June 2007 Archives

Today...in pictures

1. Went to the Taste for lunch with these people:

It takes 20 minutes to walk to Grant Park, and 20 minutes to walk back. Which leaves me with 20 minutes to chow down on:

Top: Fried Ravioli (don't know where that was from, Jen had it left over), Pomegranate BBQ Chicken (Pars Cove Persian Cuisine)
Bottom: Mango Cumin-Dusted Fries with Tamarind Chutney (Vermilion), Fresh Pineapple Seafood Salad (Grazie! Ristorante)

2. SummerDance to learn Salsa, Merengue, and Bachata

3. The Taste for Dinner :)

Top: Rum-battered Fried Tilapia Filet and Garlic-Mozzarella Cheese Bread (Polo Cafe & Catering)
Bottom: Mustard Fried Catfish (B.J.'s Market & Bakery), Strawberry and Mango Italian Ice (Mazzone's)

Yesterday...in not so many pictures

1. Went shopping in search of the perfect martini shaker. In the process I found for myself the perfect powder blue colander, or maybe three of them. I didn't buy them though...yet.

2. fucked it all up.

3. Called Mat back...three times. He didn't pick up.

4. Mat called me. I picked up...

fucked up

AMERICA...MY FATE IS IN YOUR HANDS...

American Idol posted their audition schedule. Chicago is no where to be found :( That means I have to pick a different reality show to apply for. Or, better yet...

YOU GET TO CHOOSE WHICH REALITY SHOW I SHOULD APPLY FOR!!!!

That's right. Television is teeming with mindless crap, why shouldn't I be a part of it??? You get to vote on a reality show for me to apply for. Whichever show gets the most votes will recieve an application from moi! Do you want me to see me shower? Do you want me to change my life? Do you want me to find the love of my life? YOU DECIDE!!!!

Here are your choices, leave a comment with your vote!

MTV - Shower Power Music Hour (a total rip off of "Pants Off Dance Off" but who cares?)

MTV - New member of Menudo (OK, so I'm sure I'm no Ricky Martin...or Latino...or a young boy...but I could do it!)

ABC - The Bachelor (I could find true love!)

NBC - Dr. Steve-O (Steve-O can come and change my life!)

TLC - LA Ink (I could get a tattoo on tv!)

VOTEVOTEVOTE!!!

This joke is courtesy of dirtntreesChris, in response to my pinkness. It's a pink joke! I think it has any of MK's away messages beat :)

