un.
Monday night was spent entirely too late at MattyK's where Jen, Isla and I watched 24, a clip of Jeremy Clarkson (host of Top Gear) on The F Word (Gordon Ramsay's show) that I recorded for MK, skiing pics, and Dane Cook. Then we played some board game that I don't know the name of. Since I am bad at board games because too many rules confuse me I kind of gave up and spent the entire game trying to get Matt to give me his sheep (he wouldn't, and THEN he gave Isla a sheep when I had the same cards as her to trade! What a jerk!) and when I finally acquired my own pasture I spent all my energy to build a fortress around it so others couldn't steal my sheep.
deux.
I have picked my favorite American Idol. I think his name was Chris Sligh. He is a bit chubby but kinda cute. He said he looks like "he looks like Jack Osbourne, while others say he looks like Jack Black. He looks in the mirror and sees Christina Aguilera." He said that he sounded like no one else and that usually when people say that that means they are bad.
Then when asked why he was there he said "Because I want to make David Hasselhoff cry"
Then he could actually sing.
I think I am in love. Yes I am weird.
trois.
So I will very rarely answer the phone if I don't recognize the number. A few months ago I got a call from the same number twice in one day. I didn't answer, but kept the number so I'd recognize it if they called again. And this person called a few times after that too. Last night they called again. So this morning I decided I'd just call back. Then I let it ring once, chickened out, and hung up. Then a minute later they called back again. I didn't answer though because my phone was on silent so I didn't see it until later. Then I decided to just call over lunch. Some woman answered and when I said I was just calling to see if it was someone I knew she said that she just called me back because i had called and some guy answered the phone and said it was a mistake. wtf? that makes absolutely no sense. i am quite intrigued but guess there really is nothing else i can do.
quatre.
The good thing about not moving out yet is that I have had time to rack up a little more cash so I can buy some new things. Hopefully soon I plan on getting a new laptop and a DSLR!
cinq.
i started making decorations for my super bowl cake :)
six.
Did you know there is an apparel brand called "NFL for her"??? Did you know that they also make PINK Bears Jerseys??? hehehe.
Sometimes you gotta ski, sometimes you gotta dance!
Friday:
I get a text from JoeJoe: "Ready when you are. the longer you take the drunker i drive." On the way to his car after I finally get out of work I begin asking him how drunk he was, but before I can get it out he falls off the curb :) then he insures me that he has not been drinking :)
So, with a little help from his new dear British Emily (also dubbed JoeJoe, like TomTom) which is not in fact a Tickle Me Elmo that predicts the future, and headed off on a long drive to Petoskey, Michigan. On route we encountered a strange animal circus, no parades at the flags, snow, a McDonald's in the middle of a highway (and I do mean smack dab in the middle of a highway) that I never knew existed, and much much more boring stuff. I also got the pleasure of describing to Joe in much detail how the whole process of American Idol works :)
After a 6+ hour drive we finally made it to the Super 8 in time for everyone to go to bed.
Saturday:
Woke up bright and early to shower myself in pinkness. I had pink long underwear (top and bottom), a pink t-shirt that said je t'aime (and was the brand My Funny Valentine :) only $5 at Target!), gray sweats (boo), pink snowpants, a pink scarf, and a brown jacket that had pink piping, pink lining and a labeled lip gloss pocket! Everything else was either brown or black because I either couldn't find it in pink or didn't want to spend four times as much. :)
Anyways, I suppose I should stop talking about my clothes and start talking about skiing :)
So the day started off with a lesson for moi, since I've never skied before. BobbyK decided to take a snowboarding lesson, Jodie (BobbyK's friend) took a ski lesson with me and everyone else went on their merry way. The lesson started out really dumb since the instructor had to start over three times when more people came.
