Where is this fridge located?
- A frat house
- My office
- A Lincoln Park apartment
March 30, 2007
Name that Fridge!
Today for my dear blog readers, a game of trivia. Name that Fridge!
Where is this fridge located?
Where is this fridge located?
March 27, 2007
Digg it
Meet Kristen. "Blog, Kristen." "Kristen, Blog."
Kristen and I have been friends for a long time. We met when we were "young and stupid." To be exact, she was just out of college, and I was halfway through.
We have a lot in common and a lot not in common. Luckily they line up in the right ways so we compliment each other very well.
In case you're having trouble telling us apart; she's tall and straight and blond, and I'm short and curvy and brunette. She can run much much faster than I can, but I can duck under things, so both of us have valid escape options from creepy guys.
The picture above was taken this past weekend, when I was back in Chicago. The purpose for my trip was to shop with my mom for her wedding dress/shoes/accessories/etc. We found them all, she's going to look amazing, but I can't leak the details to ensure Homer stays in the dark about it all until that day. I did a have a wonderful time with my mom, as we always do, but this story is about my time with Kristen.
We went out on Saturday night to one of my favorite restaurants that she was dying to try, Coast Sushi. It was awesome, as always. A bottle of wine and three maki rolls later we blew that joint and headed to another of my favorites, and one of hers too, Hot Chocolate. The desserts there are amazing, even more so are the chocolate martinis. So amazing we each had two. Are you keeping track? That's a half bottle of wine and two martinis each.
Yeah, we had fun. We made up t-shirt ideas. You know you are wasted when you're making up t-shirt slogans.
Now Kristen and I always have fun when we get together, we've just usually only had the time to see each other over iced tea at lunch. Over the years she's done her thing and I've done mine as we tried to figure out who we are and where we're going in life. There have been times when we haven't seen each other for a year, but we made sure to check in occasionally. Whenever we did get together we always started off right where we ended the last time. No weirdness, no hurt feelings, no "where the hell have you been you big jerk?"
Lately our friendship has been experiencing a bit of a renaissance, despite my move to New York. We've both been going through some pretty big life changes recently, and though no two situations are the same, the way we are feeling and the things we are learning about ourselves have been. Even though we still don't talk all the time, we've been able to support each other by feeling safe enough to say the things that may be hard to tell everyone else. It's actually quite a profound thing happening in a very quiet way between the two of us. (I just said that to use 'quite' and 'quiet' in the same sentence to see if I could confuse anyone. Not really. Well, a little bit.)
Sometimes I wish we had been having this kind of friendship consistently for the past 10 years, I'm sure she feels that way too. But then I remember that just because our relationship is different now doesn't mean it was bad before. It was just, different. It was who we were and what was important to us then. We weren't selfish, or too busy, or anything like that. There was never a day when I doubted that she was a great friend and would be there if I needed her. I hope she felt the same way. And I really don't feel like we wasted any valuable friendship time. Ten years is a long time, but its nothing compared to the time we have going forward.
One day Kristen and I will both be "older and wiser." Until then we're going to have a great time getting there... drinking chocolate martinis and ice tea all the way. A little heavier on the chocolate martinis. The world needs more inspired t-shirt slogans.
Kristen and I have been friends for a long time. We met when we were "young and stupid." To be exact, she was just out of college, and I was halfway through. We have a lot in common and a lot not in common. Luckily they line up in the right ways so we compliment each other very well.
In case you're having trouble telling us apart; she's tall and straight and blond, and I'm short and curvy and brunette. She can run much much faster than I can, but I can duck under things, so both of us have valid escape options from creepy guys.
The picture above was taken this past weekend, when I was back in Chicago. The purpose for my trip was to shop with my mom for her wedding dress/shoes/accessories/etc. We found them all, she's going to look amazing, but I can't leak the details to ensure Homer stays in the dark about it all until that day. I did a have a wonderful time with my mom, as we always do, but this story is about my time with Kristen.
We went out on Saturday night to one of my favorite restaurants that she was dying to try, Coast Sushi. It was awesome, as always. A bottle of wine and three maki rolls later we blew that joint and headed to another of my favorites, and one of hers too, Hot Chocolate. The desserts there are amazing, even more so are the chocolate martinis. So amazing we each had two. Are you keeping track? That's a half bottle of wine and two martinis each.
Yeah, we had fun. We made up t-shirt ideas. You know you are wasted when you're making up t-shirt slogans.
