On Day Thirty

When you meet someone new, you generally meet the best version of that person. Once you actually get to know them, you see who they really are. I've mentioned my own dual personalities in a previous post. But to tell you who I am? Well, that's a bit tough.

• I'm a daughter
• I'm a sister
• I'm a wife
• I'm a friend
• I'm an animal caregiver
• I'm a writer
• I'm an employee
• I'm a co-worker

As for what I really am... I'm just a girl, trying to get by, working an average job, living in an average house, in an average neighborhood. I'm flawed, I'm fickle, I'm stubborn, I'm selfish, I'm a procrastinator, I'm frail, I'm easy-going, I'm shy, I'm a bitch. This is starting to sound like that Meredith Brooks song. I'm a book lover, I'm a story-teller. I'm a nautical nerd (I love shipwreck stories involving the Great Lakes.) I'm a weather junkie, I'm a lover, not a fighter, but I will cut a bitch if I have to. I have no patience, I'm a bottler, I'm anxiety ridden, I'm numb to certain emotions for a time, until I burst like a water balloon. I'm complicated, I'm simple, I'm easily annoyed, I'm sarcastic, I'm catty. I'm a perfectionist at work, I'm laid-back at home, I'm disorganized. I'm forgetful, I'm not perfect, and I'm okay with that.

I think this is a fair enough assessment of who I am. I'm sure I've missed something, as I am forgetful after all. I'm not always pleasant, but I'm decent, and for some reason, the few people in my life actually want to stick around me despite my flaws. That makes them bad ass in my book.

And who are you?

On Day Twenty Nine

People always say it's okay to make mistakes as long as you learn from them. Or, if you try out a new endeavor, whether you like it or not, what's important is what you take from it. Well maybe this is all true, or maybe it's a bunch of hooey to make you feel better about screwing up or doing something you hate.

I often try to learn from each experience. For instance, I've learned that I can be too impulsive at times which often leads to mistakes that could have been otherwise avoided if I actually took a moment to think things through. Then there are other times when I'm way too analytical and I take so much time thinking that a wonderful opportunity passes me by. It's a vicious cycle, it seems like there's no happy medium with me. But... the important thing is that I take life lessons from each mistake I stumble in to. There, I feel better already.

So I suppose since this blog challenge is almost over, I ought to tell you what I've learned from writing a post a day for a whole month. I've learned that there is actually some discipline somewhere in me to actually write something every day. I've had a tough time actually disciplining myself to work on my book each day, I always come up with some excuse, like oh, but the weather is so beautiful, or I can't think of anything good to write today, I don't want to write shit. Or the big one, I just don't feel like it. Which is exactly why it took 3 years for me to get my first book out into the world, and I'm already a year deep into my current book. While I'm about half way to it being a  full-length novel, I should be way farther along than that. I'll be the first to admit, I'm lazy, there, I admit it. However, the desire to write is in me. I think about it every day, I'm always thinking about my story, where it's been, where it should go next, it's always on my mind. I think about the next project, what I want it to be like, and so on. The main problem is getting my ass in the seat and actually doing it.

I've come up with an excuse for not wanting to write, it's probably totally invalid, but I'll tell you anyway. Every day, I sit in a little beige cubicle in front of a computer, I have a set work station that I spend 40 hours a week at. At home, I have an entire room set aside for my writing and holding my little library. This is what I wanted mind you, I wanted an area that was just mine, for writing. The more I sit in there and write though, the more I feel like I'm trapped in one solitary place and it makes me feel all... itchy. Like, I've got to revolt and get the hell outta there. Granted, working on a desk top, you are kind of limited in where you can work. So lately I've been thinking about my old laptop which is at least a decade old and doesn't want to boot up anymore. I'm wondering if it would be worth it to get the thing cleaned out or whatever so it actually runs, or should I drop some cash on a new laptop? (<--- This is my impulsive side coming out.) And I can make it sound reasonable by saying... it's for my work! See how warped this can really become?

Have you done anything this month that you've taken a life lesson from?

On Day Twenty Eight

Sometimes a year feels like an eternity. Sometimes it flies by without a moment's notice. A lot can happen in a year, or very little can happen in a year. Mostly my time spent is completely unremarkable, and that's not entirely a bad thing. I'd rather have nothing noteworthy happen than have something bad happen, I think that's generally the case for most people. Disclaimer: This post of kind of a downer, I apologize in advance.

This was taken last February at Boyne Mountain in the upper part of Lower Michigan (oxymoron right?) Near the top of the Mitten, if that helps. At this point in time, life was completely ordinary. Aside from dealing with some minor anxiety issues, and having a sinus infection at the time (which I cured with sitting in the eucalyptus steam room they have at the spa), everything was just fine. I was plodding through life, just looking forward to Spring. I had a few things to look forward to, such as my pal's birthday celebration, which was off the hook, summer vacation, hanging at the park, etc. Everyone in my life seemed content, which, made me content.

Fast forward, one year later, a lot has happened, and none of it good. Between February 2011 and March 2012, it's been a pretty stressful time. Not so good for one prone to flipping out with anxiety. It started with losing a good friend, not just to me, but to my entire circle of friends, a partner for my best friend, a piece of sunshine in all of our lives. For the first month or so, I was completely numb to the idea, I was too busy trying to comfort my friend, I didn't have time to think about it. But now that the dust has settled, I've got all the time in the world to think about how life won't be the same.

About a month after that, just after Christmas, my parents had to put my childhood dog to sleep. While it was expected, since he was 15 and declining in health, it was especially tough since he and I grew up together. However, I am happy to report that they adopted a new dog and he's fitting in well with the family, despite the fact that their cats are a couple of little bitches and they hate this poor dog.

And finally, to cap it all off there has been some health concerns with my grandfather. At 90 years old, he's sharp as a tack and generally healthy to boot, I mean, the man still goes to work! He is tough as an ox, okay. I can say this in all honesty, my grandpa is bad ass. However, he had been in and out of the hospital since the beginning of the year for various reasons and the situation was iffy. Luckily, everything is just ducky and he's back to his old routine of raising hell and hanging out at work.

This was a lot to take in in the course of a year. I'm honestly surprised I didn't just blow my cap and go completely off the deep end. However, going through such events, and handling them as I did, I know that when something tough gets thrown at me, I can deal with it. I'm not going to lose my shit.