***

Dave is driving down a rural highway late at night. He's been driving for a long, LONG time, and he's starting to get REALLY tired, but he is SO far out in the country that there are no hotels or inns ANYWHERE. So finally he decides that he is tired enough to just pull over at the next house and ask to spend the night. He pulls up at a pink house with pink trim, pink shutters, pink windows, and a pink door. He gets out of his car, walks up the pink sidewalk, up the pink driveway, climbs the pink steps, and rings the pink doorbell. A pink lady comes to answer the pink door. Dave explains to her, "Ma'am, I know it's late, but I'm really tired, and if I could just spend the night, I'd really appreciate it." The pink lady says, "Sure, no problem! Come on inside! Go up the pink stairs, down the pink hallway, and behind the first pink door on your right you'll find a pink bedroom. Inside the pink closet are some pink sheets, pink blankets, and pink pillowcases that you can put on the pink bed and the pink pillows. Sleep well!" So Dave steps inside the pink door, walks up the pink steps, down the pink hallway, and opens the first pink door on the right. He walks into the pink bedroom, goes to the pink closet, and takes out the pink blanket, the pink sheets, and the pink pillowcases. He puts the pink sheets and pink blanket on the bed, and the pink pillowcases on the pink pillows. He climbs under the pink covers, turns out the pink light, and falls immediately asleep. Time passes. A second man, Bob, is driving down the same highway. He, too, has been driving for quite some time and desperately needs sleep. But there are no hotels or inns anywhere to be found, so Bob decides to pull over at the next house that comes up. He parks in front of the pink house with pink trim, pink shutters, pink windows, and a pink door. He gets out of his car, walks up the pink sidewalk, up the pink driveway, climbs the pink steps, and rings the pink doorbell. The pink lady comes to answer the pink door. Bob explains to her, "Ma'am, I'm really sorry for ringing your doorbell so late at night, but I've been driving for hours and hours, and all I need is to please spend the night?" The pink lady says, "Sure! Come on in! Go up the pink stairs, down the pink hallway, and behind the second pink door on your right you'll find a pink bedroom. In the pink closet are some pink sheets, pink blankets, and pink pillowcases that you can put on the pink bed and the pink pillows. Sleep well!" So Bob steps inside the pink door, walks up the pink steps, down the pink hallway, and opens the second pink door on the right. He walks into the pink bedroom, goes to the pink closet, and takes out the pink blanket, the pink sheets, and the pink pillowcases. He puts the pink sheets and pink blanket on the bed, and the pink pillowcases on the pink pillows. He climbs under the pink covers, turns out the pink light, and falls immediately asleep. Time passes. A third man, Fred, is driving down the same highway. Like Dave and Bob, Fred has been driving for a long time, only Fred has been driving longer that either Dave or Bob. He can barely keep his eyes open. Because there are no hotels or inns, Fred decides to pull over at the next house. He parks in front of the pink house with pink trim, pink shutters, pink windows, and a pink door. He gets out of his car, walks up the pink sidewalk, up the pink driveway, climbs the pink steps, and rings the pink doorbell. The pink lady comes to answer the pink door. Fred, so tired he can barely speak, manages to stammer out, "Ma'am, I hate to bother you so late at night, but I really need some sleep. Could I stay at your house?" The pink lady says, "Sure! Come on inside! Go up the pink stairs, down the pink hallway, and behind the third pink door on your right you'll find a pink bedroom. In the pink closet are some pink sheets, pink blankets, and pink pillowcases that you can put on the pink bed and the pink pillows. Sleep well!" So Fred staggers through the pink door, walks up the pink stairs, down the pink hallway, and into the third pink door on the right. He walks into the pink bedroom, goes to the pink closet, and takes out the pink blanket, the pink sheets, and the pink pillowcases. He puts the pink sheets and pink blanket on the bed, and the pink pillowcases on the pink pillows. He climbs under the pink covers, turns out the pink light, and falls immediately asleep. TIME PASSES. The sun rises. Dave wakes up. He climbs out of the pink bed, strips the pink blankets and pink sheets off the pink bed, and takes the pink pillowcases off the pink pillows. He puts the pink blankets, pink sheets, and pink pillowcases into the pink closet, and leaves the pink bedroom. He walks down the pink hallway, down the pink stairs, takes a left, and walks into a pink kitchen with pink cabinets, a pink floor, pink shelves, pink fixtures, and the pink lady, going through the motions of making breakfast. The pink lady says, "Good morning! What would you like for breakfast? We have Rice Krispies or Cheerios." Dave says, "Cheerios, please." The pink lady goes to the pink cupboard and takes out a pink bowl. She goes to the pink silverware drawer and takes out a pink spoon. She pours some Cheerios out of a pink box into the pink bowl, goes to the refrigerator and takes out a pink milk carton, pours the milk into the pink bowl and sets the pink bowl and pink spoon in front of Dave. Dave sits down on the pink chair at the pink table and eats his Cheerios. He finishes, thanks the pink lady, goes out of the pink kitchen, out the pink door, down the pink steps, down the pink driveway, down the pink sidewalk, gets into his car and drives away. A little while later, Bob wakes up. He climbs out of the pink bed, strips the pink blankets and pink sheets off the pink bed, and takes the pink pillowcases off the pink pillows. He puts the pink blankets, pink sheets, and pink pillowcases into the pink closet, and leaves the pink bedroom. He walks down the pink hallway, down the pink stairs, takes a left, and walks into a pink kitchen with pink cabinets, a pink floor, pink shelves, pink fixtures, and the pink lady, going through the motions of making breakfast. The pink lady says, "Good morning! What would you like for breakfast? We have Rice Krispies or Cheerios." Bob says, "Cheerios, please." The pink lady goes to the pink cupboard and takes out a pink bowl. She goes to the pink silverware drawer and takes out a pink spoon. She pours some Cheerios out of a pink box into the pink bowl, goes to the refrigerator and takes out a pink milk carton, pours the milk into the pink bowl and sets the pink bowl and pink spoon in front of Bob. Bob sits down on the pink chair at the pink table and eats his Cheerios. He finishes, thanks the pink lady, goes out of the pink kitchen, out the pink door, down the pink steps, down the pink driveway, down the pink sidewalk, gets into his car and drives away. Finally, Fred wakes up after a long sleep. He climbs out of the pink bed, strips the pink blankets and pink sheets off the pink bed, and takes the pink pillowcases off the pink pillows. He puts the pink blankets, pink sheets, and pink pillowcases into the pink closet, and leaves the pink bedroom. He walks down the pink hallway, down the pink stairs, takes a left, and walks into a pink kitchen with pink cabinets, a pink floor, pink shelves, pink fixtures, and the pink lady, going through the motions of making breakfast. The pink lady says, "Good morning! What would you like for breakfast? We have Rice Krispies or Cheerios." Fred says, "Rice Krispies, please." The pink lady goes to the pink cupboard and takes out a pink bowl. She goes to the pink silverware drawer and takes out a pink spoon. She pours some Rice Krispies out of a pink box into the pink bowl, goes to the refrigerator and takes out a pink milk carton, pours the milk into the pink bowl and sets the pink bowl and pink spoon in front of Fred. Fred sits down on the pink chair at the pink table and eats his Rice Krispies. He finishes, thanks the pink lady, goes out of the pink kitchen, out the pink door, down the pink steps, down the pink driveway, down the pink sidewalk, gets into his car and drives away. The moral of the story is: Two out of three people prefer Cheerios to Rice Krispies.

Originally obtained from here.

Once upon a time there lived a beautiful girl who liked the color pink. She liked pink so much that she surrounded herself with the color. She had a pink computer and a pink ipod and pink candy and pink flowers and pink clothing and a pink website. She liked pink so much that one morning she woke up and found that she herself had turned the color pink.

Turns out that being pink isn't as glorious as it sounds. And the poor girl was left to a life of pain, aloe vera, and funny looks from people on the street.
THE END.

p.s. it's really really hard to take a picture of your own back.

MORE PICTURES HERE!

p.s. I am so damn sunburnt!!!

1. Much needed sleeping in until 10.

2. Cleaning
I finally hung up my bridesmaids dress from Nadia's wedding. It's been rolled up in a clump on the floor since I took it off well over a month ago. I did not find the two remote controls that disappeared well over a month ago :(

3. Sandbar
It's rare that anyone I know plans to do anything in my neck of the woods. So when Andy said his friends were playing at a bar that's literally 2 blocks from my house, I invited myself to go along. So we headed over to the Sandbar, a Brookfield tiki bar to watch Professor John and Nicole and some other people I don't know play.
I had 2 yummy drinks: a fuzzy monkey and a martini with lots of different juices.
The music was very good.
Professor John is either going to hire me as a roadie (but I won't get paid) or a cleaning lady (but I have to shower with him)
When we first got there, there was a couple who danced to almost every song...despite the fact that they were the only ones dancing and despite the fact that there was no actual dance floor. I want to be in a relationship like that.
At midnight the rockabillies all take over the Sandbar. Seriously, I've never seen so many people dressed so perfectly 50s together in one place in my life.

1. skipped work.

2. raspberry lemon bars.

3. lunch with MattyK
I made sure to keep him off the topic of work, except when it came to making him promise to take me to vienna if he gets to go. He doesn't think his hair is as funny as I do. A knife is just as good as $50. Cutting chips with said knife is a bad idea, but I kind of already knew that.

