Let’s Talk About Something Else

Chicago is a great town.

Unless, of course, you like winning playoff games.  That’s where we start to have issues.

The day started innocently enough.Well. Fine. There’s definitely Bailey’s in that McDonald’s coffee. Innocent enough. I call it an upgrade.

Gotta love the metra’s open container policy.  Or lack thereof.

My friend Bailey and I took advantage of it while we could.  It was going to be a long game…

Although taking advantage of the rule mentioned above also means you may have to take advantage of the metra bathroom. It was an alumminum-lined closet. A traumatic experience to say the least. After my report, Bailey decided to hold it.

I’m sure the last 2 minutes of the ride and walk to the bathroom were the longest of her life. She walked out of the bathroom with a huge smile and a skip in her step because she felt “a little lighter and swifter”.

Close call.

We met up with Megan and ended up scoring a table at Stanley’s in Lincoln Park. Considering the madness going on around us, we considerend this a HUGE win.

But sadly, it was the only win of the day.Unless you count taunting Bailey for being one of three Pack fans in the bar.  That was sort of fun while it lasted…

So fun I couldn’t hold the camera still.  Oops.

Green Bay deserved the win. Yeah, that was said. And I’ll be excited to watch them in the Super Bowl. To get their asses handed to them.

That is all I’ll say about that.

Anyway, after a long and heartbreaking day, I didn’t fight my body’s decision to crash early. My body wanted sleep.  I’m feeling so much better these days now that I’m actually getting more than 4 or 5 hours a night.  Ahhhh…

Plus my fingers were crossed that, even after Sunday Funday (and all that it entails), I’d feel like getting my workout done in the morning.

To avoid feeling rushed, the alarm was set for 5:05. Yes, 5:05 AM!  We’re getting really close to my cutoff point of how early I’ll get up to pull a morning workout.  Once the first number reaches a “4″, I’ll know I’ve completely lost my sanity. There’s a 5 minute buffer to that line.  Uh oh…

Since it’s being discussed, you know I got up and went. Trudging through the new snow (where did you come from?!?!) to get my planned 4-mile run in.

But wait… there are foot prints in the snow… leading up to the building.  Multiple ones.  Say what?

There were 4 people in the workout room this morning.  What? And the worst of it- BOTH treadmills were being used.  Part of the reason why I go this early is to avoid this problem! Bleh!

Clearly, I wasn’t about to turn around and go home.  So I sucked it up and made myself excited to get on the elliptical.

That’s a lie.  There was no excitement. But spent 15 minutes on it until a treadmill (thankfully the quiet one) opened up.  I no longer had time for my 4-miler, but figured since 15 minutes was spent on the elliptical, it’d all even out. So it was a 3-mile run instead- 8:35 pace. The leg “feeling” I was getting wasn’t an issue today at all.  So that’s pretty awesome.

My leg’s just a trickster like that.

Morning workout?  Check.

Ok kids… time to get on the road and face the consequences of our random little snowfall.

I’m walking into work with a good mood.  It’s a short work week and one of our office suppliers also visits now with a boy I like to call Mr. Hottie McHotterson. He will be referred to this until I find out he’s probably married. Maybe with kids.

That tends to happen.  Often.

But until then…

Just Call Me Grandma

Why hello, kids!

How is everyone?  I had a lovely little hump day off.  What did I do, you ask?

Well.

I slept all the way until 7:30 (oh my god, I’m a crazy wild child!).  Then I laid there for a while debating whether or not I should deny the fact that I’m like a grandma and attempt to go back to sleep or just get up and face the facts.

I got up.  Call me grandma.

But I bet your grandma wouldn’t hit the gym and bust out 4 miles at 8:22.  Don’t answer that if she can.  Please don’t burst my bubble.

I planned to do some weights/resistance bands as well.  But didn’t.  Unless you count the vacuum cleaner and some laundry as such?  Look at me being so productive on my day off.  Yeah, I know.  Grandma…

One thing I have to say about days off are that I love being able to be home and make lunch.I’ve still got some Nature’s Pride that I didn’t freeze that I had my eye on.  I wondered what would happen if I did my standard egg bake with it?  Sort of like some breakfast casserole recipes?  Let’s try it and throw a piece of bread at the bottom of my ramekin.  And then let’s throw some veggie love in there.How I found asparagus on sale right now, I won’t ever know.  It’s never on sale.  And it’s definitely not in season.  I must be missing something.

Either way, mix up a whole egg and egg white with milk (my standard) and pour it on top.  Throw it in the 375-degree oven and bake until it started to brown on top.  Have a backup plan just in case.

This time, I didn’t need one.  Whew!

Serve with a little parmesan cheese on top.If you let the parm get out of control by accident, shrug your shoulders and just go with it.  Eat it while catching up with your “programs” (just like grandma would do).

T’was good.

