J'Espere

Conversation of the Week: (my landline ringing) Me: Hello? Mom: Hi, Katherine? Me: Hey Mom, what’s up? Mom: Katherine, where are you? Me: I’m at my house (thinking, you called me on a landline) Mom: Katherine, I have something to tell you. I need you to listen carefully. Paul told me there is a new carjacking scam- Me: Paul? Paul at the office? Mom: What? Yes…. Anyway, Paul told me that there have been 10 or 12 attacks this way and I need you to pay attention- are you paying attention? Me: mmm-hmmm Mom: Well, what happens is they put a piece of paper in your back windshield. Then you get into your car, but you see the piece of paper and get out to pull it out of your line of vision and they get you! Me: What? Mom: I’m being serious, Katherine, stop laughing. This is serious. They could really hurt you. But don’t worry, I’m going to tell you what to do. Me: Okay Mom: Be very careful walking to your car- they’re targeting female drivers. And if you see a piece of paper in the back windsh

Who knew that graduation plans had to begin so early? Last night at dinner, I mentioned to my parents that if they wanted a hotel room we needed to jump on that and said I could probably get them in at the Marriott. Mom threw out Carolina Inn, and I looked at her incredulously but said I would check into all of our options. Which I did this morning, by the way. I was on the ball while prepping for collection development stuff. Um, no. No to Carolina Inn (which is requiring a 3 night minimum stay and has a “very long waiting list” (according to the Reservations Specialist I spoke to), Sienna doesn’t even have a waiting list, and Marriott threw out Crabtree as an option. I actually laughed at that one. And laughed some more when I called my Mom and she said “Do they think I want a vacation in Chapel Hill?” So it looks like they’re staying with me the night before. Which I think is going to be awesome (in the worst possible way). I told them I was planning on going out, and she said, “W

I think I had already warned my friend I was going to blog about this, but I'm definitely changing names and details to protect the innocent, and the not so innocent. Last night we're playing catch up, and "Laurie" (androgynous enough, you think?) confesses that during their marriage, his/her spouse would not French-kiss them. Middle school is what you're thinking right now, but bear with me. I was horrified, because I've known "Laurie" for years and had no idea that this was going on. It's obviously not about the kissing, because if both partners agree on it, it's not a big deal. To me, it was about the spouse's unwillingness to try it because of an experience they had in high school with a bad kisser. It was about not trusting their partner enough to do something new, or try something again with a new partner. "Laurie" was talking about how this should have been a sign (there were many) that they weren't on a level playi

Yesterday I met with my advisor and found out that I'm really on my way to graduating in May. While I am ecstatic that I will get through my master's paper and enjoy having a lovely piece of paper to hang on my wall, I'm also a little sad. Last night I was out with some friends from out of town and we were talking about how much this program changed us. Yeah, there is the school part of it, but we were referring to the better part of it- meaning the "I've met so many great friends" stuff. It's true. I don't know what I would have done had I been in another program or not met the people that I've been lucky enough to hang out with during my time here. Making the choice to move back to NC was really tough- as y'all know, I adore everything about NYC from the Rockefeller Christmas Tree to that crazy homeless girl who lived down the street from me but always did her make-up in Sephora in the morning. Leaving behind everything that I had built th

Okay, so I have a situation. Maybe minor, maybe not so minor. It all begins with the City of Oaks Half Marathon. A couple of weeks ago, I ran my first half-marathon. It was great. But the day before, when I removed my toenail polish, i realized that my second toe was completely blue and black. Yikes. In a panic I went to Doc in A Box- an emergency place located down the street from my house. And I spent $200 for the doctor on call to tell me there wasn't anything that could be done, that the nail would probably grow out, yada, yada, yada. So I went home, ran the half marathon and bought a new pair of shoes to begin training for my first full marathon. This is where it gets a little hairy. One subungual hematoma can be caused by just about anything- dropping something on your toe, trauma, whatever. But I noticed that the second toe of my left foot now has the exact same issue. And the craziest part? They no longer hurt. Which actually worries me more than it would if they did hurt.

