Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Bar Keeper's Friend helped save my skillet

Over Halloween this past October, my roommate had an accident that involved my small skillet, yummy sausages and a hot burner. Needless to say, it scorched my pot and the burn marks wouldn't come out.

I was a little verklempt on how to get the burn marks off without having to get a new pot. Initially, my mom gave me an all green cleaner, because she had used it on a lot of her uncleanable items. After unsuccessfully scrubbing my skillet 'til my fingers bled, my mom recommended Bar Keeper's Friend. My roommate and I were talking about it and she got a bottle of it. Amazeballs! The skillet is (almost) scorch free.

So, in ode to this little wonder, I'm doing my own endorsement commercial via my blog. Don't freak out, it's only a :10 commercial rather than a :30 or :60 spot...geesh....

Camera pans to a young woman scrubbing in the sink. She rinses the pot and sees a sparkling, shiny Wolfgang Puck (love the product placement?) skillet.

The woman smiles and lookes into the camera while holding a bottle of BKF.

"Thanks Bar Keeper's Friend! You saved my skillet...and wallet...from having to be replaced!" *insert wink and cheesy smile here*

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Buddy the Wonder Dog

Seven years ago on Father's Day, our family surprised my dad with a golden retriever puppy. Years earlier, Bandit, my dog, had passed after surgery to remove a fatty tumor from his rib/stomach area. When Bandit died, it came as a complete shock to our vet as well as us. Bandit had come out of surgery happy, eating, drinking, going potty, jumping and playing like he normally did. An hour after the vet tech had taken him out, she came back to the recovery room and found him on the ground without a pulse. We later were told there seemed to be bone marrow that had made its way into Bandit's blood stream and stopped his heart...something that can happen without vets knowing until it's too late.

Being that Bandit was my dog, I was completely ballistic; however, my dad took the loss hard as well. You see, with my brother off to college, Bandit was the other "man in the house." My brother's dog, Abby, was not the right personality fit for my dad; he couldn't bond with her like he did with Bandit. Abby was not a cookie that you could readily enjoy with milk!

Father's Day, a day to celebrate your father, should show your thankfulness in all he does for you and family. So, my mom's idea was to get him the perfect gift-one to make him happy.

That's when we heard about Sievers Retrievers in Meppen, Illinois. A local Decaturan had gotten a black lab from them and loved their pooch. My mom found their website and showed me the litter that appeared to be around Father's Day. The Goldens were beautiful, but they definitely were larger than a normal standard.

My dad always said that his next dog would be a Golden because "Bandit's personality matched a Golden's unconditional love and eternal happiness." SIDE NOTE: Bandit, the thief of our hearts, was a pound puppy of a golden/GSD/collie mix, and was the best dog ever.

Our family had only adopted our animals from the county shelter, and my dad was becoming active in the county animal shelter board as a volunteer and later its President. So, we wondered if there would be any push back from my dad. When Father's Day approached, my mom broke the news that we didn't have a present physically there. Of course my dad didn't show any disappointment and stated he didn't need anything. That's when we told him about the puppy. He got so excited and was like a little kid waiting for the appointment to meet the Siever family. The time came to make the trip...

Meppen is about 3 hours from our house, and we passed a lot of fruit stands that I wanted to visit (ORGANIC PEACHES!!!); however, our mission was clear--To see if the Golden we were visiting could be a part of the Ewers family. We finally arrived to Roger & Michelle Siever's home and drove up the gravel dirt driveway. My mom, dad and I got out of the car to see Roger walking through the dust cloud holding a pouting Golden puppy who looked like he had just been woken up from a nap.

This Golden puppy looked up at us with his brown eyes, black shiny nose and arms crossed...and we fell in love. He had a ridge of hair that ran from between his eyes straight down his nose. His coat was blondy-blonde. Beautiful, soft. And he had ears as soft as velvet.

We asked Roger why no one had wanted this puppy, but he couldn't give us a straight answer. Was it because the ridge of hair was seen as a "fault" by breeding standards? Was it the fact that he already weighed 11+ pounds at eight weeks old? Or, indeed, was it that Roger was hoping to could keep this blonde puppy because he had fallen in love with him too??? If you ask me, I think guess 3 is the answer why he was the last pup standing.

Roger took us into their house to meet Michelle and their children. Roger said to us, "The dogs aren't allowed in our house (as he carried Buddy inside with us). They have their own house and huge acres of land to run on." Michelle was a sweet lady who started feeding the puppy cheese and said "This little one absolutely LOVES cheese. We'll give you a slice on the ride home if he gets antsy. Food always calms puppies down. A lil treat!" She fed the pup a little piece of cheese, which made him smile and wiggle with joy.

We took the puppy home that day, and my dad named him Buddy. We drove home, with my dad in the back seat holding Buddy. An hour into the drive home, we stopped to let Buddy potty. Buddy ran to the grass. In an excitedly cheery tone, my mom said "Good boy, Buddy!" Hearing my mom so happy made Buddy's eyes light up, and he ran right over to her, doing his puppy pride dance around her feet. Seriously adorable! Back in the car for the other 2 hours, and my dad gave Buddy some of the cheese Michelle had given them. A half hour after that, Buddy barfed up cheese, water and puppy food ALL OVER my dad. Needless to say, it was both hilarious and stinky!

The past 7 years have been happy, loving and joyful. Buddy has been a saving grace to my dad when he felt there was no one at home to talk to, his job pissed him off and my dad needed a calming presence. Work would stress my dad, and he would come home cussing. Intuitively, Buddy would realize "Hey, Dad's freaking out AND HIS FACE IS TURNING RED!!!" So, every time Buddy hears my dad using certain words (SHIT, DAMMIT!) he runs up jumping up and down as if to say "Call the heck down or you'll have a heart attack, Dad!"



Buddy now has 2 adopted (shelter) brothers, Kaiser and Cody. Kaiser was adopted from the animal shelter on a cold, rainy February day. An animal control agent called my dad when a long-haired German Shepherd was relinquished by its owners. My parents had been looking for a possible companion for Buddy since Abby (my brother's dog) had passed. My mom really wanted a shepherd, because she had been around them through her childhood and believes them to be one of the best dogs ever! When they saw Kaiser, his self esteem beaten down and shivering from fear, they knew he needed a loving home. Ours would be perfect. Cody was another owner surrender who came in when he was about 3-4 years old. Apparently, his "destructive" behavior was too much for his family to handle. I mean, Cody's torn some things up but not too terrible. We found out he was a Flat Coat Retriver, a breed I'd never heard of. They're basically a black Golden! SUPER CUTE & FLUFFY!!! Buddy loves his brothers...and they love him. They can't do anything without the others.



My dad and "The Boys" (along with our cat Figaro...who wants/thinks he's a dog) form a pack. The Boys look out for my parents, especially Dad, and offer a heartwarming comfort.

Back in college, I took one of my creative writing courses and told my dad I wanted to start writing children's books with Buddy as the main character. The series being called "Buddy the Wonder Dog." Buddy seemed to escape every bout of sickness or injury...like when he would eat HANDFULS of mulch without it tearing up his stomach or eating the chocolate chip cookies left on the counter without puking. That was until recently....



