Time to get busy

Hello Friends! It has been months since I have written, and I have gotten some requests to get back online and talk about the things I don’t do in moderation.

I should start by saying that most things have not changed – I still do not drink in moderation, shop in moderation, or eat salty snacks in moderation. In fact, the reason I am even writing now is to stop me from eating the entire bag of Chex Mix I just bought at the airport (not nearly as good as P-Mix, obvi).

But one thing is new…the days of working in moderation for Carrie are now over.



I did not handle my 29th birthday with any moderation

As you may recall, NAM and I broke up about 5 months ago. And let me just say that starting a new job is HARD. You have a new set of programs to learn, new people to work with, and a new company to get accustomed to – is it sad that I don’t even know the name of the president of my company? I’ll answer for you…yes, that’s sad. And as I mentioned before, I am working A LOT.

I am not going to go into all the things that learning a new job has taught me about myself, because frankly I’m not really in the mood to write about that…but I am going to use that as an excuse for why I have not been blogging. And you know what – those days are done! NotInMod is back, and it is going to be better than ever (especially since the benchmark wasn’t set that high – let’s be honest).

Ok so – what is my return going to be about? Well, me, of course!

Since I have last written I have celebrated a birthday. I am now seeing the world through a 29-year-old lens, and let me tell ya, it’s glorious. And just like any real millennial, I am already thinking about what’s next…and the answer is that 30 is right around the corner - sort of. Now, turning 30 doesn’t scare me. I love where I am in life, I am proud of the things I have accomplished, I surround myself with wonderful friends and family, and I have at least one person who reads my blog (that’s Chad – because I make him).

But when the idea of a “30 before 30” list came up at our last IPPL reunion (which you can read about here) I decided to create a list – plus, I LOVE lists. Why you ask? Because 1) They keep you organized, 2) It’s fun to cross things off and 3) Because I grew up watching the David Letterman show with my sister Kim, and I think Top 10 lists are in my blood.



There are 2 different ways to look at this list – 1) Things you would like to do in your life before you turn 30 or 2) Things you would like to do in the next YEAR before you turn 30. Mine is the latter – let’s go.

1.       Run a 5K

2.       Go to the top of the Sears Tower

3.       Help my Mom move to Chicago

4.       Take a comedy class

5.       Increase my savings account by 30%

6.       Go to a Cubs rooftop

7.       Visit a winery – ideally an overnight trip

8.       Wake up and watch the sunrise over Lake Michigan

9.       Take a class about Whiskey/Booze (and not taste test in moderation)

10.   Volunteer on a Saturday

11.   Read at least 4 books – maybe one will be a “smart” book (that’s a relative term, but for example: I am reading a book called “I Totally Meant to Do That” and shockingly, I would not classify that as a “smart” book)

12.   Lose 5 pounds

13.   Pay off my Student Loans

14.   Paddleboard down the river, or at Montrose Beach, or really anywhere.

15.   Take dance lessons

16.   See at least 5 movies I have never seen that everyone else has (for example: Pulp Fiction, Coming to America, Goonies, Back to the Future, Animal House, Caddyshack - I know, "Carrie! How have you never seen ____?!")

17.   Go to Chinatown and eat Dim Sum

18.   Go on vacation somewhere new

19.   Eat at Girl and the Goat, the Publican and GT Oyster (any others Chicagoans?) 

20.   Celebrate my 1 year anniversary with Chad (laaaaaaaaame, but true)

21.   Donate money towards a good cause

22.   Visit at least 1 Chicago museum

23.   Host a downtown Sister’s Weekend….with my sisters.

24.   Pay off my Car Loans

25.   Convince at least one of my friends named Melissa to move to Chicago (come on, girls – pack it up already!)

26.   Play hooky from work and go to the beach

27.   Take Chad to a Gator Game and introduce him to Pita Pit

28.   Earn the respect of my new client and prove myself in my new job

29.   Do 30 random acts of kindness

30.   Stop writing my blog only in moderation

Can’t wait to see what this year has in store for me! It’s good to be back.