After my seriously busy morning and early afternoon of being a shut in, I headed to the city.  I had a friend who was in town from Texas for a few days and some happy hour plans.

Of course my friend missed his train in.  I did not.  Because I actually show up to the train station on time.   

I didn’t stress, though, and took my time wandering over to the area we were meeting.  Rarely do I have extra time to kill when I get downtown (stupid traffic), and have been wanting to get a few pics of some things for a possible home decor project I’m considering doing.The sign on the Chicago Theater is one of my favorite icons of the city.  My friend Jaime doesn’t know it yet, but I may be asking her to do some photoshop magic on a few of the pics I took…

Oh and just for future reference for some of you young lads out there- closely walking behind a girl for 3 or 4 blocks and loudly discussing how fine and sexy her ass is will not get her to turn around and acknowledge your existence.  I know what my booty looks like already.  So the only real thing I learned from this one-sided conversation was how ridiculously obnoxious you are.

Finally, my friend and I found each other.  I’m positive he found the only bar  in the city that serves Natural Light.  In a can.  It was college night.

Old habits die hard.

Then, I finished up my pre-happy hour and went to meet up for my next happy hour (because two is clearly better than one in this case).

This is where my details get vague.  Mostly because I have a thing against giving my mom enough fuel to “fire up the google”.

Going into it, I wasn’t sure if either one of these meetups would include food or not. 

They didn’t.  I ended up missing the train (guess my friend’s not the only one who does it) I planned to take home by… um… 2 hours. 

Lesson of the day?  When you roll into the train station at 11:00, don’t expect a plethora of choices.This was my first ever experience with Popeye’s chicken.  I really liked my sandwich.  But then again, I hadn’t eaten in about 10 hours, so I’m sure I was a mere 20 minutes away from my arm looking just as appetizing.

All in all, it turned out to be a good day.  But I’m thanking my lucky stars today is a rest day.  4  hours of sleep doesn’t feel or look good on anyone. 

I’ll be back tomorrow.  Hopefully with a considerable amount more of energy. 

100 Words Saturday – Out the Door Edition

Sleep = good thing.

My body should know that now.  I came home from the gym last night, showered, and parked it for the rest of the night.The crime scene.

Fell asleep during The Soup. Woke up. Fell asleep during Chelsea Lately. Woke up. Moved to bed.

I think I hit 10 hours, kids.

Amazing.

Off to catch the metra and meet a few Chicago bloggers for brunch.Trusty map my dad bought when I moved.  I was embarassed.  But I use it all the time.  Thanks dad.

I’m a visual person with no sense of direction.  I need it.  And it’s for the “savvy traveler”.  Which would be me.

Oops, that’s 110 words.  Can’t win every time… 

Have a great weekend!!!

And then I disappeared…

… or at least it feels like I did for a bit.  In my defense, I’ve been very very busy with fabulous friends and crazy amounts of things to do.  Let’s rewind a bit, shall we?

After work, we got together and headed into the city towards Papacito’s for a solid BYOB experience in the Lakeview neighborhood.  I had been there before.  It’s nothing fancy, but if you like some decent Mexican food and have an adoration for cheesy deliciousness, it’s the place you want to be.See? Needless to say, they approved.We were full and ready for the next adventure: Annoyance Theater in Uptown Chicago.  We considered Second City, but I thought it’d be fun to give them a little bit more of an intimate experience.  We looked at the show list.  And were intrigued by one of the shows- lovingly called Co-Ed Prison Sluts.  It wasn’t just one of us that pushed to see it.  We were ALL intrigued and decided to go.  And giggled about the name of the show every time it was mentioned.  Because we’re really 12-year-old girls at heart.

The show was raunchy fo’ sho’.  But what can you expect with a name like that?  And it was hilarious.  A bit juevnile, but hilarious.  Fun fact- it’s the longest running musical comedy in Chicago.  So obviously they’re doing something right.  Even if it had a creepster clown… because really, who’s not scared of clowns?  They’re just awful.

A hundred laughs, two bars, and five hours of sleep later, we were up and ready to hit the city again!Large coffee mug and an ice pack.  Sorry this is “pre-makeup”.  If your eyes have started to burn, I suggest you scroll down immediately… aaaahhhh!

How else would I want to start the weekend?  Oh yeah… with a solid breakfast for me and my guests:Everyone loves a baked pancake.Once we were safe and sound on the metra, I started to plan our assault on Michigan Avenue.  We started out in Millenium Park:We cooled off in Crowne Plaza and headed to Park Grill Cafe in Millenium Park to eat.  If you haven’t been- think twice.  It’s overpriced.  We knew this, but said screw it because we happened to be hungry right then and there and the view was pretty. 

How did the stalking Shia tracking down of the movie set go?  Eh.  We didn’t get nearly as close as we wanted.  And after a few failed attempts at different routes toward the blocked off area, we just settled for the random props being shipped in and out and overall excitement of what was going on.

