a work in progress and a complete copy of leslie's blog looking back at her year... but what a great idea!
here's a sampling of what i've done this year...
*moved from nyc to chicago
*bought my very first house: 847 w fletcher!!!
*got TWO new jobs: in feb 07, i quit nnn after 5 years and joined gemini real estate advisors (grea) and in nov of 07, i quit grea and join tax strategies group (tsg)
*traveled for work to: texas, california (a few times!), vegas (twice!), vermont, georgia, florida (twice), oklahoma, rhode island, connecticut(a few times), maine, new hampshire, all over new york including buffalo, massachusetts (a few times), virginia, washington dc
*traveled for fun to: ca, bahamas (that was between jobs as a treat!), maine, illinois, colorado, vegas, cabo, dominican republic, indiana (phew! that's a lot of traveling!! am i forgetting anything?!)
*weddings and more weddings! heather hawley to rick mehl in chicago (unfortunately they chose to get married on a thurs and i wasn't living here yet so i couldn't go), laura schrage to chris campbell in culver, indiana (this would be the infamous wedding scott and i attended together after visiting dev and patrick in chicago), and ok maybe that was it, but it feels like there was another wedding that i went to... hmmm...i'll have to think on that some more
*baby showers! my first baby shower ever: jessica johnson (formerly thompson) at cirpriani downtown in nyc. baby anthony soon followed! and my second baby shower ever: courtney wucetich in ca for the most adorable little boy: alexander peter.
*on a sad note: my last grandparent, henry (hank) miller harper, jr passed away december 3rd.
*on a happier note, my mom had the brilliant idea to make us matching rings out of the diamonds from my grandmother's old gold watch that was really really dated and so that was her mother's day present to me even though i'm not a mother (obviously) but her idea is to pass the rings down to the girls in the family as they come along in the future.
*had a variety of visitors come and see me in nyc: sarah mac, meghan corea (who eventually moved to the city!), mom and dad, scott, kelley, higgins
*already have had a few people in chicago: mom and dad, alex, and sarah lyman will be here in a couple of days!
and then there were the variety of nights out on the town! gosh this year has flown by...i can't wait to see what 2008 brings!
Thursday, December 27, 2007
scrabble.
should i feel guilty?! i think i probably should... my aunt ellen, uncle jim, and cousins caitlin and benjamin came down from dallas for christmas dinner which was lovely (pictures and another blog to come on that). but while we were waiting for dinner, caitlin decided that a game of scrabble would be fun. and so all the cousins played: my brother who is 26, ben who is 21, and caitlin who is 18. i don't know if i just got the really good letters or if i really am that good at scrabble, but i beat caitlin who took second place by over 55 points! ben was third by 1 point and my brother pretty much lagged. we all got a good laugh when he tried to spell tiger and spelled it "tigAr". he claims that it should be automatic spellcheck... we still laughed. a lot. i might feel guilty for how much i laughed... so my question is, being the oldest cousin, should i feel guilty for beating them (fair and square i should add) b/c i am the oldest?!
Monday, December 24, 2007
holy fear of flying...
ok, i fly a lot. that has already been determined. this christmas vacation, i flew on several flights. on friday the 21st, i had to go from chicago to newark, change planes and go from newark to portland, maine. on sunday the 23rd, i flew from portland, maine back to newark and then from newark to houston. and finally, i flew back yesterday afternoon from houston to chicago. that's a lot of flying in less than a week, but not the most flights i've ever taken in such a short period. that record belongs to my work trip where in 2.5 days i flew 13 different flights. that was insane! but nevertheless, i digress. back to the present...
generally speaking i am not afraid to fly. it's just something i do. i don't like it, but it gets me to wherever i want to go fairly quickly and thus is a nececssary evil. but, sometimes things make me nervous. and on my flight from newark to houston, i got very nervous!
my parents were supposed to be on a flight on sat evening so they could be home for a going away party on sunday, but their original flight was cancelled and our flight was completely booked so they flew thru detroit. my brother and i were on the flight for sunday from newark. the flight went fine. we were on one of those really big planes - 2 seats, 3 seats, 2 seats. there were a bunch of pilots on the flight too just going along for the ride. the flight was going smoothly and fine up until the landing. the plane had screens and were showing our flight progress and how high we were. we got down to about 3000 feet and suddenly turned away from the airport and i realized we were starting to circle. but, planes don't normally circle so low b/c they burn more fuel at lower altitudes... so i started to get a little nervous, but the pilots and flight attendants didn't make any announcements and that was even more troubling. so then a flight attendant comes and talks to the pilot sitting in the row right in front of me and i couldn't hear so that added to my nervousness... and then he started looking down the aisle several times and that really didn't help me feel any better! so finally we start to descend from our steady hold at 3000 feet and as we are landing, there are flashing lights everywhere on the runway - ambulances and fire trucks! what?! but still, no announcement! uhhh, let's talk nerves here people... i was feeling more than a little nervous here. so then we land on the runway without incident, but we just stopped at the end of it. ok, planes don't stop at the end of the runway ever. they always move out of the way. still no announcement. and then finally, they cleared us and we went on our way to the gate.
the pilot in front of me started to talk to me and said that the flight attendant warned him that he may be needed if there was an emergency. apparently the landing gear didn't want to go down or the warning light was on so they weren't sure... but i knew something wasn't right...luckily, the flight landed without incident and everything was just fine... but for a few moments, it was rather nerve wracking!!!
generally speaking i am not afraid to fly. it's just something i do. i don't like it, but it gets me to wherever i want to go fairly quickly and thus is a nececssary evil. but, sometimes things make me nervous. and on my flight from newark to houston, i got very nervous!
my parents were supposed to be on a flight on sat evening so they could be home for a going away party on sunday, but their original flight was cancelled and our flight was completely booked so they flew thru detroit. my brother and i were on the flight for sunday from newark. the flight went fine. we were on one of those really big planes - 2 seats, 3 seats, 2 seats. there were a bunch of pilots on the flight too just going along for the ride. the flight was going smoothly and fine up until the landing. the plane had screens and were showing our flight progress and how high we were. we got down to about 3000 feet and suddenly turned away from the airport and i realized we were starting to circle. but, planes don't normally circle so low b/c they burn more fuel at lower altitudes... so i started to get a little nervous, but the pilots and flight attendants didn't make any announcements and that was even more troubling. so then a flight attendant comes and talks to the pilot sitting in the row right in front of me and i couldn't hear so that added to my nervousness... and then he started looking down the aisle several times and that really didn't help me feel any better! so finally we start to descend from our steady hold at 3000 feet and as we are landing, there are flashing lights everywhere on the runway - ambulances and fire trucks! what?! but still, no announcement! uhhh, let's talk nerves here people... i was feeling more than a little nervous here. so then we land on the runway without incident, but we just stopped at the end of it. ok, planes don't stop at the end of the runway ever. they always move out of the way. still no announcement. and then finally, they cleared us and we went on our way to the gate.
the pilot in front of me started to talk to me and said that the flight attendant warned him that he may be needed if there was an emergency. apparently the landing gear didn't want to go down or the warning light was on so they weren't sure... but i knew something wasn't right...luckily, the flight landed without incident and everything was just fine... but for a few moments, it was rather nerve wracking!!!
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
book recommendation.
there are two books that i think everyone should read if you haven't already.
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
it is such a powerful book. sarah l first recommended it to me and told me that i had to read it. since she had previously suggested The Kite Runner, i knew her selections were great ones. so i picked it up. and it took me a little while to get in to it. but when i had finished reading it, it had a profound effect on me and i realized what an amazing book it truly was.
the other book i'd recommend is:
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
this is another amazing book that tells the story of an old man who spent his life working in the circus. the author really researched this book and gathered information on circus life. while the story itself is fictional, the details of circus life in the early 1900s was really really well researched. i loved every minute of the book and couldn't put it down yet i was sad when it was done. i highly recommend picking up a copy!
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
it is such a powerful book. sarah l first recommended it to me and told me that i had to read it. since she had previously suggested The Kite Runner, i knew her selections were great ones. so i picked it up. and it took me a little while to get in to it. but when i had finished reading it, it had a profound effect on me and i realized what an amazing book it truly was.
the other book i'd recommend is:
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
this is another amazing book that tells the story of an old man who spent his life working in the circus. the author really researched this book and gathered information on circus life. while the story itself is fictional, the details of circus life in the early 1900s was really really well researched. i loved every minute of the book and couldn't put it down yet i was sad when it was done. i highly recommend picking up a copy!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
my view.
i have finally finally finally taken some pictures of the amazing view i get to see every day while i am at work. i am in the downtown "loop" and somehow managed to get myself my very first office. while i don't have a view from my condo, i do get to spend all day looking at such an amazing view. it's hard to tell from the pictures, but i can see a little bit of the river and a little bit of the lake. and i can see for miles and miles. and i also get to look at the hancock tower. our building is directly across the street from city hall and close to the thompson center too. we are just a couple of blocks to state street which has some good shops though i try to stay away from them! michigan avenue isn't too far away either, but i haven't gone down there yet. i need to do that as i hear there are some beautiful christmas decorations this time of year.
enjoy!
enjoy!
Friday, December 7, 2007
happy birthday sarah mac!!
sarah, i hope you have an absolutely fabulous wonderful amazing birthday today!!!!
Friday, November 30, 2007
my grandaddy.
i just called my grandaddy to tell him how thankful and grateful i am to him for all of the wonderful memories and summers in maine as well as all of the financial gifts he and my nana gave to me. my grandad has been very sick for awhile now, but now he's making peace and getting ready to move on from this life. he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a month or two ago (it had spread there from somewhere else) and is now in the hospital with pneumonia and sepsis (which is a blood infection). he's apparently unresponsive, but linda (his wife) put the phone up to his ear so i could talk to him. he's the last of my grandparents...
my grandaddy and me in florida.
my grandaddy and me in florida.
the lake house.
as promised, here are pictures of my parent's lakehouse. it's in a place called artesian lakes and it is north of houston by about an hour and 15 minutes. the house has been a really fun project as my family decided we didn't want an ordinary log cabin picked from one of the books. we decided to draw our own version of what we wanted. so my dad drew the skeleton of the house and my mom and i worked on the floorplan. my parents' love the location b/c it is a bunch of little lakes and finger lakes and motor boats are not allowed. you can do electric boats and canoes and so they bought a little red canoe for the house. on the friday after thanksgiving, we all went up to the lake to check on the progress. it's moving right along, but apparently the outside is the quickest to go up and then the rest of it takes a lot longer. we are hoping to have the house finished by may. below are some pictures taken at various stages!
