A Peek Into the Mind of KD

[Insert lyrics here]

Yeah, it’s been a while again. And I suppose you’re expecting a long and detailed entry describing my wonderful life in astonishing and captivating detail. Sorry.

At this moment, I am stuck in bed with tonsillitis, feel like a knife is lodged in my throat, and oh yeah, I have to miss all my classes today and most of them tomorrow because it will take 24 hours for the antibiotics to become effective. So henceforth, I do not have the energy to do anything but feel sorry for myself. And make tea. Lots and lots of tea.

So why, you ask, did I choose to post a blog entry today? That’s an excellent question and I have no idea. Really.

But to give this rather pointless entry a purpose, I will inform you devoted reader(s) that if you are genuinely interested in the daily life of KD, I have recently joined Twitter, which I update frequently and which is loads of fun, even on days like this. You can find my profile here.

ON that note, I need a cough drop. [Insert clever farewell here]

KD

I wanna thank you for stayin’ out late all the time
‘Cause while you were out gettin’ yours, boy, I was out gettin’ mine!
I wanna thank you for cheating on me
‘Cause I almost loved you forever
Never would have found someone better!
I wanna thank you!

I bet you can’t guess, in a million centuries, whose album those lyrics were from.

If you guessed Beyoncé… well, you’d be wrong. It was Michelle Williams. Hahahahahahaha, I very possibly bamboozled you.
But really, all joking aside, the new Michelle album is great. She’s really grown as an artist, even dipping her toes into the waters of electronic dance music. Although her solid pop numbers are best, like “Thank You,” the song from which the above lyrics were taken.

And what of the Beyoncé album? Well, it’s not out yet. That’s in 2 weeks. Though her new song is great. Check it out here!

Anyway, now that I’ve updated you on vital DC type news, I really have nothing new to report. I’m still doing spectacular amounts of homework for each class. I’m now 7 weeks from the end of the semester and already longing for Christmas break. Remind me not to take 18 credit hours next semester…

My schedule is as follows: On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I have algebra at 8 (blech, not fun), psychology at 9, and World Music at 2. On Wednesdays I have piano at 10, and on Fridays I have recitals during that hour. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I have Adolescent Spanish literature and Mexican culture. Also remind me not to take 2 difficult Spanish classes in 1 semester, regardless of the fact that it’s my major. Oh, and then there’s choir at 7:30 on Thursdays as usual.

Well, on that note, I’d better go do some parabolas and functions and all that other fun, amazing, fabulous algebra stuff. See you later!

KD

The tide is high, but I’m holdin’ on,
I’m gonna be your number one.
I’m not the kind of girl
who gives up just like that!
Oh no!
(Note, These lyrics have no relevance whatsoever to the rest of this post. I just like the song. Deal with it.)

So it is way too early to be up. Seriously. But here I am. In algebra, of all things. But that’s OK, because I feel remarkably well-rested. That’s entirely thanks to fall break.

I’m not going to apologize for not writing sooner; I figure I’ve done it so much lately (well … lately in terms of my previous posts, not in terms of the calendar) that it will just sound insincere and trite. Isn’t that a great word? Trite. I love it.

Anyway, this semester has not been pleasant. Everyone who reads this probably already knows why, but just in case…

In a nutshell, Eldora contracted Lyme Disease sometime this summer. We don’t know how, but things were looking pretty serious for a few weeks. She went back to my hometown with my parents because we have a vet there we like. Meanwhile, I was trying to take 18 credit hours and juggle book reports and papers and tests and monster reading assignments. I also had to find time to eat and sleep. Fortunately Eldora is back to work; I just have to give her pills and monitor her behavior and all that fun stuff. Our time apart brought home to me how much I really need her. Not in the way you might think–I can get around fine with my cane. But she’s become something like my adopted daughter. I need her like a mother needs her child. That’s right, y’all, I’m a 20-year-old single mom. Good for me, haha.

So… I should really pay attention in algebra now. I’ll post my schedule along with exciting news about the new Beyoncé and Michelle Williams albums later. I really would like to take up blogging again; it kind of helps me get my thoughts in order. We’ll see.

KD

It’s just those rainy days
Spend a lifetime tryin’ to wash away
‘Til the sun comes out and shines again
Smile for me, smile for me…

I will never again take for granted what it means to be clean and dry, in the mindst of civilization.

