When I reach 1895, I plan on doing some dancing Sherlocks. Or something like that. And then I'll hope the counter just freezes at that, like Watson's does on the TV series.
Friday, April 26, 2013
500 Views!
Woo hoo! My blog has had 500 views (actually 506 as I write this). Time for some dancing bananas!
When I reach 1895, I plan on doing some dancing Sherlocks. Or something like that. And then I'll hope the counter just freezes at that, like Watson's does on the TV series.
When I reach 1895, I plan on doing some dancing Sherlocks. Or something like that. And then I'll hope the counter just freezes at that, like Watson's does on the TV series.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
MK Lexicon
Oh, look, I'm back to the subject of Japan. Well, kind of sort of. I mean, this blog is called "Ramblings of an MK," so I figure I should ramble on a bit about MKs for a while, specifically, the language we speak.
"Don't you speak a bunch of different languages?"
Yes, but at the core, we have these special keywords that draw up mutual understanding that outsiders do not immediately understand. Here is my guide to such phrases, from the perspective of an American MK. I can't promise it's complete, but at least it's a start:
Airport--a magical place full of stressful situations that will eventually get you where you need to go
Airport Security--people who believe a seventeen-year-old girl's gel pen collection is the latest threat to travel safety; they generally have no sense of humor
Border Crossing--more people with no sense of humor
America--a mystical land far away where apparently everything "good" on earth comes from and generally doesn't live up to expectations
Americans--an annoying group of people who feel they rule the world; that English should be spoken everywhere; and when English isn't understood, feel the appropriate response is to speak louder and slower; people who cause us to want to disown our home country; NEVER EVER be an "American"
Candy Bar--an American invention so amazing, it is treated like gold until the moment it's all consumed; everyone who can eat chocolate has a favorite, and that is usually the one they will request if given a chance
Consulate--people who get your passport renewed
Craving--In America, we crave foreign food. On the field, we crave American food. Yet we always try to remain content.
Culottes--in the words of an MK guy from my mission board, "a skirt for each leg"; the worst fashion statement Cultural Fundamentalism developed; hopefully eventually going out of style
Culture Shock--the sudden realization that you're not in America anymore; sometimes there's a honeymoon period, sometimes there isn't
Deputation--all the driving around, visiting churches our families do do before going to the field
Embassy--another important place filled with important people
Field--the place the missionary family serves in
Furlough--all the driving around, visiting churches missionaries do for several weeks to a year at a time while taking a "break" from ministering
Home--(1) the land our parents are from; (2) the land we serve in; (3) the house we reside in; (4) wherever we happen to be staying for the night
Home Church--the church you theoretically attend most of the time when you're in America/the church that sends you out
Home Country--the land our parents are from
Hoard vs. Gorge--the decision an MK on what to do with his Christmas candy--should you make it last until Easter or eat it all now because you've been craving it so badly? (If you choose to gorge, you will regret it when your sibling has a Milky Way in three months and you don't.)
Immigration--a long line you stand in to get into a country; yet another group of people who apparently have no sense of humor
Immigration Office--an important place with important people doing important stuff that they believe is very important for you to do stay in the country--as long as they're allowed to do it as slowly as they want to
Instant Connection--the feeling you get when you meet another missionary kid who's been through similar stuff as you
International Date Line--an evil little line that I still don't understand further than it causes me to lose and gain days
"It might not be here next time!"--the best way to justify buying all the Teddy Grahams the grocery store has on the shelf
Jet Lag--the grogginess you get for a few days to a couple weeks after sending your body on the other side of the world
Ladies Missionary Fellowships--ladies who get together and sign birthday cards and also pray for the missionaries
Missionary Cupboards--a closet full of stuff for the missionaries to take and use; some smart churches also have a great stash of gift cards, which is way better than yet another set of towels, because we can spend them on what we actually need, especially with the limited space we have
Missionary Pen Pal--a kid who needs some questions answered for a church/school project; technically, a "pen pal" should write back and forth, but typically all they want is the one letter to complete the project and they're done
Mission Board--the important people who do important stuff in the States for the missionaries--honestly, I don't really remember what they do, but it seems like it has a lot to do with money and...field stuff; it also kind of defines who you are as a missionary when you say what board you're from (honestly, though, about half my MK friends aren't even from my parents' board)
Missions Songs--"Send the Light," "Jesus Saves," "Rescue the Perishing," etc.; by week eight of furlough, every missionary is about ready to scream as they hear these songs for the eighth week in a row
MK--abbreviation for missionary kid
Moochionary--portmanteau of "mooch" and "missionary"; a missionary who thinks it's okay to just mooch off the kindness of others and expect everything to be given to them (We're not all this way! Sorry if you had one stay at your house!)
On Base--foreign military base; center of all foreign things related to the country it belongs to; American ones are full of American products; if you have someone to let you on, your mom stocks up on all those American things you wouldn't have otherwise; typically also fill the surrounding area with American-ness
Package--wonderful magical goodness of America all contained within cardboard
Passport--a magical little book that allows you into a bunch of countries
Permanent Residency--magical paperwork that apparently makes you have to do less other magical paperwork
Prayer Cards--the pictures of missionary families that MKs hate seeing around and want replaced as soon as possible after each visit because they look so young and dorky by the time each furlough rolls around
Prayer Letter--the letters the parents send out telling all the stuff they actually want to tell about the field
Re-entry Permit--a magical piece of paperwork that lets you into the short line at immigration when you go back to the field
Reverse Culture Shock--forgetting how strange a place America is; usually hits within minutes of getting off the plane; with America...there is no honeymoon period
Stateside--what an MK is when he's in America
Suitcase--You don't think I can fit fifty pounds of clothing, books, and gifts in this? Watch me! I wish I could still get seventy-five pounds in this!