A week or two before Thanksgiving, Buddy was taken in for a hard mass on his shoulder. You should know our vet, who we lovingly call Aunt Doctor Becky (ADB), has a Siever's Golden after she saw us with Buddy. Her dog, Winston, is Buddy's uncle!!! ADB took x-rays and couldn't find anything--so she and my parents thought it might have been a sprained shoulder. When it didn't get better, my parents took Buddy back in for a biopsy. That's when ADB discovered that our Golden boy, Buddy, has Stage 1 bone cancer. Today, he went to have additional tests run at the University of Illinois' Veterinary Medicine building. We are blessed to have one of the top 3 vet schools within an hour drive. Because of the tumor already growing deep into the bone and tissue, the recommendation was to have the leg amputated. My parents think the surgery will be tomorrow or Thursday, but it was a hard decision for my dad to make. ADB is an alumi of UofI Vet, and my parents have asked her to do the surgery as we trust her more than anyone with Buddy.

There's so much of the "unknown" for this choice. What will his quality of life be like? Will he be able to play, run, walk, swim and enjoy his life as he would have before? Will Buddy fully recover? Will he forever be in pain that he hides and can't tell us about? Or will he be a part of that small percentage of dogs that wake up from the surgery and cry in agony as they see their missing limb for the first time? In that small percentage, will he be one of the dogs that recoil from human touch because he is so self conscious and upset? What will his doggie self esteem be?

Will Buddy feel as though we did this to him on purpose and feel as though we don't love him? Will Kaiser and Cody accept him back after surgery?

Buddy is pure joy. All he wants is: food, pets, hugs, cuddles, Bite-n-Fight play, walks, swimming in the pool and sleepy time. Doesn't seem like so much compared to what I want...a magical cure for him that leaves him in-tact and out of pain.

I love Buddy the Wonder Dog. I can't wait to get home for Christmas and snuggle up with him and pet his velvet ears. His first Christmas in 7 years that he won't be able to play in the snow....wonder if mom will let us build a snowman INSIDE for him! Hmmm....

Monday, December 14, 2009

Winter and the Holiday Season...puts me in the spirit!

This winter marks my fourth in the city. And still it never ceases to amaze me. The weather goes up and down, round and round, all within a matter of days. Last year's winter was one of the worse I've ever seen in my life, and I started this winter thinking about that fact and caught myself cringing.

The Windy City definitely becomes crazy...where people look like night ninjas as they wrap themselves from head to toe to protect themselves and defeat their foe, Weather. As the day begins and ends, you see Chicagoans bustling up to the bus and el stops with nothing but their eye balls showing. You remember in "National Lampoons Christmas Vacation," where Audrey's eyelashes/eyes get frozen as the Griswold family hunts for the perfect Christmas tree? Yeah, that actually happened last winter. Your eyes froze open and your eyelashes were mini icicles of tears. Pedestrians protect their feet with humongous, furry boots to keep any snow from touching their socked feet. The shelves at Walgreens and CVS are out of stock for hand warmers. Everyone is on MISSION: HYPOTHERMIA HATERS.

But boy do the electric and gas companies love Chicago weather...where they literally reap rewards far greater than you could imagine. Sky rocketing bills each month to protect against the cold. Being that I had steam heat for the past 3 winters, paying the gas bill this year will be interesting, especially since I have 2 fully exposed walls and no insulation in the building.

I shouldn't complain as my friends in Minne-Paul get weather far worse and extensive than Chicago; however, Chicago winter sucks.

But there are the positives. The first snow fall looks like shredded coconut making a humongous cake for us all to devour with pleasure. The pure white that first morning makes you want to throw on a snow suit, make snow angels, build a snow man and sip hot cocoa. Our family dogs, which we've termed "The Boys," run around the yard flicking mini puffs of snow up with their noses and trying to eat all the falling flakes. If I could take the entire winter off to watch The Boys play all day in the snow, I would. Seeing them happy and carefree turns me jealous to the overworked, hyper-stressed individual that I appear to be today.

Winter should bring back your childlike outlook on life. How quickly things change and to enjoy the beauty and magic that this season brings.

As a tribute to the child we've all lost, I want to tell a story that I still remember to this day and doubt I will every forget. Three winters ago, I was home in Decatur for the holiday. My dad and I needed to do some final Christmas shopping for my mom and grandma. We ended up running to the mall before it closed. As we parked our SUV in the lot and got out, we fell in step behind a younger dad and his daughter. The little girl appeared to be about five or six and wore a pink puffy jacket with a white faux fur collar. She had a tassle pink polka dot scarf and mittens that matched her jacket.

The snow was falling that night and looked beautiful against the almost set sun. The little girl looked up at her dad with an awestruck smile and asked, "You know what Daddy?" Her dad looked down at her with a patient and loving smile and asked "What?" She looked back up toward the sky and raised one of her cute, little, gloved hands and answered, "The snow looks like sugar falling down from heaven." With that, her dad swooped her up in a hug and propped her on his hip.

I looked at my dad with a huge smile and whispered that that was the cutest thing I've ever heard. He said, "You know, Cissy, kids have the purest outlook on life and make you see things in a way you never would have." While I've never had a maternal instinct in my life, that was one of the very few moments I've wanted children...just to experience those cute little quips that kids have. I know I used to look at life so pure, verses jaded.

My Christmas spirit is bounding uphill each day as we get closer to the 25th. Our family has been through a lot this year, and I have many blessings and things to be thankful for. Next steps are to await the sheet music to our Christmas Service at church and go caroling drunk off of Irish hot chocolate. Now THAT's the way to get in the holiday spirit.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

September in Phoenix & Fall in Chicago

Friends couldn't understand and always wondered why I didn't really connect with Phoenix when I moved there...and it's easy. There were a few things I didn't like, and I apologize for those who might be offended at this list:

1. Driving with the Phoenix drivers in the early morning--There were many an accidents that could have come "this" close from those who weren't going the speed limit, not looking before changing lanes, etc. Furthermore, DON'T get on the freeway if you're not going to go the speedlimit, not turn on your headlights in the pitch black of 6am and change lanes without looking to see if someone else is there.

2. Lack of grass--When I first flew over Phoenix, I saw green all over the place. I sat there descending and thinking that my parents were lying about Phoenix people not having grass and yards. Well, once I landed I realized they were right, but only partly. Some people DO have grass yards, while others take green painted rocks and dump tons of them to create a "green" yard. Very odd....

3. Lack of real seasons. Or should I say distinctive seasons. I went in for my first interview with UoP in September, while it was 95 degrees out that day. I was in a long sleeve white collared shirt and a black suit jacket and pants. However, I didn't feel uncomfortably warm. Hello1 NO HUMIDITY! But as it got to be Fall and then Winter, I was wondering what I would see. Other than the slight frost on the windows when I drove into work every morning, I didn't really notice anything other than the weather holding strong at a daily high of 75-80. I missed the fall turnover and the winter solstice...full of frost, ice and snow in all its glory!

So, I left...well, and I was in love with (before the move) an awesome guy who had cheated on me, which I found out right before Christmas. Don't do long distances...it's stupid and pointless. Anyway, I wasn't connecting with my surroundings, was heart broken, had a grandmother going in for a surgery and missed my family like mad. After Christmas, I packed my stuff and made the long drive back to Illinois.

