I'm NEW in town...

So I recently moved to Chicago.  (Check out the video above for the inspiration for this post's title.  John Mulaney is hilarious.) It's actually been over 8 months since I moved to Chicago, but I keep using my new-in-town excuse for why I don't know things or haven't gone to places.

This weekend I have NOTHING planned.  It's a nice change of pace from a weekend jam-packed with wedding events.  I made my to-do list, of course, because I would be lost without my list.  When I don't have things on my calendar and don't have a list to tell me what I have previously prioritized, I end up wasting time.  Not in a "man, I needed a break!" kind of waste, either.  If I don't put "paint my nails" on my list - in inherently relaxing and me-centic activity - I won't do it. I'll waste time on facebook or blogs or tv.  Don't worry, my to-do list includes Need-to-do's, Want-to-do's, and I've-Been-Meaning-to-dos, and even low priority Eventually-to-do's.  I've looked back on weekends when I didn't have a list or calendar events and have completely regretted the time I wasted.  It's more flexible than I'm sure it seems, but I've noticed that even downtime can be completely wasted.  Case in point - my trivia night got canceled recently and I had a whole evening free.  There was a Friends marathon on at the same time a Law & Order: SVU marathon was on.  Man, I was set for the night. Then the next evening I spent my time eating in front of the tv and then continuing to watch until bedtime (...okay, past bedtime) because I didn't have anything planned.  I could have: played guitar, done some shopping and used a coupon that expired the next day, read a book, SO MANY THINGS.  The one night to just chill and watch a couple hours of tv was okay, but two nights in a row? It's even more pathetic when I tell you that I was able to say most of the lines in unison with the actors.  I'm wasn't learning a new story! I wasn't broadening my televisual horizons! I wasn't keeping up with pop culture! Wasted. Time.

I've put coffee shop time on my to-do list today (I tried to work before I blogging, but my remote access isn't working...).  I also put play guitar and paint my nails on my list.  And use a coupon before it expires - it'd surprise you how often this appears on my list.  It's not a overwhelmingly exciting day, but if I didn't make the list I'd be wasting time looking through my blog feed and at tumblrs and all that good stuff.  Plus, there will still be plenty of time for simply wasting or if something comes up.  But if I get that stuff done, I'll be flexible for whatever comes up.

Back To Hobbies:

To seamlessly blend this post with the previous post, I'm so excited to let you know I've put a Second City improv class on my calendar every Monday night for the next 8 weeks.  Guys, this "class" makes me so happy.  I went last week and just had the best time.  When I was in law school, an improv performer/corporate trainer turned law student started a law improv group, since there are definite benefits to litigation skills.  We'd get together every so often and just.....play.

During Second City orientation, the instructor (a total dude) was saying "You come in, and you work on a scene..." And in the same sentence corrected himself, "..no, you don't come here to work, though. You come here to play. You come in, and you play on a scene."  What an important and meaningful correction.  While it is work and you have to concentrate and work at it, it is so great to keep in mind that the things we do in class are fun. We are all just playing with each other and that's the reason you're there.  At the first class we played some improv games, doing object work and focusing on getting to know the ensemble and supporting each other.  That's a great lesson to learn in improv - to build.  To think of your mission as to make the original person's idea live, to bring it to life and continue to give it direction.  We also threw imaginary balls around a circle to each other.  My biggest issue will be not laughing when things are hilarious.  I was the only one literally laughing out loud at inappropriate times.  But you know what? I was having a blast and felt comfortable enough to LAUGH. 

I'll be sure to keep you updated on my playing!

Hobbies

Aright, so a minor setback.  I may have forgotten that I have a blog.


Sorry guys!  Without a focus it's difficult to feel inspired.

Today's focus is hobbies.  One of my friends, and former roommate, from law school is getting married to a wonderful man.  He has the most hobbies of anyone I know.  He keeps bees (bees!), has a kiln, does woodworking, bbqs, has a huge collection of dvds, and many more. I can't even keep track of them all.

I've been acquiring new hobbies, which I'm ecstatic about.  First up, golf.  I can't play any more basketball anymore; three ligament tears and two ACL reconstruction surgeries means I'm not built for lateral movement.  So my athletic ability and competitive edge will hopefully be satisfied with a new athletic hobby.  I took my first lesson this weekend and a light bulb went off. Now I feel like I get golf.  I borrowed someone's golf magazine and read it cover to cover.  Halfway through I realized I'd paged through the magazine before, that specific issue, and only actually read one article about the environmental and legal issues with a particular golf course. That was before I played golf! Now I'm a golfer and small rule FAQs were as interesting as a guest article on troubleshooting your flop shot (a real thing!).

I was literally bouncing during my lesson, I was so excited.

I'm also thrilled about my other hobby, but I'll tell you all about that next time.

Fore!

Gutenberg would be proud

I recently had a lot of time to think about printing. The concept of the printing press rocked the world. Putting ink to paper in order to express ideas created in our minds!  It may be doing so again.  The obvious next step in this printing process (over 500 years later) is to use printing to create things.

Sidenote: I love Ted Talks.  I love knowing what people research.  Research is someone dedicating their life's work to a concept they believe in - a concept that most of the world doesn't know exists and, depending on its usefulness, may never know.  Even after printing press, you can't make people pay attention.  There are so many ideas out there that these ideas, people's life's work, their research, sometimes struggle to gain traction or even get seen.

With the Internet, you need to not only to have the idea written down, but you need to present them with the passion you have.  You need to ...okay I'm rambling.  Anyways, you can now print things.  Actual things!

Anthony Atala spoke at a Ted Talk about printing a human kidney.