Suitcase of Stuff for Other People--everyone's got a wish list of things for the missionary going on furlough to bring back, containing items from hair dryers to deodorant to Lego; in our family, at least, all this was set in the suitcase we'd used to bring gifts back to the close friends and relatives in the States
Supporting Churches--churches that send missionaries money so you can live in a foreign country
Time Difference--the reason missionaries have gotten calls at 3 in the morning is not always because something important has happened; it's sometimes because Grandma forgot how to properly calculate the time difference (But my Grandma is awesome and doesn't do that stuff)
Third Culture Kids--children who have spent most of their formative years in a culture different from the ones their parents grew up in while usually being expected to maintain some level of connection to the parent's culture
Visa--important paperwork to let you stay in the country for a long period of time, not a credit card
"Where are you from?"--the world's most annoying question because one does not simply answer it in a few words; it usually takes about a paragraph for us to feel we've adequately answered it
"You Know You're An MK When..."--MK brand humor that unites all of us; I will have to post some someday; Andy and Deborah Kerr published a book on it
So...that's all I can think of for now. If you're an MK, Military Brat, or other Third Culture Kid, suggest some more and I'll make a Part 2!
ETA: My mom corrected my consulate definition; in my defense, we usually visit the immigration office and the consulate at the same time, so that's why I got them confused. I've added "immigration office" separately, and redefined consulate. Either way, it's a bunch of bureaucrats who I wish would just learn the meaning of haste.
"Don't you speak a bunch of different languages?"
Yes, but at the core, we have these special keywords that draw up mutual understanding that outsiders do not immediately understand. Here is my guide to such phrases, from the perspective of an American MK. I can't promise it's complete, but at least it's a start:
Airport--a magical place full of stressful situations that will eventually get you where you need to go
Airport Security--people who believe a seventeen-year-old girl's gel pen collection is the latest threat to travel safety; they generally have no sense of humor
Border Crossing--more people with no sense of humor
America--a mystical land far away where apparently everything "good" on earth comes from and generally doesn't live up to expectations
Americans--an annoying group of people who feel they rule the world; that English should be spoken everywhere; and when English isn't understood, feel the appropriate response is to speak louder and slower; people who cause us to want to disown our home country; NEVER EVER be an "American"
Candy Bar--an American invention so amazing, it is treated like gold until the moment it's all consumed; everyone who can eat chocolate has a favorite, and that is usually the one they will request if given a chance
 |
| Choosing a candy bar is a very serious decision |
Consulate--people who get your passport renewed
Craving--In America, we crave foreign food. On the field, we crave American food. Yet we always try to remain content.
Culottes--in the words of an MK guy from my mission board, "a skirt for each leg"; the worst fashion statement Cultural Fundamentalism developed; hopefully eventually going out of style
Culture Shock--the sudden realization that you're not in America anymore; sometimes there's a honeymoon period, sometimes there isn't
| "Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." "No joke, Dorothy!" |
Embassy--another important place filled with important people
Field--the place the missionary family serves in
Furlough--all the driving around, visiting churches missionaries do for several weeks to a year at a time while taking a "break" from ministering
Home--(1) the land our parents are from; (2) the land we serve in; (3) the house we reside in; (4) wherever we happen to be staying for the night
Home Church--the church you theoretically attend most of the time when you're in America/the church that sends you out
Home Country--the land our parents are from
Hoard vs. Gorge--the decision an MK on what to do with his Christmas candy--should you make it last until Easter or eat it all now because you've been craving it so badly? (If you choose to gorge, you will regret it when your sibling has a Milky Way in three months and you don't.)
Immigration--a long line you stand in to get into a country; yet another group of people who apparently have no sense of humor
Immigration Office--an important place with important people doing important stuff that they believe is very important for you to do stay in the country--as long as they're allowed to do it as slowly as they want to
Instant Connection--the feeling you get when you meet another missionary kid who's been through similar stuff as you
International Date Line--an evil little line that I still don't understand further than it causes me to lose and gain days
"It might not be here next time!"--the best way to justify buying all the Teddy Grahams the grocery store has on the shelf
 |
| Yes, sir, I'm 100% certain we want 20 bags of Teddy Grahams. |
Jet Lag--the grogginess you get for a few days to a couple weeks after sending your body on the other side of the world
Ladies Missionary Fellowships--ladies who get together and sign birthday cards and also pray for the missionaries
Missionary Cupboards--a closet full of stuff for the missionaries to take and use; some smart churches also have a great stash of gift cards, which is way better than yet another set of towels, because we can spend them on what we actually need, especially with the limited space we have
Missionary Pen Pal--a kid who needs some questions answered for a church/school project; technically, a "pen pal" should write back and forth, but typically all they want is the one letter to complete the project and they're done
Mission Board--the important people who do important stuff in the States for the missionaries--honestly, I don't really remember what they do, but it seems like it has a lot to do with money and...field stuff; it also kind of defines who you are as a missionary when you say what board you're from (honestly, though, about half my MK friends aren't even from my parents' board)
Missions Songs--"Send the Light," "Jesus Saves," "Rescue the Perishing," etc.; by week eight of furlough, every missionary is about ready to scream as they hear these songs for the eighth week in a row
MK--abbreviation for missionary kid
Moochionary--portmanteau of "mooch" and "missionary"; a missionary who thinks it's okay to just mooch off the kindness of others and expect everything to be given to them (We're not all this way! Sorry if you had one stay at your house!)