Last night I told my final story for storytelling class. It was a personal narrative, which may or may not have been a good idea (yet to be determined). It was about love, and tryst, and getting pulled for the first time. And everyone laughed at the right times, and everyone was sad at the right times, but it felt like I was reliving a high school weekend. I think that what I didn't consider before was what it would be like sharing something so personal that I had not really shared with that many people before. I didn't think about the implications or exposing yourself to people. Not that it was bad, but I haven't felt that vulnerable in a while. It is a very funny story, and one that has a lot of heart and warmth in it, but it is also the story of a love gone terribly awry and mistakes that I made at 17 I don't think I would make now. People enjoy my stories because they're so ridiculous. I have to say what's strange is how true they are. How I rarely have to

Delightful, calm, kind, loving, slightly destructive, finicky, determined. I can think of a thousand different ways to describe her. She wasn't even supposed to be mine. When she was born in a litter of six or seven, she was slated to go to another little girl. I had selected another kitten- DC (after That Darn Cat). Then the little girl who picked her found out she was allergic. Then she contracted a terrible wolf worm. Then she ended up staying. D.C. disappeared after about a year, but Prissy stuck around. The name was selected on the way to the vet as my mother determined it would have to be done before walking in the waiting room. The fact that there was a giant hole in her neck did not bother her as much as the idea of an unnamed pet. Prissy was outside the first couple of years. Then, when we moved, another cat moved onto our farm. He wouldn't let her eat, so my parents started letting her in to eat. Soon she was sleeping on my bed. I have not had another cat since that

So, the best part of finishing my first half-marathon on Sunday? That I crossed very soon after the marathon winner and had tons of people cheering for him, and by proxy, me. It was a gorgeous day and a gorgeous route. Made me think of high school and how much I enjoyed hanging out in downtown Raleigh and around Hillsborough Street. I can't believe that it's been eight years since I lived there- that is a crazy concept to me. Best parts? I smiled almost the whole way, felt my body working with me instead of against me, and got to eat whatever I wanted leading up to the race. And Waffle House afterwards- not pancakes, but somewhat close. Worst parts? The pain, oh the pain. I've decided to definitely put some focus back into yoga and see what comes of it. Oh, and the part where I thought we had been running all morning but were only at the six mile marker. Mainly I'm just so happy I did it. I feel like it was one of the most cathartic things I have done in ages and it

By now everyone is aware that Bristol Palin is very pregnant. She is 17 and will marry her boyfriend. I am thrilled. For people everywhere, this could turn the whole Republican party. For years we have heard complaints of too much support and welfare for unmarried teenage mothers, that there is too much sex ed in schools, that only trashy girls will end up that way, etc. etc. Sarah Palin said that her daughter made a choice to keep the baby and marry her boyfriend. There's no reason to get into the ethics of an 18 year old impregnating someone younger, and no reason to discuss the success rates of marriages based on impending childbirth and marriages during high school. Because as far as I know, Bristol did this on purpose and is in love with her boyfriend. Thats what I would hope. I would hope that she is not having this baby to support her mother's pro-life platform and marrying her boyfriend to satisfy a very conservative family. I had several friends who got pregnant and di

Where was I? I thought the man standing in the tall grasses was the dog's owner. So smiling, hot, dusty I called out "Is that your dog?" He looked over, shook his head no, and said "I don't know if she's alive. She was when I came by a while ago." He had made the exact same turnaround I had when I saw this creature on the side of the road. I think it says something about humanity when more than one person stops for someone or something that obviously needs help. We stood there, staring at this creature who was barely five feet from these cars. She lifted her head and looked at us and we looked back at her. I had called HP, then they told me to call 911. So I called 911 and they said they would take my number and have Animal Control call me. When Animal Control finally called me, I had been dealing with this for about half an hour. The officer asked if I was planning on staying with the dog. I was indignant. of course I was staying with the dog. I didn