Whose idea was it to go camping again? Oh right, we have to go during staff training so we have some idea what the crap we’re doing when the students arrive. Still, they could have done the courtesy of picking a night that DIDN’T include a flash flood warning. (No, I’m not bitter. At all.)

Our camping trip started well enough. The other staff members and I really seem to have bonded, and we did a challenge course this afternoon (well … yesterday afternoon now, I suppose) that was pretty cool. Then we went to a park, set up tents, and cooked over a fire.

I had just drifted off to sleep under the stars when the rain really started falling. Gloria, my fellow staff trainee, and I tried to tough it out when the storm was simply rain and loud thunder. Then our tent started to blow down, and we figured enough was enough for two city girls. We took shelter in our bus. Which is where I’m writing this now.

I’d tell you all about what else we’re doing in preparation for when the kids come, but Eldora and I are absolutely soaked and disgruntled right now. Get this: We were barely outside of our tent a minute, and I’m still wringing water out of the hood of my sweatshirt. I’ll write soon with more details and less whining, but right now, I wanna complain. Oh, shower! Oh, warm bed! Oh, mint cocoa! I want my mommy.

KD the Disgruntled

There was a time when men were kind
When their voices were soft
And their words inviting
There was a time when love was blind
And the world was a song
And the song was exciting…

There was a time when I updated this blog once a week or so. There was a time when I did not possess the latest DVD of Beyoncé in concert. There was a time when I needed a new computer. There was a time when I was unemployed for the summer. These times, my friend, are gone.

Well, how long has it been this time? Approximately 3 months? I am ever so sorry. Lots has happened, and I knew I would have to update you eventually, but I just kept putting it offf. Why? Because procrastinating is what I do best, of course! Besides, I think like 3 of you read this regularly anyway, so no harm done, right?

So here I am in the final week of my third semester of college! I’ve completed 2 finals so far, and was already informed that I got an A on one of them. This pleases me greatly. I’ve had a pretty good semester, but I’ve never had to write so many dern papers in my life. Seriously, every one of my classes (except the music ones, obviously) required at least 1 paper. Not cool!

List of KD’s Newly-Acquired Things

• A computer! It was supposed to be my birthday present, but my poor old laptop couldn’t hold out until then. So I now have a fancy, shiny new Dell running Windows Vista, with 4gb of RAM and 320gb of storage! I’m psyched! Vista is a bit different from XP, but I think it’s an overall improvement.
• A cell phone! That was supposed to be my Christmas present, but my old one died completely right around the time I got my computer. Since my mother insisted that I have a phone while in Iowa this summer (more about that soon), we went to Alltel and got me a brand new phone! It’s nothing special, but it makes calls, which was what I was looking for, at least until I can afford an accessible one.
• A summer job! That’s right, I’m oficially employed! This offer kind of landed in my lap, but I’m taking it; the pay is YUMMY!! So what exactly will I be doing? I’ll be at the Iowa Center for the Blind, teaching high school students Braille and computers and stuff. I’ll also be living with them in their apartments. So it’s kind of like the Center I went to before I came to college, only the roles are now reversed. I can’t pretend I’m not nervous, but it should be a great learning experience. And… I get money. Money is good.

That is all for now. I need to read some stuff for my history final, which isn’t until Friday, but which is also the one I’m most worried about. But before I depart, I shall explain my new method for titling and theming my blog posts. Each one from this time on will be built around song lyrics! I think this could inspire me to write more often, since I am the Song Wizard of the Universe. (At least according to Mary and G.)

Anyway, I must go play with the little brat-er, the darling puppy now. She pouts if I don’t pay enough attention to her. See y’all in Iowa probably!

KD

Guess who? OK, that was a dumb question. Because unless some hacker got into this blog and started writing entries, it’s gonna be the same person every time, right? Right.

Anyway, I’m afraid I’ve once again been negligent in regards to this lovely journal. But, as always, I do have excuses. First of all, I tried to post something my first week back in college, but I got an error message and it all got deleted. Therefore, afflicted as I was with a cold at that moment, I gave up. Secondly, my computer has the nasty habit of randomly switching from one of my open programs to another. So I’ll be typing away here, and then… poof! I’m in Windows Media Player! It’s rather annoying, and a great hindrance to the average blogger. I need a new computer…

But apart from that, life’s going relatively well. I finally got over my cold, I got 30 out of 30 on my first philosophy paper, and I no longer have a black fingernail!

