spain!

i leave for spain this afternoon! i leave o'hare at about 5 on iberia airlines and arrive in madrid sometime tomorrow morning where i will then catch another short flight to malaga. i am so excited! my dad is bringing his computer, but i don't know how much of a chance i will get to use it. i may go in to computer/email/blogging withdrawal... i need help :) i return next friday evening!

the joys of government offices...

oh yes, ladies, the social security administration office is loads of fun... if you like waiting for hours!

yesterday, i had to go and replace my lost ssn card. i don't know why, but i thought, oh, i'll just go down and get a new card and it won't be that difficult. what i neglected to realize or i guess think about was that it is a government run office and therefore completely inefficient.

i get there, check in and am told to wait in front of the first 5 windows. in which 1 person is working. eventually a second one joined her. they have a whole system of numbers there. i was b240. they were on something like b228 so i though oh, no big deal. what i didn't know until they started calling out more numbers was that there were people with a146 type numbers too. but, luckily i have my book so i read. and read. for an hour. finally i hear b239 - oh yes! much closer! i thought, ok maybe another 10 minutes. um, no. it was another hour! it was my luck that the two people called up right before my turn spoke very little english and took forever. i have no idea what they were trying to do, but good grief, it certainly was not a replacement card.

once i finally made my way to the little window it took 2 minutes to process my stuff and i was on my way. couldn't there be an "i've got an easy issue window"?!?!

the sky is falling!!

at least you would think the sky is falling! ok, so i apparently missed it, but it has been all over the news. ohhhh myyyy god, starbucks is closing early today at 530 for mandatory training at 6. every single starbucks across the country is participating causing a mass exodus of patrons at 530. myself included.

because i am newly poor as i have no job, i try to go to equinox (my gym) or starbucks every day. why?! because they are both free. well, equinox really isn't because i am paying for it each month in the form of membership, but i don't have to shell out any money when i go. therefore, that means free in my world. plus it is good for me. starbucks, on the otherhand, is free because i have about a trillion 5 dollar gift cards that i got from work one time to hand out at booths. which i did. however, there were a ton leftover that just somehow made it home with me... hmmm... wonder how that happened?!?! in any case, starbucks is a free venture for me and a way to get out of the house. it is just around the corner and so i go and get my chai tea nonfat latte and sometimes a pumpkin loaf (and today a mini vanilla bean scone - yum!) and read my book, the life of pi.

so after the gym today, i went to starbucks and got there about 5 unknowing of this training exercise all of the million starbucks' have to do this evening. i didn't get to read long, but i did finish my latte and however short my visit was, it was nice to be among people and get some reading done. as i left the store, a reporter cornered me. i must admit i was feeling, ooooh fun and then the other part of me said, wait a minute, you didn't shower after the gym yet (insert ewww here, i know i know). ok side note, i didn't shower b/c i was feeling lazy and i knew if i took the time to shower and dry my hair (which you have to do when it is so cold out) i would be too annoyed and wouldn't end up making it to starbucks. and i really wanted to read some of my book. yes, i could read here, but i enjoy reading there more. i don't know why. just do. so, i was really relieved to know that this reporter was just wanting to get me to answer a few questions on the record sans tv cameras. phew. although it would have been really fun to be on the news!

so, the reporter man shoves a big microphone in my face and asks me several questions: what do you think about starbucks closing early? does it inconvenience you? are you going to participate in the revelry across the street. hunh?! i had no idea what he was talking about so i had to ask him. he tells me that the dunkin donuts across the street was offering free coffee for those who were mad or got shut out of starbucks. i told him: it wasn't an inconvenience that they closed early. i didn't mind. i was not going to go across the street b/c it was time to go home and i'd already had my latte and didn't need another one and i really didn't need to hang out in dunkin donuts with those yummy looking donuts staring at me!! he laughed at me and thought i was funny. i think i said a few other things too. who knows... i don't even know who he was with. maybe i'll google my name tomorrow and see if i can find it somewhere.