4. victorias secret semi-annual sale.
I guess I shouldn't think of it as blowing $200, I should think of it as saving $150...right? Really though, it's the only time of the year I stock up on underwear. I won't share everything, but here is a pictoral of everything that has a butterfly on it :)

See that little black and pink lacy thing peaking out of the top?? Yeah, it's a kind of hot slip/nighty thing. Want to see more of it??? Come on boys, I know you do ;-)

5. Jazz with the Joffrey
Ravinia Festival really has to work on the signage to get to their parking...because I most definitely was right there but then got lost for an hour. Good thing I was hella early. So after totally missing the exit to the free park and ride I finally found a lot and was bussed over to the site. For those of you who don't know what Ravinia is, which apparently is all of my friends, it's a big outdoor stage complex that shows classical concerts and such throughout the summer. The actual tickets to the shows cost $50 or something, but lawn tix are $10. And the lawn, while you can't actually see the stage, is kind of awesome because you can bring wine and picnic while listening to the concert. It's really quite a site because it's a big lawn full of people with their little citronellas glowing.
Nad and I went to go see Jazz with the Joffrey which was live jazz with the Ramsey Lewis Trio with the Joffrey Ballet performing. Well, we think the Joffrey was performing, but we couldn't really see (although I did manage to scope out the one spot in the place where we could kind of see a corner of the stage, and were able to see a couple of dance moves). It was awesome though. And we had a good night of picnicing (pasta salad, carrot soup, lemon bars, cheese, jam, tomatoes, and whole wheat pitas...oh and wine).
I also discovered that all it really takes for me to be attracted to a guy is a really awesome camera.
I also discovered that I can find my way home from Highland Park without needing a map (because sometimes Gogole Maps lies).

So, remember last week when I said that everyone I know named Jen was has either gotten engaged or has/is getting married this year? Well, yeah, I forgot one...so, of course...

Congratulations Josh and Jennifer!

Now, officially, all FIVE of the Jens I know either have gotten engaged or married in the past year. Maybe I should change my name...

* * *

I am a horrible person because...
today at Cosi I ordered a $9 lobster salad sandwich and then told the counter lady it was a $6 tuna salad sandwich.

I am a crazy person because...
I am holding out on renewing my cell phone contract because I am waiting for this

Pink Krzr, currently available in the UK, to come to America. I very well might switch phone companies if another company has it and Verizon does not.

I am an awesome person because...
I went to SummerDance tonight and learned Brazillian Dance. Did you know Brazillian dance is the most boring easiest dance in the world? I'll show it to you some time. I'm still awesome though.

I am a tired person because...
It's one in the morning and I am baking lemon bars. I already had to go to Jewel an hour ago because I was out of flour. I also made some carrot soup, but I will finish that in the morning. I am so proud of myself, I sliced up a whole onion for the soup and didn't cry. Then I ruined the proud of me moment by packing a food processor so tight with flour, powdered sugar, and butter, that the blade did nothing. I think we can officially take "Baker" out of the running.

When I was in first grade the teacher asked for everyone who was right handed to raise their hand. Then she asked for everyone who was left handed to raise their hand. I raised mine to the latter, and the teacher questioned my choice. It turned out I was right handed but, unlike every other first grader in the class, I had never before heard either of those terms. That is the first moment I can remember where I felt as if I would never know as much about anything as anyone else.

I think I've carried this with me throughout my life. I never raise my hand in class because I always assume I will be wrong. I don't suggest things at work because I feel like my ideas will be stupid or that someone else would be more qualified to make a decision. I never have felt as if I could be an authority on anything.

Even when I felt "good" at anything there was always something in my way. I've mentioned millions of times that for half of my life (and still now) I wanted to be a dancer. It was something that I was good at and that I loved to do more than anything. But my joints never cooperated and I had horrible flexibility so despite how well I could dance I could never be a dancer.

In high school I took up acting, which again I loved and felt good at, but once I left the confines of my small school and saw what was really out there, I realized I was just a small fish in a big pond and never felt like I would be able to succeed.

In college I just picked a major and stuck with it. People are always amazed that I had the same major for all four years. But it wasn't because I knew what I wanted and went for it. It was because I really didn't know what to do. I was training, basically, to be in PR despite the fact that I didn't really like PR. I did have fun with marketing. Some of the times I felt best were when I was creating marketing campaigns for KCSA and Inline Insomniacs and I really saw them working. It was fun designing and strategizing. But that was small scale, and amongst friends, and when you only answer to yourself it's easier.

I still don't know what I want to do. I do like my job but is it what I want to do forever? What do I want to do???

One of my goals this year is to develop a "good five-year plan." In other words I want to figure out, once and for all, what it is I want to do with my life, and how I can get there. I don't want to be continually questioning my life. I just want to live it and be happy with where I am.

I am so scared that I will forever be wondering what I want to do instead of just doing something I love and that makes me happy.

I was talking with Nadia the other day and the subject veered off into careers, as it always seems to do nowadays. I told her that sometimes I think about how much I'd like to go to the CIA. And she said she did too. And then we laughed because it was funny that we both knew exactly what we meant by CIA (Culinary Institute of America - not Central Intelligence Agency). But then we agreed on the inevitable question that would come after that. "Then what?"

I could get a degree in baking, but then what? I like to bake but do I want to be a baker? How does one be a baker? And anyone in the restaurant industry works ridiculously long hours and do I really want that?

I am so afraid of that "then what." I've already spent ten years dancing to realize I couldn't pursue it. And four years on a worthless bachelors degree. And now four years on a masters I probably won't even need for anything.

I don't want to go through it all again.

The way I see it, there are four main problems:
One. I tend to lose interest in things once I don't think I'll be the best.
Two. I will have a masters degree, and $25 - 30,000 of debt in six months.
Three. I feel that no matter what I do I will never be better, or even as good, as anyone else.
Four. Even if I know what I want to do, I don't know how to go about doing it.

There are so many things that I love to do, but I never pursue them because I always assume that there are already so many people doing it and they all are going to be better at it than I ever will or that. Or I assume that there is no career in it. I love photography, I love web design, I love cooking. But then what?

And then there's the question of time. I hate 9-5. I hate sitting in a quiet office (seriously, I do my best work while sitting at my laptop on my couch with a movie going in the background). I hate going to the same place every day. I hate not having freedom. I want to be able to sleep in and do my work at one in the morning. I want to be able to pick up and travel if I so desire.

I know that for most everyone these are impossible things to do. But ideally, I would be freelancing and setting my own hours but not working crazy all the time.

