Aye,
Les be brief cause I gots a play to read.
In my never ending search for healthy eating habits, I stumbled upon the not so humble avocado. I have heard the buzz about this wonder food for the past few months. Good fat. Protein. Yummyness.
FALSE.
An entire avocado by the spoonful was like eating green lard. And I felt like green lard for hours afterward. I swore to myself I would never do it again. BUT, I'm gonna give it a chance. So without further adieu:
Stipulations under which I would eat an Avocado, whole. Again.
1. If tomorrow I wake up with Avocado induced super human energy.
2. If someone is holding a gun to my head.
3. If anyone on my "I'd tap that" list found avocado's sexy. Keep in mind, this list is comprised entirely of celebrities. Some of them are dead. Here's lookin at you Martha Graham.
4. If eating avocado's gave you the ability to fly.
5. If it was combined with onion, chopped tomato, garlic and a splash of lime juice. HOLD UP. That's guacamole. Dip of the Gods.
6. If there was a full ride scholarship guaranteed to anyone who finished a whole avocado.
7. If eating an Avocado meant not having to read "American Dream"
But alas. I need to actually read that play.
The end.
g'night. Sleep well.
Kaitlyn.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Diet Blooper Reel.
Hi Compadres.
It's been 2 months. Oops.
After mulling over some conversations I've had with friends recently, I found that we don't talk about "things ya just don't talk about" often enough. Cause a lot of people are in the same boat on touchy subjects. So I think I'm just gonna share my metaphorical boat with the interwebs. And here it is.
Today's topic of discussion: Food.
I've been around the dieting block quite a few times. I would consider myself pretty well versed in "how to not lose weight while intentionally changing your consumption patterns." So I've decided to provide, if nothing else, a brief, comical summary titled:
"WHY GOD WHY?! A brief, chronological, lighthearted look at Kaitlyn Dessoffy's diet plan(s)"
Plan 1: The Dance Diet
Summary: Dance 7 hours a week. Eat whatever you want.
Pros: Mon-Friday, lose 6 pounds.
Cons: Saturday-Sunday, find them. Self hatred ensues.
Plan 2: The "After Six" Diet
Summary: Rather than stopping eating at six pm, start eating around 6 pm. Usually resulting from a lack of planning, packing, and lunch hour. Struggle buss it through the day on a Nutrigrain bar and a handful of chex mix.
Pros: You save so much time not eating. Now you have time to sleep, funny how you're so exhausted all the time.
Cons: It doesn't work. Also you have zero energy. Don't do this.
Plan 3: The Soy Milk Diet
Summary: Circa 9th grade I discovered I was allergic to Soy Milk. Having a hard time stopping yourself from eating? You can't eat when you're working on keeping lunch down.
Pros: None. 'cept that this one was super short lived.
Cons: On top of the swollen throat and digestive tract fire storm, you're pretty disappointed in yourself. Also, this is a pretty ineffective way to get energy from food. Or lose any weight from a lack thereof.
Plan 4: Weight Watchers!
Summary: Sound familiar?! The WW diet gives you 29 "points" per day, with 42 extra points to use throughout the week. Fruits and Veggies are free. As are diet, non-calorie foods. Points are calculated using Carbs, Protein, Fiber, and Fat content values. Ex: Bread: 3 points. Chicken: 5 points. Cheese: 6 points. Yogurt: 7 points.
Pros: It works! And you're not starving yourself! And you have to eat fruits and vegetables!
Cons: Point Values are so fucking annoying to calculate. You thought calorie counting was hard? This is not even a value on the box. And it makes you look at food in a quantitative form. You can eat this diet on apples, lettuce, chocolate, and crackers. Eventually you find the right way to combine your allotted 29 points so you are still dieting, but you are also gaining weight. Also, your body adjusts to this within a few months. So you have to gradually eat less and less points to maintain your body weight. At 25 points a day, No bonus for working out, and no points plus, you start to panic a little. How much less can you eat?! This is your cue to take yourself off the diet.
Plan 5: The CATS diet
Summary: See "Dancer diet" but add to that the looming threat of dancing 4 shows a week in a spandex leotard.
Pros: I was in the best shape of my life
Cons: The run only lasted 3 weeks. The diet lasted 3 months. No good. No good.
Plan 6: The Love Your Body Diet.
Summary: Accept the 6 pounds you gained last summer. You're not overweight.
Pros: You're in great shape mentally! And physically too come to think of it.
Cons: Who are we kidding here? That acceptance lasted 2 days. Literally 2 days. Then it took a journey that went a little something like, annoyance --> critical mirror looking --> scales and tape --> panic --> TREADMILL! And sadness.