For the next year, I'm hoping to keep things completely unremarkable. I need things to be boring for a bit. I'll simply look forward to vacations and losing myself and enjoying the time and the people that I've got.

On Day Twenty Seven

I'm nearly done with this blog challenge business, only four more days to go after today. After blogging every day (mostly) I've decided that after this, I'll probably only do a weekly post, maybe two a week. That way, if I'm not as readily available you guys might miss me more, ha ha, fat chance right?

I started doing this blog-a-day thing because a friend suggested it. It was a great idea by the way. Also, I never really posted anything worth while in this thing, well, at least nothing that anyone would want to read. I mean, do you really give a shit if I am or am not making progress on my book? Nope, I didn't think so. If I post a good-lookin' picture that I took, you might be interested enough to be like.. that's a nice picture, good shot. Or whatever. But really, when it comes to reading a stranger's blog, what is it that pulls you in? The writer has to be entertaining, am I wrong?

I thought I might pick up a few ideas for the book, maybe I would jog some deep, dark recess in my mind and I would write something brilliant, I'd go on to win several prestigious book awards, and the Nobel prize for literature! Okay, I'll admit, I'm getting ahead of myself. I'd be happy with a little unknown Indie book award, but you see where I'm getting at right? I was just trying to keep the creativity flowing. If you're a writer it helps if you actually, I don't know, write something.

My husband says I should be working on several different projects at once. If I'm working on a manuscript, why not start a second one, or start a book of short stories? Dip the pen into different pots, well, I say, that's how one picks up VD. I've tried to work on a few different projects at once, and do you know what happened? Nothing got done. I'm pretty sure I'm linear minded and I can only concentrate on one big thing at once, ie: a single manuscript.

I've sincerely enjoyed working on this challenge even though most days I was a little bitch about it and whined about how I didn't want to blog, but I did it anyway. Even though I missed two days, I still made up for it, by at least acknowledging the missed day in the next day's blog... whoops.

On Day Twenty Six

I usually come to work with low expectations on a Monday. Today my expectations were even lower due to the fact that my boss is out of town until Friday. Believe it or not, I actually find that work is better when he's available, mainly because I get harassed less because I can stay on top of every little task that comes at me. Meaning, that since he's gone, I'm doing double duty at my desk, which prevents other people from getting their checks right away. Sorry dudes, the work at my desk is more important. This is what causes said harassment... where's my money?! If only I could be so demanding come pay day.

That's why it's important to have outlets outside of work that help soothe and de-stress you. This is where friends come in. I've got a very small circle of friends, mainly because I just really don't care for a lot of people, a lot of people annoy me (disclaimer: I know I annoy people as well, so the door swings both ways.) And I've really only got one friend that I can tell anything to. Actually, I prefer it this way. At least with a small circle, you're not obligated to hang out with a bunch of different people and you don't piss off other friends by being unavailable because you're hanging out with someone else.

These are a few people that I see most often. That young man there, I've known since I was eleven years old. So, we're going on eighteen years of friendship. Gasp, we're a whole legal adult! This is the cat that I can tell anything to, this one knows me better than anyone and he can immediately brighten up a shitty mood, I'm pretty sure we're life partners. To me, this guy is the dog's tuxedo and there isn't much I wouldn't do for him. That young lady I've known for probably six or seven years, we often get mistaken for sisters. I suppose there is a resemblance. She is one of the few chicks that I actually get along with, probably because we feel the same about a lot of shit. This girl, is pretty friggen' awesome. 

Which leads me to this young lady. I've known her for the same amount of time, and I actually met her at my job. It turned out that we knew the same people, but didn't know each other. As soon as we discovered that we ran in the same circles, we became immediate friends. This chick and I have a lot in common personality wise which is why we click so well, and we also feel the same about most topics. Also one of the few chicks I actually get along with.

With my small circle of friends, we can be doing nothing or anything and still have a pretty great time. Seriously, it doesn't take much to entertain this bunch. We often spend a lot of low-key time together, at someone's house, or at a local pub, whatever the day/evening brings and it's just nice to let everything else melt away when spending time with friends.

Do you prefer to have a large group of friends or a small, tight-knit circle?

On Day Twenty Five

The weekend is winding down again and the weather is a bit more seasonal now. Though, it's pretty damn apparent that I have to cut my lawn, in March! It's growing in obscenely wild patches and it's really getting out of hand.

My weekend was pretty quiet and low key, generally how I like it. Though I'm already anticipating weekend camping trips or day trips, I'm itching to get the hell outta Dodge. Whenever we go out to some park or some beach, we generally like to take our dog with us (he's a 12 pound Chihuahua) and he loves the outdoors, which is great because when the weather cooperates, that's where we're at. Often times, the beach rules state that no dogs are allowed. We generally disregard these rules and smuggle him in, which could result in our expulsion from said beach. It's not like we let our dog walk around dropping a deuce on the sand for other beach goers to step in. He does his business outside the grounds, off the beaten path, which we actually pick up.

Most recently, we headed up I-94 towards Port Huron and we decided to take our dog, even though the rules specifically said, no dogs on beach, but they could be at the park. Well, we were going to the beach, so I stuffed him in my beach bag and casually walked in like nothing was wrong. We found a secluded little section in some wild grass at the back of the beach where we could lay a towel down and let him hang out. The best thing about him is, he's a totally laid back kinda guy, he just laid down on the towel and watched his surroundings, he didn't even make a peep. He enjoyed the lake breeze blowing through his fur, and he was perfectly content.

On another occasion, we headed further north up to Tawas Point, where we often camp in the National Forest. Another past time that the dog loves. I think he feels like a real dog wandering around the woods, sniffing things out, off leash. We often go to the beach there to spend the day. I did the same thing, crammed him in my beach bag and smuggled him in all stealth like. We find a nice spot on the sand next to some other people so we can blend in and I look over to see a stroller. I'm thinking, shit we gotta move, we're next to a baby! Surprise, surprise there is a tiny toy Chihuahua peaking its little face out of the stroller. That was the most brilliant ruse I'd ever seen. I had to give that chick props for smuggling her dog into the beach in one of the most creative ways possible.

Have you ever tried to sneak a furry companion somewhere where they weren't supposed to be?

On Day Twenty Four

When did the weekend stop being such a big deal? Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy the weekend, sleeping in a few extra hours, not working, resetting, but I don't find it necessary to party every weekend, or to be out on the town. For instance, last night after work I got a pizza, played some video games, and watched Pretty In Pink with my husband. Doesn't sound too exciting right? Well, it wasn't, but it was just right.