We also checked out the recently installed Eye Sculpture in Pritzker Park in the Loop by the artist Tony Tasset.  It’s hanging out there until some time in October.

It was eye-opening to say the least…

All we could really think about is what would happen if it got loose and started rolling down the street… Being as how it’s 30-foot tall, it would be traumatizing!  And most likely quite dangerous.

After all that walking around for 4 or 5 hours, I was cool with saying no to yoga.  And saying yes to Lou Malnati’s deep dish with the hometown girls and my suburb ladies. 

Oh and if you haven’t noticed, I wore a romper all day in the city.  I finally broke down and went with the trend- they just looked so comfy!  And it totally was… But I do warn you- if you like to stay well-hydrahted like I do (which means going to the bathroom often), be prepared for feeling awkward.  It’s like you undress every time you have to go.  Sort of  a pain.  And I’m pretty sure they don’t make jumpers with snaps in the crotch for anyone over the age of 6.  But it’d be pretty cool if they did…

Life is good…

Fleet Feet Women’s 10k race recap tomorrow (it went well!).  I’ve GOT to take a nap.  I haven’t had more than five hours of sleep in any night for the last three days.  It’s nap time.

Back to the Grind

Well it’s Tuesday and I’m back at work.  On my least favorite day.  Ick!  Oh well, it was soooo worth it. Ashlee and I had a blast yesterday.  We slept in (until like 8:30- woot woot!) and just slowly got ourselves going and making plans.  We narrowed it down to a museum day- Chicago History Museum and Field Museum.  I still hadn’t made my way into the History Museum yet, so I was ready.

We decided it might be fun to do breakfast in the city.  So I grabbed a Fiber One from the gift basket I got at Jaime’s shower to tide me over.  Thank god I did…  we took the metra in and tried out the bus system.  I never claimed to be an expert on public transit in Chicago.  Never.  I rely heavily on Google transit to tell me what to do.  But sometimes human error occurs.  And sometimes you end up getting on the wrong bus.  And sometimes you end up in areas you probably shouldn’t be.  Like what happened to us yesterday.  Uh… oops.  So the bus ride was a little longer than we thought it would take.  But we got to where we needed to get eventually:

Elly’s Pancake House!  Our brunch we planned to have around noon or a little after turned into lunch because of how late we had gotten there.  And we were STARVING.  Hamburger and fries for both of us…

No pictures, sadly.  Why?  Because my camera battery crapped out on me.  I didn’t realize it was low after the weekend.  Even that morning, I thought, “Should I charge my camera battery?  Nah… it has enough power surely…”  Nope.  I turn it on and get the message “Change Battery Pack”.  Damn!  Enough with the camera issues!!!  And Ashlee’s had died well before mine because she was already on day 4 of her trip…

So, I apologize for the grainy crackberry pics you will be seeing for the rest of the post.  But a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do…

One thing that did go our way?  We made it to the History Museum, and it was a day of free admission!  Score!  So first, we checked out the children’s museum:

My legs weren’t even  long enough for that bike.  And I’m no shorty! 

Then we strolled upstairs… The little Playboy display was one of my fav things to look at.  Apparently the bunny costume was modeled after the measurements of this girl Suzy- who was decided to be the ideal proportions for the Playboy club.  Yeah… her waist was 23 inches.  I’d have to break a couple ribs to come close to that one…  And we won’t even talk about how much help I’d need to fill in the top of the costume… damn “runner’s boobs”.  :pMany of the exhibits had to do with the World Fair.  They had a train car you could walk into and around and pretend to be a member of the times.  Ashlee was Newton- a grocer who enjoyed the moving sidewalk exhibit. My card said I was Matilda- a widow who liked the Agriculture Building.  I decided she was probably a sassy broad.  Just like me.  The History Museum was a lot of fun.  We stayed until close.  Sadly, there was a fashion exhibit that was closed- we were both a little bummed about that one.  But honestly, time-wise we may have not gotten to see it anways.  After the History Museum closed, we decided to skip Field Museum (figuring by the time we got there, it’d be closed, too, if not already).

To Ogilvie we went to catch a metra back out to the ‘burbs.  Both of us just adore Sheldon on Big Bang Theory, so we got some carryout at a little Mexican place near me and made it back to my apartment just in time to watch it.  Turns out it was a rerun we had both seen, but really- it’s still hilarious.  Check out my burrito I got:

It was a chicken burrito the size of my head.  For reals.  Apparently my toes were just curling in excitement.  The awesome people at the restaurant gave us chips and dip while we waited for our food to be ready to carry out, so I didn’t need that at all!  After the pic, I took a knife to it.  Three meals out of this craziness.  Holy crap.

