After that downer...

Okay, here's something a little more upbeat... check out my holiday photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/suelolabamba/
I'm feeling rather crappy today as I have had the same sore throat for 5 days. I had no voice yesterday so I'm not sure if it's laryngitis or something more. Who knows. I guess it's time to find a doctor in this city. Some things I've been putting off...
a) finding doctors
b) registering to vote (I'll do that quickly!)
c) switching over all auto tags & licenses
I guess you can't do it all at once now can you? Most importantly I found a vet that I like which was most important...and somewhere to clip Radar's nails. We take a monthly trip to the Bark Bark Club to get his "nails did".

A Jolly Old Elf... yeah right

I have to say that the holiday made me the jolly old elf... at least for a few days.
I had a wonderful time with my sister and her family. It was a nice getaway from my crazy life in Chi-town.
What crazy life you might say??? Well, as the months are rolling around I'm finding that I'm trying to settle into this move and what it's meant to me. I think the "new" has worn off and now trying to find myself has been a little harder than I thought....I guess you could say I'm still lost.
As I'm going through this process one thing I'm realizing is who my tried and true friends are and I thank you again for being there.
Life is funny...you think you have all the answers to make things good & happy, then you move on them and BAM! Slap in da face. Fast forward to present times, not quite as happy as I'd planned to be. Quite low I might add... but then sometimes being really low is quite an eye-opening experience.
Low has lots of misery, low has lots of tears, low has no appetite, low doesn't want to cook, low has the shakes, low has little energy and low actually gets lots of sleep.
You come across people in life that are/have experienced "low" but you don't really understand it unless you're there... Just a news bulletin, low exists and low is real and I didn't understand it until I was there... I now get it & I don't wish it upon anyone I know.... low sucks....
Okay enough about low & his friends, I'm beginning to finally start on the uphill swing from low...it's just taken many weeks to get here.
I have good feelings about the new year coming upon us. I have great plans for both New Year's Eve AND New Year's Day and I'm psyched about both... and speaking of psyched, Cassidy & I went downtown today & stumbled upon a psychic... I got my palm read... Oh baby, 2008 is going to be a rockin' year!!!!!!

You know Dasher, and Dancer, and Prancer....

Here it is Christmas Eve. I'm in Michigan with my sister and her family which is a far cry from how I spent Thanksgiving!
The drive was 5 hours of no weather which was perfect. I arrived on Friday & leave on Wednesday morning. 5 days away from normalcy has been a nice break.
Tonight we went to Renee's sisters house for Christmas Eve dinner. I can't remember the last time I saw a bunch of little kids (if ever) opening gifts. There were 4 boys ages (I'm guessing) 4-6 with serious short attention span!
As one gift was opened, someone would yell, "oh cool, look mom what I got!". It would take about 3.5 seconds before the next gift was noticed and ripped into, leaving mom holding PILES of unwrapped gifts. The entire process was sweet, sweet chaos & made me realize that as commercialized as this holiday is, the gift giving part of it really is about the kids... and I loved watching every second of it.
Gotta run now...Santa will be arriving soon.....nighty night.

Moisturizer anyone??

I can name at least a dozen girlfriends who thought that Eddie Van Halen was hot back in the 80's....far more than David Lee Roth.

So weren't we all sad when Eddie married Valerie Bertenelli? ...and did we wonder why they eventually got divorced some double-digit years later?

This obsession of mine sparked from a Yahoo story last week about Eddie's house getting flooded. The article wasn't so interesting but wow.... the photographic evidence was. This isn't the pic that was posted but one that's even better....dearest Lord I hope and pray my rum & cokes never make me end up looking like either one of these fine men...or women...or skeletons...or skeletons knocking on deaths door....jeez.

I hate to say it but it's making me want to go to the reunion tour...before rigamortis sets in..

Can't keep 'em down

So we had about 3-6 inches of snow last night but that didn't keep anyone away from the party!
Only 2 people who RSVP'd didn't come...one I have no clue about and the other is without car & didn't want to walk in the downfall.
At my last party everyone kind of hit all at once. Last night the earlier part of the evening held about 6 people, but by midnight there were 12! Nice!
Lots of good food & booze to be had....and to be had leftover. Wow, I have TONS of beer & liquor leftover again...so if anyone is interested in stopping by for a cocktail...
As usual, Radar was the hit of the party...those who've met him before still love him and those who met him for the first time fell in love with him....he is by far, the perfect party accessory :)
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!! XOXOXOXOXOXXOOXO!

Rock the house

So my big Christmas party is tomorrow night. I should be cleaning my ass off tonight but my nose is plugged again & I've decided to sit here and surf and blog instead.
I did hit the booze store on the way home so that's off of my list for tomorrow.
My parents sent a box o' gifts for myself and Radar and we can't wait to dig in. They also sent us each our stockings....that made me quite sad as I enjoy getting the stockings at their house. Christmas is going to be very weird this year.
I think all of my "firsts" are weird this year. Thanksgiving was a travelling bust so I spent it alone, and Christmas is not as jolly as I was hoping it would be. I'm trying to adapt to everything as best I can but I guess since the "new" is wearing off and my honeymoon is ending, reality is setting in and kicking my ass a bit.
It's funny, right now everyone I speak to asks me, "how much snow do you have now??". It's only snowed once and a lot of it has melted. It's supposed to snow again this weekend so we'll get prepared. At least we're not on the east coast where they're buried alive....yet that is....
As the holiday is closing in fast I want to say Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of my friends and family. I know a few of you are celebrating this weekend and over the next week so enjoy the season, remember what it's really about (you know, the commercialism!), and cherish those who are closest to you.
Happy Holidays from Suelo & Radar :) xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Can it get any better than this?

Okay, so I finally decided to trek to the basement & get the Christmas stuff out. I have found that while decorating your Christmas tree alone is pretty depressing, but there's nothing that tops it off like listening to the random holiday playlist on your Ipod and hearing Robert Goulet singing Christmas carols. Now you may wonder, "why the hell do you have that on your Ipod?". Well it was purchased some years ago for the kitch factor & it's always one that has made me laugh & gag at the same time... Today I realized how damn depressing his voice really is. Here is some holiday cheer... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66R0uy7grY0
Wow, the holiday season is hitting an all time low...I think I'll go cheer myself up with a Cape Cod....it's red and holiday festive right????

I can tell the difference

When you live in Texas, you get used to the heat. You can tell a distinct difference between 105 and 95. 95 feels cool after it's been 105 for a while.

I used to think that the 40's was fairly cold. Now I think differently...

Today I went to Christkindlmarket...a German holiday festival in Daley Plaza. Giant tree, manger (which desperately needed to get the snow off of baby Jesus), lots of German crafts & wares, and tons of German food...

Now this whole scene was outdoors. The high today was 24. Not that that was so cold, but I now know for sure, I've GOT to get heavier gloves and thicker socks. My hands and feet were freezing. I'm usually not a weather puss but after a few hours I was DONE....Christine looked at her twin 8 yr. olds & said, "Kristen is from a much warmer state, lets wrap it up so we can find somewhere to go sit inside"...two 8 years olds put me to shame...they only had a leg up on me because they were wearing snow pants....

I got my boots, now Radar on the other paw...