This one had to have its own blog. Really. Saturday i had a busy day. Got up at 8, went to run, went to Yoga, worked on my handstand, then went home. Showered, picked up the cake that I made practically from scratch for my mother, went to the mall to buy a gift for the wedding we were going to THAT EVENING, and hopped on 85 with the AC blasting (I used buttercream frosting and I was nervous). Normally when I'm on a highway I'm looking two ways- front and rearview. That's about it, unless I'm passing someone. Occasionally I'll look around but I try to focus when cars around me are going between 70 and 100 mph. So it was some kind of divine intervention that got me to look over at the exact moment I did. There, in between two railings of the small metal barrier on the side of the highway, a dog lay, panting. Alive. With cars flying by less than 4 feet from its head. I, of course, panicked but went too far to pull over. So I did the next best thing. Called my mother fo

This is my friend Cat's latest blog. She was swept away by an italian man (seriously) and now lives in Roma,which I think is the most amazing thing ever. She posted this blog that I loved so much I'm taking. My plan is to then comment on it: It's been about three months since I've entered the world of Italia. It's been quite an adjustment, but I think I'm doing a-OK. My italiano is improving, thank god. The other night I said something to my Gio and I thought his eye-balls were going to explode. "You just spoke Italian! You just spoke Italian! And I understood! Ahhhh!" So apparently, I'm speaking Italian. It's about damn time, I suppose. There are three important M's of Italia: Mangia (Eat), Moda (Fashion), and il Malocchio (the Evil-Eye). Let's begin: Mangia: Oh. My. GOD. Italians are a bit obsessed with eating, but no one is really fat. It's interesting. I don't get it. It's like, how can one person eat pasta every single

This really might be the best invention of all time. A guy in my program was telling me about this the other day. Apparently it's meant that he only has to clean the litterbox once a week and it doesn't smell as bad as they can. His wife's pretty happy, too. The question is: if he also gets an automatic feeder, does that mean he's no longer a pet owner? I've been debating that question and I wonder if it's not the services we provide for our animals but our time and love. And really I don't think my cat feels the love when I'm scooping her toilet. She does when I'm feeding her though. At least she reacts differently. I guess the important thing is that you maintain some form of physical contact.

Fan-freakin'-tastic. Alice McDermott was the Morgan Writer in Residence for UNC this past year. She is Irish Catholic raised in Long Island, if that says anything. For those of you who thinks it says nothing, you're WRONG. And she has written fantastic novels, like That Night, Charming Billy, At Weddings and Wakes She has been nominated for Pulitzer Prizes galore and won a National Book Award. If THAT'S not enough to earn your respect, she was raised three children while writing all these fantastic novels. And she came to hang out in Chapel Hill. This is why I love Allen and Musette Morgan- they decided that money should be set aside specifically so that they could bring a writer to UNC every year. They live in Memphis and were unable to make the reading last night due to inclement weather, but that did not stop them from writing what I assume to be a pretty large check. Other Morgan writers include people like Richard Ford (whom I love love LOVE), Tobias Wolfe, and Joan

Last night marked the last lunar eclipse until December of 2010. Nearly three years away. But if you were around last night, and you were in a clear location you got to see a beautiful full lunar eclipse. It was fantastic. I sat on the backporch of a house with a large cup of tea and watched the moon slowly disappear. Some people believe that it doesn't look much different than when hte moon is not full but I can see a complete difference. When the moon was low last night it was almost a goldenrod shade, and as it rose and the shadows encompassed it it turned grayish navy. When the eclipse peaked and the sky darkened and it started to recede it became redder. It seemed that a smoky curtain was obscuring part of it. What is it about astronomy that continues to fascinate humanity? Why will we stare at the sky for hours watching one object become smaller before disappearing for the briefest of moments? Astronomy has always been an important part of history. Stonehenge is a great exam

Last weekend I went to a beautiful wedding. It was a six o'clock candlelit service followed by a reception at a local country club. The reception was scheduled to last until midnight and would include a sit-down dinner. What it would not include, I later found out, was alcohol. In theory, I don't have a problem with dry weddings. Being from the South, I have been to plenty of afternoon cake and punch receptions that included just that. For many, it's a budget thing. Alcohol is expensive and usually prohibited in church fellowship halls. So I can understand wanting to save money and not serve alcohol. And I find it perfectly appropriate to have up to about a 4 o'clock wedding without alcohol. Usually those receptions will have different beverages and finger foods and last for a couple of hours. Where i draw the line is country club weddings. First of all, it's not about religion. If you're too religious to serve alcohol at your wedding- which I find ironic consid