This morning I sadly took Ashlee to the airport on the way to work. It’s funny because we started chatting away as soon as I picked her up on Sunday straight through the entire trip all the way until I dropped her off.  I’m so glad she came!  She said they might try to make another trip up to Chicago over the summer.  I said fantastic.  Everyone loves the Chi in the summer…

Anyhoo, so that was my great weekend!  I loved it.  And now everything goes back to normal…  Back to work.  Back to my workout schedule (Nothing crazy tonight- just The Shred if I’m up to it because I really am a walking zombie today).  Back to my routine.  The sleep will be needed.  But she’ll be missed until I get to see her again! 

Have a good Tuesday everyone!  I’m gonna go grab another cup of coffee…

A Little Yoga and A Lot of Gibson’s…

So after my last post, I did crank up the Exercise TV…  Fitness Fusion for 45ish minutes.  Not my ideal workout, but hey- the girl keeps talking about the cardio in each move.  Wait- what was…. oh!  Was that my heart rate raising?  That little extra beat a minute?  Must have been…  As I look like an idiot trying to keep balanced in the privacy of my living room.  Whatever you say, lady- just make me long and lean… as quickly as possible. 

My carryout bag was bigger than most small children...

 

 Last night I took a little trip on the metra down to Rush Street for some seriously fine dining at Gibson’s Steakhouse.  This was my first time going, and for those of you not from Chicago- it’s a pretty well-known steakhouse in the area.  And can I just say?  AMAZING. 

A friend from grad school was in the city for business and asked if I wanted to meet up for dinner somewhere- his treat.  It was nice to catch up- and who am I to say no to a free meal?  We had reservations for 8:00 (due to the lack of flexibility in the train schedule for me).  And by the time we sat down to eat, I was a bit famished.  We ordered a bottle of wine.  I really had no intention to get even one drink, but he said he had quite the day and told me to pick a bottle.  It wasn’t hard to convince me that was a good idea. 

I had the broiled Norwegian salmon.  He had the Chicago cut steak.  Before we ordered, the waiter had asked if either of us had been there before- and when we said no, he brought out a plate containing all the different cuts of steak they offered.  A plate of raw meat…  I wasn’t going to get the steak to begin with- but that just pushed me to the salmon even more.  They also showed us the unprepared lobster tail- which was about as big as my forearm.  I didn’t realize that I would be fed for a week by coming here. 

Everything was soooo good.  I really do not enjoy just a large slab of steak- but I tried it.  The huge fat vein kinda turned me off…  We also split two sides (probably only needed one).  The double baked potato- we were gonna go for the baked sweet potato, but the waiter insisted otherwise…  and sautéed spinach and broccoli.  Sooooo yummy. 

Yep, my friend was staying in a hotel and had no place to put the leftovers- so guess who got them all?  I have a large lunch of salmon and double baked potato, plenty of spinach and broccoli (sooo making a veggie scramble with that) and even the steak.  I think I committed a sin by thin slicing the entire thing, but that’s the only way I’d eat it- by mixing it in to something.  Please don’t tell Gibson’s management on me… 

This morning was rough.  The couple glasses of wine mixed with a bad night of sleep is seriously no good.  I think I ended up drinking more of the wine.  The waiter seemed to favor my glass over my friend’s.  And I’m pretty sure he winked at my friend at one point.  Think again, buddy.  I raced my butt to that 10:30 metra train home. 

Because I obviously wasn’t getting any more sleep, at 6:00 this morning I decided to get up to do some AM Yoga.  I ended up with Pilates.  I don’t think I’ll do that 20-minute workout again.  Or at least not in the morning- that chick was way too chipper.  If she had giggled or said “ooohhhh, feel that one in your little booty?” one more time, it would have been over.  I think they should tape a workout with someone who is as harsh as I am at that time in the morning.  

On second thought, maybe that’s why they have Jillian Michaels on there…

I’m only going to dinner. Seriously…

Us girls from work (and formerly from our office) has another get-together at a sushi place called Izumi Sushi in the West Loop on Friday.  I was going into my third packed night of socializing and drinking.  So I took the metra downtown on Friday with plans only to go have a few drinks, enjoy a good meal, and head home.  Which would have made Saturday absolutely lovely and somewhat productive.

Thanks Cathryn.

A Philly roll and a few glasses of wine later, people were not having it.  They grabbed my bag away from me and insisted I stay.  So my bag-o-stuff got thrown into Jessica’s car (because of course it wasn’t THAT hard to convince me to stay) and off we went.  We started our hike to Market Bar and, lo and behold, found ourselves approaching Harpo Studios.  Why hello Oprah- not only did I hang out a few drinks too many outside of where she supposedly lives, now I’m stalking her at the workplace.  Both times completely by accident.  Ok, maybe it’s some underlying infatuation.  Either way, the conversation switched to how much we all wish we could get onto her Favorite Things episode.  I really wouldn’t mind a new car.  Or iPod.  Or cash.  Just give me some cash, Oprah…

Market Bar ended up being a no-go.  It was too packed for our liking, so we hung out at a table they were serving on the sidewalk.  Next destination- The District.  A guy in our office was celebrating his birthday, and we all thought it sounded like a good bar to go to.  In my opinion, we were mistaken.  It was packed, people were rude, and drinks were overpriced for the atmosphere I was in.  Sure, I’ll pay $10 (which it better be a good drink) for a drink to hang out in a fun place with good friends.  But by the time we fought our way to the bar, fought our way back to the table, and fought to keep a decent conversation over the noise and constant interruption of people bumping into us and passing through, I was ready to leave. 