On Base--foreign military base; center of all foreign things related to the country it belongs to; American ones are full of American products; if you have someone to let you on, your mom stocks up on all those American things you wouldn't have otherwise; typically also fill the surrounding area with American-ness
Package--wonderful magical goodness of America all contained within cardboard
Passport--a magical little book that allows you into a bunch of countries
Permanent Residency--magical paperwork that apparently makes you have to do less other magical paperwork
Prayer Cards--the pictures of missionary families that MKs hate seeing around and want replaced as soon as possible after each visit because they look so young and dorky by the time each furlough rolls around
Prayer Letter--the letters the parents send out telling all the stuff they actually want to tell about the field
Re-entry Permit--a magical piece of paperwork that lets you into the short line at immigration when you go back to the field
Reverse Culture Shock--forgetting how strange a place America is; usually hits within minutes of getting off the plane; with America...there is no honeymoon period
 |
| Let's face it; as soon as we get off the plane, every American is as about weird to an MK as Lady Gaga is to every American--if only we knew who Lady Gaga was, but we don't because we haven't been around and stereotypically have no understanding of pop culture |
Stateside--what an MK is when he's in America
Suitcase--You don't think I can fit fifty pounds of clothing, books, and gifts in this? Watch me! I wish I could still get seventy-five pounds in this!
Suitcase of Stuff for Other People--everyone's got a wish list of things for the missionary going on furlough to bring back, containing items from hair dryers to deodorant to Lego; in our family, at least, all this was set in the suitcase we'd used to bring gifts back to the close friends and relatives in the States
Supporting Churches--churches that send missionaries money so you can live in a foreign country
Time Difference--the reason missionaries have gotten calls at 3 in the morning is not always because something important has happened; it's sometimes because Grandma forgot how to properly calculate the time difference (But my Grandma is awesome and doesn't do that stuff)
Third Culture Kids--children who have spent most of their formative years in a culture different from the ones their parents grew up in while usually being expected to maintain some level of connection to the parent's culture
Visa--important paperwork to let you stay in the country for a long period of time, not a credit card
"Where are you from?"--the world's most annoying question because one does not simply answer it in a few words; it usually takes about a paragraph for us to feel we've adequately answered it
 |
| That's right, Boromir meme |
"You Know You're An MK When..."--MK brand humor that unites all of us; I will have to post some someday; Andy and Deborah Kerr published a book on it
So...that's all I can think of for now. If you're an MK, Military Brat, or other Third Culture Kid, suggest some more and I'll make a Part 2!
ETA: My mom corrected my consulate definition; in my defense, we usually visit the immigration office and the consulate at the same time, so that's why I got them confused. I've added "immigration office" separately, and redefined consulate. Either way, it's a bunch of bureaucrats who I wish would just learn the meaning of haste.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
On Musicals
So, I finally saw Les Miserables last night...and again this morning. Thing is, both blogs that I follow have already done extensive coverage of it, so I'm not going to just copy them and tread on their turf. No, instead, I will discuss, in alphabetical order, my favorite musicals.
"Why in alphabetical order? What's wrong with numerical order?"
Because it would end up in about a three-way-tie, and I'd feel bad rating one above the other. So, here it goes, some of Katrina's absolute favoritest musicals of all time. Well, the real life ones, at least. The animated ones get covered when I do my favorite Disney animated features list.
Annie--Okay, first confession is that most of these made the list because I absolutely love the music, so that goes without saying. The problem is that after you cover that, you don't really have many reasons to talk about why you like a musical. I mean, what am I supposed to say, "I like it because of the warm fuzzies I get when Daddy Warbucks warms up to her and decides to adopt her and then also marries his secretary?" No, duh, I'm going to be tell you this movie/musical (I have watched two film versions and two stage versions.) rocks because of "It's a Hard Knock Life," "Little Girls," "Easy Street," "Maybe," "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile," and "Tomorrow." And also because Annie's an awesome redhead. Because redheads are awesome. I know that was circular reasoning, but oh well.
The King and I--So, one Sunday afternoon, my brothers were watching Disney Channel, and they ended up watching the animated version. We liked it, so since we were sick enough we had to skip church that night anyway (which probably meant we were really sick), my mom had us watch the live action version. Of course, at least one brother was aghast at the ending of the non-animated version because in the animated one he apparently lives. But, no, I'm like, "I'm over here with the real life version with the dying and stuff." And also the really long symbolic play-within-a-film about Uncle Tom's Cabin. Then they also decided to include the fact that the king offers to send Abraham Lincoln bull elephants to aid in the Civil War (That part of the film is true! Lincoln did in fact receive an offer of war elephants from the King of Siam, which he refused.). I actually only have one favorite song, "Shall We Dance," but that's because I'm more in love with the whole theme of the movie. I guess I can just sympathize with Anna trying to understand the Siamese culture and trying to also "fit" her English ways in. And the King of Siam is such a hilarious character, etc., etc. etc.
