State of the 4S Nation Part 2: Kim

1. What is your name?
Kim

2. Where do you live?
Normal Heights/North Park area of San Diego, CA (greatest city in the world- discovered in 1904 by the Germans

3. Of what type is your domicile?
I live in a medium size one bedroom apartment on the first floor of a small apartment complex. I park about 20 feet from my front door and the laundry room is in between my car and my apartment. I have some seriously crazy neighbors too. Like, whoa.

4. Do you like where you live? (City, neighborhood, domicile, etc.) If not, where would you rather live?
I love where I live. My apartment is the perfect size for me and a great location! I wish my landlord wasn't so weird though. I mean, I would love to live in some ritzy apt complex with a bigger place, but you can't win 'em all!

5. What do you do for a living?
I am the Assistant Coordinator for Fraternity & Sorority Life at San Diego State. I absolutely adore my job! I get to work with college students every day, encourage them to make the most out of their organizations and become better men and women.

6. Do you think you'll be doing this forever?
Probably not. I really love my job, but it's extremely time consuming. I work a 45 hours on an average week and up to 90 during really hectic times (aka sorority recruitment!). I really want to own my own flower shop some day. I think it would be pretty amazing!

7. Describe a perfect day.
I get to sleep in- with no alarm! I spend time on myself, relaxing, taking a bath, getting a pedicure, going shopping, browsing a farmer's market, and just hanging out (doing some fb stalking, etc.) I get this day about once every three months or so, but I wish I had one every week!

8. Pirates or ninjas?
Pirates. Duh.

9. What's the best book you've read lately?
Well I don't get to read more, really just my books for book club. This last month we read The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. It was quite interesting. This months book is The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon. It's good so far.

10. What's the best movie you've seen lately?
Um, I haven't seen a movie in ages. To be honest I think the last time I saw a movie was when we watched Superbad at the Greek Week BBQ.

11. If you were a cliche, which cliche would you be?
I absolutely adore Anna's answer! But for me... "Everyday is a miracle"

12. What's your least favorite part of every day?
Dragging myself out of bed in the morning. HOW TRUE ANNA!

NEW QUESTION
13. What's your favorite part of every day?
Getting home at night, checking my facebook and the blog, and going to bed. :)

14. Cheese or chocolate?
BOTH! I LOVE BOTH!

15. What was your first concert?
That I remember? Because I know I went to a bunch at the fair with my 'rents. But that I paid for, N'sync at the Oakland Coliseum.

16. Would you prefer invisibility or time travel?
Probably time travel. I do have a degree in history!

17. What's your favorite part of your life?
My job. I love it.

18. What are you looking forward to?
SUMMER! Finals are in two weeks and things are going to get really quiet! My mom is coming, I may go to Vegas with Shannon, and Jenny and I are going to NYC in JULY! (I really wish tomorrow was July 1 and not May 1, but alas)

19. What are you not looking forward to?
The rest of this week and next week. Orientations during the summer.

20. What cool stuff has happened recently?
Not a lot. I got to see my mom in San Francisco a few weeks ago. That was awesome.

21. What crappy stuff happened recently?
Lots of drama at work. I had a really bad day today, it was just awful.

22. Who is your favorite Spice Girl?
Sporty. Plus she has an awesome solo album. Haha.


I added an additional question and finished numbering the questions! :)

State of the 4S Nation Part 1: Anna

Okey dokey clowns, it's catch up time! I propose we do a little informal survey, where EVERYBODY ANSWERS EVERY QUESTION, so we can kind of get a feel for how everybody's doing. It's sort of like an annual physical, except for your life. Please be as specific as possible, and thank you in advance for participating. (PLEASE PARTICIPATE)

1. What is your name?
Anna

2. Where do you live?
The Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan.

3. Of what type is your domicile?
I live in a two bedroom apartment with a very cool lady named Eesha who is beginning to succumb to my love of The X-Files yay! We also have one bathroom, one heater, a kitchen that used to be a doorway, and a new couch. Our building is 100 years old.