Some of us had contacted another group of guys from work earlier to see if they’d join us at The District, but they decided to stay put at The Pony Inn in Lakeview.  So I convinced Cathryn we should join them there.  What did we have to lose?  It was close to Cathryn’s apartment, it couldn’t have been much worse, and if anything, it was in an area with plenty of other late night options.  She agreed and it took everything I had but to run out of the place to grab a cab.

Rob’s directions got us to the right block.  But that’s about it.  We would have been screwed if the bar didn’t have a huge lit-up (practically flashing) sign.  It might as well have had a speaker, too.  “Why hello drunk people, come join us and get ridiculous.”  We walk in to the announcement of last call.  The night really must have gotten away from us…  But we got another good 20 minutes there until they started kicking people out.

Rob suggested our next stop be Big City Tap.  My eyes widened a little bit on that one- Big City is the place where people tend to flock after all the other bars start closing.  If you can still manage to walk in a somewhat straight line and aren’t ready to crawl home, that’s apparently where you go.  Was it really going to be that kind of night?  Cathryn was in dance mode, so I knew it would be…

Five of us piled into a cab and were again on our way.  Maybe that’s where most of my night went- time spent in cabs.  Makes sense.  We got there, and like clowns in a car, we all filed out.  I dropped my new camera on the way out.  Cathryn’s shoe strap broke.  But that didn’t stop us.  Alex and I checked to make sure the essentials (aka the camera battery) were still there.  Cathryn showed her talent in walking with one bum shoe (you would have never known it could have flied off at any moment).  Cathryn also pulled out another talent- talking her way into anything.  Four of us were still re-establishing ourselves and assessing the long line as she marched across that busy street to the bar on the other side.  “What the hell is she doing?!?!?”  She walked straight up to that side door and took all of 20 seconds to get us inside.  No waiting required.  I don’t even think she knows what she said to get us in.

Big City was packed.  Hence the line.  But the difference between Big City and The District is this- The District is not that kind of bar.  It gives off the “lounge” atmosphere.  It closes earlier.  Big City is a drunken man’s haven.  Everyone and their mom wants to get into this place at 3:00 to continue to get their drink on and dance.  Crowds, elevated temperatures, and drunk people are expected.  And welcomed.  Not sure why there isn’t a sign on the door stating this fact.  If only they had a suggestion box…

Cathryn darted into the crowd without saying a thing.  The guys got a little nervous.  But I knew where she was and had no concerns.  She was on the dance floor.  And we would soon join her.  And we did.  Until we had to leave at 4:00 a.m.  Two whole hours of dancing and sweating (gross but true).  I still think it’s funny how heavily Michael Jackson is played.  I know we heard at least three of his songs while we were there.  Again, not that I mind.  I’m just amused.

After that place closed, back in the cab we went.  This time to go home.  Or at least, in my case, to crash at Cathryn’s.  And wouldn’t you know it?  I didn’t wake up until 11:00 that morning.  THAT is a momentous occasion.  For me, “sleeping late” is 9:00.  Maybe 9:30.  And that’s on a good day.  I guess the last three nights caught up with me.  Cathryn wanted to do breakfast somewhere.  I was all over that idea.  Omelet… yum…  We had two choices – Orange or Horizon Cafe.  I looked at myself in the mirror.  Then I looked at Cathryn. 

“Which one will we not look extremely inappropriate in?”

“Horizon Cafe it is.”

I felt ok there- the majority of people there looked like they were feeling about the same as we did.  Sunglasses on inside.  Downing coffee to cure exhaustion and a headache.  Some still a little intoxicated from the night before.  Perfect.  I had my standard bacon mushroom omelet- which grosses Cathryn out to no end.  She refuses to eat bacon and/or mushrooms.  At least I know she won’t eat off of my plate.

We found ourselves in the same position as we were about a month ago after eating- in a race to the Irving Park metra stop to see if I could make the train.  I watched the clock the whole way, almost positive I wouldn’t and would end up hanging out for an hour.  Which may have been a problem being as tired as I was.  Luckily, the train was running late.  And I got on and made it home by 1:30.  Just in time to collapse on my couch…

Needless to say, I was worthless the rest of Saturday.  And that spilled over into Sunday.  At least I did get up long enough on Saturday evening to hit up a movie with Annie.  We saw The Time Traveler’s Wife.  It was good.  I love Rachel McAdams.  And no one minds a nude Eric Bana.  But I really expected more…  Oh well.  It was still a fun little movie date with one of my favorite ladies. 