Plan 7: The back to basics
Summary: An honest attempt to eat well. Stipulations: 1. Mostly Vegetables 2. Get all the food groups in there 3. Eat only when you're hungry 4. Don't weigh yourself more than once a week 5. Don't freak out about how you look.
Pros: Days 1-3 you do a bang up job.
Cons: Day 4: You weigh yourself. No progress. --> Anger and self loathing. Convince yourself that you are too uptight for this silly "mindful eating" thing. Scour the internet for crash diets. Yeah, cause if you didn't have the will power to make THIS one work, eating only soup for a week is definitely a better option.
Plan 8: Calorie Counting
Summary: myfitnespal.com. 1270 per day. Ya get some extra if you work out.
This is pretty much what I'm up to now in terms of food. So far so good. It's definitely a little obsessive, but I'm pretty type A, so this is run of the mill. Counting calories is definitely a restrictive measure, but I find that any stress caused from counting calories is not nearly as bad as stress I feel when I'm not comfortable in my body. It's a work in progress.
Welp, that just about covers it. I hope you enjoyed my metaphorical boat. I'm thinking a lot of people have shared this metaphorical boat. So how about we make food discussions a little more open, yeah? Don't be embarrassed. I just regurgitated (sorry, couldn't pass it up) my questionable dieting methods from the past 7 years to a public forum. Ya can't do much worse than that.
Meh, that's all I got.
Kait
It's been 2 months. Oops.
After mulling over some conversations I've had with friends recently, I found that we don't talk about "things ya just don't talk about" often enough. Cause a lot of people are in the same boat on touchy subjects. So I think I'm just gonna share my metaphorical boat with the interwebs. And here it is.
Today's topic of discussion: Food.
I've been around the dieting block quite a few times. I would consider myself pretty well versed in "how to not lose weight while intentionally changing your consumption patterns." So I've decided to provide, if nothing else, a brief, comical summary titled:
"WHY GOD WHY?! A brief, chronological, lighthearted look at Kaitlyn Dessoffy's diet plan(s)"
Plan 1: The Dance Diet
Summary: Dance 7 hours a week. Eat whatever you want.
Pros: Mon-Friday, lose 6 pounds.
Cons: Saturday-Sunday, find them. Self hatred ensues.
Plan 2: The "After Six" Diet
Summary: Rather than stopping eating at six pm, start eating around 6 pm. Usually resulting from a lack of planning, packing, and lunch hour. Struggle buss it through the day on a Nutrigrain bar and a handful of chex mix.
Pros: You save so much time not eating. Now you have time to sleep, funny how you're so exhausted all the time.
Cons: It doesn't work. Also you have zero energy. Don't do this.
Plan 3: The Soy Milk Diet
Summary: Circa 9th grade I discovered I was allergic to Soy Milk. Having a hard time stopping yourself from eating? You can't eat when you're working on keeping lunch down.
Pros: None. 'cept that this one was super short lived.
Cons: On top of the swollen throat and digestive tract fire storm, you're pretty disappointed in yourself. Also, this is a pretty ineffective way to get energy from food. Or lose any weight from a lack thereof.
Plan 4: Weight Watchers!
Summary: Sound familiar?! The WW diet gives you 29 "points" per day, with 42 extra points to use throughout the week. Fruits and Veggies are free. As are diet, non-calorie foods. Points are calculated using Carbs, Protein, Fiber, and Fat content values. Ex: Bread: 3 points. Chicken: 5 points. Cheese: 6 points. Yogurt: 7 points.
Pros: It works! And you're not starving yourself! And you have to eat fruits and vegetables!
Cons: Point Values are so fucking annoying to calculate. You thought calorie counting was hard? This is not even a value on the box. And it makes you look at food in a quantitative form. You can eat this diet on apples, lettuce, chocolate, and crackers. Eventually you find the right way to combine your allotted 29 points so you are still dieting, but you are also gaining weight. Also, your body adjusts to this within a few months. So you have to gradually eat less and less points to maintain your body weight. At 25 points a day, No bonus for working out, and no points plus, you start to panic a little. How much less can you eat?! This is your cue to take yourself off the diet.
Plan 5: The CATS diet
Summary: See "Dancer diet" but add to that the looming threat of dancing 4 shows a week in a spandex leotard.
Pros: I was in the best shape of my life
Cons: The run only lasted 3 weeks. The diet lasted 3 months. No good. No good.
Plan 6: The Love Your Body Diet.
Summary: Accept the 6 pounds you gained last summer. You're not overweight.
Pros: You're in great shape mentally! And physically too come to think of it.