So it was during this lesson that I learned that I suck at skiing. I was the first to fall on level land as we practiced our turning sideways (people kept using terms for these things, I don't remember them). Then when we went up on the bunny hill I kept sliding around and wasn't able to catch up to the group so the guy kept on without me. Then when I had to try to turn on the mountain I veered off and every time I tried to move I felt like I was slipping. So I didn't want to move so I just stood there crying until this guy Jeff who I think was an instructor in training came to help me back. Then we did some other things during which I crashed. Then we went down the mountain and I crashed. :)
The instructor dropped me off all teary eyed with my big sis Alina (dubbed so because she is always inevitable the one taking care of me), and we went in to get some hot chocolate. :) Everyone met up for a snack at that point where I got caught up on MattH's impaling his lip on his pole. ouch. the things i miss on the kiddie hill!
After our snack, Alina stayed with me to help me out and really helped a lot. Our first mission was to go back to the rental area to exchange my 150 skis for 130s (baby skis!) Then we went and had a mini-lesson where she helped me with my turning and pizzaing. MK helped some too (me: Ahh!Ahh!Ahh!, Matt: What are you screaming for, you made it! Me: That was my happy scream!) But alas, then JoeJoe came to steal them away to go ride on real-people hills.
Left to my own devices, I actually did pretty OK because I am sometimes more willing to try something different on my own because no one is standing there watching me and maybe judging what I'm doing. Finally everyone came back for an incredibly overpriced lunch (in what other place does a hot dog cost more than a hamburger?)
After eating, Alina, Me(a)g(h)an, JoeJoe, and MK came out to my little hill to help me some more. Alina and Me(a)g(h)an helped me a bit down my bitty hill before they decided I was ready to go up to the real top of the hill. Boy, were they mistaken :(
My one-sided conversation up the chair lift went something like this...Ahh!Ahh!Ahh!*hyperventilate*...and repeat. Alina held her poles out in front of my to act as a safety guard. Alas, I was actually able to make it off in one piece and fairly decently. Then I looked down.
So...yeah. Alina and Me(a)g(h)an had me do one turnthingy then I crashed. Then I couldn't get up and was scared of slipping and now crying and hyperventilating and then I sat there for a while and then finally got up and cried and hyperventilated and then finally we started walking sideways across the mountain to an area where it would be safe for me to walk down. So...yeah...I walked down the rest of the way until we got back to where the baby hill began and I skied down that in three turnythings doing OK. At that I called it a night, got some hot chocolate, took some pics, and sat in the snow.
(me and BobbyK)
(BobbyK on the lift)
(Joe and Brandon)
(Matts)
Then it was Pizza Hut (Emily lead us the wrong way, but we found it), hot tubbing, and force-feeding the chocolate peanut butter surprise cookies I made down everyone's throats before hitting the mattress for the night.
Sunday:
The morning started with a pathetic walk through the rental area where first I had to request a (free) lift pass for the bunny area, then tried on my boots and after I told the woman working there that they were pinching she told me I had them on the wrong feet, then going to the ski guy he brought out a pair and I said "nono, I'll take the 130s," and he looked at me weird.
So...yeah...I took the magic carpet up to the bunny hill...and kind of panicked. The snow was different and there were more obstacles (a kid class going on, a little frame for them to ski through, ski lift poles in the middle of the area...) So...yeah...I kind of stayed there and cried for a bit until Brandana came and brought me down (he walked and held me up on the skis.)
Then we all met up for lunch and MattyK and Joe and Matt took me up to help me. We ended up going down with me in a pizza and Joe going backwards holding me up :)
Then we went up the magic carpet and while MattH and Joe were throwing snowballs at each other, Joe managed to completely fall off :) Even *I* didn't fall off the magic carpet! hehe. So then they all taught me how to do things and then Joe left and the Matts decided I needed to go to the top. Eep! I relented when all agreed that I wouldn't be able to see the bottom of the hill from the top (which is good because then I can't tell how high I am).
