For my family

posted by Kid Krusader @ 2:12 PM 3 comments

Okay, so I actually do not support just throwing pills at problems (I even wrote a term paper on the subject once), but still, sometimes you just want some Adderal.

Yesterday my work paid me to drive 2 hours to my old college town, do 2 hours of data entry, go to lunch with friends, shop around and then drive 2 hours home. IT WAS GREAT! I got so much done, and I had fun, and I was happy. The driving was also awesome- I had to rent a car (see previous post "So Long Cindy") and it was great to drive again, plus my work is going to more than pay for the car and gas.

Unfortunately, it has made today drag by so so so slowly, I just can't concentrate on my work at all, and I have gotten so so little done all day. Oh well, it's almost quitin' time and instead of doing some last minuet work I am updating my blog...

posted by Kid Krusader @ 5:20 PM 0 comments

My friend Claire answered a survey on her blog and then "tagged" me to answer it too. I like surveys and I like goofing off....thus, here we go.

What were you doing 10 years ago?

Hmmm... let's see. Ten years ago I was 13, it was second trimester (yup, had trimesters in Jr. high) of eighth grade. I was in the process of growing 7 inches and gaining 20 pounds (that's a little less than 3 lbs per inch...so consequently I was extremely skinny and due to my long limbs I resembled a spider). I was trying to figure out how to tell my mother that I had gotten my period a year earlier and hadn't gotten it since. I didn't tell her when I first got my period because she had told everyone about my first boyfriend and they all embarrassed me, I could only imagine what was going to happen when I told her I was menstruating. I was also growing out my hair, I had cut it into a pixie cut- ala Julia Roberts in "Hook", and it was not a pretty process. The original hair cut had prompted the nickname "Tink", which I liked, but somehow by this point it had morphed into "Captain Winkey" and some people just outright called me Richard. It was bad at the time, but super funny now... maybe I'll find a picture and scan it to put it up here.

What were you doing 1 year ago?

Living on the third floor of a charter high school in Boston. Life was so hectic, I hardly slept and was constantly running around, forgetting to eat, and I cried 15-20 lbs of college and some high school weight away. When was that huge Noreaster? It was either this week or last week last year, and we had the whole week off, but somehow that still didn't help me to catch-up or stabilize. You wanna know the craziest thing of all? I miss it sooooo much!

Five snacks I enjoy:

1. Pork rinds with lime and salt (It's a Mexican thing)

2. Lemon-Lime Lucas- It is essentially lemon-lime flavored salt "candy". I used to get it from the ice cream man daily. My nose would sweat from all the sodium. My mom made me stop because she feared for my kidneys and would tell me horror stories about living on dialysis. I still have cravings for it. (another Mexican thing).

3. "Crack". Last year a teacher at MATCH made "crack" for the tutors. It was some sort of chexmix with sugar...ugh, I can't explain it, but it was heavenly!

4. Salted Almonds- a must for any poor person- so much healthy goodness in each nut (I know the salted part is unhealthy- leave me alone mom!)

5. Anything that combines chocolate, peanut butter and salt- like peanut butter filled, chocolate covered pretzels. I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but that is my soft-spot.

Five songs to which I know all the lyrics

Back in 2001 I was thinking of transferring and my uncle Louie was pressuring me to apply to Harvard. One day at dinner I was complaining to my friends that it would just be a waste of money because all Harvard students had at least one thing that they were exceptional at, and I was mediocre at best at everything I did. Claire responded by telling me that she had never met someone who knew soooo many song lyrics and that I should tell Harvard that.

Here are the top five:

1. Almost every Jackson Browne song. Favorites: These Days, The Pretender and For a Dancer (which will play at my mother's funeral per her request)

2. I Like Big Butts- Sir Mix A Lot. I have a great "music video" of this, if you haven't seen it, ask next time you see me ;).

3. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun- Cyndi Lauper. I went as Cyndi for Halloween last year, I will upload that pic when I get a chance.