Typically since he has Saturday off we wander over to the local Starbucks (which we'll be doing as soon as I finish this) and then stopping by his parents house for dinner, his mom is a great cook, I am lacking. The idea of going out tonight is inviting, but there's really no feeling of urgency to get out there. This is a typical weekend routine of mine.

Another routine I have is reading for about a half hour or so before bed. I recently read a study which stated that reading before bed keeps you awake because it stimulates your mind. Well, I must be a freak because reading before bed knocks me right out, there's just something soothing about it.

Right now I'm currently re-reading The Great Gatsby which I read eleven years ago in high school English. The great thing about reading it again is, since I don't have a great memory, it's like reading a brand new book. All these years I was thinking about how much I loved the book because it's written and takes place in the 20's (one of my favorite time periods) and then I got to thinking, damn I really need to read that again, as an adult. There's so much that went over my head when I read it as a sixteen year old. Now, I realize the book is down right saucy.

I've always had some romanticized idea of the 20's in my head. Flappers, bootlegging, exquisite French parties, the whole nine. Maybe that's why I fell in love with The Great Gatsby. And then of course I watched Midnight in Paris which was completely the opposite of what I thought it was going to be. As I was watching, I was thinking about how I had the same ideas in my head as Owen Wilson's character did about the literary 1920's. Don't get me wrong, this movie is a little kooky, but worth a watch if you're an aspiring writer.

My strongest routine is reading however. It doesn't matter where I am, I have to have a book on hand. I'll read on my lunch break at work, that is, if I don't doze of for twenty minutes instead, I'll read while on vacation, I'll read while laying in a hammock at the park, I'll read on vacation. Luckily, I've still got a pretty strong reading list lined up, so I won't need to hunt for a new book for some time.

What's one of your routines that you absolutely have to follow?

On Day Twenty Two.. and Twenty Three

Oops... I did it again. I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. Please don't label me as a Britney Spears lover, because I don't care for that slag at all. An after hours co-worker get together at the local watering hole turned into an all night affair, which left me no time for blogging. I know, I know, I should get my priorities straight, blog first, party later, but I wouldn't have anything to blog about without partying, right?

Though, I won't even get into last night, it would bore you immensely. Instead I'll talk about what I meant to talk about... yesterday, and today of course.

Everyone likes to think they are a beautiful and unique snowflake, which if you've read or watched Fight Club you know is not true. All day yesterday I was trying to think of something that made me different from everyone else. I was thinking about my personality, my character, hobbies, my crustacean pincers that I have for toes, my likes and dislikes and I got to thinking, there isn't much that sets me a part. I'm pretty much just like everyone else, with a few little fun exceptions. I don't think it's necessarily bad to not stand out from the crowd, but that's probably because I prefer to blend in. Don't get me wrong, I occasionally enjoy the lime light, I mean, who doesn't? But generally, I like to keep to myself, and keep others guessing about me. Okay, I suppose there might be one thing that sets me apart, I'm not an open book right away. I've got two different personalities, there's the personality that the people who've known for a long time get (the real me), and then there's the pretend personality (not me at all.) I often exhibit this personality at work, my co-workers seem to think I'm such a quiet, sweet gal who never uses curse words and is easily offended. Now, if you see (the real me) you know that I'm a scumbag jokester who sometimes curses like a sailor. This may or may not be okay, but that's who I am.

There are often things that I think about that I want intensely. If it's something to purchase, I usually have to save up enough cabbage to purchase them. For instance, I recently bought a Canon Rebel T2i which I'd been coveting for years. I'm pretty passionate about photography, and while I'm no Annie Leibovitz, I do get lucky from time to time with certain shots. With my new camera, I've been capturing some pretty spectacular shots, and I'm all of a sudden in love with dslr technology.

Then there's the other standard cravings, like food cravings, I think we all have those. Sometimes I crave salt (apparently that means you're dehydrated), sometimes I crave sweets. I know I should stay away from the garbage food, it's not good for me, and will likely give me a fat ass in the future, but sometimes I just can't say no. Sometimes there's nothing more satisfying than a bag of chips or a Hershey Bar. I don't nearly eat enough vegetables, and since I'm a vegetarian, that's kind of an oxymoron, huh?

But what do I crave a lot? Well, it's usually something I can't have right away, which makes me want it all the more. Isn't that always the truth? Right now, I'm actually trying to procure some hard cover copies of some of my favorite books. I don't know why, but hard cover is just better. Some of the books I'm trying to get are a little pricey, so it's going to take some digging around to find them cheaper and in good condition, but it's worth the wait.

What is something that you're always craving?

On Day Twenty One

Well, I was happy go lucky yesterday (a rare occurrence for me) but today, it's back to normal. I did enjoy a quick five mile bike ride last night though, the first of the season. It's my intention to continue taking advantage of this weather tonight and perhaps find a nice, smooth surface to get some longboarding in.

I'm generally a frenzied person, it feels like I'm always racing around, or always thinking about something. The moments are few and far between when I can just be.

One of my favorite places to be is at one of the local parks or beaches. This shot is in the marina section of Metro Beach which is on the eastern most part of S.E. Michigan. If you're a local, you know Metro Beach reeks, the water is definitely not clean, there's dead fish a plenty and there's an oily residue which coats the surface of the water. I haven't been in that water in at least fifteen years. All of that aside, the scenery is beautiful. I've gotten some spectacular shots at this place. I often take my chihuahua here for long walks on the boardwalk, though he's happiest running along the trails in the woods, leash free. 

In the summer, you can often find me at either this park, or another, a bit further north west, hammocking in a little alcove with my little dog or taking pictures. It's here where I can peacefully read a book, or snooze under a canopy of trees, or just listen to the birds chirp and the wind rustle through the trees. Some people say "there's no place like home." I say, "there's no place like nature." 

What is one of your favorite places to relax?                                                                     

On Day Twenty

This weather is amazing, and it feels completely natural... even though it's the middle of March. While I'm soaking up every bit of sun I can muster, I can't help but be a little weary of the seasons to come. Does this mean we'll be sweating our sacks off come summer? Are we going to struggle through a drought and have to punch our neighbors in the throat for water? The utter lack of snow was apparent last weekend went I went to one of the local parks and the lakes were seriously low. It made me really wonder what's in store for the Spring and Summer.