(Matts)
So...I wedged between the two Matt's on the ski lift and they got to hear my screams and hyperventilating. Then they took me down the scary scary mountain. It took quite the long time, but I finally made it to the bottom in one piece! Well, kind of. I was going down and about to turn the other way then MK yelled for me to keep going the way I was going and he almost ran me right into another skier!! hehe. Then JoeJoe came back and was very surprised that I had been up there and we all went again. I didn't scream as much on that ski lift and MattyK distracted me by trying to convince me that my pants weren't really pink and pointed out kids who were pinker than me. :) I did really good that time and made it down fairly well in only four turns, most of the times stopping myself and only crashing a bit. The one time I did crash it was on a semi-steep part of the hill and it took several hilarious tries to try and get me up, but between Matt and Matt I finally was on my feet! hehe.
(I took a pic of myself to prove I skied)
(I then took a pic of my skis because you couldn't see them on the last pic)
(Matts on a ski lift)
After I made it safely down the hill the others left promising to come back to finish off the day with me, so I went down the bunny hill a few more times (I didn't want to go up to the top alone and would only go with MattyK, Matt, or JoeJoe because I trust them and they know me very well) but it got boring so I took a break. Alas, the runs they did were longer than expected and they didn't make it back for me in time to do a last run :( Hopefully next time...
(JoeJoe wore PINK socks)
Now I would like to just take a moment to tell all my friends that they are just simply amazing. I am so grateful that all y'all had such patience in putting up with my lack of ability and my nervous breakdowns. You help me through so much and are always there for me. Thank you so very much for being so awesome. I only hope I can return the favor some day. Je t'aime.
I now apologize for the very un-Val amount of photos from this trip, but, you know it's rather hard to take photos while in large gloves and/or while tumbling down a hill :)
Stay tuned for more pics and vids as I start stealing them from other people...
that's right, I'm off for a weekend of skiing in (fill in the name of town) Michigan. I think it's called Boyne Mountain. I dunno, I just go, I don't plan. Since JoeJoe wanted to go to work today too, we are heading off together later than the rest. Yay I get to go! Boo, I get to die a tragic death skiing!
:( Did I mention I've never skied before? At least I'll look cute in my pink ski pants, and pink fleece, and pink thermal underwear...
11. My favorite color is olive green because it was the favorite color of a girl I used to want to be
12. I have watched every episode of American Idol, but have never voted
13. I can't be in a bathroom with the lights off because I am afraid that Bloody Mary will get me
14. I didn't get my drivers license until I was 19
15. My house burned down in February of 1999. I was a senior in high school. I lost all my dance trophies and ribbons and my saltshaker collection and almost everything else. I sat outside praying that my photographs would be salvageable and they all were. The night before a guy tried to kiss me in his car and then called me to tell me that he liked me. To this day I am convinced that my emotions that night created a poltergeist that started that fire.
16. I used to steal a saltshaker from every restaurant I'd go to.
17. I was forced to join the track team in eighth grade. I was undefeated at high jump and only one person ever beat me in the sprint.
18. If I am given a flower I will never ever ever throw it away.
19. i don't own a comb and can't even remember the last time I used one.
20. I fell asleep in the movie theater on my first date ever.
I am so glad that birthdays still excite me. I still get that giddy feeling all day just waiting to go out and celebrate. :)
So, yesterday I turned a big ole 26. And a big ole thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate! We went to my fav little wine bar Parallel 42, which I went to for the first time a year ago for my last birthday. It was a ton of fun! So many people came too! I think it was the biggest turnout I've ever had besides my infamous 21st. We had a Jenny, Adam, Nadia, Bryan, Josh, MattyK, JoeJoe, Alina, ScottyMcHotty, Wilkey, Plecki, Andrew, and Jen. Woohoo! I was especially excited to see JoeW and Plecki because I haven't seen either of them in forever.