But I have to figure this out. I have to find a way to be living like I want to live with a career I love and with the freedom and flexibility to schedule my life how I see fit. Here's a start.

Writer
Don't get me wrong here. I want to be a writer. But there is no career in it. I don't like writing marketing copy or interviewing people. I like to write about myself. I like to write memoir and essays and some young adultish fiction. I have succumbed to the fact that I will probably never be a full time essayist because, well, almost nobody is. I started writing because I have ONE story to tell. I think now I have more. But I am 26 and boring and know that there are people who have it much worse but somehow I think I can speak for us all and give us all a voice. I sometimes dream that my memoir will get published and that that will lead to being some sort of spokesperson and activist and all that. And I hope to at least get some things published. And maybe make a nice career out of it. But I am not a business writer and so it probably won't be a full-time career.

Editor
I don't know if I would really be happy being an editor. Mostly because I don't mind bad grammar. I feel like I could edit computer manuals or continue with web editing. I like this option because it would require no further schooling and could be done freelance which would save me the money and time of doing more schooling and could allot me the freedom and flexibility I need.

Photographer
I love photography. I love taking photos of everything and documenting life and sharing my world through photography. I don't, however, know what I am doing.
Lately a lot of people have been saying I should be a wedding photographer.
Nadia, Bryan, Jen and Adam tell me I should be a wedding photographer.
Nadia said that after showing my pictures to her co-workers they said she had a really good photographer and she had to tell them that I wasn't the real photographer.
After seeing her shower pics my sister said she should have hired me for the wedding.
It actually sounds appealing.
a) I always wanted to be a wedding planner, but am not cut out for it, so I could still be involved in weddings.
b) I could design myself a kickass website that would constantly need to be updated - satisfying my web design cravings.
c) I love photography.
Obviously it would be a long process. I mean, at this point I don't even know how to take advantage of the manual modes of my camera. I'd need to learn the craft much more, somehow gain experience photographing professionally, invest in a lot of good equipment (I'd feel as if I'd need a couple good cameras, so that I have a backup in case something happens. Etc., etc., etc.

Web Designer
This is another case of something I love to do, but don't really know anything about. I love playing with my site and making new designs and learning new web-designy things. I love web design. But again, I'd need to learn a lot, take classes, spend money...And again, it's one of those things where I feel like I'm never going to be as good at as anyone else.

Baker
I like to cook and bake and sometimes think I should be doing that. I think I would like to bake over being a regular chef. There is just something calming and satisfying about making a big gooey cake. I also like to decorate cakes and such. The thing I don't like about baking is that in a lot of professional settings you always see the baker as the person who has to be up in the kitchen at the crack of dawn. I am not a morning person.

Food stylist
This is one of those random careers I think about but don't really know how anyone would become one. I've seen classes offered on it though and think I'd like to take them. Lord knows I like to take pictures of my food :) I think it would be something fun that would allow me to work in food without being a chef.

Part of me thinks that I might never be happy doing just one thing. Like maybe I should just learn everything and combine it all into a super career. Like I could be a wedding photographer who takes really good pictures of the food and has a really awesome website. Or I could have a small company that specializes in websites for restaurants. It could then combine food styling, web design, and photography and could be a one-stop shop where we could take all the photos for the restaurant, style the food, and put together the site.

And I honestly have no idea how I would "become" any of these things.

And I don't know where to start. I feel like I should start taking classes in photography and web design, but I don't even know how to go about that. Should I go to a community college or a specialty training center, or a real college? Or should I just say fuck it and not do a damn thing?

All I know is that I want to get to the point where I am no longer saying "what now?" "what next?" or "what if?"

Anyone want to tell me what I should do with my life?

1. I read craigslist missed connections religiously hoping that someone's looking for me.

2. There's a hall in Ogilvie train station that smells like a really really strong buttered popcorn jelly belly.

3. I am the only person in the world who loves buttered popcorn flavored jelly bellys.

4. Bobby Flay gave me a taste for chicken wings. :(

5. I got an A in Tech Writing!

6. I made a movie! Watch it :)

Summer Slam!
Roller Derby! I made Jen come with me to see the Windy City Rollers roller derby because no one else was free :( It's a totally awesome sport in which a bunch of chicks who from a far look so tiny and young but look like tough women in the program skate around in a circle trying to score points and knock each other out. One of the girls scored two twelve pointers, which means she had to skate around and pass the pack fully twice and made it around again to score a few more. I keep thinking I want to do it myself...and then someone gets injured and I give up my dreams. All the skaters have wicked names like "Ava Sectomy" and "Lucy Furr." If I was a skater I think my name should be Pinky Swear and I'd wear hot pink skates. One of the girls had really cute lime green skates. Yeah, I'm a dork like that who covets skates.
I tok a couple of pictures, but they didn't turn out that well, 'cause I didn't want to bother others with my flash...

Summer Meat!
After the derby we headed over to the Parts and Labor Collective's show where CharlieD was showing some art. I wish I had a picture of his painting called "fin planning" to show to MK. The art show was held in some guy's loft apartment space and all the work was pretty amazing. I especially liked (besides CharlieD's of course) this mixed media painting with maps and some mounted books where the pages were bent and coming from the book (sorry for my complete lack of art terminology and being able to explain anything coherently). They also had meat and if you brought your own they would grill it for you. :) I also had a mini high school reunion because Jeff and Aaron were both there - more peeps I haven't seen since 1999. Everyone kind of assumed I was a dancer or something, which was weird. I probably should be.

Summer Heat!
Next it was on to the third un-air conditioned in 80 degree weather locale. It was another apartment in the same building where an after party was going on. I got to talk with CD for a bit and I ran into Nadia's sister. Kind of funny because Nad had dropped her off but decided she didn't want to go with. Not much else 'cause I'm not really a go to a random party and party all night kind of gal. So when CD left shortly after, Jen and I bailed as well. But I'm happy I got to talk to Charlie because he was busy on meat and/or door duty through a lot of his show.

fun night, fun night indeed.

