I'm Engaged!

Okay, not for reals but I was just asked.

I'm sitting at Amazing Grace Bakery and went up to the register to get a coffee. As I'm up there, some guy gets on his knee and proposes to me. He asks, "Will you marry me?" and then whispers, "it's for a scavenger hunt". Feeling great already, I said "Yes!" and the whole place cheered and clapped.

I did have to return the ring (some fiance he is) but what an experience. They taped it all. My friend asked when I returned to my seat, you should've said no to see what happens. I said no way, who knows if I'll ever get a moment like that again. Ah, just another day in the life of Kenzie.

The Last of the Humanists

In the recent months I have started a harmless little joke that my eccentric personality has taken to a whole new level. I’ve always had a wild imagination. As a child I could daydream all day and continue to do so today – how do you think I make it through my German classes?

So, you ask, what is my latest and greatest shenanigan? Well, because of my Renaissance art history course, I am calling myself ‘The Last Humanist’. It has quite the ring to it, doesn’t it? Now, whenever the word humanist pops up in our lectures, my attention is suddenly caught and a smile graces my face from ear to ear (if I’m not already laughing). It’s weird, I know, but it’s all in the fun of art history.

It’s kind of my alter ego. You’re all probably rolling your eyes but I will take this till the day I die. What makes it so funny to me is the fact that I am not exactly the brightest bulb in certain situations (example). A humanist is a scholarly, philosophical thinker that was one of the greatest minds of the Renaissance. I am no such thing but it’s a harmless joke that my art history teacher smirks at every time she hears my ‘humanist theories’. Whatever you may call it – suck up or genius – I am taking it and running with it!

P.S. In the picture above by Mantegna, the humanists are the ones who are wearing red hats. I'm still looking for mine.

Another One Bites the Dust

My wonderful evening was just spent listening to a lecture on "Turkey as an energy corridor between the Caspian Sea and Europe." For those of you who know me, I have the attention span of a squirrel when it's not looking for his nuts and acorns (tid bit of information - the squirrel has the attention span of one second on normal things and about four minutes on nuts and acorns).

It all started when my German teacher offered us extra credit for going to this lecture we were told was on Turkey. How Turkey and Germany are related, no one knows. So my German buddy and I trekked our way to the library rotunda to build up our knowledge on the natural gas pipelines through eastern Europe.

The room was filled with professors and know-it-alls. I have not felt that out of place in a while. Why is it that when your forced to be quiet, the simplest things become the funniest? I would laugh at everything from my aching butt in those hard chairs to my lack of attention on the lecture. At one point my friend, arguing with one professor, stated something relating to the material and I simply stated, "oh, I wasn't listening". Of course this made her laugh, which made me laugh - and I laugh loud!

All in all, I further embarrassed myself and have decided the only reason I should be attending these things is for the free cake at the end. Other than that, I got a lot of looks from the "scholarly" bunch and have decided that they are boring. P.S. There is another lecture tomorrow night - free cake will be served, but I won't be there. Don't think I can handle another one of those - I'll forever be the squirrel.

Bilingual Schwesters... Not Now (Probably Not Ever)

I finally got my big break! The UMD Statesman did an article on bilingualism of students. My friend and I were pictured in the article with our professor.

Now you all know of my dislike for the German language, don't you think it's funny that they choose probably the two worst students in the German department to represent the bilingual students at school? My friend and I are the gals who sit in the very back of class and laugh, make jokes and can't take anything seriously while other students give us the stink eye and our teacher shakes her head at us 'schwesters'.

The funny part of the story is how we found out we were in the paper. Waiting at the bus stop for our bus to come, some guy reading the paper looks at us, then back down at his paper and back up again. He then says, "you two are in the paper" and we frantically run to check the pile of Statesman's on the bench. There we were, on page A3, wow... that's embarrassing.

Therapy

It's been a tough start to the week. In true German style, we had a test on Monday to start the week off... like I said before, NEVER a good idea. Pretty sure I flunked that (10 page test in a 50 minute class is ridiculous)! So as I read my thousands of pages of art history texts Monday night I managed to eat half a box of Girl Scout cookies and have begun to call it 'German Therapy'.

Tuesdays are my marathon day. I spend a record 11 hours on campus... ugh! So, in true Kenzie fashion, I picked up a pint of my favorite Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia for 'Tuesday Therapy'. If I play my cards right I may be able to manage some sort of therapy every night of the week. The plan is to eat, vent to my saint of a mother on my issues then pop a Tylenol P.M. and conk out till I have to do it all over again the next day.

So, if your ever looking for a venting partner and are in need something for your sweet tooth, you know who to come to... life is tough and we all have those days, mine just happens to be a week!

Mimsy's 26th Birthday is Upon Us

In the tradition of birthdays, we have decided to throw Mims a 26th birthday party complete with a cake with yarn frosting, ugly sweaters, and a whole lotta tuna fish casserole (just kidding on the casserole). We wanted to celebrate with Mims on this joyous occasion and all of his friends will be there. Now Mimsy's been around the block a few times (he's even older than we are) and we can't wait to celebrate. We will keep you posted and include pictures in the future! Breast milk will be served, no gifts please.

Hot Stillscape for Six Colors, 7th Avenue Style

Scatting- a form of improvising sounds in jazz (dapaodou-pido...)

Does UMD have a Scatting/Jazz Club? Lately I have found myself scatting here, there and everywhere... our art history professor even heard our musical genius today!

Ski-ba-doo-doodlily-bap-swee-do-dee-bop!

My Life as a German Student

This semester I was forced to take a foreign language for my major and my advisor suggested that German would work well. So I thought, what the heck? Well that's where I was wrong. German is kicking my butt and I find myself either staring out the window at die Vogel (the pigeons) or schlafen (sleeping). I find ways to help memorize the hundreds of words I was supposed to have learned by now when really I can only remember one phrase: Mien Name ist McKenzie. Well done!

I have been making up songs in the English language that help me with German words. For example: ledig meaning single="all my single ledig, all my single ledig" or fieber meaning fever="you give me fieber... fieber in the morgens, fieber all through the nachts".

Here's a word of advice to all you thinking about taking up a foreign language-spare yourself the humiliation of being the one person in the room who is apparently oblivious to all things German and take up crocheting instead!

Quote of the Day

"I don't work for anyone... until I work for someone."

-Anonymous (a.k.a. Me)

Dumb and Happy

These two words some up our personalities perfectly. We are just plain ol’ dumb and happy and that’s the way we like it. You see, life throws so much at you everyday and our philosophy is to just be happy with what you got! So we have decided we would rather be dumb and happy than smart and sad. I think most would agree!!

A Day in the Life of a College Student

Any college student can respect this hilarious story. As a student low on cash, I despise grocery shopping. I hate buying the paper towels, the toilet paper, and any other necessity. Well my friend is not a fan of this ‘shopping’ either. She has been out of toilet paper for four days now! Guess what she’s been using…

Loose leaf paper! O.U.C.H!!! Just a typical week.

Library Pandemonium

After a few very unproductive nights in the library this week, I have decided that I am probably the worst student in the history of studying. Not only have I disrupted the entire 4^th floor (quite the hoppin’ place) but I have managed to make a fool of myself on multiple occasions. I should be banned from being anywhere silent and have duct tape handy 24/7!