Cons: Who are we kidding here? That acceptance lasted 2 days. Literally 2 days. Then it took a journey that went a little something like, annoyance --> critical mirror looking --> scales and tape --> panic --> TREADMILL! And sadness.
Plan 7: The back to basics
Summary: An honest attempt to eat well. Stipulations: 1. Mostly Vegetables 2. Get all the food groups in there 3. Eat only when you're hungry 4. Don't weigh yourself more than once a week 5. Don't freak out about how you look.
Pros: Days 1-3 you do a bang up job.
Cons: Day 4: You weigh yourself. No progress. --> Anger and self loathing. Convince yourself that you are too uptight for this silly "mindful eating" thing. Scour the internet for crash diets. Yeah, cause if you didn't have the will power to make THIS one work, eating only soup for a week is definitely a better option.
Plan 8: Calorie Counting
Summary: myfitnespal.com. 1270 per day. Ya get some extra if you work out.
This is pretty much what I'm up to now in terms of food. So far so good. It's definitely a little obsessive, but I'm pretty type A, so this is run of the mill. Counting calories is definitely a restrictive measure, but I find that any stress caused from counting calories is not nearly as bad as stress I feel when I'm not comfortable in my body. It's a work in progress.
Welp, that just about covers it. I hope you enjoyed my metaphorical boat. I'm thinking a lot of people have shared this metaphorical boat. So how about we make food discussions a little more open, yeah? Don't be embarrassed. I just regurgitated (sorry, couldn't pass it up) my questionable dieting methods from the past 7 years to a public forum. Ya can't do much worse than that.
Meh, that's all I got.
Kait
Monday, January 21, 2013
My Theoretical OKCupid. (And my back up plans)
Hi! Let's cut to the chase.
Name: Kaitlyn Elizabeth Philomena Dessoffy (Because when else are you gonna bust out your confirmation name)
Occupation: Serial Killer. "Oh she's so funny and ironic...that's just the kind of thing a serial killer WOULD say... but she's so intriguing and mysterious...definitely a yes."
I would leave everything else blank.
Because (though I do LOVE talking about myself) I don't want to ruin the "getting to know you" part of that first date by actually filling out an online dating profile. And if I don't have something to talk about I will sit in absolute silence. And it will be painful for everyone.
So barring my mysterious and legally questionable OkCupid doesn't work out, I've got back up plans.
Allow me to present: X number of ways to score a date without a computer.
1. Purchase a t-shirt that has "SINGLE" printed across it in bright red letters. Head to a coffee shop. Display. Hope for the best.
2. Write a blog complaining about how your single... Again, hope for the best.
3. Actually talk to people rather than ogling at them from afar. It only sounds creepy when you read it but you know you do it.
that's all i got.
and this blog has just jumped off the cliff of desperation. JOIN MEEEEEEEE.
hah, I'll let you know if I ever actually make that profile. Happy Second week of classes ya'll!
Kait
Name: Kaitlyn Elizabeth Philomena Dessoffy (Because when else are you gonna bust out your confirmation name)
Occupation: Serial Killer. "Oh she's so funny and ironic...that's just the kind of thing a serial killer WOULD say... but she's so intriguing and mysterious...definitely a yes."
I would leave everything else blank.
Because (though I do LOVE talking about myself) I don't want to ruin the "getting to know you" part of that first date by actually filling out an online dating profile. And if I don't have something to talk about I will sit in absolute silence. And it will be painful for everyone.
So barring my mysterious and legally questionable OkCupid doesn't work out, I've got back up plans.
Allow me to present: X number of ways to score a date without a computer.
1. Purchase a t-shirt that has "SINGLE" printed across it in bright red letters. Head to a coffee shop. Display. Hope for the best.
2. Write a blog complaining about how your single... Again, hope for the best.
3. Actually talk to people rather than ogling at them from afar. It only sounds creepy when you read it but you know you do it.
that's all i got.
and this blog has just jumped off the cliff of desperation. JOIN MEEEEEEEE.
hah, I'll let you know if I ever actually make that profile. Happy Second week of classes ya'll!
Kait
Friday, January 4, 2013
Obligatory New Years Resolutions.
Aloha!
Probably the best greeting ever because it's a tricked out combination of "hola" "hollaaaaa" and sort of sounds like "hello" backwards.
Quote of the Day: "You know your life has hit a new level of interesting when you end up at a hookah coffee house in Parma that plays hardcore techno music." -Nicole Tischler. Basically, this is my winter break.
NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS!
I don't feel the need to explain this concept. We survived the apocalypse. Drunk (or was it just me?) We're pretty much ready for 2013.