...holy moley...
Okay so we got about 6" of snow last night. Awesome. I took the train to work because my car was in the shop & bundled up enough for the walk in...coming home was a bit colder. To say the least...
I've been surfing the web for dog boots. I guess I didn't realize how fast I'd need them. Poor little dog....when I took him for his walk tonight, I didn't realize how quickly his little paws would get cold. It took all of about 5 minutes for him to start limping...I feel like the most horrible mom. Plus, everywhere he would do "number 2" is covered with 2 feet of snow! There's no bare grass anywhere! So as it stands now, he's not interested so he's inside again for the night...I guess we'll try again in the morning. Right now we have to have a damp washcloth ready when we come in to wipe the salt off of his paws...if you didn't know, Radar H-A-T-E-S having his paws touched. I'm hoping to leave work early enough tomorrow so I can go to the pet store around the corner with him so he can try on some Muttluks boots....he'll be more stylin' than me...but then again what's new?
...it's going to be a low temp of 9 degrees tonight....now THAT would be new to me.

Sass, snow boots & falling ice

Well I finally bought a cheap pair of boots...just in time to use them!

We had a small "storm" if you will...which was worse in the burbs than in the city.

I went to the Crate party last night and in order to do the whole, driving, parking hustle, Christine & I decided to take public transport. So we had to walk in our sassy skirts to the El, then walk a country mile when we got off of the El.

First of all, my thigh high socks saved me. That layered with hose made an amazingly warm, yet sexy combination. Lucky no one was to see....

My cheap little boots worked nicely, and looked great as we entered and exited the party. Funny how we definitely weren't the only one's to check shoes along with our coats at the coat check.

Party was okay...ran into a lot of people I hadn't seen in a while. The band was B-A-D. Quite the huge production but very party predictable.... It ain't a party unless someone plays "Shout". Of course a little Morris Day and The Time didn't' hurt either.

The food was everywhere. Didn't eat much but then I wasn't too interested in the tator tot bar. Christine on the other hand....

Afterwards a few of us went to a bar around the corner until the wee hours. The drinking laws here are quite different. The time you can serve until depends on what liquor license you have. Some bars serve until 2, some until 3, etc...

All I know is that I went to bed at 3:40 this morning & woke up stupid early this morning with a headache that 2 cups of coffee cured.

Good times, good times.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!...and other crap

ahhh life....let's start this post same as the last one ended...
I've been in this city 6 months today. Toot toot...that's a celebratory horn in case you're not on board with my over-the-top humor.
This has been the craziest experience of my life hands down. Packing up all of my shit, leaving everything and everyone I know, and moving across the country.
Some call it crazy, some call it liberating...it simply depends on how many cocktails you're inhaling when you call it.... Plus it's easier for people to tell you how proud they are of you and how amazing it must be and how they wish they had the balls to do it...when it's NOT THEM.
I have no regrets about moving cities. I love this city. Even as I sit here and brace for the bad weather which will start tomorrow. I will get up early and go buy boots just like I got up early and went to Auto Zone today to get scrapers, de-icer, windshield fluid, and a snow brush.
All just in time for the Crate & Barrel holiday party which my horoscope insists I attend.
This city is amazing. There is so much to do and so much to see. There is a bigger sense of community than I ever could have imagined. Every where I go I meet more and more amazingly creative people. Everyone here has been extremely friendly and inviting (except when behind the wheel).
Yet here at this 6 month milestone I realize that this is a huge, stressful adjustment. Days go by when I miss my friends & my family. I think a lot about my past yet realize that I've already started my future, and I think I'm looking for some fast answers to some really slow-long winded questions.
I've come to a screeching halt in the last 48 hours.
One of my favorite $10 words is "epiphany"...and I think I've just had a few big ones with a little help from some friends....
I moved here and I'm here to stay. Unless of course dream job with dream pay comes my way in Hawaii or the Caribbean :)
I have no intentions of looking back, only forward. I can't change what I've done and how I did it, but I can learn from it and grab the handles tight and hold on for the continued bumpy ride. Good things will come my way as they already have. I simply have to take things as they come and realize that nothing amazing is going to happen overnight...it already has. I live here and despite my current screwy frame of mind, I live a pretty amazing life for a girl who picked up alone and is trying to start life over.
Thanks to those of you who have helped me through to this anniversary. It's been a really rough ride with some smooth patches along the way....I only pray that the potholes get patched up soon.
Even though I'm spending this anniversary alone, Radar will help me lap up a rum & coke and raise it to those who helped us get where we are today.
Have a great weekend :)

Catching up...

Sorry to be so lacking in type...
Thanksgiving was a bust. I drove 1 1/2 hours to nowhere, encountered winter tundra-like road conditions, then had to turn around and go another 1 1/2 hours back to nowhere. Gobble gobble. Radar and I enjoyed an insanely quiet turkey day together in the windy city. Complete with movies and cocktails.
Other than that, nothing much is up. Just trying to wrap my head around the fact that Christmas is just around the corner. Not working in a retail atmosphere is very surreal right now. I have no concept of ornaments, sales, trees, lights, etc.. because I'm not surrounded by it every day. As a matter of fact, other than driving by Daley Plaza every day after work seeing the monster tree, I would have no idea it was coming up if I didn't watch TV.
The weather today was wierd. It got up in the 50's but that's the calm before the storm. I think it's supposed to be in the 30's & low in the 20's through the weekend with snow heading this way....I should REALLY consider getting some boots....time will tell.
Other than that, nothing new. Just stitching n' bitching on Wednesdays and rolling through the days....
...ahhhhhh....this is my life as I know it....

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!

I hope you all have a safe, healthy, and happy holiday!!!!!!!!!

Love & kisses,

Kristen & Radar

Reality Bites

I just realized that in a day, some real-live winter weather is going to hit and I'm not prepared.

We are supposed to have 2-3 inches of snow between 5pm tomorrow (Wed.) night and midnight Thurs. morning. I am supposed to drive to Michigan Thurs. morning for Thanksgiving....hmmm....very interesting.

I have a down coat, scarves, hats, and decent gloves...but not snowball gloves...they're leather. Tonight I had an epiphany...I have no snow shoes. Not the kind you wear that look like giant tennis rackets when you're walking through mountains of snow, but regular shoes to wear in the snow. I think my motorcycle boots might be my only option until after the holiday passes....wow...

Cassidy & I realized this weekend that we are in fear of the Chicago winter. We didn't really take into consideration the amount of "gear" we would need to purchase in order to function. Thermal underwear, snow boots, heavy socks, leg warmers (oh yes I did), Elmer Fudd hats, etc... and can I remind you all that all of this costs money????

I guess I'll just strap a saddle on Radar and he can cart me around like a little pack mule...

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!

Okay, sorry folks...

I haven't posted in a week...I'm sure you are all on the edge of your seats wondering what I'm doing...yeah right.

Last weekend Glenn came to visit so I was kind of busy. Got to show him the sites and the crappy weather of Chicago. It was gray & dim all weekend but nevertheless....we went to a real, true TIKI BAR!!!!! Most of you know how exciting that is to me right?? We went to the Hala Kahiki. It's been around since the 60's and all they serve are Polynesian drinks...no food. Good combo right? It was an amazing atmosphere even if we got there a little bit early and it was somewhat empty. All I know is it makes me ready for a vacation to the islands....sigh....