When I was a teenager, I had a general idea of where I thought I wanted to be. I thought I'd have a decent job (I do), I'd be married (I am), I'd have a decent house (I do), and I'm pretty much where I thought I'd be. For some reason, it always bothered me when people asked, "Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years?" How the hell am I supposed to know? I don't have a Delorian in which I can travel back to Hilldale as it's being constructed.

I honestly can't say where I'll be in another ten years from now. I have an idea of where I'd like to be. Mostly I'd just like to be a somewhat successful novelist, just successful enough to sustain a comfortable life style. That's not too much to ask right?

The only problem is, I have to stop procrastinating and actually "work" like every day.

So, to be an ass, where do you see yourself in ten years?

On Day Nineteen

Monday again. Y'all know how my weekend went, so I won't even get into it. How was your St. Patty's Day? Were you overcome with green beer and other Irish spirits?

Geek alert: I may have a hard time posting tomorrow as the long awaited Resident Evil is being released and I've got to scoot my ass to the nearest Best Buy and pick up a copy. Not to mention, it's supposed to be 80 degrees in the Mitten tomorrow. I'm sure you understand.

Over the years I've been called a lot of things, sometimes they were nice, sometimes not so nice. Let me tell you, a person never likes it when you call them ass face. I have a couple nicknames that aren't entirely amusing or creative, but I will answer to all of them.

• Kate = umm... this one is not too hard, it's a shortened version of my name. My husband seems to think it's more "grown up."
• Bear = you'll think this is disgusting, it's his pet name for me, which is better than what I call him.
• Kate the Pince = If you've ever seen Trailer Park Boys, you know what I'm talking about, if not, lets just say my big and second toe resemble something of a pincer.
• Crab Toe = See above.
• Katiesss = I didn't know I was plural, but friends of mine started saying it and wouldn't stop.
• Kat = I don't really like this one, makes me sound like an old stripper.
• Katy-Did = Being called an insect that makes an annoying sound, there are worse things.

These are just the most recent things people call me... to my face any way. I've had at least a dozen other nicknames throughout the years, but I won't bore you with that.

What's one nice thing that people call you?

On Day Seventeen... and Eighteen

Okay, I screwed up. I knew I would. I wish I had a legitimate excuse for not posting yesterday, like I was out drinking all day, but I can't lie to you. What I was really doing was sitting in my back yard taking advantage of the 70+ degree weather listening to the live bands play down the street. I then went out for a leisurely coffee and dinner, and then had some friends over. Nothing too exciting.

I expected the shenanigans to be much wilder than what actually transpired. In St. Patty's Days past, there were colonies of drunks stumbling up and down the street, falling all over each other and on their faces. This just wasn't so yesterday. I guess the recession is really hitting those folks who think they're Irish.

So, this post today will be a twofer, combining yesterday and today's topics in to one.

I generally think that I wouldn't want to trade places with anyone. I like to think that I'm not too materialistic, but to be honest, I do like nice things. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with what I've got, but I do sometimes envy those bastards with palatial sea side mansions who want for nothing.

To be completely honest, I don't know what I'd do with all that space, I'd probably wander around aimlessly wondering what sort of retro motif I could put into play somewhere. I'd get bored with my empty space and just line the walls with books, at least I wouldn't have to worry about where to store my collection. My cat and my chihuahua could four-wheel throughout the mansion until the cows came home, and then they could sun bathe in one of the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the ocean. I could have an indoor-outdoor atrium for my parrot to enjoy the sun light and hear other birds squawking, but he'd still be safe from the elements, and other creatures.

All this ties into today's topic, plans, dreams, and goals. All that mansion talk could be a dream. Though, as long as that mansion had a lot of land around it so I wouldn't have to look at or talk to my neighbors, I'd be happy as a clam.

My plans are to one day, work for myself, to fully sustain myself on writing. Though, I know this is an iffy plan and no guarantee, I suppose it's also part of a dream. But then again, who doesn't dream of working for themselves?

Goals, well it's my goal to finish this second book in less time than it took me to finish the first one (roughly three years.) Mainly because I procrastinate way too much and it's tough to work all day at the office and then have the will power to come home and stare at the screen for a few more hours. Excuses, excuses though. I'm about a year deep in to this project, so if it takes another year to finish it, well I guess I'm in good shape.

What are some of your goals for the future?

On Day Sixteen

It's finally Friday. It's felt like the longest week ever. 5:00 really couldn't have come soon enough today. It was an extremely long and stressful week, and I'm thankful that I can just be for two days. On a completely different note, I totally forgot that the bar (five houses away from me) opens at 7:00am tomorrow. I seriously hope they don't start rocking out with the music that early. I have no concrete St. Patty's plans, other than helping my mother buy a new computer, which, she hasn't done in over a decade... Friends might possibly be gathering at my abode later on for some Green festivities, but frankly, I don't give a shit about the holiday.

Today I am supposed to post a "baby" picture of myself, but since I'm not completely up to date with the latest technology, that's not possible. It's too bad too, my baby pictures would haunt your dreams. All I could come up was this:

 

I'm probably like 12 here, circa 1995. You can see how hardcore I am because I'm rockin' a suede vest with a tank top underneath. Yes, I was a fashion daredevil. I'm pretty sure that the poofiness of my hair is thanks to the remnants of a perm as well. That's right, I said it, a perm! This is my mother and I at Frankenmuth which if you've never heard of it, is Michigan's Little Bavaria, also known as a complete tourist trap. I don't remember this day at all, even though there's photographic proof of my being there, but I'm almost certain I had a terrible time. I went back there with my husband last year and it was so... bleck. A big German tourist trap. Of course, if you love chicken dinners, apparently they have phenomenal ones. I'll give them this though, they do make some sweet fried green beans. 

Speaking of pictures, when I was younger, I never saw too many pictures of me as a baby, just as a toddler and up. For the longest time I was convinced I was adopted. I based this on the fact that I didn't see baby pictures of me, and because I'm the only one in my immediate family who has brown eyes. Never mind the strong resemblance I bear to my dad, and my paternal grandmother and great aunt. This type of information is lost on a young kid. 

Now that I'm an "adult" I've got an affinity for taking pictures, so I can remember things when I'm older. Why just the other day, I was snapping pictures at my parent's house and I took some of my mom (who hates having her picture taken by the way.) She later threatened to beat my ass if I didn't delete those pictures. Well, I didn't delete them, but I promised not to post them on the "Internet." 