4. Dreams- Cranberries (I know all the words to a lot of their songs- gotta love Dolores!)

5. Only the Good Die Young- Billy Joel. This is my theme song- just ask my sophomore year roommate, Neda, she'll tell you

....this is ridiculous, I know all the words to at least 30 songs, probably a lot more, I like lyrics, I like to know all the lyrics to the songs I like. Other songs that came to mind during this: Somebody Told Me, The Killers; Humps, Black Eyed Peas; Piano Man (and many others), Billy Joel; Tiny Dancer (thank you Almost Famous), Elton John, Space Oddity, David Bowie....tons of cat Stevens, the go-gos, ugh....too many songs!

Five things I would do if I were a millionaire

1. Start a Trust Fund to be used for improving Urban education

2. Pay off my student loans so I can do the work I want without having to worry about salary!

3. Tell Shabori to work her butt off in high school and then apply to and attend any college she wants, on my bill.

4. Buy a modest but cute apartment, decorate it, paint it, and buy a puppy to live with me in it.

5. (Warning this is really crunchy) Work on buying more organic and toxin free products.

Five bad habits

1. Wasting work time on personal business

2. Slouching (the first step is admitting you have a problem)

3. Talking too loudly (I get easily excited)

4. Forgetting to e-mail people back for extended periods of time

5. Loosing things- keys, cell phones, scarves, gloves, etc etc

Five things I like doing

1. Listening to music- my little man recently got me an ipod, thanks scott!

2. Reading, not having a book that I am really into affects my mood badly.

3. Watching movies and TV, now that I have free time and netflix this is all I ever really do

4. Playing team sports- softball, dodgeball, and football are my favorites

5. Cuddling, but the cuddler has to also be the cuddling sort or it doesn't have the same affect!

....hmmmm, that felt a little like an online dating question.

Five things I would never wear, buy or get new again

I don't like this question. Never is too strong of a word... I am a pretty random person, there's not much I can't see myself not getting- a gun? but I never bought one in the first place. A tube-top?- but I can't be sure of that. A crimper? but I like 80's nights. Therefore, I reject the question!

Five favorite toys

1. My ipod shuffle

2. My Darth Vader with Anakin inside

3. My video camera- even though its not actually mine and people get embarrassed when I use it.

4. My skis- even though I don't have enough moola to use them often.

5. My box of pictures and mementos

Now I'm supposed to pass it on and tag five more people. My picks are my momma (since she is the only one who reads this).

posted by Kid Krusader @ 4:39 PM 1 comments

Thursday, January 05, 2006

I just went to a meeting where we discussed one of our programs and how we need to "sell it" as cost effective in order for it not to get wiped out. I will be doing research on similar programs to find evidence on their cost effectiveness (thus proving we too are cost effective).

This all seems very adult and professional doesn't it?

I spent the entire meeting with a pair of underwear stuffed in my pants pocket...

...I am the most professional person ever!

posted by Kid Krusader @ 4:37 PM 0 comments

Janurary 5th

1. Donate unnecessary clothing (seeing as I have four laundry bags FULL of clothes and no room in my closet or drawers...something must be done)
2. Correspond with 1 distant/ out of touch friend/family per week.
3. Get a gym membership and start working out (I am seriously lacking in the muscle department!)

So those are pretty much my resolutions...I have some other things I am doing like- budgeting my money (start saving), trying to be more healthy, only consuming my fair share of resources (Check out "More with Less: a Mennonite Cookbook- it's great), using more products that are chemical free/ green...etc, etc.

The New Year's Eve party I went to was pretty mellow...which is exactly what I needed. We went around and shared our resolutions at midnight...here are the others I remember:

• Put money into 401K (Bekka)
• Get a puppy (Suzy)
• Stop smoking and start dating (Bethie)
• Start working out (Belding)...okay I stole that one
• Respond to e-mails within one week (Sarah Hayes)

eh...there were more but that is all I remember right now....I just appreciate that Bekka's is so grown-up and Suzy's really isn't what I typically think of when I think of resolutions....

posted by Kid Krusader @ 4:33 PM 0 comments

I have many different things to say...especially since I spent 5 short lived days at home in sunny SoCal, but I am going to use these last few minutes of work to send a special shoutout to a kind stranger.

Yesterday I flew into Boston on a Redeye flight, not to worry, no one tried to blackmail me while I was on it- but I did get a row all to myself. Anyway, I got in at about 6 am, got my bags (one was big) and took public transportation all the way home.