Okay, the rest of the week has been fairly low key. Just trying to acclimate to the colder weather being EVERY DAY, and the insanely early sunset... the sun sets at 4:freaking:30. By 5:00 it's like midnight outside. Another sigh...

Last night I went to Sarah's house to hang out with her, Stephanie, and their men. They just got a new 42" flat screen and a Wii game system...I am so far behind in video games since Pong....

Anyway, I ventured out to take the bus to her house so I didn't have to drive. She's only 15 min. away if that, but when I get home at midnight, it might take me 30 min. to find a parking space on the street...and that might be 3-5 blocks away. So I decided to take a cab home instead of waiting for the bus chaos. When I got to my house, I handed the driver my debit card & he says, "Just go!!!", "you pay w/a credit card again, I won't pick you up, you can be sure of that!"....okay dude, whatever. I have yet to get in a cab lately that doesn't take plastic, but what a score for me...a free cab ride home!

Other than that, just trying to figure out the holidaze & what they entail. Getting some light shopping finished and working on some knitting.

I was just "invited" to join this site called Ravelry.com. It's kind of like a MySpace for knitters. You list your projects, yarn, needles, books, etc. You can keep track of your stuff online...what yarn & pattern you used for each thing...stuff like that. You also have Friends and you can see what other members are working on, get free patterns, look at other peoples yarn selections, etc...

You have to be invited to join....how posh am I....or better yet, how dorky am I? I'm turning into a consummate yarn dork....and I like it.

Things I DON'T like about Chicago

Okay, in many emails I've said, "I love this city!"...but I'm feeling compelled to touch on a few things I don't really care for...

-Everyone honks their horn too much.
-If you don't take a special interest in paying attention to pedestrians and cyclists...you can pretty much guarantee that at some point...you're going to hit one.
-As a pedestrian...you'd better watch the hell out.
-You must plan your events around the big question...to drive or not to drive...because traffic sucks, and if you get home after 8PM, you WILL have to circle for an undetermined amount of time to find a parking spot. -The later you get home, the worse it gets.
-I am going to turn into a giant fat person because there is SO much heavy food and amazing beer everywhere you go (okay so that's not so bad!).
-The current weather in Chicago is what Texans would call Winter...Chicagoans call it Fall and say things like, "winter's coming!"...I'm a little fearful of this Winter thing...
-I am having to slowly acquire winter "gear" as not to get caught ill-prepared.
...and the worst thing about living in Chicago is...The sun sets here approx. 1 hour earlier than it does in Dallas, TX.... My assumption is that it is because we are farther from the equator...The current sunset time is 4:33 pm. I can't tell if it's 5:00 pm or midnight....
Okay, off my chest... but again... I do still love this city.

KJ (aka Kurt) is not American

I went out with my cousins KJ and Amy last night. KJ lives here in Chi-town and Amy & her husband Sam came to visit for the weekend.

It's really nice getting together with family that you pretty much NEVER see. KJ & I have gotten together a few times now since I moved and I hope to do so more often...family is so important and it boggles my mind how we tend to take it for granted...Anyway, we went out for dinner & several beers. I learned a few things....

1) KJ can't stand how we Americans fake our big cheesy smiles in photos...hence the above lead-in picture...

2) The Johnson's (my maternal family) repeat themselves when drinking....from what I was told, this is a passed down family trait. I am most positive that KJ has a picture of Jack Kerouac in his bedroom (sorry to throw you under the bus KJ!)

3) Amy & Sam are a super cute couple and Amy looks and sounds exactly like her mother

4) No one in the family refers to KJ as Kurt....it's not part of the natural order of things.

5) Apparently I was built up to be a big party girl and sorely disappointed everyone when I skipped out on moving-on-to-the-next-bar and headed home. Old lady extraordinaire.

6) I don't care that much for Duvel beer even if it has an 8.5% alcohol content.

7) Sam thinks that all Texans drink Shiner Bock and Budweiser and sound like someone named Cooter....I think he's spent a little too much time in Mansfield! He supported the Texan & that little brewery in Shiner, TX by drinking this very beer last night. Thanks Y'all!

8) Amy picked the first guy she saw leaving the bar to take our group photo...little did we know he was toasted...hence the blurry photo.

My family rocks.

It's the cheesiest

In the midst of being in a funk today (Sunday seems to be funk day lately), I got in the car this afternoon & drove north (although the highway says west).

First off, let me say that while I love taking the train to work and such, I do miss driving my car on the open road...I like to drive.

Problem is, here there isn't really too much open road that isn't full of traffic or construction or both.

Anyway, I headed north on I-94. Once I got through the construction traffic (see, I told you so), I drove about another 30 minutes until I crossed the Wisconsin state line. Chicago is nicely nestled in between both Wisconsin and Indiana so you can hit either state pretty quickly. I guess this is a big deal coming from Texas where it can take 10 hours to leave the state.

I stopped at the typical first rest stop which is also the visitors station....complete with maps and LOTS of brochures. I picked up a state map and a handful of brochures that caught my eye and headed back out. You see I wasn't really searching for a particular destination, just a little driving and some scenery.

As I proceeded north a little further, I stopped at the Mars Cheese Castle. You know, Wisconsin....cheese....Wisconsin....cheese....

I didn't get any cheese believe it or not, but I did get some pumpkin bread mix and a 6 pack of Wisconsin brewed Spotted Cow beer.

That was it...my big day. I am now enjoying my Spotted Cow beer and looking forward to the day in the not so far future when I can stop at the exit that said, "Ski area"...signage complete with snowflake.

aaaaahhhh.....

I was able to get up at my freaking leisure this morning...yipeeee!!! I would like to stress that I am really disappointed that I didn't get to see the kids today, however that opportunity will come back next week.

It's chilly and overcast. I have coffee and a dog in a blanket (literally) wedged up next to me...I am listening to Nancy Wilson on vinyl and sitting cross-legged on my couch with my laptop surfing the web. This is close to a perfect morning right now...if it were in Hawaii, that would be better.

I think aside from grocery shopping and possibly hitting 2 record stores, "I've got nothin'" for the rest of the day....goody for me.

Boo Hoo

My volunteering plan for tomorrow was cancelled... :( I am so horribly sad! It was with the same children's home, however it was a different program. This was called "Recreation at Lydia Home" where you take a group on a field trip. We were supposed to go to the Shedd Aquarium. It was cancelled due to lack of volunteers....that totally and completely sucks.
I have emailed another coordiantor to see if I can get in to the "read with me" program tomorrow instead. This could easily become a habit.
Last week I did the "News room" group with the 12-17 yr. old boys & had a really good time with that.
Anyway, in the event that I don't do my thing tomorrow, I'm actually looking forward to the cold, rainy day...it means I don't have to leave the house and I can accomplish junk indoors that desperately needs to be done.
...of course my 3 weeks of laundry isn't going to get done by sitting inside my cozy house now is it????

She's got the biggest, balls of them all!

...to quote a fabulous old AC/DC song....oh, am I dating myself???

The MCA (Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art) hosts a Stitch N Bitch "party" (as they call it, not us) once a month free every 3rd Tuesday. Tonight Sarah & I met there and hung out for about an hour or so knitting with some new peeps and having a beer.

