I've been working, which is exhausting.
I went shopping today, which was annoying but successful.
I have so much packing left to do.
My mom and brother are driving me up to school tomorrow, and IN THE MORNING I LEAVE FOR NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA!!!!!!
I'm so excited, but I'm also filled with a certain amount of dread. I HATE flying. Well, I enjoy being up in the air and all, but I'm slightly terrified of the idea of flight. I've been on a plane many times, and I still haven't gotten over it. No amount of comforting statistics can convince my brain that air travel is safe. Baaaaahhhh.
OK. I can do this. Once that 14-hour flight is over, I will be in a magical land that many Americans never get to see. I will be singing the Mozart Requiem in the Sydney Opera House. I will (hopefully) be seeing John Green at a bookstore in Sydney. It will be an AMAZING, once-in-a-lifetime trip. I can do this.
So this is probably my last blog post for a few weeks. To hold you over until I return, here's a video of me doing the Hoedown Throwdown. :-P
Bye guys! See you when I get back!
Subscribers: 1,025
Days 'til I head Down Under: ONE!!!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Haircut and Homos
Hello, everyone! Guess what? I finally got that haircut I've been teasing you with for weeks!
Do you like? I like. SO much. My head feels so much lighter. My short hair dries on its own in less than twenty minutes, as opposed to the hour and a half that my long hair took. I can buy shampoo half as often as I used to. And...AND!...it styles itself pretty well on its own. No awkward flip-outs. I can let it air-dry and not have to put it immediately in a ponytail. That's the punchline.
I feel strongly that this haircut was a positive life decision.
In other news, I just finished Maureen Johnson's The Bermudez Triangle. I thought it was great. There's really nothing monumental or life-altering about the story, but that's why it's so good. They're just three normal teenage girls dealing with life and relationships. Some of these relationships happen to be lesbian relationships, but it didn't really. I really felt like I understood their pain, even though I've never dated a girl. It's not a book about lesbians; it's a book about people. Nothing about the book shouts, "OMG LOOK WE'RE GAAAAAAAYYYYYY." The story is interesting, yes, but bigger deal is what the book accomplishes - normalcy.
I feel like I didn't explain it very well. It's also nearly 4:00 AM.
That's all for tonight. I'm REALLY trying to post a video or two before I leave for Australia/New Zealand. Video-making is so much harder when I live at home. Siiiiiigh.
Did I mention that I'm going to New Zealand and Australia? Oh. I am.
Subscribers: 1,017
Days 'til I head Down Under: 4
Do you like? I like. SO much. My head feels so much lighter. My short hair dries on its own in less than twenty minutes, as opposed to the hour and a half that my long hair took. I can buy shampoo half as often as I used to. And...AND!...it styles itself pretty well on its own. No awkward flip-outs. I can let it air-dry and not have to put it immediately in a ponytail. That's the punchline.
I feel strongly that this haircut was a positive life decision.
In other news, I just finished Maureen Johnson's The Bermudez Triangle. I thought it was great. There's really nothing monumental or life-altering about the story, but that's why it's so good. They're just three normal teenage girls dealing with life and relationships. Some of these relationships happen to be lesbian relationships, but it didn't really. I really felt like I understood their pain, even though I've never dated a girl. It's not a book about lesbians; it's a book about people. Nothing about the book shouts, "OMG LOOK WE'RE GAAAAAAAYYYYYY." The story is interesting, yes, but bigger deal is what the book accomplishes - normalcy.
I feel like I didn't explain it very well. It's also nearly 4:00 AM.
That's all for tonight. I'm REALLY trying to post a video or two before I leave for Australia/New Zealand. Video-making is so much harder when I live at home. Siiiiiigh.
Did I mention that I'm going to New Zealand and Australia? Oh. I am.
Subscribers: 1,017
Days 'til I head Down Under: 4
Friday, May 22, 2009
A Whole Year of Shiny and Happy
This week we're celebrating the 1st anniversary of the ShinyHappyVloggyPPL, the super-fun weekly-themed collab channel I'm a part of. I've had a lot of fun with these people over the past year. I'm not so good at expressing my feelings, but I gave it a shot in this "looking back" mash-up montage video I made:
Thanks for a fantastic year, guys. Thanks for making my day five times a week.