4. Do you like where you live? (City, neighborhood, domicile, etc.) If not, where would you rather live?
Yes, for now. I like Manhattan, and right now it's pretty much the only place I could be happy at this point in time according to myself. I'd be too lonely in California and Chicago (except for San Diego, but I couldn't work in publishing there), even though I have family in each location and eventually I want to live in either of those two places. I like my neighborhood for now, but I would prefer to live lower, like in the 90s or 100s on the Upper West Side, so maybe someday. I like my apartment well enough and I love my roommate, but eventually I'd like to live on my own. On the other hand, I could not live closer to the subway, which is very convenient especially in the nighttimes.

5. What do you do for a living?
I am an online marketing assistant at an independent book marketing firm. I basically read blogs and websites all day and then pitch them books that they and their readers may enjoy, then I send them those books (or arrange for them to be sent), and then I gather all the blog mentions/reviews that I arranged so that my boss can create a report.

Do you think you'll be doing this forever?
Probably not, but I don't know. I'd like to work for a publishing house relatively soon, and while I think I could be happy doing Internet marketing, I'm pretty sure I'd still rather work in editorial. Not to mention that what I'd really like is to make enough money off my own writing that I could live in New York or anywhere else I like and afford health insurance and not have to work. That'd be the best.

Describe a perfect day.
I sleep as late as I want, then I get up and take a shower and eat, then I sit down at my computer and read or write, then I take a walk in Central Park, then I have a sandwich at Lenny's and a cupcake from Magnolia and then I go see a movie with James McAvoy in it, then I have dinner and wine with Cambria, then I go home and read and write and go to bed late. Also, I complete a New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle ALL BY MYSELF.

Pirates or ninjas?
Ninjas. Sorry Kim.

What's the best book you've read lately?
I Was Told There Would Be Cake by Sloane Crosley.

What's the best movie you've seen lately?
I really liked Penelope.

If you were a cliche, which cliche would you be?
Good things come to those who wait.

BONUS KIM QUESTION: What's your favorite part of every day?
Crossword puzzle!

What's your least favorite part of every day?
Dragging myself out of bed in the morning.

Cheese or chocolate?
Hmmmm...cheese, but by a very small margin. It's seriously in everything I eat, though.

What was your first concert?
Jewel, in Tinley Park, IL

Would you prefer invisibility or time travel?
Absolutely invisibility. Time travel would freak me the fuck out.

What's your favorite part of your life?
The possibility that my agent and I might someday sell my book. That's pretty fucking awesome.

What are you looking forward to?
Getting my tax return money and stimulus check, Rilo Kiley in June, Tim and Carmen coming in June/July, Kim and Jenny coming in July, my sister coming in July for film camp, GOING BACK TO CALIFORNIA IN AUGUST WOOT! X-Files movie. Possibly looking for a new job in the future?

What are you not looking forward to?
More manuscript revisions, rejections from publishers (it will happen--I may sell it, but someone WILL reject it, it's the nature of the business), heat and humidity.

What cool stuff has happened recently?
People (Brigitte, my mom) visited, I got an agent, I went to a City Breathing show and it was totally awesome, I joined a trivia team (Yeah, go Trivia Newton John!), met some new people, saw Spring Awakening

What crappy stuff happened recently?
No more living across the park from Cambria :(, being poor (this is a chronic condition)

Who is your favorite Spice Girl?
Hmm...Ginger.

If anyone wants to suggest/add new questions to the survey and demand we answer them, that'd be great. But please fill out the survey! I will love you forever.

Also, I've updated my 25 before 25 list and put all of them in the sidebar--update yours so that we know what you've accomplished and can give you a round of snaps for job well done!

Quote worthy moments

Quote of the day: Sunday, April 27th

K: Yes, Carrie, we are primates. Wanna know why? ::wiggles thumbs:: Opposable thumbs. That's the definition of a primite.

C: Okay, but how many times have you seen a monkey use a spoon?

K: Seven.

i hate bouroughs or burroughs and also burros or whatever

Ladies and gentlemen may I please have your attention. I have just received a shocking and horrifying announcement...

Cannonball!! (oh Ron Burgandy)

But for real, I'm moving to Brooklyn. Sigh. It's fine. Sometimes I'm pretty excited, other times I wonder where my next Pinkberry is coming from. But I'm an addict.

So now that I'm defecting, here are a few things I can do to fit in with all the hipsters...