as i walked home (around the corner - another reason i like starbucks, it is so close to home!), i thought, man, that would have been a lot cooler if i was going to be on tv even though i look so gross!! oh well... maybe i'll happen upon something else sometime...

it's my liiiiiiife!

it's my liiiiife, it's now or never... i ain't gunna live foreverrrrrrrrr!!!!

that's right ladies... most of you know of my huge crush on jbj (jon bon jovi)... and i got to go see him on saturday night!

dev's big weekend!

la here come the scripps girls and high school friends of miss devon lorraine soon to be mrs devon lorraine!

i'll post my version of events and pictures here soon...

sabatical!

courtney and i are planning to have a toast this weekend... in light of both of our resignations recently. that's right friends, i am officially unemployed as of today. i am slightly nervous, but i know i will land on my feet! courtney likens her recent resignation as retirement and suggested that i am not unemployed, but simply on sabbatical. i love it. therefore, i am on sabatical as of today!! i just hope it doesn't last too long...

popcorn!

ok, trish popcorned me and now it is my turn!

Share 5 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog or
the 5 top places on your “want to see or want to see again” list. I will do a little of both.

1. dying to travel anywhere in the world - the more random the better
2. i put ketchup on almost anything
3. i hate white condiments (and yes friends, there are a lot of them: cream cheese, sour cream, ranch dressing, mayo...)
4. when i was a kid, i was so flexible, i could lie on my stomach and touch my toes up over my head and on to my chest
5. not only is my second toe longer than my big toe, my third toe is longer than my first toe too! good grief i have long toes (and big feet!)!!

okay kids, if your name is listed below that means you have been tagged next! enjoy :)

devon
holly
courtney
sarah l
sarah m (you may write your 5 in my comments since you technically only read and don't blog!)

highlife adventures

i'm just a posting machine right now!!

so, i joined a new group here in the city. it's called highlife adventures and it's for singles only however, it is not a dating service. basically, it sets up about 60-70 activities in a month of all different varieties and you can choose which ones you want to do. i joined this for a number of reasons...
one, i don't think you can ever have enough friends. keep your oldest and best always with you, but meeting new people is good too.
two, new activities that i would never do on my own or by myself. now i have an opportunity to do all sorts of fun things and i don't have to plan a dang thing and if none of my friends can do it or want to do it, then it doesn't hold me back.
three, who knows, maybe just maybe there is a really tall really cute boy who wants to be the love of my life (or it is for all age ranges so maybe my super rich fugly 75+man is just waiting for me there)
four, why the heck not. i'm in a new city. it's way more fun to get out and explore it than sit home and do nothing.
five, it pushes my comfort zone of showing up and doing something by myself. i'm all about pushing my comfort zone and doing something new this year.

so far i've done two activities. i have two more this week. i have done a trolley photo tour of downtown chicago and on saturday i did a limo scavenger hunt. the trolley tour was great as i got to know the history and see the sites of downtown chicago that i wouldn't ever do on my own. it was fun to be a tourist! and the limo scavenger hunt was a great time too. i got to meet all kinds of people and do all kinds of ridiculous things. i have pictures from that, but i still have to upload them. tomorrow i will be going on a brewery tour (which i have never done) with a bunch of 30 somethings. ok, i'm not 30 something yet (thank god), but really, do i identify more with someone 30 or 22? i chose 30s. and on thursday, instead of staying home and eating myself silly and celebrating sad (singles awareness day) all by myself, i am choosing to go out to a v-day party for all of us singles at a bar. i have other activities lined up as well, but i can't remember what right now! but so far, it is definitely meeting all of my objectives!

i'm going to spain!!