I started out with the flight of French whites. Basically because a glass of one cost $8 and a flight of three (which were almost a full glass each) cost $8. Best deal around! All of them were mighty yummy too! Then I had some Rosa Regale, which was a mini bottle so I got 2 glasses out of that. And then I tried another wine...it was a dessert wine, and damn yummy...this was MK's reaction to it...
I'm too sweet for his blood :) So, yeah, I didn't have a lot to drink at all ;-) Especially since I sure didn't have any wine at work before I came to my party :) shhhh. I'm sure everyone will vouch for my loopyness after drinking. :)
I also had a hot date for my party ;-)
Hehe. Get it...it's a date...wrapped in bacon and stuffed with blue cheese with apple cider sauce. Yummy. Me and my girls also shared a warm cookie with ice cream. Delicious.
Josh brought me flowers because he knew I wanted flowers from a boy...
He also brought me chocolates and didn't bring his girlfriend. Me thinks he's trying to tell me something ;-) hehe.
Nadia and Jenny both got me oven mitts! Hehe. They rock because I wanted new oven mitts, and I like them both. Nad got me an apron to match the ones she gave me and Jen got me a matching kitchen towel. I'll be doing some good baking!
After we wined for a few hours most everyone called it a night so me and Poulin headed to a little Irish pub near my house so we could girl talk and such where this weird guy wouldn't stop hitting on us. Even after Jen first told him we were there "together" and then later after she showed him her engagement ring.
The night was tons and tons of fun and I am really happy so many of you came out for it! I love all of you guys, thanks for making my birthday so amazing!!!
Dear American Idol,
What happened to you my dear American Idol? People tuned into you in your first season for the prospect of seeing the stupid and cocky who thought they were talented get told that they sucked. As we watched these poor souls get their hearts ripped out we, at the same time, were drawn in by the truly talented and the judges incessant squabbling.
Now, dear American Idol, you're the one who needs to be told that you have no talent. You now spend entirely too long focusing on each individual contestant. We don't need to watch the same person for 10 minutes. We get that they suck after about 30 seconds. Short and bad is funny, long and bad is just painful. You used to shut them up and tell them they sucked right away. Why do you let them go on and on now? You used to show us a decent mix of good and bad. For the last two nights, dear American Idol, you showed primarily bad and didn't even show someone with talent (albeit a small talent) until a half an hour in. Why should I watch past the auditions if I am not drawn in by what's to come next?
And please judges, stop being in such agreement all the time. What happened to your constant fighting over each and every contestant? And Simon, was that shirt you were wearing last night not only white, but patterned...and not skin tight?
In conclusion, dear American Idol, I am highly disappointed in your editing skills thus far this season and hope you are considering changing your ways back to that phenomenon we know and love.
Sincerely,
Valerie
p.s. this doesn't mean I will stop watching you.
There is this woman who always makes the conductors bring down the handicap ramp for her to get on the train. She walks perfectly fine to the train and when the conductors aren't around she will walk up herself. I always thought those ramps were for people in wheelchairs or who really had a hard time. Maybe tomorrow I will wait for them to take the ramp down for me :)
MattH - when I went to your blog today, an ad popped up to "Tickle the Fat Kid Till he Barfs" If you did you supposedly won 2 Ipods. I did not tickle the fat kid until he barfed but it made me laugh.
I got a cheese sammich at lunch the other day and the guy forgot to put cheese on it. :(
Don't forget that one of my things on my list this year is to get flowers from a boy this year... :)
I also told Scott he should get me a cake with a man jumping out of it :)
So, yeah, my usual mantra is "I draw the line at watching anything quality on television" because, quite frankly, that isn't the purpose of TV. TV exists to be mindless entertainment. But over the last 2 nights I went to MK's to watch me 4 hours of 24. And oh my god. I won't say anything to ruin it. But if you didn't watch it, apparently starting tomorrow you can buy the first four episodes on dvd. Go watch it. Or just go watch this.