I hadn't been back to Phoenix for over three years when I went this September to see my cousin. Three years! I still have a best friend out there along with my cousin. And I miss them both. When the plane was landing, I starting thinking of everything that happened before my move back home to Illinois, and I started tearing up. I had flown over the New Mexico mountains, saw the hills and mountains of Phoenix and realized everything I really liked about it.

The raw environmental beauty that I didn't get in Illinois.

I landed, called my cousin and awaited her at Door 7 on the North side of Sky Harbor. The airport always amazed me because it was so clean and fresh looking from the street. O'Hare and Midway always looked dingy in comparison after I flew into Phoenix.

Forgot to tell you why I went back to Phoenix in the first place--other than the fact I wanted to get away from work and have a couple days where I didn't worry about work or keep prospecting/researching companies through dinner. MY COUSIN WAS PREGNANT! It was the first pregnancy among my dad and aunt's section of our family. She had just bought her first home about five months earlier, had a rough go around with her long term boyfriend and was in the best pregnancy zen I could ever imagine.

Katie, my cousin, had no morning sickness, only gained 23 pounds and looked only six months pregnant when the baby was born! How lucky! Every other uncomfortable pregnant woman's jealous dream! Since she told me she was pregnant, I joked about how I hoped it was a boy when she wanted a girl--Oliver Liam Grundman LeGreco was born on 9/23/09, A BOY. I also planned my trip a couple weeks before Oli G. was due because I am not good with babies, which Katie joked she hoped the baby would come when I was there. Then my dad, aunt and grandma said the same thing; they all felt it would be good "experience" for the member of the family who didn't want kids or to be around them to actually see the power and miracle of birth.

Well, as soon as Katie's driving us out of the airport, she said to me. "I've got a surrrrprrriiiiise for you!"

"You're getting induced," I answered.

She looked at me, shocked, and asked if I had talked to Grannie the night before, which I had not. I did, however, have a dream earlier that week that she had an early induction due to the fact the baby was so large. The baby's dad, Casey, is a GIANT! Well, not clinically a giant, but socially speaking. Casey's 7'9. And my mind was like "Dang, that's a tall dude!"

So, my trip to Phoenix in September was helping prep the rest of the baby needs, go shopping, and just relax. The weather was beautiful and topped out at 101. For a summer in Chicago that the average temp in July was 69, this change in weather was much needed. I also got to see my best friend, Ash (it's a boy, not a girl), for lunch, where I got to meet his long-term girlfriend and future fiance. I hadn't seen him in two years since he came to Chicago for a long weekend.

Katie was induced Tuesday night and Oliver was born on Wednesday afternoon. However, even though I had extended my stay from leaving 7am Tuesday morning to leave at 1pm on Wednesday, I missed him being born. But I did leave feeling excited and hopeful that I might have a child someday, too. Yes, I now want A, one, uno, ein bebe!

When I got back to Chicago, work picked up. (Work is also another reason for my lack of blogging--big product launch, lots of new business efforts, etc.) Then it was October 1st. The weather turned quite quickly. One weekend it was about 75 and the next week was low 60's and then high 50's.

And then, I woke up to the morning temperature of 42. Granted it was at 7:30am; however, the high was 52. GOOD-NESS! It is freezing. Plus my roommate didn't want to turn on the heat. I run cold naturally, and it was/is getting a bit too much to deal with. So, this weekend while she was gone for some family reasons, I turned on the heat. AAAaaahhh....nice to be warm rather than freezing when I go to bed.

However, when I was walking around Lincoln Park yesterday and then driving on 55 South today to meet my dad, I realized how beautiful fall is. Look at the leaves and the sky, even though it might be slightly cloudy. It's almost like the clouds are preparing for the earth to take a long nap. The leaves left on the ground are a bright colored quilt stitched by nature. Protecting it when the snow, rain and ice come. I really love the seasons, and I can't wait for winter to come. Everywhere in Chicago, people are prepping. The boots are on, scarves are nestled under our chins and the jackets/coats are out of storage. I can't wait for the Festival of Lights.

To ring in Fall's spirit, my friends and I had a Fall inspired dinner, with a menu that consisted of pumpkin and squash courses. There's a certain feeling you get from winter veggies. The warmth, color, smell and feeling is amazing and heart warming.

While I was left feeling in love with Phoenix, my cousin, the new baby, my best friend and the heat...I realize why I truly am a Midwest girl. You know...I was emailing my friend Kris last week and he said to me that people on the west coast will never compare the kindness in people in the Midwest. He said when you can't drive or even walk into a doctor's office without encountering rudeness, "Houston, we have a problem."

Look around you. See the nature. Experience the preparation for the next four or five months. Be happy. And while I'm not inspired enough by Phoenix to move back, I WILL be going over for Christmas to see Oli G for the first time. I already have his present--a onesie that says "Mommy's Poop Master."

Monday, June 1, 2009

New Moon Trailer = Me likey

Denise and I haven't gotten our new cable box from Comcast yet (which is my fault), and we missed the MTV movie awards last night. We kept checking all types of media outlets for our very own peek at the New Moon trailer.

As we were giving up and going to head off to bed, I took just one more peek at www.perezhilton.com. And there on the home page was the trailer.

The permalink was like a blinking Christmas light telling us "Click me. You know you wanna see hot Robert Pattinson & Taylor Lautner." I opened the link and Denise sat next to me as we watched the clip for the first time.

Three more viewings later, we were both excited with goosey bumps on our arms. I CAN'T WAIT! Seriously, there's something so juvenile about this movie...and the Twilight saga in general...but I cannot help myself! It's like I am a tween again. SAVE ME FROM THE MADNESS.

Enjoy

Official Review of an amazing product...Shoes Under

As you can see in my previous post, I am known for my footware. And while most people would tell me to halt my addiction and save my money, I now have a whole new reason to continue my pursuit of orthopedic merriment...

THE SHOES UNDER



We've all seen this product advertised on TV. This product seemed as obvious as "green means go;" however, no one had really put this out as a consumer product. So, as my move-in day came to an end and I was stuck unpacking all my clothes, bags, purses and belts, the four boxes of shoes I had sitting in the middle of my room almost appeared to be a feat to difficult too overcome.

While on a quick dinner break, I ran up to Walgreens to grab some basic fridge fillers and ended up walking by the "As Seen on TV" aisle. On the end sat Shoes Under, promising me a place for all of my shoes to fit...under my bed whilst taking no extra room in my closet. I thought, "What the hay. If they don't work, I can take them back." For $9.99 per Shoes Under, I thought this would be the cheapest and most appropriate solution.

I bought two Shoes Under to start, thinking this would fit all my shoes. Each Shoes Under fits up to 12 pairs of shoes. I opened my first moving box full of my shoes and began the process of unpacking.



The first Shoes Under was filled quicker than I expected, but I was a bit frustrated at the fact that some of my taller heels had to be split between two separate sections, which led to me losing a whole space for another pair of shoes. And then I got to thinking, "How would a man's shoe even FIT in here?" Not like most men are rushing out to get their very own Shoes Under, but I just thought this product is definitely leaving out a whole demographic...gay men. I would totally give this to my GBF for the holidays or his birthday.

With the first Shoes Under filled and filed under my bed, I started getting creative with my shoe boxes, and started making SHOES JENGA by stacking all the individual boxes before sorting them in the Shoes Under:



In the end, I had to go get an extra Shoes Under since my shoe collection was extensive as a stamp collector. Overall, this product is amazing. I have a platform bed and have never been able to really keep anything under it...until now. My Shoes Under's will probably double.

