The Kids are All Right

Did you spend all day installing new carpet padding and shuffling 15 years worth of a family's accumulations onto wood flooring from carpeting so that everything is ready for the carpet to be cleaned tomorrow? Do you need a night to just veg, order in, and watch a fun, but not mindless, movie? Check out The Kids are All Right. (I'm assuming I'm the only one who moved around boxes, baskets, and bins of Stuff all day today in preparation for carpet cleaning, but perhaps you had a long/productive/tiring day as well. Congrats! Now lounge around and watch a movie with me.)

I guess I would call this movie a dramedy...real life humor, real life problems, sort of. Nic and Jules are just your two average lesbian moms. Joni is their freshly-graduated from high school straight-A student, excited for one last summer before college. Laser, their 15-yr old son, wants to know who his biological father is, so Joni (now 18) makes the call & finds Paul.

Opinions on Paul range from intrigued (Joni) to indifferent (Nic) to insecure (Laser) to infatuated (Jules). In one day Paul plays pick up basketball with Laser, treats Joni and friend to a gourmet dinner at his restaurant, sleeps with Jules, and fights with Nic about the safety of motorcyclists. It seems that they might be able to make this modern family work out, except for the fact that Jules is gay and Nic is not all about sharing.

Okay, so the happy-ish ending seemed a bit contrived, but I think they would have gotten to that point eventually (just not in the two hours the movie gave). The acting was solid on all accounts, from the main five to supporting friends and lovers. The music was fun and there were several perfect lines. Watching The Kids Are All Right was time well spent ...not folding laundry, washing dishes, or grocery shopping...all things that still need to be done, here at home at least.

One-Word Wednesday

Could you get your message across in one word sentences? Today I challenged myself to do that (mostly via text). I'm not a woman of many words (until I drink caffeine or alcohol), preferring to write (duh), but it was still tough to condense what I wanted to say into one word. I had to get creative with descriptions, which led to being more accurate while at the same time more confusing. By the end of the day, I found it hard to not word vomit everywhere; I kept thoughts in my head to spew out once my self-imposed challenge ended.

A simple Google search of "one word" brings up some fun things--apparently I'm not the only one challenging myself this way, nor am I the only one who recognizes the power of solo words:

oneword.com : they give you one word, you type for 60 seconds. It's about "being inspired by words." If you choose, you can register & upload your flow. Today's word is "sweep" and I invented a new definition for it: sweet weep. Like happy crying. I sweep fairly often.

myoneword.org : "Change your life with just one word." The idea is to "choose one word that represents what you most hope God will do in you, and focus on it for an entire year." This super overwhelms me. Like defining an entire city with one word (see Eat, Pray, Love --Rome is "sex," New York is "ambition," London is "stuffy," etc.), I think it's neat to think we each have one word that defines us. I just don't think I could ever settle on one word forever. (Maybe my word is overwhelmed?) A search for Chicago's word comes back with "loyal," "husky," "nonchalant," "real," and "straightforward."

oneword365.com : Similar to My One Word, this site is a 2013 New Year's resolution to choose one word to focus on for an entire year. What does it mean if the words I think of first are "wine," "balance," and "pranks" ? When I asked Britney, she said her word would be "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious." Getting the most bang for her buck, that one.

I remember having to do a one word writing exercise in high school. We wrote stories with just one word sentences; it was one of my favorite activities. I write better when posed a challenge, given a specific topic, or made to follow story guidelines--I'm not nearly as overwhelmed by an expanse of white page when my options are limited. In some way limits are freeing. I can't find the story now, though I'm sure it's at home somewhere. It was mostly dialogue, which happens to be my writing forte.

I guess I'll write another...

Trying

Bar. Empty. --Wait. Woman. Alone.
Bartender. "Thirsty?"
"Parched."
"Drink?"
"Beer."
"Enjoy."
"Thanks." Sip. Grimace. Bitter.
"Bad?"
Frown. "Unpracticed."
"Patience."
Door. Man. Sits. "Whiskey. Please."
"Sure." Turns. Pours. Serves.
Downs. "Another."
"Careful."
Wave. Dismissing.
"Grieving?"
"Celebrating." Sarcastic. "Pregnant."
"First?"
"Fourth."
Whistles.
"Exhausted."
"Wife?"
"Same."
Nods.
Woman. Eavesdropping. Sighs. Bottle.
Emptied. Empty.
Leaves. Leaving.
Stops. Whispers. "Congrats."

Fifty Shades of Target

Target's new ad series for their "Everyday Collection" confuses and unsettles me. Not that I don't think sex has a place in advertisements--I'm all for making things sexy, really. And not that I don't love Target (I may or may not have casually spent $100 there after work tonight). It's just, Target is my Messy Ponytail and Sweatpants, Going to Buy Shampoo but Walk out with New Shoes, Idle Browsing in the Clearance Section of all the Departments Department Store.

I don't want sexy at Target. I don't want to "dominate" bake sales, "conquer" dinner ("one cut of meat at a time"), or "master" diaper-changing. What are you telling me, Target? That being a woman is about "power"--in the grocery aisle. The only ladder I should be climbing is the one reaching to the light bulb that needs changing. And let's talk about how these ads feature gorgeous (female) models dressed in all white, including heels. (Always with the heels!) What mother is wearing all white to change a diaper, much less to be in the vicinity of a baby? Why are we wearing heels to make cupcakes?

Sure, these ads make me laugh (Feeling ho-hum? Watch "Ravenous" and try not to be creeped out in a hilarious way.), but that's because I get what they're doing. Thanks to the "mommy porn" trend, we get sexy groceries. Sexy laundry. Sexy babies. (As one YouTube user commented: "Seduce those toddlers.") Nothing is off limits for advertisers as they market to new (and experienced) moms.

Personally, I'm looking forward to my non-sexy days as mother. Isn't that every young girl's dream? Work really hard in your 20's to look good and accomplish things so you can someday settle into sweats and halfheartedly work off pregnancy fat?

[Note: Almost all the video comments included positive reviews of the songs used in the commercials, so points to Target for creative music choices.]

Golden Globes 2013

I personally don't care about the Golden Globes--who wins, the dresses, the jewelry, the endless champagne (okay, I'm a little interested in that)--BUT I am super pumped to see what Tina Fey and Amy Poehler do as hosts. And because I am watching, I might as well jump onto the live-blog wagon (limo?) and give you a totally unbiased (let's be honest, I've maybe seen all of two of the nominated movies in all categories combined) description of the red carpet and the awards.

5:37 pm: I want to be watching the Texans/Patriots game, but unfortunately our CBS station is not working. A quick flip through the channels and I found the GG 1st Look. Red carpet interviews ("Who are you wearing?" as if the dresses ARE the designers), pre-recorded interviews, and showing us regular folk all the glamorous things we are missing out on (bedazzled dresses and steak and sea bass dinners).

5:38 pm: buzzwords: open back, clutch, nude, tweet, gorgeous, dashing, freezing (newsflash: it is currently in the 50's...it is NOT freezing on the red carpet), WHO ARE YOU WEARING.

5:40 pm: I've heard about Lena Dunham and her show Girls. Why is it on HBO? I want to watch it. Also, she really pulls off that haircut. I'm still flirting with the idea of a pixie-ish cut. Too afraid right now.

6:12 pm: Biggest dress trends: nude colors (looks good when you're tan, but those of us who turn sheet-white in the winter can't pull that off unfortunately), mermaid tail bottoms (to hide big feet?), cutouts (that's the trend I want to try), and FANCY.

6:17 pm: Tina and Amy look AMAZING. I love that their clutches are just props and are totally empty. They just went over the Golden Globes drinking game rules. Amy's final rule: "Just if you've had a tough week."

6:20 pm: Did George Clooney age to perfect silver fox status and then just stop? I don't think he's aged since I was 18.

6:23 pm: Jennifer Lawrence either has crazy heels on or she is just really almost awkwardly tall. Not a fan of her dress. Not a fan of Hathaway's dress either. Too many weird shapes on both of them! Makes me wonder what I would look like next to them...even weirder? Or possibly normal?

6:25 pm: That Velveeta commercial was spot on.

6:34 pm: I think Adele has one dress she wears to all awards. Whatever...I'm sure she could care less.

6:35 pm: Halle Berry. Wow, woman.

6:51 pm: Almost showtime. Brooke and I decided we would eat appetizers only for dinner.