Love, Me
Really good movie that you should never, EVER watch with a parent: The Reader
P.S. I think about SHVP every time I'm at work because the R.E.M. "Shiny Happy People" song is on our trailer tape this month. So throughout my whole shift I'm singing, "Shiny happy people haaaaaaands." Well, my whole shift except for when the tape gets to "Livin' on a Prayer." That song trumps any other in get-stuck-in-your-head-itude.
Thanks for a fantastic year, guys. Thanks for making my day five times a week.
Love, Me
Really good movie that you should never, EVER watch with a parent: The Reader
P.S. I think about SHVP every time I'm at work because the R.E.M. "Shiny Happy People" song is on our trailer tape this month. So throughout my whole shift I'm singing, "Shiny happy people haaaaaaands." Well, my whole shift except for when the tape gets to "Livin' on a Prayer." That song trumps any other in get-stuck-in-your-head-itude.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Secret Internal Ugly American Conflict
So I'm going to register for another website or buy something online, right? I get to the part where I have to select my country of residence from a drop-down list. I click to open the list and...oh good! United States is at the very top of the list! That's delightfully convenient.
Wait...what?! Did I seriously just think that???
I try so hard not to act or think like an "American," despite family influence, but sometimes even I slip up a little.
It's the Classic Internal Struggle: If the US is at the top of the list, I'm torn between delight at the convenience and annoyance at the web site's ignorant attitude of American superiority. However, if the US in its proper alphabetical place on the list between United Kingdom and United States Minor Outlying Islands, my conflict is between delight at the web site's egalitarian attitude toward all countries and minor chagrin at having to scroll all the way to the U's.
Normally my Ugly American thoughts will pass after a few seconds, and at this point I am filled with GUILT and SHAME and GENERAL UNWORTHINESS. OH, THE HUMANITY!!!!!
Do any of you ever experience this thought process, or do I just think too much?
(If your comment has even the slightest trace of shameless Ugly Americanism, I will never respect you. It's all about the shame, people.)
In other news:
-I started working at Blockbuster again. I'm working tomorrow 12:30-6.
-I'm feeling slightly nauseous right now. I kind of want some ice cream, but I doubt it would help the nausea.
-Robot Chicken is SO hit-or-miss.
Currently reading: The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson.
Subscribers: 1,015
Wait...what?! Did I seriously just think that???
I try so hard not to act or think like an "American," despite family influence, but sometimes even I slip up a little.
It's the Classic Internal Struggle: If the US is at the top of the list, I'm torn between delight at the convenience and annoyance at the web site's ignorant attitude of American superiority. However, if the US in its proper alphabetical place on the list between United Kingdom and United States Minor Outlying Islands, my conflict is between delight at the web site's egalitarian attitude toward all countries and minor chagrin at having to scroll all the way to the U's.
Normally my Ugly American thoughts will pass after a few seconds, and at this point I am filled with GUILT and SHAME and GENERAL UNWORTHINESS. OH, THE HUMANITY!!!!!
Do any of you ever experience this thought process, or do I just think too much?
(If your comment has even the slightest trace of shameless Ugly Americanism, I will never respect you. It's all about the shame, people.)
In other news:
-I started working at Blockbuster again. I'm working tomorrow 12:30-6.
-I'm feeling slightly nauseous right now. I kind of want some ice cream, but I doubt it would help the nausea.
-Robot Chicken is SO hit-or-miss.
Currently reading: The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson.
Subscribers: 1,015
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
You think you know, but you have no idea.
Life is bizarre and surreal sometimes. I went out tonight for the first time in quite a long time. I sang karaoke with some gay guys. I saw one of my high school friends and found out she's now a lesbian, which totally blew my mind. I never, ever would have suspected. Haha. But it's cool.