There was a local artist, Pate Conaway, who knits with gigantic needles and gigantic cotton "yarn"...it was pretty entertaining to see....very cool. We were total dorks and took our picture with him to post on our knitting blog...

Wow, as Sarah put it, "we're knitting groupies"....I could just die....

who woulda thought?

...that on Oct. 21st 2007, I would be on Lake Michigan, on a boat, wearing a bikini in 80 degree weather????

It was a great day! A bit windy, and there were spots on the lake that were insanely choppy so as we flew across the lake, quite a bit of water came into the boat & got us soaked. The water was 65 degrees. Not cold for a day's weather, but quite cold when its water that is being thrown at you in the wind. Nevertheless, it was still a great day. ....and no, this isn't my actual picture...we were to the right side of the Hancock building

which is the one just right of the middle with the two antennae...again the lake was amazing....

...oh yeah, did I tell you that I love this city?

Cool, cool, cool

I went to Wicker Park last night for dinner & drinks....what an awesome neighborhood!
I had the most amazing sandwich at Silver Cloud. It was basically thanksgiving on bread and the stuffing tasted like my mom's. Then I had drinks at a bar called Rodan which was kind of lounge, mellow, weirdness. The mirror in the bathroom was actually a screen with a camera filming you as you were looking at yourself. It was strangely creepy and sexy at the same time.
I had a drink called the bubbletini :) Yum....
I can't wait to go back during the day to shop. There are a TON of cool shops and yet MORE places to eat & drink....
I love this city :)
...oh yeah, thanks to Steph for the suggestions! Hope you find a home for the kitty.

my b--tches are growing...

Stitch N' Bitch is getting bigger and bigger every week! When I started going there were initially 6 people, then there were several weeks where there were only anywhere from 2-4. The last several weeks we've been hitting around 8!!! Woo Hoo! Now that we've changed locations & started going to Morseland, we've even got our own waiter every week. With all that being said, if you're local & you're checking this out, feel free to check us out at...

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/snb_edgewater

We're known to stitch, bitch, have a cocktail or two, and engage in sinful desserts :)

Loot!

Today I decided that while I NEED to clean my house, I WANT to go shopping.
I tried to go to the local Gap however it is in a tiny mall with lots of stores I don't really frequent...like Hot Topix, Journeys, Great Clips, etc.... In that respect I was spoiled in Dallas....all the big retailers that you find on Michigan Ave. were in one mall 3 blocks from my house...and I'm used to that.
So with that being said, I took the El downtown to go to Michigan Ave. First off, there was the observation of the mentally ill woman on the train who couldn't decide whether to cry, laugh, or bang on the window yelling "Jesus...Jesus!"...she had a fit because the train line has construction going on & the train wasn't going to hit the underground stops...we were informed of this 2 stops beforehand (which was a little late in my opinion). She grabbed the emergency door pull & proceeded to scream, "oh no, the door is NOT going to close until you tell me where the fuck this train is stopping!". The drama went on & on so I got off & switched to another line which meant more walking for me...
ANYWAY...I had a great time at the gigantor Gap, then as I left I decided to try to ride the bus & see if I could find my way around. I took the bus up to a street I knew, got off, proceeded back to the El, and accidentally found a thrift shop called, "Land of the Lost". Which by the way was one of my favorite of the Sid & Marty Kroft shows of the 70's...right up there with Wonderbug.
So in summary, I totally scored today. I got a $150 pair of Seven For All Mankind cords for $20, a Les Baxter album for $3, and a groovy vintage purse for $10.
I topped this off with a stop at the local Mexican grocery store because I didn't feel like driving to Jewel Osco. I can't get over how much better the produce & meat is and it's dirt cheap. I paid $1.50 for fresh sun dried tomatoes & $1.49 for tomatoes on the vine! Crazy!
Add this on to the Gap purchases (partially paid for by Champ...thanks!) AND the 2 mini skirts I got at Old Navy yesterday on sale for $3.97 each and I would say it was success all the way around.
Happy Birthday to me!

Holy Brrrrr Batman!

Sunday it was 88 & people were dropping like flies at the Chicago marathon, and today it was 54 & quite windy.
I wore a pea coat, a scarf and gloves.....yikes... even Radar has to wear his sweater when we go on his "real" walk.
I can't believe that all of a sudden I'm online looking for down jackets...the pea coat is nice but it ain't gonna cut it here in the Midwest!
Also, I'm so conditioned to Texas weather that I KNOW I would have turned on the heat today down there. I don't have that option here as the furnace hasn't been turned on yet, therefore I've got a couple of blankets on the bed & I'm trying to bribe Radar to sleep nice & close...if he wants to get fed he knows whats good for him!

Volunteering....

As I made this move in life, I had a few things in mind that I wanted to do but have put off....

Get my jewelry business back on track, start going to church, and begin doing volunteer/charity work.

You've gotta start somewhere...I volunteered yesterday at a children's home called Lydia Home. http://www.lydiahome.org/ I signed up for a program called "Read with me". Each week a different group of children is chosen to come down and read with a volunteer. They are not all eligible as it's based on behavior the week before.

You get paired up with one child and they pick a book to read to you. You simply help them along if they need it and have conversation with them. We did that for about an hour, then played outside for about 30 minutes, then we took them to McDonald's (each volunteer pays for one child's lunch). What a blast. For only 3 hours of my Saturday it was totally worth it. I have signed up for another event at the same place called "News Room". In that one a group comes down & we read a current article with them and have questions and discussions about it. I'm looking into one more as well called "Recreation" at Lydia Home where we actually go on a field trip...it could be a museum, park, zoo, ball game, etc...
If you want to get, you've got to give...

House full o' bitches!

I hosted Stitch n' Bitch this week due to an overabundance of food & alcohol leftover from my party.....and because I like my girls!
We had about 8 people show up which I think is the most I've seen so far. It was very cool, relaxed, and probably one of the best ones we've had.
Thanks so much to Sarah for always organizing things & keeping everyone informed!
We're thinking about doing some sort of charity work. Just another project to add to the mix.
Speaking of charity, I'm volunteering tomorrow at Lydia's house. It's a home for families & children in need of support and/or foster care outside of the public system. I'm going to read to kids ages 6-12 for a few hours, then we take them to lunch...I'm really looking forward to it....
....a full report to come later! Have a great weekend!

It ain't a party 'till somethin' gets broke

...as the old saying goes...except the hostess shouldn't be the one to break things!

I had a fabulous party Saturday night!!! I had about 15 people total which was perfect. It was a nice mix of personalities & I think everyone got along really well.

I figure if I didn't get to bed until after 4:00 am, it must have been good....only thing is I am WAY too old to be up that late anymore!

Thanks SO much to everyone who showed up. I really appreciated it and it was an absolute blast....keep your calendars open, I'll start planning my next one soon!

I have SO much booze & food leftover that I'm hosting this weeks Stitch n' Bitch at my house....it should be a blast. I'll report on that after tomorrow night. Knitting girls drinking....always a good idea!

I think I'll go open my 2nd after-work beer now...well I can't let it all go to waste now can I?????

Happy Morning!

