the domestic goddess.

the second book author series i went to was last thursday evening at the standard club - and it was for martha! and i'll admit, the ticket was pricey (it included her heavy as all heck book) and i'm not the biggest martha fan. in fact i find her rather annoying. perhaps because she is just so much better at cooking, entertaining, decorating, etc than me. but, i went because i love these events and i thought maybe something could rub off on me.


it was a chat style format and to be honest, everything she said was kind of wow, i'm so not like that... and when asked if calories and fat and health be no issue, what would you splurge on... she said, well, i eat very healthy and i don't really crave anything. borrrrrring. but, when she said that her success came later in her life and it really wasn't until she was in her 40s that her first book and her real success began. and i thought, wow, i really really need to hear that right now. i think we hear too about young internet gazillionaires and think something is wrong with us b/c we haven't made our billions by 22. it was just nice to hear that there can be more and there will be more down the road... that inspired me.


her table decorations inspired me too! i really liked the set up.


martha signing. she had really gorgeous shoes on...


so martha-esque. i thought it was such a pretty set up.


signing out big heavy books that i hope will inspire me! she was actually really nice while she signed. i wasn't expecting that. a girl mentioned that her name was alexis and something about daughters and grandaughters and thanksgiving and i can't even remember. i just remember martha saying something about daughters being difficult and me chiming in with that's what daughters are supposed to be! difficult and trouble! and martha agreeing and chuckling.

tragedy.

today i got a phone call from my friend and old coworker, marlene. she asked if i was sitting down. i was. she told me that pat (our old coworker) had been arrested. for the murder of his wife yesterday. WHAT!?!?!?!!?!? no non onononooonooo this is not happening. i am in shock. ABSOLUTE shock. i KNOW this man. REALLY well! and for at least 6 years! marlene had to be wrong about this... it isn't true. it's some other 44 year old man who happens to live in lincroft, nj with the name patrick allen, right?! where'd she get this story?! i'm shaking. with tears in my house. this isn't happening. this isn't true. it can't be.

pat was sort of a boss figure, sort of coworker, mentor and friend to me. he was the outside wholesaler, i was the inside/outside combination wholesaler. we traveled to conferences together. we traveled to properties for tours together. we went to meetings together. a lot. we went on one EPIC 10 day trip to something like 14 different properties and 7 states?! I can't even remember where all we went, but it was all over! i mean, I KNOW THIS GUY WELL! when you spend that much time traveling and driving in cars, you chat. you get to know someone. when i told him i wanted to leave the company and move to chicago, he helped me get a job here. it ended up being a shitty job, but it got me to chicago and it paid well (well, until they no longer made payroll, but that wasn't his fault!). after i lost that job, he helped however he could to help me find another... and when i lost that next job, he would check in periodically and sent me job listings. he was always trying to help.

my very favorite pat story is when we were at a conference in vegas. we were all at the bar and i saw a super cute guy walk in. i mentioned it to pat and the other client/friends that were around us. pat says "do you want me to get him over here?!". i said he's probably gay or married... and all embarrassed, but emboldened by the booze, i said, "umm, ok"... the next thing i know pat's talking to this guy and the guy has some weird expressions (oh hhhhhhh noooo) and then the guy smiles and pat walks back over and says "he'll come over and talk to you in a min". what?! yesssss! "way to go pat!! but um, what the heck did you tell him?" pat says "i asked him if he was gay... and he said unsurely, waaaaaat, why? and then pat says just answer the question... the guy says, no... and pat says, are you married? same answers from the guy... then pat says - you see that girl over there? she thinks you're cute. come talk to her. and the guy says, ok!". i ended up spending the rest of the night hanging out with him. and we hung out the rest of the conference. unfortunately he lived in sf and i was just done with denver boy and another long distance deal seemed dumb at the time. turns out this guy was some hot property because a few years later he's in the news for dating and eventually marrying marissa mayer, google's 3rd employee and super rich chick! dangit. i missed the boat on the hot guy.

marlene had gotten a call from a coworker who'd talked to a previous good client of mine and friend/client of pat's. after searching on the internet and seeing the news articles, i had to make some calls. pat. his cell is disconnected. his office line went straight to vm. ok, email. sent him emails saying please tell me this isn't you. it can't be you. called kenny (my old client/friend and pat's client/friend) who lives in nj. he confirmed. it is THE pat we both know. he didn't have any details for me, but he was every bit as shocked as me. called marlene back. told her it's true. it's all over the internet. pat is being held on 1.5 million dollar bail. they aren't saying how she was killed, who found her, who called 911, or any details. they aren't saying what the evidence is either. nothing. i'm going crazy. i'm in shock. it JUST CAN'T BE. this is some HORRIBLE MISTAKE, right?!