Now for the main topic. I've been getting some hate from a YouTuber called GrowWisely. He posted some really insulting comments on my video called "Thank You, Captain Obvious." If you've seen the video, you know that it's just me ranting about how it bugs me when people tell me really obvious things. Yes, such things do annoy me, but I think it's obvious that I'm speaking in jest. But this GrowWisely person assumes that I'm completely serious and tells me that I'm petty and weak and childlike and that I have a "twisted little mind." He also notes my "distinct lack of character" and seems to think that I'm being hateful. To see the rest of the idiotic comments, go here.
1. I am absolutely not being hateful. I don't hate anyone. I AM JOKING.
2. The first two examples in my video did not even happen to me. They happened to friends of mine who were equally annoyed in those situations.
3. I'm smart, ok? I work hard and am proud of the knowledge I possess. I am also very open-minded and accepting. I am always trying to learn more. Telling me that I'm small-minded insults me to the core. You would know that if you knew me on a personal level (or, to a certain extent, watched some of my other videos). Which brings me to...
4. You make think you know someone because you watch her videos, but you don't. People on YouTube only show you want they want you to see. Other YouTubers and I have already made videos on the subject. The Kaitlyn you see on YouTube is silly and spastic and extremely outgoing, but the real Kaitlyn is actually very shy and sensitive and introverted. She cares way more than she should about people and their problems. Yes, she is easily annoyed sometimes, but she does not lack character. Thinking that you can judge a person's character based solely on her videos is absolutely ludicrous.
I made that video because I thought it would be both somewhat entertaining and a chance for me and my subscribers to vent about life's little annoyances. For many people, it seems that it was. If you think I'm weak and childlike for posting it, you don't have to watch. I'm not sorry, though.
You. Don't. Know. Me.
Now for the main topic. I've been getting some hate from a YouTuber called GrowWisely. He posted some really insulting comments on my video called "Thank You, Captain Obvious." If you've seen the video, you know that it's just me ranting about how it bugs me when people tell me really obvious things. Yes, such things do annoy me, but I think it's obvious that I'm speaking in jest. But this GrowWisely person assumes that I'm completely serious and tells me that I'm petty and weak and childlike and that I have a "twisted little mind." He also notes my "distinct lack of character" and seems to think that I'm being hateful. To see the rest of the idiotic comments, go here.
1. I am absolutely not being hateful. I don't hate anyone. I AM JOKING.
2. The first two examples in my video did not even happen to me. They happened to friends of mine who were equally annoyed in those situations.
3. I'm smart, ok? I work hard and am proud of the knowledge I possess. I am also very open-minded and accepting. I am always trying to learn more. Telling me that I'm small-minded insults me to the core. You would know that if you knew me on a personal level (or, to a certain extent, watched some of my other videos). Which brings me to...
4. You make think you know someone because you watch her videos, but you don't. People on YouTube only show you want they want you to see. Other YouTubers and I have already made videos on the subject. The Kaitlyn you see on YouTube is silly and spastic and extremely outgoing, but the real Kaitlyn is actually very shy and sensitive and introverted. She cares way more than she should about people and their problems. Yes, she is easily annoyed sometimes, but she does not lack character. Thinking that you can judge a person's character based solely on her videos is absolutely ludicrous.
I made that video because I thought it would be both somewhat entertaining and a chance for me and my subscribers to vent about life's little annoyances. For many people, it seems that it was. If you think I'm weak and childlike for posting it, you don't have to watch. I'm not sorry, though.
You. Don't. Know. Me.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Why You Don't Hook Up With Strangers...
OK, brace yourself. This is probably the most horrifying story you'll ever read. You will hate me for telling you this, BUT YOU NEED TO KNOW. K? :-D
Alright. So my roommate's friend was out at a club with some friends. One of the girls was making out with a guy who seemed perfectly normal. He asks her to go to his apartment, but she's with her friends, so she says no. He gives her his number and says to call him.
A few days later she gets a weird rash in her mouth. (Wait for it...) She goes to the doctor, and he does some tests. He tells her it will take a few days to get the results. THE NEXT DAY he calls her and says she needs to come in right away to see her results. So she goes back, and the receptionist greets her with "Oh, you're the girl with the test results." Uh-oh. She takes her to the very back of the clinic, where her doctor is talking to an FBI agent.