Monday, November 26, 2007
thanksgiving
well, as you all have noticed, i haven't exactly been the best at posting lately. it's been hard, but i promise to give more updates and better ones at that!
right now i am sitting here in tons of pain... but let me back up and fill you all in on my thanksgiving adventures...
on wed, i flew home to houston. via an unplanned stop in austin. i got to the airport rather early b/c my mom warned me that it would be a mad house. luckily, it was a breeze, but that left me there quite early. so i put myself on standby for the flight leaving at 2. they must have called about 12 names on that list, and not one of them was mine! bummer. but that was ok, my flight was only an hour later. we got on board and the pilot told us to hurry and store our bags b/c the snow was coming and he wanted to avoid delays. we managed to leave chicago on time. however, we got down to houston and had to circle. turns out a large thunder and lightening storm decided to pass right on over houston as we wanted to land. and houston declared at least an hour long ground stop. since we were running low on fuel and didnt have enough to keep circling, we had to make a pit stop in austin. and refuel. we sat on the ground in austin for over 2 hours. we finally made it to houston around 930pm - i think - and i was supposed to be there around 6ish - just in time for dinner. yeah, not quite. oh well...
then back at the house, i enjoyed tons of yummy food (as was the theme for the entire trip home). and then the allergies kicked in. oh yes, terribly this time too. i could not breathe for anything and it brought about wheezing and a tight chest and it made it impossible to sleep. so not fun. i have no idea other than my parent's cats what could have done it, but my allergies have never been that bad at home!
thanksgiving was nice, but small. usually my aunt, uncle, and cousins come down from dallas. but, not this year. it's a long story and i think a few of you are aware of the situation... anyways, it was just the immediate family and that was nice. again, ate way too much, but it is my favorite holiday and so i allow myself to stuff my face. and boy did i ever! YUM!
on friday, we went to the lake to check on the status of my parent's lake house. it's being built in a very small lake community and they've made a lot of progress. it was nice, but i was feeling horribly sick and tired (didn't sleep at all the night before) and it was freezing! my mom put a very tacky green and red wreath on the outhouse door. those of you who know my mom and her sense of humor will know that this is a normal thing and that the red and green one replaced a rather tacky thanksgiving wreath.
finally, i discovered claritin D as opposed to regular claritin. so i upped my dosages and finally got some relief. some. but any relief was a good thing!
and then the flight home. i thought i'd be ok. boy i was wrong! everything was great until landing. and then i really really wanted a drill so i could perform a lobotomy to make the pressure in my head go away. i still have a massive headache from the pain. it shot through my head and down in to my shoulder. i swear it felt like all my teeth were going to fall out. it was so bad. and my ear is killing me. that said, i get to go to my first doctor appt in chicago in a couple of hours. can't wait. give me some good drugs please!!!
it sounds like i didnt have much fun, but i really did. it was good to see the family and so good to eat such wonderful food.
more updates to come! and pictures too! i'll show you pictures of the lake house and my chicago condo once i can... still need to find that pesky cord!
right now i am sitting here in tons of pain... but let me back up and fill you all in on my thanksgiving adventures...
on wed, i flew home to houston. via an unplanned stop in austin. i got to the airport rather early b/c my mom warned me that it would be a mad house. luckily, it was a breeze, but that left me there quite early. so i put myself on standby for the flight leaving at 2. they must have called about 12 names on that list, and not one of them was mine! bummer. but that was ok, my flight was only an hour later. we got on board and the pilot told us to hurry and store our bags b/c the snow was coming and he wanted to avoid delays. we managed to leave chicago on time. however, we got down to houston and had to circle. turns out a large thunder and lightening storm decided to pass right on over houston as we wanted to land. and houston declared at least an hour long ground stop. since we were running low on fuel and didnt have enough to keep circling, we had to make a pit stop in austin. and refuel. we sat on the ground in austin for over 2 hours. we finally made it to houston around 930pm - i think - and i was supposed to be there around 6ish - just in time for dinner. yeah, not quite. oh well...
then back at the house, i enjoyed tons of yummy food (as was the theme for the entire trip home). and then the allergies kicked in. oh yes, terribly this time too. i could not breathe for anything and it brought about wheezing and a tight chest and it made it impossible to sleep. so not fun. i have no idea other than my parent's cats what could have done it, but my allergies have never been that bad at home!
thanksgiving was nice, but small. usually my aunt, uncle, and cousins come down from dallas. but, not this year. it's a long story and i think a few of you are aware of the situation... anyways, it was just the immediate family and that was nice. again, ate way too much, but it is my favorite holiday and so i allow myself to stuff my face. and boy did i ever! YUM!
on friday, we went to the lake to check on the status of my parent's lake house. it's being built in a very small lake community and they've made a lot of progress. it was nice, but i was feeling horribly sick and tired (didn't sleep at all the night before) and it was freezing! my mom put a very tacky green and red wreath on the outhouse door. those of you who know my mom and her sense of humor will know that this is a normal thing and that the red and green one replaced a rather tacky thanksgiving wreath.
finally, i discovered claritin D as opposed to regular claritin. so i upped my dosages and finally got some relief. some. but any relief was a good thing!
and then the flight home. i thought i'd be ok. boy i was wrong! everything was great until landing. and then i really really wanted a drill so i could perform a lobotomy to make the pressure in my head go away. i still have a massive headache from the pain. it shot through my head and down in to my shoulder. i swear it felt like all my teeth were going to fall out. it was so bad. and my ear is killing me. that said, i get to go to my first doctor appt in chicago in a couple of hours. can't wait. give me some good drugs please!!!
it sounds like i didnt have much fun, but i really did. it was good to see the family and so good to eat such wonderful food.
more updates to come! and pictures too! i'll show you pictures of the lake house and my chicago condo once i can... still need to find that pesky cord!
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
crazy busy around this new town!
more to come, but for those of you begging for an update... here is the quickest of quick!
*LOVE the new job (keeps me incredibly busy)
*LOVE the new house
i have tons of boxes (movers came last tuesday), but i've made excellent progress.
bought a new car. her name is delilah and she is a 2007 volvo s40 in metallic silver and black interior. i got her officially on saturday, but she was delivered to my house last night.
bought 2 new tvs: a 42" for above the fireplace (got installed on Monday) and a 32" for my bedroom. sure do wish the cable guy would come...
cable/internet/phone: that's a way bigger post timewise than i have time for right now... i'll fill ya'll in on that later...
let's see... nothing else to report right now i don't think... well i'm sure there is, but i've got to get back to work!!
*LOVE the new job (keeps me incredibly busy)
*LOVE the new house
i have tons of boxes (movers came last tuesday), but i've made excellent progress.
bought a new car. her name is delilah and she is a 2007 volvo s40 in metallic silver and black interior. i got her officially on saturday, but she was delivered to my house last night.
bought 2 new tvs: a 42" for above the fireplace (got installed on Monday) and a 32" for my bedroom. sure do wish the cable guy would come...
cable/internet/phone: that's a way bigger post timewise than i have time for right now... i'll fill ya'll in on that later...
let's see... nothing else to report right now i don't think... well i'm sure there is, but i've got to get back to work!!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Update!
i am now in chicago. i closed on my house yesterday morning!! so exciting. i went for a walk around the neighborhood and found all kinds of things. i am so close to a million things: sports authority, petco, blockbuster, linens n things, marshalls, dsw, restaurants and food galore, and a ginaormous booze store. that should come in handy!
in any case, i am staying with my aunt and uncle in evanston which is just north of the city and a close in suburb. it's where northwestern is and it is very nice. i have a great suite in their penthouse condo with fabulous views and extremely easy public transportation and shopping options. i called my movers and as of today, it has not been loaded on a truck bound for chicago yet. and thus, they cannot give me an idea of when i might expect to see my worldly possessions again. arghh. that's frustrating! i want to start moving my stuff in already!!
i start my new job tomorrow so that will be good. i'm excited to see what lies ahead there.
i'm completely and totally exhausted at this point... it's been a long month!
in any case, i am staying with my aunt and uncle in evanston which is just north of the city and a close in suburb. it's where northwestern is and it is very nice. i have a great suite in their penthouse condo with fabulous views and extremely easy public transportation and shopping options. i called my movers and as of today, it has not been loaded on a truck bound for chicago yet. and thus, they cannot give me an idea of when i might expect to see my worldly possessions again. arghh. that's frustrating! i want to start moving my stuff in already!!
i start my new job tomorrow so that will be good. i'm excited to see what lies ahead there.
i'm completely and totally exhausted at this point... it's been a long month!
Monday, October 29, 2007
it's MOVING DAY!!!!!!!!
holy crap, i cannot believe today is moving day!!! for the last time i slept in my bed in my apartment here in ny. honestly, i don't think it's hit me yet. no idea why, as there are boxes everywhere.... this must be short as i have to pack up last minute things and go get breakfast with my dad. he stopped by yesterday after his trip to maine and before going home to houston. he's taking otis which is a huge help. wish me luck as today will be a very long day. i fly out tonight!!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
today is the day!!
well friends, today is the day i can announce my other news (which all of you know anyways). i've been relunctant to say anything about a new job for fear that someone somehow would figure out my blog and announce it prior to me wanting it announced. well, i no longer have that fear as today is the day that i am announcing my resignation. i am resigning from gemini today... and starting my new job at tsg in chicago next thursday! my month of hell is almost over... thank god.
so my new job - if you want to check it out - is www.tsgre.com. i am getting my own office on the 35th floor of a really cool building in downtown chicago. i feel so important to finally have my own office! i'll definitely give you an update after my first day...
so my new job - if you want to check it out - is www.tsgre.com. i am getting my own office on the 35th floor of a really cool building in downtown chicago. i feel so important to finally have my own office! i'll definitely give you an update after my first day...
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
poor otis!
my poor little man is sick and i feel awful! yesterday i took him to the vet to get caught up on his shots and a check up b/c the airlines require this in order for him to fly. so he got his rabies shot and another shot and i was so impressed with his good behavior! this morning, i got up (grudgingly) and showered and was starting to get dressed when i realized i hadn't seen my little bunny yet this morning. usually, otis hears the alarm and comes to talk to me and nudge up against me to convince me to get up and feed him and then turn on the faucet for him. and he usually bugs me for water in the bathroom and he is always underfoot while i am going through my morning routine. and then i realized he hadn't done any of those things i had a mini heart attack and started calling out his name trying to find him. he always comes running when i call his name (unless he sees the cat carrier and knows a trip to the vet is forthcoming, at which point he runs the opposite direction). so nothing was normal and i freaked out. as i looked for him, i found a lovely present of some masticated food on the floor and i knew he must be sick. i finally found him underneath my bedside table and he was just all curled up and he gave me the most pathetic meow i've ever heard from him. so i called the vet, and they don't know anything. they told me to just observe him today. um, i have to go to work. so i brought him in to the vet for observation and so the vet could check him out when she gets in this morning. i hope he feels better soon! he is supposed to fly tomorrow to houston. yes, my little man is a traveling boy. while i move and get situated, otis is going to live at my parents' house with them and their two cats, zach and zoey. in any case, i am worried about my bunny and i hope he's ok!
