This is going to be a quick one, as there are a 101 other things I should be doing with my time. I just wanted to take a moment and kvetch about one of my biggest pet peeves....
Okay. Hilarious. I started this blog last week and apparently, I really did have 101 things going on, because it stopped right there. Sheesh. Now I just have to narrow it down and try and remember my biggest pet peeve.
Couldn't have been that big, since I am drawing a blank. I will say that I am getting annoyed with people's unfounded insecurity, people who butt their nose into things and make snap judgements without any information, people who are rude in the holiday season and the general ickiness of the rain that keeps falling in Chicago. It is putting a damper on my Christmas season.
All I want for Christmas is World Peace; My friends and family to enjoy the gifts that I am giving them; a little bit of snow; and the general decency of humanity to come out.
Oh, and I want to ride the holiday L, because while I agree with Jenny that a holiday bus might be a bit too much, I think the CTA owes all of Chicago a ride on the Santa L. I want a little Christmas caroling and a candy cane, especially if it is going to go through slow zones for the 100th time this year.
PS I think this is an ironic title. I was going for something with it - I just know it.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
In The Next Room
This one is a quick post. I am obsessed in a big-hair-loving kind of way with the Lips Of An Angel by Hinder. Love it and all its Monster Ballad beauty.
What I want to know is if you think you are the girl in the next room or the one on the phone? And Why?!?
What I want to know is if you think you are the girl in the next room or the one on the phone? And Why?!?
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Baby, It's (not so) Cold Outside
Aside from watching the Chi-town Bears play MNF (I heart Devin Hester) last night, I am in full Christmas party prep mode this week. I will say that while I hate all the cleaning and organizing (dusting and shoving things under my bed), I love this party. I look forward to this party.
In all honesty, I look forward to Christmas. I love having my Advent wreath and calendar (as any good Catholic girl does). I love St. Nicholas day and the little present my aunt gives us every year. I love buying a tree and decorating my house – down to putting up my Christmas dishes, putting out my Christmas towels and hanging Mistletoe in the doorframes in the hopes that one year it will actually work).
I love baking cookies and breads. I love having the place smell of pine and berries. I love the cold chill and a fresh snow on the ground. I love the craziness of Christmas shopping and striving to find each friend and family member the perfect gift. I love getting together with family on Christmas Eve. I love the meal we eat (well, not all 7 of the fish) and I love that we have desserts and a cordial of amaretto. I love Midnight Mass, the caroling before it, presents and pizza afterwards and going to bed too late.
I love Christmas morning, my mom’s date nut bread and opening presents with my family. I love the fresh start Christmas seems to bring. I love the sense of family and hope and love and peace. I love the magic and miracle of Christmas. I love believing that there is a Santa Claus and that George Bailey is the richest man in town. I love the beauty of Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree. In short, I love everything about Christmas.
In all honesty, I look forward to Christmas. I love having my Advent wreath and calendar (as any good Catholic girl does). I love St. Nicholas day and the little present my aunt gives us every year. I love buying a tree and decorating my house – down to putting up my Christmas dishes, putting out my Christmas towels and hanging Mistletoe in the doorframes in the hopes that one year it will actually work).
I love baking cookies and breads. I love having the place smell of pine and berries. I love the cold chill and a fresh snow on the ground. I love the craziness of Christmas shopping and striving to find each friend and family member the perfect gift. I love getting together with family on Christmas Eve. I love the meal we eat (well, not all 7 of the fish) and I love that we have desserts and a cordial of amaretto. I love Midnight Mass, the caroling before it, presents and pizza afterwards and going to bed too late.
I love Christmas morning, my mom’s date nut bread and opening presents with my family. I love the fresh start Christmas seems to bring. I love the sense of family and hope and love and peace. I love the magic and miracle of Christmas. I love believing that there is a Santa Claus and that George Bailey is the richest man in town. I love the beauty of Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree. In short, I love everything about Christmas.
Monday, December 11, 2006
Of All the Gin Joints in All the Towns in All the World
Last night, I ran into 'the guy' on my home turf. Which is a bit odd, since in the years that it has been my home turf, I have never seen him there before. Then again, I wasn't looking for him then. I am not sure what the chance (or not so chance encounter means), but it intrigues me.
Regardless of how this plays out, it was nice to meet someone who actually saw me and not through me. To have someone get me that quickly was refreshing. It makes me glad to be a single-in-the-city. To have had that moment and the chance to see the potential of it all.
Sometimes, people worry about the single girl. (Count the number of times your relatives ask you (the single girl) when you are getting married or having kids...or my favorite, ‘is there someone special in your life?’)
People wonder about the single girl. They wonder if she is a jaded, angry She-man. Or, if she is the bar-hopping, easy girl (typically, Sex and the City is blamed for this descriptor). If she is crazy or damaged or clingy. They look at the single girl and wonder why she is still single.
Well, the answer is simple: Because. She is single because she is. Some of us are jaded and angry. Some of us are a bit on the promiscuous side. Some are crazy and damaged. Some are clingy. Some focus on majoring in our M.R.S. and some run in the other direction.
I like to think that the single girl is single, because she refuses to settle for less than the fairy tale. And I don’t mean the Little Mermaid. (Because, if you read the real version of that story, she doesn’t end up getting what she wants. She dies. Who wants to strive for that?) I mean, her version of the fairy tale – whatever that may be.