And in case you were losing faith in me... I am watching My Super Sweet 16 as I type this (the girl in this episode seriously got WEBSTER, the tv kid from the 80s, to hand out her party invites!), am looking so forward to tomorrow's season premiere of American Idol (JoeJoe made sure to remind everyone that 24 will not be on at 7 tomorrow so do not put on Fox at 7), and just saw a commercial for Underage and Engaged on MTV!
So, yeah, next Friday I become old. Super old. :(
Since I am turning really old, you are invited to come wallow with me.
Or I suppose you can have fun or something, whichever you choose. :)
1. I am never going to find a place I want to live. I always get so excited and then I get off of the highway and look around and start shaking and crying. It isn't so much the apartments I see, it's the areas. Everything seems so dirty and lonely. And then I think about all the people who will probably never come visit :(
2. I saw a truck fall over on the highway today. I was looking at it as it was driving on the curved road that merged onto the highway. All of a sudden it just tipped and completely fell over. It was rather surreal because it just kind of happened. I was very happy because I have never seen a road accident before.
3. So I was out and about and wanted to find ski pants for a ski trip in a few weeks. I went to REI and found a really cute ski coat that was lavender with sparkly polkadots and a grey furry collar! It cost $270. I then went to Dick's and found powder pink ski pants with rhinestones! Those cost $230. On the way home I went to Sports Authority and actually bought a cute pair of pink ski pants and a matching ski jacket that is brown with pink piping that was not only way way way cheaper to begin with, was also on clearance! So I would be pretty and pink on the ski slopes...if I was going. When I got home I was told that unlike what I was told earlier (when I said the other day that I couldn't take off of work I was told they were just going over the weekend) they were actually leaving earlier on the Friday, so I can't go :( I'll just sit all alone in my room in my pretty pink pants :(
1. More things you have googled:
valerie bromann loves joejoe
valerie bromann pie
2. A kind of funny video from work:
3. My night out:
Nad and I felt like having a quiet night so we headed out to Starbucks where we sat and talked until they kicked us out. We have decided we need to open a house flipping house staging catering food styling company. Or some combination of such :) Nadia is pissed at lemons in commercials. I also got my bridesmaids dress! hope it fits!
5. Random begging
Starbucks has sooooo many cute cups and everything in light blues and pinks. So, you know, if you're looking for something to bestow upon me next Friday, you know where to go ;-)
1. Thank you to everyone who gave me a good giggle last night by googling some of the following phrases:
valerie bromann socks
val bromann electric
val bromann things
val bromann monkey
dog eating valerie bromann
valerie bromann gloves
valerie bromann jacket
valerie bromann clothes
valerie bromann pants
shoes for valerie bromann
valerie bromann on a horse
smoking valerie bromann
It was funny just how many people went and did that. :) I hope you found what you were hoping for! Alas no word yet from the naked googler.
2. Apparently I have been spelling it Turnadot for 2 months and it is really Turandot. Who knew? Also, every time I say Die Fledermaus I say it like Rainier Wolfcastle would. Not outloud, just in my head.
3. I went to Matt's house tonight. We watched the Top Gear with the What Not to Wear chicks. I cashed in on my fake Christmas present. He took pics with his new camera of my toes and of me trying to eat the brownie he put near his bed without taking my hands out from the blanket because I was cold.
I have weepy days where everything makes me either cry or feel sick.
Today I am weepy because:
- i keep screwing up at work
- i feel like I am not good at anything
- of boys
- i wasn't able to go skiing last weekend
- i know that if i had gone skiing no one would have hung around with me while I figured out how to
- everyone went snowboarding
- i feel i will never be happy anywhere i live
- i feel i will be lonely when i move
- someone is trying to see me naked
Yeah, yes, whoever you are, I know that you googled (or more correctly, yahooed) 'Valerie Bromann Naked' last night. It's not so much that some random person wants to see me naked that bothers me, it's that I don't know who it is...and it's driving me crazy...and more so that someone would think somehow that I would put myself naked on the interweb!