What's one of your favorite memories as a kid? 

On Day Fifteen

It's nearly the end of the week, and St. Patty's Day. Always cause for celebration. The weather is still beautiful here, I do believe it was about 75 degrees... in March, so after work I decided to take advantage and ride my motorbike. Little did I know I was tooling around the area during tornado warnings. Luckily, I got home before anything happened, and nothing has happened as of yet.

Getting back to the subject of music, today I'll be running down a list of ten of the first songs that show up on my iPod on the shuffle mode. Interesting stuff, right?

1. The Flaming Lips - Do you Realize? Umm... this song is totally depressing, but it speaks the truth.
2. Weezer - Butterfly. Old school Weezer always makes me think of high school. My circle of friends and I only ever used to listen to Weezer together. Driving around the neighborhood looking for trouble, hanging out in each other's basement... Weezer!
3. Bob Dylan - Mr. Tambourine Man. This song reminds me of what it feels like to wake up with a hangover.
4. Lady GaGa - Born This Way. Being different (left handed, or what have you) is okay, and the beat gives you a reason to party.
5. Imogen Heap - Just For Now. This is a flighty song that for whatever reason makes me feel good, and makes me think of the movie "The Holiday."
6. Sponge - Rainin'. Classic mid 90's rock. A great song if you're feeling down in the dumps. It probably won't make you feel any better, but it's great stuff. This song often played after hours at the record store I worked at as a teenager, along with the rest of the Rotting Pinata album.7. Panic At the Disco - Nine in the Afternoon. I really don't know why I have this song, there was just something about it. I guess it's got a catchy beat.


8. The Doors - People Are Strange. Yes they are. Myself included. I've had an affinity for The Doors for years now. True rock.
9. Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody. Wayne's World anyone? I'm sorry, the song is obviously older than that, but all I can think about is Dana Carvey and Mike Myers in that old Pinto head banging to this song.
10. Pixies - Where is My Mind? Another obvious one. Fight Club. All I ever envision is the closing scene. A great book, a great movie, a great song.

The range really varies. I listen to music to do all sorts of things. Exercise. Clean. Organize. Ride my bicycle. Drive. Fold laundry... well, you get the idea. Though, I'm not one of those people that can listen to music while writing. I've tried it, I really had. Music with lyrics just messed up my train of thought, so I switched to classical. I found that that relaxed me too much and I didn't want to write anymore. I find it's better to just work in silence.

What are your top five favorite songs or bands?

On Day Fourteen

Happy Pi Day... if you're in to that sort of thing.

Let's get down to brass tacks.

My parents. They've been married for forty-two years, yes it's true. My dad is a quiet man, doesn't get too huffy or excited about much. I tend to take after him. My mom is the complete opposite. An extensive worrier, and she will talk to a brick wall. I guess it's true, opposites really do attract. Somehow, they've managed to stay married all this time, and good for them. It's quite a feat these days. They've made me into the person I am today, and I like to think that even though I'm quite the scumbag, the decency in me comes from them.

My brother and I. This is a completely forced and fake smile on my part. If you haven't gathered from all the fancy clothes, this is indeed a wedding, mine in fact, and oh boy was that day a mess. I mean the whole day. This particular photo of my brother and I came as a complete surprise. We were gabbing one moment, and the next, there was a camera in our face. Cheese! And this is what you get. Pardon my neck cords sticking out all iguana-like. He and I have had a love-hate relationship over the years. Mainly because he is substantially older than me, by nine years, and when I was a kid, he was a teenager and of course, he didn't want his lame-o little sister hanging around. He also took part in shaping me because him being my older brother, I liked everything he liked. I was rocking out to Metallica, Megadeath, and Black Sabbath when I was six, okay. Over the years, as I obviously got older, I suddenly became more tolerable. Needless to say, we actually like each other now.

Fortunately, I'm still within close proximity to my family, so I can show up whenever I want and demand a meal... I mean, visit them. I like to think it will always be that way, but you never know, someone might get crazy and move away.

Are you and your family close?

On Day Thirteen

I went through half the day thinking that today was Wednesday... until I looked at a calendar and realized... shit, it's only Tuesday! I do this more often than not, and it never fails to be a huge downer. I was so thrilled because I thought I only had two more days of getting up early for work, what a let down.

Now that that's out of my system, since it's about mid-March now, the topic of summer vacation has come up. My husband and I usually try to take at least one, week long vacation over the summer. This year we were considering driving down the Myrtle Beach, it seems we are both natural beach dwellers. A few years back when we went down to the Outer Banks we talked about driving down to Myrtle Beach, of course, this was May and it was unseasonably cold while we were down there, and we thought, it's too damn touristy. I think that's what is dissuading us this time as well.

Last night he mentioned that he looked into going to Maine. Immediately I thought, we can stalk Stephen King!!! Don't worry Mr. King, if we do end up in Maine, I won't stalk you, I'll simply be peering around the area wide-eyed looking for you. We've been meaning to check out Boston for the historical value, but we've been putting it off for whatever reason. This idea gave us an opportunity to check out Boston and drive up to Maine while we're at it. From the Mitten (through Canada) it's about a sixteen hour drive to Maine. Of course we would stop along the way to check random things out, it's what we do. I also have an affinity for lighthouses, just like my mother, so this would give me an opportunity to check out East Coast lighthouses.

All this talk is making me itchy to get the hell out of dodge. I always get a little jumpy when we're getting ready to leave on any vacation, but once we're gone, it's complete bliss. Our destination is not yet decided, I don't think we'll be doing too much ocean swimming if we head to the northeast, but we'll definitely be week-long beach bums if we head southeast.

What would you do?

On Day Twelve

I find it sad that I always dread Monday. Especially since I was born on a Monday, oh well. If you're like most of the world, you're back at work today after a hopefully enjoyable weekend. I was so blissed out yesterday, I completely forgot that my boss will be out of the office today and tomorrow. Believe it or not, this is not good news. This adds extra stress for me. I'll just have to travel to my happy place.



I suppose I started blogging roughly eleven years ago. Of course, back then it wasn't called blogging. I started out with Live Journal which was basically just a way for my friends and I to bitch back and forth to each other. My journal is filled with a bunch of adolescent crap about a boy I was head over heels for and paid me no mind. When I go back to that time and read some of those entries, I think gosh I was a douche bag.