Now Kristen and I always have fun when we get together, we've just usually only had the time to see each other over iced tea at lunch. Over the years she's done her thing and I've done mine as we tried to figure out who we are and where we're going in life. There have been times when we haven't seen each other for a year, but we made sure to check in occasionally. Whenever we did get together we always started off right where we ended the last time. No weirdness, no hurt feelings, no "where the hell have you been you big jerk?"
Lately our friendship has been experiencing a bit of a renaissance, despite my move to New York. We've both been going through some pretty big life changes recently, and though no two situations are the same, the way we are feeling and the things we are learning about ourselves have been. Even though we still don't talk all the time, we've been able to support each other by feeling safe enough to say the things that may be hard to tell everyone else. It's actually quite a profound thing happening in a very quiet way between the two of us. (I just said that to use 'quite' and 'quiet' in the same sentence to see if I could confuse anyone. Not really. Well, a little bit.)
Sometimes I wish we had been having this kind of friendship consistently for the past 10 years, I'm sure she feels that way too. But then I remember that just because our relationship is different now doesn't mean it was bad before. It was just, different. It was who we were and what was important to us then. We weren't selfish, or too busy, or anything like that. There was never a day when I doubted that she was a great friend and would be there if I needed her. I hope she felt the same way. And I really don't feel like we wasted any valuable friendship time. Ten years is a long time, but its nothing compared to the time we have going forward.
One day Kristen and I will both be "older and wiser." Until then we're going to have a great time getting there... drinking chocolate martinis and ice tea all the way. A little heavier on the chocolate martinis. The world needs more inspired t-shirt slogans.
March 18, 2007
Stupid snow
So I was supposed to be in Chicago this weekend; helping my mother shop for her wedding dress, hanging out with friends for St. Patrick's Day, and having brunch with two of my aunts. But I was in New York. This big ass storm hit the city for Friday, and only Friday. I was flying JetBlue, and because of their recent bad publicity they hastily went ahead and cancelled all the flights out of the airport. At first I was just cursing JetBlue specifically, but then JFK closed later that day so I had to remove some of the blame to split it with the airport itself. Even though I was pissed and disappointed that my flight was cancelled, JetBlue was good about changing my flight. They wouldn't rebook me on the first flight out Saturday morning because the storm was supposed to continue, so they re-booked for the exact same flights for next weekend. Of course when I woke up Saturday morning the snow had already begun to melt, the sun was shining and the flights did take off. But there was no way to know that was going to be the case.
It certainly was a big storm, but O'Hare wouldn't have closed. O'Hare knows how to handle the snow. The rest of Chicago does too. New York has some real problems with snow management. There are clearly not enough plows, salt, sand and people to get it off the streets and sidewalks in any way. Eventually they get the main streets plowed, but then the snow just builds up on the corners and you end up stepping in massive puddles of slush, ice and freezing water. And the subway steps are the worst. The entrances, even at the most crowded stations, have snow covered stairs. I'm just waiting to see someone absolutely bail, crash down the stairs and take 10 people with them because of this. It's really not safe.
When my friend Megan told me that I would need to get wellies for living in New York I wasn't so sure. Now I am. You have no idea what kind of puddle you are stepping in or how deep it will be, and the only way to be sure your feet will stay dry is with ugly solid rubber "boots" that go up to your knees.
Speaking of Megan, here she is, with me at some bar on the Upper East Side on St. Patrick's Day. Since I didn't make it to Chicago she invited me out with her boyfriend and some of his friends. I got a pretty late start on the festivities, but it was a good time. I always have a good time with Megan, she's swell.
The bagpipe players below were part of our entertainment at the bar. On my way there I was sitting near a guy on the subway wearing a kilt. He was an attractive, very normal looking guy... except that he was wearing a kilt. I was dying to ask him if his legs were cold, but I didn't. I figured he already knows everyone is looking at him, he doesn't need me asking him about it. And I'm not a big fan of talking to strangers. My parents told me not to do that, and clearly it stuck.
It certainly was a big storm, but O'Hare wouldn't have closed. O'Hare knows how to handle the snow. The rest of Chicago does too. New York has some real problems with snow management. There are clearly not enough plows, salt, sand and people to get it off the streets and sidewalks in any way. Eventually they get the main streets plowed, but then the snow just builds up on the corners and you end up stepping in massive puddles of slush, ice and freezing water. And the subway steps are the worst. The entrances, even at the most crowded stations, have snow covered stairs. I'm just waiting to see someone absolutely bail, crash down the stairs and take 10 people with them because of this. It's really not safe.