I thank you, Shoes Under creator, for giving me a product that frees up space in my closet, provides an obvious solution and a way to keep my shoes addiction/spending from my mother. GO GET YOURSELF A SHOES UNDER!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Shoes: Addiction or Random Accumulation?


As I am packing for my move over Memorial Day weekend, I was afraid to even begin to tackle my closet. It seems overwhelming and scary. However, I was a brave girl and decided to take the easiest objects to pack first. Those objects were the shoe boxes stuffed in the back of my closet.

In college, I really started to develop a love-hate relationship with shoes. I loved to have them but hated that I wasted money on them. So as my college career went on, I started graduating into a regular aficionado of the stilleto.

And for the past 4 years of my working career, I have accumulated a lot of shoes. The packing tonight rendered 4 boxes of shoes, which doesn't include boots. I got rid of 4 pairs that were just worn to the stitches and 2 pairs that I hardly wore and will donate. Still, it's an insane amount of shoes!!!

I know I am not the only girl with this problem. And I admitted a long time ago that I am addicted to shopping. While I have calmed down my addiction, my closet is still a realization that I have been a bad, bad girl.

Lesson Learned

Today was a day filled with an important lesson...

Making PB & chocolate no-bake cookies for your co-workers should be done the morning OF instead of the night BEFORE the day you want to take them into the office. Next time, I will measure everything out the evening before, wake up early to make them and let them set while getting ready.

Currently, there are only 10 left. We'll see about the morning.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Mommy's Day, celebration of birth

My friends who know me and how I feel about children know that I probably won't be a mother any time soon...if at all. As many of my friends/family tell me, it is hypocritical to despise small children/babies considering I used to be one. Blah blah blah...you can't tell me that parents don't wish they could give their kids away every now and then, especially when they're acting like a-holes.

What I do appreciate is my family, especially my mom for birthing me from her loins. I came back home tonight to spend this weekend with my family. My mom, dad and I were sitting around watching "Baby's Mama" and comically reliving the birth of my older brother and me.

First thing to know about my older brother is that he was almost a month LATE. He wouldn't come out. Lazy bastard was stubborn as a mule from his zygote stage. But when he decided to grace the family with his presence, he was out in 45 minutes. My brother was born on June 11, 1981, and my mom's birthday is December 11th. So, there is some number connection in the cosmos with them. My brother was the CUTEST baby I have ever seen. He was like a rolly-polly teddy bear baby.

I, on the other hand, was NOT the cute baby. I came out kinda weird lookin' (and some would argue that the stage is not over yet). I was 2 days early, because I believe to be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late and if you're late, don't show up. My mom was telling me tonight that she didn't really feel any pain when her water broke and she felt fine until she got into the hospital. But, like my brother, mine was a quick birth--1 hour baby! I was born on April 15, 1983...and my dad is CFO/CPA. Take THAT for karma! But my dad, speaking as a CPA, believes I am the best tax break he & my mom ever got, and I don't disagree.

Growing up, my brother and I had BLEACH blond hairs. Yeah, have no idea how that happened. Look at my picture...I have dark dark brown hairs. My brother looks like my mom's dad, may he rest in peace. While I look like my dad, even though I don't see it and still feel like the milkman's baby.

Many arguments, broken bones, sports teams, traveling and school later, my brother and I are adults. My parents are empty nesters...until I come home with Will and Grace, and then it's game on. Spending time with my family while I'm home is relaxing and needed. Work and Chicago can really distract me from being appreciative and contemplative of the blessings I have been given and have worked for in my life.

My mom has had her times...there were times I didn't know if I could look at her without wanting to tear her face off. But in the end...in the reality of it all...I respect her and thank her for my life.

Mother's are a force to be reckoned with. Their power, strength and intelligence is insurmountable. I would challenge any man/father to do half of what their wife/mother has done for them and their children without being asked or told. It is an internal, natural ebb and flow. And while I cannot see myself with children, I hope that if the blessing comes along that I can learn from my own mother and my friends who are mothers for guidance.

Current Twitter status that I wanted to share

Every time Ace of Bass comes on the radio, I turn into an awkward 12 year old again...

Moving To-Do List

With my move coming up in two weeks, I am preparing a to-do list of things that are vital to my happiness in my new apartment:

1. Buy the following items in bulk: peanut butter, bananas, cheese, wine & toothpaste

2. Carefully pack my important items, which include: Dane Cook tickets, Nuevo Vallarta tequila shot necklace & Pres. Obama memorabilia

3. Sell window AC unit, as I have finally graduated up to central air

4. Patch holes in bathroom wall that are result of NOT measuring properly before hanging

5. Give roomie the tour of the apartment she hasn't seen & hope she approves

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Rain turns Chicago into London?

You know, the only time I was in London was back in the Summer 2004 while on an immersion trip with my university. Our class took British Airways, and whilst on our airplane waiting to take off, the BA pilots went on strike. True story...I was ON the plane. But alas, I am getting off track.

I suffer from migraines, and have been affected by this since I was 12 years old. My headaches also stem from barometric pressure, which is basically when the storms are coming. Well, the past 10 days have been fun. At one point, it rained off/on for 6 days in Chicago. It was NUTS!

At one point, I saw a yuppy mom with her little toddler-both wearing their wellies. Don't get me wrong, I thought it was completely cute; however, we're not in London. It made me think-"I mine as well just get some fish and chips and buy a ridiculous poncho." I'm hoping this rainy season turns into the beautiful Spring weather I love so dearly.

Plus, my hairs look awful with the wet and humid weather...so, now my hair gets to look like poo for the next 4 months with the humidity! HOORAY!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Even more pride

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/07/AR2009040702200.html?hpid=topnews

Things progress day to day, but today is a good day...

Finally proud!

Someday, I hope to attend my best gay friends' weddings in the state of Illinois and know that their rights will be forever available as it would be for me. Looks like America is taking the right step!!!

http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE53648V20090407

Please don't post comments saying how I'm wrong and people are going to hell...I leave judgement up to My Creator and no one else. Thank you and be accepting.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Deep in the heart of Texas!

How would one know that Spring has officially sprung unless one takes a Spring Break mini getaway? One can't!!! So, in order to honor the commencement from Winter to Spring, Brianne and I took a roadtrip to visit our friend, Denise, who had moved to Texas about a year ago.

The road trip began on a Friday night from Hoopeston, Illinois (home of the Cornjerkers) and ended in Pearland, Texas (a suburb right outside of Houston). Gotta love a 15 hour road trip that takes you through such exciting cities such as Dix, Illinois, Arkadelphia, Arkansas and Cotton Plant, Arkansas. I mean, seriously people.

I really enjoyed my time there. We had a very calm trip full of shopping, going out, recooping from our hangovers, going to bed at 5am, visiting Chocolate Bar, going costume shopping, seeing "I Love You Man," and GRILLING OUT IN MARCH!!!

The thing I find most annoying when taking road trips is the differing driving styles between states. It seems that Arkansasians don't like a turn signal, but they LOVE driving slowly in the left hand lane. Texans seem to like hugging the lines while driving their over-compensatingly large trucks. And we know what big cars compensate for...short....legs.