7:00 pm: Tina and Amy still looking great. And being completely hilarious. Taking a break from blogging to listen.

7:08 pm: Kate Hudson: no. SO MUCH NO. Bradley Cooper: meh. Winner: Please don't set the bar for long boring speeches.

7:11 pm: I really like Kerry Washington's dress. And face.

7:17 pm: Wow Sam Fox looks like his dad.

7:21 pm: LOL. Those fake teeth. Julianne Moore kept her Sarah Palin hairstyle: muted beehive.

7:22 pm: I WANT TINA AND AMY BACK.

7:33 pm: They are letting redheads win a lot of these awards, no? Good for the gingers.

7:35 pm: Aaaaaaaand I believe the teleprompter is out. Homeland does have a lot of hype. Backed up by lots of awards, but still...I can't be bothered to watch.

7:45 pm: Yay Life of Pi! The music in that movie was dreamy and awesome.

7:48 pm: Skyfall...called it. Can I also call that Taylor Swift writes a hate song directed towards Adele?

7:55 pm: I want to be Tina and Amy's third bestie. We would get along SO well, I'm sure.

8:00 pm: I love that they have Bill Clinton introducing Lincoln. He's looking pretty good. Old, but good.

8:05 pm: Kristen Wiig is adorable. There's another woman I want to be friends with. Super real crush. WHY IS TOMMY LEE JONES NOT LOL'ING.

8:15 pm: Megan Fox you are married and just had a baby so stop acting like you are still super sexy we are all over you and your giant lips.

8:16 pm: Anne Hathaway stop being so dramatic and breathy we get it you are educated and have short hair and you have self-doubt like the rest of us AND ALSO YOU ARE FRIENDS WITH VALENTINO.

8:25 pm: Quentin Tarantino, are you drunk? Ugh I want to be invited to this party so bad.

8:27 pm: Lucy Liu, I love your dress mostly because of its pockets. Sweet braid too.

8:35 pm: Lea Michele, honey your leg looks amazing but your skin is looking a little orange. :/

8:41 pm: Is everyone else getting these sexy Target commercials? I don't understand. Cowboy mom changing diapers? Taming the bulls aka cuts of meat? Pinata filled with fruit snacks? Who are you selling to?

8:44 pm: Cheers to you, my friend. Bringing his glass right up on stage. And here I am drinking the rest of this Aldi wine out of the bottle.

8:47 pm: Booooooooo I was cheering for Wreck-It Ralph, not Brave for the Animated Film. Another redhead winner. I think that's enough of them, really.

8:50 pm: Life of Pi. Great book, great movie. Watch out for whales.

8:52 pm: Aziz Ansari will always be funny as himself, right along with Tina and Amy. And Julia, Zooey, and apparently Lena? I really need to watch Girls. Women are rocking the Globes.

8:59 pm: LOL again. Tina's jab at T. Swift, so appropriate. Take some time to figure yourself out, girl. Her jab at Robert Downey, Jr. also appropriate. I can't see him without assuming he is playing Tony Stark.

9:10 pm: Jodie Foster. You, my friend, are majestic. "I am not Honey Boo Boo Child."

9:21 pm: List of movies to watch: Moonrise Kingdom, Argo, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook...Golden Globes are stressing me out with all of these things I haven't seen yet.

9:30 pm: Christian Bale is that really what you sound like? Stick to Batman grovel please.

9:41 pm: Why are comedy and musical lumped together? Was Les Miserables the only musical? I'm awful at this Golden Globes stuff.

9:42 pm: ATTN: Winners. Accept that you WILL forget to thank someone and just get over it. Send the forgotten a nice card or fruit basket. Better yet, don't thank anyone during your speech, just say "Thanks" and get off stage.

9:47 pm: George Clooney and I would definitely be friends in another reality.

9:48 pm: ANOTHER REDHEAD. Jessica Chastain's hair/dress/lip color combo works, but the cut of that dress doesn't.

9:56 pm: For real, Target. Stop with the sexiness. Prenatal vitamins are not sexy.

9:59 pm: Lots of politics in the Best Picture nominees. And as Brooke says about the winner (Argo), "So many black clothes, no black people."

10:00 pm: I want to go home with Jodie Foster too! To hang out with Tina and Amy. I think the Golden Globes after party would be fun, but I wonder how many of the celebrities have to work tomorrow? Ugh the real world is such a downer.

Happy Golden Globes, everyone. Join me again for the Oscars?

We Need to Talk About Kevin

I'm reading We Need to Talk About Kevin (by Lionel Shriver) and the first comment I have is SO MANY FUN WORDS! Already I've learned/refreshed my memory on the meanings and uses of:

anodyne
bagatelle
wanton
dolorous
marginalia
fiat
argot
pique
pugnacious
malfeasance
hale
inimical

and that was just in the first hundred pages.

My second, and actual, comment is: This book is crunchy with detail, and heart-crunchy at that. It's not an easy read, emotionally. I sometimes have to stop to take a breather. Kevin is a teenager who kills seven of his classmates, a cafeteria worker, and a teacher at his school. The narrator, Eva, a middle-aged mother of Kevin, is not at all like me, I think...until I start reading and realize a lot of her flashback thoughts (before Kevin is born, when he is a baby, etc) are ones I've thought, even for small moments. Then I see similarities in our philosophies, relationships, and life fears.

I started this book to take a break from The Shining (I could never read after about 9 PM, and definitely not on nights when I was home alone), but it's turning out to be a deep, thought-provoking, haunting story--not a book you read when you are on "break" from a thriller. Doesn't matter, I'm hooked on the language, the characters, even the format of the story, told in letters from Eva to her absent husband, Franklin.

I've already got the movie version on hold at the library (though I'm still waiting on a movie I requested in September to get sent to my library, so who knows when I'll get this one). Put this book on your list, especially now, when our country is deep in gun control and mental health debates. It's a different angle to the issue of school shootings and violent youth--a closer look at the mother, the father, the childhood, and the life forever altered because of the son's actions.

Friday Night

On my walk home tonight, I saw people settling into their Friday night routines: a man riding past with a 12-pack of wine strapped to his bike, dog walkers and couples out on dates, people waiting for buses, drivers checking their phones at red lights (and backed-up green lights), and kids at the skate park doing more sitting around on their bikes & the park structures than any actual tricks.

Thanks to open curtains, I also saw people preparing dinner, sitting down to dinner, and eating dinner in front of the TV. I saw a dad play jungle gym as his kids crawled all over him, white cats and black dogs, houses still clinging to the holidays with Christmas lights and decor, and houses still clinging to a football season with Bears flags flying proudly.

What did these people see? A 20-something heading home to start her own Friday routine (or a creepy lady staring in at them from the sidewalk, but you get the picture). At the Naw we like to make homemade pizzas, drink wine, listen to 90's music, and welcome guests--tonight it's Quinn!

Love the One You're With

It's been one of those days, where all of these things happen:

--Forgot to put on deodorant this morning.
--Fish juice spilled out of the package I was buying and it got all over my hands at the grocery store.
--I put my hair in a bun, but it's so high I keep hitting it on things (car door, grocery shelves when I bend over to get something from the bottom shelf, knocking boxes of cookies onto the floor).
--Had a super long list of errands to run, almost all of which were time-sensitive (appointments, getting places before closing time) & I am awful at time-sensitivity.
--In all of the hectic errand-running, my appetite grew obnoxiously, so I grabbed car snacks...aka I ate a lot of candy and gave myself a headache.
--Shut the cloth belt to my sweater in the car door without realizing it, so when I got out half of my belt was soaked/dirty from flapping about outside the car.
--Came home & took a big bite of some chocolate I found in the cupboard...BAKING CHOCOLATE. So gross.

Even so, today redeemed itself with several silver linings:

--The guy at the Apple Store gave me a new power cord for free, because he was 'in a good mood.' Brilliant!
--I ended up getting the big errands done earlyish, enough so that I didn't feel rushed towards the end of the day (I over-exaggerated my timings).
--I'm pretty sure my super high bun made at least one woman envious...and I credit it for my overall errand efficiency.
--The rain let up right before I headed home, so I biked in only a light drizzle as opposed to actual rain or snow.
--My Chromebook was waiting for me at home! I left it unplugged all day and it still has several hours of power.
--Leftovers in the fridge. YESSSSSSSS.

