Simplicity December 14, 2008
Posted by Katie Oh in : Such As , add a commentTwo of my kindergartners informed me that they are boyfriend and girlfriend.
I was keeping an eye on them (they were two of four misbehaving when the teacher was trying to get them to learn the lyrics to “The Twelve Days of Christmas”) and noticed that they were sitting funny: heads down, facing each other, with one arm on the table and the other hanging down. I ducked my head down to look under the table.
They were holding hands.
“Lamont,” I asked later as he gave me a big hug, “are you and Taerica friends?” He smiled, cupped his hands around my ear, and whispered their secret to me.
If only things could be that easy for the rest of our lives! Just that kindergarten secrecy about holding hands and kissing on the playground.
We held a party on Thursday, “fancy dress encouraged.” Amber and I busted out black cocktail dresses. It was generally fabulous. I made a wicked punch that was worth its weight in gold. Yum.
To say that the end of the semester has been weighing on me would be a laughable understatement: i have roughly 25 pages of writing to do for my World Civ class alone, not to mention my re-written screenplay for my Screenwriting class, and one last article for Journalism.
Being overwhelmed is annoying. Only a few more days, then I get to go back to my city. 
First Snow December 7, 2008
Posted by Katie Oh in : Such As , add a commentYesterday evening: I woke up from a nap, and everything was a little slick. The hoods of cars were just ever-so-slightly dusted. A-ha! That’s what I’ve been missing. The chill has been here, the wind that chaps my ears, but not those flakes.
I skipped my World Civ class the other day, on the heels of the prof not returning my email. I decided on Union Square: I needed a book, a Starbucks Gold Card [don't judge!,] and a present for a Secret Santa exchange I’ve orchestrated for an online community I belong to.
I got out of the Subway station, and the first vehicle I laid my eyes on was one that had a sign proclaiming that it was part of the Law and Order SVU crew. I squealed, only loud enough to hear my own excitement. I caught a passing glimpse of Mariska Hargitay: gorgeous, as I suspected.
I got my drink at Starbucks and sipped it as I cooed to the cats that are up for adoption at Petco. I always feel bad, especially around the holidays, for those cats. You just want them to have a home. I dropped a few dollars in the donation box.
Barnes and Noble was interesting in the way that Barnes and Noble is always an interesting experience for me: it reminds me that I need to read more. I am truly under-read for a writing major. Although, I guess, less under-read than a classmate of mine who has never even read The Great Gatsby [?!?!] or a girl I know who’s never even flipped through To Kill A Mockingbird. I made lists in my head of all these books: I somehow doubt the Irwin library has most of them, but I am sure I will get to them, preferably sooner, rather than later.
I went to Trader Joes, with the winding line and smiling employees and left with two full bags [$30 worth of groceries?!] that made my shoulders ache. Eggplant Parmesan, the ingrediants costing some $8, fed Amber and I for no less than three meals. And I have a bag of pasta and half a can of sauce left over. Mushroom turnovers still in the freezer for our upcoming cocktail party. You know.
I got home that night and was greeted by a message from a ex, apologixing [!] for a series of events that occured some 2-3 years ago. [!!!] Said he was trying to make amends. I, being perpetually apprehensive, not only after said events spurred by him, but the ones occuring after it, accepted his apology in the way that you can only do after time and 600 miles have passed. A “you’re forgiven,” but in the way that, after reflection, I’ve realized what a stronger person it’s made me.
Last night, I was half-tucked-in, watching TV online, when Amber yelled into my room: “Want to go to Julie’s birthday party?” I considered, and pulled on a sweater and a pair of jeans, abandoning the manufactured New York for the real one. The party was half a block away, in an apartment a shade nicer than ours, with most of the guests being people I had never met. It was nice to meet people again, a few writing majors I didn’t know, over popcorn and drinks. Julie gave us hugs as we left, and immortalized the evening with a picture of us next to some strange tiki idol the owners of the apartment acquired. In the photograph, which has yet to actually reach me, I have one arm wrapped around it, and am laughing, eyes closed, red-faced. Enjoying the moment.
Vagina Plate December 1, 2008
Posted by Katie Oh in : Such As , 2comments“Here, put the turkey on this,” my cousin Lisa said, handing one of two large platters she was holding to her husband, Bobby.
“Oh, it’s Vagina Plate,” he said. Lisa began to laugh, and I stuck my head under the cabinets and over the counter to get a look.
And there it was: the artist clearly had had the best of intentions, with the grapes detailing the edges of the porcelain and other fruit painted around it, but in the center was a [peach? pomegranate?] that had been illustrated as if cut open, and the centers looked like… you guessed it.
“I just kind of feel strange eating from this,” he said.
I had come home on Tuesday evening, after a quick lunch with my friends at the local diner. I was exhausted: have been for a few days. Watched 30 Rock, ordered a pizza, collapsed.
Wednesday, I sold $10,000 worth of booze in a 7-hour shift. I alternated between “have a nice day,” “have a nice weekend,” and “have a nice holiday.” A man came to my register, and after I ended our exchange with the latter, he said “screw that, say ‘have a merry Christmas.’ They’re trying to take the Christ out of Christmas!”
He assumed I was just being PC, or that I was secretly in contempt of having to refer to “holidays” instead of “Christmas.” I, taken aback, explained that Thanksgiving was the holiday to which I was referring. I don’t think he understood.
Thursday was Turkey Day, two dinners, one at Polly and Fuddy’s, one at Lisa and Bobby’s. Lisa announced that Christmas would be at her place this year, with the theme of “Christmas Around the World.” My mother quickly called Ireland.
“I kind of wanted to choose Ethiopia,” my Aunt Cheryl said. “I could just bring an empty bowl.”
My mother and I went Black Friday shopping. We didn’t trample anyone to death, but I did get a really awesome hat from Kohl’s. And the The Dress from Lane Bryant: beautiful black cocktail dress, one left, in my size. The best sort of retail therapy.
We had to leave Lisa and Bobby’s before the festivities totally wound down. I didn’t feel awful about it, being as that I would be seeing them all again in less than a month for all the family hug-time that happens at the holidays.
“Don’t forget to mention this,” Bobby said, motioning to the family, most of whom were still sitting at the table. “And Vagina Plate.”
Indeed.