If you are reading this, oh mysterious one who wishes to see me naked, leave me a comment and tell me why, please. I mean, I know that most of my readership is just dying to see me naked, it's a pretty hot sight ;-), but still, I'd like to know. You can comment annonymously. although i would like to know who you are. who are you?
Are you the same person who a month or so ago typed into a browser valbromann.com/nude and valbromann.com/blog/nude???
Also, I will take this opportunity to point out that my blog (not the entire site, just the blog) has a nifty little search tool located at the top right of the page. You can search my blog there for anything you want (you will, in fact find a naked picture I posted once if you look hard enough :) ) So if you are ever wondering how many times I used the word naked or your name or talked about cheese, there you go.
1. I looked at an apartment, but didn't like the location.
4. I dyed my hair blonde, but it didn't do anything.
36. I watched the first six episodes of the first season of Fraggle Rock (not technically a cartoon, but it counts as part of this goal)
51. I am halfway through Middlesex (2003 Pulitzer Prize winner). I also made a list of the 80 books that have won the Pulitzer and picked out the first 10 that I will read.
52. I bought a copy of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
54.-58. I've kept up with writing at least 300 words a day :) Worked a bit on the memoir, a random YA novel, an article, and some essays.
67. Started drafting a letter to a publishing house to ask for an editing test.
71. Started designing my first freelance website.
72. Uploaded 18 CDs onto my Ipod.
74. Started looking into localish places to go for snowboarding, unfortunately everything is closed right now because it is too warm.
Today was val's favorite holiday celebration of the year.
The Victoria's Secret Semi-Annual Sale :)
Val likes to talk about her underwear.
I ended up with 1 bra, four pairs of underwear, and pajama shorts, plus my 2 favorite purchases...
The perfectest valpjpants ever! They are pink with pink stripes and silver sparkly stripes and buttons shaped like flowers and a pink ribbon typing them up and pink ribbon on the bottom and a pink butterfly appliqué and rhinestones :)
I am in love with my pants :)
Now I just need a boy to be in love with me inside of those pants...or outside of them...
I also bought a rather girly corset:
Its pink and purple and sparkly and has a butterfly too :)
I don't know when I'm gonna wear a corset, but it was cute :)
And with sale prices + the $10 gift card they sent for my b-day, I didn't spend that much at all :)
Last year's theme was Valerie's Best Year Ever, and what with going to Europe and all, it's going to be a pretty tough year to beat. So, to try to make up for that, I have devised a list of 100 things to do in 2007. Now, I have pretty much succumb to the fact that it will be nearly impossible to complete all 100 things on this list since that would be about two per week, since there are technically well over 100 things on the list, and especially since a few of the things probably will fall on the same day. So, while I will strive to do as much as I can, I've determined that I will be successful if I can do at least half of this list in 2007. :) That aint a bad goal if I do say so myself.
I also applologize that some of my list is rather boring (65-71 for example) but I have to balance the party with a little order.
If there is anything in particular that you want to do with me (or for me, hehem#44hehem) leave me a comment and let me know!
Oh, and since last years goal was to have 12 hair colors, I figured that obviously this years goal should be to have 12 men :) hehe
So, may I present...
Valerie's 100 in 2007:
