My Life in a Day

Lazy

2007-10-11T11:02:00.000-05:00

Hey, check it out, I'm still alive, and some of you are still reading my blog!

The summer has come and gone. It was a beautiful one, with plenty of hot days, and not too much rain. In fact, it still felt like summer as late as four days ago. But, alas, I think the cold is now here to stay, I had to pull out a proper jacket and shoes that covered my toes for the first time today in probably 4 or 5 months. How was your summer?

Well, I moved into a new apartment back in July. It's a pretty good one, large, comfy, nice roommates, cable TV, a dishwasher. No incidents, other than when I left the poor, old cat on the front porch on a cold night. He turned out to be okay, just a little thirsty in the morning.

What else? I went to Lollapalooza. It was fun, but really, really hot on two of the days. I saw quite a few bands, but only a couple of new ones for me. Highlights included The Black Keys, !!!, and LCD Soundsystem. But yeah, I've seen those bands in other places, with far less people, and less heat, so they didn't blow me away in the same capacity that they usually do. I did dance though, which is always a good thing to say about a band. I spent a lot of my time there alone, instead of trying to match up schedules and music tastes with other people. I guess it's a little hard to feel alone at an outdoor music festival with thousands and thousands of other people, but at the same time, you don't have a concert buddy that you can turn to and say "This stuff is blowing my mind!" There was one time where I felt completely lost and overwhelmed by the crowd. That happened during the Daft Punk show. They are truly a sight to see and listen to live, but I couldn't see anything. At all. People were nearly stepping on me, and it was annoying. I left the crowd, and found a spot on the side of the hill, where I could actually see some of what was going on.

Other highlights generally included friends and family coming to visit me in Chicago, taking road trips to Wisconsin and Indiana, and going to Colorado to celebrate my birthday, as well as my grandma's and aunt's birthdays.

I also ate at some really tasty restaurants, and went to some good concerts. Who really cares though, right? You probably already heard about them if I talk to you or see you on a regular basis.

I'm going camping this weekend in Wisconsin. I'm hoping that the leaves will be changing colors, so I can take some good pictures. We'll have some outdoor fun, including hiking, cooking hot dogs over a fire, eating smores, drinking beer, and trying to get some sleep while freezing and sleeping on rocks. I haven't gone camping in over a decade, so I'm excited about this trip, but at the same time, a little weary. I have only gone camping with my family on previous trips, and I don't remember ever having a good time. Hopefully this time will be different, now that I'm a little older, a little wiser, and can use alcohol to warm me up.

I'm also off to New York City in a couple of weeks. I am going to help my best friend celebrate her 30th birthday, and it should be one of the best birthdays she will ever have. I haven't been there for 7 years, so I'm sure it's different from my last visit, but also probably pretty much the same. I'm looking forward to good pizza, bagels, and of course, hot dogs from a street cart. Oh yeah, and I guess I should probably be looking forward to the fancier food, too.

That's my update. Nothing too new or exciting, I would say. I kinda was thinking that I haven't blogged because I didn't have anything to complain about and wasn't bored. But then I realized that I made 42 posts in 2006, so I must be blogging about good stuff too, cause I know that 2006 wasn't a terrible year for me by any means.

Thanks for sticking around and reading. I'll be back. When? Who knows, but hopefully a little sooner than December or January.

Moving

2007-07-17T22:48:00.000-05:00

Here are some reasons why I am glad to be moving to a new place by the end of the month:

1.) I will be living in a new neighborhood, albeit one that is very close to another that I've lived in.

2.) I will be living a brown line only commuting life, and that, my friends, is much nicer than what I have to put up with now on the red line (i.e., men passed out in the corner seat smelling of shit and surrounded by a puddle of vomit).

3.) I will also be living a "I feel a little safer riding the train at 1:30 AM" because I will be on the aforementioned brown line instead of red line.

4.) My rent will be cut in half! Hello to the financial freedom that I can almost taste!

5. ) I'll meet some new people, and finally have someone to share meals with, and tell me how good my cooking and baking is.

6.) I'll have cable tv again, which is probably a bad thing, rather than a good thing.

7.) No more loud radiators that hiss and clang and pop and bang and wake me up in the middle of the night.

