June 2012
1 post
The graduation speech
As you may or may not know, I had the opportunity to speak at a high school commencement last evening — something that came about very unexpectedly after someone heard me speak at the Newseum earlier this year.
It was a really great experience, but I’m very glad it’s over! It was nerve-wracking. But I had a lot of great responses from it, especially from parents and journalism...
May 2012
1 post
Update much?
I know, I suck. Let’s move on. Time for updates!
Things have been so busy lately! Work is nuts — lots of big stuff happening. But, as always, it’s pretty fantastic. Aside from work, I’ve been spending a lot of time with friends, trying out some new (for me) restaurants and such. And the weather has been so wonderful that I’ve been trying to spend as much time as...
April 2012
2 posts
Forgive the sappiness...
You know how they say, “When it rains, it pours?” First, it’s true. Not sure who to blame that one on, but that person is a serious turd. Secondly, I hate it when someone says that. Ummm, hello? I’m well aware of the fact that things suck right now. You don’t really need to remind me that things could just keep getting worse.
Sorry for that side rant....
Pinspiration
Sidenote: I really hope that reads more like “Inspiration” than “Perspiration” or “Thinspiration.” Cause that would be awkward.
Do you “Pin”? If you have no clue what I’m talking about, Google “Pinterest.” I’m a wee-bit addicted to the most recent social media fad, as anyone who’s ever spoken to me can tell you. It...
March 2012
5 posts
I
Today is not only Sunday on the actual calendar, but it’s Sunday on my work calendar, too! So, I’m celebrating by napping, cleaning and giving you lovelies a glimpse into my (somewhat) scattered brain.
This happened. How did that happen, you ask? I’ll tell you. I was walking and talking on the phone. That’s about the whole story. I missed a curb and fell straight to my...
Phew.
Welp, I did it. I made it through my first shift! It felt so great to be back in the chair. A bit overwhelming at times (hey, it wouldn’t be fair if they gave me an easy shift on my first day back!), but still absolutely amazing.
I had to take a couple of pauses, but overall, I had no real problems in terms of my energy or gallbladderless stomach. And, the weather was once again glorious,...
Back to reality
Well, I’ve been off work for 18 days now. Eighteen days. Seriously? I’m amazed by that number.
All I have to say is…
Thank God I go back to work tomorrow. It’s just time.
Don’t get me wrong — the two weeks I’ve had since coming home from the hospital have been incredibly beneficial. As I initially wrote, I thought I would go crazy after one week. But...
One week ago...
Exactly one week ago, I was being released from the hospital. Just one week! I was pretty sure that by today, I’d be going insane. But, surprisingly, the week has gone by quickly — between all the visits and goodies and messages, I haven’t felt too “alone” for too long.
Unfortunately, I also thought I’d feel better by now. I was fairly confident that by today,...
Things I've learned this week: Gallbladder edition...
Well, by now, most of the people reading this blog know what happened over the past few days: I went to the ER Wednesday night with intense pain in my stomach — a pain I’ve been having for about 5 weeks every time I ate fatty foods, but this night, it was more intense than I could have imagined.
After a few tests and a small fight with my insurance company, I was admitted into the...
February 2012
2 posts
Monday updates
Technically, it’s not Monday. But it is my Monday. And it’s my blog. So there.
I feel like the past two weeks have been insanely busy, but I seriously cannot pinpoint exactly why. I went to New York (more on that later) for a few days, and I feel like that kind of threw my whole life out of balance. Work has been…well, work, but nothing too huge. Overall, everything just seems a...
I pull my old blue jeans on
Everyone has a favorite pair of jeans. You know the ones —the perfect fit, maybe a couple of holes worn into the knees, split belt-loop from pulling them up too much, denim broken down into the softest, most comfortable fabric ever imagined.
Here I am, on January 31, 2012, in my favorite jeans.
So what? Why am I rambling on about a pair of jeans? Well, I’ll tell you. These jeans...
January 2012
8 posts
Swoon.
I like to shop. There, I said it. I feel better now. Here are a few things I’ve recently been swooning over.
MK Chronograph Watch Perfection. I’ve been swooning over this for ages.
Ray-Ban Wayfarer Classic.