Monday, October 22, 2007
lunch treat
so every once in a while on my lunch break, i like to go to the nail salon down the street and get a 10 or 15 minute shoulder massage. today, i decided that my shoulder/neck has been killing me so i would go and treat myself. the lady was excellent, but she kept remarking at how tense and stressed and knotted i was. i could honestly have let her work away on my shoulders for another several hours. and now all i really want is a nice full body massage. what i'd really like is a boy who wants to massage my shoulders for me....
Thursday, October 18, 2007
my loan is approved and other random thoughts!
so my loan was approved today! yay!! i am so excited and relieved and now that is one more thing i can cross off my check list.
but i'm bored. oh so bored. and i'm trapped in one of those dumb time dilemmas. and my coworker and i are going to dinner but he can't meet until about 630ish. now, i've been leaving the office around 515-530ish and heading home. but it takes a good 30 mins or so. and so it doesn't make a heck of a lot of sense to do that. so i think i'll still probably leave in a bit and just go read my book. i'm reading a real good one right now. it's called water for elephants. loving it. wishing i could read right now, here at my desk. unfortunately, that doesn't look to good to the other employees and the boss man. so for now, until i can think of a way to conceal what i'm doing, i will not be reading at my desk, but rather blogging away at least a few minutes of my very boring day here at the office.
i have no relevant pictures to post, but i think i'll pick one at random from my desktop and write a short blog about it just because i am so dang bored... let's see what i can dig up right now...
oh excellent... i came up with a picture of the boy i'm hung up on and his brother. we were in vegas at the moon club in the palms. such a great night, but i was pretty much falling asleep in the booth by about 430 in the morning. i was so done for the night!
let's try another photo...
ah... that's better. here's me and higgins when he was in town the summer before this one. we had a blast on his visit. his dad and little brother and little brother's friend were all in town for the angels games. we went and the angels won! yay. it was so fun. we had the best seats and of course our angels red on. in the sea of blue. it was great. but we also did all the touristy things. i dont think higgins had been to ny before this visit, but i may be making that up... in any case, we had to have our picture taken with the wall street bull... and this pretty much started the bull picture visitor phenom. or something like that. in any case, after his visit, everyone who came to see me and wanted to do touristy things had to have their picture taken with me and the bull. so cheesy and yet so fun. i probably have 7 or 8 bull photos. i'm going to have to find a replacement for my bull pictures in chicago. i'm thinking maybe one of the characters in oz park... we'll see...
and speaking of chicago, to bring this full cycle... i've already been invited to my first party. it's a wine tasting event hosted by none other than our friend, devon. i'm so excited! i love wine tasting parties and i'm excited to meet some new people. i'll blog and photo that once it happens on nov 10th.
and so i'm officially bored of blogging and i'm sure you are bored of reading this nonsensical random blog...and so i'm done... for today...
but i'm bored. oh so bored. and i'm trapped in one of those dumb time dilemmas. and my coworker and i are going to dinner but he can't meet until about 630ish. now, i've been leaving the office around 515-530ish and heading home. but it takes a good 30 mins or so. and so it doesn't make a heck of a lot of sense to do that. so i think i'll still probably leave in a bit and just go read my book. i'm reading a real good one right now. it's called water for elephants. loving it. wishing i could read right now, here at my desk. unfortunately, that doesn't look to good to the other employees and the boss man. so for now, until i can think of a way to conceal what i'm doing, i will not be reading at my desk, but rather blogging away at least a few minutes of my very boring day here at the office.
i have no relevant pictures to post, but i think i'll pick one at random from my desktop and write a short blog about it just because i am so dang bored... let's see what i can dig up right now...
oh excellent... i came up with a picture of the boy i'm hung up on and his brother. we were in vegas at the moon club in the palms. such a great night, but i was pretty much falling asleep in the booth by about 430 in the morning. i was so done for the night!
let's try another photo...
ah... that's better. here's me and higgins when he was in town the summer before this one. we had a blast on his visit. his dad and little brother and little brother's friend were all in town for the angels games. we went and the angels won! yay. it was so fun. we had the best seats and of course our angels red on. in the sea of blue. it was great. but we also did all the touristy things. i dont think higgins had been to ny before this visit, but i may be making that up... in any case, we had to have our picture taken with the wall street bull... and this pretty much started the bull picture visitor phenom. or something like that. in any case, after his visit, everyone who came to see me and wanted to do touristy things had to have their picture taken with me and the bull. so cheesy and yet so fun. i probably have 7 or 8 bull photos. i'm going to have to find a replacement for my bull pictures in chicago. i'm thinking maybe one of the characters in oz park... we'll see...
and speaking of chicago, to bring this full cycle... i've already been invited to my first party. it's a wine tasting event hosted by none other than our friend, devon. i'm so excited! i love wine tasting parties and i'm excited to meet some new people. i'll blog and photo that once it happens on nov 10th.
and so i'm officially bored of blogging and i'm sure you are bored of reading this nonsensical random blog...and so i'm done... for today...
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
el gordo y la flacka
ok, seriously... there is a woman on spanish tv that i get mistaken for... a lot. i don't know her real name, but i do know she is on a tv show called el godo y la flacka. i have been told many many times that i look just like her but dozens of people across the country. i'm not kidding.
a random sampling of places and people:
*at the drugstore checkout - the clerk started talking to me in spanish and then asked me if i felt ok when i didn't respond. um, i don't speak spanish. and then he asked if anyone had told me i look like so and so on spanish tv... um yes.
*at the airport checkin - again, has anyone told you you look like so and so? uh, yes.
*at Triple Net - a couple spanish speaking coworkers first told me that i looked like her a few years ago
*the receptionist at my dentist's office
*a lady at the st regis in dana point... do you know you look like this person on spanish tv... yeah, i've heard that... oh?! you've heard that before?? yesssssss....
*taxi driver
*and a whole host of other receptionists and grocery workers
so... you be the judge... here is her picture below...
a random sampling of places and people:
*at the drugstore checkout - the clerk started talking to me in spanish and then asked me if i felt ok when i didn't respond. um, i don't speak spanish. and then he asked if anyone had told me i look like so and so on spanish tv... um yes.
*at the airport checkin - again, has anyone told you you look like so and so? uh, yes.
*at Triple Net - a couple spanish speaking coworkers first told me that i looked like her a few years ago
*the receptionist at my dentist's office
*a lady at the st regis in dana point... do you know you look like this person on spanish tv... yeah, i've heard that... oh?! you've heard that before?? yesssssss....
*taxi driver
*and a whole host of other receptionists and grocery workers
so... you be the judge... here is her picture below...
queer eye in the elevator!
ok, weird subject line, i know. but, i was coming back from lunch yesterday and got in the elevator with 2 other women and a guy. i noticed the guy had an escada bag with him and thought to myself, good grief, that guy did some serious lunch shopping. waaaaaay worse than i've ever done. and then the two ladies got out and it was just me and this really well dressed guy. and i looked over at him and thought, wow, he looks just like carson kressley from queer eye for the straight guy. he got off at floor 8 and i'm not sure what's on that floor, but i did hear the receptionist say, hi carson! you haven't been here in awhile. and so i deduced, that i indeed was correct and it was carson kressley riding in my elevator in my office building. yup.
and then, i swear, leaving work as i was walking to the subway i walked right past jake gyhlenhaal...but i could be making that on up. but it looked just like him!
and i never have 'celebrity' sightings...
and then, i swear, leaving work as i was walking to the subway i walked right past jake gyhlenhaal...but i could be making that on up. but it looked just like him!
and i never have 'celebrity' sightings...
Monday, October 15, 2007
you've got to be kidding....
Child’s chalk doodle draws graffiti citation
Parents of 6-year-old artist warned to clear away flower or face fine
NEW YORK - Chalk it up to New York City's crackdown on graffiti.
A 6-year-old child's chalk sketches on her family's stoop brought her parents a graffiti-removal notice that threatened a $300 fine.
First-grader Natalie Shea said her mom got a ticket for graffiti and it wasn't even graffiti.
"It was art, very nice art," Natalie said.
But a neighbor in Brooklyn's Park Slope neighborhood saw it differently and dialed the complaint line.
The family was sent a form letter of complaint giving the family 45 days to clean up the graffiti.
Natalie's mom said she'll act more quickly to wash off the doodles in the future.
As for the offending blue flower, it was erased by a heavy rain.
please tell me they are kidding with this news story!! honestly, when does drawing on the sidewalk or front stoop constitute graffiti?! and since when do we have neighbors who are so nit picky that they call the cops about it? holy lord there is so much wrong with this posting that i just had to blog about it. courtney, you better watch out where your darling little man doodles with chalk when he gets a little older!! :)
Parents of 6-year-old artist warned to clear away flower or face fine
NEW YORK - Chalk it up to New York City's crackdown on graffiti.
A 6-year-old child's chalk sketches on her family's stoop brought her parents a graffiti-removal notice that threatened a $300 fine.
First-grader Natalie Shea said her mom got a ticket for graffiti and it wasn't even graffiti.
"It was art, very nice art," Natalie said.
But a neighbor in Brooklyn's Park Slope neighborhood saw it differently and dialed the complaint line.
The family was sent a form letter of complaint giving the family 45 days to clean up the graffiti.
Natalie's mom said she'll act more quickly to wash off the doodles in the future.