1) Wear my ridiculously tight and stretchy Cheap Monday jeans a lot. Like everyday. Probably better if they're a little dirty anyway.

2) Wear my amazing red sunglasses that Anna got me for my birthday. Then they'll know I'm cool.

3) Not brush my hair. Or wash it. Actually this isn't really a problem for me. I only wash my hair 2-3 times a week now, and I brush about the same amount. Maybe get shorter, thicker bangs.

4) Start listening to a lot of Au Revoir Simone and Hot Chip. Actually I like these bands. Crap, maybe I'm already a hipster and I don't even know it! It might be like herpes, I should get tested.

5) Learn some new slang? Not wear pearls as often? Ideas?

New address forthcoming, like as soon as I ask Jessica what it is.

My Thoughts & Prayers

are with you and your family Maggie during this difficult time.

We love you. Travel safe.

You sure you can keep it up all day?

Quote of the Night:

Kim: Carrie wants you to know that Career Builder is open on weekends.
Cambria: Well I want to let you know that my legs are open on weekends.

Haha. I laughed so hard at this and I'm not really sure why.

Also- Carrie and I had BBQ and fro yo tonight. Bri and Anna, can we go to Dallas BBQ when JP and I are in NY? I really wanted a giant margarita tonight. Instead I just had a Sierra Mist- which was quite refreshing.

Also- as a side note, Muddy Buddies are also known as puppy chow or reindeer poop. And despite their dirty names they taste amazing (that's what she said).

And finally- facebook chat? Genius. (the son is a musical genius...) And addicting. A friend of mine has a status today that read "What's next? Facebook meals?"

Some fun stuff to do in the blogosphere

If you get bored easily like me, here are some fun things I dug up on the blogosphere to help you get through the day:

Nerdfighters @ the Ning: This social networking site is a spin-off from Hank and John Green's Brotherhood 2.0 experiment. Last year, these two brothers (one of which is a Printz Award-winning author...that'd be John) decided not to communicate textually for an entire year, instead communicating only by phone, in person, or via vlog. They put the videos up on their YouTube channel for all to see and it sort of created this Internet phenomenon so now it's expanded to the Ning. I haven't really explored all of the Ning's features yet, but it all sort of sounds like something we would probably invent if we had the time or energy or weren't so damn lazy (the Nerdfighter motto, "DFTBA - Don't Forget to Be Awesome" reminds me a lot of "Did you know that I'm cool?"). The vlogs are pretty amazing, too, so just watching them via the YouTube channel is also great. Below is one of my recent favorites:

I LOSE! I LOSE YOUR PEEP-EATING CONTEST!

Videogum: Like Stereogum, but for trashy TV, so Cambria will like it. This site is written by the same guy who told us that WHEN A TIGER WALKS INTO A ROOM, PEOPLE SHUT THE FUCK UP (and this other girl).

Muxtape: Create your own online playlist! Quick, before somebody shuts this site down for copyright infringement!

Sorry, I thought I had more, and I still think I'm forgetting something, but whatever, that's how life is sometimes. Early onset memory loss! Also, y'all should ALL be reading Jezebel--it's your femiladyist duty (except you, Scott, if you still read this, but it's still really funny and informative)!

Laterz. I miss you.

(OMG, who thought I'd ever use the Peep label again?!)

ETA: Oh, Lord, I do have early onset memory loss. This is what I came up with this entire blog post to tell you about in the first place:

Postcards from Yo Momma: This is a Tumblr run by ex-Gawker Doree Shafrir and some other girl. They are real emails from real moms, and they are almost always hilarious. A quick excerpt:

My new glasses are still sht…. They tried to cover up by saying wireless frames need to be a little thicker due to the string that holds them on. Bull poop

Love, Mom

Doing as I'm told

I worked late tonight (what a shock...as I work late two to three nights a week) and got home around 9:30.

AFter arriving home I made mini calzones (WW recipe- quite tasty), which Carrie and I enjoyed for dinner after she came back from work.

Then we made Muddy Buddies! Which I am going to take to work tomorrow.

Carrie had never made muddy buddies before. Can you believe it?

I was shocked!

