6/1/10:: Surfin USA

If everybody had an ocean
Across the U.S.A.
Then everybody'd be surfin'
Like californ-I-A
You'd see 'em wearin' their baggies
Huarachi sandals, too
A bushy bushy blonde hairdo
Surfin' U.S.A.


ONLY 31 DAYS AWAY. <3

3/3/10:: Biebs

I got the Bieber fever fever fever!

2/22/10:: Clusterfuck

a typical night.
it's 5:00am.

these photos don't even do the cluster-fuck justice.
honestly.
it covers every inch of my apartment.

still unprepared.

1/28/10:: Ani Sent Me This In Class Today

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

LOL.

1/21/09:: yeeeeeeehaw, amurrica.

11/15/09:: In Response To Joe Rudi

My chaotic workspace.

Joe, yours is much more charming than mine.

11/14/09:: What If

Some ideas I've been throwing around:

1. I'm considering quitting smoking the day after my 23rd birthday. (July 11th 2010)

2. I'm considering taking an independent study next semester in the fine arts department: silk-screening.

3. I'm considering getting a minor in Art History since I am only two classes away from it, but unfortunately my favorite professor isn't teaching any of the 300-400 level art histories next semester. So hmph.

4. I'm considering joining the YMCA in January to take kickboxing and pilates classes.

5. I'm still considering working my way through the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die book over the next two years.

6. I'm considering applying for a job on campus working on promotional materials for the college. Not sure I want to do that, but I could use the money. Seriously.

7. I'm considering opening up a shop on etsy when I graduate to sell things that I will make in my spare evenings–silkscreen cards, journals, hand-sewn pet toys, and other random things. This will be the Scotland fund... maybe.

8. I'm considering deleting everyone out of my phone, and then only adding people back as they contact me. Since no one seems to ever do that–this will eliminate a lot of my feeling sad when people ignore my calls/texts.

Just ideas at this point.

But just by odds alone, one of them is bound to happen, right?

11/1/09:: F F Fashion

Aladdin Sane + Aborted Fetus

Can't stop listening to David Bowie after this weekend of dressing as Aladdin Sane for Funk Night @ The Majestic Theatre. Also, embarrassingly enough, Ewan McGregor's songs from Moulin Rouge have also been in rotation.

There should be more Scottish men in America, jah?

Time to retreat back to normal life. 

Eyes straight ahead, mouth shut, fingers on keyboard.

10/6/09 :: Detroit Public Transit

This is me and GOMAR just moments before we took a bus to the ghetto-ass east side and got stranded there in the rain. AKA: I was fearing for my life. We are researching for a project to re-brand the disaster that is Detroit Public Transit. This is us trying to decipher one of the only maps-- a block away from the bus depot. Classic.

Yay Detroit. Yay Research!

8/1/09 :: Whatever I Like

Well, that was the funniest thing that's ever happened to me.

I guess my crush on T.I. / my psycho-behavior has been truly outted.

Way to be subtle, Kells.

6/2/09:: Nick and Norah

Today was a bit of a bummer.  Andy left around 11am, and I was sad to see him go.  I had a lazy day and prepared myself for his call.  We had made plans to see each other again this evening.

I kept my phone glued to my side all day, periodically checking it to make sure I hadn't just not heard it ring.  Unfortunately, it was no mistake-- he never called.

Crushed!

I curled up in bed and watched Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist.  Truly predictable and trend-a-rific, but I'm not ashamed to say that I enjoyed it.  

It really scares me that it's June now.  Now I will always know how many days are left in my adventure here.  There is so much about going home that scares me.  I'm not prepared to leave the life that I've been building here.  I will miss so much the way it has been so easy for me to meet people my own age, feel young-- and not to mention, just Edinburgh in general.  

Maybe that's why it was so hurtful when I didn't hear from Andy.  

I'm just really aware that happily ever after is getting shorter every day.

6/1/09 :: Jazz and Liverpool

Tonight, we went to The Jazz Bar-- a really lovely jazz place that I've been wanting to go to since February but just had never gotten around to it.  It was supposed to be a large group thing, but it turned out to be only the girls, Scott and Richy, and Tom McWilliam.  

I'm sure Tom must've wanted to punch himself in the face for being stuck with us for the night, but I really enjoyed his company.  He's going home for work placement on the tenth, and I probably won't be seeing him again.  It meant a lot to me that he came out.  Every time I hang out with him, I want to tell him that I wish I had gotten a chance to know him better.  But perhaps it won't be the last time I see him... so I shouldn't say things like that.