Anyway, that's neither here nor there. I think my favorite moment in Texas was Chocolate Bar. I want to marry the man who thinks it's a good idea for me to start my own sweet treat shop filled will chocolatey goodness. Cakes, tortes, everything dipped in chocolate! *HEAVEN* I wanted to just roll around in everything...and now I sound like a dog.

With Denise wanting to move back to Illinois, prefererably Chicago, this might be my only visit out there!

Where has 2 months gone?

So, I haven't been blogging since February 25th. I cannot believe I have neglected my blog outlet for 2 months. This fact is just outrageous. Simply outrageous. The past 2 months have been highly dedicated to work and my newfound love...

THE TWILIGHT SAGA!

Oh...my...god. I cannot tell you how much I loved these books. I think in total the 4books have about 2,000 pages, which I read over 9 days (a feat that my friends called fanatical and crazy). I read Twilight in one sitting on a rainy Sunday after the Forest Park St. Paddy's Parade. It was a good tired/hungover book. The other books took 2 1/2 or 3 days to get through. This accounted to late nights...

The saga was a nice escape from the serious story lines I had been reading. Over Christmas, I saw the movie with a friend who had read the first 2 books. She told me that the movie was lacking compared to the book. Still, I didn't motivated to buy the book.

Then, my friend said she had the 4 books at her office and needed to bring them home. "I'll read them if you bring them home," I told her. That week, I had Twilight and New Moon on the coffee table. Again, I just wasn't in the mood to start reading. But once that first book was over, I couldn't stop thinking about starting the sequel.

It is official, and I am a Twilight fanatic. November 20, 2009 cannot come soon enough. New Moon is supposed to have a bigger budget, which I think will lend to better effects and story line. Hopefully, it will encompass more of the book than the first movie. And while I think Edward Cullen is dreamy, I'm team Jacob. Tall, dark and handsome.

P.S. Robert Pattinson is an amazing musician...and me love him long time.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Song on my mind...

You know, there are songs throughout time that will never leave your soul. And I think this is one of them. "C'est Ci Bon" sung by Eartha Kitt is the most amazing recording. This petite woman has the voice of the world in her.

I wish I would have been able to see her perform live before her passing in January 2009. She was still performing and interviewing through her fight with colon cancer, and she still had that cheerful and gracious attitude.

I hope that I can sing this live someday...while I can sing in 5 languages, French is not one of them. I can attempt, but it would sound like poo. I'm going to have to get my mom to help me with the phonetics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK2Li67ln68

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Stimulate something please

With the passing and editing of the stimulus package, I just think to myself that SOMETHING's gotta stimulate...and I know a lot of my friends need some stimulating, too.

I was raised in Decatur and Forsyth, Illinois. Most people have never heard of Decatur, even though there are over 80,000 people in the "city" and is a HQ for a Fortune 500 company that is the largest manufacturer of soy & corn products--ADM. Decatur also has a office for Catterpillar. A plant where production could turn from farm machinery to military tanks within minutes! (if the country every needed it) Lastly, Tate & Lyle has is HQ'd in Decatur. T&L has a plant, Staley, that produces products from renewable food sources. So, class, what's the business trend we are seeing here???

IT'S BLUE COLLAR. Agriculture & manufacturing. Which means what? This city cannot afford job losses in this economy.

While ADM had an upward trend compared to the downward forecasted revenue reports, Caterpillar has decided to reduce departments/locations across the globe. Thousands of workers are being laid off, and Caterpillar chose Decatur as a location to shut down some areas in order to save money.

Jobs lost in a blue collar town where other jobs are not plentiful to begin with?

It's devistating. I have friends that have friends and family at Cat. If hundreds of people are losing these jobs, but they don't have anywhere to go, these workers' families are put into a horrible position and reality. This reminds me of what happened when I was growing up...

Bridgestone Firestone had a huge plant in Decatur, and it had been open for over 50 years and had about 1,500 employees alone in this ONE plant. The plant closure happened around the time when Bridgestone had its tire recall that ultimately had them losing MILLIONS upon MILLIONS of dollars. Decatur was really never the same. There were tons of workers unemployed, families without income and no other jobs for these workers. ADM and Staley were immediate go-to's for a lot of people.

I grew up in the Midwest (obviously) surrounded by corn and soy fields. And if you grew up in this area and have experienced winds, rains and tornadoes, you would probably know and believe that these natural things could lead to a lot of good jobs, fuel/food sources, etc. We need to reinvent the wheel and model for "what is normal" in living, purchasing, and producing.

We need to believe that the money put into it now is an investment on what could come out of it. We need to be a leader in the world when it comes to using our brains and our own resources to live off of. Not someone else's stuff. We need to stop being greedy and lazy and thinking that everything will just come to us on its own and fix itself.

Please, let this economy stimulate...

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Why population control is needed sometimes...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29038814/


If you cannot take care of your children without support from family, friends, church or the government, then maybe you shouldn't have anymore...just an idea. Ok, let me rephrase that--your MAIN income shouldn't be from family, friends, church or government. Everyone gets help from time to time!

Nadya Suleman really pisses me off, and I can't really explain it as well as the video of her initial interview. It is obvious to me that she is effed up in the head. Alternative lifestyles are awesome! And I am all about invitro and artificial insemination for couples who want to have a family and can afford it. However, I am not about a woman having children to make herself feel fulfilled. With 7 children, if you don't feel fulfilled already, there is something else wrong and you need to seek help.

And with that last statement, I find it odd that her Master's Degree will be in counseling...THERE'S YER SIGN honey!

Ok, enough of this or I could be typing all night. And my fever still hasn't gone away from my flu and this topic would put me over the top.

Friday, February 6, 2009

Keep the dream alive...

Through the barfing of my flu yesterday, I got some amazing news...

My best friend, Jennifer, just happened to go online to Ticketmaster to double check there wasn't a presale for NKOTB tickets for the concert on 4/5/09. And BOOM! There was the presale. WOOT!

NKOTB on 4/5/09 in Champaign, IL @ Assembly Hall....section A20.

Cannot wait for another night like THIS...

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Bong It Baby…Doug Strickland’s Letter to Michael Phelps

Public Defender’s Office
Richland County, South Carolina

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Mr. Phelps-

Phew. Wow man, I bet your mom is PISSED at you. Trouble again in the public eye—tsk tsk, you naughty bird. For once, I’m glad I’m not you. Still, you’re lucky it was only marijuana and not something dirty like meth. Just look at what happened to Sarah Palin’s daughter’s future mother-in-law when everyone found out she was selling meth to 12 year olds. Talk about a downward spiral for one’s moral fiber.

Rest assured, everyone will forget the bong picture just as quickly as they forgot about the DUI thing. Give it a month, and it’ll be old news. Well, now people are talking about the DUI again since the bong picture spread everywhere like my ex-wife’s legs at the annual golf charity event. But that’s a whole other conversation. Or “convo” as you kids call it. But seriously, this is no biggie.

I bet you’ve heard what’s been going around Richland County about you possibly facing criminal charges, but I want you to know a little secret. In the 21 years I’ve been working in the Public Defender’s Office in Richland County, I can’t remember a single person being charged with drug possession. Yeah, 21 years, buddy. So don’t sweat this too much. And that idiot sheriff, Leon Lott, is a joke. Don’t tell him I told you this, but he came on when Miami Vice was on-air. It’s like he secretly wanted to be wearing the white linen suit and bright t-shirts, and thought it would be fun to be sheriff. Haha! What a dim-witted idiot.

