PB Loco needs to open a location in the Chicago area. I would be in heaven! Although I can order products online....and the Peanut Butter Raspberry Dark Chocolate is first on my list.
Here are my five for today:
1. I have a strong work ethic.
2. I know when I need to take a break.
3. I am organized.
4. I like learning.
5. I always have my nose in a book.
After Sizzle turned me on to the Daily Om, I started receiving the site's daily emails which, when I find time to read them, make me think about the way I live my life (often rushed, stressed, and little time for introspection). This past week I received an assignment to write down five things I like about myself every day for a week. I kept the email as a reminder that I really needed to take time to complete this exercise. And what better way to make myself complete it (and get back to blogging regularly) than to post daily my list of five.
1. I willingly take on leadership roles.
2. I am very disciplined.
3. I can make people laugh.
4. I'm trustworthy.
5. I'm always willing to lend a hand to someone.
Whew, this is going to be a lot tougher than I thought.
...doesn't mean you have to make inappropriate comments as i walk down the street on my lunch hour.
why do some men think catcalling is okay? i used to get this constantly when i lived in new york and, although it occurs less frequently in chicago, it still happens and still annoys me. like yesterday, during my lunch break, when i heard no less than 5 men make comments about me.
my favorite: "Ooo, look at my girlfriend walking next to me."
please. you need to take your 18-year-old self and get a job other than hawking purple suits on state street.
No more secondhand internet access!
I finally have a real, honest connection.
This is incredible.
It is beautiful in Chicago today, and I wish I had an excuse to be outdoors right now. But after I got off work the only thing I really wanted to do was veg out on the couch, something I don't often have time for. Our front window, right next to the right side of the couch, provides hours of entertainment. We don't really need On Demand and 500+ channels when we've got neighbors. And our new apartment is in much more of a neighborhood than our old place ever was. Kids, dogs, bikes, parking spaces, street fairs (oh, i can't wait!). And it's a diverse neighborhood as well. Multiple languages being spoken. Different age groups: young singles, young couples, older couples, families. Our building is made up of the first group and my roommates and I are the only women. It's much quieter over here. Gone are the restless nights when loud, drunk people wake me with their yelling. Fewer sirens. No more honking. It's peaceful around here. The only thing I hear at night aside from the general noises in our building is the dog next door. And that's rare.
As the weather gets warmer, Chicagoans come out of hibernation. The outdoor cafes are filling up, and there are people all over the streets. We have a back porch now which, once we have some furniture, will be a great place to unwind after work. The spirit of springtime makes me want to stay out until I have to go to bed. When it was colder, I didn't want to do anything after 6 pm. Now the idea of going out is intriguing. In a few weeks it will be mandatory. Since summer seems so brief, the city takes full advantage of the warm and pleasant days (and nights). We attack summer with all our might, knowing that we can recover once September comes around. With that, I think my roommate and I are going to a concert tonight. We are both in need of some relaxation outside the apartment (and with some good music as well).
On Saturday morning, hungover after celebrating Jill's birthday, the two of us camped out in the living room for a few hours and watched one of our many HBO channels. After the looong credits for The Wedding Date finished rolling, we were pleasantly surprised to see that Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure would be next.
Our viewing prompted the following discussion topics:
~Yahoo Serious and the film Young Einstein
~Women's roles in history
~The ride at Showbiz Pizza where kids sat in a little seat which was attached to a wheel on the wall of the ride. The wheel went around and around, while the child was sat going up and down, up and down. This ride was briefly shown in the film and I paused the movie at this point to reminisce on just how much I enjoyed that ride. It was about a two minute pause. This is why I love Tivo.
So in the spirit of revisiting childhood, here's a little trip down memory lane....
(fyi: i used to seriously believe the gorilla was my father when he was late meeting us for dinner.)
After almost two weeks after date #2, the Nice Guy and I went out again last night. We'd both been busy and couldn't find a sooner time to get together. Since we live so close to one another and we are experiencing amazingly warm weather in Chicago, he met me at my place and we walked to dinner (a vegetarian restaurant that is SO delicious). After dinner, we walked and got gelato, which we ate while walking back to my place. The warm weather has brought everyone out of their apartments and on to the streets: shopping, running, dogwalking, and dining and drinking on outdoor patios. When we got back to my building we had the very awkward first kiss and then he asked me if I wanted to go out with him again tonight. Wow - back-to-back dates!
So how did I meet this Nice Guy?
About two months ago, I joined the world of online dating. My roommate had just joined a site and encouraged me to do the same. It couldn't hurt. Maybe I could meet some cool people outside of my circle of friends. And maybe some of these people would turn out to be something more. However, my casual attitude and selectivity has resulted in me only actually going out with three guys. My (now ex)roommate has dates almost every night (she's into the free meals). The Nice Guy was the third guy I met after a series of emails. And I haven't bothered to respond to very many other guys' winks/emails since.
So all is going well. I think we're going to hit the movies tonight (I've really been wanting to see Thank You For Smoking). And maybe he'll stop by the roommate's birthday party tomorrow (and meet my friends).
Meanwhile, I continue to receive the most grammatically incorrect emails from men in the Chicago area. I hope to entertain you with those soon.....
In just a few weeks, the crush has turned sour. In my opinion, this happened when I got really drunk at Happy Hour two Fridays ago and was probably being obnoxious. I don't really recall much about the latter half of the evening, but usually if I have a bad feeling about my behavior, I'm probably right to feel that way. And it's not being drunk that might have totally ruined things, it's what I might have said or done around him. He was barely in the office last week so there were few opportunities to observe our interactions. Today, however, I had to talk to him about something and I could just feel something strange in our conversation. Now I just feel stupid. It's not so much the Crush that's bothering me, as the fact that I made an ass of myself.
And you'd think this all wouldn't matter since I should be distracted by the Nice Guy I've gone out with a few times. The Nice Guy who seems really interested and isn't afraid to say so. The Nice Guy who is also pretty good-looking, especially when compared to the goofiness of the Crush. The Nice Guy who was out of town this weekend, but called me right when he returned. The Nice Guy who definitely has some potential. However, the Nice Guy still can't keep me distracted enough to forget the Crush.
It's no surprise. I always want what I can't have and take for granted the things that are right in front of me.