When my friend Megan told me that I would need to get wellies for living in New York I wasn't so sure. Now I am. You have no idea what kind of puddle you are stepping in or how deep it will be, and the only way to be sure your feet will stay dry is with ugly solid rubber "boots" that go up to your knees.
Speaking of Megan, here she is, with me at some bar on the Upper East Side on St. Patrick's Day. Since I didn't make it to Chicago she invited me out with her boyfriend and some of his friends. I got a pretty late start on the festivities, but it was a good time. I always have a good time with Megan, she's swell.
The bagpipe players below were part of our entertainment at the bar. On my way there I was sitting near a guy on the subway wearing a kilt. He was an attractive, very normal looking guy... except that he was wearing a kilt. I was dying to ask him if his legs were cold, but I didn't. I figured he already knows everyone is looking at him, he doesn't need me asking him about it. And I'm not a big fan of talking to strangers. My parents told me not to do that, and clearly it stuck.
March 08, 2007
Wicker Park is swell, and so is my mom
Attention Chicago, you have a swell new store. It's in Wicker Park, and it's called The Boring Store. It sells various "spy gear" products and the proceeds go to fund new programs for an after-school tutoring and writing program called 826CHI. The products all have creative and funny explanations on the outside of the boxes, meant to amuse adult visitors and inspire writing in the workshop behind the storefront. See, swell.
I'll be back in town next weekend to marathon shop for my mother's wedding dress, but hopefully I'll have a few minutes to pop by and check the place out.
Oh yeah, my mom is engaged. Sorry to gloss right over that really big news. I seem to have forgotten to write about it because I was banned from doing so until she was able to get the word out to everyone herself. It took a while, and then I forgot. Whoops.
So the story goes... before breakfast on the morning of Superbowl Sunday, a day that was painfully disappointing to the rest of Chicago, Homer poked Cathy on the shoulder and asked "Wanna get married?" She replied, "Sure." His next question was, "Do you want an engagement ring?" Ladies, we all know what her answer was.
Within two weeks they nailed down the date of May 27th (yes, this year), picked a ring and a photographer and off she went to Australia to pet kangaroos. While she was down under Homer booked a church, looked into a bunch of reception options and picked up her shiny new ring. This has nearly redeemed him for asking her to marry him without a ring in the first place. I haven't decided yet what will fully redeem him, but treating my mom like a queen for the rest of her life is a solid place to start.
Here's a picture of the happy couple on her birthday in November:
When I was of a younger dating age my mom used to have fun threatening my boyfriends with a shotgun. She didn't have one, but was convincing even without it. Homer, I don't have a shotgun, but I do know taekwondo. I'm just sayin'.
I'll be back in town next weekend to marathon shop for my mother's wedding dress, but hopefully I'll have a few minutes to pop by and check the place out.
Oh yeah, my mom is engaged. Sorry to gloss right over that really big news. I seem to have forgotten to write about it because I was banned from doing so until she was able to get the word out to everyone herself. It took a while, and then I forgot. Whoops.
So the story goes... before breakfast on the morning of Superbowl Sunday, a day that was painfully disappointing to the rest of Chicago, Homer poked Cathy on the shoulder and asked "Wanna get married?" She replied, "Sure." His next question was, "Do you want an engagement ring?" Ladies, we all know what her answer was.
Within two weeks they nailed down the date of May 27th (yes, this year), picked a ring and a photographer and off she went to Australia to pet kangaroos. While she was down under Homer booked a church, looked into a bunch of reception options and picked up her shiny new ring. This has nearly redeemed him for asking her to marry him without a ring in the first place. I haven't decided yet what will fully redeem him, but treating my mom like a queen for the rest of her life is a solid place to start.
Here's a picture of the happy couple on her birthday in November:
When I was of a younger dating age my mom used to have fun threatening my boyfriends with a shotgun. She didn't have one, but was convincing even without it. Homer, I don't have a shotgun, but I do know taekwondo. I'm just sayin'.
March 02, 2007
Whole wheat doughnuts - Awful or Awesome?
Nobody out there is going to argue that doughnuts are good for us. They absolutely shouldn't be eaten on a regular basis. But when I do occasionally want to treat myself to a sugary, fatty, doughy circle of goodness I certainly won't turn to a doughnut made with whole wheat. Krispy Kreme, what are you doing? The low-carb dieters are gone. You can't get them back. They don't want what you are selling. And any of them who are stupid enough to believe that your whole wheat doughnuts are healthy might also just be crazy enough to sue when they binge on the "healthy" doughnuts and end up with heart disease. "But Krispy Kreme marketing said they were healthy! It's not my fault I gained 50 pounds!" You've been warned.
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