Subsequently, I propose a plan of attack for you just in the slightest case your sweet ass ends up in lock-up here. First, I would definitely make a donation somewhere. I dunno, maybe an animal shelter or something? Chicks really love guys who like animals. And you could take your dog on a tour of shelter stops or something. Next, I would write a public letter just letting the youth know the importance of staying away from drugs, how you regret your bad decisions and tell your experience with them. Maybe leave out the experience part, because there’s nothing better than getting wasted with your buddies and smoking the gonja while eating nachos and Oreos. Damn I miss my college frat parties!

But seriously though. Usually, the other druggies caught in the past paid a $500 fine or were put away for 30 days tops. If by some strange twist of fate, Miami Vice Sheriff Lott and his funky suit put you in the slammer, I’ll personally make sure you’re taken care of. I have those strings since I'm the head of the Public Defender's Office. But you gotta play it cool homie.

Ok, I gotta peace out. My secretary is coming with me to take a deposition...if you know what I mean. Yeah BUUUUDDY! Hit me up on my cell if you’re worried.

Keep the bong dream alive-

Doug Strickland
Head of the Richland County Public Defender’s Office

P.S. I’m not sure if you can do this, but I’m sending my Michael Phelps calendar. My best friend got it for me for Christmas but I was waiting to meet you someday and make it a collector’s item. Now, I think I’ll just hang it up in my office next to my phone. Do you think you can sign it for me? Thanks, bra.




Tuesday, February 3, 2009

The Bean Vandals

I stand corrected...the second person's name is quite legible. Given premature information on the radio.


The Eternally Infamous Peter S. (or is the S really a 5?)

Today, Chicago was hit with the disheartening news that their amazing and semi-virginal “Cloud Gate” has been maimed. The majority of the population will know Cloud Gate as “The Bean” in Millennium Park. And here is a brief history of The Bean and how it came about.

The Bean was constructed about 4 years ago by British artist Anish Kapoor after he won a design contest held by the city in search of a local piece of art. Anish made The Bean out of 168 stainless steel plates that reflect sides of the Chicago skyline. No offense to NYC, but Chicago’s skyline is amazing and stretches over 20 miles (believe me, because I walked 20 miles of it for the AFSP Overnight Event in 2006). And I’ve been to NYC to see the skyline. So, I find myself able to make such a statement.

The last two stages of the construction included an intense buffing of the steel plates as well as polishing which left Cloud Gate the shiniest philly the Midwest had ever seen. Interestingly enough, The Bean was constructed based on private donations only without any public finance. Which is probably a good thing considering the final bill for this art was estimated at $23 million, shockingly escalated compared to the initial estimate of only $6 million. HOLY CRICKEY!

While driving to work this morning and listening to WGN Radio for traffic updates, I heard the funniest piece of reporting and commentary between John Williams and whoever he was talking to about the story. For this story, we’ll call him Sean Connery. And here is my attempt to recreate (with a twist of Meridith in there):

JW: So, Sean, what’s this about the Bean being vandalized last night?

SC: Yeah, John, it’s a sad story of th…

JW: (interrupting) Wouldn’t you think it would be too cold for someone to be doing that. Ha!

SC: Yeah, it was cold but don’t think it took them that long. Cloud Gate, or as most of you may know it as The Bean, has been vandalized. Peter S decided he wanted to go down in history as the first person to etch-a-sketch his name into the shiny silvery belly of The Bean. Well, I guess it could be Peter 5 but I think it’s probably an “s” to symbolize the initial of his last name. Maybe he’s a mathematician! *giggle*

JW: Oh wow, could you imagine the police searching the Cook County database with all people named Peter S? Could take YEARS to find that guy. *chuckles at his stupid attempt at humor*

SC: *confused silence*

JW: (going into recovery mode) Well, how big is the name? I mean can you see it? I wonder if they will try to buff it out or something. The Bean is so SHINY! It just is tragic that this happened. But I mean it’s been four years. So, I guess it was clean that long.

SC: You’ve got a point there, John. The Bean has been so loved by the city and all who come through Chicago that I think it demanded respect until last night. I don’t know exactly about getting the name buffed out but yeah…you can definitely see it. Looks like Peter used a pencil or a pen or a nail or something sharp.

JW: Yeah, it’d have to be sharp to get etched into that steel. Well, how big is it?

SC: It was small compared to the entire size of The Bean being so big. But I’d say it’s a pretty decent size…you know…about 3 inches. (pause)

JW: (pauses because they’re both thinking the same perverted joke that’s not allowed by radio regulations)

JW: Yeah, that’s a pretty big scratch. Big enough to see.

And THAT’s where I had to laugh out loud and change the channel back to B96. I heard an update on The Bean on WGN Radio while driving to and from appointments. Looks like Peter S. (or possibly Peter 5 as the WGN Radio reporter so observantly found) was with another person who also scratched his/her name into The Bean. However, due to the illegible nature of the name, it cannot be read. Hence, that person matters none whatsoever to this story or forever in history. Sorry! Should have learned to write. Then you’d be as popular as Peter 5…I mean Peter S!! Damn it! I’m already forgetting his name.

Monday, February 2, 2009

DECAPITATION OF THE PENGUIN

Groundhog Day was sad realizing that we’ve got 6 more weeks of this awful winter weather. Chicago winter brings the dryest air into my apartment. Furthermore, the dry air makes my cats’ fur all staticy and shocking. There are times, with the lights off, my sheets will literally give off enough electrical static I can see sparks in my sheets...and that happens to be the most action those sheets have seen all season. I've gotten used to the fact that a lot of vintage apartments still use steam heat. That's fine, because steam heat is the warmest heat I've ever felt. But it is no help for the air.

The past few weeks I debated whether or not to just buy a humidifier for my living room to help put some moisture back into the air. Each time I passed the shopping aisles, I saw a gazillion humidifiers all promising to cure me of the horrible static cling that causes me to check my behind every time I wear a skirt and tights. StaticGuard has one loyal customer in me. For the past 2 months, I bet I've probably kept them in business. Still, I kept putting a humidifier on the back of the "needed purchases list"…that is until I went to the store and saw the PERFECT one to fit my personality. Case in point:




This cute little humidifier was small enough not to take up too much space in my living room and has been the static-be-gone promise of any working humidifier. Plus, I don't want to grow out of my college attitude and still have a ridiculously childish piece of machinery in my apartment. The one problem of this miraculous machine? My cat keeps decapitating it. No joke. The first three mornings of using the penguin, I woke up to find my penguin decapitated by my cat, Will’s, own doing. He attacked the helpless machine in the middle of the night when he knew I couldn't save my beloved machine from it's brutal death. Sunday morning, he even took off the body of it. Will is a bit of a bully and quite strong. So, the poor plastic penguin had no steaming chance.


But two can play that game. I decided to put Will in his place by taping the head to the body to the base with black electrical tape. This morning I awoke to a fully intact penguin humidifier. This seemed to piss off Will, as he preceded to stand in front of the penguin staring at it. I truly believe he was waiting for his evil stare to scare the penguin to tipping off his own head. Then, he moved to the other side of the ottoman, where he stalked the machine.