As for a small recap of my past week- I had very little sleep as it was Greek Week. It was a success. We raised over $12000 for The Wheelchair Foundation. I'll update you with a final amount in the next few weeks.

Sunday I didn't work (first day in 14 days) and C and I went to the Farmer's Market (I bought fruits and some lilies), a BBQ at Megan and Jessica's, and I went to the supermarket.

On a side note, I believe I have successfully killed my Gerber daisy. I will need to use my Lowe's guarantee and go get a new one.

Also, I broke my phone today.

And talked to Jenny. We are making plans to go to NYC in July this Thursday.

Shaking things up

Okay, so I came on the blog today to bug people about not blogging, then I decided to check the blog to make sure nobody had posted recently and guess what--two of you (Maggie and Bri) had! Sorry! Okay, BUT: I think we can all agree that we've been a little remiss about posting lately, and how are we supposed to keep in touch if we don't ever write on the blog? I blog way more at my personal blog and WAY more at my Tumblr than I blog here because I feel like people don't read this. I have a two-point solution to this problem, which I will lay out for you now:

1. Everybody get Google Reader. Y'all have a Gmail account--I know that because you have to have one to have a Blogger account...right? Maybe that's not true, but since Blogger and Gmail are connected, most of you probably have a Gmail account. I have so many I can't even keep track! Anyway, Google accounts have this cool feature called the Reader.



All you have to do is subscribe



by typing (or copy+pasting) our URL [http://foursandfriends.blogspot.com] into the field.



The Reader will update you every time there's a new post in a blog that you're subscribed to. Then you'll know immediately when somebody posts, and you can scurry over to comment (seriously, comments are the soul of blogs; we should really do this more, so that we can have a diablog instead of a monoblog, as Diablo Cody would say) or write a post of your own.

2. We should post more. Let's just agree that nothing is too boring to post. Navel-gazing is the soul of blogs (I know I just said that about commenting, but let's just pretend that blogs are extraterrestrial beings capable of having more than one soul). You may think it's boring that one of your company's clients recently died in his sleep of an undiagnosed heart condition at the age of twenty-seven (SCARY!), or that your boss' high school aged son is eating all the Girl Scout cookies you bought for your office mates, but nobody else will! Somebody say something funny? Put it on the blog! Have a really excellent sandwich for lunch? Blog about it! Nothing's too small or too boring!

To that end, I offer up this humble tidbit from my life: My coworker Vicky brought me an X-Files movie poster from New York Comicon! Maggie and Cambria: jealous? Also, I was stuck in the lobby of our building for fifteen minutes because they shut down all the elevators due to a fire drill (we have fire drills like every three days here, it's a totally ridiculous, post-September 11 overprecaution) and hell naw am I going to walk up twelve flights of stairs (I already had to walk up the escalator to the subway today, and I was PISED!).

So come on, guys, let's do better--you know you want to!

(P.S. When did I become everybody's blogmom?)

Princess

A made for TV movie on abc family called "Princess" had a lot of drinking in it for being a family movie. Did anyone else catch this fine movie? Anyways...

Things here in the LB are ok. Not much going on. My uncle who lives in Eureka isn't doing too well. Last Thursday he went into the hospital because the right side of his heart had stopped working. They've put splints in his heart, but hes not out of the woods yet. To complicate things hes a diabetic and isn't in the greatest of health. I'm really worried for him and my heart goes out to my dad (my uncle is the baby out of the 3 boys on my dad's side.) It really sucks being alone having to deal with this. I want to be with my family. All I can do is think positive.

I miss all you guys a lot. Kim I can't wait to see you this Saturday to discuss Devil in the White City. What a creepy book.

Anna and Cambria, looking forward to the X-Files movie and am hoping to get into New York towards the end of August to see it with you girls. So don't see it too many times that you wont want to see it again when I'm in town!

Carrie, hope everything is going well for you. We really have to meet in person one of these days!

Scott, are you still there in the blog world?

Positive thoughts for you all.

a public thank you

Hey Everyone! Maggie was nice enough to get me this awesome sheep t-shirt for my birthday!! Really, I think it was made for me, it is red and covered in sheep. It came in the mail late last week and I wore it this weekend with the kitty underwear Anna gave me for my birthday. And some pants too. Anyway, I wanted to say thank you very much to Maggie for surprising me with this fantastic shirt!! I love it!