General
1. Move out
2. Furnish, unpack all my boxes and decorate
3. Find a man (or twelve)
4. Pick a hair color and stick with it
5. Get a tattoo (or at least get mine touched up)
6. Stand up at my best friends wedding
7. Stand up at my sister's wedding
8. Audition for American Idol :) (or at least apply for one reality show) Entertainment
9. Go to the top of the Sears Tower (hello, when is the last time anyone did that?)
10. See a roller derby bout
11. Have a picnic
12. Go to 10 pin
13. See the Christmas trees at the museum of science and industry
14. Go to the 80s dance club
15. Go to a carnival
16. At least 2 Chicago summer festivals
17. Free dance lessons in Grant Park
18. Go to Bromann Park
19. Go to Millenium Park
20. Go to a haunted house
21. See a concert
22. See fireworks on 3rd/fourth of july
23. Ride the Navy Pier ferris wheel Arts
24. See Blue Man Group (I haven't seen them since HS)
25. See Second City (I've never seen them)
26. See Naked Boys Singing
27. See the Kurt Halsey Art Show at DVA
28. See at least 3 plays
29. See at least 1 ballet
30. See plenty of Opera
31. Go to at least 2 book readings
32. Go to at least 1 art show (other than Kurt's)
33. Go to MCA
34. Go to Around the Coyote Movies
35. Go to the Music Box Theatre - Music Box Massacre (If they do it again)
36. Watch all the 80s cartoons I have on dvd
37. Watch 3 80s movies I have never seen before
38. Watche The Science of Sleep (looks interesting)
39. Watch every Hellraiser movie (I've already seen all the F13s, Halloweens, Elm Streets, and Childs Plays)
40. Go to free movies in the Grant Park
41. Go to at least one midnight movie at music box Pampering
42. Get my nails done
43. Take a bubble bath
44. Get flowers from a boy ;-) Entertaining:
45. Resurrect Valerie's movie night at least a couple times
46. Throw a housewarming party
47. Throw a wine and cheese party
48. Throw a pajama party
49. Throw a game night
50. Throw a Christmas party Books:
51. Read ten Pulitzer Prize winning books (my goal is to eventually read them all)
52. Read A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genious
53. Read A Million Little Pieces to see what all the fuss is about Writing:
54. Write a good draft of my memoir
55. Edit that draft
56. Write an article and send it out
57. Finish a good essay and send it out
58. Finish a good short story and send it out Web Design:
59. Learn google analytics
60. Learn Actionscript
61. Finish my website (so many little things I never finished)
62. Figure out what is wrong with the leave comments section on my website
63. Scan five old event's photos onto my website
64. Relearn basic php and mysql Life and professional:
65. Finish my masters
66. Develop a good "5 year plan"
67. Apply to do freelance editing
68. Organize my recipe collection
69. Organize my photos
70. Develop a financial plan (MK help!)
71. Design a freelance website
72. Learn to use my ipod and get all my music on it Sports:
73. Go golfing (at least to a driving range)
74. Learn to snowboard
75. Skate along the lake when it is nice out
76. Go ice skating
77. Go to a roller skating rink
78. Go to a baseball game Travel:
79. Go to Las Vegas (I've gone every year for the last three years)
80. Go to Bengston's Pumpkin Farm (or a similar locale)
81. Visit a state I have never been to
82. See Takeru Kobayashi (Sheboygan Johnsonville Brat Fest?)
83. Knock off at least a few of the following Illinois Attractions:
a. World's largest Catsup Bottle
b. World's Tallest and Ugliest Lincoln Statue
c. World's Largest Pot of Coffee
d. Giant Lincoln on a Covered Wagon
e. Effingham Giant Cross
f. The Gays 2-Story Outhouse
g. The Leaning Tower of Niles
h. Ahlgrim's Funeral Parlor and Mini-Golf
i. The Hubcap House
j. The Golden Pyrimid House
k. Statue of world's tallest man Food and Libations:
84. Go for a fancy tea
85. Bake once a month
86. Learn to make good soufflé
87. Eat duck fat fries at Hot Doug's
88. Go to Adobo for guac and margs
89. Try three different wine bars
90. Make a ginger bread house
91. Chicago Wine Festival
92. Go to half of the coffee shops that Time Out recommended in their coffee issue
a. Metropolis
b. Charmers Café
c. Lakeside Café
d. Café Ennui
e. Istria Café
f. Medici Bakery on 57th
g. Third World Café
h. Julius Meinl
i. Pick Me Up Café
j. Uncommon Ground
k. Intelligentsia
l. Ventrella's Caffe
m. The Grind
n. Beans & Bagels
o. The Perfect Cup
p. Swim Café
q. Atomix
r. Mercury Café
s. Muse
t. Café Mestizo
u. Jumping Bean
v. Kristoffer's Café and Bakery
w. Marshall McGearty Tobacco Artisans
x. Filter
y. Half & Half
z. Caffe de Luca
93. Sigara (Hookah Bar)
94. Moonshine for mohitos
95. Orange for brunch
96. Skylark (because they apparently have good tater tots)
97. Enter a recipe contest
98. Go to the Taste of Chicago
99. Get sushi
100. Freddy's Pizza in Cicero (Chicago Mag voted it Best Gelato in the city)
There are also a few more things I hope to do that haven't made the list, either because they are places I've already been and just want to go back, or goals that will be hard to keep track of. For instance I want to go back to chicago pizza and oven grinder (they have the best salad dressing and bread in the world) and plan to try to write 300 words a day, and also plan to attend wedding showers and bachelorette paties galore!