1. SummerDance
Tonight I went to SummerDance at Grant Park. It's totally awesome. An hour of dance lessons followed by 2 hours of a live swing back, all outdoors. Can't beat it. Tonight was East COast Swing and the Thomas Gunther Jazz Band. Sweetsweetsweet. Of course, I had to go all by myself because no one would go with me :(
I've determined that there are guys who have no clue what they're doing, guys who think they know what they're doing, guys who know how to dance but can't lead, and maybe one or two guys in the world who can actually dance AND lead. 'm not saying the others aren't fun, but to really be able to dance, you have to be able to lead te girl. Most guys just don't understand that.
Anyways, while doing the class I danced for a bit with a guy I shal forever refer to as adoraboy because he was quite possibly the most genuinly cutest boy I've ever seen. Unfortuantly, he was there with a girl and I never saw him after that. I did dance with a few boys and a few old men, and a few people who need to invest in some serious deodarant. Most of the people really didn't know how to dance, or couldn't keep rhythem, or made me dizzy sick by just going around in circles...but it 'twas fun none the less. The band played one salsa number, and this guy asked me to dance. I said I didn't know much salsa and he said he didn't either, then he proceeded to do some weird not-quite salsa/swing/lindy/mambo/foxtrot that involved everything and nothing. I just went with it though. Dancings supposed to be fun, not technical.
THere was probably only one guy who knew how to dance and lead very well. And there was this other guy who I danced with last who I just totally let loose and we were fucking awesome.
Too bad most of these guys were like 50 or something.
Can't wait 'till the next one I can go to!
Anyone up for salsa on the 28th??? or Transylvanian folk on July 5? (seriously, that's on the roster!)

2. So You Think You Can Dance
I've been watching this show and it's probably one of the best of reality that's on right now. This dance was fucking amazing and makes me want to be a dancer and therefore makes me cry:

Cicadas are gross.
I guess you won't be seeing my daily update of cicadadom because there aren't many around. Oh, they are still there, and loudly taking over my eardrums, but I think they've hidden themselves high up in the trees. There are ones on the ground but they are either boring or are flying around and running into my head. And it's hard to take picture of things that are running into your head.

I am gross.
I have quite seriously worn the same pair of pants to work every day for at least the last week because they don't really wrinkle and I have been to busy/lazy to do laundry and/or iron.

Last night.
Nad, Bryan, Bryan's friend Joel, and I headed over to Skylark for some yummy hard cider and "Tater Tots with Three Dipping Sauces." Have you ever seen "The Break Up"? This is the bar that's in that movie. It's a totally awesome little dive in Pilsen with crappy metal chairs, a christmas light-up deer, and an Elvis pinball machine. They have a really random bar menu that includes panko shrimp, spaghetti and meatballs, and roasted butternut squash. But we came for tots.
Bryan said he could get me a fake ID that says I'm Kirsten Dunst.
Bryan likes Nad's tots, but then tried to grab for mine. Shame on him.
The bbq sauce was yucky, but the sour cream and chive was delicious.
There was more, but I'm forgetful.

Congratulations!
Congrats to Jen on her engagement! Now try to guess which Jen I'm talking about. Hint...it's the last of four Jen's I know who have gotten engaged and/or married in the last year.

5,6,7,8
Yeah. So Mat called me the other night. I suppose I should refresh your memory. We dated like eight years ago for a year and then were on again off again (although never really on) for forever. About a year and a half ago I went to spend a week with him in Los Angeles. I then never heard from him again. I then found out that maybe a month after I went to see him he moved to Chicago. I went to see him in a play and then he totally saw me afterwards and didn't even care so we just left without saying anything.
He called me Monday night. He called me four times. Four times within half an hour. He left two messages saying to call him and that he wants to end the silence between us. He also signed online and IMed me. I didn't answer.
My thoughts are that he was either wasted or high and probably doesn't even remember it. There's often a small window of opportunity for talking to the boy, and I'm guessing even if I try to call back, I won't hear anything from him again.
I guess we'll see where this one goes...

Scotty McHotty and KennyK turned a year older this past week, so it was off to the froggy to celebrate last night!

The frog bar makes the best Tom Collins ever. And I mainly say that because it tasted like really sugarry lemonade. Their orange juice with belly-button lint is good too.

Everyone is fascinated by laser pointers and blinky light things.

Their fish sammich is good. who'd have thunk putting a bunch of coleslaw on bread would be so yummy?

Scott is either very very short or has a whole lot of meat...you decide.

Andy has dared me to order the slice of carrot cake as my meal next time and I have to eat the whole thing. He doesn't think I can eat a whole slice of carrot cake.

Did I mention that this slice of carrot cake costs $15 and is the size of a small African country?

Andy thinks my idea of opening a brothel is a good life plan.

MK dropped some of the ice cream cake they brought out on the floor while trying to cut it. Then he picked it up and ate it. Then he licked off the chocolate that got on my arm.

MK plays way too drunk after not so much martini. And then he plays way too asshole when he readily agrees to do anything with anyone else but when I ask him to do something he says he'll think about it, which really means he's just waiting for anything else better to come along. Oh, and also when he talks on the phone to other people and texts other people and makes plans with them when he acts like he's always way too busy working to ever hang out and therefore never has any time to do anything with me.

Just saying.

More pics are below. I was playing around with my camera settings, despite the fact that I have no clue what I'm doing. I want to use the flash less because it's less conspicuous. Some turned out good. Some turned out crappy. Some turned out crappy but cool. They all turned out kind of grainy. I must have set the grainyness dial to high. Maybe I should learn how to use that damn camera.

I don't care what you say, this is a cool picture:

Matt beginning to get drunk:

Handy Andy:

A real-life professor:

Matt thinks he's cool:

Player Piano:

KennyK, Rob, etc.

Me and Rob:

Cake!

Me and MattyK:

Scott's Ass:

1. So, I put off touching most of my big final class project for the ten weeks I had to work on it. I managed to go to work on it Sunday morning and finish by 3pm. I'm either really good or the project is really crappy. I don't care though, I'm done until September! And then I'll be completely done in November!

2. I am moving out of my bigbig office and into a smallsmall cubicle :(

3. Tonight was Scotty McHotty and KennyK's b-day party at the froggy. I will post tomorrow when I have time to upload all the pics. Happy birthday!