It's like my good friend Stephen Stills sings, "If you can't have the day you want, love the day you're having." Did I quote that wrong? Sounds right enough... "If you can't quote the song you want, change the lyrics to fit what you're saying." Or write your own song.

Happy Chromebook to ME

I CAN SEE MY WHOLE COMPUTER SCREEN.

How is that possible? (Or for those of you who don't know my computer woes, Why is that a big deal?)

I just got my Google Chromebook today!

My old laptop, with me since Fall 2006, has seen its sunny days and rainy days. It was dependable and got me through college plus a few years, even surviving my semester abroad, but connected to it as I am, even I need something with more than 7 minutes of battery life and only 50% of a functioning screen.

I shopped around for a bit, but it didn't take me long to settle on the Chromebook. At the risk of sounding like an advertisement or online review, it's super lightweight, fast, and ADORABLE. Plus it only knocked me back just over $200. I'm still playing around with it and figuring out what I can all do with it, but so far it hasn't disappointed me.

I now have zero excuses for not blogging, so hold me accountable & look forward to a year full of posts!

I Took a Walk

You know what puts things in perspective? A nice, long walk. It was (relatively) warm here today, and I decided to take advantage of that after work. I walked the several miles from work to my apartment. It only took about 45 minutes, so 15 minutes more than CTA or 30 minutes more than biking or driving.

I have such a weird relationship with time (I prefer free time in large chunks, but need to break work/chore time into smaller chunks, even mentally. I also tend to need more of it than most people for things like transitions, even just the transition between work and home.), so it was beneficial to find out that by walking home, I didn't feel cheated out of my own time, as I sometimes do while waiting for/riding the bus. All I had was my own time, and all I could do with it was take it step by step. Being alone while surrounded by traffic let me ponder without going too deep, and by the time I got home I felt unwound from the workday.

While I most likely won't walk home that often, it's nice to know a brisk walk is an option, and a rather pleasant one at that--provided it's not raining, snowing, below freezing, or insanely hot outside...so maybe for 2 or 3 weeks out of the year.

Crayon Flowers

It may look like a child made it, but I'm proud of my first solo crayon art attempt. I've also come to the conclusion that I'm addicted to arts and crafts. Everything on my to do list somehow correlates to a craft project. And I'm okay with that.

In the Jungle

That's what we are at the Naw: in the jungle. Our home improvement project this weekend was getting several tropical plants to spruce up our living room (and help filter our air!). I feel like such a grown up now.

Time Traveling New Year

Welcome to 2013! Or, as I figured out New Year's morning, 2+0+1=3. Won't be able to do that again until 2024.

We at the Naw continued our New Year's traditions (two years running now) of napping, watching movies, and ordering Asian takeout. Our movie theme this year was Time Travel, and we found two movies that interpreted this theme quite differently.

Safety Not Guaranteed: This quirky comedy from the producers of Little Miss Sunshine was not what we expected at all, but definitely worth it. Darius is a cynical magazine intern in need of some adventure. She joins Jeff, a staff writer, and Arnau, another intern in writing a story about Kenneth, a man who puts an ad in the classifieds for a time travel partner. Darius acts as the possible travel partner, answering the ad, which specifies, "This is not a joke. You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. I have only done this once before. Safety not guaranteed."

With Aubrey Plaza playing Darius, I was sold, but luckily this movie offers far more -- even the subplot was engaging and original. I'm still trying to wrap my head around where the ending came from, but that could be because I haven't quite gotten over this head cold from Christmas.

Looper: Checking out Joseph Gordon-Levitt's special effects make up was almost as entertaining as the overall concept of this movie, a time travel sci-fi action thriller that we had to pause several times while watching to talk through what was currently happening. Gordon-Levitt plays Joe in 2044, Bruce Willis is Joe in 2074. Time travel isn't invented yet in 2044, but it is in 2074, and when the 2074 mob wants to get rid of someone, they send them back 30 years to an assassin, called a Looper (like Young Joe), who kills them and disposes of the body, which can't be traced. "Closing the Loop" is when the 2074 mob decides to end the contract of a 2044 Looper, by sending their 2074 self back to be killed. A Looper gets a golden payday for this, and 30 years of carefree living, but Joe isn't about to let that happen...though his 2044 self would gladly kill his 2074 self, his 2074 self has made a life for himself and isn't ready for it to end.

It's a classic tale of man vs. himself, only WAY more confusing. Also, don't expect any explanations for how time travel works. At one point Young Joe asks about it and Old Joe responds, "I don't want to talk about time travel because if we start talking about it then we're going to be here all day talking about it, making diagrams with straws." I took that to be the explanation to the audience as well, a sort of nod to the audience's confusion while at the same time saying, "Look, time travel is IN the movie, but it isn't what the movie is all about."

Whether you watch them back-to-back or have separate movie nights, please put these guys on your to-see list!

Crayon Art

We finished our crayon art!

Walls at the Naw

It only took a year of picture taking and developing, frame buying, and careful arrangement, but we finally put something on one of our blank walls!

[Also note: the plethora of posts today come as the result of holiday travel and downed Internet service disrupting regular posting.]

Van Galder

For those of you who travel between Chicago and Madison, let me extol the virtues of Van Galder. I usually take Megabus from downtown, and for the price it's well worth it to crowd onto a double decker coach and try to nap for a few hours. Depending on when I'm traveling, though, Van Galder's fixed price service is way more worth it.

First, service is from O'Hare, which means I'm already out of the city when we get going, rather than starting from the mess of downtown traffic. It's super easy to find the stop and there's an indoor waiting area instead of a curbside line and mobs of travelers pushing to get on the bus first.

The good news continues: so far, Van Galder has been on time or early for all my stops. I have yet to leave on time with Megabus, especially traveling from Madison to Chicago, when we are waiting on the bus to come from Minneapolis. Rides don't seem to be as crowded (that largely depends on travel time), and this leads to overall less hassles.

One thing both lines feature: friendly, knowledgeable drivers and staff. If you're gonna get one thing right as a bus service, people who get you safely from point A to point B would be it and in all my travels, my drivers have been cheerful and fully competent.

Happy Travels!

Sometimes I get real domestic...

And I bake quiches & banana bread, do laundry, and plan art projects.

Game Day

It was a little slow at work this morning...

Crafts & Cooking

As the rain trickles down outside, homemade chicken soup cooks on our stove. Brit melts crayons with a hair dryer for our newest craft project and Diego finishes an episode of Lost to catch up with me.

This is what Saturday is all about. Only it's December, so snow would feel more appropriate than rain.

Chicago Fire

After the devastating loss of The Chicago Code, Britney & I have searched to find a replacement TV show for our Chicago pop culture fix. This year's fall TV lineup held several options: Boss, The Good Wife, Happy Endings, Mike & Molly, Shameless, and Chicago Fire among them. Eliminating shows on cable channels and sitcoms, we were left with Chicago Fire.

This show, like many of its cop drama counterparts, has pros and cons. Because it's set in Chicago, Britney and I were willing to hold back on critiques for a few episodes, enough time for us to get to know the characters. Now, halfway through season one, we are pretty much hooked (despite being several weeks behind in watching, but it is on our apartment to-do list!).

What we like about the show is the Chicago factor--minus some geographical oddities (how is the Sears Tower in every shot?), we like spotting the different locations. Twice last week I rode bike or drove past an area where they were filming (as made apparent by all the fire trucks chilling by giant lighting structures and actor trailers parked along my bike route, guarded by cops). One of the sets we drove past featured a car rammed into a concrete pillar. Traffic slowed as we went by--with the cops and fire trucks and all the movie smoke they were using it really looked liked a legit accident. Then we saw that the car was propped on blocks and people from the set crew were literally leaning on it, taking a smoke break.

The characters and their story lines have also intrigued us, not so much that we can't wait to see another episode, but enough to get us to talk about them in everyday conversation, as if they were mutual friends we are curious about. I would say this is significant, but we talk about our neighbors and the pizza delivery guy with about the same concern. So far we haven't spotted any of the lead actors out and about--that's still on our bucket list.

The believability/credibility of the show suffers when they send the firefighters to '800 West Halsted' (as a north-south street, there is no such address on Halsted), or when this squad, whose fire hall appears to be located somewhere southwest of the Sears Tower, responds to calls on the South Side, downtown, AND in my very own neighborhood (a fairly large radius considering the existence of other units in each of these neighborhoods). On the other hand, we had to give the show credit one night when the nightly news that comes on immediately following the show reported two real accidents that were startlingly similar to two featured in that night's episode.