Wow, this weather is borderline perfect now! It's crisp and it's fall. I have all of my windows open!!!
It's the kind of weather where it's cool in the shade, warm in the sun, and you could pretty much wear anything you wanted.
Yesterday I hung out with Stephanie (one of my friends from SNB) and we went to an art gallery downtown, walked around a ton & ended up at the Nordstroms Rack. What a zoo. Regardless, I found something cute to buy and decided I need to go back when there is a need for more "unmentionables".
My friend Cassidy is moving here next week & I can't wait. A little familiarity goes a long way. I'll save my panty raid to Nordstroms for when she gets here as she & I together discovered the magic that is the Nordstroms lingerie dept.
Oh yeah, and I'm gearing up for my housewarming party as well. It's next Sat. night & I can't wait. It's weird that except for Mike, not one person coming over has been to my place before. I've invited my old friends but no on is able to make it so all of my guests are new friends! Strange but cool.
I now must sit back and enjoy my coffee on this beautiful Sunday morning in Chicago, Illinois.

Drowing....again

Hi there...I'm feeling overwhelmed so I'm going to share it! I posted a while back about "when the waves in life get to big, learn to surf". I've been surfing some little waves for a while now but the big kahuna is taking over...
I love this city...hands down. I love all of the friends I've made (and the ones I've left too) hands down. I love my new job, I love taking the train to work, I love walking Radar 3-4 times a day, I love exploring, I love stitch n' bitch and the fact that I've accepted my knitting & yarn addiction.
But I've realized that while change is great, change can sometimes come with consequence. Once again, let me re-iterate that I have no regrets about my move...but there were consequences of moving and I feel like now I'm beginning to face them head on.
It's funny how life is...you start out young, have someone make choices for you, teach you things, then send you out hoping they've done the best job that they could have (and they did...thanks!)...then you have to turn into some sort of adult-like person and hope you make the right decisions.
First off, I still have yet to consider myself an adult. I like being a little immature each day and I feel as though I'm fortunate enough that with this move, and my new job, I surround myself with people who are just like me.... creative and immature :)
Second, making the right decision is a crap shoot...hands down (my new favorite saying since this entry). You start out in a situation in one mind frame, then life rolls along and you wake up saying, "what the hell?".
Not to get all preachy but I feel very fortunate that I have a good relationship with God and I ask for a lot and feel like I get a lot in return. If it weren't for Him, I wouldn't be here today (and that's a loaded statement).
I know this is rambly but that's how I feel.....I guess for anyone chosing to read this, here is my unsolicited advice...live your life to the fullest, cherish each day that is given to you and treat people the way you want to be treated. Give back to others when you can and be a nice person overall. Think hard about the decisions you make in life and how they affect others. Pray for what you want and what you have....hard. Take the time to thank those who give to you. Don't take your close friends or family for granted and help them when they need you just like you would help them when they need it in return.
Most of all remember life is very, very short...treat it with the utmost respect.
Nighty night

Holy Craft Fair Batman!!!!

I went to the Renegade Craft Fair yesterday....I can't even believe how much money I could have spent! It was like every indie crafter & artist who advertises in BUST magazine or Ready Made (who was a sponsor) was at this fair. I think I was there 3 1/2 hours.

The above photo is the funniest damn t-shirt I saw...and there were a lot. Had to have it.

I also saw at least a half dozen people selling hand made/hand spun yarn. After much looking I bought the yummiest one I came across. I don't know exactly what I'm going to make with this yet, but it may very well be a pair of knee high socks. My mind is still brewing on this one. One thing I have learned about myself....yarn is like a drug and I am an addict.

Nevertheless, so far this is in the top 5 of my "stuff I've done since I've lived in Chicago" list....it may even be in the top 2. Hmmm...I'll save my list for another posting.

I ran around today running errands...I put a half tank of gas in my car as I don't drive for the most part Mon-Fri. My car sat nicely in it's parking spot from last Sunday until yesterday...I almost feel evil bragging about it :)

Pimp My Ride

I took the train downtown today. My only concern was the walk from the station to work as I thought it was farther than it was. It's about 10 blocks, but they're not true "city" blocks in the direction I have to go so it takes about 18 minutes. No longer than the walk I did in Naperville.

Let me say, I'm really excited about this...a one month pass for the commuter train is $58.20....can't beat that with a stick....especially since I was filling my tank every 3 days for about $40+ bucks a shot. It's time to save money...yahoo!!!!!!!!!!!
I also started working out this weekend...if the low the next few days is going to be 45 degrees, I'd better take advantage of the highs being in the 60's-70's!!! Brr...I'm actually putting a blanket on my bed tonight...

That's so insane....

Heat Schmeat

While it will be a balmy 90 degrees today in Dallas, it will be a high of 76 here in beautiful Chicago. I walked/ran at the beach yesterday (as I'm trying to tone up all of my giggly pouf areas) and it could not have been more gorgeous out. Today should be a carbon copy of yesterday. I think I have actually moved somewhere with seasons!

Mmmmm Toasty

Well here you go. In the middle of all the wackiness that is my life, I finished my first pair of socks! They actually fit & came out really nice. I didn't say they matched size exactly, I just said they fit :)
Moving along, I'm going to work on a pair of arm warmers, then another pair of socks that will be MUCH more crazy & involved. Smaller needles and an insane pattern. I'm always up for a challenge you know!
A few notes....
Radar is doing much better today. He's not 100% yet, but slowly on the mend...good for him AND for me.
My first week of work has gone well. Although I don't have a clue as to what my job really is because there are not photo shoots going on for another 2 weeks, I have plenty to keep me busy. The atmosphere is really relaxed & laid back.
The Tavern I had lunch at on Tuesday has $4 Captain Morgan on Thursdays...there could be a potential problem :)

Crapapalooza '07

Oh boy was last night fun....
Got home from work, found a fabulous "pile" from Radar on my new ivory shag rug. Had to clean it...it's still drying in the tub 24 hours later...
Fast forward...2:40 this morning I wake up to a dog sitting on my shoulder, violently shaking, and wickedly panting...his was so stiff you would have thought rigamortis had set in...
He's acting really weird, I'm thinking he's having a heart attack or something, he's jumping up & down off the bed, lying down, getting up, lying down, getting up...then he gets down off of the bed and squirts liquid poo all over my OTHER ivory shag Flokati rug....nice....I take him out where the fun continues, bring him back in and begin to clean the mess. I've recently decided that the Flokati has almost seen it's day but now Radar has made that decision for me...I pick up the rug & try to fold the corner over to just trash the whole thing, and the corner falls out & the liquid poo plops nicely on my bedroom floor.
I proceed to the dumpster in the alley at 3:00 am (scary), then return to clean the mess off of my bedroom floor.
I call the animal 9-1-1 where I ask some irritable queen if I can give my dog any over the counter stuff for diarrhea...his response, "no...........we don't know what's wrong with him"...ass...
He gives some advice, we go back to bed & 30 minutes or so later, the shaking starts again...I took him out where the fun continued, we came back in, went back to bed & got up this morning and hit the vet at 8:00 sharp...did I mention that during this mornings walk I turned a Ziploc bag inside out so I could have a tasty sample of the liquid poo????
Long story short (too late), he has a bacterial infection which he could have gotten anywhere....oh yeah, and an unrelated mild heart murmur....nice...
I pray that this week has at least ONE normal day in it because it hasn't so far!