Turns out the rash was caused by a bacteria that you can only get by eating rotten flesh. Yes, you read that right. THE GUY WAS A CANNIBAL. The FBI were able to track him down because he gave her his phone number. When they got to his apartment, they found two dead girls that he had been eating. He later told them that the girl in this story was supposed to be #3. Imagine if she had gone to his apartment that night. HE WOULD HAVE KILLED HER AND EATEN HER!!!
Now, I know you probably don't believe me, but I swear that this story is 100% true. I know, this shit doesn't happen in real life. This is straight out of CSI or NCIS or something. But no. Apparently cannibals do still exist in real life, right here in America. And this guy seemed so normal. People hooking up with strangers they meet in clubs happens all the time. I bet you'll think twice about it now, though, right?
I'm sorry I ruined your life with that story, BUT YOU NEEDED TO KNOW!
Well, I have no idea how to transition to any other topic. I'm home from school for the summer. A bunch of my friends graduated. I'm really proud of them. It's a little weird for me, though, since this was my class and technically should have been my graduation. Hmm. Ah, well. I'm not ready for the real world yet. Congrats, guys! :-)
Ben and I finally saw the Hannah Montana movie!!!! We were waiting to see it together. I loved it. And I WILL learn the Hoedown Throwdown!
Subscribers: 1,009
Alright. So my roommate's friend was out at a club with some friends. One of the girls was making out with a guy who seemed perfectly normal. He asks her to go to his apartment, but she's with her friends, so she says no. He gives her his number and says to call him.
A few days later she gets a weird rash in her mouth. (Wait for it...) She goes to the doctor, and he does some tests. He tells her it will take a few days to get the results. THE NEXT DAY he calls her and says she needs to come in right away to see her results. So she goes back, and the receptionist greets her with "Oh, you're the girl with the test results." Uh-oh. She takes her to the very back of the clinic, where her doctor is talking to an FBI agent.
Turns out the rash was caused by a bacteria that you can only get by eating rotten flesh. Yes, you read that right. THE GUY WAS A CANNIBAL. The FBI were able to track him down because he gave her his phone number. When they got to his apartment, they found two dead girls that he had been eating. He later told them that the girl in this story was supposed to be #3. Imagine if she had gone to his apartment that night. HE WOULD HAVE KILLED HER AND EATEN HER!!!
Now, I know you probably don't believe me, but I swear that this story is 100% true. I know, this shit doesn't happen in real life. This is straight out of CSI or NCIS or something. But no. Apparently cannibals do still exist in real life, right here in America. And this guy seemed so normal. People hooking up with strangers they meet in clubs happens all the time. I bet you'll think twice about it now, though, right?
I'm sorry I ruined your life with that story, BUT YOU NEEDED TO KNOW!
Well, I have no idea how to transition to any other topic. I'm home from school for the summer. A bunch of my friends graduated. I'm really proud of them. It's a little weird for me, though, since this was my class and technically should have been my graduation. Hmm. Ah, well. I'm not ready for the real world yet. Congrats, guys! :-)
Ben and I finally saw the Hannah Montana movie!!!! We were waiting to see it together. I loved it. And I WILL learn the Hoedown Throwdown!
Subscribers: 1,009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Hanko de Mayo!
For Hank Green's birthday, I flipped off a Hummer! It was fun. :-)
Special thanks to Nicole for playing the Hummer owner and Ashley for wielding the camera.
Subscribers: 1,004
Special thanks to Nicole for playing the Hummer owner and Ashley for wielding the camera.
Subscribers: 1,004
Finals: It's practically a hit list
conducting take-home test
recital hour questions
Protools project
poetry
I took a "nap" today around 6 PM, and I didn't wake up until midnight. So here I am, wide awake at 3 AM. I'm pretty sure my sleep schedule is royally screwed up now. Ah, well. Only a few more days to muddle through.
On the bright side, I found out today that John Green will be at a bookstore in Sydney on June 3rd. I ARRIVE IN SYDNEY ON JUNE 3RD!!!!!! I WILL BE THERE OR ELSE!!!!!!
Thanks to those of you who answered my comment question a few posts ago. I'm glad most of you also picked smart. It amused me that several of you seem to think you're gorgeous already. :-P Well, I suppose a having a positive self-image in this society is something to be commended.