8.) Packing for the move forces me to take another inventory of my material life and get rid of a bunch of stuff that I don't need or use anymore.

9.) Did I mention that I'm going to be paying $400 less in rent a month???

10.) Last, but not least, and one of the biggest things I'm looking forward to: NO MORE NOISY FUCKING BATSHIT-CRAZY OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE I-VACUUM-THE-FLOORS-EVERYDAY-AT-1:15 PM AND WALK AROUND USING THE HEAVIEST STEPS I CAN ON THE SQUEAKIEST PART OF THE FLOOR OVER AND OVER AGAIN DROPPING HEAVY OBJECTS MUSTACHIOED LADY WE'LL WAKE YOU UP AT ANY POINT OF THE DAY OR NIGHT UPSTAIRS NEIGHBORS !! I really do hate them, can you tell?

Plus, I think I'm getting back to that old and familiar "I'm becoming slightly bored with my life" feeling, so I guess that means that it's time for a change.

2007-05-19T11:13:00.000-05:00

मेरे पास एक दिवाना बंदर है.

सुपर कूल!

2007-05-02T20:59:00.000-05:00

अभी, मेरी ब्लोग हिन्दी में है! क्या आपको पसन्द है?

Good Morning

2007-04-26T23:01:00.001-05:00

2007-04-24T09:12:00.000-05:00

Here's a mini-update, seeing as though I've been extremely negligent over the last couple of months:

1. It's spring in Chicago, this makes me happy
2. I went to India, had lots of fun, read some books, went swimming, traveled by various modes of transport, came back, and wish I was there again already
3. The steady love of internet radio might leave me broken hearted, yet again. Do something people!

I'll write more and post some pics later, I promise.

Can you see it in my eyes?

2007-03-07T21:52:00.001-06:00

Look out world, I'm feeling a bit jaded as of late...

"Hope" and "Wait"

2007-02-07T22:40:00.000-06:00

Fantastic last words.

Reading those last words sort of gave me the sign to keep on hoping for what I'm waiting for. Or should it be keep on waiting for what I'm hoping for? Either way, it's fine with me.

True Romance

2007-01-31T10:26:00.000-06:00

The fastest way to my heart is found here.

What more could I ask for? What more could YOU ask for by taking me as your date on the cheap!

Who, me?

2007-01-29T16:23:00.000-06:00

I've been very lightly toying with the idea of becoming a flight attendant. Today, I was trolling around some airline websites, and took a basic questionnaire for one that is based out of Chicago. To my surprise, at the end of the "quiz", they have scheduled me for an in-person interview. You want to say "What are you doing?" right? Yeah, I don't know. Do I go? Do I skip it? Does anyone know any flight attendants?

Into the Open

2007-01-29T09:52:00.000-06:00

Today is one of those days. A hellish ride on the train into work. Bad night's sleep. Deciding that the answer to all of my unanswered questions is "no" or "never". A weekend of contemplating job suicide (no, not real suicide). I read my weekly horoscope this morning in the daily news, and apparently, the moon is on the wrong side of my sign, so, basically, nothing will go my way. I give up.

BUT, then I finally get to work, and turn on the old stand-by, WOXY, and although the music is only putting me in a slightly-better-than-melancholy mood, it's making me feel better. Thanks music, at least I know that you'll always be there.

Dear Mr. CTA

2007-01-10T14:54:00.000-06:00

Oh, I'm sorry, you said what?

You're telling me that I should allow at least 1.5 hours to get to work and 2 hours to get home from work?

You're telling me that there will be a slim to none chance that I will ever get a seat while I'm riding the train for an hour at a time?

You're telling me that you're going to take even more of my money away from me and give me nothing in return?

You're calling yourself a "rapid" transit system?

FUCK YOU.

You've already made my commute long enough with slow-downs thanks to tracks that are in poor condition, switching problems, and/or track signal problems.

It's time for me to get out of Chicago. It's time for me to find a job in a different area of the city. It's time for me to move to a different neighborhood. It's time for me to starting riding a bike everywhere that I need to go.