1. Be able to do at least 1 pull up. My workouts are getting embarrassing guys. This is really holding me back.
2. Actually vomit from drinking. Because I need to make all of my own mistakes. I am literally incapable of letting everyone else do the messing up for me. Too much? Too bad. My blog is called Brain Vomit. You'll live. Also, you should know that I think I am physically incapable (and terrified) of puking while intoxicated. So this is more of a challenge than a sick resolution I've made for myself.
3. Volunteer.
4. Food. Goal: Don't look at food for it's value in "points" or calories or laxative properties. That is all.
5. Speak Up. If I had a penny for every time someone called me "quiet" or "shy" or "scared looking" I could probably pay for college. Let me assure you that I am none of these things. Sometimes I don't say a lot, but there's a difference. As for the scared thing, I think it's just my face. So go with that.
6. Do Work. Ballet. III. Will NOT. Defeat me. This semester.
6.5 Do not beat yourself up because you are not the most slender, graceful, powerful, flexible, stunning dancer in the world. Work with what you've got. Boom.
7. Work as a Barista at some point. Because I tell my family that I'm getting my degree in "Advanced Waitressing" when they crack jokes about theatre. Time to step up.
8. Write a play. I have been writing plays in my head since 6th grade. I have a whole bunch of scenes just floating around up there. I want to get them down now, so I can look back and be all, "oh silly 21 year old Kaitlyn, look how enlightened you've become!" Plus I totally regret not having my angsty teen years in writing. There is some unfortunate photographic evidence, but that's all I'm gonna say about that.
9. Date. What do you get when you cross premature social skills, a tangible air of awkward, and what might be considered an anxiety disorder? The answer is Kaitlyn, pre-date. So now imagine "Kaitlyn, on date." Worse yet, "Kaitlyn, post-date." Bottom line, Human interaction is generally not my thing. And I should probably practice getting better at it. Is it bad that I'm getting nervous just writing this? Woof, I'm gonna go chew on some Tums and mull this over. brb.
10. Follow my gut. So I took this class. That changed my life. Like a Zen awakening, if you will. (I'm gonna be honest, I don't know if "Zen awakening" is a thing, I just thought it sounded cool and relevant.) So far, being a little less type A has been beautiful. So I need to keep it up. Try it. You'll like it.
I'm going to stop at 10 because I like lists that have ten things on them. It's arbitrary and totally counterproductive to resolution 10 [which includes subtext of "stop being so anal retentive"], so that probably means that I'm leaving things off or have some useless resolutions on there, but that's what I'm doin.
uhhhhm the end.
I think my next blog will be the pros and cons of my psycho dog Stella. Get ready for some adorable pictures of my little vermin.
I'm very good at nicknames.
Sleep Well! Enjoy your last few weeks of freedom, collegiate peers.
Aloha!
Kaitlyn
(see what I did there, yet ANOTHER reason "Aloha" is the greatest greeting ever.)
Probably the best greeting ever because it's a tricked out combination of "hola" "hollaaaaa" and sort of sounds like "hello" backwards.
Quote of the Day: "You know your life has hit a new level of interesting when you end up at a hookah coffee house in Parma that plays hardcore techno music." -Nicole Tischler. Basically, this is my winter break.
NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS!
I don't feel the need to explain this concept. We survived the apocalypse. Drunk (or was it just me?) We're pretty much ready for 2013.
1. Be able to do at least 1 pull up. My workouts are getting embarrassing guys. This is really holding me back.
2. Actually vomit from drinking. Because I need to make all of my own mistakes. I am literally incapable of letting everyone else do the messing up for me. Too much? Too bad. My blog is called Brain Vomit. You'll live. Also, you should know that I think I am physically incapable (and terrified) of puking while intoxicated. So this is more of a challenge than a sick resolution I've made for myself.
3. Volunteer.
4. Food. Goal: Don't look at food for it's value in "points" or calories or laxative properties. That is all.
5. Speak Up. If I had a penny for every time someone called me "quiet" or "shy" or "scared looking" I could probably pay for college. Let me assure you that I am none of these things. Sometimes I don't say a lot, but there's a difference. As for the scared thing, I think it's just my face. So go with that.
6. Do Work. Ballet. III. Will NOT. Defeat me. This semester.
6.5 Do not beat yourself up because you are not the most slender, graceful, powerful, flexible, stunning dancer in the world. Work with what you've got. Boom.
7. Work as a Barista at some point. Because I tell my family that I'm getting my degree in "Advanced Waitressing" when they crack jokes about theatre. Time to step up.