Oh, right, y’all don’t know about that. It’s a rather long story.

Once upon a time, there was a man known as my grandfather. He was driving along one day during my Christmas break, not really paying attention, and consequently had quite a dramatic car crash! His old car was totaled, but luckily he was OK, only sporting some cuts and bruises. So a few days later, Papa went to the car shop and bought himself a brand new vehicle with his insurance money. He thought it would be a grand idea to show it off to Mom and me. So we all piled in and headed to Burger King to test it out. That was all well and good until the journey back, when Mom shut her door quickly to get out of my way. Unfortunately for me, what she actually ended up doing was slamming the door on the tip of my right index finger! That was some bruise, let me tell ya! However, it’s healing quite nicely. I no longer feel any pain, and I think I trimmed the last black bit off my nail last night. (I really hope no one was eating when they read that part.)

Well, this has been quite a lengthy post, at least by my standards. Before I go, though, I shall give you guys my new schedule. I’ll write soon with more detailed info on my classes, but not now. I’m kind of hungry at the moment.

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I have history from 11 to 11:50, philosophy from 1 to 1:50, and Spanish composition from 2 to 2:50. On Monday mornings, I have voice lessons at 9:25; on Wednesdays, I have piano at 10:15; and on Fridays I have recitals at 10. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I have masterpieces of literature from 10 to 11:15, and the ever-present choir on Thursdays from 7:30 to 9:30.

I think that’s it! Oh, but before I go… HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY, MS. KELLY!!! (It was on the 11th.) And my favorite song of the entry has got to be “Once Again” by Frankie Jordan. I came across it when I was organizing my music on cassette, and fell in love all over again. You know sometimes when you don’t listen to a song for a while and forget how good it is? Yeah, that’s what happened.

And now, I’m off to find food! See ya!

KD

Hello, world! Yes, I realize it’s been forever and a day since I’ve updated, but is anyone really surprised? Yeah, that’s what I thought.

Anyway, this is my first official entry on WordPress, since I’ve imported all my other entries from Diaryland. That’s one of the reasons I haven’t written in a while; I wanted all my entries imported before I started new ones. Weird, yes, but that’s how I am. Actually, you wanna know a secret? As of today, I’m nowhere near finished importing everything, but I’m not posting this until I’m done. Another secret? I’m not actually connected to the internet as I write this. Why? Well, I’m on a plain right now, on my way to The Seeing Eye! I’m infectiously excited, despite the fact that it’s not even six in the morning. I’m here. I’m in my seat. I’m on my way!!

All right, the use of “approved electronic devices” is permitted now, so I can keep writing. I love flying, especially in turbulance. Call me crazy, but I think it’s a lot of fun!

Anyway, lots has obviously happened since I updated, so much that I hardly know where to begin. I know! Another list seems to be in order!

• I went to the NFB National Convention! That was an amazing experience. The NFB is 50,000 strong and so POWERFUL! The March for Independence was amazing as well. I couldn’t help it–I randomly started screaming in the middle of it. The energy was that palpable. I also witnessed Karen win her scholarship, plus a KNFB reader! Those things are awesome, and if you want more info on what that lovely piece of wondrous, fabulous technology is, click here.
• Mom and I made sushi! It turned out really good, and even Dad, who’s not much for fish, liked it. Amber didn’t, but she’s just boring and unadventurous like that–at least when it comes to food.
• I saw the fifth Harry Potter movie! It was really good, but I’d still recommend the books to everyone who’s only seen the movies. They’re worth it!
• In related, though sad, news, I don’t yet have the latest HP book, due to the fact that Bookshare has to scan it in first. It should be up in a matter of hours, however! Bookshare is awesome.
• In unrelated, though joyous, news, I FINALLY have Kelly’s new album! And it’s… try not to faint with shock here… SUPERAWESOMEFRAGILISTICEXBIALIDOCIOUS!!!! Yeah. It’s that great. You may possibly be treated to a rant about it later on. How lucky you are! Mwahahaha.
• In other happy news, I ordered the new Strong Bad emails DVD, which should be coming soon! Unfortunately, it’s going to my parents’ house, but perhaps I can persuade them to send it along to me.

Well, that’s all of great significance I can think of for now, as I sit here on Continental aircraft 2130, typing and munching on whatever the heck the flight attendant just gave me. They seem to be little pieces of cinnamon raisin toast or something. They’re decent and I’m inexplicably famished, so I’m pleased.