As for the offending blue flower, it was erased by a heavy rain.
please tell me they are kidding with this news story!! honestly, when does drawing on the sidewalk or front stoop constitute graffiti?! and since when do we have neighbors who are so nit picky that they call the cops about it? holy lord there is so much wrong with this posting that i just had to blog about it. courtney, you better watch out where your darling little man doodles with chalk when he gets a little older!! :)
Friday, October 12, 2007
new post just for devs...
i'm sick. oh yay. love having a nasty cold. it's so fun and so sexy to have a runny red nose. it's also really helpful in getting everything done that needs to be done in the next few weeks. oh boy. so yes, here i am sitting in my pjs watching hgtv and blowing my nose on a friday night. wow, who is jealous?!?!?
so these past couple of weeks have been super stressful and tiring. i've been traveling way too much. last week i was in atlanta for a conference from thurs-sat and then i came home for the night and left the next day (sunday) for vegas for yet another conference. i just got home late wed night. thurs, i got myself a fine cold. vegas was a lot of fun. scott was there, but i barely saw him. i did accuse him of avoiding me. he denied it. whatever. sure wish i could knock that boy outta my thoughts... but that as we all know is so much easier said than done.
here's a funny story from the conference. so i had a coworker (pat) and a guy i do business with (kenny) among a bunch of other conference people i was out with. well, i saw a cute boy in the bar and wanted to talk to him, but being the dumb girl that i am, i decided i was too shy to do anything about it. well, pat decides to play wingman and i told him to find out if the guy was gay or married. so pat goes over and asks him that and the guy was all, what?! pat's all just answer the question! so he goes neither and pat says come over in a few minutes, the girl i'm with wants to meet you! and he did!!! ahahahaha. ok, maybe it was funnier if you were there or if you knew these people, but i was dying. anyways, spent the night trying to forget about scott by going out with this guy. we ended up hanging out until 430am at jet with another guy in the industry. it was a blast... but the guy wasn't scott and i left at 430 to pass out. god, i'm so lame. go ahead and say it ladies....
so here i am... my head is foggy and i've slept pretty much all day. at least otis is a good cuddler... i'm off to take more nyquil...
so these past couple of weeks have been super stressful and tiring. i've been traveling way too much. last week i was in atlanta for a conference from thurs-sat and then i came home for the night and left the next day (sunday) for vegas for yet another conference. i just got home late wed night. thurs, i got myself a fine cold. vegas was a lot of fun. scott was there, but i barely saw him. i did accuse him of avoiding me. he denied it. whatever. sure wish i could knock that boy outta my thoughts... but that as we all know is so much easier said than done.
here's a funny story from the conference. so i had a coworker (pat) and a guy i do business with (kenny) among a bunch of other conference people i was out with. well, i saw a cute boy in the bar and wanted to talk to him, but being the dumb girl that i am, i decided i was too shy to do anything about it. well, pat decides to play wingman and i told him to find out if the guy was gay or married. so pat goes over and asks him that and the guy was all, what?! pat's all just answer the question! so he goes neither and pat says come over in a few minutes, the girl i'm with wants to meet you! and he did!!! ahahahaha. ok, maybe it was funnier if you were there or if you knew these people, but i was dying. anyways, spent the night trying to forget about scott by going out with this guy. we ended up hanging out until 430am at jet with another guy in the industry. it was a blast... but the guy wasn't scott and i left at 430 to pass out. god, i'm so lame. go ahead and say it ladies....
so here i am... my head is foggy and i've slept pretty much all day. at least otis is a good cuddler... i'm off to take more nyquil...
Thursday, October 4, 2007
offer accepted!!
holy crap!
they accepted my offer and we were able negotiate a great price. i couldn't be more excited!!! i want to close as soon as possible, so we'll see when it actually happens but neringa thinks that we'll be able to close on oct 29th! wow. my dream of chicago is really really coming true! omg!!! i have so much to do before then!!
they accepted my offer and we were able negotiate a great price. i couldn't be more excited!!! i want to close as soon as possible, so we'll see when it actually happens but neringa thinks that we'll be able to close on oct 29th! wow. my dream of chicago is really really coming true! omg!!! i have so much to do before then!!
an offer was made!
i put in my very first offer ever. i have all my fingers and toes crossed that i get this one. it is so beautiful! neringa thinks she'll hear back from the seller today... i can't wait!
here are some pictures of the property. it is located at 847 w fletcher which is in lakeview.
here are some pictures of the property. it is located at 847 w fletcher which is in lakeview.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
my amazing aunt and uncle.
so, until recently, i didn't really have much of a relationship with any of my family besides my immediate family and my grandparents. this weekend as i was house hunting, i got to stay in evanston with my aunt kathy and uncle chuck. i feel so lucky to have an aunt and uncle that i am getting to really know now. they are wonderful people and i am so excited that i get to live near such solid family members soon!
chuck spent both sat and sun with me and my realtor neringa. he was so patient! neringa says that normally people see 6-8 places and then are tired and quit for the day. we saw 15 each day! chuck dutifully went to each one and gave me his opinions. he was so helpful!
kathy was so wonderful and so nice. she gave me one of my nana's rings that she thought had also belonged to my great-grandmother as well. it's beautiful. so gorgeous! and then she gave me a vintage gucci purse that used to belong my nana as well. it's definitely been lovingly used - a lot, but i think that adds so much character!
the ring: (a little blurry, but you get the idea)
the gorgeous vintage gucci bag:
househunting:
the two days were definitely a whirlwind! we saw so many properties in so many areas. i really wanted to get a feel for what was available. on saturday, we saw so many properties. i can't even begin to remember all of them. but one did stand out: george street. it stood out so much that we even decided to go back and look at it again on sunday. on sunday, i found one that i really liked as well: fletcher street. it is just a few blocks from george street. and it turns out it is even closer to public transportation which i've learned is key. it's a great option, but it isn't george street. i lost george street to another buyer. while i was working on getting an offer together, the seller accepted one. dang! so back to the drawing board. do i go with the second option or do i continue to look? the second option is really amazing too! beautiful wood floors, amazing kitchen (though i'd prefer darker wood) with wine fridge and all viking/bosch appliances (that i don't know how to use yet). a bathroom with heated floors and a to die for shower and whirlpool tub. a great balcony/deck off the master too. and garage parking which is key for cold winters! and close to transportation. seriously, what am i even pondering?! anyways, the search came to a close and it was a long long weekend!
chuck spent both sat and sun with me and my realtor neringa. he was so patient! neringa says that normally people see 6-8 places and then are tired and quit for the day. we saw 15 each day! chuck dutifully went to each one and gave me his opinions. he was so helpful!
kathy was so wonderful and so nice. she gave me one of my nana's rings that she thought had also belonged to my great-grandmother as well. it's beautiful. so gorgeous! and then she gave me a vintage gucci purse that used to belong my nana as well. it's definitely been lovingly used - a lot, but i think that adds so much character!
the ring: (a little blurry, but you get the idea)
the gorgeous vintage gucci bag:
househunting:
the two days were definitely a whirlwind! we saw so many properties in so many areas. i really wanted to get a feel for what was available. on saturday, we saw so many properties. i can't even begin to remember all of them. but one did stand out: george street. it stood out so much that we even decided to go back and look at it again on sunday. on sunday, i found one that i really liked as well: fletcher street. it is just a few blocks from george street. and it turns out it is even closer to public transportation which i've learned is key. it's a great option, but it isn't george street. i lost george street to another buyer. while i was working on getting an offer together, the seller accepted one. dang! so back to the drawing board. do i go with the second option or do i continue to look? the second option is really amazing too! beautiful wood floors, amazing kitchen (though i'd prefer darker wood) with wine fridge and all viking/bosch appliances (that i don't know how to use yet). a bathroom with heated floors and a to die for shower and whirlpool tub. a great balcony/deck off the master too. and garage parking which is key for cold winters! and close to transportation. seriously, what am i even pondering?! anyways, the search came to a close and it was a long long weekend!
Friday, September 28, 2007
i'm going house hunting!!
for those of you who don't know... i am going house hunting this weekend in chicago!! yay!! i couldn't be more excited. i am working with my friend's real estate agent, neringa northcutt (pictured below).
matt bought his townhouse from her not too long ago and he was really happy so he recommended her to me. she is going to show me about 30 properties this weekend! that's a lot to keep straight... but i'll be taking pictures and i promise i will update on the blog what i find this weekend. in the meantime, if you would like to see some of the ones i've been looking at online, go to:
http://mlsni.connectmls.com
Username: katherine.harper
Password: ingewholeake
and that will let you access all of the properties i've looked at online and the ones that i've marked 'maybe' or 'interested' to. it's all so very excited. i can't wait.
matt bought his townhouse from her not too long ago and he was really happy so he recommended her to me. she is going to show me about 30 properties this weekend! that's a lot to keep straight... but i'll be taking pictures and i promise i will update on the blog what i find this weekend. in the meantime, if you would like to see some of the ones i've been looking at online, go to:
http://mlsni.connectmls.com
Username: katherine.harper
Password: ingewholeake
and that will let you access all of the properties i've looked at online and the ones that i've marked 'maybe' or 'interested' to. it's all so very excited. i can't wait.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
scripps reunited!
after courtney's shower, sarah mac, holly, devon, and i headed back to the st. regis where i was staying thanks to the capwest conference i was attending on gemini's behalf. i had arrived on wednesday nervous as could be b/c of scott being there and having no idea what to expect. well, we had a great time. and thurs and fri was pretty great too... until i decided we needed to talk. i knew i wanted more than he did and i needed to establish that we were just having fun. instead, i cried. i meant to take 2 minutes, but it turned into about 30 mins and that really sucked. it sucks to hear that he doesnt want to make the distance work. it really sucks to hear that he doesn't want a committed relationship right now either....or i guess if he does he doesn't want one with me. although i'm sad, i'm strangely ok with this right now. i know i deserve better... and i'm hoping there's some great guy just waiting for me in chicago... right?!!? anyways, back to the scripps girls.
sarah l drove down to meet us and once she arrived, we all went to the sweeping veranda off the main lobby and sat down for some cocktails. the girls all met scott briefly. it was probably a little awkward, but whatever. then i said goodbye to him and managed to keep the tears at bay til i got back to the girls. but, they were all so sweet and all flung over their engagement rings so i had one for almost all of my fingers on my left hand...that was so cute...at least i can live vicariously through them!
we had all kinds of concoctions and truffle oil french fries. it was all delicious and we sat there til the sun set. then it was time to get ready for the evening and we had a deliriously fun time getting ready all in one bathroom and taking pictures of ourselves in the mirror. luckily, the bathrooms in the st regis are generously sized!!
then we headed for our cab ride to sapphire where we had to wait awhile for our food, but oh man, it was so worth the wait!!!
the food was delicious!! i had some banana curry chicken and rice concoction as well as some mushroom soup and the appetizers. it was all so good and by the time we were done eating i was so full. we all decided we were tired (man, we just can't party like we used to) and so we decided to take a cab back to the hotel. little did we know what a helluva fun ride we were in for...
the cab ride back had karaoke and was so fun!! we started off with a strobe light and some blue lights on the ceiling and sang galileo by the indigo girls which was already on the cd player. even the cab driver joined in on the singing! and then africa by toto came on and we all enjoyed singing along to that. sarah l has some wonderful pictures on her camera... but imagine this: we rolled up in our cab, windows down, singing at the top of our lungs 'africa'. i'm pretty sure the valet parkers enjoyed that scene! how could they not?!