My version of the fairy tale is to meet my ‘split apart'. The person that knows me without having to think and who makes me want to be a better person. It is the person who challenges me. Intellectually. Spiritually. Emotionally. Physically. I don’t want to go through life with anything less than that. Is it lofty and idealistic? Yes. But, to quote one of my favorite (little known) movies – Dream for an Insomniac – “There are too many mediocre things in life to deal with and love shouldn't be one of them.”
Regardless of how this plays out, it was nice to meet someone who actually saw me and not through me. To have someone get me that quickly was refreshing. It makes me glad to be a single-in-the-city. To have had that moment and the chance to see the potential of it all.
Sometimes, people worry about the single girl. (Count the number of times your relatives ask you (the single girl) when you are getting married or having kids...or my favorite, ‘is there someone special in your life?’)
People wonder about the single girl. They wonder if she is a jaded, angry She-man. Or, if she is the bar-hopping, easy girl (typically, Sex and the City is blamed for this descriptor). If she is crazy or damaged or clingy. They look at the single girl and wonder why she is still single.
Well, the answer is simple: Because. She is single because she is. Some of us are jaded and angry. Some of us are a bit on the promiscuous side. Some are crazy and damaged. Some are clingy. Some focus on majoring in our M.R.S. and some run in the other direction.
I like to think that the single girl is single, because she refuses to settle for less than the fairy tale. And I don’t mean the Little Mermaid. (Because, if you read the real version of that story, she doesn’t end up getting what she wants. She dies. Who wants to strive for that?) I mean, her version of the fairy tale – whatever that may be.
My version of the fairy tale is to meet my ‘split apart'. The person that knows me without having to think and who makes me want to be a better person. It is the person who challenges me. Intellectually. Spiritually. Emotionally. Physically. I don’t want to go through life with anything less than that. Is it lofty and idealistic? Yes. But, to quote one of my favorite (little known) movies – Dream for an Insomniac – “There are too many mediocre things in life to deal with and love shouldn't be one of them.”
Thursday, December 07, 2006
There's Never a Wish Better Than This
My friend Jen wrote about the new TBS show, "My Boys," and I have to concur with her on its addictiveness. I love it for the Chi-Town references. I love that the guys in the show remind me of my own guy friends. Selfishly, I would like to believe that the heroine in the show is a bit of a blend of all my girl friends.
I mean, really, PJ has the best life. She goes to work at Wrigley every day - which has been my life long dream. She covers the Cubs, drinks beer, hangs out at a tavern with board games and red and white checked tablecloths and mocks the clubby bar she gets dragged to in one of the episodes. She is the everywoman for the sports-minded, Chicago single girl. I realize it is a TBS show and that may be off-putting, but it is funny and entertaining and has great Chicago shout outs that only city folk will catch.
Incidentally, and I am bummed that I didn't put two and two together when this happened, I inadvertently attended a post show party. Those of you that know me, know the tavern I call home. If you have seen the shows and noticed similarities between my bar home and PJ's, it is no mistake. That pub was modeled after mine.
I know this because there were several cast members (again I realize this in hindsight) at my tavern celebrating wrapping up shooting. At the time, we all only knew that they were filming something that was based on my tavern. Of course, all of us thought this was weird, since they hadn't really asked many of us about the bar and how could they base it on our bar and not want to talk to the regulars and employees?!? Well, they did and did a pretty good job at that. I laughed out loud at the episode where the shy-guy friend kept playing jenga. It was just another regular Friday night at my bar.
That being said, I can say that I was there when it all started. I just wish I had known that at the time.
On a side note, I just noticed that this was my 100th post. Seems like I should take a mini-moment to acknowledge that. I want to thank Phylisa for making me start this blog. My readers are few, but it is an outlet that has kept me writing and I am forever grateful for that. Another shout out goes to Jen, for keeping me honest and reminding me when I slack on my writing duties. I am forever grateful to them and all of the amazing people in my life.
I mean, really, PJ has the best life. She goes to work at Wrigley every day - which has been my life long dream. She covers the Cubs, drinks beer, hangs out at a tavern with board games and red and white checked tablecloths and mocks the clubby bar she gets dragged to in one of the episodes. She is the everywoman for the sports-minded, Chicago single girl. I realize it is a TBS show and that may be off-putting, but it is funny and entertaining and has great Chicago shout outs that only city folk will catch.
Incidentally, and I am bummed that I didn't put two and two together when this happened, I inadvertently attended a post show party. Those of you that know me, know the tavern I call home. If you have seen the shows and noticed similarities between my bar home and PJ's, it is no mistake. That pub was modeled after mine.
I know this because there were several cast members (again I realize this in hindsight) at my tavern celebrating wrapping up shooting. At the time, we all only knew that they were filming something that was based on my tavern. Of course, all of us thought this was weird, since they hadn't really asked many of us about the bar and how could they base it on our bar and not want to talk to the regulars and employees?!? Well, they did and did a pretty good job at that. I laughed out loud at the episode where the shy-guy friend kept playing jenga. It was just another regular Friday night at my bar.
That being said, I can say that I was there when it all started. I just wish I had known that at the time.
On a side note, I just noticed that this was my 100th post. Seems like I should take a mini-moment to acknowledge that. I want to thank Phylisa for making me start this blog. My readers are few, but it is an outlet that has kept me writing and I am forever grateful for that. Another shout out goes to Jen, for keeping me honest and reminding me when I slack on my writing duties. I am forever grateful to them and all of the amazing people in my life.
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