I just bought the Demi Lovato album. Don't judge me. It's actually pretty good. Embarrajams ftw.
Subscribers: 1,002
Sunday, May 3, 2009
You call that Long-Distance? Rofl.
I've mentioned before that I have an old LiveJournal, but I may not have mentioned that I have an OLD old Livejournal. Its reign was after the DeadJournal but before the old LiveJournal. It chronicled approximately my senior year of high school and the following summer until I left for college, after which I got a new LiveJournal, which has been referenced thus far as the "old LiveJournal."
Still with me? Alright.
Well, I was reading through parts of the OLD old LiveJournal the other day, and I came across an AIM conversation with my high school boyfriend (who had just recently become my ex at this point). I won't let you see it because, frankly, it's embarrassing for me. I forgot what a needy, naive, spineless little jellyfish I used to be. I'm so glad I eventually grew some sense, learned to stand up for myself, and became the BAMF you all know and love. :-P
Back to the point. In this AIM conversation we were discussing why we could no longer date once I went away to college. He said, and I quote, "nobody is worth trying a 4 hour long distance relationship."
Really? Really? Four hours and you're out? Hahaha. Granted, at the time (which was four years ago - before we all had Skype!) it seemed like a valid point, but YouTube has really changed my perspective on this sort of thing. Alex and Kristina can handle the distance from London to Seattle. Liam and Min keep it going from the UK all the way to Australia. When you look at it that way, four hours seems like nothing at all.
Now, I'm really not trying to be hard on the guy or dig up old issues. Honestly, I'm glad I wasn't worth the four-hour distance. We are absolutely better off for it, so there's no need to defend my honor in the comments. :-P But when I read the "four hours" statement a few days ago, I literally laughed out loud. YouTubers, imagine trying to use a four-hour distance now as an excuse to break up. They'd think you were joking. Am I right? Maybe I've just gotten sucked into the Mrs. Nerimon phenomenon, but I think (in most cases) I'm right.
In other news, I am soooooooooo not ready for my voice jury tomorrow at 4:10. I'm off to study my Italian lyrics some more. Cheerio.
Subscribers: 1,001. Holdin' steady.
Still with me? Alright.
Well, I was reading through parts of the OLD old LiveJournal the other day, and I came across an AIM conversation with my high school boyfriend (who had just recently become my ex at this point). I won't let you see it because, frankly, it's embarrassing for me. I forgot what a needy, naive, spineless little jellyfish I used to be. I'm so glad I eventually grew some sense, learned to stand up for myself, and became the BAMF you all know and love. :-P
Back to the point. In this AIM conversation we were discussing why we could no longer date once I went away to college. He said, and I quote, "nobody is worth trying a 4 hour long distance relationship."
Really? Really? Four hours and you're out? Hahaha. Granted, at the time (which was four years ago - before we all had Skype!) it seemed like a valid point, but YouTube has really changed my perspective on this sort of thing. Alex and Kristina can handle the distance from London to Seattle. Liam and Min keep it going from the UK all the way to Australia. When you look at it that way, four hours seems like nothing at all.
Now, I'm really not trying to be hard on the guy or dig up old issues. Honestly, I'm glad I wasn't worth the four-hour distance. We are absolutely better off for it, so there's no need to defend my honor in the comments. :-P But when I read the "four hours" statement a few days ago, I literally laughed out loud. YouTubers, imagine trying to use a four-hour distance now as an excuse to break up. They'd think you were joking. Am I right? Maybe I've just gotten sucked into the Mrs. Nerimon phenomenon, but I think (in most cases) I'm right.
In other news, I am soooooooooo not ready for my voice jury tomorrow at 4:10. I'm off to study my Italian lyrics some more. Cheerio.
Subscribers: 1,001. Holdin' steady.
Now That's What I Call Recycling
Have you guys ever been to an ABC party, as in Anything But Clothes? I went to one last night, and it was fantastic. Marissa helped me make a dress entirely out
of plastic shopping bags. Now that's recycling!
