been a preparation for what is to come this fall. I needed to become more dependent on Him and less on those around me because this next stretch of my life isn't going to be an easy task. Logically, I know what has to be done, but mentally - I'm still gearing up for it.

That's the story behind my ink. It was a way to mentally prepare myself for what's to come. There will be pain involved, and at times it's going to hurt (especially when it lands right on the bone), but if I keep a level head and just breathe, I will make it through.

Until next time, dear readers,

Kaity

The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P.

Personal Rating:

   
This novel follows a man named Nathaniel (who also goes by Nate) as he is waiting for his own book to be published and complaining to the world how there is no woman that is proportionate between beauty and intelligence that could actually keep him interested long enough for a relationship to develop.

     Nathaniel is a egotistical pig - but I believe that he had to be for the message to come across.

     Waldman's main purpose is to show us how a male academic scholar's mind works when it comes to addressing women. If this is truly an accurate replica of a man's mind (and many reviews have professed that it is) it is a heartbreaking reality. I, myself, started to look back into my own relationships and began to wonder if I came across as shallow as many of these female characters do to Nathaniel P. Or is it that in Nathaniel P.'s mind, all women are shallow and manipulative?

     I found myself also frustrated that this book did not have much of a plot. There was nothing exciting about the content, nothing that really had me thumbing the next page as I hurriedly read to the end. In fact, I found myself wanting more and more to remove my bookmark from the pages and just start on the next book in the pile that sits beside my bed.

     Out of all the characters, I found myself annoyed with Nathaniel the most. Being blessed with the insight of a character's mind also means that you are cursed with seeing the difference between what they think and what they said to others. I found myself constantly yelling at him to just speak his mind to whatever girlfriend he was on at the time. It was infuriating to watch his relationships fall apart when he really could have prevented a lot of it himself.

     At the end, with his newest girl, I feel his personality changes a bit, as almost as someone has finally beaten him just enough to make this newest relationship work. It was not what I was expecting. I felt that the ending of this book was rushed, as if there was nothing else to be written but something had to be put down.

     This was recommended to me as a beach read, but I would not recommend this book unless you need help falling asleep at nights.