MK Cross Body Bag I’ve been searching for a good cross body bag for YEARS, as my friend Mattie can attest to, and I think I finally found it while shopping with...
Things I've learned in the past 36 hours
I tore a muscle in my back on Saturday and, after going to the doctor Sunday night, have spent the last 36 hours in my bed. Here are the things I have learned in that time.
The couch is not a suitable replacement for the bed. They all tried to warn me, but I figured this out the hard way when I had to do a barrel roll off the couch onto the floor then shimmy my way to the dining room table in...
Golden Globes Fashion
Warning: As I was searching for photos for this post, the number I pulled seemed to multiply by the second, so I apologize in advance for the long post!
One of my favorite times to design A1 at the Washington Post is on award show nights — Golden Globes, Emmys, Oscars, etc. — because more times than not, we run a red carpet photo on the front page, meaning I have an actual excuse to...
Weekly Randoms
This week has been a super hectic week! Work has been pretty busy — not necessarily a lot of news, but just a lot of work.
Tomorrow is going to be a long day. I’m giving a workshop at the Newseum (one of my favorite places in D.C.) all morning, then heading straight to work. The workshop is for 40 D.C. area high school journalism teachers who all want to become better educators....
2012 Travel Plans
As was discussed in my 2012 “resolutions” post, I really want to step up my travel plans this year. With that in mind, I recently submitted my vacation requests for 2012, with the following trips in mind…
A Hoosier Wedding I’m not 100% sure if I’ve mentioned this or not, but DC Kate, the lovely lady so near and dear to my heart, is getting hitched! It was a little...
Thursday Randoms
It has been a long week, to be sure. So, instead of doing an in-depth post on one of many topics I plan on covering soon, I figured I’d just mention a few things on my mind right now.
I had to take a sick day today, which I hate. I’ve taken quite a few since I started working at the Post, but each one leaves me feeling so guilty. Usually I just work through whatever I’m feeling,...
2011 Year in Review
2011 was a really interesting year for me, overall. Work was crazy hectic, but my personal life was pretty mellow. I did a post very similar to this last year and thought it was really fun to look back at it, so here we go again!
Favorite song of 2011: Probably Adele’s Rolling in the Deep or Someone Like You. I just adore her! I also really liked The Cave by Mumford and Sons, Just a Kiss...
The "D" word
Warning: After writing all of this down, I realized it’s a really long post. Sorry!
That’s right, folks. I’m talking about diet. I hate that word. I also now hate the term “losing weight” because, as my good friend Wendy always says, “You’re not planning to find it again, are you?”
But, yes, as I mentioned in my 2012 resolution post, I am indeed...
A new year, a new (or actually updated) blog
I am well aware of the fact that I lost all blogging credibility months ago, along with any of you who were actually checking this thing on a regular basis. Here’s the thing — I actually like blogging! I’ve always loved to write and blogging gives me a chance to do that, but at some point, I felt like I just had nothing new to say.
But no more.
I’ve never been one for New...
June 2011
6 posts
Bloomington in the News
Exactly one week ago, Lauren Spierer, a 20-year-old college student who just finished her sophomore year at IU, disappeared after a night out. The last time she was seen was at 4:30 a.m. on Saturday at 11th and College, a fairly busy part of Bloomington close to campus.
From the second I woke up Saturday and heard about her disappearance, my heart has been in pieces for Lauren, her family and my...
Fill in the Blank Friday
It’s 11:23 p.m. so it still counts.
This weekend I’m working and getting ready for the move!
My last vacation was with R2 a couple of months ago to Vegas. We were only there for like under 40 hours, but it was so worth it!
My next vacation will be to Indiana at the end of July. For the second summer in a row, everyone in my immediate family will be able to gather in Muncie for a...
Moving....again
I had really hoped that once I got to D.C., I would be set — I could find an apartment and stick with it for a while. But, thanks to rent prices and the immediacy of finding an apartment last year, that is not the case.
So, in a matter of days, I will once again be packing all my stuff and moving to a new apartment. But, I’m hoping this move will be easier than the rest because, as...
Fill in the Blank...Saturday
Whatever, you’re used to it.