Here's my pre-party picture I took for DailyBooth:
Better pictures to come as soon as Marissa uploads them to Facebook. :-P
It was a crazy party. Crazy in a good way. The place was full of people I like and very few that I don't. :-) And when I woke up this morning I was still drunk. It was unbelievable.
Tonight I went to the opera with Travis Orr. Manon Lescaut. It was really good, although I could've done without watching Manon die a slow, painful death for 30 minutes. That was ridiculous. We went to IHOP with Cory after the opera. I'm really going to miss him when he leaves for the Peace Corps. :-(
Speaking of which, I think I'm putting Peace Corps on my list of potential things to do with my life after college. I don't want to go to Africa, though. I hope I could go to Europe like Cory. He's spending two years teaching English in Bulgaria. Imagine getting to live in Europe, learn a new language, and probably travel around Europe during your time off. That would be amazing. I'm thinking about it.
Comment Question of the Day: Would you rather be rich, smart, famous, or gorgeous? You can only pick one. I would absolutely pick smart, no question. Is that crazy?
Subscribers: 1,001! Thanks, guys! :-)
of plastic shopping bags. Now that's recycling!Here's my pre-party picture I took for DailyBooth:
Better pictures to come as soon as Marissa uploads them to Facebook. :-P
It was a crazy party. Crazy in a good way. The place was full of people I like and very few that I don't. :-) And when I woke up this morning I was still drunk. It was unbelievable.
Tonight I went to the opera with Travis Orr. Manon Lescaut. It was really good, although I could've done without watching Manon die a slow, painful death for 30 minutes. That was ridiculous. We went to IHOP with Cory after the opera. I'm really going to miss him when he leaves for the Peace Corps. :-(
Speaking of which, I think I'm putting Peace Corps on my list of potential things to do with my life after college. I don't want to go to Africa, though. I hope I could go to Europe like Cory. He's spending two years teaching English in Bulgaria. Imagine getting to live in Europe, learn a new language, and probably travel around Europe during your time off. That would be amazing. I'm thinking about it.
Comment Question of the Day: Would you rather be rich, smart, famous, or gorgeous? You can only pick one. I would absolutely pick smart, no question. Is that crazy?
Subscribers: 1,001! Thanks, guys! :-)
Friday, May 1, 2009
Big Words Database, anyone?
Well, friends, I did it! I survived my conducting final, and it wasn't too horrible! I had to conduct and rehearse a section of Persichetti's "Sam Was a Man" with Camerata. My section was really short, though, and they learned it really quickly, so I started to run out of things to do. And of course I'm thinking of about a thousand things I should've done, but who cares? It's OVER!!!
...except I still have one more semester of conducting. FML.
In other news, I had a particularly intriguing idea the other day. Someone should create an online database of big, awesome words. I LOVE big words. I like to sprinkle big words into conversation and especially anything I write, and I also love to learn new big words. I would use the big words database all the time. It could be kind of like a thesaurus: you type in a word, and the database gives you a bunch of big-word synonyms for that word. How cool would that be? I should patent this idea. Anyone want to go into business with me? We'd be rich, I tell you.
I think I should go to bed now. The only productive thing I've done all night is write this blog post, which is admittedly not very productive at all. I have plenty of work I should be doing, but as we don't have school tomorrow, I think I'll just do it in the morning. My brain loses its ability to focus after 10 PM.
Stay classy, kids.
Subscribers: 999
...except I still have one more semester of conducting. FML.
In other news, I had a particularly intriguing idea the other day. Someone should create an online database of big, awesome words. I LOVE big words. I like to sprinkle big words into conversation and especially anything I write, and I also love to learn new big words. I would use the big words database all the time. It could be kind of like a thesaurus: you type in a word, and the database gives you a bunch of big-word synonyms for that word. How cool would that be? I should patent this idea. Anyone want to go into business with me? We'd be rich, I tell you.
I think I should go to bed now. The only productive thing I've done all night is write this blog post, which is admittedly not very productive at all. I have plenty of work I should be doing, but as we don't have school tomorrow, I think I'll just do it in the morning. My brain loses its ability to focus after 10 PM.
Stay classy, kids.
Subscribers: 999
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)