Public Transportation from Logan to my part of The Ville: Bus to T (Subway), Blue Line to Orange Line, (I sent this post to Anastasia for editing purposes and she told me I should include the part about how I broke the T, so here ya go:

Oh ya, I broke the orange line. The doors were about to close and i ran and stuck my foot between them so it would trigger the sensor and open...it did...i got in....and they stayed open......open...........open........................open.....I started to wonder if other people also thought i broke the T....but no one was looking at me.......then T guys started running back and fourth and a woman's voice kept saying "close the doors"....then nothing would happen.....then she said it again and they did close.....but then nothing happened.....then they opened them again and a few minutes later they told us to de-train because it was disabled. Then we had to wait and watch the train sit there some more and finally it left and another came...GUH....I BROKE THE T!)

then I got off the Subway and began walking (rolling one small bag and one big one AND carrying a satchel....after years of experience I have the technique down) to look for a cab....and I walked....and I walked, and finally I got on a bus (my mother specifically gave me money for a cab because we figured the bus would be too much hassle but it was cold).

By the time I arrived home I was tired, so I left my bags downstairs and took a one hour nap before going to work. Then I got up and took the same bus back to the subway station...

Here is where my wonderful stranger comes in:

I went to swipe my "Charlie Card" to use the T and it wouldn't work, so I got in the long line to buy a token. Then people on the other side of the turnstile started to run...I knew my train was coming and being three people back in line for a token I knew I would miss it.

Then, out of nowhere, a scruffy looking middle-aged man came up to me and held a card out in his hand.

"Do you want this?" he asked.

"(Blank stare)", I replied, holding out my hand and taking the card.

"It is only good on the Subway," he said, turning around and walking away.

"Thank you," I mumbled, still unable to register the interaction.

I stumbled over to the turnstile and swiped the card...pushed the bar and walked through...Suddenly the reality of both how nice the man had been, and how soon the train would leave hit me at once. I ran and barely made it in the doors before they closed.

Now, granted this is only a December T pass and will expire on the first, but considering that the T is much more convenient than the bus and I can take it back and fourth to work- it is at least a $10 value for me...that man stood there and handed me ten bucks and I didn't even have my wits about me to thank him...

To the kind stranger who gave me an unsolicited present: Thank you very much, I promise I will find some way to pay the present forward (you know, like that movie, always thought it was a genuinely simple and profound idea...)

posted by Kid Krusader @ 4:23 PM 0 comments

At some point early last week I decided that my Karma must be messed up...why else would so many things randomly be going wrong? I started searching my brain for what I could have done that was causing my karma to be so bad...had i casually bumped too many cars, was I too wrapped up in my own life and petty drama to notice all that needs to be done around me?

Now, a week later, I have decided that my Karma is not messed up. Instead life decided to show me just how BAD things could be.

The Wallet:

On Wednesday the 7th I lost my wallet in a bustling section of a big city....we're talking big department stores, jewelry stores and pawn shops everywhere you turn + 6pm + 2 weeks before Christmas.

On Tuesday the 12th I picked my wallet up at the Somerville Police Department. A man had found my wallet and contacted me, we decided the police department was a good place for him to leave it for me. I was sure that this man had found my wallet AFTER someone else had, since I had retraced all of my steps within minutes of loosing the wallet. Because of this I was sure that my $31 bus pass and my $10 cash money would be gone. NOPE everything was there...EVERYTHING!

This could have been a devastating experience, someone could have taken my cards and bought stuff and stolen my bus pass and cash, but instead I emerged from the experience with no harm done. That is amazing!

The Hit-and-Run:

On Sunday the 11th my car was totaled in a hit-and-run accident. I only have liability car insurance, meaning that if the culprit was not found, no one would be giving me ANYTHING for my loss! Instead of this devastating outcome, a neighbor heard the crash and wrote down the vehicle's description and license plate. But the story doesn't end there, if the responsible party is never located, I STILL will get NOTHING. On Friday the 16th Sergeant Rooney called me to let me know that the driver was found, would be coming in to fill out a report and had FULL INSURANCE.