12.7 miles

That's really all I should have to say about my first day at my new job.
The commute took about 35-40 minutes. I got to work early and after work, I actually had time to go get my grocery shopping done AND still find parking in front of my building.
Now if only Radar hadn't crapped on my new white shag rug today...
I just take one day at a time...
(oh yeah, work was great :)

P.S. Just for you Radar fans....he has NEVER done that in the 10 years I've had him...maybe that was his way of getting back at me for the last 3 months and the move....it's his secret

Back from Big D

YAAA HOOO!!
I went to Texas but now I'm back. Glad I got to see everyone that I did, but I have to say...they city itself reconfirmed why I wanted to leave.
Not only do I feel that there isn't really that much to do, but all of the stuff I did enjoy doing is closed/closing down....and by God if there is a smidge of bare land...some land developer will come snatch it up and build condo's on it...
What I always wonder is while it's great to build new property, what the hell do these people do for entertainment??? Literally everything that gets knocked down is replaced with an extremely overpriced condo! The apts. behind my old duplex got knocked down last summer to be replaced with an entire street of condos..."ranging from $620,000 to $1.2 million!"....and that's behind my little 'ol duplex??? I just don't get the lack of preservation in that city...
Anyway, all went well with friends & family. But by the way...while the midwest is all about "it's our last hurrah weekend for summer...no more summer...summer's almost over....etc.."...it is still summer in Texas at 90+ degrees outside....
....as it should be :)

Tick-tock...

Wow, inventory came & went....THANK GOD!
I've been bitching enough about work this week that I'll just spare everyone the boring details...
Only 2 more days at Naperville!!! I will miss the people & the challenge, but not the chaos and the commute. 'Nuff said about that.
I leave for Big D early Thursday morning & I'm really looking forward to getting on a plane to go somewhere, even if it is the city I couldn't wait to leave (let me stress, the city NOT the people).
Speaking of leaving Dallas, I guess I could take a moment to reflect on the past few months...
I've been here since June 1st. Almost 3 months since I've up & left my life to start a new one. I know my move not only affected myself but others in my life. It was a really hard decision to make, but one I don't regret.
This move has completely changed me. It may have seemed crazy to some people, but it's turned out to be an amazing adventure so far.
I've tried new things, made new friends, started not one, but soon two new jobs, ventured out to do things on my own, ridden my bike, spent more time with Radar, walked, cried (a lot), become more independent, more stable (well, maybe not financially...moving across the country ain't free you know!), and the list could go on & on....
I'm happy with where I'm at, even on the days that I cry like a freak...
I've embraced Chicago and Chicago has embraced me....now talk to me when winter hits!

S-u-c-k, traffic ain't no fun today it's sucky...hey hey it's sucky!

I trust you all figured out that the title should be sung to the school age song of,
"u-g-l-y you ain't got no alibi you ugly, hey hey, you ugly".

Enough...

If you've been watching the news you'd know there were violent and torrential rains this afternoon in the city of Chicago & surrounding areas.

First, the tornado alarm went off at the store/warehouse..."this is NOT a drill, I repeat...this is not a drill". We had to evacuate all employees and customers...fun, fun, fun...That lasted about 30-40 minutes.

Oh yeah...did I mention that when I got to work I realized that I had left my leftovers sitting in my lunch bag on the floor???? About 3 days worth of chicken pasta in the trash. Thank goodness Radar wasn't that nosy and or persistant enough to open Tupperware.

Then, the icing on the cake...
I got in the car at 5:30ish to go home...
I can't even muster up the energy to go through all of the sorted traffic details but the end result was this...
I arrived at my front gate at 9:08 pm. It took me 3 1/2 hours to go approx. 50 miles.
I am officially defeated.
I will be taking the train this morning even if I have to walk through fire to get to & from the train stations in order NOT to have to drive.
Sigh....

The end is near...

I officially have one week of work left as of today (not counting tomorrow's day off!). Not really like I have no more work...just no more work 50 miles from home!

I am trying to get ready for inventory & it's sucking the life right out of me. Funny since I'm going into an inventory control position with my new job!! At least there I will be totally in charge of what I am doing and not working off of the system of others. Kind of like diving into someone else's sandbox and messing up all of the toys....it will be MY sandbox and that's how it should be to make ME happy.

Do I sound a little bitchy today???
I'm feeling a little crabby...

Well on the bright side I have a day off tomorrow & if it's not raining yet another day here, I will go ride my bike...and I have Stitch N' Bitch in the evening which is one of the highlights of my weeks.

Let me rinse & repeat....knitting is one of the highlights of my weeks....dear Lord help me....help me fast...

C-C-C-C-C-CHANGES!!!!!

Just when you thought I couldn't have any more change in my life...
I GOT A NEW JOB!!!!!
No, I'm not a complete freak, I'm still with Crate&Barrel, just a TOTALLY new position.
I will be the operations manager/Inventory Control person at the Photo Studio in fabulous downtown Chicago. The photo studio is where the catalog & internet photo shoots take place.
In a nutshell, I will be in charge of all of the merchandise that travels between the warehouse & the studio. I should also be acting as the assistant manager. The studio has only been open 8 months so there is a TON of opportunity upcoming there in the near future.
On the fluff side, the job is Monday through Friday, and it's downtown which is NOT 50 miles from my house like my current job is.
I have inventory on the 26th, the I'm going to Dallas for a visit the 30th-3rd. I start my new job on Tuesday, August the 4th.
You don't know if you don't try right??????
In the words of all great surfers....I AM STOKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stitch N' Pitch 2007

Becky, Kristen, & Sarah from the Edgewater Stitch n' Bitch

Hey all! We had a ton of fun at our Stitch N' Pitch game this Saturday night. We had a few beers and enjoyed watching the Sox game in the heat.

Not to offend anyone but let me tell you, there is some SERIOUS white trash at that ball park! You just couldn't get enough of Billy Jo and Bobby Sue...and I thought I'd left the South!

The game was fun, although "the women" as we'll refer to ourselves, sat & talked while enjoying our stadium beer. There were probably about 6-8 rows of knitters in our area...fun, yet bizarre to watch.

Afterwards, we went to an art show at the home of a friend of a friend, and on the way I had an unfortunate accident and took a fairly large "chunk" out of my big toe. The words "chunk" and "flap" have been used quite frequently to describe different parts of the injury...I'm glad I'm off tomorrow as the "flap" had to be removed and now I just have a "hole". Nice...are you all grossed out now???

It's a wonder I can do this since I quit yoga back in March!

By the way, I now feel that paper towel, band-aids, and hot pink masking tape should be a part of every persons street triage kit :)

get your fiber

If you had told me 10 years ago that i would be shopping for yarn and trying to be a part of Chicago's knitting community I might have accused you of smoking the ganga...
I went to 2 amazing yarn stores on Wednesday afternoon. This pic is from one of their web sites.
Let me just clarify that it is a myth that knitting your own garments is cheaper than buying them....at least that is unless you drown yourself in acrylic yarn (a.k.a plastic) which is pretty darn cheap. Even then, the first sweater I made with acrylic ran about $50.
I was so flipping excited about this particular store, Loopy Yarns. I'll spare all of the details but let me just say, I could have easily spent a small fortune there...so if you ever want to know what to get me for a gift....
I've now got new yarn for 2 new projects & I'm currently working on my first pair of socks. I am just getting to the hard part which is making the heel...I think that might be what caused today's ever-lovin' migraine.
Anyway...I think I AM becoming part of a knitting community... I am still going to stitch n' bitch twice a month, I'm going to a White Sox game tomorrow which is a city wide "stitch n' pitch" group outing...a bunch of people knitting at a Major League Baseball game, and I'm going to a seminar in September that my SNB group leader is giving about making crocheted coral reefs for a collective project that is a homage to the disappearing Great Barrier Reef. (check out the site AND check out the main IFF site as well while you're there....both weird and strangely interesting http://www.theiff.org/reef/index.html )
I am officially an old lady...all I need now is box of Correctol in my nightstand drawer...."for gentle relief"...