2007

2007-01-01T22:39:00.001-06:00

2006 has come and gone, but I'm sure you all noticed that. I spent the evening alone, with a giant pan of lasagna, and a delicious pear and chocolate cake that I converted from a metric recipe that our old friend Lorenzo passed on to me. I watched a terrible movie, The Last Kiss, and then watched some old episodes of Grey's Anatomy. It was extremely satisfying, and probably the best New Year's Eve that I've had since 2000, and definitely much better than the disaster that took place last year. I took a peek at my post at the opening of 2006 to see what my thoughts were at that point. Looks like the usual year of ups and downs, no? I have to say that 2006 was definitely better than 2005. For the most part, I had tons of fun this last year. I mean, come on, I traveled the world, gave up reality and stability, learned some good farming techniques, told my old job to go to hell, met some really awesome people, got a new job (too bad it's incredibly boring), and took a vacation that seemed like a page out of someone's dreams. I really can't think of anything too terrible that happened to me in 2006, save for the time that I spent mending a trampoline net for a bunch of spoiled kids, when I should have been planting carrots or something.

I'm not going to make resolutions or anything of the like for 2007 because I just don't do that kind of thing. Here are the things that I am working towards and looking forward to in the upcoming year:

- Getting a new job (my interview went really, really well a couple of weeks ago)
- My trip to India in April (or sooner)

That's pretty much it, other than spending time with the people that I enjoy spending time with, but that's something that I always try to do.

Thanks for reading, thanks for commenting, thanks for thinking of me. I've included some pictures that represent my life in 2006.

Irish

2006-12-20T23:35:00.000-06:00

Irish pub + Irish bartender + Irish beer + Irish music + Chicago = good times. Thanks Jennifer for rescuing me from an office holiday party and providing me with multiple hours of fun. We will have a standing date until I leave the country.

Strawberries

2006-12-14T11:12:00.000-06:00

Do you see these strawberries? Those are the damned strawberries that I planted for three entire days straight, alone and cold, on the top of a windy hill in County Clare, Ireland back in late March. Not to mention, the care that I had to give to each individual plant to "keep them happy" in the following weeks. I was relegated to planting strawberries on the hill when I injured my wrist the week prior. It was an easy enough task, just very mundane. The first day was met with a steady rain and wind. We had laid down black plastic over the ground to keep the weeds down (seeing as though we couldn't use any herbicide, being an organic farm and all). The downfall of the black plastic is the fact that when it rains, the water just pools up in the uneven spots of the earth. This didn't make for much fun for me, seeing as though I was kneeling on the ground while planting the strawberries, and the water slowly seeped into my work boots, not to mention soaked my knees, and every inch of fabric in my pants and socks from waist to toe. Oh yeah, and don't forget that it was raining, so come time to come in for lunch, I was soaked from head to toe. Robin saw me and said "well, if it isn't...Miss Wet!" I told him that I felt like a drowned cat and went upstairs to change my clothes and probably felt like crying. It was one of the lowest days that I had back in County Clare. The following days weren't all that great, seeing as though I was still stuck on "Strawberry Hill" alone, but at least the weather improved. It had warmed up enough on the second day to wake up the bees that were housed mere feet away from me in the strawberry patch. In the middle of the day, at the height of warmth, they were really buzzing, but didn't bother me much. I also brought a flat board with me, so I could sit on that, instead of the wet plastic filled with little pools of water. There were times where I would take a break, and lay down on the wooden board, and just stare up at the blue sky and the wispy clouds, feeling the sun's warmth my face. I would listen to the sheep and lambs bleating. The sheep were annoying, but those little lambs were too damn cute. I also listened to the wind coming through the trees in the small forest next to me, and hear the screams of what I assumed was a wild pig, which sometimes sounds like a woman screaming. The birds were chirping and the bees were buzzing. It became satisfyingly solitary. I had all the time in the day to sit alone and contemplate for hours on end. What did I think about? My family. What I was doing with my life. What I wanted to change in my life. My friends, and how much they meant to me. Trips to Spain and other places in Europe. What travels I would hope to take in the following year to visit people. Self-inventory, so to speak. I had a few revelations on that hill, and some of them I've carried through on.