Les Misérables--So, maybe I only watched this twice (last night and this morning), but I kind of already fell in love quickly, which normally happens with musicals and me. I don't normally gradually start out "meh" and turn to "like" and then "love." No, for me it's more of an instant "OH YES THIS IS AWESOME!" sort of thing. I mean, the movie starts out with "Look Down," and that kind of sucks you in immediately. I'll admit I got lost in the middle for a bit there, and thanks to Susan Boyle, "I Dreamed a Dream" kind of is boring to me, but I own it because it's a good song. Also, I was well prepared for everyone dying at the end, but, come on, like the French would think of doing anyone else. My favorite songs are "Look Down," "Red and Black," "On My Own," "Can You Hear the People Sing?," and "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables." And then of course there's that epilogue where it's like, "YES!" And I almost cried, which, as I've stated before, is significant for me. I mean, the French are probably the only people who can leave you nearly/actually in tears and wanting to start a revolution all at once.
Newsies--So, the reason I checked this movie out from the library was 1) because people at college kept telling me it was awesome and 2) because I was checking out Batman Begins from the library but The Dark Knight wasn't in. I didn't know about the whole Christian Bale being in both thing. And as soon as I watched the movie, I was instantly in some sort of love thing with it. It had cute guys, inspired you to do something you probably actually didn't want to do, and had really catchy music. Bonus: The director/choreographer was Kenny Ortega, and since I was young enough at the time to like High School Musical, it made it pretty cool. Anyway, nowadays, I like to pretend High School Musical was never a part of my life. But Newsies is, and it is awesome. I couldn't get the songs out of my head, so I got the CD for my birthday, and basically almost every song that Medda didn't sing was my favorite. This means my favorites are "Carrying the Banner," "Santa Fe," "The World Will Know," "Seize the Day," "King of New York," and "Once and For All." And, yes, the historicalness of it all is very skewed, but if a musical doesn't mess with history, something's wrong with the musical. Because sadly, real people don't just break out into song and dance on the streets. Even though I really wish we did. Which is why Improv Everywhere are my heroes (watch their YouTube videos; awesome stuff).
The Phantom of the Opera--I mean, come on, why wouldn't you love the film that's based on the longest running Broadway play ever? Okay, my friend Micah has some reasons, and I do see his points, but let's cover a couple things here: awesome organ music (DUH-DUH-DUH-DUUUH!), underground lair with water entrance, and a falling chandelier. Remind me again how this movie isn't cool? Okay, yeah, there's that really lame swordfight, I'll give Micah that, and, yes, Christine should've been smart enough to figure out the fact that the Phantom isn't her dead father, but, come on, doesn't the music outweigh those minor details. "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Masquerade" are definitely my two favorites. Come on, "The Phantom of the Opera" song is so epic, it in itself cancels out all bad arguments. In fact, next time someone tells me they don't like this movie, I'm just going to blast the title song over their talking to show how much I care. :P
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers--Okay, I didn't see this movie until college. And as soon as I saw it, I loved it. I mean, how many movies start with a guy coming to town being like, "I'm getting a woman" and then all six of his brothers are simultaneously like, "We want women!" And then there's men singing and dancing and an avalanche and the kidnapping and everyone happily gets married in a shotgun wedding ceremony over a baby that actually was the spawn of the married couple. Favorite Songs: "Bless Your Beautiful Hide," "Goin' Courtin'," and "Sobbin' Women." And also the barn dance-off. And, come on, someone invented a hick, lumberjack musical. It's like they took two theoretically conflicting concepts and combined them into one of the most epic musicals of all time.
The Sound of Music--So, this was probably the first real musical I saw. I mean, not that Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King aren't real musicals, but it was the first live action musical I saw. I was maybe six at the time, and at first I kind of fell in love with the absolutely pointless goat puppet show, but overall I loved this film. I mean, even when you're six, you simply understand something about this film is awesome. Maybe it's the way it opens, the dancing, the singing, the everything. And when you're little, you don't quite understand everything. In fact, after the wedding, most of what you see doesn't make much sense to you aside from the music festival. And then eventually you grow up, and you learn more about history, and you watch History Channel specials, and you read the book The Story of the Trapp Family Singers, and your first time watching it in over a year when you're sixteen (Probably the first time watching it since I read the book), you cry because you finally understand what the Nazis are about. You finally understand how they're leaving Austria forever. Maybe Rodgers and Hammerstein condensed some things, and maybe it is, in the words of Maria von Trapp, "a nice story but not my story," but it's still powerful. Because I started on this journey so young, my favorite songs have changed over time, but as an adult, my favorites are "The Sound of Music," "Sixteen Going on Seventeen," "Edelweiss," "My Favorite Things," and "Climb Every Mountain." In the past, "Do-Re-Mi;" So Long, Farewell;" and "The Lonely Goatherd" have also been favorites.
Anyway, that wraps up my top seven live action musicals. I think they're pretty awesome, and if you haven't seen any of them, GO TO YOUR LIBRARY AND CHECK THEM OUT!
Also, this isn't saying I don't like any other musicals. There's some I haven't seen yet, and I haven't seen The Fiddler on the Roof for such a long time, and even then only once, I can't remember how favorite it is. The Phantom of the Opera had that same problem for a while. This is probably an indication I need to go check out Fiddler again, because I know it is pretty stinking cool.
"Why in alphabetical order? What's wrong with numerical order?"
Because it would end up in about a three-way-tie, and I'd feel bad rating one above the other. So, here it goes, some of Katrina's absolute favoritest musicals of all time. Well, the real life ones, at least. The animated ones get covered when I do my favorite Disney animated features list.