I know, I know...

I haven't posted for a while....
I've been working my ass off the last 2 weeks. My store designer was out of town so I stepped into her place. I was working a bunch of hours & had lots & lots of display changes...which = a physical job I haven't done in a while.
It was nice being Mon-Fri again but I'm back to normal this week. I have to say, I kind of missed my Wed. off.
It's been in the mid 90's here & everyone is talking about how damn hot it is. I can only chuckle. I will admit, the humidity has been a bit high so it does feel like around 100, but again...I guess I'm used to it. Talk to me again about weather when it gets cold here!...THAT I am not used to!
I have Stitch n' Bitch tomorrow night and then this Saturday I am going to a Sox game for Stitch n' Pitch! A group of knitters from around Chicago is going to the game to enjoy the game & collectively knit :) What an old lady I am...all I need now is to go to an antique mall & eat lunch in the tea room...nasty.

Hell on wheels....

I just took Radar for a walk wearing my name tag. I was sitting on the couch reading my email before I realized I still had it on....I really need to get a job closer to home so my mind isn't so screwed up all of the time.
The entrance & exit ramps to my street are closed for construction now...I've been trying to find alternate routes to work with very little luck.
The last 2 nights it's taken me 2 1/2 hours to get home from work...that is insane. Tonight I think I found the one which only took an hour & 1/2 which is actually shorter than my original commute....that too is insane.
As much as I love the bug...I'm really tired of sitting in it.

Big city nights....

So last night I went out with my friend Mike for dinner & drinks. As we were leaving the Belmont/Clark area, we got on the El (elevated transit system) & began chatting. The announcement "next stop, Paulina" came over the intercom...I said, "oh shit, we're on the wrong line"!
For those of you who are not familiar with the El...there are multiple train lines that run throuout the city...red line, brown line, green line, blue line, purple line, etc... The mass transit system in this city is amazing! We needed to be on the red line & accidentally got on a brown line train. Not usually a big deal...

SO! We got off at the next stop & figured we'd have to take the next train back in the direction we came from so we could get back on the red line. There are several stops along the way where the lines merge & you can transfer lines...

Anyway, so it's like 2:20 am & completely dead quiet, not a soul around but us, and no train. The trains don't run every 2 seconds except during rush hour, so I walked over to the posted schedule to see when the next train ran...

I said, "uh oh"...."Houston, we have a problem"....

The last train came at 2:14 am & the next train wasn't going to be running until 4:09 am. So as all of you reading this are intellegent individuals, I'm sure you can see the problem...

Here's the great thing...I am NOT the local one, yet I am the one who remained calm & said, "you know what????? We are in CHICAGO...I am willing to bet that if we go downstairs (we were on the platform at this point), it won't take us 2 seconds to find a cab".

We walked downstairs, turned to the left and at the red light ahead, there were at least 4 cabs within my 20/80 line of sight. Once we got in the cab, I saw at least 5 more cabs pass us within a one block radius...

THIS CITY ROCKS!!!!!

....oh yeah, and I beat Mike at Galaga like I said I would when we stumbled upon an arcade...
I LIVE IN A CITY WHERE YOU CAN STUMBLE UPON AN ARCADE!!!!!! How awesome is that???

Dullsville...

Wow, I don't have much to report this week so far. It's actually been kind of quiet.
Well I'm not exactly sure why, but in the last 2 weeks I've finally become okay with the fact that I live alone. It has it's moments...simply because I get bored doing the same thing, but I'm starting to work out again and now that the friend thing seems like it's coming around, life has a better feel about it.
It's kind of rainy, gross, & humid this week...but I guess I'd better not mention the rain to my friends in Texas! It really doesn't feel like summer to me. Scary thing is, I know in only a couple of months, winter is going to set in like I haven't seen before! I'd better get my knitting needles flying a little faster!
That's all for now...Kristen's relationship with Chi-town is simply on the down-low for this week...more reports to come...

Knitta please....

Hey all...
I went to a knitting store that my friend Sarah works at...she organizes our stitch n' bitch meetings. There was a guy there named Franklin doing a photography project called "1000 knitters". He's photographing 1000 knitters for a book, gallery project, web log, etc... I had to sign a disclaimer, sit & knit the piece he had there, and simply chat with him for a few minutes while he took my picture....it was pretty cool. I'll let you know when I'm a star in a coffee table book!!!
I'm really itching to get back into my knitting. I just bid on some needles on Ebay, and now that I kind of know what my next 2 projects are going to be, I'm heading back to Ebay for what I hope is some discounted yarn.
For those of you who don't know this, knitting isn't really a less expensive substitute for purchasing clothes....that is unless you're one of those really crafty "diggers" who lucks upon yarn at thrift stores, estate sales, etc... Yarn ain't cheap. It's really all about the hobby and the enjoyment of it....unless of course you suck at it...then it's not so enjoyable :)
Radar went for his first nail trim in the big city. I found him this great place called the Bark Bark Club. Love it. He was stylin' walking down the city streets...he's too cool for his own good...then again, anyone who knows Radar already knows this.

Finally!!!!....a friend!!!

Well people, have no fear...I had something that actually resembled a social life tonight...finally.
There is a girl that worked at my store that I really liked. As Murphy's Law would have it, she got promoted last week to a position in our photo studio downtown...she was someone I felt like was "my people". Other than the stitch n' bitchers, I hadn't met too many of those thus far...
We met at a pub not too far from here...unfortunately it was a beating of a drive for her coming from downtown..sorry Christine!
Nothing terribly exciting to report other than the fact that I did something outside of my house that wasn't work, eating or shopping alone, and involved another human...
I can only express myself by saying...
Yipee...

Lonely...to be or not to be...that is the question

I just spent the last 24 hours in Michigan/the car for the 4th of July surrounded by about 13 other people...(12 1/2 if you consider that one of the humans was only about a week old).
As I'm sitting here at home once again, I'm pondering my big move decision. I absolutely love the city, but I'm ready to find some friends. Not that I want to force it like you did in jr. high school by bribing people or buying gifts for those who really weren't your friends, but the kind you stumble on accidentally and they become your friends for life.
I have to take into consideration that I've only been here a month. There are one or two people at work I would socialize with if they weren't so flippin' far away.
I made my bold move to go to Stitch N' Bitch twice a month which is great...but like I said, it's only twice a month....it's a start I guess.
Now I'm debating things like volunteering, church, finding another class to take, etc...I just got a flyer for a place around the corner that has yoga, tai chi, and belly dancing classes...
Mmmmmm....shaking my little jigglypouf belly around in circles...niiiiccceeee....I suppose that's one way to drop a lb. or two....

Never in Dallas...

...would I have two different neighbors dueling it out with music.

