student workers: trifecta

All of these posts remind me of another blog I once read. It's definitely worth the read, I sat laughing for hours reading it.
(Go read Hammerhead Theater!)

I find myself faced with my own version of Hammerhead Theater over here, and can't help but wish that you could all be here with me, seeing and hearing all of this.
I also really, really want to be able to articulate the sound of someone's voice and laughter via font or description, but I just can't. 

Charles: "[Mumbling]...C, C, C, C...."
Matthew: "Huh?"
Charles: "There's a "C" written over here, so I figured it was for my name."
Matthew: "Is that what you always think when you see the letter C?"
Charles: "Do I sense sarcasm?"
Matthew: "Not at all."


Before long the aspect of being "shallow" came up, the other major topic of yesterday.
(See Student Workers 2).
While not all of this has to do with the all-important "What is Shallow?", it all circled around and came back to land on it over the course of the entire day.

Boppity: "I am pretty shallow sometimes. It's easier."
Charles: "It's easier to be shallow?"
Boppity: "Yes."
Charles: "No it's not."
Boppity: "Yes it is! It's not hard to be shallow, Charles!"

Back and forth, back and forth...

Boppity: "Ok...define what you mean by shallow. I don't think it's the same shallow, we're talking about here."
Charles: "Ok...not real."
Boppity: "Ok, define not real. So shallow is...fake?"
Charles: "Well that's an interesting question."

The subject of dating tries to interject...

Boppity: "The first time you go up to bat is important, because if you go up and strike out, you'll never want to bat again!"
Charles: "Well, there are three outs in an inning, and 7 innings..."
Boppity: "No, Charles, there are 3 strikes. And then you're out."
Charles: "Yes, but it's not like you go up to bat ---"
Boppity: "NOBODY LIKES TO STRIKE OUT, CHARLES."

That came about because Charles had began asking me questions about my life.
About meeting my husband, where I'm from.
Like,

Charles: "Did you meet in Arizona? At college?"
Me: "No, in high school, actually."
Charles: "At the same high school?"
Me: "Um...yes."

Then,
Charles: "Was he your first boyfriend?"
Boppity, startled: "CHARLES! Good Lord, stop it! You hardly know the girl!"


Winding around and eventually landing back on Shallow...

Charles: "If you have to actually think about what your words mean or what's really happening, then it's hard, so it's easier to be fake, in a sense, then to just..."
Boppity: "Uuuoohhh...okay. I mean, kind of, I kind of understand what you're trying to say. This is all crazy, because I just meant sometimes I like to take a brain vacation. Be shallow for a while, which is what is easy, to take a break. "
Charles: "So how do you define shallow?"
Boppity: "No, you never answered it for me!"
Charles: "Ok..."
Boppity: "Shallow just means you never go below...it's like a survey course. You don't go into it too deeply but it's enough to get by."
Charles: "I wouldn't even say that."
Boppity: "About survey courses, or..."
Charles: "No, you're defining shallow by the actual definition of shallow water. That's what you're defining it by."
Boppity: "No, you're going too deep. "
Charles: "No, I'm not even thinking..."
Boppity: "HAHA!"

(This conversation went on for a full 20 minutes. They asked three separate people who came into the office what their definition of shallow is. They still don't know what shallow means to one another.)

Boppity: "But children all the time say but why, but why, but why..."
Charles: "Yes, because they're REAL. They're inquiring minds and they're REAL."

After talking to Matthew and asking him a few questions...

Charles, leaning against Matthew's desk: "I'll bet your wife really likes you. People ask you questions and you just say, "Meh, sure." You just seem really passive. I'll bet she loves it."

Later on, this Shallow idea somehow transitioned into...

Charles: "There is a very deep meaning to french fries."
Boppity, Me, random-student-worker: "[blank stares]"
Charles: "It symbolizes the great symbol of America. It shows us, for one...especially fast food fries. It shows that we don't care what we eat...it's all about instant gratification."
Boppity: "Speaking of fries, I wouldn't mind having some steak fries."
Charles: "But it goes much deeper than that. There is a very deep meaning to this."

I never found out what that deep meaning was. Although I'm really, really fine with that.

Later,

Charles: "I think Caitlin is taking a brain vacation."
Boppity: "HA! She's not listening to us. She tuned us out a long time ago."



Sigh.

hello: my name is awkward

Having my wonderful husband take pictures of my daily outfits for my Frocktober challenge has brought me to a startling discovery:
I am unfit to belong to the human race.

WOW. I am so awkward.

I had a 10 minute daydream about what in the world they would say to me, if I was in front of a camera for America's Next Top Model. It wouldn't be pretty, guys.