Now, the question remains… Who’s the bad influence in this situation?  And how do we always end up at the same place?  And how can we do it by spending less and not feeling so exhausted the next day?  An answer to any of these questions would be appreciated.

Such a Lovely Day for a Boat Ride

So my family came up for a visit last weekend (week #3 of out-of-towners).  My parents, brother, and aunt all drove together to Arlington Heights to meet up with me after work on Friday.  We went out to eat that night at the Grand Station.  (Mom’s not a person to stray from her comfort zone, so I chose an American Grille where I’ve taken her before)  It was quite delicious.  Of course I had the cedar plank salmon- which I’ve yet to find a place where I didn’t like it… yum.  I was surprised (and annoyed because I had no idea where to park) when we ran into a huge street festival downtown AH.  I guess it was being thrown in preparation for the Arlington Million which was the next day.  If I had known more about it, I might have found a way to work some of the festivities into the agenda for the weekend.  When it comes to people visiting and wanting to sight-see, I am a serious planner.  And straying from the list of things to do is really not an option I’m comfortable with.

Afterwards, we visited at my apartment for awhile.  I think they were all impressed with my new little home.  As small as it is, I put alot of time to get it together into a cute little space for myself.  They didn’t stay too long- we had a very late dinner and had to be up early in the morning.  We went back and forth about how we were going to be getting into the city.  I was pushing driving and they were pushing for public transportation.  I don’t hate public transportation, but they didn’t realize it doesn’t really drop us off directly in front of our destination.  And with five people, it makes more sense to just pay for parking.  Plus, the weekend metra schedule is pretty scarce in choice of times, so we would have ended up taking the freakin’ 7:30 train.  It is the weekend.  Hell no.  We drove down on Saturday. 

First stop was the Wendella boat tour.  It was pretty overcast, which made me nervous.  The tour said it goes rain or shine, but I really had no desire to try to look up at buildings and get a face full of rain.  Luckily, it only sprinkled on us for about five minutes.

I loved the tour.  So worth it.  Especially since I had scored the tickets on Groupon for half off.  I really am a big Chicago nerd.  And now I am a little more well-informed about some of the buildings along the Chicago River.  And Chicago in general.  Like now I know where Oprah lives…

Shedd aquarium was a spot we made sure to have plenty of time for.  My brother and I were really excited about it.  Or at least I was until we got inside.  One of the bigger Chicago attractions on a nice Saturday afternoon?  Packed.  Hot.  Loud.  And I could barely walk five feet without having a kid run into me.  It was just a little overwhelming.  It would have been twice as much fun to go when it would be less crowded, say, in the middle of the week.  We did watch the show- which included hawks they were training and three crazy dolphins.  By the time the show was over, we were done.  Loooonnnggg day of walking around and seeing as much as we could get in. 

So what do people always want to do when they come to visit me?  Get deep dish.  So I broke out the Rosati’s coupons and we ordered on the way home.  Because we were having pizza, I absolutely INSISTED on getting some Goose Island 312 to have with it.  I figured my brother and dad would like it.  Marty likes trying the new beers, and dad will try it if it’s a lighter beer.  312 was perfect.  There’s still one bottle left in my refrigerator.  I’m waiting for the best possible time to break it out and enjoy… Yummmm…..  I totally love having an excuse (such as houseguests) to consume yummy unhealthiness.  We went to Walker Brothers the next day.  It’s not necessary to go into detail of how good it was.  Breakfast is my favorite meal and it’s a freakin’ pancakes house.  Heaven…  I think the fam had a good time.  I was glad they all finally came up.  My aunt said the last time she was in Chicago, they were just completing Sears Tower.  So she had a lot of catching up to do.  And my dad hasn’t been up since last October.  My mom came up twice since then- once to ride up with my aunt for a weekend and once to babysit me during my wisdom teeth surgery.  Even though she’s been up quite a few times in the last year, she’s the one who’s the most nervous still about aspects of a big city.  I often heard, “I wouldn’t walk here at night if I were you” or “You wouldn’t go here alone, would you?”.  Yes mom.  I would and I have.  But I’m probably not going to tell you that.  There’s not any point in making her worry more than she already does.  She already has enough to keep her from sleeping at night.  Why add another?

My Feet Hurt. Part Two.

Before we realized my mistake... all smiles!

Laura and I woke up pretty groggy on Saturday morning.  I was a little nervous about how well I’d get through the night…  But I pushed for us to get moving.  I had to stop by the bank to cash a check.  I needed cash for the night- I hate only having a card when you’re at the bar.  It’s a mess and I’ve had issues with tips, cash only, splitting tabs, etc.  Cash was necessary.  So we did that.  Then, I tried to resolve my camera issue.  We ended up at Best Buy.  $40-50 for a new battery or charger (they weren’t sure what was wrong with it).  I said screw that.  I wasn’t even that big of a Casio Exilim fan anyways.  I’m a Canon whore.  I wasn’t about to put more money into a camera that I only kindof liked.  And, the pics were not always the best of quality.  So, on an impulse and last-minute decision, I bought a new camera.  And I love my new Canon Powershot Elph.  LOVE it.  Even though it wasn’t a planned purchase in the budget.  I’m making room.  I’m always that girl who has the camera stored in the purse.  Always.