One apartment in my building has a guy who plays the banjo...quite well I might add. I've heard him a few times & occasionally he plays surf music which is why I've learned to love listening. One day a few weeks ago he was accompanied by a clarinet. There was a nice little free jamboree right here in my building.

Another apartment has a guy who signs opera. I haven't heard him much except for the past couple of days....he too is quite good.

Tonight they are both expressing themselves musically with their own personal genre....and with their windows open.

Occasionally one overshadows the other...

Needless to say, my windows are open & I'm enjoying the noise. Oh yeah, given that the last couple of days the high has been 80ish and the low about 55, I've been sleeping with my windows open and a blanket...

I love this place :)

Choo choo part two

I took the train again today. Have no fear, I won't post every time I ride...just this first week...and of course if anything interesting happens.
The walking today was MUCH better aside from the fact that I had cramps. The crazy weather was much cooler. I think the high was no more than about 72 or so. I was wearing a hoodie during my commutes to and fro.
I spent time knittng Radar's newest dog sweater while riding. He can't stand wearing them, but if he doesn't want frozen nether-regions this winter, he has no choice.
My parents are going to Michigan to see my sister on Monday. I'll be driving up there (or is it over there?) on the 4th & returning on the 5th. The Neill's don't get together all at once very often so it should be fun. If there aren't fireworks in the sky, you can just give the Neill's a few cocktails & they'll make some fireworks of their own!

Finally photos!

Here are some pics of my pad...I just got my sofa delivered today and lucky me...it was a month earlier than I expected. I never thought I would miss having a couch so much. Radar loves it too.
Oh yeah people...don't laugh at my rabbit ears... NO, I don't have cable...and after talking to a lot of artsy fartsy types like myself, I have found that I am not the only person in the free world who doesn't have cable TV!

Alex I'll take "things that should be sticky" for $1000

...things that should be sticky....
Taffy
The back of a stamp
Tape
Glue
No-Pest Strips
Gum
That stuff you use on your fingers to count lots of money when you work retail/

Things that should not be sticky...
Kristen after she arrives at work her first day taking the train.
OH MY GOSH is was so freaking humid today I couldn't believe it! This what-I-consider-even-though-I-wasn't-born-there "native Texan" was complaining about the humidity all day!
Okay, so I braved the train. What a great experience! I'm ever so urban!!!
The process as a whole was fine. I actually log about 4 miles on foot during the whole round trip process. I walk about 1/2 mile to/from my house to the station..maybe another 1/2 mile between stations downtown, and another mile to/from work and the station in Naperville. I love the walking but NOT when it feels like I'm walking through blankets. Not even nice wool blankets...the gross polyester kind that some hotels have that feel like fuzzy rubber ( you know you all know what I'm talking about )...like a Holiday Inn blanket, not a Marriott blanket.
I think I've figured out that I save approx. $2.50 a day each time I take the train. It's not a million dollars but it's saving 90 miles off of my car each time and keeping me sane. For the most part, it's amazingly relaxing.
So, I can finally chock one thing up to going my way. Thank the Lord.

riding the wave

A friend of mine had a card posted at his desk that said something like (and I know I'm going to butcher this...) "if the waves in life get too big, learn to surf". It's kind of been my mantra thus far, however recently the drowning feeling has been taking over.

I pride myself on being this kick ass girl who made this amazingly independent decision to branch out in life and take matters into her own hands. I moved across the country & left everything I knew & loved...kind of like when I ran away from home my senior year in high school and rode a Greyhound bus to Lubbock.."please ride the bus". It was a great idea but within a short time span I was back at home on Meadowview Drive.

Occasionally I have this feeling like this isn't real and I'm going to go home soon. Kind of like I'm British and I'm on holiday...but I'm not, I've moved my life and I'm here to stay.

Things at work are a lot different than where I came from. Different store, different operation, different people, different region....just plain different. I have a bit of a step childish feeling at work. Once again...it feels like I'm helping out at a store opening & I'll be going home to my store soon....very weird.

My friend Kyle moved from Dallas to Austin a few years ago & quite a few months after he moved he told us how he was really depressed for a while because he realized that he had left all of his friends and making new ones wasn't a quick process.

That's where I'm at now. I love what I've seen so far & I have a TON of stuff I want to do, but there are just some things you want to do with another human being.

Until then....Radar makes an amazing companion...now if he only drank more rum....

Finally...some movement

I rode my bike today. I've made every excuse not to exercise & today I finally made myself get off of my lazy ass & do something. It was one of the best things I've done since I arrived in this city.
I ventured out thinking I'd only be gone around 30 min. or so & I ended up riding around the city on big girls streets with real traffic for about an hour-hour & 1/2. I saw some amazing thrift & vintage mid-century modern shopping that I MUST do this weekend.
Oh yeah, I accidentally found the porn store...lucky me ;)
I followed up the bike ride with a couple of hours at the beach. Interesting thing here...you can't just run gallantly into the water and dive in. You have to stay around one of the row boats with a life guard in it. I can understand children, however it takes FOREVER for the water to even get above thigh level. It's too bad that real bodies of water like say, the pacific ocean???...don't have that kind of protection. There are a LOT of idiots in Maui who challenge the ocean & don't seem to realize that they're not going to win. I lost a couple of water battles there myself.
If I could make a friend or two I'd be good to go...I absolutely love this city so far.

Week one & counting

First week of work is OVER! I've officially accepted the commute, however I will try the Metra commuter train next week. I've worked it out with my manager that I should be able to take the train 2 days a week which will help out my mental state as well as my "pocketbook" (how vintage of me).

I will still get home at the same time but should be able to relax a little more.

I want to switch gears for a minute and mention my best friend Brian. His father Jerry passed away on Saturday, June 2nd after a battle with bladder cancer. He and his wife Nolie had been back & forth from Arlington, TX to Houston, TX undergoing treatment at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center for the past several months.

I was unable to attend the memorial service in Arlington yesterday which was one of the hardest things I've ever done. Brian and I have been friends since 1983...the first week of summer band camp where Brian thought that Barbie had a really nice butt :)

I sincerely feel as though I've failed both Brian & Nolie by not being there for them during this hard time. Brian is literally like my brother and Nolie has been like a mother to me. From driving me home after a few too many beers in the middle of the night YEARS ago, to sitting at the hospital with my family when I had my ovary removed last summer. They have both always been there for me.

Jerry & Nolie were married for 47 years and I have to say, they were definitely one of the happiest couples I've ever seen together that long! They spent their last several years post-retirement travelling around the world. They had developed a great love for the cruise ship! The Love Boat if you will...

Brian was documenting Jerry's cancer battle through a wonderfully written blog. His father was an aerospace engineer which is where Brian gets his technical, obsessive side...yet his mother Nolie was an elementary school teacher for 30+ years and has a vibrant, outgoing personality which gives Brian his sense of humor.

Please take a minute or two to check out the blog at

http://www.jerryscancer.blogspot.com/

...even though you may not know Jerry, it's a really good read about a really great person.

I'm heading out for an art festival today, then having dinner with my Uncle Kurtie, Aunt Chris & cousin K.J. this evening. K.J. moved to Chicago several months ago and Kurt and Chris came to visit from Arizona.

I get to see family & people I know!!!! Yipeeeeee!!!!