BA of the Week – Academic Editor Kate Garklavs

Every week we feature a different person from the community shedding a little light on their life of brokeitude. Who knows, maybe you’ll learn something about the human spirit — probably not.

Wanna be a Broke-Ass of the Week? Holler at us here and we’ll send you the questionnaire.

 Kate is an Academic Editor and a culinary tour guide.  I’m not exactly sure what either of those things are, but they do sound exciting!  Especially the culinary part.  When I asked Kate what she’d like me to include in the intro she said this:

I spend most of my time editing, writing (garkyeats.com), and trying to find the cure for the common hangnail. Lately, I’ve been having a Fair Isle moment. I make a mean pot of soup.

Kate – will you please make me some of this soup?

Name: Kate Garklavs

Age: 27

Occupation: By week: academic editor. By weekend: culinary tour guide.

What neighborhood do you live in?: The Mission

Best money saving tip: Find ways to repurpose leftovers and the odds and ends kicking around your pantry. I’ve created some strange meals this way, but I’ve also made a few winners. Take your shoes and purses in for repairs rather than tossing them; I recently salvaged a leather purse for $10(!) Finally, three words: Dear Sirs letters. If you’re dissatisfied with a product or service, write to corporate. Worst case, you get to unload. Best case, you get a voucher for a replacement.

What do you refuse to spend money on?: Shaving cream. It’s a ripoff, especially those creams marketed to ladies. Why would I want my legs to smell like mangoes? I use soap or conditioner, and my legs are relatively gash-free.

Most expensive thing you’ve ever bought: Probably my car, which I sold when I moved here.

How’d that feel?: The buying? Three years of pain. The selling? Awesome.

Favorite cheap eat: Carnitas tacos at La Taqueria, bacon dogs, or the pulled-pork sandwich at Roadside BBQ. I like pork. A lot.

Favorite dive bar: I have a soft spot for Murio’s, the first bar I visited when I moved here. Subsequent visits were no less sublime — any place with Sunday-night PBR specials is alright by me.

Best deal you’ve ever gotten: In college, I got a thrifted Burberry sweater for $4. It was a men’s sweater and didn’t fit too well, but I wore that sucka with pride.

Favorite free thing to do: Take meandering walks, cook with friends, and go to readings.

If you woke up a millionaire, what’s the first thing you’d buy?: Depending on how many millions we’re talking about, a house. Maybe I’d pay off my student loans, too (at least the interest).

Despite not having money, do you still love your life?: One thousand times yes! I don’t view broke-assedness as a drawback, but as a means of helping me reframe things. Most of my favorite things are totally gratis.

Do you own my book?: It’s in the mail.

Best hangover cure: Before going to bed, drink a ton of water and take vitamin C and fish-oil (or flax-oil) capsules. When you wake up, more water, Alka-Seltzer, and bacon.

Are you a hipster?: Without stated parameters, I can offer no response.