Details:

Today's post will probably be a little off-the-wall. I have a lot to say, and yet not much, so instead I'm going to update you on what I've been doing with my time since we last met here in cyber space.

I can't complain about my summer since Fellows ended. I've been taking every opportunity to spend time with my husband, and jumping on rare opportunities to see friends!

Dinner date with Hannah babes, and then a relaxing afternoon with my best roommates.

I started putting together the beautiful scrapbook my aunt got for me. It tracks everything from dating to engagement to the first year of marriage. I love it, but definitely a project!

We celebrated Evvy's 5th birthday on July 22nd. We gave her cute toys and treats!

I took a quick (4 hours each way) trip to Tulsa to visit my long-time friend Shelby who is in TFA there. There's a lack of pictures, but I had a great time getting to see her new city, trying some great restaurants, and really just catching up on life since January.

My fam bam and my city!

My newest purchase for my classroom this year: a mouse pad! It will be great to have all of these faces where I can see them every day!

And now we wait for football season..........

What they don't tell you about living with a chronic disease:

I'm not sure how long you've all been with me here at PDC, so with that, here's the link to tell you most of my story up to this point.

It has been eight months since I wrote down those chapters of my story. I've done a few cool things since then; get married, graduate, but there's a lot things they don't tell you about living with a chronic illness (or five).

• You feel a constant guilt for being sick. The people in your life have to adapt to what you can and can not do. My mom has washed my hair more times in the past two years than I can count. Ben has helped me with medications, cooking, and more. My dear friends have altered plans. Everyone is so understanding, but you still feel guilty for changing everyone's life without choice.
• You feel alone, even though you're surrounded by love. As compassionate as everyone is (most of the time), nobody really knows exactly what you're dealing with personally.
• I sleep ALL OF THE TIME. I keep myself busy most of the time because when I take the moments to slow down, I will sleep. For example, yesterday I took a three-hour nap from 3:30-6:30pm. I then went to bed at 10:45 and didn't wake up until 10:30 this morning. Constantly pumping your body with foreign chemicals catches up to you.
• You live your life constantly waiting for the future. Maybe my skin will be better. Maybe I won't be broken out. Maybe when I have a baby my hormones will flip and I'll be rid of my psoriasis completely. Maybe. Some day.
• People are so mean sometimes. I have dealt with circumstances such at THIS ONE, and many more that I don't share with my friends and family. Again, the guilt. Sometimes it makes living normally difficult.
• I get sad. While I come off to most as an overly sarcastic, generally fun person, I have my days. When I went to the dermatologist at the end of June, I came home and hysterically cried on my kitchen floor for the simple fact that nothing had changed. Not worse, not better, nothing.
• I am grateful for the quality of life that my doctor and nurses strive for me to have. My doctor is fighting with me on this. My nurses are fighting with me.
• Some days are harder than others, but I know I am loved. Again, I ask for grace in those moments where it is our natural instinct to forget how lucky we are in the midst of pain. I ask for grace when I take it out on those closest to me as I have. I ask for grace as I try to figure out how to live with my circumstances, because after 4.5 years, I'm still not sure.

10 dates for $10 (or less)

As it happens, Ben and I are kind of broke. Transitioning into our first apartment when my new contract doesn't start until August and his job hunting now that summer classes are over has been tough. We budget as best we can so that we can still go out and enjoy ourselves, utlizing coupons and gift cards as much as possible. With this in mind, I can't help but think that we are not the only newlywed couple who have to pinch our pennies for our dates, so I've come up with a list of 10 dates in KC for $10 (or less).

1. Boulevard Brewery tours. Who wouldn't?
2. The City Market. Best on Saturday mornings you can go walk around, grab some dirt cheap produce, coffee, or baked goods, and listen to live music.
3. First Fridays at the Crossroads. Tons of food, art, and music all for your taking.
4. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
5. The Roasterie. A tour for the coffee lovers.
6. Murray's Homemade Ice Creams in Westport. Cash only!
7. Great for couples or families, if you watch specials you can grab tickets to the KC Zoo for cheap or free!
8. How about a $5 movie on Independence Square at the Pharaoh? Quite the deal before 6:00p!
9. The Plaza is a great place to walk around, see the fountain, and grab a coffee or snack.
10. Crown Center WeekEnder is also a cool, free event. Outdoor movies & live music on Friday nights.

MySpace, My space, my Face

I find myself reading a lot of entries on Thought Catalog and/or blogs of a similar premise. There are a bunch of lists, ideas, stories, etc. that I find interesting because they're either a) something that I totally, completely relate to on some level or b) I don't relate to at all and thus find super intriguing. These lists come from all different people all over the world and somehow reach me in Kansas City, MO. I relate to them.