Despite all the drama, Britney and I have found Chicago Fire to have some great comedic moments. Alongside the sexy firefighters/EMTs, the cast also includes men I personally am more familiar seeing on a fire/rescue squad: funny old guys. From the character who goes by 'Mouch' (half man, half couch), to the pranks they pull on each other, these are the firefighter types I know and love in real life.

To all firefighters/EMTs/first responders: Brit and I would love to know what, if anything, is realistic about the show/the accidents they respond to. We've done our best to be a bit skeptical and we know they super play up the drama, but as I said, sometimes the news proves they got some things right. And finally, thanks for all you guys do daily & nightly. From the mundane to the grisly to the downright strange, rescue squads respond to all levels of emergency calls with great care for humanity. If there's one thing the show gets spot on, it's the focus on taking care of victims above all else when the call comes in. You guys are the real stars.

12/12/12

Today is 12/12/12 and for some reason that seems worth mentioning. Nothing extremely interesting is going on in my life right now. My computer continues to die & resurrect itself. Britney is off work still, so Brooke and I have some variety to our nights. There is no end to the errands I run at work. Jesus won't shut up about smoking his pipe and gearing up for the theater release of The Hobbit on Friday.

I'm going to pretend 12/12/12 is a holiday anyway: one where I don't have to go anywhere, or do or buy anything, one without special music or food, the halfway point between December first and Christmas. I'll celebrate where I am right now, calm and peaceful.

Art Museum Adventure

Thanks to Becca's membership, Jesus and I explored the Art Institute of Chicago Saturday afternoon. It was our second time there in two months, and we saw very few repeat pieces of art. We really shouldn't have been so surprised. At nearly one million square feet, it's simple to get lost in the museum, so it makes sense that our visit felt as if we had never been there before.

Some of the exhibits were new or updated, but we also found an entire floor we had previously missed along with part of the modern wing that we barely skimmed through last month. And of course we took full advantage of our borrowed membership: tea and hot chocolate in the Member Lounge.

Local Art, Library Cards, & Luxury Drugstores

Three (free-ish) ways to expand your world on a Saturday morning: visit a local art gallery, use your Chicago Public Library card, and check out the new upscale Walgreen's.

OhNo!Doom is an art gallery, collective of artsy-types, and shop where you can purchase original works by local artists and collective members. I pass this gallery on my way to the library and grocery store, frequently admiring the art from the sidewalk, but yesterday I decided to actually go inside. I'm glad I did, too, because they have some pretty neat pieces on display right now. They invited me back next weekend, when they are having a holiday-closing-open house sale. Anybody want some fun art for Christmas?

After that fun detour I went to the library, where I managed to hold myself to only four books. I judged them all by their covers, which, despite proverbial wisdom, usually works for me. I'll let you know if what's between the covers holds up to my initial expectations.

If it's cheesy to put "visit Walgreen's" on your Saturday bucket list, then cheesy I am. My final stop on my Saturday morning adventure was the new Walgreen's in Bucktown. Housed in what used to be Noel State Bank, a registered Chicago landmark, I'm pretty sure this is the only pharmacy/convenience store that can boast a "Vitamin Vault" and stained glass ceilings. Even the gum I bought tasted fancier than usual.

Zoolights

What do you get when you cross a bank, an electric company, and nearly 1,250 animals?

A free Friday night activity!

Zoolights is essentially the Lincoln Park Zoo at night, bedazzled with strand upon strand of Christmas lights. This is may be only my second time going (a pity considering it's free 365 days a year), but I definitely made it count. Not only did I get to see all the holiday light displays, some set to music, I also got to see most of the zoo animals (provided, some were fast asleep). Another perk: I got to borrow a friend's membership card, which meant free parking and complimentary cookies, tea, hot chocolate, and apple cider.

I saw a pygmy hippo open it's mouth wide and make several children scream, two wide awake giraffes who seemed to spend most of the night licking the wall of their habitat with their foot-long tongues, and monkeys fast asleep in poses uncannily human-like.

There was an ice sculptor carving big blocks of ice with a chainsaw, Santa took up residence in the big cats exhibit, and plenty of Christmas music, which got Jesus & I into the festive spirit so much so that we came home and watched the entirety of the BBC version of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Ballet. (His idea, not mine, fyi!)

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree...

...How plastic are your branches.

Our little tree may be fake, but I think we have people fooled with our pine scented candle.

Besides, it's not the size of the tree, it's the amount of presents underneath that counts, right?

Just kidding, what counts is who you trim your tree with. :)

Many Thanks

I know I'm a week late, but I say we can give thanks whenever we want. Here's what I'm mindful of this year:

Abundance of food in my grocery stores
Bike lanes
Finding farts funny at age 24
Patterns
Low maintenance family who doesn't mind there was no turkey on Thanksgiving
Clean sheets
Recipes
Having a list of things to be thankful for
Chapters ending, chapters beginning
Waffles
Technology, for the most part
Washer/dryer 10 feet from my bedroom
Thrift store treasures
Leftover Halloween candy
Tea
Book clubs of two
Arts & Crafts
Coupons
Borrowing wardrobes
Giraffes

I know, a lot of these were kind of silly--but I think the really great stuff is in the silly things of our lives. I hope I'm living my life in a way that shows gratitude always (I just typed gratefulness & stared at it for a hot minute until I remembered the right word, so thanks universe for the confusing English language). Of course many thanks are due daily to my family & friends, who keep me sane/drive me crazy in a strangely harmonious way.

Dragons & Clowns

The circus is in town! Thanks to some lucrative connections, Jesus & I got tickets for last night's show. If you haven't gone to a circus lately (like me), you really should. The circus-goers were mostly families with little kids, but I've found that an ADD boyfriend is essentially a child...combine that with said boyfriend's love of dragons (this year's circus theme) and acrobatic stunts, plus a pre-show where audience members can mill around the actual circus arena, and you have one crazy mustachioed guy pulling you around the introductory acts trying to find something to play on/do back flips off.

Once we finally got settled in our seats (only twelve rows up), the real show began & I could relax. JUST KIDDING. Don't get me wrong, the show was amazing to watch, but I spent most of it holding my breath & clenching all my muscles. Anytime a performer let go of the trapeze bar, flew into the air, jumped onto a galloping horse from the ground, dove through a flaming/spinning hoop made of swords, rode a motorcycle on a wire, or broke a piece of wood over their head, I momentarily stopped breathing.

What was most fun was deciding which act I would join should I run away with the circus ever. I'm clearly not cut for feats of flexibility or acrobatics, I enjoyed the animal acts, but have no real heart for animal stunts, and I would poo myself if I were to ever end up on a motorbike in a globe/cage of steel. Remember those career tests you take in high school? One of my possible careers was always clown, and I have to agree with that result. I can do goofy stuff all day. I just need to learn how to juggle.

Happy Nannyversary!

Today marks one year of me semi-professionally managing a house of two teenagers and one mom. I survived all the seasons, holidays, school functions, doctor appointments, house projects and upkeep, house emergencies, sleepovers, laundry, meal preparation, grocery shopping, dry cleaning, lawn mowing, painting, bed making, soccer practice, piano lessons, and driving around Chicago that this family does in one year.

Okay, about 87% of the year was laundry.

It's hard to believe just one year ago I was wandering around, funemployed, picking up any shift Mercy would throw at me, going for runs, going on interviews, and rearranging furniture. Now I am wandering around, employed, turning down shifts because "I'm at work that day," going for coffee, commuting...and still rearranging furniture.

The more things change, the more things stay the same, right?

Car Troubles & Triumphs

I don't own a car. Never have, most likely never will. Here's why:

Car maintenance is confusing/frustrating/expensive.

Also, I manage quite superbly without a car. Between my bike, CTA, and friends with cars, I can always get to where I need to be.

And yet: all of my post-grad jobs have required driving. Luckily, driving itself is not the problem for me. Unluckily, my current position also involves oil changes, filling up with gas, wiper fluid, and coolant, and disconnecting/reconnecting batteries to reprogram a locked radio.