After some drinks and my first taste of Guinness (thanks Tom!), Dan and Claire showed up, and we decided to make a break for Cab Vol before it closed.  Not so surprisingly, the club was empty.  Dan spotted a guy in goofy glasses and plaid... and so I danced with him (obviously).  He asked me to go outside for a smoke, and I was surprised to find he was actually really lovely.

His name was Andy, and he was from Liverpool.  Andy and I decided to make a break for it and had the most smashing drunken walk home, perhaps in all of history.  I brought him back to my flat only to find my roommates had spotted Andy and I and had filmed us the whole way home. 

PUNK'D.

Anyway, Andy and I spent a really lovely night together, and I was truly sad when he left in the morning.    We smoked cigarettes as the sun came up and talked a lot about our families and music.  He made me laugh so, so much, and I felt really comfortable around him.  That's pretty rare-- at least for me.

I gave him my number, but he never called.  I'd like to think it's just because he's going back to Liverpool on Saturday, but it probably was a true diss.  Typical behavior from a not-so-typical guy.

5/28/09:: Dan's Birthday

Tonight we celebrated Dan Buxton's 21st birthday!  Dan has been one of my greatest friends here, so it was fun to have this night out with him.  We met up with him at The Hawke and Hunter, which turned out to be one of the most expensive adventures of my life.  It was a very cool, posh place with a garden on the first floor that was lit up and smoker-friendly.  Lovely.

I had made Dan an extremely atrocious pop-up birthday card, which of course, I lost before I saw him.  Someone in that super posh bar found it and probably peed their pants laughing at it.  I'm gutted that I never found it.

Afterward, Claire, Dan, the girls, and I ventured to Po Na Na's for cheaper drinks.  We had a good few twirls on the dance floor, knocked back a few more vodka lemonades, and then called it a night.  

I spent more money on drinks this night than I truly ever care to do again.

5/23/9 :: Worst Day

[picture coming soon!]

Today was the worst day of my life.  Hands down.

It was my first day of work for the temp agency-- which I thought meant pushing pints at the Heineken cup with Shannon and Tom.  (The Heineken Cup is sort of liiike... The Superbowl of rugby).  I had a feeling, however, that it was too good to be true.  I was right.  Instead, Tom got put on the bar, and Shannon and I were sent off to work at Finest Cheeseburgers, a burger van on the other corner of the stadium.  It was hot, disgusting, and unsanitary-- hundreds of people crowded up for food with drunken faces.  There were no registers, so we were stuck doing all the math in our heads.  I worked 8 or 9 hours without a break-- no bathroom, no food, no cigarettes, nothing.  We even had to stay late to clean up the mingin van with some lady who I'm pretty sure had the swine flu.  I could write all day about how awful it was, but you'd never get the true picture unless you were there.

After we got off work (sometime around 9:30), Shannon and I made the long trek home... our feet swollen to the size of tanks.  We sang Disney tunes and limped the whole way back from Murrayfield.  

When I got home, I got a ring from Jack-- as it was our night to meet up.  I rushed into the shower and out to vodka rev, where I was due to meet him around midnight.  My feet were unbelievably sore, and my tights smelled like burgers, but I tried to make myself presentable.  When he finally showed up, I felt loads better.  I couldn't believe someone so beautiful was there to see me!  I finished my drink, and Jack and I headed off to Potterrow to go dancing together.

We waited in the long queue and chatted each other up.  I had lost Lindsey and Sara multiple times in the night already, so I tried to prepare myself for a night alone with Jack.  I was nervous because he was just so lovely-- I started to think maybe I had finally met someone in Europe that would last longer than a second.  When we got inside, we bought drinks and danced together.  It seemed like everything was going great-- we were kissing and talking a lot.  I could tell something was off though-- he wasn't being totally himself.  

After a bit, I suggested we step into the hall, so I could text the girls.  I wanted to find them to take some of the pressure away from Jack and me.  It was then that he dropped the bomb on me.  When we got outside the dance floor, he said, "Good, now we can talk."  We had been talking almost all night, so I knew this was no ordinary talk.  He began, "Promise not to get mad at me..."   Before he even finished his sentence, I knew what was coming-- "I have a girlfriend."  Then why text me?  Why meet up with me?  Why KISS me?  I was completely humiliated.  He made it worse by telling me he was using me to make her jealous.  I see this stuff in the teen movies all the time, but I just never expected it to happen to me.  I guess I just assume that everyone is decent, when really, I should have my guard up.  WAY up.  I was heart-broken.  I had been looking forward to this night for weeks.  