ANOTHER possibly huge loss completely avoided.......

now, if only my laptop would magically come back to life...I may just buy the $100 hand crank laptop and a good green guide dell desk top once I have a little side cash....

posted by Kid Krusader @ 4:15 PM 0 comments

Originally Composed: Wednesday, December 14, 2005

I had a few different interesting/ funny things I was thinking about posting today...BUT I just got lost, in my building on my floor (work)... it went something like this:

karin (my supervisor) sent me on an errand

"go to the third floor and deliver this to terry andersen" (I work on the fourth floor)

so i took the elevator down

as i was waiting for the elevator to go back up i felt foolish, "I'll just walk up to the 4th floor", i thought

so i followed the exit signs to the stairs

I emerged from the stairwell to an office i did not recognize...i stood there dazed...i got a little dizzy...

"what in the world....I am sure I was on the third floor and I went up one flight"

I walked in circles for a few seconds and almost ran into someone

then i started feeling dumb....I can't ask someone for directions, I am in my building, on my floor!

So i decided to just start walking like a knew where I was going....it took a while...few turns and such, before I could finally recognize my surroundings....

I had gone up the stairs on the opposite side of the building, and I had never been over there before....I've been working here for a month!

Man! and I call my mom "directionally challenged"!

posted by Kid Krusader @ 5:28 PM 1 comments

December 14th

posted by Kid Krusader @ 3:37 PM 0 comments

fresh ginger

posted by Kid Krusader @ 11:55 AM 0 comments

Originally Posted December 12th 2005


I have lived in and around Boston for a year and a half now. For a little less than I year I have been parking my car on the perilous streets of the city. If you have ever owned a car while living in a city, without the convenience of a driveway or the ability to afford to garage your car, then you know what I mean. Actually, you probably know what I mean if you have ever owned a car while living in a city period.

Over the last year my car has collected an outrageous number of bumps and bruises. People just bump your car while paralleling or driving and figure, "Hey, it's a big city, they'll never find me." And we're not talking small un-noticeable things either, im talking dents as big as my head, and cracks in my bumper.

It is so expensive to keep a car in the city! Because not only does the value of your car drop monthly as new dents and scratches are added, but there are also numerous simple ways to rack up tickets. There's street cleaning (can't park during), meters (malfunctions & forgetting to pay), driveways (can't block um), intersections (can't park too close), two hour visitor parking (can't stay too long), resident permits only, overnight restrictions (stupid Brookline) (I have gotten tickets/ towed for each of these), fire hydrants, snow emergencies, and the list of ways to get a ticket goes on and on and on....Not to mention that gas costs soooo much!For a while I have been contemplating selling my car and investing in zip car and buying a bicycle/ scooter instead. This would be both more economical and more convenient (albeit more dangerous as my mother heatedly pointed out). Well, on Saturday night/ Sunday morning as I lie in bed someone decided to give me a very very forceful push forward in my planning....

Sunday morning, around 9 am, I woke to the doorbell ringing. Despite the fact that I have three roommates I knew I was the only one who would both answering, so I got up and headed downstairs. As I was walking I suddenly thought, "This has something to do with my car" (the section of street right in front of my house is permit parking only M-Sat, so when ever I go out late on a Saturday night I gleefully park right in front of my house and relish in my 24 hours of freedom). Sure enough I spied through our small stained glass window that something did appear to be wrong with my car. I opened the door and a police office was there to greet me.

Here is what I saw next:


I think the pictures speak for themselves, but I do want to point out that the sticker on the right (mangled) side of the bumper reads "Be the change you wish to see in the world". Yes, someone smashed into my car, effectively destroying the bumper sticker and then took off...oh, you read correctly, I was hit and run.

At first I stood there in shock, then I thought, "Hm, there is a good chance my 'liability only' car insurance is not going to cover this", so I called my mom to confirm. My mom's response, "You may just have to be without a car for a while...that is when I started crying. But amidst my tears I noticed a note, neatly preserved in a ziplock bag, sitting on my windshield. I grabbed it and lo-and behold it was the description and license plate of the vehicle. A neighbor had woken up at 4:30 am to the sound of the crash, they wrote down the drivers info. and left it on my car for me. This just occurred to me: my karma may be messed up in some ways, but really these bad experiences have just been forums for others to emerge and come through for me in huge ways.