I can't say I'm a savvy car mechanic after accomplishing all that, but I do feel justified in my annoyance at the car dealer who suggested I bring the car in to reset the radio since 'it might be confusing' for me. Whatever that was supposed to mean, I calmly asked that he explain the steps over the phone so I didn't have to waste gas driving all the way to him. Turns out it wasn't all that confusing once I knew what to do, surprise surprise.

I'm still not convinced I'll ever want a car.

Election 2012

Did you vote today? I hope so--as American citizens it's one of the coolest rights we have. I don't particularly care who you voted for; I think it's more important to understand and exercise the right...regardless of if your electoral votes agree with your personal vote.

Take me, for example. My vote in Obama's hometown (whether for or against Obama) technically doesn't matter. Illinois went Obama blue pretty much as soon as polls closed at 7. If I could vote in my home state of Wisconsin, though, my vote (Republican, Democrat, Independent, or Green) would feel a lot more substantial. I still felt it important to get out this morning and join my fellow 13th precinctians. And now, no matter the result, I have the extended right to complain about politics for the next four years. Everyone knows you aren't allowed to complain unless you voted.

Brooke and I are currently watching election coverage. Four years ago, I was pretty sure Obama would win. Tonight, it's not as certain. What I'm most interested in is how they are coloring the ice rink after each state goes red or blue. Happy Election Night!

Halloween

The most popular costume I saw out today? Person Dressed For Winter. I'm used to Halloweens spent covering costumes with winter coats; Chicagoans not as much (though it depends on who you talk to). I definitely went as "Bundled Up" today. I didn't trick-or-treat, but I got to hand out candy at work. That's my favorite part, really--loading other people's kids with sugar, scoping out the creative/scary costumes, staying warm inside.

I saw large women in tiny hats, little girls in giant hats, superheroes, wild creatures, cops, robbers, & dinosaurs. I wasn't stingy with the candy. The best part? I didn't spend any money on the candy and I get to raid the leftovers tomorrow.

Hurricane Sandy

The storm that's supposed to hit the east coast tonight has also managed to blow a bit further inland, tacking on several minutes to my commute. I'm serious--I couldn't figure out why it was so windy this morning (despite its nickname, Chicago isn't necessarily any more windy than other lakefront cities), but then I heard on the radio (NPR!) that parts of Lake Shore Drive could be closed today due to high winds and waves, effects of Hurricane Sandy.

We definitely aren't under any sort of storm watch here, but that doesn't mean we can't blame this week's inconveniences on Sandy.

Back on the Bus

Tonight I did something I haven't done since January. I took the bus home. Not any bus, dear reader, but the dreaded 49. Remember my trials with that line? I never thought I'd see the day, but today I couldn't find it in my heart to ride my Schwinn. Heading home, I didn't want to mess with transferring buses without a CTA card. The mile walk was welcome after an activity-filled weekend and hectic work day of cleaning, laundry, cooking, and lots of driving.

My wait was reasonable, the bus wasn't crowded, and I had 15 minutes of blogging time during the ride. I could have opted for reading The Hobbit since I promised to finish it before embarking on another (more welcome) book, but one does not merely dip into The Hobbit during one's commute. Truthfully, I'm having troubles dipping in ever and do more skimming than real reading (sorry Jesus). Whatever. I got a few thoughts down on my ride and got home only 25 minutes later than usual.

Twice the Nostalgia

In the past two weeks I engaged in two activities that reminded me of home/Wisconsin. It's nice to have that occasionally, a taste of another life and a change of pace from my current one.

Richardson Farm Corn Maze

This corn maze is the largest in the world--33 acres and four mazes--and provided hours of fun/confused wandering for Jesus, his family, and me (after the preliminary non-fun of finding the place and maneuvering around rural Illinois). Once there, we ate kettle corn while getting hopelessly lost in the maze. Eventually we figured out how to read the map, and from then on we had no problems finding the checkpoints scattered around the Girl Scout-themed maze.

St Robert Bellarmine Harvest Gala

This Northwest parish reminds me a lot of my home parish in Colby--a fun mix of little old ladies and men, young couples, and plenty of families with kids who attend the connecting school. Their Harvest Gala serves as a fundraiser for the community and school, and this year they honored Fr. Scott with their Guardian Angel Award. Father Scott, CEO & President of Mercy Home, is also a resident at St. Robert Bellarmine. I was at the Harvest Gala to volunteer as a MercyWorks alum. My job for the night: coffee. Brewing, filling carafes  pouring, keeping sugar and cream stocked...this took me back to working at the retirement center and Ryan's. Once the dinner and auction were done, we (other former MWers & I) got to dance and enjoy the party with the young couples who stuck around for the DJ.

Get Fit: Home Stretch

Alright, let's be honest: not a lot changed during this challenge. I have one week left, but once it's over things won't change much then, either. Since I've been eating healthy for a while and getting regularish exercise with my bike rides, so cutting out what little sweets and processed foods I was eating and doing a few more crunches hasn't made-over my body. I lost some water weight, toned certain areas, and my routine feels good, but I am in no way ripped. Even the small improvements I have made in physique can mostly be accredited to my teenage boy metabolism. I myself had little to do with this challenge.

But you know what? I'm okay with that. I'm okay with being hungry every two to three hours, allowing myself to pig out on whatever I want as long as its real food, and getting most of my exercise by commuting to work. Cheers to one more week & then the rest of my life!

Unprocessed October

This is actually a thing people are doing: no processed foods for a month. I already sort of follow that diet, trying my best to follow the "if your great-grandma wouldn't know what it is, don't eat it" rule, aka "if it is a plant, yes; if it was made in a plant, no" rule, aka the "can you make it in your own kitchen?" test. There's really nothing to lose by trying it out (besides probably a few pounds, unprocessed is undoubtedly healthier).

By these guidelines, fruits, veggies, pasta, bread, cheese, milk, meats, nuts, & even many sweets are fair game--provided these things don't have additives, preservatives, or other chemical fillers (think bread that also has high fructose corn syrup). Things like cake, cookies, & alcohol are fine, provided it's in moderation and preferably homemade.

The creator of this challenge usually allows for things you could make in your own kitchen, but for reasons of time and convenience usually don't: coffee, cheese, chocolate, pasta, etc. Then what it comes down to is checking ingredient lists and packaging. As a rule, the less packaging the better (think purchasing fruit vs fruit roll ups). Frozen fruits & veggies are better than canned when fresh isn't available and grass fed/sustainable/organic meats trump their corn fed/factory farmed counterparts. When grocery shopping, stick to the outside aisles, where most of the unprocessed food resides, and avoid all the canned, boxed, and chemical-laden inside aisles.

Don't go for the month right away if it intimidates you--but try going unprocessed for a week, or even one day a week. I promise it's actually quite easy once you've tried!

Get Fit: Week Two

Weight: holding solid at 130
Pull Up Ability: only one at a time, several throughout an evening with plenty of rest between
Areas of focus: abs, arms, butt/thighs
Favorite meals: breakfast smoothies, black beans & veggies, hummus/guacamole with chips/crackers/veggies
Cheats: Oreo ice cream, diet Dr. Pepper, cheddar Chex mix, donut

More Michael Cunningham

That's what I want in my life right now. I finished A Home at the End of the World yesterday and I'm about to finish By Nightfall tonight. I haven't done much else besides read, work, and workout this week.

There's something sacred to me about waking up earlier than I need to, making coffee and breakfast, then sitting on the couch to read until I have to get ready for work. It's become more than a routine for me--more like a ritual that I don't like to interfere with.

Cunningham's novels fit perfectly into this ritual. As I explained to Becca earlier tonight, his writing is deep and literary without being pretentious or unavailable. It's meaningful, but not snobbish. I've convinced Becca to read him and join my book club, and I make the same plea to all of you. Brit and Diego are busy reading Fifty Shades of Gray, so I need people to discuss these books with!

Specimen Days

It's been a while since I've read a really interesting book. Entertaining, fun, informative, yes--but really different and interesting? Those types are harder to come by.

I first read Michael Cunningham in college. Many people are familiar with the movie The Hours, and I was able to study the novel version along with the book closely tied to it: Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway. I was a huge fan of all three.

Specimen Days follows similar themes and styles as The Hours, most noticeably its strong tie to a great piece of literature, this time Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass. The novel is split into three separate, yet intimately related, novella-type stories, each featuring a man, a woman, and a young boy. One takes place in Industrial Revolution New York, one in post-9/11 New York, and one in a dystopian future New York.