after that cab ride, how could anything top that?! we went in to the bar area and a band was playing. they were fun, but they soon took a break and we got bored and left. it was slumber party time. we all piled in to the beds and sarah l settled on the floor b/c they wouldnt give us a roll away bed. those bastards!!
but then sunday rolled around and it was time for devon and holly to do the race for the cure and then the sarahs had to leave and i was all alone... but not for long b/c i had to get to my plane and fly back home. it was such a fun weekend and couldn't have come at a more perfect time.
i love all of you girls and couldn't ask for better friends. thanks for always being there for me!!!
sarah l drove down to meet us and once she arrived, we all went to the sweeping veranda off the main lobby and sat down for some cocktails. the girls all met scott briefly. it was probably a little awkward, but whatever. then i said goodbye to him and managed to keep the tears at bay til i got back to the girls. but, they were all so sweet and all flung over their engagement rings so i had one for almost all of my fingers on my left hand...that was so cute...at least i can live vicariously through them!
we had all kinds of concoctions and truffle oil french fries. it was all delicious and we sat there til the sun set. then it was time to get ready for the evening and we had a deliriously fun time getting ready all in one bathroom and taking pictures of ourselves in the mirror. luckily, the bathrooms in the st regis are generously sized!!
then we headed for our cab ride to sapphire where we had to wait awhile for our food, but oh man, it was so worth the wait!!!
the food was delicious!! i had some banana curry chicken and rice concoction as well as some mushroom soup and the appetizers. it was all so good and by the time we were done eating i was so full. we all decided we were tired (man, we just can't party like we used to) and so we decided to take a cab back to the hotel. little did we know what a helluva fun ride we were in for...
the cab ride back had karaoke and was so fun!! we started off with a strobe light and some blue lights on the ceiling and sang galileo by the indigo girls which was already on the cd player. even the cab driver joined in on the singing! and then africa by toto came on and we all enjoyed singing along to that. sarah l has some wonderful pictures on her camera... but imagine this: we rolled up in our cab, windows down, singing at the top of our lungs 'africa'. i'm pretty sure the valet parkers enjoyed that scene! how could they not?!
after that cab ride, how could anything top that?! we went in to the bar area and a band was playing. they were fun, but they soon took a break and we got bored and left. it was slumber party time. we all piled in to the beds and sarah l settled on the floor b/c they wouldnt give us a roll away bed. those bastards!!
but then sunday rolled around and it was time for devon and holly to do the race for the cure and then the sarahs had to leave and i was all alone... but not for long b/c i had to get to my plane and fly back home. it was such a fun weekend and couldn't have come at a more perfect time.
i love all of you girls and couldn't ask for better friends. thanks for always being there for me!!!
courtney's baby shower
c's baby shower was my second one ever and it was even more fun than the first albeit more sober. i could have imbibed on all the champagne, but the thought of alcohol made me slightly queasy as i'd had way to much wine to drink the previous night in trying to forget my feelings for scott who is now completely and totally out of the picture. anyways... i digress...
waking up on saturday morning, i was surprised to hear the sound of rain. rain?! in so cal?! i guess so... the morning started with a trip to paradise creations, a very closterphobic wedding shop, with devon and holly. devon tried on several gowns and looked gorgeous in all of them! i definitely got a crash course in wedding dress shopping: white vs. ivory, train vs. no train, alterations, sweetheart necklines and all kinds of other things. it was fun. i can't wait to see the dress devon finally chooses for her big day!
then, the three of us headed off to courtney's baby shower which was being held at a gorgeous house in san juan capistrano. on the way over there, i told devon she had to wait outside while we went in and got courtney. i really wanted devon to be a complete surprise. devon thought that was silly b/c c would probably just forget and think she was supposed to be there anyways. well, c saw us coming up the walk looking for a house number (we weren't sure we were in the right place!) and then saw all of us. it took her a minute to realize, but then she absolutely freaked out and was completely surprised to see devon. it was so fun to see her face!!!
it was so fun to have holly, devon, courtney, sarah mac, and me all together for c's big moment. i can't believe one of us is actually going to have a baby in a couple of short months! so crazy!!
we had a lovely brunch outdoors (it had stopped raining) and then c opened her presents inside. i was delighted to see the adorable sweet pea cake b/c part of what i gave her was a little blue hat with a sweet pea on it! i had no idea...apparently i would have known she liked sweet peas if i had bothered to look at her registry, but alas i have to be difficult! registries bore me.
it was such a fun afternoon. courtney looks amazing and i can't wait to meet her little man!!
waking up on saturday morning, i was surprised to hear the sound of rain. rain?! in so cal?! i guess so... the morning started with a trip to paradise creations, a very closterphobic wedding shop, with devon and holly. devon tried on several gowns and looked gorgeous in all of them! i definitely got a crash course in wedding dress shopping: white vs. ivory, train vs. no train, alterations, sweetheart necklines and all kinds of other things. it was fun. i can't wait to see the dress devon finally chooses for her big day!
then, the three of us headed off to courtney's baby shower which was being held at a gorgeous house in san juan capistrano. on the way over there, i told devon she had to wait outside while we went in and got courtney. i really wanted devon to be a complete surprise. devon thought that was silly b/c c would probably just forget and think she was supposed to be there anyways. well, c saw us coming up the walk looking for a house number (we weren't sure we were in the right place!) and then saw all of us. it took her a minute to realize, but then she absolutely freaked out and was completely surprised to see devon. it was so fun to see her face!!!
it was so fun to have holly, devon, courtney, sarah mac, and me all together for c's big moment. i can't believe one of us is actually going to have a baby in a couple of short months! so crazy!!
we had a lovely brunch outdoors (it had stopped raining) and then c opened her presents inside. i was delighted to see the adorable sweet pea cake b/c part of what i gave her was a little blue hat with a sweet pea on it! i had no idea...apparently i would have known she liked sweet peas if i had bothered to look at her registry, but alas i have to be difficult! registries bore me.
it was such a fun afternoon. courtney looks amazing and i can't wait to meet her little man!!
another horoscope
ok, really and truly i don't know how much i buy in to these things, but lately my horoscopes have really hit home. or at least 2 of them.
the latest:
your tireless planning and executing of plans should be successful. your personal affairs are a little off; perhaps you have ignored them. some adjusting and readjusting to your circumstances annoys you and gets in the way of pushing ahead, but you better pay attention if you desire love and companionship.
the latest:
your tireless planning and executing of plans should be successful. your personal affairs are a little off; perhaps you have ignored them. some adjusting and readjusting to your circumstances annoys you and gets in the way of pushing ahead, but you better pay attention if you desire love and companionship.
Friday, September 14, 2007
best horoscope ever...
Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 19) You don't learn every lesson from a book. Most of your best have come from experience. Pay attention, there's another one lurking in the shadows.
so, i just barely make the cut off for being a capricorn but i can't imagine a better horoscope for this time in my life. every morning i pick up a copy of am/ny which is a free daily paper and read it on my 15 minute subway ride. sometimes they have some good stuff in there and sometimes it's just full of fluff, but they always have horoscopes and i always take a peak at them for the fun of it. and then one day a week or two ago, i came across the horoscope above. and loved it. loved it so much i cut it out and stuck a push pin in it to put on my desk's bulletin board.
it couldn't be more apt for what i am doing right now with everything from the move, to buying my first place, to getting a new job. i have no idea what i am doing! but learning from experience versus reading it in a book has always been the best way for me to really learn something. i can't wait...
so, i just barely make the cut off for being a capricorn but i can't imagine a better horoscope for this time in my life. every morning i pick up a copy of am/ny which is a free daily paper and read it on my 15 minute subway ride. sometimes they have some good stuff in there and sometimes it's just full of fluff, but they always have horoscopes and i always take a peak at them for the fun of it. and then one day a week or two ago, i came across the horoscope above. and loved it. loved it so much i cut it out and stuck a push pin in it to put on my desk's bulletin board.
it couldn't be more apt for what i am doing right now with everything from the move, to buying my first place, to getting a new job. i have no idea what i am doing! but learning from experience versus reading it in a book has always been the best way for me to really learn something. i can't wait...
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
running...running... running...
i've decided i want to be a runner. yes, a runner. every year after the race for the cure i say the same thing and guess what... it all goes by the way side and i never do it. but, i want to be a runner and i want to run a marathon well ladies, this girl is nowhere close to completing a marathon. i was happy with my 3.1 miler on sunday. but this year, i really truly mean that i am going to do the running thing. i would have gone to the gym on monday, but my body was so sore from those 3 miles that i couldn't move. apparently the elliptical and spin class does not prepare the body for running. so last night i went and used my equinox membership and ran on the treadmill. ok, maybe not run exactly, but i did jog at a decent pace. and i plan on heading back tonight. i'm going to try and get to the gym at least 2x a week for running (i already try to do twice a week with my trainer so i should be able to do that) and then try and go for a run outside on the weekend weather permitting. we'll see how this goes...
Monday, September 10, 2007
race for the cure
as many of you already know, every year i participate in the race for the cure. this year was no exception and on sunday, meghan and i did the race along with about a trillion other new yorkers. there were so many people there! it was great to see such great participation.
the course took us from 77th st and central park west up to the 90s and then through the park and back over to our finish line at 72nd and fifth avenue. it was beautiful running through the park! i need to do that more often... i wish i was a good runner... i'd love to be a runner... that's my new goal along with everything else that i'm trying to do this fall!
in any case, meghan and i made decent time and afterwards we strolled along the park and the various booths set up for handing things out as well as selling stuff. and dang! i just realized the pin i bought... i accidentally threw it away!! dangit!!! that was so dumb of me!!! arghhh. i like to collect pins - they are small and easy to display on my bulletin board and they don't take up a lot of room. but dang, as i write this, i realize that i threw out the bag of free stuff i picked up and also the pin i spent 4 dollars on. man, i'm not going to lie... i am seriously bummed about this! oh well... anyways... moving on....
after we meandered thru the booths, we hopped on the 6th train at 68th and lex and then switched over to the L train to go to the bedford stop in order to have brunch with our very pregnant friend, jessica. she is 9 months pregnant with a due date in about 10 days i think! she is having a little boy and she looks so amazing. after that i headed home for a much needed shower and then it was the mundane things sundays are made for: laundry, pedicure, some waxing, and tv!
the course took us from 77th st and central park west up to the 90s and then through the park and back over to our finish line at 72nd and fifth avenue. it was beautiful running through the park! i need to do that more often... i wish i was a good runner... i'd love to be a runner... that's my new goal along with everything else that i'm trying to do this fall!