4. I bought a book on Amsterdam today. Maybe I should go?

5. WHAT

8.?!?!?!

Only one crappy one today. I was running late in the morning, and running late after work. This bugger was doing some crazy little arm movements, but he stopped when I tried to take his picture :(

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On my way to the Printer's Row Book Fair, I pondered why anyone would walk on the street when if they took about 10 steps to the east they could walk through the park. I also figured everyone thought I was a tourist because, as always, I was snapping pictures of everything. (Seriously, I was taking a photo of the bridge and this Asian dude asked if I wanted him to take my pic in front of it...I should have taken him up on the offer...and given a peace sign.)

I trudged through Millennium and doused myself in water from the fountain and went and took pics of the bean (note: this will not count as me 'going to Millennium park' because I have seen the things I saw before and didn't go see all of it). I don't care what anyone says, those are two of the damn coolest things in the world!

Anyways, I finally trudged my way to Printer's Row. I checked out the books in desperate search for an oldie that may have been a goldenbook with the phrase "ouch you naughty lion, you mustn't bite" in it. No luck. If anyone knows the title of said book, please tell me. While wondering I started to hear some really good music. It sounded all pop-punk and then I saw the band and they were all kinda hot...and then I realized that they were the "Not Ready for Naptime Players." Would it be wrong to become a groupie for a kiddie-song group???

12:30 came and it was time for the panel I came to see, which included Michele Morano (my fav professor, who wrote an awesome collection of essays about Spain and language called "Grammar Lessons" Go buy it and read it), Brian Bouldrey (who wrote a very interesting sounding book - yet to be released - called "Honorable Bandit: A Walk Across Corsica") and Tony and Maureen Wheeler (Professional travelers and founders of the Lonely Planet travel mecca). It was very interesting to hear them all speak about their books, their writing, and their lives. I felt kind of bad though because all of the audience questions were for Lonely Planet, so the others didn't really get to talk much. I brought along my copy of Grammar Lessons to get signed and picked up a copy of Unlikely Destinations for them to sign.

Then I headed over to see Dan and Steve, who own a catering company in Chicago and were, as they put it, "The Kelly Clarksons of Next Food Network Star." They made a yummy looking duck sausage cassoulet (fake duck sausage actually, they used chicken instead), but I don't like sausage. Then they made a bread pudding. Yum.

THE COOLEST PART OF THEIR TALK: They are opening a new restaurant! But not just any restaurant...it's going to have a tv studio in it. Then what they're going to do, is have little cooking demonstrations...and then have you come up and film you giving the cooking demonstration!!! It's my dream since whenever I cook I talk to the fake cameras anyways. I'm sure it will be hella expensive...but I definitely plan on having a b-day party there!

After that I headed off to another panel with Amy Hempel (who writes amazing short stories) and a couple of others who sounded interesting. I'll have to check out their stuff. What I found most interesting is when Hempel was talking about her writing process, and that sometimes after writing something big, she won't write anything at all for a year or more. It's kind of comforting because I always hear writers saying how they "need to write" and it's good to hear someone who loves it and is successful at it and passionate for it, but doesn't feel like she is compelled to write constantly .

So, I have tons of pics of the day (nothing from the travel or short story talks though, I didn't want to be interruptive at all), check 'em out!

I saw a lot of gay penis last night.
Just gonna throw that out there first so there are no surprises later.

My sister is getting married in a couple of months so last night we had her bachelorette party. The night started at Schuba's where we had some yummy appetizers (artichoke fritters, potato empanadas, sweet potato fries) and had myself a beer and an appley beer. Jen opened her presents. People gave me money and I didn't even have to take my clothes off. Good times.

Next it was off to BARENAKED LADS TAKE OFF BROADWAY!!!

Basically the show involves a bunch of gay men...completely naked. Actually they (disappointingly) weren't completely naked for the entire time...but I guess there is a limit to the amount of time they wanted to devote to the gay male penis. We did get to see them do yoga completely naked and do a clog dancing number completely naked though. Good times. Some of the skits kind of dragged for me, but I liked all of the music. Some were takeoffs (no pun intended) of Broadway shows, such as "Somewhere Obscene" instead of Little Shop's "Somewhere That's Green." There was one really sad song near the end though about a man's boyfriend dying. That was sad. The rest was happy and penisy though.

After the show we went to get tapas at Cafe Ba Ba Reeba. I love tapas but sometimes it's annoying with big groups because if you really want something you end up getting a really really small portion of it. And then when everyone else is stuffed at the end and you are still ravishingly hungry...you're out of luck. It was good though...escargot, bacon-wrapped dates, goat cheese in tomato sauce, chicken fried thingies, garlic potato salad, stuffed mushrooms, raspberry sangria...

After that we went to this bar that I don't remember the name of. There was dancing but not skeezy dancing. Captain Morgan was there. Seriously, pirate in a bar. He gave out blinky things and free shots of rum and coke. And a bunch of girls were trying to get with him and all I could think was "you know, he's not the REAL Captain Morgan." There was this girl there who kept trying to set us up with her friends or something. Word to guys: if you're going to send in a wingman, don't make it a skanky looking annoying girl because then all I think is "Jeeze, I'd be forced to hang out with her."

And then we went back to our posh hotel to crash.

MORE PHOTOS HERE (password protected, email me or message me for the word)

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So today starts the first day in what hopefully will be one phenomenal summer. It is officially my first of SEVEN three day weekends over the next 14 weeks!!! I can't wait, and I am determined not to waste them! (of course...a good chunk of this weekend has to be spent doing my last homework for the summer...or more likely procrastinating some more!)

Plan for this weekend: Jen's Bachelorette Party (schubas, Barenaked Lads Take off Broadway, Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba...), Printers Row Book Fair (Lonely Planet, Michele Morano, Dan and Steve, Amy Hempel!), and ???

Plans for the summer (also see my impossibly awesome calendar):

ILLINOIS ROAD TRIP!!!
The date is set: July 14-15!!!
I'm going to drive around the state in search of the absolute stupidest shit I can find! Two-story outhouses! Pyramid Shaped House! A monument to Abraham Lincoln that consists solely of a watermelon! Who's in?!?!?!?!