I went outside on my own and sat down on the wall.  I began frantically texting Lindsey and Sara.  I was ready to go home, and I was just trying desperately not to cry.  No answer from either of them, so I tried to catch a taxi.  My feet were swollen, and I was scared I was going to start crying-- but no taxi would drive me since I lived so close.  I walked home alone and just made it in the door before I started bawling my eyes out.  Thankfully, Josh was online to talk to me, but I'm sure I was barely making sense between the weeping and heaves.  I sent Jack a message telling him what he did was terrible, and he better not do that to anyone else.  If I could rewind time, I would've been a lot meaner.  He deserved to really be told off.  

Worst day ever.

5/22/9 :: Goodbye Gary and Why Not

Tonight was Gary's surprise goodbye party-- he's off to Mongolia for 3 months.  We all gathered in his flat for drinks and then went out to Why Not.  It was a good time all around.  Jack was supposed to meet up with me on this night, which he did-- but he couldn't get into the club because it was at capacity.  I snuck out and sat with him on the steps for a bit.  We chatted and kissed.  Just as lovely as I had remembered him to be.  We agreed to meet again the next night for a proper night together.

After that, I met back up with Lindsey and Sara.  Lindsey was in her finest form ever, and Sara and I struggled for a long time to get her home, haha.  We took lots of video and photographs to ensure that the next day she could see what a state she was in.  Ended the night with the chippy and some good music in my room.  

5/19/9 :: PWOLF and Biddys

Guess who is going to see Patrick Wolf in Glasgow!!! (mememememememememe!)

I went with Linds and Sar to get my ticket today, followed by pints somewhere around George Street.  In the evening, we got saucy at Biddy Mulligan's with a few American tourists.  

Highlights (and lowlights):

hearing wonderwall at biddy's (traumatizing)

proposing to lindsey

giving away my tequila shot

ginger minger + 22

5/15/9 :: Shanghai Before Wales

Was planning on having a quiet evening in, but as I was talking to Lindsey on Skype, a girl walked past my window outside singing, "I'm goin in for the killll, I'm doin' this for the thrill..."

It was a sign.  Lindsey and I knew we were meant to go out.

We rushed to get ready and tried to go to Why Not, but it was already at capacity.  We settled for free entry into Shanghai instead.  I kissed some guy in a v-neck named David.  And we met a bunch of Polish rudes.

The real champion of the evening, however, was Lindsey.  She was leaving for Wales the next morning and hadn't even started packing.  Classic.

5/4/9 :: Music Samplings

Here is the playlist that I have had on repeat every morning as I get ready for over four months.  (Some tracks are newer than others.)

1. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Over and Over Again (Lost and Found)

2. Neutral Milk Hotel - The King Of Carrot Flowers (Part One)

3. Xiu Xiu- I Luv The Valley OH

4. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah- Details Of The War

5. Wolf Parade- I'll Believe In Anything

6. Animal Collective- For Reverend Green

7. The Beatles- Ticket To Ride

8. Shocking Pinks- This Arching Deal

9. The Dodos- Eyelids

10. Nico- These Days

11. Fleet Floxes- White Winter Hymnal

12. Panda Bear- Comfy in Nautica

13. DeVotchka- The Clockwise Witness

14. The Pipettes- Dirty Mind

15. The Teenagers- Homecoming

16. The Jesus and Mary Chain- Hardest Walk

17. The Smiths- Shoplifters Of The World Unite

18. Against Me!- Those Anarcho Punks Are Mysterious

19. Panda Bear- Take Pills

I heard an amazing song at Luke's the other night that I really wanted to add, but I couldn't grab his attention to get the title or artist.  

I really love it here, but I really hate not having a car to drive to Walmart at any time of the night to get supplies when I have an urge to make something.  Right now, I really want to make some hemp jewelry.   No luck.  Not only is no place open, but I haven't been able to find hemp anywhere in Edinburgh the entire time I've been here.

I've had mixed feelings about it for the past week, but I'm over it now.  I am ready for my tattoo.  My appointment is Saturday at 12:30.  Wish me luck.

I feel really bad about not taking a picture today on my lunch with Joe, so to make up for it I have posted a really, super super embarrassing video that was taken one EXTREMELY drunken night in London.  I am so good at humiliating myself that it hurts.  Good times, girls.  Not only do I obviously have no sense of key when drunkenly singing, but apparently I also will never learn the words to this song.  The "WANKER!" at the end-- it gets me every time.

4/10/9 :: Juiced!

Tonight I re-ignited things with an old flame.  It's been ages since I had him, but it's like the first time... every time.

Safe to say, things got pretty steamy.