I enjoyed each story's deliberate tone and how they methodically came together to tell one sweeping tale of human connection spanning several centuries. It's not often you come across a historical fiction/cop drama/sci-fi novel all in one. Readers of Specimen Days should be prepared to shift their genre gears as they read, something I'm all too eager to do.

Get Fit: Weekend Update

Friday, Saturday, & Sunday saw more cheating than challenging, but I knew from the start I'd have to cheat a little.

Weight: 130 lbs
Miles biked: 16 miles
Pushups: 30

Cheats:
Cupcake
Deep dish pizza
Chex mix
Juice (high fructose corn syrup)
Ranch dressing
More deep dish
Cookie

Healthy Meals:
Smoothies
Quinoa & veggies
Eggs & guacamole
Carrots & beans & broccoli & hummus
Bison tacos
Apple & banana

Get Fit to Thursday Night Comedies

What better way to work out than in front of your newly reinstalled ancient television set? I did this circuit as I watched my regular comedies:

30 seconds scissor kicks
30 seconds ab rows
30 seconds toe touches

Yes, I know. That's only a minute and a half. I decided my abs were sore from yesterday and did a few non-core exercises instead. And don't forget my daily 6 mile bike ride!

Meals:
Fruit smoothie (banana, peach, strawberry, yogurt, oatmeal)
Tea
Crackers & salsa
Carrots & hummus
Cheese & crackers
Crackers & hummus
Mint gum
Celery & peanut butter & raisins
Giant salad with veggies, cheese, & nuts
Toast
Raspberry lemonade
Several tempting smells of Brooke baking cupcakes
Water

Get Fit Day Three: Return of the Appetite

Miles biked: 8
Types of fruit bought for smoothies: 7
Ab circuit:
30 Crunches
60 Bicycles
30 Count Of 6 Inches (cheated by raising my legs a bit higher)
30 Count With Legs Raised
30 Scissor Kicks
30 Wide Kicks
30 Heel Touches
Meals/snacks: 8
English muffin with butter & jam
Clif Bar
Wheat Thins & Hummus
Rice & beans & cheese
Salad with veggies
Toast with leftover salad dressing
Chicken with sautéed zucchini & onion over pasta
Dried fruit & nuts
Water
Tea

Get Fit Day Two

Still not feeling great. :(

Miles biked: 6
Balance drills performed: 9
Balls of feet, eyes closed: 30 seconds
Right foot: 30 seconds
Left foot: 30 seconds
Right foot, left leg held out: 30 seconds
Left foot, right leg held out: 30 seconds
Right foot, with squat: 10 reps
Left foot, with squat: 10 reps
Right foot, left leg kicks forward, side, and back: 5 reps
Left foot, right leg kicks forward, side, and back: 5 reps

Diet:
Yogurt with cereal & dried fruit
Peanut butter & honey on toast
Quinoa & veggies in sesame soy sauce
Butter toast
Rice & beans
Water

Grain & Veggies & Sesame Dressing

1. Prepare your grain (rice, quinoa, couscous, etc) as usual.

2. Add chopped up veggies of your choice to grain as it cooks, or sauté on the side with some olive oil, salt, & pepper. (Almost any amount/combo of veggies. I've used bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, corn, edamame, kale, onion, spinach, tomatoes...)

3. When grain is fully cooked, pour into serving bowl with veggies and mix with sesame dressing (see recipe below).

4. Enjoy! Variations of this would include a protein (chicken, steak, pork, tofu).

Sesame Dressing: Mix all ingredients.
3 tbsp rice vinegar/white wine vinegar
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame/vegetable oil
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)

Get Fit Challenge

Guys, I let myself get talked into doing a 30 day fitness challenge. It's actually a parkour thing, set up by two brothers who have been training for a while. The whole challenge is not only for people to tone up for parkour, it's to raise awareness of obesity and support people trying maintain a healthy weight.

What it means for me is real workouts (as opposed to my current physical activity of walking back and forth from the kitchen to my room), and reevaluating my diet. Here are my first day numbers and whatnot (I also took a Before picture, but that's just for me to see the difference):

Weight: 135.5 lbs
BMI: 22
Miles biked: 3.5
Miles jogged: 1
Workout:
30 second reps of quads, crab walks, squats, and lunges
Yoga back and shoulder stretches
Diet:
Apple & peanut butter on toast
Baked tilapia
Mixed green salad w/ veggies, nuts, and dried fruit & piece of toast
Water
Tea

This is a lot less food than I would usually eat, even during a fitness challenge. I plan on eating about 5 or 6 times each day, since that's what I'm used to and it keeps my metabolism up near where most teenagers' are. I wasn't feeling too hot today (ate something disagreeable over the weekend) so my appetite wasn't where it normally is. I don't want anyone to think that's my normal diet! I am and will continue to be a blue ribbon eater throughout this month!

Behind Enemy Lines

Clay Matthews jersey is on and I'm ready to support the Packers from the rival bench. M's words to me as he got in the car after school were, "I hate you right now for wearing that." I guess that means he's ready for the game too.

I somehow managed to find two viewing partners who don't actually follow football, but are cheering for the Bears by default. (Brit and I are two of only a few girls who are more into football than our boyfriends are.) Diego and I found a sloppy joe recipe to try and we still have Andre's massive flat screen, so already this is shaping up to be a good night.

Go Pack!

LOST

That's where Diego and I are right now. Lost after the second season of Lost. If you've already watched the series, don't ruin it for us! If you haven't, we recommend a binge session of watching episode after episode. It's the best way to not forget what's been going on and to get your questions answered quicker. Not all your questions, though. Just enough to keep you watching.

Never before has a show been so confusing in such a gratifying way. Diego and I consistently guess and second guess the twists and turns of each episode, and when the credits start rolling we are usually both shouting "What?!" at the TV.

That was the scenario tonight as we finished Season 2 and, on a prearranged agreement, did not start in on Season 3. I don't even know who survives to see Season 3, it was that kind of ending. Luckily I only have to wait until tomorrow.

Strike

I didn't think it would happen; Brit did. She won, so I now owe her a week of five minute foot massages. The Chicago Teachers' Union couldn't reach a deal with the school board over several issues, so the teachers won't be in school today.

I'm not sure if this is a big deal or not; there hasn't been a strike in over 20 years, but I have my doubts about how long it'll last. Mostly it just seems dramatic. Several schools are open to provide breakfast, lunch, and educational activities for kids who have no where to go, and churches, rec centers, and park facilities are also open so parents don't have to scramble to figure out what to do with their kids who were supposed to be in school today.

You can bet there are kids celebrating today, but for the most part a lot of them were hoping their routines wouldn't be disrupted-they know they have to make up this time anyway, so it's not like this is a consequence-free break. High school juniors and seniors are upset because they have credits to earn, AP tests to study for, transcripts to complete, and colleges to apply to. This mess disrupts that process. Kids involved in fall sports and other extracurriculars have to figure out how to practice with missing coaches and advisors.

It would be hard to find someone not inconvenienced by the strike. I hope it's worth it, CTU.

Go Bears! And Packers! And Colts!

How can I cheer for all these teams today? People rarely understand my football loyalties. I'm from Wisconsin, grew up in a split-team household, and now I live in Chicago. What's not to get?

Today I am excited for the Packers to win their first regular season game and to see the Bears and Colts battle it out at Soldier Field.

Here's something else that's super exciting: my roommate is at the coin toss for the Bears! Right now! Go watch!

Premium Rush

Last night J and I saw Joseph Gordon Levitt's newest action flick, Premium Rush. J mostly wanted to see bike stunts; I wanted to see how New York bikers were portrayed.

We were both left wanting in those areas, but still enjoyed the movie overall. I was impressed by even basic urban biking skills and found myself holding my breath during several intense traffic scenes. Those parts hit pretty close to home seeing as I've had to maneuver my way out of sticky traffic situations on my ways to and from work.

As for biker characterization, the movie paints in broad strokes. All bikers aren't as fixed-gear loving, smart phone savvy, and anti-establishment as movies and TV would have you think. Yes, there is a certain segment of the biking world that fits the hipster-elite stereotype, but many of us are just poor 20-somethings trying to get to work or to a friend's house without having to worry about parking or public transportation. Even more of us bikers are merely trying to incorporate some physical activity into our daily existences, reducing stress and environmental/noise pollution with one swift rotation of our pedals.