"Do everything in moderation...but do everything!" - a penned-in quote on the Green Mill's bathroom wall.
What is it about New Years that is so important? I mean, really, it's just an arbitrary day where we all stay up to watch the clock change from 11:59 to 12:00. To drink champage. to, if you're lucky, kiss someone you love madly. December thirty-first is really no different than January first. The day isn't like a birthday when you can measure your own life's journey. But here we are, New Years, a day when everything seems as fresh as morning snow as if our lives can completely change because the year has. We balance our accomplishments, our goals, our resolutions, our failures on what happens between January first and December 31. But that brief moment, between December and January, as that clock turns from 11:59 to 12:00 we are free and innocent and accomplished and fresh and given an excuse to start everything over.
I love that moment.
My New Years was fucking amazing. I can't imagine ringing in a new year with anyone other than my very best friends :)
We started off with some Merlot and pasta at a small but amazing local Italian joint ridiculously early at 4pm. We walked in and said we had reservations. The guy said "That's 5 plus a high chair right?" Ummm, was there something Jenny was not telling us??? Alas, he was just a little mixed up on the reservations. We shared an appetizer of crab salad, shrimp baked in crepes, and salmon and goat cheese crostini. Mmmmm. Then I had chicken ravioli with mascarpone and pistachio sauce. Mmmmmmagain. We forwent on dessert though so we could head out and get to the club early (and because the meal was getting pretty pricey already...)
So, off we went to Uptown to the Green Mill, which is an incredible little former mob-house jazz club that opened in 1907. From the tacky old-school Vegas-style lighted sign to the doorman with a thin little curly moustache, to the 7 songs for $1 jukebox that played records, who could not think this place was perfect? It's so nice to see some places that retain all that vintage charm.
Jenny and I had some sex on the beaches (although she had trouble saying her order to the waitress but later proclaimed that it "wasn't the best she ever had") and settled into a booth a little before 7 (we wanted to get in early so we could sit...good plan). We got a little booth right near the stage for a perfect view of the dueling saxes show that started at 8.
It was me and Jenny and Adam and Josh and Jennifer and Nadia and Bryan and a whole lotta people I don't know.
The show featured two saxophonists (Von Freeman and Edward Petersen), Willie Pickens on piano, Brian Sandstrom on bass, and Robert Shy on drums (who was totally awesome). They played three sets of jazz induced with the saxophonist's proclamation (before playing a slow one) that while he was as "straight as a curveball" he liked to play the ballad's for the ladies, but they were really for the gentlemen to "cop one." :)
Other than having plenty of sax-action, it was a night of great friends, great conversation, and lots of champagne (I drank at least half of a bottle myself).
We counted down to midnight...on the official watch...of the official center of New Years...and as the clock was ready to change I felt so wonderful knowing that I am a completely different person than I was last year at that moment, and that I was surrounded by the best friends anyone could ever ask for.