in any case, meghan and i made decent time and afterwards we strolled along the park and the various booths set up for handing things out as well as selling stuff. and dang! i just realized the pin i bought... i accidentally threw it away!! dangit!!! that was so dumb of me!!! arghhh. i like to collect pins - they are small and easy to display on my bulletin board and they don't take up a lot of room. but dang, as i write this, i realize that i threw out the bag of free stuff i picked up and also the pin i spent 4 dollars on. man, i'm not going to lie... i am seriously bummed about this! oh well... anyways... moving on....
after we meandered thru the booths, we hopped on the 6th train at 68th and lex and then switched over to the L train to go to the bedford stop in order to have brunch with our very pregnant friend, jessica. she is 9 months pregnant with a due date in about 10 days i think! she is having a little boy and she looks so amazing. after that i headed home for a much needed shower and then it was the mundane things sundays are made for: laundry, pedicure, some waxing, and tv!
labor day in LA
ok ok ok, i changed my headline just for sarah....and now i have added some pictures!
ok, so i really just wanted to rhyme up there in my subject line... most of you know my disdain my LA and my love for orange county. however, i will say, that i actually really like brentwood. there. i said it! i like brentwood. so for my labor day weekend, i went to visit sarah and stay in the casita.
i flew in on saturday morning b/c i didn't think i could take anytime off work. turns out the boss was on vacation all week and i could have easily flown in on friday afternoon. however, by the time i figured this out, it would have cost 960 dollars to change the ticket on continental. um, yeah, i think i'll wait the 12 hours and not spend that kind of money. so on saturday, i flew in and sarah picked me up. we then went and got lunch at this very cute cafe which i cannot remember the name of but sarah sees celebrities there all the time. well, no celebs this time around, but we did see what we could only dubb as 'ass man'. holy lord ladies, i kid you not. this older man with graying hair had on a small medium shirt that only barely covered his stomach and then the lowest pair of jeans cinched with a belt. the belt caused the pants to fall about where a kid trying to look cool wearing his pants super low would wear them. however, the kid lets his boxers hang out and this old guy let us see his bare butt. i swear, i wish i had a picture, but i don't... his butt looked like boob cleavage. that's about the best way to describe it. the belt was so tight around his butt that it made it popped up and over the jeans and it was WAY more than plumbers crack. omg. it was awful. everyone at the tables was staring and trying not to laugh...
later that day after laying out at the pool in the myman's backyard, we went over to kurt's place to meet the new baby and his parents who were in town visiting. baby addison is so adorable. and tiny! oh my gosh! i held a little 6 week old baby. she cried. turns out she was hungry. kurt looks adorable as a daddy and he truly seems to be so happy just to hold her! nothing is cuter than a man with his baby girl...
then sarah and i got dressed and ready to go out. we went to katsuya and ended up eating at the bar instead of dining at a table. we had a very attentive bartender who fed us the best dishes and also many a cocktail. our bill was ridiculously low. he was being a total flirt and sarah and i thought this was immensely fun... until his girlfriend showed up! what?! um, ok... after that, we went to a club in santa monica (again, don't remember the name) and met up with some girls we became friends with over dinner. and then chad met us out. chad had on his scary boots and scary music, but was so so so great and took us to get tacos and then back to the casita where i proceeded to try on the said scary boot!!
sarah and me all dressed up!
bartender at katsuya
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaSsMn7-ayLq7q-QQRvE3y5BsJnpfHqYolYbVxtaTiUNkOOz_shXtTaTmhyryS4crVEHUyToZ8Bdc7MP0GU7oLYzUj3D6r_HU1IJUBHpd6tmmNpr1LuM4ba4F8jiBdr6avH2N8xHX0ecU8/s1600-h/scary+boot.jpg">
scary boot!
on sunday, sarah and i went down to newport for a ride on the duffy boat with her brother johnny and his friends. we had so much fun just tooling around the bay and eating lunch at the cannery. it was so yummy!
not exactly on the duffy yet, but they were on there way to pick us up and some guy offered to take our picture
and then we headed back to santa monica where sarah mac and dave met us at the casita for some wine before heading out to lula's for some mexican food. we had a wonderful dinner and an even funnier drive home. i'll let one of the sarah's comment on this part of the story!
dinner with the sarahs! and dave who lovingly took the picture :)
on monday, sarah and i went to equinox for an afternoon at the spa. we both got massages and then spent time outside lounging til it got too hot for us. later on monday, i had to leave and drive down to newport and then laguna to have dinner with kelley. we ate at javier's (i def got my fill of mexican food this trip!) and then i had to continue my drive to san diego for my conference.
here is where i must insert: sorry courtney! i wish i could have seen you!! and holly too, but you were at the lake... courtney, i just didnt have time for everything and i know i'll see you in less than 2 weeks at your baby shower! so i can only do so much... and that's the best way i thought to handle everything...
back to the blog... so in san diego, i got to stay at the hotel del. i'd only ever been there for drinks once with courtney years ago. it was a fun and historic place to stay. nicole was there too for the conference so that was fun. basically i had conference from tues morn until thurs when i flew back to ny. it was a long week! and i was exhausted, but it was so much fun. i can't wait to come back to california in just about a week and a half! yay!!
ok, so i really just wanted to rhyme up there in my subject line... most of you know my disdain my LA and my love for orange county. however, i will say, that i actually really like brentwood. there. i said it! i like brentwood. so for my labor day weekend, i went to visit sarah and stay in the casita.
i flew in on saturday morning b/c i didn't think i could take anytime off work. turns out the boss was on vacation all week and i could have easily flown in on friday afternoon. however, by the time i figured this out, it would have cost 960 dollars to change the ticket on continental. um, yeah, i think i'll wait the 12 hours and not spend that kind of money. so on saturday, i flew in and sarah picked me up. we then went and got lunch at this very cute cafe which i cannot remember the name of but sarah sees celebrities there all the time. well, no celebs this time around, but we did see what we could only dubb as 'ass man'. holy lord ladies, i kid you not. this older man with graying hair had on a small medium shirt that only barely covered his stomach and then the lowest pair of jeans cinched with a belt. the belt caused the pants to fall about where a kid trying to look cool wearing his pants super low would wear them. however, the kid lets his boxers hang out and this old guy let us see his bare butt. i swear, i wish i had a picture, but i don't... his butt looked like boob cleavage. that's about the best way to describe it. the belt was so tight around his butt that it made it popped up and over the jeans and it was WAY more than plumbers crack. omg. it was awful. everyone at the tables was staring and trying not to laugh...
later that day after laying out at the pool in the myman's backyard, we went over to kurt's place to meet the new baby and his parents who were in town visiting. baby addison is so adorable. and tiny! oh my gosh! i held a little 6 week old baby. she cried. turns out she was hungry. kurt looks adorable as a daddy and he truly seems to be so happy just to hold her! nothing is cuter than a man with his baby girl...
then sarah and i got dressed and ready to go out. we went to katsuya and ended up eating at the bar instead of dining at a table. we had a very attentive bartender who fed us the best dishes and also many a cocktail. our bill was ridiculously low. he was being a total flirt and sarah and i thought this was immensely fun... until his girlfriend showed up! what?! um, ok... after that, we went to a club in santa monica (again, don't remember the name) and met up with some girls we became friends with over dinner. and then chad met us out. chad had on his scary boots and scary music, but was so so so great and took us to get tacos and then back to the casita where i proceeded to try on the said scary boot!!
sarah and me all dressed up!
bartender at katsuya
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaSsMn7-ayLq7q-QQRvE3y5BsJnpfHqYolYbVxtaTiUNkOOz_shXtTaTmhyryS4crVEHUyToZ8Bdc7MP0GU7oLYzUj3D6r_HU1IJUBHpd6tmmNpr1LuM4ba4F8jiBdr6avH2N8xHX0ecU8/s1600-h/scary+boot.jpg">
scary boot!
on sunday, sarah and i went down to newport for a ride on the duffy boat with her brother johnny and his friends. we had so much fun just tooling around the bay and eating lunch at the cannery. it was so yummy!
not exactly on the duffy yet, but they were on there way to pick us up and some guy offered to take our picture
and then we headed back to santa monica where sarah mac and dave met us at the casita for some wine before heading out to lula's for some mexican food. we had a wonderful dinner and an even funnier drive home. i'll let one of the sarah's comment on this part of the story!
dinner with the sarahs! and dave who lovingly took the picture :)
on monday, sarah and i went to equinox for an afternoon at the spa. we both got massages and then spent time outside lounging til it got too hot for us. later on monday, i had to leave and drive down to newport and then laguna to have dinner with kelley. we ate at javier's (i def got my fill of mexican food this trip!) and then i had to continue my drive to san diego for my conference.
here is where i must insert: sorry courtney! i wish i could have seen you!! and holly too, but you were at the lake... courtney, i just didnt have time for everything and i know i'll see you in less than 2 weeks at your baby shower! so i can only do so much... and that's the best way i thought to handle everything...
back to the blog... so in san diego, i got to stay at the hotel del. i'd only ever been there for drinks once with courtney years ago. it was a fun and historic place to stay. nicole was there too for the conference so that was fun. basically i had conference from tues morn until thurs when i flew back to ny. it was a long week! and i was exhausted, but it was so much fun. i can't wait to come back to california in just about a week and a half! yay!!
Monday, August 27, 2007
better hurry up and visit nyc if you want a free place to stay!!
monday, aug 27th.
and then today... ah yes... lovely monday. so it's been over a week now that i haven't talked to scott, but seriously, it feels like a month. and that makes me sad that i can't talk to him, but i refuse to be the pathetic girl... and so i move on... secretly (or not so secretly now) hoping that he'll call or text or email... i really miss talking to him... and this past week has been one of the biggest weeks ever... did i mention i am MOVING!?!?! yes, moving. i think i forgot to mention that in my blogs of today... but i made a decision last sunday while i was with matt and his gf and then at the airport. i'm moving to chicago. so many reasons... so let me list...
1. FRIENDS. there are so many of you good close friends from high school and college living there in chicago. and friends that i met after h.s. and college. i miss that in ny. i have friends here of course, but not like the ones i have in chicago (or ca for that matter)
2. FAMILY. my aunt and uncle live there. i have zero family here.
3. BUYING A PLACE. i'm so excited that i'll be able to afford a great place and not break the bank! i've wanted to buy a place for forever and nyc is not affordable. i mean to buy my place would be abuot 750k for 700sf. um, i think not.
4. FINANCIAL REASONS. chicago is just cheaper. there is a reason nyc is known as being so expensive. because it is. rent is expensive. taxes are expensive. i'm not cutting it here and i don't like feeling like i am behind the 8 ball on this one.