I love Indiana because no matter where I end up, it’s always there when I really need a place that feels like home. People here make fun of me sometimes for being a Hoosier, but I really wouldn’t have it any other way. I never realized quite how special growing up in the Midwest was — I was always too focused on getting out. Even though I might...
My family is funny.
Some of their recent funnies:
Email from LT
Subject: none
WE HAVE NO AIR CONDITIONING AT SCHOOL!!!! IT IS SO HOT IN HERE… Just thought I’d share. The capital letters indicate the following: 1. Being hot sucks! 2. This is why school should not be in session between Memorial Day and Labor Day. 3. A day like today is wasted indoors. I should be poolside.
That is all I have for now!
...
The whale in the room
My name is Katie and I am deathly afraid of whales.
Yes, it’s true. I have an irrational fear of something that I have never come in contact with nor will I ever come in contact with. I had no traumatic experience as a child (unless you count watching Pinocchio as a kid, which was scary enough), was never accidentally hit by a whale’s fin, never saw a dead whale on a beach. No...
May 2011
2 posts
Five months worth of Fill-in-the-Blank Fridays
Not really. That would be intense. But I did pick some of my favorite questions that I missed out on during my MIA period.
If I could get away somewhere for the weekend I would go to a beach far, far away and I would bring absolutely nothing — maybe a good book, some tunes and a bikini, but other than that, NOTHING.
A friend is someone who you can trust completely and without doubt....
5-month update
My sincerest apologies to my devoted SILs and BFFs for neglecting this blog for…let’s just say a while. I really didn’t mean for it to get this bad. Life just got in the way, I suppose! But, thanks to a combination of big news, anniversaries, birthdays and the hour I have free before heading to work today, it’s time for a massive update on life. So, hunker down, cause this...
January 2011
6 posts
Post Pages, Pt. II
Per Lindsay’s request, here is what I have been spending most of my time working on — Washington Post A1s!
The other day, my boss said I practically skip out of work on most days, which is true. I love my job more and more each day, and recently, I’ve been given more responsibility and been able to tackle some projects on my own, which has been great.
So, some pages…
...
Ace of Cakes (!)
So, the other week, we were having a big celebration at work for our Eugene Meyers Awards. No big deal for me, since I had to work during. But then, I found out that Ace of Cakes, the bakery featured on the TLC show of the same name, was baking a cake for it, I got really, really excited. I came into work early hoping to scope out the scene (although that amounted to nothing). But, that night, my...
Looking back at 2010
2010 was a big year for me. I graduated from college, against all odds, moved to DC and started my job at the Post. The year was far from smooth sailing — it was chaotic and emotional, and at times, I had no idea how it would turn out. But, with a whole lot of help, we’ve managed to make it through relatively unharmed. So, taking a cue from a friends blog, I give you the highlights of...
Cutest. Decoration. Ever.
I saw this post from Noble Pig the other day and I am officially obsessed. If I had a home or, you know, people in DC to throw a party for, I’d be all over this.
It’s an ice luminaria! How pretty would that be lining a driveway or walkway?
Update much?
Yes, I know. It’s been a while. My SILs remind me every other day. So, to make this easier on everybody, this will be in list format.
The holidays were fine — I went home to Indiana the weekend before Christmas for some time with the fam before heading back to DC for actual Christmas. I worked Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, which was just fine. Christmas Day I was lucky enough to...
10:01 Comment of the Day
An email I got from Lindsay a few weeks ago:
So, I’m grading Math Journals which my students have to do when they come in everyday. When we started this chapter (which is about polynomials), the first journal was think of a word that has the prefix poly. Use that word in a sentence. The one I am grading right now says “The Polygon got destroyed on 911.” HAHA! Enjoy :)
This is wrong on so many...
December 2010
1 post
Baby Jackson's Baptism
Jackson and his momma in the family robe.
And Daddy making fun of his only son.
I’m convinced God gave him every good gene in the family.
Baptism or no baptism, baby needed his nap.
He never cries. Ever.
Sleepy boy.
November 2010
4 posts
Post Pages
So, I’ve been meaning to do this post for a while, but never got around to converting the PDFs to be able to do so. Anyways, better late than never. Here are some of the pages I’ve done since I started my job in June.