Sorry. I've gotten off track reviewing this movie. It's just that bikers in Chicago aren't always welcomed and have even come under attack by newspaper reporters. I'm guessing this is nothing new, but one would think an innocent activity like biking wouldn't be the cause of so much irritation. To every annoyed driver: I'm sorry that bikers don't always follow traffic rules, but please don't treat us all the same!

Horner Park

I'm here with M right now. He's running. I'm people watching. Just now a gaggle of kids went running by, perhaps a children's running team or just a very large family chasing each other through the park. There are dog walkers, stroller pushers, marathon trainers, and bikers. You could pick this park up and plop it down pretty much any where in America and it wouldn't be out of place. I very much enjoy the anonymity.

Aaaaand M is finished. Back to work!

Committed

As many of you know, Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert was and continues to be an inspiring tale for me. I went to Rome shortly after reading it the first time, and a second reading helped put into words my spiritual ideologies. I haven't felt the need for a third reading, but I'm open to it.

Before doing that, I had to read her latest work, Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace With Marriage. From what I'd heard, it wasn't quite the same caliber as EPL, but I personally found it engaging and smart, if not honest and unassuming. Gilbert writes of what she knows: intimacy, loving another person, having a healthy fear of marriage. She doesn't set out to top EPL, and I found the two books to be very different, albeit complementary, works of creative nonfiction.

Here's my one critique (and it's really more of a wonder): why is the book titled Committed if there's no commentary on the connotations of that word? Commitment implies confinement. Why do we commit ourselves to people, but also to mental health clinics? Is it because we must be (for lack of a more PC word) a little crazy to commit? Or is it because (in the safety of a healthy relationship) we feel a little saner once we've done so?

Talk Radio: I Get It

When I was younger (elementary through high school), I didn't get why anyone would listen to talk radio. It seemed bland, uneventful, and contradictory to everything I listened to radio for: music and more music.

I know radio and how we listen to it is different, but I doubt things have changed very much. What has changed is I am a grown person who listens to the radio quite frequently, and I get why people listen to talk radio. I used to hear new music on the radio; now I can listen to whatever I want with (and this is a very short list of things I use) Pandora, Spotify, 8tracks, or plain old YouTube. And what does the majority of public radio have to offer me? Piles and piles of the same thing they played yesterday and the day before.

There are two Mainstream/Top 40/Popular Hits stations here, and I can't tell you how often I've tuned into one station, been unimpressed with the song playing, and switched to the other...to hear the same exact song. It's absurd that in 2012 I have to hear a handful of songs played on every station several times a day. The fact that one radio station has so few songs to play is truly disheartening.

So a few weeks ago, I gave up trying to find original music on a radio station. I made the official switch to NPR in the car I drive at work, where I do most of my radio listening, and at home I find music on the internet (see list of music sites above). I don't miss Rihanna, Katy Perry, Pitbull, Gotye, or Drake (apparently the only five artists with music this summer); even better, I've enjoyed what NPR has to offer.

I've been keeping up with politics, local and national, the economy, local news, interesting bits on Chicago, entertainment, sports, weather, and traffic. I've heard from the DJs and people calling in, reporters in Cairo and New York and Missouri, and from the various people interviewed by the station. In the past week I've learned about this and this.

An NPR story is even my latest inspiration for writing. It's a lengthy explanation, but essentially I'm trying out something a different writer did when he was first starting out. He admitted it didn't quite work the way he wanted it to, but I have no expectations for how this new experiment will work, so as long as I'm writing I feel okay about it.

The way I see it, that's a lot of positives replacing a minor irritation in my life, but those little things add up. What I'm saying is, give talk radio a chance!

Year 24 Bucket List

Guys, I'm 24 now. There's a few things I want to happen before I turn 25. I have a job and an apartment, both huge aspects of my adult life. From my job and home I've learned a lot about home ownership, work-life balance, creating a sanctuary, and time and stress management.

In this next year, I want to put into practice things I've gleaned. These are extras that I either feel old/mature enough to have/do or young/inexperienced enough to have no shame in trying.

Replace watch battery and try out life as a watch-wearer
Put loose pictures in frames or albums
Hang picture frames
Install curtains (Check! Did it today.)
Read about writing
Write
Turn the volume down on my inner critic
Arts and Crafts
Travel out of the country
Find my signature shade of lipstick
Get a new laptop
Host a murder mystery party

That's all I can think of right now. Also, I'm really hungry and kept wanting to write 'make guacamole' on the list as if it's a life goal, not something necessary for my immediate survival.

What I've been doing instead of writing

My laptop is officially out of commission, which has been okay for the summer. My iPod fills in for most of my electronic connection to the world and I've given up whatever isn't convenient: streaming tv, reading/getting lost on certain websites, paying bills...jk. Here's what I've been up to instead:

Arts and Crafts
Interior decorating
Taking weekend trips
Sweating/eating freeze pops
Learning how to front flip
Watching the Olympics

baseball & birthdays

Shout outs to Quinn and Mom on their birthdays yesterday and today!

J and I got to leave the city for the day yesterday to celebrate with the fam and watch a Brewer/Cardinals game. I've only been to Milwaukee several times, but every time I'm impressed by the city's architecture/skyline. I wish I knew the city better, besides the few spots I've visited (Miller Park, Summerfest grounds).

I made use of the two hour ride there (In sweltering heat...I'm convinced the A/C was broken. It was like riding in a double-decker convection oven.) by reading a huge chunk of Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane. I've seen the movie several times and it's one of my favorites. (I find Shutter Island and Inception comparable--unreliable narrator with a haunted past creating an alternate reality, Leonardo DiCaprio--but I prefer Shutter Island far more. Like piles and piles more.) I recommend the book as well, even if you've already seen the movie. For one, it's an intriguing story, written well and with solid characters. On top of that, the book has subtle layers of depth that a film can't incorporate.

Now I'm back in Chicago, but only for three days. I'm off to Madison on Thursday to see two of my favorite siblings!

Serendipitous

Even though I believe everything happens for a reason, it's a rare occurrence when I learn that reason in a timely manner. Usually it's months or years before I look back and think, "Oh yeah, I'm glad it went that way." Not so a few weeks ago: I experienced instant serendipity, a moment when I knew at least one reason why my day went the way it did.

It was supposed to be a simple Friday at work: my last day with M before his summer camp, finishing up laundry before the weekend, stocking up on groceries, and overseeing a fix to the new cable/internet/phone line installed a day earlier. Enter flash summer storm. In the middle of a 100 degree day, the rain started and didn't let up. It came down, sideways, and in sheets. Hail joined the rain for several seconds. The wind announced its presence by tipping the solid metal patio table over, umbrella and all. Oh, and the power went out.

The AT&T service guy came not long after that, and I had to let him know there wasn't much he could do since we had no power. He answered some questions and left M and me in the humid darkness. Laundry sat sudsy in the washer and damp in the dryer. I begged M to stop opening and closing the fridge and freezer, even though the cold air felt great. Without A/C, we laid on the floor sweating without moving.

I still needed to get groceries, so I left M to his own devices and escaped for a bit to Jewel, but not before having to fix the garage door, which went a little crazy during the storm. I made sure to get ice cream--M and I both needed it and besides, the kid was headed to northern Minnesota in a few days, where he'd miss home comforts.

Back home, I learned the power was back. I also learned the phone line was completely out. On my cell, I volleyed calls between AT&T and H, troubleshooting and explaining the situation. Thanks to faulty installation the day before, plus the power outage, the backup generator had zero charge and wasn't supplying power. M chose all the times I was on the phone to ask me questions, beg me to watch YouTube videos on his iPod, and dribble around a soccer ball.

People: I was frazzled. I left work that day with a shirt damp with sweat and hair plastered to my head. I rode home through a light sprinkle, something I was grateful for as it helped cool me down. Still, I was drenched when I got back to The Naw. I needed a freeze pop and a gentle friend. I called Becca as I unwound from the day, the week. My three day weekend had finally begun and I didn't want to think about work until Tuesday.

We caught up for a bit; I mentioned going to Milwaukee on Monday to see a Brewer game for Quinn's birthday. "I'm going to a Brewers game on Monday too," Becca said. "I think. Let me check." Sure enough, we were going to be at the same game. For two people who used to live together, but currently live in two different states, meeting up in a third state is wonderful. Knowing I'd see Becca the next Monday made my Friday night.