I can close my eyes today, and see everything that I saw there on top of that hill and hear the sounds. I often wish that I was back on that farm again. For all of the low times, there was so much satisfaction that I got out of the days that I spent there. It definitely felt like a home to me, complete with family. If I could do it all over again, I definitely would, in a heartbeat. I wish I could be there tomorrow, in fact.

Anyway, back to those strawberries. When the farmer talked about those strawberries, you could see the euros in his eyes! I could have cared less about them. Miserable, miserable strawberries! At least I now know that people were able to enjoy them and reap the benefits of my labor.

2006-12-13T10:42:00.000-06:00

I just asked the hardest question and had the toughest conversation in my life so far. It's not over yet. I don't feel well. Why do I have to be one of those "glass half empty" people?

Things

2006-12-08T11:27:00.000-06:00

1.) I am still in love with WOXY, today has been a superb "Request the X" day.

2.) I think I've gone a couple of weeks without eating bacon or a hot dog. Prepare for the world to come to an end.

3.) It's too damn cold outside.

4.) I've decided not to put up a Christmas tree this year. Why? Because I don't feel like looking at it until March, like I did last year. I am also thinking about forgoing the Christmas cards as well.

5.) I've gotten really lazy about washing the dishes, and have resorted to using paper plates, and making sandwiches that require little or no cutlery, since I am out of or running dangerously close to out of the real stuff. I think I see a pattern arising between points 4 and 5, because I also have a pile of laundry on the floor similar to last year's.

6.) I am tremendously bored with my job, and have been thinking about not showing up one day and saying "You know, I just don't think this is the right fit for me."

7.) I now have enough money saved up to buy a plane ticket to India in the spring. Now, I need to nail down the specific two weeks I'll be spending there in April or May. Any suggestions?

8.) I have secured a meeting with an HR Recruiter to discuss job opportunities in India with the Target Corporation.

9.) I wish I had my farmer physique back.

10.) If you think that Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" is even remotely close to your top 20 songs of 2006, I can no longer be your friend or acquaintance, and you obviously did not spend time in Europe between the months of March and May, and heard it every time the radio was on, no matter the station, no matter the location. The same probably goes for the U.S. between the months of June and September, but I wouldn't know. Thank God I have non-commercial radio choices in America!

HOT DAMN!!

2006-11-08T16:35:00.000-06:00

Today was a good day of election result news. It's been a while since I've felt so excited by an election (probably since we were all on pins and needles back in 2000). It gives me a feeling of hope, hope for change. Change number one has already occurred, and in a big way. The Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, has announced his resignation. Earlier this morning, I was listening to "Mr. You're on Fire Mr." by The Liars, and all I could think about was G.W. and his bunch, and what a gaggle of liars they are, and how I wished all of them were running around with their pants on fire. About an hour later, the news broke that one of the biggest liars was stepping down. We were met with a press conference, featuring the bumbling idiot, Georgie, acting like his normal stuttering asshole self, and saying things like "we took a thumpin'" Since this was bigger than normal news, I really, REALLY, had to fight the temptation to turn off his voice. But I "stayed the course" - BARF!! Anyway, America showed up in the millions to vote out the people that were making this country unbearable, and put more pressure on the ones that are running things to listen to what the people are saying. Oh yeah, and not to mention, actually challenge the President when he decides that it's convenient to ignore or change the law.

I read this quote from Abraham Lincoln today:

"Any people anywhere, being inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up, and shake off the existing government... "

Now, if only we could show up in the millions to make a very public and organized stand against the rest of the Georgie administration, including their clown leader, and throw them the hell off the hill.

My dad once said a funny thing: "I've never voted for the president, but I've voted in every election." And followed it up with "Voting is the most important right that we have." Thank you everyone out there who showed up with a voice and a vote, it's the only thing we can do to try to make a difference. It doesn't matter which way you vote, you are still expressing your own opinion about how YOU want things run. This time, it turned out for the better, fortunately, and now hopefully we will see something different coming to us in the near future.

The Look of a Thief

2006-10-23T22:56:00.000-05:00

Do I look like I'm up to something?