in two weeks!! so, ok things are still pretty in the dumps for me, but this will definitely help to make things better (i hope!). as many of you know, my parents have a time share that they trade for really cool places all over the world. in the past, they've taken our family to fiji and the caymans. well, lately my parents have been doing the fun trips with their friends and leaving their lovely children home to work their jobs. they had informed me they were going to spain awhile ago, but i brushed it off because i knew i would be too new at my job to even think about going. however, with this sudden development of not getting paid and looking for a new job, what better time to take a trip and forget about the real world if only for a week. i'm good at that... burying my head until a problem is gone.... anyways i asked my mom when the trip was scheduled for and low and behold they are going feb 28th through mar 7th! i won't lie... it took some begging, some pleading, and a good old fashioned well reasoned argument (my mom swears i should have been an attorney, i tell her a sales person is the same dang thing without as much school) and now i am off to spain with as my mom puts it "the old fogeys"... mom, dad, and their two friends - another couple. the time share is only a two bedroom so i get to have the living room and the pull out couch, but i could care less because i am going to spain! and not just anywhere in spain - marbella, spain!
the resort - doesn't it look gorgeous?!
my "room"

however, while this trip is extremely exciting and satifies my unsatisfiable appetite for wonderlust... i am not without a heavy heart and twisted emotions. it all goes back to the job. my boss talked to me today and made me feel so torn. i don't know what to trust anymore. i really don't. i trust and then i get screwed by being so gullible.... i finally trusted the sinister minister linda (gdad's wife who truly got her ministry degree while they were married) and then she fucked the entire family including my grandad. bought her story hook, line, and sinker. finally trusted another guy after mike, and it got me with scott. so i don't know whether to move on or stay put at this job! just when i think i've finally made up my mind completely and totally, my boss comes and gives me his plea and basically tells me well who is going to hire you and pay you the kind of money you can potentially make here - weather the storm, it'll be worth it. will it?! is it really so bad out there that all i can find is a job that pays me next to nothing? and then my doctor told me today when i told her how stressed i was that well, at least you have a job. there are people without those and it's a hard time right now... i know people who haven't been paid in much longer than you... gee, that makes me feel great. i am so emotional these days and i hate it. this limbo is so terrible for me... so as you can see, this trip comes at an amazing time. except, i haven't told my boss i'm going and i doubt he'll let me stay on so it looks like my decision may be made for me... but who knows... i am one of the boss' two pets. so maybe i could mkae it work out... but then our company has such a terrible reputation... i don't know if that can be saved. so many thoughts running through my head... obviously... and as my friends, you get to read all about it in my online diary.... lucky you :)

i love you all.

my birthday post... finally!

ok, so my birthday was almost a whole month ago and i have yet to write about it. it is now buried in my other posts, so i figured a whole new post would work better.

as i stated before, this was by far one of the best birthdays i've ever had and i owe it all to my wonderful friends! devon started things off right by suggesting the venue: tizi melloul and also by sending out the evite to everyone. thank you dev dev!! the official party started on sat, the 19th (my birthday) at my house for some pre dinner cocktails and wine. after my house, we all went to tizi melloul which is a very fun mediterranean place. following tizi melloul, a few brave people ventured onwards to several more bars.

the party started at 847 w fletcher #2 around 745 in the evening. devon was the first to arrive and then alice and her roommate trisha arrived. i don't remember the order of everyone else, but i can tell you who was all there! it was quite a full house and so fun!

alice (high school friend), trisha (her roommate), yena (a former coworker from nnn), adam (yena's boyfriend), matt (former nnn coworker), elizabeth (matt's gf), laura (high school friend), katy (high school friend), devon (scrippsie), nicole (scrippsie), adam (cmc), neringa (realtor who sold me my divine home), and mitch (neringa's hubbie)
culver high school group
claremont colleges group
NNN former coworkers group
neringa sold us both our great places group


our reservation at tizi melloul was for 10pm in their special room. they have a room off the main dining area that is kind of like a circus tent in that it is very bright colors and round. it has an amazing light fixture in the middle of it (see picture). it was a $35 prix fixe menu and the food was fabulous. we had the whole room to ourselves and we took full advantage of that. it was such great company and good food. what a marvelous dinner!
the pretty light fixture!
almost the whole group