I started this blog because I've been reading books on writing and marketing yourself as a writer and they made mention of having a blog. It's a way to connect with your readers, they say. It's a way to get yourself known, they say. If you've got blog followers, you might be able to turn them into book readers, and so on. So I thought I would make my blog about my process, what I was thinking as I was working on a manuscript, frustrations, triumphs, that sort of thing. I also thought I might throw in a little personal stuff as well, such as, I love photography, so maybe I'd post a picture I took and write a little paragraph about it. As if strangers would care right?

I also deal with anxiety disorder which, let's be honest, sucks. I call my different bouts rounds. Currently I've got low level anxiety, which means, I'm functioning well without medication, but I still have a few bumps in the road from time to time. Luckily, I haven't had much to write about on that front. The reason I decided to write about that though is because, I thought maybe if someone else has the same issues, they could see they weren't alone, and maybe they'd learn about new ways to cope.

So.. do you blog for business? Or for pleasure?

On Day Eleven

Sunday again folks. It always seems like the weekend goes by so incredibly quickly. In case you were wondering, I had a marvelous weekend full of family time and hiking in the park. Might as well take advantage of this wildly unseasonable weather we're having right?

Has there ever been anyone you wanted to meet, living or dead? I'm sure you've been asked that question at least once in your life, and maybe you wanted to slap the bastard that asked you. I would like to meet two different people, and surprise, surprise, they are both writers.

Chuck Palahniuk, you may know him because he wrote a little book called Fight Club which naturally got turned into a movie. And then he wrote eleven other novels after that, as well as some non-fiction. Once I read Fight Club, I sort of fell in love. I love his writing style and it's how I'd like my work to read. I just don't think I can pull it off. 

And then you've got the master of horror, Stephen King. I believe I mentioned that I started reading him at a young age and over the years I've built up a semi-respectable collection. His writing style has always entranced me and pulled me in to a completely different world. Of course, it helps that I'm a little deranged and I enjoy the macabre, so his work suits me well. In spirit of his writing, I'm working in a horror/supernatural twist to my current manuscript. I won't be able to pull it off like him, but I am sure enjoying writing it.

Ideally, I'd love to get the both of them together for lunch and just sit there in awe. I'd love to hear about their process, and whether or not they feel the writer self-loathing I was talking about the other day. (I'm sure they do. They're only human after all.)

On Day Ten

Okay, I need to admit something to you guys. I'm really surprised that I've made it ten whole days without skipping a post. I usually do something for a little while and then lose interest, it's something of a fault of mine. To be quiet honest though, I nearly forgot to post today. I was sitting around on my sofa about half an hour ago wondering what to do with my Saturday night when all of a sudden I was like, oh shit, I have to blog! So here I am.


I really love music. I love to listen to it, I love to play it (even though these days I suck at it), I just really enjoy it in general. I think everyone has certain kinds of music they listen to when they're in certain moods. Like if you're all hopped up and ready to work out or something, maybe you listen to metal, or gangsta rap, or maybe a really bubbly pop song. Maybe when you're sort of down, you'll listen to some sappy love song or some emo crap. Maybe when you're mellow you listen to some classic Zeppelin or Stones.

One of my favorite things to listen to when I'm in a decent, toward happy mood is Weezer, either Surf Wax America or El Scorcho. There's just something about it, listening to the lyrics and the beat gets me all pumped up. I'm not much of a snob about the kind of music I'll listen to, but I get tell you, there is some music I absolutely loathe. The first bit is country music (I apologize in advance to those of you that enjoy it. It's a personal choice, and I won't judge you.) I just can't stand it. Also, I won't listen to any much by someone who is still a teenager. That bubble gum pop music doesn't appeal to me. Everything else, I will tolerate. If you take a look at my iPod, you'll see I have a wide array of different types of music. I can go from Billie Holiday to Notorious B.I.G. I can go from Jewel to The Doors. It's really a toss up to what you'll find there.

What is one of your favorite songs and why?

On Day Nine

Holy crap, it's finally Friday! Is it just me, or did this week seem to take forever? I know I shouldn't be wishing for time to fly by so quickly, it's really a shame, but honestly... who doesn't want the time to fly by while they're at work? Am I right?

Today it's time to discuss what I'm proud of. To be honest, there's really not too much to be proud of. I mean for one, I hate babies, and I often make terrible faces at them and I push them away, and lets not even get into my other vices. I feel like you and I don't know each other well enough yet to divulge all. Suffice it to say, I'm kind of a jerk sometimes.

As if you're not tired of hearing this, there is just one thing I'm extremely proud of. I claim to be a writer, as you may or may not know, and throughout the years (at least the ones where I thought I could tell a good story) I've wanted to actually complete a full length novel. Except I seem to have the same problem all other writers have, the writer self loathing. I felt like everything I wrote was trash. In fact, I still feel this way. But... I made it a point to finish a novel before I turned 30, just so I could say, I did it. The most interesting part of it, I feel is that (probably to my own demise) I did all of the work myself. The editing, formatting, cover design, copyright gathering, etc. This was A LOT of work, but I also learned a lot and while I got extremely frustrated, I was also really giddy about learning all this new stuff about the writing business.

The work that I put out, I don't feel is my best, but I think it's pretty entertaining. The next piece I'm working on I feel, is much better, deeper, and more complex. I believe it's more true to the type of writer I want to be, when I grow up.

Okay, so what are you proud of?

On Day Eight

Hang in there boys and girls, it's nearly Friday! This Friday for me, means pay day, which always perks me up, just a little bit.

I don't typically set goals for myself, out of sheer laziness I suppose. Though, there was one HUGE goal that I set and eventually got around to achieving before my deadline, thank you very much. That was, I wanted to publish a book before I was 30, and I made it with about two years to spare. Maybe I could try to squeeze out this second one before I'm 30, oh man, wouldn't that just be miraculous?