5. JOB. i'm not very happy these days. mostly b/c the sales team constantly takes a beating and nobody listens to what i have to say in terms of helping this place grow. the commissions are less than i was led to believe and none of that makes me particularly happy these days. the one thing i do like is our product. i love the product i sell...
it just feels right. so right. and i couldn't be more excited. i really hope to be there within a few months and certainly by the end of the year. the only things that need to line up now are the job and the house search!!
so... if you want to visit me in nyc or if you just want a free place to stay in ny, you better hurry up b/c i hopefully will not be here much longer! but, please please please come visit my new house in chicago! i will have at least 2 bedrooms - maybe 3 - and at least 2 bathrooms so you'll have plenty of space! much more than my place in ny. i can't wait...
wow, that was kind of a lot for one blog... stay tuned for the pictures... and more updates. i promise to be a better blogger from now on....
and then today... ah yes... lovely monday. so it's been over a week now that i haven't talked to scott, but seriously, it feels like a month. and that makes me sad that i can't talk to him, but i refuse to be the pathetic girl... and so i move on... secretly (or not so secretly now) hoping that he'll call or text or email... i really miss talking to him... and this past week has been one of the biggest weeks ever... did i mention i am MOVING!?!?! yes, moving. i think i forgot to mention that in my blogs of today... but i made a decision last sunday while i was with matt and his gf and then at the airport. i'm moving to chicago. so many reasons... so let me list...
1. FRIENDS. there are so many of you good close friends from high school and college living there in chicago. and friends that i met after h.s. and college. i miss that in ny. i have friends here of course, but not like the ones i have in chicago (or ca for that matter)
2. FAMILY. my aunt and uncle live there. i have zero family here.
3. BUYING A PLACE. i'm so excited that i'll be able to afford a great place and not break the bank! i've wanted to buy a place for forever and nyc is not affordable. i mean to buy my place would be abuot 750k for 700sf. um, i think not.
4. FINANCIAL REASONS. chicago is just cheaper. there is a reason nyc is known as being so expensive. because it is. rent is expensive. taxes are expensive. i'm not cutting it here and i don't like feeling like i am behind the 8 ball on this one.
5. JOB. i'm not very happy these days. mostly b/c the sales team constantly takes a beating and nobody listens to what i have to say in terms of helping this place grow. the commissions are less than i was led to believe and none of that makes me particularly happy these days. the one thing i do like is our product. i love the product i sell...
it just feels right. so right. and i couldn't be more excited. i really hope to be there within a few months and certainly by the end of the year. the only things that need to line up now are the job and the house search!!
so... if you want to visit me in nyc or if you just want a free place to stay in ny, you better hurry up b/c i hopefully will not be here much longer! but, please please please come visit my new house in chicago! i will have at least 2 bedrooms - maybe 3 - and at least 2 bathrooms so you'll have plenty of space! much more than my place in ny. i can't wait...
wow, that was kind of a lot for one blog... stay tuned for the pictures... and more updates. i promise to be a better blogger from now on....
the last few days....
friday, aug 24th
after the longest week ever, friday finally rolled around and i got to go to boston just for the day for work. i got to go f1 racing for work! one of the companies that we work with invited their partners to come out for a day of racing. so i got to go. there were probably 25 racers altogether and we took turns doing 15 lap races and at the end, if you you in the top 10 racers you got to do the final race for all the glory (and a trophy for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place!). i can't tell you how much i wanted one of those trophies... alas it was not meant to be, but i finished 8th and beat out a whole lotta guys... i was pretty proud of that! pictures forthcoming!!
saturday, aug 25th
i treated myself to a haircut and highlights from the frederic fekkai salon at bendel's on fifth avenue. i paid waaaaaaay too much, but sometimes a girl just needs to feel beautiful. especially when mending a very sad heart... so i went and saw brandon and george. apparently george is the hair colorist to the models. they were both fabulous! i am now the owner of more layers, shorter bangs, and caramel colored highlights that are a very flattering color! saturday night, it was a girls night out and we went to dinner and then to drinks at a variety of places. we started at agave, then went to sushi samba 7, then employees only, and then we were going to go to bar martinetti's, but traffic was horrible and i (being the old one that i am) got very tired and decided to go home b/c i knew it would be an early morning...
sunday, the 26th
meghan and i took the 9:51am train from penn station to bridgehampton and then walked to the hamptons classic which is a huge equistrienne event. now, i'm not big into horses and i've never been to a horseshow, but i figured why not?! something completely and totally different for a sunday when i'd normally be recovering from a hangover. so after about a 2 hour train ride (which was freezing and i'm glad i brought my travel blanket!), we arrived. it is a massive event and the horses were beautiful. meghan explained what was going on b/c i had no clue, but it was fun to see. the only complaint i have is that it was possibly one of the most humid days ever! later that evening we made our way back to the train and made the 2 hour journey back to nyc.
after the longest week ever, friday finally rolled around and i got to go to boston just for the day for work. i got to go f1 racing for work! one of the companies that we work with invited their partners to come out for a day of racing. so i got to go. there were probably 25 racers altogether and we took turns doing 15 lap races and at the end, if you you in the top 10 racers you got to do the final race for all the glory (and a trophy for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place!). i can't tell you how much i wanted one of those trophies... alas it was not meant to be, but i finished 8th and beat out a whole lotta guys... i was pretty proud of that! pictures forthcoming!!
saturday, aug 25th
i treated myself to a haircut and highlights from the frederic fekkai salon at bendel's on fifth avenue. i paid waaaaaaay too much, but sometimes a girl just needs to feel beautiful. especially when mending a very sad heart... so i went and saw brandon and george. apparently george is the hair colorist to the models. they were both fabulous! i am now the owner of more layers, shorter bangs, and caramel colored highlights that are a very flattering color! saturday night, it was a girls night out and we went to dinner and then to drinks at a variety of places. we started at agave, then went to sushi samba 7, then employees only, and then we were going to go to bar martinetti's, but traffic was horrible and i (being the old one that i am) got very tired and decided to go home b/c i knew it would be an early morning...
sunday, the 26th
meghan and i took the 9:51am train from penn station to bridgehampton and then walked to the hamptons classic which is a huge equistrienne event. now, i'm not big into horses and i've never been to a horseshow, but i figured why not?! something completely and totally different for a sunday when i'd normally be recovering from a hangover. so after about a 2 hour train ride (which was freezing and i'm glad i brought my travel blanket!), we arrived. it is a massive event and the horses were beautiful. meghan explained what was going on b/c i had no clue, but it was fun to see. the only complaint i have is that it was possibly one of the most humid days ever! later that evening we made our way back to the train and made the 2 hour journey back to nyc.
it's been awhile...
well, it's been a while... this could be a rather long long post. orrrr, i could split it up in to several posts. hmm. what to do what to do. as devon pointed out just this morning, i am no longer allowed to ignore my blog. well folks, i've been ignoring it mostly because i haven't had the energy or the heart to do it. last weekend started off absolutely fabulously and ended as one of the worst weekends in history. this past week was rather boring... until friday when i got to be an f1 race car driver for the day. and then i visited a new hair salon and spent the day in the hamptons. the weekend flew by, but it was just what i needed. and now, it's off to another boring week here in the office. and now... let me expand on all those topics... i guess this will be one rather long post. there will be plenty of pictures... don't worry... i just have to upload them. as you read, you'll understand why the pics are still forthcoming and why i haven't been too anxious to upload them...
Last Weekend.
on friday, the 17th, i flew to chicago o'hare and met up with scott. we were in town for my high school friend, laura's wedding. but we decided to make a weekend of it and stay in chicago for friday night. devon and patrick graciously agreed to play host and let us stay with them in their really great place. devon set up a wonderful dinner for scott and me, matt and elizabeth, and patrick and devon at aria. we had our own little area for dinner and at one point it felt like we were there all by ourselves in the restaurant. the food was delicious! then we went to a few more bars - one being called chaise lounge. i don't remember the other two. somewhere along the way i really wanted water, but kept getting handed beers to drink. ok... so i did. drink the beers. and not water.
Sat, the 18th. Day of the wedding.
devon and i went to brunch with my friend alice from high school. i had lost touch with alice for almost 10 years and we just reconnected over myspace. i was ecstatic because we were super good friends in high school and i always wondered about her. so we met for bruch at this delicious place. i can't remember the name, but i had huckleberry pancakes!! YUM!!!! while the girls were brunching, the boys were doing who knows what. but they went and got their own food.
after brunch, scott and i left for our drive to culver (the town and name of my high school in IN). it took us after two and a half hours, but we finally made it. scott kept wondering where in the hell i was taking him, but i kept telling him to trust me and that it was beautiful where we were going. but after passing by many many rednecks with confederate flags and a lot of cornfields, i don't think he believed me that culver really was in fact a little oasis on the lake in the middle of indiana. we got to the bed and breakfast where we were staying and thought we were doing great on time. HOWEVER, culver is on eastern time not central like chicago and we didnt factor that in. the b&b owner was all, doesn't the wedding start in 20 mins at 6?? WHAT!?!?!?!?! holy shit, i have never moved faster in my life. i was ready in about 2.2 seconds and it took scott maybe 4.2 seconds, but we rushed out the door and i've got to say, we looked pretty damn good for having gotten ready so quickly. we even made it to the church on time!! thank god. i was rather nervous and stressed out about that one... the ceremony was held on campus in our church which has beautiful stained glass and is gorgeous. the ceremony was lovely and so nice and then the reception was amazing. unfortunately it was raining, but it wasn't too terrible. i got to see a few people i knew: katy henderson who went to culver with me and becky rueth who were both in the wedding. their bridesmaids dresses were so pretty! laura looked absolutely stunning in her wedding dress. the tent was gorgeous - you'd never know 2 tornados blew threw earlier in the week and the whole tent had landed in the lake and had to be re-set up - what a nightmare... the food was delicious and they had a wonderful band playing all kinds of fun dancing music. scott and i had what i thought was a blast dancing to the band and enjoying the wedding. after the wedding, i took scott on a late night tour of the campus where i went to high school. some things have changed other things are exactly the same. it is such a beautiful place with so many great memories. then we drove home and the weekend took a dramatic turn. scott decided he could no longer do the long distance thing. yup. pretty much ripped my heart out that night after what i thought was an amazing weekend (and only 2 weeks after an amazing time in the dominican). so i was extremely hurt (obviously) and didn't sleep at all that night. finally the sun came up enough that it was acceptable for me to get up and go for a walk. the air was cold and it was still drizzly, but i needed fresh air. so i went for a walk thru culver. and then, we had to drive back to chicago. it was the worst drive ever. scary hard rain and silence. i didn't know what to say and he said nothing the entire way. not even the radio was on. well, we get back to devon's and here's where the story just gets way too long and way too personal to tell over a blog... let's just say my heart is broken and that it had been 5 long years since i let anyone in and just as i do... it gets broken yet again... thought things were different and i was completely blindslided... but the weekend continues to get better. b/c of the aforementioned rain, my flight was delayed. and delayed. i was supposed to leave at 7pm. it didn't leave til well after 1am. i didn't get home til 4:30AM. i didn't go to work.