That’s when Grace, his twin sister, got into the action. She laid on the window sill staring at the steam making it’s beautiful cloud-like billow out of its whale-esque blowhole at the top of its plastic head.



Sometimes I truly wished they would chill out and let me breath my newly humidified air in peace.

Weekend Reflection

The past couple days, I’ve experinced a few things that were enjoyable, refreshing and depressing all mixed into one.

Yesterday was a national holiday—Super Bowl Sunday. Instead of preparing a massive amount of gut-wadding food, I spent my afternoon going to see Spamalot with one of my best friends. I was a virgin to the show, but my friend had actually seen it in London while on family vaca a couple years ago. It was freakin’ hilarious! There were a couple of Blago quips and a reference to Beyonce’s “Put a ring on it.” And it was good to get out and see a production—especially since I miss performing myself! After the show was over, we grabbed a quick dinner and rushed home so I could see the game…or most of it.

Some of you might have noticed on Super Bowl Sunday for the past few years, Animal Planet has staged its own “Puppy Bowl.”
http://animal.discovery.com/tv/puppy-bowl/puppy-bowl.html Unlike what seems like most American families, mine didn’t focus too much attention on football. However, we had a very animal friendly house. So the puppy bowl is freaking awesome to me! I’d much rather watch puppies running around and being cute any day. Still, I found the puppy bowl a true distraction from the actual game. I lived in Phoenix after college and was rooting for the Cardinals! Here I was trying to really focus on the game, and I kept flipping back to the freaking puppy bowl and worrying the stupid poodle pup was going to get run over by the cocker spaniel.

I should have kept watching the Puppy Bowl, because my team lost. Yup, the cardinals lost it! At half time I was calling my friends back in Pahonix and heard them all at the bar drinking and hoping the 2nd half would be their redemption. And oh did redemption come with Fitzgerald’s TD with a little less than three minutes left in the game. While I was jumping around screaming at the top of my lungs and taking other phone calls from friends, I slowly realized that if the Cardinals could have scored in thirty seconds then the Steelers definitely had the time with their two plus minutes. Welp, we all know what happened.

Then, getting the company email letting everyone know who won the Super Bowl pool was awesome. I was on the top 4 winners for the losing team. But I still think I got a gift certificate for the jelly of the month club or something. If only I hadn't given up carbs...what am I going to do with 12 of the nation's best jellies and jams?

Saturday, January 31, 2009

NKOTB updates

As previously mentioned in my first NKOTB related post, a cruise is happening in May. Unfortunately, financial status and the economy falling down the crapper forced me to make some observations before purchasing the tickets (please see below).

First, let's analyze the NKOTB cruise pricing:
1. Cheapest per person room rate: about $700-$750

2. Roundtrip airfair from ORD or MDW to Miami: about $350-$450

3. Alcohol on trip: Unable to estimate at this time

4. Gratuities for alcohol: Based on the value of #3

5. Stupid memoriabilia purchases: Based on the consumption of #3

Estimated total: Too much than I was willing to spend!!!!

Observations and reasons why NOT to buy tickets:
1. Pay for new laptop
2. Pay for car insurance
3. Pay for May trip with Annie to visit Lindsay in South Carolina
4. Road trip in March with Brianne to visit Denise in Houston
5. Credit card bills
6. Put money in savings for my house (to be purchased before 30)
7. Tickets to see Spamalot with Chip & tickets to Chicago for Brianne's birthday

And as I sat angry and depressed at not being able to afford this NKOTB cruise which was expected to change my life...I found out some devistating news--NKOTB planned additional tour dates that didn't come close to the Chicagoland area.

But my dreams were put back together again on Wednesday as my best friend, Brianne, discovered a brand new stop in Champaign, IL for NKOTB on Sunday, April 5, 2009. WHAT? Our dreams have been realized...ever since this evening...




...we have been DYING to go see them again in concert. If we can't do it by air or sea, by damn, we'll do it by car.

Problems that happened today on our quest to the April 5th show:

a. LiveNation (being the sponsor of this date) had tickets available today. Ticketmaster had tickets available on Saturday, February 7th. Hhhmm....???

As a resolution to this problem, I called my friend, Jennifer, who works at LiveNation in L.A. She didn't pick up. DAMN! So, I sent her a text begging her to help us so we wouldn't end up ticketless. She called back...2 1/2 hours later. That's when the other problem happened...

b. The April 5th concert isn't showing as verified on their company intranet site of shows. WHAT??????

As a resolution to this, Jennifer called her coworker for me but told me to follow Ticketmaster as they work with the LiveNation ticketing and promotion teams to update the most accurate information.

c. Waiting for Saturday, February 7th.

As a resolution we have created the proactive steps below.

Our next moves are to:
  • Patiently wait another 7 days to purchase tickets
  • Observe all 3 websites (LivenNation, Ticketmaster & the UofI Assembly Hall site) for info
  • Figure out the stage configuration to effectively purchase the proper section
  • Make signs for this show (as we were lame and had NO signs last time)
  • Find matching slap bracelets and bedazzle a group fanny pack
  • Get an early-90's perm 2 weeks before the concert to allow the necessary adjustment
  • Choreograph an insanely unique dance to our favorite songs
  • Write love letters and send via the fan mail address...oh wait, 26 year olds don't do that?

"Taken" must be the best thriller in 2009!

Got back from seeing Taken with my buddy, Elizabeth. It's now 10:29pm CST and I am not in the mood to go out after seeing this movie! Seriously...TMI, but...I'm still pitting. This movie was like a good cardio workout for the better part of 60 minutes of the movie. Instead of doing stairs or running, I'm going to buy this movie, watch it on repeat and hope the popcorn and chocolate don't add any extra weight.

Liam Neeson is sexy, and I don't care if he's my dad's age (or close to it). He kicked some major apples in the movie and proved himself to be quite the action hero. Move over Matt Damon and your Bourne trilogy...and entre vouz Mr. Neeson.

I hope that this movie does well in the box office because Lizzy & her cousin hadn't even seen previews for it before we went tonight. On the other hand, I had seen the trailer as well as Neeson's interview on The View. It mixes a real global issue of human trafficing, mixes in the thriller aspect and international drama. PERFECTO!

I will never say "good luck" the same way again...if you see the movie, you'll understand. I would recommend this for a theater visit, not just a Netflix rental.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Travel itinerary includes a departure from Ronald Reagan International Airport

Just got back into Chicagoland after a 6-day tour around part of the U.S. A business trip began the trip with a flight into Baltimore airport on Wednesday morning via Southwest. In no sense of the phrase would I consider myself a travel snob. I absolutely love flying Southwest out of Midway. And quite honestly, I feel sorry for Midway airport. It’s the red headed stepchild of airports in Chicago…it’s in a weird area, people like the largeness that is O’Hare…anyway, I’m getting sidetracked.

As I was leaving our business meeting on Friday, I flew out of D.C. to arrive in my final destination of the weekend, the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul. Can I just say that being a HUGE supporter of our 44th President, Barack Obama? I was excited to be in the airport and get some inaugural goodies for friends, family and myself. I’ve never been to D.C. (A fact that my mother regrets. D.C. never being a family vaca destination). My driver circled a forest and went over hills, pulling toward the D.C. city limits. The picture of the city overwhelmed me. The Potomac River ran next to us as a guide leading to the grandeur of the city—Arlington National Cemetery, Lincoln Memorial and finally, Washington Monument nestled next to the memorial.