So now all I can do is wait. Wait to hear back from the police (please please tell me you found the person and they have insurance). Wait to hear back from my insurance company (please tell me you will be there for me if this person's insurance is not. Wait to figure out what the best course of action will be. Scooter here I come?

There is always a bright side to look at:

• I wasn't in the car
• The neighbor took their info
• My car was dirty anywayI've been dying to drive stick again
• I can seriously consider the zip car & scooter/ bicycle idea

end thoughts: That is a lot of pictures for one post....This post may not flow very well because I kept having to leave it and come back, and I don't feel like fixing it.

posted by Kid Krusader @ 5:43 PM 0 comments

Now you may think that this is the beginning of a John Lennon memorial post, since yesterday was the 25th anniversary of his death, but it is not. Rather, it is a post about me and my amazing friends, who are always willing to come to my rescue.

On Wednesday I left the office and went to CVS to buy some hairspray. The bus I take home is right in fornt of cvs, so I left my wallet (with my new bus pass) in my coat pocket. I soon (like 1 minute) realized that the bus would probably not be coming because the street was all blocked off with emergency vehicles. So I walk toward the T station (subway), and on the way a woman asked me for money. I looked at her and thought, "it is winter, she says she has kids, I have two five dollar bills in my wallet, I should give her one", but I just walked by. As I walked down the stairs to the T station I reached into my pocket to get out my wallet, and to my horror I did not feel it. So I retraced my steps looking very carefully (it was a 1 minute walk). I went back to CVS and asked if I left it there...nope. I checked my purse....nothing.

Enter angel #1:
Rebekka M. Lee
I went back to my office and immediately called Bekka (she was on her way from work to my house to watch America's Next Top Model with me). I told her the situation and we decided to meet at a T station. After much deliberation we decided to get some food to make and head to her house (she lives close to the station). After providing me with warmth, food, entertainment, and warm socks, Bekka gave me money for the T and Bus so I could get home.

I got to Sullivan Station (where I normally catch the bus home) close to 11 pm. I was waiting and waiting and waiting for the bus, freezing my butt off and wondering what time my bus stopped running (I had never attempted to catch it this late and there were no schedules available). There was another bus at the station that had been there when I arrived (this was the second time it had showed up), it said (town) via Broadway. I live off of Broadway, and somehow I decided this bus would take me near home, and I was so confident that I didn't even check with the driver.

And of course, it went the opposite direction (didn't think of THAT possibility, did you Melanie?). I walked up to the driver and asked him for a transfer and to let me off at the next stop. So I got off the bus in the freezing cold and walked to the bus stop on the other side of the street. It wasn't long before I decided that since it was 11:20 pm I had very little chance of catching a bus back to Sullivan and then another bus to my house.

Enter angel #2:Molly Girton
I decided since I had no money, my only option was to call a friend with a car, but who to call? I tried my roommate first, but she did not answer. I thought about calling Cameron but I didn't think she would answer either. So I called Molly, and sure enough she answered. She told me that she had been drinking, and then I panicked, but she came up with the perfect plan. I flagged down a cab, took it to her apartment, she came out and gave the cabbie $20 and I took the cab home- the whole trip including tip was exactly $20.

I do not know WHAT I would have done without my two angels. Both times I was stranded, with no money, no way to get money, insufficient clothes for the cold weather, and too long of a walk in heels for walking to be an option. I honestly do not know what I could have possibly done with out the help of my friends. It is a scary feeling to be so incapable of helping yourself, but it is so comforting to know that when I am defenseless my friends will always be there to help me.

Morals of the story:

• Always be there for your friends
• Leave an emergency cash stash in your office
• Leave an emergency cash stash at your house
• Follow your strong instincts (if I had tried to give money to that woman I would have notice my wallet was missing sooner). Unless your instincts have to do with buses, because as my friend Anastasia once said, and in the words of my crazy friend Corrie: "Buses, they do what they WANT".
• The winter is cold and lonely, do something to help those in need

posted by Kid Krusader @ 11:34 AM 0 comments