Tonight, I was coerced into a justifiable "dine and dash" at a very mediocre national chain restaurant. The funny thing is that it was master-minded by a birthday girl and mother of two. Things were made simpler by removing the husband and the two kids from the table first. Then, my dear friend, whom I love more than my own body, basically up and said let's get the hell out of here, and her sister and I followed suit, in a bit of a rush. So rushed, in fact, that I practically shoved the five year old out the door. I must say that it was exhilarating, I don't think I've done anything that deviant for a great while. We laughed heartily upon exit of the parking lot. Oh Canuck Pirate, the things you get me into!

Hello Again My Old Friend!

2006-10-10T10:30:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, I said goodbye to an old friend. Now my old friend is back. WOXY.com has been resurrected AGAIN my friends! That's right, the world of music is spinning on the axis in the right direction for me again. Like a crush that just won't go away, WOXY has resurfaced, and I lust for it all over again. At 10:10 AM today, I was graced with its presence thanks to the kind folks over at lala.com, who saw the gem that WOXY holds in the music world, and took a jump. They came in, struck a deal, and now it's a happy family. If you haven't checked out lala, you should, especially if you have some cds that you want to liquidate, and in return get some new cool music for yourself. AND, you should definitely go over to woxy.com, tune in, and listen for a good while. You will not be disappointed. If I find out that you haven't been there, and listened, I will hunt you down, tie you to a chair, and press "play" on your computer. That's what I would like to call a promise full of threats.

BAM!!! KICK OUT THE JAMS, MOTHERFUCKERS!!

Edit: Damn, five hours later, it's been like one big dance party. This station makes me so excited that I just want to scream. When I am an old woman, I hope that I'm still listening to this station. I am in love over and over...

The Week in Review

2006-10-02T22:58:00.001-05:00

I've had a pretty busy week:

Last weekend, I made a trip up to Door County, Wisconsin for a friend's wedding. Door County was quaint, serves good breakfast and overpriced hotel rooms. I wish I would have had a little more time to enjoy the area, especially the northern end of Lake Michigan and Peninsula State Park. The bride and groom opted for a pig roast for their guests. It was absolutely delicious, and I really wish that more people had huge parties that warranted an entire pig for everyone to enjoy, even if it does scare little kids...

On Tuesday, I went to see my old pretend boyfriend, Sufjan Stevens, perform. Last year, he and his entourage were dressed as cheerleaders and did onstage cheers, and a human pyramid, and primarily performed songs from the Illinoise album. This time around, he and his bandmates donned butterfly wings (color bird wings for Sufjan), and put on an amazingly beautiful performance with songs from almost all of his albums. He had six violin players, two cellists, a trombone player, two trumpeteers, and then a percussionist, and two jacks-of-many trades. He reminded me how nice the banjo sounds in a couple of songs, and delighted the crowd with a new piece that really rocks out unexpectedly at the end. I hope I get the chance to see it performed again live someday.

On Saturday, I made my first trip into the lovely state of Michigan for another wedding, and yet another overpriced hotel room. Although it rained during the outdoor ceremony, the words were meaningful and heartfelt. The reception was a lot of fun, and us late partiers thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, especially with the open bar. I love going to the weddings of close friends, it always feels like you're with extended family, and everyone has such a good time. We danced and drank the night away. I caught the bouquet for the umpteenth time, and for the first time, actually had to participate in the tradition of the lucky bachelor who caught the bride's garter getting the opportunity to slip it on my leg. I'm looking forward to pictures of that specific event, I'm sure they're fantastic... In the meantime, you can catch myself and said bachelor, my favorite Ohirish sisters, and me and the bride below.