MY FIRST A1
This was an exciting day. Beyond exciting, really. I knew it was going to be a big news day when I went in because of the plane crash in Alaska that took...
Ramblings of the week
Or weeks, as I should say.
I have not been ignoring you, DWTD. I’ve been busy. And, I’ve been checking Fill-in-the-Blank Friday, but I just haven’t liked them recently. Bummer.
I think Baby Mac is dead. Yes, dead. I’ve very sad about it, but he had a good, long life. I remember back in June 2006 when the box got delivered to the house on Norway Drive after a long journey...
CUTEST. DINOSAUR. EVER.
Seriously, there is no contest. Don’t even try.
Rooooooaaaaarrrrrrrrr
So stinking cute. It’s ridiculous.
Taugate 2010
It’s that time again. Time for Taugate.
For those of you who don’t know, Taugate is our annual tailgating tradition back at IU. This year is special because it’s really the first year that all the Tau-ers have been out of school and are now Taulumni. I won’t take the time to explain what Tau is because it will really never make sense. I’ll just show you more...
October 2010
11 posts
This week on TV
So, I never get to watch my two favorite TV shows when they’re actually on, but I’m done catching up with them for the week, so I thought I’d share my thoughts while I’m at home sick.
Glee
I love Glee. I love Rocky Horror. So, really, the producers couldn’t go wrong with this one. I was curious how they were going to make Rocky Horror suitable for TV audiences,...
Jackson
Hair just like his daddy
I love how his personality is starting to show. He’s just too cute.
Jackson with his favorite momma on her birthday. Happy 28th, Sissy!
An email from Momma Myrick
OK, a little background. We bought Mikey an electronic picture frame for Christmas a few years back and loaded it up with pictures so he could be surrounded by his family when he’s at work.
Now, onto the email.
Subject: Dad
Ok - here’s a funny dad story. Dad asked me to get him copies of 2 of the new Jackson pictures, so I did. I gave them to him this morning and asked what he was...
My two favorite boys
Albie and Jackson
It's all over
It took less than 24 hours to rescue 33 men from a mine 23,000 feet under ground after being trapped for 69 days. Absolutely amazing.
Welcome home, Florencio Avalos Silva, Mario Sepulveda Espinace, Juan Illanes Palma, Carlos Mamani Solis, Renan Avalos Silva, Mario Gomez Heredia, Jimmy Sanchez Lagues, Ariel Ticona Yanez, Edison Pena Villarroel, Víctor Zamora Bugueno, Raul Bustos Ibanez, Claudio...
Baby Jackson
Hugs for everyone!
With Papa Bear
Please excuse the sappy post
So, most of you reading this blog know that I work for a newspaper. A big’un. Every day, I read story after story about war, murder, poverty, child hunger, AIDS, rallies, protests, famine, animal cruelty, political scandals and the like. Generally, there are pictures and video to illustrate the detestation of these stories. Every. Day.
After a while, it becomes easier to forget that these...
Fill-in-ze-blank Friday
On Friday!
The first thing I do in the morning to start my day is check my email.
Today I wish I was back in Indiana, celebrating Yorktown’s Homecoming with my family.
If I had an extra $100 in my back account today, I’d that’s a loaded question today, so I’m going to skip this question.
Tomorrow, I just realized, is Saturday. Hopefully something fun will happen.
Two...
District ramblings
It’s about time for a life in the District update. So, here goes.
I still really love this city. Doi, there’s a lot to love about D.C. Specifically:
I love my friends here. DC Kate continues to be my soulmate and I love every second I get to spend with her. We both have busy work schedules, so we don’t get to see each other as much as we would like, but that makes our Fundays...
Today on the sounds of the city...
This morning, I woke up to…
bagpipes.
Yes, bagpipes. Apparently, the firehouse across from the street is having a street fair. Or something. I dunno. It was weird.
Lindsay, please don't dump me. Love, ADWTD
Fill-in-the-blank Friday! Or should I say Saturday…
Happiness is good friends, good family and good food on a Sunday afternoon.
The most surreal moment of my life was hmmm this is a good question. The first thing that pops into my mind happened 6 days ago, on Sunday afternoon. I was working at the Post and went to ask my boss what he needed me to do. I rounded the corner and ran into Bob...