But yeah, I must sleep now. I had to get up at 3 to catch this flight. I’ll make sure to tell y’all when I get a dog, what his/her name is, and what breed he/she is. See ya later!

Oh, and instead of a parting thought as I’ve done in times of old, I shall now have a favorite song of the entry! This time it shall be “Better Without You” by Ms. Kelly Rowland! (By the way, if you enjoyed the parting thoughts more, comment (on my new, improved, FREE comments page) and tell me!

KD

• I’m listening to: The new American Idol, Jordin Sparks! Go girl! Woooooo!
• Current mood: excited
• Important dates: Tomorrow, May 25, Dad finally comes home from Missouri!

3 entries a week… right…

Yeah, I know… I am the worst updater ever. Well, that’s not exactly true; I don’t believe Ms. G has updated since March. But you didn’t hear that from me.

So, as you might have guessed, it’s now summer vacation, and I’m incredibly excited for all the events I’ve previously mentioned in this diary. Oh, and I don’t think I’ve told y’all that I’m officially accepted into guide dog school! I know I’ve been saying things like “almost definitely” and “when they review my application” and blah blah blah, but now they have sent me a fancy acceptance letter and a memorandum of exercises to prepare myself for training!

In other news, it doesn’t look like I won an NFB scholarship this year, but that’s OK. I will reapply until I get one, and I’m still going to the convention to march! Also, my very own adopted little sister Karen got one, which makes me very proud. Go Karen!

Hmmm… what else is happening? Oh! My dad has been promoted to Executive General Manager of his restaurant company, which means he gets to oversee like 7 different stores now! The only bad thing about this is he’s gone more often, which makes Mom a little insane. Er, more insane than usual, I mean. Heh heh.

Oh, and also, I must say this, even though I’ve already announced the A.I. winner in my “I’m listening to” section. GOOOOOOO JORDIN!!!! She deserves every bit of the hype. Her voice is lovely and she’s so sweet! I’m totally buying her album. Which brings me to another of my notorious lists:

Upcoming Releases That KD Is Excited For This Summer

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. (Shame on you if you didn’t see that coming.)
• Kelly Rowland’s sophomore disc, Ms. Kelly. (Yes, she changed the title and the release date. AGAIN. If that happens one more time, I shall scream and throw things. Figuratively, of course.)
• The fifth DVD of Strong Bad emails. They’re great.
• Harry Potter And the Order of the Phoenix, the film.
• Any and all American Idol Season 6 compilations. There was a very talented group of contestants this year, especially the girls.

And that’s it for now. I’m not going to say anything about promising to write sooner, however. We all know how that turns out every single time. But I will shortly post some more File from WAGES 2004 as compensation for my laziness. Parting thought: THIS IS MY NOW!!!!!! (Lyrics to the song Jordin sang that probably had a lot to do with her win last night)

KD

• I’m listening to: The voices in my head
• Current mood: Well-rested for once!
• Important dates: Tuesday, May 1 is when Dreamgirls comes out on DVD!

Well, my poor, dear reader(s), I regret to inform you that it has happened again. I have once more let my life become so packed with other stuff, I have neglected this diary for nearly 2 months! I have officially broken all previously-held records with this long stretch between entries.

Well. So much has happened to me, I hardly know where to start. Hmmmmmm… I believe another of my famous lists is in order!

1. I am now 5 weeks away from the end of the semester! And as much as I love the college life, I have a very exciting summer ahead of me, so I cannot wait for it to end. Now I shall make a sublist detailing the events!
   • A. Seeing my bestest friends after months and months of being apart!
   • B. My nineteenth birthday!
   • C. The release of Kelly’s sophomore album, which I’ve been eagerly anticipating for over a year!
   • D. The NFB National Convention, which includes the March for Independence! (If you want more info on that, click here.)
   • E. My almost-definite trip to New Jersey for guide dog training!
   • F. And of course, the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which I’ve been eagerly anticipating since… well, I don’t even remember. Now back to the regular list.
2. My trip to Baltimore, which I told you about in my entry from millennia ago, was SOOO much fun! Also, traveling there by plane with Karen was exciting! It was our first time going such a long distance without adults, and we felt very special. It also gave me a vindictive sense of pleasure that I managed alone in an airport, despite the fact that certain members of my family believed I couldn’t.
3. I’ve sent my last medical form to The Seeing Eye, so now all they need to do is look over it, and if they approve, I’m in! This is, without a doubt, the most eagerly-anticipated event in my whole life!
4. I’ve registered for classes next fall, and am starting German and piano lessons! Yay!
5. I recently purchased the new deluxe edition of Beyoncé’s latest CD, and it has Spanish tracks on it! As can be imagined, this is pure, undiluted excitement for a Beyoncé fanatic/modern languages major.