he has two boys - i think they must be like 11 and 13 ish now. those poor boys! they have lost their mom and their dad is in jail. and it's almost thanksgiving! they must be going through hell.


http://matawan-aberdeen.patch.com/articles/homicide-reported-in-lincroft#photo-8488646

http://www.app.com/article/20111119/NJNEWS/311190023/Middletown-man-charged-wife-s-slaying?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Frontpage

tommy boy.

i've had quite the famous people week. last monday (the 7th), I got to hear Tom Brokaw speak about his latest book over a lovely lunch at the Union League Club.

i had a pretty decent table, but a terrible camera. i've not liked my camera for awhile so i just bought myself a new one - it's due to arrive tomorrow. but, in any case, tom was fabulous. i could listen to him read a phone b0ok. his voice is just so wonderful. and he is so handsome!

happy birthday to... mason!

ok, so this is belated too... considering mason's birthday is 3 days after piper's birthday... and mason's birthday party was actually his bday weekend... well, july was a few hot months ago!

mason's super fun and cute party was held at the LP Zoo!


there were all kinds of decorations for this cute monkey's celebration!


the birthday boy and his momma!


me and the birthday boy. it's a terrible pic of me, but it's the only one i have from the day. he was super busy with all things first birthday related.


his adorable cake! unfortunately i didn't get to see him eat it or taste it myself as i had to leave the party early for my dim sum foray. why do all the good fun things happen in one day?!


i had to include elizabeth's friend whose name escapes me - her son has the most amazing curly dark eyelashes i've ever seen. i can't remember his name either (dev has met them too and maybe remembers?!), but how cute is this kid?


this adorable family will soon be expanding - elizabeth just announced she's preggo with #2!!! can't wait to meet the new family member when he/she decides to arrive!

chicago botanical gardens

during mom's visit for the sir paul concert, we also went to see my aunt and uncle in the northern burbs. we decided to tour the chicago botanic gardens. i'd actually never been before and it was not only gorgeous, but huge!


the four of us: aunt kathy & mom in front and me and uncle chuck in back.












chuck, kathy, and mom across the lily pond.

this is another should visits if you get the chance! it's even free! well, parking isn't, but the rest of it is! and btw, they have a great gift shop.

happy birthday to... the pipes!

so this is a bit delayed considering piper turned 1 in july and had her first birthday party in early august! but, better late than never, right?!


upon coming in to the loft's building, we were greeted with balloons and a cute birthday sign! i of course was late b/c i had to drop a friend at the metra and would have been on time except that i, of course, had forgotten piper's birthday present. dangit! and i had thought i was so on top of things... oh well!


look at these beeee-yoooou-tiii-fuuuuulll cakes. they were just as delicious as you would imagine!


piper's stash of fun new gifts and her momma's excellent decorating skills!


birthday celebraters with the birthday girl!


clapping! cutest family.


this was the best of the bad pics of me and the birthday girl!


and a change of outfits! how minty fresh and cute is this pic with dadda?


shoulder time!


what's this cake thing all about?!


icing... i think it's good. is it all for me?! can i have more?!


yep, it's pretty darn good!


so good, miss piper managed to get it all over her face. and she even dug in with both hands. and then her dadda made piper do some signing and i forget which one it is, but the sign has her put her hands on her cheeks. icing everywhere! it was funny!

piper's first birthday was a huge success! for those of you curious, i got her a baby cell phone (it's plastic folks!). so she won't ruin any more of momma and dadda's and she can make her own very important phone calls to potential bf, mason, who turned 1 3 days after piper and also got his own celly. boy, these kiddos sure are advanced these days!

i heart paul mccartney

when i heard that paul mccartney was coming to chicago, i decided i really wanted to go. when i heard that he was playing at wrigley, i REALLY wanted to go. wrigley allows 1, maybe 2 concerts each summer and that's it. this year, paul played two nights in a row. and after night 1, i was hot, sweaty and ready ready to do it again the next night... alas i only tickets for the first night.

and since he came on aug 1st, i bought tickets for the floor and invited mom to come join me as an early birthday present.



mom's first time to wrigley... and it's to see one of her all time favs, sir paul! as cool as we look here, it was hotter than hades that day!!


sir paul!


more pretty lights.


check out the stage lighting up! when paul played live and let die, omg, the stage lit up, fireworks went off, and the crowd loooooooved it.


more fireworks!


and then the finale.... confetti! but i don't even think this was the end of the show!

sir paul put on the BEST show!!! he played nearly 3 hours... no warm up act either. just paul. and he played everything. and he killed it. and everytime you thought maybe this was it, he would play some more! every one i talked to LOVED the concert. including the most important person - the almost birthday lady... my mom. if you get the chance, go see paul!!!