 
(I hope that's the correct video. First video I've posted.  If it's wrong here a link to the Ted Talk website.) I guess you just print tissue on top of tissue...okay, I don't know, just watch the video.

You can even print a house.  Dr. Seuss-style housing!! Do you know how many people could use a house??

Unfortunately (maybe?), they can also print guns now.

As I sat outside my house, it got me thinking.  I really wish I could print my keys.  I had a lot of time to think about this all since I had locked myself out of my house.

Printing

Wow, I had a busy weekend.  I had a housewarming party, a private event at Wrigley field, a scanvenger hunt, and a trip to my home town.  I'll give you the headlines since there was just so much!

My two roommates and I had a housewarming party which was really fun.  The theme (courtesy of my roommate) was "What Is Art To You?"  Some people had fun with theme - we got some pinwheels! - and others took it seriously - a gorgeous art panel from Uruguay - and others really just appreciated - the bottle of tequila they brought.  Performance art!

Before that, I went on a scavenger hunt in the north shore suburbs.  It was a thirteen clue, drive-around-town event.  Correction - drive around all the many different tiny villages on the north shore.  Of course, being from Champaign I was at a disadvantage, but I made up for by solving the final anagram to win the game.  We got t-shirts as prizes "Scavenger Hunt Champion" along with tons of candy. I wore it to work today. Whatever #rolo (a candy we got + my devil may care attitude).

Before that, I went to a private event at Wrigley Field though my work. I got to play catch and actually bat ON Wrigley Field!!  We also got a tour of the stadium, including the dug-outs, clubhouse and locker room and::

Press Box at Wrigley Field

Best view in the stadium!

The day after this marathon of events I drove 5 hours (down and back) to see my mom for mother's day in Champaign.  "WHY?!" many of my party guests asked me as I drank water and went to bed by 1am.  Simple answer: because I love my mom.


So this turned out to be "what did Kate do this weekend."  The title is not appropriate anymore.  Hopefully this will remind me to cover that topic next.  Tune in next week for more on PRINTING.

Show What's In Our Hearts

Hello! This second blog post is trickier than the first. It's not starting out strong, that's for sure.

In my previous aka first post, I told you we'd talk about the title of my blog. I lied. Well, I mis-spoke. I would say mis-typed, but I definitely meant to type "title of my blog," I just actually intended to cover the URL.

On the theme of social media, I've had a love-hate-totally ignore relationship with Facebook. You all know what Facebook is. If you don't, ask a niece or nephew. In high school and college I would totally eviscerate a Facebook profile full of inside jokes and a huge list of "favorites" and quotes. For some reason I wanted to shake off any sort of constructed expectation, whether personally constructed or defined by references to friends and movies. I wanted to feel free to re-invent myself.  This involved deleting everything but those things that were truly me from my profile.  This left just a lonely name and birth date, both unwavering factors in my identity.  For those of you who have been "In a Relationship" on Facebook, just imagine that changing one day on a whim. My boyfriend at the time was a little confused.

That's the long way to say I periodically delete everything from my profile.  Along the way, I've added a third thing that now keeps itself as a core part of my identity: a quote from a child's stuffed tiger in the Calvin and Hobbes comic strip.

I don't want to steal: this is the one of the only sites I found that had this strip.

I usually give two reasons when I claim I'll never get a tattoo.  First, that I have plenty of permanent scars (more about that later, nothing drastic mostly sports injuries).  Second, I don't have anything I would hold as significantly meaningful throughout my whole life. I sought this out - to develop a core feeling or signifier that I held dear and steady in my life.  Somehow appropriately for me, a tomboy born on April Fools Day, I found it in a comic strip.  It's stuck with me for a long time.  I've put this comic strip - in color and on canvas - on birthday and Christmas wish lists after I saw it in a coffee shop.  I hadn't thought about it in a WHILE until I felt I needed to come up with a permanent home online.  It's what I reached for as meaningful, even after all these years, and I believe it steadfastly.  I understand that people make mistakes.  But this is why, when I do, I am so overly apologetic.  Because I want my actions (apologizing) to show what's in my heart.  Eh, it's something to strive for.

If you have any ideas on making this comic into some cool art, please let me know!!

Back to the title, I guess that story leads to "Keeping It All Together, Mostly."  Which, in the spirit of that story, might eventually change.

Okay, I've delivered on my promise!  Until next time.

KMB

I May Have Been the First Blogger

I like to think I was an early adopter of the "blog" concept.  In high school, I created my own webpage, most likely through yahoo or geocities.  I loved updating things I found hilarious or interesting, pulling them together to share with people.  Apparently other people thought those things were funny, too.

I didn't keep up that (for lack of a better term) blogsite, though I wish I still had access to it.  I bet if I logged into my old AIM account I could find a link!

...


Just tried it, guys.  No luck.  Don't expect to contact me at Spaz0401 or Run4Fun531 on the ol' AIM anytime soon.

Between high school and college, I started a livejournal.  It was too emotional, basically just a journal.  Fascinating for me, but not something that needs posting.

Just a heads up that I stole the heart-achingly cute picture of a puppy you see above from an animal legal rights flyer, which means if they find out I may have to take it down.  I'm also pretty sure I only used the phrase "heart-achingly cute" because his picture was on an animal rights flyer. Oh yes, also, I recently became a lawyer.  This is what I look like:

(Far right, Halloween 2011)

Sometimes I don't wear the clown costume:

(Center, That Time I Separated My Shoulder)

But mostly I do.

I'd love to tell you right now what the inspiration and aspirations are for this blog, but I think even those basics are a work in progress right now.  LIKE MYSELF.  Whoa, just brought it back full circle.  Next time let's talk about the title.

KMB