Likes and Dislikes - Part Two

2006-09-19T14:13:00.000-05:00

Likes:

- Tuna melts and great french fries
- The coming of fall
- The rich colors of fall fashion that look good on redheads like me
- Ice cream, ice cream, ice cream
- Random elevator conversations that include topics like Schlitz beer t-shirts, and "sallies" lying about the weather
- Peaches
- Walking
- Talking to my favorite people
- Simon's Tavern for its jukebox and beer
- The song title: "Let's Make Love And Listen to Death from Above" by CSS (Cansei de Ser Sexy)
- The band name: Death From Above 1979

Dislikes:
- G.W.'s voice, looks, mind, way of governing, and general bullshit. I can't wait for the next two years to end, so we can see an end to this administration, and I don't have to feel like vomiting and turning off the radio or TV every time that he's on it.
- Girls who wear scarves and coats when it's 55 degrees outside, for god's sake, if it were 55 degrees in February or March, you'd see people wearing shorts! It's not that cold out dearies...
- Chinese governmental policies and practices
- Boring jobs that don't exercise and expand my brain
- The hypocrisy of secret C.I.A. torture bases and blatant disregard of Geneva Accord policies that good old G.W. is pushing a bill on. What? The U.S. can do it and get away with it, but it's not fair and humane if someone else does it? Major and total bullshit.

Farewell My Friend

2006-09-15T11:55:00.000-05:00

Today, as of 4:00 CST, one of my best friends will be leaving my daily life for good.

You came into my life about five and a half years ago, and there have been few days (excluding my three months out of the country and when you left for two) that you have not been there. It all started when I went through a traumatic break-up. The first boy that I had truly loved tore my heart out, threw it on the ground, and stomped all over it. I was insanely depressed for about a month, crying, not sleeping, not eating, miserable. All of the sudden, I found myself listening to completely different music, and it was making me feel better. I found you, and listened to you in the back of the student loan office in the basement of Williamson Hall while I worked. It was therapeutic. You had me hooked from day one with the music and the personalities. You introduced me to so many musicians that I listen to on a regular basis, but are far too numerous to try to even mention. I've told all of my friends about you, and they know how obsessed I am with you. Tonight, they will comfort me when I tell them that you are gone for good, and not laugh at me for crying over it. A little over two years ago you said you were leaving. I wrote you a love letter (that I will have to dig up and post on here as well) and sent it to you. I meant everything that I said from the bottom of my heart. I listened to you during your final hours, it was heart-wrenching. So much good music, so many emotions, from laughter to tears. Then, miraculously, almost two months later, you sent an email, saying that you were coming back. It was one of the best emails I've ever gotten, and I longed for the day that I could hear you again.

A few weeks ago, you sent the message that you were leaving again, and this time, I don't think there will be any miracles bringing your return to me. I will miss you, along with hundreds of others. Yesterday, you mentioned me to everyone that was listening, and gave me a great compliment. I sat here, with a huge smile on my face, but with tears in my eyes, knowing it would be the last time you said my name, the last time you would do anything for me at my request. I sit here now, listening, only three hours left, feeling my heart slowly breaking. I know you're trying to be strong, but I know that every couple of hours, I hear your voice wavering with emotion.

You did your own thing, didn't listen to anyone who tried to tell you what to do. You said you were independent, and proved it. You played the best music and a few songs that I didn't really care for every once in a while. I loved you unconditionally. I still have everything you ever sent to me, and display it with pride.

I'll never forget the impact that you made on my life. You changed me, and helped mold me into the person that I am today. I'm going to miss you, but I know that I'll have to move on. No, I don't feel like you are tearing out my heart and stepping on it, this isn't that traumatic, but it will still hurt me.

Thank you for everything Barb, Mike, Shivvy, Bryan Jay, Linda, Doug, 97X, and woxy.com.

Quoting Dustin Hoffman, "97X BAM! The Future of Rock and Roll"

Edit: Current Playlist

Pizzicato Five - Happy Sad
Bjork - oga
PJ Harvey - We Float
Lab Partners - Sensations
Captain of Industry - It Might Be Me

Playing Pizzicato Five - a band that the heartbreaker introduced me to, and you actually play over the airwaves. "Happy Sad" - Perfect song for my current feelings.

Produce Delivery!

2006-09-10T10:54:00.000-05:00

This week's delivery included:

Broccoli
One beet
Lettuce
3 bananas
2 summer squash
Delicata squash
3 tomatoes
One purple onion
Mizuna Greens
3 red potatoes
2 red pears
2 apples
3 carrots
Cabbage
Cucumber

!!!

2006-09-08T13:51:00.000-05:00

I am going to be whipped into a frenzy tonight, and I am going to like it.

Edit: !!! (chk chk chk) does me like no other.