Les Misérables--So, maybe I only watched this twice (last night and this morning), but I kind of already fell in love quickly, which normally happens with musicals and me. I don't normally gradually start out "meh" and turn to "like" and then "love." No, for me it's more of an instant "OH YES THIS IS AWESOME!" sort of thing. I mean, the movie starts out with "Look Down," and that kind of sucks you in immediately. I'll admit I got lost in the middle for a bit there, and thanks to Susan Boyle, "I Dreamed a Dream" kind of is boring to me, but I own it because it's a good song. Also, I was well prepared for everyone dying at the end, but, come on, like the French would think of doing anyone else. My favorite songs are "Look Down," "Red and Black," "On My Own," "Can You Hear the People Sing?," and "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables." And then of course there's that epilogue where it's like, "YES!" And I almost cried, which, as I've stated before, is significant for me. I mean, the French are probably the only people who can leave you nearly/actually in tears and wanting to start a revolution all at once.Anyway, that wraps up my top seven live action musicals. I think they're pretty awesome, and if you haven't seen any of them, GO TO YOUR LIBRARY AND CHECK THEM OUT!
Also, this isn't saying I don't like any other musicals. There's some I haven't seen yet, and I haven't seen The Fiddler on the Roof for such a long time, and even then only once, I can't remember how favorite it is. The Phantom of the Opera had that same problem for a while. This is probably an indication I need to go check out Fiddler again, because I know it is pretty stinking cool.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Packer Season Is Year Round
WOO-HOO! GREEN BAY PACKERS 2013 SCHEDULE RELEASED! :D :D :D
Okay, I got that out of my system.
Man, who am I kidding?
GO PACK GO! GO PACK GO! GO PACK GO! GO PACK GO! GREEN AND GOLD ALL THE WAY!
Now that any readers from Minnesota, Chicago, Detroit, and Dallas have x-ed out (or are alternatively posting a choicely-worded comment down below), I can continue freely.
Also, San Francisco fans may want to leave because I am about to swear my vengeance upon you during the first game of the season.
Okay, that was it. I hope you were able to handle it. Besides, it's too early in the season to start all the threats. I'll save them mainly for the day of.
"Excuse me, Katrina, the season hasn't started yet."
The season started the morning after the Super Bowl, and all naysayers need to reconsider their dedication to football.
"Isn't it a bit obsessive?"
You're talking to a member of the football fanbase who believes its completely normal to wear giant foam cheese wedges.
I mean, come on, Packers fans are the only people on planet earth who believe the term "cheesehead" is a compliment.
You're also talking to a member of the fan base who sees the guys who stand around with nothing but paint between themselves and the elements of the frozen tundra as the most heroic idiots on planet earth.
So, like many Packer fans, I've never actually been to a game. This is because there's a thirty-five-year-long waiting list for season tickets, and I'm not lucky enough to know someone who will part with their tickets for a game. My parents are Packers owners, though. Yep, they got Packers stock for Christmas a couple years back.
We are the Packers. I mean, some people think I'm crazy for saying, "we" when talking about the Packers, but that really is how I feel about the team. Maybe I don't own a single piece of stock; I'm certainly not on the team (I'm female and far too small.); and I certainly am not one of the coaches, managers, etc. Nonetheless, "we" are the Packers. "We" being every fan. Without the fans, there is no team. Hence the reason why in the world there's still a football team in Green Bay. They can't leave. The owners would never agree to it. I mean, imagine convincing thousands of people all over the world to let their team move to a new location. We'd bring back Reggie White from the dead to tackle you down and have Mason Crosby kick you through the posts. That is, if you make it through the posts. Otherwise, you just might bang around painfully on the posts. Either way, you're not moving our team. And if you even think of buying our team...I don't think you'd want to try to take our stock away from us.
Anyway, I mean, let's face it, for me, each new football season begins the morning after the Super Bowl ends. It's a fresh new start to the football year.
And, trust me, I have the newscasters on my side. I'm from the state where the Packers can be squeezed into the news somehow every night:
Cancer awareness? Throw in a Packer.
Celebrities meeting ordinary people? It's Wisconsin. We don't have any other celebrities besides sports people.
Nothing good happening in sports? Talk about the Packers upcoming season/retiring Packers.
Boston bombing? Find random picture of former Packer and show it.
Major disaster? There's probably a Packer/former Packer who helped.
Commercial break? Probably a Packer endorsement/reference to the Packers in there somewhere
I mean, the Green Bay Packers are something you cannot escape in this state, and I love it! Call us obsessed and crazy, but Packers season never ends in Wisconsin. We go straight from post-season to pre-season.
Maybe some other teams are going to claim to be just as obsessed as Packer fans, but we're the fans who will pay $250 for a piece of paper. And not a paper that has Curly Lambeau's signature on it from 1919. No, we'll pay $250 for a piece of paper that was printed yesterday just to be able to say, "I own the team. I probably paid for Aaron Rodgers' new jersey." With my luck, I probably paid for a urinal in the nosebleed section. But, come on, even if you're in the nosebleed section, you made it to Lambeau.
How can you mess with a fan base who cheers year round, owns their team, is willing to freeze for them, and actually wants a player to jump on them and spill their beverage?
So, yeah, there we go, my first post about the Packers this year.