after dinner, katy, elizabeth, matt, and i trudged on. because dinner had been so long and didn't end til well after midnight, i couldn't blame anyone for going home afterwards. we'd certainly consumed a massive amount of wine and food from my house and the restaurant! but the four of us were ready for more and out we went. we got some bar suggestions from the restaurant and took off. i have no idea what the names of the bars were, but i think we went to two and maybe did shots at both, but definitely at one. the clock quickly turned to two am and we were all kicked out... but lucky for the four of us... chicago allows some bars to stay open til 4am! so off to rockit bar and grill (site of new years) we went since it was the only place i knew open that late. the four of us were silly drunk and had a blast playing around and dancing and posing for pics on the pool table... i don't know, it seemed like a good idea at the time! around 345am, we all decided we were ready for bed and so we went home.
me and elizabeth
me and katy
and me and matt dancing, i think. i just love his face here!

the next day, i had a raging headache, but managed to pull it together to go have some afternoon football at messners on sheffield with katy and her brother mitch as well as some of his buddies. i then left them and went to a birthday celebration dinner with my aunt and uncle at a restaurant called chalkboard. it was delicious!


and this is why i had the best birthday ever: amazing friends from a variety of phases in my life!!

i am so so crabby.

ok, so the new year got off to a rocky start b/c of my wandering the streets lost in snowing cold weather wearing open toed shoes and a dress... my own fault, yes. fun, not so much...

the year got much more promising with my bday on the 19th. i swear one of the best ever! i still have to write that one, i just realized, and post pics. that would be an upbeat one among all of my depressing posts lately... alas, one more depressing one to post before i get to that one...

now the year has flipped on me yet again with the fun new development of my company not being able to pay their employees. that's right folks, i am apparently working for free right now. let's not talk about how i am going to pay my mortgage, bills, car, or any of that... that stresses me out. and otis, well, otis contributes nothing except some love, but unfortunately love does not pay the bills and in fact he costs me money for his food and his vet bills. lucky for him, i love that bugger more than anything and would die if something were to happen to him. i may, however, start to pimp him out. it seems that everyone who meets otis absolutely adores him... i think i may start charging 25 bucks a day for people to borrow him. haha, just kidding folks. but seriously...

so life continues to get more and more stressful. fun, fun, fun. if anyone knows anyone looking to hire for a very handsome sum of money - please give me their info. and if anyone knows any rich men no matter how old or how fugly, send them my way if they wanna be my sugar daddy. ok, ok, kidding again.

ok, i promise the next post will be happier and with pictures!!

stupid asshole.

i have no other way of saying it... than stupid asshole. scott strikes again. and this time, i am done. finally and officially done. he's been lying to me. and leading me on and generally not being fair. which really sucks because i thought he was different. let me give the short version of what happened: on thursday we talked for work. i needed to know the status of something so i called him. we talked a long time and then he asked what i was up to this weekend and i told him going out with friends, blah, blah. then i asked him and he said he was coming to chicago with a friend who used to live here and i was all what?!?!?! and so then he took it back and said he was joking and that he was actually skiing. i couldn't quite tell, but i took it as a mean joke.

then on friday, he called me b/c of the same work thing. and i jokingly asked him what time his flight to chicago was. and he said, 6:30 tonight. ASSHOLE! so he was coming to chicago with his girlfriend WHO HE HAS BEEN SEEING SINCE SEPTEMBER!!!!!!!! he didn't know where they were staying except somewhere near lincoln park (um, hello that's my neighborhood) and he didn't know where they are going. he thought chicago would be big enough city for us not to run in to eachother. luckily we didn't this weekend, but it would have totally been my luck to see him had i not known with his girlfriend. way to think about my feelings and lead me on. that's complete bs.

as of last september - at the capwest conference at the st regis - we were still hooking up! we hooked up that whole weekend! until girls night - when most of you met him. then in october, at another conference, we had a talk where he totally lead me on and made me believe that if it was meant to be it would work out and that he missed me and thought about me all the time. and that he didn't want to hear about other guys.

have i not learned my lessons?? even the guys i think are different turn out to be the same. arghhhh. i seriously thought that after mike, i'd be able to read guys a little better and this one seemed so different... guess not. and that is why, we are completely done. i sent him an email telling him that we were not friends and that he is erased from my email and my phone.