Last Weekend.
on friday, the 17th, i flew to chicago o'hare and met up with scott. we were in town for my high school friend, laura's wedding. but we decided to make a weekend of it and stay in chicago for friday night. devon and patrick graciously agreed to play host and let us stay with them in their really great place. devon set up a wonderful dinner for scott and me, matt and elizabeth, and patrick and devon at aria. we had our own little area for dinner and at one point it felt like we were there all by ourselves in the restaurant. the food was delicious! then we went to a few more bars - one being called chaise lounge. i don't remember the other two. somewhere along the way i really wanted water, but kept getting handed beers to drink. ok... so i did. drink the beers. and not water.
Sat, the 18th. Day of the wedding.
devon and i went to brunch with my friend alice from high school. i had lost touch with alice for almost 10 years and we just reconnected over myspace. i was ecstatic because we were super good friends in high school and i always wondered about her. so we met for bruch at this delicious place. i can't remember the name, but i had huckleberry pancakes!! YUM!!!! while the girls were brunching, the boys were doing who knows what. but they went and got their own food.
after brunch, scott and i left for our drive to culver (the town and name of my high school in IN). it took us after two and a half hours, but we finally made it. scott kept wondering where in the hell i was taking him, but i kept telling him to trust me and that it was beautiful where we were going. but after passing by many many rednecks with confederate flags and a lot of cornfields, i don't think he believed me that culver really was in fact a little oasis on the lake in the middle of indiana. we got to the bed and breakfast where we were staying and thought we were doing great on time. HOWEVER, culver is on eastern time not central like chicago and we didnt factor that in. the b&b owner was all, doesn't the wedding start in 20 mins at 6?? WHAT!?!?!?!?! holy shit, i have never moved faster in my life. i was ready in about 2.2 seconds and it took scott maybe 4.2 seconds, but we rushed out the door and i've got to say, we looked pretty damn good for having gotten ready so quickly. we even made it to the church on time!! thank god. i was rather nervous and stressed out about that one... the ceremony was held on campus in our church which has beautiful stained glass and is gorgeous. the ceremony was lovely and so nice and then the reception was amazing. unfortunately it was raining, but it wasn't too terrible. i got to see a few people i knew: katy henderson who went to culver with me and becky rueth who were both in the wedding. their bridesmaids dresses were so pretty! laura looked absolutely stunning in her wedding dress. the tent was gorgeous - you'd never know 2 tornados blew threw earlier in the week and the whole tent had landed in the lake and had to be re-set up - what a nightmare... the food was delicious and they had a wonderful band playing all kinds of fun dancing music. scott and i had what i thought was a blast dancing to the band and enjoying the wedding. after the wedding, i took scott on a late night tour of the campus where i went to high school. some things have changed other things are exactly the same. it is such a beautiful place with so many great memories. then we drove home and the weekend took a dramatic turn. scott decided he could no longer do the long distance thing. yup. pretty much ripped my heart out that night after what i thought was an amazing weekend (and only 2 weeks after an amazing time in the dominican). so i was extremely hurt (obviously) and didn't sleep at all that night. finally the sun came up enough that it was acceptable for me to get up and go for a walk. the air was cold and it was still drizzly, but i needed fresh air. so i went for a walk thru culver. and then, we had to drive back to chicago. it was the worst drive ever. scary hard rain and silence. i didn't know what to say and he said nothing the entire way. not even the radio was on. well, we get back to devon's and here's where the story just gets way too long and way too personal to tell over a blog... let's just say my heart is broken and that it had been 5 long years since i let anyone in and just as i do... it gets broken yet again... thought things were different and i was completely blindslided... but the weekend continues to get better. b/c of the aforementioned rain, my flight was delayed. and delayed. i was supposed to leave at 7pm. it didn't leave til well after 1am. i didn't get home til 4:30AM. i didn't go to work.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
the baby shower
so saturday was my very first baby shower for my friend, jessica johnson (not the same jess mentioned below). it was held at cipriani downtown in soho which is such a lovely spot. it was perfect for this event. the afternoon was sunny and bright which was wonderful considering that the day before it had rained all day long. we were set up in the front of the restaurant at a long table and there were beautiful flower arrangements down the length of the table. there were probably 15 or so guests at the lunch. there were free flowing bellinis as well. literally as soon as someone set their champagne flute down that was mostly empty, the waiter swooped in and set down another. no idea how many of those we drank, but i can tell you probably way too many for a saturday afternoon! there was also so much food that it was rather overwhelming! but, it was all so good. the tuna tartare and the swordfish carpacchio were so delicious. and then we were brought an assortment of their pastas which were also very good. there was so much food, we probably could have fed 40 guests and i'm not exagerating!
we then played "guess the baby" to which i truly had no skill at whatsoever. i got two of them corrent. me and my friend, meghan, whose picture i had seen before. yeah, go me! i'll blame that on the bellinis....
and then it was time for the presents. i gave her a bumbo which is what my coworker swears is the best invention ever. it went over very well i must say. there were a lot of other great gifts given as well and it was so fun to see all those cute little baby things. lest any of you think it made me want one of those things running around, um no. not right now and not any time soon... but it did make me want to go back to my early teenage years and babysit! so, yes, i offered my services to jess and her hubby aaron. i must say i ran a very successful babysitting business when i was younger... and yes the parents trusted me!!!
so, at some point during the lunch, i looked over and saw a familiar looking guy. i couldn't quite place him - only that i knew he looked super familiar. and then the light clicked. it was dean. tori spelling's husband. and then i thought, well if dean is here, i bet tori is too! thanks to my bellini induced eyesight, i looked at the person right next to me at the next table over and sure enough it was tori spelling. i love donna martin. and in between dean and tori was there adorable little tot wearing a shirt saying "my mom is hot". that's my celebrity sighting. i tried to get some pics without being obvious, but it was rather difficult. once i upload the pics, i'll show you the beautiful shower pictures and the tori ones i managed to take.
for my first baby shower, it was a resounding success in all aspects.
as you can see - the back of tori's head and dean.
we then played "guess the baby" to which i truly had no skill at whatsoever. i got two of them corrent. me and my friend, meghan, whose picture i had seen before. yeah, go me! i'll blame that on the bellinis....
and then it was time for the presents. i gave her a bumbo which is what my coworker swears is the best invention ever. it went over very well i must say. there were a lot of other great gifts given as well and it was so fun to see all those cute little baby things. lest any of you think it made me want one of those things running around, um no. not right now and not any time soon... but it did make me want to go back to my early teenage years and babysit! so, yes, i offered my services to jess and her hubby aaron. i must say i ran a very successful babysitting business when i was younger... and yes the parents trusted me!!!
so, at some point during the lunch, i looked over and saw a familiar looking guy. i couldn't quite place him - only that i knew he looked super familiar. and then the light clicked. it was dean. tori spelling's husband. and then i thought, well if dean is here, i bet tori is too! thanks to my bellini induced eyesight, i looked at the person right next to me at the next table over and sure enough it was tori spelling. i love donna martin. and in between dean and tori was there adorable little tot wearing a shirt saying "my mom is hot". that's my celebrity sighting. i tried to get some pics without being obvious, but it was rather difficult. once i upload the pics, i'll show you the beautiful shower pictures and the tori ones i managed to take.
for my first baby shower, it was a resounding success in all aspects.
as you can see - the back of tori's head and dean.
Monday, August 13, 2007
thank you!
thanks for all of your opinions! i really appreciate them! however, i did a lot of thinking (in between drinking) this weekend and decided that now is not the right time to add a new friend in to the mix. otis told me in no uncertain terms that he wanted to be mine and mine only. he says he really isn't in to sharing me at this point in his life. he says he already hates it when he has to give up his side of the bed for scott when he visits, but that he's willing to do that. i told him he had no choice. anyways, yes, i have conversations with the cat. i ammmmmmm turning in to the cat lady!!! good grief.
more on this weekend later... i went to my first baby shower!
more on this weekend later... i went to my first baby shower!
Friday, August 10, 2007
help! opinions please!
ok, so i am a complete dork. let me just start with that. i need everyone's help b/c i just don't know what to do. i've been thinking about getting otis a friend b/c i am gone a lot and i think maybe he gets lonely. but, at the same time i have some real fears that i have to get over. i really really don't want to be "that" girl with all the cats and the old decrepid single chick with two cats. and then there is the whole commitment thing. we all know that stuff scares the crap out of me! but, alas, there is a petco next to my office that has kitties for adoption. it is a foundation that has animals for adoption and it's separate from petco so it isn't like it is a pet store or anything. well, periodically i stop in there for miscellaneous things for otis. well, yesterday i found the sweetest little guy that i really am contemplating bringing home. he's a black and white sweetie who gave me those "take me home" eyes. now, i understand that most animals in cages looking for homes give the "take me home" eyes, but these were really really take me home eyes and somehow we just bonded there. yes, i am a dork. so i'm really thinking about it, but i am also freaking out about having a second one. do i have room? will otis love it? can i love both otis and another kitty enough? i'm so torn. really really torn. that is why i need your advice friends!!!
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
my two hour commute
today, the subways are down. not running at all. to those of you who do not live in nyc you cannot possibly imagine the crappyness of this situation. last night apparently it rained so hard that the signals for the subways were down and there was too much water on the tracks. so, no subways were running. at all. this morning, i left as usual and went to the subway where i found out that the train was not running, but that i could go to 59th street and try and catch it there, but there was a lot of confusion and nobody really knew what was going on. so i walked to 59th in the hot sticky humid weather and was very glad i took a few minutes more to sleep today instead of showering b/c after this walk it wouldn't have mattered anyway. the subways at 59th street weren't running either. so i could walk from 59th st to 17th street (every 20 blocks is a mile) or take a bus b/c there were no cabs anywhere this morning. cabbies must have been loving this mess! so the bus. i took a limited which means less stops. however, in midtown manhattan there are ungodly amounts of traffic and trying to go anywhere by vehicle is next to impossible. and did i mention that we were crammed in the bus like sweaty sardines b/c obviously no one could take the subways so everyone was jamming on to the busses. so i took the bus down to union square where my office is and finally, finally got to work 2 hours after i started out when it should have taken me 30 minutes. today is the first day i've truly hated having to commute in this city.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
the pictures are here!
i have no idea how to do fun slideshows like devon's, but here are a few from the trip. if you want to see the rest, just ask and i can email you the link. stories behind the pictures are coming... just not tonight :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)