I was originally planning to do a historical post about Paul Revere's midnight ride today, but then the NFL schedules were released, so I had to "regrettably" change my mind and post about the Green Bay Packers instead.
BECAUSE THEY ARE AWESOME!
Okay, I got that out of my system.
Man, who am I kidding?
GO PACK GO! GO PACK GO! GO PACK GO! GO PACK GO! GREEN AND GOLD ALL THE WAY!
Now that any readers from Minnesota, Chicago, Detroit, and Dallas have x-ed out (or are alternatively posting a choicely-worded comment down below), I can continue freely.
Also, San Francisco fans may want to leave because I am about to swear my vengeance upon you during the first game of the season.
| We don't forget losses easily around here. |
Okay, that was it. I hope you were able to handle it. Besides, it's too early in the season to start all the threats. I'll save them mainly for the day of.
"Excuse me, Katrina, the season hasn't started yet."
The season started the morning after the Super Bowl, and all naysayers need to reconsider their dedication to football.
"Isn't it a bit obsessive?"
You're talking to a member of the football fanbase who believes its completely normal to wear giant foam cheese wedges.
 |
| Real men wear cheese. |
You're also talking to a member of the fan base who sees the guys who stand around with nothing but paint between themselves and the elements of the frozen tundra as the most heroic idiots on planet earth.
So, like many Packer fans, I've never actually been to a game. This is because there's a thirty-five-year-long waiting list for season tickets, and I'm not lucky enough to know someone who will part with their tickets for a game. My parents are Packers owners, though. Yep, they got Packers stock for Christmas a couple years back.
 |
| Ah, the pieces of paper that make the Packers unique in the world of football. The thousands of owners who have been buying stock since 1923, thereby funding the team, even though the stocks bring no benefit to them other than providing us with good players and stadium improvements. |
We are the Packers. I mean, some people think I'm crazy for saying, "we" when talking about the Packers, but that really is how I feel about the team. Maybe I don't own a single piece of stock; I'm certainly not on the team (I'm female and far too small.); and I certainly am not one of the coaches, managers, etc. Nonetheless, "we" are the Packers. "We" being every fan. Without the fans, there is no team. Hence the reason why in the world there's still a football team in Green Bay. They can't leave. The owners would never agree to it. I mean, imagine convincing thousands of people all over the world to let their team move to a new location. We'd bring back Reggie White from the dead to tackle you down and have Mason Crosby kick you through the posts. That is, if you make it through the posts. Otherwise, you just might bang around painfully on the posts. Either way, you're not moving our team. And if you even think of buying our team...I don't think you'd want to try to take our stock away from us.
Anyway, I mean, let's face it, for me, each new football season begins the morning after the Super Bowl ends. It's a fresh new start to the football year.
And, trust me, I have the newscasters on my side. I'm from the state where the Packers can be squeezed into the news somehow every night:
Cancer awareness? Throw in a Packer.
Celebrities meeting ordinary people? It's Wisconsin. We don't have any other celebrities besides sports people.
Nothing good happening in sports? Talk about the Packers upcoming season/retiring Packers.
Boston bombing? Find random picture of former Packer and show it.
Major disaster? There's probably a Packer/former Packer who helped.
Commercial break? Probably a Packer endorsement/reference to the Packers in there somewhere
I mean, the Green Bay Packers are something you cannot escape in this state, and I love it! Call us obsessed and crazy, but Packers season never ends in Wisconsin. We go straight from post-season to pre-season.
Maybe some other teams are going to claim to be just as obsessed as Packer fans, but we're the fans who will pay $250 for a piece of paper. And not a paper that has Curly Lambeau's signature on it from 1919. No, we'll pay $250 for a piece of paper that was printed yesterday just to be able to say, "I own the team. I probably paid for Aaron Rodgers' new jersey." With my luck, I probably paid for a urinal in the nosebleed section. But, come on, even if you're in the nosebleed section, you made it to Lambeau.
 |
| The best football stadium on earth |
 |
| This is what happiness looks like. |
So, yeah, there we go, my first post about the Packers this year.
I was originally planning to do a historical post about Paul Revere's midnight ride today, but then the NFL schedules were released, so I had to "regrettably" change my mind and post about the Green Bay Packers instead.
BECAUSE THEY ARE AWESOME!
 |
| GO PACK GO! |
Monday, April 8, 2013
My Most Embarrassing Moment
Actually, you know, I'm not actually going to tell you my most embarrassing moment.
What? But that's the title! You deceiver! You villainous pile of slime! You chocolate cake! You dirty ear! May the fleas of a thousand camels infest your tent!
Okay, you probably didn't actually say a couple of those, but two of those insults were written by three-year-olds, and they're far better than the insults adults come up with.
Anyway, where were we? I have a distinct feeling I didn't come here to talk about three-year-olds, although that would make an excellent blog post. Someday, I should just have a three-year-old tell me what to write about. Or have a three-year-old write a blog post for me. Kids these days are so good with technology at so young, they're going to be writing their own computer games at age twelve.
Wow, I am SO off topic here.
Which is weird because I'm not even writing my blog about what the title is about. Okay, onto my actual blog post.
So, you see, the reason for my title is that I'm talking about the creative writing assignments they give you in school. I think almost every single year fourth grade through eighth grade I ended up writing about the following: holiday traditions, my classroom/bedroom (It didn't matter in seventh and eighth grade because it was the same thing.), and my most embarrassing moment.