"What are you doing with your arms?"
"Why is your tongue sticking out?"
"Do you always do that with your hips?"
"Why do you walk like your left toe is broken?"
"What's happening with your eyebrows?"

At one point, Dustin had this great idea of having me walk naturally, so that he could take pictures of the natural flow of my garments.
Sounds poetic, right?

In looking at those photographs, it was as if every mirrory illusion I had about my poise and womanly nature was shattered.
What was happening? Why are my legs so far apart? Why is my arm way out there? What am I doing!?

"Oh my gawd, Dustin, why in the world have you never told me I walk like a Neanderthal? Whatever could have possibly persuaded you to marry me? Was it my man-voice, or my thunder thighs?"

I was at the bottom, ya'll. You ladies know what I mean. The point when you've stared at yourself too long in the mirror and you start to wonder why people don't tell you every day that you look like a middle-aged munchkin man.

But then, something magical begins to happen. Those beautiful souls that love you most in life, despite all those physical flaws they pretend to ignore, begin to compliment you.
They say nice things like, "Sweetie, the camera adds ten pounds."

After a while of friendly healing from confidants, we begin to mend.

And then we begin to say, "Oh, phew. Wow. You're right!"
And our little mind begins to compensate for all of those bad feelings.
Wow, the camera DOES add ten pounds. 
I'll bet that sneaky little mirror has been adding ten pounds, too. This whole time. 

And the cycle is reversed, and we become completely disillusioned once more about our appearance.

Overall, we're just a never ending danger to ourselves.

Normally, I would say that ignorance is bliss, but in this case I think I'll gravitate towards a healthy medium.
If I need to work out more (Caitlin, say it: you need to work out more) and eat better (Taco Bell is on my list of healthy restaurants) then I should be able to recognize it, and be alert to the status of my health.
I also should not allow myself to become so preoccupied with the way I look, that I become pompous or unrealistic or obnoxiously vain or unkind.

That being said, I need to go for a run. For a long, long run.

But first things first: how is a human supposed to walk!?
I've been taking baby steps all day so I don't look like a monster, stalking its prey.
Any advice would be great.

In love,
Cait

BFF

I like a lot of TV shows.

Every week, it's guaranteed that Dusty and I will be plopped down with some sweet or salty snack in front of either our fab TV or our laptop, which we can now safely sit in front of us on our new (old) coffee table!

Life is good.

So, TV shows. I love movies too, we both do. Our movie collection is known for being extensive, and great for borrowing must-have movies for the weekend. We have debated whether or not to start charging, but we decided that since these people are willingly our friends, we'll allow them to partake in our stash.

Back to TV shows.
I watch a lot of the thrillers, the horror-style shows, like Hoarders and River Monsters. Those will keep me up late at night with a flash light for sure.

But then there are the dramas. I loved LOST, and am currently addicted to Revenge, which I may be ready to declare the most explosive, creative, intensely GREAT show that I've ever seen. (Since LOST was only great for 2-ish seasons, it takes a back seat.)

THEN there are the comedies. The laughies. The funnies! We couldn't live without these. Our classic is Friends, which is my go-to for happy background noise, especially when I'm home alone and wanna feel like people are rooting for me as I clean the house.

How I Met Your Mother and New Girl have quickly wiggled their way into our hearts as well. There are many more, but today, I wanna talk about Best Friends Forever.

Because tonight, they are airing their last two episodes. They were signed on for 6 episodes this season, and the network ("Boo!" NBC) took them off the air after only 4 of them. I honestly woke Dusty up with tears in my eyes when I saw all the posts about it.
The truth is, this show needs to be seen, needs to be appreciated. It's genuine, funny, touching, and so spot-on with how the female "BFF" relationship functions.
There's not catty or vicious banter, either. So often, comedy can hinge on the obscene or the hateful to get a laugh. But this show is alllll about the love.
It's all about fanciness. And you know how I love the fancy. "Oh you fancy, huh?" (Watch the show to understand that quote.)
It is also pretty spot-on with how the BFF-BF-BFF triangle works. The man stuck between his girlfriend and her best friend. And I love it. Some of the things they cover, I've actually experienced, almost word-for-word, moment-by-moment.
The moral of the story is, they made a fan video, and I'm in a part of it, because what can I say?
I'm a fan.

Tune in tonight at 8pm, for a FULL HOUR of back-to-back BFF goodness.
And if you haven't already, WATCH the first 4 episodes online!!

We're headed to Charlotte tonight, to have a weekend of fun, food, and shopping with some friends. :)
I'll hopefully have some fun pictures and stories from our shenanigans!

Love you all.
(but only if you) WATCH BFF.

In love,
Cait