WINDY CITY ROLLERS
June 16, July 21, August 25, September 15
A bunch of chicks on rollerskates chasing each other around and fighting??? How can you go wrong!

SUMMERDANCE
Thursdays - Sundays
Free dance lessons and live music in the park!

JAZZ WITH THE JOFFREY
Friday, June 22
If you love music: it will be great jazz music. If you love dance: There will be great ballet! It's the perfect event for one and all! Plus it's only $10!!!! You can't beat that!

BLUE MAN GROUP
I haven't seen this in years. I was supposed to go with Scott but Scott is a loser who decided to be a dork and go see this with other losers. :(

TASTE OF CHICAGO! PLUS 3RD OF JULY FIREWORKS!
Last year was the first year I've ever missed the Taste :( Overpriced food, hot sticky crowds, and a way too short fireworks display! hehe. But really, an awesome awesome time! I look forward to beer battered artichoke hearts, wings with pesto aioli, crab legs, mango cumin-dusted fries with tamarind chutney ...

MISCELLABEOUS CHICAGO FESTIVALS
Just 'cause they're fun!

CHICAGO OUTDOOR FILM FESTIVAL
Awesome movies, shown outdoors! Hopefully we won't be rained out!

JEN'S WEDDING!
August 4
My sister's getting married!

KURT HALSEY ART SHOW
August 25
Kurt Halsey will be showing his work at DVA Gallery!

MISCELLANEOUS CHICAGO ADVENTURES TO SATISFY MY 100 IN '07 LIST
Sears Tower, Navy pier, golfing, Ohio?, Freddy's...

Let the summer begin!

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sorry there was no day 16 :(
they were really loud yesterday but i think they were all hiding up high in the trees
today there weren't many...but they just kept dive-bombing me

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Nad and I went to lunch today. While she was waiting for me to get there she browsed the bookstore and bought me the most awesome book I've ever seen: "How To Survive A Horror Movie." Basically, it's a guide for everything you need to know if you somehow find yourself trapped in a horror movie...with chapters such as "What to do if an evil vehicle wants you dead" "how to tell if you've been dead since the beginning of the movie" and "what to do if your corn has children in it." I can't wait to read it and get uber prepared...just in case. I have awesome friends who know me so well :)

A phone conversation with mattyk the other day...

Matt: I was wondering when you want to give me all your money?
Me: You call me for the first time in three months and it's just because you want my business?

Me: I have an extra ticket for Barenaked Lads Take Off Broadway this Friday, wanna go?
Matt: Let me check my calendar.
Me: Umm, did you hear what I said?
Matt: No. WHat are you seeing?
Me: It's a bunch of naked men singing.
Matt: I'll pass.
Me: So not only do you only talk to me when you want my business, but then you don't even pay attention to what I say?

Since he takes everyone else out to dinner, and tried to pass off office coffee on me, I demanded premium coffee. So we went to Caribou. I feel like Starbucks is going to feel forsaken. :(

I again had a campfire mocha because everything is better with marshmallows, and mk let me eat some of his cake...with frosting. mmm He thinks I'm weird when I smell his briefcase. And also that I slip notes into it when he leaves to go buy me coffee. It doesn't smell like anything though. He told me I should buy lots of cars with my money...or something like that. He also promised I'd be a millionaire in just six short months...or something like that. I told him I would make him not be so serious...and I think I well succeeded. He would not talk to me solely through a moose. :( He would relate things in terms I understand such as pumpkin pie and owning parts of JoeJoe. He gave me a quiz that I think was meant to show me my dream date. Then he stole my soul...or something like that.

About 200 years ago in a far off high school in zootown U.S.A. a girl named Val knew a boy named Charlie. And then the girl graduated and never saw the boy again. About 200 years later in the mystical world called "the internet" the girl once again found her friend and they headed off to drink magical concoctions in the land of the moose...

Or something like that.

So I friended my old friend CharlieD on facebook and tonight we went to get coffee at Caribou (despite not going to Caribou in forever, I have somehow managed to make plans two nights in a row there...) First off, he has phenomenal hair. Second off, he is a supercool artist with some seriously amazing ideas.

We talked about our last eight years and our motivations and lack of motivations and projects and other people's odd internet projects and work and cameras and travel and I think I am boring because I don't have as interesting of things to talk about.

And it was fun and I was happy that we got back in touch :)

So, to commemorate this occasion, I'm now going to bring you back to my senior year of high school and my homecoming dance, which I attended with Charlie as my date.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE PICS!!! (I was lazy and scanned the pages of my scrapbook instead of doing the pics individually.)

Some notes about these pics...
1. Notice my shoes? Bedroom slippers.
2. I don't talk to almost anyone in these pics anymore.
3. The only thing I really remember from the night is that Charlie gave me a rose instead of a corsage...and then kept apologizing. But I much preferred the rose because corsages were itchy and always fell apart while I danced. Also, I guarantee that I still have this flower in my jar :)

dude was on my porch.

Between running late for the train, starting work a half hour early, and then not returning home from school until after 10, on top of rain that prevented cicadas from really coming out, I didn't get to take any pics yesterday :( So, enjoy this pic that I took a few days ago instead.

OH! AND GIVE THESE PICS FIVE STARS!!!
Pic 1
Pic 2

1. My dog is a pimp

2. HOLY SHIT! JOEY CHESTNUT BEAT KOBAYAHI'S RECORD!!!! I can't wait for the Fourth of July battle to see what happens!!!

3. After the power outage...
Mom: The computer is broken.
Me: No, it is turned off.

4. My dad is back from the hospital...which is kind of odd since it's been three days since his surgery...and they originally said it would be five days in the hospital and then five days in a recovery center. Eh.

5. ValCap
So You Think You Can Dance
ummm...i dunno...I don't really remember it

On The Lot
This is so horribly bad. Last week it was interesting but now they switched to an American-Idol rip off show. You know how on the American Idol results show it's an hour of worthless filler? Of course you didn't because you don't watch American Idol, but it is. On On The Lot, they did one worse, and hour long results show with NO FILLER. Nothing. They kicked three people off in an hour and that was it. It was the most worthless crap of TV ever. And the host is a moron who mispronounces every other word including "Carrie Fisher." And the movies sucked. Ohman, this is going to be a long summer. The network got smart and cut the damn show to once a week.