8. Write a play. I have been writing plays in my head since 6th grade. I have a whole bunch of scenes just floating around up there. I want to get them down now, so I can look back and be all, "oh silly 21 year old Kaitlyn, look how enlightened you've become!" Plus I totally regret not having my angsty teen years in writing. There is some unfortunate photographic evidence, but that's all I'm gonna say about that.
9. Date. What do you get when you cross premature social skills, a tangible air of awkward, and what might be considered an anxiety disorder? The answer is Kaitlyn, pre-date. So now imagine "Kaitlyn, on date." Worse yet, "Kaitlyn, post-date." Bottom line, Human interaction is generally not my thing. And I should probably practice getting better at it. Is it bad that I'm getting nervous just writing this? Woof, I'm gonna go chew on some Tums and mull this over. brb.
10. Follow my gut. So I took this class. That changed my life. Like a Zen awakening, if you will. (I'm gonna be honest, I don't know if "Zen awakening" is a thing, I just thought it sounded cool and relevant.) So far, being a little less type A has been beautiful. So I need to keep it up. Try it. You'll like it.
I'm going to stop at 10 because I like lists that have ten things on them. It's arbitrary and totally counterproductive to resolution 10 [which includes subtext of "stop being so anal retentive"], so that probably means that I'm leaving things off or have some useless resolutions on there, but that's what I'm doin.
uhhhhm the end.
I think my next blog will be the pros and cons of my psycho dog Stella. Get ready for some adorable pictures of my little vermin.
I'm very good at nicknames.
Sleep Well! Enjoy your last few weeks of freedom, collegiate peers.
Aloha!
Kaitlyn
(see what I did there, yet ANOTHER reason "Aloha" is the greatest greeting ever.)
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Weird things you do when you're absolutely terrified of germs.
I have 3 unfinished blog posts just waiting to be finished up and posted. So I apologize for the lack of reading material. It's coming soon. There will just be a shower of "Kaitlyn's on winter break" blogs. You'll see. Hopefully.
Sidebar, good luck on finals guys. Study hard. Sleep. Don't get sick.
Which leads me to my next point (see what I did there? clever. yes clever).
Let's take a small jaunt down memory lane shall we? Kaitlyn, in high school, terrified of germs. Kaitlyn, in college, no longer terrified of germs. Details aside, I can laugh about it now. As if I am not constantly laughing at myself, but you get the idea.
So in case you missed it, might I present, my inner monologue circa 2005-2010.
1. If someone around you is sick, you will catch it, you will then get so sick that you cannot function as a human. The world will stop turning, and you're good as dead.
2. Arrive at restaurant.
Excuse yourself to go use the restroom.
Wash your hands. Turn off sink, realize you just recontaminated your hands by touching sink.
Rewash hands, turn off sink with elbows, reach for door handle...
Rewash hands, turn off sink with elbows, reach for door handle with sleeve over hand, remember that guy at lunch that brushed up against your arm and probably contaminated your sleeve
Rewash hands, turn off sink with elbows, wait by door until someone else opens it to come in, dart past them. Walk with hands in fists to table. sit with hands folded tightly together, under the table.
Someone hands you their menu....ARE YOU KIDDING ME...there's no dodging it. You are polite.
Excuse yourself to go use the restroom.
3. Stomach Ulcers.
4. Worrying that your ulcers are the flu. Stomach ulcer's get worse.
5. Huffing Lysol makes every bit of logical sense to you. You literally cannot think of a reason not to huff Lysol. It would sanitize your lungs! As long as there are no germs in your body, you are healthy. You don't do it. (Phew.) You do however, Lysol your breakfast cereal that one time...maybe twice..anyway,
6. Sick people are lepers. If you come within 5 feet of them, hold your breath. Excommunication is incredibly rude, and you know it. Think of clever ways to dodge conversations. Cleaning your sock drawer is important business yo.
7. Don't share drinks. If someone asks, tell them you're sick. If there's even a chance that someone has taken a sip out of your water bottle, its done.
8. Hoard your food. Sanitize the bags your keeping it in. Don't let people question why all you have eaten for the past week is carefully rationed cheerios.
9. Your hands start bleeding cause you washed um 30 times today. You remember Magic School Bus episode where they all get into the sick person's body through the cut on their knee. *Existential crisis.
10. Live in a constant state of panic and stress. Stress and panic lower your immune system. Get sick all the time. *Irony.
11. Realize you probably have a problem. Refuse to get help because that would require going to a doctors office. Do you know who goes to doctors offices? Sick people. Absolutely out of the question.
11. Go to college. Share a really small room with someone who (inevitably) gets sick. Learn that the common cold is not comparable to having a stroke. Months later, you can breath a little. Life gets easier.