Okay, if any A Beka people are reading this, I will give you the fact that there are lots of different holidays, and most kids aren't in the exact same classroom year after year, but...my most embarrassing moment?
YOU REALLY THINK I WANTED TO WRITE ABOUT THAT EVERY SINGLE YEAR?!?!?!
Let me repeat that...
DO YOU REALLY, HONESTLY THINK THAT EVERY YEAR CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS ENJOY SPILLING THE BEANS ON THE SINGLE MOST HUMILIATING EXPERIENCE THEY HAVE EVER HAD?
I mean, really, if I'm going to be writing the same thing year after year, could at least be something useful to practice writing out, like my salvation testimony? I mean, if you're a Christian curriculum, then we should at least have to write something uplifting every year...not be forced to confess something we'd never want to relive. Also, I struggle spelling the word "embarrass," so that always made this assignment even worse because I had to use one of my problem words. My nightmare paper would force me to use variations of the words "embarrass," "recommend" and "occasion" repeatedly; my dream paper would require me to use the word "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" at least once. Sadly, papers about the Bible, history, and elementary education don't lend themselves to that opportunity.
Ah, well, I'm not bitter or anything. I normlaly due hav an exselent sence of speling, though. ;)
I've now got you curious as to what my most embarrassing moment is, haven't I?
I'm not telling you.
I will tell you the one that I was forced to write out every year sixth grade through eighth grade though. You see, I don't even remember what mine was in fourth grade, and my most embarrassing moment happened in fifth grade. I think I still chose to rewrite my fourth grade one in fifth grade, though.
I mean, sometimes stuff is just way too close after the event to confess.
Okay, anyway, now that I've got you really curious, here we go.
But, first, here's a picture of popcorn so you can pretend to eat it while you listen:
Okay, I'm really going to do it now:
Once upon a time, I had been gone from America for four very long years, and when I came back, I was in fifth grade. Everyone had grown up a lot; most of them looked different; and then there were those kids who were "new" to me, but who'd been at Union Grove Christian for a while. There was only one new kid in my class that year besides me (and I didn't count), and she and I were already becoming friends and eventually best friends. Oh, and to make it even more awesome, Mrs. C (the most amazing teacher EVER ON THE HISTORY OF PLANET EARTH) had us divided up into these teams based on the row we sat in. When we chose our seats at the beginning of the year, I just kind of randomly chose one because people were waiting for me to hurry up and decide, and I was trying to decide on a seat next to the guy I'd liked since kindergarten (and continued to like up until the beginning of tenth grade, but that's another story). Finally, I just chose one, and HE AND I HAPPENED TO BE ON THE SAME TEAM!
Okay, there was a theoretical downside to my team. Due to the randomness of the seat choosing, I was the only girl on my team. Notice, though, this is only a theoretical downside. One girl and four boys? I didn't even notice this fact until Mrs. C pointed out. Oh well, it's not like you did everything with your team. Mostly, you did your spelling word searches and crossword puzzles together. Other than that, I still got to play with Jennifer at recess, and everything was good.
The actual downside was the guy I liked was best friends with the guy I hated. Oh well, I could tolerate him well enough. I'd already been doing it my whole life (besides the years in Japan) anyway. Just don't talk to him unless necessary; you're on a team, but you don't have to be friends. (We ended up making up in tenth grade, but that is again another story called "Katrina's Long Saga of Stupidity.")
And then there were two other guys on the team, but I don't remember who they were. Anyway, one day, we were sent to go find spots on the floor and work as a group writing out some sentences for language class or something. Maybe it was spelling class. Anyway, we had words that needed to be used in these sentences. So, we're sitting there, coming up with sentences and having fun while learning. Like, seriously, we were laughing and having fun but the school work was getting done. Just another normal day in Mrs. C's fifth grade class.
And then the guy I liked (whose name will not be revealed in case he ever happens to open my blog) said something, like, really, hysterically funny. And I literally fell backwards laughing...while wearing a skirt...and, yeah, he definitely saw my underwear. It's not just my imagination. I know he saw it. I think all four guys saw it.
And that, my friends, is my second most embarrassing moment. The most embarrassing happened in high school, and I'm not posting it here in detail ("The Day the Dam Broke" is all my friends from high school might need.)
So, yeah, that's my point to every curriculum who ever decides every year kids need to write out their most embarrassing moment. Some of ours aren't actually funny. They're really quite embarrassing. I've had some hysterically funny moments, but because I can laugh at myself for falling out of chairs or making language mistakes while speaking Japanese, I can't quite say they're my most embarrassing. And, you know, finding creative new ways to write it every single year doesn't help the matter either. I can never find a new spin to put on this story that makes it seem hilarious.
But, you know, it's fifth grade, and I'm not emotionally scarred for life, right?
Except for the fact I'm never, ever, EVER sitting cross-legged in a skirt again. No matter how long it is. No matter if the other person in the room told all the kids to do it and I should be setting a good example.
I laugh way too easily.
What? But that's the title! You deceiver! You villainous pile of slime! You chocolate cake! You dirty ear! May the fleas of a thousand camels infest your tent!
Okay, you probably didn't actually say a couple of those, but two of those insults were written by three-year-olds, and they're far better than the insults adults come up with.
 |
| Oh, to be as carefree and innocent as a child again |
Anyway, where were we? I have a distinct feeling I didn't come here to talk about three-year-olds, although that would make an excellent blog post. Someday, I should just have a three-year-old tell me what to write about. Or have a three-year-old write a blog post for me. Kids these days are so good with technology at so young, they're going to be writing their own computer games at age twelve.
 |
| I'm pretty sure this is what my tech guy friends' babies will be like. |
Which is weird because I'm not even writing my blog about what the title is about. Okay, onto my actual blog post.