The Next Best Thing
haha, so, you know reality TV is going down the drain when even Val looks at the TV Guide and says "God, I have no desire to watch a bunch of celebrity impersonators."

Pirate Master
This show was something awful. Mostly because these people will never be considered pirates. First of all, the host totally needed to be like Captain Hook, not some washed up (not a pun) old actor. Second they allowed women on the show. Women aint pirates, they should have their own show: Ship Wench Master. Third, when they had to dive into the water, some of them were wearing goggles. Pirates don't wear goggles. Fourth, there's a district attorney who is keeping that a secret because for some reason she thinks it is an advantage. Fifth, this one dude kept saying that they couldn't vote him off because he was the only one who had a compass. Then they kicked him off. And they let him leave with his damned compass! A real pirate would have stolen it. Sixth, they didn't make the loser walk the plank.

National Spelling Bee
Seriously, the National Spelling Bee is the best couple of hours on television each year. Some highlights and lowlights:
- Samir got cut early! Resulting conversation with Joe:
Val: !!! Samir didn't even make the finals!!!!
JoeJoe: boo hoo
Val: its like if Mark Buehrle was cut from the team
Val: and i say that because i went to the white sox website and that name was the first one i saw
JoeJoe: ha - for a moment i was impressed
Val: :-)
- The Canadians spell words with a "zed"
- man: your word is "Punaise" it's another word for a bedbug kid: "I like bedbug better"
- One of the kids so had a moustache
- For a second year in a row, it came down to an American and a Canadian. Who let Canadians into the National Spelling Bee?
- Congratulation Evan O'Dorney - keeping it in America!

So...it's been a cwazy 24 hours.

I got home last night at 2am...to a town that was completely black - all the streetlamps were out. Come home to find that all of the power is completely out. Now, the phone in my room is kind of old. It has a battery backup that is also kind of old (aka never been changed). So, when the power went out and the backup kicked in and didn't have enough juice it just started beeping...a lot...over and over and over and over. So, my room is pitch black, my phone is beeping like crazy, it's 2 in the morning, and all I want is some fucking sleep. So I try to unplug the phone, but the plug is behind my dresser. So I can't reach it. Finally I manage to unplug the plug from the phone...but the phone is still beeping! And then I try to open the battery door...but the battery door won't open. But it loosens it a bit...which causes the beeping to turn into a loud annoying hissing that sounds like a dying cat getting run over repeatedly by an SUV. And it's still pitch black and I can't see anything. But then I find a hammer on my dresser and pound the damn phone with it. Seriously, I took a hammer to my phone in the middle of the night. I came super close to throwing out my window too. But that did shit, damn resiliant phone. So then I finally manage to open the battery door and get the battery door open and so it stops hissing and beeping. And then two minutes later the power comes back on.

Today was the Inline Insomniacs Summer Chicago Skate. I drove over to JoeJoes first to grab lunch and skate over with him.I had to make Joe park my car for me. A couple walking by was laughing because they thought I was standing on the curb to help him park, but I don't think they realized that more pathetically he had to park it for me because I can't park on the left side.

We grabbed some Cosi and it took forever and a day to get our salads. Seriously people, it's a salad. It shouldn't take fifteen minutes to toss some lettuce in a bowl.

Then we skated the four miles along the lakefront to the Sears Tower...Well, Joe and his bro skated...I kind of hobbled. My skates were being bitches and totally giving me no support. It was so bad my foot was basically bent and on it's side. Not fun. It was horribly painful and I could hardly skate. So, alas, by the time we got to the II meeting point, I had to take off my skates and leave (I was really looking forward to it, but there was NO WAY I wold have lasted the next seven hours in those devil shoes). :(

So I paid my respects to the fellow insomniacs and instead trudged off to Nadia's who lives like three blocks away.

We then spent the next four hours chatting in her super-cute condo where I was force fed pizza, koolaid, and grapes. And then Bryan came home and tried to force feed me ice cream and tell me all of the stuff Nadia already told me.

Apparently all of Bryan's friends who saw me at the wedding want to date me. They all also think I look like Kirsten Dunst :)

Nadia said I could move into their spare bedroom. I looked at Bryan and said "Congratulations! It's a girl!"

Then we headed to the burbs to go to Kona Grill with Adad and Jen. My macadamia-nut crusted chicken breast was delicious. It came with not one, but TWO sauces. And cheddar mashed potatoes. Yummy. I ate every drop of chicken. Their lack of a blender for drinks dissapointed me though. Oh well.

Jenny broke the bathroom and Adam and her said I could come live in their guest bedroom. So now I have two sleeping rooms all for moi :)

Then we, of course, ended up in the LaGrange Starbucks where, of course, we saw a couple cop cars hassle some fighting kids (I have never been to that Starbucks at night and not seen a cop car out taking care of business).

Then Nadia had to drive me from there, which was about 2 minutes from my house to Lincoln Park, which is about a half hour away so I could pick up my car so I could drive right back :( At least I remembered where I parked though :)

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Last night...

Giordanos for pizza (even though I'd already eaten).
Kerry Piper for drinks and music.

Highlights:
- Autographing Business Cards
- Jen: How many of those sugar packets were down your shirt? Me: Only three, then one in my pants.
- Sleeping
- Stealing Jen's Ring. Glen is mine!
- Boys Town Tom Collins
- Messing with DerekMcHotty's chair every time he moved
- Singing Along
- Scott hitting his head on the brick wall behind us. Matt and I then continuously hitting our heads against the cushion to demonstrate how easy life is when you are not a giant

Lowlights:
- Me: I need to follow someone to find the bar. Everyone else: vroomvroom. Let's take off and ditch Val in the parking lot. :(

Val has seven months to do everything :(

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. Watch The Science of Sleep (looks interesting)
39. Watch every Hellraiser movie
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 Genius
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)

he has brown eyes :)

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