And there ya go. If any of this sounds familiar, I'm gonna help you out a little: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/index.shtml
(basically I'm reppin the crap out of this website)
And for any of you who just judged real hard, here's this: http://www.mentalhealthvic.org.au/index.php?id=112
No live on enlightened one, live on.
Adios,
Kaitlyn or Kait or Kaity. As people often ask which a prefer. And I have no preference. Boom.
Sidebar, good luck on finals guys. Study hard. Sleep. Don't get sick.
Which leads me to my next point (see what I did there? clever. yes clever).
Let's take a small jaunt down memory lane shall we? Kaitlyn, in high school, terrified of germs. Kaitlyn, in college, no longer terrified of germs. Details aside, I can laugh about it now. As if I am not constantly laughing at myself, but you get the idea.
So in case you missed it, might I present, my inner monologue circa 2005-2010.
1. If someone around you is sick, you will catch it, you will then get so sick that you cannot function as a human. The world will stop turning, and you're good as dead.
2. Arrive at restaurant.
Excuse yourself to go use the restroom.
Wash your hands. Turn off sink, realize you just recontaminated your hands by touching sink.
Rewash hands, turn off sink with elbows, reach for door handle...
Rewash hands, turn off sink with elbows, reach for door handle with sleeve over hand, remember that guy at lunch that brushed up against your arm and probably contaminated your sleeve
Rewash hands, turn off sink with elbows, wait by door until someone else opens it to come in, dart past them. Walk with hands in fists to table. sit with hands folded tightly together, under the table.
Someone hands you their menu....ARE YOU KIDDING ME...there's no dodging it. You are polite.
Excuse yourself to go use the restroom.
3. Stomach Ulcers.
4. Worrying that your ulcers are the flu. Stomach ulcer's get worse.
5. Huffing Lysol makes every bit of logical sense to you. You literally cannot think of a reason not to huff Lysol. It would sanitize your lungs! As long as there are no germs in your body, you are healthy. You don't do it. (Phew.) You do however, Lysol your breakfast cereal that one time...maybe twice..anyway,
6. Sick people are lepers. If you come within 5 feet of them, hold your breath. Excommunication is incredibly rude, and you know it. Think of clever ways to dodge conversations. Cleaning your sock drawer is important business yo.
7. Don't share drinks. If someone asks, tell them you're sick. If there's even a chance that someone has taken a sip out of your water bottle, its done.
8. Hoard your food. Sanitize the bags your keeping it in. Don't let people question why all you have eaten for the past week is carefully rationed cheerios.
9. Your hands start bleeding cause you washed um 30 times today. You remember Magic School Bus episode where they all get into the sick person's body through the cut on their knee. *Existential crisis.
10. Live in a constant state of panic and stress. Stress and panic lower your immune system. Get sick all the time. *Irony.
11. Realize you probably have a problem. Refuse to get help because that would require going to a doctors office. Do you know who goes to doctors offices? Sick people. Absolutely out of the question.
11. Go to college. Share a really small room with someone who (inevitably) gets sick. Learn that the common cold is not comparable to having a stroke. Months later, you can breath a little. Life gets easier.
And there ya go. If any of this sounds familiar, I'm gonna help you out a little: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/index.shtml
(basically I'm reppin the crap out of this website)
And for any of you who just judged real hard, here's this: http://www.mentalhealthvic.org.au/index.php?id=112
No live on enlightened one, live on.
Adios,
Kaitlyn or Kait or Kaity. As people often ask which a prefer. And I have no preference. Boom.
My Overwhelmingly Positive Review of Silver Linings Playbook.
HI.
How are your finals going? I'm gonna hope your answer is "done." But I go to Loyola and ours run over 4 days. Go figure. But in case you're concerned, mine were great. I wrote 4 essays in 2 days in a fevery daze. A literal fever. In public. I would see people well across the way, blink, and they were within feet of my person. Ran into Jonathan Wilson. Not literally, no fear. The whole experience was... It was... honestly I can't say. But my papers got in.
Quote of the Day: "The lights got light and it got real festive real fast" -my essay.
Now for something less self deprecating.
Silver Linings Playbook is the greatest. If you haven't seen it, drop what you're doing right now and go. The story follows Pat, who has just been released from a mental hospital after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. For those who know me, you'll realize that this is in my trifecta of obsessive interests (Musical theatre, sharks, mental disorders). Bipolar disorder hits particularly close to home. But private things are private, and these are the interwebs. So I'm gonna leave it at that.
But really, so see it. Need convincing? If blogging be the food of great movies, read on: [It worked better in my head.]