Then, we looked for food.  We decided we really wanted salad.  Rockit reservations had been made for dinner and we saw the menu and knew what we wanted.  Something light was needed to balance that out.  Laura and I were in desperate search of a salad bar.  And got more and more frustrated as we visited a few grocery stores in the area and couldn’t find one.  Crabbiness set in.  Laura said screw it and went to Subway.  I said screw it and said I could eat something at home.  Both of us were disappointed.  It was one of those times where you really really want something and have your mind made up- and nothing else will satisfy you.  Or at least we thought so.  Laura got us both a cookie at Subway.  That made us feel better.  Working out also made us feel better.  Laura had been sick for a few weeks and hadn’t really been able to hit the gym, so she was reluctant.  I know how it is when you get out of routine, but I dragged her there anyways.  Afterwards, our energy level was way up.  Of course- Amy always knows best…

At 6:00, Annie came over and we were off to the metra stop.  We chatted it up until the guy came through to check/sell tickets.  Crap!  I forgot to put the cash I got out of the bank into my wallet!  ARGH.  What was even the point of going by the bank?!?!  Annie and Laura yelled at me for being upset about it- said I could hit them back if we didn’t pass by an ATM.  I have awesome friends.  So we continued to gossip some more, getting closer to our stop, and then it hit me- I didn’t have my id.  My id that I took out to cash a check at the bank was sitting right next to the cash I forgot.  Fuck.  I was livid.  Pissed!  FURIOUS.  How could I be such a dumbass?  Annie and Laura were much calmer than me.  Annie called The Central (location of my drink special) to see what we could do.  No luck.  But they did say they could delay the start of the special to whenever we showed up.  I called Jaime.  She was at Market Days.  But luckily, that meant she was only down the street from her apartment.  She was wonderful.  And let me borrow her car.  So we made our way to Jaime’s to turn around in her Beetle 10 minutes later.  Back to Arlington Heights we went.  I argued with Laura and Annie.  I wanted them to stay and still go enjoy dinner at Rockit.  Why should they have to suffer another hour of travel because I was the idiot?  But they refused.  I really do have a good circle of girlfriends.  Otherwise, I would have been bitching myself out the entire drive- probably becoming more and more angry with every mile.  But with them it wasn’t so bad.  I didn’t even mind driving Jaime’s little purple metallic beetle… it was a fun little change.

We got back a little before 10:00.  Let the drink special begin!  $25 for three hours- including various liquor that WAS NOT wells… gross.  While we were on the road, I made some calls and had Laura text people on my phone (hey- I was driving!).  I figured I had contacted almost everyone that I knew might be coming.  Success!  Since we missed our delicious meal at Rockit, we decided to eat at The Central.  As soon as we got there we ordered our food.  Starving…  And Annie ran to the bathroom.  She was a trooper and held it for over 45 minutes so we wouldn’t waste time.  I offered to stop, but she refused.  I have wonderful friends.

Annie broke out the brownies she had made for everyone coming.  She had actually broken out one for me earlier while I was in the middle of my panic attack.  They were delicious.  Carmel in the middle… yum!  When we got there, it was still kind of empty, but people started filing in soon enough.

We took up the entire front corner of the bar.  Friends from college… friends from the NW ‘burbs… friends from work… friends of friends…  Quite a few people!  And we had quite a few drinks- more than necessary.  We took it upon ourselves to turn the front corner into a dance floor.  Even my friend chillin’ on Evian decided to get up to a song or two.  Michael Jackson was heavy on the playlist.  Which surprised me- it’s been a month.  We’ve all had our time.  It’s no longer necessary to play him every five songs- as talented as he may be.  But whatever- I was just happy as long as I could sway/jump around to the music. 

My college friends and work friends seemed to play nicely together.  Luckily, no stories leaked.    Or at least none that I’m aware of…

Pretty much everything went well.  The manager even came up to me at one point and bought a crazy amount of shots for everyone because of the ordeal we dealt with.  Which was funny- because really, it was my fault.  But I thought that was nice.  And he was nice looking.  A winning combination.  My only problem came near the end.  Apparently the bartenders got a little rude to some of us kids with wristbands.  And they cut the drink special a little early.  Apparently the phrase “party’s over” was used right before my friend Annie was walked away from.  I wasn’t aware that was going on- or I probably would have insisted we leave and go to a different bar after the end of the drink special.  People kept coming up to me asking- and I said we should just stay.  There were way too many people to try to gather and move from one location to another.  So we stayed until around 3:00.  Not too many people complained.  The Central is a pretty fun bar.  Music choice is a very random one.  A few times I made eye contact with people and we had looks of, “Is this really…?  Seriously?  Omg, I forgot about this song…. and it has a beat to it…  interesting…”

