my job(s)

I love love two out of three of my jobs!!
I love being a freelance photographer and being recognized for my photography work! (Yeah, I'm kind of a big deal!) I love being able to throw that information out in conversation! I'm proud! As I should be! I have worked really hard to get where I am. I feel like all of my hard work is finally paying off.

Things I love about being a photographer for a local paper:
1) People know me!
2) The perks! Such as free food, tours, meeting great people, opportunities to do things I have never done (like going on a 32 mile bike ride using an awesome bike lent to me by a local bike shop!)
3) Seeing places in Maine I have never seen before.
4) I'm gaining experience and making connections.
5) I pretty much work for myself.

Things I love about working at the restaurant:
1) Free food!
2) I get to work with great people who make me laugh.
3) Shift drinks.
4) Tips.
5) Sometimes I get to listen to my iPod.
6) I feel like I am working hard but not being overworked.
7) The fact that I can not be worried about being fired because I already was and was rehired based on the fact that I'm awesome!

And I'm spent....my bed is calling my name and I am all out of words at the moment.

Bringin' sexy brick....

Amy and I went diving again tonight on the Bowdoin campus. We didn't find any furniture as the bin had recently been emptied. However, we did find a lot of house hold items, food, and other goodies such as full containers of laundry detergent (which I am considering donating to the community center), two unopened boxes of Ritz crackers, cocoa mix, cleaning products, boxes of tea and candy. A brand new Polo shirt. An unopened package of 200 count cotton sheets. A mirror. Hair products, lotions, rollers, and face wash. Three throwing discs. An iPod charger and docking station. New energy efficient light bulbs. But the best thing we found would have to be the "sexy brick"! I found it wrapped in an old flannel shirt and duct tape. Weird.

Amy was the look out tonight and I was the diver. I had been in the dumpster for about 10 mins. collecting things in cardboard boxes and passing them over the top to Amy. Suddenly she said in a hushed but urgent voice "Kristin! Kristin! There's some dude over there watching us!" I lifted my head far enough out of the bin to see someone lurking in the shadows not too far away. It was a campus security guard. As I was hoisting myself out of the dumpster I could see the guy walking fast toward Amy. He yelled for her to put the box of items she was carrying back into the dumpster! I hopped out and walked over to them. He ordered us again to put everything back. We refused. Actually, I think Amy said "Are you serious right now? You want us to put all this back!?! No!!". Another man walked out of the shadows and insisted that we give him our names and other personal information. He insisted that I give him my full name, birth date, and the two middle digits of my SS#. WTF!?!?!? When I asked him if he was going to do a check on me he said "no" but I suspected he would so I told him where I work and live, just to make it a little easier for him. Ha!! I am not at all ashamed of what I do! And I have a pretty good reputation within the area because of the work I do for the Coastal Journal and the community/volunteer work I do as part of church. So I have no problem giving my name. What I do have a problem with is the lack of respect from this man while he was speaking to me. He accused me, more then once, of being dishonest and giving him a false name...(as if you can make up a last name like Nawrocki! Ha!). But I also have reason to believe that he is going to check up on me, which means that he had the nerve to lie to me after accusing me of lying! Rude! Just because I am a dumpster diver doesn't mean I'm a pathetic human being! I deserve respect just as much as the next person.....sorry, I am rambling now. I'm just angry at the absurdity of these two men ordering us to put back the unopened, unused items that we were taking, so that they can sit in a landfill and be wasted!

Blah....So anyway, after much arguing they agreed to let us leave with our treasures, if we agreed not to come back.

When we got home we blew up balloons for our friend Ron's birthday, which is tomorrow. The idea is to fill his car full of balloons while he is in work tomorrow and then have him come over to our place (after he is done getting rid of all the balloons, of course! Mwhahaha!) for some cake and ice cream! Yay!!!

Our kitchen if full of balloons! It's kind of ridiculous but makes for fun time and great photos!
(notice sexy brick!)

Waste not, want not....