And so ended my scenic tour of D.C. Yes, that was all. I had enough time after my last meeting to get the ride to the airport, check-in, grab a pretzel and head over to my gate. However, along the way, I meandered next to the trinket shops to get the previously mentioned purchases regarding the inauguration. All in all, I didn’t do too badly. Only $125, and that included:
Bobble head Pres. Obama, an Obama bar, magnet and mints for my apartment sitter and her mother, a t-shirt for my friend I was visiting in Minne and a mug for her mother (who LOVES Pres. Obama), postcards and magnets for my friends in TX, a magnet for my British friend who wishes she could have voted, Obama mints for my brother, a magnet & pin for my mom & dad, and an inauguration t-shirt for myself. I don’t have buyer’s remorse at all. I sort of wished I had gotten more.

When my mom and I were talking whilst I sat waiting for our boarding time and looking at my President Obama menagerie, I told my Mom that my next travel destination WILL be D.C. I need to visit my nation’s capital. How could I, as someone who feels they are traveled and worldy not have visited D.C.??? I’m insane. However, I was lucky enough to be in the area to feel some of the excitement and see the smiles and amazement that was the election and inauguration of our 44th President. GOBAMA.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

NKOTB 4EVER!

So, as many young girls....and by young girls, I mean the mid 20's to mid 30's...may have seen today, New Kids on the Block is heading to the high seas for a 3-day cruise!
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20251844,00.html


This news may make most men gag or laugh, but I can assure you that this cruise is going to be amazing. It will be full of NKOTB live entertainment, serving up some good times by the pool, old chicks screaming and throwing their training bras at the stage. Moreso, men, you can have the house to yourself while your girl's away! But that doesn't mean strippers are allowed across the threshold.

I recall last Spring when NKOTB started making appearances on various shows, such as Good Morning America...rumors spread quickly about a reunion tour! However, no confirmation was made. Thousands of woman went onto NKOTB.com and signed up for the e-newsletter in hopes we would hear the glorious confirmation that they would be getting back together. And then the blessed day came...

Words cannot express the excitement my friends and I felt when we got the e-newsletter teasing us to go online and check the upcoming news from the guys! We scampered to our laptops and typed N-K-O-T-B-.-C-O-M into Internet Explorer. *insert angels singing here* Our hotties were reuniting for a tour with about 15 city stops. Chicago happened to be one, but tickets were only up for presale to AmEx card members. Being that none of us had an AmEx card, we reverted to a total tweenager move. "Mom, can I charge tickets to your credit card? I promise we'll pay you back by the end of the month so you don't get charged intrest."

Thankfully, my friend's mom allowed us to use her card. And we got some amazing seats before the damn concert sold out in like 40 minutes!

Then, it was prep time. Jennifer fished out her NKOTB t-shirt circa 1993. AND she was still able to wear it. That thing had to have been a nightgown on her. We found old pictures, diary entries, slap bracelets, etc. Memorabilia that we just couldn't part with. I think subconsciously we knew this day would come.



*Dirty Dancing? Dont' mind if I do!

The time between purchasing the tickets and the date of the concert was filled with their new CD, burning CD's of their old music, loading our iPod's with everything NKOTB we could. I swear I must have stalked their website looking at all the videos that they posted.
Chicago was the 3rd loudest concert on the tour. I'd like to think that my hoarse voice at the end of the evening made a difference. And I can tell you I was partially deaf that evening. There was nothing better than experiencing the concert with my 2 best friends! It was good to be little again. Thank you Bacon for getting the tickets!




I am fully prepared to get made fun of by my other friends who are not NKOTB lovers. I did it before and I'll do it again. It's all for the love of the music, right? I can rest easy knowing I'm not the only one hoping to plan their entire vacation in May around this opportunity! Or maybe I am?

Since this announcement happened today, the website has been down and no further information has been posted. I feel like I'm going all CNN on this breaking news. Ok, no more talking or thinking about this. It's getting a little too consuming and ridunkulous.

Subconscious fantasy as I'm trying to wean myself off of thinking about the cruise: I hope to get all Gilligan's Island on this cruise...mmmmm...stranded w/ NKOTB on a dessert island....with their sculpted bodies & me in my bikini! GROSS...note to self, go to the gym.

Friday, January 9, 2009

Ode to the Chicagoan driver in snow

Auf wiedersehen to the first full work week in January 2009. I thank you for going by quickly and (for the most part) painlessly. Last night, as my friend and I were done working on our fitness, we were walking in the frigid cold back to our cars. Realizing I had 1 full day left in the week, I thought "Damn am I lucky this week flew by. Friday's going to be a cinch!"

And then I got home and turned on the news...and saw the weather forecast...of 3-6 inches...with fog...and ice...and of course, idiot drivers of Illinois. Now don't jump off the handle! I'm one of those idiot drivers of Illinois. However, I take pride in the fact that I know when to slow down the choo choo when the weather is shiteous outside.

Did you know that today's snowfall marks the 21st measurable snowfall Chicagoland has seen this winter? JUST this winter...it's amazing. What further amazes me is our inability to not drive like idiots in this. You would think after all these years, we'd learn.

There's always that person in the SUV or truck. You know the one. Thinking because they have 4WD they can plow along, going 50 while everyone is at 25 or 30, spitting the nasty slush on your car and breaking too late/too close to the car in front of them.

And so begins my first blog, Ode to the Chicagoan driver in snow:

*Ode to you Mr. Infiniti FX 35, license plate number G11 9933*

I think it's hot how your SUV can plow through the slush and the falling snow as you continue to rush upon the traffic ahead of you. Your total disregard of the other cars break lights is a huge turn-on. Do you see the break lights ahead lit up like a Christmas tree? Yeah, that means they're A) breaking or B) stopped.

I realize that Mr. Lexus in front of me got into the left lane as you were approaching us, but please know Mr. Lexus had plenty of room to get in front of you without making you have to slam on your breaks. As I, too, got into the left lane behind you, the distance between us became greater and greater as you refused to slow down or reduce your speed. Or perhaps, you just weren't paying attention to everyone else around being at a much more reasonable speed.

As Mr. Lexus mad his way back into the middle lane, I thought it quite chivalrous, Mr. Infiniti FX 35, how you sped up along side him to flip him the bird. I appreciate the fact that you stopped your car (in the middle of traffic with us having the green light) along side Mr. Lexus to continue yelling at him through your passenger window and his. I wonder if he heard you.

Furthermore, I found it quite endearing when, as we finally approached the red light and stopped to wait our turn for the next green, you put your car into park, got out of your car, went up to Mr. Lexus' drivers window, demanded he roll down his window, yelled at him, calling him a bizzy & kitty cat (insert the profanities with those clues) and told him to get out of the car if he had something to say to you.

How lucky your wife must be. To see you get that angered over road rage that you would actually uproot yourself from your car in this kind of weather! Such a strong man...

Do you NOT see that there is traffic behind you? Or that there's snow? Or that the green light might be coming? And I'll be damned if I miss another green light because you're trying to prove how big of a man you are as you curse Mr. Lexus out through the 3 inch crack he created as he rolled down his window.