PITA spelled backwards is A TIP

Picture this: A bright-eyed 18 year old girl, sitting in a big auditorium in the middle of campus learning the Greek alphabet. This mid-western girl was wearing her cutest Old Navy shorts and tee and looked into a sea of blonde hair and beach tans wondering what sorority she would join and hoping to make at least one friend in the process. As people grouped with their Bright Future friends to discuss their favorite houses, she looked to her only friends (the Pi Chis) for a sense of direction, leaning on them for survival tips in Gainesville.  

• What to wear – Reefs are appropriate for Round 1, but not Rounds 2, 3 or Prefs. Sidebar: Reefs are not the same as Old Navy flip flops.  
• Things to do – If you love Country music then you have to go dancing at :08.  
• Where to eat – Swamp is a great place to go with your family, but for a great sandwich-type spot try Pita Pit.

Ok – you got me. This mid-western girl with no friends was ME! And I listened to anything the ladies in the orange hats told me to do. So that week, I only wore flip flops to Round 1, I went dancing at :08, and I tried Pita Pit.

I had no idea at the time what a difference the week of rush Recruitment would have on my 4 years at UF. I hurried through orientations and chose Advertising as a major, enthusiastically joined Pi Beta Phi and met some nice girls on the bus to the Pink Palace, and had my very first Pita Pit Experience. Since that week, I have considered myself a bit of a Pita Freak Connoisseur. 

A few Pita Pit facts about me:

See? Healthy!

• My freshman year I tried to get a job at Pita Pit as a cashier and made up that I was my class treasurer in efforts to try and impress the potheads that work there.
• I have been to at least 13 different locations (Rankings available upon request). 
• I once asked a friend’s parent to invest in me opening my own franchise location.
• When I studied in Mexico, Pita Pit honey mustard was on my Top 5 list of things I missed.
• I once drove almost 2 hours while hungover to Athens for a pita, only to find they were closed on Sundays.
• I have written a letter of complaint on the Pita Pit website that the Honey Mustard in Chicago is not the “real Pita Pit honey mustard.”
• Despite my feelings on the PPHM in Chicago, I still have drunkenly ordered 2 pitas by myself in order to meet the minimum price for an “out-of-area delivery.”

Ok, this guy is kinda a Baldwin

I know this sounds really sad….wow, this actually sounds REALLY sad, but I think part of the reason I love this place so much is that it takes me back to college. Back to a time where you couldn't afford the Chicken Caesar pita, so you sneakily ordered a Chicken pita and just added Caesar dressing. A time where I can meet my best friends for lunch between classes, or at 3am in the Pi Phi kitchen. It reminds me of sunny days, sleeping in, advertising campaigns and late nights at Gator City. 

But what really changed my life that week was not trying Pita Pit, but actually joining Pi Phi and studying Advertising…they took me from being the girl with no friends in the auditorium, to having some of the best friends in the world. And that trumps a Pita any day.    

You know what goes great with a Pita? BFFs.

...and Go Gators.

The following things have happened since I was last in Gainesville:

• Pam, Chanteal, Mere, Michelle and Prince William have all gotten married.
• Autumn, Baby Thomas and Baby Blue were born, with 2 more IPPL babies on the way.
• I moved to Chicago.
• Bin Laden was found.
• People everywhere were begging to be taught how to "Douggie.”
• There was a remake of the song "We are the World" and the movie "Footloose."
• There has been both a Winter and Summer Olympics.  
• LMFAO party rocked too hard and broke up.
• Crazy Aunts everywhere started drinking Vodka Sodas with a Splash of Cran.
• Urban Meyer resigned...twice.

As you can see, it is clearly time for K Keller to return to the city that gave her that nickname. The trip will be quick, but I plan on fitting as many of the following into my trip, if possible, in no particular order:

Break into the Pi Phi House, Eat Chicken Nachos from Ale House, Dance in a booze puddle until I have Grog Feet, Experience the real Pita Pit honey mustard, Mourn the loss of Cluck-U, Lose my voice from screaming “Orange/Blue” in the stadium, Make immature "Cock" jokes and laugh hysterically, Have a bucket of beer at The Swamp, Cry tears of joy when I see the Murph/DeFranco Tailgate, Visit a library just to use the bathroom, Take an inappropriate photo with the Tim Tebow statue, Laugh with my friends until my face hurts, Get asked on a Grab-A-Date.      

Get ready Gainesville – Here. I. Come.