I relate to listening to that one song that was your favorite ex-boyfriend's go-to happy song. I relate to needing to do 27 things before I turn 27, but probably only doing 24. I relate to being heartbroken sometimes, loving Chipotle, and thinking that "Octomom" being charged with welfare fraud is hilarious and sad at the same time. I relate to sunburning easily, life lessons learned in college, and by god, I definitely wanted to move to a brand new city after reading a list of reasons why I should. I relate to thinking back to that one relationship that wasn't really a relationship, but you envision it as perfect and label them as "the one who got away." I relate to finding somebody who loves you more than you love you and somehow convincing them to marry you. I relate to the 12 best kinds of cupcakes in the world, 10 things teachers actually want to say to students/parents/administrators, and I relate to binge watching Netflix because hey, who doesn't love watching all nine seasons of One Tree Hill in just two weeks?

This leads me to thinking about how much of an individual I actually am. We read the same articles, and love the same music, and all want updated kitchen appliances and granite countertops. So are we really all that different? Maybe so, maybe not.

As we start over on this blogging journey, in hopes that maybe you can relate to me, I want to give you a few insights into your writer's mind. Here they are:

1. I strategically positioned my MySpace "Top 8" based on who I was happy with/mad at in that moment so that my friends knew how I felt about them.
2. I just tried to log in to my old MySpace. I couldn't remember the password.
3. I am defined by the people with whom I share love, and yet equally defined by the people with whom I don't or don't anymore.
4. I would hug every single one of my ex-boyfriends if I saw them in order to thank them for our relationship ending.
5. I'm super dramatic.
6. I alphabatize all of my DVD's in a big CD/DVD carrying case.
7. I delete all of my e-mails, photos, contacts, and text messages from my phone regularly.
8. I want to go to every single place I possibly can before I die. Anywhere from Paris, MO to Paris, France - sign me up!
9. I didn't think I'd miss Chillicothe as much as I do. I really do.
10. I bought a men's t-shirt hoodie from Old Navy on clearance. It's way to big for me, but it's so comfy that I basically wear it every day around the house.
11. If I could wear a new pair of socks every single day, I would.
12. I cry hysterically at movies where kids die (i.e. The Fault in Our Stars) because kids shouldn't die. Especially from cancer. F cancer.
13. I have more prescription medications for just myself than the rest of my immediate family (mom + dad + brother + Ben) do combined. My dad has a lot, so it's close.
14. Reese's Peanutbutter Cups.
15. I just discovered last month what eyelash primer is. My life has changed forever.
16. I want to change the world through my career in education. I want to travel, I want to teach, I want to protest, I want to protect, I want to fight for the kids who need to be faught for.
17. My eyes change color with the weather.
18. I prefer larger coffee cups to the standard size.
19. I am anxiously waiting to be a bridesmaid again. There's nothing like being a part of a wedding - whether yours or someone you care about's!
20. I really want to go on a winery tour/tasting.
21. I will take a steak or hamburger over a salad any day. Sue me.
22. If I could pick one big city to live in, it would be Chicago.
23. I know a number of people who live in Texas, but I haven't been since I was young. Should probably work on that.
24. I know that I come off abrasive at times, but I genuinely love the people who I've opened myself up to loving.
25. I like to believe that when my students think back to their time in my classroom that they remember me as caring about them, if they remember nothing else.

Let's get re-started!

Graduation

Well, on Tuesday, July 8, 2014, I did the coolest thing that I have done so far in my life. I gave my thesis defense presentation and walked for my Master's degree. After 14 months of strenuous course work, full-time teaching, an impressive amount of stress, and a lot of really great experiences, I am officially a Mizzou alum for the second time.

More than that, I feel so blessed to have formed the relationships I did throughout this process. In my reflection over the program I said that there were probably days where my roommates and I wanted to kill each other, and there were definitely others days where we could not have imagined being anywhere else with any other people going through this. It was a unique experience that changed us and made us better. I leave with friends, mentors, and people who I know want to see me succeed on not only a professional level, but a personal one as well.

It would be almost impossible to describe all of the feelings I have. To know that I was able to accomplish something so great despite people's thoughts and circumstances is a greater feeling than anything else I've ever done. It was hard, but it was worth it.

Signing off,
Kimberly Duvall, M.Ed.

M-I-Z!

Allow me grace:

I have been struggling for a few months now regarding whether to start a new, different blog or to re-brand polka-dot chronicles. In the end, I've decided to do neither. I think to myself often that my psoriasis is not all that I am, so why should I glorify and showcase it in a format such as this? On the same token, while my disease is not all that I am, it is a large part in why and how I am who I am, and THAT my friends should be glorified and showcased. Accomplishments, growth, struggles, and successes should all be celebrated.

I do not promise that this blog won't take a turn. I see it more as a place to share thoughts and ideas, recap major events, and highlight those struggles and successes. I hope you all hang tough with me and allow me grace as we make the transition.

I'll leave you with a few snapshots to catch us up over the past few months and promise I'll return soon with more interesting words. Since we last chatted I've...

- Watched my husband graduate with a Bachelors in Music Theory from UMKC's Conservatory.

- Wrapped my first year of teaching in Chillicothe, MO and thus saying some of the hardest goodbyes of my life to students, colleagues, roommates, and my maiden name.

 

 

- Saw the Backstreet Boys in concert (again) with two of my favorite people.

 

- FINALLY moved in with my husband after nearly five months of marriage.

 - Finished, submitted, and presented my Master's thesis paper.