All at once I realized why my day at work was so trying. If not for that, I wouldn't have felt the need to talk to Becca afterwards. I would have came home feeling great about my weekend, ate dinner, had drinks, etc...and very likely wouldn't even know Becca would be in Milwaukee with me on Monday. If not for having a tough day, Becca and I might have attended the Brewer game unaware of each other's presence. And if that would have happened? Unacceptable. Thank you, Universe!

Grounded, Receptive

Tonight's yoga class was like that really fun day camp where the counselors are like older sisters that want to hang out with you. Our teacher could have been the love child of Jennifer Coolidge and Drew Barrymore and she spent the class shouting out personal encouragements and corrections: "Look up, Linds! Breathe, Kels!" She also abbreviated everyone's name. I went from no name newbie to "Keep your butt up, Rach!" in about 45 minutes.

And the highlight of the class? I successfully did a headless head stand! Okay, actually a head stand inversion on my forearms. Alright, alright, you got me. The teacher held my hips while I pressed my feet against the wall and my arms to the ground. But I didn't fall over this time!

And the Living is Sweaty

Today, it hailed. It was also another 100 degree day. Explain that one, science.

Our apartment has no air conditioning, so my routine has been cold showers, freeze pops, fans, and as little movement as possible.

Yesterday Bailey and I celebrated freedom on the beach with the rest of Chicago's young population. We also got to see fireworks aplenty. They are illegal in Illinois, but that doesn't stop enthusiastic Americans from crossing the border to Indiana to appease their need for explosives.

Tonight I'm sleeping at the Charleston, just a few blocks away. They have A/C and down comforters on pillow top mattresses. I'm basically on a staycation except I still have to go to work tomorrow.

Falling for Health

Just this afternoon, I finished reading Drop Dead Healthy, the latest from extreme project guru A.J. Jacobs. During the course of writing it, he tried to be the healthiest man alive, spending about one month per body part for two years: stomach, brain, heart, skin, eyes, ears...he covers a lot of body parts. If I had to write that book, I would have separated it by health categories: diet, exercise, rest, etc, but as a follower of Jacobs' work I heartily (pun intended) enjoyed it.

Sunday for me is overwhelmingly a day of rest, but after devouring Drop Dead Healthy along with these food items today:

cinnamon raisin bagel w/ cream cheese
homemade pizza (3 pieces)
freeze pop (green flavor)
chocolate chips

I couldn't sit around and watch TV, nap, or read more. Off to yoga I went. A lot of what I've read/heard recently has echoed the mind/body relation, namely that a healthy body means a healthy mind, or a stressed out mind means an out of whack body. It makes sense, and luckily a month of chiropractic adjustments sprinkled with yoga and relaxation have done both my mind and body good.

I sometimes surprise myself during yoga with what my body can do, and then I start feeling pretty righteous and my body reminds me I'm definitely NOT the poster child for grace, balance, or flexibility. Just today I started internally praising myself for some great-looking plank push-ups when the teacher suggested hand stands against the wall. Feeding off a so-far successful class, I kicked right up into it...and immediately came crashing to my side. Laughing at myself to ease the embarrassment and thanking the good Lord I didn't knock anyone else over, I settled for a much more accessible downward dog pose. Drop Dead Healthy indeed.

Things I don't understand (a work in progress)

Theorems
Risk: the board game
Risk: financial/banking
The popularity of the Millennium Trilogy
The phrase 'if you want to make an omelet, you have to crack some eggs.'
Kindergarten naps at the end of yoga classes
How divers don't smack their heads on the board when they flip
How it got to be so late so fast
Why I think 11 pm is late
My metabolic cycle

Summer Activities

If you are wondering what I am keeping busy with this summer, let me direct you to this fabulous google calendar, highlighting nearly every event Chicago has to offer:

https://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=chicagosummercalendar%40gmail.com&ctz=America/Chicago

It's one of the more comprehensive summer calendars I've seen, but doesn't include nearly all my summer activities. If I am not engaged in whatever's on the calendar for the day, you can probably find me:

Sunning on my porch
Sunning on the beach
Sunning at Holstein Park
Swimming/sunning at Holstein Pool
Eating at an al fresco BYOB
Yoga
Watching trashy summer TV
Playing Words with Friends/DrawSomething
Thrifting
Reading beach mysteries

Oh yeah, aaaaaaand I might be doing a little bit of work. At my job. It's tough being a grown up.

Soul Shapes

I'm back on the yoga wagon, at least for ten classes since that's how many came in the Groupon package I bought. Maybe some day I'll wise up and read my own blog to remind myself some sort of breathing/stretching/meditative activity is beneficial to my life.

Our teacher tonight started by asking us to notice the space our bodies took up in the world, then specifically our kidneys. I think the point was to focus inwards, but it kind of made me have to pee.

Yoga is about super awareness--of the body, the breath, and how those two are linked with our thoughts. The final thing the teacher discussed before we started class was going further than noticing our physical beings. She asked us to consider the shape of our souls in the world.

I don't know what my soul shape is, but if I could describe my ideal soul shape it would be more nebulous rather than rigid, and more thick than light or wispy. I want a soul that has presence, but also adapts to different environments.

I guess I'm treating my soul like a personality: flexible, yet solid. Our souls are essentially personalities, eternal cores of our beings, and hopefully the truest parts of who we are.

I'll end with the class invocation:

'I open myself to receive those teachings that reveal the light of knowledge in me.'

Summer Sounds Like...

The neighborhood ice cream truck playing The Entertainer
Police sirens circling Humboldt Park
My neighbor's sprinkler on her new lawn
The Blue Line making its stop at Western
Passenger planes returning to the city
Fireworks every night

Emerging from my Burrow

Last night I had a dream that I was on a gigantic space station. A lot of people lived there--it had libraries and classrooms and bedrooms and kitchens and it was all very colorful. At one point, the space station lost power and we were going to crash into Earth. Something/someone saved us just in time, but I have no idea how, because as soon as Dream Rachel learned that the station was going down, she began collecting every pillow, blanket, and mattress aboard in one room where she then nestled in and awaited impact. And yes, in my dreams I can carry and throw mattresses.

When I told J about this dream, he laughed and said that's what I would do in real life too. It's true--when faced with impending doom, it's second nature for me to curl up in a ball, swaddle myself, and hide under all my blankets where I wait out the catastrophe, emerging once it's gone. Anytime I was stressed out about a paper or test in college, my solution was to take a nap and hope I was smarter when I woke up.

My last post gives an idea of what I've been stressing over lately: my bike, my closet, my back. My room won't rearrange itself into something with feng shui, M and I started several hefty painting and gardening projects at work and he has a very short attention span, and we always seem to have dirty dishes at home. All of these petty things have piled up on each other and attached to my big fear as of late: that I have no idea what I want to do with my future. Friends, Brit and Brooke can attest to you that I am in bed before the nightly news is over.

Alas, there comes a point when More Naps is not the answer (SO HARD TO BELIEVE I KNOW)...and I've recently taken steps to emerge from the minor hermit lifestyle I've lived in these past few weeks. An amazing man named Jose came last week and re-installed my closet. He also HAND MADE our screens. I started seeing a chiropractor about my back/neck problems. Waking up with headaches was no bueno and after some testing, it turns out I'm in Phase I of Spinal Crapping Outage. So Dr. Estelle & I are taking care of that. This past Saturday, Brit and I hauled the infamous Schwinns up to Bryn Mawr and our lovely bike men, where they spent about three hours reattaching my seat.

I am fixing things that are stressing me out, blogging again, adjusting to my summer schedule, and overall being alive again. Alas, don't think that emerging from this burrow means I'm not still going to bed early...as soon as this posts, I'm crashing.

[Something we have started in my community, ending with a note of gratitude: for bike lanes, Dave Matthews,  our new foot scrubber, our porch garden in the shopping cart, and that summer fireworks have started and I can hear them from my bedroom.]

Weak

Things in my life that can't hold the weight required of them:

My closet shelf
My bike seat
One of the chairs in my dining room
My arms when they lift things over my head

Why is everything too heavy?

I want to ride my bicycle

My trusty Trek got stolen, but this is the beauty I replaced her with.

Crocodile

North Ave Beach

jazz hands

Overcoming Obstacles

swag

Breakfast

spin your own gold

No Transpassing

Practice

dream

Says Who?

Happy National Photography Month!