Actually, I love it so much that I named all of the sheep on the shirt. Yes, all twenty of them. On Sunday, Anna and I had to wait so long for the train that we memorized them all. So friends, I would like you to meet...
Aldous, Bertram, Conrad, Dobby, Everett (what's up Scott!), Frankfurt, Gordon, Hoofy (the special black one), Ishmael, Jake, Kirk, Leonard, Merlin, Neugent, Othello, Parsley, Q-tip, Rhoda, Sebastian, and T-bone. They're all men, even Rhoda. Cause I'm not keen on the ladies touching my boobies.

Thanks again Maggie!!!

It's alive!

Hey all!

Just wanted to let you all know that I'm actually alive. I've been pretty MIA recently, especailly on the blog. Mostly because I don't have much exciting going on in my life.

I've been really busy at work recently. I went to SF for a conference and then straight into Greek Week. I haven't left work on time and had an actual full evening to myself in almost two weeks! AH! The good news- I am getting TONS of comp time! :)

I chatted with Jenny briefly tonight. She's doing okay, she's struggling with her job right now and I'm pretty sure she's checked out and super ready to leave. We'll see how it goes. But...we did chat about NYC!! YAY! I want it to be summer now.

I'm so exhausted, I can't even type anymore.

Stokely OUT.

Fat cat!

Why am I the one doing all the kat posts?



Orazio is fat! And he's a cat! And he lives in Italy!

Reunion

So I finally got in touch with the Ombudsman for Ian's boat (and squadron) yesterday. I was told the Homecoming is Wed 4/16 @ 10am. I am all set to show up and a van will be taking us from the gate to the pier. How freaking cool is that? I am literally so excited I can't think about anything else. It's been 7 months since I've seen his face and before Tuesday, it was 2 months since I heard his voice. Seeing him is going to be the best feeling ever! I just wanted to share....

And yes, I am so excited I might pee (hence the label).

A mid-afternoon email diversion

Cambria to Anna: hey cp it's cp. you're a tranny. are you still going to this? [Referring to an email arranging a little get-together celebrating the birthday of one of my friend Katie's coworkers, who we don't know.]

Anna to Cambria: Eh I don't know. I'm torn. Part of me wants to go, but that is not the part of me that just looked at my bank statement. Also? I went to Trader Joe's last night and have food in my house. Also? Greek is on tonight, live in your apartment! Are you wedded to it? I'd rather just go to trivia tomorrow. If we even do that.

RESPONDEZ S'IL VOUS PLAIT!

Cambria to Anna: i don't know...i think that caroline will be straight pissed if we skip her b-day party...not. we don't even know that clown. but trivia would be fun. i think i can scrounge up $5 for the occasion. as for tonight, i'm kind of feeling my portfolio. you're welcome to come over and watch tv, although i don't think that greek is on tonight. at least not on family channel. america's funniest home videos, nothing but the classiest. i'm sure we can find something. real housewives? pussilicious wasn't on last night and i nearly had a breakdown.

Anna to Cambria: OH, nevermind, Greek was on yesterday...check your DVR, I think I set it to record, because what's yours is mine apparently. Also, I'm rude. But in fairness, I did tell you I was doing it. I'm concerned that if we don't make it to Caroline's celebration, she won't come to yours. Something to think about. Caroline's a little vindictive that way. I'll probs. go home and eat something then head over. Also, do yourself a big favor and go here: http://katherinemarie.muxtape.com/. Then scroll down and listen to Vampire Weekend's "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa". I'm OBSESSED!

Cambria to Anna: that sounds fine. whatever about caroline, i hate that bitch anyway. greek is there, you can stop peeing your pants now.

Anna to Cambria: or START!

Cambria to Anna: eww

you can find me up in one tweezy

So I created a tumblr, whoohoo! I plan to use it about as much as Kim uses her blog. You're gonna wanna write this down now...

clownpenis.tumblr.com

ETA (by Anna): OMG Cambria learn how to use HTML! Or at least learn how to use the easy editing feature on Blogger! GOSH!

More sheep in honor of Cambria's rapid aging