I'm flying to New York bright and early on Saturday morning. It will probably be my last weekend there for a while, which is definitely bittersweet. On one hand, i'm so thrilled JAM is moving down and will be close enough to see on a regular basis. On the other hand, I'm sad that I won't have an excuse to fly up there whenever. What are my plans? I have no idea right now. For me, being in New York is enough. Some of my favorite memories from there have stemmed from being in the right place at the right time. One Friday I was up there for job interviews and ended up having time to walk through the Gates exhibit and photograph people with their dogs with a Holga I picked up at the ICP. Another time, jon and I were up there over our spring break in college, and got up early enough on gray sunday morning to ice skate in Central Park with no one else out there. I remember randomly running into people I knew and having impromptu coffees, or meeting at Cosmic after work for wh

My nieces are turning 4 next weekend. Every year since their birth, so for the last four years, my half-brother and his wife have thrown them huge parties, inviting the whole family and going somewhere like the Little Gym or waterparks to celebrate. My half-brothers. I spent a lot of time pretending they were my real brothers when I was little. Our relationship was fine when they were around, which was not a lot since they are much older than my younger brother and me. It wasn't until a few years ago that something changed. It could have started with a wedding. Their real mother was invited, after not speaking to her son for six years. It seemed like a good idea at the time. He had apparently forgiven her for her wrongs, he and his wife were beginning their own journey, etc, etc. It was the first or second time I had ever met her ( the first time I think being when he graduated from college). Fast forward nearly a decade and everything has changed. Since I have become an adult our

One of the most important basketball games of the season is underway tonight. In my opinion it's the most important, but I bet people from other states would have different ideas. One of the great things about being back in the South is the amount of understanding that comes from the Duke Carolina game. Teachers assign less or no homework, everyone's wearing a shade of blue, and bars are going to be full up long before tip-off. How long has the Duke Carolina Rivalry been around? We know that the game of basketball was invented in the latter part of the 19th century by Dr. James Naismith, who started it in Springfield Massachusetts. It originally began as a game called duck-on-a-rock in which balls were used to knock a decoy off a high place. In 1936 it was introduced in the Berlin Olympics as an Olympic level game but was in many YMCAs by 1893. What about college basketball? As early as 1895 there were women's championship games, specifically among Northern and Western Scho

Remembering Mr. Wright - City One of the most important people in Chapel Hill died last week. Frank Taylor Wright was as much a fixture on Franklin Street as Sutton's Drug Store or the Varsity. He was an unbelievable 90 years old. While I was pretty sure that he was well on up there, I had no clue that he was approaching 100 years old. I remember his fabulous outfits, and I mean outfits that that would put any NYC designer to shame. He coordinated everything carefully. He was up at 5 a.m. every morning except Sunday, dressed in a suit that matched, and caught the 7 a.m. bus to Chapel Hill. Here he would walk the streets, parading in a way. Students would talk to him, and if you spoke to him long enough he would show you his portfolio. He had it done many years ago, by a student who wanted him to show off his collection. I loved speaking to Mr. Wright. I really did, and it's not just because I love talking to older people. He was a really nice man who remembered everything abou

t's 2008! Should we be excited about that? I still kind of want to go about ten years back. Am I the only person that actually really liked high school? Maye I just enjoy school in general. Otherwise I guess I wouldn't keep coming back. And I do, all the time. I tried to think of some new year's resolutions. Here's what I've come up with: 1) write. really. 2) begin training for some sort of event- swimathon, marathon, 10K, just something. What's the point of all this exercise and healthy eating if it doesn't lead anywhere? 3) Let go of things that are out of control. But don't think I'm going to quit lecturing on recycling and water conservation 4) Forge my own path 5) do something I've never attempted before 6) Find a barn somewhere, and ride a horse. Why did I ever stop? 7) Speak out for those who have no voice 8) Speak less, listen more. 9) Start planning a trip somewhere I've never been before. I'm pretty happy with my life here now.