But that's neither here nor there. Today I'm talking about short term goals... for the Month of March. This particular post might be a whole lot more interesting if I actually had some short term goals. So, I'm just going to make some up on a whim:

1. Get through 10,000 more words on my current manuscript. (This wouldn't be too difficult if I worked through 1,000 words a day like I should be, but I usually average somewhere between 700-800... every few days, or once a week.)
2. Throw a bodacious St. Patty's party... on my front lawn. (To understand this, you must know that I live five houses away from an Irish Pub. Each year they have a tent party, live music and extremely overpriced drinks. Well, if you're standing on my front lawn, you can hear the music and watch all the drunken douche bags and hookers fall up and down my street. That's entertainment enough on its own.)
3. This is a tough one. I'll try to make it a point not to spend all my free time engrossed in the new Resident Evil game coming out on 3/20. Depending on the game play, if I stare at it for too long, I might get motion sick, and that will just solve my problem won't it?
4. Keep up an exercise routine. I was doing pretty well with this, doing my jazzercise ever other day and jumping around my living room like an idiot, but then more important things came up, like Fridays, or getting sick, or just plain not wanting to do it. I imagine this will be easier once the weather warms up, I can take my bike up to the park and tear up some trails. <--- More like, ease along the cement trails like an eighty year old.
5. Don't let the jackasses annoy me. Come on, who am I kidding?

I think five goals is good enough. I mean, had to pull three of them out of air... I'm sure you could tell. Just to keep myself in check, on March 31st, I'll fill you in on how well I tackled these goals.

What's one goal you have for this month?

On Day Seven

Happy "Hump Day" boys and girls. Whenever I hear that term, I don't think of getting over the hump of the week, I think of... well, you know. That's just because my mind is in the gutter most of the time.

Here I am, a week deep into my blog challenge and I feel like having to write every day is actually helping me with my novel. For instance, I work on this blog, and then I feel guilty for not working on the novel, so then I work on it. See, I should do a blog challenge every month.

Books have had a huge impact on me for as long as I can remember. I've always loved to read. This may have been because my brother is nine years older than me and hated me when I was a kid (I can't blame him) and I was a shy little nerd who only had a few friends, so I had some time on my hands if you know what I'm sayin'. I had stacks and stacks of books and I burned through them so quickly, I often times had to re-read them just to be entertained. (Come to think of it, not much has changed since my childhood.) I'd beg my mom for money for the book fair at school so I could get the latest R.L. Stine Goosebumps book, or we'd troll garage sales and I'd find some kid friendly paperback for twenty five or fifty cents and pick it up.

I read my first Stephen King book before I was a teenager and I've been hooked ever since. As I got into high school, I had to experiment with different authors, Shakespeare, Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Orwell, Dickens, etc. I found that I wasn't solely stuck on loving just one author. 

As I've gotten older and had to fund my own book collection, I've gotten somewhat choosy with what appears on my shelf. There is a boatload of King, all the Palahniuk books, all the Lindsay books, as well as the classics, and some other authors that I've discovered along the way whose story telling I greatly enjoy.

I'll be candid with you for a moment. Despite everything I've read, and having a few favorite authors, my favorite book of all time is "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens. It's an amazing story, and I'd like to think I can completely relate to it, but that's totally untrue. Nevertheless, I love it.

What are some of your favorite books?

On Day Six

But first, this special message: I am going to be one of those people and announce that today is my cat’s birthday. Dr. Leopold Francis Brandywine is turning 5 today and he couldn’t give a crap. This morning, his brother, Jameson plopped down next to him on the couch and gave him a birthday spooning.

On to today’s topic: My Favorite Superhero and Why. Damn, I feel like I’m writing a short essay for English class. Can I be honest with you for a moment? First of all, I’m a woman, I’m in my late (gasp) twenties, even though I am a huge nerd, I don’t give a shit about superheroes.

Though, I suppose if I had to choose one, I’d have to go with Wonder Woman. When I was a little girl, she was pretty bad ass. She ran around in her skimpy outfit with her bangin’ accessories fighting crime and speaking to the animals. I always imagined what it might be like to whip my boomerang tiara at someone, or snag someone in my own lasso of truth. Of course, being a kid, and gullible, the truth didn’t mean much to me. I mostly wanted to grow up to be a hot, tiny waisted, big hipped bad ass who could pull off running around in a body suit. I like to think that I can speak to animals like her, but the truth is, when I try to carry on a conversation with my pets, they look at me like I’m the dumbest person in the world.

So, who is your favorite superhero?

On Day Five

Happy Monday to you fine folks. No, really… I meant that. It doesn’t matter who you are, or what kind of job you have, Mondays always suck. Thankfully, this one is just about over. I spent the early part of my evening winding down with old Roseanne re-runs and a cocktail, it seriously helped to de-stress me.

This here is one of my favorite photos. Jason and I went on a Caribbean cruise for our honeymoon (after a lot of kicking, screaming, and crying… and maybe some hyperventilating on my part) and had a wonderful time. One of the islands we visited was St. Thomas. Naturally, it was beautiful, and being the Carribbean is was laid back as all get out. It was our big plan to hang out at the beach all day and drink (mission accomplished.) The beach we chose was Coki Beach.

As soon as our toes hit the sand, we could smell the pot hanging in the air. Apparently, we had chosen a very liberal beach. We rented some snorkel equipment and our Rasta looking gentleman gave us some Milk Bones to feed to the fish, no kidding. Apparently, tropical fish love Milk Bones, keep this in mind for your next Caribbean adventure. I ended up touching an apparently live crab who could have lopped my finger off with one of his pincers if he so desired. In my defense, I was touching him underwater through bleary goggles, and my eyesight isn’t that great anyway, I didn’t see a damn crab inside the shell.

After spending the day baking… and swimming, we got picked up by our cabbie and deposited to the dock where we awaited departure. While standing on the boat deck and looking at this beautiful view, we could still smell the pot lingering in the air. Apparently, it wasn’t just the beach, the whole island liked to party.

What is one of your favorite vacation destinations?

On Day Four

I hope your weekend found you well. Mine found me partaking in some adult beverages. Friday night I went to a pal's wedding (Kurt the Squirt - way to go!) and spent some time with some homies tearing up the dance floor, which if you've ever seen me dance, you know it's not pretty.


Last night another group of friends and I got together and danced around the idea of getting a writing club started. What we really did was drink wine and eat cheese around my coffee table, and then walked down the street to the bar. Needless to say, we didn't get much done.

Today I'll be discussing something I'm looking forward to. I'll warn you in advance, I'm going to geek out on you guys a little bit right now, so you if you stop reading, I'll understand. This is something I'm excited about in the immediate future, that is, within the next two weeks. I'll admit, I'm fond of some video games, particularly, the Resident Evil series, I mean, it's where my zombie affections hail from. Resident Evil 5 came out in 2009 and while I was sort of disappointed at first, I really began to like it after playing it for a while. Ever since completing it, I was already looking forward to the next game. The wait is almost over, March 20 Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City will be hitting the shelves.