So, you see, the reason for my title is that I'm talking about the creative writing assignments they give you in school. I think almost every single year fourth grade through eighth grade I ended up writing about the following: holiday traditions, my classroom/bedroom (It didn't matter in seventh and eighth grade because it was the same thing.), and my most embarrassing moment.
Okay, if any A Beka people are reading this, I will give you the fact that there are lots of different holidays, and most kids aren't in the exact same classroom year after year, but...my most embarrassing moment?
YOU REALLY THINK I WANTED TO WRITE ABOUT THAT EVERY SINGLE YEAR?!?!?!
Let me repeat that...
DO YOU REALLY, HONESTLY THINK THAT EVERY YEAR CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS ENJOY SPILLING THE BEANS ON THE SINGLE MOST HUMILIATING EXPERIENCE THEY HAVE EVER HAD?
I mean, really, if I'm going to be writing the same thing year after year, could at least be something useful to practice writing out, like my salvation testimony? I mean, if you're a Christian curriculum, then we should at least have to write something uplifting every year...not be forced to confess something we'd never want to relive. Also, I struggle spelling the word "embarrass," so that always made this assignment even worse because I had to use one of my problem words. My nightmare paper would force me to use variations of the words "embarrass," "recommend" and "occasion" repeatedly; my dream paper would require me to use the word "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" at least once. Sadly, papers about the Bible, history, and elementary education don't lend themselves to that opportunity.
| Although, if it's supposed to be a word used when you don't know what to say, I suppose I could have just started typing it in a bunch of times in various places throughout the papers when they just weren't long enough. |
Ah, well, I'm not bitter or anything. I normlaly due hav an exselent sence of speling, though. ;)
I've now got you curious as to what my most embarrassing moment is, haven't I?
I'm not telling you.
I will tell you the one that I was forced to write out every year sixth grade through eighth grade though. You see, I don't even remember what mine was in fourth grade, and my most embarrassing moment happened in fifth grade. I think I still chose to rewrite my fourth grade one in fifth grade, though.
I mean, sometimes stuff is just way too close after the event to confess.
Okay, anyway, now that I've got you really curious, here we go.
But, first, here's a picture of popcorn so you can pretend to eat it while you listen:
 |
| If you don't like popcorn, imagine something else here instead. |
Okay, I'm really going to do it now:
Once upon a time, I had been gone from America for four very long years, and when I came back, I was in fifth grade. Everyone had grown up a lot; most of them looked different; and then there were those kids who were "new" to me, but who'd been at Union Grove Christian for a while. There was only one new kid in my class that year besides me (and I didn't count), and she and I were already becoming friends and eventually best friends. Oh, and to make it even more awesome, Mrs. C (the most amazing teacher EVER ON THE HISTORY OF PLANET EARTH) had us divided up into these teams based on the row we sat in. When we chose our seats at the beginning of the year, I just kind of randomly chose one because people were waiting for me to hurry up and decide, and I was trying to decide on a seat next to the guy I'd liked since kindergarten (and continued to like up until the beginning of tenth grade, but that's another story). Finally, I just chose one, and HE AND I HAPPENED TO BE ON THE SAME TEAM!
 |
| Oh, cupid, certainly your arrow will find it's mark while I'm still in fifth grade! |
The actual downside was the guy I liked was best friends with the guy I hated. Oh well, I could tolerate him well enough. I'd already been doing it my whole life (besides the years in Japan) anyway. Just don't talk to him unless necessary; you're on a team, but you don't have to be friends. (We ended up making up in tenth grade, but that is again another story called "Katrina's Long Saga of Stupidity.")
And then there were two other guys on the team, but I don't remember who they were. Anyway, one day, we were sent to go find spots on the floor and work as a group writing out some sentences for language class or something. Maybe it was spelling class. Anyway, we had words that needed to be used in these sentences. So, we're sitting there, coming up with sentences and having fun while learning. Like, seriously, we were laughing and having fun but the school work was getting done. Just another normal day in Mrs. C's fifth grade class.
And then the guy I liked (whose name will not be revealed in case he ever happens to open my blog) said something, like, really, hysterically funny. And I literally fell backwards laughing...while wearing a skirt...and, yeah, he definitely saw my underwear. It's not just my imagination. I know he saw it. I think all four guys saw it.
And that, my friends, is my second most embarrassing moment. The most embarrassing happened in high school, and I'm not posting it here in detail ("The Day the Dam Broke" is all my friends from high school might need.)
So, yeah, that's my point to every curriculum who ever decides every year kids need to write out their most embarrassing moment. Some of ours aren't actually funny. They're really quite embarrassing. I've had some hysterically funny moments, but because I can laugh at myself for falling out of chairs or making language mistakes while speaking Japanese, I can't quite say they're my most embarrassing. And, you know, finding creative new ways to write it every single year doesn't help the matter either. I can never find a new spin to put on this story that makes it seem hilarious.
But, you know, it's fifth grade, and I'm not emotionally scarred for life, right?
Except for the fact I'm never, ever, EVER sitting cross-legged in a skirt again. No matter how long it is. No matter if the other person in the room told all the kids to do it and I should be setting a good example.
I laugh way too easily.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)