This is the most honest portrayal of bipolar disorder I have seen in a movie/tv show/reality series. They didn't go for the over dramatic, controversial storyline. My favorite part is that there was NOT ONE mention of or attempt at suicide or self injury. I'm not suggesting we ignore the most dangerous aspect of bipolar, but as soon as self injury gets brought up, we all make some assumptions: cutter, crazy, pitiable, sick, attention seeking, over dramatic, gross. These assumptions completely take over the character and we ignore all their other colors. So thanks writers for not taking the easy way out here.
By keeping it light, the script was able to stay beautifully honest. This is my problem with other interpretations of mental illness in the media. Let's take the beloved "Next To Normal." Sure, it's tragic, great. That's real sad for those of you looking in on their family. I know that was a broad sweeping statement, and I don't judge anyone for being affected by it, but I personally found it hard to sympathize with. My impression of the show is that I have already lived most of it. And that Diana lives till the end. But that is neither here nor there. I'm worried that after seeing such dramatic portrayals makes people who haven't experienced mental illness first hand think that that's how it always goes. This is so destructive. It stops people from looking up actual facts about the illnesses. There's more to people than razor blades and cleaning sprees. It also dehumanizes the affected person. When all you remember about Diana is the pills, the cutting, and the broken family, you don't get to look at her as a person. Just think about it. And educate yourself. Here: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml
I don't want to offend anyone. And I know that most of my friends are very knowledgeable on the subject of mental disorders. But I'm forever campaigning to dispel the stereotypes surrounding them. So please, give the site a once over. Or a thrice over. It'll be worth it.
*elegantly steps of soapbox. Back to Silver Linings.
Do the families have arguments? Yep. Do they have the potential to become the central conceit of the show? Yes. But when events like this are a part of your day to day, you don't give them the quality of attention that an outside observer would. I appreciate the lack of dramatic injury montages from this one. It had a real sense of "Well that happened. Lets keep on keepin on." Yes. Thank you for not making Pat a monster.
I love that Pat and Tiffany could have ugly, loud, public fights. It was honest. It was ugly. It wasn't over dramatic. I love that Pat, his brother, and his therapist could get into huge public fights. Again, honest and ugly. And unbiased. This movie doesn't create a hierarchy of humans based on their diagnosis or lack thereof. And the person with bipolar disorder isn't a monster. Praise Jesus.
There's a quote that I don't remember exactly, but it really resonated with me. It was something along the liens of, "Maybe people like us know something ya know? Like something that not everyone knows." Again, yes. Not brought up as a major theme later in the movie, no worries, he doesn't have a hero complex. But still. Yes.
Also, his dad has a touch of OCD. And, unbeknownst to Robert De Niro, we totes had a heart to heart.
This movie reaffirmed for me that you can reach and affect people without going for the super dramatic. Also comedic lightness. Effective. Yes.
So I wrote my most serious blog about it. You're welcome.
Woof, I hope this makes sense. I'm having a really hard time putting words to this. Seeing this movie was like being on the inside of a beautifully crass inside joke. It represents the community of people dealing with mental disorders really really well. And you all need to see it.
The end.
Muchos love,
Kaitlyn
How are your finals going? I'm gonna hope your answer is "done." But I go to Loyola and ours run over 4 days. Go figure. But in case you're concerned, mine were great. I wrote 4 essays in 2 days in a fevery daze. A literal fever. In public. I would see people well across the way, blink, and they were within feet of my person. Ran into Jonathan Wilson. Not literally, no fear. The whole experience was... It was... honestly I can't say. But my papers got in.
Quote of the Day: "The lights got light and it got real festive real fast" -my essay.
Now for something less self deprecating.
Silver Linings Playbook is the greatest. If you haven't seen it, drop what you're doing right now and go. The story follows Pat, who has just been released from a mental hospital after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. For those who know me, you'll realize that this is in my trifecta of obsessive interests (Musical theatre, sharks, mental disorders). Bipolar disorder hits particularly close to home. But private things are private, and these are the interwebs. So I'm gonna leave it at that.
But really, so see it. Need convincing? If blogging be the food of great movies, read on: [It worked better in my head.]
This is the most honest portrayal of bipolar disorder I have seen in a movie/tv show/reality series. They didn't go for the over dramatic, controversial storyline. My favorite part is that there was NOT ONE mention of or attempt at suicide or self injury. I'm not suggesting we ignore the most dangerous aspect of bipolar, but as soon as self injury gets brought up, we all make some assumptions: cutter, crazy, pitiable, sick, attention seeking, over dramatic, gross. These assumptions completely take over the character and we ignore all their other colors. So thanks writers for not taking the easy way out here.