This one appears to be one of the spin offs as it seems you'll be playing as members of Umbrella Corp., seeking out zombies, civilians and STARS members alike, but judging by the trailers I've checked out, it seems like it will be a pretty legit game nevertheless.

In other exciting news (for me) I learned that Resident Evil 6 will also be released toward the end of the year, which looks (pardon my teenager slang) supremely awesome.

So there you have it, this is what I'm looking forward to, thus far. A bit geeky, but hey, I love zombies.

On Day Three

It was tough to choose just one photo of my friends and I, and I chose this one, because there is not one single photo of me and all the people I consider friends, so I chose this one because it’s one of my favorites.

This is my wedding day, September 13, 2008. This fine gentleman is not my husband, though judging by the sensual cheek kissing, he ought to be right? This here is my best friend, “Mike.” When most women get married, they get all fussy over the details, and gushy about their dress, flowers, decorations, themes, and so on. Not me, I couldn’t give less than a shit about all of that stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I had a general idea of what I wanted to go on, but no plan of how to make it come together. Thanks to that guy, I had a pretty friggen’ sweet wedding. I mean… we did the Time Warp, okay?

Yes, the day was mostly a disaster. It poured rain the ENTIRE day, I was forty-five minutes late to the ceremony, for various reasons which I won’t discuss, I forgot the music, my garter, and so on. But the important thing is that everyone had a blast.

What’s one of your favorite times spent with friends?

On Day Two

Welcome back for Day Two of the Challenge! I hope yesterday's introductory post found you amused, and if not, well... I can't please everyone.


Today I'll be discussing the meaning behind my blogger name. This one is really not too hard. There is no huge, deep-seated meaning behind my moniker. Kate's Kafe... Kate is, well, me. That's my name. The second half, Kafe, I chose because I was trying to be cheeky. When I was younger I had a huge caffeine addiction which generally made me walk around tweaking most of the day. I'd drink Tim Horton's coffee, Mountain Dew, Pepsi, sometimes all at once. I'd made a disgusting concoction of the three, blend it up over ice, and voila! I could tweak for three days straight. That never really happened.

As I got older, excessive amounts of caffeine would give me the shakes and make me feel like I wanted to pull my skin off. Not necessarily great when you feel this way while working with the public. I'm sure most people would be appalled by the sight of someone literally trying to pull their flesh off. So, I eased up on the caffeine, started drinking, dare I say, the dreaded de-caff coffee and learned to go without tweaking out.

I also chose "Kafe" because it's a stupid play on Cafe, because my name starts with the letter "K" and well, I love coffee shops, okay? I'll admit it. I'm a coffee slurping yuppie who loves hanging out at Starbucks or some Indie coffeehouse, even if it is de-caff or half-caff. I find it cathartic.

Have you ever thought about starting your own blog? What would you write about?

On Day One

Here we are. The first day of a new month. Which, if you live in Michigan, you already know not to have high expectations of March. However, there are a few things to look forward to, Daylight Savings Time (a sham) and the Vernal Equinox. That’s it.


This is also the first day of my month-long blogging challenge. What makes one want to take part in a month-long challenge of anything? I sure as hell don’t know, but this challenge for me is all about sparking creativity. Well don’t you have anything else better to do? One might ask. You bet your ass I do, but pressing my creative button comes first. So here it is, I’ll be posting something each day for thirty-one days, something quirky, sometimes a list, sometimes a photo, whatever, and hopefully you’ll stop in and be entertained.

Challenge # 1: Post a recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself

I consider this picture recent enough. It was taken in July 2011 in Holland, MI. You’re probably thinking this picture is boring, you can’t even see her face! (If you’re into that sort of thing.) Why would she choose this? I’ll tell you why, because there’s an incredibly funny story to go along with this photo.

My husband and I were visiting the windmill in Holland because I am a Dutch bastard and I wanted to see the only authentic Dutch windmill in the country and I threw a hissy fit and started kicking and screaming until he agreed to take me there. <— That statement is false, but I did really want to see it. Along the property they have various animals: cows, peacocks, chickens, and horses. There were five or so horses trotting around inside a gated area, and I wanted very badly to take some photos of them. For whatever reason, the horses were camera-shy and started trotting away. I started jogging after the horses with my camera pointed at them calling out “Come back ponies!” All my husband could do was follow behind me and laugh. Needless to say, they stood still for a moment so I could get a few shots of them. This one in particular really wanted to go at the salt lick, but it was occupied, so he settled for letting me pet his nose. One thing led to another and he started nibbling on my shirt, and I thought, oh how cute, he thinks my shirt is grass. I can tell you, it wasn’t so cute when he tried to rip my shirt off my body! His nibbling turned into some serious chewing and it seemed like he was trying to pull me through the fence to finish me off. I had no idea horses were meat eaters! I of course did nothing to stop him. I threw my hands in the air and shouted at my husband, “What do I do?” He continued to laugh. I might add that it was also a very amusing scene for the other vacationers that were standing to the side. They were laughing their asses off as I was about to get gobbled up by a gang of horses.

Eventually I got the horse to pony up (get it?) my shirt and I stepped back noting the horse spit and ground up grass on my belly. And if you’re wondering, I absolutely continued sight-seeing while wearing that spat upon shirt.

Interesting Facts:

1. I am left-handed and not at all ambidextrous. My father, who is also a lefty, and I often times have to sit together in the corner at the dinner table as to not disturb all you “normies.”

2. I have a purple (nearly brown) belt in karate. I still can’t kick anyone’s ass.

3. I’m an excellent marksman… with a .22 rifle and a scope.

4. I’ve never not had a pet in my life.

5. I’ve never had a broken bone.

6. I once set a record on a relay team on my high school track team.

7. I can play the trombone.

8. I’m obsessed with photographing trees.

9. I have a sick addiction to books.

10. Sometimes just for fun, I’ll tell people that I got the scars on my back from a knife fight. (I really got them from getting danger moles removed.)

11. I’ve had a kidney stone. It was rattling around in there so long, I called it, Hector.

12. I’m claustrophobic.

13. I’ve lived with a parrot for 28.5 years.

14. I’m sickly addicted to the Resident Evil video games.

15. **Shameless Plug** I’ve written a novel! Go buy a copy here: http://www.amazon.com/Stress-Test-Kate-Dockeray/dp/1461074339/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330649055&sr=8-1

Now that that’s over with, tell me at least five interesting things about you.