Annie’s fantastic husband, Steve, had joined us after he was done with work and offered to take us home.  So after the lights went on and we all started getting herded out the door, we walked to his car.  Which, in stillettos, is quite a hike.  Usually I don’t mind.  Usually, the drinks take care of the pain.  But Laura and I did our massive walking tour the night before, ran around doing errands, worked out, and danced for hours- my feet were done.  But I didn’t say a damn thing.  I was grateful for the ride and wasn’t going to whine.  But once I sat in the car, I sighed a sigh of relief.  My feet were crying on the inside. 

One last test of endurance came when we pulled up to my apartment door.  There was a skunk.  Laura and I had to run.  We were not skunked.  But it killed my poor feet…

It turned out to be a good night.  I have wonderful friends.  Maybe being 24 won’t be so bad?

My Feet Hurt. Part One.

I was a little nervous about Laura’s visit.  Mostly because I’m quite the planner.  And I had no idea until pretty much the day before when she was coming, if anyone was coming with her, etc.  I figured, if anything, we could just take the metra into the city Friday night and wander for awhile.  It’s pretty easy to keep yourself entertained while doing that.  So Laura found her way to my humble little apartment.  Hugs.  And we got ready and were off.  We made it downtown before 7:30.  Originally, I had hoped to get to a spot to catch the sunset over the skyline.  Of course, we were surrounded by buildings and it was cloudy- so that happened at some point as we were walking toward Millenium Park.  We weren’t going to stop at the Bean, but when we saw it, we figured we might as well.  And I got to see the two temporary Pavilion sculptures.  One was being worked on and gated off.  The one that was open was kind of neat.  We took pictures and were going to walk away.  Then the colors changed to pink and we jumped back in to try and catch it.  I was amused for a little while with that one.  Unfortunately when I pulled out my camera, I realized it was dead.  Crap! I have absolutely no idea how I let that happen.  I’m the one person who always has the camera within reach and fully charged.  It was a mystery.  Laura had hers, though.  No worries!

We walked up Michigan and then I realized we had gone a little too far and already passed up Navy Pier.  So back we went.  We made it.  After quite a lot of walking.  But we were both ok with it.  That was my exercise of the day and Laura got to see a little bit of the fabulous Magnificent Mile and Northwestern University.  I actually remember randomly walking past it once when I was lost with Annie.  Weird how random things pop back into my head from a couple years ago.  Deja Vu.

Once we got to Navy Pier, we had to make a quick decision about if we wanted to see the view by starlight boat tour or ferris wheel.  We took the cheaper option- and I couldn’t remember the last time I had been in a ferris wheel…  Apparently Laura and I interrupted date night down there.  And I learned, from the couple waiting in  line in front of us, pink fishnet is not a fashion statement.  It’s just down right trashy.  Oh wait… I already knew that.  The $6 single-rotation ride was fun.  You go up much higher than you first realize.  The lights along the pier and lake were gorgeous.  Laura took enough pics for the both of us…

We had walked a really long time.  And it had been a long day.  We needed a cocktail.  Badly.  I was on the verge of getting cranky otherwise…  So we looked around the pier.  I really wanted to check out Harry Caray’s.  But it’s not opening until later this fall.  Damn.  So we settled on Charlie’s Ale House.  Cocktail numero uno.  It felt pretty good.  Probably because we were slightly dehydrated from walking for so long without eating or drinking anything.  We looked at the time and decided to slowly walk back to the train station.  The plan was to stop in a couple places and wherever we were at midnight, we were going to take a cab the rest of the way.

We ended up making it to one spot.  PJ Clarke’s on Illinois Street.  I liked it.  Another one of those places where you couldn’t see much of the wall because it was lined with crappy headshots from the 80′s and 90′s.  Quaint.  Laura and I sat and drank and took some shots.  We got to catch up and get a little silly.  We stayed longer than planned.  So that was the only stop.  But it was a good one!

We took the cab at midnight (it’s like we’re Cinderella, really…).  And got to the train station reasonably early.  Early enough, actually, to take a soco lime shot in The News Room at the station.  I doubt the bartender there liked us.  I showed my unsatisfaction when he said he didn’t make red-headed sluts.  I thought by now that was a staple in the shot lists of any bars that serve women?  Not quite…  We got on the train kind of early.  Unhappy about the overwhelming smell of Arby’s surrounding us.  I swear half the people on the train had it.  And we wanted it.  Damn curly fries… how I love you so! 

We both woke up the next day still tired from all the walking we had done the night before.  It’s what we spent half of our night doing!  I was concerned about my planned outting to the city that night… we were exhausted…