By keeping it light, the script was able to stay beautifully honest. This is my problem with other interpretations of mental illness in the media. Let's take the beloved "Next To Normal." Sure, it's tragic, great. That's real sad for those of you looking in on their family. I know that was a broad sweeping statement, and I don't judge anyone for being affected by it, but I personally found it hard to sympathize with. My impression of the show is that I have already lived most of it. And that Diana lives till the end. But that is neither here nor there. I'm worried that after seeing such dramatic portrayals makes people who haven't experienced mental illness first hand think that that's how it always goes. This is so destructive. It stops people from looking up actual facts about the illnesses. There's more to people than razor blades and cleaning sprees. It also dehumanizes the affected person. When all you remember about Diana is the pills, the cutting, and the broken family, you don't get to look at her as a person. Just think about it. And educate yourself. Here: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml
I don't want to offend anyone. And I know that most of my friends are very knowledgeable on the subject of mental disorders. But I'm forever campaigning to dispel the stereotypes surrounding them. So please, give the site a once over. Or a thrice over. It'll be worth it.
*elegantly steps of soapbox. Back to Silver Linings.
Do the families have arguments? Yep. Do they have the potential to become the central conceit of the show? Yes. But when events like this are a part of your day to day, you don't give them the quality of attention that an outside observer would. I appreciate the lack of dramatic injury montages from this one. It had a real sense of "Well that happened. Lets keep on keepin on." Yes. Thank you for not making Pat a monster.
I love that Pat and Tiffany could have ugly, loud, public fights. It was honest. It was ugly. It wasn't over dramatic. I love that Pat, his brother, and his therapist could get into huge public fights. Again, honest and ugly. And unbiased. This movie doesn't create a hierarchy of humans based on their diagnosis or lack thereof. And the person with bipolar disorder isn't a monster. Praise Jesus.
There's a quote that I don't remember exactly, but it really resonated with me. It was something along the liens of, "Maybe people like us know something ya know? Like something that not everyone knows." Again, yes. Not brought up as a major theme later in the movie, no worries, he doesn't have a hero complex. But still. Yes.
Also, his dad has a touch of OCD. And, unbeknownst to Robert De Niro, we totes had a heart to heart.
This movie reaffirmed for me that you can reach and affect people without going for the super dramatic. Also comedic lightness. Effective. Yes.
So I wrote my most serious blog about it. You're welcome.
Woof, I hope this makes sense. I'm having a really hard time putting words to this. Seeing this movie was like being on the inside of a beautifully crass inside joke. It represents the community of people dealing with mental disorders really really well. And you all need to see it.
The end.
Muchos love,
Kaitlyn
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Stuff I Did Instead of Writing My Movement Paper.
1. Consumed 10 times the daily recommended dose of vitamin C.
2. Facebook.com
3. Spinny chair spinning for 7 minutes.
3a. Tums.
4. A pirouette stopped by a door knob.
5. Ate some salt. Don't knock it till you try it.
6. Drank 2 bottles of water.
7. Peed.
8. Head --> Keyboard.
9. Stretched my psoas, hamstrings, hip flexors, and glutes.
10. Not laundry. Because than I would have achieved something.
11. Planned to go to choir rehearsal. This will take up 2 hours of my night.
Two hours that should be spent studying for midterms and writing the multiple papers I have due this week. Or registering for my absentee ballot. Or planning my classes next semester. Or finalizing my audition material for November. And I blame my lack of productivity on my busy schedule when CLEARLY free time is my downfall.
Alas.
Best of luck to my compadres who are in the same boat. Happy studying! And by "studying" I mean hours of chair spinning and room cleaning.
Kaitlyn
2. Facebook.com
3. Spinny chair spinning for 7 minutes.
3a. Tums.
4. A pirouette stopped by a door knob.
5. Ate some salt. Don't knock it till you try it.
6. Drank 2 bottles of water.
7. Peed.
8. Head --> Keyboard.
9. Stretched my psoas, hamstrings, hip flexors, and glutes.
10. Not laundry. Because than I would have achieved something.
11. Planned to go to choir rehearsal. This will take up 2 hours of my night.
Two hours that should be spent studying for midterms and writing the multiple papers I have due this week. Or registering for my absentee ballot. Or planning my classes next semester. Or finalizing my audition material for November. And I blame my lack of productivity on my busy schedule when CLEARLY free time is my downfall.
Alas.
Best of luck to my compadres who are in the same boat. Happy studying! And by "studying" I mean hours of chair spinning and room cleaning.
Kaitlyn
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