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.