OK! So now that you have the list of glorious events that have happened in KD’s life, I must dash. I need to get ready for choir, which is in 30 minutes. I will reeeeeeally try to update much sooner this time… Parting thought: QUÉ SABES TU DE MÍ? NO ME HAGAS REÍR! (Anyone have doubts about where that’s from? I thought not.)

KD

• I’m listening to: Craig David. The guy has a delicious voice.
• Current mood: Tired of writing dang papers!
• Important dates: Um… last Wednesday was Valentine’s Day…

Hello. Do you remember me? Once, in an age far gone, I updated this diary at least once every other week. Then an ominous thing called homework (2 group presentations, 2 research papers, and a frightening amount of French grammar exercises) got in the way. And, er, maybe some laziness too. I suppose I can’t blame it on my cafeteria’s crunchy lasagna, either…

Anyway, I think I’ve set a new record, y’all. This is officially the longest I’ve gone without updating you guys on the wonderful, terrific, fantabulous story of KD’s life. I profoundly apologize for any grief, frustration, disappointment, Pink Eye, influenza, or any other afflictions I may have caused to befall my darling reader(s).

Anyway.

Here I am, almost done with my fifth week of college and loving it! Getting around the campus becomes easier by the day, and I’m meeting awesome people. Like the girl who wants me to join her sorority and therefore invited me to a Mardi Gras party where they had chocolate-covered strawberries; the 2 readers I have for French; the girl who watched a (very lame) movie with me for class; and my reader for Spanish who enjoys making fun of me at every possible opportunity.

I shall now, as a compensation for not updating this diary in eons, describe my new college life in more detail for you.

I really like my Spanish class. The teacher is fun and lively; she reminds me a lot of one of my teachers in high school. Like I mentioned before, I have a reader for that class (someone who dictates homework assignments out of the textbook for me). His name is Jeremy, and he’s a technology nerd. He also enjoys mocking me. You may be surprised, but I’m OK with that. What I enjoy most is being treated like a regular person, not the poor little blind girl.

My Alternative Societies course has to be my least favorite. I just got done writing a paper about the lame film adaptation of the book we read. ‘Twas not fun. I did, however, take a break to watch American Idol, and Jordin’s still in the competition! Yeah!!!

My French class is also great. The teacher is very willing to work with me, and one of my readers in that class is an actual foreign exchange student. That’s cool because I can ask her things like, “Do you guys really say ‘les couriers electronique’ when referring to email?” (For the record, they don’t.)

My speech class is OK. The teacher’s cool, and I didn’t fail my first test! Booya! However, the guy who reads my textbook on CD sounds as if he has a mouth full of saliva. It’s rather disgusting.

I have the same teacher for both women’s choir and voice lessons and she’s awesome! It’s funny, though, because we’ll be talking about something totally relevant to the music we’re doing, then she’ll go off on a tangent and not remember how the heck she got so off-topic in the first place. For my individual voice lessons, I’m singing 2 English songs, 1 Ave Maria (which is in Latin, obviously), and a gorgeous piece of French poetry. ‘Tis very exciting.

In other news:

1. A representative from The Seeing Eye is totally coming to visit me a week from today!!!! If he approves of my cane skills, I’m totally getting a dog in July!!!!! Sadly, my class will start on the 21st, the release date of Harry Potter 7… but hey, I can multi-task
2. Not only am I going to Atlanta this summer for the NFB convention, I’m also going to Baltimore over spring break for an NFB seminar, all expenses paid!!! I love the NFB…
3. Beyoncé kicked BUTT when she performed at the Grammys, and she won one as well! She’s also going to be on the Academy Awards this Sunday, and I believe she’s nominated for Best Actress or something.
4. I’m really tired and think I should go to bed before I keel over and fall asleep atop my keyboard.

I swear I shall update sooner! Parting thought: ‘CAUSE THEY MINE! AND THEY GOOD!!! (Quote from Bubs, a character on Homestar Runner)

KD