I went dumpster diving at Bowdoin last night. Found some nice clothes in my size, notebooks full of class notes (that could have been recycled but weren't), a letter from Bobby's mother, bottles and cans (just clap your hands).
As much as I love the excitement of diving I become really upset when I see the things that people carelessly throw away and don't recycle! You can get money for those bottles and cans! You can donate those nice clothes and barely warn Ugg boots to Goodwill. You can be considerate of others and of our planet....or you can throw it all away for me to find it! I read your letters and sift through your memories. I know your name and where you live. I have your notes from class. I've got the dirt on you!! Maybe you should think next time about donating those unwanted things rather then letting them sit in a landfill and pollute our planet!
I wish I could make people aware of just how wasteful they are and help them to change their ways. It seems so unfair that people in other countries, as well as our own, have to struggle and starve while college students, restaurants, everyone in America, throws away perfectly good food, clothing, furniture, etc.
Isn't it about time we stopped being "stupid, lazy Americans"?? Isn't it about time we put others before ourselves? Shouldn't we be thinking of our future and the future of our children, grandchildren, etc. Maybe we should concern ourselves with important things and make a difference in the world!!
Don't get me wrong...I drive my car to work everyday. I myspace. I waste. Sometimes I'm lazy. I don't know much about politics. I have two ipods. BUT...I do care about other people and the world in which we live! I buy local, all natural, and organic. I walk and bike ride when I'm not going far. I donate things to Goodwill and Salvation Army!! I try not to waste food or water. I don't use Styrofoam! I recycle all the plastic and paper I use. I compost. I make a strong effort to reduce, reuse, and recycle everyday!
But sometimes I feel like it's not enough, what I do. Does one person make much of a difference in the grand scheme?
I hope so. And I hope that I inspire others to change, even if I am sometimes annoying about it (hands waving franticly "PLASTIC!!!"-Ha! That's an inside joke, for those of you who don't know!)
So if anyone (if anyone actually reads this silly little blog...) has anything that they don't want anymore and doesn't want to bring it to Goodwill, I will do it for you! Call me up! I'll accept payment for my trash removal services in bottles and cans.

Daydreaming of you again....

I should be editing photos right now. I should be looking for another job. Rather, I am sitting in my underwear, singing loudly, talking to my computer screen, and imagining myself in romantic situations....I miss him sometimes. And the way we used to be.
Why are you so far away my love? Do you still dream of me?
Remember when we met? At that bar on the LES. I fell into a hole in the floor and you caught me. It was magic. Like from a movie. And everyone knew us as "the last couple to meet in the hole". What a sad story now....
now that you're gone.
But I don't want you back. Just want my heart to be free. And I'll write us into a movie someday. So we can always see what could have been had our hearts been ready for such a happy ending....

Everything's changing....dot dot dot

To no one in particular,

I have done a lot of work today. But have not really accomplished anything. I was on hold all day. I typed the same numbers on my phone over and over and over again. I took instructions from robot voices. I broke down. I cried. I smoked cigarettes. I accepted the fact that I will work my whole life for money that isn't really mine. I decided to quit one of my jobs. The one I probably shouldn't quit, but feel I should because it kills a little bit of my soul every time I work a shift.
I am at a local cafe. It smells like baking bread in here. I like the smell. I wish I could bottle the scent and take it with me to work. And open the bottle and take a whiff of warm bread baking smell every time I had a meltdown....which if you know me, then you know that meltdowns are frequent occurrences in the life of me!
So tomorrow I am going to quit my job! I will always have to worry about money but I chose not to worry about my sanity anymore! I am taking control of my life, damn it!
(Mini-internal meltdown!!! Must maintain composure while in public. I am sane enough to know that.)
To Do List:
1) Quit job that makes me crazy
2) Application and transcripts, etc. for college by June 1st
3) Find another job. One that pays well enough for me to save some money this summer.
4) Take pictures everyday! I will carry my camera everywhere with me!
5) Finish editing photos for friend's weddings and such....


What kind of cafe closes at 6pm!?!?!